Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 482 - 141: The Taoist on the Mountain, The Past Events Below the Mountain (2/2)

"Oh? You don't want to learn my swordsmanship?"

The Taoist's eyebrows slightly raised, displaying no displeasure. He propped his right hand under his chin, tilting his head and looking at Wang Anfeng with interest as he spoke:

"Then, what's your reason?"

"Don't tell me you look down on the sword techniques of a Taoist."

"I, as a Taoist, wouldn't, believe that."

His lips slightly curled into a gentle smile, his facial features extremely soft without a hint of harshness, and with a teardrop mole near his eye, one could imagine how charming his sister must be.

Wang Anfeng, lost for words, pursed his lips and after a long silence, he finally muttered:

"I am but a dullard."

With a helpless look, the Taoist watched Wang Anfeng shake his head repeatedly and sighed with a smile:

"Indeed, worthy of being raised by that stubborn fellow."

"To say in passing, to learn only the sword techniques passed down by Ying is indeed so difficult?"

Wang Anfeng's face stiffened slightly.

The Taoist watched him with a smile, seemingly finding his expression amusing. Once Wang Anfeng had recovered, he continued to speak:

"However, I was personally sought out by Ying."

"You also saw how reluctant his expression was. Aren't you afraid of angering him if you don't learn swordsmanship from me?"

"If you tell him you're unwilling to learn sword techniques outside of his, you might be severely reprimanded."

"He won't be forgiving."

Wang Anfeng's lips twitched slightly, and his recently eased expression stiffened again.

After more than three years of prolonged interaction, and in this world of Shaolin Temple where time flowed even slower, in fact, he had spent likely over five years with Mr. Ying. With such a long time, he naturally knew that what the Taoist mentioned was not just a possibility, but an evident certainty.

The Ancient Taoist seemed to enjoy watching others flustered.

He continued watching until Wang Anfeng started to feel a headache, then slowly and deliberately said:

"How about this, little guy, I won't teach you the way of the sword."

"The sword technique used by Mr. Ying is indeed a peerless secret among the world. He sought me here for nothing but the Thunder Sword law from our Zixiao Palace in Wudang. If just for plain swordsmanship, he probably wouldn't pay much attention."

"I see you also possess the Thunder Attribute True Qi in your body. I might as well teach you the Thunder Summoning Art. What fortune you can find afterwards, how far you can go, whether it be stronger or weaker than the sword technique of my Zixiao Palace, depends on your own fate."

"How about it?"

Wang Anfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as though a path to survival had finally appeared before him. He raised his hand and gave a bow towards the Taoist, who was a picture of laziness with one hand on the table, and sincerely said:

"If that's the case, then it's for the best."

"I greatly thank the Taoist for your kindness."

"Kindness? Little guy, you sure dare to say it..."

The Ancient Taoist chuckled softly.

Wang Anfeng looked up at him, observing the young Taoist curling a strand of white hair with his right finger, sitting amidst the bamboo forest with an elegant demeanor, appearing as though he could ride the wind away at any moment.

Thinking it over, he ultimately couldn't resist asking:

"Ancient Taoist..."

The Taoist looked up at him, smiling and said:

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Surely not having second thoughts?"

"Little guy, we from Mount Wudang do not refine pills. If you are looking for a Taoist who does alchemy, you should go to Kongtong. However, even in Kongtong Mountain, there probably isn't such a thing as a regret medicine."

Wang Anfeng had read many books in Wind Character Tower, but among the famous Taoist mountains, he truly hadn't heard of "Kongtong." At this moment, his mind was elsewhere, so he didn't pay it much heed, simply shaking his head and saying:

"I'm not regretting, just have something to ask the Taoist."

The Ancient Taoist put down his hand and smiled:

"What is it? You may speak freely."

Wang Anfeng breathed a sigh of relief, unconsciously looked around, then turned back and after a moment's thought, lowered his voice and said:

"Is your sister very beautiful?"

The Taoist was momentarily stunned, then laughed, shaking his head and said:

"What kind of question is that?"

A look of inquiry filled Wang Anfeng's eyes; he wasn't foolish, and had already deduced something from the earlier conversation.

The curiosity in the young man's heart was tremendously intense.

He could not fathom just how beautiful a woman would need to be to change Mr. Ying's mindset, and what kind of woman could make him take interest.

Undoubtedly, she must be a top-tier beauty in the world.

"Quite ordinary, actually..."

The Ancient Taoist spoke with a smile, shattering Wang Anfeng's fantasy.

To make it easier for Wang Anfeng to understand, the Taoist propped his palm under his chin and thought for a while. Suddenly his eyes brightened, and with a finger pointed, he waggled it in front of Wang Anfeng, chuckling and said:

"Let's put it this way."

"If ten years ago, Hong Luoyu had been bold enough to apply some rouge to Mr. Ying while he was lightly sleeping,"

"then Mr. Ying's looks would have surpassed my elder sister's."

"Waaahhhhhhhh..."

