Chapter 29 029[VIP]

Even as the group, arriving for the Misty Heaven Alliance's selection procession, entered this suburban encampment, the young man was still a bit lost in thought, as if the misty haze of snow still lingered before his eyes.

Turning around, he was met with Yin Xian's expression, hesitant to speak.

"...What are you doing?"

"Sir..." Yin Xian began, then quickly corrected himself. "Atang, this seems different from what you planned when you came here?"

According to the young emperor's previous plan, since he didn't have many opportunities to get out and about, he hadn't spent this trip exploring the markets of Bianjing or listening to books in teahouses. Instead, he had come to the mingled world of the Misty Heaven Alliance, intent on investigating whether it would become another source of trouble.

If so, he could let them and Fu Zongshu engage in a dog-eat-dog showdown, while he sat back and reap the benefits.

And now, he'd been completely bewildered by the new leader of the Misty Heaven Alliance. How could he possibly carry out his promise of impartiality?

The young man gathered himself, coughed softly, and tried to restore his wise and powerful image to his subordinates. "Don't worry, I know what I should do. I just thought... she's so beautiful, how could she not know what she's doing?"

Yin Xian sighed, completely failing to grasp the causal connection.

As he followed the young man forward, he couldn't help but internally grumble. His Majesty's dislike for Fu Zongshu wasn't just because he was using his position as a powerful official to suppress His Majesty's personal power, but also because of Fu Zongshu's appearance.

Although Fu Zongshu had earned a reputation as a top martial arts master, he hadn't received the true martial arts inheritance from Yuan Shisanxian, only learning a single pipa technique.

This Pipa Divine Art may sound elegant, but it's actually a life-saving Qigong technique. Fu Zongshu, having committed numerous crimes and presumably fearing death, has forcibly cultivated it to a high level, even giving his face a purplish-black hue.

His Majesty isn't as obsessed with calligraphy and painting as the previous emperor, but he has inherited a considerable artistic talent from him. So,

it seems perfectly reasonable that he also has certain aesthetic standards for appearance.

"Stop speaking ill of me in your mind, and follow me." The young man glared, a rare display of authority. Yin Xian felt a chill run down his spine, quickly discarding all his scattered thoughts and quickly catching up with his Majesty, who had come to assess the "people's sentiments."

Quite a number of people had signed up to join the Misty Heaven Alliance.

Even with the Misty Heaven Alliance's responsible personnel managing the assessment, dividing the crowd into four groups based on the order of registration, Yin Xian still felt uneasy standing in the crowd.

He was a palace guard, a former recruit from the martial arts world!

He was accustomed to guarding in the shadows or gazing at the moon from the palace rooftops. Suddenly, he found himself among this group of vagrants, all driven by brute force, jostling for position, all desperate to infiltrate the Misty Heaven Alliance and secure a place in the altar.

It seemed unbearable no matter how one looked at it. Perhaps it was because His Majesty had never experienced such a life on the brink of death, that everything seemed new and fresh.

The young man studied the people around him with interest, then lowered his voice and asked curiously, "How do you think the Misty Heaven Alliance selects its members?"

It was no wonder he was puzzled.

The Misty Heaven Alliance now had a leader who wasn't insane, and its hierarchy had been purged by the previous conflict with the Six-and-a-half Hall. Furthermore, the assets left behind by Guan Qi's shattering of the void were extremely tempting. For martial artists seeking their fortunes in Bianjing, it was a good choice.

But it was only a good one.

The undercover agents previously inserted into the Misty Heaven Alliance by various parties have yet to be reorganized or repatriated, as if Shi Qingruo didn't mind using outsiders, as long as she could achieve her goals.

However, once a new group of recruits joined the alliance, the situation would become even more chaotic, like throwing a group of small fish into an already swarming school, inevitably stirring up even greater turmoil.

Furthermore, the martial artists who had submitted their applications today not only had their own agendas but also varied their martial arts skills.

This was the most puzzling aspect for the young emperor.

