Yuan Fang wasn’t irritated. He calmly said, “So it’s the Princess Commandery!”
He Qingling’s eyebrows shot up. “Master Yuan, I respect you as a senior, but I’m no longer a Princess Commandery. I’m now a disciple of the Qingshan Sect!”
Yuan Fang clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the sky. “So what? You’re still a woman. Your Qingshan Sect is all women. Can you join the army or enter the court? Can you lead men into battle and drive out the enemy like previous Martial Arts Alliance Leaders?”
“Why can’t we?!” He Qingling confronted Yuan Fang directly. “Whatever men can do, we women can do too! It’s not like there’s no precedent for women on the battlefield in our dynasty. Master Yuan, have you forgotten? When our dynasty was founded, the Sacred Martial Virtuous Empress led her all-female army in a bloody battle at Chengwen Pass, capturing six cities!”
Yuan Fang smiled. “Everyone knows the heroic deeds of the Sacred Martial Virtuous Empress, but that was at the founding of the nation, under different circumstances. For nearly a hundred years, our Hua Dynasty hasn’t sent women to fight. Now our main enemy is the Huan Nation, which treats women as worthless. If our Hua Dynasty sends a woman as the Martial Arts Alliance Leader to command thousands of troops on the battlefield, wouldn’t the Huan people laugh at our men for being incompetent? Wouldn’t it affect our army’s morale?”
One of the candidates on the stage responded, “Master Yuan is right! We commanders risk our lives on the front lines. How could you young girls possibly imagine the hardships, let alone command us? Little girl, step down quickly and stop wasting everyone’s time!”
He Qingling looked at the speaker, recognizing him as Shi Xiuwu, the senior disciple of Zhaoshan Sect and a fierce general under Bo Gong, who was also known to be at odds with her brother, the “Marquis of Xuanyuan,” He Zhenwen. Anger rose in her heart. She leaped onto the high platform and glared at Shi Xiuwu. “General Shi, if you look down on us women so much, let’s let our weapons do the talking. We’ll compare our skills, and the winner will have the right to continue standing on this platform!”
As soon as He Qingling said this, the crowd below burst into laughter, with Shi Xiuwu laughing particularly smugly. He Qingling didn’t quite understand. She heard vulgar comments from below, with phrases like “high and low.” Glancing at Pei Yan, who sat in his chair with a smile on his handsome face, she felt embarrassed and angry. She drew her sword with a “clang,” but then heard her master’s stern voice: “Qingling! Stop this nonsense!”
He Qingling stamped her right foot. “Master!”
Qingshan Sect Leader Cheng Bilan’s face was cold, but she was truly in a difficult position. Although He Qingling’s words and actions were somewhat rash, she was defending the sect’s interests. If, as Yuan Fang said, monks, nuns, Taoists, and women couldn’t coordinate relationships between disciples of various sects in the court and army, then her senior disciple Jian Ying wouldn’t be able to run for the position of Alliance Leader. Moreover, if this trend continued, Qingshan Sect’s status in the martial arts world would plummet. However, the reasons Yuan Fang gave were somewhat difficult to refute. For now, she could only use her disciple He Qingling’s outburst to see if she could shut Yuan Fang up.
With this in mind, she said calmly, “Qingling, this is the Martial Arts Assembly. Everything is decided by the elders. Step down quickly, and don’t act with your Princess Commandery temper.”
Throughout her life, He Qingling had been most sensitive about people accusing her of “acting tyrannically” due to her Princess Commandery status. Even though these words came from her master’s mouth, they made her feel indignant. She couldn’t help but point at Shi Xiuwu and turn to Yuan Fang with a cold smile. “Master Yuan, you say, monks, nuns, Taoists, and young women can’t be elected as Alliance Leader. I think people like General Shi, who hold high military positions, are even less qualified for this role.”
Yuan Fang let out a light “Oh?” and said leisurely, “I’d like to hear more.”
“May I ask everyone, why did Minister Pei resign from the position of Alliance Leader earlier?” He Qingling turned to face the thousands below and spoke loudly. “It’s because Minister Pei took on the roles of Left Minister and Marquis of Jianding. He had to handle political affairs and held a military position. This made him lose the neutrality necessary for an Alliance Leader, making him no longer suitable for the role.”
She scanned the crowd below and continued confidently, “The most important aspect of the Alliance Leader’s role is to coordinate disputes between various sects, balance relations between the court and the public, and seek the greatest benefits for our martial arts community. Only then can they win the trust of the heroes. But if someone like General Shi, a high-ranking general in the court, is elected as Alliance Leader, let me ask you, General Shi: if tensions arise between the court and the public, which side would you lean towards? Would you mediate disputes as the Alliance Leader, or continue to follow orders from the Ministry of War as a general?”
