Chapter Sixty-Seven: Ji An

At the sound of that voice, everyone turned their heads. A middle-aged man had risen to his feet—the very one who had just spoken.

Bai Qiu craned his neck. “Old Sun, who is that man?”

Sun Fanbai frowned, pondered for a moment, then bent down and whispered, “If I’m not mistaken, that fellow should be Zuo Borong, one of the four elders of the Demon Sect.”

Bai Qiu’s brow furrowed. “The Demon Sect?”

Seeing someone stand up, Master Fengyuan’s expression shifted momentarily, but he quickly resumed his genial smile and asked, “So it’s Elder Zuo from the Demon Sect. May I ask, Elder Zuo, do you have any objections to the union of our Tianyuan Sect?”

Zuo Borong smiled faintly and replied, “I dare not object, but I do have a question, and I hope Sect Master Fengyuan will answer it.”

Master Fengyuan said, “If Elder Zuo has any questions, please feel free to ask.”

Zuo Borong said, “Though this union concerns only your Tianyuan Sect, since you have invited us here as witnesses, I must ask: which two sects are merging?”

Master Fengyuan replied, “Naturally, it is our Tianyuan Sect’s Mathematical Sect and Tongshen Sect.”

Zuo Borong continued, “Very well, then I must ask: since it is two sects merging into one, surely Sect Master Fengyuan should not speak alone. May I ask, is Sect Leader Tongpu of the Tongshen Sect present?”

He deliberately emphasized the title of “Sect Leader” when referring to Tongpu.

Master Fengyuan frowned, then turned to look at Master Tongpu; all eyes followed. Master Tongpu sat expressionless in his chair. Not until he noticed the attention did he speak, his voice low: “Tongpu is present.”

Zuo Borong smiled, “Then, if I may be so bold, I’d like to ask Master Tongpu if he has any objections to the union.”

Master Tongpu remained motionless, his face a mask, betraying no emotion. After a moment, he spoke: “Tongpu has no objection to this matter.”

At his words, a faint smile crept onto Master Fengyuan’s lips.

Zuo Borong seemed unsurprised, and pressed on, “Since Sect Leader Tongpu has no objection, I have nothing more to say. Oh, but one last question: after the merger, who will lead the Tianyuan Sect?”

At this, Master Fengyuan’s face went cold.

A chill swept through the hall, as if the very air had turned to ice.

Bang!

An elder of the Mathematical Sect, seated near Master Fengyuan, slammed his palm on the table and stood, bellowing, “Zuo, you’ve come here today just to make trouble, haven’t you!”

Zuo Borong remained unruffled. “Not so, not so. You sent the invitations, and we have come to witness your union. I believe we have the right to raise our questions, don’t we? But you, Elder—slamming tables and intimidating guests—is this truly how your Tianyuan Sect, no, your Mathematical Sect, treats visitors?”

He turned his gaze back to Master Fengyuan, his tone soft. “What do you think, Sect Master Fengyuan?”

Master Fengyuan barked at the elder beside him, “Sit down! What kind of behavior is this? Do you mean to make us the laughingstock of our honored guests?”

The elder glared at Zuo Borong, snorted coldly, and reluctantly sat down.

Master Fengyuan turned to Zuo Borong, “Then, Elder Zuo, do you have any wise counsel to offer?”

Zuo Borong smiled, “I am merely curious—on what basis will the new Tianyuan Sect choose its leader?”

Before Master Fengyuan could answer, a burly man behind Zuo Borong leapt to his feet—it was Liao Hongda.

His voice thundered, “Since cultivation is also a form of martial prowess, matters between cultivators should naturally be settled by force. I propose Master Fengyuan and Master Tongpu have a duel; the winner shall be sect master!”

“Outrageous!”

“Whose reckless brat is this?”

Liao Hongda’s words threw the hall into uproar.

“Honored elders!” A gentle yet firm voice rang out. Heads turned to see a young man dressed in verdant robes, with a black-vorticed sash at his waist, his hair flowing freely, eyes deep and inscrutable beneath elegant brows, his bearing upright and refined. This was Ji An, disciple of Yan Yu, the final student of Master Jiuyao of the Heavenly Dao Temple, whose reputation had recently begun to rise throughout the Twelve Provinces.

Ji An clasped his hands, bowed deeply, then straightened. “Honored elders, may I say a word?”

The hall quieted; all eyes were fixed on him.

Ji An smiled serenely, betraying no timidity. “Today’s union of Tianyuan Sect is a great blessing for the righteous path of the Twelve Provinces. With two sects joined as one, the Tianyuan Sect will be like a tiger with wings, destined to flourish.”

Disciples of Tianyuan Sect beamed at his praise.

Only Jiang Wei, seated in the back row, kept a cold expression, thinking to himself: With such words, who is the tiger and who the wings? In just a few sentences, this man has quietly declared his support for the Mathematical Sect.

