Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Blue River Sect’s Black Opportunity
Yun Hua said, Wangjiang City, Yuhong Pavilion.
Yuhong Pavilion is a brothel, and moreover, it’s the most famous one in Wangjiang City.
Here, one could listen to songs, enjoy music, watch dances, and partake in banquets.
Under the tall archway, at the entrance stood several won in gorgeous attire, eagerly receiving the incoming and outgoing guests.
These won were all quite attractive, and the skin they exposed was delicate and fair. Their every move carried the charm of mature won, easily igniting the fire in a man’s heart.
Looking up slightly, the three large characters of Yuhong Pavilion boldly caught one’s eye, written with vigorous strokes and in a style of dragons and phoenixes in flight.
The big red lanterns hung high, the fragrance was overwhelming, and the constant chatter of won was enough to make blood boil and leave one unable to control oneself.
“Young Master Zhang, rember there’s soone always thinking of you, don’t forget the words you once said,” said the heavily made-up woman with tears brimming in her sorrowful eyes.
“Su Niang, rest assured, I will definitely not forget,” the scholar nodded emphatically.
Afterward, the scholar reluctantly left Yuhong Pavilion.
No sooner had the scholar left than the heavily made-up woman turned and threw herself into the embrace of a wealthy rchant, lavishing him with affection.
This scene was as unexpected as it was inevitable.
Atop Yuhong Pavilion’s flying eaves stood two figures.
It was An Jing and Lou Xiangzhen.
Seeing this, Lou Xiangzhen’s eyes slightly drooped.
An Jing spoke indifferently, “In this place, don’t believe a single word said by these won, not a single one.”
Lou Xiangzhen knitted his brows and said, “Not only is Jianghu full of deception and snares, but so are the secular markets.”
The woman who had just now been coquettish turned and cast herself into another’s arms, the irony of it was palpable.
An Jing chuckled and said, “Wherever there are people, there is Jianghu. People are Jianghu.”
“Then, the affection they speak of, could it be all false?”
“The affection of the mouth, naturally, exists only in the mouth.”
“What’s the worth of mouth-spoken affection?”
“Prostitutes are heartless, actors are without loyalty; the brothel has always been a place of shallow sentints.”
……
Hearing An Jing’s words, Lou Xiangzhen fell silent for a while. In his heart, affection was worth more than gold, and he naturally couldn’t understand those who treated affection like rubbish.
Watching the people coming and going, neither of them spoke.
After a while, Lou Xiangzhen asked, “What would you do if you were just an ordinary person?”
“An ordinary person?”
An Jing couldn’t help but laugh at the question: “If I were an ordinary person, I’d like to be an ordinary doctor, and live an ordinary life with my wife, that would be enough.”
The words sounded familiar; Li Fuzhou seed to have asked him the sa question once, but what Li Fuzhou asked was what he would do as a master?
“Being a doctor, to hang the pot to help the world, and to benefit the community, is also quite nice.”
Lou Xiangzhen nodded at his response, “I once asked my junior brother the sa, and he said he just wanted to be a fisherman.”
Compared to Li Fuzhou, he understood An Jing quite well.
Although both of them had cultivations ranked among the top in Jianghu, their lives were burdened with invisible shackles, and shedding these shackles could an losing countless precious things.
Curious, An Jing asked, “What about Elder Lou?”
“I wish to open a teahouse, detached like an idle cloud or a wild crane, asking nothing of Jianghu,” Lou Xiangzhen said as he watched the fading moon, his voice somber. “This vast Jianghu, so want to enter while so want to leave.”
“Those who enter find it very hard to leave again.”
An Jing nodded and then sighed heavily.
He still didn’t understand why Jiang Sanjia wanted to kill him; unwittingly, he had stepped into Jianghu, yet he had no clue about it.
An Jing seed to recall sothing and said, “I rember Elder Lou saying that out on the Northwest Border, it seems soone is waiting for you?”
Lou Xiangzhen softly spoke, “You could say so.”
Back then, he thought she was a fool.
Young and brash, he was obsessed with becoming the world’s foremost swordsman, only to waste years in vain pursuit. In the end, what did the title of the World’s First Swordsman an?
Only after several ups and downs in life did he realize that it wasn’t others who were fools; he was the fool.
