I've never felt happy to become an immortal.

Chapter 164 The White Dragon Enters Qingzhou (Fourth Update)
Bai Xuan wanted to find something for the Bai Mei Sect to do.

Although the White Plum School is usually like a capybara, their emotions are quite stable, so stable that they are even to the point of being "good enough to live, but also good enough to die if they can't live".

However, it is an absolute top-tier power and still holds a pivotal position in Qingzhou.

A regional hegemon has no reason to be inferior to the so-called six major factions.

The six major factions are merely the de facto rulers of Qingzhou, but this power is one that the White Plum Faction discarded. Therefore, once the latter intervenes, this act of forcibly seizing power will undoubtedly be...

“Young man, you are inexperienced in the ways of the world. This is not a matter for you to interfere in.” The middle-aged scholar said calmly, “Don’t you understand the principle that trouble comes from the mouth?”

Bai Xuan glanced at the middle-aged man: "Instead of threatening me, you should write a letter and send it to the Bai Mei Sect. Although they usually don't like to get involved, they can still act as mediators without any problem. After all, they are not interested in me, which is better than you, a pseudo-scholar who tries to smooth things over."

A commotion arose in the crowd.

In fact, many people know perfectly well that they've long been annoyed by this squinty-eyed guy who tries to smooth things over with a smile.

She secretly applauded the young man in white, thinking to herself that he deserved the scolding.

The middle-aged scholar's smile was starting to falter.

The bearded man stepped forward, intimidating the other man with his imposing manner: "This is none of your business, little brat, get out of here."

Bai Xuan ignored this reckless man and looked at Jingyunzhai: "The sea route is blocked, so we can't get through even if we want to. It's not good to keep the Straw-Clad Man on the Ranking blocking our way. The longer it drags on, the greater the impact on our reputation. Public opinion can be deceiving, and if the rumors in the martial arts world change, it will become a problem for Jingyunzhai."

With just a few words, he exposed the group's intentions.

Master Ranchen understood why these people blocked the waterway: to create public pressure. Although the matter was the responsibility of Bahe Manor, by cleverly creating rumors and leveraging the covert influence of the six major sects, they could easily shift the blame onto Jingyunzhai.

She immediately made a decision: "Send a message to the White Plum Sect and ask them to uphold justice."

The monk next to her murmured, "Amitabha... I support the nun's decision."

The bearded man said with a grim face, "Even if the White Plum Sect comes, you still have to hand over this Dragon King Stone! Embezzling treasures is a crime committed by Jingyunzhai!"

"I don't think so," Bai Xuan said calmly. "Perhaps the Dragon King Stone is still in the water and hasn't been embezzled by Jingyunzhai."

The middle-aged scholar said coldly, "The Dragon King Stone is not in its original location at all. We searched downstream for more than ten miles but couldn't find it! If it wasn't hidden by Jingyunzhai, where else could it be?"

Bai Xuan raised his hand and pointed to the side: "Of course it's over there."

He was pointing upstream.

Those around were taken aback at first, then the people from Bahe Manor and the students from Wuya Academy burst into laughter.

Xi Qingqing was immediately displeased upon seeing this scene; she always sought revenge on the spot.

Ning Jianshuang pressed down on her shoulder and said in a low voice, "The louder you laugh, the more ignorant you are... and this matter is more complicated than you think."

Because she noticed that both the bearded man and the middle-aged scholar paused before starting to laugh... it was a fake laugh.

"The stone will definitely keep moving downstream under the impact of the flowing water."

A scholar asked loudly, "Can this stone grow legs and run upstream by itself?"

Bai Xuan glanced at the scholar: "You only know one side of the story, not the other."

"An ancient text says: 'If a stone is lost in a river, it should be sought upstream. This is because stones are hard and heavy, while sand is loose and buoyant. Water cannot wash away stones, but the force of the current will erode the sand beneath the stone, creating a pit. As the current deepens, the stone will eventually fall into the pit halfway down. This process continues, and the stone will turn again and again, eventually flowing upstream against the current.'"

This comes from Ji Xiaolan's "Notes from the Thatched Cottage of Close Observation" and refers to the "Stone Beast in the River". The translated meaning is: the stone is hard, the mud and sand are soft, and when the water flows and hits the stone, it will form a sand pit on the ground. The stone will then turn over and over in the sand pit, repeating this process, and thus go upstream.

Of course, in physics, this is actually both true and false.

This is not feasible because such a flip requires the center of gravity to keep lowering, which would actually cause the person to sink deeper and deeper, and they wouldn't be able to roll very far before getting stuck in the mud.

It was established because, under special conditions, if the riverbed shows a gradually rising trend, it has the possibility of rolling upstream.

Incidentally, although the veteran's explanation of the "stone beast in the river" was incorrect, his thinking was correct. And in terms of the result... if you can't find it in the local area or downstream, then go look upstream. It's a simple process of elimination.

