Chapter 8

Swinging the sword in his hand, he realized that what he hadn't practiced was indeed unpracticed; his wrist couldn't quite handle the sword's momentum, and the angle of his movements was unfamiliar, making it easy to injure his tendons and bones. He sheathed the long sword, flexed his wrist, and pondered the need to stretch and strengthen his tendons and bones. His body was still young, and it wasn't too late to start practicing.

Strolling slowly through the courtyard with his hands behind his back, he kept the cultivation in mind. He must have the ability to protect himself; otherwise, being easily threatened and always playing the coward would be unbearable. A true man can bend and stretch, but he shouldn't always be bent without stretching, right?

He found a suitable room and settled in. With nothing else to do, he sat cross-legged and silently practiced the cultivation technique "Taiyi," which he had long mastered and could practice with ease. He had come to the Shangqing Sect with great effort because he had seen the abilities of Dongguo Haoran and wanted to cultivate more advanced techniques. However, it seemed that obtaining them wouldn't be easy, so he could only temporarily practice his own techniques to gain some self-protection.

As for the origin of the "Taiyi" technique he practiced, he had discovered it in an ancient tomb during an underground archaeological expedition. The tomb's occupant was seated in a meditative position, holding a jade box containing several pages of golden scrolls, which recorded the "Taiyi" cultivation technique. He had studied it diligently, consulting countless ancient texts to understand it, eventually achieving the title of "Daoist Master" in the martial world.

However, he was not satisfied. The reason was simple: the content of the few pages of golden scrolls was limited, only recording a qi cultivation technique and a sword technique. According to the mysterious preface, the result of completing the technique should allow one to fly and travel through the earth, capable of anything, which was exhilarating to think about. The qi cultivation technique and sword technique were far from reaching that level, giving him the impression that they were just introductory. He believed that he was not practicing the complete "Taiyi." Therefore, he continued to seek clues to the complete "Taiyi," which was why he had encountered difficulties in the ancient tomb. After witnessing Dongguo Haoran's strength, he was deeply moved and resolutely left the village.

Days passed, and although meals were delivered on time, it felt like being imprisoned. There were guards outside, and he was not allowed to step out of the courtyard. No one spoke to him, as if he were isolated from the world.

He repeatedly requested to see Tang Mu, but it was useless. He found this abnormal. From Dongguo Haoran's words, Tang Mu was trusted and was his junior brother. Logically, Tang Mu should have seen him after Dongguo Haoran's death. He realized there might be some unknown changes, which could explain the guards' unfriendly attitude. However, he had no chance to contact the outside world and no ability to act, so he could only wait.

With this free time, he did not waste it. Besides practicing "Taiyi," he also began to strengthen his body, doing splits, handstands, and weight-bearing exercises. Stretching and strengthening his tendons and bones at his age was a bit late, and he suffered a lot, but with determination, what hardship could he not endure?

Additionally, he played with the bronze mirror. This mirror had been found on him during a search by Song Yanqing, but Song Yanqing clearly didn't take it seriously. Instead, he was more interested in the plaque given by the female general for archery. After asking about the plaque's origin, Song Yanqing, unimpressed, returned the mirror to him and kept the plaque.

Niu Youdao, however, believed the mirror was not simple. First, it resembled the ancient bronze mirror he had seen in the tomb. Second, Dongguo Haoran had said he had lost his life because of this mirror and instructed him to give it only to Tang Mu. How could this mirror be simple? It was likely that Song Yanqing had failed to recognize its value.

However, no matter how he played with the mirror or studied it, he couldn't figure out its secrets...

The main hall of the Shangqing Sect was called the Shangqing Palace. A group of three people went directly to the main hall and met Luo Yuangong, Su Po, and Tang Susu.

Currently, the Shangqing Sect lacked a leader, and the three of them were temporarily in charge of the sect's affairs.

After the three people bowed, Luo Yuangong asked, "How is the investigation going?"

The leading disciple reported, "The people of Xiaomiao Village have confirmed Niu Youdao, and it should be correct. Niu Youdao left Xiaomiao Village some time ago and disappeared the day after the village was attacked. The timing matches. The villagers were looking for him, thinking he had been killed by wild beasts. They recognized Niu Youdao's portrait immediately. Additionally, the plaque was confirmed by its owner in Guangyi County, and it is indeed genuine."

Tang Susu said sternly, "Niu Youdao's speech doesn't sound like that of a mountain boy."

The disciple replied, "We have also investigated this. A poor scholar once stayed in Xiaomiao Village. Niu Youdao's family was killed in the chaos, and he lived alone. The scholar stayed at Niu Youdao's house and taught him to read and write. Niu Youdao is one of the few literate people in the village. The depth of his knowledge is hard for the villagers to judge. The scholar's whereabouts after leaving are unknown, making it difficult to verify."

Luo Yuangong asked, "Could the people of Xiaomiao Village be deceiving us?"

