Young Master Bai — Chapter 43
Chapter 43: Yuncheng of the Hidden Wisdom Sect
Bu Tiange left most of the accompanying disciples in Elderly Village, bringing only two disciples with him to return by sword flight to the Hidden Wisdom Sect alongside Bai Chen’s group.
This headmaster might appear straightforward, but he was far from naive. Only now did Bai Chen realize that the box Bu Tiange had carried the whole way contained nothing but scraps of paper. The real Divine Wordless Book had long since been sent with the Hidden Wisdom Sect’s injured disciples via the official road. Their entire journey had been nothing more than bait, laid out by Bu Tiange to draw out those with ulterior motives.
No one expected him to entrust the Divine Wordless Book to the injured, such boldness! Bai Chen could only remind himself never again to underestimate the headmaster of the Hidden Wisdom Sect.
With no more escort mission, their pace quickened greatly, and before a single day had passed they arrived outside Yuncheng.
If Jiangdu was the birthplace of the Li dynasty’s uprising, then Yuncheng was the origin of the Heaven’s Way Alliance. A thousand years ago, the headmaster of the Hidden Wisdom Sect had founded the Alliance here, and a thousand years later, this ancient city remained a holy land for righteous cultivators. Even though there were no signboards at its gates, every cultivator who arrived here would instinctively land rather than fly over its rooftops. To enter, they would even voluntarily put away their blades and magical treasures, ensuring not a shred of violence tainted the city.
Even before entering, Bai Chen could feel the solemn majesty unique to this ancient city. Lu Ren Yi directly excused himself:
“This is the Hidden Wisdom Sect’s place. As a member of the Demon Sect, I will not enter. Young Master, if you need me, you can find me at an inn outside the city.”
The Heaven’s Way Alliance had been founded to resist the Demon Venerable, so demonic cultivators were indeed unwelcome here. Bai Chen didn’t press him. Seeing that Bu Tiange ignored them and entered the city first, Bai Chen deliberately slowed his pace and asked softly, “How did you report what happened in Elderly Village?”
“There is a faction claiming to be descendants of the Yao King. They attempted to murder the headmaster of the Hidden Wisdom Sect and frame the Demon Sect. Once the Demon Sect headmaster hears of this, he will act swiftly.”
As a long-time spy for the Demon Sect, Lu Ren Yi was indeed shrewd. Bai Chen nodded in satisfaction and added, “Don’t forget to send word to the Ghost Tactician as well. There are mysterious yao active in the North Sea — tell the Three Gods of the Ghost Realm to stay alert.”
“Understood.”
Since these supposed descendants of the Yao King had come to seize power, Bai Chen had no problem letting them clash with every major power. It would only benefit the Demon Sect. Lu Ren Yi agreed easily, said his farewell, and slipped away.
The Great Snow Mountain was fraught with crises — Bai Chen would not allow the Yao King’s descendants any peace. Once these two messages spread, the Demon Sect and Ghost Realm would be busy searching, leaving no leisure to trouble the Great Snow Mountain.
Foxes were known for their grudges. Seeing Bai Chen in rare good spirits, Li Wuming shared in the mood but still cautioned: “That so-called descendant of the Yao King looks exactly like you. It would be far too easy to frame you — be careful.”
“No illusion can mimic the unknown. I may lack oppressive presence for now, but that imposter could make Chenzui truly feel the pressure of the Nine-tailed White Fox. That means either he saw me before I lost my yao core… or he saw the core itself. Either way, it isn’t unrelated.”
Bai Chen hadn’t forgotten the hidden threat. But since the impostor’s identity was untraceable, all he could do was remember it for now. He said calmly, “I don’t believe he can hide forever. Sooner or later, he’ll slip.”
Matters of the yao core would have to begin with the Hidden Wisdom Sect. Li Wuming knew this wasn’t something to rush, so he only reminded: “At the start, the greatest danger is division. If you want to rebuild the yao race, you must carefully choose which clans to rely on.”
Bai Chen raised his brows in puzzlement. “Wouldn’t it be better to unite the yao as a whole?”
Founding a nation was something Li Wuming had once done himself, so he chuckled. “Perhaps after thousands of years, if you conquer them generation after generation. But right now, quality matters more than quantity.”
The glue that holds power together is shared recognition. The yao clans were too scattered, too chaotic — not even a thousand years could easily fuse them. Better to first secure his own footing than dream of eternal plans.
Bai Chen understood immediately and analyzed: “The Bai family is my foundation, I cannot abandon it. The Red Fox clan is troublesome, but for Chenzui’s sake, I must keep them. As for the rest… Mountain God Luo is good-natured, and the Great Bear clan has lived alongside us foxes for years. They should pose no problem. The others, I’ll weigh carefully.”
Naturally, his weighing pointed toward the Heavenly Wolf clan. To Li Wuming, they were a malignant tumor that ought to be cut away early, though he didn’t interfere with Bai Chen’s decision. He only suggested: “The Yao King’s descendant seems to be traveling everywhere, gathering secluded yao clans. You might also consider recruiting some new forces.”
Clans like Mountain God Luo’s were indeed easier to manage than those deeply rooted in the Great Snow Mountain. Bai Chen had already thought of this, but there was a difficulty: “Fox Immortal Grandfather may be the son of the Yao King, but he has no other connection to him. We don’t know nearly as much about the yao as our opponents do — I fear they’ll seize the advantage.”
The impostor had already tracked down Mountain God Luo first, proving his deep knowledge of the Yao King’s old allies. The Great Snow Mountain had indeed lost the initiative. But Li Wuming only smiled faintly: “You have an advantage they cannot match.”
