In the early morning, the clear bells rang through Qianyang Mountain, revealing infinite solemnity. However, there was a lively scene at the gate of Xuanming Sect. The Xuanming Sect logo was hung on the tall archway, and dozens of Xuanming Sect disciples lined up on both sides of the stone steps, wearing long swords on their waists, with extraordinary momentum. Two Taoist supervisors and several senior disciples stood under the archway to welcome the guests. Countless cultivators entered in a continuous stream, some wearing Taoist robes, some wearing gorgeous clothes, and from time to time, some people came riding cranes and eagles, each presenting a bag filled with gifts.
"Master Yue of the Lingxin Sect has come to congratulate you."
Gu Pinglin and Duan Qingming walked side by side in front, while behind them Jiang Ruoxu, Leng Xu and other four people all looked unhappy. The one who received them this time was just an ordinary disciple. As they were both from a second-rate sect, the one who received Liudao Sect was the eldest disciple under the tutelage of Wei Ziyang, the master of Wenshi Academy. It was hard to say whether Xuanming Sect was so "negligent" on purpose or not. Everyone was very indignant, but they remembered Yue Songting's instructions and did not take it seriously.
Duan Qingming pointed to the sky and said with a smile: "The Xuanming Sect is making a big move this time."
Everyone looked up and saw a different scene inside the mountain gate. There were wisps of purple mist lingering in the sky. Although it was thin, it made people feel refreshed and comfortable.
"Could it be the Hongmeng Bell?"
"Even the sect's treasure was taken out. No wonder I felt so comfortable when I came in just now."
Hongmeng purple qi is rare and is very beneficial to cultivation. Everyone was in a better mood and walked forward while talking. Duan Qingming introduced the magical instruments and treasures of Xuanming Sect along the way. He was knowledgeable and his explanations were interesting. Everyone was fascinated. Gu Pinglin walked alone in the back, watching everything without saying a word.
The ceremony was held open air. The square outside the main hall of Xuanming Sect was several times larger than that of Lingxin Sect. In the middle of the steps was an incense table and a tablet of the ancestors. There was an open space in the middle and guest seats on both sides. There were hundreds of tables with various fruit plates and wine and tea on them. Many guests had already taken their seats, some familiar and some unfamiliar.
The one in charge of the reception was Cheng. When the Lingxin people came over, she just glanced at them and turned to talk to others. No disciples came to greet them and take their seats.
As expected, Gu Pinglin confirmed his guess.
Although the two sects were both in Qianyang Mountain and there were many frictions between the disciples, the Xuanming Sect was a large sect and it was impossible for them to argue on such an important occasion. This was clearly Cheng's intention and he wanted to teach him a lesson.
Duan Qingming stepped forward and bowed as if nothing had happened: "Greetings, aunt." Without waiting for Cheng to respond, he turned to the guest next to him: "Isn't this Uncle Wei? You're here so early."
After a few words, the guest started chatting with him with a smile and asked, "Are you here alone?"
Duan Qingming leaned over and said, "It's the Xuanming Sect's grand ceremony. I and a few fellow disciples were ordered by the Sect Master to come and congratulate you."
After greeting the guests, it was impolite for them to stand in front of him. Cheng looked cold and scolded the disciples around him: "Why don't you invite the guests to take a seat!"
The seats of the Lingxin Sect were arranged in a corner, surrounded by some small sects and independent practitioners. Gu Pinglin was fine, but the others were so angry that their faces turned red.
Leng Xu said: "Go back."
"They did it on purpose," another disciple echoed, "They've already given us the gifts, why should we stay and suffer for no reason?"
Everyone looked at Duan Qingming.
Duan Qingming sighed, "I'm sorry to have wronged you brothers this time. Why don't you go first and I'll stay and deal with it. I can also report to the headmaster when I return."
