Una sonrisa puede derribar una ciudad

Capítulo 25

XI. Yingshan in Full Bloom (Part 1)

"Could it be that the people from Dongming Island stole the sacred decree?" someone blurted out in a daze.

"Are we going to Dongming Island to retrieve the Holy Decree?" someone asked, slightly excited. Dongming Island, a place no one had ever been before!

"Why did the people of Dongming Island steal the sacred decree?" some people wondered.

“Dongming Island has nothing to do with us,” some people wondered.

“Dong…Ming…Island…” Qi Twelve pronounced each word carefully, then turned to look at Ming Kong, “Thank you, Sect Leader Ming.”

Mingkong could see clearly the deep-seated hatred shooting from those indifferent eyes, and hurriedly said, "Palace Master Qi, although the 'Bewilderment Palm' was indeed passed on to that young man surnamed Yun, we cannot be 100% certain that it was him, we..."

"I understand Sect Leader Ming's benevolence, but if it weren't for Dongming Island, where would so many unfamiliar first-rate masters come from?" Qi Shier interrupted him, pointing to the plaza. "At this moment, it can be said that all the masters of the martial arts world have gathered here, but it is no easy task to select five hundred people whose martial arts have reached the first-rate level. To put it bluntly, even if the Fengwu Sect were to use all its strength to seize the Holy Decree, the Shouling Palace would be confident that it could protect it. If those people hadn't arrived so suddenly, if their martial arts hadn't been so strange, if they hadn't used such insidious poison, how could the Shouling Palace have..." He suddenly stopped speaking, his fingers clenched tightly, and a thin crack finally appeared on his expressionless face, revealing a deep sense of grief and indignation.

Qi Shier, who appeared to be no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, finally shed his cold mask, revealing his grief. He was no different from those other orphaned boys. Remembering the more than three hundred experts who perished in the Shouling Palace, the bloodshed and carnage of that night were beyond description. Suddenly, many forgot his identity and age, feeling pity for him. Ming Kong, standing beside him, couldn't help but reach out and pat his shoulder, gently comforting him: "Palace Master Qi..."

From a distance, it looked like an adult comforting a child. But Qi Shier stepped aside to avoid Ming Kong, raised his head, frowned, and looked at Ming Kong, saying, "Sect Leader Ming, I am seventy-four years old this year. I am much older than you."

These words were spoken so loudly that the entire room was stunned and then fell silent. Then, with a "pfft!" someone couldn't help but chuckle. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw Lan Qi covering her lips with her jade fan, laughing softly.

Mingkong, worthy of being the leader of a sect, was taken aback for a moment, then smiled calmly and bowed to Qi Twelve with clasped hands, saying, "I'm sorry."

Qi Shier nodded calmly, then faced the square and announced loudly, "I have gathered you all here today for two reasons. First, the Shouling Palace wishes to apologize to you all for the theft of the Sacred Decree. Second, I would like to ask for your help in finding clues about the thief. With the assistance of Sect Leader Ming, we now know that Dongming Island is definitely involved in the theft of the Sacred Decree. The Shouling Palace will soon go to Dongming Island and will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and recover the Sacred Decree to give everyone an explanation."

As soon as Qi Shier finished speaking, someone asked, "Does Palace Master Qi mean that Shouling Palace is going to go to that mysterious Dongming Island alone to find the Holy Decree?" Everyone looked over and saw it was the lone bandit Ai Wuying.

“Since the Guardian Palace has lost its command, it is naturally the Guardian Palace’s responsibility to retrieve it,” Qi Twelve replied.

Ai Wuying nodded, then faced the square, clasped his hands, and said, "Fellow practitioners, although the Shouling Palace is guilty of losing the sacred decree, what merit is there in silently guarding it for over a hundred years? The loss of the sacred decree that night was not their wish; they sacrificed the lives of over three hundred people to protect it, but alas..." He paused, his expression heavy, wiped his face, and then said loudly, "Are we, as men of honor, just going to watch the Shouling Palace go alone to the perilous Dongming Island? 'Lan Yin Bi Yue' is a sacred object of our entire martial arts world; protecting it is our responsibility, and now it should be our duty to retrieve it!"

Ai Wuying's loud and clear voice resonated in everyone's hearts, and many passionate voices immediately responded, "Hero Ai is right! We shouldn't let Shouling Palace go to find the Holy Decree alone. We should all go!"

"That's right, 'Lan Yin Bi Yue' is a sacred object of our entire martial arts world, and we should all do our part for it!"

