Chapter 137: Chapter 26: Blocking the Gate

Wenhai’s case was more or less over now. What came next was the arrest warrant from the Daoist Scripture Hall.

But they most likely wouldn’t be in any trouble. Under normal circumstances, they would wait a hundred years before returning, find someone to pull some strings, and then they could continue on with a new identity. After all, they were Cultivators from the Five Sects of Xuanmen.

As for Leng Zhixing, he would also most likely be fine. As a Second Realm Cultivator who had been famous for a long time, he was bound to have a friend or two over the course of several hundred years. Hiding for a century would be all too easy.

Even the Entering Cultivator left behind by the Single Saber Sect would likely not be caught. He had probably already fled. Wang Ping taking his men over was just a formality, and the matter would then be dropped.

"Daoist, are we going to the Single Saber Sect now?" Zuo Xuan, who had been waiting at the entrance of the Daoist Scripture Hall, came forward to ask when she saw Wang Ping emerge.

"Not yet. I need to gather my people first." Wang Ping looked to the side, where a Qi Cultivator from Qianmu Temple stationed in Jinhuai Prefecture was walking toward him.

When Wang Ping said "gather my people," he naturally meant bringing disciples from both Qianmu Temple and Sanhe Temple. This way, they could not only take down the Single Saber Sect but also divvy up some of its assets—all under the banner of righteousness.

"Alright!" Zuo Xuan didn’t say anything more.

"I’m leaving the follow-up tracking of Wenhai to you. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come to Qianmu Temple for it," Wang Ping added pointedly.

Wenhai could hide, and he could search. As long as he found the man while the warrant was still active, no one would say a word even if he killed him on the spot. Of course, he would definitely make an enemy or two.

Zuo Xuan’s eyes flashed. "Daoist, are you saying you want to continue pursuing Wenhai?" she asked.

"Tracking, not pursuing. We should at least find out where he’s been. They must have flown when they escaped, which would have certainly left a trail."

"Alright, I understand..."

"Grandmaster!" The Qi Cultivator disciple from Qianmu Temple had approached.

Wang Ping glanced at Yu Lian, who was teasing the Spirit Cat, and ordered, "Send a message back to the sect. Tell Yang Hou and Fellow Daoist Guangxuan of Sanhe Temple to each gather one hundred Inner Sect Disciples and head to the Single Saber Sect."

"Yes, sir!" 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

...

「Ten days later.」

「In front of the Single Saber Sect’s main gate.」

The atmosphere was rather hostile. Dozens of burly men in heavy armor, holding long sabers, stood before the main gate in a tight kill formation. On the high ground behind them were two groups of longbowmen.

They stared coldly at the two hundred Qi Cultivators at the foot of the mountain, looking as if they were ready to charge down at any moment.

Suddenly, a piercing sonic boom tore through the air, growing louder as it approached and shaking the buildings near the gate... Three streaks of light, each a different color, shot across the sky with lightning speed, scattering the gathered clouds.

The heavily armored men below looked up, their faces a mixture of expressions. Some were resolute, others filled with despair, and a few younger ones looked bewildered. When the three figures came to a halt in the sky, one man stepped out from the crowd and shouted something at them, but the trio in the sky paid him no mind.

The three people in the sky were, of course, Wang Ping, Zuo Xuan, and Guangxuan. They didn’t even glance at the burly men at the gate, their gazes fixed on the cluster of buildings built into the mountainside behind it.

The Single Saber Sect’s headquarters was very different from that of an ordinary Taoist Sect. The most obvious difference was its sheer luxury. There were towering city walls in front of the gate and halfway up the mountain. The uppermost structure resembled a fortress, or perhaps even a palace. Behind the mountain, vast rice paddies stretched for miles along both sides of a river.

This wasn’t just a sect; it was a city. Common folk could be seen everywhere. A conservative estimate would put the population at no less than thirty thousand.

"A city? How can anyone cultivate here?" Wang Ping asked, looking at Zuo Xuan in confusion.

"Artifact Cultivators rely on medicines and the flesh and blood of demons to temper their bodies. Especially when fusing with a Magical Artifact before the Entering Realm, they need the spiritual nature of a demon’s flesh. If they cultivate alone, they’ll go mad within ten years."

