Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 135: Practicing with Music

Along the Great Wall, descending from the north entrance of the Tanqin Gorge Tunnel to the side of a stream, one could see steep cliffs. Not far to the east, the rock face bore the six characters “Tanqin Gorge, Wugui Head.” In ancient times, this place was known for its winding paths, lush mountains, and clear waters, with two mountains facing each other and a stream flowing in between. The water cascaded down gentle slopes with a tinkling sound, echoing off the rock walls and producing a melodious tune akin to the sound of a zither, hence the name “Tanqin Gorge.” Yet now, with the construction of the Badaling Highway, the sand, stones, and debris from tunneling have filled in the valleys, leaving the inscribed rock walls intact but eliminating the beautiful sound of the stream winding through the gorge.

That night, not only was the beautiful sound gone, but a sense of solemnity also reigned here. The cold evening wind swept away any remaining warmth from the midday.

Within a small mountain pass where the highway extended inward, seven old men in plain clothes stood quietly, as if waiting for something.

At a distant triangular bend, as the headlights of vehicles on the highway appeared, two dark figures rushed over at great speed. As they approached the seven old men, they slowed down and, keeping a certain distance, clasped their hands in respect and said, “Greetings, seven elders! Youfeng and Jingfeng pay their respects to you!”

“Hmm, not bad. After such a rapid rush, you still have the composure to speak. It seems you haven’t forgotten your cultivation while away from home these past two years!” said an old man with a long beard, the leader among them.

“Thank you, Elder Mu, for your praise. It’s also thanks to our master’s strict supervision!” Youfeng replied humbly.

When Youfeng mentioned his master, Elder Mu’s expression darkened. “Why isn’t Xiaoqi here?” he asked, implying blame.

Faced with this accusation, Youfeng quickly bowed and explained, “Our master is seriously injured and unable to come. Even getting out of bed is difficult for him now!”

Elder Mu was shocked and asked urgently, “How is that possible? When we last contacted him, we heard he was doing well and had recovered most of his strength. Moreover, how severe is his injury that even our sect’s unique secret medicine can’t cure it?”

Youfeng replied helplessly, “After taking the medicine after returning from his injury, our master thought the condition was temporarily under control. But within two days, he suddenly felt as if his whole body was on fire. The vital energy he could muster seemed to be burned away completely…”

This time, not only Elder Mu but also the other six men behind him were greatly shocked and began to whisper among themselves.

Elder Mu, the leader, waved his hand to silence the chatter before slowly saying, “It seems we’re dealing with a master this time. I have an idea of how skilled that little pawn is. If not for so many experts surrounding him, it shouldn’t be hard for him to escape unscathed! But don’t worry—this time, our Xingsha Sect has brought in its best fighters. Even without that huge ransom, for the sake of our sect’s reputation, we won’t let your master’s injuries go unavenged! We’ll make those people pay a thousand times over!”

With Elder Mu’s final roar, the other elders also voiced their indignation in agreement. Youfeng and Jingfeng seemed even more excited, as if they had found an organization and support.

After calming everyone down, Elder Mu asked Youfeng, “Have you arranged everything for entering the city in batches?”

“Everything is taken care of. This time, our master has also invested heavily! By the way, Elder Mu, where is the sect leader?” Youfeng replied.

“The sect leader and the Four Sword Servants are handling some matters on the way. You don’t need to worry about that! Alright, proceed according to the plan we discussed earlier!” As soon as Elder Mu finished speaking, he waved his hand, and suddenly, heads and dark shadows appeared in the darkness surrounding the seven of them—seemingly, a large group of people was lurking there.

“You two take one group each and head out along the planned routes. Once you’re settled, come back to pick us up!” ordered Elder Mu.

“Understood…” Before Youfeng and Jingfeng could finish speaking, a long, faint howl came from afar, growing louder. The people there quickly realized that a tall figure had appeared across from them. Under the moonlight, they saw that the man was around forty years old, with a face like polished jade and narrowed eyes. With each of his howls and his agile movements, an aura of power emanated from him.

The people here also grew wary. Elder Mu frowned and asked, “Who is that?”

