I Cheated While Cultivating

Chapter 56: The Sword-Carrying White Crane

How dare he disturb the sanctity of the immortal crane?

This was the first reaction of the majority of people present, but soon they realized something was amiss: this slovenly drunkard seemed to have fallen off the crane.

Did he ride the crane here?

The onlookers surrounding the duel stage couldn’t lielp but feel that coming to watch the commotion this time was a huge win—they witnessed excitement that they might not see in half their lifetimes.

It started with Ninth Grade Zhou Heng’s counter-murder of an Eighth Rank hitman from the list, followed by Tian Chong, the martial affairs official who wanted to strip Zhou Heng of his name, and then, unexpectedly, a martial affairs official from the county city flew in, flipping the situation around with a series of actions.

And now a peculiar Taoist who rode a white crane appeared, seemingly also looking for Zhou Heng?

Who in the world is Zhou Heng?

How has he attracted so many extraordinary individuals?

In fact, it wasn’t just the spectators who felt puzzled; even Zhou Heng himself was a bit bewildered.

Who is this drunken Taoist?

Where did he come from?

What does he want with me?

What’s going on?

Kong Chengshun saw the white crane and the drunken Taoist and immediately furrowed his eyebrows, his face changing slightly as if he had thought of something.

Pei Zhantu’ s expression was also one of stark astonishment as he looked toward the Taoist who had suddenly arrived riding a crane. His gaze was filled with confusion.

Clearly, he recognized the Taoist but couldn’t understand why the Taoist would be here.

Liu Changsheng, standing beneath the duel stage, also widened his eyes.

He did not know the drunken Taoist, but he recognized the robe he wore.

Though the robe was full of grease stains and had many areas hardened into crusts, its overall style was still discernible.

That was a robe from the Pure Yang Palace!

And judging by the style, this sloshed Taoist was at least of Sixth Rank, perhaps even Fifth Rank cultivation.

Yet another powerhouse with the strength of a grandmaster had arrived!?

Just who is Zhou Heng?

Could it be that he truly has some inconceivable secret identity?

Now, Liu Changsheng suddenly felt somewhat relieved; good thing his earlier invitation to Zhou Heng had not succeeded.

Otherwise—

If he had truly taken Zhou Heng as a disciple, he might have been on the receiving end of a beating from these big shots.

"Why has he come?” The manager, who seemed to recognize the drunken Taoist, was also very puzzled.

"Who is this Taoist?” Liu Changsheng asked,

“Manager Wang, do you know him?”

” The number one on the people’ s list 50 years ago, the true successor of Pure Yang Palace, known as ‘Sword-Carrying White Crane Immortal,’ You Ziheng.” Manager Wang looked at the drunken Taoist on the stage who still hadn’t gotten up, as if reminiscing about the past.

"You Ziheng!?” Liu Changsheng exclaimed in shock, disbelievingly staring at the unkempt drunken Taoist,

“Wasn’t the Sword-Carrying White Crane Immortal said to be a dashing and handsome figure, singular like a sword immortal? How could this be…”

Manager Wang simply shook his head in silence.

Zhou Heng, with his sensitive hearing, caught the conversation between Liu Changsheng and Manager Wang and immediately had a realization.

So, this man came from the Pure Yang Palace.

Then he understood; this must be related to Cheng Jianjian.

Back when Cheng Jianjian bid him farewell, she had left as a disciple of the Pure Yang Palace.

"Is it because of my Pure Yang Body that she intended to introduce me to the Pure Yang Palace to learn martial arts?” Zhou Heng guessed the purpose of You Ziheng’s visit in his heart.

"You Ziheng, why have you come?” Pei Zhantu, who was from the same era as this drunken Taoist, asked with confusion,

“Are you here for Zhou Heng?”

Upon hearing this name, Kong Chengshun’s face changed dramatically, and he quickly performed a fist-and-palm salute, saying,

“Junior Kong Chengshun of the Chang Xing Sect pays respect to Senior You of the Pure Yang Palace.”

With those words, everyone present instantly grasped You Ziheng’s identity.

This drunken Taoist was actually from the Pure Yang Palace!

Seeing him descend from the sky on a white crane, he must be at least a Sixth Rank expert, and possibly even a Fifth Rank grandmaster!

Pure Yang Palace!

It was one of the three great Taoist palaces in the world, with its palace lord currently ranked first on the Heaven’s List, overwhelmingly dominating the current era.

It was said within the sect there were Immortals who had stepped into the Divine First Rank, sacred beings that could be referred to as the strongest.

Their lineage was incredibly ancient.

Although the specific era was hard for outsiders to verify, the information that could be confirmed indicated that even before the Middle Ancient Era, the Pure Yang Palace had existed for untold years.

Without a doubt, it was one of the most powerful sects in the world.

Compared to it, what were the Five Elements Sect and the Pingzhou Pei family? They paled in comparison!

As for the Chang Xing Sect, it was hardly worth mentioning.

"Hie, Zhou Heng, where is Zhou Heng?”

