Chapter 37

Old Monk's Favor

Zheng Yanxin slowly took a sip of alcohol. As he drank the Niaoxian Baozhu and practiced the Zhengjia Dantian, something strange happened.

A new true qi began to gradually fill his dantian. He observed his body, but there was no change at the Baihui point on his crown.

'So this is why.'

One must distance oneself from futile desires.

This was the reason Zheng Yanxin did not succumb to the kindness of the Rihuang Chengzhu.

Although he did not have high expectations, it felt as if the strength in his body had slightly diminished.

At such times, the functions of the dantian seemed to be of little use. Despite experiencing good fortune, his mood sank.

The Rihuang Chengzhu, who was smiling strangely, appeared in his field of vision, and for the first time, she looked annoying.

Zheng Yanxin looked around and clasped his hands.

"I am grateful to all the heroes who have witnessed the ceremony."

The defiant youth's humble etiquette had a picturesque quality.

One by one, their faces began to show satisfaction. People started to comment.

"Was he from the Rihuang Ma family?"

"Indeed, the aura of a prestigious family is not betrayed by its descendants."

"Refusing to rely on the family and standing alone? That's the demeanor of a grandmaster."

"He will surely establish his own lineage in the future."

Zheng Yanxin bowed again and descended from the platform.

He passed by his maternal grandfather Ma Yanji, whose eyes were trembling, and stopped in front of Ma Sein.

Since the boy was kneeling on one knee, Zheng Yanxin had to look down at him.

Ma Sein's face was filled with despair. His thick eyebrows drooped, and he had a dazed expression.

Zheng Yanxin could somewhat understand his feelings. The boy who had first discarded his pride must have completely submitted to him.

'Otherwise, he couldn't have been considered a successor.'

Although it was a decision that would determine Ma Sein's entire life, Zheng Yanxin brushed it off with a drink.

While drinking the Niaoxian Baozhu he had obtained himself, he spoke about the martial world. Duxing Jianghu (獨步江湖).

It meant that being a martial artist of the Rihuang Cheng, roaming the world alone, was sufficient. Anyone could feel a sense of futility.

Zheng Yanxin opened his mouth.

"You seem like you'll be a good family head."

"What...?"

He passed by Ma Sein, who shuddered and lifted his head. It was now certain.

His maternal grandfather Ma Yanji was inferior to the Zhongnan Sword Immortal. He distanced himself from the two grandsons he had chosen as successors and focused on Zheng Yanxin.

If he could have seen through the state of the upper dantian, his behavior would have been different.

'The Sword Immortal seemed to have noticed my constitution.'

Thinking of his complicated maternal family, the Zhongnan Sword Immortal and Weizhimiuhua came to mind. The peaceful days of cultivation.

He thought it wouldn't be bad to spend his remaining years in a famous mountain like Zhongnan, filled with immortal qi.

'At least thirty years, I hope.'

Praying to the Buddha and the Primordial Celestial Venerable, he left the banquet hall. Ma Jin was already waiting outside.

After confirming that no one was around, Zheng Yanxin asked directly.

"Grandmaster, have you not married yet?"

"What?"

"Are you not the eldest son of the Ma family's direct line? You're in your prime, yet you caused a commotion about the succession. I can't understand the reason."

"..."

The scar on Ma Jin's face twisted. He seemed to be struggling with something.

At that moment, Qing Ming, who had also observed Zheng Yanxin's ceremony, smiled.

"You should know about the subtleties. I'll tell you."

"..."

Qing Ming waited until Ma Jin had moved quite far away.

Zheng Yanxin, who looked at them both with a puzzled expression, soon closed his eyes and his eyelids.

Even a moment's time was precious. While observing his dantian, it happened.

"Grandmaster was white back then, and he returned from a mission holding Meili's hand."

"Senior Bai Meili?"

He opened his eyes. Qing Ming smiled as if it was nothing.

"Yes. Back then, he was just a little kid. About this tall?"

Qing Ming patted his waist and continued.

"He was brought from a secret sect that passed down its teachings in secrecy. They said he would become a key force for the Rihuang Cheng. The problem wasn't that. The mission location was Xinjiang, a battlefield where remnants of a destroyed evil sect were rampant."

"An evil sect?"

Zheng Yanxin asked involuntarily. He knew it as the Kunlun Sect, which had been one of the Nine Great Sects but had perished along with the evil sect.

They had helped establish the Ming Dynasty but later became a religion that misled the people.

