At this time, Feihua Sect, Qingshuang Sect, and Baisheng Sect had been confronting each other at the intersection of the three sects' territories in Jianchuan for a long time.

The disciples of the three sides glared at each other, as if they had some deep hatred for one another.

In comparison, the three sect leaders standing at the very front at least maintained the decorum that sect leaders should have.

...Temporarily maintained.

Hua Ruohong, the leader of Feihua Sect, should have been a thoroughly handsome man, if not for the lingering redness on his face from years of heavy drinking, he would have looked even more dashing: "Sect Leader Yan, I have said many times, you are greatly mistaken. This time we entered Qingshuang Sect's territory just to be prepared for any eventuality, why make such a big fuss?"

"The one who first made a big fuss was not me."

Yan Wufu, the leader of Qingshuang Sect, was a man in his forties or fifties who was so thin that he lost his looks. His sunken cheeks and two tufts of goatee made him look more like some village elder who would teach in a rural private school in his spare time, holding a ruler, the kind of teacher that students feared the most.

He tapped the ground twice with his cane: "Bringing so many disciples here, those who know, know that Feihua Sect is here to investigate the case of the abandoned corpse; those who don't know, might think Feihua Sect is here to return to its roots."

Apparently, this old gentleman only had a stern appearance; his tongue was quite venomous.

Hua Ruohong's face turned pale for a moment, his lips moved a little, wanting to retort, but he held back, and forced out a graceful demeanor: "Sect Leader Yan, that's not how it should be said. That young Daoist priest died right here..."

He pointed to a rock on the side, on which large patches of dark stains remained.

Without a closer look, it was already difficult to see that a young life had once lain here on his back, his blood slowly draining, dying with eyes wide open.

"Jianchuan relies on its treacherous terrain and has never allowed outsiders to enter or exit. The fact that this corpse is lying here is an astonishing matter in itself. The killer may not be a disciple from the river, but is inseparable from the disciples of the river." Hua Ruohong pointed outside the river, "After discovering the body, the three of us clearly agreed to seal off Jianchuan, prohibit disciples from going out, and carefully investigate this matter, but I don't know why Sect Leader Yan let disciples out of the river?"

Yan Wufu said, "Because my thousand plus disciples are innocent, and that disciple received a letter saying his elderly father was critically ill and needed him to go home to take care of him. If Feihua Sect is willing to have its disciples collectively squat in confinement, that's none of my business, but I won't allow my disciples to not even see their father for the last time."

Hua Ruohong smiled without humor: "'Innocent'? Sect Leader Yan is exaggerating, right? You know, you may know the face but not the heart."

Yan Wufu raised his cane and pointed to the Qingshuang Sect disciples behind him: "You can randomly point to any Qingshuang Sect disciple, and I can tell you his name, place of origin, and the level of his cultivation; if I point to a disciple under you, can you say it? 'Knowing the face but not the heart'? Little Hua, learn to 'know the person' first before you teach me how to 'know the heart'!"

This time, Hua Ruohong really couldn't keep up appearances: "Sect Leader Yan, speak more politely! I may be a few years younger than you, but I am still the leader of Feihua Sect! In terms of seniority, I am on equal footing with you!"

"Ha, little Hua, you are henpecked in daily life, indulging in wine and song, how happy you are, handing over all the affairs of the Hua family to your wife. At a time like this, you remember to put on your sect leader airs, bringing this group of disciples you can't even recognize, to come find me to acknowledge your seniority?!"

At this point, even Madam Zhu beside Hua Ruohong could not bear this humiliation, and scolded sharply: "Sect Leader Yan, my husband and I respect your seniority, please show some verbal decency!"

Yan Wufu laughed coldly again and again: "This word 'decency,' coming from a husband and wife like you, is utterly ridiculous!"

Hua Ruohong suppressed his anger: "What do you mean? Don't be vague! If you have the ability, say it out loud!"

Unexpectedly, Yan Wufu really didn't give any face, grasping his cane and laughing loudly: "If abandoning one's wife and abusing one's eldest son is what passes for decency, then I'd rather there be no decency in the world."

As Hua Ruohong's eyes were about to pop out, the implicated Madam Zhu's willow brows stood up. She turned to the other side and directly scolded a young woman in purple attire with her hair tied up: "Mingchao, what are you here for?! Say something!"

"I said, the purpose of coming here is to mediate, that's all." Zhu Mingchao, the current leader of Baisheng Sect, had a similar appearance to Zhu Mingxing, Madam Zhu who married Hua Ruohong, but a completely different temperament. She politely raised the corners of her mouth, but the light in her eyes was faint, "I have no control over those irrelevant matters you are arguing about."

