Chapter 15

After the meeting, Moxiang walked out of the Tianma Hall (天魔殿) where the leader was staying, and the Four Gentlemen were waiting for him. Moxiang walked home with them and asked a question that was on his mind.

"Has Zhu (竹) left?"

In response to his question, Lan (蘭) answered.

"Yes, I instructed them to secretly protect him without his knowledge."

"Plum (梅), since you are from the Secret Shadow Corps, you are skilled at gathering various information. Take Lan and Kuk (菊) and head to Luoyang immediately. Find out how Xiaolian managed to enter the Heavenly Earth Sect there, and how her mother is doing, among other details."

"Yes, sir."

"Also, thoroughly investigate the leader of the Heavenly Earth Sect. Determine if he is trustworthy or not... I will give you a month. Investigate thoroughly!"

"Yes, sir!"

Moxiang took out a token from his robe, which symbolized the position of Deputy Leader, and handed it to Plum.

"Find out as quickly as possible. You can use any means necessary to accomplish this task. I will make arrangements so that before you arrive in Luoyang, the secret branch and the Thousand Ling Hall's Director Fang will start the investigation. Review their data to extract accurate facts. Once you arrive, command them to gather more reliable information for me. The Secret Shadow Corps will have some preliminary data, but I need precise information that even they do not know. A month is a short time, but if you dig deep, you can find out. I will go to Luoyang in a month. Give me the information then!"

"Yes, sir."

"Also, contact Zhu, who is on his way to Luoyang, and tell him not to return to the main sect after completing his mission but to join you in Luoyang to assist you. Although Zhu is the actual leader, this time, since it involves information gathering, Plum will temporarily lead everyone."

"Yes, sir."

"Go quickly."

After sending his subordinates, Moxiang went to find Elder He Wujiang. Since the leader had delegated full authority to Moxiang, He Wujiang asked about his intentions.

"When will you send someone to negotiate?"

"There's no need to rush the negotiations. Do you know who the leader of the Heavenly Earth Sect is?"

"Yes."

Then, he instructed a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar who was waiting nearby.

"Bring the information on the leader of the Heavenly Earth Sect. Also, bring all the information on the Heavenly Earth Sect."

"Yes."

The man dressed as a scholar soon returned with a stack of documents. He Wujiang selected one and laid it out in front of Moxiang.

"This is Dali Dao Ba (大力刀覇) Zhenyang (振揚), the leader of the Heavenly Earth Sect. He is a tall, muscular man, standing six feet one inch, and an exceptionally skilled martial artist. So far, he has been a very upright and honorable person, someone who can be trusted. However, the issue is that he does not like the Demon Sect."

"Why doesn't he like the Demon Sect?"

"His father was critically injured in a fight with a Demon Sect expert and died after almost five months of treatment. It's a common story. When we were establishing our influence in Luoyang, there was a minor conflict with the Heavenly Earth Sect, which is why he does not like the Demon Sect. In fact, it's more accurate to say he hates us."

"Hmm... Anyway, he is a man of strong principles, right?"

"Yes, but hatred can cloud one's judgment, so be cautious."

"The leader mentioned that the Heavenly Earth Sect has about 2,000 disciples. How many of them are useful?"

"About 500 are quite skilled. However, due to the previous conflict, one-third of them are now in our prison. If we can lead things towards reconciliation, they will likely cooperate. Zhenyang, the leader, is not a fool and will know that another conflict with us could lead to the destruction of his sect."

"Is there a possibility they will bring in external forces?"

"According to recent information, Zhenyang has requested assistance from the Martial Arts Alliance, and 200 experts from the alliance are now in the Heavenly Earth Sect. However, they are arrogant and have caused some conflicts with the Heavenly Earth Sect's subordinates. The head of the Dragon Spring Hall, Long Chanyi, leads them, and even Zhenyang looks at them unfavorably."

"You have quite detailed information."

"Yes, as the person responsible for all information within the sect, I am merely doing my duty."

"If any of this information turns out to be incorrect, even by a hair's breadth?"

"Cut off my head."

