Chapter 103: The Tale of the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess

The White Dragon, persuaded by the sect leader, gracefully returned to the Dragon Fishing Pool. The once turbulent skies and roiling clouds settled in a blink, restoring the calm azure expanse above Mount Shu. The billowing sea of clouds descended, gracefully retreating halfway down the mountain.

Mount Shu regained its tranquility.

In the square in front of the Immeasurable Palace, a group of startled disciples watched as the extraordinary events unfolded.

With her gaze fixed on the spot where the sect leader had intervened, Zhang Xiaohan felt a surge of emotions.

The True Dragon's descent and the sect leader's impressive feat of subduing it would make headlines in the "Chronicles of the Nine Provinces"

section. Zhang Xiaohan was certain that she had landed a top spot in the headlines. She had a story to tell, especially with the intriguing details about Jiang Yuebai and the ongoing drama in South Gate City.

Plus, she was right there on the scene to report it all firsthand. This was a story she would write on her own. Combined with the intriguing information about Jiang Yuebai and the updates from South Gate City, she was set to make a big impact in this month's "Chronicles of the Nine Provinces."

This was her moment to shine!

Unlike traditional immortal sects, such as the Mount Shu Sect, the Celestial Pivot Pavilion relied solely on the

Seven Stars Gazette

to reap substantial monthly income. Generous rewards for outstanding disciples were the norm.

As things settled down, Jiang Yuebai spoke, "I must return to Azure Falling Peak. Xiaohan, come see me afterward. In the meantime, focus on your discussion with Junior Brother Lin Bei and this Junior Brother."

Chu Liang found himself at a loss for words.

With that being said, Jiang Yuebai revealed a faint smile as she bade farewell to everyone.

"Of course, Sister Jiang," Zhang Xiaohan replied with a sweet smile.

As Jiang Yuebai left, Lin Bei couldn't contain his excitement, exclaiming, "Jiang Jiang just smiled at me."

"Indeed." Chu Liang nodded.

She even shot me a side-eye when you weren't paying attention.

Chu Liang felt quite frustrated with the situation. He had already tried his best to explain that there was nothing going on between him and Xue Lingxue. Nonetheless, when a woman was upset with you, she wasn’t particularly interested in your explanations.

Zhang Xiaohan turned around and said, "Young Hero Chu, please continue sharing the story of the House of the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess."

In her gaze, there was a renewed expectation for the mundane and the vulgar.

With Jiang Yuebai gone, Chu Liang felt no need to hold back any longer and began to freely recount the story to Zhang Xiaohan.

"The Mountain-Subjugating Marquess and his son were truly indulgent and utterly filthy..." he began.

"

Huh?

" Zhang Xiaohan was puzzled. "Lord Xia might enjoy such pleasures, but the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess has always been dedicated to cultivation and has remained distant from worldly desires."

"Well... think about it. Why has he remained distant from worldly desires?" Chu Liang continued without showing a change of expression. "It's because he was excessively indulgent in his early years and depleted his energy. Most people don't know these stories."

"

Oh?

"

Did you know that at one point in his youth, the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess was casually walking down the street when he unexpectedly got whacked by a wooden stick sticking out of a window? And when he glanced up, he spotted a charming young lady...

"That young lady was named Jinlian and already had a husband, who was a diligent man that sold pancakes for a living... And just like that, this unscrupulous and adulterous couple worked together and killed this diligent man...[1]"

"Do you know that during his youth, the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess had a good friend who had a wife named Li Ping'er? Usually, the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess would address her as sister-in-law. But then, the Marquess schemed and killed his own friend...[2]"

"Did you know that during the early years of the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess's time at his residence, there was a maid named Chunmei...[3]"

Even as they returned to the quiet room, Chu Liang continued telling the stories. He spoke for a while. Zhang Xiaohan and Lin Bei listened in astonishment, staring wide-eyed at Chu Liang.

"

Oh my...

" Zhang Xiaohan shook her head in amazement. "This is too sensational. I didn’t know the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess was such a person..."

Lin Bei also slapped the table and sighed, "That is exactly how a true hero should act!"

"

Huh?

" Chu Liang and Zhang Xiaohan both stared at him strangely.

Why the sudden enthusiasm at a time like this?

"Oh, sorry... slip of the tongue," Lin Bei quickly corrected himself, putting on an indignant expression. "He should be killed!"

"The Mountain-Subjugating Marquess's residence has quite a dark history, actually. It's no surprise they're involved in such nefarious activities like trafficking women!" Zhang Xiaohan exclaimed. "What about Lord Xia? He's young; he couldn’t have committed so many atrocities, right?"

"You don't know about that..." Chu Liang lowered his voice. "Since his childhood days in the academy, he has shown his perverted characteristics."

"Lord Xia's academic performance was not ideal..."

...

After Jiang Yuebai returned to Azure Falling Peak, she ascended the ancient tree once again.

Daoist Yan continued her peaceful meditation at the top of the ancient tree, seemingly unaffected by the upheaval caused by the True Dragon's appearance at Mount Shu. It wasn't until Jiang Yuebai arrived that she slowly opened her eyes.

"Esteemed Teacher..." Jiang Yuebai bowed.

"What happened?" Daoist Yan, despite usually exuding a divine-like coldness in her demeanor, was always gentle when interacting with this disciple of hers.

