Chapter 23: A story about hypocrisy

Qin Zijie was worried that Wei Shiqi was in seclusion to practice his natal supernatural powers and missed his senior brother's business. He immediately wrote a letter and ordered Zhou Ji to be sent to Wuya Temple, inviting him to meet at Chishui Cliff Tingxuelu in three days. Five Elements Master Zongpu has something to ask. Due to his seniority and status, Wei Shiqi had no choice but to accept this letter.

The north wind was strong all night, and heavy snow fell on Liushi Peak. Three days later, the snow cleared and the sky cleared. Wei Shiqi came out of Wuya Temple, and saw Zhou Ji, who had sent the letter that day, waiting aside. , walked forward with a smile and said hello to him.

Wei Shiqi did not dare to neglect. He met this senior brother of the Five Elements Sect, greeted him with a few polite words, and followed him to Chishui Cliff. He made up his mind to Tingxue Lu with the words "Tingxue "The name probably refers to a scene on the Chishui Cliff. Let's sit there for a while, tell some stories, mix a few glasses of hot wine and taste it. It's not a big deal if we just listen but don't talk.

The two of them descended from Guanri Cliff and walked along the winding mountain road. The mountains were covered with snow and there were few people there. The snow squeaked under their feet, which was very interesting.

Zhou Ji and Wei Shiqi had met once before in Chixia Valley. He was an old acquaintance. He was a well-rounded and refined man. He walked and joked all the way without any interruption. Wei Shiqi He secretly admired that speaking to people and telling ghosts was a skill that he had never been able to learn in his past life.

Tingxuelu is located on Qianxun Rock in the west of Chishui Cliff. The Chishui River is reflected on the left and right sides. There are dense Populus euphratica forests on both sides. The skylight and cloud shadows are reflected in the water, like a cloud-patterned ribbon. Zhou Ji sent Wei Shiqi to Qianxun Rock, and a tall and thin man came out to greet him, inviting him in with a smile. Zhou Ji bowed in salute, called "Senior Brother Chu", and introduced him to Wei Shiqi. It turned out that he was Pu Tianwei's apprentice Chu Ge, who was good at brewing fine wine. He brewed the Nine-turn Purple Rose Wine using ten thousand years of Purple Rose Fruit as the main ingredient. , even the head was full of praise.

Zhou Ji handed Wei Shiqi to his senior brother and retreated cautiously, filled with envy in his heart. He had been a beginner for many years and had never stepped foot into Tingxue Lu. He wondered if he would have the chance to be with the sect master in this life. Drink and enjoy the snow.

Tingxue Cottage is uniquely built with pine wood. The wood used is not peeled or planed, but is natural, integrating seamlessly with the surrounding lush pine forest. There are three small halls in the cottage, two facing west and one facing west. To the east, they are named "Huishui", "Tingyun" and "Woxue" respectively. Chu Ge led Wei Shiqi into the sleeping hall and left without making a sound. Wei Shiqi raised his eyes and saw that a banquet had been set up in the hall. On the table were two pots of wine, four plates of small dishes, and a foot-long banquet. Park Tianwei sat in the middle of the high screen without getting up. With a faint smile on his face, he stretched out his hand to indicate that he should take a seat.

Wei Shiqi was polite and respectful, and met the leader of the Five Elements Sect respectfully. He sat sideways at the bottom with his eyebrows lowered, waiting for Pu Tianwei to speak.

"It's cold in the mountains, and the air is biting. Let's drink two glasses of hot wine to warm up first." Pu Tianwei personally lifted the jug and poured a cup of hot wine for Wei Shiqi, "This is newly brewed by the young apprentice. Qingpu wine is still edible, you might as well give it a try."

Wei Shiqi stood up and stood up.He didn't dare, so Pu Tianwei poured himself a cup and raised his glass to signal him. They both raised their glasses and drank it down in one gulp.

The wine is good wine, with a fragrant aroma and a refreshing taste. It rolls into the belly like a ball of fire, making the blood all over the body boil. After Wei Shiqi drank a glass, he felt quite tipsy. He picked up some chopsticks and ate some food to go with the wine, including a bamboo shoot, a mushroom, a chicken, and a piece of meat, all of which were delicacies from the mountains.

Pu Tianwei was very interested and introduced him one by one. The bamboo shoots are horsewhip bamboo shoots, a specialty of Chishui Cliff. Although the name is inelegant, the taste is extremely sweet. The mushrooms are Hericium erinaceus, fried with vegetable oil. The chicken is snow The chicken is sliced ​​and blanched in boiling water and served with autumn oil. It is the most tender. The meat is wild boar, cooked until it is cooked through and melts in your mouth.

He persuaded Wei Shiqi to have a few more drinks before getting to the point.

“The Five Elements Sect does not get along well with the side branch of the Xiandu Sect. Does your nephew know what is going on?”

“But it is due to the dispute between Huo Mian and Wei Rongniang. Grudges?"

Pu Tianwei smiled and said: "Of course this is one of the reasons, but we are all cultivators, so how can we take this matter to heart? Chang——"

Wei Shiqi felt a chill in his heart, put down his chopsticks, and listened attentively.

“The heads of the seven side branches are all direct descendants of Kunlun. The head of the Xuantong sect, Han Chisong, and the head of the Yuxu sect, He Buping, are from the Five Elements Sect, and the head of the Pingyuan sect, Ji Hongru, is from Kunpeng Sect——More than fifty years ago, the Kunpeng Sect was uprooted. Ji Hongru, who was far away in Qianren Peak, also knew this and went up to Shifeng alone to plead guilty. The master spared his life, but he was still unsure and turned around. He joined the Five Elements Sect. In addition, Xu Huang, the head of the Liyang Sect, was born in the Wujia Sect, but he had already turned to the Yujian Sect and secretly communicated with Fianqu. Bu Yue, the head of the Rong Sect, was born in the Poison Sword Sect, and Xi Huzi, the head of the Xiandu Sect, was born in the Feiyu Sect."

Pu Tianwei glanced at him, as if to clear up his doubts, and specifically added, "Kunlun Palm. The sect is already in the Sword Control Sect, so the disciples of the Sword Control Sect are no longer allowed to take charge of the branch."

"Over the years, Qin Zijie has been secretly planning to let Huo Mian succeed Xi Huzi as the head of the Immortal City. If this can be accomplished, firstly, the Five Elements Sect can occupy four seats among the seven side sects and thus influence the overall situation; secondly, it can cut off the Feiyu Sect’s foreign support and reduce the resistance of the Feiyu Sect’s merger with the Five Elements Sect.”

"Incorporate Feiyu Sect into Five Elements Sect?"

"Perhaps we should not say 'merge', but 'return'. Feiyu Sect is a sword cultivator of Five Elements Sect The sect that broke out and started on its own has been passed down for hundreds of years. Now it has declined and ranks at the bottom of the direct line. The sword skills are incomplete and there are only a few people. It is also the general trend to return to the Five Elements Sect. ”