Why do I have so many masters?

Wang Anfeng watched Yuchi Jie in front of him, his broad sword returned to its sheath. He stifled the chilling sharp essence that cloaked him, looking again like a mild-mannered young scholar.

Yuchi Jie wore a faint smile.

Wang Anfeng pondered for a moment, then said,

"Yuchi, by saying so, you must have already devised a plan."

"As you mentioned, with no fewer than six hundred martial artists outside, at least three of Middle Third Rank, do you require assistance?"

Yuchi Jie shook his head with a smile, "No need, at least not yet. Brother Wang, just chat here with Yan Bo for a while."

"As for me, having Elder Lu with me is enough."

"With Elder Lu's martial arts, if we had to fight our way out, he definitely couldn't handle six hundred people on his own, but if it comes down to it, to break through and escape with me, it's not that difficult."

Wang Anfeng furrowed his brow, slowly nodded, and said,

"If that's the case, be very careful."

Yuchi Jie nods with a smile, looking towards the Observatory Master, he bowed gravely and said,

"However, I would need to borrow something from Elder Yan, I swear on my life to return it intact."

The elderly Taoist slowly nodded and said,

"I will just wait here then."

"If there's anything else you need, speak now and let it be clear…"

Yuchi Jie straightened up, upon hearing this, he chuckled softly,

"What more could I ask for."

"At most, just to have a hearty drink with the third disciple of Elder Yan."

The Observatory Master paused, stroking his beard he laughed,

"Then I presume he would be delighted."

Moments later, Yuchi Jie strode away from the place, with Elder Lu following closely behind, exiting the side hall.

By then, the sun had already risen, yet as it hung amid the cloud-covered mountain peaks, the flowing mists made it seem almost as if the sun was floating and sinking, still displaying a magnificent and mesmerizing scene.

Yuchi Jie took a deep breath, praising the view as indeed the most extraordinary in all the lands, worthy of the grandeur of seven thousand li, making this trip worthwhile.

Elder Lu followed half a step behind him.

When they found a moment of quiet solitude, Elder Lu suddenly spoke in a deep voice,

"Young Master, why must you place yourself in such peril..."

Yuchi Jie didn't stop walking or respond, only slightly chuckled with a hint of teasing,

"What, Elder Lu, are you frightened?"

"They say you fought your way out of battles along the Northern Border, how are you so timid now?"

Elder Lu shook his head, gravely saying,

"Subordinate does not fear death, let alone confrontations with mere sects of Jianghu."

"It's just, I'm puzzled. The old family head repeatedly instructed me to ensure Young Master's safety; please enlighten me."

Yuchi Jie merely chuckled.

Elder Lu paused, then looked up at Yuchi Jie, speaking in a softer tone,

"I dare to ask, does this have to do with that Wang Anfeng?"

This time, Yuchi Jie laughed aloud, stopped in his tracks, and turned to look at Elder Lu, shaking his head and saying,

"Somewhat related, but not enough, far from enough."

"The mere remnants of parental influence, having met only a few times, and you think I would risk my life for him? Elder Lu, your thoughts are too fanciful, haha, even if my father pushed me, I wouldn't necessarily risk my well-being for anyone, let alone now?"

"Let alone for him?"

"Just a wandering ranger with exceptional talent, I might associate with him as an equal, but there's no way I'd risk my life for him."

"My life is far too precious."

Yuchi Jie's expression carried a trace of mockery as he continued,

"If it were his father, maybe a slight chance, Wang Anfeng?"

"What merit does he has that compels me to risk my life for him?"

"On what basis? The leftover influence of his parents? Ha..."

Yuchi Jie then scoffed.

Disdainfully.

Elder Lu felt a ripple of surprise. The term 'parental legacy' wasn't used lightly—it appeared that Wang Anfeng's father had some aspects worth mentioning, and considering how Yuchi Jie spoke, he feared there might be some connection with the old family head, indicating...

