Before long, Yu Tuan'er's face no longer underwent drastic changes. Though she couldn't revert to looking like a sixteen-year-old girl, she had regained some charm. Liu Yan and the other two bid farewell to Lin Bu and set off on the road to Mount Song.
The idea of going to Mount Song was Fang Pingzhai's. Liu Yan had never told either of them his real name. Yu Tuan'er simply called him "you," while Fang Pingzhai initially called him "Little Black" but now addressed him as "my dearest master" or "my dearest Black Master." Liu Yan never corrected him. With his bizarre appearance now, even Xiao Hong might not recognize him if she were present. No one would know he was the infamous Liu Yan, scorned by thousands in the Martial Arts World. Besides, he had never cared about life and death. The only thing he ever cared about was Tang Lici's life. Whatever Tang Lici wanted to do, he was determined to ruin. Since Puzhu Shangshi and Tang Lici were birds of a feather, making sure Puzhu failed to become the abbot would make this trip to Shaolin Temple worthwhile.
Fang Pingzhai, on the other hand, was going to Mount Song purely for the spectacle. The Abbot Assembly at Shaolin Temple had been ongoing for over a month without a conclusion. These final days of competition would determine who would become the next abbot, and the outcome would soon be known to all.
Many others shared the same curiosity. Before the trio even reached Mount Song, they encountered numerous martial artists along the way, carrying swords or blades, all heading toward Shaolin Temple.
"Hey, look—that guy's staring at me," Yu Tuan'er said. She and Fang Pingzhai were on horseback, while Liu Yan rode in a carriage. The three of them traveled leisurely along the rugged mountain path, in no particular hurry. By the roadside, a group of men in purple robes sat resting. When they noticed the trio passing by, one of them leered at Yu Tuan'er, whose lively eyes and delicate features drew his gaze.
"Ah! Someone looking at you is a good thing. I told you before—you might have some romantic luck, maybe even an encounter. My words are never wrong," Fang Pingzhai said, waving his red fan. "Master, don't you agree? Your little maid finally has someone admiring her. Doesn’t that make you proud? Overflowing with pride, eh?" Liu Yan remained silent, but Yu Tuan'er smiled at the burly man staring at her. "Why are you looking at me?" The purple-robed man was taken aback, then spat and leaped up, reaching out to grab her. "Seems this girl likes being stared at—born with a cheap bone! If you like it, come with me!" Yu Tuan'er flicked her horsewhip, striking his wrist, and frowned. "Why so aggressive? Who said I wanted to go with you?" The man drew his blade with a sharp hiss and roared, slashing down at her with a force that seemed intent on severing not just her whip but her along with it. With a twist of her wrist, Yu Tuan'er coiled the tip of her whip around his wrist and yanked hard, sending the blade flying. It clattered to the ground five zhang away. The man gaped in shock. Yu Tuan'er reined in her horse, studied him for a moment, and said without anger, "Next time, don’t be so harsh when talking to people. Swearing right away is just rude." With that, she rode past him and continued on her way.The purple-clad men sitting nearby burst into laughter. One of them mimicked, "You lecher, next time don't start by cursing people. How uncouth." Another nearly laughed himself breathless, "I always said Old Mo's martial arts were poor, that he'd get beaten sooner or later when going out. Never thought retribution would come so fast! Hahaha, truly an embarrassment to Panlong Village!" Another drawled slowly, "Being lustful is one thing, but nearly being done in by lust... Amitabha..." The purple-clad giant flushed with anger, "You... you... stay right there!" He chased after Yu Tuan'er, "Stop! Little girl! Which sect are you from? How dare you show such disrespect to your elders?" At this, the purple-clad men behind him erupted into even louder laughter, doubling over in mirth.
"I say, good sir," Fang Pingzhai reined in his horse and turned around with a sigh, "If a man doesn't have first-rate martial skills, he should at least have first-rate brains. If he lacks first-rate brains, he should at least have first-rate luck to survive in the jianghu. As for you... you're exceptionally outstanding—martial arts: none, brains: none, looks: none, wealth: none, not to mention vision or luck. Look at this specimen—" He pointed at Yu Tuan'er with his horsewhip, "In your eyes, even she counts as a beauty, which proves you're either suffering from glaucoma or have a squint—so vision you lack. As for luck—rest assured, I'm absolutely right about this—you, my friend, will never have the luck for a chance romantic encounter. If you think you do, you must have met a female ghost." This sudden torrent of words left the purple-clad giant utterly bewildered. Only after hearing the last sentence did he grasp half of it—none of it good. With a furious roar, he threw a punch at Fang Pingzhai's horse's head.
