Chapter 44

The great family that protected the Central Plains from the unstoppable advance of the new foreign army led by the Ice Queen has reappeared in the martial world after several hundred years.

Could it be that those who live on the land protected by the Sima family have already forgotten their gratitude?

No matter how much curiosity the new artifacts displayed at the Zhaoda Shanghui have aroused, to completely ignore the Sima family's procession!

Sima Jiang looked at the martial world people gathered, engrossed in their leather clothes, and felt more bewildered than angry.

How could the Sima family be treated like this!

"Hmm..."

Sima Jiang decided to think as positively as possible.

After all, it had been several hundred years since the Sima family had ceased to operate the martial world alongside the Nine Great Sects.

The Sima family might be so sacred and renowned that it is difficult for people to approach them easily.

However, such a positive attitude of Sima Jiang did not last long.

Alliance (盟).

A single character embroidered in gold on a huge banner.

The symbol of the Wu Lin Alliance, shining brilliantly in the sunlight, was overwhelming.

Clap, clap, clap.

Leading the way, the flag bearer of the Alliance entered, followed by the Zhengwu Shouhudi, the highest military unit of the Wu Lin Alliance, armed in heavy silver armor, escorting the Wu Huang.

On either side of the Wu Huang stood the Alliance's Chief of Staff, Zhuge Zanhuai, the Alliance's Grim Reaper, Inspector Duan Baiwu, and the Commander of the Zhengwu Shouhudi, Jin Jiangqian, among other prominent Alliance figures.

What was unusual was that the Wu Lin Alliance was entering alongside the Huashan Sect's procession.

A huge plum blossom banner embroidered in red entered alongside the Alliance's banner, its grandeur reaching the heavens.

A sect that could stand alongside the Wu Lin Alliance!

This alone clearly demonstrated the status of Huashan in the contemporary martial world.

At Sima Jiang's signal, the Sima family's flag bearer raised the White Tiger banner even higher.

The Sima family could never bow its head before the reputation of the Wu Lin Alliance and the Huashan Sect.

However, as the Wu Huang's voice gradually became audible, Sima Jiang was once again taken aback.

"Chief of Staff! That's the carriage I was talking about!"

"..."

The Wu Huang was extremely excited upon discovering the event venue set up by the Zhaoda Shanghui.

As he kept looking around with a delighted expression, Chief of Staff Zhuge Zanhuai felt like he was about to die.

"Can't we buy one with the military budget...?"

"Lord Alliance. That is a luxury item. How can you talk about using the military budget when all the records will be kept? And you're saying this in front of the Inspector?"

Beside him, Inspector Duan Baiwu smiled bitterly.

"That's right, Lord Alliance. Private expenditures for the comfort of the Alliance command are subject to inspection."

"Comfort? Did you just say comfort?"

The Wu Huang flared up.

"This carriage, called a Yunche (Cloud Carriage), is as soft as floating on clouds! Do you know that I suffer from severe back pain every time I move around in a carriage?"

"Lord, Lord Alliance."

"Every day, you just say, 'Stay healthy, take care of yourself, the Alliance's peace depends on the Lord's health.' Hmph! If I can't even speak, I won't be disliked, but these harsh greetings are unbearable."

Having already experienced a Yunche taxi (?) at Poyang Lake, the Wu Huang found the ride so comfortable that he couldn't forget it.

"Inspector, haven't you ridden one? Must I suffer from back pain for the rest of my life? Speak up if you have a mouth!"

"Lord Alliance..."

Watching this, Chief of Staff Zhuge Zanhuai sighed helplessly.

"Then, how about a Heavenly Yunche? The cost of a Yunche is too burdensome for the military budget."

"Really!"

The Wu Huang recalled Nan Gong Shu's subtle boasting about the Yunche's elegant appearance when he visited the Nan Gong family.

Even as the leader of the Wu Lin Alliance, to be told to lower his standards below the Nan Gong family!

It was disappointing.

At times like this, these strict and narrow-minded orthodox successors were so unbearable.

"Fine. I'll save my monthly salary and buy it privately."

Duan Baiwu looked at Zhuge Zanhuai with a sympathetic gaze.

Once the Wu Huang gets upset, it lasts quite a while.

The probability of him being uncooperative with the Alliance's events and schedules, using excuses like poor health or refining his martial arts, was almost certain.

Zhuge Zanhuai, shuddering at this thought, clenched his teeth and spoke again.

"I will buy it for you."

Duan Baiwu was greatly surprised.

Given Zhuge Zanhuai's upright character, he wouldn't misuse the military budget.

He would certainly use the family's wealth or his own money to purchase it.

Being stripped of his wealth by the Wu Huang, Zhuge Zanhuai, feeling bitter, looked at the distant mountains.

