Upon learning that the Sect Hierarch of the Ming Sect, Yang Potian, was waiting for him in Hangzhou, Yang Ge naturally couldn’t just waltz into Hangzhou and make himself miserable; he detoured toward Yuhang, planning to take the water route to Zhoushan via Ninghai.
The Ming Sect was nothing like the White Lotus Sect.
In the White Lotus Sect, Yang Ge had no friends. When it came to turning his back on them, he could do so instantly; when it came to starting a war, he could exert force without a second thought; whoever he killed, he wouldn’t feel the slightest discomfort in his heart.
But the Ming Sect...
Firstly, there was the connection with Yang Tiansheng, who had repeatedly risked his life to help him. Given the choice, Yang Ge never wanted to put Yang Tiansheng in a difficult position.
Secondly, during the battle at Nansha Bay, 5,000 followers of the Ming Sect had fought, and only half of these followers were from Yang Tiansheng’s Qingmu Hall; the other half were supports from other branches of the Ming Sect. If they started fighting outright, who knew if some of those who had fought alongside him at Nansha Bay would be on the opposing side.
If there hadn’t been a dire necessity, Yang Ge would have been reluctant to swing his blade at those gallant comrades who had fought side by side with him.
So, if he couldn’t confront them, better to avoid them, right?
Perhaps this was why the world of martial heroes wasn’t only about fights but also involved personal relationships and worldly wisdom...
...
Hangzhou, Old Yu’s Teahouse.
Nearing his sixties but still as physically imposing as a strong young man, Yang Potian, the Sect Hierarch of the Ming Sect, dressed as a wealthy man in a gold and red robe, sat in a corner of the hall, leisurely drinking a large pot of crude tea that cost but a few copper coins, enjoying the storytelling session inside the main hall. Accompanying him, dressed similarly as a wealthy man, was Yang Yinghao, the Bright Right Envoy of the Ming Sect.
Today’s storytelling session at Old Yu’s Teahouse featured the formidable battle of the Five Heroes of Zhoushan against the wokou pirates at Nansha Bay. The storyteller, an elderly and lean gentleman, held a gavel in his hand, entirely relying on his exquisite vocal skills to reproduce the scene. As the story progressed, various sounds of cannon fire, whizzing arrows, clashing swords, battle cries, and screams emerged effortlessly, vividly bringing the scene to life. There were even a few not quite authentic Western phrases like "Buy cakes" and "shit" thrown into the mix.
The auditory experience was both immersive and amusing, eliciting continuous applause from the teahouse patrons, with copper coins flying toward the storytelling platform like hail.
In the old man’s narration, the followers of the Ming Sect, who were disguised as those of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, were portrayed as heroes as brave and resolute as those from the storybooks, slaughtering the wokou pirates like dogs under the leadership they revered the most, Tian Sheng’s master Thy. This master Thy’s Swordsmanship, a forceful as overturning seas and rivers, made one suspect that the lazy old storyteller had simply shifted the legends of Nezha from the Sutra Conferred Assembly right onto Yang Tiansheng...
"Yinghao,"
Yang Potian said with a smile curling the corners of his mouth as he lifted the teapot to refill Yang Yinghao’s teacup, speaking in a refined and gentle voice, "We have a successor!"
Yang Yinghao held the teacup with both hands, chuckling softly as he responded, "That boy is foolish and reckless, beyond my control. From now on, you’ll have to teach him more... Please don’t hesitate on account of my old face; if you need to be harsh, be harsh. He needs to understand that there are laws in the land and rules in the sect!"
Yang Potian set down the teapot and chuckled, "Are you suggesting it’s up to me?"
Yang Yinghao hastily replied with a laugh, "Not at all, not at all, I’m speaking sincerely here. That boy is indeed getting out of hand. If you’re willing to discipline him for me, I would have to thank you every day."
Yang Potian shook his head slowly with a smile, not verbally responding to his absurd remarks, but inwardly he couldn’t help but think, ’Did you think you were much better when you were his age?’
Just then, a follower of the Ming Sect, dressed as a young servant in green, hurried inside and whispered something into Yang Potian’s ear.
Yang Potian dismissed his attendants with an unchanging expression and then chuckled, "The old lady from the White Lotus Sect intercepted that boy midway; he’s changed his route to Yuhang now…"
Yang Yinghao immediately realized and whispered urgently. The "old lady" referred to the Peacock Sacred Mother, Tang, and "that boy" was Yang Erlang. He furrowed his brows and said, "When did that old lady come to Jiangzhe, and why haven’t I heard anything about it?"
Yang Potian took a sip of tea and replied at a leisurely pace, "It’s not surprising; if she couldn’t hide her tracks, she wouldn’t have lived till today."
Yang Yinghao rubbed his forehead, "What does that old witch want with that boy? Did she make her move?"
Yang Potian shook his head slightly, "She likely didn’t strike. She just stuffed about ten people under his command and took the opportunity to inform him of my whereabouts…"
Yang Yinghao pondered for a moment, then spoke in a low voice, "Clever tactics. That old witch’s methods are indeed becoming more ruthless with age!"
Yang Potian glanced at him and sighed softly, "If you had brought that boy to see me earlier, why would it have come to this point where that old lady intercepted him halfway?"
Yang Yinghao also sighed helplessly, "It’s not that I was unwilling to bring him to see you; it’s that he himself did not want to meet you. That boy is stubborn and quick-witted. Once he sets his mind on something, nobody can sway him. My own son is like a little brother in his presence—whatever he says goes, and my son doesn’t even dare to talk back!"
He let out a long sigh and continued in a more relaxed tone, "But in my opinion, this might not necessarily be a bad thing. He’s well aware of what’s going on. Not to offend you, but his reluctance to meet you isn’t out of fear; instead, it’s to avoid spoiling the relationship between us."
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"If you ask me, just let it be. Maintaining some cordiality like this might preserve some ties. If you had met him, it could have led to unpredictable fortunes and misfortunes…"
As he said this, Yang Yinghao observed Yang Potian’s solemn expression, then softly advised, "Don’t feel that the old witch has won today just because she managed to plant her people under him. That boy is a stubborn mule who won’t be led by the nose. Whatever tactics the White Lotus Sect uses on him, he may just endure it for now, but who knows what he’s planning for the White Lotus Sect in his heart..."