"The Shouling Palace has indeed contributed a great deal to the martial arts world over the past hundred years. We shouldn't let them go to Dongming Island alone anymore! Let's go together!"

"Yes, let's all go together! No matter how terrifying Dongming Island is, we'll make a name for ourselves!"

"Dongming Island dared to steal the sacred decree, which is tantamount to slapping the entire martial arts world in the face. How can we not fight back to take it back!"

"That's right, how could we be so spineless!"

Ai Wuying's words stirred up a thousand waves, and the heroes in the square were filled with indignation, wanting to go to Dongming Island together. Qiu Changtian, Nan Wofeng, and others in the corridor nodded repeatedly, feeling very gratified that the entire martial arts world was united at this moment.

"Are so many people going together?" A clear voice rang out amidst the gruff voices. The masked woman accompanying the instructor stood up. "It's a blessing for the martial arts world that everyone is so united. But are all of you going to Dongming Island in a rush? We don't even know where Dongming Island is."

“This sister is right.” The Palace Master of Baiyan Palace, with her delicate eyebrows, rose gracefully, her alluring eyes sweeping over the crowd of nobles in the square, causing many to waver in their hearts. “Dongming Island is in the middle of the sea, not a place we can just go to. We’ll have to take a boat, and with so many of us, how many boats would we need? Besides, everyone has their own ideas, and who knows what trouble might arise on the way to Dongming Island.”

"This is going to be interesting," Yuwen Luo muttered upon hearing her words.

“People always say that gangsters are bad, but today it seems that they are actually quite kind-hearted.” Ning Lang had a different feeling. “Look, Master Ai was the first to speak the truth, and these two young ladies are also very enthusiastic in giving their opinions.”

Yuwen Luo paused in his grip on the pen, then tapped Ning Lang on the head. "You believe everything people say? Just wait and see. Besides, those two women aren't exactly young girls; I'd guess they're more like aunts at that age."

Ning Lang scratched his head and looked at Yuwen Luo with a puzzled expression.

“Palace Master Mei is right.” Jiang Jiutian, the Pavilion Master of Jiutian Pavilion, also stood up. “Going to Dongming Island, firstly, we don’t know how deep the road ahead is, and secondly, with so many people going, should we all go on one big ship together, or should we each go our own way? If we go together, then everyone will have their own ideas along the way, which will inevitably lead to many conflicts. Therefore, it is better to have a unified plan.”

As soon as Jiang Jiutian finished speaking, everyone understood and exchanged glances, and the square immediately buzzed with excitement again.

Lan Qi and Ming Er exchanged a glance and smiled at each other in the corridor. The show was about to begin.

"Master Ming, what do you think?" Qiu Changtian asked Ming Kong gently.

Mingkong glanced at the heroes in the square, then said calmly, "With so many people going, of course we need to choose someone to make the decision, but..." He paused slightly as he spoke.

"Just what?" Qiu Changtian asked.

"It's just not easy," Ming Kong said lightly yet subtly.

With so many experts present, and only one person in charge, a struggle was inevitable. Qiu Changtian could have foreseen this, but judging from Mingkong's expression, he seemed to have other worries. If asked further, he appeared unwilling to say more. Thinking to himself, with Mingkong in charge, nothing major should happen on Ying Mountain today. He then turned to Nan Wofeng and Yuwen Lindong to discuss the matter.

After a while, the opinions of the people in the square were almost discussed, and the head of the family in the corridor also made up his mind.

"Gentlemen," Qiu Changtian raised his voice, "what my comrades said earlier is quite right. The journey to Dongming Island is fraught with danger, and given our large numbers, we need to choose a leader. Today, we have all gathered at Yingshan, all heroes of the martial world. As the saying goes, there's no time like the present, so why not choose someone from among us whom we all trust to lead us on our quest to retrieve the Holy Decree?" He then turned to the veiled woman in the right corridor, "What does the Master think?"

The veiled woman chuckled and said, "I am Sui Qingchen, merely the deputy leader of the sect. 'Sui leader' is a term used to address our sect leader, Master Qiu, please don't mispronounce it." As she spoke, her eyes flashed with a bright blue light before returning to Qiu Changtian. She said in a sweet and crisp voice, "If you ask me, why bother choosing a leader? Just choose the master of the Holy Decree, and then let our new martial arts leader lead us to conquer Dongming Island and retrieve the Holy Decree. This will not only make us famous and establish our prestige, but also showcase the master's martial arts skills. What a wonderful thing, killing several birds with one stone!"

