Chapter 109: The Eight Immortal Maidens

The Eight Fairies

Ling-shan Preaching

Obtaining the Mystic Method, Riding the Clouds Ten Thousand Miles Alone (Part 19)

Ye Hua felt a tremor in his heart and asked, "As Hancheng is a vassal state of our Divine Land, I wonder... what is the current state of casualties there?"

Ma Sen shook his head and sighed, "That is not yet known. It is said that the Fengchenxiu King of Yingzhou launched a sneak attack! One can only imagine that we have suffered some losses. Word in the capital is that the Hancheng cultivators have already withdrawn from Xueyue Peak in the Taibai Mountains. The centuries-old foundation of the East Sea Putuo branch stationed there has been destroyed in an instant! Alas!"

Upon hearing this, the relief Ye Hua had felt moments ago vanished, replaced by a tightening in his chest. "The Wutai sect and the East Sea Putuo both belong to the Four Great Buddhist Kingdoms. They are like branches of the same tree. If Putuo is damaged, how could Wutai stand idly by? I wonder... I hope my master and senior sister are safe! If something were to happen to them... what would I do?" Thinking of this, he felt his mind descend into chaos, a flurry of thoughts overwhelming him.

Wang Ting and Ma Sen, seeing the worry on Ye Hua's face, comforted him in unison, "Brother Ye, have no fear! The six divisions of Beixi were dispatched there the day before yesterday, and the heavy troops from the Yun-Gui border have also been mobilized. It is likely that there is no major cause for alarm!"

Ye Hua nodded silently and asked, "Two brothers, I wonder if anyone has come looking for me these past few days?"

Wang Ting nodded, "Brother Ye, a few people did come by the day before yesterday. They said they were from Zhang Yuantian’s residence. Upon hearing you were in seclusion, they left."

Ye Hua was startled and asked urgently, "Do you know what they wanted? Did they mention anything?"

Ma Sen shook his head with a bitter smile, "They did not specify, but a stout man in black seemed to say, 'Since Brother Ye is missing, this matter will be far more difficult!' After that, they took their leave. As for the nature of the urgent business, we do not know. Pray, do not blame us, Brother Ye!"

Ye Hua frowned slightly and shook his head, "Not at all! You two are being too formal."

*What could it be?* he wondered inwardly. *What are these senior brothers planning to do? It seems I must pay a visit to the Zhang residence.*

Having made up his mind, he said to Wang Ting and Ma Sen, "Two brothers, I intend to be away for a while. If Master Shouchang asks, please inform him! I apologize for the trouble."

Wang Ting laughed, "Brother Ye, what are you saying? That is only natural. Please, go ahead without worry!"

Ye Hua cupped his hands in a salute to both of them, said nothing further, and turned to leave. Once he exited the Jinghua Martial Hall, he headed toward the Zhang residence in the West City, his mind racing. *What are they planning? Since this occurred the day before yesterday, I fear I may be too late, or perhaps I have already missed my chance!*

An hour later, he arrived at the Zhang residence. Upon inquiring with the steward, he was told that Zhang Ke and the others had indeed left the day before yesterday and had yet to return. The steward had no idea what their business was.

Although Ye Hua had anticipated this, he could not help but feel a sliver of disappointment. After leaving the residence, he walked slowly through the streets. Watching the bustling crowd, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of loneliness. *I wonder how Cousin Gao Lu is doing. And the Eight Friends of Peach Blossom Spring from the East Immortal Source—Lv Yunke once invited me to visit the Yunju Temple on Mount Baidai. That temple is known for its 'nine interconnected caves, a world unto itself,' and the Great Canon hidden within is a great attraction for us Buddhist disciples. But I fear I must leave the capital to see Hancheng. I wonder when I shall have the chance to visit again.*

Thinking of his departure, he recalled everything that had happened in the capital. *I have been here for barely ten days, yet I have gained so much. It is a pity that I have not visited many of the famous sites I have long admired, nor have I met several renowned masters. I shall have to wait until next time! But who knows when that will be? I must keep the task Master Shouchang entrusted to me in my heart. If I make progress in the "Treatise on the Root of Heaven," I will do my utmost to assist.*

As Ye Hua was lost in thought, he heard a roar of voices ahead. He looked up and saw a high platform displaying a notice some thirty or forty feet wide, covered in dense, small script. A large crowd had gathered around it.

