Daoist Competition

Xiao Han and Xiao He’s father was named Xiao Gong. Due to his mediocre aptitude, he was unable to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. Thus, he contemplated reincarnation and restarting his cultivation, but the clan rules stipulated that anyone wishing to reincarnate must first leave behind offspring.

Xiao Gong’s first wife, who was also from a Great Clan, naturally refused to bear children for someone like him, whose future seemed bleak. As his lifespan approached its end, he casually found a female cultivator to bear two children. To his surprise, both turned out to be exceptionally gifted.

The Red-haired Daoist had initially been pleased, thinking that his brother’s lineage would have promising successors. But he didn’t expect Xiao Han to go missing first, followed by Xiao He who became trapped. If Xiao He were to perish, his brother’s lineage would be entirely severed.

However, that wasn’t the most critical matter. Before Xiao Gong passed away, he gave all his cultivation assets from his lineage to the Red-haired Daoist, pleading with his elder brother to take care of his descendants.

At the time, the Red-haired Daoist had yet to reach the Nascent Soul Realm. Greedy for those treasures, he naturally agreed wholeheartedly and even casually swore an oath.

But now, with Xiao Han’s whereabouts unknown and Xiao He unlikely to survive, the Red-haired Daoist was growing anxious. Not wanting to openly express his distress before the younger generation, he sighed and lamented dramatically, "Wulang, oh Wulang, it’s your brother’s fault. I’ve failed you—I couldn’t properly watch over these two juniors."

The young cultivator spoke in a deep voice, "Second Uncle, why fret so? In my opinion, this matter is not beyond remedy."

The Red-haired Daoist’s expression shifted at those words. He glanced at the young cultivator with two moles above his brows, and suddenly a trace of hope appeared in his eyes. "Fifteenth Master, I’ve heard that you’re known for your decisiveness among the juniors. Tell me—how do you think this issue should be resolved?"

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The young cultivator smiled faintly and replied, "As for ideas, I have none. Wouldn’t it simply boil down to asking Zhang Yan to release the captive?"

Upon hearing this, the Red-haired Daoist shook his head in dismay. "As if Zhang Yan would agree to that! Seeing how the clan thinks, they clearly don’t want us stirring up trouble at Zhang Yan’s mountain gate, lest we end up making things easier for outsiders. What other options do I have? Do you truly expect me to stoop so low and beg? Hmph! It’d be better to let that little brat die—they’d only bring shame to the world if alive."

The young cultivator chuckled lightly, his eyes gleaming. "Second Uncle, don’t be too hasty. Zhang Yan isn’t without vulnerabilities. I’ve already investigated thoroughly—he has a disciple named Tian Kun who is now in Jiuyi City."

Though he didn’t explicitly spell it out, the Red-haired Daoist instantly grasped his meaning. His eyes narrowed as he asked, "You mean to say...?"

The young cultivator nodded at him.

The Red-haired Daoist began pondering. Since Zhang Yan had captured their Xiao family member, they could capture Zhang Yan’s disciple in return. After some thought, he slowly said, "Alright, let’s proceed with that plan. But it must be done covertly..."

The young cultivator picked up a teacup from the table, taking a small sip before casually commenting, "There’s no need for Second Uncle to worry. Before coming here, I had already sent people to act. I believe news will arrive shortly."

The Red-haired Daoist was slightly startled, asking in a deep voice, "Whom did you send?"

The young cultivator laughed and replied, "Rest assured, Second Uncle. They’re definitely not Xiao clan people. Even if they wanted to go, they wouldn’t be able to leave the premises under circumstances like this."

The Red-haired Daoist felt a sense of certainty and said, "That’s for the best."

The two of them waited patiently in the pavilion. After about an hour, a Flying Book entered through the window lattice. The young cultivator raised his hand to catch it. After opening and reading its contents, he couldn’t help but sigh, "What a Zhang Yan! He beat me to it."

The Red-haired Daoist frowned and asked, "Has something changed?"

"The people I sent arrived at the location, only to find Zhengqing Institute disciples patrolling the area, along with Fan Changqing’s disciple Qiu Hanyue accompanying Zhang Yan’s own disciple. They didn’t dare make a move."

The young cultivator placed the letter on the table with a cold smile. "How could such a coincidence occur? Clearly, Zhang Yan sent someone to make arrangements. This man is truly remarkable."

The Red-haired Daoist’s brows knitted tightly as he sat in silence, brooding.

The young cultivator, brimming with confidence, smiled calmly and said, "Second Uncle, don’t worry. This is merely a small matter—whether it succeeds or not doesn’t really matter. I have another method to coerce Zhang Yan into handing over the captive. If successful, it might even cause a rift between him and his disciple."

The Red-haired Daoist turned toward him, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

The young cultivator smiled slyly and said, "According to disciples from the Six Rivers and Four Islands, Xiao He once signed an Absolute Fighting Book with Zhang Yan. Yet Zhang Yan seemingly overlooked one crucial detail. Although the fighting book holds weight, it must be registered with Zhengqing Institute and reviewed by a steward or the dean to be valid; otherwise, it’s merely a private duel!"

The Red-haired Daoist’s eyes lit up slightly upon hearing this, nodding unconsciously. "Nephew, you make a good point."

While disciples from the Mingcang Sect often contested and engaged in absolute fights, sect rules had been established to prevent disciples from resorting to reckless tactics, thereby requiring this regulation.

The young cultivator continued, "Since it’s a private duel, we could lodge a complaint with Zhengqing Institute. I’ve also heard that Zhuang Bufan has had some prior grievances with Zhang Yan and was even reprimanded by the Sect Leader because of him. So, we can approach him. That self-proclaimed righteous figure might uphold the sect rules... let’s see how he handles this matter."

The Red-haired Daoist pondered for a while. He wasn’t entirely confident in this approach. Zhuang Bufan, after all, was part of Zhang Yan’s lineage, and how could he possibly favor their side? Still, Zhuang Bufan was an extremely rigid individual who adhered strictly to the sect rules, at least publicly. Without any better options for now, the Red-haired Daoist nodded and agreed, "It’s worth a try."

He then glanced at his younger cousin again and sighed with some regret, "Fifteenth Master, you’re quite brilliant. It’s a pity that your aptitude is so mediocre. After more than 30 years of cultivation, you’re still only at the Ming Qi First Realm. I fear you may never reach the Great Dao. Alas, heaven is cruel to talents."

The young cultivator, unmoved, smiled faintly and responded, "This body was bestowed upon me by the heavens through my parents. Poor aptitude merely means reincarnation and trying again. I’ve long come to terms with it."

Yet a strange glint flickered across his eyes, as he quietly thought to himself, "Mediocre aptitude, and no opportunity in this lifetime? Perhaps not..."

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)