Chapter 18: Master Li of the Immortal Sect, seeing is believing! ...
The rice paper in his hand was wrinkled and made a rustling sound. Lou Wanqiao let go as if waking from a dream, and the pages fell to the ground.
Wen Xuechi bent down and slowly picked up the pages one by one. He seemed to see through Lou Wanqiao's inner thoughts, but he said nothing. He simply put the book away and placed it back on the table. His tone was calm, "Zizhao, although birth, aging, sickness, and death are normal for human beings, it may take years or even decades to accept them. Everyone in the world seeks immortality and fears death. As they age, most people will have things that they find difficult to deal with... The desire to live is normal, and those who wish to die are also human beings."
Lou Wanqiao pursed her lips, turned her head away, and responded softly.
I know...
However, when such a "possibility" was placed before her...
She almost couldn't help but think of the past, when she was still Liu Wanqiao.
If, if it is really possible...
If I could give her another chance...
Her mother would hold her tenderly, humming folk songs from her hometown. Her father would hold a scroll and teach her to recite poems and songs. Her elder sister would lean against the head of the bed, a silk handkerchief in her sleeves, telling her stories while sewing her favorite little rabbits.
Lou Wanqiao closed his eyes, and the past was instantly wiped out in the darkness.
Fake.
She has nothing.
…
It was the fourth day, the second round of competition. Lou Wanqiao was watching the competition intently, paying particular attention to Li Huanian.
Since he's here to participate in the Wulin Sword Contest, he should be in the competition. I didn't pay attention to him a while ago, so today is a good time to see how strong he is.
When she watched the twelfth game, she finally saw a familiar figure coming on stage.
He was still wearing a black robe, with a wide hat brim covering his face. The cold wind blew up the hem of his robe, revealing the mask underneath.
This person... is really mysterious.
Although I have seen many strange martial arts in the past two days, it is really rare to see someone like Li Huanian.
Oh, if he is willing to teach, Lou Wanqiao is still willing to learn.
Judging from last night's negotiations, this person should be the type to negotiate with and won't act rashly. If we can reach a cooperation, it will be a help.
The man standing opposite Li Huanian was about the same size as him, with a purple tattoo covering half of his cheek, which looked a bit weird.
Lou Wanqiao watched intently, while Wen Xuechi beside him whispered, "This is the legendary Ancient Shadow Sect. They live in seclusion in the mountains for years and are said to deal with poisonous insects."
"Oh? Gu worms? I've heard of them, but I rarely see them." Lou Wanqiao stared at the arena with great interest. "It seems that the martial arts competition is really an eye-opener. I've been living in a small corner for so long that I've become a little ignorant. I really need to get out and about more."
As the competition command sounded, Li Huanian disappeared in an instant!
There were exclamations from the audience, and Lou Wanqiao also found it strange.
Although the ring was not empty and there were several covered areas, it was still unbelievable that it could disappear out of thin air.
This is not just "turtle hiding", it is also the ultimate agility and speed!
Only by reaching that speed in an instant can one achieve "disappearance" in an instant.
The wind stopped.
It's very quiet around.
Only the man in purple stood on the stage. He did not move, as if waiting for the opponent to make a move.
Just a moment.
A dark shadow appeared behind him!
But he didn't notice.
Li Huanian stretched out his hand and pushed, and his whole body flew out like a broken branch.
In an instant, he flicked his sleeves, and a black insect the size of a palm flew out from his sleeves and flew straight towards the man in black.
It's like breathing.
He disappeared again.
The competition came to a conclusion, the man in purple was thrown out of the ring, and Li Huanian won.
In the subsequent competitions, Lou Wanqiao also discovered several outstanding people. Wen Xuechi and Qin Se were not to be mentioned, and there were many others beyond her expectations.
The world of Jianghu is much bigger than she imagined.
After the competition, Lou Wanqiao invited Li Huanian to a restaurant for a chat.
This time he didn't appear quietly like he did yesterday. Instead, he opened the door directly and greeted her cheerfully, "Hey, Liu Wan!"
Lou Wanqiao asked him to sit down. The dishes were already on the table. Her attitude was completely different from yesterday.
After probing the details, the next step is to formally discuss cooperation.
Lou Wanqiao handed over a bound book and said, "Brother Li, I'm very interested in your sect. Could I ask you a few questions?"
Li Huanian stared at the table, his expression unclear beneath his mask. He let out a breathy sound, as if laughing.
"Okay." Li Huanian supported his head with one hand and tapped the paper with the other. "Ha... I just like making friends with people like you. Liu Wan, we will have a pleasant cooperation."
"Tell me the rest in detail now."
Last night, she had read the volume Li Huanian had given her, which chronicled the Guiyin Sect's changes and origins over the past century. Disputes and disagreements had always existed, suppressed by the sect's elders. A century ago, conflict erupted. The "conservatives" believed that the essence of Guiyin cultivation lay in rest and recuperation, that in peaceful times there was no need to leave the sect, but in times of chaos, one should take up residence. Since the world was peaceful at that time, there was no need to enter the secular world during these tranquil times. Another faction, however, believed that this was a divine law, one that should be gathered and spread, so as to spread the divine will, establish a major sect, and divide the sect into half.
