Chapter 371 Be wise and protect yourself
"This rock existed when the chaos was first separated. It towers over Mount Taihe. Facing it is the thousand-foot-high Great Summit, and behind it is a bay of sweet spring water. The stone strands are shaped like flying phoenixes, and the niche patterns are like the green spiral hair. The spiritual source fairy stream surrounds it on three sides, and ancient cypresses and pine trees surround it on all sides."

Wudang Mountain, also known as "Taihe Mountain", is the home of the "Wudang Sect", one of the two martial arts sects. It is a blessed place for Taoist practice and the paradise of the Great Emperor Zhenwu.

Taihe Fairyland, with its evergreen waters, is as old as the heaven and earth, and as bright as the sun and the moon. Here, the mountains echo, the valleys echo, the wind blows, and the water surges, creating a picturesque and beautiful scene.

On the seventh day of April, the weather was sunny and the sky was clear.

In the early morning, Wudang disciples are either meditating on Taoism at the Golden Summit, or practicing martial arts at the Qiongtai, or cultivating their bodies and minds at the Nanyan Rock, or fetching water and chopping firewood at the mountain stream. Everything is as usual, calm and peaceful.

At the beginning of noon, Yuan Ku, a senior monk from Shaolin Damo Temple, came to pay homage to the mountain, accompanied by Shaolin disciples Guoshan, Guoxin, Wuchan and Wujian.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the head of the Wudang sect, Taoist Qingfeng, welcomed Yuan Ku and his entourage at Zixiao Palace.

In addition to the headmaster, the four Taoist priests of Wudang, Lone Sun, Lone Moon, Lone Star and Lone Star, were present, and the chief disciple Zheng Songren and eight of the "Twenty-Eight Constellations" were waiting in the hall. This lineup was enough to show Wudang's importance and respect for Shaolin.

"Amitabha!" Yuan Ku put his hands together and said humbly, "Master Qingfeng is so polite to me. I am flattered and overwhelmed."

“Master Yuanku, there is no need to be so formal. Shaolin and Wudang are from the same lineage and are as close as a family. Coming to Wudang Mountain today is just like being at home. There is no need to be restrained.” While chatting and laughing, Qingfeng raised the teacup in his hand and saluted Yuanku and the others from afar.

After three rounds of tea, the greetings ended. Qingfeng knew that Yuanku would not come to visit without a reason, so he said seriously, "I wonder what advice Master Yuanku has for you?"

Hearing this, Yuan Ku quickly put down his teacup, and then took out an invitation from his sleeve and replied: "Excuse me, Taoist Qingfeng, have you received the invitation to the Dragon Boat Festival from the Northern Sage King?"

Qingfeng glanced at the bright red invitation and nodded, "It is true. I am inviting fellow martial artists to a banquet on the Dragon Boat Festival. I hope Abbot Xuanming and Master Yuanku will take the time to come."

"You're welcome, Taoist priest." Seeing Qingfeng admit it, Yuan Ku changed the subject and asked, "What do you think about this matter, Taoist priest?"

Hearing this, Qing Feng could not help but frown and asked, "Master, what do you mean by this? It's just a banquet, what profound insights can you bring up?"

"What I mean is...will the Wudang Sect accept the invitation to the banquet?" Yuan Ku spoke hesitantly, apparently hesitant.

"Master, why do you ask that?" Qingfeng was secretly shocked, but on the surface he pretended to be calm and said with a faint smile, "Since it is my son-in-law who is hosting the banquet, I should certainly honor you." Having said this, Qingfeng suddenly changed the subject and asked meaningfully, "Could it be that Abbot Xuanming has no time to attend the banquet?"

"To be honest, it's not that the abbot doesn't have time to attend the banquet, but... he doesn't know whether he should attend the banquet or not."

"hiss!"

As soon as Yuan Ku said this, there was an uproar in Zixiao Palace.

Qing Feng said calmly, "Shaolin Temple and Xianwang Mansion have been friends for many years, and Abbot Xuanming and my son-in-law are even closer friends. Forgive my ignorance, but I really don't understand what the master means. What exactly does 'should I attend the banquet or not' mean?"

"Since it is the invitation of the Northern Sage King, Shaolin Temple should have no choice but to accept it. But..." Yuan Ku's old eyes closely watched Qing Feng's every move, and he slowly said, "Recently, there is a piece of news that is unfavorable to the Northern Sage King, and it has been widely circulated in the martial arts world..."

"Oh?" Qingfeng narrowed his eyes slightly and asked knowingly, "What's the news?"

"Rumor has it that the Northern Sage King and the Lord of Jueqing Valley..." At this point, Yuan Ku's voice stopped abruptly, and he quickly stood up, bowed respectfully to Qingfeng, and said implicitly, "My words may be offensive, I hope Taoist Qingfeng will forgive me."

"But it doesn't matter!"

"It is rumored that the Northern Sage King and the Lord of Jueqing Valley have a very close personal relationship, and even..." Yuan Ku repeatedly considered his words to avoid being too straightforward. But he stammered for a long time, but he still couldn't get rid of the knot in his heart. He simply made up his mind and said bluntly, "They even had a love affair, a friendship..."

"Nonsense!"

Before he finished speaking, Qingfeng's face suddenly darkened and he shouted angrily, "Who is this person who is making up lies and fabricating rumors to intentionally destroy the harmony between my daughter and son-in-law? Everyone in the world knows that my daughter and son-in-law have been childhood sweethearts, and they have been a perfect match for each other for a hundred years. Although they have been married for many years, they still love each other as much as before, and they care about each other very much, and they have never even had a quarrel or a quarrel. I wonder who has offended such a happy and perfect couple? How could he make up such a sinister rumor that is intolerable to the world and poison the eyes and ears of the world? His intentions are so sinister that he is worse than pigs and dogs!"

Qingfeng seemed to be getting angrier as he spoke, and finally he slammed the desk with his palm, instantly breaking the thick Huanghuali wood desk in two.

The loud "bang" not only made Yuan Ku pale with fear, but also made the eyes of the Four Wudang Elephants change and they were horrified.

Others may not know, but the Four Elephants of Wudang knew exactly what Qingfeng was thinking. He was so furious not only to show it to Yuanku and the others, but also to vent his own dissatisfaction.

After all, the unclear and ambiguous relationship between Luo Tianjin and Xiao Zhirou has caused a stir in the martial arts world and even become a topic of conversation among bystanders after dinner.

Therefore, Qingfeng, as Luo Tianjin's father-in-law, Ling Xiaoxiao's biological father, and the head of Wudang Sect, was inevitably criticized behind his back. This not only made the father and daughter lose face, but also brought disgrace to the Wudang Sect. Qingfeng claimed to be a wise man and the leader of the current martial arts world. How could he endure such humiliation in his old age?

However, even though Qingfeng was furious, he still had to argue for Luo Tianjin in front of Yuan Ku. It was not because he believed in Luo Tianjin's character, but because he did not want himself or the entire Wudang Sect to become a laughing stock of the world.

"Master, calm down! This is just a rumor, there is no real evidence." Yuan Ku comforted him, "I just said something wrong, I hope Master Qingfeng will forgive me."

"call!"

Qingfeng exhaled a breath of turbid air, as if trying to calm the waves in his heart. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "I raised Tianjin by myself, and I know his character best. If he was fickle and unfaithful, how could I have married my precious daughter to him?" "This..."

"I hope the Shaolin monks will ignore this nonsense, so as not to fall into the trap of the treacherous people." Qingfeng did not give Yuanku a chance to explain, and said to himself, "As the saying goes, 'the clear will be clear, and the turbid will be turbid.' I believe that it will not be long before these ridiculous rumors will be broken by themselves."

"I hope so."

Yuan Ku knew that Qingfeng and Luo Tianjin had a special relationship, so some things were inconvenient to say out loud. He could only agree with them reluctantly to save face for the Wudang Sect.

"Master Yuanku, did you come all the way here just to tell me this?" Qingfeng changed the subject and asked, "Could it be that Abbot Xuanming suspects that my son-in-law has an affair with the Lord of Jueqing Valley?"

In response, Yuan Ku just smiled awkwardly, neither admitting nor denying.

Seeing this, Guo Shan, who was sitting next to him, suddenly said, "Forgive me for being blunt, but Shaolin and Wudang are the orthodox martial arts schools. We will never allow decent people to collude with pagans and secretly get pregnant."

"What do you mean, young master?" Gu Yue asked in a bad tone, "The 'upright people' you mentioned are referring to the Northern Sage King?"

"That's right." Guo Shan was a man of strong character, always speaking quickly and directly. "If... I mean 'if'. If Lord Luo really had any connection with Lord Jueqing, we in Shaolin would never sit idly by, let alone condone evil!"

"Oh!"

Before he finished speaking, Gu Chen immediately slammed the table and stood up, angrily scolding: "What do you mean by tolerating evil? You little monk, your words are so rude."

"I……"

"shut up!"

Seeing Qingfeng's face becoming increasingly gloomy, Yuan Ku hurriedly stopped him and said, "How dare you, Guoshan! When did it become your turn to point fingers here? Why don't you apologize to Taoist Qingfeng?"

"No need!" Qingfeng waved his hand and said, "What the young master said is sincere and true, and there is nothing wrong with it. If my son-in-law really has an affair with the Lord of Jueqing Valley, it would be a betrayal of the master and ancestors, and a great rebellion. Not to mention that Shaolin will not tolerate him, Wudang will not forgive him either. If the rumors come true, I will personally eliminate the traitors in Wulin and clean up Wudang."

Qingfeng's righteous words and resolute attitude made Yuan Ku feel relieved. He came today on Xuanming's orders to ask Qingfeng for an explanation.

After all, Luo Tianjin is Qingfeng's son-in-law. If there are some things that Shaolin doesn't dare to do alone without Wudang's support, it will never do it.

"In fact, the abbot also has full faith in the character of the Northern Sage King." Yuan Ku said, "It's just that rumors are like invisible knives that often kill people without blinking an eye. The abbot and the Taoist priest are both highly respected martial arts predecessors, shouldering the heavy responsibility of 'the orthodoxy of the martial arts world'. I wonder how many eyes are watching your every word and action? Therefore, in order to maintain the century-old reputation of Shaolin and Wudang, and to prevent the world's heroes from criticizing the two predecessors, the abbot has to be cautious in what he says and does, and think twice before doing anything. I hope Taoist priest Qingfeng will understand this difficulty."

Yuan Ku is quite scheming. He ties the honor and disgrace of Wudang and Shaolin together, and makes a deal of Qingfeng and Xuanming's reputation. It seems to be empathetic and reasonable, but in fact, he is paving the way for Shaolin in advance. Once the situation changes, Shaolin will immediately draw a clear line with the Xianwang Mansion.

Qingfeng had a clear mind about this, but he just avoided saying anything.

Qingfeng knew that if he could not give Shaolin a clear answer today, Yuanku would not give up. After a moment's thought, he said, "Master Yuanku, please go back and tell Abbot Xuanming that on the Dragon Boat Festival in May, Luo Tianjin will explain everything in person and give a clear explanation to all the heroes in the world. How do you think?"

"That's great!" Yuan Ku agreed happily, and then stood up to bid farewell to Qing Feng. "In this case, I will not bother you any more. I will go back and report everything to the abbot immediately."

"Master, it's rare for you to come here, why don't you take a rest in Wudang for a few days..."

"Thank you for your kindness, Taoist priest. I have a mission to fulfill, so I dare not delay for a moment." Yuan Ku declined politely, "I will discuss Zen and Taoism with you again on the Dragon Boat Festival in May, and we can slowly reminisce about the past."

"Since that's the case, I won't force you to do anything." In fact, Qingfeng's request to stay was not sincere, but just a show. "On the fifth day of May, I will be waiting for you in Luoyang City!"

"Goodbye, poor monk!"

"Master, be careful on your journey!"

Yuan Ku and his party came and went like the wind, and it took only an hour from the time they entered the mountain gate to the time they bowed and said goodbye. But it was this short hour that made Qingfeng's mood change again and again, and also made the situation in the martial arts world more complicated and confusing.

Yuan Ku's coming this time is enough to show that all the factions in the martial arts world are full of doubts, and Shaolin is even more determined to distance itself from him. If this trend cannot be curbed in time, Luo Tianjin's reputation will plummet, and the future of the Xianwang Mansion will also be in jeopardy.

Looking at Yuan Ku and his group gradually disappearing outside the palace gate, Qingfeng finally couldn't help but show a look of sadness on his face.

"father!"

Just as Gu Ri and others were looking at each other, not knowing how to start, a sad voice came quietly from the side hall.

Immediately afterwards, the depressed and haggard Ling Xiaoxiao slowly appeared in front of everyone with the support of Luo Ningyu.

……

(End of this chapter)