Chapter 2041: Caught in the World, No Control

Guests whispered among themselves, many standing up and staring toward the mansion gates. They all sensed that someone had come to cause trouble.

Amid the murmurs, a cold wind howled as two shadowy figures appeared like ghosts.

They were two elderly men: one in a billowing gold robe, the other in a fluttering silver robe. Both had the characters "Xuan Ming" embroidered on the back of their garments. One leaned on a dragon-headed staff, exuding a chilling and sinister aura. His dim, eerie eyes gleamed with a greenish light, like those of a venomous snake or scorpion, making it hard for anyone to meet his gaze.

Yang Ge Lao furrowed his brows deeply, recognizing the newcomers.

"The ones we've been expecting have finally arrived," Xia Lan murmured to herself with a self-mocking smile. She was tired of the endless fighting and had planned to retire from it all. But once you're in the jianghu, you're no longer in control of your own fate. Escaping becomes nearly impossible. Jianghu matters must be settled within the jianghu—grudges and resentments must be repaid, no matter how far you run. It's destiny, and there's no avoiding it.

"What powerful nei li," the martial artists present couldn't help but feel a tremor in their hearts.

"Who are those two?"

"The Xuan Ming Er Lao of Xuan Ming Jiao," a knowledgeable senior whispered. "They rank fifth and sixth in the martial arts world. Their Xuan Ming Shen Gong is masterful, beyond compare."

"How do we keep running into these two old troublemakers?" Yang Xuan glanced over.

"Xuan Ming Jiao and Yao Yue Gong have had long-standing grudges," Shangguan Jiu said casually. "It's no surprise they'd come seeking revenge on the day of Xia Lan's wedding. What surprises me is how they found this place. Not many in the jianghu have ever seen the palace master of Yao Yue Gong."

"Retiring from the jianghu is easier said than done!" Yang Xuan looked at Xia Lan and sighed. He still marveled at her identity.

He knew the rules of Yao Yue Gong: it was an all-female sect, with strict prohibitions against marriage. Members must remain chaste, and as the palace master, wearing a wedding dress was a grave offense.

Even if the Xuan Ming Er Lao hadn't shown up today, the people from Yao Yue Gong would eventually come for her.

That was the way of the jianghu—living on the edge of a knife, with rules as cold and cruel as ice.

What should have been a lively wedding ceremony turned oppressively tense due to the arrival of the Xuan Ming Er Lao. Even the breeze carried a chilling edge, making everyone shiver.

"I apologize for not welcoming you properly, esteemed seniors," Yang Ge Lao said, breaking the prolonged silence with a smile as he stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. Naturally, he positioned himself to shield Xia Lan.

The Xuan Ming Er Lao smirked mockingly, ignoring Yang Ge Lao entirely. "The esteemed palace master of Yao Yue Gong, in such a hurry to get married? Choosing an old man as your husband—or do you think he can protect you? You're underestimating Xuan Ming Jiao."

"Yao Yue Gong?"

Their words, spoken without malice but landing with impact, left the martial artists stunned. They all turned to stare at Xia Lan—it was clear she was the legendary palace master.

For a moment, everyone's minds reeled. Seeing the palace master of Yao Yue Gong for the first time, and at her wedding no less? It was utterly shocking.

After all, the rules of Yao Yue Gong were stricter than imperial law!

"Jianghu matters should be settled in the jianghu. Since you've come, let's clear all accounts at once," Xia Lan said calmly, stepping out from behind Yang Ge Lao. Her clear, watery eyes revealed only indifference.

"How fitting—jianghu matters for the jianghu," the Xuan Ming Er Lao sneered. In an instant, their icy nei li surged through their meridians. A powerful aura erupted, making their long hair whip wildly in the wind. The frigid energy spread like ice in all directions.

Facing them, Yang Ge Lao flicked his sleeve, drawing his Xuan Lei Jian. Sword qi radiated outward.

Xia Lan's aura was even stronger.

From the moment the Xuan Ming Er Lao appeared, both sides knew this wouldn't end peacefully. If it couldn't be resolved, they would have to fight.

Their clashing auras made the already tense atmosphere feel solid as stone.

The guests' faces paled.

They weren't fools—they could see this was a jianghu grudge that wouldn't end without bloodshed.

But before the fight could begin, a sudden gust of wind swept through, forcing the guests to shield their eyes.

When the wind died down, everyone was stunned. Standing between the Xuan Ming Er Lao, Yang Ge Lao, and Xia Lan was another person, dressed in a daoist robe with a high daoist hat, holding a dust whisk. It was Ye Chen.

Seeing it was Ye Chen, Yang Ge Lao's worries eased. With Ye Chen around, any crisis could be handled.

"Where did this person come from?" Shocked voices rose from all sides as people stared at Ye Chen in astonishment.

"Hey? Isn't that the fortune-teller master?"

"You're right, it is him."

"Who knew the master was also a martial arts expert?"

"Did anyone see how he got here?" In a corner, Yang Xuan rubbed his eyes. As the third-ranked martial artist, even he hadn't caught Ye Chen's movement—it was just a blur.

"Is his qing gong that divine?" Shangguan Jiu murmured to himself.

Only he had barely glimpsed Ye Chen's figure, leaving him deeply shaken. He knew he could never match that.

In that instant, he realized the gap between himself and figures like Du Gu Jian Sheng.

Yang Ge Lao and Xia Lan were unfazed, already aware of Ye Chen's mysterious strength.

