Chapter 2014 - Mountain Guardian Sects Visit

Chapter 2014 - Mountain Guardian Sect's Visit

Tension held the two factions in a precarious standoff, where the slightest provocation could ignite an all-out war.

Spectators packed both sides of the street, holding their breath, waiting for a clash. The smaller local forces wanted both factions to suffer devastating losses. A bloodbath would shatter the city's established order and give new powers a chance to rise.

Ran Hu's aggressive stance met Yuan Xiangtian's unyielding resolve. Neither would surrender an inch.

"Ran Hu, the blacksmithing tournament starts in three days. Why not wait until afterward to settle our grievances?" Yuan Xiangtian suddenly asked, his tone measured and stern.

Yuan Xiangtian understood what a fight to the death would cost. Both factions would end up crippled and vulnerable to others. He knew Ran Hu was shrewd enough to recognize the danger too.

Their rivalry had spanned centuries, and neither side would commit an all-out assault without absolute confidence that it could defeat the other.

"Very well. Once the tournament is over, I'll settle accounts with your Yuan Clan at my leisure," Ran Hu growled, drawing a deep breath to rein in his fury.

He believed that another first-place finish would cut off the Yuan Clan's income entirely. Without revenue from artifact sales, the clan could not endure for long.

Asserting the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion's authority had been his main reason for marching on the estate. Had he done nothing, the other forces might have mistaken his silence for fear of the Yuan Clan.

Everyone understood his intentions. Ran Hu needed to display the Tigerwood Blacksmith's Pavilion's strength publicly, giving himself time to postpone avenging his son without losing face.

The outcome was both expected and startling. Most had doubted a full-scale battle, yet no one had imagined Liu Wuxie alone could throw the city's balance of power into such turmoil.

The next three days passed in peace as Liu Wuxie taught Yuan Guanghuan advanced forging techniques behind closed doors as the tournament approached.

"Master Liu, you're really not coming to watch the tournament?" Yuan Guanghuan asked respectfully. Three days of intensive instruction had shown him that Liu Wuxie's knowledge was as unfathomable as an ocean. In craftsmanship and insight, his teacher seemed to surpass even his grandfather.

"Keep your attention on the tournament," Liu Wuxie said calmly.

A local contest at this level held nothing of interest for him. Yuan Guanghuan only needed to apply the techniques he had learned to defeat the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion.

Another pressing matter at the Yuan Clan estate demanded Liu Wuxie's attention, and it took precedence. He had left Mulberry Sea City five or six days ago. By his reckoning, the Mountain Guardian Sect's envoys could arrive at any moment.

Yuan Xiangtian led the clan's elites to the tournament grounds when dawn broke the following morning. Before departing, he activated the estate's defensive barrier to guard against a surprise attack by the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion. Silence settled over the deserted inner courtyard.

As usual, Liu Wuxie sat beneath the arbor in his courtyard, where Long Ying and Long Yuanxiong soon joined him.

"Go to the tournament and watch for anything unexpected. Put these on so no one will recognize you," Liu Wuxie instructed, tossing two concealment masks to the siblings.

Their rewards for helping him were Primal Chaos Crystals and practical experience for Long Yuanxiong. Though Liu Wuxie gained little from the tournament, attending it could still benefit the siblings.

"You really won't come?" Long Ying asked, catching her mask as she studied him with curiosity.

For reasons she could not explain, Liu Wuxie gave her the impression of a man who had lived for millennia. She could not read him at all. Ancient cultivators were plentiful in the Celestial Realm, yet he remained a peculiar enigma. Such depth in his gaze and such quiet authority in his bearing seemed wholly out of place in someone so young.

"No, I'm not coming," Liu Wuxie replied, waving them off as the opening bell rang out in the distance.

The siblings donned their masks, altering their features and concealing their auras, then departed for the tournament.

At this scale, a blacksmithing tournament would need at least three days to determine a winner. On the first day alone, numerous minor clans fell out of contention.

Yuan Guanghuan met every expectation, clearing the challenges one after another. His refined craftsmanship left the spectators astonished.

"Pavilion Master, something isn't right. The techniques Yuan Guanghuan is using bear no resemblance to the Yuan Clan's usual methods."

The Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion had fielded dozens of grandmaster blacksmiths, every one of whom had performed well in the preliminary rounds. Even so, the report deepened the frown on Ran Hu's face. For two days, an inexplicable unease had plagued him. It grew stronger by the hour, yet he still couldn't identify its cause.

The second day brought still more demanding competition. More contestants fell behind, among them several blacksmiths from both the Yuan Clan and the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion.

......

"Young Master Liu, an elder has arrived claiming to represent the Mountain Guardian Sect. He wishes to see you," a servant reported as he entered Liu Wuxie's quiet courtyard and bowed.

"Bring him in," Liu Wuxie said, rising and smoothing his robes. At last, the envoy had arrived.

Fifteen minutes later, a servant returned with a man in his fifties.

The elder paused at the sight of Liu Wuxie, surprise plain on his face. He had imagined the mastermind behind the recent maneuvers to be a seasoned, middle-aged man. He had never expected someone so young.

"My name is Pan Rengui, Third Elder of the Mountain Guardian Sect. I am honored to meet you, Young Master Liu," the elder said politely, cupping his hands.

"Welcome, Elder Pan. Please, have a seat," Liu Wuxie replied, gesturing toward the tea table.

He had expected the Mountain Guardian Sect to take a few more days to respond. Its early arrival meant news of the three clans in Mulberry Sea City had already reached it. Rumor had it that they had been secretly destroyed for betraying the Azure Jade Palace.

Officially, a rogue demonic cultivator had slaughtered their upper echelons. No experienced cultivator would accept that explanation. A superpower as vast as the Azure Jade Palace commanded countless subordinate forces eager to act as its blades from the shadows.

