Chapter 809: Qunying Mountain

Upon reaching the Ink Scent Store, the first destination was Pillow Book Mountain.

Pillow Book Mountain was steep and sharply defined, resembling several books piled together on a bed to form a pillow.

On Pillow Book Mountain, Li Banfeng found Cloud Wisps Ravine, a bottomless chasm. A magnificent waterfall, initially over a hundred meters wide, cascaded down its cliff face. After falling several tens of meters, it dispersed into countless streams, each as fine as a spider's silk, pouring downwards.

Among these streams, one flowed the most swiftly, rumored to be able to break ordinary weapons.

Li Banfeng was reluctant to use his Tang saber, so he carried Banfeng Yi, testing the way. After walking over ten meters, Banfeng Yi repeatedly cried out, "It's dangerous ahead, we can't go further, it hurts, this is too painful—"

Li Banfeng located the swiftest current and, using its flow as a guide, flew upstream against it.

Guided by the Judge's Brush, Li Banfeng flew towards the highest cloud in Puro State using his skill of riding the wind and clouds.

"Does this cloud have a name?" After flying for a long time, Li Banfeng faintly saw the edge of the cloud. He roughly estimated that this cloud was three to five times higher than most clouds in Puro State. Such a distinctive cloud should have a name.

The Judge's Brush replied, "Many names, which one are you asking about?"

Li Banfeng said, "Tell me all of them."

The Judge's Brush took a short nap, gathering its strength, then told Li Banfeng, "Shu Wanjuan named it 'Sky Zenith Mountain,' meaning the extreme of the clouds. The court named it 'Fallen Palace Mountain,' implying destruction and ruin. The peddler named it 'Heroes' Gathering Mountain,' which you'll understand."

Li Banfeng nodded, "The peddler is good at naming things. But this is a cloud, why is it always named after mountains?"

"You'll know once you go up."

Li Banfeng flew onto the cloud and finally understood what the Judge's Brush meant. Standing on the edge of the cloud, looking forward, Li Banfeng saw no flat ground. Within a li, there were mountains, one after another, and beyond those, more mountains, layer upon layer, undulating and stretching far.

Li Banfeng used his Golden Sight skill and saw a mountain peak in the distance. That should be the highest point of this mountain range. "Ah Bi, is your body by any chance on that peak?"

The Judge's Brush responded with a simple, "Mm!"

Li Banfeng gazed at the layered peaks and asked, "Why must you put your body so high up?"

The Judge's Brush snorted, "A sixth-level Cloud Traveler Cultivator, afraid of this?"

"If you're not afraid, then walk yourself!"

"If I leave, who will guide you?"

Li Banfeng remained silent. It was useless to say more; if they argued further, the Judge's Brush would just get angry and fall asleep.

On Heroes' Gathering Mountain, a guide was indeed necessary. Li Banfeng flew for over an hour and realized that the towering mountains below him were repeating, and the distant highest peak hadn't gotten any closer.

"Am I lost?"

The Judge's Brush said, "You're not lost. This place employs the Joy Cultivator's 'Layered Peaks and Stacks' technique."

"Was this cloud created by a Joy Cultivator?"

"Not just Joy Cultivators, but all the heroes of the world created it together. This was the first cloud ever created in Puro State. Back then, there was no 'Cloud Gate' technique. The patriarchs of various Daoist sects gathered, exerting all their strength, only then..." Mid-sentence, the Judge's Brush was exhausted to the point of collapse and fell asleep.

Li Banfeng shook the Judge's Brush, "Don't sleep yet, which way do we go now?"

The Judge's Brush, half-asleep, only used its tip to point the way for Li Banfeng, saying nothing else.

Upon reaching the base of the highest peak, the Judge's Brush rested for a while before speaking again, "Shu Wanjuan called this peak 'Heaven's Edict Platform.' The imperial court named it 'Arch-Criminal Ridge.' The peddler called it 'Chief's Peak,' and it's where the very first group of Daoist sect leaders was established."

As it spoke, the Judge's Brush was breathing heavily. The Wine Gourd quickly sprinkled some wine on the Judge's Brush, "Brother, speak slower, don't strain yourself."

