Chapter 13: Reunion

The veiled maiden ignored the brocade-clad youth approaching her. Her gaze went past his shoulder, settling on the tall, elderly man who followed closely behind. With a troubled expression, she said, "You were ready to kill at the slightest disagreement. While you may have your reasons, I don't believe it's right."

The youth halted seven or eight steps away from the cold beauty, his eyes sincere. "My name is Gao Zhen, from Yiyang Prefecture of the Great Sui Dynasty. If Grandfather Wu has offended you, I am willing to apologize and offer compensation."

The elderly man stood behind the youth, his emotions complex. The so-called Gao Clan of Yiyang Prefecture was merely a euphemism. The Great Sui Dynasty had lasted twelve hundred years, and those who sat on the Dragon Throne all bore the surname Gao. The founding emperor had risen to power in Yiyang Prefecture.

The maiden remained unmoved. Raising her hands, she tightened the bandages around her forearms and said to the old man, "If we were anywhere else, facing a martial arts grandmaster who might have already achieved 'Wind-Riding Ascension,' I would be no match for you. But here and now, with the borrowed power of a flying sword, you will surely die."

The elderly man scoffed. "If that assassin had known your trump card beforehand, with his peak minor grandmaster physique, he could have protected his vital points. Even if you pierced him with ten swords, so what? He was like that. What more of me who is two realms higher, with one realm being considered a celestial barrier in martial arts? Little girl, I don't know where you get the confidence to utter those words, 'surely die'."

The maiden frowned slightly, her hand subtly resting on the hilt of her blade. "I hate trouble, and I despise arguing even more. How about we test whether my words are true? Whoever wins is right, how about that?"

Rarely threatened, the old man felt a surge of irritation. If not for being in this detestable, bizarre place, with the maiden's cultivation, no matter how gifted she was, he could crush and slaughter ten of her with one hand. Stepping back, if not for having important tasks at hand that required taking care of the young prince, who the Great Sui Dynasty held high hopes, the old man would have taught her a lesson even if it meant being suppressed and seriously injured by the self-circulating laws of this place. A calf is fearless but that doesn’t mean the tiger won’t eat it.

Gao Zhen quickly tried to smooth things over. "If the lady insists on pursuing this, I am willing to offer this item as compensation."

Gao Zhen lowered his head, opened the cloth pouch at his waist, and took out a jade seal. Holding it in one hand, he offered it to the veiled maiden in the distance. "As a sign of sincerity, I only ask that you do not pursue Grandfather Wu's unintentional offense. He was acting out of loyalty and had no intention of harming you."

The white-haired old eunuch was immediately horrified. Dropping to one knee, he said in fear, "Your Highness, no! This old slave is so lowly, but this jade seal is where Your Highness's destiny lies. It is a rare, pure treasure, capable of bearing the people's faith. How can the two be compared? Your Highness is trying to force this old slave to die!"

The youth of noble lineage stiffened.

The maiden seemed impatient, sneering, "Frogs in a well, each cherishing their own worn-out broom. Take that jade seal back. I've always liked the saying, 'A gentleman does not take what others hold dear'."

The maiden acted decisively, turning to leave.

The youth breathed a sigh of relief. "Get up, Grandfather Wu. Kneeling like that is unseemly. My Great Sui Dynasty's twelve Great Eunuchs only kneel before the Emperor. If the censors or the Ministry of Rites were to see this and make an issue of it, we would both be in trouble. Enough. This trip to the town has been completed successfully, thanks to the blessings of my ancestors. Let's not create any further problems. We need to leave this place quickly. And even after meeting up with our people outside, we can't let our guard down. You must know that among the six pillars of the Great Li Dynasty, the Yuan and Cao families are opposing factions, but unfortunately, these two pillars have an irreconcilable hatred for our Great Sui's Gao Clan. If anything happens to you here, Grandfather Wu, and your combat strength is impaired, it will be difficult for me to return to the Great Sui safely."

The old man nodded slowly getting to his feet. "This old servant knows the importance and urgency of the matter."

As the old man spoke of "urgency", the veiled maiden had already walked more than twenty steps away.

A gust of wind brushed past the youth, causing the hair at his temples and the sleeves of his brocade robe to flutter.

It turned out the old man who held so much power in the Great Sui never abandoned the thought of attacking the maiden. At that moment, he rushed forward. His first three steps landed heavily on the alley floor, the sound dull, penetrating more than ten feet beneath the ground. With the fourth step, the old man leaped high, aiming a punch at the maiden's back.

