Yang Suguan and others gathered in Xiliang, searching everywhere for Wu Dingyuan’s whereabouts. Qin Zhonghai even dispatched troops to investigate in all directions, but Wu Dingyuan seemed to have vanished into thin air, with not a trace to be found. Seeing that the day had already reached the seventeenth of the first month, and finding their search fruitless, everyone gathered in the military camp to discuss future plans.

Lu Yun had the deepest friendship with Wu Dingyuan and naturally looked worried and distressed. He sighed, “Dingyuan was captured by Zhuo Lingzhao, and we can’t find him. I hope he hasn’t met with foul play.”

Earlier, Juan’er had kept Yang Suguan in the dark, saying that Yan Ting had gone with Wu Dingyuan on business. But ultimately, the truth couldn’t be hidden forever, and when she learned of it, she was already angry that everyone had deceived her with their words. Now hearing Lu Yun speak and thinking of her senior sister’s life in danger, she immediately became extremely anxious and began crying on the spot.

Wei Zizhuang, seeing their grief and sorrow, quickly consoled them, “Don’t worry, you two. Our Dingyuan is now an imperial official with a life of unusual significance. Although Zhuo Lingzhao is vicious, he must have reservations about acting and would never dare kill people without cause.”

Lu Yun, hearing these words, also felt they made sense and his heart settled somewhat. Juan’er shook her head and cried, “Even if they’re not dead, if we can’t find any trace of them, isn’t that the same as being dead? I don’t care – you must find my senior sister!” Thinking that three fellow disciples had left the mountain together but only she remained alone, she wailed even louder.

Wei Zizhuang pondered for a long while and said, “Juan’er, don’t worry. In a few more days, it will be Ning Bufan’s retirement day. I think that Zhuo Lingzhao, acting so arrogantly, will definitely cause trouble at Mount Hua. We might as well go directly to Mount Hua and demand he return our people face to face.”

Wei Zizhuang usually doted on Juan’er, so this little girl trusted him the most. Indeed, a few words from him had already coaxed Juan’er from tears to laughter as she said, “Uncle Wei, you must promise me that you’ll definitely find my senior sister safely.”

Lingzhen declared loudly, “Little girl, don’t worry! This monk will help you fight and guarantee to kill all those beasts in front of Ning Bufan, letting all the heroes under heaven know the might of our Shaolin Temple!”

Shaolin Temple had truly endured endless grievances from Kunlun Mountain this past year. First, the entire Qi family from Shaoshi Mountain was slaughtered, with the murderer still at large. Then came successive major incidents like Lingyin’s capture and the theft of the sheepskin. Although Lingzhi tried his utmost to suppress the conflict between both sides, Zhuo Lingzhao’s proud character wouldn’t sell this face. Even if Shaolin kept yielding, it would likely be useless. From this perspective, a great battle between Shaolin and Kunlun was inevitable.

Yang Suguan asked Qin Zhonghai, “General Qin, when we go to Mount Hua this time, will you come along too?”

Qin Zhonghai laughed, “Naturally. Since there’s a fight to be had on Mount Hua, what would I do rushing back to the capital alone? Listen to that old man the Marquis reciting kitchen scriptures?” Everyone couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this.

That day, everyone decided on their course of action and headed toward Mount Hua. This journey had two purposes: first, to reclaim the sheepskin and avenge the Yanling Escort Agency’s entire household, and second, to find the whereabouts of Wu Dingyuan, Yan Ting, Lingyin and others. It could be said the responsibility was great and the significance extraordinary. Lingzhen was especially eager, hoping to take advantage of all the heroes gathering at Mount Hua to thoroughly vindicate himself and restore Shaolin’s prestige.

Along the way, everyone harbored their own concerns. Lu Yun worried about the princess and Wu Dingyuan, constantly sighing. Yang Suguan was troubled about the sheepskin’s whereabouts and was endlessly vexed. Even someone as bold as Qin Zhonghai often frowned deeply for no reason, as if contemplating some major matter.

Wei Zizhuang observed the three men’s conditions and also shook his head in sigh. This westward journey had not only lost the sheepskin but Wu Dingyuan’s whereabouts were also unknown – it could be considered a major defeat. However, they had safely escorted the princess for her marriage to the Khan’s kingdom, so it couldn’t be said they had accomplished nothing. But thinking of Zhuo Lingzhao’s superior martial arts skills and the inevitable hard battle on Mount Hua, Wei Zizhuang couldn’t help but add to his worries.

