Chapter 96 Let's Discuss Ourselves
"Tell me what made you join forces with Dongfang Bubai..."

Ren Woxing shook him off. Just now, Ren Yingying was holding her arm and turning her head to the other side.

The old man was so angry that he was stunned. If it was not his daughter but a son, he would have taken action to let him know what fatherly love is!

He didn't expect that his daughter would also be involved in his plan to become a Taoist priest in Qingcheng Mountain.

He originally thought that his daughter was quite filial. He had just come out of the dungeon and was waiting by his side.

Now it seems that he was totally overthinking it.

"Dad, Uncle Chu and Uncle Dongfang are good friends. Although Uncle Xiang has found out where Uncle Dongfang has imprisoned you, if we rescue you, I'm afraid we will face the situation where Uncle Chu and Uncle Dongfang join forces..."

Ren Yingying felt a little aggrieved, and she could only explain to Ren Woxing.

"You actually called that old thief Dongfang Bubai uncle?"

Ren Woxing said dissatisfiedly.

In Ren Woxing's opinion, Dongfang Bubai is just a villain who usurped the throne.

"Dad, after all, I was raised by Uncle Dongfang. He also taught me martial arts and named me the Saint of the Demon Cult..."

Ren Yingying said.

She still has some feelings for Dongfang Bubai.

Not much though.

"It's fine if you call that old thief Dongfang Bubai uncle, but why are you calling him uncle too? How old is he?"

Ren Woxing looked at Chu Yuandao who had just defeated him.

"Senior, I am twenty-nine this year! And Brother Dongfang and I are brothers, so it's right for Miss Ren to call me uncle."

Chu Yuan said with a smile beside him.

"You're twenty-nine! Impossible. You look like you're only in your early twenties..."

Ren Woxing looked at Chu Yuan's appearance, unable to hide the shock on his face.

"Taoism has the art of maintaining youth and health. Isn't it normal to stay young forever?"

Chu Yuan smiled.

The reason why he is nearly thirty years old but still looks like he is in his early twenties.

It’s because he practiced the “Eternal Spring Skill”!
"That's right. You were already famous twenty years ago. If you calculate the time, you are almost thirty now."

Ren Woxing said with a complicated expression.

Even though Chu Yuan was almost thirty, it was not a particularly glorious thing for a fifty-something martial arts veteran to be defeated by Chu Yuan, a thirty-something martial arts veteran.

"Senior, I plan to spend a few days in West Lake and then return to Qingcheng Mountain."

Then Chu Yuan said.

"No, since you and the old thief Dongfang call each other brothers, we are of the same generation. You don't have to call me senior. I can't bear it..."

Ren Woxing quickly corrected Chu Yuan's way of addressing him.

Chu Yuan called him senior, but he didn't feel much respect from the title. Instead, it seemed more like a mockery of his strength and martial arts.

"Then what should I call senior?"

Chu Yuan asked Ren Woxing.

"What do you call the old thief Dongfang?"

Let me do what I want.

"Brother Dongfang."

Chu Yuan said truthfully.

"Then you can just call me Brother Ren."

Let me do what I want.

"That's fine."

Chu Yuan said.

"Master, are you going to Qingcheng Mountain with Taoist Priest Chu?"

When Xiang Wentian heard that Ren Woxing was going to Qingcheng Mountain with Chu Yuan, he spoke in a puzzled tone.

Now that the leader has escaped, shouldn't he make some preparations, gather his old subordinates, and together they attack the Black Wood Cliff and seize power from Dongfang Bubai?
What to do in Qingcheng Mountain?
He always felt that there was something wrong.

"Yes, I want to go to Qingcheng Mountain and practice in seclusion for a while. Do you have any objection?"

Ren Woxing glared at Xiang Wentian unhappily.

Although he was defeated by Chu Yuan, since Xiang Wentian was not there just now, he was embarrassed to tell this news to Xiang Wentian, his old subordinate.

Therefore, he pretended to be annoyed, hoping that Xiang Wentian would be more tactful and stop asking about this matter.

"No, no…no."

Xiang Wentian shook his head.

He always felt that something must have happened just now that he didn't know about.

……

"The banquet is ready, please come in."

Soon Tu Bi Weng and Dan Qingsheng came over and invited Chu Yuan, Ren Woxing and his party to attend the banquet.

At the banquet, Heibaizi was extremely flattering to Chu Yuan and toasted him repeatedly.

Since Ren Woxing had been decided to be released by the leader Dongfang Bubai and was asked to follow Chu Yuan to Qingcheng Mountain, he no longer had any hope of obtaining the "Star Absorbing Art" from Ren Woxing.

Moreover, even Chu Yuan couldn't defeat Ren Woxing's "Star Absorbing Technique", so it seems that he is not that powerful.