Hui Lu came forward and said, “Princess, you’re overthinking. As previously agreed, anyone from the military or court elected as Alliance Leader would naturally resign from their military and official positions, only taking up military roles again if war breaks out.”
He Qingling smiled again. “Even so, let me ask another question. Among the sixteen sects on the stage now, apart from Qingshan, Emei, Sunü Sect, and Bihua Studio, which are all women, and Puhua Temple and Yuqing Palace, which are all clergy, the rest all have disciples holding positions in the court or military. If someone from these sects is elected as Alliance Leader, shouldn’t they not only resign from their military or official positions but also leave their sects to maintain a neutral status?”
He Qingling’s words were somewhat obscure, but the thousands present all understood her meaning. The sectarian views and distinctions between orthodox and unorthodox that had accumulated in the martial arts world over the past hundred years have shown signs of intensifying in recent years. If a disciple from a certain sect took control of the cauldron ears and favored that sect, considering only the interests of their sect in everything, it would only intensify conflicts. At that point, the chaos wouldn’t be something that could be fully controlled by just the title of Alliance Leader or the power of one person.
But now, each sect was putting forward one person and fully supporting them to seize the position of Alliance Leader, precisely to bring greater benefits to their sect. If they had to announce their departure from their sect after taking office as Alliance Leader, would there still be any point in supporting them to run for the position?
Before everyone could think it through, Yuan Fang closed his iron fan and clapped his hands. “The Princess Commandery’s words are insightful, and that’s exactly why I objected today.”
He Qingling hadn’t expected Yuan Fang to support her again, so her tone softened a bit. “Please speak, Master Yuan.”
Yuan Fang turned to the thousands of heroes below and said loudly, “At the Martial Arts Assembly on August 12th, I was absent due to other matters. Later, when I heard that Minister Pei had resigned from the position of Alliance Leader and that each major sect would nominate a candidate to compete for this position, I felt something was amiss.”
Dozens of people from below called out, “What’s amiss? Please tell us quickly, Master Yuan.”
“In our martial arts world, not only do we have these sixteen major sects, but we also have many small sects, martial arts families, and many independent practitioners. The world is vast, with many talented and extraordinary people. In terms of skills, they are no less than those currently in this stage. Why must the Alliance Leader come from these sixteen major sects, depriving others of the chance to compete? If we’re talking about the neutrality of the Alliance Leader, aren’t these people more qualified?!”
“Brother Yuan’s words echo my thoughts exactly!” A clear voice drifted over, and everyone turned to look.
On the main road in front of the manor, two figures, one in white and one in green, were approaching side by side. In the blink of an eye, they arrived in front of the high platform. The man in white was only about twenty-five or twenty-six, tall and straight, with an ethereal demeanor and refined features. The woman in green beside him was simple yet elegant, without makeup, possessing a unique grace.
Yuan Fang smiled, “Brother Nangong has arrived!”
As soon as Yuan Fang said “Brother Nangong,” a buzz of voices erupted below. Everyone had heard of the “Nangong Family” from the Western River region. Their unique skill, the “Lingxiao Sword Technique,” had dominated the martial arts world decades ago with few rivals. However, due to their small family size over generations, they rarely traveled in the martial arts world, making them somewhat mysterious. Hearing that this person was the rumored Young Master Nangong, everyone couldn’t help but take a few more looks.
Young Master Nangong bowed to Hui Lu, then cupped his hands towards Pei Yan in the distance, smiling, “My Nangong clan are martial artists, so of course we must attend this Martial Arts Assembly.”
After hearing Yuan Fang’s earlier words, everyone understood the implication of Young Master Nangong’s words — his Nangong clan were martial artists, so of course they must come and compete for the position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader.
Yuan Fang’s earlier words resonated with some people, and immediately dozens of people shouted, “That’s right, Young Master Nangong is a martial artist, and we are martial artists too. We must participate in this Martial Arts Assembly.”
Someone bluntly shouted, “It’s not fair! Why can only people from the sixteen major sects compete for the Alliance Leader position? Why can’t we?”
“That’s right, if we’re talking about neutrality, we have no sect burdens or official duties, so we can handle matters more fairly!”
“If we can’t be Alliance Leader, and monks, nuns, and women can’t either, does that mean only those ten people are qualified?”
“Well said! I think this Martial Arts Alliance Leader should be renamed!”
The crowd of troublemakers asked in unison, “What should it be renamed to?”
