The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun.

Linghu Chong nodded, and there was no objection.

But the next second he grinned foolishly at Yue Buqun with a smirk.

"Master, this...that...hehe."

Yue Buqun frowned and said, "Just say what you have to say. Why are you beating around the bush?"

Linghu Chong chuckled and said, "Look, my junior brother and I have recovered the lost sword technique of our Huashan Sect, making a great contribution to the Huashan Sect. My punishment..."

Linghu Chong didn't say anything, but just grinned at Yue Buqun with a knowing look on his face.

Yue Buqun glanced at him and said indifferently, "No, but don't do it again."

Linghu Chong's eyes lit up.

"Thank you, Master!"

After confirming that the cave contained the lost sword technique of the Huashan School, Yue Buqun felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart. He walked with much lighter steps and seemed to have become more than ten years younger.

After all that back and forth, it was already close to evening, just in time for dinner.

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze went straight back to Suoyoubuweixuan, while Jiang Ning and Linghu Chong hadn't eaten all day and were already feeling hungry. On the way to the canteen, Linghu Chong was already shouting that he could eat a whole cow.

When they arrived at the canteen, the other Huashan disciples were already there. However, because their senior brother Linghu Chong was not there, they could not start eating and had to wait for them.

During the meal, at Lao Denuo's suggestion, Lu Dayou, Ying Bailuo, and other Huashan disciples kept asking where Linghu Chong and Yue Buqun had gone and why they had only just returned, chattering incessantly with questions.

Jiang Ning would definitely not tell, and Yue Lingshan also kept her father's words in mind, keeping her mouth shut and revealing nothing.

Linghu Chong, on the other hand, was a chatterbox and loved to joke around. When his junior brothers asked him questions, he couldn't help but speak up. However, he didn't reveal the secret of the Cliff of Contemplation. Instead, he brushed them off with a few words and then started bragging about how he had punished evil and promoted good along the way, and how he had easily defeated Hou Renying and Hong Renxiong of the Qingcheng Sect, which drew gasps of amazement from them.

He had captured the attention of all the Huashan disciples.

Only Laudenau smiled silently, his eyes conveying an unreadable emotion.

late at night.

After dinner, Jiang Ning packed some clothes and other necessities for the journey in his room before leaving and going to the back hall.

When he arrived, he found Yue Buqun already sitting in the main seat with his eyes closed, resting. Three incense sticks were re-inserted on the incense table.

The incense and candles had burned nearly halfway, so it seemed that Yue Buqun had been waiting here for quite some time.

"Master."

Jiang Ning stopped in front of Yue Buqun and bowed.

Yue Buqun opened his eyes, looked at the disciple in front of him, and nodded slightly.

"Ah."

After saying that, Yue Buqun stood up and stood in front of the incense table, his hands behind his back. He didn't turn around, but just casually threw out a sentence.

"Ning'er, did you discover the secret of the stone wall on the Cliff of Contemplation unintentionally?"

Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed instantly.

Chapter 25: Heart-to-Heart Talk

"This disciple does not understand Master's meaning."

Jiang Ning remained calm and composed, without panicking.

Yue Buqun then turned around, staring intently at him, and spoke again, but instead of pressing him for answers, he asked a trivial question.

"Did you see anyone other than my Huashan disciples on Mount Hua? Did you encounter any strange people on your journey down the mountain to Yunmeng County?"

Jiang Ning was somewhat surprised, then shook his head: "No."

Yue Buqun didn't speak, just stared at him intently, as if judging whether what he said was true or false.

After a while.

Yue Buqun's brows relaxed, and a smile appeared on his face: "Ning'er, you have really done your master a great favor this time, and you have also done the Huashan Sect a great favor."

Jiang Ning asked knowingly, "Why do you say that, Master?"

Yue Buqun let out a long sigh.

“Ning’er, I originally thought that I could handle some things myself. You, Chong’er, Shan’er, and Dayou should just focus on practicing your skills. As long as the entire Huashan Sect works together, our Huashan Sect will be able to revive sooner or later.”

But things don't always go as planned.

"Nowadays, the Demonic Sect's influence is spread all over the country, and they are always trying to destroy our righteous sects. Meanwhile, Zuo Lengchan of the Songshan Sect is always thinking about annexing the other Five Mountains Sword Sects. Our Huashan Sect is now in a very difficult situation."

Yue Buqun finally poured out the pressure in his heart to his disciples.

However, he didn't see any shock on Jiang Ning's face, so he couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you surprised?"

Jiang Ning countered, "Why are you surprised?"

Yue Buqun asked in surprise, "The Five Mountains Sword Sects have always been closely connected. Didn't you feel puzzled when you heard that the Songshan Sect wanted to annex the other four sects?"

Jiang Ning smiled calmly and said, "Wherever there are people, there is a jianghu (martial arts world). Besides, we are in the jianghu ourselves. The jianghu is full of intrigue and backstabbing. The Songshan Sect is powerful, and it is only human nature for them to want to swallow up my Five Mountains Sword Sect and go further."

"We are at their mercy, like fish on a chopping board. The Huashan Sect is currently weaker than the Songshan Sect, so it is not surprising that they want to annex us."

Yue Buqun smiled and nodded.

"It's good that you have this understanding and haven't been blinded by the grand principles in books, preventing you from seeing reality clearly."