He only hoped that Chu Yuan could give the four brothers some pointers during his stay in Mei Manor, which would be of great benefit to them.

And Hei Baizi's flattery reminded Chu Yuan of someone.

That was Zhao Sihai, the Seventh Protector among the Thirteen Protectors, who was arranged by Zuo Lengchan to be an undercover agent in Qingcheng Sect.

However, this person was flattering, and he was flattering his senior brother Yu Canghai.

It is precisely because of this that Senior Brother Yu Canghai has always kept such a person by his side.

But the target of Hei Baizi's flattery became himself.

Early the next morning.

When the sun rises, the mist and dew remain, and the green pines are as if they are covered with ointment.

At dawn, amid the clear chirping of birds,
Hei Baizi got up early in the morning and waited outside the guest room where Chu Yuan and the others were resting.

"Are you so early?"

After Chu Yuan got up, he opened the door of the guest room and saw Hei Baizi standing in the yard. He was surprised.

"Master Chu, wash up first. Also, breakfast is ready. After breakfast, if you want to go somewhere in West Lake, I can lead the way."

Heibaizi laughed.

He waved his hand behind him, and immediately two pretty maids, about sixteen or seventeen years old, came in with washbasins and were about to help Chu Yuan wash.

"No, I can do it myself."

Chu Yuan refused.

He has never had the habit of having someone help him wash and brush his teeth.

When he was in Qingcheng Mountain, although he had a noble status, he still had to wash and dress by himself.

Seeing that Chu Yuan refused, Hei Baizi did not force it and waved away the servants.

"Hei Baizi, now that you see someone with higher martial arts skills, instead of trying to curry favor with me, you're going to try to curry favor with this brother of mine?"

This scene happened to be seen by Ren Woxing, who had just gotten up, opened the door, and walked out of the room. There seemed to be sarcasm in his eyes.

When he was imprisoned in the dungeon before, Hei Baizi often hid it from his three brothers and was very attentive to him, just to get the secret of "Star Absorbing Art" from him.

Naturally, he would not teach his martial arts to such a flattering villain.

But during the days of being imprisoned in the dungeon, having such a person around could spice up his boring life.

So he didn't refuse explicitly and kept Hei Baizi hanging.

Now seeing that Hei Baizi has defected to someone else, Ren Woxing feels quite unhappy.

"Senior Ren is up now. Let's go to the front yard to eat with Taoist Priest Chu."

Seeing Ren Woxing standing up, Hei Baizi responded indifferently, turned around and left with two young maids.

As for Ren Woxing's washing and brushing teeth, he can do it himself.

The treatment he received from Chu Yuan was completely different. Anyway, he didn't ask for anything from Ren Woxing now.

"That makes no sense."

Ren Woxing looked at Hei Baizi who turned around and left with an indifferent attitude. Ren Woxing was very angry and his face turned blue and white.

"Dad, although you are out of trouble, you are no longer the leader of the Divine Religion. You need to calm down."

This scene was seen by Ren Yingying, who had also just gotten up. She was wearing a purple dress that set off her graceful figure and was not wearing a veil. Ren Yingying smiled.

"Dad, I'll get you some water to wash up!"

Ren Yingying went to find someone in Meizhuang and asked where she could get water to wash.

"Brother Ren, good morning!"

Chu Yuan came out of the room after washing up and saw Ren Woxingdao.

Today, Ren Woxing changed out of yesterday's shabby clothes and put on a blue shirt, a black belt around his waist, and his hair tied into a bun with a wooden hairpin.

Because Chu Yuan was going to take Ren Woxing back to Qingcheng Mountain, it was impossible for him to live alone in a courtyard, so he asked Huang Zhonggong to arrange them in a small courtyard.

"Brother Chu, this Hei Baizi appears to be a flatterer and servile person, but he is actually a man with a deep mind and ulterior motives. Don't be deceived by this villain."

Ren Woxing reminded Chu Yuan.

When Chu Yuan heard Ren Woxing's words, he smiled, but didn't care much.

He was quite good at judging people. The reason why Hei Baizi was so attentive to him was just to get him to teach him martial arts.

If this person is not a bad person besides being relatively diligent, it is not impossible to give him some guidance.

……

After washing.

After breakfast, Chu Yuan planned to visit West Lake today.

Heibaizi volunteered, saying that he was very familiar with West Lake, so he was willing to lead the way for Chu Yuan and the others.

Ren Woxing didn't want to go at first, but because Chu Yuan was going, he couldn't leave Chu Yuan's sight, so he had to go too.

The most famous scenery of West Lake is the "Ten Scenes of West Lake".

