Chapter 386. Blessed's Existence Intention (1)

They achieved their goal?

Zhou Xuchuan chewed on the words of the Seven Stars Division soldiers. He was displeased that he couldn't directly kill those who had pointed their swords at his master, but he was concerned about the words they had uttered before ending their lives.

The mission failed, but the goal was achieved?

A few thoughts flashed through his mind.

"Xuchuan."

"

Ah,

yes! Master!"

Zhou Xuchuan's gaze turned to Liu Zhengmu.

Zhou Xuchuan was about to enjoy his reunion with the master he respected and loved more than anyone else, but his master stopped him with a worried face, saying, "I'm sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but I'm worried about the Sect Master and the other disciples."

"No. I'm also worried about the others, Master."

Except for Ling Zhen, the Five High Elders of Mount Hua were all outstanding experts. However, their enemies were connected to the Dark Heavens Association, so no one could say for sure what would happen.

Above all, the Three Mountain Sword Sects Alliance was not an ordinary alliance, so it couldn't be underestimated at all.

However, contrary to their worries, the situation at the Upper Palace was already settled.

Everyone was busy treating their wounds.

"Junior Nephew!"

Zheng Huilian was delighted to see Zhou Xuchuan.

"It's been a while, Sect Master." Zhou Xuchuan gave a brief but polite greeting. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"As you can see, I'm fine," Zheng Huilian said. The boy smiled brightly, showing his pure white teeth. He seemed quite happy to have met the object of his admiration.

"I would like to show you my improvement, Junior Nephew, but the situation isn't favorable."

The smile on Zheng Huilian's lips disappeared. He was no longer a child but a leader with a lot on his shoulders.

"Would you please help the other disciples who are in danger?" he asked.

"Of course. Just leave it to me."

***

For now, just talking about the results, the attack on Mount Hua was a complete defeat for the Three Mountain Sword Sects Alliance.

Before the fighting could even begin, the alliance was weakened by the mechanisms known as Sword Mountain and Sword Forest.

The Mount Hua Sect also held out better than expected.

The decisive problem was their morale, which plummeted after hearing the news of the Sword God's appearance. Later on, when news of the deaths of their greatest masters and leaders, the three Sect Masters, was delivered, they lost their will to fight and quickly surrendered.

There was a reason the Six Empyrean Overlords were called "Six Empyrean Overlords." They had a huge influence on the world.

"We've imprisoned the members of the Three Mountain Sword Sects Alliance, over five hundred people," Wei Zhijie reported.

"

Whew!

" Zheng Huilian exhaled and sighed at the same time. "What about our casualties?"

"Including the dead and injured, there are over two hundred people. We should take comfort in the fact that there were relatively few casualties. The Benevolence Clinic is also helping Elder Ling Zhen treat the injured."

"

Hmph.

"

Zheng Huilian looked displeased.

"Sect Master, we fought against a force as large as an army sent by not just anyone but the Three Mountain Sword Sects Alliance. It's a good thing that we ended up with only this much damage," Shen Yulian said, consoling Zheng Huilian.

The Three Mountain Sword Sects Alliance wasn't a small or a medium-sized sect, and even their Sect Masters—sword masters with huge reputations as experts—had joined in.

Thus, two hundred casualties weren't a large number at all.

"What happened to the Three Mountain Sword Sect Masters?"

"The One Hundred and Eighty Nine Paths lost his life at the hands of Zhou Xuchuan, while Chaoyi Shitai and the Mount Tai Sect's Sword died from cultivation deviation," Zhao Wuyang answered immediately.

"How are the negotiations going?"

"Excuse me, Sect Master. May I answer that for you?" She Teng asked with courtesy to the Sect Master.

Among the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance, the only one who hadn't betrayed them was the Sect Master of the Hengshan Sect, the Ape Arm Sword. He survived because he was kept alive to show him the fall of the Mount Hua Sect.

On the contrary, he witnessed the defeat of the Three Mountain Sword Sects Alliance.

"Of course."

The Mount Hua Sect elders were friendly to She Teng.

According to eyewitness accounts and testimonies, he never gave in even when his life was in danger. If even the Hengshan Sect had joined in, the Mount Hua Sect would have suffered even greater, so they were very grateful for that.