He repeated his question several times, but received no response. Knowing that someone appearing here in the middle of the night surely wasn’t an easy opponent, he patiently tried to talk to them. But since they ignored him completely, he grew annoyed and said, “Friend, if you’re looking for trouble, our Xingsha Sect is ready to face it. If it’s a misunderstanding, it’s best to speak up first—otherwise, you’ll have to bear the consequences!”

After speaking, the man still ignored them. Elder Mu, who had already introduced himself earlier, received no reaction from the other party, which undoubtedly meant it was targeted at them. So, without further hesitation, he waved his hand, and three black shadows in the shape of characters rushed forward to attack. Before they could reach them, two sharp swords suddenly appeared behind the intruder, their gleam blocking all three attacks. Before the three could counter, the intruder leaped forward, his sword conjuring plum blossom patterns that enveloped the three in its light!

Those watching from outside heard several thuds. The three with Elder Mu had retreated as if drunk, collapsing to the ground in a few steps, clutching their chests as if severely injured.

Their companions rushed over to protect them and immediately checked on their condition.

Elder Mu, with a face full of shock, moved swiftly to the front, facing the newcomer, his energy surging and his expression grave, ready to act at any moment as if facing a formidable enemy.

“Are you the helpers from the Xingsha Sect that Zhou Tianxing invited?” Suddenly, a cold voice came from somewhere nearby without warning.

Elder Mu turned sharply and saw a faceless figure in casual clothes standing there. This person shocked the elders of the Xingsha Sect even more than the one who had first appeared and warned them!

After all, they had already mobilized all their strength against a powerful enemy, making them extremely alert and perceptive. How could they not notice someone approaching them in broad daylight? There was only one explanation: this person’s strength was incredibly deep and unfathomable!

Indeed, the middle-aged man who had arrived first and the two swordsmen beside him bowed to the figure and respectfully said, “Elder!”

The figure nodded at them and walked slowly forward. Instead of joining his subordinates, he headed straight toward Elder Mu and the others.

The distance was now within Elder Mu’s range of attack, but he showed no fighting spirit. Apart from sweat beading on his forehead, his body remained completely still. First, the middle-aged man had taken the initiative, followed by the plum blossom sword techniques of the two swordsmen, and now this silent appearance—such a display surely filled Elder Mu and the others with fear and doubt.

Finally, when that person stood before Elder Mu, he spoke in a loud voice, “You still haven’t answered my question.” Along with his words, a powerful force pressed forward, forcing Elder Mu, who was at the forefront, to take several steps back immediately. The remaining elders were also greatly surprised; two of them, who were closer, thought the opponent had suddenly launched a sneak attack, so without hesitation, they rushed forward in an attempt to rescue their colleague by attacking from another direction. The person didn’t use any special techniques—just a slight wave of his arm—and a tremendous force sent those two elders flying. They spat blood and, upon hitting the ground, tried to get up but collapsed again, too weak to rise. “With such weak skills, how dare you try to cause trouble? Star Fiend Sect! I think it should be called the Foolish Sect! No matter what kind of evil ways you use, aiding the oppressor is absolutely unforgivable!” the person said coldly. When his final words rang out like a Buddhist lion’s roar, the disciples of the Star Fiend Sect were shocked. Those with weaker skills turned pale and seemed on the verge of collapsing… After speaking, the person turned around and ordered the middle-aged man who had arrived first, “Leave the rest to you. Anyone who resists shall be killed without mercy; everyone else will have their martial skills destroyed…” The middle-aged man immediately showed joy, agreeing eagerly. It had been a long time since he’d had such an opportunity—it was time for his fellow disciples to fight, otherwise they’d become useless! With a loud cry that echoed across the cliffs, countless dark figures appeared among the followers of the Star Fiend Sect, surrounding them as waves of murderous intent washed over them… After these successive shocks, the members of the Star Fiend Sect had already lost all fighting spirit. Hearing the mysterious expert’s words about killing anyone who resisted, coupled with what was happening now, they simply instinctively drew their weapons and waited… … Chu Tianyu stood at a distance, watching the one-sided battle, feeling an unprecedented sense of frustration. He had planned to test his skills that night, but he didn’t expect the Star Fiend Sect to be so weak—those so-called elders were probably even inferior to ordinary disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect! So Chu Tianyu decided on the spot to let the eager martial disciples around him have their chance to fight. But where could he satisfy his own desire?