Starting with Kengan beating up the Pirate King

Chapter 180 Zuo Ruotong

In the end, Lu Jin and Li Muxuan did not actually fight.

After the deaths of two Quanxing companions and the discovery of Guan Yi's identity, Li Muxuan's fighting spirit had diminished considerably. Even if he still refused to admit defeat, Lu Jin had no interest in fighting him in this state.

He became their prisoner and was taken to the Sanyi Gate. Only when the gate of the Sanyi Gate came into view did Li Muxuan's expression change slightly, and he felt a faint sense of fear. But he quickly gritted his teeth and decided to give up.

Like Brother Zhao, losing your head is nothing more than a scar the size of a bowl. I owe Sanyi nothing; it was that old man Zuo Ruotong who mocked me back then. Why should I fear the Sanyi Sect?!

Instead, he took the lead and strode up the mountain gate. Lu Jin frowned behind him and quickly followed, while Guan Yi followed at the very back at a leisurely pace.

He knew Li Muxuan's temperament and experiences better than anyone else, and he knew how the other party had gotten to where he was today step by step, but he had no interest in trying to comfort Li Muxuan, and Li Muxuan didn't seem like someone who would listen to advice.

Soon, the three people who climbed the mountain gate were discovered by the disciples on duty at the lower courtyard of the Sanyi Sect.

"Senior Brother Lu? Senior Brother Lu is back! And who are these two traveling with you, Senior Brother Lu...?"

Lu Jin said, "Junior Brother Zhou, please go and inform Master that I have invited Brother Zhuge over, and by the way... with Brother Zhuge's help, we captured the evil child Li Muxuan of Quanxing."

All-rounder? Evil child?

The San Yi Sect member was taken aback, then quickly glanced at Li Muxuan with disgust, said "Yes, Senior Brother," and ran into the sect.

As soon as the three entered the mountain gate, many members of the Sanyi Sect surrounded them.

"What a naughty child!"

"Junior Brother Lu, well done!"

"This beast!"

"Why don't you tie him up?!"

“Fellow disciples, don’t just focus on the naughty child. Clan Chief Zhuge is a distinguished guest who has come from afar. Let’s invite him to the main hall for tea first, and wait for our master to arrive.”

"Ah, is that the legendary Mr. Zhuge, the clan chief of the Zhuge clan...?"

"It's our clan leader! Uncle Thirteen!"

Li Muxuan gazed at the faces before him, some familiar and some unfamiliar, his expression inscrutable.

Among these people were his senior brothers who had patiently taught him during his apprenticeship, and his junior brothers who entered the school at the same time or later.

Regardless of their past relationship, the eyes that looked at him now were filled with disgust and aversion.

So he stiffened his neck and returned everyone's gaze with an unruly look until Zuo Ruotong, who came along with Si Chong and Cheng Zhen, appeared in his sight, and his gaze finally began to dodge again.

"It has troubled Clan Chief Zhuge to come all this way." From a distance, Zuo Ruotong said to Guan Yi first, "Since you have something to ask me, I should have gone to the Wuhou Sect in person. However, I have some additional concerns, so I sent Jin'er to invite you. It is truly impolite."

"Master Zuo, you flatter me. Although I am now the patriarch of the Zhuge clan, I am still a junior. How could I trouble you to come to my door in person? If there is anything, you can just have Brother Lu contact me."

Guan Yi cupped his hands in greeting and replied, "You don't need to worry about my feelings. Please take care of your personal matters first."

Zuo Ruotong smiled and said, "This is not like the Lu family's birthday banquet back then, where I could sit on a high platform and watch you compete with the juniors. Now you are the master of the Martial Marquis Sect with its thousand-year heritage, and I am the head of the Sanyi Sect. Our statuses are equal, so how can I be presumptuous?"

"There is a sequence to enlightenment, and those who have attained it are my teachers. This time, I may have to ask you some questions. How can Zuo Ruotong presume to be an elder?"

Asking for advice? Master actually said he had something to ask him? The disciples of the Three Ones Sect were unaware of the reason why Guan Yi had been invited to the sect, and upon hearing this, they all looked at Guan Yi in surprise.

Guan Yi cupped his hands again: "You flatter me. It's not about seeking advice, it's just an exchange between like-minded people."

Zuo Ruotong shook her head: "It seems you already understand why I invited you here... Si Chong, Cheng Zhen, please ask Clan Chief Zhuge to go to the main hall for a while, I will be there shortly."

"Yes, senior brother (master)."

The two led the way for Guan Yi, and only then did Zuo Ruotong's gaze fall on Li Muxuan.

Li Muxuan, having already abandoned his panic, met his gaze without showing any weakness: "Today I've fallen into your hands. Do with me as you please!"
However… I’ve heard of that Zhuge clan chief’s reputation. Even the sect leader fell to him back then, I admire him! As for you… fighting with the young master of the Lu family is pointless. You possess the true reverse-life triple level, so come and subdue me if you dare!”

"Heh, what kind of status do I have that I would bother with a junior like you?" Zuo Ruotong chuckled and shook her head.

"..." You didn't use this kind of language and attitude when you were facing Zhuge Yi just now.

What talk of the saying "attainment of enlightenment occurs in sequence, and the accomplished are teachers"? If it were me, would I even deign to lay a hand on a junior?!
Li Muxuan glared angrily at Zuo Ruotong, who met his gaze and sighed softly after a moment.

"It seems that after all these years, you haven't made any progress. You know you're wrong, but you refuse to correct it."

"Alright, then I'll change it. I'm sorry, I bear a great responsibility for your going astray back then, for not having the courage to confess my true feelings to you. An outsider's perspective is clear, and Jin'er understands. Even after all these years, I still hold a grudge against you, which is why I asked Clan Chief Zhuge to bring you here."