He practiced the Emperor's Sword and took it upon himself to govern the people, but he had no real martial arts experience. He had only just defeated the wooden man used in the initial screening thanks to Yin Xian's covert cheating. However, Yin Xian had also explained to him that the selection criteria were very low, so low that anyone with a few years of manual labor could surely meet them.

As a result, virtually all applicants, save for a few who were genuinely there for the fun, were admitted.

"You can't really accept everything and not mind at all, right?" The young man's expression was a little strange, and he felt that this guess was unlikely.

The stunningly beautiful Master Shengzhu came in person, so it seemed that he was not going to take this lightly.

"There's no point in thinking too much now, you will know in a moment anyway," Yin Xian replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, as if to echo his answer, a figure suddenly appeared in front of their group.

Yin Xian looked closely and saw that it was the girl in red who had gotten off the carriage earlier.

Previously, with Shi Qingruo beside her, her presence was somewhat suppressed. Now that she came suddenly, everyone present immediately realized that although she was young, her martial arts skills were indeed not low!

The voice she uttered, channeling her inner energy, instantly reached the ears of everyone present: "Please follow me."

"The Misty Heaven Alliance has been silent for years. We are eager to recruit members this time and do not wish to burden you. Therefore, today's assessment will consist of only one round."

Zhu Xiaoyao glanced at the crowd, noting that the previous noisy chatter had completely vanished with her presence, replaced by eager anticipation for the rules she would read out. Only then did she continue.

"Later, I will lead you into a large hall large enough to accommodate you. There will be a painting hanging in the hall. You will simply observe the painting without worrying about anything else. In two hours, someone will open the hall and escort you out. You will then be asked to present your observations to the examiner."

Her words startled everyone present.

They were just some vagrants, wandering the world. Why would they be asked to observe a painting?

This wasn't a competition for literary talent or painting skills!

The Seventh Saint Master of the Mysterious Heaven Alliance was truly a woman who knew only to sing and admire the moon!

However, Zhu Xiaoyao's next words made all their resentment fade away. "This painting is one of the twenty-four scrolls depicting a peerless martial art, and it was not originally intended for public display. However, the Seventh Saint Master was in need of personnel, and after much deliberation, they decided to use it for testing. Even if anyone fails this assessment, they can take what they have learned from viewing the painting out of the Mysterious Heaven Alliance, and we will not pursue the matter."

This time, before she could finish her words, someone shouted, "Then what are you waiting for? Please lead the way, young lady."

"That's right, we will not let the Saint Master down."

"..."

Zhu Xiaoyao silently memorized the expressions of these instigators, but a smile remained on her face. She moved lightly forward, and in a blink of an eye, she was several feet ahead of the crowd. She slowed her pace and slowly walked into the makeshift tall building.

The people behind her hurriedly followed.

When the group entered the main hall of the high-rise building, they discovered that Zhu Xiaoyao had vanished at some point. Remaining only were the group of candidates and a massive painting.

The painting hung slightly above the center of the wall, allowing everyone present to see the painting in its entirety without having to crowd forward.

"A beautiful painting!" the young man exclaimed, looking up at the painting.

A vivid white horse was depicted on the scroll.

Galloping, its feet trampled across a sea of clouds, it seemed poised to leap from the scroll and race forward.

Beneath the horse, five equally elegant characters appeared: "

Silver Saddle Shines on the White Horse."

The painting was so vibrant and dynamic that it seemed almost impossible to discern the words.

Only upon closer inspection did one realize that the scroll contained more than just the title; there were also several annotations on either side.

Judging from the handwriting, the person who wrote the five words "银带照白马" should be the same person who wrote these annotations.

The young man was absorbed in reading when he suddenly found someone approaching him and patting his shoulder.

Yin Xian almost wanted to draw his sword to protect him, but the young man glared at him and retracted his killing intent.

The young man turned around and saw that the person who approached him was a familiar face. It was the man who had spoken to him when they were queuing outside.

The man rubbed his hands and said embarrassedly: "Little brother, forgive me for being so presumptuous, but I have a question for you."

The young man smiled and said: "Don't be so formal. My last name is Zhu, and my given name is Tang. You can just call me Atang."