"When the True Dragon descended on Mount Shu, I felt..." Jiang Yuebai frowned and whispered, "At that moment, I felt as though it was staring at me..."

While on the Heaven-Reaching Peak, she felt the gaze of the True Dragon.

When the White Dragon came straight in their direction, both her and Chu Liang felt the same thing.

Moreover, they were the only ones in the room. With her Transcendent Spirit constitution, she believed she would be the most likely target for the True Dragon.

Many demonic beasts desired to devour her because of her Transcendent Spirit constitution. This had been the case since childhood. So, she couldn't help but feel a bit worried. She hadn’t shown her anxiety in front of Chu Liang and the others while they were on the Heaven-Reaching Peak, but it was the reason why she had immediately left to see her teacher.

Daoist Yan frowned upon hearing this. "The True Dragon is not an ordinary demonic beast; it is a true spirit of the world. Would it also covet someone with the constitution of a Transcendent Spirit?"

"I don't know..." Jiang Yuebai shook her head.

"Since this happened, I will pay the sect leader a visit later and bring up this issue," Daoist Yan said sternly. "Even if it's a True Dragon, it should not be allowed to harm my disciple."

"Thank you," Jiang Yuebai said, her tone slightly moved.

Since she was young, she had felt like an orphan. Through her teacher’s support, she had been able to grow to this age. Otherwise, she really didn't know what would have happened to her.

While the teacher and disciple were talking, a distant voice sounded, "Yan Zi..."

As soon as Jiang Yuebai heard this voice, she knew who it was.

The peak master of the Silver Sword Peak, Di Nufeng, and her teacher had been close friends since childhood. They had been friends for many years. Di Nufeng was the only one who would casually call her teacher by her real name.

Speaking of female peak masters on Mount Shu, they were rare in numbers. However, the two peak masters who were widely recognized as having the highest cultivation among all peak masters were both women.

If Daoist Yan weren't indifferent to worldly matters and didn't have a cold temperament, and if Di Nufeng weren't capricious, belligerent, and mischievous, Wang Xuanling might not have obtained the position of the first seat among peak masters.

Because of the good relationship between her esteemed teacher and Di Nufeng, Jiang Yuebai initially had a favorable impression of Chu Liang from the Silver Sword Peak.

But...

As Jiang Yuebai thought of Chu Liang, she suddenly felt an inexplicable anger.

Humph.

Let's not talk about it.

Upon hearing Di Nufeng's call, Daoist Yan's composed face displayed visible signs of resistance.

But there was nothing she could do. As a burst of fire and light fell, Di Nufeng’s figure appeared next to her.

"Yuebai, you may head back first." Daoist Yan had no choice but to dismiss her disciple.

"Yes." Jiang Yuebai nodded and took her leave.

Then, she turned her head to look at Di Nufeng and asked, "What are you here for again?"

"Yan Zi, my little Yan Zi..." Di Nufeng came over with a smile. "You are my best friend. Of course, I have to come and see you often."

Daoist Yan stared at her coldly. "To scam three to five thousand sword coins from me again?"

As the only friend of Di Nufeng on Mount Shu, she had indeed endured too much these past years.

"Hey! If you put it this way, you are not being a real friend." Di Nufeng waved her hand as she said, "How can you call it a scam when I was just borrowing in a straightforward manner."

"It only counts as borrowing if you do return the money." Daoist Yan refuted without showing any mercy.

"Yes!" Di Nufeng nodded heavily and said, "And that’s why I came to see you! To pay you back!"

With that, she took out a bag of sword coins and said, "Of course, I owe you too much, and it's impossible to repay it all at once. Here are a thousand sword coins. Consider this the interest."

Daoist Yan felt quite surprised as she took the bag of sword coins. It was as if the sun had risen from the wrong side of the sky to see Di Nufeng returning money. Not knowing how to respond, she suddenly saw Di Nufeng approaching with a smile.

Di Nufeng continued, "Just that... I have something important to do recently. Can you lend me something?"

"

Heh,

" Daoist Yan smirked, "I knew it..."

It was just as she had expected.

When in dire straits, the true character emerged.

"

Eh—

" Di Nufeng raised her hand and said, "I didn’t return you the money because I need something from you."

"What do you want to borrow?" Daoist Yan asked cautiously, feeling that it might not be something good.

"The Heavenly Cloud Ancient Sword," Di Nufeng said.

"Forget it," Daoist Yan stood up and left.

"No, there's nothing we can't discuss. It won't be damaged if I use it..." Di Nufeng hurriedly caught up. "I'm not asking you to give it to me..."

Daoist Yan took a step, disappearing in an instant using the Dimension Compression Technique, leaving Di Nufeng shouting from a distance.

"Yan Zi, don't go..."

"Let's talk about it when you come back!"

"Yan Zi, how can I live without you? Yan Zi!"

1. He's just telling the story of Pan Jinlian, the famous adulteress. She is a minor character in the Water Margin and one of the three main female characters in Jin Ping Mei. Jin Ping Mei is known to be a classic Chinese lit and explicit content.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Jinlian

☜

2. The second main female character of the book, Jin Ping Mei. This is the concubine of the guy who had an affair with Jin Lian. ☜

3. The third female character in the book, Jin Ping Mei. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_Ping_Mei#cite_note-lu408-2 ☜