The ten scenic spots of West Lake are: Autumn Moon over Calm Lake, Spring Dawn over Su Causeway, Residual Snow on Broken Bridge, Sunset over Leifeng Pagoda, Evening Bell at Nanping Mountain, Lotus in Winding Garden, Fish-watching at Flower Harbor, Orioles Singing in Willow Waves, Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, and Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds.

The term "Ten Scenic Spots of West Lake" did not originate in later generations, but has existed since the Southern Song Dynasty.

There are only subtle differences.

Under the leadership of Heibaizi, Chu Yuan and his friends began to travel around the West Lake.

Among the ten scenic spots of West Lake, many have different viewing times and even different seasons.

Just like Su Causeway Spring Dawn, in the morning in spring, when the mist is thick, the willows are turning green, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom, it is the best view, showing the charming and gentle temperament of West Lake.

As for Pinghu Autumn Moon, it is suitable for viewing on a clear autumn night. At this time, the surface of West Lake is as calm as a mirror, the bright autumn moon is in the sky, and the moonlight and lake water complement each other, giving a feeling of "the whole lake is covered with autumn light".

The Broken Bridge with Snow is suitable for winter travel. When the West Lake clears up after the snow, the sunrise shines and the snow on the sunny side of the Broken Bridge melts, revealing a trace of the brown bridge surface, as if a long white chain is broken here.

Heibaizi has lived by the West Lake for more than ten years, so he knows the lake very well.

I took Chu Yuan and the others to some places that were suitable for daytime sightseeing.

We went to Orioles Singing in the Willow Waves first.

Looking at the willow trees in the garden, the wind swayed them into waves, the orioles chirped melodiously, and the willow branches brushed against my face, creating a lively scene.

The only drawback is that although there is vitality, it is not enough, because it is already autumn, and the leaves on the willow trees have begun to turn yellow and wither.

Later I went to Quyuan Fenghe.

Here, there are fields of lotus leaves and charming lotus flowers. A small bridge is built on the water. People walking on the bridge feel like they are walking among lotus flowers.

When people stand on the bridge, they can't see the end at a glance. Visually, there is a sense of beauty: "the lotus leaves are endless and green, and the lotus flowers are red in the sun."

However, this is only the scenery that exists in Hei Baizi's mouth. At this time, the lotus flowers and lotus leaves here have withered and stand dryly on the lake, without any sense of beauty.

Finally, a few people rented a black-sailed boat and went boating on the lake.

It can be seen that Ren Yingying likes the beautiful scenery of West Lake very much. She is very relaxed sitting on the bow of the black-sailed boat.

The autumn wind blew her hair and her dress fluttered, and for a moment she felt that the beautiful scenery of West Lake was in harmony with her.

Ren Yingying took this opportunity to ask Chu Yuan for advice on the song "A Laugh in the Ocean".

Let Chu Yuan hum and she composes the music.

When Ren Yingying went out, she actually brought a zither with her.

"Cang Hai Xiao~"

"The tide is surging on both sides~"

"Floating and sinking with the waves, just remember today~"

"The sky is laughing~"

"The world is full of tides~"

……

Chu Yuan did not refuse and started humming.

Although his humming was not very pleasant, it was still acceptable against the background of Ren Yingying's piano music.

Chu Yuan sings this song without any technique, only emotion.

Chu Yuan and Ren Yingying sat at the bow of the boat, while the boatman wearing a bamboo hat rowed the oars at the stern, allowing the black-sailed boat to move slowly on the lake.

Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian sat in the middle of the boat.

On the contrary, Heibaizi did not get on the boat just now, but was waiting for them on the shore.

Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian felt the cool breeze of late autumn and listened to the duet of lyrics and music by Chu Yuan and his daughter, which they found quite a treat.

I have to say, this song "Swordsman" is quite nice to listen to.

Although he was somewhat disdainful of the lyrics and music of the song "Swordsman".

If you want to be the best in the world, you must unify the world and dominate the martial arts world.

"Xiang Zuoshi, what do you think about pairing Yingying with my brother Chu and letting them get married?"

Ren Woxing looked at Chu Yuan and Ren Yingying sitting at the bow of the boat, and he suddenly said to Xiang Wentian beside him.

"Master, are you trying to win over this Taoist Priest Chu by using the young lady..."

Xiang Wentian had a look of sudden realization on his face.

It was not until later that he found out that the reason Dongfang Bubai gave Chu Yuan the Sun and Moon Black Iron Order was to let Chu Yuan bring the old leader to Qingcheng Mountain, and that the young lady also participated in this.

But in his opinion, isn't this just continuing to be imprisoned?
It was just that the place of imprisonment was moved from a dark dungeon to Mount Qingcheng.