That Juan’er had a child’s temperament. After crying for two days, she returned to her innocent and lively manner. Whenever she had free time, she would tease everyone for amusement. Qin Zhonghai was a crude and wild fellow who would curse after saying just a few words, so he spent all day sparring verbally with Juan’er. Lu Yun had a rigid personality and would be caught by Juan’er for teasing and jokes whenever he had nothing to do, leaving Lu Yun with bitter smiles and unable to respond. Only Yang Suguan remained serious and proper. No matter how Juan’er provoked him, he always treated her as a child and paid her no mind. Wei Zizhuang found it quite amusing to watch from the side.

Everyone traveled with the army, journeying day and night at full speed. By the first day of the second month, they finally arrived at the foot of the mountain as scheduled. Seeing they had reached Mount Hua, Qin Zhonghai didn’t want to alarm the local officials, so he stationed the troops ten li outside the mountain foot and went up the mountain himself with Yang Suguan and the others.

Everyone had been traveling for several days and was quite tired. Seeing a small town at the foot of the mountain that was fairly bustling, they found an inn to rest, planning to eat and drink their fill before ascending the mountain.

As everyone sat in the shop eating, they could see martial arts figures continuously passing by on the road – old and young alike. In just the time it takes to burn an incense stick, there were already a hundred people, showing that Ning Bufan’s retirement had indeed caused a sensation throughout the martial world.

Juan’er, seeing so many people arriving in waves, couldn’t help but be curious and asked Wei Zizhuang, “Uncle! What exactly does this Ning-whatever person we’re going to see do? Why have so many people come? It’s like a market fair.”

Wei Zizhuang laughed and patted her little head, saying, “Little girl, you’re still a martial arts person – how can you not even say the three characters ‘Ning Bufan’ properly?”

Juan’er made an “oh” sound and said, “What? If you don’t know Ning Bufan, you’re not a hero?”

Wei Zizhuang laughed heartily, “That’s an exaggeration, but this person is honored as the world’s number one master. How can those of us who walk in the martial world not recognize him?”

Lu Yun, though skilled in martial arts, wasn’t really a martial world figure and didn’t understand jianghu affairs well, so he asked, “I’d like to ask about this. Everyone says Ning Bufan’s martial arts are the best in the world. What exactly is remarkable about this person? How did he earn this title? Did he proclaim it himself?”

Juan’er interjected, “That’s right! There are so many masters in the world – how could Ning Bufan fight them all one by one? To say he really beat up everyone in the world once, I don’t believe it.”

Qin Zhonghai had gotten along well with Juan’er these past few days and loved her endearing manner, so he played along with her words to tease, “That’s right! No matter how remarkable Sect Leader Ning is, he hasn’t crossed hands with our Miss Juan’er. How can he claim to be number one in the world?”

Juan’er, hearing these words, was immediately delighted and laughed, “Brother Qin is right! Maybe Ning Bufan can’t even beat me!”

Qin Zhonghai laughed, “It’s Brother Qin, not Uncle Qin.”

Juan’er made a face, “No way! You’re so old – if you’re not an uncle, what are you?”

Qin Zhonghai thought to himself, “This old man isn’t an uncle or a brother – this old man is your grandfather.” Though he cursed harshly in his mind, he just grinned and neither confirmed nor denied it.

Yang Suguan, hearing their exchange, smiled slightly and said, “You two do have a point. Although Sect Leader Ning is publicly acknowledged as number one in the world, there are quite a few renowned heroes who haven’t crossed hands with him. For example…” Before he could finish, Qin Zhonghai was already grinning and interjecting, “For example, your Master Yang’s teacher, the monk Tianjue, right?”

Yang Suguan coughed lightly and said, “My master is naturally one of them. Others like the ‘Kunlun Sword God’ Zhuo Lingzhao, the Azure Robe Scholar who leads Jiuhua Mountain, and other masters have never competed with Ning Bufan. From this perspective, Ning Bufan’s title of ‘number one in the world’ can’t quite be said to be truly deserved.”

