Chapter 336: Chapter 168: What Man Doesn’t Want to Be Big

The Emei Sect was the mainstay of the Sichuan Province Martial Arts Realm, a Jiahai Purple Gold Beam.

Not only did it possess profound strength and numerous disciples, but it also wielded immense power in the secular world.

Countless politicians and wealthy merchants had the Emei Sect’s backing.

And this was just the Emei Sect before the return of the Gui Xu.

After the Gui Xu’s return, its power naturally grew even more terrifying.

This was why so many Martial Arts Sects and great families in Sichuan Province showed deference to the Emei Sect and were willing to attend a conference on Mount Emei.

Although Zen Master Zhishan was not the acting Sect Leader of the Emei Sect, he was one of its most important Elders and held considerable sway within the sect.

Thanks to his speech in the main hall, there was now some leeway regarding Qing City’s name change.

At the very least, the Court would no longer consider only the Qingcheng Sect’s side of the argument.

After staying on Mount Emei for a night and discussing Martial Arts with Zen Master Zhishan for an hour, Yu Zhengnan and the rest of the Qingcheng Sword Sect drove back to Iron Anvil Mountain the next morning.

The next day, in a side hall on Mount Emei, Zen Master Zhishan sat cross-legged with his palms pressed together. He chanted sutras, his expression solemn and his bearing majestic.

"Master, I fear the Qingcheng Sect is about to make a move. What should we do next?"

A middle-aged monk knocked before entering and bowed.

"We wait and see. We will give warnings where they are needed and keep our eyes on what needs watching. Pawns should know their place. It is the righteous path for the Buddha’s Light to illuminate all of Sichuan Province."

A faint smile touched the corners of Zhishan’s mouth beneath his long beard.

"Yes, Master. It’s rumored that the Qingcheng Sect has invited the CEOs of nearby listed companies to the mountain for a ceremony..."

"That old Daoist Dust is quite ambitious. I wonder how long this little pebble can be a thorn in his side."

"You may go. Report back to me with any new developments."

"Yes, Master!"

The door to the meditation room let out a soft CREAK as it slowly swung shut.

...

At the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s base on Iron Anvil Mountain, Zhao Rui sat at a cliff’s edge, his eyes closed in meditation.

Yun Hao followed a woman up the mountain, looking slightly embarrassed and dragging his feet.

"You’re not this pathetic when you’re killing people!"

The woman shot him a reproachful glare and strode forward briskly.

Yun Hao’s face flushed red, and he hurried to catch up.

"Sister-in-law! It’s been a while!"

The pair had just reached the summit when Zhao Rui’s voice rang in their ears. His words carried clearly on the whistling mountain wind, each syllable distinct.

"See? I told you Junior Brother Zhao is far more sensible than you are. You’re always so hesitant and fussy!"

The woman snorted at Yun Hao in exasperation, then quickly turned and walked over to Zhao Rui, greeting him with a smile. "Junior Brother Zhao, you’re looking more handsome than ever. It’s been over a year since we last saw each other. Time really flies."

"It does!"

Zhao Rui smiled and hopped down from the rock. He shot Yun Hao a teasing glance before turning back to the woman.

"You should have come to the mountain sooner, Sister-in-law. Our Qingcheng Sword Sect has to be rebuilt from the ground up. We don’t even have a main gate, so we can’t be bothered with formalities."

"Junior Brother Zhao is always so understanding. Don’t worry, I’m also a dedicated pursuer of the Dao. I would never break the rules of our Qingcheng Sword Sect."

"I have no doubt about that. If you hadn’t warned us in advance that day, Sister-in-law, the Qingcheng Sect would have been completely annihilated by that Demon. The Qingcheng Sword Sect will never forget this kindness."

"We’re all family here, why bring that up? It’s just embarrassing. The truth is, we just couldn’t win. We couldn’t win."

This woman was, of course, Daoist Yun Hao’s persistent pursuer: the Martial Dao expert Ye Qinglian, who also knew the Thunderbolt Sword Technique.

"You’re right, Sister-in-law. We’re all family. Senior Brother Yun Hao, what’s wrong? Afraid to be seen?"

"Who’s afraid? Enough. You’ve seen him. Now hurry down to the kitchen and start making dinner."

"You...!"

"Don’t bother Junior Brother Zhao while he’s training."

With that, Yun Hao turned and strode coolly down the mountain.

Ye Qinglian shot him an exasperated look, gave Zhao Rui a polite bow, and then hurried after Yun Hao, affectionately taking his arm.

Yun Hao struggled for a moment, but when he couldn’t break free, he resigned himself to it.

Seeing the two of them together, Zhao Rui’s thoughts drifted inexplicably to Senior Sister Qin in Jeju City and Junior Sister Miao on Taishan.

’It’s not good for a man to be so lonely. As they say, a lone yang cannot flourish!’

He couldn’t help but pull out his phone and call Miao Miaomiao.

The phone rang for a long time with no answer.

Zhao Rui knew she was at a Daoist Temple and that it was probably inconvenient for her, so he hung up and dialed Qin Rui’s number instead.

’Having feelings for more than one woman certainly has its advantages.’

’If one doesn’t pick up, you can just call the other. No anxiety, no panic, no worrying, no insomnia...’

"Zhao Rui? Are you back?"

Qin Rui asked excitedly the moment she answered his call.

"Not yet. I just missed you and wanted to call and say hi."

"Mm, I missed you too...!"

The wind blew across the summit, fluttering the young Daoist’s robe. His features were fine and clear, and the moment felt perfect.

That evening, Miao Miaomiao finally called him back.

After briefly talking about how much they missed each other, they quickly hung up.

She wasn’t living alone anymore; she was now considered a Mortal World disciple of Taishan. Being able to use a cell phone was already a special privilege granted to the children of Court officials like her.

Qingcheng Mountain had such disciples as well, but after the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s return, most of them had remained with the Qingcheng Sect.

This was why the Qingcheng Sword Sect had suddenly fallen out of favor with the Court.

After hanging up, Zhao Rui brewed a pot of tea. He was just about to take a sip when his ears twitched. With a WHOOSH, his figure vanished from the spot.

At that moment, a white-haired Daoist with a long beard was slowly making his way up the path on Iron Anvil Mountain.

His pace seemed slow, but a closer look revealed that each step covered a distance of several dozen feet.