Chapter 150: Jade Void Patriarch and Dingchan Master

At Divine Weapon Villa, Divine Weapon Pavilion. Gu Mo and Gu Chudong walked out with Nangong Yuexi.

Nangong Yuexi's face was etched with worry, her mood visibly low. Nevertheless, she politely addressed Gu Mo and Gu Chudong, "Senior Gu, Lady Gu, I will arrange your accommodation now. My father is truly too obsessed with weapons. It seems he won't be emerging from his seclusion anytime soon, so you two will have to wait for a while longer."

Gu Mo cupped his hands and said, "Then we shall impose upon you."

Just now, in the underground chamber, Nangong Qun had clearly stated that the fusion of Ice Soul and the Gouchen Demonic Blade would not be completed in a day or two. Especially since Nangong Qun is a weapon-forging master who strives for perfection, the process would undoubtedly take even longer. Therefore, for the time being, they truly needed to stay at Divine Weapon Villa.

Nangong Yuexi smiled faintly and said, "It is Divine Weapon Villa's fortune to have you both stay with us."

Feeling very guilty, Gu Chudong said, "Miss Nangong, I'm so sorry. If we hadn't brought the Gouchen Blade, your esteemed father wouldn't have gone into seclusion at this crucial time, missing your wedding. I truly apologize!"

Nangong Yuexi looked resigned, gently putting a hand to her forehead. "Lady Gu, what are you saying? How can you blame yourselves? To be honest, I knew perfectly well that given my father's character, he was perfectly capable of doing something like this. I was mentally prepared for it when I invited you two to Divine Weapon Villa. I also understand my father; the pursuit of so-called 'soulful weapons' is his lifelong dream. He's getting on in years, and the opportunity to forge such a divine weapon is becoming increasingly slim. So, in a way, this fulfills his dream. As for my wedding, it won't be significantly affected. My master, grandmaster, and the Palace Master are all on their way and should arrive tomorrow or the day after, so my wedding banquet won't be without someone to preside over it."

Gu Chudong said with a chuckle, "Then we'll share in your good fortune!"

Nangong Yuexi replied, "It would be my immense honor to have you both attend my wedding banquet!"

Night gradually fell. Outside Qingzhou City, in a market town, the appearance of a procession caused a stir. It was a group composed entirely of women, dozens of them, each an exceptionally beautiful lady. They drew frequent glances from the townspeople, but regardless of whether they were merchants or unruly martial artists, no one dared to speak disrespectfully, let alone approach them. This was because the group consisted of disciples from the Mystic Maiden Palace, the leading martial arts sect in Qingzhou.

Everyone in the martial arts world could guess that the Mystic Maiden Palace contingent had come to Qingzhou City specifically to attend the wedding banquet of Nangong Yuexi, one of the Mystic Maiden Palace's Ten Fairies.

Furthermore, rumors in the martial arts world suggested that this time, not only Nangong Yuexi's master, the Grand Elder of Mystic Maiden Palace, would be present, but also the Palace Master herself. There were even rumors that Patriarch Yuxu, the Supreme Elder of Mystic Maiden Palace, who had not appeared in public for many years, would also attend in person.

Mystic Maiden Palace had two publicly recognized grandmasters in the martial arts world: Patriarch Yuxu, Yan Xianmei, who ranked fourth on Qingzhou's Heavenly Ranking, and Palace Master Su Yunjiao, who ranked ninth.

There were rumors that the Grand Elder of Mystic Maiden Palace, also the master of Nangong Yuexi and Lin Qixia, Mu Baifeng (known in the martial arts world as Hermit Lingqu), was in fact no weaker than the Palace Master. Her lower renown and absence from the Heavenly Ranking were simply because she was not the Palace Master.

Of course, rumors in the martial arts world were a mix of truth and falsehood, impossible to verify. And it was inconceivable that Mu Baifeng and Palace Master Su Yunjiao would ever engage in a public fight over mere gossip.

At this moment, the Mystic Maiden Palace disciples arrived at an inn in the center of the market town. The inn had already been reserved in advance by disciples sent ahead.

When several carriages drew to a halt, the many onlookers from the martial arts world instantly erupted with excitement. It was true, just as the rumors had suggested: not only had Hermit Lingqu, Mu Baifeng, and Mystic Maiden Palace Master Su Yunjiao arrived, but Patriarch Yuxu, who had not appeared in the martial arts world for many years, had actually come as well.