It is also said that there are many masters in Qingcheng Mountain now, and it is one of the four major sects of the righteous world in the martial arts world, and its strength is not inferior to Wudang and Shaolin. Once he goes to Qingcheng Mountain, I am afraid that the old leader will really become a Taoist priest on the mountain.

"There are considerations in this regard."

Ren Woxing nodded.

"As long as Brother Chu marries my daughter, he will become my son-in-law. You can't help Dongfang Bubai to deal with me, right?"

Ren Woxing then continued.

And with a great general like Chu Yuan under his command, it is not impossible for him to take revenge on Dongfang Bubai or even take the opportunity to unify the martial arts world.

“This is indeed a good idea. I think it’s feasible.”

Xiang Wentian thought about it and said.

If the leader can really make Taoist Chu, who is known as the "Qingcheng Sword Immortal", his son-in-law, not only will Taoist Chu himself become their helper, but even the Qingcheng Sect behind Chu Yuan will become the leader's helper.

"Let them develop a good relationship first, and then I will make this suggestion. I will make the decision on this matter, and then it will come to fruition naturally."

Ren Woxing said with some pride.

Zheng!
The piano music on the boat stopped abruptly.

Ren Yingying put the piano aside and stood up.

"Dad, next time you want to use your daughter as a bargaining chip to win over others, can you please not say it in front of your daughter?"

Ren Yingying walked past Chu Yuan, came to Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian, and scolded the two elders with a fierce look on her face.

"Xiang Zuoshi, were we talking too loudly just now?"

Being scolded by his daughter, Ren Woxing looked at Xiang Wentian who was sitting next to him.

“It seems to be quite big.”

Xiang Wentian lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Ren Yingying.

After all, she is a young lady, a junior whom I have watched grow up.

It was indeed not very nice to talk about using her marriage to win people over in front of others, and it made him feel a little embarrassed.

"Yingying, you are not young anymore. Brother Chu is handsome and has great martial arts skills. Don't you think he is a perfect husband?"

Since his daughter Ren Yingying heard it, Ren Woxing didn't say anything behind his back and directly persuaded his daughter Ren Yingying.

"Chu... Taoist priest, he is of the same generation as you and Uncle Dongfang. I call him uncle, there is a generation gap between them!"

Ren Yingying said angrily.

"What's the big deal? We can discuss our own affairs. As long as you two are willing, I can call him Brother Chu and he can call me father-in-law."

Let me do what I want.

"Father, you..."

Ren Yingying was really mad at her father, her chest heaving slightly. Then she returned to the bow and continued playing the piano to calm herself down.

Chu Yuan couldn't help but smile when he saw this scene.

Ren Woxing is about to go up the mountain to become a Taoist priest, and he is even thinking of using his daughter as a bargaining chip to win me over!
He really never forgets to fight for power and profit, hoping to make a comeback.

"Miss Ren, do you feel that this scene seems familiar?"

Chu Yuan smiled at Ren Yingying.

This scene was very similar to the one in Hengshan City when he and Ren Yingying had just met and Ren Yingying wanted to arrange a marriage for him and her good sister Lan Fenghuang.

As a result, the person who talked about the marriage this time turned out to be her father.

The person being talked about for marriage became herself.

"you……"

Ren Yingying was so angry at Chu Yuan that she stopped playing the piano. She didn't want to pay any attention to Chu Yuan. She turned around, faced the West Lake, and continued to play "Swordsman" in an attempt to calm herself down.

But I can't calm down no matter what!

She recalled the scenes of her two meetings with Chu Yuan in her mind.

The first time, he wanted to win over Chu Yuan by introducing his sister Lan Fenghuang to Chu Yuan, but Chu Yuan didn't fall for it at all.

There was really no other way. After much consideration, she could only go to Qingcheng Mountain in person, infiltrate the Qingcheng Sect, and find Chu Yuan's residence.

The second time, Chu Yuan saw through her thoughts in just a few words. Not only did she fail to convince Chu Yuan, but she was convinced by him and asked her to help deal with her own father in disguise.

But for her father Ren Woxing, who has fought and argued all his life, retiring to live in seclusion in Qingcheng Mountain is the best outcome. This is the main reason why she agreed to Chu Yuan.

Later, from the story Chu Yuan told on the Black Wood Cliff and the "Swordsman" in the story, it can be seen that he, like himself, was also tired of the fighting in the martial arts world.

This made her feel like she had found a close friend.

"It's not impossible to marry him, but there is indeed a generation gap between us!"

Ren Yingying muttered to herself.

……

"See? It's not that I don't want to, I'm just shy!"

Ren Woxing saw what was happening when Ren Yingying was talking to Chu Yuan, and he said to Xiang Wentian who was standing next to him.

"The leader is right."

Ask the way of heaven.

He felt it too.

Young people are thin-skinned!
(End of this chapter)