Shangguan Tou immediately stood up: "Let's go, I'll take you downstairs to eat."
Xuezhi followed him downstairs in a dejected mood, ate breakfast in silence, and then quietly retreated to her room, even skipping her martial arts practice. At dinner time, Xuezhi went downstairs with Shangguan Tou again, but unfortunately, she saw Chunrong on the second floor. Chunrong's temperament had suddenly become much gentler; although somewhat awkward, she did seem to be trying to curry favor with Xuezhi. Being treated this way by the previously arrogant beauty, Xuezhi felt flattered no matter what. However, upon seeing Chunrong's still unsmiling face, she once again recalled Chunrong's flushed smile lying on the table, and instantly lost her appetite. She ate a little and went upstairs.
That night, Chunrong did not stay in Xianshan Yingzhou.
Later that evening, Shangguan Tou knocked on Xuezhi's door again. After sitting down, Shangguan Tou said, "I heard from Hongxiu that Chunrong offended you with her words, didn't she?"
"No, it's alright."
"If that's the case, I will never have anything to do with her again."
Upon hearing this, Xuezhi's anger flared up: "You make it sound so easy. Of course you don't want to see her again after you've done everything. Don't use me as a shield!" As soon as she finished speaking, she wanted to slap herself again.
Shangguan Tou and Xuezhi stared at each other for a long time before finally managing to say, "What did you see yesterday?"
“I saw… taking off clothes.”
"And then what?"
"Then Sister Hongxiu called me, and I left."
Shangguan Tou seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and moved the chair closer: "Zhi'er, did I scare you?"
"No, I... I was just a little surprised." Xuezhi subconsciously stepped back.
"You might find it scary now, but you won't think that way after you get married." Shangguan Tou was still trying to describe the matter in a more tactful way. "When you reach a certain age, you will always want to take the initiative to get close to the person you like. In fact, this is the most intimate way for two people to be together, and it will be very happy and beautiful."
Xuezhi listened attentively and found that as long as she didn't think about the previous night, it was acceptable. Then she focused her attention on the first sentence, "You always want to take the initiative to get close to the person you like." So, naturally, she remembered the scene of her throwing herself at Shangguan Tou and rubbing against him, calling him Sister Zhaojun. However, the reserved Lady Zhaojun rarely hugged her back, mostly just patting her lightly on the back.
Xuezhi's face flushed red and then turned pale. Finally, she couldn't help but throw herself onto the table and bury her face in her arms.
—What a shameful thing this is!
Shangguan Tou leaned over to check on her: "Zhi'er, are you alright?"
"fine."
"Actually, there's no point in telling you all this. I understand how you feel." Shangguan Tou sighed softly. "From now on, as long as I'm with you, I won't talk to other women anymore. We'll talk about it again when you're older and can accept it."
Xuezhi remained silent.
"Zhi'er, don't overthink it, okay?"
Xuezhi suddenly sat up: "It can't be like this in the future either."
"What?"
"You can't be with other women anymore."
Shangguan Tou looked slightly surprised: "Why?"
"...Perhaps when I can accept it, I can consider letting you find women, but you can't be unfaithful, and the girls you choose must be chosen by me. You can only have them if I'm satisfied."
Shangguan Tou desperately suppressed a laugh: "Isn't it a bit too willful to talk like that?"
Xuezhi thought for a moment, then rested her chin on her hand and said, "Actually, I really don't know why you're looking for so many women? If you like that kind of thing, one wife is enough. Besides, Zhier has said that she will serve you."
Shangguan Tou looked at Xuezhi, completely speechless.
Xuezhi waved her hand in front of him: "Sister Zhaojun?"
Shangguan Tou shook his head quickly, his amber pupils shining brightly, almost translucent. He gently patted Xuezhi's head, smiling slightly, "I'll listen to you. From now on, your brother Tou will never look at another woman again, and Zhi'er, don't say you hate me over such trivial matters, understand?"
"Ah, well," Xuezhi finally found a good excuse, "Actually, I heard yesterday that you beat up Young Master Xia, so I was in a bad mood, and that's why..."
Xuezhi was a little embarrassed, but the smile on Shangguan Tou's face disappeared very quickly.
44
In the days that followed, Shangguan Tou was extremely frustrated by Xue Zhi's "serving" of him. After several days of being bombarded with Xue Zhi's sweet talk, it would be a lie to say that he could completely tolerate her temper, which was a hundred times more fiery than before.
When Xuezhi was still at Chonghuo Palace, many people said her temper was comparable to that of Zhusha in her youth. However, Zhusha was different now, even imparting to Xuezhi the "secrets of womanhood." The first rule was to be gentle. She said that a woman could be petty, have small breasts, or even be unattractive, but the most important thing was to be gentle. She added that the young palace master had everything except gentleness, and that just a little bit of gentleness would suffice. Xuezhi took this to heart, but when her temper flared, no one could control her.
