First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 358: A World Hidden in a Grain of Rice

“The Wheel of the Moon Sect showed up on our doorstep. They said if we didn’t give up Cha Jin, they’d exterminate the entire Shen Family. We had no other choice. If you think you’re so capable, take it up with the Wheel of the Moon Sect,” shouted the kneeling Shen Yanxing, practically hysterical.

As soon as they heard this, the others’ expressions changed. Shen Zhangkong was so scared, his face was ashen, and everything went dark before his eyes.

Shen Yanxing was young, and he’d lived in luxury his entire life. The elders doted on him, and he’d always stayed within the Great Wei’s borders; it was his entire world. How could he possibly understand how terrifying Su Yi was?

“If I were really here to make trouble for the Shen Family, this place would already be a sea of blood, and heads would already be rolling across the floor. How could you possibly have the chance to make all this noise then?” said Su Yi calmly.

As he spoke, he picked Lu Hao off the ground and said to Cha Jin, “Let’s go.”

He couldn’t be bothered to stay here any longer.

“Su Yi, let our young family head go!” One of the two elderly servants accompanying Lu Hao could no longer hold back. He was putting on a brave front, but inwardly, he was terrified. “This is the Great Wei, the Wheel of the Moon Sect’s territory. You can’t….”

“Hm?” Before the servant finished speaking, Su Yi’s eyes narrowed, firing two seemingly-materialized beams of light.

When the elder’s gaze met Su Yi’s divine sense, he instantly trembled from head to toe, as if he’d been hit with a massive hammer. He staggered several steps back before falling to the ground with a thud, blood pouring from the seven apertures of his face.

He was dead.

The crowd gasped. The elderly servant was a member of the Wheel of the Moon Sect, a true cultivator, yet he couldn’t even block a single glance from Su Yi. Didn’t that imply that all of them were nothing more than ants before Su Yi?

This legendary young man was strong enough to make one give into despair!

Then, beneath the crowd’s terrified gazes, Su Yi and Cha Jin disappeared into the distance.

A long time passed before Shen Zhangkong and the other Shen Family higher-ups dared get off the ground. They’d only just barely recovered from their shock, and bitterness and dejection were written all over their faces.

Who would have thought that when Cha Jin returned, she’d bring the legendary Su Yi with her?

Had they known, how could they possibly have treated her like that?

“Didn’t they say that Cha Jin was just his serving girl? Why does Su Yi value her so highly, to the point of sticking out his neck for her?” Shen Yanxing asked in a daze.

The other Shen Family higher-ups were just as confused. Lu Hao had told them that although Cha Jin worked for Su Yi, her status was low; she was just a servant.

That was why, when they dealt with Cha Jin, they never even considered the possibility that Su Yi might come all the way to the Great Wei alongside her.

“Hahaha! Hahahaha!” It was then that the other servant who’d come here with Lu Hao burst into laughter.

His expression was filled with both excitement and malice. “It’s just as the sect leader thought; Su Yi really did come with her! Now that he’s here, I guarantee he’ll never leave!”

Shen Zhangkong and the other Shen Family members’ were all dumbstruck. They had no idea what was going on.

“Your Excellency, this… What exactly is going on?” Shen Zhangkong couldn’t help but ask.

The servant’s gaze swept across the Shen Family higher-ups. “Congratulations! This time, the Shen Family has achieved great merit! Once the Wheel of the Moon Sect kills Su Yi, we’ll be sure to reward you generously!”

As he spoke, he turned and left the conference hall. He didn’t even bother to take his companion’s corpse with him…

It was only after the servant left that Shen Zhangkong seemed to regain his senses. His expression was unsightly, and he spat through gnashed teeth, “I understand! The Wheel of the Moon Sect wasn’t doing this for Cha Jin; they just saw her as bait to lure in an even bigger fish—Su Yi!”

When they heard this, the entire crowd burst into uproar.

Someone couldn’t help but ask, “Why was the Wheel of the Moon Sect so certain that Su Yi would come with Cha Jin?”

The others were wondering the same thing.

“All of us thought Cha Jin was nothing but a servant to Su Yi, but the Wheel of the Moon Sect has undoubtedly long since realized that her position in his heart is nowhere near that simple!” said Shen Zhangkong, his face ashen. He gnashed his teeth, his heart full of grief.

In the Great Wei, the Shen Family was a top-level clan with an illustrious reputation. However, they were as insignificant as ants compared to Su Yi and the Wheel of the Moon Sect; the Shen Family was entirely at their mercy!

“Father, can we… Can we fix things with Little Sister?” Shen Yanxing couldn’t help but ask. “With Su Yi as our backer, our Shen Family would no longer need to worry about others’ opinions, right?”

When they heard this, numerous higher-ups felt tempted.

“Childish!” However, the grand elder, Shen Shanzhong, said coldly, “I’ll admit that Su Yi is incomparably strong, but since the Wheel of the Moon Sect dared use Cha Jin as bait to lure him to the Great Wei, how could they possibly lack confidence in killing him?”

The crowd’s expressions filled with uncertainty.

“It’s true that we cannot afford to offend Su Yi, but just you wait. Su Yi isn’t far from death!” said Shen Shanzhong, eyes glinting with resentment.

Shen Yanxing had hoped to repair their relationship with Cha Jin to get on Su Yi’s good side, but when he heard this, he instantly fell silent.

Shen Zhangkong and the others fell silent as well.

……

After leaving the Shen Family, Su Yi found a remote location, then tossed Lu Hao onto the ground as if he were a dead dog. “Out with it: why are you targeting Cha Jin?”

Lu Hao said in a panic, “If I tell you, will you spare my life?”

Su Yi flicked his fingers.

