Chapter 10

Chapter 6: The Struggle for the Immortal Sect on Cloud-Sweeping Peak (Part 1)

For ten consecutive days, Zhang Yan secluded himself in his cave, striving to break through his cultivation bottleneck. However, despite feeling that his meridians were flowing smoothly and his central umbilical energy growing stronger, he still failed to achieve the breakthrough he had hoped for.

Not achieving a breakthrough as he did last time, he felt a bit disappointed, but he knew it was reasonable. Last time, it was the result of three years of hard work culminating in a sudden breakthrough. Such good fortune couldn't be expected every time.

Since that was the case, there was no need to force it. On the path of cultivation, one sometimes needed to be persistent and advance bravely, while at other times, one needed to avoid haste and proceed cautiously. The choice lay in one's own heart. Now, he had no shortage of cultivation manuals or elixirs, and a breakthrough was just around the corner, so there was no need to rush for a few days.

A few days ago, Ai Zhongwen had invited him to attend the Dharma Assembly, but he had politely declined, citing that his cultivation was not yet complete.

Now, calculating the time, the Dharma Assembly had already been ongoing for more than three days. Since the assembly would last a whole month, there was no need to rush for immediate fame.

The next morning, at the beginning of the hour of the Tiger, he bathed, changed his clothes, and calmly packed his things. He put on a dark robe with cloud patterns and, after preparing everything, leisurely made his way to Cloud-Sweeping Peak.

Cloud-Sweeping Peak was the sixth peak of Cangwu Mountain, and there was a Daoist temple called Shangze Temple, which occupied a vast area. The temple was known for its unique scenery among the eighteen peaks, with waterfalls and springs, making it the perfect venue for the Dharma Assembly. As he walked along the mountain path, he saw disciples from various sects coming and going, all wearing tall hats and wide sashes, exuding an air of transcendence.

After about an hour, he arrived at the gate of Shangze Temple.

The main gate, following the tradition of the Dharma Assembly, was divided into three archways, each labeled with the characters "Heaven," "Earth," and "Human." The "Heaven" gate was reserved for the host sect's disciples, the "Earth" gate for the disciples of the participating sects, and the "Human" gate for nobles and officials.

Zhang Yan, being a disciple of Shan Yuan Temple, naturally had to enter through the "Heaven" gate. He showed his copper token, and the attendant did not dare to stop him, allowing him to enter the mountain gate.

However, just as he stepped inside, someone reached out to block him, saying coldly, "Hold on, which temple's disciple are you?"

Zhang Yan glanced and saw a middle-aged Daoist nun standing before him, holding a duster, with fair skin and a beautiful appearance. However, her eyebrows were sharp, her gaze piercing, and her nose straight like a man's, indicating a strong personality.

Zhang Yan bowed respectfully and said, "I am Zhang Yan, a disciple of Shan Yuan Temple."

"You are Zhang Yan?" The Daoist nun seemed to have heard of Zhang Yan's name. She sized him up and asked, "I've heard you are proficient in esoteric texts. Can you tell me where the term 'Xiang River' comes from?"

Without hesitation, Zhang Yan replied, "It comes from 'New Interpretations of Language and Maps,' written by the hermit Kong Lan a hundred years ago."

'New Interpretations of Language and Maps' was a travelogue, and 'Xiang River' was one of its stories. It told of a village at the foot of Hao Mountain in ancient times, where the villagers relied on a spiritual stream for water. The stream would flow intermittently, causing great hardship for the villagers. Because they often saw ten elephants playing in the stream, they blamed the elephants and repeatedly tried to drive them away. When this failed, they killed all ten elephants, and the stream flowed smoothly.

However, the villagers did not know that there was a giant snake upstream that would come down to drink water. The elephants would always drive the snake away. After the elephants were killed, the snake, now unopposed, came down the mountain and ate people every day, causing the villagers to scatter.

The Daoist nun stared into Zhang Yan's eyes and asked, "Since you know this, what would you do if you were one of the villagers?"

This story was meant to warn cultivators not to be deceived by surface appearances but to investigate the root cause and find a proper solution. Therefore, it was often used by seniors to test the character and temperament of their juniors.

