NOVEL WEB Chapter 82: Return! The Sails That Change With the Wind!
Chapter 82: Return! The Sails That Change With the Wind!
The peak of Tianchuan Mountain had fallen into a deathly silence, though no one could recall exactly when it happened.
Chai Qingchi and the sword cultivators around him all widened their eyes, staring in shock at Chen Zhixing, who stood on the deck.
Chen Zhixing's eyes were calm. He then turned to look at Shan Yang, Xu Li, and the others on the deck, letting out a quiet sigh in his heart.
By rights, these people had suffered because of him.
Though he wasn’t particularly compassionate, he didn’t wish to see innocent people dragged into misfortune on his account.
"Leave Youzhou and go as far as you can."
Chen Zhixing casually waved his fingers, releasing a streak of sword energy that severed the Dragon Binding Chains holding Shan Yang and the others.
Three pills flew out from his sleeve, landing in front of the trio.
Xu Li and Bai Ling trembled in silence, not even daring to look at Chen Zhixing.
Only Shan Yang swallowed, unable to help but ask, "Brother Bai, will we meet again in the future?"
"There should be a chance," Chen Zhixing smiled.
He flicked his finger.
Boom!!
A surge of spiritual intent immediately poured into Shan Yang's mind.
Shan Yang felt a shock in his head, followed by an explosion of vast knowledge of the sword, filling his mind.
It wasn’t sword techniques, but instead, a treasure trove of insights into the sword from an ancient Sword God.
To Chen Zhixing, this was even more valuable than the Flying Blossom Sword Art, at least in some respects.
After finishing everything, Chen Zhixing didn’t hesitate any longer. With one step, he turned into a rainbow light that shot up into the night sky, disappearing into the vast expanse.
Shan Yang’s body trembled as he came back to his senses. Looking toward the direction where Chen Zhixing had vanished, he couldn’t help but shout:
"Brother Bai, when we meet again, I will be stronger than today!!"
There was no answer from the vast night sky.
The sword cultivators on Tianchuan Mountain finally snapped out of their daze at that moment!
Then—
Boom!!
The once silent Tianchuan Mountain suddenly erupted into chaos!
"That young lord was the only son of the Sect Master of the Haori Sword Sect, deeply favored! Now that he has met his end here, Tianchuan Mountain is sure to be engulfed in turmoil!"
An elderly sword cultivator, who was well-acquainted with the Haori Sword Sect, spoke with trembling lips.
In an instant, Tianchuan Mountain was in an uproar!
In the blink of an eye, three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During those three days, news of Grandmaster Zhao Chengsheng's defeat and the murder of the Haori Sword Master’s only son swept through all of Youzhou like a hurricane.
The entire region of Youzhou was shaken!
Some were in disbelief, while others secretly gloated, clapping their hands in joy.
All in all, people’s reactions varied, with a thousand different opinions, each with their own view of the event.
But regardless, one name—"Bai Shi"—was now famous throughout the land!
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away from Youzhou, in the region of Yanzhou.
Near Ziwei Mountain.
A black, four-wheeled carriage was slowly heading toward the mountain.
Inside, Chen Zhixing, who had already removed his mask, was dressed in a white robe as pure as snow. His handsome face was unmatched, and he sat in the carriage, eyes closed in rest.
"Young master, Ziwei Mountain is just ahead."
The driver outside called out.
"Hmm."
Chen Zhixing opened his eyes and nodded slightly.
During these past three days, aside from traveling, Chen Zhixing spent most of his time reflecting on the details of his battle with Grandmaster Zhao Chengsheng.
"My power was sufficient, but my execution was lacking. Otherwise, with just the Flying Blossom Sword Art, I could have easily defeated him."
Chen Zhixing shook his head slightly, feeling a bit of regret.
If the battle had lasted just a little longer, he might have been able to fully consolidate his Sword Heart, thus stepping into the fourth level of swordsmanship.
About an hour later, the carriage arrived at Ziwei Mountain.
"Young master, we’ve arrived."