Upon hearing Qingchen's words, the crowd in the square had a sudden realization, finding it quite reasonable. They thought it would be better to elect a martial arts leader. Some even muttered to themselves: "If it weren't for your leader inexplicably returning the 'Jade Moon Flower' to the Guardian Palace, causing Sect Leader Ming to abdicate and return the 'Orchid Token,' the 'Orchid Jade Moon' wouldn't have been taken away!"

"Choose the leader of the martial arts world?" Qiu Changtian was taken aback by Sui Qingchen's words. "This... the imperial edict is not here..."

“Master Qiu, who in the entire martial world doesn’t know that the Holy Decree is missing?” Sui Qingchen interrupted him. “But we can still elect a ‘Orchid Decree Master’ and a ‘Moon Lord’ first, and then let them lead everyone to retrieve the Holy Decree. Isn’t that more legitimate than electing some kind of leader to govern everyone?”

“Yes, Vice Master Sui is absolutely right.” Shen Ling, the Valley Master of Tongtian Valley with his long, unruly hair and beard, clapped his hands. “I, Old Shen, only listen to ‘Lord Biyue’s’ words. I treat everything else as nonsense. Don’t even think about appointing me, Old Shen, to any leadership position you choose!”

"Yes, yes, let's just choose the Martial Arts Leader!" someone immediately chimed in.

“That’s right, why bother choosing a leader? We’re going to choose a lord or a supreme ruler anyway, so let’s just choose now, since everyone’s here.”

"We have chosen a Lord and a Venerable Lord to lead us, so we will be more convinced of their authority."

A chorus of agreement rose and fell across the square. Who wouldn't want to be the supreme martial arts master? Even if they couldn't, watching the excitement was still enjoyable.

Qiu Changtian and the others all looked towards Ming Kong and Qi Shier.

Qi Shier and Ming Kong exchanged a glance. After a moment, Ming Kong nodded slightly, and Qi Shier nodded slightly in return.

"Since all of you share this wish, let us select the 'Orchid Lord' and the 'Moon Lord' according to the rules of previous years." Qi Twelve announced loudly, then waved his hand, and dozens of palace servants dressed in white immediately walked out of the Guardian Palace and filed towards the square, each holding a long pole.

"I'm so lucky to actually get to see the real Yingshan Gathering!" Yuwen Luo was extremely excited in the pavilion. "A new 'Lan Yin Ling Zhu' and 'Bi Yue Zun Zhu' will be born soon, and I'm actually witnessing it with my own eyes! That's wonderful!" He said excitedly while looking eagerly at Lan Qiming, Erlie Sanfengyi, Ren Qilie, Chi Tang, and the others. Perhaps one of them would become the 'Lan Yin Ling Zhu'.

The people from the Guardian Palace asked the crowd in front of the square to step back a bit, and then cleared a space of five zhang from under the corridor. They planted their long poles in the ground, and arranged them densely to form a fence, blocking the crowd. This open space became a ready-made arena.

11. Yingshan in Full Bloom (Middle)

Those who practice martial arts should let their skills speak for themselves.

The leader of the martial arts world needs talent and virtue, but more importantly, he must have martial arts skills that are unmatched among all heroes!

Once the area was cleared, someone from the Shouling Palace brought out a black wooden box, walked to the front of the corridor, opened the box, and revealed a neatly folded white silk cloth, with ink visible on it. Upon seeing the white silk cloth, the heroes in the square immediately tensed up, each of them focusing intently.

"Do you know what this is?" Yuwen Luo asked Ning Lang beside him.

"I don't know." Ning Lang shook his head.

Yuwen Luo's eyes lit up. "The names of those who are going to be the leader of the martial arts world are written on that white silk. Anyone whose name is not on the white silk is not eligible to participate, no matter how famous or skilled they are."

"Oh? Why is that? Why can't people with high reputations and martial arts skills be included?" Ning Lang asked.

Yuwen Luo explained, "Although the martial arts world is divided into the righteous and the wicked, the righteous path is the prestigious sects we belong to, where we conduct ourselves with integrity and chivalry. The wicked path, on the other hand, engages in many shady dealings. But regardless of which path you choose, there is a code of conduct. You cannot 'betray your principles and act unjustly.' This is the rule of the martial arts world. If you are utterly devoid of conscience and moral depravity, your name will never be on this white silk. Those whose names are on the white silk are all people recognized by the Guardian Palace, which means that they are qualified to participate in the selection."

“Those whose names are on the white silk can participate, and those whose names are not can’t participate. Then…won’t those whose names are not on the silk be very resentful?” Although Ning Lang was simple-minded, he knew that some people were not so easy to talk to.