Although both Mu Baifeng and Su Yunjiao were in their forties or fifties, their profound internal energy and skilled facial maintenance made them appear no different from women in their early twenties, merely exuding a more composed demeanor.

The two of them slowly helped Patriarch Yuxu descend from the carriage.

Patriarch Yuxu, Yan Xianmei, was already an old woman in her seventies. Her hair was entirely white, tied in a high bun adorned with only a single, simple jade hairpin, emphasizing her elegance. Her face was thin but unwrinkled, and her eyes were like a bottomless pool of water, calm yet radiating an authority that deterred direct gaze.

Just as Yan Xianmei was about to enter the inn, she suddenly stopped. To the bewilderment of her disciples, she slowly turned around and gazed at the bustling long street. From a distance, she noticed an old monk at the entrance of a small alley. In that instant, a glint flashed in Yan Xianmei's eyes, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Third Brother!" The old monk cupped his hands in a slight bow towards Yan Xianmei, then turned and walked away. "Third Brother!" Yan Xianmei cried out, swiftly taking a step forward. Her figure was as light as a willow catkin and as elusive as a firefly. Everyone's eyes blurred; before they could react, Yan Xianmei had vanished from her spot. Where she had stood, only a few fallen leaves stirred by her movement still drifted gently down.

For a moment, the many Mystic Maiden Palace disciples exchanged bewildered glances. Only Su Yunjiao and Mu Baifeng seemed to have an inkling, motioning for the other disciples to enter the inn.

Meanwhile, Yan Xianmei was pursuing the old monk into a secluded alley.

The old monk walked slowly, yet despite his unhurried pace, Yan Xianmei, even employing her exquisite lightness skill, could not catch up.

As she pursued him, Yan Xianmei grew annoyed and said, "Third Brother, are you testing your little sister's skills? If you run any further, we might never see each other again."

Yan Xianmei, with her head full of white hair, was already well over seventy. As the esteemed Supreme Elder of Mystic Maiden Palace, a grandmaster held in high regard by countless martial artists, she displayed a hint of playful petulance at that moment.

The old monk stopped, slowly turned, cupped his hands in a Buddhist salute, and said, "Benefactor Yan, it has been a long time."

If any martial artist were present, they would surely recognize this old monk as the renowned Master Dingchan, Abbot of Guangming Temple, the foremost martial arts grandmaster in Qingzhou, and the top-ranked expert on the Heavenly Ranking. He was also Gu Huatong, the third among the Qingzhou Nine Righteous Ones, whose name had shaken the Qingzhou martial arts world forty years ago.

Yan Xianmei walked up to Master Dingchan, her eyes reddened. She raised her fist and fiercely struck his chest, saying, "You've entered the monastic life, yet you won't even call me 'Fifth Sister'? If you truly renounced the world without hesitation, you should have let go of everything. Yet you can't even face me directly, you don't dare to call me 'Fifth Sister'. How can you speak of letting go? How can you speak of purifying your six senses?"

"Amitābha!" Master Dingchan looked down at Yan Xianmei and said, "This poor monk has indeed not let go, because Benefactor Yan, you have not let go. This poor monk occasionally senses a heavenly fate, that a calamity is approaching which will fall upon Benefactor Yan. If Benefactor Yan lets go, this poor monk will naturally let go, and thus pass this calamity."

Yan Xianmei said in a deep voice, "Third Brother, what do you want your little sister to let go of?"

"Let go of the past, let go of the present." Master Dingchan said, "Benefactor Yan, you are already over seventy. What grudges, love, hatred, or martial arts fame and fortune from the past and present are still so hard for you to see through and relinquish? Benefactor Yan, why must you stir up another storm of bloodshed in the martial arts world?"

