Chapter 103:
Chapter 103:
Chapter 103:
At the foot of Qingming Mountain to the south.
"Walk, walk, hurry up."
Inside a small Taoist temple, the nun Lingling Taoist Priest was urging several female disciples to pack their bags and leave the temple.
Lingling Taoist Priest was a chubby nun who always had a kind and relaxed expression, but at this moment, she seemed a little anxious, constantly urging the female disciples to hurry.
"Lingling Taoist Priest, are you going on a long journey today? Why didn’t you leave someone to take care of the temple?"
A pilgrim who was originally planning to enter the temple to burn incense was surprised to see that everyone from the temple, including Lingling Taoist Priest, had come out.
"Take care of what… The Goddess of Fertility that you worship, as long as people believe in her, they will burn incense. If we, the disciples, are not here, why shouldn’t you pray?"
Lingling Taoist Priest is usually a slow person, but now she is very anxious, not even talking much to familiar pilgrims, and quickly leaving.
"Recently, I had a sudden inspiration and I’m afraid that something big will happen. As a humble disciple, I don’t dare to get involved in the matters of the Nine Immortal Gates…"
"In this world today, the power of incense is the way to greatness. Those who follow the ancient method of cultivation are merely holding onto their old ways, and naturally cannot compete with it."She whispered something under her breath and hurriedly stepped outside.
"Ah Zhen, what are you lingering around for? It’s one thing if you fall asleep during my class, but now in such a critical moment, you’re just wasting time. I have no idea what you do all day."
"…Ah Zhen, why are you walking so quickly? Haven’t you noticed your fellow disciple, Can Xue, walking behind you?"
"Ah Zhen, please support Can Xue, she can’t see and can’t walk fast."
"Master," the female cultivator known as Ah Zhen said helplessly.
"Junior sister has already embarked on the Immortal Path, she is no longer the blind person she once was. Her movement is naturally unrestricted and she is extraordinary. Why would she need me to assist her?"
"Besides, haven’t her eyes been able to open a little? It seems that she just can’t see things very clearly."
As soon as the words were spoken, Qiao Canxue stumbled, even though she was walking on level ground, nearly falling to the floor.
Ah Zhen blinked her eyes, about to step forward, but she saw a chubby round shadow that was even faster than her. In the blink of an eye, it rushed to Qiao Canxue’s front, and a chubby hand supported her.
"At least she’s a cultivator… How could she fall on level ground? And even if she falls, it’s not a big deal. Our master’s favoritism is so obvious." The female cultivators taunted.
"That’s right, that’s right."
"If you all take a few less naps, then I’ll listen to you. I really don’t know where you found this group of lazybones." Lingling Taoist Priest helplessly shrugged, while looking at Qiao Canxue’s already open, snowy white left eye.
"This is not something that ordinary people can possess. Even though you have stepped into the path of cultivation, it’s still too early for you. Don’t open your eyes."
Since Qiao Canxue’s eyes could open, she discovered that the things she saw were completely different from reality.
Level ground in her eyes could be deep trenches, and hillsides could be vast oceans.
What’s even stranger is that these scenes in her eyes are constantly changing. When she opened her eyes in the morning, the hillsides were small rivers, but when she opened her eyes at night, the hillsides became deep trenches.
Even she couldn’t figure out what was going on with her strange eyes, she only had a vague guess.
"Okay."
Qiao Canxue obediently closed her eyes again and continued to follow these few female disciples on the road.
As they hurried along, the sound of horses’ hooves could be faintly heard in the distance, getting closer.
The female disciples had long avoided to the grassland at the edge of the road. They saw a few travelers riding fast horses, sprinting on the road.
Qiao Canxue felt something and, ignoring Lingling Taoist Priest’s instructions, quietly opened her eyes to take a look.
In the rapidly changing view, she saw a young man in bright clothing and a furious horse galloping by, raising a trail of dust on the road.
The young man wore a long sword at his waist, had rosy lips and white teeth, shining eyes, a tall and sturdy figure, and exuded a certain demeanor of a chivalrous figure in the martial world.
This young man swiftly rode by on his horse, leaving only a simple silhouette in the brief moment.
"Senior sister, that person just now…" Qiao Canxue tugged at the sleeve of the senior sister beside her.
For some reason, she suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity towards the young boy she had just met for the first time.
"Is that person in the white clothes good-looking?" she asked.
"Um…" The female cultivator was momentarily speechless and turned to look at the back of the old man in white.
She didn’t pay much attention to the appearance of the person just now, but it was clear that he was just an old man with slightly greying temples. He was already so old, why would she care if he was good-looking or not?
Junior Sister’s eyesight wasn’t great, she often sees things incorrectly…
After some thought, she realized that he was just a passing stranger. Even though he was an old man with a shadowy figure, leaving a good impression in front of Junior Sister with her poor eyesight wasn’t a bad thing.
So she whispered softly:
"Although that person is slightly older, he still looks very handsome. If only he were a bit younger, I would wish to leave my sect right then and there."
Qiao Canxue’s steps faltered, her eyes widening in surprise.