Hearing this, Lingzhen loudly cheered and Lingding nodded repeatedly, while Qin Zhonghai secretly laughed to himself, “This group of Shaolin monks consider themselves the supreme authority of the martial world and just can’t stand Ning Bufan climbing above them.”

Wei Zizhuang coughed and said, “That’s true, but Ning Bufan being publicly acknowledged as number one in the world still shows he has considerable skill that must not be underestimated.”

Juan’er made an “oh” sound and said, “Does he have three heads and six arms?”

Wei Zizhuang laughed heartily, “He doesn’t have three heads. However, this person has fought nearly eight hundred battles over twenty years and never lost a single move, earning the reputation ‘Long Victory in Eight Hundred Battles, Martial Arts Supreme Under Heaven.’ This is why he’s revered and admired, achieving his current status.”

Lu Yun pondered, “Fighting for over twenty years… If Ning Bufan debuted at eighteen, he’d only be around forty now. From this perspective, this person isn’t that old either?”

Wei Zizhuang nodded, “Twenty years ago, the court suffered a great catastrophe and Mount Nu Cang was destroyed. Martial arts experts died or were wounded en masse, and this person rose to prominence taking advantage of the situation. This person has been undefeated for many years – I haven’t heard of anyone who could last ten moves against him.”

When Wei Zizhuang mentioned the three words “Mount Nu Cang,” he seemed to feel he had spoken too much and quickly glanced at Lingding. Lingding met his gaze and just sighed softly, nodding with a rather compassionate expression.

Qin Zhonghai, seeing their strange expressions, was curious and quickly asked, “Mount Nu Cang was destroyed? What was that about?” The others were mostly young people who had never heard the name Nu Cang, so when Qin Zhonghai asked, they also leaned in to listen.

Wei Zizhuang looked around the shop, then smiled awkwardly, “Talk of court rebels should be minimized when possible. We’ll discuss it when we have a chance later!”

Qin Zhonghai, seeing his grave expression, figured he wouldn’t get an answer by pressing and dropped the topic.

Lu Yun asked again, “Since this Sect Leader Ning is so remarkable, why would he want to leave the martial world when he’s doing so well as the number one master?”

Juan’er said loudly, “That’s right! If I were the world’s number one master, how impressive that would be! You’d have to kill me before I’d retire!”

Lingding, who had been sitting quietly to the side, suddenly chanted “Amitabha” and put his palms together, saying, “Little miss, that’s not right. Fame and profit are the most harmful things. To defend the title of number one in the world, Ning Bufan has had to deal with countless challenges over twenty years and must have killed and injured many. In this monk’s view, his intention to humbly retire shows he doesn’t want to provoke more worldly disputes and create more killing karma.”

Wei Zizhuang sighed, “Exactly so. A person who has fought eight hundred battles should have had enough for this lifetime. If he’s still not satisfied, must he fight until he’s killed or crippled before he’s willing to retire?”

Everyone nodded upon hearing this. The so-called “tall trees catch the wind” and “people fear fame” – there were countless martial world figures like fish crossing a river, and who wouldn’t want to defeat a master in one stroke to make their name? With Ning Bufan’s resounding reputation, he naturally became everyone’s target. Every year, countless masters came to the mountain to cause trouble, whether through open challenge or secret conflict, all wanting to topple this number one master. With such constant fighting day and night, even someone with martial arts as high as Ning Bufan would find it exhausting, which led to his retirement plans.

Lingding, as a seat holder in Shaolin Temple’s Luohan Hall, had the responsibility of facing off against various masters who came to the temple, so he naturally understood the hardships involved. His words convinced everyone, who all nodded in agreement.

Juan’er made a sound of understanding and said, “So being number one in the world is so hard! Then I don’t want to be number one in the world anymore. How about I become number ten thousand – then no one would come fight me, right?” Everyone couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this.

Lu Yun, remembering something, quickly asked, “Since this ‘number one in the world’ title is so important, if Ning Bufan truly retires today, with the martial world losing this pillar of support, how will the world’s masters be ranked in the future?”

Upon hearing Lu Yun’s words, everyone suddenly fell quiet. The various masters understood and knew that Lu Yun had hit upon the most crucial point. With Ning Bufan’s retirement, the title of number one in the world would become vacant, and all the world’s masters would surely compete fiercely for it. Who would ultimately prevail was still to be determined.