Some disciples believed that as long as the elephants were present, the villagers could survive, so they should endure the situation. Others thought that if the villagers could kill the elephants, they could also kill the snake, so they should go upstream and slay the snake. Still, others believed that since the villagers did not know the cause, they should take turns feeding the snake each day.

In short, the answers were varied and numerous.

Zhang Yan thought for a moment and answered without hesitation, "Kill one elephant."

The Daoist nun's eyes flashed, and she asked, "Why?"

Zhang Yan said firmly, "Although there are ten elephants today, if they are allowed to multiply, who knows if there will still be ten tomorrow? If the elephant population grows too large, the spiritual stream will eventually dry up, so the elephants must be killed. Since ten elephants can drive away the snake, it shows that the elephant herd is strong. Losing one or two elephants won't affect the overall situation. The stream will flow more smoothly with fewer elephants, allowing the villagers to survive without the snake coming down to eat them."

There was no standard answer to this story. The Daoist nun, expressionless, stepped aside and said, "You may enter."

Zhang Yan bowed, lifted the hem of his robe, and stepped over the threshold, walking confidently inside.

After he left, a young girl emerged from the side door beside the Daoist nun. It was Zhao Yuan's younger sister, Zhao Ying.

She grabbed the Daoist nun's arm and complained, "Aunt, why did you let that little thief pass so easily? He made my elder brother spit blood last time, and I haven't had a chance to settle the score with him yet!"

The Daoist nun stroked Zhao Ying's head affectionately and said, "Do you know how your master answered when our grandmaster asked him this question?"

Zhao Ying, curious, asked, "What did Master say?"

"Kill one elephant."

Zhao Ying was surprised, "My master also said that?"

"At the time, our grandmaster was very satisfied. Later, when I asked your master why, he said that the number nine is the limit, while ten is excessive. Excess leads to overflow, while moderation leads to completeness. This is the way of heaven, so one elephant should be killed." The Daoist nun sighed, "Zhang Yan's thoughts align with the way of heaven. Such a person's future achievements are immeasurable. If we don't eliminate him now, we shouldn't offend him lightly. Do you understand?"

Zhao Ying nodded, half-understanding.

The Daoist nun gazed into the distance, deep in thought.

In fact, when Zhao Ying's master answered, he said not "kill one elephant" but "keep nine elephants." Although the difference between "kill one" and "keep nine" was not essential, the character and temperament revealed by the answer were entirely different. From Zhang Yan's response, it was clear that he was decisive yet cautious. When he spoke, his eyes were sharp and piercing, and the aura he exuded made even her feel a chill.

Although she was not as proficient in the I Ching and numerology as her senior brother, she could see that Zhang Yan had a significant destiny. She sighed, wondering whether it was a blessing or a curse for such a person to remain on Cangwu Mountain.

After Zhang Yan entered the mountain gate, he continued toward the second gate. However, he did not know that for the past three days, the entry disciples of the Ming沧 Sect had been blocked on the "Heaven" path by a young man from the Guangyuan Sect, preventing anyone from reaching the third gate. Despite knowing they were in the wrong, they did not dare to use force.

Three years ago, the Nanhua Sect was the host of the Dharma Assembly. At that time, there was a Ming沧 Sect entry disciple named Chen Feng, whose younger sister had been a disciple of a Nanhua Sect master. For unknown reasons, she met a tragic end, and the details were unknown. Since then, the two sects had harbored mutual enmity.

Chen Feng took advantage of the Dharma Assembly to block the "Heaven" path, declaring that he would challenge the Nanhua Sect disciples.

Originally, passing through the mountain gate was a test. If one felt confident in their abilities, they could challenge any fellow cultivator on the path to gain fame. Whether they won or lost, it was considered a good story, so the Nanhua Sect disciples did not mind.

However, whether it was interpreting esoteric texts or martial arts, the Nanhua Sect disciples were all defeated by Chen Feng. If he had stopped there, no one would have blamed him, but he refused to let anyone pass, vowing to block all Nanhua Sect disciples on the path until the end of the assembly.

