While on Mount Hua, my mind is at peace!

Chapter 32 Xie Tianqing, Head of Qingcheng Sect

The once-powerful leader of the Qingcheng Sect, renowned throughout the martial arts world, died in Fujian?

He just found out about his second junior brother's revenge, and he's already taken it?

Linghu Chong suddenly felt that something big was about to happen in the martial arts world.

What made him even more uneasy was the reaction of Yue Feng and the others. Why did they all act as if they hadn't heard anything? Some were drinking, and some were chatting.

"Didn't you hear? Yu Canghai is dead! You're from Fujian, you should know the truth of this matter, right?"

Deng Jun and the others all looked at Yue Feng. Yue Feng said, "Well, this isn't news in Fujian anymore, so there's nothing surprising about it."

"So it's true?"

"It's true."

Linghu Chong drank another cup of wine, still feeling bewildered, when he heard the group of martial arts practitioners say again:

"Wouldn't that mean the Qingcheng Sect would be wiped out?"

"That's not necessarily true. Besides Yu Canghai's branch, the Qingcheng Sect has other branches with many experts. We can simply choose a new leader."

"No matter what, the Qingcheng Sect has suffered a major setback this time, becoming a laughing stock in the martial arts world. It will be difficult for them to rival the Five Mountains Sword Sects again."

As soon as the man finished speaking, a dozen or so people from Sichuan entered through the main entrance of the hall. These people were dressed in mourning clothes, and their faces were less filled with grief and more with a menacing aura. After entering, they split into two groups, and a young man who was about the same age as Linghu Chong walked in slowly.

The young man, carrying an unusually long sword and dressed in wide-sleeved robes, possessed an air of otherworldly elegance. He approached the martial artist who had spoken, and calmly asked, "Have you fought with the Qingcheng Sect?"

The man was intimidated by his demeanor and dared not speak, shaking his head instead.

"So you've fought against people from the Five Mountains Sword Sect?"

He still shook his head.

"Since you've never fought against either the Qingcheng Sect or the Five Mountains Sword Sect, what makes you think the Qingcheng Sect is inferior to the Five Mountains Sword Sect?"

Hearing the young man's question, the man mustered his courage and said, "This is common knowledge, and I'm not the only one who says so."

"Is what the world agrees on necessarily right? If I say that the Five Mountains Sword Sects are inferior to my Qingcheng Sect, who dares to say that I am wrong?"

He surveyed the room. While many guests found him arrogant, he was targeting the Five Mountains Sword Sect, so no one dared to challenge him. The young man's gaze lingered on Yue Feng and the others, and he was about to speak when a furious voice boomed:

"Who do you think you are, daring to spout such arrogant words and look down on our Five Mountains Sword Sect?"

The sound came from the doorway. Everyone turned to look and saw that it was Daoist Tiansong of the Taishan Sect, returning with several of his fellow disciples and a nun from the Hengshan Sect. The Hengshan Sect disciples, with their sharp eyes, spotted Yilin eating at a glance, cheered, and ran over.

"Junior Sister Yilin, are you alright? What happened?"

Yilin's eyes reddened, and tears fell steadily into the bowl of noodles on her chest. The nuns quickly comforted her and sat down to chat. The young man from the Qingcheng Sect withdrew his gaze and said to Tiansong, "My name is Xie Tianqing, the new head of the Qingcheng Sect. Are you Tiansong from the Taishan Sect?"

Tian Song frowned and said, "The leader of the Qingcheng Sect has always been Yu Canghai, how did it become you, kid?"

"Yu Canghai is dead. He died in Fujian," Xie Tianqing said without hesitation. "After his death, I became the sect leader. Any questions?"

Tiansong laughed heartily: "It's no problem for me! But it's a huge problem for your Qingcheng Sect."

"What's the problem?"

"You're still wet behind the ears..."

Clang! A piercing sound of a sword being drawn rang out, causing many people in the hall to involuntarily cover their ears. Tian Song had just gripped the hilt of his sword when Xie Tianqing's longsword was pointed at his throat.

Chen Ji whispered, "Goodness, one Yu Canghai is dead, and an even more powerful one has arrived. Is the Qingcheng Sect's foundation really that deep?"

Yue Feng shared the same sentiment. He even suspected that Yu Canghai's intense desire for the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual might stem from pressure within the Qingcheng Sect. This young man named Xie Tianqing was very likely one of the sources of that pressure.

Lin Pingzhi had no liking for the Qingcheng Sect, and seeing this, he asked, "Should we do something about it?"

Yue Feng shook his head. Deng Jun explained for him, "The Qingcheng Sect in Xie Tianqing's hands may not be the same as the one in Yu Canghai's hands. Whether they are friend or foe, let's wait and see."

The group decided to watch the show, when Tiansong shouted, "What do you want? I am the junior brother of the Taishan Sect Leader. If you dare to lay a finger on me, aren't you afraid my senior brother will punish you?"

Xie Tianqing slowly sheathed his longsword and said to the wandering swordsman from before, "See that? These are the masters and elders of the Five Mountains Sword Sect. Since their skills are inferior, they resort to using their powerful backers to suppress their opponents. My Qingcheng Sect suffered a major setback in Fujian, that's a fact, but I dare to admit it. Do they dare to?"

He went on a rampage, but immediately calmed down and fixed his gaze on Yue Feng's face.

"This must be the young master of the Huashan Sect, right? I heard that you were also in Fujian when my Qingcheng Sect suffered its calamity. Don't you have anything to say?"

A murmur rippled through the lobby. The guests, never expecting to see so many important figures tonight, grew increasingly excited.

Yue Feng smiled and said, "Brother Xie, please don't be agitated. Daoist Tiansong was not a bad person; it would be a pity if he died by your sword. If you're interested, why don't you come sit at this table and we can chat over drinks?"

Linghu Chong, unaware of the situation, could let it go, but Deng Jun, Chen Ji, and Lin Pingzhi had witnessed Yue Feng kill Yu Canghai as easily as slaughtering a chicken, and their eyes flickered, hoping that Xie Tianqing would not agree. Unexpectedly, Xie Tianqing's expression softened: "Brother Yue is right, then I will trouble you."

Seeing Xie Tianqing walk over with a calm expression, the others had no choice but to offer him their seats. Yue Feng gave him his own seat, and Xie Tianqing thanked him politely before sitting down. As the leader of the Qingcheng Sect, although the Qingcheng Sect was slightly less powerful than the Five Mountains Sword Sect, his personal status in the martial arts world was still higher than Yue Feng's.

After everyone was seated, Yue Feng ordered the waiter to rearrange the dishes and serve new food. While waiting, the group introduced themselves. Xie Tianqing, upon learning that Lin Pingzhi was the young head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of the Fuwei Escort Agency, raised an eyebrow and asked Yue Feng, "How come Young Head镖师 Lin is with you?"

Yue Feng said casually, "When I was in Fuzhou, Chief Escort Meng Lin took great care of me. When I left, he asked the young chief escort to come with me to gain experience."

Lin Pingzhi nodded with an awkward smile, but remained silent. He had seen plenty of lies, but one as blatant as Yue Feng's was truly rare. Xie Tianqing, however, nodded: "Young Master Lin is an exceptional individual; his future achievements are limitless."

At this point, the food and wine were served, and everyone politely declined, drinking a few cups in total. Yue Feng smiled and said:

"Many people say that the Qingcheng Sect is inferior to the Five Mountains Sword Sects, but I don't think so. What is most important for a sect? Reputation? Power? Or wealth? None of those. It's its achievements. The Qingcheng Sect is based in Sichuan, ensuring peace in the region. How is it inferior to the Five Mountains?"