Jiang Ruoxu and Leng Xu had both been to the sea before, and their relationship was even deeper. Hearing what he said, Jiang Ruoxu hurriedly said, "How can I leave you here alone to face their faces? I'll stay too."
The disciples of the Lingxin Sect always stood together, and the other two refused to leave: "We are brothers, there is no reason for us to leave you alone, it's nothing, we just have to endure a little humiliation."
Having said that, everyone still felt awkward sitting among a group of independent cultivators and leaders of small sects. Only Duan Qingming didn't care at all. He continued chatting and laughing with the cultivators at the next table, not caring whether the other party was famous or not.
Not long after, two young men from aristocratic families came hurriedly and laughed when they saw Duan Qingming.
"It looked like it just now, it's really Brother Duan!"
"Duan Liu!"
The two of them had not said a few words before more people came over one after another. Duan Qingming chatted and laughed with them, as if he was very familiar with them.
Gu Pinglin watched this and drank his tea slowly.
These people all came from great families, and they should be his friends when he was in the Duan family. Knowing that he had joined the Lingxin Sect, they still did not look down on him at all, which showed that they really respected him. Apart from being ruthless, Duan Qingming was a man of extraordinary talent, and he was indeed hard to resist.
The commotion was so loud that soon, a senior disciple of Xuanming Sect came over and saluted: "My fellow disciples, I made a mistake. You were at that table. I was so busy that I was rude. I hope you will forgive me."
While apologizing, he led everyone to another table. This time, the people around were no longer small sects, but famous families and sects, which were very consistent with the status of Lingxin Sect.
The ceremony was about to begin, and the group of noble family disciples said goodbye and returned to their seats. As soon as the people from the Lingxin Sect sat down, someone at the next seat called out, "Junior Brother Gu?"
Gu Pinglin turned around and saw that it was Zhang Lian from the Six Paths Sect. She was used by Duan Qingming before, and her two fellow apprentices died tragically at the hands of Qi Peng, the elder of the Qi family. After that, she was rarely seen. It was said that she had been in seclusion for the past two years. Now she looked much calmer. Gu Pinglin glanced at Duan Qingming meaningfully: "How is Senior Sister Zhang?"
"Fortunately," Zhang Lian just smiled and bowed to everyone, "All the senior brothers are here too."
She clearly gave up her thoughts on Duan Qingming. Gu Pinglin couldn't help but sigh. She must be regretting it. If she hadn't wanted to go with Duan Qingming and chased him in the middle of the night, she wouldn't have happened to meet Qi Peng and killed him. In fact, this was all Duan Qingming's plan. It was a good thing for her to stay away from Duan Qingming.
The Liudao Sect and the Lingxin Sect have a long-standing friendship, and most of the disciples on both sides know each other. After a few greetings, the Xuanming Sect ceremony began.
The bells echoed, the purple air in the sky became thicker, and the atmosphere became solemn. The guests stopped talking and looked at the center. The head of the sect, Zhan Renjie, walked up to the high steps, read the petition, and then led the disciples to worship the founder of the sect. The disciples of each academy demonstrated swordsmanship... It took two full hours to end.
There was still some time before the dinner, and the guests were getting up and moving around, looking for familiar friends or making new friends. The nobles asked Duan Qingming to drink with them. Gu Pinglin had been cultivated by Yue Songting as the successor to the headmaster in recent years, and he knew many friends. He was asked to drink a few glasses, and thinking that there would be a banquet in the evening, Gu Pinglin found an opportunity to get out.
Just as he entered the plum blossom forest, someone called him from behind: "Senior Brother Gu!"
"Qu Lin?" Gu Pinglin stopped and turned to look at the garden gate. "Will you be punished if you run out instead of entertaining guests at such an important occasion?"
Qu Lin walked up to him and asked, "Why are you hiding here?"
"I don't like drinking," Gu Pinglin paused, "I guess you don't like this kind of occasion either, well, let's just take a walk."
Qu Lin walked with him and asked hesitantly, "I heard that Cheng Daxiu made things difficult for you?"