Qin Zhonghai, seeing the grave expressions of the three Shaolin monks, secretly found it amusing, “These bald thieves have been wanting to reclaim the number one title all along. When they get to Mount Hua later, how could they miss such a good opportunity? There’s definitely going to be a big fight.”

Wei Zizhuang, seeing Lingding and the others’ expressions, also worried secretly. He coughed lightly and tried to mediate, “Actually, being number one in the world isn’t that important. Even if Ning Bufan retires, the martial world isn’t without people to maintain order. Currently, the martial world has the so-called four great grandmasters and four great sect leaders, each with their own status. After Ning Bufan retires, the other three can still maintain the overall situation…”

Juan’er, young and inexperienced, became excited upon hearing about the four great grandmasters and grabbed Wei Zizhuang’s hand, asking, “Which four great grandmasters are there in the martial world? Uncle Wei, tell me quickly!”

Wei Zizhuang counted on his fingers, “Speaking of the four great grandmasters, ‘Number One in the World’ Ning Bufan is naturally one, ‘Kunlun Sword God’ Zhuo Lingzhao is one, ‘Nine Provinces Sword King’ is one…” Just as he was about to continue, Juan’er loudly said, “The last one is my master, Azure Robe Scholar!” Everyone smiled slightly upon hearing this.

Wei Zizhuang smiled, “Sect Leader Azure Robe’s martial arts are naturally excellent, but he became famous a bit late and hasn’t been included among the four great grandmasters yet. That last grandmaster is Shaolin Temple’s Master Tianjue.”

Juan’er, hearing this, didn’t mind and just laughed, “The four great grandmasters fighting together would definitely be very exciting.”

Lingding coughed and shook his head, “Little miss, you jest. My grand-uncle Tianjue is in closed-door cultivation – he wouldn’t come to such worldly affairs.”

Juan’er’s beautiful eyes turned and she laughed, “That’s okay, he’s not coming but you’re here! Master Lingding can represent one great grandmaster, so all four can sit around a table and play paper tiger!” Everyone burst into laughter again and continued drinking and eating.

That “paper tiger” was “paper old tiger,” also called “horse hanging cards.” The gameplay was roughly similar to the bone tiles that became popular a hundred years later – also one banker and three players. Juan’er’s comparison was just a small joke with no other meaning.

Qin Zhonghai had a sudden thought about his own master and thought, “From this perspective, Master will definitely come to Mount Hua to observe the ceremony. When the time comes, I must find him privately to have a good talk and ask about the origin of the tattoo on my back.”

While he was thinking, Yang Suguan asked Lingding, “Among the assembled heroes going up the mountain this time, Senior Brother, do you know which masters will arrive?”

Lingding shook his head, “I don’t know about that either. Ning Bufan sent his invitations very widely, so presumably all the renowned heroes will come.”

Suddenly Juan’er pouted and said, “It doesn’t matter if others don’t come, but this Zhuo Lingzhao absolutely must come. My senior sister was captured by him – if he doesn’t come, where will we go to find her?”

Everyone, hearing these words, felt a chill in their hearts, thinking of the Kunlun masters’ impending arrival and couldn’t help but secretly worry.

Lingding chanted the Buddha’s name, “Whether for public or private reasons, this Zhuo Lingzhao must be eliminated. When we reach Mount Hua this time, this monk will risk his life to capture these arrogant thugs and bring them back to Songshan for trial and punishment. We absolutely cannot let so many lives be sacrificed in vain.”

Qin Zhonghai, hearing Lingding’s intention to escort Zhuo Lingzhao back to the mountain for trial, couldn’t help but sneer coldly and exchanged glances with Wei Zizhuang – both shook their heads. This Zhuo Lingzhao was the leader of a sect – at most Shaolin Temple could kill him for revenge. How could they escort him back to the mountain for trial? Hearing Lingding speak this way, the Shaolin disciples truly considered themselves the martial world’s alliance leader.

Lingzhen, seeing everyone’s disapproval, immediately shouted, “Looking at you all so cowardly – what’s there to fear! Whether it’s Ning Bufan or Zhuo Lingzhao, let’s beat them up hard – fight who needs fighting, kill who needs killing, and take the number one title while we’re at it! That’s what I call satisfying!”