Having seen so much of the world’s insincere flattery, you co to realize just how precious genuine, sincere feelings are.
An Jing laughed heartily, “When I have the ti, I’d really like to see what kind of woman managed to beco an unforgettable thought for Elder Lou.”
Lou Xiangzhen, too, laughed without replying, his thoughts drifting afar.
An Jing spoke slowly, “The Blue River Sect isn’t far now. If we set off now, we might be able to ascend the mountain by morning.”
“Alright.”
Lou Xiangzhen returned to the present and nodded.
……
The next day, at the foot of the Blue River Sect’s mountain.
Thousands of years ago, a sect in the Great Zhou Dynasty obtained the Mountain Opening Order and established their mountain gate here.
Within this mountain flows a stream, pristine and clear. Yet every year on the sixth night of June, the water in this stream turns a pale blue, shining brightly, emitting a faint glow.
As ti passed, this stream beca known as Blue River, and the mountain as Blue Mountain.
The sect later ca to be known as the Blue River Sect.
At this mont, An Jing and Lou Xiangzhen were walking on the ancient trail.
Lou Xiangzhen gazed at the plants and trees along the mountain path, his eyes filled with a hint of reminiscence.
He and Jiang Sanjia had lived in the Blue River Sect for three years. He had forgotten most of the sights here, and everything had beco blurred, with only scattered mories etched in his mind.
Stepping on the stone steps, An Jing asked, “Which old friend of Elder Lou is from the Blue River Sect?”
“Wang Yue of the Blue River Sect,” Lou Xiangzhen replied.
“Wang Yue?!”
An Jing found this na quite unfamiliar as if he had heard it sowhere, but it wasn’t very familiar to him.
Lou Xiangzhen explained, “He was once the son of the twenty-second-generation Sect Master of the Blue River Sect, an individual of exceptional talent. Originally, he was to be the twenty-third-generation Sect Master, but for so unknown reason, he was hard, his legs crippled, so he seldom left the mountain, and thus his reputation in Jianghu is not prominent.”
Upon hearing this, An Jing nodded, realizing why he hadn’t heard of Wang Yue’s reputation, “Was the attacker never found?”
Lou Xiangzhen fell silent for a while before saying, “They couldn’t be tracked.”
“Oh?”
A look of puzzlent appeared between An Jing’s brows.
Jiang Sanjia could divine the fates, and naturally, so could Lou Xiangzhen.
Seeming to notice the doubt in An Jing’s eyes, Lou Xiangzhen explained, “My divination skills are not as good as Sanjia’s, and although he and Wang Yue originally intended to investigate, Wang Yue stopped them.”
Hearing this, An Jing fell silent.
Soon, the two arrived at the mountain gate of the Blue River Sect.
“Who are you two? This is Blue River Sect territory, trespassers are not allowed!”
Two disciples of the Blue River Sect glanced at them and, sensing that An Jing and Lou Xiangzhen were concealing their Qi chanism, promptly shouted coldly.
An Jing’s brow twitched slightly, clearly not expecting the guards of the Blue River Sect to be so arrogant.
“I’m here to visit Wang Yue,” Lou Xiangzhen said indifferently as he took out a token from his waist.
“Visit Wang Yue?!”
The two disciples were taken aback, one of them was about to speak when the other quickly stopped him, “Please wait a mont, we will report this at once.”
With that, the disciple pulled the other and walked towards the inner parts of the gate.
“Why are you pulling ? Hasn’t the Great Elder ordered that anyone visiting Wang Yue cannot enter the gate?”
“Didn’t you see the token he took out?”
“What token is that?”
“A Supre Elder token!”
“What?!”
…..
An Jing watched the two Blue River Sect disciples enter the gate, then couldn’t help but glance at the token in Lou Xiangzhen’s hand.
To his surprise, Lou Xiangzhen was actually a Supre Elder of the Blue River Sect.
Lou Xiangzhen said indifferently, “It was given to by Wang Yue in the past. I only enjoyed its privileges but never fulfilled its responsibilities.”
Stirred by this information, An Jing said, “It seems that Elder Lou and this Wang Yue must be on very good terms.”
The Blue River Sect was, after all, one of the current Jianghu’s seven major factions; becoming a Supre Elder of one of the seven major factions was a symbol of honor and strength.