Li Banfeng asked, "Were you among the first group of chiefs back then?"

"Not me, I was young, much younger than them. This was a long time ago, but I think this place is very sacred. This is the origin of Puro State!" After saying this, the Judge's Brush was exhausted again.

Despite such exhaustion, the Judge's Brush insisted on finishing its words, showing the significance of this peak in its mind. While the Judge's Brush was recovering, Li Banfeng rested for a moment on the mountainside.

The Projector filmed the mountain scenery, becoming increasingly excited, "I sense an art full of power. Where does this power come from?"

Li Banfeng heard the voice of the Portable Dwelling, "This is a technique left by the Strength Cultivator Patriarch, Qing Wanjun. If I'm not mistaken, the technique should be called 'Blood Sacrifice Mountain Collapse.' Many people back then felt that this place contained a certain power. The Joy Cultivator Patriarch, Ye Shengge, liked to cultivate here; he always said this place was suitable for exerting strength."

"Elder, have you been here?" Li Banfeng was pleasantly surprised.

"Yes, I have!" the elder responded, "Walking this path brought back many memories. Ah Qi, walk another two or three li up the slope. There's a cave there, and the path will be easier once you reach it."

Li Banfeng followed the Portable Dwelling's guidance up the slope. The higher he went, the harder it became. This wasn't just due to the steepness; Li Banfeng felt that the mountain had a special method that was weakening his physical strength.

"This is a technique of the Sloth Cultivator Patriarch, Yan Wolong," the Portable Dwelling yawned. "If I'm not mistaken, this technique is called 'One Breath Suspension.' Those affected by it slowly lose all their strength until only a trace of breath remains, barely clinging to life."

Li Banfeng wiped his sweat and asked, "Why was this technique used on Chief's Peak?"

The Portable Dwelling pondered for a while: "Yan Wolong used this technique because the rebel army was surrounded by the imperial court. The peddler, Old Train, and Shu Wanjuan were besieged on Chief's Peak, while Shan Chengjun, Bitter Old Woman, and Faceless were surrounded in the Ink Scent Store. The court planned to defeat them one by one. The peddler was almost unable to hold Chief's Peak, so Yan Wolong entered a cave and lay there for three days and three nights, perfecting 'One Breath Suspension.' The entire Chief's Peak came under the technique's control. When the imperial forces attacked the peak, they all lost their strength and were routed. The peddler led his men to first break through the enemy on Chief's Peak, then the enemy at the Ink Scent Store. Later, both sides had victories and defeats, and after a full year of fighting, the peddler remembered something."

"What was it?"

"Yan Wolong was still sleeping in the cave; he hadn't come down the mountain."

Li Banfeng saw the cave. He sat on a rock, panting, "He slept for a year without moving?"

The Portable Dwelling was also panting, "Indeed, he didn't move!"

"Slander!" the Judge's Brush interjected, "Our ancestor moved, he turned over!"

"Your ancestor is truly impressive!" Li Banfeng praised, "Ah Bi, we can't climb any further; I'm almost unable to move."

The Judge's Brush said, "Pass through the cave, and you'll find a mountain path. That path is not affected by the 'One Breath Suspension' technique."

Li Banfeng panted, "Ah Bi, why do you speak with such vigor?"

The Portable Dwelling said, "One Breath Suspension does not weaken Sloth Cultivators; on the contrary, it gives them more strength."

Li Banfeng rested for a while, then passed through the cave. Once he reached the mountain path, his physical strength gradually recovered.

Following the mountain path all the way to the highest peak, Li Banfeng looked around. His view was no longer obstructed, and the entire Heroes' Gathering Mountain was clearly visible. However, beyond Heroes' Gathering Mountain, Li Banfeng could only see the clear blue sky and layers of dense mist.

The Judge's Brush said, "Your eyesight isn't good enough. Only top-tier Scrutiny Cultivators can see the ground and the full extent of Puro State."

The Portable Dwelling confirmed the Judge's Brush's statement, "Back then, Ah Yu stayed on this mountain for a long time. She gathered a lot of military intelligence, and Ah Yu made great contributions in several victorious battles."

