Thousand Autumns

For today’s shijiandahui, Chunyangguan must have taken measures against ill-intentioned guests, disciples had been left on guard at the base of the mountain, and just in case, Yi Bichen had even sent an elder, but now these newcomers were arriving one by one, the set-up there was evidently useless.

The appearance of the youth further complicated the already messy situation, and he had also mentioned Shen Qiao’s name, Yi Bichen asked: “And what role might you have in Huanyue Sect?’

He was too young, and couldn’t be Yan Wushi.

It was not a surprise when the other answered: “I am Yu Shengyan, Huanyue Sect Yan-zongzhu’s disciple, I heard that exciting things were happening today on Qingchengshan, so I came up to see, Yi-guanzhu surely won’t chase me away?”

Yi Bichen: “You are a guest, this poor one would not exclude you. Let’s add some seats for our esteemed guests.”

Yuan Xiuxiu sweetly said: “No need Yi-guanzhu, sooner or later we’ll have to fight, to sit down and have to get back up again, that’s too troublesome!”

Yu Shengyan smiled: “If you don’t want to sit that’s your business, I just saw Shen-daozhang after a long parting, I’m feeling quite happy, I’ve got to go over and catch-up.”

As he said this he walked towards Shen Qiao, and sat directly in Gu Hengbo’s spot, turned his head to smile at Shen Qiao: “You look well, shidi!”

The term shidi slipped out casually, Zhao Chiying who was sitting beside them was alarmed, she thought, even if Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi were close, it shouldn’t have come down to abandoning his sect and joining another?

Shen Qiao couldn’t laugh or cry: “Yu-gongzi how come you’re here, where is Yan-zongzhu?”

Yu Shengyan teased: “Shidi why are you being so distant with me, I was the person who walked with you on my back for more than half a shichen under Banbu Peak, back then you were so cute when you confusedly called me Yu-shixiong, did you forget? I’m so hurt!”

Hehuan Sect’s arrival, unlike Yu Shengyan’s solo entrance, did not lend others to let their guard down easily, although Yu Shengyan’s words were diverting, they did nothing to soften the atmosphere.

Li Qingyu said coldly: “If Yuan-zongzhu is here to be a guest, we will naturally sweep our house to welcome you, but if you have ill intentions, please forgive Chunyangguan for being unable to host you.”

Yuan Xiuxiu smiled: “Li-gongzi is quick to anger, I just asked a question, if shijiandahui is open to anyone, surely Hehuan Sect can attend as well.”

Her beautiful eyes scanned the surroundings, settled on Yuan Zixiao: “This must be Liuligong’s shaogongzhu, I’ve long heard that Liuligong disciples have sharp minds, they know the ranking of the world’s martial masters like the back of their hand, can I ask Yuan-shaogongzhu, on your Liuligong rank-list, how does our Hehuan Sect fare?”

Everyone knew Yuan Zixiao was a Liuligong disciple, but they didn’t know she was actually the shaogongzhu, Yuan Xiuxiu’s words had exposed her identity, if you were to say she hadn’t planned this before coming, no one would believe you.

Yuan Zixiao sat still, hearing this without blinking she rattled off a bunch of data: “Hehuan Sect Yuan Xiuxiu, in the jianghu ranked ninth, her disciple Xiao Se, with a fan as his sword, defeated Zhongnanpai Sect Leader Guo Xun, Liuhebang Master Shangguan Xingchen, Linchuanxuegong Zhan Ziqian, etc., his wugong is first rank as evident. Hehuan Sect Sang Jingxing, in the jianghu ranked sixth, his disciple Bai Rong, with palm style as her strength, due to her practice of Hehuan Sect secret manuals her wugong has grown exponentially, there are also the other disciples Xia Hanqiu, Ji Shuang’er, Zhou Cuiyue, etc., their wugong is not as good as Bai Rong, but notable figures of their generation in the jianghu.”

Not only the crowd, even Yuan Xiuxiu hearing this was surprised: “Liuligong is Liuligong, even I didn’t know Xiao Se had defeated a Linchuanxuegong disciple, Yuan-shaogongzhu clearly has it all at her fingertips, all by memory!”

Yuan Zixiao’s face showed no sign of pride, just said blandly: “If someone wanted to know this it wouldn’t be too hard, it’s not a secret, I just asked some people, and went to a few different places.”