Curious, Ye Hua tried to approach, but seeing how crowded it was, he shook his head and prepared to move on. Suddenly, he heard someone say, "Heh, that Kong Mian is truly formidable! He has actually won twenty-one matches in a row!"

Ye Hua’s body stiffened at the mention of the name. *Kong Mian?! Could it be that group of Kong family disciples from the other day? The one who fought me was named Kong Mian! I took his Painting of Sacred Traces, which essentially formed a deep feud between us!*

He stopped in his tracks, turned, and walked toward the notice. After reading it, he felt a slight sense of surprise and could not help but offer a bitter smile.

The notice was regarding the academic and martial competitions. It listed the records of disciples from various famous clans and sects, and Kong Mian was ranked near the top. It was noted that he was a disciple of the Eighth Mansion of the Kong clan, with one loss and twenty-one wins—a truly impressive record.

Ye Hua confirmed that it was indeed the same person. Given Kong Mian’s strength, he was rarely matched below the Three-Truth Realm; he was truly a top-tier expert. If Ye Hua had not caught him off guard, he certainly would not have been a match for him in a fair fight. It was only natural for him to have such a record. Scanning the list further, Ye Hua found his own name, with "Wutai" and one win noted beside it.

Nearby, several spectators were whispering, "Could there be a mistake here? How did this 'one win' make it onto the list?"

An old gentleman nearby shook his head and said, "You lot don't know what you're talking about. Don't look down on those with one or two wins; many of them are top-notch experts, heh!"

Ye Hua shook his head and smiled slightly. The old man noticed, and, perhaps interpreting the gesture as disbelief, called out, "Young man, you don't believe me? Come, come, look—"

He pointed to a name near the bottom of the list. "This Pavilion Master Hanfu—you probably haven't heard of him, heh, but if I were to mention his other name, you would all know it well!"

The onlookers clamored, "Old sir, what great background does this person have?"

The old man laughed, "This Pavilion Master Hanfu is none other than Zhang Hanyi, one of the Four Young Masters of the Capital! His father is a Great Liao commander, and he is a student of Master Taiyan!"

The crowd was in an uproar, with many saying, "The Four Young Masters? I didn't know he had changed his name! Heh, old sir, aren't you just spinning tales?"

The old man looked up at the sky and grumbled, "Why would an old man like me lie to you?"

Ye Hua was also shocked to learn that Pavilion Master Hanfu was one of the Four Young Masters. Their reputation was legendary, and it was a pity he had not yet had the honor of meeting them.

Ye Hua glanced at the bottom of the list again and another name caught his eye, causing him to tremble once more. "West Immortal Source, The Eight Fairies!" He muttered, "West Immortal Source?"

He pondered for a moment, recalling that when Lv Yunke parted from him, he had whispered something about the Goddess Peak of the Sun and Moon Mountain in the Chuan-Zang region, and the West Immortal Source. He had been slightly surprised at the time but had not thought deeply about it. He had not expected to see disciples of the West Immortal Source here! And was the Goddess Peak of the Sun and Moon Mountain not the seat of the Taitian Sect!?

Ye Hua thought for a long time, unable to make sense of it. Suddenly, a thought struck him: *Why are the Eight Fairies also eight in number, just like the Eight Friends of Peach Blossom Spring from the East Immortal Source!? Could there be a connection? Seeing how troubled Lv Yunke looked at the time, there must be more to this than meets the eye!*