He had heard stories about the old evil sect. The supreme being of the Sima Outer Path, known as the Heavenly Demon, often appeared and wreaked havoc.

"Yes. It was a dangerous place for a young white. Grandmaster, who coveted the blue rank, volunteered. He completed the mission, but during a fight with a high-level expert in Xinjiang... "

Qing Ming trailed off. The smile that usually hung on his face faded.

Seeing Zheng Yanxin urging him to continue, he sighed and spoke again.

"He was hit by a high-level technique. It was a vital point. He struck with a leg technique, but the opponent dodged and attacked."

"Really?"

"He was a vicious opponent. A few seniors who went on the mission with him also became grandmasters, but even Changtian Grandmaster, who doesn't get along with him, doesn't mention this incident."

"..."

"Grandmaster Ma has been unable to function as a man since then. That's why the fierce Meili reveres him as a benefactor. How could she not?"

"I understand."

In the battles of high-level experts, using body techniques to float in the air was common.

If one mastered Ma Guang Jue, one had to use leg techniques, and lifting a leg exposed the central vital point.

The martial world was a perilous place. Severe injuries leading to disabilities were not uncommon.

A young and inexperienced Ma Jin appeared in his mind. Zheng Yanxin slowly spoke.

"Kunlun Sect's Yunlong Daba Shi (雲龍大八式), Shaolin's Fuguang Yu Qiliu (佛光於氣流)."

"Hmm?"

"I know they are body techniques that allow one to move in the air. I would like to see them."

Qing Ming laughed.

"Coincidentally, our next mission will be in Henan. We will cooperate with Shaolin. If fortune favors us, you might see Fuguang Yu Qiliu."

* * *

After the ceremony, a month of rest was granted. It was meaningless.

Zheng Yanxin wanted to go on missions non-stop.

"Establishing a base in Henan beforehand might be good."

Ma Jin, sitting in the main seat of the office, said.

He accepted Zheng Yanxin's usual gaze strangely. Zheng Yanxin asked without hesitation.

"What is the exact mission?"

"Annihilation. This time, we will sever one of the Blood Flame Sect's arms. If fortune favors us, we might discover the main branch of the Blood Flame Sect."

After taking a sip of tea, he continued.

"While you were capturing the demon, a disciple fought me. A completely black-haired one. Not a single strand of red hair. A monster surpassing the Blood Blade of the Blood Flame Sect. We have tracked his movements."

"Did he go from Shaanxi to Henan?"

"His trail disappeared in Pingdingshan, Henan. It's within Shaolin's territory."

"Isn't Shaolin in Songshan, Zhengzhou? It's quite a distance."

"It's the foremost orthodox sect. They say 'All martial arts come from Shaolin.' Few sects in the Central Plains are unaffected by Shaolin's martial arts. The number of lay sects is countless. You can consider the entire Henan province to be within Shaolin's influence. You, being from Henan, should understand this."

Ma Jin, mentioning Zheng Yanxin's origin, turned his gaze. He seemed unhappy as an uncle.

Zheng Yanxin nodded while being surprised by something else.

It was the first time he had seen a Rihuang Cheng high-level expert show such respect for a martial sect.

In those times, the sense of belonging to one's group was closely tied to one's identity.

It was said that few Rihuang Cheng high-level experts did not pay attention to the martial world from a civilian's perspective.

To them, martial artists were potential rebels with power and troublemakers who disrupted public order.

'Songshan Shaolin. Indeed, a sect that reaches the heavens.'

Their power and influence were stronger than anywhere else in the martial world. Zheng Yanxin felt his heart race for the first time in a long while.

Songshan was the birthplace of Central Plains martial arts. What inspiration would Shaolin's martial arts bring him?

"By the way, can't Shaolin handle the Blood Flame Sect?"

"While the monks chant to 'break evil and reveal righteousness' and 'expel demons and destroy evil,' this is the Rihuang Cheng. We can't just stand by. We will personally strike. The disciples and the Blood Blade of the Blood Flame Sect are not just a few."

"How will the team be formed?"

"Ma Guang Team One and Team Two will go with me."

Ma Guang Team One. After completing the mission in Zixiao, Shaanxi, Ma Jin had formed it.

Zheng Yanxin, Xian Yuan Chang, Qing Ming, and Bai Meili were grouped together. It was a reorganization of Ma Guang Yi.

He said it was to make it easier to coordinate.

"Can our team not rest?"

"Everyone is like you. They either like to establish merit or enjoy the martial world."

The former seemed to be Zheng Yanxin and Bai Meili, the latter Xian Yuan Chang and Qing Ming.

