Chapter 132: Wind Filling the Pavilion

Chapter 132: Winds Sweeping Through the Tower

A line of white-robed Tianshan disciples swept into Qingyang Town with lightning speed. They stood in two rows along the bluestone road, their hands resting on the hilts of their cold-glinting swords, eyes constantly scanning both sides of the street to observe the cultivators and townsfolk.

At this hour, the streets of Qingyang Town were already sparse. Most of the townspeople had retired for the night; only a few scattered groups remained on the bluestone paths to enjoy the cool air. From the distant Sun Family Tavern came the boisterous shouts of cultivators, while nearby, the murmuring flow of the small river winding alongside the road filled the silence.

"Where is Lu Zhenbei? Why hasn't he come out to greet our honored guests and myself? What kind of advance guard work is this? I can't even see a shadow of him. What sort of 'advance' is this?" Before Lu Tiannan even arrived at the town's west gate, his voice had already preceded him.

As the voice faded, Lu Tiannan appeared at the entrance of Qingyang Town, bowing and wearing a fawning smile. He seemed to be guiding someone, turning his body slightly as he walked to introduce the town to the person behind him.

"Young Master Ximen, this is a small town under the jurisdiction of the Huashan Sect, a second-rank sect. There are no notable structures here, save for a dilapidated tavern. I imagine our sect elders have already secured it, waiting for you to take up residence."

Lu Tiannan’s face was thick with sycophantic smiles as he bowed, talking to the young man in luxurious robes walking behind him. Internally, however, he was growing anxious. What is that old fool Lu Zhenbei doing? Why isn't he out here to welcome us? If he hasn't handled things properly, I’ll break his legs.

The youth in fine robes possessed a haughty air. His handsome face featured deep-set eyes filled with impatience. He frowned as he looked at the old, bluestone-built houses of Qingyang Town and the winding stream beside the road. Only after the cool night air washed over him did the look of impatience on his face soften slightly, and he waved his hand.

"It is of no matter, Sect Leader Lu. As long as my lodgings are arranged, everything is fine."

"Young Master Ximen, the elders have already sent a talisman sword message, urging us to hurry back. Once we wipe out Huashan, shall we depart immediately?" Behind the youth, a handsome young man with slightly graying hair stepped forward. His eyes held a faint trace of arrogance as he addressed the youth.

The young man’s expression, which had just begun to ease, immediately clouded over again. He spoke to the handsome youth with palpable impatience: "Ximen Shang, although your strength is formidable, the Sect Master explicitly stated before we departed that I am to lead in all matters. If you have any complaints, take them up with the Sect Master upon our return. For now, you must follow my arrangements."

A flicker of anger passed through Ximen Shang’s eyes. His brow twitched, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but after a moment of internal struggle, he ultimately held his tongue.

Seeing that Ximen Shang had fallen silent, the youth in luxurious robes turned triumphantly to Lu Tiannan. "Sect Leader Lu, it is settled: tomorrow night, when you engage in battle with Huashan, we shall only be responsible for holding the line; we will not intervene further. Dealing with the Jinyan Sect last time was one thing, as they had a master in the late stage of Foundation Establishment. If you expect us to step in against this tiny second-rank sect, it would tarnish the reputation of our Xixia Sect in the Linqing Prefecture, ruining our dreams of dominating the Tianyue Realm. And if that happens, your Tianshan Sect can forget about your dream of becoming the only third-rank sect in Linqing Prefecture."

"Young Master Ximen, please, rest assured. As for Huashan, their sect leader and second-strongest expert have already died on the Demon Hunting Battlefield. With only a few small fry left, a single Tianshan cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining could sweep them away. It is just that… for the protective formation on Mount Hua, I am afraid we must trouble…"

Lu Tiannan’s voice trailed off as he turned his gaze toward the aloof Ximen Shang, his face full of fawning and pleading.

