Joining Tiandao Company: Starting by mending a zombie world

Upon hearing Chu Sheng's words, the thirty-odd people in the snow outside the door all changed color.

Shi Fang tightened his grip on the sword hilt slightly, his incredibly bright eyes lingered on Chu Sheng's face for a full three breaths, and then he smiled.

It wasn't the distant, polite smile from before, but something more like a sense of relief.

"interesting."

"I've been wandering the martial arts world for twenty years, and this is the first time I've ever seen a Taoist priest who dares to curse the Qing Dynasty in front of so many people."

He paused, a hint of something ambiguous or indescribable creeping into his voice.

"Master Chu, with your temper, you won't live long."

"How long one lives is determined by fate, but how one lives is determined by me." Chu Sheng picked up the wine pot and poured himself another cup. "No need for you to trouble yourself, Mr. Shifang."

"Master Chu is right." He didn't refute it, but instead nodded. "We really should find out where the zombies came from."

"But the most pressing issue right now is that those things have already surrounded Qingsong Ridge, thirty miles east of the city. Once the snow melts, they will rush towards Jingzhou City."

Chu Sheng put down his wine cup: "Qingsong Ridge?"

"Yes." Shi Fang took out a sheepskin map from his robes and unfolded it on the table.

"There's an abandoned Taoist temple on the northern slope of Qingsong Ridge, and that's where the zombies' lair is. We plan to set off at midnight tonight and storm in before dawn."

Chu Sheng's gaze fell on the map, and he said with a faint smile, "What does it have to do with me that you're going to kill zombies?"

He leaned back, speaking in a lazy tone, "I was just passing through Jingzhou and had a bowl of noodles."

Before Shi Fangyi could speak, the young man let out a cold laugh:

"Didn't you just say you were going to investigate how the zombies came to be? You're backing down so quickly?"

Chu Sheng glanced at the boy and suddenly found the way the boy spoke interesting. Despite being weak and frail, he spoke with an air of fearlessness.

"OK."

"I'll go with you. But let's make it clear beforehand: I'll kill the zombies, but if I find anything, it's mine."

Shi Fang's eyes flickered slightly: "What is it?"

"My Maoshan predecessor left some relics here."

Chu Sheng didn't hide anything from him, and said, half-truthfully, "I came to Jingzhou for this very reason."

Shi Fang didn't press further, but simply nodded: "Each takes what they need, very good."

He turned and walked out of the tavern, addressing the thirty-odd figures in the snow outside:

"Gentlemen, this is Master Chu from the Maoshan Sect. Tonight, he will join us in eliminating the zombies."

The figures all bowed to Chu Sheng, but none of them uttered a sound.

Chu Sheng glanced at it and was secretly amazed that there were so many martial arts sects in this world.

...

child time.

The snow stopped, and a cold moon rose in the sky, illuminating the entire Green Pine Ridge in a stark white light, as if it were daytime.

Chu Sheng followed at the back of the group, walking at a leisurely pace.

To Chu Sheng's left was the boy with a pockmarked face, and to his right was another boy, but this pockmarked boy was different; he was very polite.

He glanced at Chu Sheng and lowered his voice, saying, "My name is Xia Xiaochuan, from the Ke Xiang Sect. My master is Ye Yanzhou, known as the Seven-Step Sword Saint."

Chu Sheng grunted in acknowledgment. "Chu Sheng of the Maoshan Sect, my master is the Zombie Taoist Master Mao Xiaofang."

Xia Xiaochuan was taken aback, his tone tinged with curiosity, "In all my years of wandering the martial world, I've really never seen many people from Maoshan."

Chu Sheng glanced at him. The boy was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with delicate features. A narrow longsword hung at his waist, and his gait was extremely precise. Each step was exactly one foot and three inches from his front foot, without the slightest deviation. He said:

"Does Ke Xiang Men emphasize footwork?"