"Hmm..."

While saying this, he seemed to absentmindedly stroke the hilt of his sword, Moxun. Elder He Wujiang's expression subtly changed, and his aura became unstable. Moxiang was inwardly satisfied, knowing that he had made him extremely nervous. According to his last master, Liu Bai, it was necessary to occasionally instill fear, and Moxiang was putting this into practice.

Moxiang's sword skills were known to be the strongest in the Demon Sect, and the leaders were all aware of this. When he killed the Lightning Sword Emperor, the leaders of the Demon Sect realized that Moxiang had reached the realm of Tamo. They all knew that if Moxiang decided to eliminate someone, even the leader could not avoid his sword. This was why the leader had intended to pass the position to Moxiang.

In the Demon Sect, it was forbidden to carry a sword within two paces of the leader to prevent assassination. Moxiang was the first and only person to be granted an exception, as he was the only one who could take the leader's life, regardless of distance or whether he had a sword.

Moxiang asked the sweating Elder He Wujiang, feigning confusion.

"Why are you like this?"

"Uh? Uh, suddenly a bit..."

Moxiang pretended to look at his hand and acted nonchalantly.

"Aha, stroking the sword is an old habit... I'm sorry, I did it unconsciously... There's no need to be so tense. If I wanted to eliminate you, I wouldn't need a sword..."

Upon hearing this, He Wujiang's face turned even paler. Moxiang thought it was time to change the topic.

"I want to make a non-aggression pact with Zhenyang. What do you think?"

"It would be difficult for the Heavenly Earth Sect to keep such a pact. If the Martial Arts Alliance cooperates with us, they cannot be left out. If they are, they might be misunderstood as allies of the Demon Sect and could be considered public enemies of the martial world, risking the destruction of their sect."

"So, what I want is a way to avoid this and live peacefully under normal circumstances."

"In that case, the pact should include a clause that they can join in if the orthodox sects unite to attack the heterodox sects. There should also be recognition of various exceptional circumstances, making a non-aggression pact difficult, but a conditional non-aggression pact is possible."

"I see."

"..."

"When can you complete the draft of the pact?"

"It will take a week to discuss various matters. Is it acceptable to handle things this way? Our sect has never shared a pact with the orthodox sects."

"It's fine. If we can live comfortably without unnecessary tension and bloodshed, that's good. Once blood is shed, it's best to completely root out the opposition so they cannot rebel, but there's no need to start with conflict."

Ten days later, Moxiang set out from the headquarters for Luoyang. This time, he was accompanied by many people, making the group quite large. Moxiang, who usually preferred to travel alone, was not particularly pleased, but it was the leader's order, so he had no choice. He was joined by the Deputy Elder Hu Jie'e (胡戒惡) of the Snake Blood Heavenly Deity (蛇血天神), the Outer Chief Yuguangba (玉冠覇) of the Withered Hunchback Blood Demon (枯僂血魔), the Right Outer Chief Xue Ruobi (薛若碧) of the Lustful Play (淫嬉), and the Left Law Guardian Chu Zhenjie (楚眞杰) of the Ink Blade Calamity Demon (墨刃劫魔), along with 20 high-level experts from the Law Guardian Hall.

Moxiang found Yuguangba, the Outer Chief, particularly unpleasant. As befitting his title, Withered Hunchback Blood Demon, he was a grotesquely thin hunchback with a shiny, dark blue hand, which he had cultivated to the extreme with the Black Corpse Demon Claw (黑屍魔爪). This made him even more repulsive.

The Black Corpse Demon Claw was one of the strongest claw techniques in the Demon Sect, and few people could master it to the tenth level. When cultivated, unlike the Lesser Demon Techniques, the hand becomes thin and blue, making it both powerful and grotesque. Women never cultivated this technique, as it made their hands look ugly, unlike the Lesser Demon Techniques, which made hands white and transparent.

The cultivation of the Black Corpse Demon Claw began by dipping the hands in a cow's brain and, after reaching the second level, absorbing corpse poison from corpses. It was a highly lethal and cruel technique, causing death if scratched by the steel-like fingers.