"As long as it is not a third-rank formation, I, Ximen Shang, can break it. Even if it were a third-rank array, I could enter and exit at will. To destroy that core—a tiny second-rank sect without a single Foundation Establishment cultivator is nothing more than clay chickens and pottery dogs to me."

Ximen Shang glanced at the sycophantic Lu Tiannan, his pride deepening as he spoke with utter disdain.

Lu Tiannan was overjoyed. "If Senior Ximen is willing to act, I am eternally grateful. All of Tianshan is eternally grateful."

Suddenly, a white-robed Tianshan disciple approached, his face deathly pale. He held a notice in his hand and, reaching Lu Tiannan, handed it over.

Lu Tiannan, still basking in the glow of Ximen Shang’s promise, took the notice with a look of impatience. But as his eyes fell upon the contents, his expression shifted to one of boiling rage. He grabbed the disciple by the throat and roared, "Where did this notice come from?!"

The disciple, suddenly seized by his sect leader, turned deathly white. He knew that any disciple who died under his leader's hand did so because they had provoked him. Could he be next? Hearing the question clearly, the disciple trembled. "It—it is all over the streets! It is everywhere!"

He pointed to the walls on both sides of the street, gasping for breath.

Releasing the disciple, Lu Tiannan looked at the notices plastered on the walls. His aged face instantly turned ashen. According to this notice, Lu Zhenbei was dead, and all the Tianshan disciples above the fourth level of Qi Refining who had come to Qingyang Town as the advance guard were also dead…

"Sshhh—!"

With a burst of Foundation Establishment-level spiritual energy, the notice in Lu Tiannan's hand disintegrated into tiny fragments, drifting up into the sky and falling like snow.

Following this powerful surge of energy, a large number of cultivators poured out from the distant tavern and other nearby buildings. Their faces filled with anticipation as they rushed toward the west gate of Qingyang Town.

"The Tianshan Foundation Establishment master is here!"
"Now we have a real show to watch."
"Huashan is in trouble."
"Nonsense! Huashan slaughtered so many Tianshan disciples; they must have some tricks up their sleeves."
"Rubbish! Tianshan has Foundation Establishment masters—two of them, plus one outsider. Three of them! Do you know what that means?"
"Did you feel that powerful spiritual pressure just now? Only a Foundation Establishment master could do that…"

The crowd of cultivators clamored as they rushed toward the west gate, eager to see the Tianshan masters.

"Huashan!" Lu Tiannan spat through gritted teeth.

Seeing Lu Tiannan’s sudden rage, a flash of confusion crossed Ximen Shang’s face. He beckoned, and a notice from a nearby wall flew into his hand. After reading it, an look of surprise flickered in his eyes. He cast an amused look at the furious Lu Tiannan and, crumpling the paper, said with a smirk, "So many disciples dead, then."

Hearing this, Lu Tiannan’s face grew even darker. However, not daring to show his anger to Ximen Shang, he turned to his disciples and roared with volcanic fury, "All disciples, hear my command! March on Huashan immediately! I will level Huashan to the ground and use their blood to wash away the injustice in my heart!"

The fine-robed Young Master Ximen watched the enraged Lu Tiannan with a playful smile. He took the notice from Ximen Shang’s hand, read it, and then chuckled mockingly. "Many disciples dead, so Sect Leader Lu must naturally hate Huashan to the core. But Sect Leader Lu, didn't you say Huashan had no experts left? How is it that someone there was able to slaughter your ninth-level Qi Refining junior brother in Qingyang Town?"

Lu Tiannan spun around, staring at the smiling youth. He froze. It was true—Jiang Yan and Tang Wan were supposed to have died on the Demon Hunting Battlefield. Who else in Huashan could have killed his junior brother?

*Could it be that someone from Huasheng Temple has arrived?* A question rose in his mind, followed by deep shock. If the Huasheng Temple were truly involved, then things would be troublesome. Lu Tiannan was no longer the man he once was. Since coming into contact with the fourth-rank Xixia Sect, he had seen a much vaster world. The Huasheng Temple was far beyond the reach of his own small sect, which had only just squeezed into the third rank.

