Chapter 312: Chapter 312: Penglai Pavilion
On the top floor of the more distant Drunken Immortal Tower, where a wine banner fluttered, the faint sound of a sword escaped through the window. Two silhouettes, deep in a game, were cast upon the window paper. The sword wind stirred by each move set the bronze bells on the eaves to jingling.
Li Haomiao listened to Fang Mushan’s running commentary, his eyes sweeping over a young woman in a pale yellow dress who was leaning against the railing.
"She’s not from the Sound Killing Sect. She’s a member of Penglai Pavilion, one of the Six Great Sects of Great Zhou. Penglai Pavilion has always been shrouded in mystery. They don’t seek worldly things, but pursue the so-called Immortal Dao. They’ve rarely involved themselves in the disputes of the Mortal World, but now, it seems..."
As he spoke, the young woman seemed to sense something and turned her head to look at Li Haomiao.
The moment their eyes met, starlight seemed to swirl within the young woman’s pupils, and the cinnabar mark between her brows began to glow faintly with a cerulean light.
Li Haomiao felt a jolt run through his spirit. The Hidden Dragon Pendant tucked inside his robes suddenly grew scorching hot. He immediately averted his gaze, his fingers unconsciously stroking the wrappings on his sword hilt.
Xu Yunfan, who was standing to the side, saw it all. This was clearly a habit of Li Haomiao’s whenever his Heart and Spirit were agitated.
The young woman, however, did not retract her gaze. Instead, it swept past Li Haomiao’s shoulder and lingered for half a breath on Xu Yunfan, who stood at the edge of the crowd.
Xu Yunfan was using the Dragon and Tiger Hibernation Skill to conceal his aura, making himself seem no different from a common mortal. He even mimicked the breathing rhythm of a waiter from the Drunken Immortal Tower. Yet, as the young woman’s gaze swept over him, he still felt the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace in his sleeve tremble slightly, as if sensing some kind of otherworldly Spiritual Mechanism.
’She’s very strong!’
A chill ran through Xu Yunfan’s heart.
’This young woman is by no means weak. Perhaps her age is not what it seems.’
The young woman finally lifted her delicate wrist to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The movement caused the Silver Bell on her wrist to chime softly, the sound like a clear spring flowing over jade.
Li Haomiao, pretending to adjust his collar, caught a glimpse of the Silver Bell from the corner of his eye. Engraved on its surface was a restrictive seal with Penglai Pavilion’s unique Cloud Pattern, and the clapper was actually a miniature Eight Trigrams Compass.
He was shocked, recalling the "Star Heart Inquiry Bell" recorded in ancient texts. It was said to be capable of revealing the flaws in a Cultivator’s Dao Heart.
It was a supreme treasure of Penglai Pavilion, a Tier Seven Divine Weapon of the Non-Attack Treasure variety. Legend claimed it could soothe the heart, refine the Divine Soul, and could typically only be worn by someone of the Sect Leader Level.
Fang Mushan, keenly aware of the tense atmosphere, was about to speak and smooth things over when the shouts of the Golden Armor Forbidden Army berating a merchant drifted up from the street below.
Amid the brief clamor, the young woman’s figure vanished from the ornate railing like a wisp of smoke, leaving behind only a still-warm cup of snow bud tea on the small table. At the bottom of the cup, the tea leaves were eerily arranged into half of a broken trigram.
A glint flashed in Xu Yunfan’s eyes. He had seen her movements clearly. She hadn’t simply vanished; she had used an incredibly strange Body Technique. For a split second, her speed had even surpassed the sound barrier, yet there was no indication of it—not even the faintest whisper of wind.
’The Ninth Realm!’
’To encounter a supreme master at the level of a Ninth Realm Supreme Grandmaster right after entering Jade Capital!’
Xu Yunfan suddenly recalled that the Ten Extremes Martial Arts didn’t seem to contain any records of Penglai Pavilion’s Martial Arts. Back when Celestial Sword Dugu Jiu dominated the entire Mortal World, forcing all others to bow their heads, he had definitely paid a visit to the East Sea Penglai Pavilion.
’I wonder why their Martial Arts weren’t included. I’ll have to ask about it if I get the chance.’
’The Body Technique that young woman just used was incredibly bizarre.’
At that moment, Fang Mushan said in a low voice, "Southwest corner."
Xu Yunfan glanced over. In front of a black-tiled building with a plaque that read "Four Seas Escort Agency," a dozen or so bare-chested Warriors were loading and unloading cargo.
