Chapter 73: A Great Calamity Knocks on the Door

As he spoke, Pu Hanzhong’s expression grew more melancholic. “From a Feng Shui perspective, this nameless peak should be a place of beautiful scenery and dense spiritual energy, even superior to Emperor Peak. But for some unknown reason, it became desolate. And so, in their scramble for resources and territory, the other four halls pushed our Nature Hall out here.”

“I see,” Qin Haoxuan said, nodding as he followed his senior brother.

Along the way, they met many disciples of the Nature Hall. They all greeted Pu Hanzhong and Qin Haoxuan with genuine warmth, and Pu proudly introduced his junior brother to each of them.

“This is Junior Brother Qin Haoxuan. Don’t be fooled by his youth. His Dao Heart is incredibly firm, and he’s a talent who managed to sprout in just three months!” Pu boasted to everyone they met. Even Qin Haoxuan, who considered himself thick-skinned, felt a little embarrassed by the effusive praise.

Hearing the introduction, the other disciples’ faces lit up with sincere smiles and heartfelt admiration. “Three months to sprout? Junior Brother Qin, you must work hard! We may not be the most accomplished senior brothers, but if you ever need anything, just come to us. We are all brothers of the same hall, and we will do everything in our power to help!”

Looking at their earnest smiles and listening to their simple, honest encouragement, Qin Haoxuan was filled with a wordless warmth. In all his time at the Taichu Sect, besides Xu Yu and Pu Hanzhong, this was the first time he had felt such a precious sense of camaraderie.

They soon reached the summit. Before them stood a Daoist temple, its painted walls faded by the passage of time. Compared to the grand halls and pavilions of Emperor Peak, it looked as dilapidated as a forgotten country shrine. Above the entrance hung a faded, cinnabar-red plaque, inscribed with three bold, calligraphic characters: Taichu Sect. Compared to the inscription on the main gate at Emperor Peak, these characters possessed a far grander and more majestic aura. Pu Hanzhong stopped and bowed respectfully to the plaque. “This was written by the founding patriarch of our sect,” he said.

A disciple led them into an inner hall where the Master of the Nature Hall, Xuanji, was meditating. They entered and bowed respectfully. Qin Haoxuan had met Xuanji once before in the dim light of the Nine Yin Ice Cavern, but he hadn’t been able to see him clearly.

Xuanji wore a simple Daoist robe, washed so many times it had faded to white. His face was kind, his eyes held a gentle smile, and the many wrinkles on his face suggested he was nearing the end of his lifespan. His silver hair was neatly coiled in a bun. If not for his robes, he would have looked no different from any other elderly man from the mortal world. He opened his eyes and looked at the two of them, his expression radiating a benevolence that Qin Haoxuan had not seen on the face of any other sect elder.

That kind face alone was enough to make Qin Haoxuan feel welcome. He felt that being a disciple under such a respectable old master would be far more comfortable than joining any of the four great halls.

After they paid their respects, Pu Hanzhong spoke. “Master, Junior Brother Qin is a man of exceptional talent. Though he is an Uncolored Seed, he successfully sprouted in just three months. The rudimentary arts he has learned are no longer suitable for him. I have therefore taken the liberty of bringing him to see you, to request that you teach him a more advanced technique.”

Xuanji’s eyes, filled with surprise, rested on Qin Haoxuan for a long time. At last, he exclaimed three times in a row, “Good! Good! This is wonderful!”

For an Uncolored Seed to sprout in three months without the guidance of a master was a feat comparable to that of a Gray Seed. Such a display of determination and willpower filled the old master’s heart with joy. “In the eyes of others,” he said, his expression turning serious, “Uncolored Seeds have no future. They are destined to remain at the bottom rung of the cultivation ladder. But I tell you this: the founding patriarch of our Taichu Sect was also an Uncolored Seed, yet he established this great sect with his own two hands. As long as you have perseverance, willpower, and a bit of fortune, the achievements of an Uncolored Seed can be limitless! Now, stand up and sit. Let me think on which orthodox Daoist art would be most suitable for you.”

Xuanji fell into deep thought. After a long while, he took an ancient book from a shelf behind him. He was about to hand it to Qin Haoxuan, but then paused, put it back, and said, “After much consideration, I believe it is best that I personally teach you the Celestial River Dao Art. Though it is a relatively foundational technique, it is a true and orthodox Daoist art. However, it can only be practiced in the morning. Come and see me again tomorrow morning.”

While Xuanji was speaking, Pu Hanzhong’s face had been dark with thought. Seeing that they were alone, he hesitated for a long time before finally making a decision. With a thud, he fell to his knees. “Master,” he said, his voice heavy with the tone of a criminal confessing his sins, “this disciple has something to confess.”

“Speak,” Xuanji said, looking at him in surprise. Pu Hanzhong was an honest and kind man who would rather suffer a loss himself than bully others. He was not one to make even small mistakes. Yet his posture and tone suggested he had committed a grave transgression.

“Master, yesterday on Hundred Beasts Mountain, this disciple accidentally killed Yelu Qi and the Purple Seed disciple he was guiding, Zhang Kuang!”

