Chapter 142 The Sun Family

Inside the reception hall.

Zhou Jing sat in the main seat, drinking tea and waiting.

Before long, a distinguished guest arrived. This person was dressed in plain white robes, with exquisite embroidery faintly visible on the fabric, but the colors were so light that it was difficult to discern unless one looked closely—truly embodying the saying, "understated luxury."

As soon as he entered, he gave Zhou Jing a slight bow.

"Greetings, True Person Yufeng."

"Young Master Sun."

Zhou Jing nodded, his mind flashing with the other man’s background.

This man was named Sun Maocai, a member of the Sun family of Jiangchun.

The Jiangchun Sun family was not on the same level as the wealthy Ye family. They were a true aristocratic clan, a family of scholars and farmers that had continued for hundreds of years. Now, some members of the family held high positions in the imperial court, placing them in the highest echelons of power in Ning Tian Prefecture.

But to Zhou Jing, it made no difference; they were all just customers buying medicinal pills.

As the scion of an aristocratic family, Sun Maocai’s manners were naturally impeccable. After taking a seat, he did not directly state his purpose, but politely engaged Zhou Jing in conversation, building rapport.

Zhou Jing was accustomed to being visited every day; it was practically a daily activity. He chatted idly as well.

After a while, Sun Maocai’s expression turned serious, and he finally got down to business.

"I apologize for this presumptuous visit, True Person, but I have a matter to ask of you."

"Speak," Zhou Jing responded casually, sipping his tea and adopting the air of a superior.

Sun Maocai lowered his voice and said, "I wonder if True Person has ever heard of the name Chen Feng of Lu River?"

Zhou Jing did not even raise his eyelids, blowing on his tea. "I've heard a little."

"This man is a criminal who has entered Jiangchun territory, traveling and committing crimes in various county towns. Many innocent people have suffered at his hands. Many afflicted families have sought help from Ning Tian Prefecture. Our various families, taking pity on their plight, have decided to help and wish to invite experts from all walks of life to eliminate this fiend. True Person has great supernatural powers, and we hope you will lend a hand."

Sun Maocai bowed, speaking sincerely.

*They want me to kill Chen Feng?*

Zhou Jing glanced at him, his expression unchanged. "That Chen Feng is a martial artist, not a cultivator. As someone beyond worldly affairs, it is not appropriate for me to act against him."

Sun Maocai said solemnly, "Not so. Chen Feng's martial arts are so high that they are astonishing. They do not resemble the methods of a martial artist and he may well be a cultivator. We implore True Person to take action to subdue demons and eliminate evil."

As he spoke, he bowed again.

Zhou Jing narrowed his eyes, inwardly sneering.

Chen Feng was eliminating evil everywhere, killing many wealthy gentlemen without any scruples. It seemed these aristocratic dignitaries were also frightened, and upon discovering that this person had entered Jiangchun, they were afraid of trouble, so they wanted to secretly plot to kill this kind of threatening outlaw.

He was not surprised that the aristocratic dignitaries harbored murderous intent and were taking action.

As a class of interest that had continued for many years, these aristocratic families instinctively loathed this kind of villain who destroyed the family fortunes accumulated by others over countless generations. The aristocratic families had spent many years shaping the power structure to solidify their lofty position, dividing themselves and the commoners into two kinds of people, enabling them to continuously extract profits and enjoy benefits. Now, an unreasonable external force wanted to break the rules they had established, so they naturally had to eliminate the threat.

And so, they came to him. True Person Yufeng’s great reputation, in their view, would surely be able to deal with this life-threatening Yama.

Unfortunately, these people did not know that he was the very person they sought…

Various thoughts flashed through Zhou Jing’s mind, but his face remained calm. He said quietly, "That makes sense. If this person comes to Ning Tian and shows signs of causing trouble, I don't mind taking action. But as he hasn’t arrived here, I don’t want to waste time actively seeking him out. I believe Young Master Sun is aware of my style of doing things, so please don’t mention it again."

"I was being presumptuous."

Sun Maocai shuddered, repeatedly saying he wouldn't dare. As expected, he no longer brought up the request.

He was only acting on his family’s orders to try his luck. The Ning Tian dignitaries didn’t think True Person Yufeng would agree to do such a thing. They were actually relying on a group of jianghu experts they had invited to help. Asking True Person Yufeng was just to see if they could get another insurance policy.