Ever since witnessing Shangguan Tou's "true self," Xuezhi often felt irritated just looking at him, and couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks at the slightest mistake he made. If Shangguan Tou showed even the slightest displeasure after saying so much, her volcano would erupt again. She didn't want to do this, but her own fluctuating emotions made her even more irritable, and her daily life became quite difficult.
Before she knew it, it was early April, and the Shaolin Temple Weapon Ranking Tournament was about to be held. Xuezhi's heart, which had gradually flown to another world, was also pulled back by the Weapon Ranking Tournament.
Amidst the massive population movement across the martial arts world, Xuezhi and her companions also set off, heading towards Shaolin.
Shaolin Temple on Jiulian Mountain, situated in the Jiuhua Mountains, boasts a strategically important location, easily defensible and difficult to attack, making it an ideal place for martial arts training. The temple complex, a vast and imposing ground, is particularly impressive during the Weaponry Tournament, showcasing the long history and grandeur of Shaolin Temple. Abbot Shi Yan is the youngest abbot in history, with a black beard, a departure from the traditional image of previous abbots, displaying a strong sense of justice, much like a chivalrous swordsman. Although somewhat controversial, he is generally respected for his integrity and virtuous conduct.
The Heroes' Gathering is a gathering for individual martial artists to distinguish themselves, while the Weapon Ranking is entirely about showcasing the prestige of their respective sects. Although there is no official ranking of sects in the martial arts world, many people judge a sect's worth based on the Weapon Ranking. Therefore, the number of people appearing at the Weapon Ranking Gathering, and the number of groups of people attending, is much greater. The gathering is divided into two rankings: the Weapon Ranking and the Martial Arts Ranking. A sect that appears on the Weapon Ranking will be automatically removed from the ranking if it challenges them without response for three consecutive years; a sect that appears on the Martial Arts Ranking will be automatically removed from the ranking if it challenges them without response for five consecutive years.
Although the tournament was held at the Shaolin Temple, the method of determining the winner was anything but merciful. Behind the stone archway inscribed with "Southern Shaolin Temple" was a large square. In the center of the square stood a fighting platform almost as tall as the temple itself, too high for those lacking in light-footed skills. Therefore, there were three ways to determine the winner: first, one side lost the ability to fight; second, one side conceded defeat; third, one side fell off the platform.
Because disciples from the same sect can challenge each other an unlimited number of times, many are reluctant to engage in serious combat and prefer to stop short of a full-blown fight. Generally, the person who is injured or struck in a vital spot will admit defeat. Therefore, the truly exciting matches are those between sect leaders. Influenced by this Weapon Ranking Tournament, many sects often have only their sect leaders remaining among their most outstanding members.
At this moment, Chong Xuezhi was standing in front of the top red weapon list of Huashan last year.
First place: Shaolin Temple, Burning Wood Knife (Shi Yan).
Second place: Lingjian Manor, Kunyuan Divine Sword (Lin Xuanfeng).
Third place, Wudang Mountain, Tai Chi Sword (Tan Yi).
Fourth place: Chonghuo Palace, Hunyue Sword (Haitang).
Fifth place, Moon Valley, First-grade Divine Moon Staff (Explanation).
Indeed, the sword is the king of weapons. A quick glance at the rankings reveals that the most common weapon is the sword, followed by the knife, and then the whip, double swords, staff, hook, cane, etc.
When Xuezhi saw the fourth and fifth place rankings, she turned around and said, "Sister Zhaojun, who is this Jieyu? How come he's ranked below Haitang?"
"She is the Second Valley Master, a good friend of my mother when she was young. She is younger than my mother and has excellent skills. However, this is the ranking from three years ago, and now she has basically retired from the martial arts world."
"The Second Valley Master?" Xuezhi exclaimed happily, "She's the legendary Second Valley Master who does absolutely nothing?"
"So you've heard of that Second Valley Master?" Shangguan Tou said with a smile. "He is Jieyu's husband. He is indeed the real Second Valley Master, but he is in charge of things in Moon Valley. Jieyu handles things outside."
Why?
"His reason for telling me was that there was too much trouble in the martial arts world, and he was too lazy and playful, so staying in the valley and being a frog in a well was quite nice."
"Haha, so there are people in this world with this kind of personality. I'm starting to wonder if his name is Lin Yuhuang."
"So, Master Lin also has this kind of personality."
Xuezhi was dumbfounded: "Lin...the great hero?"
Is this form of address strange?
"No, it's alright. But you, why do you never participate in the Weapon Ranking Tournament?"
“I participated two years ago.” Shangguan Tou glanced at the red list and finally found “Jade Brocade Staff (Shangguan Tou)” at number eighty-one. He then laughed and said, “Last year it seemed to be in the middle. It’s amazing how much it has dropped so quickly.”
"Could it be that Sister Zhaojun only fought one battle and then ran away again?"