“Of course he might feel resentful, but he would never dare to question the Shouling Palace,” Yuwen Luo said, his face slowly filled with admiration. “The Shouling Palace never gets involved in the affairs of the martial world, only guarding ‘Lan Yin Bi Yue’ on this Ying Mountain. Therefore, power, fame, and money cannot tempt them. They have always maintained their integrity and impartiality, and are respected and admired by the entire martial world. And for more than a hundred years, so many generations of martial arts leaders who have won people’s hearts have already proven the Shouling Palace’s incorruptibility. More than 130 years… how difficult that is!”

Yuwen Luo's gaze fell upon the young-looking but inwardly aged and weary Lord of the Shouling Palace. For over a hundred years, he had tirelessly and selflessly guarded the "Lan Yin Bi Yue" (a precious jade ornament), enduring loneliness and hardship without complaint or reward. What incredible perseverance and determination! They had paid the price of blood and lives to protect this Ying Mountain—what kind of spirit enabled them to do so? The Shouling Palace was perhaps the most mysterious clan in the martial world; they were truly the number one…human being!

Qi Shier picked up the white silk and examined it, then stepped forward and looked at the assembled heroes, saying, "We originally did not intend to select a martial arts leader this time, so several of the comrades who were originally scheduled to act as arbitrators did not attend. We cannot invite them again now, therefore..." He looked at Ming Kong, then questioned Sui Qingchen. After receiving their approval, he raised his voice again, "Today's assembly will be arbitrated by this old man, Sect Leader Ming, and Vice Sect Leader Sui. I wonder if any of you have any objections?"

Upon hearing this, everyone only hesitated for a moment before responding in unison, "Alright!" The three arbitrators were: Shouling Gong, who remained neutral; Sui Qingchen, the highest-ranking member of the various underworld factions present, whose appointment as arbitrator implied she would never again participate in the struggle for the position of leader, a point on which neither the underworld nor the legitimate world disagreed; and Mingkong, the previous leader, who would not compete again, having been in the underworld for over twenty years, whose character was impeccable even among the underworld, making him undoubtedly the most impartial person. Therefore, these three were the most suitable arbitrators.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Qi Shier nodded. Then, the palace attendants unfolded the white silk and read out the names.

"Qianbi Mountain Renqi, Cangyun Mountain Villa Liechitang, Liechifeng, Chenye Tower Tongyu, Ming Family Minghuayan, Qimen Qiyan, Lan Family Lancanyin, Tongtian Valley Shenling..."

As each name was read aloud, the square listened quietly, and when their own name was called, everyone jumped for joy.

Yuwen Luo and Ning Lang listened quietly, and as they listened, they couldn't help but look at each other in surprise: their names were on the list too?!

"Brother, there are so many people! If everyone comes to compete one by one, wouldn't it take a whole month?" Ning Lang's eyes widened as he listened.

"It didn't take that long. The longest time was during the competition for the third generation of martial arts emperor. That time it took twelve days. In the end, Senior Mingzhen and Senior Jiang Duyun were still evenly matched. The heroes had no choice but to jointly recognize the two as masters. This is why 'Lan Yin Bi Yue' split into two, resulting in the first generation of 'Lan Yin Ling Zhu' and 'Bi Yue Zun Zhu'. The fastest time was only one day. That was the competition for the second generation of martial arts emperor. That time, 'Martial Emperor' Han Pu swept through the heroes with just one sword and easily ascended to the supreme position. He was truly majestic!" Yuwen Luo couldn't help but admire and yearn for it as he spoke.

"How long will it take this time?" Ning Lang wasn't particularly interested in the past.

"It could take ten days or more, or as little as one or two days; it's hard to say," Yuwen Luo said, then turned and asked, "Ning Lang, your name is on the list too. Will you participate?"

"No." Ning Lang immediately shook his head. "I don't want to be some kind of Lord or Venerable Master."

“That’s right.” Yuwen Luo twirled the pen in his hand and said, “Although the list announced by the Guardian Palace is quite long, not everyone will participate. Some people have low martial arts skills and won’t do anything that is beyond their capabilities, some people have no interest in competing for this position, and some people, like you and me, have neither low martial arts skills nor such interest, so naturally they won’t participate. Therefore, most of the people who actually participate are those who have high martial arts skills and are supported by family or sect power. Of course, there are also some who fought their way up single-handedly and ascended to the supreme position based on their martial arts skills.”

After the list on the white silk was read aloud, Qi Twelve raised his voice and said, "The people of the martial world are straightforward and open-minded. They make friends with swords and discuss martial arts. There is no need for pretense. Everyone, please show your skills to the heroes of the world and experience the martial arts and style of the heroes." After he finished speaking, he turned around and sat down on the large chair in the middle of the corridor. Ming Kong, Sui Qingchen, Qiu Changtian and others also sat down one by one.