Of course, Bai Xuan didn't need to explain it so easily to the scholar.

Simply quoting the original text will leave these pseudo-scholars who like to read the classics speechless.

Because... his analysis makes some sense. Compared to judgments based on common sense, statements with a certain degree of logical analysis are certainly more convincing.

Even if the method is wrong, even if the conditions are incomplete or imperfect, it can still sound impressive.

Bai Xuan bluntly stated, "Why don't we just find a man who is good at swimming, go upstream and take a look, and then we'll know whether it's there or not?"

Before anyone could volunteer, Ning Jianshuang offered a high price: "Whoever finds the Dragon King Stone upstream first will receive fifty taels of gold!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd stirred, and dozens of people jumped into the water one after another, starting to search upstream.

This is a victory for those who spend money!

The power of the people is immense; even if you wanted to stop them, you couldn't.

Then, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea...

Then a group of people came over, surrounding a dockworker who exclaimed happily, "It really is upstream! I remember now, the riverbed here is high in the middle and low on both sides! I followed the riverbed and found the Dragon King Stone three miles away!"

Ning Jianshuang raised the corners of her lips and said, "Reward."

No sooner had the word "reward" been uttered than Flying Cat went up and kicked the porter in the hind leg, causing the latter to kneel on the ground and have his wrists bound by iron chains.

"Ah!" the porter screamed, "What are you doing! If you don't want to pay, you don't have to resort to violence!"

The onlookers' expressions changed drastically, and they looked over in fear.

Ning Jianshuang remained expressionless, raised her hand, and soon several boatmen carried over a stretcher and put it down. Lifting the white cloth, they found the people that Bai Xuan had caught earlier.

Her gaze swept over the boatmen who had gone into the water earlier: "Some of you should recognize this person, right?"

A boatman stepped forward and said, "We know each other, and they are cousins."

“He’s dead. He was murdered.” Ning Jianshuang pointed at the porter and said calmly, “He’s the murderer.”

The porter looked up and shouted, "It wasn't me! How could it be me? What proof do you have?!"

"This person has no other wounds, only a fatal stab wound. It was done by someone who doesn't know martial arts, and it was clearly an inside job. Moreover, it was done by a man who is quite strong. You fit all the characteristics."

"Just this?"

“You probably used a wood-chopping knife to kill him, so finding the murder weapon shouldn’t be difficult,” Bai Xuan continued, calmly analyzing. “However, even if we can’t find the murder weapon, it doesn’t matter. Your actions just now have already revealed that you already knew the location of the Dragon King Stone. It’s a full three miles of water, yet you found the Dragon King Stone in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.”

He looked down at the greedy murderer: "You are too greedy and too impatient... You only thought about getting the money as soon as possible, but you exposed yourself."

"It seems the reason you killed the deceased was because he inadvertently learned the location of the Dragon King Stone."

He glanced at the increasingly pale-faced porter and knew that although his deduction was somewhat far-fetched, it didn't matter.

In this era, perfectly logical and conclusive evidence is rare. The same is true in modern criminal investigation. Decisive evidence is hard to find. Often, it is by providing a certain amount of evidence, but not enough to convict, that we break down the suspect's psychological defenses, force them to confess to the crime, and thus convict them.

The porter wasn't even a true martial artist; he was just an ordinary person. His mental fortitude couldn't be too high. He hadn't read any books and couldn't read. His ability to argue was purely due to his nature.

In feudal times, it was not uncommon for people to be tortured into confessing. If someone was indeed a criminal, they would be silenced immediately after being caught and presented with two pieces of evidence.

By the time Bai Xuan finished speaking, the outcome was already decided.

The porter stammered, "I... I didn't actually intend to kill anyone. I just wanted to discuss it with him, but he insisted on telling everyone else that the Dragon King Stone is down there... But... but I wanted to keep it from everyone else."

He cried out, "Sir, sir, please save me! You promised! You said that if this is done, you would give me a reward and also give my child the opportunity to go to school!"

As he called out "Sir," he looked towards the direction of Wuya Academy.

The middle-aged scholar's expression changed, and he angrily said, "Shut up! Don't spout nonsense and slander us. What does your killing have to do with us!"

Explanations were useless; in an instant, everyone understood what had happened. The nun Ranchen was furious, her face turning ashen. So it had all been a scheme from the beginning; they knew the Dragon King Stone was hidden in the mud pit upstream.

Bahe Mountain Villa and Wuyai Academy are both using this as an excuse to plot against Jingyunzhai's territory.

They almost succeeded.

Unfortunately, they encountered Bai Xuan, who appeared out of nowhere.

Once the Dragon King Stone is found, what else can they use to argue their case?

Many people were secretly gossiping about it.

After hearing the whole story, many people looked at the white-clad swordsman as if he were a god.

