Volume 3: Winds and Clouds Stir
Chapter 1: Major Events
Several significant events had occurred in the Tianyu Continent over the past month. The first was the reappearance of a Saint-level expert who had been dormant for four thousand years. It all started with a piece of White Jade Ice used by several King-level experts to treat Li Lin, the City Lord of Kaiyuan City. On the day the ice shattered, a peerless master possessing Saint-level power emerged from within. There was an eyewitness present: Liu Ruyan, a woman of considerable influence in the Qingfeng Empire, renowned as the "Double Master of Song and Dance."
The impact of this incident far exceeded everyone's expectations. From martial artists in the Jianghu to the ruling nobility and down to the common people, virtually everyone on the continent learned of the Saint-level expert's return. Myths and legends of all kinds emerged endlessly: tales of an imminent Holy War, forgotten history, lost legends, battles between immortals and demons, the Other Shore, the gates of the demon realm swinging wide open...
In response, the continent's ruling classes acted swiftly. The rulers of the five nations—Qingfeng, Hantang, Wushuang, Xinming, and Baiyue—on one hand, sought to reassure the populace, issuing various proclamations stating that the appearance of the Saint-level expert would not bring any conflict and that all rumors were unfounded. On the other hand, they contacted renowned figures in the martial world, asking them to step forward and "clarify the facts" based on their personal experience. Soon after, famous masters from the martial world emerged one after another, informing the public that, in fact, many Saint-level experts were hidden across the continent. These experts had long since transcended fame and fortune, focusing solely on pursuing the mysteries of life and death. Some had even seen through the cycle of life and death, stepping beyond the mortal world, and paid no heed to worldly affairs. This recent event was merely an accidental sighting by ordinary people.
Eventually, the turmoil slowly subsided. Influenced by this event, the trend of practicing martial arts grew increasingly popular across the continent, and the various empires began considering whether to establish martial academies under state sponsorship.
The second major event was also related to Saint-level experts and originated from the Hantang Empire. Legend spoke of a Essence Stone left behind by Dugu Zhantian, the Martial Saint who dominated the world a thousand years ago. However, Dugu's descendants had, for unknown reasons, faded from the martial world. They became completely unaware of the Essence Stone, which was already an extremely secret matter known to only a handful of people. Consequently, they guarded the stone for a millennium without knowing its purpose. Not long ago, several covert forces infiltrated the Hantang Empire, aiming for the Essence Stone, only to discover that it had already been taken by Wuyin Peak. Over the past month, various factions successively visited Wuyin Peak to "pay their respects." Compelled, Wuyin Peak issued hero invitations far and wide, announcing to all heroes under heaven that on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, they would open their mountain gates wide to welcome heroes from across the continent and discuss the matter of the Essence Stone's ownership.
Another major event was the simultaneous arrival of five King-level experts in Kaiyuan City a month ago, which led to a battle between two of them, causing a temporary sensation. After all, duels between King-level experts on the continent had not occurred for many years. Such a sensational battle became a frequent topic of conversation.
The final event seemed insignificant compared to the previous ones and only caused a brief stir within the Qingfeng Empire: the appearance of a young expert named Dugu Baitian in the Qingfeng Empire. He created the Nine Revolutions Divine Skill and soundly defeated the Silver-Bearded Taoist, an elder from the Luotian Palace. There were even rumors that during his duel with the Silver-Bearded Taoist, Dugu Baitian's power inexplicably surged to the King-level in an instant. The name "Dugu Baitian" quickly became one constantly on the lips of the martial world in the Qingfeng Empire.
The continent, peaceful for many years, began to seethe with undercurrents, and countless forces started to grow restless.
Sitting in a tavern, Dugu Baitian listened to these major events, his heart surging with emotion. These events were either directly or indirectly connected to him. In truth, he was only concerned about one thing: the discussion at Wuyin Peak on the fifteenth of the eighth month regarding the ownership of the Essence Stone. As for the first major event, the "Saint-level expert dormant for four thousand years," he dismissed it with a laugh. He was one of the instigators of that incident. He never expected that a lie told by Liu Ruyan back then would cause such an uproar. He knew deeply that Liu Ruyan was probably now consumed by profound self-reproach.
