On the third day of the eleventh month, snowflakes fell in a blinding torrent, while gusts of savage wind howled like specters between heaven and earth.
Within the gloomy main hall of the Guiyuan Sect, however, a profound stillness reigned.
Zhuge Yuanhong sat alone on the Sect Master’s seat; the others had not yet arrived. The appointed time was set for after the morning drills, meaning Zhuge Yuanhong had arrived far too early.
“Qinghu Island, Qinghu Island…” Zhuge Yuanhong narrowed his eyes. “Massacres occurred on the same day across the cities of Xuyang Commandery and Tiannan Commandery. Even a blind man could guess that Qinghu Island was behind this. Gu Yong… are you signaling that you intend to make your move?” Among his contemporaries, few were held in high regard by Zhuge Yuanhong.
Gu Yong was one of them!
Gu Yong, the Island Master of Qinghu Island! He was arguably one of the eight most powerful figures across the entire Jiuzhou Continent.
Gu Yong and Zhuge Yuanhong were roughly the same age. In their youth, these two were the most renowned figures in Yangzhou. Now, one was the Island Master of Qinghu Island, and the other, the Sect Master of Guiyuan Sect!
“However, if you truly intend to swallow my Guiyuan Sect whole, I will ensure you break every last tooth trying!” A cold glint flashed in Zhuge Yuanhong’s eyes.
The strategic brilliance of the ‘Guiyuan Zhuge’ was known throughout Jiuzhou!
Despite Zhuge Yuanhong’s outwardly humble demeanor, few dared to provoke him.
...
Amidst the roaring gales, two young disciples finally stepped into the grand hall—disciples specifically assigned to serve tea and refreshments.
“This wretched weather, the snow is heavy and the wind fierce. Why has the heavy snow arrived so early this year?”
“Who knows? Our Jiangning Commandery City is close to the East Sea; snow usually holds off until deep winter. This year is certainly early, quite strange.” The two youngsters muttered amongst themselves. Because of the heavy snow and wind, the hall was quite dim, so the two disciples moved to light the six large pedestal lamps set against the far wall.
These lamps were forged from superior bronze, each piece exquisitely crafted by hand.
Normally, if the hall convened after dark or on a gloomy day, these six large pedestal lamps would be lit.
“Hiss!” One pedestal lamp ignited.
The entire hall brightened considerably.
“Ah.” As one disciple turned to approach another lamp, he caught sight of the seated figure far up in the hall and nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Sect Master.”
“Sect Master.”
Both young disciples quickly composed themselves.
“Mhm, go ahead and light the rest of the lamps first,” Zhuge Yuanhong stated calmly.
“Yes, sir.” The two young disciples immediately grew reserved, daring not utter another sound. Following the arrival of these two, elders and guardians soon began arriving in quick succession. They, too, were surprised to see the Sect Master present so early, and each took their designated seats.
With the six pedestal lamps burning for a while, and the hall now filled with people, the atmosphere inside seemed significantly warmer.
The contingent from the Black Armored Army arrived as a group. Teng Qingshan, Pang Shan, Zang Feng, and Guan Lu naturally took the foremost seats, with the other commanders arrayed behind them.
“Master,” Teng Qingshan and the others bowed.
“Mhm.” Seeing Teng Qingshan, Zang Feng, and Guan Lu, Zhuge Yuanhong nodded with a smile. “Sit down for now. We await the two Law Enforcement Elders.”
Teng Qingshan expressed some surprise: “Master, you’ve arrived early today.”
Soon after, a plainly dressed elder and a middle-aged man with a cold, white-robed demeanor walked in side-by-side—the two Law Enforcement Elders. They naturally took the head seats on the left and right rows, respectively. Both smiled and nodded to Teng Qingshan, ignoring the others present.
“Teng Qingshan, you are truly excellent,” the cold, middle-aged man seated above Teng Qingshan said with a gentle smile.
...