Wei Zizhuang, hearing these words, just gave a dry laugh without answering. Qin Zhonghai, Lu Yun, and Juan’er acted as if they hadn’t heard and continued drinking and eating. The three of them chatted about things like “Hmm, this beef is very tender, even better than what I braised” and “Come, have another drink – you can’t get this wine in the capital” – all meaningless chatter. Lingzhen, seeing no one paid attention to him, couldn’t help but become furious and shouted, “What! Don’t you believe me?”

Just as Lingzhen was shouting his question, they suddenly heard someone at a neighboring table cough heavily, followed by several stern gazes looking toward their table with obvious provocation.

Qin Zhonghai, while chewing, saw these gazes were quite fierce and elbowed Yang Suguan’s arm, mumbling indistinctly, “Your senior brother talks too much – someone’s coming to pick a fight!”

Yang Suguan looked as directed and saw several men and women sitting at the neighboring table, also looking toward them. Yang Suguan looked closely and saw these people all carried three-section staffs, and some had their weapons placed directly on the table, quite brazenly.

An old man who had been drinking saw Yang Suguan staring at him unblinkingly and immediately said coldly, “Ridiculous, truly ridiculous! ‘Long Victory in Eight Hundred Battles, Martial Arts Supreme Under Heaven’ – our Sect Leader Ning has such status! Who would have thought there are still delusional people in the martial world spouting nonsense, not knowing how vast the world is, just like frogs at the bottom of a well. Truly ridiculous!”

Lingzhen was furious and slammed the table, about to stand up, but Lingding, fearing he would cause trouble, quickly reached out to stop him.

Wei Zizhuang leaned over to Yang Suguan and whispered in his ear, “These people carry three-section staffs – they must be experts from the Ruan family of Hunan. We needn’t offend them unnecessarily.”

Wei Zizhuang was well-informed and knew that the Ruan family head had quite good relations with Mount Hua disciples and was likely invited to observe the ceremony, so he gave advance warning for Yang Suguan to show restraint.

Yang Suguan nodded slightly to show he understood, then stood up and walked to the group’s table, cupping his hands, “Friends, our words were inappropriate and gave you cause for laughter.”

The old man sneered, “This is at the foot of Mount Hua – even if you want to pass gas, you should find the right place to avoid embarrassing yourself. Don’t you think so, young brother?” The people at the same table all laughed heartily upon hearing this.

Yang Suguan, hearing his harsh tone, sighed, “Old master, at your advanced age, why is your temper so fierce?”

A Ruan family disciple sneered, “Too fierce for you? If you can’t handle fierce, then stay home obediently watching over your little sister instead of coming out to embarrass yourself!”

Lingzhen was extremely furious and charged over, but Yang Suguan grabbed him and then smiled slightly at the old man, “Seeing old master carries three-section precious staffs, may I ask if you’re from Hunan? How do you address Master Ruan Shiwen?” The Hunan Ruan family specialized in three-section staffs, and their leading figure was Ruan Shiwen. Yang Suguan revealed this in one sentence to prevent the other party from being even ruder.

The old man, seeing Yang Suguan had revealed his background, couldn’t help but show a slight change in expression, “This old man is indeed Ruan Shiwen. Who are you, young man?” The others, seeing that despite his young age he could reveal their group’s background in just a few words, couldn’t help but be curious and paid attention.

Yang Suguan, seeing their surprised expressions, just smiled faintly and replied, “This humble one is Yang Suguan of Shaolin.” He then gestured toward Lingding, “This is my senior brother, Master Lingding, seat holder of Luohan Hall. The other senior brother is Master Lingzhen, known as ‘Tiger Claw Vajra.'”

Lingding ranked second among the four great vajras, second only to the abbot, while Lingzhen was famous throughout the world for his external hard skills. How resounding were their reputations! Upon hearing the two men’s great names, all the Ruan family members were shocked and immediately stood up.

Lingding walked forward and cupped his hands to each in turn, “This humble monk Lingding greets all the benefactors.”

The Ruan family members, seeing his divine radiance, secretly felt awe. Remembering their earlier rude words, they couldn’t help but blush with embarrassment and returned the courtesy one after another.

Both groups performed their courtesies properly, but when it came to Lingzhen’s turn, he just raised his chin with an attitude of indifference. When the Ruan family members cupped their hands toward him, he only gave cold sneers and paid no attention, appearing quite arrogant.

