With a sword drawn, he laughs proudly, his martial prowess dominating the heavens!

Chapter 5 Desiring to Establish a Personal Successor

It was nearly 9 PM, so there was something I shouldn't do.

Standing atop the mountain, behind which lies a high cliff, was the residence of Yue Buqun and his wife.

Yue Lingshan paused for a moment as she passed by, and did overhear some snippets of conversation, but she was unaware that the couple inside were discussing an important matter.

The candlelight in the bedroom was quite bright, and the two had not yet gone to sleep.

Ning Zhongze sat at the table, an indigo long gown casually piled on it. She held a needle and thread, mending the torn cuffs.

Although her technique is fast, her workmanship is not very refined; it's barely usable.

It must have been quite a challenge for Lady Ning to weave this garment with her bare hands.

A mountain breeze rushed in through the open back window, nearly extinguishing the candlelight on the table.

Yue Buqun quickly closed the window, and Yu Ningzhong sat down opposite him. "Junior sister, sewing at night is tiring, don't bother. Your female disciples are all skillful, just let them do it."

Ning Zhongze smiled at him and said softly, "With spring approaching, if we don't mend it now, the Huashan Sect Leader might not have any clothes to wear later."

"My senior brother's clothes are naturally my responsibility as his wife; what kind of logic is it to hand them over to my disciple?"

Yue Buqun was moved but also felt a pang of guilt. "Junior sister, you've suffered so much."

"This is nothing," Ning Zhongze said with a smile, shaking his head. "Life may be a little tough, but it's fulfilling. Senior brother, you've done enough. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"Alas, time waits for no one! Not to mention the evil deeds of the demonic cult that wreak havoc on the martial world, even the Five Mountains Sword Sects..."

Ning Zhongze, understanding the implication, frowned and said, "Senior Brother, when we formed the Five Mountains Alliance, it was originally to join forces against the Demonic Sect. But Zuo Lengchan is ambitious. At our last meeting, the Songshan Sect put on quite a show, and that Alliance Leader Zuo was even more arrogant and aggressive. Outsiders would really think he was the leader of the Five Mountains Sect!"

"Junior sister, watch your words!"

"Hmph! Senior brother is a gentleman, but I am but a young woman, and I have no reason to hold such grudges. If it weren't for the sword energy dispute back then..."

Seeing Yue Buqun's expression change slightly, Ning Zhongze stopped speaking at the right time and comforted him instead: "In terms of martial arts, Senior Brother is no better than Zuo Lengchan, but in terms of teaching disciples, Senior Brother is much better than others."

Although Chong'er is a bit impulsive, he has excellent martial arts talent. Although he makes some minor mistakes, his character and sense of righteousness are those of a gentleman swordsman.

And then there's Che'er. Although he's young, he's calm and capable, just a bit too mature for his age.

After saying this, Ning Zhongze suddenly smiled and said, "If it weren't for my insistence, how could my senior brother have accepted such a fine disciple?"

"Haha, you, you're begging for Chong'er in such a roundabout way. Why do we have to hide things from each other like this?"

"You are both the sect leader and my husband, how could I, a mere woman, dare to offend you?"

The couple exchanged a few playful words, and their tone became much lighter.

Yue Buqun sighed and said, "Forget it. I originally wanted Chong'er to spend a year meditating on the Cliff of Repentance to temper his character. Now, I only made him kneel for one night, and you, his master's wife, and your disciples have pleaded for him several times. It makes me, as his master, seem heartless."

Let him reflect on his actions behind closed doors, but he'll definitely get a beating!

Ning Zhongze, seated, clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Yes, Sect Leader!"

"You, you." Yue Buqun shook his head and smiled as he pointed at her. "Ah~ Chong'er has been with us since he was a child, no different from our own son. Junior sister should know the principle that loving one's son is like killing one's own son. If he were half as steady as Che'er, why would we have to go through so much trouble?"

Ning Zhongze smiled without saying a word, but in her heart she agreed with what he said.

"That's right, why did Senior Brother agree so readily to Che'er's seclusion this morning?"

When Li Che was mentioned, Yue Buqun's smile deepened considerably. "Junior Sister, do you know what level Che'er's Hunyuan Gong has reached?"