Li Muxuan was taken aback, his face showing astonishment.

The members of the Trinity Sect standing nearby exclaimed in astonishment, "Master! This child is wicked and evil by nature!"

"Yes, why would you need to apologize?!"

Zuo Ruotong waved his hand, stopping the disciples' disorder: "Have you forgotten the laws of our Sanyi Sect—to be sincere!"
Wrong is wrong, and right is right.

I must admit that I bear a great deal of responsibility for Li Muxuan's current predicament. I am sorry to you and to your father.

But Li Muxuan, there's one thing you must always remember. Although I was wrong, my mistakes, and even the mistakes of everyone else in the world, cannot prove you right. This is like drinking water; only the person drinking knows whether it's hot or cold. The only problem is... you might not be willing to admit it yourself!

Li Muxuan stood still, his figure seemingly frozen for a few seconds, before stubbornly craning his neck again and looking at Zuo Ruotong.

Whether it's right or wrong is not for you to judge!

Guan Yi waited in the main hall for more than ten minutes before Zuo Ruotong brought Lu Jin, who looked somewhat indignant, over: "Sorry to keep you waiting, Clan Chief Zhuge."

Before Guan Yi could ask, he said, "I've sent Li Muxuan down the mountain. After all, there's a master-disciple bond between us. Even though I know it's useless, I still hope he can see the error of his ways."

"I suppose... he wouldn't dare hold a grudge against you, much less have the ability to retaliate. If Chief Zhuge happens to encounter him again, and he's still committing evil deeds, there's no need to worry about me; just kill him directly... It's fate, it's destiny."

Guan Yi shook his head and said, "This is not your fault, Sect Master Zuo. There are only wrong names, not wrong nicknames. Although the brat is not much younger than me, he is still like a naughty child, unruly and undisciplined. No one can do anything about him."

"Is he an immature child? Or is Chief Zhuge's description more accurate?"

Zuo Ruotong and Guan Yi sat down facing each other. Si Chongze said to him, "Senior brother, at this critical juncture of breaking through to the third level, don't let the naughty child spoil your mood."

"Yes, Master!" Chengzhen said with excitement and anticipation, "Although you didn't say it explicitly, we disciples have some guesses. You invited Clan Chief Zhuge here to prepare for breaking through to the third level, right?"

Zuo Ruotong looked at them and nodded slightly, saying, "I have indeed vaguely seen the end of the Second Path and want to find someone to help me."

As expected! Si Chong, Cheng Zhen, and Lu Jin all showed expressions of ecstasy. Zuo Ruotong then looked at Hirumaru at Guan Yi's waist and said, "In recent years, I have heard that when Chief Zhuge was killing the Japanese invaders, he used the 'One-Slash Technique' and destroyed all kinds of methods with one slash. Is this true?"

"Yes," Guan Yi replied. "This is something I learned from the Japanese swordsman Shinmen Xuyi a few years ago. It's called 'Kongmingqie'. Saying it cuts off all kinds of techniques is an exaggeration, but with the help of Wuhou Qimen, I can see through and break through the gaps in the flow of Qi in most techniques."

"Does this also include the Triple Rebirth?"

"include."

"As expected, I had high expectations when I saw your talent 11 years ago. Now, perhaps only Clan Chief Zhuge can tear my rebellious life apart at will." Zuo Ruotong sighed, "No destruction, no construction; destruction precedes construction. That was my thought when I asked Jin'er to invite you, but now that the time has come, I don't know why, I feel a little apprehensive."

I have indeed become a rootless character.

Guan Yi had a premonition when Lu Jin arrived. He murmured to himself, then directly asked Zuo Ruotong, "Sect Leader Zuo, my apprehension stems from a premonition... What do you think of my cultivation?"

"Unfathomable." After a two-second silence, Zuo Ruotong gave an answer that shocked Si Chong, Cheng Zhen and the other two: "Eleven years ago, relying on the fact that I had cultivated for a few more years, I was still confident that I could beat you by a move or two, but now I am afraid that I am far from being a match for Clan Chief Zhuge."

"What about cultivation of life force?"

"If Zuo and Ruotong are not blind, and if we cultivate for a few more years, our life cultivation should be similar."

Guan Yi nodded and said, "That's right. I'm hailed by the Zhuge family as the most promising sorcerer in a thousand years, closest to our ancestor Zhuge Liang. Now I've reached a certain bottleneck and am using Zhuge Liang's Qimen Dunjia as a foundation to study deeper levels of magic."

But I never felt that I was only one step away from ascending to immortality. The road to ascension is long and arduous, and perhaps I have only just begun.

Three levels of rebirth are not enough. Perhaps four or five levels are needed for even a sliver of hope.

Zuo Ruotong fell silent again, then sighed softly, "Yes, those who are similar to me are just starting out. How can I, who have broken through three levels, ascend to immortality? When I met you, I had a guess about the answer. Now, my heart is truly breaking."

The man beside him seemed to finally understand, and exclaimed in horror, "Senior Brother?! Clan Chief Zhuge, we respect your selfless service to the country and the countless lives you have saved, but please do not judge my Trinity's profound skill so casually! The Triple Rebirth is different from the Second Level; the Third Level can definitely reach the heavens!"

How...how could this happen?!

Lu Jin's joy faded, replaced by anxiety. He didn't believe Guan Yi would speak carelessly, but if reversing fate was impossible, wouldn't they be...

Zuo Ruotong waved her hand, interrupting him, and said, "In the end, I am also somewhat unwilling. I will not rest in peace if I do not try."

"I would like to trouble Clan Chief Zhuge to lend Zuo Ruotong a hand and help me... break through to the third level!"

(End of this chapter)