"It's just a mistake," Gu Pinglin said, "Senior Brother Bu will be able to come out of seclusion in a few days."
Qu Lin was surprised: "Didn't Sect Master Yue punish him to stay in seclusion for five years?"
If something unexpected happens, Yue Songting will soon die, so he will definitely let Bu Shuihan out of retreat early. Gu Pinglin did not explain, but stretched out her hand to brush away the plum blossom branches in front of her.
Qu Lin paused for a moment, lowered her head, and quickly passed under the flowers: "Just now, a junior sister from the Six Paths Sect was asking about you."
Gu Pinglin walked over and withdrew his hand, letting the branch bounce back.
"I didn't tell her you were here because you said you wanted to concentrate on cultivation," Qu Lin said, "to save her from being sad in the future."
Gu Pinglin said, "Hmm," "Are you still sad?"
Qu Lin turned her face away: "I..."
Gu Pinglin interrupted her: "Compared to before?"
Qu Lin was stunned.
"It's faded a lot," Gu Pinglin answered for her, "Maybe you will still remember me in the future, but I am no longer necessary for you. The first heartbeat is not necessarily the best, don't you think?"
Qu Lin said: "You are still like this."
Gu Pinglin said in a slightly stern tone: "There is no point in looking back at the past. The road ahead is yours, Qu Lin."
Qu Lin whispered: "I understand. It's getting late. I'll go and greet the guests."
She left in a hurry after she finished speaking. Gu Pinglin turned back and looked at the pavilion in front of him. Outside the red railings, the plum blossoms were bright red, and inside the railings, the white clothes were cool and cold.
Gu Pinglin stepped onto the stone steps and walked into the pavilion: "What a coincidence."
"What a coincidence." The man sat leaning against the railing with his eyes half closed.
Gu Pinglin asked: "Are you drunk?"
"Look, am I drunk or sober?" Duan Qingming asked back.
Gu Pinglin looked at the person walking outside the pavilion: "That depends on whether you want to get drunk or wake up."
The man was about fifty years old, with thick eyebrows, a hawk nose, a slightly square chin, a dark beard, a burly figure, and a powerful gait. He looked like someone who was used to giving orders. He walked into the pavilion, frowned at Gu Pinglin, and then looked at Duan Qingming: "What's wrong with him?"
After a while, Duan Qingming seemed to have fallen asleep and showed no reaction.
Apart from their tall stature, the two father and son really don't have much in common. Gu Pinglin said, "Senior brother is probably drunk. If Patriarch Duan has anything to say, Gu Jiu can tell him."
Duan Pin waved his hand: "I'll take him away first."
"This..." Gu Pinglin took a few steps forward, "I'm sorry I can't agree to this."
Duan Pin was a little surprised when he heard this: "You said before that you were willing to let him leave Lingxin Sect."
Gu Pinglin said: "That was before."
Duan Pin said angrily: "What do you mean?"
Gu Pinglin said: "He doesn't want to leave, why don't you help him, Master Duan?"
"I will help you to do your ugly deeds?" Duan Pin's face suddenly turned cold, his eyes were sinister, "Do you really think that I dare not kill you? I will get rid of this evil creature as well. What can Yue Songting do to me?"
Gu Pinglin laughed: "You dare not."
Duan Pin slapped the stone table and said, "What did you say?"
"I said, you don't dare," Gu Pinglin repeated nonchalantly, walking closer to him, "If you can't kill me within ten moves, someone will come to stop you. Patriarch Duan is a guest, how can you start a war in Xuanming Sect?"
Duan Pin sneered: "Can you hide in Xuanming Sect forever?"
"Of course not, but you won't do it either."
"oh?"
"It would certainly be curious if Patriarch Duan killed me for no reason. In order to save my life, I might not care about my reputation."
"You dare to threaten me?" Duan Pin laughed instead of getting angry. "I am cautious, but Yue Songting is not afraid of losing face?"