Above all, he was kind to the young Sect Master, so his polite attitude earned him some points.

"As you just heard, the Sect Masters of the Mount Song Sect, the Mount Tai Sect, and the Mount Heng Sect have passed away. We have been looking for a representative to negotiate, but unfortunately, several of their key figures are hostile to us, so it will take some time."

The Little Sect Master of the Mount Tai Sect, Gao Canzheng, and those who were close to the former sect masters had all inherited their ideology.

The Righteous Faction members' belief in carrying on the will of the sect, the ideology of their master, and the teachings of the sect, was showing a negative effect here.

"However, we found people who seem to be capable of hearing us out, so it shouldn't take long for us to persuade them. They probably don't want their sects to be destroyed, either."

"Thank you."

"No. I just did what was expected of me as a member of the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance."

She Teng's face became strange at the words, "Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance."

He seemed to be harboring mixed feelings.

"It will be decided once the Martial Alliance responds, but I think we will have to negotiate with the Three Mountain Sword Sects Alliance and ask them to seal themselves," Xue Song suggested.

If they were from the Evil Faction or the Demonic Path, they would have been wiped out without a second thought. However, the Mount Hau Sect was neither an Evil Sect nor a member of the Demonic Path.

Regardless of them being traitors, they couldn't take the lives of those who had shown their intentions to surrender, which meant that they had decided to negotiate.

"Don't spare any money on treating the injured. Also, I hope you will invite artisans from outside and work hard on the maintenance."

As one of the Righteous Factions' prestigious sects, the Mount Hua Sect wasn't lacking when it came to money.

Moreover, the Mount Hua Sect had been prospering in the current generation. It was at its peak, and it was so high up that it could be called the world's greatest sect.

In other words, they were receiving money from all over the place.

In the most recent uproar, several buildings were destroyed; the stairs and gate were also broken, but they could be easily repaired. Even if one were to argue on the basis of martial arts, at least in terms of medical or economic aspects, the Mount Hua Sect was truly the best.

***

The next day, Zhou Xuchuan was finally able to sleep comfortably for the first time in a long time. The room he had been living in since childhood was cramped and shabby compared to the places he had stayed in at the Martial Alliance or the Gold Will Merchants, but the room gave him incomparable comfort.

If an outsider were to visit the Sword God's residence, that outsider would surely doubt whether they were staring at the Sword God's residence or not.

After all, the residence was old and small even within the Mount Hua Sect.

However, the owner of the residence, Liu Zhengmu, was very frugal, and Zhou Xuchuan wasn't the type to care much about it, either, so he politely declined the offer from the higher-ups and maintained the residence.

Whenever he had time, he would clean it thoroughly, so even though it was a bit shabby, it was still clean.

"Master, are you coughing?"

Just as the sun was about to rise above the east of the mountain, Zhou Xuchuan greeted Liu Zhengmu. He had memorized when his master would usually wake up.

"No, it's fine, Xuchuan. But what about the meeting in the Upper Palace..."

"The brief meeting ended last night, so there's no problem at all. Above all, how could I stay behind when there's good news concerning you, Master?

"Master, I truly congratulate you on breaking down the wall to the apex of martial arts. As expected of my master."

Zhou Xuchuan greeted him with immense praise as if he had greased his tongue beforehand. It wasn't flattery, but a sincere emotion that came from his heart. He was extremely happy to hear that Liu Zhengmu had reached the Harmony Realm.

"To be praised not by just anyone but you, there really is no more fitting expression than 'showing off before an expert.'"

Liu Zhengmu smiled bitterly, seemingly embarrassed

The saying "writing in front of Confucius" came to mind.

Who was the disciple in front of him?

Zhou Xuchuan had surpassed the pinnacle of martial arts and held the title "God," which saw limited usage in the past and the present.[1]

It was no wonder Liu Zhengmu felt embarrassed.

"No. If it hadn't been for Master's teachings, my achievements wouldn't have been possible. It's all thanks to you, Master."

Zhou Xuchuan's eyes sparkled as if he were Zheng Huilian, and he showed boundless respect that it almost felt burdensome.

"How are you feeling?"