Yan Xianmei was silent for a long while before speaking, "Third Brother, this is not something your little sister can decide. The Nine Rivers Alliance and the Heavenly Blade Sect have risen rapidly, and Qingzhou is now in a tripartite standoff. The imperial court will not allow this situation to persist for long. My Mystic Maiden Palace has been the leader of the martial arts world for two or three decades. In your words, this is a calamity. If we don't actively face it, we will silently perish. I can hide, I can let go, but what about the thousands of disciples in Mystic Maiden Palace? Third Brother, Mystic Maiden Palace is not like your Guangming Temple. Your Guangming Temple is unconcerned with worldly affairs, you peacefully chant Buddhist scriptures, do not engage in martial arts disputes, and remain outside the martial arts world. Naturally, you can avoid and let go. But Mystic Maiden Palace is different. The Mystic Maiden Palace has reached a point where if we don't win, we will be destroyed. I don't wish to stir up martial arts conflicts, but conflict seeks me out on its own."

Master Dingchan slowly said, "When I left the temple, I intended to persuade Benefactor Yan. However, after seeing you from afar just now, I left without a word because I realized that persuasion would be futile, and thus I did not wish to disturb you."

Yan Xianmei was silent for a moment, then asked, "Third Brother, why have you come?"

"I came because of the Gouchen Demonic Blade," Master Dingchan replied, then asked, "Does Benefactor Yan have any connection to this blade?"

Yan Xianmei shook her head slightly. "This blade's appearance has nothing to do with me. Back then, after Elder Brother died, the Gouchen Demonic Blade disappeared. I guessed it might have ended up with Sixth Brother. Although his weapon-forging techniques were taught by Elder Brother, Elder Brother always said that Sixth Brother had more talent and was more obsessed and dedicated to forging. So, when Elder Brother passed away and the Gouchen Demonic Blade went missing, I suspected that Sixth Brother had taken it. It was crafted from Qilin scales; how many better weapon-forging materials could be found in the world? Sixth Brother was so devoted to forging, how could he not be tempted? Although I suspected it, I never stopped him. After that, Sixth Brother left without a word and lived in seclusion. Over the years, I looked for him, but never found him; I even wondered if he had died. It was only when the Gouchen Demonic Blade suddenly reappeared that I realized Sixth Brother had never given up on it. Now it seems he has succeeded."

Master Dingchan said, "So, the extermination of the Longbrow Sword Sect, the Golden Blade Gate, and the Chen family is unrelated to Benefactor Yan?"

Yan Xianmei angrily retorted, "Third Brother, what do you mean by that? Although I've never been able to let go of fame and fortune throughout my life, I wouldn't go so far as to wipe out the entire families of my sworn siblings, would I? Moreover, what purpose would it serve me to destroy those three families?"

"That's good," Master Dingchan said, letting out a breath of relief. "When the Gouchen Demonic Blade suddenly reappeared this time, my heart was uneasy. Upon hearing about the extermination incidents, I felt compelled to act, so I descended the mountain and investigated along the way. I found that Benefactor Bai Ying seemed to have someone directing him from behind the scenes, but my inquiries yielded no results."

Yan Xianmei frowned. "So, you suspect I'm the one pulling Bai Ying's strings?"

Master Dingchan nodded slightly.

"It wasn't me," Yan Xianmei stated. "Seventh Brother... Bai Ying fell into the demonic path, and I personally crippled his martial arts. He resents me deeply; how could he possibly obey my commands?"

"But when you crippled his martial arts back then, you were actually saving him."

"But he doesn't know that, and I don't wish to say more to him."

Master Dingchan was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about Benefactor Qi Miaoxuan?"

Yan Xianmei sighed faintly. "He wasn't killed by me either. I wanted to ask Ninth Brother for help, but then Ye Jinglan suddenly appeared and mercilessly massacred everyone in Listening Pine Manor. By the time my people arrived, they only found Ninth Brother's corpse."

Master Dingchan looked at Yan Xianmei, sighed softly, and said, "If that is the case, Benefactor Yan, this poor monk shall take his leave."

With that, Master Dingchan cupped his hands in a Buddhist salute, then turned and departed.

Yan Xianmei watched Master Dingchan's retreating back, took a deep breath, and called out, "Third Brother, will I ever hear you call me 'Fifth Sister' again?"

"The day you let go, this poor monk will naturally have let go."

Yan Xianmei stood still, let out a soft sigh, and slowly turned to leave.

At the same moment, Master Dingchan, who had been walking away, stopped, shook his head slightly, and sighed, "They're already so old, yet they still can't escape the temptation of fame and fortune!"