The veiled maiden's waist twisted violently, using her left toes as a fulcrum. Her right hand drew her blade, and a streak of white, brighter than the sun, appeared in the alley.

The elderly man pounced with crushing force, his fist striking the blade directly. Only a blood streak formed on the back of his hand from the blade. The old eunuch landed heavily, continued his charge, pushed the maiden backwards. Casually, he extended a palm, slowly, but with the speed of lightning, pressed against the maiden's forehead. As the old man was about to increase his force, intent on shattering the head hidden beneath the veil, he moved his feet and shifted his body a foot to the side. With a soft thud, he lowered his head to see a blade piercing his right chest from behind. It was the tip of a sword.

The old man's expression remained unchanged. He pinched the sword tip with two fingers and pushed it outwards.

He forcefully pushed the flying sword, which had arrived at the maiden's will, out of his chest.

Because of the flying sword's obstruction, the old eunuch not only failed to shatter the maiden's head, but the maiden, who had been sent flying and landed in the alley, took advantage of the opportunity to catch her breath. After getting up, she was as nimble as a wildcat, quickly disappearing into one of the alley's branches.

The youth's face was frighteningly dark, his fists clenched, and his aura erupted. With an angry expression, he said, "Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Horse Department, Wu Yue, Eunuch Wu! Why wouldn't you listen to my hints? Did you really have to act so stubbornly, believing that you, Eunuch Wu, are the most invincible person in this town? We were in the wrong, and she wasn't being overly aggressive. She was willing to let things go. Why did you have to be so ruthless? It's simply outrageous!"

The old eunuch withdrew his gaze from the alley the maiden had escaped from and turned back, his back straight, his aura even more imposing. The old man slowly walked back, each step landing heavily, as if stepping on the heart.The young man, suffocating under the oppressive aura and humiliated by a mere servant, glared, his eyes wide with fury, grinding his teeth as he spat, "Wu Diao of the Imperial Horse Administration, this is a crime punishable by death!"

The old eunuch calmly replied, "Your Highness, whether it's a crime worthy of death or one that can be forgiven, it is for His Majesty to decide. As I see it, Your Highness's safety is of paramount importance, the weight of a mountain. The very existence of that girl from the small town has become a pressing danger. To truly ensure all is well, we must strike her down. Only with her death can I find peace."

Seeing the barely contained rage in the young cultivator's eyes, the ancient eunuch sighed, his voice a whisper against the silent air. "For sixty years I have served within these imperial walls, witnessing the ebb and flow of power, the dance of shadows and betrayals both bloody and subtle. I have seen too much to hold faith in the hearts of men. Escorting dignitaries alone, I have personally faced no less than thirty assassination attempts, each a testament to the depths of human depravity. Your Highness, the cunning of these assassins surpasses comprehension, especially those fanatics who embrace death without reason. Take the masked assassin and the veiled girl from earlier..."

The young cultivator, clad in embroidered silk, pointed a finger at the wizened eunuch, his voice laced with venom. "Silence, old dog! I will hear no more of your twisted tales! One truth remains: you have crippled my grand design! Even a blind man could see the extraordinary talent of that girl who commanded a flying sword! Among the practitioners of the mountain sects, she would be considered a prodigy! Not just in the Great Sui or Great Li dynasties, but across the entire Eastern Treasure Continent, such a talent is rarer than a phoenix feather! I needed but ten years, perhaps twenty, to forge her into the deadliest shadow at my back! What are those so-called Land Immortals or Grandmasters of Martial Arts compared to her potential? Nothing! I am Gao Zhen, the future Crown Prince of the Great Sui Dynasty! *You* are my servant, old Wu, and you dare defy me!"

Surprisingly, the old eunuch, etched with the wisdom and weariness of ages, showed no anger at being repeatedly called an "old dog." Instead, a subtle pleasure flickered in his aged eyes. When the young man finally paused, breathless from his outburst, the old man smiled. "Your Highness, though your inexperience blinds you to the perfidious nature of the world and the wickedness that festers in the human heart, one thing you have done with remarkable skill, demonstrating the very flair of His Majesty."

An awkward silence descended. Gao Zhen, his rage subsiding, seemed to realize his grave error. Before his official designation as Crown Prince, he had dared to disrespect the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration, one of the three gatekeepers of the Great Sui Imperial Palace, a man deeply trusted by both his father and mother.

