Chapter 277: Trouble Brewing in the East, Green-Haired Turtle Sect Master of Tianmen!
“First matter…”
The old man looked at Night Fragrance beside him and smiled, “It’s to see my disciple! I heard that my disciple Night Fragrance has become an official in the Great Wu, killing over 30 Innate experts at Hulao Pass and even slaying two Grandmasters, shaking the world. I am greatly delighted, who would come and test his strength! Unexpectedly…”
Night Fragrance smiled awkwardly, “These are all rumors blown out of proportion. I don’t have such ability!”
“Though you may not have it, your strength has improved greatly! Moreover, you’ve matured in dealing with people and matters. You’ve become a great hero and champion in everyone’s eyes. I’m very pleased,” the old man laughed.
Night Fragrance proudly lifted his head.
“Second matter…”
The old man picked up the divine spear, his eyes filled with a strong fighting spirit, “It’s been a long time since I left the mountain, and I’m itching to do so! Therefore, I want to test the world with my spear, exchange experiences with fellow martial artists!”
“I see!” Lin Beifan smiled, “That’s quite simple! Our court has several Grandmasters, and you can have good exchanges with them! Besides, our court’s information network spans the entire world, knowing the whereabouts of various Grandmasters! For instance, in Wudang and Shaolin, they each have a Grandmaster!”
“Deep within the Valley of the Dead, there’s another one, whose name is unknown but is referred to as the Poison Master by others! Not only is the opponent powerful, but also a master of poison. You need to be careful!”
“At the Heavenly Dragon Lake, there’s also an old senior Grandmaster…”
…
Lin Beifan elaborated on the whereabouts of several Grandmasters.
The old man shook his head and laughed, “My friend, most of the people you mentioned, I know them well, and we’ve sparred not just once or twice. I’m very familiar with their martial arts. There’s no need for more matches! I’ve come out this time to seek new Grandmaster-level experts! Only by exchanging experiences with new Grandmasters can it benefit my path!”
“I understand!” Lin Beifan nodded.
“For example, the newly appointed Grandmaster, Saber Saint, and Sword Immortal, they would be excellent opponents!” The old man stroked his beard, “I’ve heard that one is incredibly fierce with a blade, while the other is extremely sharp with a sword. They are rare opponents!”
Lin Beifan nodded again.
“Also, there’s this Monk Jing Tai!” The old man looked at the old monk, battle intent erupting once more, “If I could spar with Master Jing Tai, this journey wouldn’t be in vain!”
“Amitabha!” The old monk joined his hands, his face calm, paying no attention.
Seeing the opponent being as unyielding as stone and not responding, the old man really wanted to stab him directly with the spear. However, no matter what, they were on the same side now, his junior’s disciple, and he couldn’t force the issue.
“I heard that the Saber Saint and Sword Immortal are friends of yours, my junior. Do you know where they are?” The old man asked expectantly.
Lin Beifan shook his head, “I knew their whereabouts last year! But after the New Year, I have no idea where they went. Maybe they had some insights and went into seclusion to cultivate!”
“Ah, what a pity!” the old man sighed.
“However, I know a new Grandmaster, which might satisfy your requirement!”
“Who is it? Where?” The old man asked urgently.
Lin Beifan grinned, “This person is called Leng Ruochen. He used to be the Sect Master of the Tianmen, a super faction in our dynasty. His strength has indeed reached the Grandmaster realm, and he’s unfathomable!”
“So, there’s such a character. I will go find him in a couple of days!” The old man was extremely pleased.
Lin Beifan shook his head, “Don’t bother looking, you won’t find him! Due to his great ambition, he led his entire sect to practice demonic techniques, violating both the martial world and the court’s taboos. As a result, his sect was exterminated! He fought against two Grandmasters on his own but was eventually defeated. He escaped and his whereabouts are unknown!”
“Since we don’t know his whereabouts, why discuss him? Could it be that my junior is teasing me?”
Lin Beifan chuckled, “Rest assured, although the Tianmen Sect Master has disappeared for a while, I’ve heard that he fled to the Northern Hebei Province and is cultivating there! If you’re interested, you can search in that direction!”
The old man joyfully exclaimed, “Great! Having a direction is better than having none!”
“Is that so? The Tianmen Sect Master is really hiding in Northern Hebei Province? Why didn’t I know?” Guo Shaoshuai worriedly said. Northern Hebei Province was his hometown, yet it was hiding a villain!
Lin Beifan cleared his throat, “This is a court secret. It’s normal that you don’t know! After all, someone as dangerous as him, the fewer people who know, the better. But it’s almost certain!”
“Rest for a couple of days, and then I’ll seek him out for a showdown!” the old man said.
“That’s the spirit!” Lin Beifan smiled happily, “The Tianmen Sect Master is truly a villain, responsible for countless heinous acts. It’s everyone’s duty to eliminate him. So, my friend, you can fight without restraint. Killing him is equivalent to removing a threat for the people!”
“Absolutely right, my junior! Haha!” the old man laughed. He loved this kind of talk.
“Brother, I can lend you a hand!”
“How can you help me?”