Although True Person Yufeng indicated that he would not actively go out to hunt down Chen Feng, he at least learned of the True Person's attitude toward Chen Feng—if the enemy came to Ning Tian, the True Person would take action to suppress him, protecting the aristocratic families in the city.

Receiving such a response, Sun Maocai felt relieved.

Zhou Jing hummed in agreement, pretending to be casual. He asked, "Rumor has it that Chen Feng is immensely powerful and has extraordinary martial arts. What experts have you invited to kill him?"

Sun Maocai did not suspect anything and said, "They are all famous jianghu figures from Jiangchun and neighboring provinces, such as Shen Sanqiu, the sect master of the Wu Mountain Sect, Yan Hanjun, the sect master of the Qinglian Sect, the sect master of the Sanjiang Sect…"

He listed more than a dozen jianghu experts, all of whom had agreed to the invitation of the Ning Tian dignitaries and were willing to handle this matter.

Because Chen Feng's group was small and very mobile, large numbers of soldiers had repeatedly pursued them without success. On the contrary, the officers leading the troops suffered heavy casualties, causing the local county town officers to be terrified and the pursuit to become increasingly perfunctory.

Therefore, the Ning Tian dignitaries had invited a group of jianghu people to solve Chen Feng using jianghu assassination methods.

Many jianghu sects wanted to develop and could not do without the connections of the wealthy gentlemen. Many were eager to curry favor with the dignitaries, and even if they didn't curry favor, they didn't dare offend them, so they didn't mind acting as imperial lackeys.

Zhou Jing noted down all the names, and when he heard the name of the Wu Mountain Sect, he snorted inwardly.

*Wu Mountain Sect… I was still a little guilty about looking for trouble with you, but I didn’t expect you to take a job to deal with me. Now I can go cause trouble with peace of mind.*

Zhou Jing pretended to be thoughtful and suddenly took out a bottle of pills from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"True Person, what is this?" Sun Maocai asked in confusion.

Zhou Jing said casually, "This is a Yanggong Pill. It can temporarily increase internal energy within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. I accidentally refined it and have no use for it. Although I won’t leave Ning Tian, it doesn’t hurt to lend you a hand."

"Oh, thank you, True Person," Sun Maocai said, overjoyed, thanking him repeatedly and accepting the pill.

Zhou Jing accepted the thanks without changing his expression.

He had recently developed many new pill formulas, including pills to assist in martial arts practice. This Yanggong Pill could indeed increase internal energy for a short time and was not a poison… The only flaw was that it supplemented too aggressively.

After taking the pill and engaging in a full-force fight, internal energy would gradually run wild and out of control. However, if one were to regulate their breathing and circulate their energy normally, there would be no problems. Unless one intentionally experimented, the side effects would not be easily discovered.

As a burst-type pill, this effect was quite subtle. He had originally refined it to deceive people, for use in case of emergency.

With Chen Feng's martial arts, he wasn't afraid of being hunted down by jianghu people, but his companions might be in danger against a group of jianghu experts. And since he couldn't personally descend into the past at the moment, he could only indirectly help a little, better than nothing. In fact, he wasn’t too worried.

After all, Chen Feng was too strong in this world, and he was quite relieved… His only worry was that this old brother would get too excited and forget about his placement plan.

The synchronization rate had not reached a very high level, and the apostle’s actions were still a little erratic.

After talking for a while, Sun Maocai stood up to bid farewell, taking the pill and leaving happily.

At this moment, the steward entered the hall and whispered, "True Person, Young Master Ye Heng of the Second Branch wishes to see you."

"What is he looking for me for?"

Zhou Jing raised his eyebrows.

This Ye Heng was a junior member of the Ye family, the leader of the Wu Mountain Sect's branch in Ning Tian. He had been punished by Zhou Jing before and had since been respectful to him, not daring to act rashly.

"Young Master Ye Heng said that the Wu Mountain Sect's master has come to Ning Tian and wishes to meet True Person, so he asked him to act as a go-between and asked if True Person is willing to meet…"

*Oh, as soon as I mentioned him, this person arrived.*

Zhou Jing's heart stirred, and he nodded. "Then I'll see him."

The steward responded and retreated respectfully to convey the message.

Before long, Ye Heng led an elegant middle-aged man in a blue robe into the reception hall.

Ye Heng entered and first respectfully performed a junior's salute before introducing the person beside him.

"Greetings, True Person. This is my sect's master, Shen Sanqiu."