She couldn’t help but take a step back from her fellow female cultivator, Sister Zhen. This senior sister has some issues…
……….
Knock knock knock.
Qiao Mu rode on a fast horse, racing alongside Wu Qizheng and Star Xuan Envoy wearing masks, kicking up a trail of dust on the official road.
Although they occasionally saw monks and nuns on the road, they didn’t pay much attention to them.
A Taoist wearing a Taoist robe doesn’t necessarily mean they are immortal cultivators. They could be tricksters, servants of the Immortal Gate who practice martial arts, or even remnants of the martial arts sects from ancient times.
Their attention was focused on the whereabouts of the Great Yan Emperor.
"Star Xuan Envoy, is the source of the information reliable?" asked Wu Qizheng seriously.
Although they just witnessed Taoist Chiyang appearing at the foot of Qingming Mountain, this matter is related to the Great Yan Emperor. They have no choice but to act seriously.
If the information is accurate, they must immediately inform the Martial Saint and assassinate the emperor as quickly as possible.
The Immortal Gate is in the open, while the Wuji Association operates in secret.
In order to avoid exposure, the Wuji Association can only act in secret.
Coupled with the fact that Xuantian Sect cultivators have never held ordinary martial artists in high regard, if they truly discover the emperor’s whereabouts on the way, Wu Qizheng is quite confident that he can escape unscathed.
The Star Xuan Envoy replied, "The informant who sent me the secret report, Old Mo, has been working in the Wuji Association for twenty years. He is already in his sixties and acts calmly, no longer like a restless young person. He has not made any mistakes all these years."
"He reported that someone who appears to be the Great Yan Emperor has been seen in Tiger City, which is also near the Qingming Mountain range."
"This matter is of great importance, so he immediately reported it to his subordinates."
The Qingming Mountain range is a vast mountain range that stretches across Nan Province for an unknown distance. It is said that there are fierce beasts lurking in the deeper parts of the mountains, and few people have ever ventured there.
It is said that the headquarters of Xuantian Sect is located in an unknown area deep in the Qingming Mountain range.
Qingyun Temple and the Qingming Town at the foot of the mountain are actually located on the eastern side of the mountain range, near cities like Yan City. The population there is not sparse.
If Qingyun Temple is built too far, closer to the inner side of the Qingming Mountain range, even the Immortal Gate, a holy land, would probably have few followers. It would take a difficult journey to reach the temple and pray.
This time, Qiao Mu and the others are going to Tiger City, which is not far from Yan City, located in the southeast part of the Qingming Mountain range.
Tiger City is larger than Yan City. The city walls are old, and there are guards at the city gates who question people. However, with the abilities of the Wuji Association people, entering Tiger City is not a problem.
"Sir Qizheng, Mo Mingzhi’s house is in the north of the city. He has established his own martial arts school, imitating the name of the Immortal Gate and calling it ‘Bright Moon Sect’. He is a prominent figure in this area around Tiger City, with many disciples. We should go directly to his school."
"Bright Moon Sect?" Qiao Mu vaguely feels that the name sounds familiar.
Upon careful thinking, he remembers a long-ago event.
When he first met Yan City’s City Lord Guo Yan on the streets of Yan City, Guo Yan immediately recognized the swordsmanship style of the Swordsman Jiang Chen in his green clothes. He said that Jiang Chen was a disciple of the Bright Moon Sect and would personally come to visit and apologize.
It is called the Bright Moon Sect, but it’s actually a local sword sect in Tiger City.
"Is the so-called Master of the Bright Moon Sect also a member of the Wuji Association in secret?"
"No wonder Guo Yan was able to see through it all; turns out they are all members of the Wuji Association," Qiao Mu pondered.
The Wuji Association is a secret power established by the Martial Saint, surpassing any well-known martial arts sects like Shaolin and Wudang in terms of the number of martial arts techniques and the size of its members.
Not just Guo Yan, the Master of the Bright Moon Sect in nearby Tiger City has also been a member of the Wuji Association for twenty years.
Because it concerns the Great Yan Emperor, the group swiftly and directly headed towards the Bright Moon Sect located in the northern part of the city.
The so-called Bright Moon Sect is a spacious courtyard and building complex with the words "Bright Moon Sect" written on it.
Although the name "Bright Moon Sect" may seem grandiose, it is indeed not a small force within this small Tiger City; even the local city lord gives it a significant regard.
At the entrance, disciples in blue robes with swords were waiting, greeting Wu Qizheng and the others and leading them inside.
After entering the courtyard, Wu Qizheng suddenly stopped.
"Star Xuan Envoy, is it true that Master Mo you mentioned acts cautiously and has no problems?"
The Star Xuan Envoy also fell silent at this moment.
The Bright Moon Sect, a large sword sect, is very quiet after entering the gate, with hardly any visible figures. This feels suspicious.
"It can’t possibly be Mo Mingzhi, who has been a member of the Wuji Association for twenty years, rebelling, right? If he didn’t find any trace of the emperor and instead fell into an ambush by the Immortal Gate, things would become quite chaotic.." Qiao Mu sighed slightly in his heart.