Under the morning sun of Qingyan City, Lin Che walked side-by-side with Old Ma—one young and upright, the other old and hunched—swaggering into the restaurant attached to the Guest's Peace Inn.
"Waiter! Bring out the best wine you've got, and all your signature dishes! This Daoist Master is hungry!" The moment Old Ma stepped inside, he began shouting in a grating, hoarse voice. His tattered, patched-up, and greasy-looking Daoist robe, combined with his voice, immediately drew the attention and pointing fingers of many patrons in the hall.
Lin Che could only sigh and rub his forehead, wishing he could pretend not to know the old man. But for the sake of this "powerful ally," he endured it.
Moments later, a round table was laden with aromatic spirit cuisine: a whole roasted "Golden-Winged Rock Goat," crispy and golden, sizzling with oil; a steaming pot of "White Jade Mushroom Stewed Snow Frog," brimming with spiritual energy; several plates of exquisite seasonal spirit vegetables; and two jugs of freshly opened, fragrant "Hundred-Year Bamboo Leaf Green" wine.
"Hehehe, good! Good! Now this is more like it!" Old Ma rubbed his hands together, drool nearly dripping onto the table. Abandoning all pretense of decorum, he reached out, tore off a plump, juicy goat leg, and took a huge bite. He ate with his mouth smeared in grease, his table manners even worse than a street beggar's.
Lin Che's lips twitched as he watched. Just as he poured himself a cup of wine and was about to take a sip, a clear, familiar voice called out from behind him.
"Huh? Brother! You're here! Wow, so much delicious food!"
Lin Che turned to see Lin Ying, who had somehow wandered over. She stood by the table, her large, curious eyes fixed on Old Ma, who was still devouring his meal. She wore a bright, canary-yellow dress today, looking especially lively and pretty.
"This old grandpa is…" Lin Ying tilted her head, staring at Old Ma for a long moment. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she pointed at him excitedly. "Ah! I remember! Aren't you that… that old grandpa who couldn't even trip properly?!"
"Pfft—!"
Old Ma, who had been happily munching on the goat leg, choked violently. A piece of meat got stuck in his throat, and he nearly passed out, coughing and hacking until his face turned purple. Lin Che was also completely baffled, having no idea what his sister was talking about.
"Cough, cough, cough… L-little girl, you can eat whatever you want, b-but you can't just say anything!" Old Ma finally managed to swallow the meat, patting his chest. His old face was flushed a deep, ugly red, and his eyes darted around nervously, clearly guilty.
"I'm not saying anything wrong!" Lin Ying blinked her innocent, wide eyes and spoke earnestly. "Old grandpa, have you forgotten? Last time at Sky Gate Stronghold, you stole five hundred top-grade spirit stones from my brother's storage pouch! And when you were running away, you tripped over a bamboo strip on the ground, fell flat on your face, and even hit your head on a bamboo fence! It looked so painful! I was the one who helped you up!"
Silence.
Deafening, tomb-like silence.
The entire restaurant hall seemed to have been put on pause. Old Ma held the half-eaten goat leg frozen in mid-air, his face a kaleidoscope of shifting colors—red, white, and green—wishing he could find a hole to crawl into and disappear. Lin Che's wine cup hovered by his lips, the muscles on his face twitching uncontrollably. His gaze at Old Ma was filled with shock and speechlessness, as if thinking, So it was you all along!
"Ahem… Well… Ahem, ahem…" Old Ma forced a few dry coughs, trying to salvage a shred of dignity. His voice was as rough as sandpaper. "L-little girl, you must be mistaken, right? How could this Daoist Master do such a thing? It must have been… someone else…"
"Impossible!" Lin Ying declared firmly. "I remember it clearly! You were wearing this exact same tattered Daoist robe, with that green patch right on your butt! And when you fell, that patch tore open, and I saw the red underwear you were wearing underneath!"
"Pfft—!" The patrons at the surrounding tables could no longer hold back, bursting into uproarious laughter.
Old Ma: "…" He felt as if his old face had been ground into the dirt eight hundred times over. He had been utterly, socially annihilated. Silently, he put down the goat leg, covered his face with his hands, and his shoulders trembled slightly. It was impossible to tell if he was crying or laughing.
Lin Che took a deep breath, barely resisting the urge to smash his wine cup over the old man's head. He waved a hand at Lin Ying. "Alright, alright, stop causing trouble here. Go play with your spirit beast army. You're not a little girl anymore. Focus on your cultivation instead of wandering around aimlessly."
"Oh…" Lin Ying pouted, aggrieved. She gave Old Ma one last curious glance before reluctantly walking away, looking back over her shoulder every few steps.
