The two of them traveled on places like small alleyways and places with almost no people.
Both the fine horses had steel hooves. They were not afraid of rocky and rugged roads. The entire morning was ran in one breath. They rested at a pagoda on the roadside when they reached the main road during the afternoon.
The pagoda was in the woods of the roadside. The shade covered them from the hot sun and also the wind. It was a little warm in there, but both of them had already reached a point where weather did not bother them at all. They calmly sat next to the stone table in the pagoda.
They drank water and put down the waterskin. Chu Li unraveled his bundle and took out some dried meat and rations.
Siao Qi unraveled the white weaved cotton cloth and showed her extremely beautiful face. She gently munched on the dried meat. “We’ve probably already gotten rid of those who didn’t have any good intentions.”
She had already moved with a horse on full gallop for the entire morning but she was still spotless from top to bottom. It was as if she was a fairy that placed above the common folk. She chewed gently and slowly. It was elegant and soothing to the eyes.
Chu Li nodded: “It’s almost time.”
“Hopefully it’ll be smooth this time.” Siao Qi said: “Sister Siao Shi has been through too much suffering. It’s time to give her a good ending.”
Chu Li sighed.
Siao Qi glanced at him: “Are you sure you can undo the Vitality Sealing Finger?”
“More so than the others.”
“If it is not working, then you’ll just keep trying!” Siao Qi lightly said: “If the Thunder Guiding Blade is just another scheme of the Hu Ren Public House and we’ve gone there for nothing, I’ll try and convince Brother Siao Tieying to let you come over!”
Chu Li slowly muttered: “Hopefully we aren’t doing this for nothing.”
“If Sister Siao Shi can unseal the Vitality Sealing Finger this time, I can leave at ease.”
“Leave?” Chu Li stopped chewing the dried beef at the corner of his mouth. “Where does Lady Siao want to go..?”
“I want to isolate myself to break through the Grandmaster’s Mastery.” Siao Qi said: “My innate mastery is completed. There’s no point delaying it.”
Chu Li smiled: “Which sect does Lady Siao want to join?”
Siao Qi gently arched her beautiful eyebrows.
Chu Li continued: “I know a little something about that here and there. We only have a chance to break through the Grandmaster’s Mastery once we enter the sect’s state of seclusion, isn’t that right?”
“Mhmm. I’d like to join a sect under a false identity.” She gently nodded: “After joining, I’d most likely spend a few years to quickly seize the chance to break through the Grandmaster’s Mastery. I must complete it as soon as possible.”
“A few years..?” Chu Li was surprised: “Do you need that long?”
“Depends on one’s fate and fortune.” Siao Qi said: “Maybe one may have a flash of inspiration in one night. Some might take few years, maybe even up to ten. Some can’t even reach that point in their lifetime. Everyone has a different destiny.”
“Isn’t that very dangerous?” Chu Li furrowed his brows.
Siao Qi said: “I’ll simply fake my death and change my appearance. There’s nothing dangerous about it at all.”
Chu Li furrowed his brows: “What if someone got you into trouble on purpose? Lu Yurong won’t just let the chance pass. Faking a death isn’t exactly special. Aunt Siao Yueling has done it before. I’m sure Lu Yurong will be expecting it.”
“The world is so wide. She can’t possibly think to check every single sect.”
“Seems like I’ll have to distract Lu Yurong.” Chu Li gave it a thought and said: “We can’t possibly just sit there and take it. We must seize the initiative.”
“It isn’t that Brother Siao Tieying didn’t think of that before, it’s just that every time we try, we just end up losing men and becoming dejected and depressed. We were beaten by Lu Yurong to the point where we’re afraid of it.”
“Master Siao may be wise and mighty, but he’s too open and impartial as a person.” Chu Li shook his head: “Playing tricks with Lu Yurong is just playing at her game. It’ll be hard to come out of it well.”
She nodded: “Your ability to scheme may not be weaker than that of Lu Yurong’s. I shall leave this to you.”
“Very well.” He nodded. “When you join a sect, I’ll do my best to draw her attention. However, I’m not as great as she is at scheming. I may be playing at a disadvantage. That reminds me, don’t we have an informant in Hu Ren Public House?”
“We indeed do.” She furrowed her brows as she shook her head. “But it’s hard for them to be of any use. Lu Yurong is astute and smart. She uses people very carefully. Our informants can’t get anywhere close to her.”
Chu Li sighed. There was nothing he could do. The situation mirrored his. All the traitors around him did not last very long.
