Chapter 68: East Mountain Sword Sect

"The Whirlwind Willow Sword?" Gu Mo asked, puzzled.

"Yes," Zhuo Qingfeng replied. "When I first joined the Six Doors, I traveled the Jianghu extensively with my master. Essentially, I visited almost every renowned sect and major school within Yunzhou, witnessing their unique martial arts.

The East Mountain Sword Sect is most famous for its Cloud Mist Illusionary Sword, followed by the Whirlwind Willow Sword. The Cloud Mist Illusionary Sword emphasizes 'illusion,' with sword shadows appearing like mist, capable of confusing an opponent's vision, disturbing their mind, and making them perceive distorted paths and distances, as if trapped in a labyrinth.

The Whirlwind Willow Sword shares a similar deceptive quality with the Cloud Mist Illusionary Sword. It involves three moves: one light, two heavy, and three deadly. When deployed, the Whirlwind Willow Sword is designed to be unpredictable, aiming directly for vital points to mislead the opponent. The first strike is a feint, with the true focus on the second. However, the second strike is also primarily meant to deceive, targeting weaknesses with significant force. Yet, the real killing blow comes later. After the second move is blocked, the user employs footwork to escape, lulling the opponent into a false sense of security, making them believe the attacker has exhausted their tricks. In reality, the lethal intent still lies ahead."

Gu Chutong asked, "But that Elder Ma had wounds all over his body. How can you be sure it was the Whirlwind Willow Sword?"

Zhuo Qingfeng explained, "The perpetrator was too hasty. He likely knew we were investigating and deliberately came to kill Ma Jichang before us. To conceal his identity, he inflicted numerous wounds on Ma Jichang's body, which only made it more obvious. However, he was unlucky. I once sparred with Senior Zhao Congwu, the sect leader of the East Mountain Sword Sect. I lost to his Whirlwind Willow Sword in such a perplexing way that I deliberately stayed at the East Mountain Sword Sect for a long time, studying the technique until I had mastered its counters. That's why I remember it so clearly."

Gu Chutong asked in surprise, "Is the sect leader of the East Mountain Sword Sect that formidable? He could even defeat you?"

Zhuo Qingfeng chuckled lightly. "It would be strange if he couldn't. You two siblings have always been in Linjiang County and aren't very familiar with Qingyang County. The East Mountain Sword Sect is one of the four prominent martial arts sects in Qingyang County.

Qingyang County differs from our Linjiang County. Linjiang County is a convergence point for several major rivers, leading to flourishing commerce. Relatively speaking, clans, trading companies, and similar entities are the primary powers in Linjiang's martial arts world.

Qingyang County, however, is different. It's characterized by extensive mountain ranges and rugged terrain, which has historically made it prone to banditry. Government control is limited, and the local populace is fiercely independent. Consequently, there are numerous martial arts sects, each vying for territory, establishing their dominance, and dividing spheres of influence.

Among these many sects, the Four Directions Sword Sects are paramount. These four sects originated from the same lineage and have always maintained close ties, acting, to some extent, as the martial arts alliance of Qingyang County. They are the East Mountain Sword Sect, the West River Sword Sect, the North Lake Sword Sect, and the South Sea Sword Sect. The East Mountain Sword Sect is even the foremost among them, so its standing is self-evident!"

Gu Mo nodded. "I recall hearing about the Four Directions Sword Sects. It's said their four sect leaders are fellow disciples."

"That's right," Zhuo Qingfeng confirmed. "I once heard Senior Zhao Congwu of the East Mountain Sword Sect say that the four of them, as fellow disciples, learned their skills in Qingzhou. Their master was a reclusive grandmaster who accepted only them as disciples. After their master passed away, the four of them came to Qingyang County and established their respective sects. Although all four of them studied the Cloud Mist Illusionary Sword, each learned a different variation. There's a rumor in the Jianghu that the Cloud Mist Illusionary Sword techniques of the four sects can be combined into a devastating joint attack, capable of matching even a Grandmaster if all four sect leaders unite!"

Gu Chutong asked, puzzled, "Then why did they establish separate sects? Why didn't they join forces? If they could become leading sects in Qingyang County by dispersing, wouldn't they be a top-tier sect across all of Yunzhou if they united?"

