She couldn’t help but think too much. The more she thought, the more fearful and confused she became. She could not fall in love with Tang Lici – that would be a dead end.
Tang Lici briefly discussed the current jianghu situation with everyone. Now that Liu Yan was hidden from sight, the antidote for the Crimson Ghost Nine Heart Pills was within reach. Those poisoned in various sects were no longer as panicked as they had been at the beginning of the year. Though the Wind and Moon Store still controlled the Crimson Ghost Nine Heart Pills, after suffering consecutive defeats, their influence was far less shocking than when the White-Clothed Servants first emerged in the jianghu. But the Wind and Moon Store was full of hidden talents, with countless masters recruited through the Crimson Ghost Nine Heart Pills. To destroy the Wind and Moon Store, they still needed to obtain more of its secrets and understand more of its inner workings.
At this tea gathering, Tang Lici had Central Plains Sword Society messengers carry letters to Shaolin Temple and Wudang Sect, inviting Abbot Puzhu and Daoist Master Qingjing to participate. But Puzhu politely declined under the pretext of secluded cultivation, while Daoist Master Qingjing replied that he was too busy with affairs to spare the time.
It turned out that several years ago, the old sect leader of Wudang had gone missing during the Blood Sacrifice Society’s siege of Wudang Mountain, with Daoist Master Qingjing serving as acting sect leader. However, Daoist Master Qingjing still had a martial uncle – a Wudang master with the Daoist name Master Qingxu. Master Qingxu had been in secluded cultivation in Wudang’s back mountains for ten years. When he emerged, Daoist Master Qingjing had already been acting sect leader for over two years. He wanted to yield the leadership position to Master Qingxu, but the sect’s disciples weren’t familiar with Master Qingxu and voiced considerable opposition, so the matter was set aside. Yet Master Qingxu, who had cultivated in seclusion for years and was recognized by very few even within Wudang, suddenly disappeared. After over a year of investigation, Daoist Master Qingjing finally obtained vague clues that Master Qingxu had actually been recruited by the Wind and Moon Store. Now the entire Wudang lineage was searching for Master Qingxu’s whereabouts. Once it was confirmed he had been recruited by the Wind and Moon Store, Wudang would certainly clean house. Under such circumstances, Daoist Master Qingjing naturally had no time to come to Haoyun Mountain for tea.
“So the Wind and Moon Store still has this branch faction of Gui Mudan. As leader of the Seven-Flower Cloud Wanderers, Gui Mudan killed the City-Breaking Strange Guest and Fish Leaping Eagle Flying, manipulated Meihua Yishu and Kuanglan Wuxing, founded the Wind and Moon Store with ambitions to unify the jianghu and dominate the world – truly despicable beyond measure.” Among the seated guests, one man in blue robes with a saber had a horse-like long face – this was Huo Xuanfeng, the famous quick-blade expert from the northern territories who had recently joined the Central Plains Sword Society. Beside him sat a man in scholarly robes with wide sleeves, his face appearing powdered – this was the famous beautiful swordsman from Jiangnan known as “Young Master Bi,” Qi Xing.
During the period when Tang Lici had disappeared, many new members had joined the Central Plains Sword Society, and most weren’t renowned swordsmen. Some came for excitement, some for prestige, and others pursuing the beauty of “Xifang Tao.” Now that Xifang Tao had disappeared, everyone felt somewhat disappointed.
Veteran sword society members like Cheng Yunpao and Dong Hubi viewed these newly joined so-called jianghu talents with cold eyes. This mixed crowd had done everything from eating, drinking, and causing trouble while drunk since arriving at Haoyun Mountain, but had never fought a single hard battle, yet they were full of boastful talk, speaking endlessly.
“Once we discover the Wind and Moon Store’s true lair, we’ll strike with one concentrated effort, working together to annihilate them and immediately restore peace to the jianghu.” The one responding was “Young Master Jade” Zheng Yue, who was as famous as “Young Master Bi” Qi Xing. These two were jointly called the “Jade and Jade Young Masters,” both famous beautiful young men in the Jiangnan region. But now sitting before Tang Lici, while Qi Xing could still maintain his composure, Zheng Yue’s gaze kept darting across Tang Lici’s face, full of resentful looks.
