The Fox Blocks the Mountain Pass

The door to the elegant chamber was once again shut tight.

“You can rest easy now.” Beishan Baiwei sat down immediately, picking up the exquisite wine flask to pour Ning a drink. “With Zhou Li helping you out, you won’t be at a disadvantage when you join the Rift Sword Sect.”

“At a disadvantage?” Ning’s brow furrowed slightly.

“It’s a major sect, after all. They have tens of thousands of Zifu Disciples.” Beishan Baiwei shook his head. “With that many disciples, I’m sure you can imagine how fierce the competition is. They’re divided into ranks and grades. Even as a new disciple, if you have no one looking out for you, you’ll probably end up with the worst treatment.”

Ning nodded slightly.

Right. Wherever there are people, there will be competition. In a massive, top-tier sect with tens of thousands of disciples, the competition would indeed be savage.

“With Zhou Li’s help, your start will be a bit easier.” Beishan Baiwei continued. “But after that, it’ll be up to you to fight for yourself! Remember, opportunities are seized — don’t hold back for a second. I’m not too clear on the details, but I’m sure there are all sorts of internal tournaments to separate the disciples into ranks and grades. If you can win first place in those competitions, you’ll become a core disciple of the Rift Sword Sect. That’s what you should aim for.”

“Seize them.” Ning understood this principle.

In the Ji Clan, he could have the best of everything given to him.

But once he entered another sect, he would have to rely on himself to take what he wanted.

“You can also visit Anchan City often. I’ll introduce you to some friends.” Beishan Baiwei smiled. “The Immortal path is fraught with endless peril. Having powerful friends to help you can make things much easier. Look… here comes someone now.”

Ning looked out the window.

That young lady, Zi Yi, was personally greeting someone. It was a stunningly handsome young master, followed by more than ten attendants.

“He has an extraordinary aura,” Ning praised.

“His name is Hun Wuqi.” Beishan Baiwei said solemnly, “This is a formidable figure. His tribe, the Hun Clan, is a mercantile giant.”

Ning was surprised.

Mercantile giant? Merchants? Most major powers were sects, schools, or tribes; one rarely saw a tribe dedicated to commerce.

“The Hun Clan is no ordinary mercantile house.” Beishan Baiwei said, “Their business spans almost the entire Grand Xia Dynasty. While they might not be at the absolute peak of the dynasty, here in the Anchan Commandery, they are one of the two most prominent merchant powers! And this tribe has only risen to prominence in the last thousand years.”

Ning was stunned. “Only a thousand years?”

“The founder of the Hun Clan is named Hun Tianyou, and he’s still alive today.” Beishan Baiwei smiled. “Tell me, hasn’t this tribe only been around for a short time?”

Ning was amazed.

To found a tribe and, in just a thousand years, become one of the top two mercantile powers of the entire Anchan Commandery, with business spanning the Grand Xia — that was truly astonishing.

“Hun Tianyou was an orphan and a street urchin when he was young.” Beishan Baiwei chuckled. “He chose the surname ‘Hun’ for himself, representing his origins as a hooligan. He then gave himself the name ‘Tianyou,’ the Heavens’ Blessing, since he was an orphan with no family.”

“As for his talent in cultivation, it wasn’t high enough. In his early days, he became a Zifu Disciple and then started to seriously focus on business. Who would have thought he would actually build it up into such a behemoth?” Beishan Baiwei sighed in admiration. “Bold, cautious, and ruthless… he is a true hegemon. Even when he was only a Wanxiang Adept, he once hired three Immortals to slay his enemies.”

“Hired three Immortals?” Ning held his breath.

“Through sheer wealth, the founder of the Hun Clan has now managed to cultivate all the way to the Primal Daoist level.” Beishan Baiwei said, “Although the entire Hun Clan only has two Primal Daoists, in terms of wealth… they are infinitely more powerful than your enemies, the Snowdragon Mountain.”

Ning nodded.

If he could hire three Immortals while still a Wanxiang Adept, one could only imagine his current wealth.

