Why do I have so many masters?

Fufeng Academy.

Within the wooden house beside the Wind Character Tower.

Mu Shanxue sat on a chair, while Wang Anfeng brewed a pot of tea for him. After taking a gentle sip, his eyes lit up slightly.

He felt none of the usual dryness in the tea, which was as refreshing as a sunny winter day—a technique far beyond theTea Doctors in the tea houses at the foot of the mountain.

Drinking this tea, Mu Shanxue momentarily entertained the thought of freeloadingeating, drinking, and living here until the end of his days, but then he remembered that if he dared to do such a thing, he would surely be dragged back by the enforcement mentor for a beating. Just thinking of his mentor's expressionless, lifeless face made his scalp tingle, and he reluctantly suppressed the thought.

After taking another sip, he set the teacup aside, raised his eyes, and smiled at Wang Anfeng, saying,

"I've already mentioned the purpose of my visit on the road earlier."

"It's truly because the affairs of Danfeng Valley are confusing. Although rumors in Jianghu suggest that Xia Changqing caused disturbances and was therefore killed, Danfeng Valley seemed to have planned ahead, abandoning their foundations in the valley and disappearing without a trace."

"But we didn't witness it with our own eyes. When a Sect suddenly clashes with the Imperial Court and then vanishes so cleanly, it's hard not to feel uneasy—as they say, 'When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.' As for what really happened, I hope Brother Wang will be frank."

Wang Anfeng fell silent for a moment because the case was complicated, and Zhu Jian'an had once told him that some matters should not be disclosed recklessly. Therefore, he omitted the parts that involved the workings of the Ministry of Punishment but explained everything else. After finishing, he said,

"What I know is only this much."

"From what I've seen, it truly was Xia Changqing colluding with White Tiger Hall to commit a terrible crime."

His voice paused for a second before he continued gravely,

"As for Yi Nanping."

"I haven't seen him with my own eyes."

Having said this, he felt his argument was weak and silently added to himself, looking in a mirror doesn't count.

And besides, I've never looked in a mirror while wearing a mask.

Mu Shanxue nodded slightly without suspicion and muttered softly,

"So that's how it is..."

After pondering for a moment, he looked up with a smile and said,

"Thank you for telling me, Brother Wang."

"The Great Qin's Iron Cavalry is renowned throughout the world. Since Danfeng Valley brought this upon themselves, my Sect can be somewhat reassured. As for Yi Nanping, although his background is unknown, the people he's killed all had it coming. It seems he should be on the side of righteousness, so there's no need for excessive worry."

"However, Brother Wang, you should be careful during this period."

Wang Anfeng was momentarily stunned, then he remembered something and pondered,

"Are you referring to what Fire Refining Sect mentioned earlier, the Fufeng Renowned Weapons List?"

Mu Shanxue was about to explain but was preempted by Wang Anfeng's realization, prompting him to clap and laugh,

"Clever."

"Speaking with someone as astute as you, Brother Wang, is truly much simpler. Unlike my disciple, who doesn't understand even after half a day of talking and wastes so much breath."

"This Fire Refining Sect, in our Fufeng Jianghu, is surreptitiously considered the number one Sect, with many experts in its ranks. It's renowned in several northern counties for their art of weapon refining, and their Fufeng Renowned Weapons List includes all notable weapons in Fufeng County—swords, spears, halberds, you name it. Every weapon with merit is included."

Wang Anfeng was somewhat puzzled and felt it was similar to the Constellation Ranking List, a sort of ranking.

Mu Shanxue spoke softly,

"But this Fire Refining Sect is an evil Sect."

"Evil Sect?!"

Mu Shanxue nodded and said,

"Yes. You should know that the weapons on this list are all for sale. They've even quoted a price for the weapon in General Yu Wenze's possession. Moreover, Fire Refining Sect has declared that anyone who brings in any weapon listed can exchange it for silver coins, to the last penny—they only recognize the weapon, not the owner."

"For masters who carry swords, the prices on this list represent a unique deterrence, an acknowledgement from the top Sect of Fufeng Jianghu."

"But for martial artists like us, who rank no higher than Lower Third Rank, it's tantilizingly about the silver coins."

His tone held a mix of humor and self-mockery as Wang Anfeng fell silent, then said,

"That's... mad."

Mu Shanxue sighed and said,

"It's madness indeed."

"The Fire Refining Sect wasn't like this when it was first established; its members were all dedicated to hardship and chanting, believing in the philosophy of using the heaven and earth as the furnace, transformation as the craftsman, Yin and Yang as the charcoal, and all creation as the copper. But over time, they veered off course."

"Because they became obsessed with the art of weapon forging, without restraint, they've reached today's state. There's an abundance of worshippers in their Sect, and they maintain good relations with Sects in other counties. As long as you can provide the silver and materials, they would use all their skills to forge a weapon for you."

"Among them, there are elders who, in pursuit of creating a perfect weapon, have damaged their own foundations. As a result, many in Jianghu know this place as a weapon forging haven, if they can't engage the Sword Forging Manor, they come here to seek the masters of Fire Refining Sect."

After finishing, he took another sip of tea, and said,

"The weapons on this list can be traded for silver coins, or you can request a master worshipper from the Fire Refining Sect to tailor-make a weapon for you."

