Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 28 Let's Seek the Master's Advice

The fourth year of the Holy Peace.

October 23.

Zhan Zhao walked out of the monks' quarters and looked at the snowflakes falling from the sky.

On October 23rd, the Minor Snow solar term arrived, and snow fell heavily.

This proverb means that if it snows lightly around the 23rd day of the tenth lunar month, then the snowfall throughout the winter may be more frequent or heavier.

This is not bad news for agricultural dynasties, because a warm winter can lead to drought and accelerate the reproduction of pests and diseases in the fields, all of which are detrimental to crop growth.

It could even cause a cold snap the following year, resulting in frost damage to crops when they turn green again, which would reduce crop yields and farmers' income.

Therefore, on October 23rd, farmers fear sunny days the most, while rainy or snowy weather is actually a good thing.

For Zhan Zhao, this marked a full month since he entered the Daxiangguo Temple.

For an ordinary monk, a period of just one month is not unusual.

But for him, many things changed in that month.

Whether in terms of martial arts or mindset.

'Are you here?'

At this moment, he didn't even need to consciously circulate his internal energy; he already had a keen sense of the approaching aura.

Two heads peeked out from the grass in the distance.

A slightly stern male voice rang out first, lowered to a whisper, "This is the backyard of Xiangguo Temple. Fortunately, there are many worshippers, so the security isn't too tight..."

Another clear female voice said, "That building is one of the famous Eight Scenic Spots of Bianjing? Wow! It's so tall!"

A stern male voice immediately rebuked, "Fifth Junior Sister, are we here for sightseeing? Don't forget the purpose of our trip: to seek justice from the Six Doors and avenge our Senior Brother!"

The voice on the other end was actually very low and far away, but to Zhan Zhao's clear-eyed eyes, it was not much different from talking loudly face to face.

Interestingly, even without speaking, their martial arts skills were clearly evident.

The light-footed skill used to sneak in was none other than the Cloud Crane Ascending to Immortality Step by Yun Heming, the "Great Hero of Jiangnan".

Yun Heming, known as the "Great Hero of Jiangnan," is the nephew of Yun Qingxiao, the "Immortal Swordsman." However, he does not possess Yun Qingxiao's signature skill, "Six Lines Formless Sword Qi." His famous skill is "Yunhe Ascending to Immortality Sword Stance," and his light footwork is also named after it.

However, Yunhe Dengxian's name is nowhere to be found on either the Swordsmanship Ranking or the Lightness Skill Ranking of Baiyulou.

That's quite strange.

'If you can't get into the top 50, you should be eligible for the top 100, right?'

Baiyulou has seven lists, each with one hundred members. Among them, anyone who creates their own unique skills and ranks in the top fifty is qualified to be a martial arts master.

It may seem exaggerated, but it's not.

The listed martial arts techniques are not limited to this era, but encompass the techniques from the previous era and even the era before that.

Some divine skills have been lost, such as the "Invincible Divine Mirror" which ranked ninth on the list of mental cultivation techniques;
Some of them have not been mastered for a long time, such as the "Mahavairocana Mantra" which ranks second on the list of mental cultivation techniques.

Of course, according to Bai Yulou, if a martial art is completely lost, leaving not even a fragment, it is equivalent to disappearing from the world, with no possibility of restoration, and it will automatically be removed from the list.

Therefore, the martial arts listed are not comparable to all the unique skills throughout history.

Even so, to make it onto the list with his self-created unique skills, he had to compete with the most brilliant and talented individuals of the past few centuries.

Those who can rank in the top 50 certainly have the potential to become martial arts masters.

The range from 50th to 100th place is mostly where renowned martial arts masters perform.

Yun Heming is, after all, a master who has been famous for a long time and is known as the "Great Hero of Jiangnan". He is a powerful figure in the region. He may not be in the top fifty, but he should have a place in the bottom fifty, right?

But no...

For some reason, Zhan Zhao suddenly thought of this, and then, his thoughts wandering, he picked up a broom and moved in that direction. Out of the corner of his eye, he took in the appearance of the person who had just arrived.

