Xuan Jian immediately kowtowed and respectfully said, "Thank you, benefactor."
He had never doubted that the zuzong would harm him; if the other party wanted to harm him, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths to help him rescue his wife and children.
"I don't have much time left. I'll send you directly there. Miss Wei, hold your child tightly. I'll hold you tight, don't resist."
As he spoke, the zuzong grabbed Xuan Jian's hand and Wei Qianqian's shoulder, shouting in his mind, "System, teleport the four of us to Guiguzi's residence in Yunmeng Mountain."
[Ding, because the 'Qin's Moon' world is a low-level world, it requires 1000 hatred points. Teleporting four people will consume a total of 4000 hatred points. System teleporting]
Centered on the zuzong, the surrounding space distorted, and the four disappeared from the palace.
When the four reappeared, they were in a deep mountain forest. Before them was a thatched hut, surrounded by swirling mist. An old man with an air of otherworldly wisdom stood in the center of the hut's corridor, with two young men sparring in front of him. It was none other than Guiguzi, who had been living in seclusion here, along with his two disciples—Wei Zhuang and Gai Nie.
The sudden appearance of the four members of the clan startled Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang,
who immediately drew their swords to block Guiguzi's path. As for Guiguzi, even with his composure, he couldn't help but frown. Despite his vast knowledge, he was ultimately unable to transcend this world. Putting aside the fact that the four had used the Qimen Dunjia (a form of divination and strategy) to cross Yunmeng Mountain, their ability to traverse the void was beyond his comprehension.
The zuzong clasped his hands in a fist salute, "This must be the renowned Master Guiguzi and his two esteemed disciples, Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang! Don't misunderstand, I'm not here to cause trouble."
Guiguzi sized up the four people before him. One of them was injured, but his calloused hands revealed him to be a swordsman, and a highly skilled dual-wielder at that. Adding to this, the spider tattoo on the back of his hand confirmed that he was none other than the famous Hei Bai Xuan Jian of the Luo Wang (a powerful organization). He no longer held a sword, and beside him stood a woman holding a baby, who, judging from her demeanor, was likely Xuan Jian's wife and child.
As for the person standing at the front, Guiguzi couldn't quite figure him out. Although he wore a mask, his voice suggested he was young, but the aura he exuded was unlike anything Guiguzi had ever seen before—a vibrant, life-giving energy.
Guiguzi gestured for Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang to sheathe their swords, then looked at Zu Zong: "May I ask what brings you to Guigu, young friend?"
Zu Zong nodded. It was best to avoid a fight; he wasn't sure he could defeat this old man, after all, he was the pinnacle of the Qin's Moon series.
Zu Zong said, "I rescued a couple and their child, but I fear their enemies will pursue us again. After much consideration, Guigu seems the safest place. Therefore, I wish to temporarily leave them here for three or four years. I will retrieve them after that."
In three or four years, Ying Zheng would visit Han Fei in Han, and Guiguzi would simply join in the fun and persuade him to pardon Xuan Jian.
Hearing the zu zong's words, Wei Zhuang, the biggest show-off in Qin's Moon, became unhappy. He immediately put on a face as if someone owed him money, and fiercely swung his Shark Tooth Sword. "Hmph! What do you take Ghost Valley for, a refuge?"
The zuzong smiled helplessly. What a show-off!
"Don't worry, I'll pay you. You probably won't care about money, so here you go!"
As he spoke, the zuzong made a grabbing motion in the air, and two bottles of century-old Soul Wine appeared in his hand. These were leftovers from when he treated Flander and the others to drinks last time. They contained a trace amount of soul power. As a Soul Master, the effect on him was naturally minimal, but for martial arts heroes like them, drinking them would increase their power for several years without any problem.
The zuzong used the "Controlling Cranes and Capturing Dragons" technique, and the Soul Wine was presented to Guiguzi from mid-air. "This Soul Wine is over a hundred years old, containing pure energy unlike anything else in the world. It's unique; if your two disciples drink it, their power will surely increase greatly."
Seeing the zuzong retrieve the wine from thin air, Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang frowned, thinking to themselves, "What a brilliant method!"
Guiguzi, however, remained much calmer. Aside from the slight frown he showed when the four clan patriarchs appeared out of thin air, he hadn't revealed any emotion since.
Guiguzi simply reached out and absorbed the Soul Wine. Even before opening it, he could already feel the pure energy within. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, truly a rare treasure.