Outside, the wind shrieked and the heavy snow continued to swirl. Inside the hall, a profound silence settled, broken only by the soft hiss of the burning lamps. All eyes were fixed upon the Sect Master, Zhuge Yuanhong, awaiting his address.
“My Guiyuan Sect, since its founding by our Ancestor, has existed for over a thousand years, boasting countless disciples. Yet, in all that time, fewer than forty have reached the Xiantian realm,” Zhuge Yuanhong announced in a strong voice. “Among them, the latest to achieve Xiantian status was one hundred thirty-six years old! And the earliest, in the preceding millennium, reached it at the age of twenty-eight!”
Many within the hall knew well that the Sect Master, Zhuge Yuanhong himself, had only reached Xiantian at the age of thirty.
“However, today, our Guiyuan Sect possesses a new Xiantian powerhouse! And he is only seventeen years old!” Zhuge Yuanhong’s voice boomed with immense pride. “Looking across the entire Jiuzhou Continent, in the last five hundred years, there has only been one such prodigy! The sole individual! And I believe everyone here knows who he is.”
Every gaze swung toward Teng Qingshan, carrying a mixture of excitement, admiration, disbelief, and envy...
“Qingshan!”
Zhuge Yuanhong called out loudly. “Reaching Xiantian at seventeen, haha! I myself didn't achieve it until thirty. If a person begins cultivation at five, Qingshan has only trained for twelve years, whereas it took me twenty-five years to reach Xiantian. I was slower than Qingshan by an entire factor of two! I feel no shame, only pride! Because he is my disciple! Because he is a disciple of my Guiyuan Sect! He does not belong to one of the Eight Great Sects. What does it matter how strong those Eight Great Sects are? The foremost genius of five hundred years resides right here in my Guiyuan Sect!”
Upon hearing this, the assembled crowd felt a surge of soaring confidence.
That was right.
The foremost genius of Jiuzhou in five centuries belonged to their Guiyuan Sect!
“Qingshan,” Zhuge Yuanhong turned to Teng Qingshan.
Teng Qingshan immediately stood.
“Effective immediately, you are appointed the third Law Enforcement Elder of my Guiyuan Sect, the youngest in our history!” Zhuge Yuanhong gazed intently at Teng Qingshan and continued slowly, “Regarding your cultivation, there is little I need to say to you! I only wish to convey this... decades from now, may the disciples of Guiyuan Sect feel proud because of you! May my Guiyuan Sect flourish because of you!”
Teng Qingshan felt his chest burn with emotion.
“Here is the token of the Law Enforcement Elder. Guard it well!” Zhuge Yuanhong handed it over with solemnity.
Teng Qingshan accepted it with equal gravity.
“Teng Qingshan, congratulations,” the white-haired elder opposite him offered with a smile.
“The Guiyuan Sect now also has another Law Enforcement Elder,” the stern middle-aged man added with a smile.
A wave of joyous congratulations swept the hall. Even Zang Feng, who felt a bitter pang of jealousy, offered his felicitations to Teng Qingshan. For everyone understood this truth: the emergence of such an astonishing genius within the Guiyuan Sect would inevitably make the sect stronger in the future.
A powerful Guiyuan Sect benefited everyone present.
** Just as everyone in the hall was laughing, chatting, and sipping tea, a figure abruptly rushed in at high speed.
“Sect Master!”
The loud cry silenced the entire hall instantly. Many turned toward the entrance with annoyance, but upon seeing the newcomer, they displayed a touch of surprise.
The gray-robed middle-aged man hurried into the hall, panting out, “Sect Master, an urgent secret missive.”
Zhuge Yuanhong frowned slightly, then commanded, “Close the doors!” Although the disciples guarding the entrance were confused, they immediately slammed the massive hall doors shut. The interior dimmed slightly, illuminated only by the six pedestal lamps.
“Give me the missive,” Zhuge Yuanhong instructed.
The gray-robed man immediately presented a rolled piece of paper. Zhuge Yuanhong looked down and began to read.
The assembly in the hall fell silent, an unsettling atmosphere beginning to pervade the space.
