My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult-Chapter 280 - : Tasting Simple Meals with a Glass of Wine at Dusk (Seeking Monthly Ticket)

Chapter 280: Chapter 280: Tasting Simple Meals with a Glass of Wine at Dusk (Seeking Monthly Ticket)

“I quit.”

You Gai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, “Your sword is indeed very fast.”

The strength of the young man in front of him had far exceeded his expectations, and his visit this time was not intended to determine life or death through combat.

An Jing sheathed the Evil Suppressing Sword, but his palm trembled slightly, clearly intimidated by You Gai’s powerful force, causing him to marvel inwardly.

And a master like You Gai surely had one or two ace moves in reserve; continuing the fight would yield no benefits for him.

Just like at Dongluo Pass with Jiang Shang, An Jing could feel that Jiang Shang had not exerted his full strength at that time. If they had fought desperately, the outcome would definitely have been both parties suffering.

“There is something I need to make clear to everyone,” said You Gai, looking towards the people of Yan Country’s Jianghu in the distance.

The crowd exchanged glances, then gradually quieted down and turned their attention to You Gai.

You Gai spoke loudly: “According to Beggar Gang intelligence, the black-robed man appearing in Lingnan Dao is not the real Ghost Swordsman, but someone impersonating him with the purpose of framing the Ghost Swordsman.”

What!

You Gai’s statement caused an uproar!

Everyone was visibly shocked, and discussions erupted like a sudden flood.

“What? That Ghost Swordsman was an impostor?”

“Impossible, that swordsman not only has great swordsmanship but also holds the Evil Suppressing Sword.”

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“Correct, only the Ghost Swordsman would possess the Evil Suppressing Sword.”

….

Many people raised doubts, clearly thinking that You Gai was trying to clear An Jing of suspicion.

“I have traversed the Jianghu for eighty years, I don’t need to deceive you.”

You Gai glanced at the crowd and said indifferently: “Since all of you recognize the Evil Suppressing Sword, creating a fake that looks the same should be indistinguishable to your eyes, right?”

As his eyes swept over them, everyone felt a chill in their hearts, and their hearts began to thump wildly.

For this figure who had once commanded great respect in the Jianghu, people were still very fearful and wary.

An Jing glanced at You Gai, then said to the crowd, “The person indeed isn’t me, and I am currently trying to track him down. As for who this schemer might be, you all may guess and speculate on your own.”

“As for who he actually is, as long as he dares to show himself, I, An Jing, will personally kill him and not be fooled by others’ schemes.”

The onlookers exchanged glances, their eyes full of uncertainty.

Could it be that the person really wasn’t the Ghost Swordsman, but someone else impersonating him?

You Gai waved his hand, “Disperse.”

After some discussion, the crowd gradually dispersed since many of them had past grievances and disputes with the Demon Sect, and with many masters from the Demon Sect present, they naturally did not dare to stay.

At that moment, Zhao Qingmei also came up to An Jing, leading the horse with Ah Jiu looking somewhat nervous, gripping the reins tightly.

You Gai glanced at Zhao Qingmei and said, “This must be the current Hierarch of the Demon Sect, right?”

He was somewhat surprised, having initially thought that such a young master as the Ghost Swordsman was rare in the world; he did not expect the Sect Hierarch of the Demon Sect to be equally extraordinary.

It seems that controlling the Jianghu in a hundred years might not necessarily involve Xiao Qianqiu. From the current perspective, everything is still unpredictable.

Zhao Qingmei calmly replied, “Junior Zhao Qingmei.”

“Since you are the Hierarch, I will speak frankly.”

You Gai nodded slightly, took a sip from the wine gourd on his waist, and said, “I have no other purpose for coming here today but to join Outer Heaven.”

“Join Outer Heaven?”

An Jing and Zhao Qingmei exchanged glances, both somewhat surprised.

Meanwhile, You Fangyu and Qian Ju’s expressions changed drastically.

You Gai asked, “Is there still a need for the Beggar Gang to exist?”

An Jing shook his head and said, “No.”

You Gai sighed deeply and said, “My initial intent in joining the Beggar Gang was only to hope for the poor and homeless, but later I realized that truly helping the people would mean a world without beggars.”