Ruan Shiwen was quite old and held high seniority in the martial world. Seeing Lingding’s modest and gentle appearance, plus his own verbal transgressions earlier, he treated him with courtesy. But who would have known that this Lingzhen was so arrogant and didn’t take people seriously at all? Remembering that it was this monk who had spoken arrogantly earlier, and now he was coming to put on airs, he became more and more angry. His anger surged upward as he sneered repeatedly at Lingzhen, “Where did this wild monk come from? I wonder where all his daily Buddhist scripture reading went? How dare he come to Mount Hua to make grand pronouncements?”

Lingzhen’s eyes rolled strangely as he shouted loudly, “Old dog! What nonsense are you spouting!” He was about to attack when Lingding was startled and quickly restrained him, separating both groups. Lingzhen, being held back, continued cursing incessantly.

The Ruan family disciples were furious, and someone came out to challenge them. A man shouted, “Dead bald thief! If you want to show your might at Mount Hua, you’re still far from it! I sincerely advise you – if you few want to act proud and pleased, you’d better go to Kunlun Mountain first and rescue that old bald donkey Lingyin!”

This man was named Ruan Yuanzhen, Ruan Shiwen’s eldest son. Speaking this way was naturally mocking Shaolin Temple for being oppressed by Kunlun. Upon hearing the mockery, all the Ruan family members laughed.

Lingding, hearing their words carried insulting meaning, also became angry. His face darkened as he released Lingzhen, saying, “This benefactor speaks too venomously.”

Ruan Yuanzhen originally didn’t respect the Shaolin disciples much and had long intended to provoke them. Hearing Lingding’s unfriendly tone, he sneered, “What do you want to do, monk? Don’t tell me you want to fight?”

Once Lingzhen was released by his senior brother, he could no longer contain himself. His right foot stepped forward forcefully with a thunderous “Battle!” shout, immediately breaking through the inn’s floorboards. The Ruan family members, seeing his profound skill, were also startled. Ruan Yuanzhen angrily said, “Want to fight?” He stood up and assumed a stance with his three-section staff.

Lingzhen paid no attention and walked directly toward Ruan Shiwen, crooking his little finger and sneering, “Your son isn’t worth watching – three punches and he’s dead. You old man go first.”

Ruan Shiwen was furious beyond measure, suddenly standing up with eyes like spouting fire, staring viciously at Lingzhen.

Lu Yun, seeing them about to fight over a disagreement, quietly asked Qin Zhonghai, “General Qin, what should we do? Help them fight?”

Qin Zhonghai smiled, “This is trouble that Shaolin Temple brought on themselves – it has nothing to do with our Marquis’s military and national affairs. Just sit there and don’t get involved.” He poured Lu Yun a cup of wine with a leisurely appearance.

Just as everyone was about to fight, they suddenly heard a sinister voice from the shop entrance sneering, “The main characters haven’t even arrived yet – why are you bunch of rabbits so eager to fight? Going up the mountain later to watch the change of dynasty is the important matter!”

Everyone, hearing this person’s rude speech that essentially insulted both groups, turned to look outside.

They saw a middle-aged man standing at the entrance, holding a folding fan and wearing very luxurious clothing. In this early spring cold, this person carried a folding fan – either he was deliberately acting leisurely or he was using the fan as a weapon.

Ruan Shiwen, with his vast experience, immediately recognized this person and said in a deep voice, “Ximen Song, my Ruan family and you mind our own business – why do you speak so harshly, calling people rabbits and donkeys?”

This person was indeed Ximen Song, nicknamed “Funiu Sacred Hand,” with quite remarkable martial arts. He was a martial world figure from the Hebei area and had apparently also been invited by Mount Hua disciples to observe the ceremony.

Ximen Song, hearing Ruan Shiwen’s accusation, just laughed heartily, “Alright! I admit I spoke inappropriately. But since you’ve all eaten and drunk your fill, then leave quickly! Otherwise, before you even reach the mountain, the ‘Sword God’ will have already knocked Ning Bufan off his horse, and you won’t get to see the fresh, hot ‘Number One in the World’ being crowned!”

Lingding and others, hearing Ximen Song speak this way, were naturally cheering and supporting Kunlun Mountain. It seemed Zhuo Lingzhao had also invited quite a few helpers – today on Mount Hua would surely be very dangerous.

