Chapter 100: True Person Qin’s Choice
The last time I encountered such a tsundere big shot was the last time.
He also figured it out: people with capability all have somewhat eccentric tempers.
Wei Lao is like that, and True Person Qin is like that too.
Jiang Ce turned his head, looking at Xuan Qing who was silently lost in thought, and asked: “What crime did you commit to end up like this before?”
That casual tone, that calm composure, that proficiency, just like a seasoned prisoner picking his toes in jail sitting on the ground asking you: Hey, buddy, what did you do to get locked up?
Perhaps Xuan Qing felt similarly and immediately said with disgust: “Why do you speak so coarsely? I didn’t commit any crime.”
“Heh.” Jiang Ce sneered contemptuously: “Everyone says that, all claiming they are innocent.”
Xuan Qing was speechless and choked, just staring at Jiang Ce, who stared right back at him.
After a long while, Xuan Qing sighed: “That’s enough.”
But his sincerity was not met with sincerity, but rather an escalation.
“In a hurry?”
“I see you really are”
A few minutes later, Jiang Ce rubbed his faintly aching arm as he sat on the stone bench, his face showing a look of realization:
“So you also had a scapegoat senior brother, no wonder you rebelled out of the sect.”
“What do you mean rebelled, what do you mean rebelled?” Xuan Qing was afraid of Jiang Ce’s mouth and clarified: “I simply couldn’t stay in the Quanzhen Sect anymore.”
He paused, his expression helpless: “Just like the historical Xuanwu Gate Incident, one side always loses, but no matter which side loses, it weakens the Quanzhen Sect’s power, so I could only choose to leave.”
“Correct.” Jiang Ce affirmed Xuan Qing’s choice: “Why hang yourself on a single tree, right? Join the Gatekeeper, and the entire Cultivation World will be ours in the future. A mere Quanzhen Sect is hardly worth stopping for.”
Xuan Qing gritted his teeth tightly, his face flushed red, and held up two fingers:
“First, I joined before you, so it’s not your place to tell me this. Second, the Gatekeeper is not a bandit gang. When will you finally recognize that?!”
Jiang Ce let out an “oh” and lowered his head in shame, but soon lifted it again: “But suppose we publicly announce that joining the Gatekeeper allows one to obtain cultivation resources through personal effort, promote family culture, use love to bind them into working for us.
Then occasionally paint some pies for them, show them our future blueprint, promise them benefits once we succeed, and surely some will bite, creating dissenters in various sects.
Finally, when those who defect can’t work anymore, find reasons to sideline them, either make them leave on their own or just give them basic living expenses. By then, these people will be isolated and helpless, those sects will have no cohesion, and they definitely won’t be able to unite against us despite past grievances.
Like this, directly pull the firewood from under the pot, use an open scheme. What do you think, does it have potential?”
Xuan Qing listened, stunned for a long time, then finally clenched his fists and roared: “Not bandits, but not capitalists either!”
“Tch.” Jiang Ce shook his head and muttered: “No entrepreneurial spirit.”
Facing Xuan Qing’s impending lecture, Jiang Ce timely ended the discussion and changed the topic: “By the way, True Person Qin said to bring me to him after three in the morning to learn Sword Technique. Could it be a trap?”
“What trap could there be? Just now I was catching up with my master, and I could tell he misses me too. Perhaps after so many years without seeing each other, he wants to use teaching you Sword Technique as an excuse to spend more time with me.”
Xuan Qing’s mouth corners involuntarily lifted as he boasted:
“Back in the day, I was also one of the strong contenders for Quanzhen Sect Leader. With exceptional talent, if it’s just Quanzhen Sect’s Sword Technique, no need for master to teach you—I can teach you just the same.”
After saying that, Xuan Qing lowered his head but didn’t see Jiang Ce’s figure. Turning his head, he found Jiang Ce had already walked some distance away.
He waved without looking back: “Then it’s settled, I’ll come find you at three in the morning.”
“You brat!” Xuan Qing stomped his foot in impotent rage.
He felt indignant. When they first met, he thought Jiang Ce was a humble junior, but how long had it been? He wasn’t even taking him seriously anymore—truly outrageous!
But though he said that, when three in the morning came, he dutifully and uncomplainingly took Jiang Ce to the Quanzhen Sect’s courtyard to find True Person Qin.
On the way, Jiang Ce dropped his usual flippant demeanor, frowning thoughtfully.
Thinking he was nervous, Xuan Qing comforted: “Master has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. As long as you don’t anger him, even if his words are harsh, he won’t do anything to you.”
“No, it has nothing to do with True Person Qin. It’s a detail I’ve been overlooking, and I’ve been pondering it all day today.” Jiang Ce said seriously.
Xuan Qing glanced around cautiously and asked: “What did you discover?”
“I discovered that everyone in the Gatekeeper seems to have had a relatively failed life before.”