“Moreover, from what I see now, the Beggar Gang has completely deviated from my initial intent.”

An Jing nodded; the original purpose for establishing every sect is mostly benevolent, but over time, they inevitably end up on a completely opposite path.

The Beggar Gang was such an example. The darkness and corruption within it had even chilled his own heart.

You Gai looked into An Jing’s eyes, seriously and earnestly saying, “Now with Houjin descending from the south and Zhao Country advancing from the north, if Yan Country no longer exists, then the people of Yan will be like homeless dogs,”

“This time by joining Outer Heaven, my aim is to fight against the barbarians of Houjin.”

Zhao Qingmei’s eyes sparkled slightly, “Good.”

You Gai was a Four Qi Grandmaster, and his strength among the Four Qi was higher than the chieftain of the Great Snow Mountain tribe. If he joined the Demon Sect, it would undoubtedly greatly strengthen the Sect.

Moreover, combating Houjin and reclaiming Dongluo Pass was also a priority for the Demon Sect.

An Jing also nodded slightly, as having such a master join the Demon Sect was surely beneficial and harmless.

“You two, come here.”

You Gai gestured to You Fangyu and Qian Ju in the distance; the two walked over, looking uneasy.

They had originally hoped for You Gai to seek revenge, but instead, You Gai had decided to join the Demon Sect directly.

You Gai looked at them and said calmly, “Let’s dissolve the Beggar Gang starting today. All masters above the rank of the Seven-Bag Elder are to join Outer Heaven.”

“This….”

You Fangyu and Qian Ju exchanged glances.

Although the Beggar Gang had been in decline over the decades, they had invested countless efforts in establishing sub-branches and amassing wealth. They couldn’t compare to the Five Gangs and Seven Factions, but they still held a significant position and reputation in Jianghu.

How could they easily give up everything now?

You Gai knew exactly what the two of them were thinking and said indifferently, “With Houjin moving south, there will be no nation, no home, and the people of Yan Country will find themselves in dire straits. The Beggar Gang cannot escape this fate, nor can you, nor can I. Consider this yourselves.”

The nation was gone.

Their homes were gone too.

How could they survive?

Qian Ju felt a sinking feeling in his heart and subsequently sighed deeply, “Since father has already made plans, any opposition from us would be futile.”

Even after so many years, You Gai’s influence in the Beggar Gang far surpassed that of Qian Ju.

Now that he said they would join the Demon Sect, what could Qian Ju do?

You Fangyu just stared at You Gai, not saying another word.

Duanmu Xinghua, Li Fuzhou, and others were overjoyed. The masters of the Beggar Gang were dwindling, and few were truly capable of making a significant impact. The addition of You Gai, a top expert, to the Demon Sect was undoubtedly a substantial boost to their strength.

Following this, both Qian Ju and You Fangyu left with grim expressions on their faces.

You Gai watched his daughter’s retreating figure, shook his head, and sighed lightly, “I spoiled her too much from the beginning.”

He had his daughter late in life, in his forties or fifties, and had cared for and spoiled her immensely. As a result, she had grown up stubborn and unruly, as had her son.

Under their control, the Beggar Gang had strayed further and further from the right path, and he had completely lost hope in it.

An Jing smiled and suggested, “Elder, let’s return to You Mountain first.”

You Gai nodded slightly.

Only Zhao Qingmei, watching the backs of You Fangyu and Qian Ju, slightly raised her eyebrows.

…..

The rumor soon spread. A Ghost Swordsman from the Demon Sect came out personally to debunk it, claiming that the killer from Lingnan Dao who had attacked Manduo Manor, Yijian Sect, and White Cloud Temple was not him, but someone else.

Suddenly, there was a surge of discussions in Jianghu, with nearly everyone harboring doubts.

Was the rampant killer from Lingnan Dao actually the Ghost Swordsman?

If not a person from the Demon Sect, what could his motive be?

Some guessed it was a master from Zhao Country; others thought it might be a master from Houjin’s Soul Seeker Mansion, aiming to divide the martial community of Great Yan and incite mutual destruction.

In an instant, the martial world was in turmoil, with crises arising everywhere.