The Xuan Ming Er Lao, however, were not as composed. In a blink, an extra person had appeared, and they hadn't even seen how. In their experience, they'd never encountered such swift qing gong. They tried to identify Ye Chen by his appearance, but his disguised face gave nothing away. They attempted to sense his nei li, yet it was elusive and traceless.

"Your foreheads are darkened with bad omens, dear benefactors!" Ye Chen stroked his beard.

"Who exactly are you?" the Xuan Ming Er Lao demanded coldly.

"Who I am doesn't matter," Ye Chen smiled. "What matters is that today's bride and groom are under my protection. If you target them, this old man will get angry."

"Arrogant!" The gold-robed elder snarled and stepped forward, thrusting a palm strike. The forceful palm wind was bone-chilling, freezing the surrounding tables, chairs, and teacups with ice.

Ye Chen remained relaxed, merely waving his dust whisk to stir the wind and clouds. His energy surged like fiery waves, purely yang and vigorous, easily shattering the icy palm force and sending the silver-robed elder stumbling back with a grunt.

The silver-robed elder attacked next, swinging his dragon-headed staff downward from mid-air.

Ye Chen didn't even glance over, simply sidestepping the blow before countering with a palm strike that sent the silver-robed elder flying.

Everything happened in a flash. The Xuan Ming Er Lao were both defeated in an instant, leaving the onlookers swallowing hard.

These were the fifth- and sixth-ranked experts in the martial world, yet they were beaten in one exchange. Just how powerful was this daoist with the dust whisk?

Thud! Thud!

In the midst of shocked gazes, the sound of spitting blood followed. Ye Chen had launched his own attack, delivering a palm to each. His strikes were unyielding and purely yang, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks. They sent the Xuan Ming Er Lao coughing up blood and staggering back several zhang.

Once they steadied themselves, they wobbled and dropped to one knee with a thud, spitting another mouthful of blood. Their meridians were completely severed.

"Da Li Jin Gang Zhang—you must be from Shaolin," the Xuan Ming Er Lao growled, their eyes bloodshot as they glared at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen said nothing. In a single step, he was upon them, grabbing one in each hand before leaping away with his qing gong, vanishing from the mansion. A faint voice lingered in the air: "Continue the ceremony."

The guests looked up toward where Ye Chen had disappeared, speechless for a long time.

"As we've seen, disrupting a wedding brings its own retribution," an ordinary person said solemnly.

The martial artists, however, were focused on something else, their expressions full of shock.

"With martial skills like that, and able to defeat the Xuan Ming Er Lao so easily, he must rank in the top three of the martial world," an elder pondered.

"It has to be Luan Shi Dao Kuang. The top three include only him, and he's the one who studied at Shaolin, so he could use Da Li Jin Gang Zhang."

"That guess makes sense."

"Looks like I'm about to become famous." Shangguan Jiu remarked with a meaningful smile. He had been mistakenly identified, and now all the martial artists present were convinced it was him.

"When did he learn Da Li Jin Gang Zhang?" Yang Xuan glanced at Shangguan Jiu. "Did you teach him?"

"As if I'd have nothing better to do," Shangguan Jiu retorted.

"Then he must have learned it at Shaolin," Yang Xuan stroked his chin, thinking he should visit Shaolin sometime. If Du Gu Jian Sheng and Luan Shi Dao Kuang had learned it, he couldn't be left out.

"Have I been set up?" Shangguan Jiu muttered to himself, growing more uneasy by the second.

Yang Xuan shot him a gleeful look. You were set up all right—practically buried alive. From now on, Xuan Ming Jiao's people would come looking for you regularly.

That thought balanced things out for Yang Xuan. He'd been schemed against, and now his friend was too—they could keep each other company.

Meanwhile, Yang Ge Lao and Xia Lan still gazed in the direction Ye Chen had gone.

"Are you sure he's the disciple of Yin Shan Lao Dao?" Xia Lan asked, turning with a puzzled expression.

"That can't be right!" Yang Ge Lao scratched his head. "His skill is just too overwhelming."

"Um, Yang Ge Lao, it's an auspicious day—we can't miss the time," the master of ceremonies whispered.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Let's go, quickly!" Yang Ge Lao turned at once, pulling Xia Lan into position.

"First bow to heaven and earth."

"Second bow to the parents."

Soon, the resonant calls echoed through the mansion, snapping the guests out of their daze. Oh, right—they were here for the wedding banquet.

Amid the well-wishes of the crowd, the bride was escorted to the bridal chamber.

As for Yang Ge Lao, he had barely stepped down when neighbors dragged him away for endless toasts.

The atmosphere livened up again.

Now, no one distinguished between ordinary people and martial artists—they were all mingling, having completely forgotten about the Xuan Ming Er Lao.

Outside the town, Ye Chen found a suitable spot and finished off the Xuan Ming Er Lao.

Reflecting on the incident with Yin Shan Lao Dao, he realized that eliminating threats completely was necessary to avoid causing more trouble for Xia Lan and Yang Ge Lao. It was rare to see a loving couple unite, and as a good-hearted person, he would see it through. Besides, the Xuan Ming Er Lao were no saints—this was just doing justice for the world.

The most frustrated were the Xuan Ming Er Lao themselves. They had come with such momentum, failed to kill the Yao Yue Gong palace master, and ended up wiped out without even learning Ye Chen's identity.

If they could start over, they might have stayed put and avoided this disastrous trip.

"Ren Zai Jianghu, Shen Bu You Ji," Ye Chen sighed as he walked away. Unknowingly, he had been drawn into the jianghu conflicts. From now on, peace would be hard to find. In this world, you might not get back what you put in, but troubles would never be in short supply.