Moreover, Lou Xiangzhen could enjoy the privileges without fulfilling any responsibilities of the Blue River Sect, which was telling.
About the ti it takes to burn a stick of incense, a white-haired elder clad in blue garnts from the Blue River Sect hurried out.
Behind him followed dozens of Blue River Sect disciples and deacons.
“It turns out to be the visit of the Supre Elder.”
The Blue River Sect elder strode forward with a smile: “Please co in, please co in.”
Lou Xiangzhen recognized the man as Le Ming, an elder of the Blue River Sect.
Seeing Le Ming’s enthusiastic welco, Lou Xiangzhen’s brow furrowed slightly as he said, “I have said before that there’s no need for such fanfare.”
The Blue River Sect Elder Le Ming laughed, “After all, you are our Supre Elder. If the Sect Master knew I was remiss in my hospitality towards the Supre Elder, it would be a grave sin.”
“Supre Elder, please co inside.”
Lou Xiangzhen nodded his head.
Subsequently, led by Le Ming, the two walked into the Blue River Sect.
They bypassed the long corridor, the pathway, arriving at a group of aesthetically pleasing pavilions.
Eventually, the group reached the Great Hall of the Blue River Sect.
Upon seeing this, Lou Xiangzhen paused, “I only want to see Wang Yue.”
Le Ming offered an apologetic smile, “Supre Elder, please don’t be anxious. Both of you wait here in the hall for a mont, and I will invite Elder Wang right away,”
“Have so tea served to our guests first.”
After speaking, Le Ming made a knowing look at a deacon beside him, then walked out of the hall.
Lou Xiangzhen did not speak. He sat down with An Jing, and soon two beautiful maids ca out, bringing two cups of tea.
The Blue River Sect deacon sat beside them, trembling, barely daring to breathe.
Although those present did not know the identities of Lou Xiangzhen and An Jing, they had heard how Le Ming addressed and behaved towards Lou Xiangzhen.
Especially since the tea had been served and Lou Xiangzhen hadn’t even moved the cup.
As ti ticked by, the sound of footsteps eventually approached outside the hall.
“`
An Jing looked outside the hall.
He saw an old man with a walking stick appear outside the hall, his hands gripping the handle tightly, veins bulging, and his eyes tinged with a trace of blood red.
Lou Xiangzhen was also looking at the old man, and slowly stood up, as if in a trance.
An Jing knew that this person must be Wang Yue, Lou Xiangzhen’s old friend.
Everyone inside the Great Hall was shocked by this scene, not expecting Wang Yue to show such agitation upon seeing the visitor.
“You… all of you, leave for now.”
Wang Yue took a deep breath and lowered his voice.
The crowd looked at each other in confusion, no one speaking.
An Jing frowned, sensing that sothing was amiss.
“What? Did you not hear what I said?”
Wang Yue’s voice gradually grew colder.
“Presumptuous, leave at once.”
Then, a voice from outside the hall, Le Ming’s, was heard.
Hearing this, everyone hurriedly made their way outside, Le Ming included, bowing his hands as he left.
In the blink of an eye, only Lou Xiangzhen, An Jing, and Wang Yue remained in the vast Great Hall.
Wang Yue, leaning on his cane, stepped forward and gave Lou Xiangzhen a careful look, “It’s been… a long ti since we last t.”
Sotis, there are a thousand words in your heart that you can’t express, and in the end, they can only be condensed into the simplest of greetings.
“Hmm.”
Lou Xiangzhen nodded, and after a long while, said, “It’s been ten years, you’ve changed a lot.”
Wang Yue, who used to be fearless of both heaven and earth, had beco much more composed with the passage of ti. Then, after that incident, his assertive nature seed to have been smoothed out, and now he had lost all his edges, as if he was a completely different person.
“Changed, hasn’t everyone in this world changed?” Wang Yue forced a smile, then turned his gaze to An Jing, “This is…?”
Lou Xiangzhen pondered for a mont and then said, “He is Jiang Sanjia’s closest friend.”
In his opinion, since Jiang Sanjia had imparted the Ghost Valley Heart thod to the Ghost Swordsman, calling them close friends was not an exaggeration.
Wang Yue nodded, then sighed deeply, “Sanjia has died, I also received the news.”