"Haha, I am Shen Sanqiu, the sect master of the Wu Mountain Sect. I have long admired True Person Yufeng's name. Seeing you today, True Person has the air of an immortal, indeed living up to your reputation."

Shen Sanqiu smiled, cupped his fist, and saluted.

Zhou Jing looked at Shen Sanqiu and used his detection ability to check his attributes.

By the current standards of this world, this person's attributes were quite high. He was indeed a first-class expert. Perhaps because he had practiced an internal energy cultivation method, his energy attribute was significantly higher than that of a green forest martial artist, but he had not touched the threshold of the second order.

In front of Chen Feng, it would only take two or three shots.

Zhou Jing understood and nodded. "Sect Master Shen is too polite. Please sit down."

Hearing this, the two men took their seats.

Shen Sanqiu took the initiative to speak, smiling. "I have long heard of True Person's name and have always wanted to get to know you. Unfortunately, the sect has been busy, and I only recently found the time to visit. I hope True Person will not be offended."

Zhou Jing shook his head and said, "I heard from Ye Heng that Sect Master Shen's martial arts are unmatched in Jiangchun, and he has the elegant title of Jiangchun's First Sword."

Shen Sanqiu stroked his beard and smiled, looking quite conceited, but said, "No, no, the jianghu colleagues are just being kind. I'm making True Person laugh."

Zhou Jing took the initiative to bring up a topic. "I am a person who cultivates in the mountains and knows little about the jianghu. I wonder if Sect Master Shen can tell me about it?"

Shen Sanqiu immediately perked up, looking somewhat surprised.

He had come here this time to make friends with True Person Yufeng. He couldn't ask for more than to have someone ask him questions.

He quickly cleared his throat and described the current situation in the jianghu.

Jianghu sects were as numerous as carps crossing a river, mostly small and insignificant, while the orthodox jianghu sects, known as the Eight Great Sects of the World, each had a set of superior martial arts inheritance. The Wu Mountain Sect was one of them.

Among the Eight Great Sects of the World, there were also worldly sects that practiced magic, but their reputation in the jianghu was achieved through external martial arts, unrelated to the internal true inheritance of magic.

Zhou Jing had heard Guo Haishen talk about the jianghu situation, but Old Guo knew the green forest situation best. As for understanding the jianghu, he was naturally not as good as Shen Sanqiu, the master of a major sect, so it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

Shen Sanqiu also told many jianghu anecdotes, speaking until his mouth was dry in order to arouse Zhou Jing’s interest, putting in a lot of effort.

Zhou Jing pretended to be interested and listened for a while, noting down the names of many jianghu experts to be Chen Feng’s future challenge targets.

Then, his heart stirred, and he asked, "The Wu Mountain Sect has a prominent reputation. I wonder what martial arts your sect has?"

Shen Sanqiu paused and smiled. "My Wu Mountain Sect has a total of nineteen martial arts, of which six are the most famous in the jianghu, known as the 'Six Skills of Wu Mountain'. They are three sword techniques, a set of boxing and palm techniques, a set of movement techniques, and a mental cultivation method."

"I would like to hear the details."

"Well, the three sword techniques are the Water Cloud Sword Technique, the Torrential Rain Sword Technique, and the Mist River Sword Technique, each known for being dense, swift, and varied. The set of boxing and palm techniques is the Qingfeng Chasing Cloud Hand, with fifty-six variations, mainly for close combat, grappling, and joint locks. The set of movement techniques is called Treading Water Without a Trace, which allows one to run on the surface of the water… Uh, although it has this name, it can't compare to True Person's immortal arts. It's just a minor martial art."

At the end, Shen Sanqiu’s tone was awkward, feeling that the name of his movement technique in front of Zhou Jing seemed a bit like showing off one’s axe before Lu Ban.

Zhou Jing did not take it to heart and smiled. "Then, I wonder what this mental cultivation method is all about?"

Shen Sanqiu composed himself and explained, "My Wu Mountain Sect has three internal energy cultivation methods. Disciples all practice the 'Wu Mountain Mental Cultivation Method' when they first enter the sect. Although it is a basic mental cultivation method, it is also a good internal energy cultivation method in the jianghu and can lay a good foundation. The core members of the sect, such as direct disciples and elders, practice the 'Water Condensation Force', which is an even better internal energy cultivation method of my Wu Mountain Sect. As for the mental cultivation method among the Six Skills of Wu Mountain, it is a superior internal energy cultivation method that only the sect master can practice, called the 'Flowing Cloud Drizzle Skill'…"

*Okay, thank you for providing the targets. Next time I go to the Wu Mountain Sect, I'll ask you for these martial arts secrets.*

*—If you can survive in Chen Feng's hands.*

Zhou Jing nodded secretly.