Yan Wufu coldly mocked: "Afraid of sitting on the mountain watching the tigers fight, right?"

Zhu Mingchao pretended not to hear, the arc of her lips not changing in the slightest.

But Zhu Mingchao's words reminded Hua Ruohong of his purpose for coming.

He tried his best to restrain the anger in his heart and said, "It's still the same words, knowing the person... not the heart. No matter how eloquently Sect Leader Yan speaks, you also opened your mouth and sent your own disciple out. What if it was that disciple who killed someone and took this opportunity to escape? How will you take responsibility? Or did you deliberately cover for him and let him out?"

"So what?" Yan Wufu tapped the rock, "You then brazenly brought disciples to invade my Qingshuang Sect's territory?"

"I said just now, this is a last resort to prevent any eventualities. Who told Qingshuang Sect to break the rules first and let disciples out?" Hua Ruohong's speech speed had quickened quite a bit, as if he was burning with inner fire, "The three sects' envoys will come to Jianchuan sooner or later to investigate the truth of that disciple's unnatural death here. To prevent Qingshuang Sect from letting disciples out again, Feihua Sect had no choice but to join forces with Baisheng Sect to temporarily surround Qingshuang Sect..."

But Zhu Mingchao, who had been observing with folded arms, spoke up at this moment: "Sect Leader Hua, stop talking nonsense."

Hua Ruohong didn't expect his eloquent speech to be interrupted by his sister-in-law. He frowned and tried to pull connections with Zhu Mingchao: "Little sister, we are one family..."

Zhu Mingchao interrupted him again: "Sect Leader Hua, I am not my sister. She married into your Feihua Sect, so she is a Feihua Sect person. Please don't interfere with Baisheng Sect's stance, sister and Sect Leader Hua."

Madam Zhu very much disliked her sister's behavior and said in a sharp voice, "Zhu Mingchao!"

"Zhu Mingxing." Zhu Mingchao coldly looked at her biological sister, "Please don't forget, I am the leader of Baisheng Sect, you are the wife of Feihua Sect. Don't confuse identities in official matters."

Zhu Mingchao's words left Sister Zhu so angry she nearly fell over backwards. Zhu Mingchao then turned to Yan Wufu and respectfully cupped her hands: "Master Yan, I understand your actions are out of consideration for your disciples, but this matter is truly inappropriate. Our two families have come here today not just to surround you, but to ask you to give an explanation: if it really was your disciple who killed someone, dumped the body, and then used a letter to escape, how does Master Yan plan to take responsibility?"

"Your words, young lady, are pleasant to the ear, but alas, your intentions are quite venomous." Yan Wufu did not take the bait. "Tell me, how do you want this old man to take responsibility?"

Before Zhu Mingchao could speak, Hua Ruohong, standing to the side, blurted out: "Apologize for this, take your disciples, and leave Jianchuan!"

Zhu Mingchao's beautiful eyes darkened as she looked at Hua Ruohong as if seeing a pretty but useless piece of trash.

Yan Wufu clapped his hands and laughed: "How straightforward! Our ancestral teachings say, 'People leave Sichuan, swords leave Sichuan, but sword techniques do not leave Sichuan.' If my Qingshuang Sect is swept out the door, we must leave behind the Qingshuang sword techniques and mental formulas left by our founder. Your Baisheng Sect thinks its own sword techniques are profound and difficult to master, so you want to take this opportunity to seize our Qingshuang sword techniques?"

At this point, Hua Ruohong's second son, Hua Biefeng, could no longer contain himself. He stepped forward: "Senior Yan, you put it too unpleasantly. My father has long advocated that the three families of Jianchuan are originally one body. Each family should exchange sword techniques and mental formulas to promote mutual progress. But you stubbornly adhere to old rules and refuse to share, which is too petty!"

Yan Wufu pretended to listen carefully: "Which family's little one is this, letting out such a loud fart in public?"

Hua Biefeng's face turned livid with anger: "You old fart, you..."

Before Madam Zhu could pull back her impulsive son, Yan Wufu laughed: "Little brat, save that bit of provocation for your future granddaughter! The Feihua Sect has long coveted the sword techniques of the other two families, going back many years, even before you were born! Don't think I don't know, your father married your mother just to get the Baisheng sword techniques, right? But the Baisheng Sect was also on guard against you. They didn't teach the eldest daughter any sword techniques and only had the youngest daughter study the essence of the Baisheng sword techniques. Your Feihua Sect eagerly welcomed the eldest daughter, thinking the Baisheng sword techniques were within easy reach, but what was the result? Coming back empty-handed with a leaky basket! Instead, the Baisheng Sect took advantage of you! Let me ask, is the current Feihua Sect surnamed Hua or surnamed Zhu?!"

