Chapter 7 of 100

Chapter 7

15 min read3,676 words

Being cornered by the disciples, the old Taoist’s face turned purple again. He called over Xuankong and asked, "Xuankong, you are my eldest disciple of the Laoshan Sect. Tell me, should we get involved in this matter?"

This was the old Taoist giving Xuankong support. No matter what his Daoist name was, in the old Taoist’s heart, the eldest disciple of the Laoshan Sect was still Xuankong.

Xuankong stepped forward but had not yet spoken.

Peng the hunter pulled Nie the hunter to kneel before Xuankong and loudly said, "We didn’t know that Daoist Master is the eldest disciple of the Laoshan Sect. We two rough men from the mountains have been impolite! Please, Daoist Master, save the villagers in the mountain!"

"Get up first." Xuankong supported them with his hands, and a true qi lifted the two hunters from the ground.

Seeing this display of skill, Peng the hunter’s confidence in Xuankong grew even stronger, and he tugged at Xuankong’s clothes, urging him to go down the mountain.

The third senior brother, with a cold tone, said, "Xuankong, the female corpse in the mountain has at least a hundred years of cultivation. One must be realistic and act within one’s capabilities." He thought that even if Xuankong had started practicing Daoism from the womb, what great power could he have achieved in just twenty years?

The hunters below did not know Xuankong’s background, but who among the Laoshan Sect disciples did not know?

"Shut up!" Xuankong coldly snorted, and an invisible pressure suppressed the third senior brother’s words.

His gaze slowly swept over the faces of the Laoshan Sect disciples, and no one dared to meet his eyes. Xuankong nodded in satisfaction and said to the old Taoist, "Master, I have a question. The peak of Laoshan is within our territory. Does the wild forest halfway up the mountain not belong to the Laoshan Sect?"

At that time, people were very particular about their territories.

How could one allow others to sleep soundly on one’s bed?

The old Taoist looked at the disciples below. Except for Xuankong, who had stepped forward, the others all shrank their heads, fearing to be assigned the task. He stroked his long eyebrows and said with a sigh, "The area halfway up the mountain, of course, is part of Laoshan."

With the old Taoist’s confirmation, Xuankong continued, "I have been practicing Daoism on the mountain since childhood and have read about the principle that when the lips are gone, the teeth will feel the cold. The hunters in the mountain rely on the Laoshan Sect for their livelihood. Now that a demon has appeared, can we stand idly by?"

He added, "I have heard that the world is in turmoil, with evil people rampant. Isn’t this a great opportunity for the Laoshan Sect to build its reputation?"

Building the reputation of the Laoshan Sect and making it the greatest sect in the world had always been the old Taoist’s wish.

Hearing Xuankong’s passionate words, there was no reason to refuse.

The second senior brother tried to dampen the mood, saying, "We are not like Maoshan or Gexian. Are we going to have the old master personally deal with the female corpse?" The other disciples chimed in, "Yes, yes, we are in Laoshan and have not learned profound magic. How can we defeat a demon?"

Xuankong sneered and said, "It’s not that the magic of the Laoshan Sect is not profound. I ask, how many of you practice for two hours every day?"

Wang Qi raised his hand first. The second and third senior brothers glanced at the other disciples and also raised their hands.

Xuankong continued, "How many of you practice for four hours every day?"

This time, only Wang Qi, who had just joined the mountain, raised his hand. He had gained the old Taoist’s favor and was given the method to practice the "Wall-Penetrating Technique" early. Being curious, he had persisted in practicing for four hours every day.

Xuankong shook his head and remained silent. Since childhood, his only leisure was reading Daoist books. In the past, he would sleep for a short while, but as his Daoist cultivation deepened, he spent more than eight hours a day refining the Purple Mansion Golden Elixir. It could be said that his Daoist cultivation had already become the best in Laoshan, and even the old Taoist did not have the talent to condense the Golden Elixir from a few ancient pages.

A mere hundred-year-old zombie would be a bit tricky if it had formed a Corpse Pearl, but if it had not, Xuankong did not take it seriously.

The two hunters did not know the details, but seeing Xuankong silence the Laoshan Sect’s Taoists, they were delighted. To have such a powerful person help was the best outcome.

The Laoshan Sect disciples were speechless. The second senior brother rolled up his Daoist robe and chuckled, "Let’s see how Xuankong will bring glory to the Laoshan Sect."

A few kind-hearted disciples suggested, "Why don’t we go together? We can set up the Laoshan Sect’s 'Nine Heavens Lightning Control Formation.' We won’t fear a single zombie."

The third senior brother glared and said coldly, "Some people want to show off. Why should we stop them? When they taste the bitterness of the outside world, they will understand our good intentions." He took advantage of the fact that Xuankong had grown up on Laoshan and did not understand the harshness of the outside world.

Xuankong secretly laughed. In his previous life, he had spent his entire life on the Daoist path and had seen the harshest aspects of the world. What was there to fear?

Thus, it was decided. Xuankong stood up and said, "Master, a small matter like this, I can handle it alone. I will definitely slay the zombie!"

The old Taoist smiled and was about to nod when he saw Wang Qi also step forward, "Master, although Wang Qi has just joined the mountain, I am willing to assist the eldest brother."

"Hmph!" The second senior brother and others secretly glared at Wang Qi, not wanting to admit to the old Taoist that they were cowardly. They all stepped forward, "We are also willing to go."

The old Taoist looked at Xuankong, who frowned. He could handle a small zombie alone, but if he took these disciples, he would have to divide his attention to take care of them, which would be more troublesome.

Seeing Xuankong’s silence, the old Taoist understood. In the world of cultivation, one did not rely on numbers to gain the upper hand.

He pointed at Wang Qi, "Let Wang Qi go with you. You two should pack up and leave with Peng the hunter."

Peng the hunter, seeing the sky grow dark, was happy but did not want to waste time. He jumped off the chair like a monkey, grabbed Xuankong and Wang Qi’s sleeves, and headed for the door.

Nie the hunter shook his head, sighed softly, and bowed to the old Taoist before following Peng the hunter down the mountain.

He knew that this trip to Laoshan to seek help had inadvertently offended the second and third senior brothers, which could lead to endless trouble in the future. But thinking about the female corpse lying in the village, he could not trust the Laoshan Sect disciples who only talked big.

In the capital, he had been a high-ranking official and could discern people’s character. At least in Nie the hunter’s view, the seemingly cold Xuankong was more trustworthy.

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