Chapter 73

As the three of them discussed this, they couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic towards the minor sect, Qingyun Temple. Huo Dong glanced again at the few young Taoists eating wontons not far away and smiled, saying, "Those four youngsters have been peeking at us ever since we sat down. They must be very curious..."

"Qingyun Temple is isolated and probably doesn't even know that someone is about to harm them," the young man in brocade said with a hint of amusement.

"Hmph—If Changkong Sword Sect dares to act unjustly, I would be willing to play with them..." This statement revealed the eunuch Liu's attitude, showing how much he despised Changkong Sword Sect.

The young man in brocade was startled and silently prayed for Changkong Sword Sect. The eunuchs of the "Imperial Attendant Supervision" were notoriously ruthless, and provoking them would likely mean no peace for Changkong Sword Sect in the future.

Huo Dong, the "Divine-Eyed Golden Eagle," had a flash of golden light in his eyes. His aura resonated, and both the young man in brocade and the eunuch Liu, being experts, immediately reacted. The "Divine-Eyed Golden Eagle" was famous for his hands and eyes. Huo Dong, with his extensive experience and broad knowledge, possessed an orange-level skill called "Heavenly Vision and Earthly Hearing," which was truly remarkable. Human blood vessels naturally flow and make a gurgling sound, and a martial artist's blood vessels are much thicker than those of ordinary people, making the sound louder. For experts who have undergone special training, they can gauge a martial artist's level by the strength of their blood vessel sounds and guess the direction of their internal energy flow by the vibrations at different acupoints. Based on their experience, they can even guess the martial arts and the origin of the school. However, this extraordinary skill can only detect martial artists below the "Creation Realm." Once a martial artist reaches the "Creation Realm" and can transform qi into a protective force, covering their entire body with true qi, Huo Dong's skill would find it difficult to penetrate the true qi and listen to the internal body.

But this did not diminish the skill's miraculous nature. It was an indispensable tool for the "Criminal Court Marshal" to catch hidden criminals. At Huo Dong's level of cultivation and experience, martial artists with weaker skills could not escape his divine eyes. He could instantly discern their skills and origins with just a glance.

"Hmm? Strange, strange—"

"What's the matter?" The young man in brocade, being the most impatient, asked eagerly.

"Hmph—This time, Changkong Sword Sect is going to kick a steel plate—"

"What do you mean?"

"Those few youngsters have pure and deep internal energy, with long and steady qi pulses. Although they are young and not highly cultivated, their foundations are very solid, not inferior to any outstanding disciples of famous sects."

Huo Dong's words piqued the curiosity of the other two. The "Divine-Eyed Golden Eagle" had a keen eye and always spoke the truth, never exaggerating. For him to praise the disciples of this remote mountain temple so highly, it was clear that these young Taoists had extraordinary potential.

The "Divine-Eyed Golden Eagle" Huo Dong smiled mysteriously and continued, "What's even more surprising is not just this—"

"Hmm?" The two men's curiosity grew. Could there be something even the "Divine-Eyed Golden Eagle" couldn't see?

"I, Huo, have roamed the江湖 for decades and have always boasted of having the third-best eyesight in the world, especially in discerning martial arts. Even the 'First Eye of the World,' Heng Wantong, I would dare to compete with him... Unfortunately—"

"Unfortunately what?" The two men pressed.

"Now, I, Old Huo, wish to gouge out my eyes, truly ashamed—despite boasting of having 'Divine Eyes,' I can't discern the origin of these youngsters' martial arts at all. From the aura, this skill is something I've never seen before, but it's definitely not one of those rare and powerful techniques. It must be a genuine Daoist skill... but... I can't guess its origin at all—"

Hua and Liu's faces changed, and they turned to stare at the few young Taoists not far away.

If the "Divine-Eyed Golden Eagle" couldn't discern the skill, and it wasn't a high-level skill, there was only one possibility left—it was a newly created internal skill...

To create a skill suitable for the masses, the abbot of Qingyun Temple must be a master of his generation...

The four young Taoists eating wontons nearby suddenly felt as if they had fallen into icy water, their body hair standing on end...

Being stared at by experts was truly uncomfortable. Yun Zheng hurriedly took out a piece of silver from his pocket, slapped it on the table, and said in a deep voice, "The visitors have ill intentions. Let's leave quickly—"

The four of them hastily got up and squeezed into the crowd, disappearing from sight.

