World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 426: The Sword From the Moon! (I)

Zhang Jiuqian and her team left as quickly as they came. With apologetic expression, Zhou Yinglong and Hao Ling saw them off all the way to the gates of the Wudang Mountains.

With a trace of reluctant courtesy, Zhou Yinglong said, "Come visit again sometime, Captain!"

Zhang Jiuqian didn't even look back. She led her team straight to the aircraft and boarded without another word.

Hao Ling chuckled softly beside him. Zhou Yinglong gestured for the dozen gatekeepers to join him. Together, they waved and smiled as the Harrier aircraft lifted off and disappeared into the sky.

"Qin Yishen really thinks all cultivators in the cultivation world are idiots, doesn't he?" Zhou Yinglong muttered, hands tucked into his sleeves. "Still, there's not much we can do for now. At least we've wasted some of his lackeys' time."

Hao Ling sighed, concern flickering in her eyes. "I wonder where Fei Yu's sister is now. Should we keep looking, Senior Brother?"

"Good idea. No point just standing around here." Worry faintly clouded Zhou Yinglong's eyes as he gazed at the towering peaks of the Wudang Mountains.

Even Hao Ling had no idea what the elder cultivators on the mountain were discussing. Zhou Yinglong, a core disciple of the sect master's line, had been called in for a lecture earlier and overheard part of their conversation.

Judging from the current situation, the ancient cultivators were planning to use the Immortal Dao Conference to show off their strength and reshape the order of the cultivation world.

As one of the major sects of the current age, and one that had no ties to those ancient criminals, the Wudang Mountains had already begun contacting other sects in the same position.

If the ancient cultivators tried to seize control by force, the Wudang Mountains would not bow easily for two reasons: the dignity of their Daoist heritage and the precious cultivation resources flowing through the Hua Republic's qi meridians. Neither could be compromised.

"This year's Immortal Dao Conference is going to be messy," Zhou Yinglong murmured.

Hao Ling nodded thoughtfully.

After glancing at her phone, Hao Ling smiled. "The others have started moving too."

"Oh?" Zhou Yinglong's mood lightened, his lips curling into a grin. "Then let's see how well they spin their stories."

***

Inside the aircraft, Zhang Jiuqian seethed. The Special Investigation Unit headquarters had just sent her a new report. Apparently, two disciples from Mount Lao's Daoist heritage had found a severely injured girl named Wang Xiaomiao during their travels and had brought her back to their mountain.

"Captain Zhang, should we—"

"Send someone nearby to confirm!" she snapped. As Qin Yishen's most trusted subordinate, she wasn't about to fall for the same trick twice. "Verify immediately if any disciples from Mount Lao returned to the mountain in the past few days, and if they brought anyone with them."

"Yes, Captain!"

The Special Affairs officers got to work at once, contacting their colleagues stationed near Mount Lao. Ten minutes later, they got confirmation that two disciples had flown back a few hours ago with a young girl on their swords.

Zhang Jiuqian frowned. It sounded promising, yet something felt off. Still, she made the pragmatic call.

"We'll go check. Better to believe it's true than risk missing her. The Wudang Mountains have ties with Fei Yu's group, so it's only natural they'd try to confuse us and cover for Wang Xiaomiao."

The aircraft climbed into the sky again, banking east toward Mount Lao.

An hour and a half later, they arrived at the reception hall near Mount Lao's mountain gate. There, a Daoist master with a thick local accent greeted them, scratching his head awkwardly.

"This is all a misunderstanding. We rescued a young girl, whom a fierce ghost had possessed. We've already completed the exorcism. She's also surnamed Wang, and her given name is Miao, the youngest in her family. We didn't expect that she wasn't the Wang Xiaomiao you were looking for. It seems the merit for this one won't go to our sect, after all."

A vein pulsed on Zhang Jiuqian's forehead. For a moment, it looked like she'd explode, but she managed to force a professional smile. Calmly, she replied, "No problem. Seems we misunderstood."

Without another word, she led her team out of the Daoist temple and back toward the aircraft. Though she kept a straight face, her eyes were blazing.

Ten minutes into the return flight, Zhang Jiuqian received a report from the Special Affairs Unit headquarters.

The young operator on the other end of the line stammered nervously as she read it out.

—M-Mount Qiyun's Daoist heritage just sent word. They claim to have also captured Wang Xiaomiao and have already brought her back to their mountain gate...

Zhang Jiuqian's face, already grim as a storm, finally cracked. She kicked the seat in front of her.

Thud!

"Those damn cultivators! They're making a fool of me! Argh! Contact headquarters and have them coordinate twenty strike teams immediately. I want a team sent to any sect claiming to have captured Wang Xiaomiao at once!"

