Chapter 36: A Marvelous Person? A Person Who Strikes in Seconds!

No, that cannot be it.

This thought flashed through Zhao Zhen's mind for only a brief moment before he immediately dismissed it.

Wu Gensheng was the leader of the Quanxing. On one hand, he was a staunch supporter of the philosophy of Yang Zhu, the founder of the Quanxing; on the other, he was also a witness to the atrocities committed by his own sect members. If he could not reconcile these two realities, he would not be qualified to hold the position of leader. To kill Liu Wanshan simply because of his massacre of the village was not Wu Gensheng’s style. Had not the "White Owl" Liang Ting committed far more heinous deeds than Liu Wanshan? Yet, even so, did Wu Gensheng not keep him by his side and help him achieve his final "liberation"?

As for who would strike against one of their own, Zhao Zhen’s first thought was Gao Gen—a ruthless man who joined the Quanxing solely to kill its wicked members out of a deep-seated hatred for evil. However, Zhao Zhen had seen Gao Gen at Yinghe Pavilion not long ago, and at that time, he had not yet joined the sect. The timeline did not match, so Gao Gen could be ruled out as well.

With Wu Gensheng and Gao Gen excluded, the only person left in the Quanxing whom Zhao Zhen knew well was the old man, Duan Chuan.

"Could it have been the old man who finished him off?"

Zhao Zhen murmured softly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. If it really were the old man, did that not mean he had been quietly watching over him all these years while he wandered the world?

At this thought, a wave of warmth washed over Zhao Zhen. *That old man,* he mused, *why is he so shy about showing his face? I was raised by you since I was a child. No matter what others think of you, how could I ever treat you like some wicked Quanxing demon and hunt you down?*

Just as Zhao Zhen was chuckling to himself, Zhang Zhiwei, who had been lectured all night, walked slowly toward them.

"Brother Zhao!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhang."

Zhao Zhen, his thoughts interrupted, turned and offered a smile to Zhang Zhiwei.

"Seeing that you have recovered, I can finally rest easy."

"That is all thanks to the Celestial Master’s elixir from yesterday and your own restraint, Fellow Daoist Zhang. Otherwise, I fear I would have truly had to impose upon the Lu family for a few more days."

"Hahaha, Brother Zhao, don't say that! If you truly wished to stay, I would have someone build you your own house. While the Lu family may not be exceptionally wealthy, we certainly have enough to support an extra person," Lu Jin joked.

"That really won't be necessary. I’ve grown accustomed to wandering alone; my temperament is too wild, and staying here would only cause trouble for others," Zhao Zhen replied with a polite shake of his head.

"Once this is all over, Brother Zhao, where do you plan to travel next?" Zhang Zhiwei asked.

Judging by his expression, Zhang Zhiwei’s question was clearly insincere—the drunkard’s heart was not in the wine. Zhao Zhen, however, pretended not to notice and did not call him out.

"I had originally intended to hunt down an enemy, but I just learned from Miss Guan that my enemy has already died at the hands of another. It saved me the trouble of doing it myself. As for my future plans, I suppose I will continue to wander the four corners of the world, visiting eccentric masters and honing my cultivation. After all, it won’t be long before this world becomes quite turbulent..."

"Turbulent? What do you mean by that? Have all the various factions not been quite peaceful this year?" A flicker of doubt crossed Zhang Zhiwei’s eyes.

"Indeed, things are peaceful within our own borders, but my concerns lie beyond them."

"Brother Zhao, are you suggesting there will be an invasion by another nation?" Lu Jin asked, his expression turning grave.

"It is merely a hunch of mine; you need not take it too seriously. In any case, it never hurts to improve one’s defensive skills, does it?"

"I hope it is truly just a hunch, Brother Zhao..."

Zhang Zhiwei let out a heavy sigh, his face solemn, before continuing: "I heard that you have visited almost every major sect in the world, with the exception of my Celestial Master’s Mansion and the Lu family. Now that you have visited the Lu family, if you have no fixed destination, why not come and stay at the Celestial Master’s Mansion for a few days?"

"Oh? Visit the Celestial Master’s Mansion?"

Zhao Zhen was slightly taken aback. He truly had not expected Zhang Zhiwei to personally invite him to Mount Longhu. Upon reflection, however, he quickly understood. It was only natural; with Zhang Zhiwei’s prideful nature, the fact that he had been forced into a draw due to his own carelessness and underestimation of his opponent must have left a bitter taste in his mouth. Especially after being so sternly reprimanded by his master, Zhang Jingqing, the night before—while he certainly understood his master’s good intentions, he must still yearn to reclaim the face he lost at Zhao Zhen’s hands one day. Young people are all competitive; in that sense, Lu Jin and Zhang Zhiwei were quite similar. How else could they have remained close friends for nearly a century?

Thinking this, Zhao Zhen smiled faintly.

"I am grateful for your invitation, Fellow Daoist Zhang, but I have some trivial matters to attend to for the moment, so I am afraid I cannot accompany you to Mount Longhu just yet. Rest assured, however, I have long heard of the Danxia fairyland of Mount Longhu, the ancestral home of Taoism, and the thousand-year heritage of the Celestial Master’s lineage; I have long yearned to visit. Once I have settled my affairs, I will certainly come to the Celestial Master’s Mansion to pay my respects to the Master and yourself. I only hope that when the time comes, everyone at the Mansion will not mind me intruding upon your quiet cultivation."

A smile gradually spread across Zhang Zhiwei’s face.

"Hahaha, Brother Zhao, you are too polite! You are always welcome, so how could there be any talk of intrusion? In that case, I shall return to the mountain and await your news. Farewell."

"Farewell."

Watching Zhang Zhiwei’s carefree retreating figure, Lu Jin could not help but remark, "That Brother Zhang is truly a remarkable man..."

*A remarkable man?* Zhao Zhen couldn't help but glance at Lu Jin beside him. *I think 'a man who can finish you in seconds' is more accurate.*

*Lu Jin, oh Lu Jin, you really should thank me this time. If I hadn't intervened, your dark history of being defeated in a single blow would truly never have been washed away.*

"Brother Zhao, why are you looking at me like that? Was there something wrong with what I just said?"

"Nothing at all. I only meant to say that it is about time I took my leave."

"Very well. Brother Zhao, do keep in touch by letter."

"Indeed. Farewell."

After bidding farewell to Lu Jin, Zhao Zhen went to Zuo Ruotong to say his goodbyes.

"Sect Leader Zuo, I am here to bid you farewell."

"Very well, go. Remember to visit my Sanyi Sect often in the future," Zuo Ruotong said with a gentle smile.

"I shall keep that in mind."

After bowing deeply to Zuo Ruotong once more, Zhao Zhen turned and walked away without looking back.

A moment later, after finishing with his other guests, Lu Jin returned to Zuo Ruotong’s side.

"Master, has Brother Zhao left?"

"Yes, he has."

"Master, I finally understand why those elders of our Sanyi Sect all chose to travel abroad to seek opportunities once they reached a bottleneck in the 'Triple Reflection of the Mortal Life'."

"Indeed. The wonders of this world far exceed what you or I can imagine. Remaining in the mountains to cultivate blindly will only ever make one a frog at the bottom of a well."

"Then Master, when will I be able to travel and gain experience like Brother Zhao?"

"What? Envious of Zhao Zhen?"

"A little..."

"Heh, the moment you master the second stage, I will let you travel."

"Really?"

"You silly boy, when have I ever lied to you?"

"Hehe, thank you, Master!"