Initially, the martial experts who had gathered at Zhenyi Mountain dispersed, but many in Jianghu remained fearful and anxious, dreading destruction by this impostor ‘Ghost Swordsman’.

Meanwhile, the once strongest gang in the world disbanded, which, due to the continuous disturbances in Jianghu, did not attract much attention.

After all, the power of the Cao Gang was now supreme, surpassing that of the Beggar Gang, not to mention that it had now formed the Five Gangs Alliance, comparable in influence to the Beggar Gang of the past.

Many experts from the Beggar Gang directly joined the Human Sect, as they were adept at gathering information from the Jianghu, and various ‘tools’ once used for begging were promptly adopted by the Demon Sect on the spot.

Several days later, in a luxurious, triple-sectioned villa in You City.

Since they wanted to build a main temple within a mountain, the construction costs were enormous, and they also needed a Mountain Gate Order from the Great Yan Court, so for now, the Demon Sect could only set up the main temple temporarily in You City.

An Jing and Zhao Qingmei sat at the head, with You Gai and Ouyang Ping to the left, while to the right were Duanmu Xinghua, Yu Qiurong, and Lin Tianhai.

As for Li Fuzhou, because of the addition of the Beggar Gang line, he had become utterly busy, even needing to frequently travel all over Yan Country, and Zhao Qingmei had handed over the Honghu to him.

The Living Puppet Technique had a controlling method, and with Li Fuzhou’s shrewdness, he naturally learned it quickly, and now he was riding the Honghu with Yi Daoyun to Jiangnan Dao.

Zhao Qingmei said, “To establish the main temple in You Mountain, we also need a Mountain Opening Order, and for the order to be issued, we must get the seals from the Ministry of Revenue and the Xuanyi Guard, so someone must go to Yujing City….”

At this point, Zhao Qingmei scanned the room.

The ideal candidate must have been Li Fuzhou, as he had once come from the Yan Kingdom Court and was already well-versed with these intricacies, but now he had already rushed to Jiangnan Dao, so they had to choose someone else.

She was somewhat uncertain about this new choice.

An Jing spoke up, “Then I’ll go, it will be a good opportunity to visit a friend in Yujing City.”

Zhao Qingmei glanced at An Jing and asked, “The Zhong Mountain Heaven Worship Ceremony is about to be held soon, can you make it in time?”

An Jing nodded and said, “Don’t worry.”

With his current speed, he was much stronger than an average Four Qi Grandmaster.

You Gai smiled and said, “The Sect Hierarch can rest assured, An Tributor’s speed is indeed very fast.”

“I know he’s fast.”

Zhao Qingmei looked at An Jing displeasedly and said, “Since that’s the case, if you wish to go, then go. Qiurong, explain the intelligence on the North Field’s war situation.”

The mention of the war in North Field made everyone’s expression turn solemn.

The most eye-catching issue in the world right now might just be the war in North Field, as the clash between Houjin and Yan Country could potentially affect the movements of the Southern Barbarians and Zhao Country next.

Wang Shiyi occupied Heavenly Water City in Houjin and was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Houjin’s troops, while Qiu Lun was leading more than a hundred thousand soldiers to reinforce him on his way.

If Wang Shiyi were to retreat, then he would probably fall back to the Northern Wilderness Dao, and Houjin would certainly take advantage in one fell swoop, leading hundreds of thousands of troops southward.

The current world situation was on a knife-edge, seemingly just needing that spark to completely explode.

Yu Qiurong took a deep breath and said, “Wang Shiyi is currently facing off against three hundred thousand troops of Houjin with nearly three hundred thousand of his own forces in North Field. Fortunately, Houjin mostly has cavalry, which doesn’t provide much advantage in sieging the city, but Houjin’s reinforcements are arriving swiftly. The White Tiger Banner and Purple Banner have already reached North Field, and now Wang Shiyi is at a disadvantage with the absolute power of their forces.”

“Moreover, a group of Houjin’s Great Snow Mountain experts are currently heading towards North Field, and Taiyin Kui seems to be among them.”

Hearing this, You Gai’s eyebrows raised slightly, “Oh?”

Seeing You Gai’s reaction, An Jing asked, “Senior, are you familiar with this person?”