“The Hun Clan is one of the most premier tribes in our Anchan Commandery.” Beishan Baiwei said, “To achieve this in just a thousand years is truly impressive. That Hun Wuqi who just walked in… he is the most outstanding member of the Hun Clan’s younger generation and is highly valued by the clan’s founder. This is precisely the type of friend one should make.”

“Here in Anchan Commandery, the Hun Clan is our God of Wealth.” Beishan Baiwei said, “Wealth is also critically important on the Immortal path.”

Ning assented.

He understood. Magical treasures, rare curiosities, spirit pills… it all required money.

“Draw upon help from all quarters.” Beishan Baiwei said, “Use the influence of others to build up your own influence. Your path will become much smoother!”

Ning nodded.

“Ji Ning, I am confident that you will become a true overlord someday,” Beishan Baiwei said, his own confidence brimming.

“Brother Baiwei, you treat me so well. I don’t know how to repay you,” Ning said.

Beishan Baiwei waved his hand dismissively. “This is all from what my father taught me. If you think highly of a friend, you treat him with a true heart! If you don’t think much of them, then I, Beishan Baiwei, won’t even spare them a glance.”

Ning laughed as well.

“If you aren’t genuine with your friends, you’ll never make true friends. And when it really counts, friends won’t lift a finger to help you,” Beishan Baiwei said.

“Well said,” Ning agreed.

If you treat others with sincerity, only then can they treat you with sincerity.

“If you befriend heroes from all corners of the world, you’ll naturally build up a powerful aura. Ji Ning, if you make powerful friends, combine that with your own strength and the help of your allies, who knows? Maybe you’ll even become the Sect Leader of the Rift Sword Sect one day,” Beishan Baiwei said with a smile.

Suddenly, a voice boomed from outside.

“Hahaha…” The voice was deep and heavy, ringing throughout the entire hall, which spanned several li in circumference.

Upon hearing this voice, Beishan Baiwei, who had been chatting happily with Ning, immediately darkened his expression.

“Beishan Baiwei.” The deep voice echoed through every corner of the hall.

Many of the honored guests in the various elegant chambers along the suspended corridors listened with curiosity.

“You want your good friend, ‘Ji Ning,’ to enter the Rift Sword Sect?” The deep voice continued, laughing wildly. “What a pity. I can tell you right now, and I can also tell that kid named Ji Ning: Kid Ji Ning, you will never enter the Rift Sword Sect for the rest of your life!”

“Beishan Hu!” Beishan Baiwei suddenly roared in fury.

“Oh?” The heavy voice sneered. “Angry?”

“You pathetic, worthless thing!” Beishan Baiwei cursed.

“Stung by the truth, aren’t you?” The heavy voice said with smug satisfaction. “What a pity. Your good friend won’t be able to join the Rift Sword Sect.”

“Hmph.” Beishan Baiwei stopped paying attention to the outside. The heavy voice taunted him a few more times, but seeing that Beishan Baiwei was ignoring him, he eventually fell silent.

Ning furrowed his brow and lowered his voice. “Brother Baiwei, who is this person?”

Beishan Baiwei’s expression was ugly. He quickly said, “Ji Ning, I’m truly sorry. I didn’t expect this to ruin things for you because of me. This man is named Beishan Hu, and he is also a member of our Beishan clan.”

Ning nodded.

“My father is Beishan Blacktiger; his father is Beishan Yin.” Beishan Baiwei shook his head. “His father and my father are both contenders for the position of the next Marquis of Anchan.”

Ning drew in a sharp breath.

The next Marquis of Anchan?

No wonder Beishan Baiwei had such a grand show of force upon arriving at the Grotto of Carefree Bliss, with a Wanxiang-level demon welcoming him at the door. His status was indeed high.

“His father and my father have always been rivals. So this kid and I have been at each other’s throats since we were young.” Beishan Baiwei let out a disdainful laugh. “His father, Beishan Yin, is a true overlord — cunning as a fox. He named his son ‘Hu’ (Fox), but his son is just a petty schemer.”

“This is all my fault. Because of me, you can’t join the Rift Sword Sect.” Beishan Baiwei said, “That Beishan Hu dared to say it so confidently, so he must have a way to make good on it.”