Li Banfeng carefully examined the environment at the mountain's summit. Compared to other parts of the mountain, the summit was relatively flat and had a dense forest. Next to the forest were numerous stone houses, built very neatly. Although covered in dust, they didn't look dilapidated, giving the illusion that they had been recently inhabited.

"Those are barracks!" The Portable Dwelling's puffing sound was somewhat rough. "The barrack on your left is mine and Old Train's."

Li Banfeng looked to his left and didn't find anything special about that barrack.

The Portable Dwelling explained, "The peddler said that everyone's barracks are the same; that was his rule!"

The Judge's Brush pointed to the end of the camp, "My body is hidden outside the camp, beneath that large tree."

Outside the camp's fence was a large area of pine trees. With such a casual pointing gesture from the Judge's Brush, Li Banfeng didn't know which tree it meant.

When they reached the forest, the Judge's Brush emerged from Li Banfeng's waist. It wrote the character 'Hui' on the bark of one pine tree, and then the character 'Gui' on the bark of an adjacent pine tree. The character 'Hui' represented the Wise Scholar, and 'Gui' represented Murong Gui, which was the Wise Scholar's name.

The Judge's Brush lay on Li Banfeng's back and said, "Go straight."

Li Banfeng took a few steps forward, and a courtyard appeared before him, containing a three-story pavilion.

"Let's go upstairs!" The Judge's Brush sounded a bit excited.

Li Banfeng entered the first floor. There was only a hall here, with various calligraphies and paintings hanging on the walls. Judging by the signatures, all were by the Wise Scholar. There was a landscape painting, exquisitely done. Li Banfeng lightly patted it, and surprisingly, no dust floated from the painting.

Li Banfeng asked the Judge's Brush, "How long has it been since anyone came here?"

The Judge's Brush said, "Many years, I can't even remember. Remembering things is very tiring."

"This isn't right. Someone has been in this room." Li Banfeng looked around, but didn't sense any danger.

The Judge's Brush lightly traced the painting with its tip. A fisherman appeared in the painting, rowing a boat from the lake to the shore. Over a dozen people, men and women, about a foot tall, disembarked from the boat and walked from the shore out of the painting. Some wiped tables, some mopped floors, and some used feather dusters to clean dust from corners and edges.

The Judge's Brush told Li Banfeng, "I'm just showing you. Normally, they clean once a day, and I don't even need to call them."

It led Li Banfeng upstairs to the second floor, which was piled high with various books. Li Banfeng asked the Judge's Brush, "You just left your body here, do you still need to read books?"

The Judge's Brush snorted, "This is for sentimental reasons."

It then led Li Banfeng to the third floor, which contained a tea table, a writing desk, a wardrobe, and wooden chests. A four-poster bed was placed by the wall, covered by thick drapes. Li Banfeng pulled back a drape and saw a gaunt man lying on the bed.

This man wore a teal blue satin long gown with a diagonal closure, unlike the popular long gowns in Puro State. His garment was loose and thick, obscuring his figure, and its style was more ancient. Back at Blackrock Slope, Li Banfeng had encountered the Pure Guard Society. The long gowns worn by their elders were somewhat similar to this one. His face was very long and thin, his hair sparse but neatly combed, his eyes deeply sunken and open, his mouth agape, and the corners of his lips slightly upturned, as if bearing a faint smile.

It was fortunate that Li Banfeng was the one who came; an ordinary person would truly be startled, thinking there was a dried corpse on the bed.

"Brother, is this what you look like?" Li Banfeng checked his breath; it seemed there was still a bit of warmth.

"Years without food or water have made me a bit gaunt, but actually, I was quite handsome back then!" The Judge's Brush slightly tidied the man's appearance.

This man was the original body of the Judge's Brush, the once famous Wise Scholar, Murong Gui!

"Since you're here, go back into your body." Li Banfeng placed the Judge's Brush next to the body.

The Judge's Brush was reluctant, "Why should I go back?"

Li Banfeng said, "If Shu Wanjuan is coming for you, you need to take your body away quickly."