The muscles on their shoulders rippled like mice, a clear sign of having cultivated the Bullish Force of Mosenan Dao to its absolute peak.
Upon reaching Great Success, the Bullish Force granted the strength of nine bulls. It was one of the foundational Martial Arts of Mituo Temple.
’What a motley crew they’ve assembled here in Jade Capital.’
Fang Mushan let out a cold laugh, his thumb unconsciously stroking the hilt of his saber.
"There weren’t this many monsters and freaks running around when I left Jade Capital."
Li Haomiao shook his head slightly. "The Great Zhou is in a precarious state right now, yet the imperial examinations in Jade Capital are being held as scheduled. Word has spread far and wide, so it’s naturally attracting a lot of attention."
After their convoy entered Jade Capital with little fanfare and settled into the courtyard of the Taoist Sect’s local residence, Xu Yunfan stood on the bluestone paving and gazed out at the magnificent metropolis, hailed as the "First City Under Heaven."
Despite the failed blood sacrifice at the Observatory some days ago, which had caused the Earth Veins to tremble, cracking city walls and toppling buildings, Jade Capital City now looked completely revitalized. There was no trace of the calamity to be seen.
As dusk fell, Jade Capital City was lit up as bright as day. Crowds thronged Vermilion Bird Avenue like a river, and in the distance, the Golden Summit of the Imperial City glowed with a blood-red light in the sunset.
Xu Yunfan’s fingertips unconsciously stroked the Dragon Swallowing Mouth of the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace on his back. The weapon’s shaft vibrated faintly. The city’s Spiritual Qi network had clearly been deliberately torn apart. Although it appeared restored on the surface, a chaotic Spiritual Mechanism still churned in the shadows.
After dinner, he straightened his robes and said to Li Haomiao and Fang Mushan, "I’m going to take a walk and see the sights of Jade Capital. Care to join me?"
"I grew up here; I’ve seen more than enough of this place... You, on the other hand, are practically returning home in glory. It’s a chance to revisit an old haunt, so you should definitely go take a look."
Li Haomiao shook his head, tapping his finger against the Hidden Dragon Pendant at his waist. "Brother Fang and I have some business to attend to," he said quietly. "We need to contact a few old court officials and see if we can glean any useful information."
Fang Mushan stood with his arms crossed, his gaze sweeping across the bustling street outside the window. He quickly added a word of caution, "Undercurrents are surging in Jade Capital. All sorts of powers have taken root here. Since you’re newly arrived, it’s best not to wander too far."
Xu Yunfan smiled. "Don’t worry," he said. "I’m just going to wander around a bit."
Just as he was about to step out the door, several Taoist Sect disciples on duty hurried forward. The leading disciple in green robes cupped his fist respectfully. "Senior Brother Xu, since you’ve just arrived in Jade Capital, why not let us junior brothers accompany you and serve as guides?"
A round-faced disciple behind him added with even more enthusiasm, "I’ve been stationed in Jade Capital for three years! I know which teahouse on Vermilion Bird Avenue has the most fragrant snow bud tea, which acrobatic shows in the West Market are the most entertaining, and I even know all the old artisans’ shops in the back alleys by the Imperial City walls like the back of my hand!"
As he spoke, he produced a roll of silk from his sleeve as if by magic. "I took the liberty of drawing a detailed map last night. It marks the overt and covert strongholds of the various factions. It should make things easier for you, Senior Brother."
Xu Yunfan’s gaze swept over the silk, noting the labels written with a Vermilion Pen: "Celestial Craft Cave hidden post," "Jiuyao Sect contact point," and others. The smile on his lips deepened.
’Damn, this status as the Taoist Sect’s second-ranked True Inheritor is pretty nice. Even when I’m just heading out for a walk, underlings come flocking.’
These disciples were so eager to please because of his prestigious new status as the second-ranked True Inheritor. After he made his name at the Thirty-Six Linked Rings by defeating even Chu Cangming—who had been considered the number one disciple of the younger generation—who in the entire Taoist Sect didn’t know that Master Bi Yuan looked upon him with great favor?
Furthermore, he wielded a Divine Weapon obtained from the Sword Burial Abyss, making him a clear candidate to become the next Sect Leader and Daoist Child.
If he spent a few decades letting things settle and smoothing over his status as a latecomer to the Sect, he might actually ascend to the position of Sect Leader. Naturally, these Taoist Sect disciples wouldn’t dare show him the slightest disrespect.
"Then I’ll have to trouble you, junior brothers."