A similar orthodox technique was the Nine Yin White Bone Claw (九陰白骨爪), which had a similar cultivation method. It was recorded in the Nine Yin Manual, a highly esteemed manual in the orthodox sects. Due to the similarities, there was much debate about which technique was copied from the other. The orthodox sects argued that the Nine Yin White Bone Claw was copied from the Black Corpse Demon Claw because of the differences in cultivation methods and the inherent evilness of the technique. The Black Corpse Demon Claw had been passed down in the Demon Sect, while the Nine Yin Manual, despite being highly esteemed, was lost at some point.

After a leisurely journey with many people, they arrived in Luoyang after 20 days. Moxiang did not rush because he had told the Four Gentlemen he would arrive in a month, and he had spent a lot of time learning the qin (琴) from Xue Ruobi.

Xue Ruobi, known as Lustful Play (淫嬉), originally named herself Sound Joy (音僖) because she could make people die happily with her sound techniques. However, due to her beautiful appearance and cruel nature, she was known for making many people die happily with her qin, and people started calling her Lustful Play (淫嬉). Despite her protests, the name stuck.

Upon arriving at the Luoyang branch, the Four Gentlemen briefed Moxiang on their investigations. Of course, they did not disclose the information about Xiaolian and her mother, which was personal to Moxiang. Plum handed him a thick stack of documents and said:

"Dali Dao Ba Zhenyang is an outstanding expert who has cultivated both internal and external skills. He has never broken a promise. He leads the fight against bandits and helps the local residents in times of need, earning their respect. He has one wife, two concubines, and one mistress. The mistress is a beautiful widow in her early thirties, who lives with her mother-in-law. They meet cautiously, and they have a daughter together. The mother-in-law knows about their relationship and plans to accept her formally after her death. He has four sons and two daughters from his wife and concubines. He loves his children, and his relationships with his wives are harmonious. We monitored him for a week, and everything we heard was true, except for one thing. If you want more accurate information, we can kidnap a few servants, but we waited for you, Deputy Leader. His disciples are also well-behaved and respected."

"What did you mean by 'except for one thing'?"

Plum's face turned slightly red. In the Demon Sect, people's attitudes towards women ranged from extreme to extreme. Some who cultivated techniques requiring female energy were promiscuous, while most were too busy with the sect's rigorous training and missions to have time for women. Plum, who had not cultivated such techniques, was still a virgin by chance.

"It's not that important, but he has some perverse tendencies. He sometimes engages in sexual activities with two or three wives at once, or ties them up during sex..."

The people around them chuckled, making Plum's face even redder, and he stopped speaking.

"Well, a bit of perversion isn't that bad, is it?"

Elder Hu Jie'e laughed and agreed with Moxiang.

"Hahaha, that's true. I've heard that no one is a perfect gentleman in the bedroom, hahaha."

All the men chuckled and added their comments. The only exception was Xue Ruobi, who, despite her name, blushed and lowered her head, trying to end the lewd conversation by asking Moxiang a question.

"From what I've heard, Zhenyang seems to be a very upright person. What do you plan to do, Deputy Leader? Will you follow the plan and make a pact with them?"

Moxiang held up the thick stack of documents.

"It will take some time to review this. If nothing else, I'll visit in four days. In the meantime, you can rest."

"Understood."

As they left, laughing about Zhenyang's bedroom activities, Moxiang quietly called Plum.

"Have you found out about Xiaolian and her mother?"

"Yes, it's written here."

"When will I have time to read this? It's a waste of time. Where is Xiaolian's mother living now? Is it the same house as before?"

"No, she now lives in a small house near the Heavenly Earth Sect. We found out that Zhenyang often travels to find talented individuals. He met Xiaolian in Luoyang and, after noticing her considerable martial skills, tested her. He discovered that while her internal energy was strong, she only knew basic self-defense techniques. He accepted her as a disciple and, knowing she had learned from a different sect, encouraged her to continue practicing her original technique. She is said to have a crush on her third senior, Zhang Jin, who is 14 years older than her, but Zhang Jin likes Zhenyang's second daughter, so marriage is unlikely."