The moment Lin Ying was gone, Old Ma immediately dropped his hands. There wasn't a trace of shame left on his face—only relief at having survived the ordeal, mixed with a hint of awkwardness. He chuckled sheepishly. "Hehe… Well… that was all a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding… This Daoist Master was just… borrowing it back then! Yes, borrowing! Once I have the money, I'll definitely pay it back, definitely…"
Lin Che shot him an annoyed glare. "Enough. Stop explaining; it only makes it worse. Finish eating, then we'll talk business."
After the feast (most of which was devoured by Old Ma alone), the table was a mess of empty plates and cups. Lin Che set up a soundproof barrier before speaking seriously. "Old Ma, I'll cut to the chase. My goal in coming to the Profound Heaven Realm is simple—to completely annihilate the Profound Sword Sect."
Old Ma, who had been picking his teeth, paused. A glint flashed in his muddy old eyes, but it was quickly replaced by his usual carefree demeanor. "Oh? You've got quite the nerve, kid. The Profound Sword Sect is a behemoth in this realm, deeply rooted and full of experts. And you think you can take them down? With just you… and me?"
"With us, plus the Broken Sword Sect, and… the Slaughter God Pavilion from the Canglan Realm," Lin Che's eyes blazed. "The Profound Sword Sect has suffered consecutive losses of elites. They're weak and vulnerable right now—a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. I need your help. When this is over, we'll split the resources in the Profound Sword Sect's treasury right down the middle."
"Split it down the middle?!" Old Ma's eyes bulged wide open, his muddy pupils seemingly glittering with countless spirit stones. His breathing grew rapid. "You… you're serious?! You're not tricking this Daoist Master, are you?!"
"I, Lin Che, mean what I say," Lin Che stated calmly.
"Deal!!" Old Ma slammed the table, making the cups and plates rattle. His beard trembled with excitement. "This Daoist Master is in! It's just the Profound Sword Sect! I've had enough of them anyway! Don't you worry, kid, with this old man on your side, I'll make sure they regret ever crossing us! Hehehe… Split it down the middle… down the middle…"
Watching Old Ma's money-crazed expression, Lin Che chuckled inwardly. As expected, lofty ideals and sentiments meant nothing to this old man. Only cold, hard benefits could get him on board.
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, a disciple from the Broken Sword Sect hurried to the inn and handed Lin Che a communication jade slip. "Pavilion Master Lin, Leader Mao Shiba sent me with a message. He requests your presence at the usual meeting place tonight at 7 p.m. sharp. It's a matter of great importance. The leaders of all the branch factions have already gathered."
Lin Che took the slip and nodded. "Understood. Tell Mao Shiba I'll be there."
That evening, Lin Che brought Old Ma back to the abandoned courtyard in the west of the city. This time, the underground base was much livelier. Besides Mao Shiba and his four sworn brothers, there were over a dozen other cultivators with impressive auras and varied attire—clearly the leaders of the Broken Sword Sect's various branches.
"Pavilion Master Lin!" Mao Shiba rushed forward to greet him, his expression excited. "You've finally arrived! Allow me to introduce you. These are the leaders responsible for our Broken Sword Sect's operations in various cities."
Everyone rose and bowed, their gazes filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and a hint of barely concealed anticipation. They had all heard rumors of Lin Che's exploits in the Canglan Realm.
"No need for formalities," Lin Che said with a slight nod. Then, he stepped aside to reveal Old Ma, who had been trying to shrink his presence behind him. "Allow me to introduce you to Elder Ma, a recluse who has lived in seclusion for many years, and an old friend of mine. Having heard of our righteous cause, he has specially emerged from seclusion to lend us his strength in our fight against the Profound Sword Sect."
All eyes instantly focused on Old Ma. The old Daoist was dressed in rags, hunched over, and looked half-asleep. No powerful spiritual energy could be sensed from him. He looked like a complete fraud.
Old Ma squirmed under the scrutiny. He cleared his throat twice, straightened his back (a futile effort), and tried to project an air of profound mystery, stroking his messy beard. "Boundless Heavenly Lord! This humble Daoist has wandered the world and happened upon Young Friend Lin. Hearing of the Profound Sword Sect's heinous crimes against the living, I find it intolerable in the eyes of heaven! Though my cultivation is shallow, I wish to do my small part to seek justice for the common people!"
His words were lofty and grand, and combined with his forced aura of mystery, they managed to fool some of the people present. Though Mao Shiba and the others still had their doubts, seeing how highly Lin Che spoke of him, they didn't dare show disrespect. They all clasped their hands and said, "We thank Elder Ma for his righteous assistance!"
Old Ma secretly breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from his palms. Thank the heavens I reacted quickly, or my old face would've been lost for good…he thought.
Lin Che watched Old Ma's forced composure, a faint, imperceptible smile curling his lips. He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the assembled leaders. "Now that everyone is here, let us discuss how we shall deliver this… 'grand gift' to the Profound Sword Sect!"