The driver, a middle-aged man with an honest face, lifted the curtain and smiled politely at Chen Zhixing.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Chen Zhixing smiled, retrieving a heavy silver ingot from his sleeve and placing it on the seat.
He then stepped down from the carriage and headed toward the gates of Ziwei Mountain.
At the mountain gate.
An elderly man dressed in bright, colorful clothes was already waiting, having received news of Chen Zhixing’s return.
"Third Young Master!"
The old man called out to Chen Zhixing from a distance. As Chen drew closer, the old man walked alongside him, speaking in a low voice: "Third Young Master, did your journey go smoothly? Did you meet with the First Peak Master?"
"Chen Tianxiong?"
Chen Zhixing raised his brow, puzzled. "What about him?"
The old man glanced around and whispered, "You may not know, but Chen Tianxiong has been causing quite a stir within the family over the past few days. Especially when he found out that the family head assigned the family mines to the Third Peak, he nearly turned the entire family upside down.
"Moreover, he’s convinced that his son, Chen Zhaosheng, died because of you, and he’s vowed to find you and get to the bottom of it.
"When the family head reprimanded him, he stormed out of the Chen family, and now no one knows where he is."
"The family head was worried he might trouble you, so he ordered me to wait at the gate. If anything unexpected happened, I was to stop it."
"Is that so?"
Chen Zhixing frowned slightly, then said thoughtfully, "I didn’t encounter him on the way."
"That’s good."
The old man breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t have much of a relationship with Chen Tianxiong, but as a member of the Chen family, he didn’t want to see internal strife tearing the family apart.
That would only bring pain to loved ones and joy to enemies.
"Let’s go. The family head is waiting for you in the main hall."
"Alright." Chen Zhixing nodded, though his thoughts were still unsettled.
Chen Tianxiong was known to be vindictive. Now that he suspected Chen Zhixing, he certainly wouldn’t let things go so easily.
Chen Zhixing wasn’t afraid, but he didn’t want to have a ticking time bomb lurking around him either.
As they conversed, they passed through several mountain peaks and seas of clouds, finally arriving at the main hall atop the central peak of Ziwei Mountain.
Inside the hall.
Chen Daoyan sat at the head, surrounded by family elders, discussing something.
When they saw the old man and Chen Zhixing enter, Chen Daoyan stopped the discussion and waved his hand. "That’s enough for today. We’ll continue another time."
"Yes!"
The elders nodded and bowed before leaving the hall.
When they saw Chen Zhixing standing outside, they all paused and greeted him with warm smiles.
"Third Young Master."
"Third Young Master, you're back. Come by my place for tea sometime."
"Third Young Master, do you still lack a mount? I recently captured a Spiritual Wandering Realm Green-Feathered Divine Bird, known for its speed. If you like it, I’ll give it to you."
"Why ride a mount when the Chen family has flying ships? Don’t you know that riding those things leaves your rear sore? Third Young Master, come by my place. I’ve got a few untouched flower maidens—beauties beyond compare, with skin like white jade and a natural fragrance. Perfect to warm your bed!"
As each family elder passed Chen Zhixing, they smiled and spoke kindly.
Even the elder who had once clashed with Chen Zhixing offered warm words.
They weren’t fools. Though they didn’t know the details, they could clearly see that Chen Zhixing had become a favored figure in the eyes of the family head!
It was obvious that the family head was grooming Chen Zhixing to be the future leader of the Ziwei Chen family!
Chen Zhixing politely returned their greetings with a faint smile.
He recalled that the last person to receive such treatment had been Chen Zhaosheng, fresh from his return from the Qianyang Academy.
As for him, the same elders used to mock him as lazy and useless, ridiculing him as someone with no future.
And now? How long had it been?
In reality, he hadn’t changed his behavior or conduct at all.
The only thing that had changed was Chen Daoyan’s attitude toward him.
"As expected, power and status are like sails that change with the wind," Chen Zhixing muttered, shaking his head as he stepped into the hall.