What matter could possibly necessitate the delivery of a secret missive directly into the main hall? Could it not wait another hour? The urgency was clear.
Why had the Sect Master ordered the doors sealed before even reading the message?
All these events instilled a measure of doubt and unease in everyone’s hearts.
“Hmph, just as I suspected,” Zhuge Yuanhong sneered, then raised his eyes to scan the assembled crowd. Everyone looked toward him expectantly. Zhuge Yuanhong announced in a loud voice, “Yesterday, power struggles and bloody conflicts erupted in the various cities of Xuyang Commandery and Tiannan Commandery. The forces involved were various gangs and minor sects.”
Many in the hall remained perplexed.
Xuyang and Tiannan Commandery were inherently chaotic regions; why was fighting unusual?
But those with sharper minds, like Teng Qingshan, had already sensed the underlying problem.
“Power grabs happening on the same day?” Teng Qingshan wondered aloud.
At this moment, Zhuge Yuanhong continued speaking loudly: “It is estimated that last night, the unrest in every city across Xuyang and Tiannan Commandery was quelled. And this morning, every city in both Xuyang and Tiannan Commandery publicly announced: from this day forward… Xuyang Commandery and Tiannan Commandery shall be under the jurisdiction of Qinghu Island!”
The faces of everyone present changed dramatically!
“Qinghu Island governs those two commanderies?”
“How so fast?”
Everyone was shocked, for they all understood the terrifying implications of this news!
“This message was relayed with maximum speed!” Zhuge Yuanhong surveyed the crowd, his face grave. “From today onward, of the thirteen commanderies of Yangzhou, eleven are ruled by Qinghu Island. They possess an absolute advantage. I think everyone can see that Qinghu Island’s takeover of Xuyang and Tiannan Commandery was executed with remarkable speed!”
Teng Qingshan felt a growing worry in his heart.
“Why the haste? Clearly, Qinghu Island must have been prepared for a long time. Many sects and gang forces within Xuyang and Tiannan Commandery were already aligned with Qinghu Island. They were confident they could seize control of those two commanderies in one strike. But if they possessed this capability, why did they wait until today to act?” Zhuge Yuanhong’s gaze sharpened.
Sweat beaded on the foreheads of many elders and guardians below.
They were not fools.
Qinghu Island possessed overwhelming strength and could have unified Xuyang and Tiannan Commandery long ago. Why wait until this day, and moreover, make the annexation public?
“When I first met Gu Yong back then, I knew that young man was ambitious!” the stern middle-aged man growled angrily.
“If they dare to attack, we won't make it easy for them,” Pang Shan roared in fury.
Everyone suddenly realized...
Qinghu Island daring to publicly declare dominion over Xuyang and Tiannan Commandery carried a clear message: Guiyuan Sect, Ironclad Gate—prepare to be dealt with by Qinghu Island!
No one doubted whether Qinghu Island possessed the capability to eliminate the Guiyuan Sect and the Ironclad Gate.
After all, Qinghu Island’s foundation was too deep, and their manpower too vast.
For instance, the Guiyuan Sect’s Black Armored Army numbered only six thousand, whereas Qinghu Island’s ‘Silver Dragon Army’ boasted a full eighty thousand! While the overall quality might be slightly inferior, the numbers were comparable. Most critically, the number of Xiantian experts held by Qinghu Island far outnumbered the combined total of the Guiyuan Sect and the Ironclad Gate—by several times!
Having controlled nine commanderies and developed for so many years, they held an absolute advantage over their rivals in every aspect, from common soldiers to elite masters to Xiantian experts.
“Qinghu Island held back for so long because they feared incurring heavy losses while crushing the Guiyuan Sect and the Ironclad Gate, losses that other major sects might exploit,” Teng Qingshan felt an unprecedented pressure. “But now that they dare to act, it means they are certain of success! Having endured in silence for so long, once they strike…”
The faces of the others in the hall turned grim, and many were visibly trembling, cold sweat running down their brows.
If a true war erupted...
The Guiyuan Sect might very well be utterly annihilated!