"It's like this, Brother Zhu," the man who said his last name was Tie and he was the third child in the family, after introducing himself, he moved closer to him and said in a voice that he thought only the two of them could hear: "I see that you are a handsome and well-mannered person, you must be literate. I wonder what the words on the scroll say?"

The young man asked curiously: "Aren't those two sentences of yours quite skillful?"

Tie San replied awkwardly: "Anyone who goes out to make a living must know a few polite words, which are all learned from others. I am not lying, I really don't know what those tadpole characters above say."

The young man He shook his head and said, "If you don't know, then you don't know. Didn't the girl who led the way tell us before we came in? The seven saints of the Misty Heaven Alliance asked us to gain something from looking at the paintings. Among the people from the martial arts world who came to the Misty Heaven Alliance today to try their luck, there are so many poor and illiterate people. Are they going to be turned away directly?"

Tie San scratched his head, extremely confused: "...Is that so?"

But although he only knew a little martial arts, he had heard a truth: generally speaking, those martial arts that have been passed down through the ages will basically have both pictures and texts, with both diagrams of the meridians and supporting texts.

What does it mean that there is only a horse running in the painting?

Almost at the same time that Brother Zhu said this, he heard several voices coming from the crowd.

"This line, 'Silver saddle illuminates white horses,' comes from Li Bai's 'Xia Ke Xing,' from the Tang Dynasty. The full line is 'Silver saddle illuminates white horses, rustling like meteors.' If that's the case, could this picture be a manual on Qing Wu?" As soon as

this was said, someone immediately responded, "Very likely! The Misty Heaven Alliance is willing to offer martial arts techniques as a hurdle for initiation, but they probably wouldn't be willing to share sword techniques or boxing manuals. Qing Wu is fine, though."

Tie San suddenly realized that this test was about them learning the Qing Wu techniques depicted in the painting.

But not only was he an illiterate, he also had an unstable lower body, relying entirely on brute force, and knew nothing about Qing Wu techniques. Wasn't this exactly his weakest skill?

This anxiety only made him more eager to grasp at that last straw—the young man with whom he could still exchange a few words. He muttered, "I still feel I ought to know what the words on this painting mean..."

To his dismay, the man who had previously explained the origins of "Silver Saddle Shining on a White Horse" didn't kindly continue to share the rest of the text with the crowd. Instead, he simply stopped talking and began to examine the scroll.

The literate present likely shared the same sentiment, and some had even withdrawn from the crowd and stood in a corner. Even with martial arts training, standing there was still enough for them to clearly see the words on the wall.

And the young man, whom Tie San had placed such high hopes, didn't immediately respond. Instead, he studied the words intently.

To him, these words didn't sound like martial arts techniques at all, but more like an explanation of poetry. Yet, when compared to the verses, they felt like an inexplicable overkill.

For example, the sentence marked in the upper left corner of the scroll reads, "The illuminator stands high and looks down; white is bright and profound." It has nothing to do with the phrase "Silver saddle shines on white horse," yet someone's eyes remain fixed in that direction, mumbling to themselves, and it's unclear what conclusion they've reached.

Another example is the sentence marked in the lower right corner, "The hand is the celestial horse, the heart is the map of the country, derived from a Taoist mantra," as if to suggest that the horse in the painting isn't really a horse, and that the object soaring through the clouds should be understood as a hand.

Zhu Tang doesn't know martial arts, so judging it purely from the perspective of literary criticism, this scattershot approach is laughable. And the sentence directly below, "Silver light shimmers, the saddle is naturally steady," is even more baffling.

If the Misty Heaven Alliance's assessment truly requires one to piece together a martial arts skill from these scattered pieces of information in order to pass, then they shouldn't be recruiting members, but rather Holy Leaders.

Seeing Tie San still staring at him intently, he spoke again, "Brother, it's not that I don't want to help you, but the words on this painting might be useless. Why don't you just do as the girl suggested and look at the picture to see if you can gain any insight?"

Someone nearby scoffed, "How dare you, a brat still wet behind the ears, make such irresponsible comments, even saying words are useless."