Ning felt helpless as well. He had just been fantasizing about how fiercely he would ‘compete,’ and now it had all been for nothing. He said, “This is merely a small matter. The Anchan Commandery is vast, with many sects. I have plenty of choices.”

“Mm.” Beishan Baiwei said, “Alright, I’ll gather information on all the various sects in the Anchan Commandery for you to choose from. Then, during the twelfth month, when the major sects recruit disciples, you can go on your own… without me interfering, things might not go wrong. With your talent, joining a sect will be easy. This time, I was simply trying to help and ended up overstepping.”

Ning smiled. “It was just bad luck, running into this ‘Beishan Hu’ fellow.”

So what if he couldn’t enter the Rift Sword Sect?

Even the ancient artifact spirit of the watery palace had changed its attitude towards him once he had comprehended the Water-Fire Sword Domain. If he chose another sect, it was sure to be just as easy.

Knock knock knock. A knock came from the door.

“Brother Baiwei? It’s Hun Wuqi,” a voice came from outside.

“Wuqi! Come in! What are you knocking for?” Beishan Baiwei called out directly.

The door pushed open.

A graceful, handsome young master entered. This Hun Wuqi was carrying a warm smile that instantly put people at ease. He quickly said, “If it were just you, Baiwei, I would have barged right in. But since Brother Ji Ning is also here, I didn’t want to be rude.”

“Ji Ning, come, let me introduce you to my good friend, Hun Wuqi,” Beishan Baiwei said.

“Young Master Wuqi.” Ning clasped his hands.

“Brother Ji Ning. I just now heard your name,” Hun Wuqi said, returning the gesture.

“You saw an amusing show just now,” Beishan Baiwei said helplessly.

“I had just sat down nearby not long ago when I saw the incident between Beishan Hu and yourself.” Hun Wuqi sat down directly. “That Beishan Hu is truly an idiot. The Anchan Commandery has so many sects! He has a deep relationship with the Rift Sword Sect and can stop Brother Ji Ning from joining them. But what about the other sects? Disciples are recruited on a grand scale, and with so many sects in the Commandery, he can only influence a handful of them at most. In the end, Brother Ji Ning will still be able to join a sect.”

“That’s exactly why he’s an idiot. He always jumps out to spar with me,” Beishan Baiwei said with a shake of his head. “As if that makes him better than me.”

Suddenly, the licentious music from outside changed, replaced by the sound of a zither.

The soft notes were like the gurgling of a mountain spring, cleansing the soul.

“Oh?” Ning, Beishan Baiwei, and Hun Wuqi all looked outside.

Ning looked down at the massive hall below and saw a woman in green robes seated before a zither, playing. For a moment, the entire hall seemed to fall silent, leaving only the sound of the music.

What beautiful music.

What a beautiful woman.

Ning realized at a glance that this green-robed woman was like a celestial maiden of legend. The sound of her zither made his very soul feel indescribably comfortable. Such mastery of the instrument had already entered the Dao.

When the song ended, the hall remained silent for a long time.

“It’s the Zither Immortal.” Beishan Baiwei sighed in admiration. He directly instructed the attendant waiting outside the door, “Go, invite the Zither Immortal here.”

“Yes.” The attendant outside received the order and departed.

“Asking the Zither Immortal to keep us company? That’s no small expense,” Hun Wuqi said, looking at Beishan Baiwei in surprise. Beishan Baiwei replied, “I just ruined Brother Ji Ning’s chance to join the Rift Sword Sect. I might as well let him enjoy himself today to make up for it.”

Ning was surprised. He had actually specially invited the Zither Immortal for him.

It sounded like quite the expense.

“Brother Baiwei, you are far too courteous,” Ning said quickly. “What happened earlier was nothing more than a trivial matter. It’s not worth mentioning.”

“Hahaha…”

The heavy voice sounded out once more. “The Zither Immortal’s skill is truly incomparable and peerless. I, Beishan Hu, invite the Zither Immortal to come to my elegant chamber for a chat. How about it?”

The voice reverberated through the hall.

Inside the chamber.

“Pah.” Beishan Baiwei was so angry he slammed the Beast-Head wine cup onto the floor, grinding his teeth. “I must have stepped in dog shit when I left the house today.”