This drew the attention of others. The Guangyuan Sect, which had a good relationship with the Nanhua Sect, sent several disciples to reason with him. Eventually, they could not help but resort to force. However, Chen Feng, though alone, fought against many and not only held his own but also defeated them, leaving them bloodied and bruised. He then declared that no Guangyuan Sect disciples would be allowed to pass.

A month later, not a single Nanhua or Guangyuan Sect disciple could reach the third gate, causing both sects to lose face. They harbored a grudge and were determined to regain their honor this time, with the Ming沧 Sect as the host. Those who knew the history of the conflict pretended to be unaware.

Three years ago, after Chen Feng returned to the mountain, he opened his immortal meridians and went to the upper temple to cultivate. With his current status, he would not return, but he left the consequences for the lower temple.

In a side hall of the mountain gate, over twenty entry disciples of the Ming沧 Sect were gathered. They all came from prestigious Daoist families and usually formed their own circles, so they were known by name but rarely seen by other Cangwu Mountain disciples.

Sitting at the head of the table was Zheng Xun, the eldest disciple of the Dexiu Temple lower temple. He was the oldest and most advanced in cultivation among them, but he was a peaceful person who did not like to fight.

For the first two days, when Mo Yuan blocked the path and challenged them to interpret esoteric texts, he did not take it seriously. However, when no disciples could reach the third gate by today, he realized something was wrong. Knowing that the Guangyuan Sect was seeking revenge, he knew that if the Ming沧 Sect, as the host, had no one on the peak, it would be a great embarrassment. Therefore, he gathered all the entry disciples to discuss a plan.

Zheng Xun sighed, "Although Mo Yuan, the junior brother of the Guangyuan Sect, is young, he is said to interpret esoteric texts effortlessly. I have already sent Ma and Zhen to challenge him. We will have to wait and see the results."

Shortly after, a young man entered the side hall, bowed to the other disciples, and said dejectedly, "I am not as skilled as him. I can only hope for Zhen's success. I am ashamed."

The other disciples remained silent.

About a moment later, a child entered and reported, "Senior brothers, Zhen has fainted."

The disciples looked at each other, and one of them stood up and said coldly, "Did Mo Yuan use force when he couldn't win?"

The child hurriedly said, "Zhen fainted because his mind was exhausted."

The man grunted and sat back down. They would have preferred to use force, but since the Guangyuan Sect had sent a thirteen-year-old boy, it would not look good to use force.

Zheng Xun's gaze fell on a young man in white. "Chen, you..."

The young man waved his hands, "Senior Brother Zheng, there's no need to say more. I am also a Chen family member, so it's not appropriate for me to step in."

Chen Feng was from the Dangyang Chen family, while this Chen disciple was from the Luochuan Chen family. Although they shared the same lineage, they had split into different branches a hundred years ago. His excuse was understandable, but Zheng Xun could not force him too much. His gaze then turned to another stern-faced man.

"Lin Yuan, you..."

Lin Yuan shook his head, "Mo Yuan is only thirteen. It would not be honorable to defeat him. Senior Brother, you know I value my reputation. Don't force me."

Zheng Xun smiled bitterly and asked several more disciples. Some said Mo Yuan was only a registered disciple, and they would lose face if they went. Others said they were concerned about their reputation and did not want to bully a younger disciple. Still, others claimed they had been practicing too hard recently and were too exhausted to fight.

In short, no one was willing to go.

In reality, they all knew Mo Yuan's reputation as a prodigy. They had seen the two disciples who had been defeated and knew they might not win. Losing would bring shame to their families, and the honor of the sect was secondary to family reputation. Therefore, they preferred to wait here rather than step forward.

Ai Zhongwen, sitting at the end of the table, shook his head. This stalemate could not go on forever. Was the Ming沧 Sect's reputation so unimportant?

He thought for a moment, stood up, and said loudly, "Senior Brother Zheng, I know of someone in Shan Yuan Temple who is highly skilled in esoteric texts and can surely defeat Mo Yuan!"

...

...

PS: I'm frustrated. I intended to make minor changes, but it turned into a major rewrite. I'll make up for this chapter later.

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