You Ziheng looked around in a daze, completely ignoring Pei Zhantu and Kong Chengshun; his gaze finally settled on Zhou Heng and a smile appeared on his face that was partially obscured by hair,

“Hahaha, I finally found you, lad!”

He laughed as he rose from the ground, and his previously foggy eyes seemed to clear up a bit. After sizing up Zhou Heng, he chuckled and said,

“That’s right, that’s right, it’s you, lad.”

"Senior is looking for me?” Although Zhou Heng was quite puzzled, he still maintained the appropriate politeness.

Speaking politely was always correct.

"Glug glug glug.”

You Ziheng took a swig from his gourd of wine, looked at Zhou Heng, and got straight to the point,

“That’s right, I came looking for you, and I also wanted to ask you, are you interested in becoming a disciple of my Pure Yang Palace?” Hiss hiss!!

At this, all the surrounding coolness was completely sucked dry, not a drop left.

All those present were shocked, their faces filled with disbelief as they stared at Zhou Heng and You Ziheng.

My God!

What on earth was going on??

A member of the Pure Yang Palace had actively sought out Zhou Heng to take him as a disciple of the Pure Yang Palace!?

This was the Pure Yang Palace, after all!

Who exactly was Zhou Heng for the Pure Yang Palace to regard him so highly?

Lei Xiuyan and Lin Cang on the high platform felt dizzy, as if they were in a dream.

No, even in a dream, they would not dare imagine that the martial artist they had trained would be noticed by the Pure Yang Palace and taken as a disciple!! This was utterly inconceivable!

Too incredible!

Yun Xiu and the others were completely stunned; they were good friends with Zhou Heng and the current situation completely exceeded their understanding.

If they hadn’t witnessed it with their own eyes, they would even doubt whether this Zhou Heng was the same person they knew.

This was the Pure Yang Palace, after all!

"You’re going to directly take him as a disciple?” Pei Zhantu was somewhat surprised, asking with doubt,

“Did you specially come from Pure Yang Palace to find him?”

Although he had also noticed Zhou Heng’s extraordinary talents, it surely hadn’t reached the extent that Pure Yang Palace would personally send someone to recruit a disciple.

For a top Martial Dao Sect like Pure Yang Palace, the selection of disciples was extremely strict; not only did they assess talent and aptitude, but candidates usually had to go through various selections and assessments before they could truly be accepted as disciples.

Since when was it ever so casual?

"Heh heh, that’s notit,” You Ziheng shook his head, took another swig of wine, and smiled,

“I was riding my crane to Dongli Mountain to buy wine when suddenly on a whim, I sensed that someone named ‘Zhou Heng’ here was fated with our Pure Yang Palace, so I came down to take a look.”

"So that’s how it is,” Pei Zhantu suddenly realized, unaware that You Ziheng was just fooling him, and the doubts in his heart immediately dissipated.

Pure Yang Palace had a long and ancient heritage, rumored to still possess techniques from the era of Immortals and Saints from antiquity. The whimsical intuition about fate that You Ziheng mentioned indeed existed and wasn’t merely an excuse.

If that was the case, he understood why You Ziheng had appeared here and was even willing to have Zhou Heng join Pure Yang Palace.

It was all just a coincidence.

You Ziheng happened to pass by, and on a whim, he descended.

Only a coincidence could explain it; otherwise, how could it be possible for Pure Yang Palace to come thousands of miles just to take in a disciple?

"Taoist priest, are you saying that you want me to join Pure Yang Palace?” Zhou Heng’s eyes lit up.

He did not lack martial arts, but what he lacked were teachers and predecessors to guide him in martial experience, as well as fellow disciples to spar with and progress together.

This was one of the reasons why, even after acquiring the System, he still chose to take part in the assessments and tried to join Chang Xing Sect.

And having read through

“Journey to the West” several times, he was very clear that having a backing or not often made the difference between heaven and earth, and even between life and death.

Although Chang Xing Sect could only be considered medium-sized within the entirety of Da Qi, it was already the strongest martial sect in the vicinity of Huangtong Mansion City.

For an ordinary person who had come from deep within the mountains like him, it definitely could serve as a commendable backing.

At least until his own strength truly became formidable, that was how it seemed.

Now Chang Xing Sect was no longer a possibility.

Originally, Zhou Heng intended to wait until his strength improved further and he made a name for himself on the list of notable individuals before seeking other, better sects to see if he could join.

Unexpectedly, Pure Yang Palace came knocking on his door!

Cheng Jianjian, this little girl, was indeed nice. If conditions allowed in the future, he’d see if he could make some chocolate for her to try.

"What, interested? Hie!” You Ziheng burped, exhaling alcohol, and laughed, “Although I feel you are fated with our Pure Yang Palace, whether you can truly join or not is not up to me alone; there will still be assessments.

"As for what the specific assessment will be, let’s talk tomorrow, tomorrow I’ll tell you, um, when I think of it tomorrow, I mean, when I remember tomorrow, pah, look at my mouth, whatever, it’ll be tomorrow!”

He seemed to be drunk, his speech somewhat slurred, then he moved over to PeiZhantu’s side, and smiled,

“Hey, Pei, haven’t we not seen each other for decades? Won’t you drink a couple jars with me?”

