Chapter 60: Recruiting for the Martial Path

Damn it! Why did they stop? If we had kept running, we could have killed him within a quarter of an hour. Since we’ve stopped, I’ll have to let go no matter what...
Another adolescent sneered, "Then why did you suddenly slash out your sword qi? Doesn't your Emergence Sect have a founding patriarch? I've long heard that his abilities are unpredictable—able to reflect the past and manifest the future. Why not invite him over to investigate? Let everyone here see who drew their sword first!"
The young sword cultivator shook his head.
"The Patriarch is still in seclusion during a critical period. Even if he weren't, do you think people like you could possibly invite him out? As cultivators, we ought to distance ourselves from worldly red dust and live in secluded practice. As rogue cultivators, not only have you failed to claim a mountain as your Taoist sanctuary, but you also haven't joined any sect. I'm afraid your names aren't even recorded in the official registers. For this alone, I could have you both arrested and handed over to the authorities."
Amidst the current internal turmoil, the Great Jin Dynasty maintained strict control over so-called sect cultivators—even stricter than before.
However, they were extremely lenient toward martial artists and rogue cultivators. Seeking revenge and killing people in broad daylight could be brushed aside as if it were nothing. Even the capital remained indifferent, let alone a place like Yu'an Prefecture City here.
The young sword cultivator clearly knew this, which was why he had been extremely ruthless from the very beginning, intending to execute the two of them on the spot. He hadn't expected them to stop directly and confront him instead.
Looking thoughtful as he examined the Jade Token, Ye Zhuying explained, "You might not know this, but throughout Huming Prefecture, the ratio of rogue cultivators and martial artists compared to registered mountain-dwelling cultivators is an astonishing ninety-nine percent. The remaining one percent consists of the top-tier sects of Huming Prefecture, and the authorities simply don't pay attention to those minor sects."
At this, Ye Zhuying paused to ponder, looked up and down at the Jade Token bearer, and continued, "But just like Brother Xie's Ying-tian Taoist Temple—even if Brother Xu were to slaughter an aristocratic family in broad daylight, the authorities wouldn't say a word. In fact, they would disseminate all the dirt on that clan, fabricating it if necessary, and mold Brother Xu into a sterling hero who eliminates evils for the people."
A single Xu Yuanchong might not amount to much; the authorities could easily suppress him with a public call to action. Yet above him stood the Sixth Hall Master, the Third Hall Master, and the Temple Master himself—verily the undisputed number one figure in Huming Prefecture today.
Every past Temple Master had met an early death, a fate tied to the scriptures of the temple itself. Crossing that threshold was exceedingly difficult. Over thousands of years, no one from Ying-tian Taoist Temple had ever shattered those shackles to establish a true 'sect' that could elevate the Taoist temple to the status of a blessed grotto-heaven.
The Temple Masters of recent generations had been different; they began searching for new paths. Since that established path had failed, why couldn't they rely on themselves? They began creating their own doctrines, but to this day, it remained unfinished.
At that moment, a group of travelers noticed the scarcity of people in this spot and hurried over. The leader cupped his fists and asked, "Are there any others here?"
Upon seeing the newcomers, Ye Zhuying immediately recognized their identity. They were a party of martial artists who had recently arrived in the area. To his knowledge, martial artists who traveled in such well-prepared groups were generally forbidden from wandering off privately. Without a doubt, they had sneaked out to watch the spectacle.
At this, Xie Peiling, sitting nearby, spoke up.
"Sit down. There's hardly anyone here."
The group of martial artists visibly shuddered. The leading man looked toward the source of the voice, only to see a young man wearing a bamboo hat sitting right beside Ye Zhuying. He hadn't noticed the person there at all from beginning to end, and he couldn't help but gasp in a cold breath, exclaiming, "For Brother to possess such a state of returning to simplicity at such a young age is truly remarkable."
Xie Peiling replied, "Not at all. I've just had some spare time to practice recently. After all, when traveling away from home, one needs a few tricks up their sleeve. What would happen if I ever ran into bandits?"
Hearing this, the martial artists assumed they had been entirely focused on the three cultivators ahead and had let their guard down. Under normal circumstances, how could they possibly fail to sense someone who had only been practicing martial arts for a few days?
More importantly, Xie Peiling’s body emitted no vital blood Qi. At a glance, he looked like a young master from some grand family—nothing like someone who practiced fist techniques.
At that moment, a younger-looking member of the martial artist group chimed in, "In that case, why not join us?"
"And you are?"
The leading martial artist smiled. "My apologies, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Lin Miaohu, a martial artist from the Spring Flower Martial Palace. Since Brother wishes to learn fist techniques, why not join our outer sect?"
"Indeed, indeed! Although the Spring Flower Martial Palace outer sect has been open for less than a year, our Palace Master is a sterling hero—truly a formidable figure throughout all of Huming Prefecture. Years ago, he once exchanged blows with Xu Yuanming of Ying-tian Taoist Temple, losing by just a single move. What a pity, what a pity!"
Xie Peiling kept a straight face and said nothing.
Instead, Ye Zhuying—whom everyone else had previously warned was deeply scheming and required careful handling—couldn't help but burst out laughing.
If anyone believed those words, he would laugh at them for the rest of his life. Anyone else might pass, but he was far too familiar with Xu Yuanming. Ordinary cultivators of the same realm could barely withstand a single blow from him, let alone the Palace Master of that Spring Flower Martial Palace.
The martial artists didn't take offense, as even they didn't truly believe such claims. Only by sparring with top-tier geniuses could one truly understand how vast that gap was.
They had no idea where their Palace Master found the shamelessness to spout such nonsense. If people from Ying-tian Taoist Temple, or factions on good terms with them, ever found out, wouldn't they be utterly doomed?
Sensing the awkwardness in the air, Xie Peiling softly said, "Forgive me for having recently left home; I am unaware of your esteemed palace's great reputation. It is merely my own ignorance."
He had no idea what this martial palace was actually like, but clearly, they were strapped for cash. That much was obvious from the fact that they were directly inviting him rather than Ye Zhuying.
Ye Zhuying dressed very plainly, making him look just like a child from an ordinary family.
Xie Peiling was different. The clothes he wore now were provided by Xu Yuanming. Though he didn't know why Xu Yuanming had insisted that they needed to mind their privacy and be extremely cautious, the attire he had picked out made it obvious at a single glance that the wearer was a disciple of a prominent clan.
Perhaps it was simply due to pride!
Much like their very first meeting, even though Xu Yuanming gave off a refreshing, spring-breeze kind of warmth, the pride rooted deep within his bones made others feel inferior. Just like the outfit prepared for him, and the clothes Xu Yuanming himself wore, it was an arrogance that naturally welled up without conscious effort. In the man's own perception, that was simply how things ought to be.
And these martial artists had simply taken a fancy to Xie Peiling's wealthy-looking attire. Combined with what he had said earlier, they were willing to overlook any considerations of talent and wanted to recruit him on the spot the moment they laid eyes on him.