At this moment someone asked: “Yuan-niangzi, the top ten list you’re talking about, is it the one from ten years ago or the one ten years later?”

Yuan Zixiao: “Naturally it’s the one now.”

That person wasn’t satisfied: “Shijiandahui hasn’t even passed its halfway mark, many masters have not made an appearance, how was the top ten rank-list determined?”

Yuan Zixiao: “One iteration of shijiandahui, how can it encompass the world’s masters? Today is merely an opportunity for the elite of the jianghu to have a few exchanges, if there emerges one or two grandmasters who have never made an appearance, then the rank-list will naturally shift, if not, then the list is ranked as before.”

The other asked: “Can I ask as of now who exactly are considered the top ten, would Yuan-shaogongzhu tell us so we have the fortune of hearing it?”

Yuan Zixiao seemed willing to answer all questions: “Jianghu’s tenth is uncertain, before it was Xuandushan’s previous zhangjiao Shen Qiao, but after Shen Qiao lost at Banbu Peak, he was replaced by Kunye, later Kunye’s shixiong Duan Wenyang came to the central plains, and so was replaced by Duan Wenyang, then not too long ago, Shen Qiao crossed paths with Duan Wenyang at Su manor in Chang’an, both sides objectively were evenly matched, but Duan Wenyang had just had a match with Chunyangguan Li Qingyu before fighting Shen Qiao, Shen Qiao had the advantage, so the person ranked tenth, is still Duan Wenyang.”

Gu Hengbo frowned: “Your ranking is very biased, my Shen-shixiong is a martial arts genius, inheriting shizun’s mantle, the Banbu Peak event, he had suffered a betrayal, and his wugong was severely diminished, and he continues to suffer repeated setbacks, if we’re talking about his previous wugong level, it was definitely more impressive than Kunye or Duan Wenyang, how can he not even be in the top ten?”

Yuan Zixiao looked at her: “A person can never remain in one place forever, it’s only natural that due to circumstances they advance or retreat, you didn’t wait until I was done speaking to interrupt, is this not biased?”

Gu Hengbo knew her reasoning was flawed, didn’t say more, but the gaze she directed at the other was gently glowing.

Yuan Zixiao ignored her, and continued: “Jianghu’s ninth, I already said, is Hehuan Sect zongzhu Yuan Xiuxiu. Ranked eighth, Tuyuhun master Jushe-zhizhe.”

This Jushe-zhizhe, most people had only heard of, never seen, and knew even less.

Someone asked: “Since Jushe-zhizhe never set foot in the central plains wulin, how was this ranking determined?”

Yuan Zixiao: “Of the three demonic sects, only Fajing Sect ventured far west, ran their affairs out of Tuyuhun for a number of years, Jushe-zhizhe and Fajing Sect zongzhu Guang Lingsan had a fight, where he lost by a small margin, since then he’s been in seclusion, Guang Lingsan commented on his wugong, he said they had been evenly matched, and he only won by luck.”

Yuan Xiuxiu hearing herself ranked ninth, and merely ahead of Duan Wenyang, was not upset, but very interested to hear more: “According to shaogongzhu’s words, the one ranked seventh must be Fajing Sect zongzhu Guang Lingsan?”

Yuan Zixiao: “That’s right.”

Never mind the accuracy of these rankings, but hearing the reasoning behind them, and that they were not totally made up, as she continued on to the higher rankings, everyone grew more interested in who they might be.

If one doesn’t love power, then it must be fame, all in all can’t be too far off from these two, everyone has curiosity and ambition, depends on how big or small, or overbearing, even Yi Bichen a grandmaster hearing Yuan Zixiao’s commentary on the world’s elite, was interested, nevermind the other people in the audience.

“What about the higher ones?” He might be able to rein in his curiosity, but the others beside him couldn’t help asking.

Yuan Zixiao: “Moving up, starting with the sixth, can be considered within the realm of the grandmasters, if we’re not talking about character or demeanour, and about wugong alone, this person has enough ability to start their own sect.”

She had previously mentioned, Sang Jingxing was ranked sixth, to the realm of grandmasters, he was included.

Yuan Xiuxiu bit back a laugh: “It looks like shaogongzhu holds Sang-zhanglao in high regard!”

Yuan Zixiao replied blandly: “Yuan-zongzhu has no need to disagree, Hehuan Sect has two inner factions, everyone is aware, if you could deal with Sang Jingxing, how could you tolerate his hold over you?”