Tie San had previously been persistent in questioning the young man, but now, hearing him being scolded, he immediately retorted, "If you say that, then you know how to pronounce these words?"

Seeing the illiterate people around him turn their gazes towards him, the man who spoke angrily tossed his sleeves and said, "It's a test, so you should all figure it out on your own. What's the point of asking me? Besides, what I tell you might not be true."

Tie San curled his lips, feeling contempt for this man's behavior. In comparison, Brother Zhu, who refused to say a word, could be considered a straightforward and honest person.

"Forget it," Tie San gritted his teeth at Brother Zhu's clear gaze. "Just look at the painting. I don't believe I've been stuck here staring blankly for two hours, doing my job honestly and according to the rules."

He then began to examine the white horse in the painting intently.

Zhu Tang, a master of painting, could point out the beauty of the white horse scroll, but he could only say that the horse was agile and appeared to be much more capable than his own, otherwise it wouldn't have created such a flowing pattern in the white clouds beneath its feet.

A fine horse! A finer one he couldn't afford!

Staring at the horse's mane, counting the tufts, and gazing at the clouds beneath its feet, the multicolored light and shadows, with the occasional buzz of discussion in his ears, he had only been gazing for half an hour when he felt drowsy.

Half asleep, he thought he saw the clouds beneath the horse's feet move.

No, it wasn't just the flowing clouds in the painting, but also the faint internal energy within his body.

Tie San's eyes suddenly widened, and his sleepiness was swept away.

Wait, it seems that he is not dreaming!

...

When he passed the test with those crooked steps, he was even more determined and twisted his arm hard, making him scream in pain.

But this pain made him confirm that he was not dreaming.

Even this reality was like a dream. After being distributed with the badges of the gang members of the Mi Tian League and told about the halls they would be assigned to, he still felt a little dizzy. He

didn't know that his performance was seen by several people in the distance.

Shi Qingruo took another sip of the hot tea in the cup slowly and raised his hand to signal a few people to drag away the person who had made trouble because he failed to pass the test. Then he turned to Yan Hefa and Zhu Xiaoyao who were also here.

"Ask whatever you want to ask."

Yan Hefa pondered for a moment and asked, "I'll just guess what Madam is thinking. If I'm wrong, please forgive me."

Shi Qingruo smiled and said, "The Great Saint Lord is an elder in my Mi Tian Alliance. Don't hesitate to say anything."

Yan Hefa said, "The four pictures Madam released are all the same picture of a white horse shone by a silver saddle, but the accompanying texts are different. From what I've seen before, these interpretations are not only irrelevant to the painting, but will also interfere with people's judgment of the scroll."

Shi Qingruo: "That's right."

Yan Hefa pondered, "Then there should be only two types of people who can pass the test. One is originally illiterate, but is willing to listen to the reminders brought by Xiaoyao. Even if they don't recognize the sentences, they will not panic and will concentrate on appreciating the scroll. The other is literate, but still willing to abide by the rules and only look at the pictures, not the words. Is that right?"

"Perhaps there's a third type," Shi Qingruo said. "Those with a high enough level of comprehension. They'll spot the clues at first glance, or find the words jumbled and useless, and then return to examining the painting intently. Two hours is also enough. After all, our judging criteria isn't mastery of this light skill, but rather the ability to gain some insight from the painting."

Seeing a hint of understanding on Yan Hefa's face, Shi Qingruo continued, "But no matter which type, they're all talents the Mi Tian Alliance needs."

"Seventh Brother just left, and I've only recently taken charge of the Mi Tian Alliance. I don't need too many smart alecks. They're useless except for interfering with my plans! This first test is obedience." "

But since we're recruiting talent, it's more than just obedience; at least a normal level of comprehension is required."

These two screening thresholds were far more meaningful to her than simply selecting based on martial arts proficiency.

If she had wanted to select subordinates this way just two weeks ago, she wouldn't have been able to do so.

But when Guan Qi injected ten years of internal energy into her as a parting gift, the superior martial arts she had acquired in the game, the Taixuan Sutra, became truly operational, and the accompanying illustrated guide to the knight's journey was also revealed.