The moment the words left his mouth, Xuanji shot up from his meditation cushion. He cast several spiritual arts in quick succession, completely sealing the room so that not a whisper could escape. His face was a mask of solemn gravity. “This is no laughing matter,” he said. “Are you telling the truth?”

“Yesterday, Junior Brother Qin and I were on Hundred Beasts Mountain capturing Mighty Apes. Zhang Kuang and Yelu Qi came to kill us. In the struggle, I killed them by mistake. This disciple is guilty. I beg for Master’s punishment!”

Pu Hanzhong had been Xuanji’s disciple for thirty years and had always been sincere and honest. Moreover, the death of a Purple Seed was a monumental event. If the sect were to find out, it would cause an uproar. An Unsurpassed Purple Seed was a peerless genius that even the greatest sects might not see in thousands of years. Though the Taichu Sect had been fortunate enough to get three this year, the loss of even one was unbearable. If the sect’s ancient patriarchs were to learn of this, a thousand Pu Hanzhongs would not be enough to pay the price. The entire Nature Hall would likely be implicated.

“That’s not right,” Xuanji said, puzzled. “Yelu Qi was a Twentieth-Leaf expert. You are only at the Tenth-Leaf. How could you have killed him?”

Pu Hanzhong, who had never lied before, kept his head bowed to the floor and forced himself to do so now to protect his junior brother. “Master, as you know, Hundred Beasts Mountain is a mysterious place where many masters have fallen. I was no match for Yelu Qi, but he suddenly collapsed to the ground in a fit of convulsions. I took that opportunity to kill him!”

“I see,” Xuanji nodded. “That mountain is indeed perilous. Many strange and inexplicable things happen there. You two should stay away from it in the future.” He then remembered that this was not the time for a lecture. The urgent matter was how to deal with the fallout when the sect inevitably discovered Zhang Kuang’s death. “What about the bodies?” he asked anxiously.

“I threw them off the thousand-fathom cliff on the mountain’s outskirts.”

“How could you be so foolish! A Purple Seed is not someone you can trifle with! In this matter, it doesn’t matter who was right or wrong. Even if Zhang Kuang attacked you first, by killing him, your crime is unforgivable. This must be kept an absolute secret. If word gets out, not even I can protect you!”

Seeing his senior brother take all the blame, Qin Haoxuan was moved to tears. If he ever amounted to anything in the future, he swore he would repay this kindness. He, too, dropped to his knees. “Master, I was the one who killed them! It has nothing to do with Senior Brother Pu!”

At his words, Xuanji’s shock deepened. He stared at the boy in disbelief.

Pu Hanzhong, now frantic, pushed himself up. “Master, don’t listen to his nonsense! He has only just sprouted. How could he possibly defeat a First-Leaf Zhang Kuang and a Twentieth-Leaf Yelu Qi?”

“Senior Brother, you should know that even before I sprouted, I could beat a Seventh-Leaf expert,” Qin Haoxuan argued, looking gratefully at the man who was trying to shield him. “And now I have sprouted. You must have heard the rumors about me.” Though he was deeply touched, the crime of killing a Purple Seed was too great. His sin was not for another to bear. That was a core principle of his life.

“Enough!” Xuanji snapped. “Stop arguing!”

Just as he was frowning, trying to think of a way to cover up this mess, a voice came from outside the door. “Master, an elder from Emperor Peak is here to see you!”

An elder from Emperor Peak?

Not just Qin Haoxuan and Pu Hanzhong, but even Xuanji felt a jolt of panic. Had the sect found out about Zhang Kuang’s death so quickly?

But Xuanji, as the Master of the Nature Hall, quickly composed himself. “We don’t know why he is here yet,” he said to the two of them. “Do not panic. We will face whatever comes.” After instructing them, he called out, “Let him in!”

Though the Nature Hall had declined, Xuanji was still a Hall Master. His rank and seniority were high, even if his personal strength was not. There was no need for him to go out and personally greet an elder from Emperor Peak.

Led by a disciple, an elder with the youthful face of a jade statue and the white hair of a crane walked in. His deep-set eyes gave him an unfathomable air, and the wide Daoist robe he wore gave him the look of a true immortal.

“Elder Xu,” Xuanji said, “to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit to my Nature Hall?”

In Elder Xu’s eyes, the Nature Hall was, despite its nominal equality with the four great halls, nothing more than a trash heap that no one wanted to set foot in. For Xuanji not to greet him personally and to speak with such a lofty tone annoyed him greatly. He answered with a curt grunt through his nose. “Looking for someone.”

His gaze then shifted and landed squarely on Qin Haoxuan.

Xuanji’s face froze. Has the sect already found something? Pu Hanzhong and Qin Haoxuan also betrayed their nervousness.

Elder Xu studied Qin Haoxuan. Besides a sturdy build, he saw nothing special about the boy. He even seemed unnatural and fidgety under his gaze, like a thief with a guilty conscience. There’s nothing remarkable about him at all, the elder thought. What was all the fuss in Zhang Yang’s report about?

(End of Chapter)