The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

In April, most flowers on the ground began withering while the peach blossoms on the mountaintops began blossoming. However, in Guangling of River East, flowers of different colors and fragrance were still everywhere, filling the city with a sense of leisure.

The city had not experienced war or natural disasters ever since the Wang family took control. The city was known for its rich history, with even crude stone architecture left behind by the Human Sovereign era. The changing nature of buildings from the medieval times onwards could be seen on the streets. Walking around made one feel as if he were walking across different generations.

The people of Guangling were naturally proud of their heritage and would always casually explain the history of objects and buildings in the city to any guests that arrived. Any object that seemed old and rundown, even a brick or a tile, could hold a remarkable historical background and story. Names of powerful historical figures, such as Human Sovereign, Holy Emperor, Overlord, and saints of medieval times, were always mentioned.

If some cities were beautiful paintings, then Guangling was an ancient manuscript, fully describing the rich historical atmosphere of the land.

Even though she did not know much about the history of the Human tribe, Yuanyang from the Southern Border was deeply immersed in the historical atmosphere after entering Guangling city. She subconsciously calmed her excitement and looked around curiously at the culture that was unknown to her.

Having lost a lot of weight, she was now as curvy as an hourglass and as pale as snow. She wore a bright red dress that was split open horizontally at the waist, showing off her flat stomach and the ruby inlaid on her navel. Her beautiful demeanor seemed unique to those from the central plains, and many snuck glances at her.

“Lusty perverts everywhere!” Yuanyang cursed silently, feeling disgusted yet proud at the same time.

She had removed her red birthmark through the Dominator and now had a beautiful face. Her forehead was still a bit too broad, but it complemented her face and her eyes well.

She looked at the sky and realized that the time for her meeting had arrived. She walked toward “Taiping Tavern”.

“Yang!” Yuanyang heard a familiar voice calling her as she approached the most famous restaurant in Guangling. Looking up, she saw the adorable Weng Lingyu in a light green dress standing under the eaves of the restaurant.

Weng Lingyu was born in a small town in River East and lived nearer to Guangling than any of her companions. She could be considered to be half a landlord.

“Yu!” Yuanyang raised her hand up to say hello, delight written all over her face. She walked over quickly.

When the two young girls met, they chatted incessantly. Fortunately, they were members of Jianghu who had experienced danger before; they did not let their guard down even as they talked.

“Yu, when did you arrive?” Yuanyang asked with concern.

Weng Lingyu laughed and replied, “I left home a month ago to tour Guangling. I have already been here for five days and have been waiting for you every day since.”

“Your parents didn’t stop you?” Yuanyang opened her eyes in bewilderment.

Weng Lingyu pursed her lips and explained. “I have opened Four Apertures and am already an outstanding member of the family. How can they stop me?”

As Weng Lingyu was saying this, Yuanyang found the girl to be very radiant, as if a ray of light was shining on her, making her beautiful.

It was the light of self-confidence that had enveloped her. She would first be herself before a daughter, a disciple, and a mother!

Weng Lingyu had often heard about the adventures of her father, the escort, across River East. She was deeply curious about the outside world. She did not want to be trapped in her small village and live a life of marriage, childbearing, childrearing, marrying them off, and then death from old age.

With her original talent and her family’s martial arts, she would never have been able to escape such a life. However, she had met the Dominator who brought opportunities to her that were accompanied by corresponding dangers. Nowadays, she could travel the world whenever she wanted and could make her own decisions. Her parents could no longer control her.

Yuanyang was stunned at first but she soon flashed a brilliant smile. “That’s right!”

They stared into each other’s eyes, noticing the hidden confidence within; the same confidence they had lacked in the past.

Confidence does give people a unique charm!

“Alright, let’s enter Taiping Tavern first. This is one of the most famous restaurants in River East and has delicious dishes that are fresh and light.” Weng Lingyu explained as she led the guest into the restaurant. “It’s always good to try something new even if it may not fit your taste buds!”

Yuanyang nodded and excitedly addressed the errand boy who was walking toward them. “Give us the best VIP room!”

She was happy and feeling generous after seeing her companion, so she did not hesitate to choose the most expensive option.

The errand boy, however, frowned and shook his head. “Ladies, the best VIP room is the one at the back, in the courtyard. Unfortunately, that’s reserved for Master Wang. Please choose another one instead.”

“Master Wang? Ledgerkeeper of Lives? Wang Young Master?” Weng Lingyu blurted out names, her expression changing slightly.

Yuanyang had heard the Martial Artists from Southern Wilderness discuss the Ranking List of Young Masters before and knew that Master Wang was one of the top few in the ranking list before reaching the Exterior realm long ago. His family resided in Guangling.

The errand boy replied, “Exactly.”

Why would an expert of the Exterior like Master Wang appear in Taiping Tavern…Weng Lingyu frowned as she analyzed the possibilities. Is this just a coincidence?