Seeing Xuan Qing bewildered, he explained:
“Look, you failed to compete for Quanzhen Sect Leader and fled to the Gatekeeper. Xiao Zhi Men had such high merits that he shook the master and was distrusted and suppressed, fleeing to the Gatekeeper. Ye Lu Feng and Master Ye are Mao Shan discarded disciples. Martial Uncle Jie Tan was originally an abbot, quit and joined the Gatekeeper.
And me, the future Buddha came to the mortal world for training, and somehow joined up.
You don’t think Cao Gong cast some spell on us, do you?”
“What nonsense?” Xuan Qing thought Jiang Ce had some major discovery, but it turned out to be this trash talk, and he immediately felt unlucky.
Seeing Xuan Qing dismissive, Jiang Ce muttered: “Pull the firewood from under the pot on people like you who don’t think”
“Say that again!”
By then, the two had arrived at True Person Qin’s lodgings.
Before they could knock, True Person Qin opened the room door, nodding unsmilingly at Jiang Ce: “You’re here.”
Before Jiang Ce could speak, Xuan Qing couldn’t help but fawn: “Master, why bother teaching him personally? I’m very familiar with Quanzhen Sect’s Sword Technique too”
“You can go.” True Person Qin interrupted Xuan Qing, chin pointing toward the courtyard gate.
“Ah?” Xuan Qing froze in place.
“True Person Qin says you can go.” Jiang Ce pulled up a small stool and sat down, repeating it while waving: “No need to pick me up.”
“I heard him!”
Xuan Qing responded angrily and embarrassed, leaving the courtyard with many backward glances.
Seeing Xuan Qing leave, True Person Qin didn’t rush to teach Jiang Ce Sword Technique. Instead, he sat on the stone seat opposite Jiang Ce and said leisurely:
“Be nicer to him. He didn’t have it easy growing up.”
Hearing this, Jiang Ce found it amusing: “True Person Qin, right now he’s the one taking care of me. You should tell him to be nicer to me. I didn’t have it easy growing up either.”
“I mean in the future, after you surpass him, be nicer to him.” Seeing Jiang Ce play dumb, True Person Qin said flatly.
Jiang Ce fell silent, then suddenly said moments later: “Actually, Cao Gong and Wei Lao get along very well. Martial Uncle Xuan Qing getting closer to you wouldn’t matter much.”
“Who knows what the future holds?” True Person Qin let out a long breath: “Eating the ruler’s salary means bearing the ruler’s worries. Now that he’s working for Cao Zheng and Wei Wen Zheng, he naturally has to side with them. Coming to me all the time—what does that look like?”
Jiang Ce nodded: “Makes sense.”
Another silence.
True Person Qin brought up something else: “Actually, the Daoist Sect used to have a Shenxiao Sect.”
“Never heard of it.” Jiang Ce shook his head.
“Of course you haven’t.” True Person Qin smiled: “Because Shenxiao Sect was wiped out by Cao Zheng.”
Jiang Ce’s pupils dilated slightly, somewhat shocked, and even more curious why True Person Qin mentioned this.
Though inwardly surprised, Jiang Ce remained outwardly calm: “There’s such a thing?”
True Person Qin nodded and continued: “Back then, Cao Zheng was stuck at the Half-Immortal threshold, trying to combine four Great Daos to seek a promotion method. He visited each major Daoist sect with a thousand-year heritage one by one, seeking their core Cultivation Methods.
As one of the three major talisman sects, Shenxiao Sect was naturally one he visited. But unlike us, their sect leader not only refused to let him view the core Cultivation Method but accused him of walking an evil path.
I don’t know what happened later. I only know that after Cao Zheng went down the mountain, Shenxiao Sect was gone. Then, we heard he had promoted to Half-Immortal and established the Gatekeeper.”
Pausing, he directly asked Jiang Ce: “Will Lu Mountain Sect be the next Shenxiao Sect?”
“Of course not. The Old Celestial Master already explained it clearly to me, and heaven has mercy on life anyway. I was just joking.” Jiang Ce waved his hands hastily, denying vehemently.
True Person Qin shook his head somewhat disappointedly: “I want to hear the truth.”
Jiang Ce’s smile froze, then he composed himself seriously: “I’m different from Cao Gong.”
“How are you different?” True Person Qin seemed interested.
“I don’t want their core Cultivation Methods, or rather, I want nothing from them. I just want to mess with them. Whether I wipe out the sect or not is uncertain, but they’ll definitely regret targeting me.”
Jiang Ce was utterly serious.
True Person Qin’s eyes narrowed slightly. After a long while, he slowly nodded: “As expected.”
“But you really think highly of me.” Jiang Ce shrugged self-mockingly: “How can I compare to Cao Gong?”