As he spoke, Yan Wufu stopped smiling. Gripping his cane, he fiercely pounded it on the ground several times: "The ancestral founder left behind three sets of sword techniques and mental methods based on the characteristics of the three families' founders' sword practice! The Baisheng sword techniques are complex and exquisite, difficult to practice, but extremely powerful; the Qingshuang sword techniques are simple and pure, easy to learn, but second in power; the Feihua sword is light and graceful, not difficult to practice, but weaker in power."

Yan Wufu was not tall, but his energy was ample, his voice like a resounding bell. The disciples standing close by with insufficient cultivation felt their eardrums buzzing: "If we encounter foreign aggression, such as the invasion of the righteous path by the demonic faction over twenty years ago, the three families can cooperate to completely keep Jianchuan safe and peaceful. How is it that you are all like blind chickens now, insisting on snatching each other's sword techniques?"

He suddenly struck the ground with his cane: "Oh, could it be that you see the Qingshuang sword techniques are the easiest to learn, and my sect's disciples already number over a thousand, while the Feihua Sect has less than eight hundred people and the Baisheng Sect only has six hundred disciples remaining, so you're jealous of this old man? You think that after I've made the Qingshuang Sect's power grow, I will strike first and seize your sword techniques, driving you out of Sichuan, so you're using the pretext of an extra dead body in Jianchuan to drive this old man out of Sichuan?!"

Yan Wufu's words cut to the heart, causing even the disciples of the Feihua and Baisheng Sects to look at each other.

They were all hot-blooded young people. Having been confined in Jianchuan for the past few days, unable to go anywhere, they were all feeling stifled and restless. A few words from their Sect Leaders had ignited their dissatisfaction with the Qingshuang Sect. They believed that it was the foul-mouthed yet protective old man Yan who was sheltering his disciples, allowing a murderer to escape Jianchuan, which was why they had all come filled with righteous indignation to demand an explanation.

As a result, the direction the dispute was developing in was completely beyond their expectations.

Zhu Mingchao, the Zhu Sect Leader, had excellent self-cultivation. Faced with such cutting remarks, she deflected them lightly, not answering but instead asking: "Master Yan, as long as you don't do so, it will be fine."

These words were said lightly and skillfully, but once again aroused everyone's doubts:

Yan Wufu was now speaking with righteous indignation, but who knew what would happen if the Qingshuang Sect was allowed to grow so powerful?

Jianchuan was a blessed land where great powers had ascended, and it was still surrounded by spiritual springs like "Sinking Water". With spiritual energy gathering, who wouldn't want to monopolize it?

With fewer disciples than the Qingshuang Sect and being suppressed by them at every turn, the Feihua and Baisheng Sects had considered leaving, but the trend of cultivation was flourishing throughout the world. Sects, regardless of quality, always occupied good mountain locations first. After much comparison, there was no immortal mountain blessed land that could compare to even half of Jianchuan.

Everyone was reluctant to leave, but also unwilling to watch the Qingshuang Sect grow and threaten them, so they could only secretly scheme.

The appearance of this corpse gave them the best excuse to take action.

Seeing his aunt Zhu Mingchao reignite the disciples' wariness of the Qingshuang Sect with a single sentence, Hua Biefeng's confidence soared. He immediately retorted: "According to Senior Yan, the sword techniques of the three families each have their strengths. Why not share them and practice them together? Wouldn't that be even better?"

Zhu Mingchao closed her eyes, not even wanting to look at this nephew who was as stupid as his father.

Sure enough, Yan Wufu snorted disdainfully: "You fool, can't you see that the sword techniques of the Baisheng, Qingshuang, and Feihua Sects all rely heavily on mental methods, and the three mental methods contradict each other and are difficult to coexist? Once you've practiced one, unless you abandon your progress and relearn, you can't learn any of the other sword techniques!"

"The ancestral founder practiced all three sword techniques at the same time back then!"

Yan Wufu cursed angrily: "That was the ancestral founder, what are you?! Out of millions of people, there may not even be one with such aptitude. Having extra sword techniques in your hands only increases temptation, what fucking use is that?! If you rashly practice them and your meridians start flowing in reverse, are you going to compensate others with your life?"