Zuo Xuan slowly explained, "The most common way to preserve one’s humanity is to start a family, using the bonds of kinship and friendship to suppress the madness. Loose Cultivators will find things to do. The most common activities are hunting the chaotic Sea Demons overseas, or finding a hobby they enjoy, like blacksmithing or farming."

"What did you choose to do?" Yu Lian asked, perched on Wang Ping’s shoulder.

"Embroidery. My embroidery is quite famous in Jinhuai Prefecture. I charge by the inch—two hundred taels of silver per inch." Zuo Xuan gave Yu Lian a charming smile, then showed her the Embroidery Needle on her wrist.

After speaking, she pointed to the old locust tree emblem of Qianmu Temple on the cuff of Wang Ping’s Daoist robe. "The embroidery on your robes was done by a workshop run by my apprentice."

"Wow, so you must be really rich," Yu Lian said, her eyes sparkling.

"I have a little money, but certainly not as much as Daoist Changqing," Zuo Xuan said with a faint, smiling purse of her lips.

Wang Ping had a bit of a reputation on Nanlin Road, mainly because his Power Pills were genuinely effective. If he hadn’t later transferred the sales rights to the Daoist Scripture Hall, who knows what kind of trouble might have stirred up.

"What do we do now?" Guangxuan asked, getting back to business.

Wang Ping collected himself. The situation on the ground was different from what he had imagined. He had thought coming here would just be a formality, that he could easily take over the Single Saber Sect. In reality, however, the Entering Cultivator on the other side didn’t seem to have left.

’This... they’re not playing by the damn rules!’

"My orders are to bring the Single Saber Sect’s Entering Cultivator back to the Daoist Scripture Hall. If we encounter resistance, we can use force..." Wang Ping said in a low voice.

Hearing this, the other two subconsciously looked toward the cluster of buildings on the mountainside, where tens of thousands of pairs of eyes were also watching them warily. It wouldn’t actually be difficult to use force; Yu Lian alone could handle it.

But...

"Let’s send a formal notice of visit first!"

With that, Wang Ping descended toward the camp set up by the two hundred disciples in front of the gate. Liu Shuang, Liang Tao, Yang Hou, and Lin Chen, the current Dean of Sanhe Temple, had already noticed them and immediately gathered around.

"Shuang’Er..." Wang Ping’s gaze fell on Liu Shuang. "Help me deliver a formal notice of visit to the Single Saber Sect. Write it in the name of the Daoist Scripture Hall."

"Yes, Master!" As Liu Shuang agreed, Wang Ping placed an Armor Talisman on her.

As Liu Shuang stepped back, Wang Ping turned to Yang Hou and instructed, "In the name of the Daoist Scripture Hall, send a notice of assistance to the local County Government... actually, never mind."

He stopped halfway, feeling it was too much trouble, and waved his hand. "All of you, dismissed. Make sure to keep the disciples in line."

"Yes, sir!"

After the disciples dispersed, Wang Ping’s gaze shifted to Hu Qianqian, who was standing alone in the distance. Meeting his eyes, she immediately performed a disciple’s salute and then walked over quickly.

"Come here. I need to ask you something."

Wang Ping deliberately said this as Hu Qianqian approached; his words were meant for Zuo Xuan and Guangxuan, who were standing nearby. He then led Hu Qianqian to a deserted corner. Once they stopped, Yu Lian flicked her tail, sealing off the surrounding space with Water Spirit Qi.

"Were you the one who led the great demon to cause trouble for Wenhai?" Wang Ping asked directly.

"Yes, and no."

Hu Qianqian answered honestly, "While I was traveling before, I heard other members of the Demon Race complaining about their kin being slaughtered in Zhongzhou. I also heard about some Demon Race gatherings where they specifically target sects with weak defenses for revenge. So, I released the information, just to see what would happen."

She lowered her head, her voice growing softer. "I didn’t expect a great demon would actually get involved in something like this."

"So it really was you?"

Yu Lian flew a circle around Wang Ping, seeming quite happy. But then she appeared to think of something and added resentfully, "Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?"

A myriad of thoughts flashed through Wang Ping’s mind. Finally, he said, "I’m not a stickler for rules. If something like this happens again, tell me first. That way, if anything unexpected occurs, I can protect you."

"Yes, Master!"

Hu Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief. After agreeing, she raised her head to study Wang Ping, but her gaze was met by Yu Lian’s eyes.

Just then, Liu Shuang finished writing the formal notice and led her Spiritual Dog out of the camp gate.