Siao Qi said: “After I leave, there’ll be someone that’ll fill you in on the details of the informants from the Hu Ren Public House. That’ll be your task.”
Chu Li nodded.
Siao Qi said: “If nothing unforeseen happens, I’ll join the Snow Lunar Pavilion.”
Chu Li thought to himself for a moment: “Of the Crystal Crescent Lake..?”
Siao Qi gently nodded.
Chu Li had heard about the Snow Lunar Pavilion. It was not as great as the four top sects, but it was still a high quality sect. Their history was fleshed out and deep and they have once thrived over a thousand years ago.
They had more females than they did males so they mainly focused on their female followers with the males as support. Their reputation in the martial arts world was respectable.
But the Snow Lunar Pavilion were not at the Chong Lee Yuning road. It was at the Chong De Road, where the Hu Ren Public House was!
“Isn’t it a little too risky?”
“Exactly why no one will find me.”
Chu Li sighed: “It’s still too dangerous.”
“It doesn’t matter. As long as I sever all contact from the Public House, no one will find me.”
“What’ll you do when you find yourself in danger if you completely sever yourself from the Public House?”
“I’ll handle it personally.”
Chu Li suggested: “Why don’t you bring two Grandmasters?”
“That’s impossible. Siao Qi lightly shook her head: “If I really brought any with me, I wouldn’t be able to stay for more than a few days.”
Chu Li whispered: “Then I’d like to join the Snow Lunar Pavilion. How does that sound to you?”
“The Snow Lunar Pavilion doesn’t suit you.” Siao Qi said: “The Public House is trying to get you to join the Mountain of Amethyst.”
“The Mountain of Amethyst?” Chu Li could not hold back how surprised he was.
The Mountain of Amethyst was not a normal sect. The Temple of Tempest, the Deer of the Cliff, the Temple of Titanium, and the Mountain of Amethyst. They were equally labeled as the four most powerful sects. All four had been disseminating their teachings for thousands of years. They looked at the martial arts world from above. They were also able to contend against the Imperial Court.
Siao Qi nodded: “The Mountain of Amethyst isn’t an easy sect to join. You’ll have to wait patiently.”
“Is there really a point to me joining the Mountain of Amethyst?” Chu Li asked: “Some normal sect will do.”
“My mother had a close relationship with one of the followers of the Mountain of Amethyst. We can get you in through connections.” Siao Qi said: “It’s unfortunate that he’s always isolated in cultivation. We couldn’t find him. The moment he ends his cultivation will be the moment where everything will be dealt with. It might take a year or so, maybe more. Usually Grandmasters isolate themselves to rush to Enlightened Mastery, so you may have to be a little patient.”
Chu Li smiled: “I’m afraid that I don’t have that chance. I might not be able to wait until then.”
“Two more years. If he’s still in isolation, we’ll think about something else.” Siao Qi said: “I definitely won’t allow your improvement to delay.”
“I thank you for the effort, Lady Siao.” He nodded. He did not bother to humbly reject the offer.
As both of them were chatting, three horses ran toward them from afar. They stopped the moment they saw a pagoda.
The three riders in grey led the horses to the shade next to the pagoda.
All three were relatively strong youngsters. They were equipped with swords strapped on their waist. They had a fierce grandeur about them. They greedily stared at Chu Li and Siao Qi as they were still mounted. Both Chu Li and Siao Qi’s eyes brightened as they sized the riders up. They men carefully entered the pagoda.
Siao Qi had already hung the white weaved cotton cloth back on her face as they got closer. She covered her face but her white gown gave off a cold and classy atmosphere. That alone was enough to attract their attention.
The three riders in grey looked straight at Siao Qi. They were annoyed because they were unable to look at her face through the cloth.
Chu Li gently coughed.
But the sound that reverberated throughout the area was like a furious thunder. It exploded on the sides of the three rider’s ears. Their blood levels rushed and flipped a switch. Stars began to show on their eyes.
Chu Li glared at three of them.
Their expressions changed. They knew that the two on the pagoda were big deals. A smart man did not walk into a situation that was clearly out of their league. They fist saluted the both of them and forced a smile as they took a seat to the side.
Chu Li nodded in satisfaction. He did not care about the three any more.
On the other hand, Siao Qi did not even bother to watch what happened. It was as if she could not see the three people.
The three of them clenched their teeth but dared not make any rash moves. Strength was all that mattered in the martial arts world. Since they met two that were clearly out of their league, they could simply obey them. Or else they might as well have just been throwing their lives away in search for death.