"Young Master Ximen, I fear that someone from Huasheng Temple may have intervened," Lu Tiannan said to Ximen Shang and the young master.

"Huasheng Temple?" Ximen Shang’s brow furrowed. He knew quite a bit about them. If they were truly involved, he dared not intervene. His sect's grand ambitions could not be jeopardized by offending such a power.

"Eh? It really is Sect Leader Lu of Tianshan." A group of cultivators landed on the rooftops on either side of the road, standing on the black tiles to observe the group.

"Why is Lu Tiannan so calm? He seems to have read the notice. Is he afraid of Huashan?"
"I told you, didn't I? Huashan must have some means."
"Isn't Lu Tiannan at the Foundation Establishment stage? Why is he acting less imposing than before? Seeing that notice, even a clay statue would have caught fire. If it were me, I’d march on Huashan and fight them, regardless of the consequences."
"What do you know…"

The chatter of the cultivators reached Lu Tiannan’s ears, most of them questioning why he hadn't immediately attacked Huashan after reading the notice.

"Prepare the flying spirit beasts! I am going to level Huashan! I will not wait until tomorrow night—I will raze Huashan before the moon reaches its zenith tonight and sacrifice the blood of Huashan disciples to our fallen!" Provoked by the mockery of the crowd, the furious Lu Tiannan roared his orders to his remaining disciples.

"Then let us go and see first. If the Huasheng Temple is indeed involved, we will not take action against Huashan. If not…"

Ximen Shang and Young Master Ximen exchanged a glance, a mocking smile appearing on both their faces. Tianshan was merely an ordinary small sect; they had only assisted them because of the possibility that Tianshan might rule the Linqing Prefecture. If they were to offend the Huasheng Temple for the sake of Tianshan, they would never dare. Furthermore, there was no guarantee Tianshan would succeed; even if they became the top sect of Linqing, it wasn't worth provoking a behemoth like the Huasheng Temple.

"Sir Ximen, I beg you to go and break the Huashan protective formation. It is somewhat peculiar; ordinary Foundation Establishment masters are incapable of breaking it," Lu Tiannan said, turning back with a fawning, pleading expression, his anger hidden.

"Very well, Sect Leader Lu. But we cannot guarantee we will take action. People from the Huasheng Temple are not easy to offend," Ximen Shang replied with a playful, teasing smile.

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Lu Tiannan’s eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Gritting his teeth, he insisted, "As long as Sir Ximen is willing to break the formation, Tianshan is eternally grateful. From this day forward, if Sir Ximen has any commands, all of Tianshan shall follow your lead."

Hearing this impassioned promise, Ximen Shang smiled playfully. He tossed the paper scraps from the notice into the air and watched them drift away. "Very well, Sect Leader Lu. As long as the Huasheng Temple is not involved tonight, I shall assist you."

Lu Tiannan’s face brightened. He straightened his back and pointed toward the flying spirit beasts being led over by his disciples. "Please, both of you, board the beasts. We shall discuss everything once we reach Huashan. If there are monks from Huasheng Temple, I would naturally not dare to trouble you, my seniors." Internally, he had his own calculations; once they arrived at Huashan, he would find a way to force their hands.

Mounting the spirit beasts, the Tianshan group vanished into the distance, racing toward Huashan.

In Qingyang Town, the cultivators of the first-rank and unranked sects watched the Tianshan Sect disappear into the horizon, their eyes filled with excitement.

"Lu Tiannan has finally been provoked. Wasn't the duel between the sect leaders supposed to be tomorrow night? He’s rushing to Huashan already."
"Now we’ll have a show. A Foundation Establishment master in a rage—I really want to see what that looks like."
"What do you know…"

The moon rose slowly from the west, and the first rays of moonlight gently spilled over Qingyang Town.