"I understand. Then, I'll go."

"Rest."

Leaving Ma Jin, who had finished the arrangements, behind, he left the office.

Outside, a crimson shadow was cast across the sky. He headed to his room without stopping at the training ground.

Zheng Yanxin immediately buried himself in his bed.

Noisy sounds were echoing. It seemed the seniors in other rooms were having a drinking party.

From a distance, the clashes in the training ground could be felt. The singing of the sword, the powerful shouts, the laughter of those washing away their fatigue, and the clinking of cups...

The sunlight filtered through the window paper, brushing past his face. It was the touch of the sunset at the end of the day.

His scalp felt hot. It always happened at this time. When did it start?

The upper dantian invited the qi of nature and made it dance.

The more he played, the more his foundation expanded. Regardless of his will.

When the boundary between day and night blurred.

The laughter of the seniors enjoying alcohol and songs grew louder. They must be having fun.

He suddenly imagined shouting loudly to make them stop.

Zheng Yanxin closed his eyes. In the pitch-black field of vision, a figure in blue appeared.

It felt like being splashed with cold water. Instantly, all his senses returned to reality.

No one could see him now. He curled up in his bed.

'Just one more time.'

The final mission before the blue rank was ahead of him.

* * *

The wind swept across his cheeks. He was galloping on a horse.

Zheng Yanxin glanced around from atop his steed.

'This must be proof that this mission is significant.'

Eight people were riding alongside him. It was an unprecedented number for a mission.

A formidable group. Nine high-level experts of the Rihuang Cheng.

"Whether it's a tavern or a teahouse, we'll rest there."

They entered the market. Ma Jin's voice, infused with a thread of inner energy, resonated deeply.

The passersby, who had been walking nervously, brightened upon seeing the Rihuang Cheng uniforms.

The Rihuang Cheng was not just a sect that stayed in the shadows.

It was said that they had a greater influence on public sentiment than most censors. They helped break the swords of martial artists who threatened the people.

The group stopped in front of a teahouse.

It was quite large but looked poorly constructed. Still, it was the best building in the area.

Xian Yuan Chang, dismounting from his horse, looked around.

"Is this Xinya County? It's different from what I've heard."

To pass through Henan from the Rihuang Cheng, they had to go through Xinya County. They had already passed the site of the Zheng family manor.

It was completely in ruins. The words of the demon seemed to be true. There were no trees on the hill behind.

'They said it was all burned down.'

Bai Meili glanced at Zheng Yanxin's expressionless face.

She then stroked her long, white fingers and said.

"With the Zheng family gone, it's inevitable that black path gangs would flourish. All the back alleys are probably controlled by them."

At that moment,

"Without the Zheng family, it's like heaven on earth. The leader was so surprised. The income from the forest lands they monopolized is now..."

"The Blood Flame Sect did us a favor. If I'm expelled from the organization, I might as well drown myself."

"You, a coward like you, learning the Blood Gong? What a joke!"

The loud voices echoed outside. It was the largest teahouse in Xinya County.

The identity of the gathered people was obvious.

Just hearing them casually discuss joining the Blood Flame Sect revealed that they lived without a care.

Zheng Yanxin's brows furrowed.

'Income from the forest lands.'

He remembered the day he left to join the Rihuang Cheng.

The overseer had said he would manage it. It was not money that would fall into the hands of black path gangs.

"Let's go in."

While Qing Ming handed the horses to the waiter, Zheng Yanxin led the way.

The high-level experts of Ma Guang Yi followed, watching the youngest among them. They were good people.

Pushing aside the hanging curtains, they entered, and the noise paused for a moment.

Despite its appearance, the interior was quite spacious.

A bald man with an axe, a man performing tricks with a dagger, and a man with his shirt open were the first to catch his eye.

Men of various appearances were laughing with courtesans.

They seemed to be black path martial artists, but none of them were familiar. They all appeared to be from other regions.

Zheng Yanxin stepped forward and spoke calmly.

"You all. Explain about the Zheng family manor's land."

"What?"

One of them snickered. Just as he was about to mock the youth, Xian Yuan Chang stepped in and flipped Zheng Yanxin's sleeve forward.

The skill was more refined than any gold-threaded embroidery. Zheng Yanxin now understood.

It was a method used by seniors who had entered the martial world to skip formalities.

The lips of the man who saw the character 'Huang' (荒) froze. People began to murmur.

"Speak your mind."

Zheng Yanxin said without hesitation.