Without a final outline, the power of the Silver Saddle Shining on a White Horse's Qinggong was limited, and allowing the gang to learn it wouldn't affect the overall situation. As for those eliminated, it can only be said that they were misled by the annotations, but they didn't go astray from their practice. There was no harm, and it wouldn't tarnish the reputation of the Mitian League.

Is there a more appropriate assessment method in the world?

Shi Qingruo pondered for a moment, then added, "I suspect you still have another question, and I might as well answer it. You might ask, if I release one of these twenty-four scrolls, will it attract others' covetousness..."

Zhu Xiaoyao nodded, "Yes, I do."

Upon discovering that this scroll could incorporate painting into martial arts, she immediately realized that this martial art was incredibly advanced, no less powerful than any known martial art.

Among those participating in the assessment today, there would undoubtedly be spies from other sects who could spread this information.

This wouldn't necessarily be a good thing for Shi Qingruo.

But the next moment, Zhu Xiaoyao saw her lower her eyes and smile, "But haven't I already caused enough trouble?"

A single peacock feather had attracted Tang Ling from the Tang Clan in Shu, and it was also very likely to draw the attention of Tang Lan, now known as Ming Yuexin. And as for Gongzi Yu, who was behind her, he was certainly no ordinary person.

The Six-and-a-half Hall collapsed under her schemes and Su Mengzhen's cooperation. Furthermore, Fang Yingkan's downfall had already made Fu Zongshu, the old villain, a thorn in his side. Perhaps the Yuan Shisanxian and Liuhe Qinglong, who were behind Fu Zongshu's backing , should also be considered.

The sword art ruins left behind by Guan Qi's shattering of the void were not only a source of revenue for the Misty Heaven Alliance, but would also inevitably attract the attention of the world's sword masters . It

wouldn't hurt to find another Taixuan Sutra.

"Besides, Brother Seven's departure is a great joy to the Misty Heaven Alliance's enemies. Since I've inherited his leadership, I must be a worthy leader!"

"Until they master this martial art, outsiders will be more or less wary of the consequences. Isn't this a new advantage for us?"

Zhu Xiaoyao was stunned.

Although Shi Qingruo didn't explicitly say she would protect the Misty Heaven Alliance, her every expression and every word conveyed a sense of astonishing power.

While she might still be far from Guan Qi's martial arts prowess, she was more suited than anyone else to the position of Saint Leader of the Misty Heaven Alliance.

Standing up, she leaned on the railing, her gaze now taking in the newcomers of the Misty Heaven Alliance. With the vision of a qualified leader, she viewed the "empire" she would soon build.

If Zhu Xiaoyao had previously followed Shi Qingruo's every command simply because of the alliance between Jinfeng Xiyu Tower and the Misty Heaven Alliance, now, it seemed as if only this figure remained before her.

Meanwhile, downstairs, a young man strolling slowly seemed to sense something. He glanced up, meeting Shi Qingruo's gentle yet resolute gaze and nearly stumbled.

Fortunately, Yin Xian's hand was quick enough to catch him. He

also whispered a warning, "We've passed this assessment, but we can't actually join the Misty Heaven Alliance. You're not from the underworld..."

What kind of a charade did it take for an emperor, accompanied by his own imperial guards, to become a minor player in a jianghu gang? No one would believe it.

But what he waited for wasn't an order to return to the palace, but the young man's expression, which hesitated for a moment.

"Your Majesty?"

"Zhu Tang" immediately coughed loudly, reminding Yin Xian not to reveal his identity, and then replied, "What's wrong with joining the Misty Heaven Alliance? Find two people who are proficient in disguise, and they can take over our identities while we're away. When you need to leave the palace for private visits, you can change back. It's just right to have an identity that is close to the people, and it will be convenient for you to act."

After all, the two of them didn't perform particularly well during the assessment, so no one should notice.

Yin Xian was silent for a moment. "...Excuse my bluntness, but that thief Sikong Zhaixing is still in the Mi Tian Alliance. Our disguises won't work for him and he'll easily see through us."