Gu Pinglin said: "So, this is a last resort."
Duan Pin mocked, "Little friend, you are still too young to threaten me like this."
"Of course this is not enough to threaten you," Gu Pinglin said, "What if we add Master Wei Feng's letter?"
Duan Pin's eyebrows jumped: "What do you mean?"
Gu Pinglin said: "The sea bone pit incident caused heavy losses to all factions. I'm sure everyone is curious about who is behind it."
A flash of murderous intent flashed in his eyes. Duan Pin stroked his beard and sneered, "You didn't even open the letter. How can you prove that it was written to me?"
"I did not open it because the letter has the Duan family's unique seal," Gu Pinglin said, "but this does not mean that no one in the world can open it. I believe that the head of the Duan family would think so too."
Duan Pin finally put away his contempt, put down his hand, slowly paced a few steps, and asked: "What do you think?"
Gu Pinglin said: "Since the senior is not causing trouble, Gu Jiu is also too lazy to cause trouble. Perhaps, there is really no one in this world who can open it."
"It's just the Lingxin Sect. It's not difficult for me to destroy it."
"It won't be difficult for Gu Jiu to take action against the Duan family."
Duan Pin was stunned for a while, then laughed: "What a big tone! It seems that my son has found an extraordinary person!"
Gu Pinglin said: "You are so kind."
As soon as the words fell, invisible pressure surged up from all directions, and all the sounds outside the pavilion disappeared.
"This is just a little lesson," Duan Pin turned to face him, "Don't think that your reputation can protect you and you can act recklessly in front of me. Young people should learn to recognize the situation and retreat when they encounter difficulties."
"Gu Jiu will accept the lesson of Patriarch Duan." Gu Pinglin did not dare to use the Creation Art. Sweat appeared on his forehead, but his tone was calm. "It is impolite not to return the favor."
There was no wind, but the branches of flowers beside the railing swayed suddenly.
"Huh?" Duan Pin was slightly startled, and he clenched his palms, causing wind to rise from under his sleeves!
A boundless sword realm spreads out in the narrow pavilion, with thousands of plum blossoms dancing, each one filled with sword intent.
In a moment, a few plum blossoms fell silently and landed on the person sleeping by the railing, leaving red marks on his white clothes. One flower fell on his thin curved lips, looking like a charming smile.
Duan Pin appeared outside the pavilion, his face somewhat distorted. With his status, he was forced back by the sword moves of the Waidan cultivator. He was really embarrassed: "Did he teach you?"
Gu Pinglin did not answer: "Thank you for your help."
"You guys, very good!" Duan Pin sneered and left.
Various sounds rang in my ears again. The painted eaves, carved beams, and red railings were still there, except that there were a few fewer plum blossoms on the branches outside the railings. A few people passed by not far away, and no one noticed that there had been a contest in the pavilion.
The gap in realm was not small. Gu Pinglin adjusted his breath, raised his hand to wipe the blood from his lips, turned sideways to look at the sleeping person: "Is there any meaning in testing like this?"
Duan Qingming opened his eyes as expected: "What do you mean?"
Gu Pinglin said: "Do you believe it?"
"You just need to be satisfied with the result, not believe it." Duan Qingming stood up with his slanted eyebrows hiding a sharp edge. The plum blossoms on his clothes fell to the ground one after another. He flicked his wide sleeves lightly and left.
Gu Pinglin stayed in the pavilion. The Hongmeng Bell can only be used once every hundred years, and no one wants to miss the opportunity. Meditation monks can be seen everywhere in the forest. Gu Pinglin also took the opportunity to absorb the Hongmeng Qi to flush the Dao meridians. He walked out of the garden until the dinner was about to start, and happened to meet a female disciple wandering by the stone bridge.
The girl was in her prime and had a pretty face. She walked a few steps to the east, then turned and walked a few steps to the west. Then she stopped to think, her brows tightly furrowed.