A flash of red, and the purple-clad giant fell to the ground with a thud, staring blankly at where the horse's head had been—he had clearly thrown a punch, yet somehow the horse's head had vanished, and he couldn't fathom why he had suddenly fallen. Scrambling to his feet, he turned to look at his comrades, only to see that the men who had been laughing moments ago had all risen to their feet, their expressions grave. A middle-aged man in purple strode forward, "I am Dongfang Xu of the 'Nine-Heaven Coiling Dragon.' My brother here has offended you, and I will discipline him severely upon our return. I beg your forgiveness." The purple-clad giant was shocked, his face a mix of astonishment and anger as he stared at the yellow-clad youth on horseback. Could this person be someone even their leader dared not provoke lightly?
With just one move from Fang Pingzhai, Dongfang Xu knew this man's martial arts were extraordinarily formidable. That he had merely made Da Hong stumble showed considerable restraint, and Dongfang Xu immediately felt inclined to befriend him, hence his polite tone. Fang Pingzhai smiled broadly, waving his red fan, "No trouble at all. You gentlemen must have just come down from Shaolin Temple, yes? How did the abbot selection go?""The situation? Well... they've been lecturing on Buddhist teachings non-stop for a month," Dongfang Xu said with a bitter smile. "At first, there were many spectators in the temple, but over the month, most have left. The old monks and young monks alike are all discussing Buddhist doctrines and telling stories—it's become quite dull." Fang Pingzhai gave an "Oh," waving his red fan. "Buddhist teachings? Who's come out on top so far?" Dongfang Xu replied, "As of this morning, the leading figures are the four Chan Masters Da Cheng, Da Shi, Da Hui, and Da Bao, along with Puzhu Shangshi and the young novice San Jie." Fang Pingzhai hummed in acknowledgment. "I wonder if Shaolin Temple's rules are truly fair, whether these broad-minded monks—big, small, and old—are genuinely devoted solely to the Dharma and sincerely seek enlightenment. If they're truly so upright and selfless, what if an outsider like me were to enter and expound the teachings? What if I won? Would these venerable masters acknowledge it? Hahaha..." Dongfang Xu was taken aback, puzzled. "You... you want to go and lecture on the Dharma?" Fang Pingzhai hummed again. "Is the Dharma only for Shaolin monks to preach? I have many books at home, all memorized clearly. I have a mind full of thoughts and a belly full of reasoning—can't I speak? Verbal sparring is my forte, my strength! My advantage! Let's go." With that, he tugged the reins and leisurely rode off.
Dongfang Xu was astonished. Here was someone who wanted to compete with Shaolin monks in expounding the Dharma—and this person wasn’t even a monk! Such a rare spectacle would be a shame to miss. He waved his hand, signaling his men from Panlong Village to quietly follow Fang Pingzhai and his two companions as they turned back toward Shaolin Temple on Mount Song.
"Are you really going to lecture on the Dharma?" Yu Tuan'er frowned. "What does that even mean?" Fang Pingzhai half-closed his eyes, looking quite pleased. "Lecturing on the Dharma means storytelling, spinning tales." Yu Tuan'er was baffled. "Why is Shaolin Temple choosing an abbot by holding a storytelling contest?" Fang Pingzhai tapped her head lightly with his red fan. "Because it's a very, very deep question—so deep that your little brain could never grasp its complexity. So I won’t bother explaining in detail. I’ll just tell you this: monks love to deceive people." Yu Tuan'er, however, wasn’t foolish. She glared. "Storytelling is deceiving, and you want to compete with monks in storytelling—so that means you're really, really good at lying?" Fang Pingzhai faltered. "Ah... well..." He tapped his own head with the fan. "Tripped up by my own words. Yes, yes, I’m very good at lying. I admit it, alright? Honorable Shigu." Yu Tuan'er beamed. "Even if you're good at lying, I believe you wouldn’t lie to me." Fang Pingzhai said, "You really have that much faith in me? Aren’t you afraid of being disappointed?" Yu Tuan'er shook her head and urged her horse forward, its hooves clattering cheerfully.
Just who were these two? And who was inside the carriage traveling with them? Dongfang Xu trailed behind, growing more and more curious. Suddenly, he waved his hand and whispered an order to Da Hong, instructing him to go down the mountain and send a message to those following. It seemed today’s Shaolin Temple would be far more interesting. Once the others arrived, even if the temple wished to settle matters peacefully, that would be utterly impossible.Thirty miles away, the Azure Fall Palace's group of seven traveled with three carriages and twenty horses. Though only seven in number, their procession was grand—the carriages adorned with jade beads and golden bells, the horses all silver-maned steeds with hooves white as snow. It was said that one carriage carried Wan Yu Yuedan, another held a small rabbit, while the third remained empty, its purpose unclear. Of the seven, three drove the carriages, four rode on horseback, leaving sixteen fine steeds riderless—some laden with various bundles, their significance equally mysterious.
Indeed, the Azure Fall Palace lived up to its reputation as the most enigmatic sect in the martial world. Even as it stepped into the jianghu, its actions remained as inscrutable as ever. Yet despite the ostentatious display of three carriages and twenty horses parading through the land, not a single soul in the martial world dared lay a finger on them.
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