After saying this, Yue Buqun sneered, "Zuo Lengchan wants to annex my Huashan Sect, so he sent Lao Denuo to be an internal spy for my Huashan. He thinks I don't know, but I saw through him a long time ago."

"I deliberately pretended not to know and left Laudenuo behind in order to lull Zuo Lengchan into a false sense of security."

Jiang Ning was somewhat surprised.

He hadn't paid close attention when he read The Smiling, Proud Wanderer before, and hadn't noticed many details. He didn't know if Yue Buqun knew that Lao Denuo was a traitor. He originally wanted to find an opportunity to get rid of Lao Denuo himself, but Yue Buqun said that he knew Lao Denuo was a traitor, so why didn't he kill him?

Seemingly aware of Jiang Ning's doubts, Yue Buqun smiled and said, "Lao Denuo is just a pawn. I can kill him at will, but I cannot."

"He is an internal spy sent by the Songshan Sect to monitor my Huashan Sect. Although he is a pawn of the Songshan Sect and is not good for my Huashan Sect, I can also use him to reassure the Songshan Sect and Zuo Lengchan so that they will not immediately take action against my Huashan Sect."

"Furthermore, even if I kill him, Zuo Lengchan will continue to plant spies in my Huashan Sect. I am not a god and cannot immediately discover who the traitor is. Rather than that, it is better to spare Lao Denuo's life for now."

"Keeping him around has its advantages. We can assign him the dirty and hard work of our Huashan Sect, but we won't let him discover the true secrets of our Huashan Sect."

Jiang Ning nodded.

Yue Buqun's approach was correct.

After saying a few words, Yue Buqun skipped over the topic. He hadn't brought Jiang Ning to the back room to talk about these things.

At this moment, Yue Buqun took out a purse from his wide sleeves. It was stuffed full, and no one knew what it contained.

“Ning’er, this is your first time going down the mountain for training. I don’t know how long you will be traveling. I’m afraid you won’t have enough money for your journey. Take these with you and don’t be stingy on the way. Spend money as you need to.”

Yue Buqun handed over the purse directly.

"Thank you, Master."

Jiang Ning took the purse with both hands, and immediately felt a weight in his hands. A look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

This is quite a large quantity.

Yue Buqun smiled and said, "There are two hundred taels of silver in here. You can take it for now."

so much?

Did Yue Buqun really become rich overnight?

Back in the day, even Guo Furong didn't carry this much silver with her when she went out, right?

Two hundred taels of silver is enough for an ordinary person to live a life free from worries about food and clothing.

"This……"

Jiang Ning was interrupted by Yue Buqun before he could speak.

Yue Buqun waved his hand and said, "I know what you mean. Take it with you. It's what you deserve. Don't worry about the sect's expenses."

"Yes, thank you, Master. I will always remember your loving care."

Jiang Ning accepted it.

Yue Buqun nodded in satisfaction; what he appreciated most about Jiang Ning was his unpretentious personality.

After doing all this, Yue Buqun turned to look at the memorial tablets arranged on the incense table, his expression lingering.

"My lifelong wish is to fulfill my master's dying wish and carry forward the Huashan School."

"Now that the lost sword techniques of my Huashan Sect have returned to Huashan, the revitalization of Huashan is just around the corner!"

"However, even if my Huashan Sect were to recover to its peak, it would probably only be able to return to the top of the Five Mountains Sword Sects, just like it was decades ago, and then there would be no further progress."

"Actually, I have another great wish in my heart."

Yue Buqun placed his hands on the incense table, his knuckles exerting slight pressure.

"That is to restore the former glory of the Quanzhen Sect, overpower Wudang and Shaolin, eliminate the evil sect, and make Huashan the number one sect in the world!"

Yue Buqun's voice was low, but powerful and resonant.

Everyone has dreams, and Yue Buqun is no exception.

"It's just a pity."

Yue Buqun changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat desolate.

"Our Huashan Sect's foundation is not as strong as Wudang and Shaolin. Even if we find the lost sword techniques of Huashan Sect, we are still far behind the two sects."

"Wudang has Tai Chi Sword and Chunyang Gong, and Shaolin has Yi Jin Jing. These are all unparalleled treasures. Even our sect's treasure, Zixia Divine Skill, is far inferior to them. I'm afraid Huashan Sect cannot surpass them."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning's heart stirred, and he said, "Master, since the Quanzhen Sect was able to surpass the Shaolin Temple to become the number one sect in the world in the past, and its founder Wang Chongyang was the number one sect in the world, then the Quanzhen Sect should also have its own treasures, which are no less powerful than the Tai Chi Sword and Yi Jin Jing of Wudang and Shaolin."

Yue Buqun turned to look at Jiang Ning, nodded, and said, "That's right, the Quanzhen Sect did indeed have a peerless divine skill in the past, called the Innate Skill."

"This martial art is the supreme martial art of our Taoism. It belongs to Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen School, and it is the martial art that made him the number one martial art in the world, surpassing the Four Great Masters."

But Yue Buqun then shook his head and said, "But this technique is Wang Chongyang's unique secret method. Even the Seven Masters of Quanzhen did not receive his teachings. This technique has been lost since his death."

“In the past, the Quanzhen School also searched for traces of the Innate Skill, but to no avail. I also went to the headquarters and branch schools of the Quanzhen School to search, but I still couldn’t find it, so I gave up.”