One of the Special Affairs officers hesitantly commented, "Have these Daoist sects lost their minds? What do they gain from this? All they're doing is wasting our time and fuel."

"Hmph! You still don't see it?" Zhang Jiuqian questioned coldly. "They're using this as a statement of allegiance, a public declaration of which side they stand with! Just watch. Every Daoist sect that doesn't have ancient cultivators will soon start claiming they've captured Wang Xiaomiao!

"The information is obviously fake, but because they announce it openly, they build a silent understanding among themselves. When the Immortal Dao Conference begins, if things turn dangerous, they'll band together and protect one another."

She exhaled slowly, settling back into her seat. Pouring herself a glass of red wine, she smiled faintly.

"Fine. Very clever of them. Let's see, then, who gets the last laugh."

***

Thirty-three hours before the Fourth Immortal Dao Conference.

In the southern borderlands, Wang Xiaomiao, Shi Qianzhang, and Liu Yunzhi moved swiftly through a dense forest under the cover of midnight. If one were to trace their paths on a map, their search would form a wide, arcing pattern across the wilderness.

After more than an hour of searching within a radius of a hundred li, they quietly withdrew southwest and found a secluded and clear mountain stream. Sitting by it, they finally allowed themselves a moment to rest.

Despite the gentle and soothing running water, the three had deeply concerned expressions.

"The battlefield's been completely cleared?" Shi Qianzhang grumbled. "Those ancient corrupt cultivators sure move fast. They've got capable people among them, too."

"It was probably the Special Warfare Unit that cleaned it up," Liu Yunzhi whispered. "We won that ambush, but only barely. It was a bloody victory."

Xiaomiao stifled a yawn. "I can't hold out much longer. I'll take a nap first. Brother Qianzhang, Brother Yunzhi, use this time to recover your enchanted power."

With guilt still shadowing his tone, Liu Yunzhi quickly replied, "Alright. Get some rest."

Shi Qianzhang grinned. "Here, Big Sister Miao, take this blanket. I'll heat it with a warming talisman."

He spread out a thick blanket on the grass and pasted several talismans over it, including ones for warmth, insect repelling, and wind protection. Any spell that could be cast through incantation, Shi Qianzhang could imprint onto talisman paper with his nimble hands.

Xiaomiao murmured her thanks, wrapped herself in the blanket, leaned against a stone, and closed her eyes.

Her cultivation was still shallow, and her energy had been stretched thin for days. She was reaching her limit.

Shi Qianzhang lowered his voice. "Xiaomiao, do we have any plans left? Should I contact our martial uncles in the Special Warfare Unit and ask if they gathered any of the poisonous mist from the battlefield?"

"Maybe, but don't rush. Let's talk about it tomorrow." Xiaomiao yawned; her bright eyes had dimmed and were barely open. "I'm more worried about Buddhist Master Huai Jing. My brother should have returned by now. Anyway, if we can't find solid evidence, just bottle the leftover poison mist and take some footage near the ambush site. I'm so tired..."

"Sleep first," Shi Qianzhang replied gently.

He placed a soundproofing talisman over her blanket and sat nearby. Looking oddly dazed, he scratched his head.

"I never noticed it before," Liu Yunzhi murmured, "but Xiaomiao's actually quite clever."

He then pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze to his hands.

"A hundred deaths wouldn't be enough to repay the sins I carry..."

"You were under a heart devil's control," Shi Qianzhang said dismissively. "Stop beating yourself up. It's not like you could fight those ancient cultivators head-on anyway. They're all at the Rebirth Realm or even the Tribulation Realm, while we're still stuck at the Heavenly Abode Realm."

Liu Yunzhi replied calmly, "If my death can stop the schemes of those ancient criminals, then it's a price worth paying." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Shi Qianzhang frowned, then gave him a thumbs-up. "That's the bravest thing I've ever heard from you ever since we met."

"Hmph!" Liu Yunzhi glared at him.

Shi Qianzhang just chuckled and shrugged. His expression then turned awkward, but he still forced himself to speak.

"Look, Little Liu, I know you're drowning in guilt, but it's pointless. We're small fry—pawns in a game played by people who can crush us with a finger. What you did before wasn't your choice.

"And having a heart devil possess you? That's rough, sure, but it means your mind's been tempered. Once you rebuild your foundation and break through to the next realm, your cultivation will soar. Everyone in this world struggles against forces they can't control. You blink, and the moment passes. No need to keep digging at old wounds. What's done is done."

Liu Yunzhi sighed quietly. He stared at the flowing stream, his reflection trembling on the surface.