Gu Pinglin glanced at her and continued walking forward. When passing by the stone bridge, he asked casually, "Are you the junior sister from the Six Paths Sect?"
The girl was startled and nodded: "Senior Brother is..."
Gu Pinglin said, "The banquet is about to begin. Senior Sister Zhang from your sect is sitting with us. Why don't we go out together?"
The girl was lost and was too embarrassed to ask. When she heard Gu Pinglin take the initiative to invite her, she couldn't help but feel secretly happy and hurriedly said, "That's perfect. Please come in, Senior Brother."
"Please." Gu Pinglin said and walked forward.
The girl hurriedly caught up with him, and the two of them walked around several corridors and rockery, and walked out of the garden gate one after the other. The girl breathed a sigh of relief, looked at his back, and wanted to speak several times, but pursed her lips and held back.
"We're here." Gu Pinglin turned around.
The girl didn't know what she was thinking. She exclaimed, "What?"
Gu Pinglin smiled and raised his chin slightly to signal her to look: "That is Senior Sister Zhang from your sect, right?"
The girl came back to her senses and blushed: "Yes."
"Junior Sister Qin!" The disciple next to Zhang Lian had already seen the two and waved, "Come over here, what took you so long?"
The girl hurried over and sat next to Zhang Lian: "I'll just take a walk in the garden."
"Just walking around, why have you been walking for so long?" Zhang Lian pointed at her nose, "You've lost your way again!"
The girl confidently said, "No, I met a senior brother and was talking to him." She turned around to look for Gu Pinglin, and then she was surprised: "Hey, are you from the Lingxin Sect?"
"What do you mean by 'you'? You are so disrespectful!" Zhang Lian scolded, "He is the Senior Brother Gu you always ask about. How come you still don't know him after talking for so long?" After that, she smiled at Gu Pinglin and said, "This is my Junior Sister Qin Min. I heard that Junior Brother Gu was able to fight the Hook Snake at such a young age. I admire you very much."
Gu Pinglin said: "I am young and reckless, sorry for the embarrassment."
Qin Min looked at him stupidly.
The young man in front of him was wearing a black cloak, with handsome eyebrows, bright eyes, and a straight nose. He no longer looked like a young woman, which was very different from the rumors.
Qin Min bowed shyly, and spoke in a much lower voice: "Senior Brother Gu, just now..."
"What a coincidence just now." Gu Pinglin changed the subject and casually asked her about her cultivation.
Qin Min was very nervous at first, but later she relaxed a little when she saw that he spoke softly and was not as serious as he looked. She pulled Zhang Lian and said, "Junior Brother Gu and Senior Sister have similar eyebrows and eyes. At first glance, they look like Senior Sister's brother!"
This was not the first time this matter was mentioned, and people at both tables laughed at the same time.
Zhang Lian gently lifted the hair on her temples: "Isn't there someone who wants to be my sister-in-law?"
Qin Min was anxious: "Don't talk nonsense, I didn't say that!"
Everyone turned their heads away and pretended not to hear. Jiang Ruoxu smiled and whispered to Gu Pinglin: "This Junior Sister Qin really admires you..."
Gu Pinglin shook his head.
The Hongmeng bell rang again, and the dinner began. Countless lanterns rose in the air, and disciples shuttled under the lanterns, presenting fine wine and delicacies to the guests.
"Senior Brother Gu, can I offer you a toast?" Qin Min came over with a glass of wine in hand, smiling.
Gu Pinglin looked across.
Holding a plain folding fan, Duan Qingming mingled among a group of children from aristocratic families. He exuded the youthful spirit that a noble family should have. Sometimes, half of his handsome face was hidden behind the fan, revealing a pair of smiling, charming eyes, perfect and flawless.
Gu Pinglin calmly withdrew his gaze and raised his glass to clink with hers: "You're welcome, Junior Sister."