At this moment, Zhong Tao, who had been talking to Qiu Hongxiu, said, "Your sister Zhaojun got forty-ninth place back then, because the man who got fiftieth place bullied his little lover."
Xuezhi's eyes widened: "His little lover?"
"Yes, the one ranked fiftieth is the little lover's husband. It's said that he beat up the little lover a few days before the Weapon Ranking Tournament. The little lover came to complain to your sister Zhaojun, and your sister Zhaojun couldn't stand it, so she went up and beat him up, throwing him off the stage and almost killing him. Your sister Zhaojun has the nuns of Emei supporting her, so she's fearless and runs away after beating people up. So the old monk Shiyan turned a blind eye and let him be on this list."
Xuezhi squinted at Shangguan Tou: "What's your little lover's name?"
Shangguan Tou pondered for a long time: "I don't remember."
45
"You can forget all that?" Xuezhi shook her index finger. "Sister, you are indeed a beauty of unparalleled grace and charm."
"I remember now, her name is Xiangchen."
Qiu Hongxiu said, "Actually, her name is Qiu Niang. He met Xiang Chen while burning incense. He probably mixed up the two women because they were both related to monks and burning incense."
Shangguan Tou winked at Qiu Hongxiu. Zhong Tao continued, "Actually, these two are very different. Xiangchen was a singer from Luoyang. When she went to burn incense, she prayed for a marriage. Her personality was so gentle that no man could resist her. At that time, Baldy was also dragged there by his mother, so Xiangchen decided that Baldy was the one she had prayed for as her lifelong partner. The two were together for about three or four days, and when Baldy heard her hint at marriage, before he had even made a move on her, he ran away under the pretext of returning to Yue Shang Valley. Afterwards, I heard that Xiangchen was suicidal for more than half a year, and she lost half of her hair. Baldy is a sinner."
As he spoke, Shangguan Tou tugged at Zhong Tao's sleeve several times, but Zhong Tao stubbornly continued speaking in one breath.
Xuezhi asked, "What about Qiuniang?"
As soon as Zhong Tao opened his mouth, Shangguan Tou shoved the fan handle into it. Zhong Tao spat it out and was about to retaliate when Qiu Hongxiu continued, "When Qiu Niang met Yi Pin Tou, she was twenty-nine years old, a graceful young woman, nine years older than him—a rather striking age gap. Qiu Niang was completely captivated after being saved by Yi Pin Tou, even saying she wanted to give him up so he would always remember her. You don't know how devoted Yi Pin Tou was when he said goodbye to her. Seeing him like that, Langya and I always thought that if Yi Pin Tou ever turned over a new leaf, she would be the first person he looked for. But only two years later, he can't even remember her name!"
Xuezhi's eyes were fixed straight ahead.
Shangguan Tou said, "Hongxiu, that's enough."
"Since you've done it, don't be afraid of what people say."
"It's been so long, is there any point in bringing it up again?"
Xuezhi suddenly blurted out, "Sister Zhaojun was only twenty-two years old."
"So how old do you think I am?"
"Twenty-eight or twenty-nine."
Do I look that old?
"No, I feel you've been through a lot, so you must have been quite experienced." Xuezhi looked at Shangguan Tou. "You rarely participated in these martial arts activities before, right? I've never seen you there."
Shangguan Tou looked back at her and nodded.
Qiu Hongxiu said, "He basically just wanders around and leaves, and he always goes alone, or follows the two of us. I doubt many people even remember that Moon Valley belongs to him anymore."
Zhong Tao patted Shangguan Tou's shoulder heavily: "Baldy, why have you been spacing out so much lately?"
"I don't."
"However, Sister Zhaojun's martial arts skills are really amazing. I wonder who is better, her or Brother Muyuan."
Qiu Hongxiu asked, "Who is Brother Mu Yuan?"
"He's the most powerful person in Chonghuo Palace right now. But he doesn't like to show his face." Xuezhi suddenly noticed the martial arts ranking list in the distance. "Oh right, I just looked at that list last year. The number one spot is still Chonghuo Palace's 'Nine Forms of the Lotus God'! It's said that many people know that Daddy has passed away, but they still don't dare to challenge the Nine Forms of the Lotus God, for fear that someone in Chonghuo Palace who knows the Nine Forms of the Lotus God will appear... Brother Mu Yuan?"
The other three looked at Xuezhi with puzzled expressions.
Xuezhi hurriedly ran towards a group of people, calling out, "Brother Mu Yuan! Brother Mu Yuan!"
The man leading the group turned around. He wore a tight-fitting white shirt underneath a black veil with short sleeves. His long hair was neatly combed back and tied with a thin, deep red ribbon, revealing his smooth forehead. His skin was slightly fair, and his eyebrows were straight and arched, giving him a somewhat arrogant air. However, a string of black beads around his neck made him appear much smaller.