Hua Biefeng, having been berated so harshly, was so angry he nearly vomited blood but couldn't find the words to retort. Just as he was trembling all over, he suddenly heard the old man shout towards the northwest: "Who's there?!"

His bell-like voice startled a dozen birds into flight.

...Someone's there?!

The next moment, the bushes at the edge of the low cliff rustled, and a face actually poked out.

It was a young man with the appearance of an immortal.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, his lazy tone held none of an immortal's bearing: "Are you done arguing, or are you preparing to fight?"

Hua Biefeng was furious: "Where did this outsider come from?"

The young man flipped over the bushes, his legs dangling over the cliff, and exclaimed in amazement, "You're all attacking each other here, yet you still care about outsiders? No one was guarding the bridge, so we just came over."

... "We"? He has accomplices?!

Hua Biefeng drew his sword and demanded sternly, "You're the murderer, aren't you?!"

The young man, with two swords on his back, faced the more than two thousand disciples with swords drawn and bows ready. He rested his chin on his hand and said, "If I were the murderer, what would you do? Use that burning stick in your hand to kill yourself?"

Hua Biefeng had been repeatedly mocked and insulted today, so how could he let it go? He angrily shouted, "Disciples of Feihua Sect, where are you?! Capture this arrogant man for me!"

After all, Hua Biefeng was one of the candidates for the next young master of Feihua Sect.

At his command, the sounds of knives, spears, swords, and halberds rang out.

"Stop!"

A clear and crisp female voice, without a hint of anger, stopped the actions of the Baisheng Sect side.

Zhu Mingchao was not angry or annoyed by this unexpected visitor. With great poise, she cupped her hands and said, "I am Zhu Mingchao, the leader of Baisheng Sect. May I ask your esteemed surname and name? Which Bushi Sect are you from?"

When this person appeared, she had already used her spiritual sense to probe his entire body, but did not find any traces of spiritual power flow.

-- He was either a mortal or had profound spiritual power, making it difficult to gauge his depth with her own cultivation level.

If this person had no cultivation at all, facing the angry stares and drawn blades of over a thousand people, even if his legs didn't go soft, he should have shown a hint of fear. How could he be so relaxed and at ease?

Therefore, she was more inclined to believe that this person was hiding his true abilities.

"Sect Leader Zhu." The young man smiled faintly and returned the greeting with cupped hands. "It's simple. I am Fengling's Feng Rugu."

Fengling... Feng Rugu?

Although he was no longer in the position of Fengling's leader and was just an idle person who didn't manage anything, upon hearing his name, everyone still couldn't help but tremble in their hearts, their knees going weak.

The Jianchuan region was rather closed off. When Feng Rugu's reputation was at its peak, they had never seen this spirited young man.

Later, he secluded himself in Fengling Mountain, and even fewer people saw him.

Even Hua Biefeng, who had been to Fengling and participated in the Heavenly Rankings, had only caught a glimpse of the Lord Yunzhong's gauzy curtain from afar.

In terms of cultivation, the highest among them was only Yan Wufu, who was at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

In terms of status, Fengling and Jianchuan were not on the same level of sects at all.

-- The last time a powerful cultivator from Jianchuan had ascended was a thousand years ago, while in the past ten years, Fengling had two cultivators ascend in succession.

Zhu Mingchao was only stunned for a moment before immediately realizing the vast gap between their identities. She knelt on one knee and said, "Zhu Mingchao of Baisheng Sect in Jianchuan, paying respects to Lord Yunzhong."

Yan Wufu narrowed his eyes and sized up the young man. Like Zhu Mingchao, he held his cane and performed a grand salute, "Yan Wufu of Qingshuang Sect in Jianchuan."

Hua Ruohong, upon hearing that this person was his son's master, instantly changed his extremely foul mood to joy. Just as he was about to strike up a conversation, his wife grabbed his arm, forcibly pulled him down to kneel, and said, "Hua Ruohong, leader of Feihua Sect in Jianchuan, and I, Zhu Mingxing, his wife, pay our respects to Lord Yunzhong."

With the sect leaders kneeling, how could the other disciples dare to remain standing? A large group of them knelt down with a thud.

Feng Rugu shifted his gaze to the three sect leaders below, their expressions varied, some overjoyed, some frowning in thought. His face was all smiles, but he didn't say a word.

Hua Biefeng stared at him in a daze, kneeling down with everyone else. His heart was in turmoil, both irritated and suspicious:

How could that Lord Yunzhong come here?

... Could it be... that ominous star has returned?!