Chapter 251: Seven Wonders Young Master

The sky was gradually brightening, and the wind and snow had not stopped.

In the desolate and cold wind, a nobleman dressed in luxurious fur clothing, accompanied by a servant, trudged through the snow towards the distant mountains. The servant was carrying an unconscious person who was tightly bound.

The path to immortality was distant and mysterious, and ordinary mortals who entered the mountains couldn’t even find the entrance to the Cloud Horizon Sect.

However, this nobleman was clearly not an ordinary person. His discerning eyes saw through the illusions and mist, revealing the entrance to the Cloud Horizon Sect’s mountain gate amidst the ethereal clouds. And in the deepest part of the continuous mountains, the faint outline of the mist-shrouded main peak could be seen, where Qiu Wuji must reside.

A hint of eagerness flashed in the nobleman’s eyes.

If he could get close to Qiu Wuji…

That must be the dream of every male in this world, except for those like Yan Qianli who had no interest in women whatsoever.

This endeavor was just an attempt, and he didn’t believe that he would definitely meet Qiu Wuji this way. Nonetheless, he thought it was worth a try. If he could meet her, it would be the best outcome, and even if he couldn’t, at least he would leave a “good impression.” Qiu Wuji would hear of this, and he could try again in the future.

For this, he behaved cautiously and respectfully this time. He didn’t even use flight; instead, he slowly climbed the mountain, showing his sincerity.

As he was thinking this, the snowy mountain path suddenly became vibrant with color.

A stunning woman, dressed in a sharp and elegant warrior’s attire, stood at the edge of the cliff with her hands behind her back.

Although she didn’t have colorful clothing or ornaments, the moment she stood there, her black hair and red lips, with slightly flushed cheeks, made the snowy landscape appear vibrant because of her presence. Even the dark clouds seemed to gain some color, and the world became brighter.

But such beauty could only be glanced at briefly before lowering one’s gaze, unable to stare for too long. Just looking from a distance felt like gazing at a drawn sword, at a patch of sky, at distant river waters that touched the heavens.

She was both natural and transcendent.

“Qiu Wuji is indeed the most beautiful woman in the world,” the nobleman thought in his heart.

Indeed, this must be Qiu Wuji. Only she could embody the entire beauty of the land, surpassing the snow-covered landscape by a mile with just a hint of her vermilion lips.

Only she could be so proud in the face of snow and cold, with her sword intent soaring to the heavens, standing high and looking down, making people dare not meet her gaze directly.

If Chu Ge knew what was going on in his mind, he’d probably scratch his head in frustration, wondering what this idiot was thinking. After all, isn’t Qiuqiu adorable enough without all this exaggeration?

“Humble disciple Lu Shaotong entered the sect later, and I have the honor of meeting Sect Master Qiu,” the young nobleman stepped forward quickly, deeply bowing to the ground. “I never expected to see the true appearance of the Sect Master, such a fortunate encounter!”

He intentionally avoided using “junior” and instead used “humble disciple” to diminish the generational gap, considering he was only a few hundred years old, while the woman before him was ten thousand years old…

“Lu Shaotong…” Qiu Wuji withdrew her gaze from the snowflakes on the cliff and looked at him. She said in a calm tone, “The rumors in the world speak of a Seven Wonders Young Master who broke through the Nascent Soul stage in just a hundred years, and that’s you?”

Lu Shaotong felt a glimmer of joy in his heart. He had intentionally allowed rumors to spread this far, and it seemed that Qiu Wuji had heard of him.

He quickly cupped his hands and replied, “Before Sect Master Qiu, who would dare to call me a genius?”

Qiu Wuji nodded slightly. “With talents like yours among the younger generation, it’s clear how prosperous the path of immortality is in this world…Whose junior are you? Hmm, are you related to elder Lu Bingzhang?”

Lu Shaotong looked slightly embarrassed. “He… He is my great-great-grandfather.”

Chu Ge couldn’t hold back his laughter and quickly turned his head.

It wasn’t until now that Lu Shaotong noticed Chu Ge; apparently, he hadn’t seen anyone else until this moment. He cleared his throat and said, trying to conceal his embarrassment, “This is…”

Qiu Wuji interjected, “He is my disciple.”

Lu Shaotong hurriedly said, “I’ve heard about him. They say he’s also an extraordinary genius.”

Qiu Wuji added, “You can call him ‘Uncle Grandmaster.'”

Chu Ge straightened his chest proudly, and Lu Shaotong’s face turned red.

Qiu Wuji stifled a laugh and then turned her gaze to the person being held by Lu Shaotong’s servant. She asked calmly, “What is the meaning of this?”