Ruan Shiwen had good relations with Ning Bufan – how could he tolerate others insulting his old friend? He immediately said angrily, “Bullshit! Do you have any evidence for your words? How do you know this Zhuo fellow will defeat Sect Leader Ning?”

Ximen Song sneered, “If Ning Bufan weren’t afraid of the Sword God, why would such a fine number one master in the world want to retire? Let me tell you plainly – rumors have long spread in the martial world that Ning Bufan knows he’s no match for the Sword God and wants to tuck his tail and run early, saving Mount Hua disciples from being constantly targeted!”

These years, Zhuo Lingzhao had acted arrogantly, specifically picking famous figures to fight, defeating quite a few masters along the way. Even Master Lingyin had been captured by him – perhaps his martial arts had truly surpassed Ning Bufan’s. Everyone, hearing Ximen Song’s words, didn’t think he was exaggerating. Ruan Shiwen felt angry but couldn’t think of any words to refute, only keeping a stern face.

Ximen Song, seeing everyone’s silence, suddenly laughed heartily, “It’s rare for the martial world to change bosses – we’ve encountered such a joyous occasion and should drink a toast in celebration.”

He casually waved his hand, and the folding fan shot out like a spinning disk toward Ruan Shiwen. Ruan Shiwen was startled and was about to reach out to block when the fan suddenly changed direction. With a “swoosh” sound, the fan actually scooped up the wine cup from the table and flew steadily back to Ximen Song’s hand. Not a drop of wine spilled from the cup.

Everyone, seeing this amazing skill, was greatly astonished. If this person hadn’t spoken so rudely earlier, they would definitely be applauding continuously now.

Ximen Song caught the fan handle with his right hand and didn’t take the wine cup with his left hand. Instead, he flicked his wrist and laughed loudly, “Cheers!” His internal energy reached the cup, which remained perfectly on the fan, but the wine inside was activated by his internal force and shot up like a water arrow into the air before flying into his throat. These few moves were clean and neat, truly beautiful to behold.

Qin Zhonghai laughed heartily, “The street acrobat has arrived. For the Sword God’s sake, we should give some reward money.” He pulled out some broken silver and stood up, clearly intending to take action.

Just as he was about to step forward, Yang Suguan moved first. He walked in front of Ximen Song and said flatly, “So Mr. Ximen is a good friend of Sect Leader Zhuo. Your Excellency has such deep friendship with Kunlun Mountain – this humble one failed to recognize Mount Tai and was truly disrespectful.”

Ximen Song looked at him sideways, “Good that you know. Today, whether Ning Bufan can retire peacefully depends on whether the ‘Sword God’ agrees. Later, open your little eyes wide and watch the martial world change dynasties!” He glanced at Yang Suguan and pointed arrogantly at the empty wine cup on the fan, “Young friend, seeing this elder’s wine cup is empty, you know what to do, right?”

Lingzhen and others, seeing his excessive rudeness, were all furious, but Yang Suguan smiled slightly and waved at them to signal calm. He then said, “Mr. Ximen is indeed an elder. Since you’ve given instructions, this humble one should naturally serve you.” He took the wine pot in his left hand and supported the wine cup with his right, filling Ximen Song’s cup to the brim.

Everyone didn’t understand why Yang Suguan was being so humble and all felt puzzled. Ximen Song laughed heartily, appearing quite wild.

Yang Suguan bowed and cupped his hands, “It’s rare to meet on the road. I humbly request that sir give more guidance in the future.”

Ximen Song laughed loudly, “Sensible! Sensible!” He opened his mouth wide and lightly flicked his wrist, about to let the wine spray into the air to show off his martial arts again.

Before the wine could reach his throat, they suddenly heard Qin Zhonghai grinning and saying, “Congratulations, congratulations – your excellency has seen red.” As he spoke, he placed a large bowl directly beside Ximen Song’s feet. Everyone didn’t understand Qin Zhonghai’s purpose and felt puzzled. Yang Suguan just smiled and shook his head at Qin Zhonghai.

Ximen Song paid no attention and flicked his wrist, sending the wine spraying out like a water arrow toward his mouth.

At that moment, they suddenly heard a “crack” sound. The wine cup on Ximen Song’s fan suddenly shattered, breaking into powder-fine fragments that immediately flew into Ximen Song’s mouth along with the wine.