The other’s words exposed the inner conflict within her sect, hearing it Yuan Xiuxiu’s smile didn’t change, but across her face was a fleeting killing intent.

“Chunyangguan today is a leader among the Daoist sects, I’ll bet Yi-guanzhu is within Liuligong’s top five?” The person who asked this clearly wanted to suck up to Chunyangguan.

Yuan Zixiao: “That’s right, jianghu’s fifth, should belong to Zhou guoshi Xueting-chanshi, but Xuandushan’s previous zhangjiao Shen Qiao’s wugong has increased significantly, can perhaps vie for the fifth position. As for the fourth and the third, it should be between Linchuanxuegong Ruyan Kehui and Chunyangguan Yi-guanzhu, but I’ve never seen the two cross paths, so I can’t be certain.”

“Then what about the first and the second?” Someone asked.

Yuan Zixiao: “Huanyue Sect zongzhu Yan Wushi, can vie for this position, as for the first…”

She wasn’t someone who mumbled her words, she didn’t continue for some reason, just shook her head.

Everyone was surprised that Yan Wushi’s ranking was so high, but then again, in this world there weren’t too many people who could be ambushed by five grandmasters and emerge intact, nevermind that among the five there were three who were in the top ten, Yan Wushi’s potential was truly impressive, to say he was second in the world, there was nothing unacceptable about this.

Someone doubted: “Ten years ago the person ranked first was Qi Fengge, could it be that even after his death, the spot remains empty, that no one can outrank Qi Fengge?”

But no matter how the others asked, Yuan Zixiao did not speak further.

Someone tried provoking her: “Liuligong’s rank-list can’t be accurate, even the first place position can’t be determined, how can they speak to the others?”

Yuan Zixiao coldly said: “If you don’t believe it, you can go up the list and challenge them one by one to a fight, if you can beat them all, the number one rank in the world is yours.”

Yuan Xiuxiu smiled: “As I see it, to determine the accuracy of these rankings, we have to go by evidence, although we’re missing a few people today, but there’s me, Yi-guanzhu, and Shen-daozhang, three out of ten, it shouldn’t be hard to have a satisfying match!”

Li Qingyu, coldly: “You’re not worthy of fighting my shizun, you can have an exchange with me first.”

Saying this he pulled out his sword, qiushui sword in that second was like rippling autumn water, in his hands spilled forth.

Although Li Qingyu was strong, he wasn’t yet within the world’s top ten, why would Yuan Xiuxiu be afraid of him, not waiting for word from her, Xiao Se stepped out and laughed: “No need for zongzhu to participate, let me fight you!”

As these words fell, their feet left the ground, and they headed towards each other, their match began.

Although Yuan Zixiao had ranked her second-last, Yuan Xiuxiu didn’t take this ranking to heart, she was just using Yuan Zixiao’s words to start things off, at this moment she smiled: “Yi-guanzhu, since our disciples are having a match, shouldn’t we as their shifu, give them an example?”

Her purpose in coming was very clear, to catch thieves first capture their leader, if they could seize Yi Bichen, nevermind shijiandahui or the alliance, everything would fall apart, even if the other sects wanted to stand against Hehuan Sect, having gone through one round of bloodshed, was certainly to be affected, and too afraid to raise more waves.

Seeing that this match was inevitable, Yi Bichen set down his fuchen, turned to receive the long sword that his disciple handed him, nodded: “Then this poor one will learn from Yuan-zongzhu.”

Yu Shengyan seeing this, moved closer to Shen Qiao and said by his ear: “Shidi shouldn’t force things right now, after Yi Bichen loses you can make an appearance, at that time the position of head of the alliance will be yours easily!”

Shen Qiao couldn’t laugh or cry: “But I never wanted this position!”

Yu Shengyan, alarmed: “Shizun ordered me to come here to assist you, if you don’t want to be head of the alliance, why did he send me?”

Shen Qiao thought: your shizun always acts as he thinks, his words and actions are not like those of others, how would I know what he is thinking?

Yu Shengyan didn’t know the events that had happened between Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao, and didn’t know his shifu’s attitude shift, he had just assumed that shizun hadn’t given up his antics towards Shen Qiao, likely had another idea, so didn’t ask further, he might have completely misunderstood, and was still treating Shen Qiao as before.