Just as Sima Jiang, observing the situation from afar, was about to approach the Wu Huang and greet him, the Wu Huang's gaze suddenly turned to another event venue.

"What rare item is there that draws so many people?"

"Lord, Lord Alliance?"

Zhuge Zanhuai, noticing Sima Jiang's approach, stiffened awkwardly.

The Wu Huang had already moved far ahead and was lost in the crowd.

"Ha..."

Truly, an extremely challenging job!

Just as Zhuge Zanhuai was barely calming himself and greeting Sima Jiang, the Wu Huang, amidst the crowd, was staring at a leather jacket with wide eyes.

"Hmm? What kind of clothing is that? It has a unique style."

Some martial world veterans, recognizing the Wu Huang, were startled.

"Lord, Lord Alliance!"

"Meeting the sky of the martial world!"

After waving once in response to the veterans' greetings, the Wu Huang moved on.

Zhaohui, who was enthusiastically taking pre-orders, noticed the approaching Wu Huang and his eyes lit up.

'Ah.'

Zhaohui, encountering a superlative expert for the second time, one whose realm he couldn't fathom.

Indeed, a person worthy of being called the sky of the martial world.

"Hmm, I've never seen a style with pockets on the outer fabric. Moreover, to handle rough leather so intricately is truly remarkable craftsmanship."

The Wu Huang examined the pockets of the leather jacket and then looked at Zhaohui.

"Is there a specific reason for placing the pockets on the outside?"

"It's for practicality. Most clothing styles in the Central Plains are inconvenient for accessing items. However, this leather jacket allows you to store different items in separate pockets and retrieve them very conveniently."

"Wow! The idea is truly amazing! But, if you move vigorously, won't the items fall out?"

Zhaohui slightly opened the pocket of the leather jacket to reveal the buttons.

"These buttons can fasten the fabric together."

"These are buttons?"

Until then, buttons in the Central Plains were mostly made of animal bones, metal, or jade, and were attached to both sides of the fabric to interlock.

The style of round buttons, sewn onto the fabric itself after cutting a hole, only appeared after the Middle Ages.

Given the simple yet innovative design, it was natural for the Wu Huang to be amazed.

The buttons, not hanging in clusters, blended naturally with the fabric, making them even more appealing.

"Remarkable! Truly a wondrous creation! I can feel the astonishing wisdom of the person who thought of these buttons!"

Martial arts (武學) only enrich a person's body and mind, but such innovations enrich the entire world.

The Wu Huang had always highly regarded the Zhaoda Shanghui for such aspects.

"Who came up with such a splendid clothing design?"

In response to the Wu Huang's question, a woman at the event venue answered respectfully.

"It was all due to the wisdom of the Chairman."

The woman's gesture pointed to Zhaohui.

"You?"

"Hmm, that's right."

For some reason, Zhaohui felt a bit guilty, as if he was copying the intellectual property of modern civilization.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, Zhaohui felt a massive intent transform into a blade, piercing through his mental barrier.

A vast and boundless aura, so intense that his back was drenched in sweat in an instant!

However, the astonishingly powerful intent, after piercing his mental barrier, transformed into a gentle breeze, teasing the surroundings.

A blend of heat and cold, life and death, a truly bizarre and wondrous aura.

How could such completely incompatible qualities harmonize so well? As this thought crossed Zhaohui's mind, the voice of the sword master, Jian Shen, echoed in his head.

-It is truly the pure realm of Hunyuan Taiji. Indeed, a Wudang Taoist worthy of being called a Zhenren (True Person).

Hunyuan Taiji (混元太極).

Along with Shaolin's Banya (般若) and Huashan's Zixia (紫霞), it was one of the three great martial principles of the martial world.

Just by lightly accepting the aura, one could clearly feel such a noble martial principle.

The soft and gentle aura was truly profound.

It was easy to understand why Wudang was called the Southern Venerable (南尊) and respected by martial world people.

Experiencing a truly powerful martial artist firsthand left a deeper impression than a thousand days of practice.

Zhaohui finally understood why so many martial world people yearned to see the Seven Martial Seats just once.

-Until now, I never considered anyone below the seat of Wudang's founder, Zhang Sanfeng. If he had not hesitated to step into the world, he would have engraved the will of the gods on his body.

Zhaohui was startled and repeated the words.

'Zhang Sanfeng was that powerful? On par with the Three Immortals?'

The voice of the Martial God echoed.

-Yes. His martial arts left in Wudang are enough to feel the true depth of his realm. His Hunyuan Taiji is the best understanding of the natural realm in martial theory.

'Wow...'

Zhaohui had always thought of Zhang Sanfeng as a famous ancestor of the Wudang Sect.

His image in the Central Plains was more of a Taoist who devoted his life to cultivation rather than a martial artist.

But his realm was so profound that even the Three Immortals had to acknowledge it!

