Chapter 9

At the top of Zhongnan Mountain.

The mountain is shrouded in white mist all year round, resembling a fairy mountain.

When Yue Yuan and Yin Zhiping climbed to the top, it was already close to noon.

Looking at the mountain gate visible to the naked eye in the distance, Yue Yuan immediately stopped, bent over, and supported his knees with both hands, raising his head to gaze into the distance. For Yue Yuan, the Zhongnan Quanzhen was something he had only seen in novels; he had never been to Zhongnan Mountain in his daily life.

"Brother Yin, wait a moment!"

Glancing at Yin Zhiping, who was about to move forward, Yue Yuan immediately stopped him and said, "It would be disrespectful for me to meet the seven seniors in this state!" After saying that, he walked to the side under Yin Zhiping's watchful eyes, came to a place by the water, and squatted down.

"Huh?!"

Turning around, Yin Zhiping looked at Yue Yuan with some surprise, not quite understanding what he meant.

However, it didn't matter that he didn't understand. Yue Yuan's next actions clearly explained what he meant.

Yue Yuan squatted by the stream, quietly looking at his reflection in the tranquil water.

His hair was a bit messy!

His Daoist cap was a bit crooked!

And his face was covered in sweat!

Yue Yuan stared at his reflection in the water, quickly realizing how disheveled he looked. After some thought, he extended his hands toward the spring water, washed them, and then began to splash water on his face, clearly displeased with his sweaty appearance and needing to clean up.

Amid the tinkling sound of the spring, Yue Yuan quickly finished washing.

However, he didn't leave the water immediately. Instead, he pulled out a comb from his wide sleeve and began to comb his hair, looking at his reflection in the water.

In this world, when a junior visits a senior, proper etiquette must be observed.

This is not only true in modern society but even more so in the ancient martial arts world.

One cannot go to meet the Seven Immortals of Quanzhen with a sweaty face and messy hair.

If that were the case, Yue Yuan could imagine that his future plans might be doomed, which would be a loss for him.

"..."

Yin Zhiping stood to the side, staring in shock at Yue Yuan, who was combing his hair by the water. His lips began to twitch, and his heart felt as if it had been trampled by a thousand grass mud horses, completely destroying his previous impression.

"Brother Yin, could you do me a favor?"

After combing his hair and readjusting his Daoist cap, Yue Yuan reached out and said to Yin Zhiping, who was standing beside him, "Give me the gourd!"

"Ah... Oh!"

Hearing Yue Yuan's request, Yin Zhiping quickly unhooked the gourd from his waist and handed it to him.

"Um!"

After receiving the gourd and reattaching it, Yue Yuan stood up, turned to Yin Zhiping, and said, "Brother Yin, you can also give me the sword now; I don't need your help anymore!"

"..."

His eyebrows twitching and his lips still twitching, Yin Zhiping handed the sword he had been carrying on his back to Yue Yuan.

Thus, after a bit of tidying up...

A young Daoist with a high and mighty demeanor appeared before Yin Zhiping. For a moment, Yin Zhiping thought he saw the same figure he had seen by the campfire the night before.

However...

In Yin Zhiping's heart, it was already difficult to feel the awe of a master.

In just one morning, Yue Yuan had completely lost the aura of a master.

This image and behavior reminded Yin Zhiping of another person—Zhou Botong, the highest-ranking person in the Quanzhen Sect.

Perhaps, this Daoist Master Yue Yuan could get along well with his great-uncle Zhou Botong.

"Done!"

After checking his attire again to ensure there were no issues, Yue Yuan said to Yin Zhiping, "Let's go, Brother Yin, and meet the seniors!"

With that, Yue Yuan's robe fluttered in the breeze as he took the lead and stepped toward the gate of the Quanzhen Sect.

The wind blew, his hair and clothes fluttered.

He looked like a true master.

Yin Zhiping watched Yue Yuan's back as he walked ahead, his lips moved, wanting to say something but ended up sighing and followed him.

"Who are you?"

At the gate, the two guard Daoists stopped Yue Yuan as he was about to enter. One of them looked him up and down and asked.

"Chunyang, Yue Yuan!"

"Here to visit the fellow practitioners of Quanzhen!"

Facing the two guard Daoists, Yue Yuan briefly answered and then turned to Yin Zhiping, who was trailing behind, and said, "Brother Yin, a guest is a guest; don't be lazy!"

"..."

Yin Zhiping, stung by Yue Yuan's words, was at a loss for words. He took a big step forward, walked to Yue Yuan's side, and said to the two guard Daoists, "Brothers, this is Daoist Master Yue from Chunyang, here to visit our master and uncles!"

"Ah, it's Brother Yin!"

The two guard Daoists immediately stepped aside respectfully when they saw it was Yin Zhiping, clearing the way.

Then, Yue Yuan and Yin Zhiping entered the Quanzhen Sect.

Strange!

Why is this sect so strict?

Why did the person on the donkey just walk in, but now it's different for me?

Turning around, Yue Yuan looked at the two guard Daoists at the gate, feeling puzzled. However, when he saw the ordinary people behind him paying incense money, he understood the reason.

Because, he was now a person of the martial arts world.

In this era, due to the influence of Wang Chongyang, the Quanzhen Sect was almost the leading force in the martial arts world, a renowned sect. In some ways, its fame surpassed that of Shaolin and the Beggar Sect.

Even though Wang Chongyang had long passed away, his legacy remained, which was the Quanzhen Sect. Additionally, he had a highly skilled younger brother, Zhou Botong, and seven disciples, the Seven Immortals of Quanzhen, who were well-known in the martial arts world.

Thanks to Wang Chongyang's resistance against the Jin, as long as the Quanzhen Sect did not produce traitors who betrayed their masters, even if the next generation was inferior, within three generations, the Quanzhen Sect would still be the leading sect in the martial arts world due to Wang Chongyang's legacy.

Unfortunately...

In the third generation of the Quanzhen Sect, there was Yin Zhiping with different intentions and a traitor, Zhao Zhijing.

Under these circumstances, coupled with the Mongol invasion, the Quanzhen Sect gradually disintegrated. The Seven Immortals of Quanzhen either died or scattered, and the once great Daoist sect split into several branches. Among them, the Huashan Sect, founded by Hao Datong, became more famous in the martial arts world.

In some ways, the Huashan Sect could be considered the inheritor of the Quanzhen Sect's legacy.

On the way, accompanied by Yin Zhiping, Yue Yuan headed toward the Chongyang Hall on the mountain top.

Green mountains and clear waters, fresh breeze and white clouds, and the vibrant life of ancient trees. Amid these, numerous buildings dotted the landscape.

The Zhongnan Mountain, where the Quanzhen Sect was located, was a place of serenity.

The Daoist aura was palpable.

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