The few people chatted for a while, and then Zhou Jing offered tea to see them off.

Shen Sanqiu felt that they had a good chat and had a preliminary friendship with True Person Yufeng. The next time he came to meet, he would be able to make his request.

He was happy in his heart and bid farewell.

Zhou Jing looked at the sky and realized that it was still early, so he summoned the steward and asked, "Are there any more visitors today?"

The steward looked at the name cards and hesitated. "There is a Lord Jin, an imperial envoy from the imperial court, who wishes to see True Person."

"An imperial envoy?"

Zhou Jing’s eyes moved, and he had a little guess. He told the steward to bring the person over.

Soon, an official with a hint of arrogance on his face came to the reception hall. It was Envoy Jin.

"Are you True Person Yufeng?"

Envoy Jin put his hands behind his back and sized Zhou Jing up, his eyes showing a strong distrust.

"I wonder, what is the purpose of this imperial envoy's visit to me?"

Zhou Jing asked without changing his expression.

Envoy Jin straightened his clothes and said slowly, "This official is here on behalf of the Holy One for the autumn inspection. I heard that a person of high moral character has emerged in Ning Tian Prefecture, so I came here to examine you."

"Examine?" Zhou Jing raised an eyebrow.

Envoy Jin nodded lightly. "That's right, so as to prevent someone from bewitching the Holy One. Now, show me your immortal arts. If you can pass my test, you can continue to stay in Ning…"

However, before he could finish speaking, he saw Zhou Jing wave his sleeve.

*Whoosh!*

Before he could react, a gust of wind arose out of thin air, blowing towards him and directly sweeping him away.

Envoy Jin flew out as if riding the clouds and mist, hanging on a tree in the courtyard with a crash, terrified out of his wits, flailing his hands and feet.

"What's going on? What kind of sorcery is this? Quickly let me down. I am an official of the imperial court, an imperial envoy!"

Envoy Jin screamed in panic.

Zhou Jing walked out of the hall and summoned the startled steward, instructing calmly, "After this person has hung on the tree for a full day and night, let him down and throw him into the street."

"Y-yes, yes." The steward quickly nodded, then asked cautiously, "What if he falls down early?"

"Then you put him back up. If he doesn't hang for a full day and night, I'll hold you responsible."

After saying that, Zhou Jing ignored Envoy Jin and, ignoring his frantic shouts, strode away on his own.

He felt that after changing to a new apostle, he had become much more compassionate. Otherwise, this guy’s head would have already become a hanging ornament.

…

One day later.

Envoy Jin, who had already shouted himself hoarse, was finally let down by the Ye family’s servants, somewhat dehydrated and on the verge of death.

"Warlock, warlock! How dare you treat an imperial envoy of the imperial court like this? I will definitely report to the Holy One and punish you…"

Envoy Jin was supported by the Ye family’s servants, already somewhat delirious, muttering to himself.

Soon, the servants brought him to the entrance of the Ye residence, opened the side door, and threw him out.

*Plop!*

Envoy Jin fell directly onto the street, his forehead scratched.

The people around who were queuing up and chatting were greatly surprised to see this scene.

"What's wrong with this person? Why is your Ye family throwing him out?"

The Ye family’s servant said rudely, "This guy was disrespectful to True Person and was punished by True Person, hanging on a tree for a day and a night."

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the surrounding people changed. The way they looked at Envoy Jin no longer held the curiosity from before, but only disgust.

"So that's how it is. Then he deserves it!"

"Bah, where did this troublemaker come from, daring to offend True Person!"

Many people spat and pointed, leaving Envoy Jin lying weakly on the street, with no one going up to help him.

At the same time, the tender-faced Daoist and the weather-beaten Daoist were also waiting outside the mansion to seek an audience with Zhou Jing. Seeing this scene, they couldn't help but look at each other.

The weather-beaten Daoist whispered, "Senior Brother, this True Person Yufeng doesn’t seem like an easy talker. If we go to probe his background, will we also be thrown out by him?"

The tender-faced Daoist did not answer, but looked at the passionate people, his eyes flickering. "This person has such a high reputation among the people of Ning Tian Prefecture, which must be the result of his deliberate efforts. I wonder what this person is plotting…"