After all, he was always compared with Dharma, the great temple of the Central Plains' Immortal Sect.

"What? Zixia Divine Skill...?"

The Wu Huang, looking at Zhaohui with a surprised face.

Zhaohui, breaking out in a cold sweat, replied.

"What? What is it?"

"Isn't this the aura of Zixia?"

The Wu Huang, having examined Zhaohui's martial soul, had discovered the aura of the Martial God's skill.

Zhaohui, pretending to be flustered, deliberately only raised the extreme aura of the Heavenly Sword Skill and spoke.

"Did you see it wrong? As you can see, I am a swordsman who inherited the will of the Sword Deity."

The Wu Huang's eyebrows twitched.

"Are you treating me, an old man, as if I have dementia? I can clearly see the Zihuo (Purple Fire) surging in your martial soul! How dare you try to deceive my eyes?"

"No, no..."

It's not Zihuo (Purple Fire), but Mahuo (Demon Fire), you old man!

"It's impossible for the Sword Saint to take on disciples... How could someone called Little Sword Deity learn the Zixia Divine Skill, the secret technique of the Huashan Sect? This is a very serious matter, and there must be no lies."

"..."

But this Martial God's skill was not inherited from the Martial God but was legally (legitimately) passed down from the Sword Deity.

If pressed, it could be considered a true legacy of the Sword Deity.

However, to explain all these facts, he would have to reveal the secret of the Blood Prison of Heaven, which neither he nor the Venerables wanted.

Given the unknown reach of the followers of the Divine Seat, Zhaohui could not casually reveal the secret of the Blood Prison.

On the other hand, he couldn't just make up an excuse, as the Wu Huang's expression was too serious.

Just as Zhaohui was in a dilemma, someone from the Huashan Sect's procession approached with a dignified gait.

"Zixia Sword Saint!"

"Heaven's First Seat!"

It was Dan Qianyang, the Zixia Sword Saint, acknowledged as the first in the world by all.

The Wu Huang, about to greet Dan Qianyang, froze.

He couldn't sense his martial soul.

'Could the Sword Saint...?'

Has he reached the natural realm?

The Wu Huang, unable to believe it, froze.

"Boundless Buddha, I greet the Daozu."

A respectful Taoist ritual.

The extreme respect from Dan Qianyang, the first in the world, was directed at Zhaohui.

"Daozu?"

The Wu Huang's eyes widened.

Daozu (道祖).

A term used to refer to the three deities of Taoism, the Three Pure Ones (三清), or to sages (仙人) or mountain deities (山神) of similar rank.

"Have you been well all this time?"

Both the Zixia Sword Saint, showing extreme respect, and Zhaohui, with a perplexed face, were equally confused.

What on earth was happening?

The Wu Huang.

His greatest crisis since his debut was upon him.

The eyes of Dan Qianyang, the Zixia Sword Saint, who was showing respect, flickered for a moment.

The great sage who warned about the evil (魔) hidden in the Zixia (紫霞) of Huashan was, strangely, wearing Zixia himself.

However, it was different from the Zixia of Huashan in a subtle way.

It was fierce yet pure, intense yet broad, burning like fire yet dignified, ruling yet inclusive.

Having encountered countless world-changing divine skills in the martial world, this was the first time Dan Qianyang faced such a wondrous aura.

Why he was hiding his true strength and presenting an absolute appearance, and why he was active as the host of the Zhaoda Shanghui, was a mystery.

He had clearly revealed the legendary sword skills of the Sword Deity to him.

From this, it could be inferred that this young man in front of him was either the actual Sword Deity from history, who had transformed into a mortal with the power of the celestial realm, or another sage with a deep connection to the Sword Deity, who had taken on the appearance of the Sword Deity to teach him.

However, regardless of that, the fact that this great sage had personally taught him was enough to receive the respect of the head of the Huashan Sect.

It was natural for a martial artist to feel utmost respect.

'Wow...'

The Wu Huang was perplexed by the declarative actions of Dan Qianyang, known as the First Seat or the First in the World.

The Zixia Sword Saint was a generation senior to him.

He was, in fact, the one with the highest status in the martial world.

For such a senior figure to show extreme respect to Zhaohui in front of all the martial world veterans was equivalent to receiving the highest respect from the most senior elder in the martial world.

The Wu Lin Alliance, having conceded much to the Zhaoda Shanghui due to Zhaohui's cunning strategies, now had to acknowledge this great figure as the highest status in the martial world under the name of the First Seat.

What was to be done now?

The Wu Huang hesitated for a moment and then looked at the Zixia Sword Saint with a perplexed face.

"Is this young man really the direct disciple of the Sword Deity?"

Dan Qianyang had a strange expression.

This great sage, a direct disciple of the Sword Deity?

How could someone with the sword skills to erase the