The Judge's Brush said, "You can use the 'Connected Wide Cave Dwelling' to take it home; it's the same."

Li Banfeng really couldn't understand, "Don't you want to go back into your body and stretch your limbs?"

The Judge's Brush observed its body for a moment, then replied, "The bones and muscles are fine. Just send him home."

"If I just send him home like this, and Red Lotus eats him, where will you go to cry!"

As Li Banfeng pondered where to place the Wise Scholar, a sense of danger quietly approached from outside the pavilion. Someone was coming! How could this person arrive so coincidentally? I just arrived at this pavilion, how did he follow?

Li Banfeng stood by the window and looked down, seeing no one else in the courtyard.

The Judge's Brush realized a fight might be imminent. It immediately returned to the Wise Scholar's body, lay on the bed, and told Li Banfeng, "Outside the courtyard, there were already, already—"

Li Banfeng looked back. The Judge's Brush was clearly uncomfortable in this body, struggling to finish even half a sentence.

The Glove assessed the situation and asked the Judge's Brush, "You mean, someone was already outside, right?"

The Wise Scholar blinked, indicating the Glove was correct, "He, can't get in—"

"He doesn't know how to open the door, so he can't get in. When we came in just now, the main door opened, and he noticed it. Now he wants to follow us in, is that what you mean?" The Glove was very familiar with procedures like tailing, describing it very accurately.

"Yes—" The Wise Scholar tried to nod.

The Glove wagged its index finger, "Don't move for now; just the intention is enough. I'm afraid you'll break your neck."

The Tang Saber advised, "Brother, you should go back into the Judge's Brush. Why put yourself through such trouble?"

"The newcomer is not, not—"

The Glove added, "The newcomer is not friendly; our Ah Bi wants to fight him."

Li Banfeng looked at Ah Bi's condition, "In your current state, what can you use to fight?"

The Wise Scholar looked at the brush on the writing desk. The Glove quickly stepped forward, ground the ink, dipped the brush in ink, and handed it along with some paper to the Wise Scholar. The Wise Scholar wrote the character 'fire' on the paper and placed it by the pillow.

Whoosh! Flames erupted, and the entire bed caught fire!

The Glove rushed forward and grabbed the Wise Scholar, "Hurry, what are you doing?"

The Wise Scholar's body also caught fire. The Glove dragged him off the bed. Old Teapot was about to extinguish the flames when he suddenly heard the Wise Scholar shout, "Hot!" After that shout, the Wise Scholar stood up from the ground. Under the scorching flames, he was forced to move his limbs. He picked up the paper and brush himself and wrote the character 'extinguish'. All the flames in the room were extinguished. The Wise Scholar then wrote the character 'diligence' and stuck it on himself.

With the 'diligence' character, the Wise Scholar's condition changed. His eyes became spirited, his speed increased, and his movements became fluid. He tidied the writing desk, preparing to lie down and sleep.

Li Banfeng looked towards the corner of the courtyard wall and found some ink marks. "It seems your grand-master has arrived."

The Wise Scholar sat up from the writing desk, glanced out the window, and roared, "Let's run!"

Li Banfeng stopped the Wise Scholar, "Run for what? If you're scared, go home. I'll go out and meet him."

The Wise Scholar snorted angrily, "Hmph!"

The Glove translated from the side, "He means he's probably not scared."

Li Banfeng smiled, "Since you're not afraid, let me see the Wise Scholar's abilities."

Shu Wanjuan and Bloodfang Monster stood in the pine forest, still awaiting news from their scouts. He had arrived at Chief's Peak long ago. This wasn't his first time searching for the Wise Scholar's body. He had previously discovered a hidden courtyard within the pine forest but had never been able to open its main gate. He wasn't sure if the Wise Scholar was inside this courtyard. He had originally planned to take Bloodfang Monster elsewhere to try their luck, but after only a few hours of walking, the courtyard gate opened by itself.

When Li Qi entered the courtyard, several characters followed him in. The ink marks Li Banfeng saw earlier were the signals these characters sent to Shu Wanjuan.