Lu Shaotong gestured for the servant to put the person down and explained, “This person is an external affairs deacon of your sect. A few days ago, I witnessed him mistreating miners and coercing women, which infuriated me, so I subdued him. I thought it was a matter concerning Sect Master Qiu and didn’t dare to act without authorization, so I came to apologize…”

Qiu Wuji nodded, “I’ve heard of such incidents before. This time, I descended the mountain with the intention of conducting a secret investigation to see who was tarnishing our sect’s reputation.”

Lu Shaotong felt a sense of relief; this was going according to the script he had envisioned. The next line should be a polite expression of gratitude and an offer to sit down for tea or something…

But Qiu Wuji suddenly changed the topic, “So, are you the one tarnishing our sect’s reputation?”

“Huh?” Lu Shaotong’s eyes widened.

“In these remote mountains, coupled with blocked paths due to wind and snow, communication is inconvenient, and normal news may not reach neighboring areas for ten days or half a month. Yet, the affairs of a single mine have somehow become widely known, to the point where even the elderly cultivators who live in seclusion have heard of it, spreading throughout the sect. If there’s no one behind the scenes, do you think I’m a fool?”

“This…” Lu Shaotong hadn’t expected that he’d be met with suspicion instead of goodwill. He could only say, “I genuinely don’t know about any rumors; I just happened to witness this person doing wrong and acted out of righteous anger.”

“So, you’re saying the rumors circulating everywhere have nothing to do with you?”

“Absolutely nothing, I had no knowledge of them…”

Qiu Wuji stared coldly into his eyes, and Lu Shaotong met her gaze without flinching.

Qiu Wuji began to feel somewhat surprised herself; this person is a bit strange…

Under such a significant difference in status, her imposing aura seemed to have no effect on him at all. She had even secretly used some soul techniques, but they left no trace on him; there wasn’t even a hint of a heartbeat. On the contrary, she felt that he was genuinely sincere, as if his subconscious was telling her that he was a trustworthy person.

If she hadn’t overheard his conversation with his subordinate earlier, she might have been fooled by him, at least enough to leave a positive impression.

But now, she couldn’t help but become extremely cautious. This situation was too strange, abnormal. It even went against the “setting of heaven.”

Nascent Soul versus Crossing Tribulation – such a vast difference in levels! How could he ignore my soul pressure and, in turn, affect me with his own?

Just then, Chu Ge spoke up, “Every country has its laws, and every family has its rules. If we want to rectify the chaos below, clean out the sect’s troubles, it’s our own business as Cloud Horizon Sect. What right does an outsider have to intervene? Do you think we’re incompetent or that we would cover up wrongdoing?”

Lu Shaotong mentally cursed this guy to the eighteenth generation. Are you here to pick a fight? According to your logic, should people not perform acts of chivalry and justice without prior notice? Are you part of the imperial bureaucracy or something?

“You’re provoking the dignity of our Cloud Horizon Sect,” Chu Ge said sternly. “Do you think there should be some consequences?”

Lu Shaotong wasn’t as accommodating with Chu Ge as he had been with Qiu Wuji. His smile became more cold and distant. “This, Uncle Grandmaster, do you also want to punish me?”

“That’s right. People from our sect should handle this; there’s no need for outsiders to take matters into their own hands,” Chu Ge said in a classic young master tone that could raise one’s blood pressure. He slowly drew his Solitary Swan Sword. “I also want to see what kind of methods a master who easily captured our sect’s external affairs deacon has.”

Lu Shaotong looked at Qiu Wuji . “Is this Sect Master’s decision?”

Qiu Wuji replied lazily, “If I were to bully you, it would be beneath me and unsightly. Let my disciple have a spar with you; that’ll be good.”

The couple shared the same thoughts. It wasn’t a matter of whether Qiu Wuji would bully someone or not; both of them wanted to see what strange methods this person possessed. Given his peculiar soul, traditional soul searching might not work, and directly killing him would cut off potential leads. So, letting Chu Ge test him seemed like the best option.

Under Heaven’s watchful gaze, nothing can hide.

Why is he the one helping me even on this side? Qiu Wuji couldn’t help but scratch her head.

Well, it’s a partnership in this venture. Who cares who helps whom?

On the other side, Lu Shaotong chuckled in frustration, “I never expected Sect Master Qiu to be so protective. It’s truly unreasonable. My admiration for you…”

“I don’t need your admiration,” Qiu Wuji interrupted directly. “What I command from everyone is respect.”

Where did these villainous lines come from?

Lu Shaotong felt that entering the mountain today was like stepping into a dream. This couldn’t be the real Qiu Wuji, right?

Chu Ge stood with his sword, smiling with bared teeth. “Grandnephew, draw your sword.”