Taiyin Kui, a name An Jing had also heard of, had once been Zongzheng Huachun’s most capable subordinate and built the Soul Seeker Mansion. Later, when Qiu Fengsheng defected to Houjin, he transferred the position to him and then disappeared.

“Jun Qinglin knows more about him than I do.”

You Gai smiled faintly and looked towards Ouyang Ping, “It’s better for Elder Ouyang to elaborate.”

Ouyang Ping stated solemnly, “The Great Elder once ventured deep into the grasslands and slew many masters from Houjin, but a few escaped his hands, one of whom was Zongzheng Huachun. At that time, due to the protection of masters from the Royal Court and Great Snow Mountain, he failed to capture him. The second person is Taiyin Kui, whose prowess is extremely high, certainly one of the top masters of this age. His actions are sinister, poisonous, and cruelly bloody. However, he does not covet fame or fortune, has no children nor any attachments, having only a few disciples, one of whom, Sang Tianyou, was slain by An Tributor.”

Lin Tianhai shook his head and said, “From this perspective, Houjin has already gathered an army of five hundred thousand in the Northern Wilderness. It seems really difficult for Wang Shiyi to hold the Northern Wilderness.”

Can Yan Country gather an army of five hundred thousand too?

Definitely not, for Yan Country must also guard against Zhao Country and the Southern Barbarians to the south. Even the reinforcement of one hundred thousand by Qiu Lun had to be diverted from Yujing City, whose defenses are nearly stretched to their limit.

Duanmu Xinghua nodded in agreement, “If the masters from Great Snow Mountain of Houjin intervene, Wang Shiyi can only retreat.”

An Jing said nothing, silently pondering. The Southern Barbarians themselves have ten Great Wizards, and the masters from Great Snow Mountain in Houjin might only be slightly more in number but not frighteningly so, probably around twelve or thirteen.

When several grandmasters rush into battle, unprepared, they could very well change the outcome.

Zhao Qingmei said indifferently, “Let’s see what moves the Court and the Zhenyi Sect make.”

The Demon Sect had just been through a great battle and now needed time to recuperate.

Afterwards, the group discussed the internal affairs of the sect for a while, and Zhao Qingmei got up and left.

Demon Sect Hierarch looked at An Jing and asked, “Will you attend this Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony?”

An Jing nodded and replied, “The Dulu Sword is about to emerge, and naturally, I want to appreciate the elegance of this ‘World’s First Sword’.”

“Then do you know about the Sword God not being dead and having emerged from the Sword Pavilion?”

You Gai laughed, “For this Dulu Sword, the Sword Demon will very likely be present too.”

It was no secret that the Sword Demon was still alive, but the Sword God still being alive was largely unknown. You Gai knew because he shared a slight connection with the Sword God.

“I know.”

An Jing’s eyes were calm as water, “I happen to want to meet both of them.”

He had grievances with both men, and attending the Dulu Sword Meeting not only meant acquiring the Dulu Sword but also settling these unresolved issues.

You Gai slightly raised his eyelids and said, “These two old fellows are not simple. They have some ace up their sleeve. The Sword Demon has practiced body refining martial arts and integrated it with his own Sword Dao. As for that old thing, the Sword God, the Sword Dao he practices has quite the background, reportedly the Holy Dao Sword.”

Holy Dao Sword!?

An Jing squinted, recalling the words the old Sword Demon had said during their encounter.

The Sword Demon thought he practiced the Holy Dao Sword, so he claimed to be one of only two. It turned out the Sword God was the practitioner of the Holy Dao Sword.

Rumors had it that the Holy Dao Sword surpassed the Heavenly Dao Sword and the Human Dao Sword in difficulty and power, and reaching the Sixth Realm was enough to account for the Sword God’s capability.

An Jing touched the Evil Suppressing Sword at his waist and whispered, “It seems a great battle is inevitable at this Dulu Sword Meeting.”

You Gai smiled and remarked, “To be honest, I am very curious to see whether you can defeat these two former swordsmanship rivals.”

An Jing asked, “Senior, do you think my chances of winning are significant?”

“Big, yet not big.”

