Chapter 253: Chapter 129: Convincing People with Virtue

The young woman’s talent for the Sword Dao was clearly exceptional. Otherwise, she never would have been chosen by the Emei Sword Sect to comprehend the Sword Control Skill on Sword Storage Peak.

Seeing her profound aptitude, Zhao Rui was delighted and silently stood guard for her.

Throughout the vast Qingcheng Sword Sect, disciples hurried past, busy with reception duties.

No one had the time to wander over in their direction.

The few Qingcheng Disciples who did notice saw Zhao Rui and bowed from a distance before taking a detour.

Ever since the old Sect Leader had passed away, Zhao Rui had become a god-like figure on Qingcheng Mountain, one whose presence even surpassed that of Uncle Master Yun Hao.

When Zhao Rui emerged from the Crystal Stone Cave yesterday and met with Zhang Zheng and his other “classmate” daoists, they were initially at a loss, unsure how to interact with him.

Fortunately, Zhao Rui wasn’t the type to rank people or use his status to intimidate others.

He still treated everyone as equals.

Only then did everyone breathe a small sigh of relief.

Even so, those who didn’t know him well still looked at him with a mixture of reverence and awe.

In the pavilion on the plaza, Bai Xuening was still deep in concentration, comprehending the Sword Intent.

Streams of True Qi, like sharp Treasure Swords, swirled around her body. At times they soared and spiraled high; at others, they whistled low to the ground.

Like the Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Root, or a flock of birds paying homage to the phoenix, they danced wildly with Bai Xuening at their center.

The path to enlightenment could be long or short. Some experienced a moment of awakening and could instantly grasp the essence of a Skillful Method. This was called a sudden epiphany!

Others needed to spend a great deal of time understanding and feeling their way toward comprehension. This was known as gradual cultivation.

Bai Xuening’s case was a combination of both. Her long-term practice of sword control, coupled with the instantaneous infusion of Sword Intent from Zhao Rui, had led her to this moment of enlightenment.

The strands of Sword Intent grew ever more intense!

Her True Qi formed scattered vortexes on the ground, swirling like miniature tornadoes.

’This is what comprehending Sword Intent is supposed to look like,’ Zhao Rui thought. ’Not like me, taking a shortcut with the system to instantly master Great Success Sword Intent.’

“Qing City’s great calamity has served as a wake-up call for all our sects. What is the origin of this evil path that has appeared so suddenly?”

Just then, a group of people began to slowly stroll over from a distance. They were a mixed crowd of monks, daoists, laymen, and officials.

Zhao Rui looked toward the sound of the voice and saw that it was the representatives from the various sects who had come to offer condolences. They were touring Qing City, accompanied by Daoist Yu of the Qingcheng Sword Sect.

“The Court has yet to reach a conclusion and is conducting a secret investigation. For now, we must rely on the sects to work together in unison.”

An official from the Sichuan Provincial Martial Arts Association shook his head at these words and spoke in a solemn voice.

After hearing the official’s words, Daoist Yu couldn’t help but glance toward the contingent from Emei.

’Others might not know, but you should be the ones who know best,’ he seemed to be thinking. ’After all, our old Sect Leader went on a trip with your people from Emei, and not only did he return gravely injured, but he also brought a sect-destroying calamity down upon us.’

Unfortunately, the middle-aged nun leading their group stared straight ahead, feigning ignorance. She simply put her palms together, chanted a Buddhist mantra, and maintained an air of solemn dignity.

“It sounds like Sword Qi slicing through the air ahead!”

“Daoist Yu, on a day like this, would any of your disciples be permitted to wield their weapons without authorization?”

Suddenly, a sturdy man beside him, his sword-like brows standing on end and his eyes narrowed, spoke in a cold voice.

This was none other than Lin Han, the Lin Daoist who had earlier paid respects on behalf of the Kongtong Sect Leader.

“Certainly not! All the disciples are busy with various sect affairs…”

Daoist Yu was taken aback for a moment before answering frankly.

The moment the words left his mouth, Daoist Lin Han’s figure blurred. He shot forward more than ten feet in an instant, heading straight for the pavilion.

“What incredible Power from Fellow Daoist Lin!”

The others were startled. Focusing their senses, they could indeed hear the faint sound of Sword Qi slicing through the air and couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Well, shall we go take a look?”

Yu Zhengnan hadn’t expected Lin Han to act so rashly in front of him, the “host,” without any regard for his position. He had no choice but to say, “I must trouble you all to come with me!”

Upon hearing this, the group set off in pursuit.

On the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s plaza, Lin Han’s figure shot forward like a sharp sword, racing toward the source of the sound. He reached the edge of the pavilion and was about to leap inside when a young man dressed in the robes of a Qingcheng Disciple stepped out.

He just managed to block his path.

“Honored guest, please go elsewhere. This area is temporarily off-limits.”

The newcomer was, of course, Zhao Rui. He had seen the group approaching from a distance and had walked dozens of paces forward to stand guard outside the pavilion.

“That sound of Sword Qi just now, did it come from you?”

“On a day like this, as a Qingcheng Disciple, how dare you unsheathe your sword?”

Lin Han’s gaze pierced past Zhao Rui, trying to see what was behind him.

“Could it be… that remnants of the Demon Dao have yet to be purged?”

Hearing this, Zhao Rui’s eyebrow twitched. ’Why is it that the people who say things like this are never up to any good?’

’This is just slapping a label on someone without any proof!’

“Whether there are remnants or not is none of your business. Since you are an honored guest, please abide by the rules of Qingcheng Mountain. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Zhao Rui couldn’t be bothered with people who were so quick to level accusations. There was no other reason for it; he just found it annoying.

This was Qing City. It wasn’t an outsider’s place to be making accusations!

Hearing Zhao Rui’s words, Lin Han’s eyes narrowed. Back in Kongtong, no one would have dared to speak to him like that.

’Qing City’s power has waned, yet a mere disciple dares to block my path,’ he thought. ’If I don’t establish my authority now, when will I ever get the chance!’

He sneered, “I’ll apprehend you first, then hand you over to Daoist Yu for judgment.”

With that, he shot a hand out, quick as lightning, aiming for Zhao Rui’s neck.

He clearly didn’t take Zhao Rui seriously.

“Daoist Lin, stop at once!”

Yu Zhengnan, who had just caught up, panicked and yelled out. He had already seen who was standing opposite Lin Han.

“Stop?”

Lin Han sneered inwardly. He was trying to establish his authority, so while he would naturally know his limits, stopping was out of the question. A mere Daoist Child from the Qingcheng Sword Sect had dared to block his way.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep