Chapter 37

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Chapter 37: The Alliance

     

The four of them met and saluted each other.

     

Wan Chengjiu asked: “I don’t know why Brother Yanming said that?”

     

Hermit Yanming laughed and said: ” Brother Tan and I met at the foot of the mountain, and seeing that it was almost time, we made a bet to see who would reach the top first. It looks like I was the first to get to the top”

     

Ou Peng laughed and replied: “Brother Tan’s strength isn’t in lightness techniques. You can always compete with him in leg techniques later.”

     

Hermit Yanming then waved his hand and said: “I know my limits, I’m no match for him. But today, we are here to enjoy wine, not to clash swords, so Sect Master Ou might be disappointed.”

     

Tan Yefeng also spoke up: “In this bet, Brother Yanming had the upper hand. I’ll drink three big bowls first.”

     

Ou Peng and Wan Chengjiu laughed heartily and said; “Brother Tan is straightforward as always. Come, Brother Yanming, Brother Tan, please join us here.”

     

As they approached the tree, they noticed Shi Niu standing there like an iron tower and curiously asked: “Who is this brother?”

     

Ou Peng introduced: “This is Shi Niu, a disciple of our Piaomiao Sect. Shi Niu, come and pay your respects to Hermit Yanming and Patriarch Tan.”

     

Shi Niu came over and bowed respectfully to greet them.

     

Everyone praised Shi Niu, remarking that the Piaomiao Sect truly harbored hidden talents. Ou Peng humbly denied the compliments.

     

Then, Ou Peng instructed Shi Niu to guard the mountain path to prevent any unrelated people from reaching the summit.

     

The group sat down, and Tan Yefeng picked up a jar of wine from the ground. He poured it into a porcelain bowl and said to Hermit Yanming: “Watch closely, I’m drinking first.”

     

Then, Tan Yefeng brought the bowl to his lips and gulped it down in one go. He followed this with a second bowl. As he was about to drink the third bowl, Ou Peng said: “Brother Tan, let us join you for this one.” He poured himself a bowl as he spoke. Hermit Yanming and Wan Chengjiu also agreed enthusiastically, each pouring a bowl for themselves. The group clinked their bowls together and drank in one go, placing their empty bowls back on the ground afterward.

     

Tan Yefeng spoke first: “Sect Master Ou’s planning is meticulous. I came in a rush and, seeing it was getting late, completely forgot about the food and drinks. I suppose Brother Yanming was in the same situation?”

     

Hermit Yanming replied awkwardly: “Yes, I didn’t expect so many people at the Dragon God Temple. Arranging things for my family took up some time, and in the end, it delayed my own matters.”

     

Wan Chengjiu laughed heartily and said: “I didn’t waste any time, but I also forgot about these details. However, as Sect Master Ou has prepared everything and we have wine to drink, why bother with so many words?”

     

Ou Peng added: “Brother Wan is right. As long as someone has made the preparations, why worry about who it was? Come, let’s have another big toast.”

     

Everyone laughed and cheerfully drank another bowl.

     

Tan Yefeng spoke first: “Everyone, although there are few tourists on Wutong Mountain at this time, it’s not completely deserted. Having Shi Niu guard the path is a temporary measure. I suggest we get back to business and discuss our matters first. Once the important issues are settled, we can continue to drink and enjoy ourselves. What do you think?”

     

Hermit Yanming agreed: “I was thinking the same.”

     

Ou Peng said: “Let’s first decide on the date for our next entry into the secret realm, shall we?”

     

Wan Chengjiu nodded in agreement.

     

Tan Yefeng said: “But according to the booklet, we can only enter on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month each year.”

     

Hermit Yanming said: “Brother Tan, please rest assured. Based on my speculation, the fact that the booklet states only the fifteenth day of the first lunar month as the entry time for the secret realm can be attributed to two reasons. Firstly, it’s because of the formation formed by the jujube trees outside the secret realm. Only on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month does a passage appear, allowing entry. Secondly, only the sunlight at that specific time of the day on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month can accurately indicate the entrance location. Before our last entry, I marked two jujube trees near the entrance. So, finding the entrance location shouldn’t be too difficult. I haven’t heard of any formations in the Jianghu that change with time. Moreover, it’s quite strange that such a formation would only allow passage on a specific day of the year. Wan Chengjiu, Ou Peng, your sects have a long heritage, and you’ve encountered many things in the martial world. Have you ever encountered such a situation?”

     

Wan Chengjiu and Ou Peng exchanged a glance and both shook their heads. However, Ou Peng said: “Although we haven’t encountered such a situation, and our sect’s records don’t mention it, formations have indeed been lost in the martial world. We can’t be certain that this formation doesn’t have the function of time restriction.”

     

The four fell silent, realizing that none of them had any expertise in formations. Their sects also lacked such talents, and even the entire Jianghu might not have anyone with such knowledge. How could they make a decision about it?

     

Tan Yefeng said: “There are only two options now. One is to patiently wait until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month next year before organizing people to enter. The other is to send a few people to explore the area soon to see if we can enter. What do you all think?”

     

Wan Chengjiu spoke up: “The matter of obtaining treasures from the secret realm is of great importance and must not be taken lightly. Although we sent our second-generation disciples secretly last time and managed to keep it confidential, we cannot guarantee that other sects haven’t caught wind of it. For the sake of secrecy, I suggest that we should not attempt anything until we are absolutely certain there will be no mistakes. Otherwise, if word gets out, this secret realm will not belong to our four sects alone, but to the entire martial world.”

     

Ou Peng agreed, saying: “There are no secrets in the martial world. Perhaps our gathering on Wutong Mountain this time has already attracted the attention of someone with ulterior motives. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were people secretly watching us on this mountain.”

     

However, Hermit Yanming said: “Are we just going to wait idly for a year then?”

     

Ou Peng chuckled and replied: “Brother Yanming, you haven’t been in charge, so you don’t know the price of salt and rice. Our sects operate differently in the Jianghu compared to your family’s influence. Our members come from diverse backgrounds, and it’s inevitable that there are mixed motives among them. It’s very difficult to ensure true secrecy in anything we do. We have to be extremely cautious at all times.”

     

Wan Chengjiu also nodded in agreement.

     

Hermit Yanming, however, refused to give up and said: “Since that’s the case, I’ll personally arrange a time to explore the secret realm again. What do you all think?”

     

Wan Chengjiu and Ou Peng both frowned simultaneously. Only Tan Yefeng remained expressionless as if he had anticipated Hermit Yanming’s suggestion.

     

Seeing Tan Yefeng’s expression, Ou Peng asked: “Brother Tan, what do you mean by this?”

     

Tan Yefeng cleared his throat and said: “Actually, I had the same idea. I was planning to explore the secret realm before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month next year. Even if Brother Yanming didn’t bring it up, I would have suggested it to you all.”

     

Wan Chengjiu remained silent, seeming to be lost in thought.

     

Ou Peng spoke up: “Before deciding whether to go to the secret realm, I have a proposal. Could we discuss it and see if it’s feasible?”

     

Everyone looked at Ou Peng curiously, waiting for him to continue.

     

Ou Peng said: “I suggest that we form an alliance and cooperate in exploring and obtaining treasures from the secret realm.”

     

Hermit Yanming shook his head and said: “Our mountain villa cannot form an alliance with your Piaomiao Sect and Ten Thousand Swords Peak. Your involvement in Jianghu affairs is too complex, with frequent factional battles. An alliance would not be beneficial for the development of our mountain villa.”

     

Tan Yefeng also agreed with him.

     

Ou Peng seemed to have a well-thought-out plan in mind: “You two seem to have some misunderstandings. The alliance I propose is different from the typical alliances to deal with Jianghu affairs. Firstly, it’s not an alliance between our sects where we involve ourselves in each other’s factional battles. Secondly, this alliance is solely between the four of us. Although we may not become brothers in adversity, we can form an alliance specifically for exploring the secret realm, sharing both fortunes and misfortunes. Thirdly, this alliance is limited to the secret realm and does not extend to other matters. What do you think?”

     

Wan Chengjiu’s face lit up with joy as he said: “Sect Master Ou, you truly have a brilliant idea. Let’s go with this plan.”

     

Hermit Yanming and Tan Yefeng also smiled and expressed their approval.

     

Then, Ou Peng poured a bowl of wine, used his sword to cut his finger, and let a drop of blood fall into the wine. The other three followed suit. Ou Peng took the bowl, swirled it slightly, and took a few sips. He then passed it to Wan Chengjiu, who also drank from it. Next, it was passed to Tan Yefeng and Hermit Yanming, and they all drank the blood wine.

     

Hermit Yanming smashed the bowl, and everyone laughed and said: “The alliance is sealed!”

     

After drinking another bowl of wine, Ou Peng spoke up: “Since Brother Yanming and Brother Tan are determined to go, Brother Wan and I will naturally go along with you. How about this, at the end of this month, shall we each send disciples to the previous location, or would Brother Yanming prefer to lead the way?”

     

Hermit Yanming replied: “No problem, this is an obligation I cannot shirk. However, do we still need to send our family members to each other’s locations this time?”

     

Ou Peng, Wan Chengjiu, and Tan Yefeng looked at each other. Ou Peng said; “Last time was our first cooperation, and we weren’t entirely trusting of each other. But now that we have formed an alliance, there’s no need for that. I don’t think it’s necessary.”

     

Wan Chengjiu and Tan Yefeng both agreed.

     

At this moment, Shi Niu briskly walked over and said: “Sect Master, there are a few tourists coming up the mountain path from below. Should I stop them?”

     

Ou Peng waved his hand and said: “This Wutong Mountain doesn’t belong to us. Of course, we can’t stop others from coming. You don’t need to go and guard it. Just wait here.”

     

With that said, the four poured some wine and, accompanied by some snacks, began discussing the wonders and oddities of the Jianghu, enjoying a leisurely and carefree atmosphere.

     

After a while, indeed, several people arrived at the mountaintop. They seemed to be casual tourists, taking a brief stroll around the peak. Upon seeing others drinking and chatting in this picturesque setting, they appeared somewhat disdainful and quickly descended the mountain without lingering.

     

Wan Chengjiu asked Ou Peng: “Could it be that we were overly suspicious?”

     

Ou Peng chuckled and replied: “Not these few, but we shouldn’t assume there aren’t others below. These people know we’re all figures in the Jianghu and they have keen eyes, so would they just come up here so easily?”

     

Ou Peng suddenly remembered something and asked Wan Chengjiu: “The news about the secret realm must be kept strictly confidential, without any slack. Where is Situ Ping from the Evil Tiger Gang now?”

     

Wan Chengjiu smiled, took a sip of wine, and said: “Brother Ou, rest assured, although I may not have your meticulousness, I am aware of this matter. Ever since Gang Leader Situ came to my Ten Thousand Swords Peak with this one’s disciple, she hasn’t left. I’ve already ordered an elder from our sect to take her as a disciple, and I’ve also sent a few capable subordinates to Lu Town. Gang Leader Situ won’t be Gang Leader Situ for much longer, she’ll be Situ Ping of our Ten Thousand Swords Peak.”