Shu Wanjuan stood in the pine forest, relying on the perception of characters, pondering how to open the door. Suddenly, he noticed a tremor in the pine branches ahead, and two large gates appeared before him, slowly opening.

"Second King, what skill!" Bloodfang Monster, unaware of the situation, thought it was Shu Wanjuan's doing and praised him, walking directly towards the gate.

Shu Wanjuan called out to Bloodfang Monster, "Don't go inside. Stand back a bit. I'll send people to scout ahead first." "Sending people to scout ahead" meant conjuring human figures from characters and sending them in front. This was Shu Wanjuan's usual method, but Bloodfang Monster refused. She was under Shan Chengjun's orders to monitor Shu Wanjuan.

"Second King, let me go first. If there's anything good, I'd like to see it first."

Shu Wanjuan grabbed Bloodfang Monster's wrist, "We don't know who's inside yet. With your current cultivation, how can you be so reckless?"

Bloodfang Monster raised her wrist, "Oh, touching my hand, are you trying to take advantage of me? If you're truly eager, let's find a better time. Old Shan might show up at any moment. If he finds out, not only will you brothers turn against each other, but I won't be able to stay married to him."

Shu Wanjuan released her hand, "Consider that I said nothing. Please, do as you wish."

Bloodfang Monster actually walked ahead. Shu Wanjuan didn't know where she got such confidence.

Passing through the main gate into the courtyard, Bloodfang Monster looked up at the pavilion. A gaunt scholar stood on the third floor, looking down.

Bloodfang Monster smiled, revealing two sharp fangs. "Young man, what's your name?"

Shu Wanjuan shouted, "Come back quickly, that's the Wise Scholar!" He saw correctly; it was indeed Murong Gui, the Wise Scholar, with his body and soul integrated.

Before he finished speaking, Murong Gui flicked the brush in his hand, splattering Bloodfang Monster's face with ink.

Bloodfang Monster asked with a look of disgust, "What are you doing? Are you intentionally trying to sicken me?"

Shu Wanjuan, who had been very anxious, suddenly wasn't anymore. Because being anxious was useless now.

On Bloodfang Monster's face, a drop of ink slid from her left eyebrow to her right, forming a horizontal stroke. A drop of ink from her brow center slid downwards, forming a downward stroke. An 'opening' appeared on her left cheek. A small figure emerged from her right cheek, holding a long spear; it was a 'soldier'.

Crash!

All the excess flesh on Bloodfang Monster's head fell away, leaving only the character 'shattered' on her neck.

Thud!

Bloodfang Monster fell to the ground.

Shu Wanjuan nodded slightly, "This talent is indeed unique."

Murong Gui took a deep breath, glared at Shu Wanjuan, and bellowed, "Hm."

"You're not modest either!" Shu Wanjuan smiled, "Child, I plan to take you to accomplish great things. Are you willing to come with me?"

Murong Gui shook his head, "No."

A cold wind blew, and Murong Gui, standing on the pavilion, swayed precariously.

Shu Wanjuan sighed, "Child, I know your condition isn't ideal, and I don't want to make things difficult for you. If you come with me, there will be great achievements ahead. But if you remain stubborn, don't blame your grand-master for being ruthless."

Murong Gui showed no fear, "Let's fight. You go first!"

"I admire your defiance!" Shu Wanjuan opened his sleeves, and characters surged out like a tide, swirling up and down around his body. Under his control, they transformed into a colossal black dragon. If this giant dragon charged into the courtyard, it could directly level the place. If Murong Gui were to disperse the dragon prematurely, it would transform into countless bookworms, gnawing the courtyard clean.

"Child, I'm truly not holding back!" Shu Wanjuan admired Murong Gui and warned him again.

Murong Gui straightened his back, hands behind him, and stood atop the pavilion, "I'm not afraid of you!"

Shu Wanjuan's eyes flashed coldly, "Take this!" He truly showed no mercy; he had never underestimated the Wise Scholar.

The colossal black dragon roared, charged to the courtyard gate in an instant, and with a "poof," turned into a pool of ink on the ground.

Shu Wanjuan was startled. What kind of technique was this? Was there a mechanism in the courtyard, or—?