The young man couldn't help but glance back. Seeing that Shi Qingruo was no longer in sight, he sighed in disappointment. "Can we ask Chu Liuxiang for help? I heard that someone had dealings with him during the last theft in the palace."

Yin Xian wanted to sigh as well. "He went south to look for clues regarding the Tianyi Divine Water incident. Besides, he has connections with the Seven Saint Lords of the Mi Tian Alliance. You can't buy him off just by paying a lot of money. And..."

"Today's a good time to leave the palace. Otherwise, Fu Zongshu would be keeping a close eye on you, so you might not be able to freely enter or leave the Misty Heaven Alliance." The possibility

of someone discovering her disguise was secondary; Fu Zongshu was the real problem!

The young man rolled his eyes. "Then find that old turtle some more work."

Those jianghu people are too slow, so he'll do it!

...

Guo Jing supported Yang Tiexin and settled down at a roadside teahouse.

Huang Rong and Mu Nianci, who were traveling with him, helped Bao Xiruo through the curtains and sat across from him.

The days of travel might not be a problem for a martial artist, but for Bao Xiruo, it was undoubtedly torture.

Or perhaps her weakness was also due to her son's decision.

With the help of the Six Gates, she reunited with her husband, Yang Tiexin, and successfully removed her identity as Prime Minister Fu's wife, but she failed to help her son find his ancestral home.

The Six Gates couldn't forcibly remove the now-adult Fu Kang, so they had to keep him with Fu Zongshu.

Fortunately, although her husband's hair had turned gray from over a decade of wandering, he was in good health. His adopted daughter, Mu Nianci, treated him like her own mother. As for Guo Jing...

his sworn brother's son had grown up.

Since persuading their son to return was unsuccessful, they deliberated and decided to head south first.

The leader of the troops who had sieged Niujia Village was Duan Tiande, a former subordinate of Prime Minister Fu. However, he no longer had any official ties to Fu Zongshu and had been removed from power, now overseeing escort operations in Jianghuai.

Because of this arrangement, Fu Zongshu had dared to claim in Beijing that the Niujia Village incident had nothing to do with him. Whether there were any traitors hiding there was something for the Six Gates to investigate.

But for Guo Jing and Yang Tiexin, keeping such an enemy alive any longer would be disrespectful to their deceased loved ones.

After some deliberation, the two decided to head south to settle accounts with Duan Tiande.

Huang Rong and Shi Qingruo excused themselves and followed. However, due to a previous favor she had borrowed from the Soft Hedgehog Armor, she also received a token from Shi Qingruo: if anything went wrong, she could call upon the Misty Heaven Alliance at any time.

She glanced at Bao Xiruo's face and thought to herself, perhaps she should contact someone to arrange a carriage and lodging along the way, otherwise someone would fall ill before they even found Duan Tiande.

Furthermore, relying on just a few of them, taking turns guarding the area, would inevitably tire. If they were to face Duan Tiande in this state, they would likely be surrounded and captured by his men before they could even apprehend him.

Before she could even utter a word, however, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

Turning to look, she saw several escorts shouting for the innkeeper to bring up several pots of hot tea.

Listening to their conversation, as they devoured dried meat, it was clear they were all heading for Taihu Lake, just like them.

Huang Rong quickly sent a signal to Guo Jing with her eyes.

When asked if the escort team was willing to bring a few more people south, the escort master calculated and offered a reasonable price. Guo Jing also offered to free up a spacious carriage because of the extra money he'd given.

This would make their journey much more convenient.

When they set off, Huang Rong finally breathed a sigh of relief as she sat in the carriage.

She had heard of the escort agency before. According to what Shi Qingruo had told her, it was a well-established agency with connections to the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower and some connections with the government, making it trustworthy when traveling abroad. With these people by their side, they could focus on their mission.

She didn't hear it. After the leading escort master saw them board the carriage and disappear from their sight, he suddenly said in a voice only audible to himself and his companions, "What do you think His Majesty is thinking?"

Another man shrugged and said, "Who knows? You never know when even the most skilled of the imperial guards will need to serve as bodyguards."

No, not just bodyguards, but assistants!