Elder Lu's pupils constricted, he dared not think further, only keeping those thoughts firmly in mind, then said,

"Then, Young Master, this is…"

Yuchi Jie turned around, looking over the landscape below, fell into silence, then said softly,

"The old Taoist has something that my father has been obsessing over for nearly twenty years."

"Ever since I can remember, he's been talking about it."

"He always said that once I made something of myself, I should retrieve from this Jade Ruin Temple what he lost there. I never understood before, but now I finally do. This item is not as easy to reclaim as I thought."

"After all, it's too heavy..."

Yuchi Jie's voice lowered to a murmur.

Elder Lu struggled to understand, always a composed person, he didn't ruminate over things he didn't comprehend, instead standing silently behind Yuchi Jie.

Time passed slowly, Yuchi Jie eventually snapped back to reality, clapped his retainer on the shoulder, and said,

"Let's go, Elder Lu!"

"Following me, you'll definitely enjoy the finer things—living a hundred times better than now! Want a few wives? As many as you wish!"

Elder Lu clasped his hands together, said solemnly,

"Acknowledged!"

In the Jade Ruin Temple.

Gong Yu and Lin Qiaofu, among others, were still waiting in that guest room.

There were still refreshments and fruit preserves on the table, but Lin Qiaofu was feeling sleepy again, curling up in the chair with her breathing extremely even.

Hong Luoyu had already soared up into the skies, claiming that since he had come all this way, he ought to check whether the scenery atop the Candle Dragon Roost lived up to its grand reputation.

Guarding the ruins, the guide led Wang Anfeng to a back hall.

This hall did not house the statues of the ancestor gods of the Taoist Sect, and even though it was broad daylight, it was quite dim inside. The guide was carrying a lamp, but the light from the copper lamp was very weak, only capable of illuminating a very narrow space, and it seemed quite dim.

The guide, whose eyesight was not good, seemed to be very accustomed to the environment.

On their way up the mountain, Qing Yun and Qing Yan had mentioned that the highest-ranking Observatory Master didn't practice martial arts but instead looked after the Taoist Scriptures in the pavilion and had a knack for stone carving. He often locked himself underground for days on end, like the seclusions of the Taoist Sect.

However, this Observatory Master's seclusion was not for cultivating Inner Strength or Martial Arts but for sculpting stone statues in a dark room. When tired, he would light the lamp to read some Taoist Scripts and occasionally brought some stone carvings down the mountain to sell.

Initially, they did not sell well until the sixth disciple had a clever idea, saying these were personally carved by an ancient True Master of the Taoist Sect, which could soothe the spirit and ward off evil. This finally brought in some silver coins, thus slightly subsidizing the temple's expenses.

After all, there were around a hundred Taoists from three or four generations.

When there were fewer people, they could comfortably live off the temple's income and the medicinal herbs picked from the mountain. But in recent years, as more people joined, they were starting to feel the pinch.

The old Taoist stopped in the corner at the western side of this hall and placed the copper lamp on an adjacent table so that the dim light would brighten up this corner. Then he squatted down with some difficulty, reaching out to sift through the miscellaneous items and cabinets piled there.

While searching, he laughed and said,

"Having you come here is really for the best. In a few more years when my memory gets worse, it will be even tougher to find these things."

"After all, it's been more than ten years."

Wang Anfeng couldn't help but stood behind the old Taoist, asking softly,

"Uncle Yuchi..."

"Hmm, what is it?"

"My mother, what kind of person was she?"

The old Taoist paused slightly in his actions, then continued to search after a few moments, his movements seemingly unconsciously turning gentler as he responded,

"Why, didn't Li Qidao ever tell you?"

Wang Anfeng shook his head and said,

"Uncle Li... He didn't like to talk much about my mother."

"Whenever he spoke, it was also somewhat vague, inconsistent."

The guide shook his head helplessly and said,

"Li Qidao, that guy, is still the same. Actually, I could have guessed as much."

"He never thought your parents were well-matched, but I was happy to see their union. Your father and mother indeed put in a lot of effort to come together."