True Person Qin stood up, facing Jiang Ce: “I do think highly of you, otherwise I wouldn’t offer to teach you Sword Technique. And it’s not just me—Li Xi thinks highly of you, the Old Celestial Master thinks highly of you. No one in the Celestial Master’s Hall today dares look down on you.”
He said slowly: “Teaching you Sword Technique requires no repayment. Just remember in the future that the Quanzhen Sect must continue on.”
Though he knew True Person Qin was straightforward, Jiang Ce hadn’t expected him to be this direct.
He felt a bit awkward. Why does it sound like I’m some big villain? As if in your eyes, I’d wipe out sects for fun when idle? And you’d help the tyrant—why not try killing me first?
Of course, he didn’t dare say that. What if this upright gentleman hadn’t thought of it, and his reminder gave the idea? That’d be digging his own grave.
But in fact, True Person Qin had noticed a lot the moment the Old Celestial Master couldn’t suppress his killing intent. In terms of cultivation, he was still below the Old Celestial Master. Though he didn’t know what the Old Celestial Master feared, anything he feared was even more beyond him.
And after some probing, he found nothing valuable on Jiang Ce, so he let it go.
“I remember. The Quanzhen Sect will continue on.” Jiang Ce promised solemnly.
Whether he could do it or not was for later. For now, with benefits in front, just go along.
True Person Qin stopped there, said no more, and drew his carried Dao Sword, ready to get to the main topic.
The Dao Sword was entirely snow-white, its chilling light alone stinging Jiang Ce’s eyes.
True Person Qin lightly pinched the sword edge, looking at Jiang Ce seriously:
“Quanzhen Sect Sword Technique is divided into two kinds: one is the Art of Holding the Sword, cultivating Sword Moves and nurturing Sword Qi—one sword can split the sky, one sword can cleave the earth. The other is formation as sword, practicing Formation and nurturing Sword Intent—where the Sword Formation reaches, the blade’s edge goes.
Which one do you want to learn?”
Jiang Ce answered: “I want both.”
True Person Qin shook his head: “The Daoist Grand Ceremony is approaching; greedily biting off more than you can chew.”
“Then” Jiang Ce thought for a bit: “Sword Formation.”
“Why?” True Person Qin was somewhat curious. He had taught so many students, most chose the Art of Holding the Sword—including himself as a child, for a simple reason: only truly holding the sword gives the demeanor of a Sword Immortal.
“Well” Jiang Ce tilted his head, explaining matter-of-factly: “I think if I’m holding a sword, others know I can use it and will guard against it. But if I quietly set up a Sword Formation, I can catch them off gu—uh, no, surprise them.”
True Person Qin stared at Jiang Ce, speechless for a long time, feeling like his childhood self was a blank sheet before him—naively ridiculous.
After a while, perhaps finally reconciling with his past self, he returned to the room and soon brought out a classic, handing it to Jiang Ce.
“Since that’s the case, practice this Seven Star Sword Formation.”
True Person Qin explained the origins of this Sword Formation:
“I know ordinary things won’t catch your eye. This Sword Formation, also called the Seven-Pointed Star Formation, is the Quanzhen Sect’s most orthodox and most difficult supreme technique.
Once formed, it manifests seven Spiritual Energy Dao Swords, corresponding respectively to wind, fire, water, earth, light, darkness, human.
Wind Sword for interference, Fire Sword for attack, Water Sword for support, Earth Sword for defense, Light Sword upright and proper, Dark Sword insidious and cunning, Human Sword to seal the victory!
The entire Sword Formation is seamless, excelling in both offense and defense. It can’t be broken without destroying all seven Dao Swords simultaneously or exhausting the formation user’s all power. Cultivated to great completion, it even doesn’t need your deliberate control—the seven swords will birth consciousness on their own and cooperate mutually.
Coincidentally, Xuan Qing is also proficient in the Seven Star Sword Formation. Even after I leave post-Daoist Grand Ceremony, you can continue learning from him for anything you don’t understand. Bound by tradition, he won’t dare privately transmit Sorcery, but with my word, feel free to approach him.”
Jiang Ce was overjoyed like gaining a treasure. He recalled Xuan Qing’s killing move in the Great Tomb—it was this Seven Star Sword Formation, which he thought was super cool back then. Unexpectedly, he’d soon be this cool himself.
He eagerly flipped open the classic and read it word by word.
Unlike the Soul Soothing Technique he’d learned before, which required Materials to set up, this Seven Star Sword Formation emphasized outlining a Magic Array in the dantian with Daoist Qi to connect Spiritual Energy—ready to deploy instantly when needed, very convenient.
The difficulty lay in requiring the cultivator to have flawless control over Daoist Qi, and most crucially, to constantly nurture the Sword Formation with Sword Intent at all times.
Seeing this, Jiang Ce suddenly looked up: “True Person Qin, I don’t even have Sword Intent.”