Guiguzi said, "Nie'er, Xiao Zhuang, you two go to the east side and build a thatched hut for these three guests."
Wei Zhuang was somewhat displeased; where was he supposed to put on airs now? "Master—"
Before he could finish, the more composed Gai Nie stopped him, "Xiao Zhuang, listen to your master."
"Hmph!" Wei Zhuang snorted coldly, struck a pose, sheathed his sword, and followed Gai Nie eastward.
The zuzong made a grabbing motion in the air, and the black and white swords fell back into his hand. Guiguzi glanced at them, nodded, and said nothing more. As for Xuan Jian and Wei Qianqian, they were already used to the zu zong's methods.
The zuzong handed the black and white swords to Xuan Jian, "Returning them to their rightful owner."
Xuan Jian shook his head, "Now I only want to take good care of Qianqian and the child. I don't want to be involved in the conflicts of the martial world anymore. The two swords are useless to me now."
Zu Zong's face flushed slightly. Actually, he wanted the other person to demonstrate swordsmanship for him. Ever since entering Qin's Moon, Zu Zong had had an idea in his mind. His "Second Soul Skill—Blue Silver Blade" was excellent in speed and power, but its attack method was too simplistic. If he learned the top-tier swordsmanship here and applied it to the Blue Silver Blade, imagine how terrifying the power would be! It might even become one of Zu Zong's main attack methods in the future.
Clearing his throat, Zu Zong said, "Ahem, it doesn't matter if you want the sword or not. I just want you to demonstrate swordsmanship for me, um—"
"Uh." Xuan Jian was a little stunned. It turned out that his benefactor's hesitation was actually a ploy to learn swordsmanship.
Xuan Jian laughed heartily, "Alright! My benefactor saved my family's lives; even if I were to be shattered to pieces, I could never repay him. Fortunately, my swordsmanship is passable. Since my benefactor wishes to learn, I will teach him."
Xuan Jian took the black and white swords and began to demonstrate, not bothering to hide it from Guiguzi. After all, Guiguzi possessed genuine swordsmanship; no one would dare to steal the swordsmanship of a mere assassin like himself.
Zu zong's Sharingan activated at high speed, copying every move of Xuan Jian's. The more he watched, the more engrossed he became. This was true swordsmanship, possessing exquisite skill, power, and domineering aura.
By the time Xuan Jian finished demonstrating, Zu zong's time was almost up.
Xuan Jian sheathed his sword and stood still. "I've made a fool of myself."
The clan leader couldn't help but exclaim, "Truly excellent swordsmanship!"
Even Guiguzi beside him nodded in praise, "Black and White Xuan Jian truly lives up to his reputation."
Xuan Jian bowed to Guiguzi, "My swordsmanship is insignificant; Master Guigu is the true master of swordsmanship."
[Ding, three minutes remaining before the host returns to Douluo Continent.]
Hearing the system notification in his mind, the clan leader clasped his hands in a fist salute to Guiguzi, "I must depart now. I entrust the care of these three to Master Guigu. I will certainly repay you handsomely next time I come."
Guiguzi nodded without saying anything.
Upon hearing this, Xuan Jian immediately handed the black and white swords to the clan leader.
The zuzong shook his head, "I will come again next time."
Xuan Jian didn't stand on ceremony, sheathed his swords, looking somewhat hesitant.
Zu Zong chuckled, "Hehe, speak your mind!"
Xuan Jian nodded, "I don't presume to know your true identity, benefactor. I only wish to know why you have treated my wife and me so well."
Zu Zong said, "Perhaps I wish to learn your swordsmanship!"
"No, I can see that you acted on impulse," Xuan Jian said firmly. Zu
Zong glanced at Wei Qianqian and sighed, "Perhaps I was simply moved by your genuine affection for Miss Wei! In this dark age, it's truly unbelievable that true love could appear. Or perhaps I simply wish to fulfill my own obsession."
[Ding, time's up. We're about to send the host back to Douluo Continent. Countdown: 10, 9, 8]
"Then goodbye, I wish you happiness." As soon
as he finished speaking, under the gazes of Guiguzi, Xuan Jian, and Wei Qianqian, the surrounding space distorted, and Zu Zong vanished from the spot.
PS: The protagonist will frequently travel to the Qin's Moon world to learn swordsmanship in order to develop his "Second Soul Skill—Blue Silver Blade." (Actually, I was just lusting after those beauties. Jing Ni and Fei Yan are destined to have the author's babies. Friendly reminder: the protagonist's first child is A Yan.)