Bai Chen looked to him inquiringly. Li Wuming liked that gaze and twined his fingers through Bai Chen’s hair, whispering, “The Great Snow Mountain is the only yao force able to openly negotiate with humankind.”
For a thousand years, humanity had monopolized the world’s spiritual veins. Who else but the Heaven’s Way Alliance would know if mysterious yao beasts appeared anywhere? Even if the Great Snow Mountain knew nothing, they could exchange information directly with the Alliance. By that reasoning, Bai Chen had much to discuss with the Unknown Truth Sect.
He realized he had been too focused on secrecy, forgetting that open cooperation could sometimes be the best strategy. He scolded himself for clinging to the furtive instincts of a fox, then asked curiously: “You never used to meddle in yao affairs. Why the interest today?”
Bai Chen was clever and quick to learn, but his true form was still a fragile little fox. An animal’s instinct for survival made him avoid direct confrontation with the strong. Even if he could force himself to overcome it in major matters, he sometimes neglected smaller details.
That lack of boldness was not ideal for an emperor. Yet to Li Wuming, a fox’s instincts had their charm. For example, whenever Bai Chen thought he’d angered him, his tail would twitch to placate; when something caught his interest, his ears perked up; when plotting mischief, he would hide the tip of his tail under his belly, thinking it concealed his thoughts. Being able to read Bai Chen’s every mood from his ears and tail was more than enough — and what the little fox lacked in fierceness, Li Wuming would supply as his Dao companion.
Having long since grasped Bai Chen’s weaknesses, Li Wuming had no desire to “correct” them. Smiling, he pulled him through the city gates. “The Great Snow Mountain is our shared home. No matter how clever you are, you cannot cover every detail. The things you miss, I will think of for you. You needn’t worry.”
Sometimes this irreverent Dao companion was infuriatingly reliable. After talking with him, Bai Chen felt much more at ease.
They soon caught up with Chenzui, who was following the Hidden Wisdom Sect’s group. Chenzui muttered nervously, “Ancestor, doesn’t the air here feel different from Jiangdu or Yinrong?”
Yuncheng had stood for a thousand years. Even with its residences renewed, its alleys still carried the weathered air of antiquity. The streets were not empty, yet quieter than Jiangdu’s bustle. There were no loud vendors hawking goods. The atmosphere was tranquil and refined, and no one dared raise their voice.
Bai Chen saw many shops selling books and scrolls, while even ordinary peddlers here were cultivators of the Golden Core realm. He had heard that if cultivators did not retire to the mountains, they retired to Yuncheng. This place, where the Dao Ancestor had fallen, was the ideal haven for weary experts. Countless masters, tired of struggle, had bought small courtyards here to fade into ordinary life. It was indeed a hidden den of dragons and tigers, not to be underestimated.
Besides the locals in seclusion, there were also many young cultivators kneeling and bowing before stone walls in the alleys, seemingly in worship. Bai Chen looked closer and saw the walls carved with countless names. He whispered to Chenzui: “They’re not here sightseeing — they’re on pilgrimage.”
“Pilgrimage?”
Chenzui looked even more confused. At last Bu Tiange paid attention to them. He gazed deeply at the names carved into the wall and said solemnly:
“The names carved in Yuncheng’s alleys are those of heroes who died in battle a thousand years ago. Some were cultivators, others civil and military officials, still others ordinary people. In those days, there was no time to collect the dead. Families carved their names here to allow offerings. If an entire family perished, surviving comrades inscribed their names. The city’s four main streets and twenty-eight alleys are filled with such names. That is how the Heaven’s Way Alliance was born.”
The names were many and varied. Some were Daoist titles like Realman Gu Yao. Others were scholars’ courtesy names, such as Guest beneath the Pines. Still others were humble, like Li San, clerk of a rice shop in northern Chang’an. People of every class and profession had all died together, leaving only these characters for later generations to honor.
The Heaven’s Way Alliance today was no longer the weak remnant once reduced to a single city. Its domain was prosperous and glorious. Only Yuncheng still bore its ancient weight, forever reminding cultivators that peace was hard-won, and they must never forget the road that led here.
So long as Yuncheng stood, humanity would not perish. This city could only be guarded by the Hidden Wisdom Sect — and only they were strong enough to hold it.
Bai Chen, who had not bowed even before the grandest sights, lowered his head silently in this nameless alley, paying respect for the first time to humankind.
The Nine-tailed White Fox was worshiped by all yao and never bowed, not even to his ancestors. Chenzui was stunned to see his Ancestor doing as the pilgrims did. “Ancestor, you—”
Bai Chen silenced him with a glance and said gravely: “Even if they are of another race, such devotion and courage deserve my bow.”
Bu Tiange himself was surprised. The yao always prided themselves on being heirs of the primordial beasts and looked down on humans without mighty forebears. In his dealings with the Great Snow Mountain, emissaries had always been arrogant, sneering at humanity’s short history and frail bloodline that needed hard cultivation to prolong life. For a high-ranked yao like Bai Chen to respect human strength was unprecedented.
At last the headmaster of the Hidden Wisdom Sect understood why the Sword Lord had befriended Bai Chen. In a rare softened tone, he remarked: “You’re not much like the Nine-tailed White Fox of rumor.”
For Bu Tiange, to speak without coldness was kindness enough. Bai Chen, knowing the man disliked flippancy, replied calmly: “Rumors are never to be fully trusted. Surely Headmaster Bu understands this.”
The headmaster’s guardedness lessened a fraction. Without comment, he said in his usual detached voice: “The emissaries of the Unknown Truth Sect arrived at the Hidden Wisdom Sect yesterday. I will go to greet them. If you wish to find them, you may.”
~ Chapter End ~
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