The forr Sect Leader of Ghost Valley Sect had stayed in the Blue River Sect for three years, and naturally, his two disciples, Lou Xiangzhen and Jiang Sanjia, had also spent three years in Blue River Sect.
Afterward, they often visited Blue River Sect, and Wang Yue had exerted a lot of effort to secure a position in the Qintian Bureau for Jiang Sanjia.
Both of them remained silent.
An Jing, seeing this, quietly left the Great Hall.
Only when Wang Yue saw An Jing leave did he speak in a heavy tone, “Are you reentering Jianghu today because of Sanjia’s death?”
The last ti Wang Yue had seen Lou Xiangzhen was ten years ago when Lou Xiangzhen had decided to retire from Jianghu and had specifically co to find him at Blue River Sect.
Wang Yue had advised him not to retire from Jianghu too easily.
If he was going to retire, it would be best to take Jiang Sanjia with him so as to avoid falling prey to the Zhenyi Sect.
But at that ti, although Lou Xiangzhen had been dismissed from his official position, he mingled in Jianghu and had no intention of retiring.
“I once thought that by backing down, I could let Yu Ying rest easy and lay down his butcher’s knife.”
Lou Xiangzhen’s voice was a bit cold, “But I was wrong, my constant concessions only made Yu Ying more rampant.”
“Sigh.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Yue let out a deep sigh, “Xiao Qianqiu is extrely powerful, you must be careful.”
From this statent, he understood Lou Xiangzhen’s intentions clearly.
This ti reerging, it must be an irreconcilable fight with the Zhenyi Sect.
The position one holds in Jianghu changes the perspective from which they see Jianghu. Ordinary people within Jianghu see the masters of the Tiger List and the Dragon List.
But those like them, standing at the mountain’s peak, see a very different Jianghu.
The Zhenyi Sect becoming the national religion of Great Yan and terrifying the entire Jianghu for hundreds of years is certainly not as simple as just these visible masters.
“Don’t worry.”
Lou Xiangzhen took a deep breath and said.
Wang Yue knew, once Lou Xiangzhen was determined to do sothing, no one could persuade him otherwise.
Lou Xiangzhen glanced at Wang Yue’s leg and asked, “After all these years, your leg still hasn’t healed?”
Wang Yue looked at his own leg and said in a low voice, “Nine-tailed Scorpion Poison, an incurable toxin. It’s already fortunate that I am alive and gasping for breath.”
The Nine-tailed Scorpion, a strange poison from Great Snow Mountain, nothing but the Nine Treasures Holy dicine of Great Snow Mountain could cure it.
Back then, Wang Yue was suddenly afflicted with this strange poison. The Sect Master of Blue River Sect found one of the four great doctors known for bringing back the dead, Bu Sheng, and with a huge price obtained a Resurrection Pill.
Although he took the Resurrection Pill and Wang Yue did not die, he lost most of his cultivation, and from then on his legs beca numb.
Lou Xiangzhen thought of sothing and asked, “I heard Bai Qun reached the Grandmaster realm?”
Bai Qun, currently the Sect Master of Blue River Sect, was also the forr Chief Disciple.
Originally, Wang Yue’s father was the Sect Master of Blue River Sect and Wang Yue, with his high talent, was naturally the pri candidate for the Sect Master’s position. But after these series of events, Bai Qun took over as Sect Master.
Was Bai Qun’s talent high? Apart from Wang Yue, he had the highest qualifications in Blue River Sect, ranking at the top among his peers at that ti.
But without the necessary opportunities, it would be difficult for him to reach the Master realm.
“`
Lou Xiangzhen was not interested in how Bai Qun beca a Grandmaster.
Wang Yue nodded and said, “Yes, seven years ago, in the third year after you left, he reached the Grandmaster Realm.”
Lou Xiangzhen asked, “How has he been to you these past years?”
Wang Yue smiled and said, “As you see, I’m still alive and not too bad off.”
…..
Blue River Sect, in a rear courtyard.
The sound of water pouring from a ceramic pot, moss covering the ground, greenery adding splashes of color, fish frolicking.
An elderly man with hair as white as a crane’s feathers but a youthful face, dressed in luxurious brocade, was sitting beside a pond, holding a handful of fish bait.
