Why do I have so many masters?

The voice had barely fallen before he had already fiercely stepped forward, his blade tearing through the air, instantly sending out streaks of cold light towards Yuchi Jie's vital points. Lao Lu remained silent, taking a step forward with the shattered blade, which had been destroyed under the Jue Que Sword's momentum, swinging out even more wildly.

Yuchi Jie rose to his feet, his robe fluttering like drifting clouds, and spoke indifferently,

"Clashing with the Red Cliff Sect would cost us too much, and it is not my intention."

"Since that's been said, I take my leave."

Yue Hongzhe's long blade clashed with Lao Lu's broken blade dozens of times in the blink of an eye, ringing out shrilly. For a moment, the two seemed evenly matched. Lao Lu took two steps back, holding the broken blade, his expression solemn, and bowed to Yue Hongzhe, then using his Qinggong he swiftly left with Yuchi Jie.

Yue Hongzhe sheathed his blade, his expression stern.

He stood still for a long time before turning and walking towards the direction of the Red Cliff Sect. Soon he saw a woman in white waiting ahead; the cool woman bowed to Yue Hongzhe, her voice crisp,

"Vice Gang Leader Yue."

"Elder Bai has sent me to ask about the cause of the noise from the blades earlier."

Yue Hongzhe's expression remained unchanged as he replied,

"Nothing."

"I just encountered a Taoist from the Jade Ruin Temple, exchanged thirty moves, and repelled him."

The doubt on the female disciple's face faded away as she said,

"I see."

"Then may I ask, Vice Gang Leader, when do we plan to take down the Candle Dragon dwell?"

A woman in white came from behind; though she was no longer young, she was remarkably well-preserved, carrying herself with an elegance that many younger women lacked. She smiled at Yue Hongzhe,

"Once we take down the most majestic part of these seven thousand miles of mountains and rivers, we can also return to the sect earlier."

"The Gang Leader has been waiting for a while."

Yue Hongzhe's voice hesitated for a moment, and for some reason, he thought of the young master he had seen earlier, who appeared calm and collected. His expression did not change as he replied slowly,

"This matter... is not urgent..."

Lao Lu supported Yuchi Jie, whose back clothes were completely soaked with sweat. Although he had seemed very composed, the fact that he didn't show any weakness impressed Lao Lu greatly.

"Young Master, do you need to rest a bit?"

Yuchi Jie evened out his breathing and shook his head,

"No need."

Lao Lu hesitated but eventually asked, "Young Master, why take such a risk? With Wang Anfeng and the warrior maids on the mountain, along with me and Uncle Tai, we can forcibly repel the Red Cliff. Not to mention that the senior is also here."

Yuchi Jie patted Lao Lu on the shoulder and chuckled,

"First of all, it's an adventure, and secondly, we will eventually have to leave. If the Red Cliff Sect comes back after we're gone, how could the Jade Ruin Temple possibly hold?"

"No more talk, just follow me."

Yue Hongzhe watched the woman casually enjoying the scenery and called over two disciples to give them quiet instructions.

The location of the Baiyang Sword Sect.

Elder Liu Qizheng toyed with a strand of his white beard and looked at the young man claiming to be Yuchi Jie, frowning as he said,

"You say that the old Taoist from Guard Ruins wishes to gift his treasure to me?"

"Is this true?"

Yuchi Jie laughed lightly. By this time, Lao Lu was no longer by his side, and it was just him alone. That's why the always cautious Liu Qizheng allowed him to come in for a meeting.

He took a wooden box from his bosom, casually placed it on the table, and then pushed it towards Liu Qizheng. Liu cast a doubtful glance at Yuchi Jie, who was sitting back leisurely sipping tea. Liu Qizheng stepped back, and with a flash of his sword, he opened the box, revealing its contents.

Yuchi Jie's face showed a trace of disdain.

Liu Qizheng saw the Jade Marrow inside the box and also Yuchi Jie's disdainful expression. His guard relaxed a bit, and without feeling ashamed, he said with a smile,

"The older one gets in Jianghu, the more cautious one becomes. Young Master, please don't mock me."

Yuchi Jie barely nodded and simply drank his tea.

Liu Qizheng played with the Jade Marrow, sensing its spirit. Yet a hint of malice towards Yuchi Jie crept into his heart. It was at this moment that Yuchi Jie casually started speaking,

"Elder Liu, do you know why the senior from Guard Ruins wanted me to bring this treasure here?"

Liu Qizheng's eyebrows lifted in amusement,

"How could I possibly know that? Please do tell, Young Master."

Yuchi Jie looked up at Liu Qizheng with a half-smiling expression and said,

"It's a trade."

"A trade?"

Liu Qizheng repeated, and Yuchi Jie nodded, elaborating nonchalantly,

"Truth be told, the Jade Ruin Temple has already teamed up with the Red Cliff Sect, just waiting to besiege us from front and back, to devour the Baiyang Sword Sect's heritage completely."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qizheng's expression changed slightly, but he laughed,

"That's impossible!"

Yuchi Jie said slowly, "What's impossible? Don't tell me you are unaware of the Red Cliff Sect's actions over the past few years, Elder Liu? Don't forget, the Red Cliff Sect was originally a coalition of many gangs, their heritage is to swallow up other sects. How is it impossible?"

"Since ancient times, the tactic has always been to firstly target the strong and profitable to establish dominance."

"The Jade Ruin Temple is just a small Taoist temple with barely over a hundred people. Apart from this piece of Jade Marrow, they have no notable treasures. But it's not the same with the Baiyang Sword Sect, which is a grand sect of Sword Dao, a major lineage descended from the Holy Land of Swordsmanship, the Hidden Sect's Qingfeng Edge."

"Elder Liu, which do you think is more tempting?"

Liu Qizheng frowned but said,

"The Baiyang Sword Sect has many strong warriors; even the Red Cliff Sect should not hope to easily interfere."

Yuchi Jie then smiled again,

"That's exactly why they would want to first cut off this arm of yours, Elder Liu."

Liu Qizheng was always cautious and never acted without assurance. Therefore, the more he thought about it, the more plausible Yuchi Jie's words seemed. His frown grew tighter, yet he said,