Zhuo Qingfeng smiled but said no more.

Gu Mo gently explained, "Chutong, human nature is complex. No matter how good a relationship is, once interests become involved, it's often better to keep things separate. When tied together, it's very easy for people to become estranged for life."

Gu Chutong frowned. "But aren't they fellow disciples?"

"Even blood brothers can become enemies, let alone fellow disciples," Gu Mo replied.

Gu Chutong fell silent.

Zhuo Qingfeng said, "Alright, let's stop discussing that and get back to business. At Ma Jichang's corpse, I deduced that the killer used the Whirlwind Willow Sword. Furthermore, based on the angle and location of the fatal wounds, it's highly probable the assailant is left-handed. Additionally, I re-examined the scene of Ma Jichang's murder. From Ma Jichang's height and seating position, I can infer that the killer is approximately eight feet tall (referencing Han Dynasty measurements). There was also a faint footprint on the windowsill, indicating the person weighs around 130 jin."

Gu Chutong asked, "Eight feet tall and 130 jin? That person isn't fat. But didn't Young Master Ma say the person was very bulky?"

"A disguise," Zhuo Qingfeng stated. "The assailant either stuffed something under their clothes or wore oversized garments. This further suggests that the person knows many people in Fang County and thus needed to conceal their appearance. Since the East Mountain Sword Sect is located within Fang County, and the killer can use the Whirlwind Willow Sword, their status within the sect must be considerable."

...

Immediately after, the group headed straight for the East Mountain Sword Sect, arriving the following morning.

The East Mountain Sword Sect is situated atop a majestic ridge on the border of Fang County. Its original name has been forgotten; ever since the East Mountain Sword Sect established itself there, the mountain was renamed Mount Dongyue. It stands grand and imposing, like a coiled dragon.

When Gu Mo, his sister, and Zhuo Qingfeng arrived at the entrance of the East Mountain Sword Sect, they found it adorned with lanterns and festive decorations, bustling with a joyous atmosphere. Below the mountain gate, a continuous stream of people, many from the Jianghu, were ascending the mountain in small groups.

Upon inquiring, they learned that the sect leaders of the other three Four Directions Sword Sects had personally come to the East Mountain Sword Sect, each bringing their most talented disciples for a martial arts gathering. These four sects, being closely related, hold such a gathering annually to foster exchange among their disciples.

For other Jianghu forces, this was a rare opportunity, and many sects would send their younger disciples to gain experience. Naturally, this Four Sects Martial Gathering also served as a veiled display of strength for the Four Directions Sword Sects.

However, in previous years, this event was held at the end of the year, yet this year it had been moved up significantly.

As soon as Gu Mo and his companions parked their carriage, they prepared to go to the nearby registration desk. After all, carriages and horses needed to be looked after by the East Mountain Sword Sect staff, and the sect also maintained order, so registration was naturally required before ascending the mountain.

However, what Gu Mo and the others didn't expect was that as soon as they reached the registration area, Zhuo Qingfeng was recognized.

It was a middle-aged man, slender and gaunt, with three long strands of beard gently swaying in the breeze, adding to his scholarly demeanor. His gaze was gentle and calm. He froze for a moment when he saw Zhuo Qingfeng, then exclaimed in surprise, "Sir Zhuo, you..."

"Shh."

Zhuo Qingfeng immediately whispered, "Brother Zuo, I'm on a mission and happened to be passing through here. I thought I'd pay your master a visit, but it's inconvenient for my identity to be revealed."

The middle-aged man, surnamed Zuo, quickly responded, "Understood, understood. Please come with me; I'll lead you up the mountain." Zuo Yue then looked at Gu Mo and Gu Chutong and asked, "And who are these two?"

Zhuo Qingfeng introduced them: "This is Gu Mo, the Blade-for-Hire from Linjiang, and his sister, Gu Chutong." Then, Zhuo Qingfeng introduced the other man to Gu Mo and Gu Chutong: "This is Zuo Yue, the Senior Disciple of the East Mountain Sword Sect!"

Zuo Yue, having heard of Gu Mo's reputation, quickly said, "So, you are Gu Mo, the hero who slayed the Silver Fox! My apologies for the oversight. Hero Gu, Heroine Gu, please come in!"

"Hero Zuo, we apologize for the disturbance!"