"Back in the days of the flower festival, your father and mother were just separated by a Flower Street. Six steps later, they could meet, but your father just couldn't move his feet at that time."

"Your father, having come through life-and-death situations several times, was unparalleled in predicting enemy moves in chess. With every predict came a brilliant strategy, and he once competed against ten renowned players in the chess world simultaneously, enjoying great fame for thirty years."

"For three days and nights, he won all ten matches, causing three of them to cough up blood on the spot, never willing to play another round for the rest of their lives. Among them, the top player from Jiangdong clenched a black chess piece in his hand unto death."

"At that time, your father was at his most brilliant, boasting that for thirty years before and thirty years after, there was no one who could match him."

"After winning, he casually tossed down the chess pieces and walked away. Though the world was full of people, yet no one dared to stop him, such was his elegance. You don't know how many noble clan girls he bewitched. He always managed to advance or retreat with justification, never once losing his composure."

"But that one time, he really lost his mind, standing there calculating moves to the left and right, but ultimately not daring to make a move. Back in the day, when facing a dire situation, he could still take the initiative, laughing lightly and letting the scholar make his move... At that time... Yes, according to the people from Li Qidao, he was extremely nervous, hahaha."

"At that moment, a few of them were huddled together, eyes wide, watching your father, red-faced and anxious, yet even more anxious than your father."

The old Taoist squinted his eyes, his face showing a look of reminiscence.

He still hasn't forgotten that night's scenery.

The brute who had beheaded countless people handled a watermelon with a kitchen knife with decisive ease, the shameless elder from a prominent family of the current generation peddling sweet water along the streets, making a fortune in silver coins.

The man who once covered thirty thousand miles of mountains and rivers in a single day was now peddling lantern flowers with his carrying pole, only within these three hundred meters back and forth, the veteran famous for his valor now donned a scholar's robe, attempting to solve lantern riddles, wrong fifteen times in a row, so angry that sparks flew from his forehead...

For the most part, the lantern festival was attended by their own people.

Then, the next day, the name Divine Martial ceased to exist; after reveling in wine and song, they each parted ways. From the original three thousand who had swept through the nations, although constantly increasing, those who could truly be called 'Divine Martial' were already not many.

After that, even fewer remained...

The guardian of the ruins snapped out of his memories, smiling warmly:

"Your father is not to be relied upon."

"And your mother, she just had to be haughty."

"Though clearly, in her eyes, in the bottom of her heart, it was all your father, yet she just stood there."

"Admiring the lanterns, the flowers, and the scenery, she later said that the sight of your father in distress was a rare and delightful scene to behold in all the world; she had to take a good look, never tiring of watching."

"But the old Taoist saw that your mother was clearly about to grind her teeth in anger."

The guardian of the ruins burst out laughing.

Wang Anfeng felt warmth in his heart, standing behind the old man, softly said:

"What happened next..."

"Next?"

The guardian of the ruins squinted his eyes, his face showing an extremely smug expression, and said:

"The old Taoist took advantage of those guys from Li Qidao who were opening a betting pool, guessing how much longer your father would hold out, and sneaked up behind your father, delivering a fierce kick to his backside."

"I must tell you, that kick was really satisfying!"

"Your father staggered forward a couple of steps, just stopping in front of your mother. After that, everything fell into place. Your father has always been quick-witted, and with that step, everything was up for discussion."

"You were born, and you might well have to thank the old Taoist for that."

The guardian of the ruins laughed aloud, reaching deep inside one of these cabinets to take out a small, exquisitely crafted wooden box, on which not a speck of dust had settled. He stood up, wiped the non-existent dust with his sleeve, and handed the wooden box quite solemnly to Wang Anfeng, laughing:

"As for your mother."

"Opinions vary, full of divergent views."

"But in the eyes of the old Taoist, she is quite an adorable girl."

PS: Today's first update is 3,600 characters long... Then the second update might be a bit later, please bear with us (bowing).