"Brother Wang, since your sword is listed, it probably won't be long before you're targeted by many villains; the cautious ones might only steal your weapon, but the mad ones would likely kill you to take it."

"After all, although you have a reputation as a protector of the Fufeng archives, in reality you are not a disciple of the Academy, and in the eyes of Jianghu, you are not under the Academy's protection."

"Moreover, the Academy remains aloof from worldly matters, imparting knowledge indiscriminately. In Jianghu, there's a rule that Sects do not act rashly within the Academy, but as far as the Academy itself is concerned, even if one is its disciple, once they've left to engage in Jianghu affairs, entangled in grudges and affairs, it becomes complex and the Academy is unlikely to intervene."

"Firstly, it serves to teach the students to act cautiously and not to abuse the Academy's power to bully others, and secondly, it prevents the Academy from becoming embroiled in troubles." Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

"Otherwise, with new and old students coming and going each year, with many disciples, anyone leveraging the Academy's influence to act tyrannically or recklessly on the assumption of the Academy's backing would invite endless trouble and enemies, even if the Academy was vast. How could it stand firm and still educate its disciples?"

"Only familiar students and close elders might take up revenge on one's behalf."

The voice paused slightly, and Mu Shanxue shook his head with a smile and sighed, saying,

"But in Jianghu, who lacks a master, who lacks friends? Yet if we speak of feuds, they are not personal; the grudges and favors in Jianghu are too complex to clarify. An endless cycle of vengeance is just like this."

"Heh, I've spoken too broadly. During this period, it's wiser to be cautious. You must not leave the Academy."

Wang Anfeng nodded and said,

"Thank you for the reminder, Taoist Mu."

Seeing that Mu Shanxue's teacup was empty, he stood up to pour tea for Mu Shanxue while asking,

"However, I've never seen so many Sect martial artists here before."

"Could Taoist reveal some of the reasons behind this?"

Mu Shanxue looked at Wang Anfeng with surprise and said,

"Brother Wang, that question is quite direct."

"If there are any taboos, I hope Taoist won't take offense."

Mu Shanxue waved his hand and laughed, saying,

"What taboos could there be? It's just a matter of people covering up things they don't want others to know about, not fearing it might rot. Since you've informed me about the Danfeng Valley incident, it's only right and appropriate for me to tell you."

The voice paused slightly and pondered for a moment before saying,

"Brother Wang, how do you think a stagnant pond comes to life?"

Wang Anfeng was slightly taken aback, and he replied tersely,

"Divert water into it."

Mu Shanxue shook his head with a laugh and said,

"What if there is no water to divert?"

Wang Anfeng fell silent for a moment and then said,

"Throw stones into the water."

Mu Shanxue clapped his hands with a laugh and said,

"Indeed, you are smart."

Then he sighed again and said,

"The Jianghu of Fufeng is like a stagnant pond, and that Yi Nanping is like a huge stone."

"When you throw a stone into the water, the external force will stir it up. Even stagnant water can produce ripples, and there are undercurrents beneath the surface, similar to flowing water."

"Although over time it will eventually return to its original state of stillness, during this process, all the filthy and stinking things that have accumulated over the years will be churned up. If it becomes still once more, it will be even more foul and unbearable."

"If you don't want to become part of this stinking dead water later on, you naturally have to find an escape route now."

"Both for yourself and for the Jianghu of Fufeng."

"Of course, if that Yi Nanping rock is big and strong enough to smash a great hole in the jar holding the stagnant water, that would be even better."

He finished speaking with a chuckle and shook his head, apparently thinking his words were somewhat inappropriate.

Wang Anfeng was thoughtful.

Although this Taoist in front of him hadn't explained why the Jianghu of Fufeng had become a stagnant pond, he vividly described the current changes in Jianghu. As for the matters of Fufeng Jianghu, it seemed they were entwined with the past generations and even older grudges and affections within Jianghu that were too complex to fully describe in just a few words.

He stopped his train of thought and sincerely thanked,

"Thank you, Taoist, for clearing up my confusion..."

Mu Shanxue waved his hand and laughed,

"What's there to thank for? It was just a small effort, no, just the work of opening my mouth."

After speaking, he turned his teacup upside down, revealing that it had not a drop of tea left, and asked with a pleasing smile,

"I must trouble Brother Wang to brew another pot."

Wang Anfeng was momentarily startled when he realized that the Taoist had finished the pot of tea. He let out a wry laugh, stood up, and said,

"Then, Taoist Mu, please wait a little longer."

Mu Shanxue's smile was brimming as he sat in his chair, holding the teacup and kept saying,

"There's no trouble at all, no trouble at all."

After talking for a while longer, Wang Anfeng escorted Mu Shanxue out of the Academy. Having had his fill of tea, the Taoist lay lazily on his donkey, gave Wang Anfeng a casual fist salute, then patted the donkey's back. The donkey, seemingly understanding, started walking slowly forward. Just then, Wang Anfeng suddenly thought of something and said,

"Taoist Mu, that sword you carry, 'Dust', is it on the Constellation Ranking List as well?"

Mu Shanxue lifted his head, sleepy-eyed, glanced at him, and smiled without giving a direct answer. He raised the sword in his hand and said casually,

"Let them be the ones to test the sword."

PS: First update...