Although Ximen Song was experienced, how could he have anticipated that someone had tampered with the wine cup? Caught off guard, he had already swallowed countless ceramic fragments. He screamed “Ah ya!” in pain, opening his mouth wide in panic. Seeing the large bowl by his feet, not caring where it came from, he immediately bent down and grabbed the bowl, spitting frantically. In an instant, the bowl was filled with bright red blood.

Everyone felt both shocked and amused, finally understanding Yang Suguan’s intention when pouring the wine.

It turned out that when Yang Suguan poured the wine, he had secretly applied hidden force. Taking advantage of the wine-pouring opportunity, he smoothly cracked the wine cup. With his precise hand strength, before Ximen Song moved his fan, the cup was on the verge of breaking. Once his wrist force was applied, the cup shattered into fine pieces that flew straight into his mouth, immediately making Ximen Song lose face completely. Although there were many experts in the room, only Qin Zhonghai had seen through it and immediately placed a large bowl by the man’s feet, clearly for mockery.

Ximen Song, with his mouth full of blood and still gaping like a “bloody maw,” angrily said, “You bastard… you used underhanded tricks!” He wanted to fight, but Lingzhen had already rushed forward with his hands in a fighting stance, his face full of killing intent.

Ximen Song’s mouth was bleeding and in severe pain, his power already impure. Seeing Lingzhen’s extraordinary stance and knowing he was a formidable opponent, he could only scream strangely, cover his head, and flee like a rat, rushing out of the shop.

Yang Suguan smiled slightly and cupped his hands toward Ruan Shiwen, “Shaolin disciples have deep enmity with the Kunlun faction. When we observe the ceremony on the mountain later, let’s look out for each other.”

Ruan Shiwen laughed heartily and returned the courtesy, “Your excellency has such skillful techniques – admirable, admirable!”

The Ruan family members, both amazed by his superior martial arts and pleased that he had thoroughly dealt with Ximen Song, all felt much goodwill toward him and returned the courtesy. The earlier verbal conflict and animosity between both sides was completely swept away.

Juan’er, seeing Yang Suguan defeat Ximen Song in just a few moves, was extremely astonished and grabbed Wei Zizhuang’s hand, asking, “Uncle Wei, what exactly happened to that guy? Did he bite his tongue?”

Wei Zizhuang laughed heartily, “He didn’t bite his tongue – his mouth was just a bit too cheap.”

Juan’er made an “oh” sound, looking at the blood in the bowl and sticking out her tongue, thinking, “I’d better be careful in the future. I must never scold that Yang fellow, or if I bite my tongue, that wouldn’t be fun.”

Everyone walked out of the shop and was about to ascend the mountain when they suddenly saw Qin Zhonghai stop as if he had some matter. Wei Zizhuang walked over and asked, “What’s wrong? Zhonghai, aren’t you coming up the mountain with us?”

Qin Zhonghai laughed heartily, “There are too many wine houses and brothels at the foot of Mount Hua. I’m afraid our two thousand troops can’t resist and might disturb the common people. I want to go back and check the situation first – I can come up the mountain later.” Actually, he had calculated that the “Nine Provinces Sword King” would definitely come to Mount Hua, and he wanted to meet privately with his master, so he wouldn’t go up the mountain with everyone.

Lu Yun was a military advisor and quickly said, “I’ll go with you.”

Qin Zhonghai, following his master’s orders, couldn’t let others know about his lineage, so he said, “No need. It’s rare for you to come to Mount Hua – go up the mountain with Doctor Yang to enjoy the scenery first. You can write a couple of poems when you return.”

Lu Yun made a sound of agreement. Though not very willing, since Qin Zhonghai had said so, he could only agree.

Qin Zhonghai, seeing him looking down with a somewhat gloomy expression, was eight or nine parts certain he was either worried about the princess or troubled about Wu Dingyuan. He thought, “Looking at Brother Lu’s appearance these past few days, he still hasn’t recovered from his heartbreak. I’ll take him to a wine house later for some fun, so he won’t be frowning all day – it’s annoying to watch.” With this thought, he patted Lu Yun’s shoulder and smiled with ill intent before leaving.

Everyone, hearing Qin Zhonghai claim military duties were pressing, said no more and just went up the mountain themselves.