The instant the Ancient Taoist's voice fell, a scream came from the sky.

There was a brief pause, Wang Anfeng and the Taoist uniformly looked up only to see the air in the sky being swiftly displaced, turning visibly viscous, like a whirlwind absorbing the clouds and forming a vast dragon, sweeping across from the horizon.

The bamboo forest at the back of Shaolin Temple shook violently.

The Ancient Taoist swept his sleeve, instantly halting the strange phenomenon, and looked up at Hong Luoyu, who spiraled into the sky with a scream, his scalp being pulled back by the wind. He clicked his tongue in wonder and exclaimed:

"Interesting."

"We had just mentioned Hong Luoyu, and disaster befell him immediately. Could it be that Ying Kui, the leader, has already reached the level where heaven and man resonate, and everything is controlled by the heart?"

Turning around to see Wang Anfeng's puzzled face, he laughed and said:

"This matter is too distant for you; do not concern yourself with it."

Wang Anfeng nodded, silently recording the words "interaction between heaven and man" in his mind. Thinking further, he realized something peculiar and curiously asked:

"Then... Taoist Master, why go back ten years?"

"I see you also look very young..."

The Ancient Taoist chuckled, lightly touching Wang Anfeng's chest with his finger, and said leisurely:

"The appearance remains the same, but the heart has long since aged."

"There's an old saying, 'The older one gets in Jianghu, the more timid one becomes.'"

"If it were Ying Kui, fresh out of his apprenticeship ten years ago, perhaps I might have had a chance to become the Palace Master of Zixiao Palace in Wudang."

Wang Anfeng was stunned.

He had some difficulty keeping up with the swift changes in the Taoist's train of thought.

The Ancient Taoist raised his hand and lightly tapped the young man's head, smiling and saying:

"Silly."

"Little guy, look here…"

"If it were Ying Kui from ten years ago, he wouldn't overthink things and would have directly gone to the Hongguang Pavilion. If he had gone, my elder sister wouldn't have been disappointed. If she hadn't been disappointed, she wouldn't have fallen ill, and she could have eloped with that man named Ying."

"Once sister left, who else in Zixiao Palace could compete with me?"

"Wouldn't I then be the Palace Master of Zixiao Palace?"

Wang Anfeng was somewhat confused; could it be that the position of palace master on Mount Wudang was secured by martial prowess? With this thought in mind, he nodded and said:

"It seems that your sister's martial arts must be stronger than yours."

The Taoist chuckled and said:

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"How could that be possible?"

Wang Anfeng, still puzzled, asked:

"Then..."

"You want to ask why my sister is the palace master, right?"

The Taoist shook his head firmly and said:

"You must not have a sister."

"The so-called sister, is someone who, no matter how terribly she loses outside, can return and single-handedly flip her brother's fontanelle..."

Wang Anfeng was stunned.

The Taoist laughed again and continued:

"Speaking of which, my sister isn't pretty, she's quite straightforward, often embarrassing others and laughing at their discomfort, can't cook decent food, likes to compete over everything, and never yields in matters important to her—hardly a good match."

The Ancient Taoist himself seemed a bit helpless as he sighed and shook his head.

Wang Anfeng thought for a moment, then said:

"According to the Taoist Master, your esteemed sister must be frank and straightforward, disliking makeup and cooking, her only passion is her sword; she roams Jianghu, never stepping back even half a step, like a renowned sword."

The Taoist was briefly caught off guard, then burst into laughter, saying:

"You really know how to pick flattering words."

Wang Anfeng shook his head, stood up, looked at the smiling Taoist, and said:

"Because I believe in you, Master, I understand."

"The one who captures my master's heart must be a woman of exceptional beauty."

He spoke with complete confidence.

The smile on the Ancient Taoist's face faded as he scoped out Wang Anfeng from head to toe, then suddenly shook his head and sighed. With a wave of his sleeve, a gust of wind blew, and from the vast lush bamboo grove, two broken bamboos flew out.

One of them shot straight towards Wang Anfeng.

Wang Anfeng was slightly startled, stepping back, raising his hand in front of the bamboo. He relaxed his body, used a gentle force to dissipate the momentum, and with his fingers open, grasped the bamboo in his hands.

Looking up, the Taoist had already casually risen, his grey and white Taoist robe and snow-like long hair flowing behind him, his right hand holding a sword, pointing obliquely to the ground.

"Taoist Master, this is..."

The Taoist smiled and said:

"Since martial arts are to be taught, naturally we must know the extent of your current martial arts level, to teach accordingly, right?"

Wang Anfeng, holding the bamboo, said:

"But there are still things I wish to ask..."

"We shall end here for today."

"Didn't the senior say, today speaking freely would be fine?"

The Ancient Taoist raised his hand, using the bamboo as a sword, smiling as he said:

"Yes, speaking freely is fine."

"You are naturally free to speak, but whether I answer depends on my mood, as the Taoist creed goes, 'Follow my heart'."

"Little guy, watch the sword!"

PS: Here is the second update of today...