You Gai solemnly said, “After reaching a certain bottleneck in cultivation, many seek alternative methods to enhance their strength. I do not know if these two individuals have any other cards up their sleeves, and for the sake of the Dulu Sword, other masters may appear, creating utter chaos.”

“However, if you can achieve Heavenly Human Communication, you will undoubtedly be one of the top presences among the Four Qi.”

An Jing’s skills are already exceptional among the Four Qi. If he could achieve Heavenly Human Communication, his power would advance even further.

An Jing gave a wry smile, “How difficult is it to achieve Heavenly Human Communication in a short time?”

He too wished to reach Heavenly Human Communication, but so far, he had found little clue.

At Beili Volcano, he did have a moment of insight, yet it still felt far from true Heavenly Human Communication.

You Gai chuckled, “I could teach you some experience.”

An Jing’s heart stirred, “Are you serious, Elder?”

You Gai, a Grandmaster of the Four Qi, and a master who had grasped Heavenly Human Communication, held experiences that were incredibly precious and could not be bought with silver.

Moreover, You Gai had joined the Demon Sect only to resist Houjin. An Jing had no favors to claim from him, yet he was willing to share his life’s insights.

“Deceiving you, would there be any benefit to me?”

You Gai took a gulp from his wine gourd, saying, “Come to the courtyard, how much you comprehend will depend on your perception.”

An Jing and You Gai made their way to the courtyard and then they both sat down cross-legged.

You Gai sat down and placed his wine gourd aside, “The principles of nurturing the mind and spirit, the methods of sensing and transforming, the opportunity for Heavenly Human Communication, the moment that determines life and death, all are profoundly documented.”

“Heavenly Human Communication is about making a connection with heaven and earth. A person’s actions can correspond with heaven, and heaven can also influence human affairs. Once you form such a connection, you can draw upon the powers of heaven and earth.”

Speaking thus, the aura around You Gai became misty and ethereal. He then gradually ‘merged’ into this piece of heaven and earth. It wouldn’t be accurate to say merged, rather, he established a faint connection, a connection subtle and magical.

Even though his True Qi was not circulating, he still imparted to An Jing a sense of solidness, as imposing as a mountain.

Continuously drinking, You Gai said, “In fact, unconsciously, you have already entered this state; you just aren’t aware, don’t understand, and don’t know it yet.”

“Heaven and earth always guide us in various ways, sometimes through a dream, a breeze, an intuition, and more often through coincidences. Whatever the specific way, you can establish a connection with heaven and earth. Familiarizing with it, and then you can always enter this connection and borrow the strength of heaven and earth. That is Heavenly Human Communication.”

You Gai’s words rang like a thunderclap in An Jing’s ears, enlightening him profoundly.

Heavenly Human Communication, establishing a connection, is itself a sense; the more connections established, the deeper the sensation.

When using a blade of grass or a twig, in essence, you are establishing connections, entering Heavenly Human Communication.

It was not until a long time later that An Jing regained his senses, slowly exhaling, “Elder, what you taught today, I still need to absorb on my own.”

“The realm of Heavenly Human Communication is not simple; one should progress into it step by step.”

You Gai was about to pick up his wine gourd, found it empty, and shook his head, saying, “If you have any more questions, just ask me. Enough said, I am off to buy more wine.”

Saying so, You Gai got up and walked away into the distance.

Unknowingly, the sky had dimmed, and lanterns were already rising around the courtyard.

“You Gai and the old man from the building would definitely become confidants, both are as fond of drinking as their life depends on it.”

An Jing also took a deep breath, went to Yanghuai Road in You City, bought some pastries, and then headed back to his residence.

Just as he walked out of the guesthouse, he could see Zhao Qingmei, wrapped in her cape, carrying a dish from the kitchen.

Seeing this, Zhao Qingmei couldn’t help but smile and said, “You’re back, let’s eat.”

An Jing asked, “Why did you cook yourself today?”

Since the matters of the Demon Sect had been increasing, he had almost forgotten the last time he had a meal cooked by Zhao Qingmei.

“Why? Can’t I?”

Zhao Qingmei glared at An Jing with a hint of a sulk, feeling a bit guilty.

When she had married his brother, she had promised to cook for him all her life, but she hadn’t truly fulfilled that promise, no matter how busy she would be later, she must remember this.