Which disciple of the Wang family of River East would senior be? Could he be Master Wang himself?

Yuanyang did not notice the change in Lingyu’s expression. They decided to choose another room since they were neither domineering nor spoiled.

“There’s actually nothing good about staying in the courtyard as we won’t be able to hear about happenings of Jianghu there… but we won’t be safe in the hall as all types of people will be there…” She muttered to herself for a while before selecting a VIP room on the second floor. There, they would be able to see the lobby and hear people talking in the hall on the first floor.

After entering the room, they left the window ajar to look into the hall where they caught sight of a handsome gentleman wearing a blue shirt. He was leisurely sitting behind a rectangular table in the middle of the room. There was a kettle of tea and a piece of peter wood on the table in front of him. Many people surrounded him. He appeared to be a storyteller.

He lifted the teacup with a hand that seemed to be lacking in both whiteness and strength. However, the joints of the fingerbones could be seen clearly, and the fingers were long and measured, moving without trembling. He held up the teacup like how he would kill!

“Such talent lies in the Central Plains,” Yuanyang exclaimed as she realized that even a storyteller here held such great power.

She seemed to be able to feel the hidden strength of the pair of hands.

Just as Weng Lingyu was about to speak, the storyteller picked up the peter wood and slapped it on the table, stunning everyone.

“‘Evil Master’ Han Guang used his secret technique to transform into Abbot Kong Wen, the divine monk of Shaolin Temple, in an attempt to assassinate Immortal Chuyang and Taoist Chonghe as they were fighting for the Primary Instruction of Buddha’s Palm. Meanwhile, his ally, Peacock Demon King was ready as he pretended to fight Prime Asuras, while in actual fact was preparing to strike with Han Guang.” The gentleman in the blue shirt spoke in a loud booming voice.

That’s what they are talking about?  Weng Lingyu and Yuanyang were stunned before looks of interest emerged on their faces. The battle between many masters and Dharmakayas over the Primary Instruction of Buddha’s Palm had shaken the entire martial artists’ community. Who wouldn’t want to know the inside story?

However, all who had participated in the battle were powerful masters who wouldn’t spread rumors and stories around. They would at most remind their disciples, leaking few details out in the process. These leaks had allowed the world to know that Taoist Chonghe had already completed the supreme art of the Conjuration of the Taoist Trinity of Pure Sun Sect, that the divine monk Kong Wen who appeared in the West Regions was actually “Evil Master” Han Guang, that “Killing Blade” Su Meng managed to obtain the instruction by chance while passing by but lost it immediately afterward, and finally that the mysterious Lanke Temple had settled the entire dispute in the end.

The information came in bits and pieces, and the hidden logic and rationale behind the events were left unknown, drawing one’s curiosity further. However, as there was no way for one to know the exact events, one could only speculate from the changes in the Celestial Rankings.

But right now, this storyteller was depicting the details of the battle!

Regardless of its reliability, everyone was willing to listen and spread the rumor. What if it turned out to be accurate after all?

The two girls held their breath and listened carefully to the storyteller’s tale.

The gentleman in the blue shirt continued. “Ha, what did he even take Taoist Chonghe for? He had been famous for more than two hundred years and had crossed more bridges than the roads that Han Guang crossed. He had realized Han Guang’s evil scheme all along from the language and demeanor of the monk and was only feigning obliviousness. Only when Han Guang changed into the Form of the Diabolic Monarch and launched a sneak attack on the master did Taoist Chonghe strike. He used his heavenly Qi to force Han Guang and Peacock Demon King Tai Li to fall into his trap, where they were surrounded by the four swords formation he had set earlier.

“This sword formation could destroy heaven and earth, and would usually require four Dharmakayas to set up. However, Taoist Chonghe finished it all by himself, forcing Han Guang and Tai Li to retreat shamefully. He had shown his superhuman power in this battle, thus making him number one on the Celestial Rankings!

“However, Peerless Godly Weapons should not be taken lightly as even Taoist Shou Jing could use Blade of Timeshadow to temporarily suppress the White-tiger Monster King. Hence, Gu Erduo might not lose to Taoist Chonghe at his full strength. However, the two did not fight, and he could only be ranked second for now.”

Form of the Diabolic Monarch, setting up formations all by oneself, using Blade of Timeshadow to suppress White-tiger Monster King… The explosive news made everyone stare at one another in shock, not knowing how to react.

“Back to the battle, Han Guang was not one to be defeated so easily. As he was trapped in the sword formation, he showed his other identity, Heaven Sovereign of the Myths!” The gentleman seemed to be completely engrossed in his storytelling as he slapped the table with his peter wood once more. “He then used his Time Sword to perform Heavenly Emperor Tramping Times and the Diabolic Monarch to cast the Spell of Six Destructions, causing a crack in the sword formation. He then used all his secret treasures to escape with Tai Li.