The disciple replied, "I have investigated the villagers and confirmed they are genuine residents of Xiaomiao Village. There is no mistake."

"In that case, Niu Youdao's identity should be correct," Luo Yuangong said, looking at Su Po and Tang Susu.

Tang Susu said calmly, "What if someone found a similar person to impersonate Niu Youdao? It would be better to have the villagers identify him in person."

A few days later, Niu Youdao finally left Taohuayuan, but no one knew where he was going. He was only taken to the nearest city. He was curious about the city's customs, but after a brief tour, he returned, not understanding the purpose.

He was then locked back in the courtyard.

The three elders of the Shangqing Sect seemed busy, constantly summoning inner disciples for closed-door meetings.

A month later, Niu Youdao was taken out of Taohuayuan again and brought to the Shangqing Palace on the opposite cliff.

Several large bronze furnaces heated the spacious hall, and all the inner disciples were present, many with serious expressions.

Niu Youdao stood in the center of the hall, looking around, feeling puzzled by the attention.

He finally steeled himself and said, "My master ordered me to meet the leader before he died!"

Luo Yuangong sighed, "You are too late. Leader Tang Mu has already passed away!"

"Ah!" Niu Youdao was stunned, realizing why Tang Mu had never seen him.

Luo Yuangong continued, "Since Dongguo Haoran has taken you as a disciple, your identity is now officially recognized by the Shangqing Sect. Additionally, there is one more thing to ask you. If we make you the leader of the Shangqing Sect, would you accept?"

"What?" Niu Youdao was initially pleased to be recognized, but the question startled him. He thought he had heard wrong and, seeing the serious looks around, pointed at his nose and asked, "Me, the leader?"

Luo Yuangong nodded, confirming he had heard correctly.

Niu Youdao's first reaction was that there was a trick. Given the previous treatment, there was no way they would make him the leader. Even if it were true, it couldn't be a good thing. Why would such a good opportunity fall to him? He waved his hands, "No, no, I am not qualified!"

Tang Susu's stern expression eased somewhat.

Luo Yuangong asked again, "Are you sure you don't want to be the leader?"

Niu Youdao continued to refuse, "I don't even know what being a leader means. I can't do it. Please choose someone more capable."

Luo Yuangong looked around and asked loudly, "Did everyone hear that?"

The disciples responded in unison, "We heard."

What was going on? Niu Youdao looked around, feeling suspicious.

Tang Yi in the crowd remained silent, slowly lowering his head, seemingly avoiding Niu Youdao's gaze.

Luo Yuangong gestured, "Since that's the case, you can go back."

Song Yanqing walked up to Niu Youdao, smiling warmly, and said, "Brother, you've worked hard. Please return."

Niu Youdao, still suspicious, followed Song Yanqing, wondering what they were up to.

On the way, Song Yanqing seemed unusually cheerful, patting Niu Youdao's shoulder frequently, almost acting like a close friend. At the entrance of the courtyard in Taohuayuan, he told the guard, Chen Guishuo, "We are now fellow disciples. Don't keep the door locked. Let Brother Niu out to breathe some fresh air. Oh, and add some good dishes and a jar of good wine for him."

"Sure!" Chen Guishuo smiled and agreed.

Niu Youdao was also pleased, thinking his identity as a Shangqing Sect disciple was officially recognized. He said, "I've been here for so long and haven't explored much. I want to go down the mountain and see the grandeur of our Shangqing Sect." He turned to leave, thinking he was free.

Song Yanqing's face stiffened, quickly stopping him and pointing to the cliff outside the courtyard, "Just breathe some fresh air at the door. Don't run around the mountain. You just joined, and it's not time to run around yet."

"..." Niu Youdao was speechless, realizing he was only allowed to breathe some fresh air.

In the Shangqing Palace, the inner disciples left one by one, some looking happy, others silent.

After the disciples left, Tang Susu spread her hands and smiled, "What do you think? He refused the position of leader."

Luo Yuangong and Su Po sighed, agreeing that making Niu Youdao the leader was inappropriate, but the method used seemed underhanded. No one with common sense would accept such an offer. If they really wanted to ask, they should have let Niu Youdao know the truth.

Su Po said, "He is only suspected to be the leader. There might be other surviving disciples of Dongguo."

Tang Susu insisted, "Fine! Let's wait three more months. If there's no news, we'll do it my way."

Su Po shook his head, "This is not fair."

Tang Susu said firmly, "We are doing this for the good of the Shangqing Sect. Otherwise, the other disciples wouldn't agree. Making a clueless young man the leader would be a joke. Besides, we are not mistreating him. Tang Yi's beauty is unmatched in Ziyun County. In the end, it will benefit him, and we can explain it both internally and externally."

Luo Yuangong frowned, "Will Tang Yi agree when she finds out?"

Tang Susu said seriously, "As a Shangqing Sect disciple and the leader's daughter, she must step up in this critical moment. I am not only an elder but also her aunt. With her parents gone, I will make the decision."