Suspicion had already fallen on the Mountain Guardian Sect because of its secret dealings with the Heavenly Alliance, even though it had not openly betrayed the Azure Jade Palace.

A startling pattern had emerged from its investigations over the past few days, and every lead pointed back to Liu Wuxie.

Its envoys had hurried to the Cloud Mist Manor to buy materials, only for Yun Zhong to refuse them even a single Crimson Cloudstone. His position was clear. Not one stone would leave the mines without Liu Wuxie’s express permission.

The Mountain Guardian Sect relied on Crimson Cloudstones to craft its signature immortal talismans. Without them, it would face financial ruin within a few short years. Liu Wuxie had severed its lifeline, forcing its sect master to dispatch Pan Rengui to Azure Cloud City at once to resolve the matter.

"Your accomplishments are remarkable for one so young, Young Master Liu," Pan Rengui said with a sigh. The moment he saw Liu Wuxie, he realized how gravely the sect had underestimated him. They had no one but themselves to blame for their predicament.

"You give me too much credit, Elder Pan," Liu Wuxie replied smoothly, pouring his guest a cup of hot tea.

They kept to pleasantries at first, neither broaching the reason for the visit.

"Young Master Liu, let me be direct. Could you persuade the Cloud Mist Manor to supply our sect with Crimson Cloudstones again?" Pan Rengui finally asked, setting down his cup and regarding Liu Wuxie earnestly. The empty conversation had worn him down.

"How could a mere outer disciple of the Azure Jade Palace like me interfere in the Cloud Mist Manor's affairs? Surely you've misunderstood, Elder Pan," Liu Wuxie replied, a faint, inscrutable smile touching his lips.

Liu Wuxie would not reveal his hand so soon. He understood human nature well enough to know that few reconsidered their actions until the blade cut deep enough to draw blood. The Mountain Guardian Sect had suffered no more than a scratch. Real pain had yet to touch it.

A wry smile crossed Pan Rengui's face. He hadn't expected the young man to turn aside his question so neatly, leaving him no opening.

"Please accept this small token of the Mountain Guardian Sect's sincerity, Young Master Liu. If you ever need our assistance, we'll answer without hesitation," Pan Rengui said, placing an ornate interspatial ring on the table. No one else was present, so he saw no reason to hide the transaction.

Liu Wuxie's divine sense swept through the ring, surveying the wealth within. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Is this how the Mountain Guardian Sect used to bribe the Azure Jade Palace's collection envoys?" Liu Wuxie asked, sliding the ring back casually as he refilled Pan Rengui's tea.

Pan Rengui quickly suppressed the cold malice flickering in his eyes.

"Tell me your terms, Young Master Liu. What must we do for you to spare the Mountain Guardian Sect?" Pan Rengui asked, dropping all pretense.

Without Crimson Cloudstones, talisman production would grind to a halt. Within three months, the sect would confront financial collapse and widespread failures to fulfill its contracts. Its foundations would survive the crisis, but its reputation would take decades to recover.

"Settle the overdue tribute," Liu Wuxie said, setting down the teapot and looking at Pan Rengui with an unreadable, calm expression.

"Ridiculous!" Pan Rengui dismissed the demand outright. The Mountain Guardian Sect owed the Azure Jade Palace fifteen years of tribute. Settling the full sum at once would drain its finances.

Taken individually, the annual payments had seemed insignificant. But accumulated over fifteen years, the debt would wipe out the sect's available funds.

"Then there's nothing left for us to discuss. Safe journey, Elder Pan," Liu Wuxie said coolly as he rose to see him out.

"All right. I'll come again in a few days," Pan Rengui replied, retrieving the interspatial ring. He left the Yuan Clan estate but stayed in Azure Cloud City to see how events unfolded.

A cold smirk curved up Liu Wuxie's lips as he watched the elder leave. You'll be on your knees begging me in a few days. By then, fifteen years of tribute alone won't settle this. You'll have to pay the principal with compound interest.

With the envoy's departure, the Yuan Clan estate became peaceful once more.

......

The blacksmithing tournament reached its third and final day, with 99% of the competitors already eliminated. Across the arena, Yuan Guanghuan's astonishing performance dominated the conversation.

Whispers ran through the surrounding stands. "That's strange... Why do the Yuan Clan's forging techniques seem so much more profound than they did last year?"

Most spectators expected the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion to defend the title effortlessly, but Yuan Guanghuan's sudden rise had cast serious doubt on that confidence.

Eager cultivators continued to converge on the grand arena encircling the Azure Cloud Pit, with Pan Rengui among them.

"Liu Wuxie expects to collect tribute from the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion? He doesn't know what kind of hornet's nest he's stirring up," Pan Rengui sneered quietly after learning of Liu Wuxie's main mission in Azure Cloud City.

At last, the competition reached its decisive stage. The grueling rounds had left ten grandmasters, including three from the Yuan Clan, five from the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion, and two from smaller independent forces. Any one of them could claim the championship.

Before the final forging contest, the finalists received an hour to rest.

"Our clan's future is on your shoulders, Huan'er," Yuan Xiangtian said solemnly. For three days, he had remained at the Azure Cloud Pit, giving the competition his undivided attention.

"Don't worry, Grandfather. We'll take the championship," Yuan Guanghuan replied, tossing a high-tier recovery pill into his mouth. As he strode confidently back to his forging station, medicinal energy coursed through his limbs, restoring his immortal aura.

The Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion's five grandmasters gathered around Ran Hu on the other side of the stage, awaiting their final instructions.

"The one who takes first place today will receive five million immortal stones and immediately become the pavilion's Grand Elder!" Ran Hu declared, his voice grim and heavy.