There was a moment of silence in the square, but soon a figure jumped out. The man was of medium build and had a fierce face. He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I am Tan Qing. I will start by throwing out a jade to attract bricks. Please give me your guidance."

As soon as he finished speaking, the square erupted in laughter, with some shouting, "This is just a starting point; don't show off your erudition if you haven't read any books!" The atmosphere became relaxed and lively.

Tan Qing chuckled dryly after being bombarded with questions, "It's rare for a rough man like me to even know these four words. Please don't laugh at me, everyone. I'd really appreciate your guidance."

“Okay, I’ll practice with you,” someone jumped out and said.

"It's about to begin, the grand competition of martial arts heroes!" Yuwen Luo quickly gripped his pen, wishing he had an extra pair of eyes—one pair to keep a close eye on the competition in the arena, and another pair to see the expressions and actions of everyone in the square. He kept muttering to himself, "I'm so lucky to have been born in this era. I can see so many heroes and witness their martial arts skills firsthand. I'm so fortunate!"

The two people in the arena were already fighting fiercely, exchanging blows back and forth.

Listening to his excited words, Ning Lang couldn't help but say, "The Yingshan Tournament has been held many, many times over the past hundred years, and there are always this many people participating each time. They also conduct martial arts competitions. It's not something that just started now."

Yuwen Luo's eye twitched, and he glanced at Ning Lang sideways, "How could you, a blockhead, understand my feelings?"

Ning Lang shut his mouth and said no more.

Yuwen Luo continued to keep a close eye on the arena, clearly seeing every move and stance, and commented: "The martial arts of these two are not bad, but I have already seen the Seventh Young Master and the Second Young Master's match at Changtian Manor last time, so this seems like child's play in comparison."

On the corridor, Lan Qi glanced at the competition in the arena, then turned to look at Lie Chifeng, who was still resting with his eyes closed. He couldn't help but say, "Second Young Master, Qiu family's beauty Hengbo hasn't arrived yet, and why hasn't Hua family's beauty Fushu come either? This place is full of rough and burly men, it's really boring to watch. If two beauties like those were here, Yingshan would definitely be much more colorful."

Ming Er glanced at Lie Chifeng and smiled, "With Brother Lie here, Miss Fushu should be arriving soon, though perhaps she's a little late and still on her way."

Lie Chifeng opened his eyes, turned his head to the right, and looked coldly at Ming Er and Lan Qi, his expression full of patience.

When Lan Qi saw him open his eyes, he smiled and said, "Oh dear, Brother Lie, you're awake! Look, the martial arts competition has already started, but you've kept your eyes closed the whole time. It's such a pity that you missed the wonderful battles of all the heroes."

“Yes, Brother Lie is a martial arts enthusiast, how could he miss such a good opportunity?” Ming Er agreed wholeheartedly.

Lie Chifeng glanced at the two of them from head to toe and said, "If you two were to compete now, I would not blink an eye from beginning to end." After saying that, he closed his eyes and ignored the two of them.

He really can't forget her. Lan Qi and Ming Er secretly breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes met, they smiled at each other, straightened their clothes, and sat up straight. Even this martial arts fanatic Lie Chifeng cares so much... Hmph, a formidable rival!

Hearing the laughter and chatter, Ren Qi glanced at the three a few times, finding them quite interesting. They seemed like friends, yet rivals; their auras differed, but their presence was equally matched. A sense of liking for them grew within him, and he thought he would definitely get to know them better after the conference. His gaze followed their movements and landed on his junior brother, Ning Lang, in the pavilion. He felt a surge of joy, but knowing it wasn't appropriate to approach him at the moment, he smiled and let it go. Turning back, however, he caught a glimpse of Feng Yi standing gazing at Ming Kong.

He and Feng Yi were old acquaintances. Due to the friendship between their two sects, he had been sent by his master to cultivate in the Misty Mountains, where he stayed for half a year. It was during that time that he met Feng Yi. Feng Yi was always silent and reserved, preferring solitude, as still as a deep pool. He loved making friends, and how could he not try to befriend someone like Feng Yi? However, he was indifferent to everyone, seemingly polite but actually cold, as if nothing in the world could concern him. It was as if he had never seen Feng Yi so distraught and lost in thought. After watching for a while, he noticed that Feng Yi would occasionally glance at Lan Qi, but most of the time he stared blankly into the void ahead.