Ji An continued, “It is an honor for us juniors to be invited as representatives of our respective sects to witness this union. Strictly speaking, we should not speak out of turn. However, upon hearing the words of our two demonic elders, I feel compelled to offer a comment.”

Liao Hongda snorted and sat down.

Ji An smiled, “Brother Liao, forgive me, but I do not agree with your words. Cultivation is the pursuit of the Dao, of the heart; martial prowess comes second. If you believe that cultivation is solely about strength, be careful not to lose your way and drift into darkness.”

Liao Hongda’s face darkened. “Mind your own business. If you disagree, we can settle it outside!”

Ji An waved his hand. “Our hosts today are the Tianyuan Sect; we are but guests. If there is to be any contest, it should not mar the occasion of their union. But if Brother Liao truly wishes to spar, once the ceremony is over and we have left Tianyuan Mountain, I would be glad to exchange a few moves.”

Liao Hongda glowered in silence.

Bai Qiu whispered, “This Ji An is just as they say—cultured and courteous. He’s somewhat like you, Old Sun.”

Sun Fanbai peered over. “I am not as eloquent. Every word and gesture of his is measured, his pace unhurried, each sentence carefully weighed. He has the makings of a great man. Even if he had not entered the world of cultivation, he would not have lived an ordinary life among commoners.”

At that moment, Zuo Borong stood and faced Ji An. “All present are elders and masters of great standing. Is it really your place, as a junior of the Heavenly Dao Temple, to speak?”

An elderly man at Ji An’s side began to rise, but Ji An gently pressed a hand on his shoulder, signaling him to remain seated. The old man nodded, lifted his teacup, and sat back in composure.

Ji An saluted Zuo Borong. “Elder Zuo is correct. All here are esteemed elders; as a junior, I should not have spoken out of turn. For that, I offer my apologies.”

He paused, then continued, “I have apologized for my breach of etiquette. Now, Elder Zuo, if we set aside questions of seniority—today I represent the Heavenly Dao Temple in attending this union of Tianyuan Sect. That much is true, is it not?”

Zuo Borong narrowed his eyes at Ji An, silent, pondering.

Suddenly, Ji An’s voice rang out, “If I am unworthy, then is my Heavenly Dao Temple unworthy?!”

His shout stunned everyone; the hall fell utterly silent.

Ji An spoke again, “You may mock me; I admit my immaturity. But if you look down on my Heavenly Dao Temple, then know this—we do not fear your Demon Sect!”

Zuo Borong had not expected a junior to rebuke him so publicly. Fury welled within him, but he quickly remembered this was the domain of the righteous; if he lost his temper, it would not end well.

Clenching his teeth, Zuo Borong said, “You have a sharp tongue, boy. I will not argue with you, but you’d best watch yourself in the Twelve Provinces!”

Ji An’s smile remained. “I, Ji An, am not afraid!”

Zuo Borong snorted and dropped heavily into his seat.

Ji An turned to Master Fengyuan. “Sect Master Fengyuan, I have one last suggestion, if you are willing to hear it.”

Given Ji An’s earlier respectful words and open support for the Mathematical Sect, as well as his rebuke of Zuo Borong, Master Fengyuan now looked upon him with great favor. He nodded, smiling, “Please, speak your mind.”

Ji An said, “Who leads the Tianyuan Sect is none of our concern. However, earlier, Elder Zuo of the Demon Sect and Brother Liao of Ba Huang City mentioned martial prowess. On that point, I must agree in part. While cultivation is about heart and Dao, in the end, strength is the foundation of survival. I have long admired Tianyuan Sect’s arts of fate and divination, but on such a grand occasion, I dare not ask the sect master himself to demonstrate.”

He continued, “Why not have disciples from both branches of Tianyuan Sect spar with each other? It will deepen their camaraderie, strengthen the sect’s unity, and allow us all to witness your sect’s marvelous techniques. In that way, our visit will be well worth it.”

Ji An concluded, “Sect Master Fengyuan, what do you think?”

Master Fengyuan, with centuries of experience, immediately caught the deeper meaning:

First, through sparring, to deepen the bond between the two branches and reinforce the cohesion of the Tianyuan Sect—in other words, with the Mathematical Sect full of experts and the Tongshen Sect a shadow of its former self, this was a chance to suppress Tongshen before the assembled sects of the Twelve Provinces, and thus solidify the standing of the Mathematical Sect and his own position as sect master.

Second, to showcase their unique arts for all the visiting sects, especially the two demonic sects—a way to bring the matter to a swift conclusion and avoid further trouble.

Master Fengyuan smiled and nodded. “Very well. Since the two demonic sects have raised the matter of martial prowess, I shall have several outstanding disciples spar.”

He turned to Master Tongpu. “Brother Tongpu, our disciples are all present. Let us each choose one to represent our branches in a friendly contest. It has been long since our two branches have sparred. What do you say?”

Master Tongpu, still expressionless, looked up at Fengyuan, then glanced at Ji An. He sighed and finally replied, “Very well...”