Xia Xiaochuan's eyes lit up: "Master Chu has a good eye! The kung fu of my Ke Xiang Sect is all about the word 'step'."

"My master often told me that in all martial arts, only footwork is invincible. No matter how hard your fist is, it's useless if you can't hit your opponent. No matter how fast your swordsmanship is, it's just a show if you can't stand firmly."

As he spoke, he took two steps on the ground, leaving two light imprints on the snow with such fine control that not a single snowflake was kicked up.

"The founder of the Elephant Mastery attained enlightenment while among a herd of elephants. He believed that although elephants are incredibly strong, they are clumsy and have difficulty turning around. Therefore, to 'overcome elephants,' one must first learn to maneuver and turn within a small space."

"My master, Ye Yanzhou, mastered this skill to its highest level, and was given a nickname in the martial arts world: 'Seven-Step Sword Saint'."

Chu Sheng raised an eyebrow: "Seven steps?"

"Yes, within seven steps, he is invincible." Xia Xiaochuan's eyes were full of admiration when he said this, but then they dimmed.

"Master said that this 'seven steps' is not boasting, but the limit of the Kexiangmen sword technique."

Chu Sheng's eyes flickered slightly as he sized up Xia Xiaochuan again.

Xia Xiaochuan then turned his gaze to Shi Fang:

"That is the leader of the martial arts alliance, Shi Fang Yi Bu, who is skilled in the Cang Hai Gui Yuan Palm."

Chu Sheng glanced at Shi Fangyi, the old man always giving off an unfathomable aura. He casually remarked, "Then he must be incredibly powerful."

The pockmarked boy on the left suddenly interjected, reminding him, "Shi Fang Yi Bu's greatest strength isn't his skill, it's his reputation."

"Look at all these people who came today. There are people from all walks of life, including the Iron Fist Sect, the Dragon Head Sect, the Street Gate Sect, and the Heron Mountain Long Court Temple Sect. They've all come for him alone."

"If it weren't for him taking the lead, these people would never have gotten together."

Chu Sheng then noticed that although the group of more than thirty people were walking together, they maintained a subtle distance from each other, clearly distinguishing themselves.

The five people at the very front, one step away from Shi Fang, were burly, with arms thicker than an average person's thighs, and their steps were heavy and powerful, quite different from the others who moved lightly and quietly.

"The Iron Fist Gate."

Xia Xiaochuan followed Chu Sheng's gaze and said, "The one with the big beard who's in the lead is called Wuzun. He's thirty-two years old this year and is the youngest sect leader in the Iron Fist Sect in nearly a hundred years."

Chu Sheng sized up the man named Wu Zun, whose wrists were each wrapped with a black iron ring that gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

"The Iron Fist School's kung fu is called 'The Three Styles of the Foolish Old Man.' The name sounds silly, but it's deadly in a real fight. The first style, 'Mountain Moving,' is specifically designed to break weapons."

"The second move, 'Stone Shattering,' is specifically designed to break through protective qi; the third move..."

As Xia Xiaochuan was speaking animatedly, he suddenly felt a tightness on the back of his neck as a calloused hand reached out from behind and precisely grabbed his collar.

Ye Yanzhou had already approached without anyone noticing.

"Master!" Xia Xiaochuan immediately stopped talking and stood up straight.

Ye Yanzhou glanced coldly at his disciple: "You have no sense of propriety. What does Article Six of the sect rules say?"

Xia Xiaochuan lowered his head, scratched his head, and whispered, "No... we must not speak ill of the martial arts styles of our fellow practitioners in front of outsiders."

Ye Yanzhou snorted again, no longer looking at him, and instead nodded to Chu Sheng.

Chu Sheng returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Brother Xia is straightforward and has no ill intentions."

Ye Yanzhou's gaze lingered on Chu Sheng's face for a moment. "I didn't expect that Maoshan still has a lineage. Not bad, not bad."