Prince Gao Zhen opened his mouth to apologize, but the powerful eunuch, the very man he had just cursed, smiled and preempted him. "Your Highness, remember this above all else: never offer casual apologies to servants. It is unnecessary, demeaning, and often unappreciated. Even if remorse gnaws at your soul, bury it deep within. Know that the Emperor, the true dragon of mankind, is the sovereign of the Nine-Five, whose words are law..."

Gao Zhen replied, "Grandfather Wu, such pronouncements are premature given my current standing."

Suddenly, the old eunuch tensed, his senses honed to a razor's edge, as if confronting a formidable enemy. He swiftly pulled the young cultivator behind him, his gaze fixed upon the lifeless form of the masked assassin.

A slender, middle-aged scholar abruptly appeared at the end of the alley, slowly walking towards them. He knelt beside the assassin's corpse and removed the mask, revealing a strange face: no eyebrows, a mutilated nose, and characters carved into his skin.

There was no doubt that he had been a convict in life.

The scholar remained silent. It was indeed a premeditated plan, likely originating from that Confucian temple.

Gao Zhen's eyes burned with eagerness. He stepped out from behind the old eunuch, bowed respectfully, taking care to observe proper etiquette first, then raised his head and respectfully asked, "May I ask, are you Master Qi of the Cliffside Academy?"

The scholar stood up and said to Gao Zhen, "Had you not seized a great opportunity first, neither of you would have escaped so easily today."

When outsiders fight each other in the small town, according to the rules established by the first four Sages, the punishment isn't severe, but it is not considered light. Compared to the inevitable expulsion for wantonly killing ordinary townsfolk, disputes between outsiders have a clear "loophole," a chance to mend fences. The reason Gao Zhen and the other two groups each brought a "retainer" was precisely to prepare for the worst-case scenario, to offer a scapegoat in a critical moment. Otherwise, just obtaining one such slot would consume half of the Great Sui Emperor's personal treasury. It was, after all, the private funds of the Emperor of a great nation, a whole half of his fortune! The amount was staggering. Who would be willing to be such a fool for no reason?

To put it plainly, it was paying to avoid disaster.

However, the expenses here were so great that even emptying a mountain of gold wouldn't be enough to cover it. The so-called "spending a fortune" in the mundane world was mere child's play in comparison.

Having been threatened with expulsion, Gao Zhen continued speaking on his own, "Master Qi, if there is a chance in the future, would you consider lecturing at my Great Sui Academy? Great Sui is willing to reserve the honorary title of 'National Preceptor' specifically for you!"

The old eunuch considered it and did not stop the young man's presumptuous words.

If he could truly persuade this scholar to devise strategies for the Gao family of Great Sui, the Great Sui Emperor would surely be overjoyed.

The scholar smiled without replying.

The old eunuch, who had been decisive and ruthless when dealing with the veiled girl he had just met, now displayed a completely different demeanor when facing this pillar of strength, Master Qi of the Cliffside Academy. He bowed his head and clasped his fist, saying, "Master Qi, I apologize for the intrusion and hope you will forgive me. My actions against the younger generation just now were a last resort. I hope you understand the hardship of an old servant like me, serving the Gao family."

Qi Jingchun waved his sleeve and said, "Leave at once."

Gao Zhen and the old eunuch had no choice but to take their leave, coincidentally following the same path the veiled girl had taken when she retreated.

The young man whispered, "Is she dead?"

The old eunuch shook his head. "She certainly won't live long. The flying sword only allows her to live a bit longer, it is ultimately futile."

The young man hesitated for a moment and curiously asked, "Grandfather Wu, when did you realize that her command of the flying sword was not as effortless as it seemed on the surface?"

The old man said, "Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Her precociousness betrayed her."

The young man was surprised and puzzled.The old eunuch led the young man out of the alley, softly saying, "May I ask Your Highness a question? Having seen so many riches and extravagant treasures, would you still be interested in ordinary porcelain from a small town?"

The young man patted his waist pouch and laughed, "Of course not. Only this jade seal, or something of comparable quality, can bring me joy."

