M49S vol 1 Chapter 42. End Of Day One

Tu Youqiong’s vital force had been depleted. In the end, he lost his grip and the duel concluded with a comically awkward pose that no one had expected, leaving the crowd torn between laughter and dismay.

He lost. It was over. Tu Youqiong’s life-bound sword had shattered, and his dantian had suffered backlash, leaving him with serious internal injuries. Now that the tension had lifted, he staggered on unsteady feet, nearly collapsing to the ground.

Chen Boyan reacted swiftly and caught Tu Youqiong, guiding him to Dai Xiaoshan. “Xiaoshan, take your junior brother down for treatment.”

Dai Xiaoshan hoisted Tu Youqiong onto his back and hurried away. Although a life-bound sword could be rebuilt infinitely as long as the dantian wasn’t completely destroyed, the damage to the body was still considerable.

Seeing his most cherished young disciple cough up blood from the beating, Tang Li could barely contain the anguish in his heart. But Beidou’s Yu Yao just had to add fuel to the fire. “Your little disciple is certainly brave, Brother Tang, but I wonder if we’ll still see him around tomorrow.”

Tang Li was usually mild-tempered and slow to anger, but his disciples were his bottom line. The moment someone crossed it, he would not back down. His face turned cold. “That’s none of your concern.”

“I was just offering a kind reminder. You’d better check on him, Brother Tang. Gushan only sent five people this time. If you lose even one, how are you going to keep competing?”

Yu Yao was Jiang Xie’s master. Ever since his disciple had been forced to issue a deathmatch challenge by Gushan, a bitter resentment had been festering in his chest, and now he could no longer hold it in.

He was mocking Gushan for only managing to send five participants, and for letting Tu Youqiong compete before even reaching the second great realm. Tang Li heard the ridicule clearly and was just about to speak when Meng Qiqi placed a hand on his arm.

Meng Qiqi cast a faint glance at Yu Yao and asked, “Have you found Yexin?”

Just four words, and Yu Yao’s face turned green. Chen Wujie watched the clash between the two sects with great interest, but Wang Changlin had no mind to spare. His mood was foul.

He had arranged so many things today, yet Gushan showed no special response. Not a single plan had produced the desired result. Tu Youqiong alone had managed to turn the tide through sheer determination.

Tu Youqiong was meant to be defeated by Zheng Cheng and leave the stage in disgrace. Yet even in defeat, when Wang Changlin looked around at the surrounding cultivators, he caught a trace of admiration and praise in their eyes.

And then there was Xiao Yu’er. So young, yet already displaying such ability. It was no wonder Meng Qiqi had taken him as a disciple. But why? Gushan had finally begun to show signs of decline. Why had these individuals suddenly appeared? If only these promising disciples had come from the Wang clan…

Wang Changlin narrowed his eyes.

Zheng Cheng was also an exceptional talent. Although Wang Changlin had casually assigned him to face Tu Youqiong, he had not been recruited specifically to target Gushan Sword. Now that Zheng Cheng had injured Tu Youqiong and drawn animosity from Gushan, this would be the perfect time to extend an olive branch. It would likely yield results with little effort.

What remained uncertain was how Chen Boyan would respond.

Wang Changlin kept his gaze on the terrace. He saw Chen Boyan take a step forward. “Your strike was rather heavy.”

His expression was far too composed, so composed it was almost unsettling. Zheng Cheng tensed slightly and placed a hand on his sword hilt, but still offered an explanation. “This is simply how I fight. I am not used to holding back.”

Chen Boyan nodded thoughtfully, as if he understood. “If we happen to meet again in the next match, I will not hold back either. Swords and sabers have no eyes. Take care.”

“Very well,” Zheng Cheng replied with clarity. What had been lost on the dueling platform could be regained there. That much was reasonable. The two departed cleanly, offering no theatrics. Many of the cultivators who had gathered in anticipation of a dramatic confrontation were left visibly disappointed.

“That was it? That was a challenge?” A square-faced cultivator looked completely baffled.

Beside him, a slightly older cultivator shook his head slowly and gave a quiet sigh. “That is Gushan Sword. Whether declining or not, their spirit remains unshaken.”

The square-faced cultivator was still confused. The older cultivator said, “Just keep watching. This competition may turn out to be more exciting than we expected.”

After the battle between Tu Youqiong and Zheng Cheng, the following few matches felt relatively uneventful. Xiao Xiao, Mu Guinian, and Chen Boyan all advanced to the next round without difficulty.

Xiao Xiao was eliminated in the fifth round.
That match had been closely contested, with both sides trading blows and showing their strengths. However, Chen Boyan had noticed something strange. A moment ago, Xiao Xiao clearly had a chance to win. He seemed ready to execute a certain move, but then stopped himself mid-action, as if realizing something. That pause gave his opponent the opening to counter.

As for what that technique had been, Chen Boyan could not yet say. But one thing was clear. Xiao Xiao had likely already practiced techniques from somewhere else before joining their Little Martial Uncle.

By the sixth round, only eight cultivators remained, with Gushan Sword holding two of the final spots. It was only when the crowd gathered at the announcement board and saw the eight wooden plaques bearing names that they realized Gushan still had one more person standing.

Mu Guinian. Who was that?

After a moment, someone in the crowd finally remembered the name. Every time this cultivator entered the arena, he did so with quiet efficiency. He would step in, fight, and leave without uttering a word. His expression never changed. Even his interactions with his fellow disciples were minimal. Most of the time, he stood off to the side, arms folded around his sword, saying nothing. Naturally, he had been overlooked, buried beneath the attention drawn by others. Only now did he come into the light.

Though there was surprise, the life-bound weapon duel continued.