Dugu Baitian sighed inwardly, "Why does no one believe what truly happened four thousand years ago?" Unfortunately, he remained completely unaware of the truth.
Dugu Baitian arrived in Wangyue City, a city legendary for being the closest to the moon. It was a holy city for all who worshipped the Moon Goddess and the third largest city in the Qingfeng Empire, located at the border between Qingfeng and the Baiyue Empire. The enmity between Qingfeng and Baiyue stemmed precisely from the dispute over Wangyue City's ownership. Due to various historical reasons, Wangyue City was demarcated within the Qingfeng Empire's borders, but this was an unbearable fact for the Baiyue Empire, where half the population worshipped the Moon Goddess. This was a historical legacy issue. Although the two nations now engaged in "friendly" exchanges, Wangyue City was undoubtedly an unstable factor, a fuse waiting to be lit at any moment.
Dugu Baitian came here to fulfill his promise: to give Shan'er, Liu Ruyan's little maid, a secret manual—the Astonishing Key. Delivering the original intended manual, the Flying Flowers and Falling Leaves Heavenly Art, was now impossible. Going to the Luotian Palace at this time would be tantamount to seeking death. Thinking of Leng Yu's celestial beauty, her jade-like, proud figure, and those icy, hate-filled eyes, Dugu Baitian felt an indescribable emotion. He knew he had changed, become more mature... even somewhat sinister and ruthless...
Dugu Baitian arrived at the Luoyue Manor outside Wangyue City. Very few people knew that this manor belonged to Liu Ruyan, the "Double Master of Song and Dance" of the Qingfeng Empire. Precisely because it was unknown to outsiders and free from the disturbances of nobles, Liu Ruyan cherished this place immensely. Outwardly, Luoyue Manor looked very ordinary, much like a farmstead belonging to a landowner. Outside the manor were lush green grapevine trellises, heavy with clusters of crystal-clear, translucent emerald grapes that made one's mouth water.
The simple, unadorned manor gate reflected an owner who was not given to luxury or indulgence. The polite demeanor of the gatekeeper towards Dugu Baitian also spoke of the host's refinement. Before long, two familiar slender figures came out to greet him. Despite not seeing her for some time, Liu Ruyan remained as radiant as ever. Although the joy in her eyes was evident, she still carried an air of dignified grace.
"Ah, young master, you've finally come! I've missed you—your secret manual, that is!" The spirited and mischievous Shan'er was as playful as ever, speaking with a laugh that revealed two adorable dimples, her large, lively eyes darting around.
"You miss my manual? Then keep on missing it," Dugu Baitian said with a relaxed expression.
Shan'er immediately dashed over to carry out her "body search plan."
Liu Ruyan said with a laugh, "Shan'er, don’t be rude. Young Master Dugu, welcome to the Fallen Moon Manor. Please, come inside."
Shan'er wrinkled her cute little nose at Dugu Baitian, then ran back.
Dugu Baitian said, "At first glance, I thought I had arrived at a farm. But the more I observed, the more I sensed a charm of returning to simplicity. It truly is a wonderful place. Every plant and tree here reflects the owner’s refinement. Miss Ruyan is indeed an extraordinary woman."
"Young Master Dugu, you’re too kind. We’re already friends, so there’s no need for such flattery."
Shan'er said, "You big, treacherous villain, swayed by beauty! How come I’ve never heard you praise me? Fine, just give me the secret manual."
Liu Ruyan chided, "Shan'er..."
Dugu Baitian burst into laughter, while Shan'er stuck out her little tongue.
...
The three of them chatted as they walked inside. The furniture in the main hall eschewed gold and silver decorations, appearing antique and elegant, giving off a harmonious and tranquil feeling. The walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, all exuding a classical charm.
After Dugu Baitian took his seat, Liu Ruyan said, "Young Master Dugu, why did you leave without saying goodbye last time? There’s been no news of you for a month. You even made Shan'er worry about you for quite some time."