He wanted to specifically ask about his master's body, but Liu Zhengmu was once upset about a similar question back then, so Zhou Xuchuan decided to hold back.

"I'm fine, so don't worry too much."

Liu Zhengmu smiled gently, befitting his title.

Zhou Xuchuan could even see a halo in his field of vision.

Thank the Heavens...

He was happy to see that warm and comfortable smile again. It felt like all the hardships he had endured were washed away.

It was something he didn't even want to imagine, but Zhou Xuchuan unconsciously thought that if he were to witness Liu Zhengmu's death, he'd probably become the first Coruscant Realm expert to fall into cultivation deviation.

"If it's okay with you, could you tell this worthless master as to what you've been through?"

Zhou Xuchuan was so busy running around here and there that it was hard to even talk, let alone meet him face to face.

"Of course."

"Given the circumstances, there's no need to explain in depth," Liu Zhengmu said, just in case.

I feel sorry for the people who need Xuchuan, but there's still the possibility that he might have some difficulties or worries... At the very least, I should understand the current situation. My heart aches just thinking about the Sect Master, the elders, and the disciples who are busy with the cleanup...

He was a hero and was the Sword God, but Zhou Xuchuan was still a disciple that Liu Zhengmu had to take care of and worry about. It was exactly because his disciple was a hero that he was even more worried about him.

Zhou Xuchuan told Liu Zhengmu everything that he went through. Of course, he hid the parts that had to be hidden, such as Nangong Weiwu's case.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Liu Zhengmu. He simply respected Nangong Weiwu's decision to shoulder everything to become a villain. He decided to respect Nangong Weiwu's secret to the very end.

Since he hadn't been able to lie to his master since he was young, he deliberately avoided telling him anything related to that situation.

The master listened to his disciple's story and heard everything without missing a single thing. It didn't take long, as Zhou Xuchuan was great at summarizing and conveying things.

Above all, Liu Zhengmu had already heard about everything in a nutshell, so there was no need for him to ask any questions along the way.

"...That's it, Master," Zhou Xuchuan said.

"Really... You've worked hard." Liu Zhengmu raised his hand and gently patted Zhou Xuchuan on the head. Zhou Xuchuan smiled unconsciously. Regardless of his age, he would always like the warmth of his master's hands.

It was a warmth that gave him greater joy than winning against the Dark Heavens Association and turning the situation around.

Many people are relying on this child. The Mount Hua Sect, the Righteous Faction, and even... the murim rely on him as well.

Liu Zhengmu looked at Zhou Xuchuan and thought,

then, who does this child rely on for support?

Sometimes, Liu Zhengmu would feel worried about his disciple. He had always been a precocious child, and even though he was the Sword God, he was still human. He was neither a god nor Buddha.

He was the Sword God, but it was only an achievement in martial arts. He was by no means a transcendent being.

I regret that I can't take away much of his burden.

Liu Zhengmu lamented his incompetence. He wished that he had recovered from his chronic illness quicker.

The reason he had been confined to the Mount Hua Sect to cultivate was that he wanted to relieve his disciple's worries.

The boy often showed concern toward him as if he still had memories of Liu Zhengmu's weak body. This was the reason the Benevolence Clinic had established itself near the Mount Hua Sect.

Shouldn't I become a pillar of support for Xuchuan to rely on?

For a while, the master patted his disciple's head.

***

Hefei, Dark Heavens Association...

"Blessed Existence, urgent news."

The Vast Gate Star reported to Blessed Existence.

"Zhou Xuchuan appeared in the Mount Hua Sect, Liu Zhengmu's kidnapping has..."

The Seven Stars Division soldiers trailed off.

Blessed Existence's brush stopped.

"Failed?"

"...Yes."

"

Tsk!

"

Despite that, Blessed Existence didn't look disappointed. Judging from his face, he seemed to have expected the outcome.

"You move quickly when it comes to anything involving your master. Good. In the first place, I never expected it to be a complete success."

1. This is actually why I get so upset about the death of the Sword Immortal. Being given the title of 'Immortal/God' literally denotes you as the strongest of your discipline, and he was supposed to be one of the strongest Empyrean Overlords, if not

the

strongest. But he died in a surprise attack. Sad. ☜