Chapter 50

Chapter 49. Even if it goes wrong, don't complain. (4)

"Ugh."

"This is really impossible."

The third-generation disciples groaned as they entered the temple gate.

Doing business in Huayin was something they were not cut out for. They were cultivators who sought inner peace through their practices. For them, dealing with people mired in the secular world was a far more arduous task than cultivating in the mountains.

"It's all good..."

Of course, he could understand that.

They understood how important money was and how difficult it was to earn. After all, they had lived on meager rations not long ago due to a lack of funds.

One cannot survive by eating tree bark alone, even if they cultivate and practice martial arts in the mountains. Money was necessary for survival, whether in the mountains, fields, or cities.

So, he had no complaints about that.

The problem was not that...

"Can't you just get us a place to stay in Huayin? What kind of nonsense is this?"

"Going up and down Huashan every morning and evening is really killing me. Senior Brother..."

Yunzhong closed his eyes tightly.

Under normal circumstances, Yunzhong would have scolded them for being whiny, but he couldn't bring himself to do so now. He was also struggling to catch his breath.

"Think of this as part of your training."

"What kind of training is this..."

"Or you can go and argue with the grandmasters directly."

"..."

Everyone fell silent.

It wasn't out of fear of their superiors. Compared to the hardships the grandmasters were enduring, their own struggles were nothing.

They could just get through the day, but the grandmasters were still preparing for the next day's business and hadn't returned to Huashan yet.

"Senior Brother, we don't have time to practice these days."

"We came here to learn martial arts, not to do business. If this was going to happen, we would have just worked as clerks in our hometowns and never joined Huashan."

Yunzhong sighed deeply.

"I know what you all want to say. But life doesn't always go as we wish, does it? This is no different. It will be resolved soon, so just bear with it for now."

"Understood, Senior Brother."

"Got it."

They all nodded, seemingly convinced.

Yunzhong sighed again, this time to himself.

'Even though I said that, when will this situation improve?'

There was no end in sight.

In fact, it wasn't just that there was no end in sight. From Yunzhong's perspective, the situation was getting worse day by day.

If it weren't for the merchants who had sided with Huashan and quietly helped them, their business would have already failed.

For the situation to improve, there needed to be visible factors that could lead to improvement, but all he could see were negative factors.

'The Sect Leader must have a plan.'

Yunzhong's thoughts were interrupted as he realized something.

'I'm worrying about Huashan now.'

Until recently, this was almost never the case. Even though he was the eldest among the third-generation disciples, he had never worried or pondered about Huashan's future. He thought that if Huashan were to fall, he could just leave.

But now, Yunzhong was genuinely concerned about Huashan.

All of this had changed since that guy appeared...

"Senior Brother! Senior Brother! Something terrible has happened!"

Yunzhong closed his eyes tightly.

'Even though everything seems good, why does that guy seem to be getting more immature day by day?'

Yunzhong looked at Zhaogel, who was running towards him with a pale face.

"Senior Brother! Senior Brother! Something terrible has happened!"

"Calm down. You're a cultivator, not some frivolous person..."

"Qingming..."

The moment Zhaogel said that name, Yunzhong's face turned pale.

It was a remarkable feat to make someone feel so exasperated before even knowing what had happened.

"No, no! Come with me! Hurry!"

As Zhaogel started running, Yunzhong followed without a word.

'What kind of trouble has that guy caused this time?'

He didn't have time to think. Running at full speed, Yunzhong followed Zhaogel into the temple gate and then into the Baimei Hall. When they reached Qingming's room, Zhaogel violently opened the door.

"Gone?"

But Qingming was not in the room.

"Where did he go?"

"No, that's not it! Look at this, Senior Brother."

"Hmm?"

'What is it?'

Yunzhong's eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to where Zhaogel was pointing.

'A piece of paper?'

On Qingming's bed lay a single piece of paper. Yunzhong approached and read the message written on it.

"Something came up, so I'll be gone for a few days. Figure it out on your own. And if you skip practice, I'll break your back. Don't skip it."

"Damn him."

Yunzhong's hand trembled as he held the paper.

What? Gone for a few days?

Does this crazy guy really think it's okay to leave the main mountain for a few days just because he has some business to attend to as a third-generation disciple?

"What do we do, Senior Brother?"

Yunzhong sighed deeply.

"First, keep the kids quiet."

"Senior Brother, if we get caught, it will be a disaster."

"Going to tell them right away will also be a disaster. Since he said he'll be back in a few days, we have to hide it until then."

The higher-ups wouldn't care about a third-generation disciple like Qingming unless something like this happened. With a bit of luck, they might not find out.

