Chapter 41: Visiting the Celestial Master’s Residence

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Two days later, in Liuhe Town.

Just as Gu Jiting was preparing to risk coughing up blood once more to ask about Wu Gensheng’s whereabouts from within the Inner Landscape, Wu Gensheng himself came staggering toward them along the path outside town, panting heavily, his face swollen and bruised.

“Master, your injuries…”

Duan Chuan hurried forward to support him, but after glancing behind Wu Gensheng and seeing no sign of Zhao Zhen, his expression changed slightly.

“Master, where’s that brat?”

Seeing the wounds on Wu Gensheng’s face, Duan Chuan immediately developed a very bad feeling.

“Don’t worry. He’s fine—lively as ever. He beat me up and then left.”

“What?”

At those words, Gu Jiting’s expression became exceedingly strange.

“What exactly happened?”

Duan Chuan frowned, confusion flashing through his eyes.

Wu Gensheng did not answer. He merely patted Duan Chuan lightly on the shoulder.

“Master, you really did pick up a fine disciple…”

“Master…”

Gu Jiting was about to ask more, but Wu Gensheng suddenly raised a hand and cut him off.

“Xiaogu, do we have anything to eat or drink? Bring me something, quickly. I’ve just run nearly two hundred li along mountain roads. My legs are about to fall off!”

“Oh, of course, Master. Wait here—I’ll get something for you right away.”

* * *

Half a month later, at the foot of Mount Longhu in Jiangxi.

Wearing a bamboo hat, Zhao Zhen raised his head and gazed at the famous Taoist mountain before him.

Looking into the distance, he saw crimson cliffs and vermilion precipices coiling like a giant dragon. The ocher-red rock glowed with golden radiance beneath the morning light, like a divine relic tempered by heavenly fire.

As he climbed the stone steps, bamboo rafts suddenly cut through the glassy waters. Cormorants beat their wings, scattering ripples of shattered silver, while the boatmen’s mountain songs mingled with the morning bells of the Taoist temples, sending wave after wave of echoes through the sheer cliffs.

In this era, Mount Longhu had not yet been taken over and developed by the relevant authorities. Everything on the mountain still possessed an unspoiled, pristine natural beauty.

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As for why he had come to Mount Longhu, there were two reasons.

First, he had come to pay a visit to the Celestial Master’s residence at the invitation of Zhang Zhiwei, bringing his five-year journey to a proper conclusion.

Second, naturally, he wanted to avoid seeing that old man again.

Although Zhao Zhen had steeled himself and deliberately lost their wager last time, choosing to fulfill the old man’s wishes, he was genuinely worried that he might change his mind again the moment he saw him.

After thinking it over, Zhao Zhen decided that the best course was to spend some time somewhere quiet—a place where he could be certain he would not encounter the old man.

That way, he could fulfill the old man’s wishes while allowing his own heart to settle as well.

Mount Longhu was the ancestral seat of Taoism, the place where generations of Celestial Masters had lived in seclusion and cultivated themselves. Its tranquil surroundings went without saying.

More importantly, the old man probably would not dare set foot here for the rest of his life…

At that thought, a bitter smile touched Zhao Zhen’s lips, and he continued toward the summit.

Although the untouched beauty of Mount Longhu had not been ruined by human development, the path up the mountain was certainly no easy route.

Still, those who regularly traveled up and down the mountain were mostly disciples of the Celestial Master’s residence. To an adept, this rugged mountain road was hardly worth mentioning.

Before long, Zhao Zhen climbed all the steps with effortless strides and finally arrived before the mountain gate of the Celestial Master’s residence.

The gilded plaque hanging prominently above the main entrance read “Celestial Master’s Residence of the Successive Han.” Its five powerful characters had been carved with inlaid gold into dark sandalwood, and against the vermilion lintel they looked like an imperial edict from the immortals above the clouds.

“Guests of the immortals in the Hall of the Qilin, the prime ministers’ household in Mount Longhu…”

He murmured the couplet written on either side of the gate, and a solemn majesty rose instinctively within him.

Zhao Zhen had visited many famous sects of the extraordinary world before, yet none had ever given him the same impression as the Celestial Master’s residence—a combination of weighty grandeur and uninhibited magnificence.

“As expected of the Celestial Master’s residence, leader of the Orthodox Unity tradition…”

After voicing his heartfelt admiration, Zhao Zhen stepped forward and knocked twice on the gate.

Before long, the doors slowly opened. A small Taoist boy in plain clothing emerged, holding a broom. He had a pair of remarkably large ears and wore a puzzled expression.

“Benefactor, whom have you come to see?”

Zhao Zhen looked the boy up and down, his gaze lingering for an extra second on those conspicuously large ears.

Those ears… If nothing unexpected had happened, this should be Zhang Chulan’s grandfather in the future—Zhang Huaiyi.

“I am Zhao Zhen. I have come today to visit the Celestial Master’s residence at the invitation of your sect’s Zhang Zhiwei, Fellow Daoist Zhang. I would be grateful if you could announce my arrival.”

As he spoke, Zhao Zhen clasped his hands in greeting and introduced himself.

“Oh! You’re Zhao Zhen?!”

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Upon hearing the name Zhao Zhen, a bright gleam immediately flashed through Zhang Huaiyi’s eyes, and he became visibly excited.

“You know me, young Daoist?”

“Oh, my name is Lin Huaiyi. The Zhang Zhiwei whom you just mentioned, Fellow Daoist Zhao, is my senior fellow disciple.”

Lin Huaiyi…

Zhang Xilin, Zhang Xilin—seen from that angle, it made perfect sense.

Indeed, at this point Zhang Huaiyi probably had not yet been taught the Thunder Method. Naturally, he had not yet been granted the surname Zhang either.

Who knew whether, after Zhao Zhen had interfered so heavily in the Lu Family birthday banquet, Zhang Jingshi would still use Zhang Huaiyi to teach Zhang Zhiwei a lesson as he had in the original story?

If not, would that not mean the entire future course of events had already been thrown into disarray by his interference?

“I don’t know you personally, Benefactor Zhao. It’s just that after Senior Brother Zhiwei returned from the Lu Family birthday banquet last time, he often told the brothers on the mountain about what happened there.

“Especially about you, Benefactor Zhao! I never imagined that there could be anyone in this world capable of fighting Senior Brother Zhiwei to a draw!”

Looking at the admiration in Lin Huaiyi’s eyes, Zhao Zhen merely chuckled and said nothing more.

After all, it had only been a sparring match. It proved nothing.

If he and Zhang Zhiwei were truly fighting to the death, there was no need to think about who would die in the end. It would certainly be Zhao Zhen.

But there was one problem: Zhao Zhen was not stupid enough to risk his life against Zhang Zhiwei.

If Zhang Zhiwei could catch up with his Golden Escape and Radiant Flow, Zhao Zhen would gladly stretch out his neck and let him cut him down.

But the question was, could he catch him?

“You flatter me, Daoist Lin. Zhang merely held back during that match, so it should not be taken seriously.”

“You don’t know, Benefactor Zhao. Senior Brother Zhiwei is equally merciful toward us when we spar on the mountain. Yet among all our fellow disciples, not one of us has ever lasted three moves against him.”

With that, Zhang Huaiyi pushed the great doors open once more and respectfully gestured for Zhao Zhen to enter.

“Benefactor Zhao, please come in. I’ll take you to meet my master.”

“Then I’ll trouble you, Daoist Lin.”