Seeing the young Taoists scared away, the three of them were momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.

**********

Finally, they got rid of those annoying little guys. It feels good to have some space for myself!

Ye Qingxuan slurped a large mouthful of hot noodle soup and ate a big piece of beef, feeling extremely satisfied...

The old broth beef noodles of "Qingyang's Best" were as delicious as ever.

With nothing to do today, Ye Qingxuan went to Qingyang Town to retrieve the newly made scabbard. The green steel sword he obtained from the Blue Armor Demon Bull only had the sword, but the scabbard was missing. He took the opportunity when his third senior brother, Qing Song, went to the city to buy supplies and asked Daoist Qing Song to help find a craftsman to make a scabbard. It was only now that he had the chance to retrieve it. On his way back to the mountain, he naturally wouldn't miss this "Qingyang's Best," indulging in a feast.

"Senior Brother, do you think Changkong Sword Sect is preparing to cleanse the Yunzhou martial world again?"

Hmm? Another martial world story...

The conversation of a few martial artists at the next table caught Ye Qingxuan's attention. He listened while eating the beef.

"Hard to say. It's difficult for small sects like us. If we submit to Changkong, we might be used as pawns. If we don't submit, we might be suppressed, and in the worst case, our entire sect could be destroyed..."

"Sigh, indeed... I wonder which evil spirit Qingyun Temple has offended to provoke Changkong Sword Sect. It seems they are about to be destroyed..."

Qingyun Temple!? Changkong Sword Sect!?

What's going on?

As soon as he heard someone mention Qingyun Temple, Ye Qingxuan's ears perked up.

"Qingyun Temple is just a small temple. Changkong Sword Sect's actions are likely to intimidate other martial artists, a warning to others, like killing a chicken to scare the monkeys..."

"Pity, pity. Qingyun Temple has always had a good reputation in the Qingyang area, with many followers. After this blow, it will likely never regain its former glory!"

"Indeed—But we don't know the origin of this disaster..."

"I have some guesses..."

"Oh? Tell us..."

"Rumor has it that Qingyun Temple is planning to establish a new sect. This might be the root of the problem..."

"How so?"

"In Yunzhou, every sect, new or old, must submit to Changkong Sword Sect, or they will be suppressed. If Qingyun Temple decided to establish a sect without Changkong Sword Sect's support and approval, it would be difficult to succeed..."

"This is very likely. Qingyun Temple has had little interaction with other martial artists. If they didn't seek approval from Changkong Sword Sect before establishing a sect, even with the support of local officials, it would be hard to achieve their goal..."

The group couldn't help but sigh over Qingyun Temple's fate.

As they were talking, they suddenly saw a young Taoist in a robe walking over with a smile. They quickly shut their mouths and looked at the young Taoist with scrutiny.

"Greetings, brothers. This Taoist is here to pay respects." Ye Qingxuan smiled and bowed, saying, "I overheard you mentioning something about Qingyun Temple. What's happening there?"

The group exchanged glances, and a young man with a pockmarked face asked, "Are you a Taoist from Qingyun Temple?"

Ye Qingxuan slowly shook his head and smiled, "I am a Taoist from the Sanqing Temple in Yunxia County, just passing through. I was planning to stay at Qingyun Temple for the night. I heard you mention Qingyun Temple and came to inquire... I don't want to get into trouble..."

"Ah, you're from Sanqing Temple..." The group sighed in relief. If the young Taoist were from Qingyun Temple, it would be difficult to explain. Not mentioning it might offend other martial artists, but mentioning it might get them into trouble with Changkong Sword Sect. They exchanged glances again, and the pockmarked young man said, "I advise you not to go up the mountain..."

"Ah? Why is that?"

Half an hour later, Ye Qingxuan walked out of the noodle shop with a dark face, his right hand gripping the green steel sword, veins bulging, revealing his extreme anger.

The Zheng family of Qingyang? The Chang family of Yunxia? Changkong Sword Sect?

Damn it, kindness is taken for weakness...

This time, if I don't crush you into stinky dog shit, I'll change my name to yours!

Ye Qingxuan slung the green steel sword over his shoulder and used his full lightness skill, dashing towards Qingyun Temple...