The person who spoke earlier laughed loudly, “How about ‘Twelve Sects Alliance Leader’ or ‘Half of the Martial Arts World Alliance Leader’!”
Everyone burst into laughter, and someone shouted, “I just wonder if anyone is willing to be this half Alliance Leader!”
Seeing the situation getting more and more chaotic, Hui Lu hurriedly chanted a Buddhist verse. His voice was like a great bell, instantly suppressing the noise.
Seeing that the entire venue had fallen silent, Hui Lu said solemnly, “How to elect the Martial Arts Alliance Leader was decided by the various sect leaders three months ago—”
Young Master Nangong gave a cold laugh, interrupting Hui Lu’s words. “May I ask the Venerable, when deciding how to elect the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, did you ask for our opinions? Do the Venerable and the various sect leaders not consider us as part of the martial arts world?”
His voice was clear and not particularly loud, but it startled Hui Lu. This Young Master Nangong, though young, had truly profound internal energy. He had interrupted Hui Lu’s words exactly when he was taking a breath, showing remarkable eyesight and skill that couldn’t be underestimated.
Young Master Nangong sneered, “If the Venerable and the sect leaders don’t consider people from my Nangong family as part of the martial arts world, then I have no need to follow the rules of the martial arts world, nor do I need to obey the order of this Martial Arts Assembly. Yanzhi, go up and find your enemy, avenge your mother and sister!”
The woman in green beside him responded with a “Yes.” In a flash of green, she leaped onto the high platform. Her gaze was as cold as frost as she stared at Shi Xiuwu, the Zhaoshan disciple and Bo Gong’s military general. She said coldly, “Shi Xiuwu, you killed my mother and sister, burned my village, slaughtered my people. Your crimes cry out to heaven! I, Nangong Yanzhi, will make you pay blood for blood today!”
Shi Xiuwu was startled. Young Master Nangong had already stepped forward, cupping his hands towards the crowd and speaking loudly, “Everyone, my sworn sister is not good with words. The situation is this: Five years ago, General Shi, following General Yao Dingbang, was fighting against the Huan Nation in the Longzhou area. However, under the pretext of warfare, he led his soldiers to loot counties and villages, massacring the villagers, stealing all property, and falsely accusing the slaughtered civilians of being Huan Nation spies. My sworn sister’s family and clan members died under this General Shi’s blade. She survived by hiding in a cellar and was later rescued by me and taken as my sworn sister. Everyone, please judge, shouldn’t such a grudge of killing a mother and sister, slaughtering a clan, and burning a village, be avenged?!”
People had heard rumors about the Longzhou incident from years ago. Although the court had suppressed the case, public anger was quite high at the time, and there were various rumors about the truth of the event circulating among the people. Now hearing Young Master Nangong speak like this, with a victim seeking revenge, they believed seven or eight parts of it. Those who despised evil shouted, “Of course it should be avenged! Such a scoundrel should be killed!”
Someone else said, “Such a villain wants to be elected as the Martial Arts Alliance Leader? Is our martial arts world truly without worthy people?”
“That’s right if he becomes the Alliance Leader, I’m afraid the world will be awash with blood!”
“Zhaoshan Sect sending such a person to compete for Alliance Leader is truly disgraceful!”
The Zhaoshan Sect members felt both humiliated and somewhat unwilling to accept this. Shi Xiuwu’s position as a general in the army had brought immeasurable benefits to their sect. So when he returned from the army and proposed to represent their sect in competing for the Alliance Leader position, everyone gladly agreed. They didn’t expect Nangong Yanzhi to expose his shameful acts at this moment. Some people felt unwilling to accept this and started arguing with the crowd.
Hui Lu found the situation quite thorny. As he was hesitating, another shout came from the front of the manor: “If we’re talking about revenge, count me in!” Along with these words, a woman in crimson clothes came running quickly. In the blink of an eye, she had leaped onto the high platform. The soft whip in her hand pointed at a man next to Shi Xiuwu. “Zhang You, do you remember Feng Xiao who died under your sword ten years ago?”
Zhang You, the candidate from the Ziji Sect, looked closely at the woman before him. She was charming and bright, dressed in gorgeous clothes, but her feet were bare with several gold rings around her ankles, clearly showing her Southern origins. He didn’t know what relationship this woman had with Feng Xiao, so he said in a deep voice, “Senior Brother Feng died under my sword in a duel. It was because his martial arts were inferior, and it’s not my fault.”
The woman in crimson clothes said coldly, “If you hadn’t put the power-dispersing drug in his tea back then, how could my father have died under your sword?! Zhang You, do I need to reveal from whom you bought that power-dispersing drug and bring them here to testify before you admit your guilt? Today, I, Feng Yunyao, will avenge my father!”