The eight remaining cultivators were: Chen Boyan and Mu Guinian of Gushan Sword, Shen Qingya of Tianlao, Xu Mengyin of Ruizhu, Wang Zi’an of the Wang clan, Master Yinian of Futu Temple, Mohe of Nandao, and Zheng Cheng. Aside from Zheng Cheng, the other seven were all core disciples of major sects, just like in previous years.

In the remaining matches, nearly all attention was focused on Mu Guinian and Zheng Cheng. As for who would take first place, there was almost no debate.

But to everyone’s surprise, Zheng Cheng was the first to concede. His fighting style inflicted nearly as much damage on himself as on his opponent. If he kept going, it might affect his performance in the following day’s matches. Still, in the eyes of many, it looked like he had simply lost his nerve.

As he left the field, a chorus of boos erupted. But just like before, Zheng Cheng closed his eyes and shut it all out.

As for Mu Guinian, he followed in the footsteps of his senior brother Dai Xiaoshan and was paired against Shen Qingya.

Shen Qingya rubbed the bridge of his nose helplessly. It seemed he had been clashing with Gushan Sword all day. Or perhaps someone was deliberately trying to set him against them. Still, Mu Guinian did not strike him as a fool, so he asked gently, “Shall we stop at a few touches?”

Mu Guinian clearly understood. “Please.”

The two exchanged a few blows before ending the match on friendly terms, leaving the surrounding cultivators once again baffled. The cold-faced Mu Guinian did not seem to have a bad temper after all, and even though Shen Qingya had eliminated two Gushan disciples in a row, Chen Boyan showed no signs of displeasure.

Though it could not be called harmony, there was at least a certain mutual respect.

Strange, indeed.

In the end, Chen Boyan took first place. Shen Qingya came in second. Xu Mengyin, proving herself no less capable than any man, defeated both Master Yinian and Mohe to claim the next spot.

And so the first day of the life-bound weapon duel drew to a close. By then, the sun was already setting. The red disc sank gradually into the embrace of Mochou Lake, its shape fading into the mist.

A cool evening breeze stirred the white veil draped from Meng Qiqi’s hat. Night was quietly descending, and his face grew more indistinct in the dim light. Chen Wujie, curious about him, invited him to return to the Wang residence for dinner. But Meng Qiqi shook his head and said, “Senior nephew is likely still waiting for me. Meng Xiu will take his leave for now.”

After Meng Qiqi revealed his identity, he should have been staying at the Wang residence with Tang Li. However, because of the incident involving Wu Yan, Wang Changlin remained wary and never extended the invitation.

Chen Wujie stood up and said, “I’ll go with Brother Meng.”

Meng Qiqi paused and looked back. Chen Wujie smiled. “I’ve been in Jinling nearly a whole day and still haven’t seen him. This is a good opportunity.”

Since the man wished to visit his own nephew, Meng Qiqi had no reason to refuse. And if Chen Wujie was going, then naturally another member of the Chen family would follow. This was one of the Chen clan’s household guards, named Chen Zhan.

Chen Boyan was still standing at the railing on the terrace. The moment Chen Zhan saw him, he quickened his pace, eyes shining with excitement. “Young Master!”

“Uncle Zhan, I hope you’ve been well.” Chen Boyan cupped his hands in greeting. His tone was calm, carrying a hint of warmth and respect

Chen Zhan dropped to one knee and gave a formal military salute. “Chen Zhan greets the Young Master.”

Chen Boyan stepped forward in time to steady him. “Uncle Zhan, there’s no need for such formality.”

“A Young Master is still the Young Master. Courtesy cannot be neglected.” Only then did Chen Zhan rise to his feet. The lines on his weathered face carried the sharpness of a man who had spent years on the battlefield. Even the joy in his eyes did nothing to soften it.

The situation in Yin Mountain might be even more dire than Meng Qiqi had imagined.

Chen Zhan looked as though he had many things he wanted to say to Chen Boyan, but when he caught sight of Chen Wujie from the corner of his eye, his lips parted briefly, then fell silent again. Chen Wujie, on the other hand, seemed every bit the elder who placed high hopes on his junior. He gave Chen Boyan a thorough look from head to toe, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “Not bad. You’ve grown up.”

Chen Boyan gave no comment and simply replied, “Third Uncle.”

“Young Master, the Black Feather Guard brought eighteen men this time. We are stationed outside the city.” As he spoke, Chen Zhan pulled out a small piece of black jade the size of a protective talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Chen Boyan. “This is the command token. You may summon us at any time.”

When Chen Wujie saw this, his expression tightened. “Uncle Zhan, Boyan is here representing Gushan Sword in the Knock upon the Immortal Gate. Giving him the command token is pointless. If anything happens to something this important, who will take responsibility?”

Chen Zhan remained unmoved. His tone was cold and firm. “As long as the Young Master is here, the command token must be placed in his hands.”

“Enough, Uncle Zhan. There’s no need to argue over this.” Chen Boyan accepted the token. His voice was even colder than before. When he raised his eyes to look at Chen Wujie, his entire bearing had shifted.

If the Chen Boyan from before had been like a noble immortal on a solitary mountain, surrounded by clouds and admired from afar, then the person standing here now had descended into the mortal world, standing atop Yin Mountain, looking down upon all living beings.

“Third Uncle, in your letter last month, you said you would arrive tomorrow. Why did the date change? I had planned to meet you, but missed the chance.”

Chen Wujie felt a slight jolt in his heart, though nothing showed on his face. “I simply came two days early. It was nothing worth writing about.”

“As long as nothing is wrong.” Chen Boyan did not press further. He simply said it in passing, then left together with Meng Qiqi.