"Why is he doing this, knowing he might get caught?"

"Are you worried?"

"Excuse me? Aren't you worried, Senior Brother?"

"..."I'm worried about something else."

"About what?"

Yunzhong sighed deeply and said,

"I'm worried about what kind of business could keep him away for a few days and what kind of trouble he might cause."

"..."

Zhaogel strongly agreed with Yunzhong's concerns.

* * *

"Huff! Huff! Huff! Ah, I need to catch my breath!"

Qingming sat down on a nearby tree stump, panting heavily.

After running from Huashan to Xian in one go, he was completely out of breath, and his mouth was dry. He must have pushed himself too hard.

"Ah! Back in the day, I could..."

Leap over mountains in a single step and cross the Yangtze River with a few strides!

In his prime, it would have taken him less than an hour to get from Huashan to Xian, and he would have done it leisurely, as if taking a stroll.

But now, Qingming didn't have that kind of ability and had to run like a madman, sweating like a dog.

"Ah, a cold drink would be heaven right now."

Qingming, who couldn't hide his age, looked up at Xian after catching his breath.

"It's been a while since I've been here."

While Huayin had developed, it couldn't compare to Xian, the capital of Shaanxi.

Xian was the largest city closest to Huashan. As such, it was always the first choice for any visits to the city.

Qingming licked his lips and stood up.

"Many things happened here too."

Originally, Huashan disciples preferred not to visit Xian.

The reason was simple. The closest major sect to Xian was Zhongnan.

Zhongnan Mountain, where the Zhongnan Sect was located, was only about fifty li from Xian. As a result, Zhongnan disciples often appeared in Xian.

What would happen if a Huashan disciple met Zhongnan disciples in Xian?

"One of them would end up in pieces that day."

Zhongnan and Huashan did not get along.

Actually, it wasn't just that they didn't get along. They were almost like mortal enemies.

There were many sects that didn't get along, but even the notoriously feuding Nangong and Hebei Pang families would shake their heads and point fingers at the animosity between Zhongnan and Huashan.

Why were they so hostile?

The question should be reversed. What reason did they have to get along?

Just as neighboring countries rarely get along, major sects located close to each other couldn't get along either. There were always interests at stake, and competition for disciples was inevitable.

Moreover, the question of who was stronger often led to conflict. It was a matter of pride.

Additionally, both Huashan and Zhongnan were Daoist sects with strong secular tendencies, and they even specialized in sword techniques.

The founders of Zhongnan and Huashan might have thought,

"Ha ha. Since our dispositions are similar, we'll get along like brothers if we establish our sects close to each other."

But in reality, their descendants ended up regarding each other as mortal enemies.

As a result, Huashan disciples couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about meeting Zhongnan disciples and naturally avoided visiting Xian.

At least, until Qingming appeared.

As everyone knew, Qingming had a habit of doing things others avoided, and the more his senior brothers tried to stop him, the more he visited Xian.

Trouble?

Of course, it happened.

Unfortunately, on the other side.

"I've beaten them up a lot."

To be clear, Qingming had never sought out Zhongnan disciples to fight. He was too busy with other things, like eating more meat and drinking more wine.

He didn't have time to seek out troublemakers when he was trying to enjoy himself without the Sect Leader's knowledge.

But the Zhongnan disciples seemed to enjoy fighting more than drinking and partying. After getting beaten up a few times, they would foam at the mouth and rush to Xian as soon as they heard Qingming was there.

Of course, they always lost.

Thinking about it, it was impressive that Qingming could beat them every time they came, and equally impressive that the Zhongnan disciples kept coming back despite getting beaten up.

Qingming acknowledged the perseverance of the Zhongnan disciples. They seemed to have a masochistic streak, always coming back for more after getting beaten to a pulp.

Perhaps that perseverance was what made Zhongnan what it was today.

While Huashan was declining, Zhongnan was still threatening the position of the top sword sect in the world.

Of course, that might be temporary.

"So, um..."

Qingming glanced at his clothes.

In his hurry, he hadn't changed out of his Daoist robes. The plum blossom emblem on his chest shone brightly today.

"If I run into them, it will be a disaster..."

Should he buy new clothes and change?

After a moment's thought, Qingming shrugged and shook his head.

"Nah, probably not."

In this vast city of Xian, the chances of running into Zhongnan disciples were slim. It wasn't like the old days when they were actively looking for Qingming.

"Nothing will happen."

Once he got to the Yinheshang Guild, he wouldn't have to worry about running into Zhongnan disciples.

"Then the money is mine."

Qingming smiled slyly and walked through the city gate of Xian, completely unaware of the storm he was about to unleash.