The two factions could not reach a consensus and separated after a great battle. The Guiyin sect continued to defend the mountain, while the others separated and formed their own sect, traveling out of the mountains to "spread the divine will" in the mortal world. Their sect was named "Dengxianmen."
Among the recent perpetrators are people from this faction.
After confirming this, Lou Wanqiao combined the intelligence he had recently received and ultimately decided to cooperate with someone who knew about this matter. Since Li Huanian was a skilled martial artist and had a good personality, he was naturally a perfect candidate for cooperation.
Oh, who knows, maybe I can learn some powerful martial arts.
Li Huanian did not pick up his chopsticks, but put away the book and poured a glass of wine.
Lou Wanqiao glanced at him casually, and she was a little curious about how this person could eat through the mask.
Li Hua laughed young.
She was a little puzzled: "What's wrong?"
"You might not know this, but people from the Guiyin Sect are very sensitive to auras." The eyes beneath the mask stared at Lou Wanqiao with a hint of interest. "Are you interested in my face?"
Lou Wanqiao admitted generously, "A little bit. We've been working together, but I still haven't seen your true face. Could it be because you want to practice this skill, so...?"
"That's not the case. If you want to see it, I'll show it to you." He put his hand on his mask and was about to take it off slowly.
There was a sudden knock on the door.
Li Huanian's hand paused and quickly put it down.
Lou Wanqiao opened the door and saw Wen Xuechi and Qin Se standing there. Qin Se peeked in and greeted Li Huanian with a smile, "Mr. Li!"
"Miss Qinse." He nodded.
"We're all with Ah Wan, don't mind. We just finished our day today, so we came to take a look. Where were you guys talking about?"
Lou Wanqiao looked at Li Huanian.
He shrugged. "Although our appearance isn't a secret, since we live in seclusion in the mountains, we rarely reveal our true appearances."
Li Huanian leaned close to Lou Wanqiao's ear and whispered, "If you really want to see it, I'll give it to you in private next time..."
Wen Xuechi coughed lightly.
"Oh~ I guess this must be Master Wen. I've heard a lot about you!" Li Hua was very familiar with the road and acted like an intimate person.
Wen Xuechi was silent for a moment, then smiled: "Mr. Li, seeing is believing!"
Looking at them like this, Lou Wanqiao felt something indescribable was odd.
She and Qinse looked at each other and saw the same confusion in the latter's eyes.
"Alright, let's sit down and discuss this." Lou Wanqiao interrupted their "small talk," waved, and sat down, picking up a piece of meat. "This incident has spread from Youzhou to other places. We suspect they have their lair there. Someone also infiltrated this martial arts competition... I met two a few days ago, but they committed suicide. Yesterday, before we met, I saved a mother and son; they were also harmed by that force."
She showed Li Huanian the piece of cloth she had torn off yesterday.
He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the piece of cloth, his tone serious: "...This is exactly the symbol of the Ascension Gate. It seems that they are indeed involved... I will not turn a blind eye. In troubled times, turtles should not hide."
"This is when we need Brother Li!"
Li Huanian lifted a corner of his mask, drank the wine in the glass, and then slammed the glass heavily on the table.
"I will now tell you what I have learned. I hope you will do your utmost to help the world."
"Shortly after its birth, the Dengxian Sect gained a following. Their aspirations were to achieve 'immortality of the soul' and 'resurrection from the dead', and they delved deeper into their techniques, attempting to achieve immortality. However, they eventually became possessed and increasingly insane.
The leaders believed that there were not enough believers to convince the gods. So they slaughtered people indiscriminately, using it as a powerful method to prove that this path was true and to ascend to heaven in one step...
Countless people died at the time, so he was naturally punished. But despite being suppressed, the Ascension Sect was not completely annihilated. Its followers were countless, like weeds blown by the wind, indestructible...
For a hundred years, the Dengxian Sect, a minor sect in a corner of the Jianghu, hadn't caused much trouble. The Guiyin Sect had always wanted to eliminate its members, but they were so well hidden that most of them were almost invisible to ordinary people.
But I heard rumors a while ago that the martial arts world and the world were in turmoil. I took the opportunity of this martial arts competition to go out and investigate. I didn't expect to find such a great result, and I didn't expect... the Dengxian Sect would make a comeback and kill countless people.
Whether as a member of the Guiyin Sect or a member of the world... I cannot stand idly by. Liu Wan, I will investigate on my own, but if there is anything I can do for you, just let me know and I will be happy to help you.
Lou Wanqiao nodded and handed over a Dali Temple badge.
With this, she could at least make things convenient for local authorities at times, so she brought a few with her before she left.
"To be honest, I'm from the Dali Temple. Maintaining peace is my duty. If you take this, it might be of some help."
Li Huanian was stunned for a moment, then reached out to take the badge. "Wow... I didn't realize it's from the Dali Temple... and it's in the capital? That's amazing, Liu Wan. This will really help a lot."
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