An Jing pulled out a piece of parchment, “Before we eat, let me show you something nice.”

“Li’s Sugar Heart Buns.”

Zhao Qingmei, seeing the pastry in Shi Liang’s hand, her eyes curved into crescents, filled with surprise.

“Eat up.”

An Jing picked up a bun and stretched it to Zhao Qingmei’s mouth.

Zhao Qingmei’s favorite was candied haws, but she also liked very sweet pastries.

As for Tan Yun, she was a bit different, she just liked to eat.

Zhao Qingmei lightly bit into it, and the sugary filling splattered onto the corner of her mouth.

“Tastes good, right?”

An Jing gently wiped the sugary filling from the corner of her mouth.

“You eat, too,” Zhao Qingmei pushed the bun she had bitten into towards An Jing’s mouth, “eat more.”

An Jing took a bite and said, “I thought going to Yujing City would make you unhappy.”

You know it makes me unhappy and you still go?

Zhao Qingmei glared at An Jing, stuffing the rest of the bun into her mouth as if the bun was An Jing himself.

The turmoil in Yujing City last time was still the talk of the town; even some storytellers turned it into novels about the Ghost Swordsman and the Princess of Yan Country’s untold love and hatred, the struggle between the Sect Hierarch of the Demon Sect and the Princess of Yan Country…

Market folks always enjoyed these sensational stories, the more bizarre, the wilder they spread.

Zhao Qingmei, in some aspects, was not a person who was generous or philosophical.

“Eat slower.”

An Jing shook the parchment bag, “There’s a lot more here.”

Zhao Qingmei snorted softly, snatching the parchment bag, “Don’t stay in Yujing City too long, and don’t forget about the Dulu Sword Meeting.”

The Dulu Sword is the only blade that can cut through Nine Heavens Profound Iron, and it’s also one of the only ways to rescue Nan Weiping; therefore, the couple had long agreed that obtaining the Dulu Sword was essential.

An Jing nodded slightly, his expression suddenly turned solemn, “Last time I told you about Zhao Mengtai’s scheme with Houjin, I think the Dulu Sword Meeting could very well be an opportunity.”

Zhao Qingmei asked, “Are you talking about Zhao Mengtai’s and Houjin’s planning?”

An Jing solemnly said, “Is this not a perfect opportunity? With Zhao Chongyin dead, Zhao Mengtai could easily pin the blame on Houjin.”

Zhao Qingmei patted An Jing’s shoulder, a meaningful smile appearing at the corner of her mouth, “I have already prepared for this.”

“Hmm?”

An Jing blinked, looking at Zhao Qingmei.

“Otherwise why would I have sent Li Fuzhou and Yi Daoyun to Jiangnan Dao?”

A cold gleam flickered in Zhao Qingmei’s eyes, “Who says a chess game can only have two players?”

Li Fuzhou and Yi Daoyun!?

An Jing thought deeply upon hearing this.

Yi Daoyun was an assassin from the White Tiger Sect, most skilled in killing, lurking, hiding…

Speaking of which, the two walked into the dining hall.

An Jing fawningly said, “My lady is extremely clever and resourceful, truly a valorous woman among women.”

“I’m just seen as a female demon by others,” she said.

Zhao Qingmei sat down and said, “Yu Qiurong took Ajiu to the valley, they might not come back tonight. Let’s eat first.”

Under the dim lights, beside the rich and delicious dishes, Zhao Qingmei’s gentle smile truly made one’s heart immerse in its warmth.

An Jing smiled and said, “My lady, shall we drink a little tonight?”

“Clang!”

“Let’s drink, who’s afraid of whom!?”

Zhao Qingmei brought over the prepared wine jar.

Both of them exchanged smiles.

Mountains stretch across thousands of miles, a long journey ahead, in the twilight, half a cup over a simple meal, half and half.

Life is half made up of everyday warmth, half of poetic tranquility. Sometimes, people chase after lofty dreams and forget that true happiness lies in the simple warmth under fading light and the fullness of daily sustenance.

…….

PS: I was dragged out for a walk tonight, so there probably won’t be a second chapter. I have a day off tomorrow, I’ll make it up early. Lastly, asking for a Monthly Ticket.