"Well, that's not my concern. Where is Zhang Jin now? Is he in the prison?"

"Yes, he escaped with her but was recaptured and brought back to the prison after being pursued by our sect."

"Is Xiaolian's mother in good health?"

"Yes, she is very healthy. She is a dignified and quiet woman who always tends to a beautiful garden, giving a good impression to those around her. She has received several marriage proposals but has rejected them all."

"Stupid... It would be better for her to get married. You can leave now."

Moxiang spent two days patrolling around the Heavenly Earth Sect. He saw Xiaolian's mother tending to the same flowers he had planted in their garden in the past. He watched her watering the flowers from a distance for a while before heading to where Xiaolian was. The Heavenly Earth Sect was quite large, and he couldn't see inside, so he spent time observing from a hill.

After sitting on the hill for about two hours, a young boy approached. He looked about twelve years old, very mischievous, with dirt on his clothes and leaves stuck to him. The boy approached Moxiang, pointed a wooden sword at him, and playfully said:

"Don't move. You're a spy."

Moxiang smiled at the boy's actions.

"Or what?"

The boy tilted his head.

"Or why are you looking at the Heavenly Earth Sect?"

He tried to sound authoritative, and from his good clothing, Moxiang guessed his father held a high position in the Heavenly Earth Sect. Moxiang suddenly felt like playing.

"I'm looking at the Heavenly Earth Sect to kidnap you. It's a good thing I met you."

As Moxiang slowly drew his sword, the boy turned pale.

"Y-You, you're insolent."

"Insolent or not..."

Moxiang thrust his sword at the boy. The boy responded calmly, likely because Moxiang's sword was not very fast.

'So, he's got some guts.'

The boy used a technique to deflect Moxiang's sword and aimed at his waist. It was a well-structured move. When the wooden sword hit Moxiang's waist, the boy confidently declared:

"I won!"

But Moxiang, without showing any sign of losing, redirected his sword and aimed at the boy's neck. The boy was surprised.

"Ah! That's unfair, I hit you first..."

The boy's sword was a wooden one and couldn't hurt Moxiang, but Moxiang's sword could be fatal even with a light strike. The boy, startled, swung his sword at Moxiang. Playing with the boy was quite entertaining. The person who taught him must have been quite skilled, as his foundation in internal energy was solid. Moxiang guessed he had started learning at a very young age, probably before he was seven.

The boy used 24 techniques, and when he ran out of moves, he used various variations to attack and defend. Moxiang could tell from the boy's techniques that the Heavenly Earth Sect's sword techniques were quite powerful, with many variations and clever moves to exploit weaknesses. However, the techniques were sometimes too light, and a good sword technique should be neither too light nor too heavy, always maintaining a balance.

After about half an hour, the boy was exhausted and sweating profusely. Moxiang instantly sealed six of his acupoints, carried him on his shoulder, and went to the nearest restaurant. He called a waiter, ordered food, and released all the boy's acupoints except for his legs.

"You've worked hard. Eat something. You must have guessed my skills from the techniques I used to seal your acupoints. No matter how many people come, a hundred like you wouldn't stand a chance."

"I don't want to eat."

Moxiang put on a serious face and threatened.

"If you don't eat, I'll force you to eat shit."

The boy stuck out his tongue and mocked.

"Uncle, you're unfair."

"Indeed, I am very unfair."

"And despicable. Bullying a child..."

"Indeed, very despicable... But if you want to be more sophisticated, call me despicable, hahaha."

The boy's face twisted. Normally, people would turn red and get angry when hearing such words, but Moxiang took it a step further.

"You can't do that, can you? Uncle is despicable."

"Indeed, indeed. Don't refuse, take it as a compliment."

The boy stopped talking, realizing that cursing would only hurt his own mouth. The food arrived, and it was quite good. Moxiang slowly drank his wine while staring at the boy. The boy, remembering the threat of being forced to eat shit, started eating, sitting up straight and chewing slowly, showing he had