Chapter 15: Leave Your Father to Me to Develop

In the dead of night, with no village ahead and no inn behind, the two could only find shelter for the night in a dilapidated temple.

They sat around a campfire, Wang Jingyuan carving a piece of wood with a small knife, while Yue Lingshan roasted some flatbread over the flames. As she baked, she gazed at Wang Jingyuan’s profile flickering in the firelight, momentarily lost in admiration.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, she snapped angrily, “You bastard, explain yourself! Why did you call me stupid earlier today? What exactly makes me stupid?”

Wang Jingyuan paused his work slightly and moved closer to her. “Let me ask you first. When the two of us go down the mountain on a mission, what is our greatest advantage?”

Yue Lingshan slapped the hilt of her sword beside her. “I, the heroine, possess superior martial arts!”

“Tsk, do you really believe that?”

“My martial arts are indeed superior, at least better than yours.” Though she knew her actual level, she refused to admit otherwise and stubbornly insisted.

After a moment, she continued, “If not that, then what other advantage do we have?”

Wang Jingyuan pointed behind them to the now distant Mount Hua. “Your father.”

Yue Lingshan was startled, glancing around. “Did my father come with us?!”

“Of course not. Judging by the time, he’s probably on his way to Hengyang City to attend Liu Zhengfeng’s retirement ceremony.”

“Then you’re just making things up.”

“Tsk, calling you stupid and you won’t admit it… Hey! Stay away, don’t hit me!”

Wang Jingyuan dodged Yue Lingshan’s strike nimbly. “Tell me, how is your father’s martial skill?”

Yue Lingshan, distracted from her anger, proudly replied, “He’s one of the top experts in the martial world.”

“If Dongfang Bubai is considered peerless, then masters like Fang Zheng and Chong Xu are top-tier. Your father and other leaders of the Five Mountains Sword Sects rank second-rate.”

“You—!” Though she wanted to retort, she couldn’t shamelessly claim her father could single-handedly defeat Shaolin or Wudang.

“Moreover, Mount Hua is unlike the other four mountains. For reasons known to some, there are only a few capable disciples left — a handful of big cats and small kittens. Even ordinary disciples are scarce. So your father has become the symbol of the ‘Gentleman’s Sword.’”

Yue Lingshan frowned. “What does that title have to do with my father?”

“Look at the other sect leaders and their top disciples. Who frequently descends the mountain to uphold justice? Only your father treats chivalry like a KPI, completing it regularly and on schedule.”

“That’s why he earned the name ‘Gentleman’s Sword’ and a good reputation. Anyone thinking of challenging Mount Hua has to weigh whether they want the shame of oppressing a virtuous gentleman.”

Yue Lingshan was unwilling to admit her father’s chivalrous acts were somewhat self-serving and quickly denied, “My father doesn’t act out of such motives!”

“Believe it or not. No matter his original intent, he did rely on that good reputation to carry Mount Hua through its toughest times.”

“Now, as he ages and his internal energy and swordsmanship grow deeper, he can protect the sect on his own. But the title ‘Gentleman’s Sword’ has become a hindrance.”

“A hindrance?”

“Take the Qingcheng Sect we’re about to face. Though considered a reputable orthodox sect, their leader Yu the Short is famously narrow-minded.”

“That’s his public persona, so when he acts out of anger or selfishness in ways that border on impropriety for a righteous sect, people just see it as part of his character.”

“But your father can’t afford that. As the ‘Gentleman’s Sword,’ he’s held to the highest standards. Even a slight misstep brands him a hypocrite.”

“Now he’s like a sword without a sharp edge, restrained at every turn. Besides…”

Wang Jingyuan glanced at Yue Lingshan with a hint of disdain. “There’s no one clever enough in Mount Hua to cooperate with him. As leader, he’s utterly frustrated.”

“What kind of cooperation?”

“Here’s an example: any ambitious emperor cultivates an image of a wise ruler. Everything he does is right and just.”

“But ruling a country is always about the state or royal interests. Doing only good deeds doesn’t get the job done. If an emperor wants to kill a powerful general or a renowned loyal minister, what does he do?”

Yue Lingshan, often playful, had sneaked down the mountain with her senior brothers many times and listened to many operas. At Wang Jingyuan’s words, she recalled the repetitive lines: “When treacherous ministers rule, they deceive the sovereign’s ears!”

Wang Jingyuan clapped his hands. “Correct! Except for a few truly foolish rulers, most emperors see clearly. After achieving their goals, they stage a performance punishing the traitors and repenting their mistakes.”

“Everything acts as if nothing happened.”

Yue Lingshan roughly understood his point. “So you want to be that treacherous minister?”

“Exactly. From now on, I’m the disgrace of Mount Hua and the shame of the Qi Sect. Your father is the ‘Gentleman’s Sword’ I’ve deceived. Just watch how I’ll exploit him.”

Yue Lingshan nodded, still feeling something strange about his words. Then she saw him fiddling with the wood pieces again and asked, “I wanted to ask earlier—why have you been collecting wood and doing carpentry all this way?”

“To make a crossbow. In this era, quality timber is abundant. I just need some adhesive, and I can finish one.”

“You’re crazy!”

“I’m not.”

“Do you even know…”

“One armor ranks against three crossbows; three armors go to the underworld. One crossbow won’t kill outright, but if you’re caught, you’ll pay dearly.”

“Then why dare make one?!”

“Because it’s illegal, it’s a deadly weapon. Watch this...” Wang Jingyuan flipped his hand, and the wooden parts disappeared.

Yue Lingshan was still anxious. “Even if you can make them vanish, what if someone discovers it?”

“Simple. Your father just needs to expel me first, then report me to the authorities for secretly possessing crossbows. Mount Hua would be innocent and even credited.”

“Junior brother, my father wouldn’t do that.”

“Don’t be naive. When the day comes, your father will make the right choice. He’s a prisoner left behind by the previous generation in Mount Hua. He’ll never escape the sect, his fate tied to it. And I don’t mind.”

“Junior brother…”

“That’s the game logic. Without these rules, it wouldn’t be fun.”

Yue Lingshan fell silent, picked up the wood pieces, drew her sword, and began carving. “Then I’ll help you make it.”

“...Do you know how to make crossbows?”

“...I don’t think so.”

“All the parts I made are ruined by you.”

“Sorry!”