At the toss of his palm, the handfuls of bait scattered into the pond, imdiately attracting countless carp to compete for the food, splashing water in all directions.
“Sect Master, Lou Xiangzhen has t with Wang Yue.”
At this mont, Le Ming hurried over.
This old man was none other than Bai Qun, the current Sect Master of Blue River Sect.
“Hmm.”
Hearing this, Bai Qun continued his actions without any pause.
Seeing this, Le Ming frowned and said, “Sect Master, do you think Wang Yue will…”
“He won’t.”
Bai Qun said indifferently, “Although Wang Yue is very domineering and strong, he is also a very intelligent man. His family is in our hands; he would not do anything foolish.”
Le Ming nodded and hesitated, “But what if Lou Xiangzhen sees through sothing?”
“See through sothing? And what if he does?”
Upon hearing this, Bai Qun then let all the fish bait in his hand fall into the pond. “Others might fear Lou Xiangzhen, but I do not. He may be a Grandmaster, but am I not as well? Besides, he is soone who values loyalty and affection. For Wang Yue’s sake, he would not dare to do much.”
In the current seven major sects, only three Sect Masters’ cultivation had reached the Grandmaster Realm. Besides the Zhenyi Sect, there was also Bai Qun of the Blue River Sect, whose cultivation had reached the Grandmaster level.
Of course, the potentials of the Five Poison Young Master Dai Danshu and Lin Yiyang were not yet fully realized, and their futures as Grandmasters were virtually a certainty, especially for Lin Yiyang.
Le Ming let out a sigh of relief.
Yes, Lou Xiangzhen was of the Master Realm, and so was their own Sect Master.
With a cold sneer in his narrowed eyes, Bai Qun said, “Go and bring Wang Yue’s granddaughter, Wang Xiaoxi, here.”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing this, Le Ming bowed and complied.
…..
An Jing stepped out of the Great Hall of Blue River Sect; around him, all the disciples of the sect had been dismissed.
“It seems that this Wang Yue must have so unspeakable secrets.”
An Jing walked with his hands clasped behind his back, slowly making his way along the paths of Blue River Sect.
He had observed everyone’s expressions towards Wang Yue in the Great Hall earlier. Although the changes were subtle, he had noticed sothing unusual.
However, since Wang Yue himself was unwilling to elaborate, An Jing had no reason to question further.
Lou Xiangzhen must have noticed as well, and if he truly wanted to find out, he would inquire on his own.
Wandering aimlessly, it was then that he discovered a large lake on the left side of Blue River Sect.
The lake water was clear, with the surface shimring in the light.
“Buzz, buzz!”
At that mont, the Evil Suppressing Sword on An Jing’s back began to vibrate slightly.
Lou Xiangzhen had once told him that there was a sealing within Blue River Sect holding part of the Evil Suppressing Sword’s blade.
“Could it be that the seal is underneath?”
A thought crossed An Jing’s mind, and he walked slowly towards the lake.
The lake was vast, far exceeding the size of the entire Blue River Great Hall, surrounded by temples and pavilions.
As he drew closer to the lake, the trembling of the Evil Suppressing Sword grew more intense.
Even the incomplete Evil Suppressing Sword allowed An Jing to enhance his strength significantly; if he could complete the sword, the improvent to his power would undoubtedly be even greater.
Grandmaster Jiang Sanjia was a top-notch Grandmaster, and even if An Jing achieved the Master Realm, it would be difficult for him to be his match. Only by continuously enhancing his strength and making incrental improvents could he hope to face him.
An Jing took a deep breath, then with a leap, he plunged into the water.
“Splash!”
He instantly plunged into the lake.
The water was extrely cold, a sensation that was vividly perceptible.
“This lake seems quite ordinary, but unexpectedly, it’s so cold,” An Jing thought to himself.
The lake was not deep; after a few breaths, he reached the bottom.
The bottom of the lake was pitch dark and very calm.
Aside from the chill of the lake water, there seed to be no other disturbances.
Whoosh!
Just then, the Earth Book radiated a black light.
“Tip Two: A black opportunity is nearby the host.”
A tremor ran through An Jing’s heart; after encountering Jiang Sanjia, he realized that a black opportunity was an existence that could undoubtedly lead to death.
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