Her words caused an uproar among the Ziji Sect members. Years ago, Zhang You and Feng Xiao had competed for the honor of joining the army as a general. Feng Xiao had died under Zhang You’s sword, and his wife and daughter had disappeared, reportedly taken in by the Miao people in the Yuefan border region. Unexpectedly, his daughter had appeared at this moment to reveal the truth about that duel. Immediately, disciples who were dissatisfied with Zhang You representing their sect in the competition for Martial Arts Alliance Leader began to make a commotion. With the earlier independent practitioners and wandering knights adding fuel to the fire, the situation quickly spiraled out of control.
Feng Yunyao slowly lifted the soft rope in her hand. To everyone’s astonishment, it was not a soft rope at all, but a green poisonous snake that suddenly lifted into the air with the wind. The snake’s forked tongue flicked wildly, and the hissing sound was continuous. The crowd marveled in amazement; it was early winter, and poisonous snakes were supposed to be hibernating. To see Feng Yunyao control such a snake and use it as a weapon marked her as a direct disciple of the Miaojiang “Snake Witch.”
Zhang You was greatly alarmed. He had heard of the Miaojiang “Snake Witch” and her snake-handling techniques. While his martial skills were exceptional, whether he could withstand the poison of this Snake Witch was still uncertain.
Nangong Yanzhi tilted her head and smiled sweetly at Feng Yunyao. “Sister Feng, since neither of us is considered a martial artist, we don’t need to adhere to the rules of this martial arts assembly. Let’s join forces.”
Feng Yunyao smiled and said, “Sister Nangong, please!” With a sharp command, she directed the green snake to shoot toward Zhang You like lightning. Zhang You, already on guard, leaped into the air, using his sword to create a defensive barrier that blocked the snake’s attack. Feng Yunyao kept issuing sharp whistle-like sounds, directing the snake to persistently assault Zhang You.
Nangong Yanzhi, meanwhile, leaped into the fray, her sword moving like a stream of autumn water, its cold light extending toward Shi Xiuwu. Shi Xiuwu, experienced in battles, remained calm. He dodged the first wave of Nangong Yanzhi’s sword strikes and, landing smoothly, brought his blade up to meet her attack. Nangong Yanzhi was forced to retract her sword and retreat.
Most of the onlookers were there for the spectacle and were thrilled by the fierce and exciting combat before the leader had even made a selection. Meanwhile, the various sect leaders and notable figures on stage exchanged glances, their eyes shifting to Master Hui Lü and Pei Yan. Pei Yan furrowed his brow, hesitated for a moment, and finally stood up, calling out in a clear voice, “Miss Nangong, Miss Feng, please hear me out!”
Nangong Yanzhi, while spinning in the air, sneered, “Lord Pei, I’m afraid I can’t comply. The grudge of my mother’s death is unforgivable. Even if it’s under the emperor’s nose, I won’t let it go!”
Feng Yunyao remained silent, continuing to issue commands with her whistle, directing the green snake to attack Zhang You. Zhang You wielded his sword to guard against the snake’s assault, but the snake was exceptionally agile and difficult to strike down.
Jiang Ci had been feeling excited since Nangong Yanzhi took the stage and sympathized with her plight even more upon hearing her story. With Feng Yunyao’s appearance, she was hopeful that both women would win. Seeing Pei Yan attempting to intervene in their quest for vengeance, she felt a bit displeased.
Pei Yan gave a sharp command, and his figure moved like a drifting autumn leaf, quickly positioning himself between Nangong Yanzhi and Shi Xiuwu. He reached out and clasped Nangong Yanzhi’s wrist amidst the flashing blades, using her sword to deflect Shi Xiuwu’s heavy blade. There was a loud clang as both Nangong Yanzhi and Shi Xiuwu were jolted, each stepping back a few paces.
Pei Yan then used his right hand to strike the back of Shi Xiuwu’s blade, propelling himself into the air. He kicked Zhang You’s sword with his right foot, causing Zhang You to stagger back several steps. Pei Yan landed gracefully, smiling, “Brother Zhang, my apologies!”
Jiang Ci watched Pei Yan with a smile, standing still with his slender, elegant figure and his light blue silk robe fluttering slightly in the wind, adding to his refined and handsome demeanor. She murmured, “Just fight if you’re going to. Why put on so much show?” As she turned to look at Nangong Yanzhi, she saw a flash of green. The green snake had leaped into the air and coiled tightly around Pei Yan’s right arm.
Her heart raced, and she gasped in surprise as she saw the snake open its mouth and bite down on Pei Yan’s wrist.