Lin Beifan smiled faintly, “I can use the court’s influence to spread rumors. I can say that you want to have a match with him, and if he doesn’t show up, he’s a coward! If he’s a Grandmaster and doesn’t want to be mocked by the world, he will certainly come out to fight you. But if he can’t bear it…”
“He definitely won’t!” the old man clapped, “As a strong martial artist, one must be bold and strive for improvement, pushing further even when at the top! If he doesn’t dare to accept a challenge from someone of the same level, then his path ends here!”
“Exactly, my friend!” Lin Beifan laughed.
The old man clasped his hands, “I’m relying on you for the next step!”
Lin Beifan modestly waved his hand, “No, it should be us relying on you, helping us get rid of a scourge!”
Both burst into laughter, “Haha!”
Lin Beifan thought to himself, “Prince of Northern Hebei, Tianmen Sect Master, I’m preparing a surprise for you. I hope you won’t be too frightened!”
After spending two days in the capital, continuing to discuss martial arts with Lin Beifan, the old man benefited greatly. Then, he set off for Northern Hebei Province to challenge the Tianmen Sect Master, Leng Ruochen.
At this moment, Lin Beifan started spreading rumors using the court’s influence.
“Have you heard? The master of the Imperial Cat Night Fragrance has come. He’s an immensely powerful veteran Grandmaster, ready to challenge the former Tianmen Sect Master, Leng Ruochen, in Northern Hebei Province!”
“The Tianmen Sect Master has been hiding in Northern Hebei Province?”
“I don’t know, just what I’ve heard! But he’s really good at hiding. He hides for half a year at a time, like a cowardly turtle! Regular cowardly turtles poke their heads out to take a breath after a few days, but he’s holding back!”
“How could he dare to come out? He must have been scared out of his wits, haha!”
“That’s right, scared out of his wits. But you, former Grandmaster, still maintain your demeanor, haha!”
…
The rumors spread like wildfire in Northern Hebei Province.
At the Royal Residence, the strategist Zhuge rushed in anxiously, “My lord, something bad has happened! A big problem!”
Prince of Northern Hebei, who was dealing with official matters, became serious. If the strategist was so panicked, it definitely wasn’t a minor issue.
Quickly setting aside the documents in hand and standing up, he asked, “Strategist, what’s going on? Tell me quickly!”
Strategist Zhuge said urgently, “My lord, there’s a wild rumor outside. It’s said that the Tianmen Sect Master, Leng Ruochen, is hiding in our Northern Hebei Province! And now, the master of the Imperial Cat, Night Fragrance, is a veteran Grandmaster, preparing to challenge various top experts. It’s said that the Tianmen Sect Master is hiding in Northern Hebei Province, so he’s come to challenge him!”
“Is this true?” Prince of Northern Hebei was greatly shocked. He looked around and lowered his voice, “Who leaked the news about Leng Ruochen being here? Who could it be besides you, my lord? Only a few of our trusted ones know about this matter, and they wouldn’t reveal it!”
“Moreover, since the Tianmen Sect Master arrived here, he has been living a very low-key life, rarely appearing in public. How he was exposed, I truly have no idea!” Prince of Northern Hebei thought for a moment and also realized it couldn’t be his people who leaked the information. Maybe it was when Leng Ruochen was on the run that someone spotted him.
“Strategist, what should we do now?” Prince of Northern Hebei sought advice.
In a hushed tone, Strategist Zhuge said, “My lord, this situation seems somewhat peculiar. Let’s pretend we don’t know and also make sure Leng Ruochen doesn’t find out! If he does, pacify him and convince him not to come out. The greater cause is more important!”
“Exactly, strategist!” the king nodded.
However, Leng Ruochen, who was hiding in a secret room, already knew.
The same suspicion arose in his mind: “While I’m hiding in Northern Hebei Province, who leaked the news?” His first suspicion was Prince of Northern Hebei, but he quickly dismissed the idea.
Now, Prince of Northern Hebei and he were tied together like two leeches on the same string. They needed each other, mutually beneficial, and would definitely not commit betrayal.
“Could it just be a coincidence?”
The Tianmen Sect Master could only blame it on someone spotting him when he was on the run!
Although someone had come to challenge him, he didn’t act impulsively. Despite being a warrior, he was even more of an ambitious individual who valued his grand plan above all.
His current identity was extremely sensitive. If he came out to fight, he would expose himself, inviting endless troubles, which would be very detrimental for him.
So, he decided to endure for a bit!
Endure for a while to ensure calm seas!
Take a step back to broaden one’s horizons!
However, at this moment, a resounding voice spread throughout the entire city.
“Leng Ruochen, my master has come to find you. How long are you going to hide? Could it be that you’re truly a cowardly turtle, as the rumors say?”
“Back when you founded the Tianmen Sect, you endured like a cowardly turtle for over 20 years!”
“Later, the entire sect practiced dark arts, and for a month, you were hiding like a cowardly turtle!”
“Now you’ve run off to Northern Hebei Province, hiding like a cowardly turtle again!”
“Endure, endure, endure! You’ve been enduring all along! The more you endure, the more you lose, the more you lose, the more you endure! Were you a green-haired turtle in a previous life? Even when someone rode on your back and defecated, you dared not resist?”
“Green-haired turtle! The Tianmen Sect Master Leng Ruochen is a green-haired turtle!”
“Hahaha!!!”
The Tianmen Sect Master’s expression changed, and Prince of Northern Hebei’s face also shifted.
