Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 636 - 247: Going Down the Mountain (1/2)

Gray stone steps were hidden among branches and blooms, leading upward continuously, the highest pavilion faintly revealed the silhouette of a woman sipping tea. Yu Hongcai hesitated momentarily, still not daring to step into the third gate mere steps away.

Feeling somewhat awkward, he coughed dryly and, taking his subordinate and maid, began to return the way they came.

Muttering under his breath about how stingy the Number One Manor in the World was, even a mere young female disciple could be so haughty. Not to let him in was one thing, but couldn't you at least come out and say a few words?

Putting on such airs?

He had barely walked down a few steps when he saw a tall, imposing young man ahead, carrying a longsword on his back. His broad palms, sword-like eyebrows, and starry eyes, along with his unrestrained aura, clearly marked him as an important figure of the Number One Manor in the World.

Yu Hongcai frowned slightly and was about to step aside when the impressive young man already approached him and initiated a conversation:

"Brother Yu just arrived, why do you already wish to leave?"

Yu Hongcai was slightly startled and replied, "You know me?"

The young man nodded with a smile, saying:

"Sect Leader Yu is famous for his martial arts prowess. I had seen you once before."

"Seeing your resemblance, with about seventy to eighty percent similarity, and recalling your father's heroic demeanor, I naturally recognized you."

Yu Hongcai's discontent eased somewhat, and he said:

"After all this talk, I still do not know your esteemed name."

The young man smiled and replied:

"My name is Li Wenbai."

Yu Hongcai's expression subtly changed.

In the pavilion behind the third gate, an old man with white hair frowned deeply in thought for a long time before making a very cautious move on the chessboard, seemingly quite satisfied with it. He then looked up, smiling at the woman and said:

"Your master intends to hand the Number One Manor in the World over to you. The Golden Cauldron Association, no matter what, is a formidable sect. Wouldn't it be unwise to just ignore it?"

"Although the title 'Sect Leader wielding the Gold-Splitting Blade' sounds rather unrefined, his ability is indeed notable. Splitting gold and shattering jade is effortless for him, and he is well-connected in Jianghu. Knowing him might be beneficial for you."

The woman he was playing against was only about twenty years old, dressed in interwoven purple and white, with a rhombus mechanism resembling a Wrist Guard on her right hand. Her expression was placid, far from being described as indifferent. She picked up a white chess piece with her hand, placed it on the board, and captured several black pieces. She then said:

"Not interested."

The old man chuckled and said:

"Really, you think so little of the young Sect Leader from the Golden Cauldron Association? I find that lad's martial arts not too shabby, and he's quite good-looking and generous — much more so than that lazy Taoist who visited last time."

Feeling the slight chill emanating from the young woman, he laughed nervously, then changed the subject:

"Last time, you opened the side gate on the mountain and let those two Taoists, young and old, come in for a tour and even offered them tea. Today, when people come seeking you, why won't you even meet them? You should know, the Weiming Sect is somewhat inferior compared to the Golden Cauldron Association."

"Besides, your younger martial brother is much more eager than you are. That young man dreams of taking over as the manor master of the Number One Manor in the World and is surely already blocking that lad from the Golden Cauldron Association at the second gate. He is, after all, your grand master's grandson. Aren't you worried?"

Sikou Tingfeng spoke calmly:

"Worried?"

"The Golden Cauldron Association is just a group of businessmen seeking profit. They are here merely to take advantage of the situation. If our manor falls into disfavor one day, those types of people will certainly abandon us and flatter others, just like grass on the top of a wall — if our martial arts are strong enough, why should we care?"

"In Jianghu, there are plenty of such fence-sitters."

He examined the chessboard with its ongoing conflicts and then made a move, speaking calmly,

"It embraces all rivers not because of its eagerness to gather, but because of its vastness."

"Because it is vast, all rivers flow into it."

"Junior brother is simply proud of our grand master, yet he never knew that grand master's status is not because he is the manor master of The Number One Manor in the World, but because this very manor is called The Number One Manor in the World, unparalleled and unmatched, due to the grand master."

"If he wanted this manor, I would naturally give it to him."

"Even without this manor, as long as we have grand master's 'Tsunami Palm' martial arts, wherever I stand would be The Number One Manor in the World."

The old man stroked his beard, nodded to himself, made a chess move, and continued asking,

"What about that lazy Taoist from the Weiming Sect, whose bones seem almost too soft?"

Sikou Tingfeng replied, "He inherently possesses great potential, and is worthy of our alliance."

"Is it the same with that young nun named Chong He? I see her heart totally entangled with that lazy Taoist, fearing she can't achieve much."

Sikou Tingfeng slightly smiled and said,

"That's not the case."

"I just feel that the young lady is adorable."

The white-haired old man was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. Glancing at the chessboard, he carelessly threw his black piece onto the table. Sikou Tingfeng had just made a move that captured a large dragon on the board, and although the pieces were not yet removed, this game needed no further play.

From allowing Sikou Tingfeng a four-piece advantage to now taking the opening move with black pieces and still giving Sikou Tingfeng a three-piece advantage, only a single year had been spent, such a talent had him only able to shake his head and wryly smile, admitting that there are indeed people in this world who defy all reason.

Sikou Tingfeng stood up, turned around, and looked down at the magnificent view below him.

The Number One Manor in the World.

Conquering all directions with civil and martial strategies to stabilize the world.

Spreading virtue and commanding respect in all quarters to ensure peace for the populace.

The old man behind him was tidying up the remaining pieces on the stone table, a reflective look on his face, yet he saw Sikou Tingfeng not gazing at the scenery below as usual, but turning towards a back gate on the mountain behind The Number One Manor in the World. Startled, he asked,

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"Where are you going?"

Sikou Tingfeng spoke concisely, simply saying,

"Down the mountain."

The old man, even more surprised, asked,

"Down the mountain? What are you going to do down the mountain at this time…"

Sikou Tingfeng replied,

"I've seen the scenery on the mountain for too long and have grown weary of it."

"I once heard from our fourth master that the Xue Family's ancestors who attempted to assassinate the Ancestral Dragon have reincarnated in this era. I want to see if it is true."

The old man was speechless, asking,

"How can you believe such absurd rumors?"

"The person described in the records took his elder brother's place to strike at the Ancestral Dragon with death at the courtyard pillar, the Ancestral Dragon's Dragon Qi carrying the weight of three dynasties' treasures, retaliating against his clansmen. Which woman among the modern Xue Family members is a top martial artist? And even if there is one, how would you be able to tell if it's her?"

Sikou Tingfeng calmly replied,

"No one ever stipulated that if it was a woman in the past life, it would be a woman in the next life. I heard the current foremost member of the Xue Family is Xue Shuang, known for being invincible among his peers, so I'll start by finding him."

"If he can't be killed, then it's true."

PS: First update of the day delivered...