Chapter 31: Breaking the Deadlock with Force (An Extra Chapter for Hua Sheng Mi 0 Shang Xin)

Chapter 31: Breaking the Deadlock with Force

Zheng Zha dragged Luo Feng along, unleashing a harsh tirade and relentlessly belittling his own junior. If Biqing knew of this, he would surely be on the verge of tears. It was you who wanted the breakup, and now it’s you who despises me. Are all fathers-in-law this difficult?

“Enough, enough!” Luo Feng composed himself, then slapped the table, barking, “What is this, a melodrama? A single misunderstanding stretched over dozens of episodes without resolution? Come on, get a grip!”

Zheng Zha was stunned for a moment, then asked instinctively, “What do you mean?”

Luo Feng popped a candy into his mouth, poured Zheng Zha a cup of tea, and sighed helplessly. “Stop making things more dramatic than they are. What’s the real issue here?”

Zheng Zha thought for a moment, hesitating. “A relationship problem?”

“Nonsense!” Luo Feng spat. “Young people settle their own affairs. What, you want to break up a pair of lovebirds? Have you spent so long in the Republic era that you've turned into an old fossil? Ever heard of free love?”

Zheng Zha’s face darkened, but then he asked, “So what is the real issue?”

Luo Feng sneered, “Strip away all the distractions and get to the heart of it—why did Biqing reject Yuanyuan?”

Indeed—why did Biqing refuse Yuanyuan? The two were clearly in love; under normal circumstances, what just happened would be impossible. So, there must be some external factor at play. Since Biqing had spent years in the Shangqing Sect, the scope of suspicion narrowed immediately.

The Shangqing Sect is a branch of the Zhengyi tradition and allows marriage, so we can exclude any dogmatic rules as the cause. The only possible obstacle is a person.

Among the elders, who could influence Biqing’s decision? Suddenly, Zheng Zha looked up sharply and said in a low voice, “The Grand Uncle-Master?!”

Now it was Luo Feng’s turn to be puzzled. Frowning, he said, “Your Grand Uncle-Master? I’ve been in Shangqing for years and never met anyone that senior.”

Zheng Zha explained, “He’s the Elder of Reception—Biqing was his acolyte.”

Luo Feng was surprised. “Why would he interfere? Biqing broke no rules and it’s not within the elder’s authority. Unless… Biqing is his illegitimate son?”

Zheng Zha paused, then said slowly, “Your imagination is wild. What I mean is, Grand Uncle-Master probably wants Biqing to become the next Guardian of the Mountain—to safeguard the legacy of the Shangqing Sect.”

“A Guardian Monk, a sweeper like in the legends?”

In an instant, Luo Feng understood much, then quipped, “Does the Guardian line require someone to remain pure?”

Zheng Zha’s face contorted in shock. “That’s a secret of the Shangqing Sect! How do you know? Did you sneak into the secret archives?!”

“The secret archives? What’s that?” Luo Feng rubbed his forehead and sighed, “Brother Zheng, the idea of guardians needing to keep their purity, of passing on special arts—these tropes have been done to death in online novels. I never thought they’d actually happen in real life.”

“If our lives were novels, the author who wrote this plot would be a total hack.”

Zheng Zha was left speechless. After all, when he’d crossed over, he hadn’t read even one fighting-qi novel. After a long pause, he finally managed, “Art imitates life.”

Luo Feng nodded, then, struck by a question, asked, “I’ve seen the Elder of Reception’s strength. It’s not especially impressive—how did he become Guardian of the Mountain? Is it just age catching up?”

With just three ranks in divine cultivation, the elder wouldn’t be defeated in a single blow, but could easily be handled within three. Zheng Zha fell silent, the air turning awkward.

Not strong? Aging? Declining power?!

He recalled the grand tournaments of the past three years: the sect leader crushing the Transmission Elder, the Grand Uncle-Master crushing the sect leader, and the sect leader crushing Elder Shuiyue, his master. Zheng Zha’s mouth twitched, and he quickly changed the topic. “The Elder of Reception was once Transmission Elder himself and is the current one’s master. He’s been retired for over twenty years now, but couldn’t stay idle, so the sect leader gave him the title to keep him busy.”

Luo Feng nodded thoughtfully. He understood now. Clearly, the Guardian’s inheritance requires youth and vigor—once old age sets in, power fades. These guardian arts can only hold sway for a time. In the end, cultivating the path of longevity and opening the mysterious gate is the better way.

Looking at Luo Feng, Zheng Zha desperately wanted to shout, It’s not like you think! But after considering the last shreds of his sect’s dignity, he swallowed the words.

With their theory in mind, the two decisively hurried to the Hall of Reception to confirm their suspicions—no time for delays, lest the Elder descend the mountain or something untoward occur.

Snow swirled thickly; before the Hall of Reception, a gaunt old Daoist swept the steps at leisure. Suddenly, he looked up to see two tiny figures racing toward him from over a mile away.

In an instant, the old Daoist’s spirit gathered, his broom stirring the wind and snow, clearing a swath of earth. As the two drew closer, his aura dissipated, and he resumed his guise as an ordinary old priest.

When Zheng Zha stepped onto the plaza, the old Daoist greeted him with a cheerful smile. “Little Zheng, what brings you here today? And this must be your friend—I believe I registered him just the other day.”

Zheng Zha saluted, then asked, “Grand Uncle-Master, did you designate Biqing as the next Guardian of the Mountain?”

The old Daoist froze, saying nothing, but turned to look at Luo Feng. There were things he could say to Zheng Zha, who was a true disciple and future elder—kin, who would eventually know all. But Luo Feng was different; a friend, yes, but still an outsider.

Luo Feng gave a slight smile and bowed. “Elder, I know my place.”

As the old Daoist nodded, thinking Luo Feng would politely withdraw and leave the space to him and Zheng Zha, Luo Feng stooped to pick up a dead branch.

With a curious look, the old Daoist watched as Luo Feng’s inner energy surged, reinforced by the power of the Vajra and the focused will of his rising spirit. With a casual sweep, a blade of energy leapt forth.

A crack resounded. Three hundred meters away, a pine trunk snapped clean through—its cut as smooth as if sliced by a knife. Snow cascaded from the distant mountain, as if a cake had been neatly divided. Silence followed; the clouds parted, and a single ray of sunlight shone down through the void.

Luo Feng smiled calmly. “Elder, what do you think?”

The old Daoist looked as though he had seen a ghost king, swallowing hard. “Please do as you wish.”

Where did this monster come from? Could he be an immortal in disguise, passing through tribulation? With power like that, whether he listens or not makes little difference—if he wants to destroy the sect, it’s a matter of one or two strikes.

…

Half an hour later, the three forced themselves to an agreement. On one hand, with Luo Feng, this living god, watching intently, the old Daoist could not help but lose some of his resolve. On the other, Zheng Zha demonstrated his own strength, revealing a fifth-layer mastery—two levels higher than in the Palace of Transmission.

The old Daoist declared that with Zibu present, the Shangqing legacy would be secure for a thousand years, and two hundred years of peace were assured. As the words fell, both he and Zheng Zha glanced at Luo Feng, silently adding in their hearts, Not counting that monster—or the immortal.

Thank you to Tiger’s Threshold for the hundred-point reward.
Thank you to the Supreme Celestial of Jade Capital for the hundred-point reward.
Three chapters today—please vote!

End of chapter.