Splurt!

A bloody hole appeared in Lu Hao’s shoulder, leaving his screaming in agony.

“You have no right to negotiate with me,” said Su Yi calmly.

He made no threats or attempts at coercion, but his casual tone scared Lu Hao out of his wits. He said hurriedly, “All I know is that the sect leader was furious to discover that Cha Jin was working by your side. He thought her a traitor to the Wheel of the Moon Sect in need of severe punishment, leading to what happened today.”

“There’s no other reason?” Su Yi furrowed his brow. The Wheel of the Moon Sect knew Cha Jin was working by his side, yet they still dared threaten the Shen Family and target Cha Jin? That was strange in its own right.

Perhaps the Wheel of the Moon Sect had done this because they dared not fight him directly, and they wanted to vent their fury on Cha Jin instead?

Wouldn't that make the Wheel of the Moon Sect a bit too petty and small-minded?

Lu Hao said in a panic, “Those were the sect leader’s orders. I was just doing as I was told. I really don’t know anything else.”

“Fine. I’ll just have to visit the Wheel of the Moon Sect myself.” Su Yi shook his head and waved. A streak of clear flame swept forth, incinerating Lu Hao into ash before he even knew what hit him.

“Young Lord, you want to go to the Wheel of the Moon Sect?” The look on Cha Jin’s pretty face shifted.

“The Shen Family might be detestable, but circumstance forced their hand. The Wheel of the Moon Sect cannot escape blame for this so easily,” said Su Yi, his gaze cold and sharp. “Who knows what would have happened if I hadn’t come here with you? If I don’t pay them a visit, won’t I be letting them off too lightly?”

In truth, he was already starting to suspect that everything happening to Cha Jin was, in fact, targeted at him!

“Let’s go,” said Su Yi. He’d already started walking.

…..

The Wheel of the Moon Sect was the top holy ground of cultivation in the Great Wei. It was located a little over three hundred miles from Celestial Palace City, atop Mount Rama.

Its current leader was called Chu Yukou. He was a late-stage Grain Avoidance cultivator, and he’d been in power for forty years already.

His cunning ran deep, and neither joy nor anger showed on his face. The people of the Great Wei called him the “Iron-Faced Sword Monarch.”

Flying Crane Peak.

The sect’s great hall.

“Sect Master, Su Yi has already reached Celestial Palace City!” Lei Chongyang, an inner sect elder of the Wheel of the Moon Sect, rushed inside to deliver this report.

“Oh? Let’s hear the details.” Chu Yukou lowered his teacup, his gaze like flowing rain and light, imposing to the extreme.

He was gaunt, with long, loose hair, deep blue robes, and a high-brimmed hat. Even just sitting there casually, he had the bearing of a dragon or tiger.

“Just now, Su Yi and Cha Jin arrived at the Shen Family estate…” Lei Chongyang explained at top speeds, describing the proceedings in full detail, as if he’d witnessed it all himself.

When he heard the whole story, Chu Yukou couldn’t help but laugh and applaud. “As expected, our investigations didn’t mislead us. Su Yi actually rather cares about Cha Jin. Otherwise, how could he possibly rush to her aid? Well? Is Su Yi still in Celestial Palace City?”

Lei Chongyang said, “According to the Gray Skylarks’ information, after leaving the Shen Family, Su Yi and Cha Jin left the city as well. They’re currently rushing right toward us.”

Chu Yukou was stunned, but then, he sighed. “He really is a living legend of the Great Zhou. He’s just one person, and he’s got a burden like Cha Jin with him, yet he thinks he can take on our Wheel of the Moon Sect? Such courage! I cannot help but sigh over my own inferiority.”

Lei Chongyang nodded. “This Su Yi really is unbelievable. Some say he’s been possessed, while others say he inherited the legacy of an ancient orthodoxy, while others say his good fortune originated from his mother, Ye Yufei. However, even now, no one can give a clear answer. The boy… really is a bundle of mysteries.”

“When something strange occurs, there’s always an explanation. Had Su Yi stayed in the Great Zhou, our Wheel of the Moon Sect might well have been helpless against him. However, since he’s coming right to us, we’ll just have to show him our ‘hospitality.’”

Chu Yukou then rose. “Elder Lei, go inform the other elders. They are to prepare in accordance with the plan I told them about earlier.”

“Yes, sir!” Lei Chongyang rushed off to carry out his orders.

“The fish is on the hook. It’s time to go pay the grand high elder a visit.” Chu Yukou took a deep breath, then strode out of the grand hall.

Little Pond Ridge.

This was a forbidden ground in the Wheel of the Moon Sect. Never mind the ordinary disciples; even the elders dared not take even a single step onto the mountain without Sect Leader Chu Yukou’s permission.

A long time ago, the great elder, Qiu Hengkong, had entered seclusion in Little Pond Ridge. It had already been fifty years!

Mists of spiritual energy shrouded the mountains.

There was a perfectly square, black-watered pond at the bottom of the ridge. Lotuses bloomed on its surface. Their stems were green as jade, and their petals were like gold.

The Heart-Cleansing Pond.

The name came from the phrase, “Cleanse the heart and temper the soul to sever mortal karma.”

There was an immortal’s cave beside the Heart-Cleansing Pond. Two halves of a couplet decorated the entrance, one on each side:

A grain of rice hides a world, a pot boils a universe.

Chu Yukou stopped before the cave’s entrance. First, he gazed at the lotuses swaying on the pond’s surface. Then, he stopped to admire the couplet, which the sect’s founder, Daoist Whitening, had left behind. Only then did he straighten up his robes and solemnly clasp his fist in greeting.

“Martial Nephew Chu Yukou humbly requests an audience!”

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