Less than an hour has passed since the body was found, and the murder case has been solved, even revealing the mastermind behind it.

This is simply...

Bai Xuan looked at the two leaders of the six major sects present, his face expressionless: "The Dragon King Stone has been found. How is it? Are you satisfied? Now, you can make way?"

The bearded man could only glare angrily at Bai Xuan, his fists clenched, his teeth clenched, and his eyes practically spitting fire.

"Kid, you've ruined our plans, and you think you can just walk away so easily!"

"I'm telling you... you're in big trouble!"

He suddenly drew the steel knife from his waist.

The middle-aged scholar advised, "Brother Li, don't kill him. Just teach him a lesson, otherwise it will become the talk of the martial arts world again..."

"Then cripple this brat and teach him a lesson so he won't dare to talk nonsense and disobey the rules again!" The bearded man sneered.

Since the plan had failed, he decided to stop acting.

If I can't touch Jingyunzhai, do you think I can't touch you?

Bai Xuan sighed and suddenly asked, "Aren't you going to stop them?"

No one responded.

He continued, "Then I will draw my sword."

The man in the straw raincoat sat silently on the boat, watching without saying a word.

Bai Xuan had already been very restrained. He had already said too much about reasoning before, and now he was too lazy to say anything more. He was not a person who liked to talk about reasoning anyway. As a wanderer in the martial world, having a long sword in hand was enough for him.

Jiang Chengzi is unsheathed.

He gripped the hilt of his sword and casually swung it down from a distance.

In an instant, the dock fell silent, and the river became still.

As dusk falls on the riverbank at the dock, a vast, bright moon rises and then sets behind the earth.

The icy, frozen aura spread for a full hundred feet.

Half of the river surface froze for a full three breaths before the ice finally cracked.

Everyone could clearly see the power of this sword strike.

Furthermore, the feeling one gets from a great distance to a great distance is completely different.

Those who watch up close feel only terror; when the bright moon falls from the sky, they feel almost no will to resist.

A viewer at a moderate distance would feel a chill; the moonlight is so piercingly cold that it seems to freeze all living things.

Those who stand at a distance and gaze at the scene will have a completely different feeling; they will feel...

"What beautiful swordplay, what desolate moonlight."

The woman on Nguyen's boat said softly, "So it was him."

The maid stared blankly for a few seconds, then rubbed her eyes: "The moon was clearly on the ground just now!"

The man in the straw raincoat on the ship turned back to the deck and said calmly, "Let's weigh anchor and prepare to make way."

"But we didn't receive any orders."

"You think it would be better to be cleaved in two by a sword like that?"

The man in the straw raincoat glanced at the clueless fools and didn't bother to explain any further.

On the dock.

The bearded man holding the steel knife froze on his face, all his arrogance gone. His pupils were filled with fear. Ice-like sword energy emanated from his body, and he stood frozen in place like an ice sculpture.

The middle-aged scholar was dumbfounded, his trembling was both laughable and comical.

"You, what exactly are you..."

He either didn't recognize him yet, or he did recognize him but didn't dare to speak.

"Juyi Pavilion, Jiang Family, Bai Xuan."

Bai Xuan introduced himself by his own name.

Frosty white condenses on the half-black, half-white hair, then falls back down, creating a particularly picturesque scene in the twilight hues. It doesn't appear icy and harsh, but rather has a gentle, matte finish.

"Bai Xuan..."

"White Moonlight".

"Qingming Sword!"

"The top-ranked Wolong... is actually a real person!"

The disciples of the six major sects then realized what a tough nut they had just kicked.

This is a ruthless person who climbed to the top of the Crouching Dragon Ranking by stepping on two Grandmasters on the Earth Ranking.

He is the only one who could make a Grandmaster of the Earth Rankings improve after taking a sword strike.

These small fry in the martial arts world, backed by the six major sects, were practically no different from legendary figures. They would feel honored if the latter even glanced at them.

The gap is so large that there is no point in comparing them.

The young nuns of Jingyunzhai were also stunned. Even the nun Ranchen secretly sighed that there would never be another such handsome young man in the world. Looking back at her own disciples, she smiled bitterly to herself. These young nuns, who were still inexperienced in the ways of the world, were probably already thinking about leaving the nunnery.

Bai Xuan sheathed his sword and glanced at the immobilized bearded man.

"You have half an incense stick's time to make way."

"Otherwise... you'll have to bear the consequences."

The man in white turned back from the dock and left.

Many gazes swept across the river; some women stared longingly, while others, from martial arts practitioners, cast admiring yet envious glances.

……

That night, news of Bai Yueguang's arrival in Qingzhou spread far and wide.

The dragon that crossed the river plunged headlong into the Jianghu (martial arts world) of Qingzhou, like water falling into a pot of boiling oil.

(End of this chapter)