The old eunuch nodded, "Precisely. When that girl was wielding her sword to kill, her heart was as still as water, extremely calm and collected, like…eating and drinking for ordinary people. Moreover, after realizing my true martial arts cultivation, she decisively abandoned the idea of fighting. Especially fearing that I might see through her bluff, she deliberately provoked us, her true intention being to find a way for both sides to back down. She feared that I would be merciless and eradicate her, so she had to break the stalemate. Of course, it proves she didn't do it well. But all things considered, having such thoughts at such a young age is already quite extraordinary. But the more this is the case, the greater the threat to Your Highness will be if we let the tiger return to the mountain and allow her to grow strong."

The old man sighed, "Young men and women are in their prime, full of spirit. If they kill in a fit of passion or die bravely, I wouldn't be surprised. But calmly considering and then facing death, or killing without even a ripple in their heart, is very abnormal. It can even be said that this kind of temperament can only be honed through experience, and has little to do with a person's talent or aptitude. Whether it's cultivators or martial artists, many geniuses die young because their character flaws are too obvious, and they easily mess things up when they encounter setbacks."

Gao Zhen lamented, "In any case, it's a pity."

The old eunuch jokingly said, half in jest, "Your Highness, if you're going to sigh every time such a person dies, then when you truly stand at the summit in the future, you'll be very busy."

The young man laughed, "I don't believe it."

The old eunuch suddenly said, "I don't know if it's my imagination, but I feel that there's a significant problem with Mr. Qi's heaven-reaching cultivation."

The Sui Dynasty prince said indifferently, "Anyway, originally, as long as we could get this 'Dragon Gate' seal, it would be a great success. Who would have thought that this priceless treasure would 'devolve' into a small add-on to a big deal? So, we should know when to stop. Speaking of that golden carp, I can't help but think of that straw-shoe boy…"

The old eunuch smiled, "Does Your Highness intend to find an opportunity to thank this young man in the future?"

The young man shook his head, "Not at all. I'm just heartbroken about that bag of copper coins."

The old man chuckled speechlessly.

Perhaps the Sui Dynasty will have a frugal emperor in the future?

In a secluded alley running north-south, only the sound of cartwheels could be heard.

A young Taoist with a lotus coronet on his head had closed his business early today and was pushing his cart, thinking of going home to pack up and quickly return. Whoever gets involved in this mess is doomed.

A slender figure in black suddenly staggered out from an east-west alley intersection, eventually leaning against the wall, slowly sliding down, one hand passing over the veiled hat, faintly revealing gauze, struggling to cover her mouth, the other hand pointing at the young Taoist.

The young Taoist quickly lowered his head, muttering, "Don't see me…don't see me…Supreme Lord Lao, hurry, hurry as the law commands…forget it, let the Buddha protect me, let the Bodhisattva manifest…"

A Taoist, when faced with a crisis, not asking for the Three Pure Ones, but instead seeking help from Buddha and Bodhisattvas, is truly inappropriate.

Sure enough, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas seemed unwilling to pay attention to disciples of other sects. The veiled girl, using the last bit of strength she could muster, staggered towards the Taoist and fell heavily to the ground with a thud, but her last hand tightly grasped the Taoist's ankle.

The young Taoist held his head in his hands, his face a picture of despair, as if he were raising his head to ask the heavens, "Such a big karma crashing down, isn't that the same as carving the words 'seeking death' on my forehead? I've been wandering around these years, braving the wind and dew, traversing mountains and rivers, often getting bitten by dogs on the street…it's been hard, alright?! Damn you, Gao family of the Great Sui, and the old dog Wu, you wait for me, this debt won't be cleared for five hundred years…my Taoist cultivation is so shallow, I really can't shoulder any heavy burdens…"

The young Taoist, already incoherent, lowered his head, almost bursting into tears, "Little girl, have some compassion and let me go, okay? In return, I'll help you find a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters, with excellent feng shui, which will definitely bless your descendants…oh, that's not right, you're still a young maiden, so…"

The girl had completely fainted.

Seeing that no one was around, the young Taoist squatted down, intending to quietly pry open the girl's fingers.

Whoosh.

A flying sword hovered in the air, the tip of the sword being no more than three inches from the young Taoist's brow.

The young Taoist calmly let go of his hand, his face full of pity and righteousness, "Humans are not plants, how can they not have compassion? My life has been upright and bright, how could I be someone who would stand by and watch someone die?!"

The young Taoist sat cross-legged, his handsome face almost wrinkled into a ball, "Where to send her next is also a problem."

The flying sword, which had been three inches away from the Taoist's brow, moved forward swiftly by an inch.