Shan'er exclaimed anxiously, "I did not! I would never worry about him! It’s you who—"
Liu Ruyan shot her a glare, making her shrink back and swallow her words.
"Ah, I’ve made Shan'er worry for nothing. I’m truly sorry, my fault, my fault," he said with a laugh. He knew perfectly well that this little girl was probably only concerned about that secret manual, while Liu Ruyan might have genuinely worried about him for a while. However, from the very beginning, he had no intention of getting involved with this woman. From his current perspective, it was a case of "the tail wagging the dog."
Hearing this, Liu Ruyan felt somewhat disappointed but quickly regained her composure. "Young Master Dugu, do you know what a huge commotion the lie I told for you last time has caused? I now feel like a great deceiver and truly blame myself."
Dugu Baitian laughed, "The fault lies not with you, but with me. Besides, it’s nothing serious. It just gave people on the continent a new topic to chat about. You really don’t need to blame yourself."
Hearing this, Liu Ruyan also felt relieved.
Then, Dugu Baitian briefly recounted his experiences over the past month, focusing mainly on which wild beasts in the mountains were docile, which were ferocious, and which were delicious... Finally, he mentioned Leng Yu, though of course, he omitted the thrilling and alluring parts of that encounter. He only said that he had been lucky enough to injure Leng Yu and that it was now impossible for him to go to the Falling Heaven Palace to obtain the secret manual for the Flying Flowers and Falling Leaves Heaven Technique.
Upon hearing this, Shan’er grew anxious at once. "Wahh... You big meanie, you went back on your word... Wahh..." Although she was Liu Ruyan’s personal maid, Liu Ruyan had never treated her as a servant. Because of this, Shan’er never held back when she spoke.
Watching her cry and make a scene, Liu Ruyan felt helpless.
Dugu Baitian said, "A child is just a child, so impatient. Look, what’s this?" As he spoke, he pulled out a thin booklet from his chest—the Earth-Shattering Secrets he had transcribed over the past few days. The little girl stopped crying the moment she saw it, her face lighting up with joy. "Young master, you’re so good! This is—the—Earth—Shattering—Secrets," she read out, syllable by syllable.
"Correct. This manual is called the Earth-Shattering Secrets. It’s countless times stronger than that incomplete Petals, Leaves, and Heaven Descending Technique. If you can fully comprehend and master this manual, almost no one on this continent will be your match," Dugu Baitian said with a smile.
Shan’er, overwhelmed with excitement, quickly hid the manual behind her back, afraid that Dugu Baitian might change his mind and take it back.
Liu Ruyan said, "Hurry up and thank the young master."
The usually clever and sharp-witted little girl now seemed somewhat clumsy, nodding mechanically as she said, "Thank you, young master." She was completely lost in her immense joy.
Dugu Baitian put on a stern face and said seriously, "Shan’er, aside from your young lady, you must never tell anyone that you have this manual. If others find out, countless martial artists will come to seize it, and it will bring you endless enemies. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Shan’er understands. I will never tell anyone. I will also live up to your expectations and make sure to master this martial art."
"Good that you understand. But you don’t even know the basic acupoint locations or the fundamentals of martial arts. How will you learn? This is such a headache." Dugu Baitian furrowed his brow.
Liu Ruyan said, "That’s not a problem. Granny Wang and Granny Sun in the manor are both skilled martial artists. They can guide Shan’er through the basics."
Dugu Baitian inwardly scolded himself for being foolish. How could someone as famous as Liu Ruyan not have protectors? And they were undoubtedly experts.
"In that case, I’m relieved. Shan’er, you must work hard to master this technique. In the future, I may need you to rescue me from danger."
"Don’t worry, I’ll protect you in the future," she said playfully, tilting her head up.
All three of them laughed.
Dugu Baitian thought to himself, "How shameful. I’ve already started scheming with this child in mind."
He had come with a purpose. Well aware of Shan’er’s talent, he had given her the Earth-Shattering Secrets because he had a premonition that the path he was about to tread would be fraught with hardships, and he would need reliable allies. This was not just about fulfilling a promise but also a calculated investment.