Chapter 219: A Powder Keg on the Mountain
Chapter 219: A Powder Keg on the Mountain
On Mount Emei, purple-robed disciples were scattered across the mountain, patrolling in groups of three, their swords at the ready. They did not impede anyone's ascent.
As the group of four approached the small temple midway up the mountain, they saw that many people had already gathered in the vicinity. The statue of the deity within the temple had been removed, and the entire underground passage was illuminated. Sentries stood guard within the octagonal house.
However, the doors of the eight-sided chamber had been closed, and no one dared to touch the winches again, each group wary of the other.
In the largest open space next to the small temple, over thirty purple-robed disciples of Emei had gathered. They were all carefully selected elite disciples, each a skilled warrior in their own right. If they joined forces to deploy the Emei Sword Array, none of the experts present were confident they could escape unscathed.
Around the perimeter of the small temple, other warriors had claimed their own spaces, with the more powerful and intimidating figures positioned closer to the temple. The lesser onlookers stood at a distance, only there to witness the spectacle.
Jiang Feng intended to keep his distance, but the other three strode forward nonchalantly, leaving him no choice but to follow.
"Brother Shi!"
"Alliance Master Shi!"
At the sight of Shi Yangtian, two figures stepped forward from the Emei camp.
One was a middle-aged Taoist with a purple beard, holding a long sword and a bronze talisman at his waist. He was none other than the new leader of Emei, Daoist Shixi.
The other was a young Taoist in a willow-patterned green robe, carrying an ancient pine-patterned sword. Standing tall with gentle eyes, he was the renowned Basan Xiaogu Daoist of this generation, famous for his seventy-seven sets of Returning Wind and Dancing Willow Sword techniques.
Both men were from Sichuan and belonged to one of the five major forces, naturally recognizing Shi Yangtian.
"Hero Yan!"
"Brother Lu!"
Two more figures stepped forward from the side.
One was a middle-aged swordsman in a blue shirt, holding a precious sword in a blue sheath, his eyes bright. The other was a young man in white with a fluffy collar, carrying a pure white long sword.
"Brother Wei!"
"Brother Ye!"
Just by hearing their names, Jiang Feng knew their identities. They were Xiaoxiang Swordmaster Wei Mingfan and Yulong Feixia Ye Fei.
Wei Mingfan was a friend of Yan Nantian, and Ye Fei, being from the south like Lu Zhongyuan, was also acquainted with him. However, these two characters did not appear in the original story, so Jiang Feng was not very familiar with them...
Well, he was familiar with the legacy of the Xiaoxiang Swordmaster from several other books.
However, it was only after the introductions that Jiang Feng learned that this Yulong Feixia was the face of the Dicang Sect's generation. Ye Fei's family was on Yulong Mountain, hence the nickname Yulong Feixia.
Okay, that made him somewhat familiar, as Jiang Feng had also met the leader of the Dicang Sect, Xie Tianling, in the world of "The Sentimental Swordsman and the Cold Hearted Sword."
Wei Mingfan had some connection to Basan, and Ye Fei had some connection to Emei, but neither was particularly close. However, with Yan Nantian and Shi Yangtian mediating, the mutual wariness between them lessened.
However, the presence of these powerful warriors together was a formidable deterrent to the other warriors present. As Jiang Feng observed, several formidable-looking experts had already inched closer, drawn by the gathering of greats.
"What is the situation now?" Yan Nantian asked.
With Daoist Shixi present, the whole story was quickly explained, including the origin of the tomb, the relationship between Ouyang Ting and the Heavenly Five, and the reason for the abundance of martial arts secrets.
In fact, everyone already knew, but they could only grit their teeth and listen again.
The situation was similar to the rumors. As not many warriors had discovered the treasure at first, only a few manuals, jewels, and divine weapons had been snatched away. Then, as more and more warriors clashed with the Emei disciples, most of the items were left untouched and eventually secured by the Emei disciples, who closed off all entrances. Thus, under mutual surveillance, they had all made their way up to the temple.
The group exchanged glances, all thinking that it seemed Xiao Mim had indeed been exposed.
"A woman?" Ye Fei asked.
Daoist Shenxi nodded, "Little Monk Hui Jue heard a woman's laughter."
"But when those from the Jianghu came down, they didn't see any trace of that woman?" Wei Mingfan asked.
"She was nowhere to be seen." Daoist Shenxi said, "So there must be another exit from this underground palace, but at the time, the situation was urgent, and no one discovered it."
"Could there be other passages connecting to those eight rooms?" Wei Mingfan asked further.
"No." It was Little Gu Daoist who answered, "And there aren't eight rooms, only six. Behind the wooden wall is this passage, and behind the earthen wall is an underground spring."
Ye Fei's eyebrows twitched, "How do you know?"
Little Gu Daoist smiled slightly, "I, Little Gu, also have some knowledge of feng shui and geomancy."
Ye Fei nodded, his expression indifferent as he said, "I've heard that this treasure trove contains the essence of martial arts techniques from the major sects of the world. If there's our Pointed Peak Sect's Seven Extreme Palms or Seven Extreme Sword, I intend to take them away."
Daoist Shenxi nodded, "As you wish. These treasures have nothing to do with the Emei Sect, and we will not stand in your way."
Ye Fei bowed slightly to express his gratitude.
To be honest, while the Emei Sect didn't want to get involved in this matter, aside from possibly wanting any Emei Sect martial arts manuals, they didn't care about the other treasures or manuals. However, they couldn't just shut themselves away and ignore what was happening.
After all, this incident occurred on Emei Mountain. If the Emei Sect hid and did nothing, it would be seen as a clear sign of fear and cowardice. Such gossip would spread, and they would lose face.
So the Emei Sect had to step up, even if it was just to stand by and watch.
But the Emei Sect's presence on Emei Mountain was too intimidating for the others to feel at ease with them watching.
Thus, the situation had reached an impasse. The Emei Sect couldn't simply declare their non-involvement, especially since they also had their desires regarding the treasures. Even if they did make such a statement, it was uncertain if the others would believe them.
Now, with more and more powerful martial artists gathering, it was like a pile of gunpowder growing taller and taller. The underground treasure was the fuse, and it would only take one spark for the entire mountain of gunpowder to explode.
Yan Nantian, Shi Yangtian, and Lu Zhongyuan—these three men were like three massive TNT bombs placed on top of the gunpowder, making Jiang Feng want to keep his distance from them.
Just then, a youthful-looking swordsman in his thirties with a heroic air stepped forward, his sword at his side.
"Hero Yan, I am Shen Yang! You are the renowned First Divine Sword in the world. Please speak some words of justice. My ancestor was known as the Divine Sword of Zhongzhou, and he was one of the Heavenly Five buried here. He was tricked and killed by Ouyang Ting. As his descendant, do I have the qualifications to inherit his legacy?"
(End of Chapter)
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