The Taoist explained patiently, "If you want your master to live, I still need a helper. Right, go pluck a locust leaf from that old locust tree, I'll first help her sustain this breath of vitality. Your master is a bit special, I don't want to recklessly save her just for the sake of saving her, and accidentally delay her future cultivation. This new karma…makes me want to die and be done with it…"

The flying sword seemed to hesitate, the tip of the sword trembling slightly.

The Taoist said unceremoniously, "The sooner you go, the sooner your master can walk back from the gates of hell. If you're late, we'll all be done for!"

The flying sword disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The Taoist muttered angrily, "When a man has affection and a woman has intention, they become a beautiful couple, but you, Qi Jingchun, you're good at matchmaking but you don't clean up the mess!"

The young Taoist rested his hand on his cheek, the other hand pinching his fingers to calculate a divination, "Let me calculate, which family in the small town can I send you to, so that you can survive and they won't be ruined. First, the Lu family…the Lu family won't do, it's similar to the Zhao family, they already have their own destiny. Then, the Song family?"

The Taoist in the alley hadn't finished speaking.The instant the Song family's gates on Fortune and Prosperity Street were beset, the door gods plastered on every entrance lost their divine luster, turning dull and lifeless. Wisps of green smoke, invisible to mortal eyes, rose into the air.

From the depths of the courtyard, a barefoot, weathered old man kicked open the doors and stood raging, "Which damned bastard is plotting against my Song clan's foundation?! Step forth and face me!"

The young Daoist coughed, muttering to himself, "The Liu family on Fortune and Prosperity Street seems to have a thriving incense offering, appearing capable of handling this. Shall we test them?"

The Liu family's plaque, a family heirloom passed down for millennia, shattered with a bang, revealing a web of shocking cracks.

An old woman with a deep, resonant voice struck the ground heavily with a dragon-headed cane, "Which divine being is this? Would you deign to show yourself?!"

The young Daoist feigned ignorance, "Then how about the Wei family in Peach Leaf Lane? Your family seems to have accumulated virtue and merit; surely you can bear this karma."

Soon, an old man used a secret art to transmit his voice, roaring towards the academy, "Qi Jingchun! Are you going to manage this?! If you can't, or dare not, then hurry up and give your position to Ruan Qiong! Let him deal with this sneaky bastard! Or is all of this Qi Jingchun himself venting personal grudges?"

A man by the creek south of the town's covered bridge, who was leading others in digging a well, straightened up and moved his lips slightly towards the north.

Like rolling thunder in spring, the echoes resounded above Fortune and Prosperity Street and Peach Leaf Lane, "Enough! You are not allowed to disrespect Mister Qi! Furthermore, I, Ruan, will not involve myself in the town's affairs before the Spring Equinox!"

In an instant, the heavens and earth grew silent, and all sounds ceased.

Meanwhile, the culprit sitting beside the pushcart in the alley grabbed the black-clothed girl's hand and placed the emerald locust leaf brought by the flying sword into her bloody palm.

The locust leaf, upon touching the girl's wounded palm, melted like ice and snow, vanishing in an instant.

The young Daoist sighed with emotion, "Every time I witness this scene, I can't help but feel moved by the creation of heaven and earth..."

After pondering for a long time, the Daoist couldn't find the words he was looking for.

Finally, the young Daoist looked down at the girl, whose complexion had slightly improved, and frowned, "Since the destiny you're involved in is greater than I imagined, I can only go against the norm. In this town, six hundred families are intertwined, generation after generation steeped in the aura of this secret realm. It would be easy for me to find someone with a lingering destiny, but finding a pauper is like ascending to heaven. It's like searching for a high-ranking official in the imperial court – easy. But finding a beggar? How am I supposed to find one?"

The young Daoist gave a surprised "Oh."

He had actually found such a pitiful wretch.

He felt no joy; instead, he shuddered, closed his eyes, and questioned himself.

The young Daoist sighed, "Regardless, let's see what your choice will be. I will never force you. If you are unwilling, I will bear this karma myself."

Finally, he clasped his hands together like a monk, "Buddha protect me, Bodhisattva manifest! Please help me overcome this tribulation!"

In Mud Bottle Lane.

The young Daoist, pushing a two-wheeled cart, stopped outside a courtyard gate, knocked, and asked, "Is Chen Ping'an here?"

In the corner of the cart, nestled a long sword with a snow-white scabbard. Inside the scabbard, the flying sword was listless, as if disdaining the young Daoist for finding such a wretched person.