"Could it be that you have already mastered the basics?"

"Small success? More than that!" Yue Buqun shook his head and said smugly, "This morning, when I took his pulse, I used the Zixia Internal Energy to test him. Che'er's dantian was full and heavy. Even before he exerted his strength, his internal energy was already resisted. His strength has clearly reached a high level and he is not far from mastering the Hunyuan Gong!"

Judging solely by internal strength, he's probably even a notch stronger than Chong'er!

"Really?! But... Che'er has only been a disciple for three years, is his foundation still solid?" Ning Zhongze exclaimed in surprise.

"As solid as a rock, as heavy as a thousand pounds, without the slightest hint of flimsyness!"

"this......!"

Yue Buqun stroked his beard and laughed, "Such talent is one in ten thousand. I was also shocked at the time. Afterwards, I guessed that this child's meridians and bones were different from ordinary people, so that he could practice internal skills without any obstruction."

Truly, it is the blessing of the ancestral masters and the good fortune of Mount Hua!

But then he stood up and cupped his hands in greeting. Ning Zhongze knew that the only patriarch her senior brother spoke of was the Qi Sect lineage.

No wonder my senior brother is so happy. The conflict between sword and qi is a knot in his heart. The tragic scene from twenty-five years ago is still vivid in his mind. Only when the qi sect is strong can it be worthy of being the orthodox lineage of Mount Hua and prove that he was right!

"Junior sister, I wish to re-establish the Huashan Sect's direct lineage!"

Ning Zhongze was startled upon hearing this.

Disciples of major sects are generally divided into three categories: outer disciples, inner disciples, and direct disciples!

The direct disciples are considered to be the next sect leader, and they can learn the sect's unique skills. Their status is higher than that of other disciples. If they encounter a sect leader who is unwilling to manage affairs, the direct disciples may even exercise the power of the sect leader.

At its peak, Mount Hua also had direct disciples.

However, the sect now has fewer than a hundred disciples and only about twenty inner disciples. It relies entirely on Yue Buqun to maintain its reputation. It is in such a state of decline that it is beset by internal and external troubles.

Furthermore, since the eldest disciple, Linghu Chong, possesses the highest martial arts skills and is the most highly regarded, the other disciples have already tacitly agreed that he will be the next leader of the sect, so there is naturally no need to establish a personal successor.

Of course, there are other reasons as well—Yue Buqun was just an inner disciple back then.

Ning Zhongze felt a pang of worry. Judging from her senior brother's words, he was going to appoint Li Che as his personal disciple. She wondered what Chong'er thought of this.

She subconsciously forgot that Linghu Chong was seven years older than Li Che.

"Since Senior Brother has made a decision, Junior Sister will definitely support him."

"Well, there's no rush. Che'er is still young, and I see that he's engrossed in martial arts and rarely pays attention to the sect's trivial matters."

If we appoint him as our personal successor, we fear it might disturb his peace of mind.

If Chong'er can truly repent and change his ways, that would be the best outcome. Both of them are of a non-competitive nature, and if they can help each other, the glory of the Huashan lineage will be within reach.

"I can rest in peace after I die."

"Senior brother, you seem to be getting a little too greedy."

"Haha, junior sister is right."

After a moment, Ning Zhongze said again, "In that case, why don't we observe for another year or two? Now Che'er is in seclusion, and Chong'er is reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors."

"We mustn't miss this news. Once the two of them emerge from the pass, we can arrange some things for them as a test; that would be more prudent."

"Very well, let's do as Junior Sister says!"

The two chatted about sect matters, and before they knew it, it was almost the end of Hai hour (9-11 PM).

He then turned off the lights and went to sleep fully clothed.

Li Che, who was already in the cave of reflection, was still awake.

The Cliff of Contemplation is located on the waist of the South Peak of Mount Hua. The five peaks of Mount Hua are not far apart. After having dinner, he packed his bags and went up the cliff alone.

He was in seclusion rather than reflecting on his mistakes, so there were no restrictions on his actions.

Li Che first tidied up the cave, and naturally saw the three big characters "Feng Qingyang" on the stone wall. He wondered if the old man would come.

He then took his sword and began to strike the wall.

"Clang! Clang!"

"..."

"Thump thump—!"

"This is it!"

......