The two were of similar age, had both competed in the same era, and were quite familiar with each other.

"I have official responsibilities now,” Pei Zhantu frowned and said,

“It’s not that I’m unwilling; it’s that I cannot.”

"Ah, what a hassle,” You Ziheng waved his hand, a bit disappointed, and said,

“Then arrange a good tavern for me, get me some fine wine. This is your territory; if not, I might think you’re petty.”

Saying this, he swaggered off toward the arena below, while the white crane that was over ten meters tall suddenly shrank into the size of a sparrow, flying onto his shoulder.

Zhou Heng watched his departing figure, suddenly feeling that Pure Yang Palace… didn’t seem very reliable?

Kong Chengshun, however, let out a long sigh of relief.

Just now, he had been on tenterhooks, truly afraid that You Ziheng would discover his earlier intention to suppress Zhou Heng and block his martial path.

Both Pure Yang Palace and Chang Xing Sect were sects; if You Ziheng targeted him, it wouldn’t lead to further conflicts between the noble families, court, and the sects.

With just a little warning, You Ziheng could make things very difficult for Kong Chengshun.

But just as Kong Chengshun had begun to relax his mind.

The moment You Ziheng was about to jump down from the arena, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. With his right hand formed into a sword finger, he gently twisted it. The invisible energy of heaven and earth was immediately stirred and astonishingly condensed into thousands of sword lights in an instant! Zheng!

The sword hummed, like a crane crying in the ninth heaven, resounding through the universe!

At the same moment, hundreds of sword lights converged around Kong Chengshun, enveloping him from all directions—front, back, left, right, and above.

Moreover, each of these sword lights was but a hair’s breadth from truly piercing him!

Kong Chengshun immediately broke into a cold sweat, with terror nearly bursting from his heart.

"Kneel down and apologize to the destined one of my Pure Yang Palace.” You Ziheng stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from Kong Chengshun, and spoke indifferently. With a flick of his sleeve, he withdrew the sword lights, leapt down from the arena, and staggered away.

Kong Chengshun’s clothes were soaked with cold sweat. Even though the sword lights had been withdrawn, he was still immersed in the sudden and violent fear that had overwhelmed him.

Without hesitation, he knelt in front of Zhou Heng, shouting loudly,

“I’m sorry! I beg for Young Master Zhou Heng’s forgiveness, please don’t hold a grudge for my previous offenses! I’m sorry!”

"Heh.” Zhou Heng scoffed coldly, not even bothering to glance at Kong Chengshun, turned around, and said to Pei Zhantu,

“Mr. Pei, may I host a banquet to express my gratitude for your assistance?”

"No need, I merely did what I should have done.” Pei Zhantu continued with the same response, chuckling,

“Helpingyou is also helping myself.”

Having said that, he soared into the air and flew toward a tall building not far away.

Zhou Heng watched his figure, and the girl Pei Luoling on the high building, and roughly guessed what had happened.

Pei Luoling had obviously sneaked out, and Pei Zhantu had most likely come to

“bring” herback. The help he provided to Zhou Heng was likely a

“request” proposed by Pei Luoling regarding returning.

"Thank you.” Zhou Heng waved to the girl on the high building.

Pei Luoling had originally been facing away from Zhou Heng, but as if sensing him, she turned around and saw Zhou Heng waving. Her somewhat sorrowful expression instantly filled with smiles again.

She started looking forward to the future:

"Mm, I will come here again in the future to hear the rest of your wonderful stories.”

This assessment competition of the Chang Xing Sect ended in an unprecedented manner.

Following that, barring any surprises, Zhou Heng would receive support policies from the Huangtong Mansion Martial Affairs Department.

Not just silver coins.

But also an opportunity to commission a military craftsman to create a personalized weapon.

This was an opportunity money couldn’t buy!

Huang Jingfu and Hong Kang would most likely be stripped of their positions as heads of their respective halls, and there might be other punishments as well.

Apart from Zhou Heng, the biggest winner was undoubtedly Longxing Martial Arts Hall.

Lei Xiuyan and Lin Cang had yet to process what had happened when the Martial Arts Hall was flooded with people, all waving silver notes and wanting to enroll their children to learn martial arts.

Zhou Heng didn’t intend to pay attention to these distractions. After coming down from the arena, he had a meal with Yu He and Yun Xiu before returning home.

The day had been eventful, and he might face another assessment from You Ziheng tomorrow, not even knowing what it entailed. It was important to rest well.

But he didn’t sleep for long before waking up.

Looking out the window, the night was dark, and the wind was high.

Zhou Heng sat up in bed, the room silent, his brows slightly furrowed, wondering,

“Did I overlook something? Something doesn’t feel right; Kong Chengshun’s sword?”

Zheng!

Just then, a sword cry sounded in the room without warning, and Zhou Heng saw an ancient-looking longsword suddenly appear on the table beside his bed.

“That’s right, you indeed overlooked me.”

The ancient sword trembled slightly.

And issued an aged voice.