Chapter 188: Chapter 42: Summit of the Heavenly Gang Mountain_4
Liao Yi thought he had misheard. The Nine-ringed Heavenly Xuan Bell was only rung when something significant happened within the sect. He asked, "Fourth Martial Uncle, nine rings?"
Lu Wen nodded, "Yes, nine rings. Hurry up. You guys, come with me." His last sentence was directed at Ah Dai and the others. Having spoken, he turned and walked towards the main gate of the courtyard.
Ah Dai and the others followed Lu Wen into the Tian Gang Sword Sect. The layout of the sect was very simple with no decorations, a stone pavement underfoot, and it was mostly empty all around. Guided by Lu Wen, they crossed the first courtyard and headed straight for the main hall. Within the Tian Gang Sword Sect, apart from the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang and second-generation disciples, the rest of the disciples were not allowed to freely enter the main hall without being summoned.
Just as the four of them stepped into the main hall, a loud chime sounded. As the top of the Tian Gang Mountain was notably higher than the surrounding peaks, the sound of the bell immediately spread over ten miles. The bell chimed nine times before stopping. This was the sound of the Heavenly Xuan Bell of the Tian Gang Sword Sect.
Upon entering the hall, the first thing they saw was a huge Tian Gang Sword hanging in the middle of the wall straight ahead. The sword was about one metre long, with the broad blade half a foot wide and thick. From its cold glow, one could see that the sword was not an ornament. A sword of this size must weigh close to a thousand kilograms. Carved on the blade of the sword were two large characters — Tian Gang. In front of the enormous sword, a wooden chair was placed in the center, and five chairs were placed on both sides. The area of the main hall was about 200 square meters, which was usually the place where second-generation disciples discussed matters.
Lu Wen casually chose a chair and sat down, looking at Ah Dai and the others, "Looking at your travel-worn appearances, you must have had a long journey."
Yan Shi replied, "Yes, we traveled from the Tian Yuan Clan of the Suo Federation and plan to go to the Empire of Sunset City for some business. Passing by here, we wanted to pay a visit to Teacher Xi Wen. I am Yan Shi from the Pu Yan Clan. This is my brother, Yan Li. And these two are Ah Dai and Xuan Yue. And you are?"
Lu Wen smiled kindly, "I am Lu Wen, a second-generation disciple of the Tian Gang Sword Sect, and Xi Wen is my eldest martial brother. You guys wait a bit, when my other martial brothers arrive, we’ll talk further with Ah Dai."
Ever since he arrived at the Tian Gang Sword Sect, Ah Dai felt a sense of warmth, perhaps because it was Uncle Owen’s home. He wondered, "Would uncle be pleased if he knew I had arrived here so soon? Uncle Lu Wen, is it possible for me to see the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang? Uncle Owen said before his death, he wanted me to meet him." As he mentioned Owen’s death, Ah Dai’s face turned gloomy. Remembering Owen’s tragic death made his heart ache.
Lu Wen’s smile disappeared, he sighed, "Younger martial brother has really passed away, huh? Kid, even if you didn’t want to meet the master, we would have let you meet him. Let’s wait for your martial uncles to arrive."
Just then, a booming voice rang out, "Who had the Heavenly Xuan Bell rung and disturbed my peaceful sleep, I am not awake yet." A man with a thick beard and a robust build walked in. Despite his somewhat graying hair, the boldness on his face was still as strong as ever. He was Zhou Wen, the seventh disciple of the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang. Although he was already in his sixties, his fiery temper remained the same as before.
Lu Wen shook his head helplessly, "Old Seven, you’re older now and still oversleeping every day, setting a poor example for the disciples. It was I who asked Liao Yi to ring the bell."
As soon as Zhou Wen entered, he noticed Ah Dai and the others. He casually looked them up and down and, sitting next to Lu Wen, asked, "Fourth Brother, who are they?"
Lu Wen said, "Let’s wait until eldest martial brother and the others get here. They should be close."
Zhou Wen was about to say something when the Sect Leader Xi Wen and four others of the second generation of the Tian Gang Sword Sect entered in a single file. Lu Wen and Zhou Wen immediately stood up, "Eldest martial brother."
Xi Wen nodded at them and turned his gaze to Ah Dai and the others. Xi Wen hadn’t changed much from ten years ago. Yan Shi and Yan Li immediately recognized their former teacher who had taught them martial arts and hurriedly advanced to greet him, "Teacher Xi Wen."
Xi Wen’s eyes flashed with curiosity as he asked, "You are?" Yan Shi and Yan Li had studied martial arts with him over a decade ago, and they had changed their appearances over the years. Now that they had bald heads, he could not recognize them.
An excited Yan Shi said, "Teacher Xi Wen, I am Yan Shi from the Pu Yan Clan! This is my brother Yan Li, don’t you remember us?"
Xi Wen remembered and said, "So it’s you guys! It’s been over ten years, and you’ve all grown up. What brings you here?"
Yan Shi explained, "We were just passing by and thought we’d pay you a visit."
Xi Wen nodded smilingly and turned to Lu Wen, "Old Fourth, you were the one who had the Heavenly Xuan Bell rung. Was it for them?"
Lu Wen took a step forward and said, "Sect Leader Elder Brother, they came here with Ah Dai. It’s the Ah Dai mentioned by Feng Ping." Saying this, he pointed at Ah Dai who was standing aside.
Xi Wen was taken aback; his eyes sparkled as he looked at Ah Dai. Under his gaze, Ah Dai had the feeling of being seen through. He greeted them, "Hello, uncles."
Xi Wen didn’t pay attention to his greeting; he asked with excitement, "You’re Owen’s disciple, aren’t you? We heard from Feng Ping that Owen, he..."
With a gloomy look, Ah Dai said, "Uncle Owen has already passed away."