Yun Heming has seven disciples. Although they have different surnames, most of them use "Yun" as their pseudonym and are collectively known as the "Seven Clouds Reflecting the Sky". It is said that this is to commemorate his uncle, the "Immortal Swordsman" Yun Qingxiao.

The man who secretly entered the temple is Shen Lan, the third son, whose nickname is "Liu Yun".

He was dressed in white, tall and slender, his eyes seemed dimmed by days of worry, his lips were tightly pursed, and he was poised to strike, constantly observing his surroundings, as if every inch of his muscles was etched with vigilance.

The woman who secretly entered the temple was Lin Yuxian, the fifth in line, whose nickname was "Weaving Clouds".

She wore a flowing dress with embroidered silver cloud patterns on the hem. Her features were gentle and graceful. Her hair was half-up, with a wooden hairpin inserted at an angle, and the rest of her hair fell to her shoulders, adding to her casual charm.

"Huh? This sweeping monk..."

"Senior brother, you feel the same way? This young monk is so young, how come he seems like a highly accomplished monk?"

As Zhan Zhao swept the snow, he naturally attracted the attention of Shen Lan and Lin Yuxian.

But despite being attentive, I didn't feel nervous.

From their perspective, the little monk in front of them seemed ordinary, yet he possessed an indescribable charm.

If I had to describe it, it's very much like the aura of a highly virtuous monk I've seen in the local temple.

It brings peace of mind and tranquility at first glance, like a gentle spring breeze.

"We're unfamiliar with the area around Daxiangguo Temple, so we need to find someone to guide us!"

"This young monk is perfect. He's very knowledgeable in Buddhism and must have grown up in the temple. He knows everything..."

"You stay out of the way, I'll go forward. That way, if something happens, we'll have a way out."

Shen Lan gave his junior sister a look, then used his footwork to quickly close the distance and land behind her.

He didn't draw his sword, but merely lifted the hilt and pressed it slightly against the pressure point: "Young Master, I mean no harm, please don't make a fuss!"

Zhan Zhao swept the broom.

Shen Lan's actions were to prevent the other party from screaming, and also because he was worried that the monk of the number one temple in the world was hiding his true strength. However, seeing that the other party did not even raise his true energy to defend when he got close, he felt more at ease.

He seems to be just an ordinary little monk.

At most, it's the sound of the evening drum and the morning bell; the Buddhist teachings are profound.

Even so, facing the most prestigious temple in the world and the head monk of the Buddhist sect, he dared not offend him. He took a step back, cupped his hands and apologized, saying, "My name is Shen Lan, a disciple of Yunqi Manor in Jiangnan. I am by no means a bad person. I have offended you just now, and I hope my junior master will forgive me!"

He paused for a moment, then solemnly said, "It is only because the people of the Six Doors knowingly violate the law and act perversely that we have no choice but to come to your temple for help!"

"To prevent spies from the Six Doors from spying outside, I sneaked in from the backyard... Please forgive my rudeness and explain to the senior monks in the temple!"

Zhan Zhao stood to the side, listening quietly without expressing his opinion.

"Please believe me, young master, what I say is absolutely true!"

Shen Lan thought he didn't believe her, so she quickly said, "Who would have thought that the Six Doors, on the surface, is an agency of law enforcement under the imperial court, with its Four Great Constables renowned throughout the world, but behind the scenes, it harbors filth and evil, with some constables committing crimes and harming my senior brother's life!"

Gritting his teeth, Shen Lan revealed his purpose: "A month ago, did a chivalrous hero accompany the monk Chiyuan into the temple? We have come here precisely to pay our respects to this great hero!"

Zhan Zhao finally spoke, his tone tinged with surprise: "Great hero?"

"Exactly!"

Shen Lan nodded emphatically: "This great hero's surname is Zhan, and his given name is Zhao. He once exposed the real culprit at Yunqi Manor. It's a pity that everyone in the manor was deceived by the Six Doors at that time, and now they regret it too late!"

"Not long ago, we heard that if it weren't for the great swordsman Zhan defeating Zhao Wujiu, another murderer would have used the power of the Six Doors to escape justice!"

"We have come here to apologize and hope that Master Zhan will uphold justice for us—a life for a life is a matter of course, and even the Six Doors cannot cover up the truth and distort the facts!"

(End of this chapter)