Tang Lici smiled slightly. Surrounded by this group of jianghu figures, he appeared even more like a luminous pearl, elegant and otherworldly. “If Young Master Zheng is interested, why not entrust the task of tracking down the Wind and Moon Store’s lair to Young Master Zheng?” Zheng Yue was greatly shocked. “Have me do it alone?” Tang Lici said gently, “Young Master Zheng is intelligent and wise, with outstanding swordsmanship and wide connections. Young Master Zheng can freely deploy the sword society’s many personnel. How about giving me an answer within one month?” In the severe winter weather, cold sweat actually appeared on Zheng Yue’s forehead. “This matter… this matter should be considered at length…” Tang Lici said, “Once we discover the Wind and Moon Store’s true lair, we’ll strike with one concentrated effort, working together to annihilate them and immediately restore peace to the jianghu. I quite agree with Young Master Zheng’s heroic words.”
He spoke neither warmly nor coldly, with utmost sincerity, leaving Zheng Yue speechless with cold sweat streaming down. Everyone was both alarmed and amused. Zheng Yue dared not speak further, and even Huo Xuanfeng kept his mouth tightly shut. Tang Lici held his hot tea and took another sip, slowly exhaling a breath, his cheeks growing even more flushed. “The task of tracking the Wind and Moon Store’s lair is entrusted to Young Master Zheng. There’s another important matter I want Young Master Qi to handle.”
Though Qi Xing shared fame with Zheng Yue, he didn’t display Zheng Yue’s frivolous manner. Hearing this, he cupped his hands. “What does Young Master Tang command?” Tang Lici set down his teacup but kept his fingers on it. The dark teacup made his fingers appear snow-white and lustrous, very beautiful. “Ten Thousand Apertures Studio will pay forty-five thousand taels of gold in expenses for the Central Plains Sword Society. The sword society currently has 285 members. If distributed now, regardless of martial skill level or status, each person would receive 158 taels. After today, for each additional person, Ten Thousand Apertures Studio will pay an extra 150 taels of silver – that’s silver, no longer gold. For each person fewer, Ten Thousand Apertures Studio will reclaim 158 taels of gold, not a fraction more or less.”
One hundred and fifty-eight taels of gold was a considerable fortune, enough for an ordinary family to live on for several generations. Qi Xing was shocked. “Forty-five thousand taels?” Tang Lici’s eyelashes lifted slightly, the upward tilt at his eye corners carrying a trace of pride – perfectly appropriate arrogance. “Various jianghu seniors are mostly indifferent to money, but you’ve all toiled for years in the jianghu with hard work. I’ll prepare additional gold and silk for you seniors for any future needs.” He didn’t specify how much money. “As for these forty-five thousand taels of gold, they won’t be distributed now but will be held under the sword society’s name. Starting today, all expenses needed to deal with the Wind and Moon Store will be paid from these forty-five thousand taels. Everyone should spread this news to every person: from today forward, any Central Plains Sword Society member’s expenses for eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, or compensation after drunken troublemaking will be paid from this gold. The more spent, the less benefit everyone receives after the Wind and Moon Store is destroyed. I don’t care how much everyone ultimately receives – it’s none of my concern.” Tang Lici said this with a smile, his tone very gentle.
Everyone looked at each other. Since jianghu sects began, probably no one had ever controlled sect disciples with such methods, but it might be quite effective. The pure would naturally remain pure – those of noble character wouldn’t covet gold or act recklessly. Those who did covet gold would necessarily restrain their words and actions for profit, even supervising each other, fearing spending even one extra coin. Tang Lici was wealthy enough to rival nations; spending forty-five thousand taels of gold to buy the entire Central Plains Sword Society’s unity seemed cheap to him.
“Young Master Qi, do you know why I want you to oversee this matter?” Tang Lici finished the “White Milk” tea on the table and switched to a different loose tea. The ink jade teacups were also removed and replaced with fine white porcelain cups. Jade-green tea leaves floated in the clear tea water, emanating another kind of fresh fragrance.