“Judging from his power, schemes, skills, and shrewdness, it was accurate to rank him sixth on the Celestial Rankings of Six Fan School. If not for the fact that divine monk Kong Wen had fallen into his and Tai Li’s trap, where they trapped the monk in a formation and attacked him together, the monk would have won based purely on his strength. Thus, even though monk Kong Wen had a decline in ranking, he still deserved to be ranked fifth. Of course, his power level after the fight remained unknown. But having the chance to realize and understand the Primary Instruction would be a silver lining.

“Tai Li was of a demonic cult, so he could not appear in the Celestial Rankings. However, as he had understood the technique Divine Five-colored Palm completely, he could fight any of the top 5 of the Celestial Rankings as long as his power is not suppressed.”

Yuanyang and the rest were dumbfounded once more. This no longer seemed like a story!

The details and tight logic stated by the gentleman left everyone gaping in shock, as they seemed to have envisioned a replay of the battle themselves.

But how could a storyteller who seemed to be a master be able to watch a battle of Dharmakaya and divine weapon level?

If this was simply a story that he made up, he would be a top-tier storyteller!

“Ha! I almost believed your bluff! The form of the Diabolic Monarch? Evil Master is Heaven Sovereign? Peacock Demon King and Evil Master trapping divine monk Kong Wen together and pretending to be him at the West Regions? Such fake news! It’s ridiculous and full of plotholes even for a story!” “Realization” dawned on a man behind the crowd as he laughed.

Everyone surrounding was disillusioned and wondered how they managed to make themselves so immersed in a story, even shaken themselves out of their wits?

“That was a storyteller, not a Dharmakaya…” They laughed and mocked themselves as they returned to their seats.

However, the gentleman did not seem to mind as he continued playing with his teacup and tasting his tea.

Yuanyang and Weng Lingyu looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

“It’s just a story but it’s exciting and captivating enough to keep me engaged. I do really want to know what happened next.” Yuanyang laughed nonchalantly.

Weng Lingyu nodded lightly, agreeing to Yuanyang’s suggestion. As they both stood up to give the young man tips, a middle-aged man dressed like a housekeeper walked into the hall.

The hall instantly became so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.

It was one of the housekeepers of the Wang family of River East, not just a normal steward!

Weng Lingyu recognized the man from the tokens hanging from his waist and motioned to Yuanyang to stop. What could the housekeeper of the Wang family be doing in the lobby?

The housekeeper walked toward the storyteller under everyone’s watchful eyes and bowed to him. He then spoke with dignity.

“Young Master invites Master Su to meet him in the courtyard.”

“Young Master?” The gentleman frowned.

“Young Master once had a sword duel with Master Su at Dongyang Villa.” The housekeeper reminded him.

The gentleman laughed with realization. “Oh, it’s Master Wang! I’d be delighted to see him after so long!”

He then stood up and went with the housekeeper.

Master Wang? “Ledgerkeeper of Lives”Wang Siyuan?

The storyteller had a sword duel with him at Dongyang Villa?

Master Su?

Is he “Killing Blade” Su Meng?

The man who managed to obtain the Primary Instruction out of the battle of Dharmakayas even though he had just entered the Exterior?

Although he did not succeed in the end, he is still a legendary character that managed to escape after realizing the Primary Instruction once.

He even pretended to be a storyteller here!

The eyes of everyone in the hall widened and their breathing became rapid, but none of them spoke.

Yuanyang and Weng Lingyu did the same as they had not realized that the storyteller was “Killing Blade” Su Meng, the man who had shaken the whole of Jianghu in recent years and had climbed to heaven in one step after going through four challenges!

If it’s indeed “Killing Blade” Su Meng, the story that he told would be…?!

Everyone froze, trying to recall the details of the story they had heard earlier.

…

In the quiet courtyard, Wang Siyuan, who looked paler than his white dress, was staring at the chessboard in front of him.

He looked up slightly when Meng Qi arrived and said, “Such creative games.”

He was referring to Meng Qi posing as a storyteller.

Meng Qi sat down loudly and smiled as he said, “There are many things we shouldn’t care about in life. If you do what you want, you will be free and unfettered.”

Wang Siyuan did not continue the topic as he had just wanted to initiate a conversation. Hence, he said, “No wonder I came here on a whim. It was to meet you coincidentally.”

“No wonder you’re called Ledgerkeeper of Lives. Such whims, such deductions.” Meng Qi mocked him. “Is this why you prepared formations to completely block out any sound and movement from the outside world?”

Wang Siyuan gently nodded. “Some things are only meant for us to know.”

Meng Qi smiled once more. “Brother Wang, since you’re so good at predictions, could you predict this matter?”

Wang Siyuan was a little startled. “What matter?”

Meng Qi let out a brilliant laugh. “I suddenly have a whim to beat you up.”

He rolled up his sleeves as he spoke.