Shu Wanjuan looked down and found a gash on his body. The wound stretched from his left shoulder to his right hip bone. Shu Wanjuan's body was severed into two halves, the lower half standing, the upper half fallen to the ground.

Murong Gui held the brush and wrote the character 'saber' in mid-air; the strokes remained suspended. Black ink spurted from Shu Wanjuan's body. He used characters to replace his body, blocking the attack. This was Shu Wanjuan's 'Heavenly Fusion' technique, truly not easy to neutralize.

Murong Gui smiled, hands behind his back, and challenged, "Come again."

Shu Wanjuan reappeared from a blob of ink, staring at the character 'saber' written by Murong Gui, and asked, "Did you use this character to launch that attack just now?"

Murong Gui slowly said, "One character is enough." His tone carried disdain and contempt, but Shu Wanjuan didn't mind. He was more concerned about something else: "Did you write the character after you launched the attack?"

Murong Gui nodded, "That is talent."

Shu Wanjuan didn't quite understand. No matter how great the talent, one must first write the character and then launch the attack. This was a fundamental logical issue for Literary Cultivators. Why did he keep feeling that Murong Gui's condition wasn't quite right?

Shu Wanjuan took a book from his robe, unfurled it, and touched the characters on the pages. "Child, see if you can withstand this move!"

Slice!

Before he could even use his technique, Shu Wanjuan once again turned into a puddle of ink on the ground. Shu Wanjuan quickly rose from the ink. He had genuinely felt a saber cleave through him. Looking up again, the Wise Scholar was writing, and it was still the character 'saber'.

Was he truly using the technique first and then writing the character? Was his talent that powerful?

Two 'saber' characters hung in mid-air. The Wise Scholar asked, "Grand-master, shall we continue fighting?" The more characters, the stronger the combat power; Shu Wanjuan naturally understood this principle.

With his left hand, he pulled out an inkstone from his sleeve. With his right, he tore out a handkerchief. The handkerchief struck the inkstone, and the ink inside flew into the courtyard, dyeing the two 'saber' characters written by the Wise Scholar completely black. Shu Wanjuan first neutralized Murong Gui's technique, then threw out the ink-stained handkerchief. The handkerchief floated in mid-air, growing rapidly as it descended. First, it was three feet square, then ten feet in width and length. By the time it broke through the pavilion roof, it could cover the entire courtyard. If Murong Gui didn't neutralize this handkerchief, it would capture him alive. If he used a technique to neutralize the handkerchief, he wouldn't be able to defend against Shu Wanjuan's follow-up move.

Murong Gui took the Judge's Brush and tore the handkerchief. Ink splattering from the handkerchief instantly enveloped Murong Gui. On the first floor of the pavilion, two scrolls flew out of the window, circling around the Wise Scholar, fully resisting the ink.

Shu Wanjuan had prepared his follow-up move. From his sleeves, over twenty scrolls of hidden books, their bindings undone, transformed into scattered leaves, ready to surround Murong Gui and capture him alive. Logically, this move should have been foolproof. Murong Gui was already struggling just to defend against the handkerchief, with no chance to counter-attack.

However, as Shu Wanjuan lifted his sleeve, he took another saber strike to his back. With that strike, black mixed with red. Although Shu Wanjuan used his Heavenly Fusion technique to defend, he wasn't fast enough, and this time he was genuinely wounded.

Shu Wanjuan looked up at Murong Gui. He had just fended off the ink, and now, raising his brush, he wrote another 'saber' character in mid-air. Shu Wanjuan was extremely alarmed, momentarily worrying that he might not be able to defeat Murong Gui.

As he contemplated a retreat, he saw Bloodfang Monster pick up the scattered flesh from the ground, reapply it to her face, stand up, and tell Shu Wanjuan, "I say, Second King, someone is cutting you with a saber from behind. What good is it to keep staring at the scholar in front of you?"

Behind?

Shu Wanjuan turned his head and saw Li Qi standing silently, holding a sickle. The Tang saber had already been used for three strikes, so now only the sickle could be used.

Shu Wanjuan looked at Li Qi and said, "Was that you ambushing me from behind just now?"