Immortality begins with the Swordsman.

Chapter 11 Deep-seated Hatred

Mount Hua, Lotus Peak.

At the summit, a swordsman dressed in gray cloth stood with his hands behind his back. He resembled an old farmer in the fields, but his back was as straight as a pine tree, and his eyes were as sharp as swords as he quietly gazed at the white-clad girl practicing her sword in front of him.

The girl in white only practiced three sword techniques repeatedly.

But it's obvious that the speed at which she strikes with her sword is getting faster each time.

Cai Qingyan frowned slightly and said, "These three sword techniques are called 'The Deadly Three Immortal Swords in Succession.' They are the result of my painstaking research and creation in recent years. Their essence lies in the word 'deadly.' Shuang'er, if you only pursue speed, you will lose sight of the original intention. Only by abandoning the seven emotions and six desires, entering the Dao through killing, and having the determination to kill when you draw your sword, can you unleash the true power of this sword technique."

"Yes, daughter understands!"

Cai Ling Shuang nodded slightly, but her gaze was quietly focused on the sword's edge, and she repeatedly pondered the four words "entering the Dao through killing" in her mind.

Cai Qingyan smiled and said, "With these three sword techniques, you will be able to defeat even the best swordsmen in the martial world."

A cold glint flashed in Cai Ling Shuang's eyes. She bit her lip and thought of a despicable person who liked to use sleeping pills.

Cai Qingyan seemed to see through her thoughts and said, "This is a killing sword, it should not be used lightly, and it should certainly not be used against fellow disciples."

Upon hearing this, Cai Ling Shuang immediately wilted.

Cai Qingyan smiled and said affectionately, "I heard that kid has started taking over the Qi Sect's affairs now. I remember he's two years younger than you. So, when is our 'Sword Sect Saintess' going to start doing things?"

"Father, why are you spouting nonsense like him..."

Cai Ling Shuang said shyly, "Besides, I don't know anything except swordsmanship."

Cai Qingyan laughed and said, "It's not a big deal now, you can learn slowly. You should learn from Cong Buqi how to manage those small gangs in the city."

"Okay!" Cai Ling Shuang nodded gently.

Cai Qingyan glanced at the sky and said, "Let's go back. Let's stop training here for today!"

……

……

"Senior Brother Cong, what's wrong?"

When Cai Qingyan and his daughter returned home, they found two Sword Sect disciples supporting Cong Buqi, whose body was covered in wounds and bloodstains on his white clothes.

Cai Ling Shuang's face turned cold, and she immediately stepped forward to ask, "Who did this?"

Cai Qingyan frowned as well, and asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

Cong Buqi's face was pale, his lips moved a few times, as if he had difficulty speaking, and after a long time he finally uttered a few words: "It's Junior Brother Gu."

Upon hearing this, Cai Ling Shuang angrily retorted, "Why is it him again? And why did he hit me so hard? This is outrageous! I'm going to get an explanation from him today!"

"Shuang'er, wait."

Cai Qingyan stopped Cai Ling Shuang and asked疑惑地问道, "As far as I know, Gu Changfeng is a very measured person and would never use such force. What exactly happened between you two?"

"Master, this is what happened..."

Cong Buqi covered his wound and recounted the events in general terms.

Upon hearing this, Cai Ling Shuang's face turned icy, and she said coldly, "What do you mean by colluding with gangs and oppressing the people? Over the years, if it weren't for our Sword Sect's efforts in manpower and resources to restrain various forces, how could the people live in peace and prosperity? It's just a black sheep; how can you take such drastic measures?"

Cai Qingyan pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "No, he went too far because your third senior brother didn't handle Xu Tian's matter well."

Upon hearing this, both Cai Ling Shuang and Cong Bu Qi were taken aback.

Cai Qingyan continued, "The imperial law states: Anyone who forcibly seizes a betrothed woman or a free man's child shall be sentenced to one and a half years of penal servitude. If the act is adultery, the sentence shall be one hundred strokes of the cane and three years of penal servitude."

At this point, his gaze fell on Cong Buqi, and his tone became slightly somber: "Because Wang Xiaotao is materialistic and snobbish, you let this matter slide and didn't pursue it. This handling of the matter was biased and only emboldened Xu Tian's arrogance. It's inevitable that you'll make some oversights since this is your first time dealing with these matters, but you must be more careful in your future actions..."

"Your disciple will remember this, and thank you for your teachings, Master."

Cong Buqi bowed with difficulty to express his gratitude.

Cai Ling Shuang supported him, her face full of indignation, and said, "Even if Third Senior Brother made a mistake, that's an internal matter of our Sword Sect. How could he be so ruthless?"

Cong Buqi lowered his head, his voice weak: "Actually... at first, Junior Brother Gu didn't use much force, but... he was cursing our Sword Sect while he was attacking, and the insults were too nasty. I couldn't stand it and fought him to the death, which is why I was injured so badly."

Cai Qingyan frowned even more deeply and asked in a deep voice, "What did he say?"

Cong Buqi shrank back, his face showing embarrassment and a hint of fear: "He scolded our Sword Sect for being short-sighted, for acting like a prostitute... a prostitute pretending to be virtuous, no wonder everyone is so poor—"

Cai Qingyan felt a sudden tightness in his chest, as if a sharp sword had been plunged into his heart.

He was arrogant throughout his life and never considered himself inferior to others.

He fought against the Purple Cloud Taoist for decades. In terms of martial arts, he won more often than he lost in the first half of his life. Although he won and lost half in the second half, he never showed any fear.

There was only one thing in which he lost miserably.

That is managing a sect.

The dignified Huashan Sword Sect had disciples dressed in simple clothes, even its most beloved daughter, the "Sword Sect Saintess"...

This wasn't because the Sword Sect was deliberately maintaining a noble character; it was simply because they were genuinely poor!

Others only know about passing on swordsmanship and skills, but they don't know that training a disciple is far more complex than simply giving them a sword and a manual. Food, drink, shelter, and daily necessities all require money.

Not to mention the most expensive medicinal herbs.

Whether it's minor injuries or illnesses, or alchemy and medicine, a large amount of medicinal herbs are needed to aid cultivation. Some of these rare and precious herbs are priceless, often costing thousands of taels of silver.

The Sword Sect's income mainly comes from managing small gangs and martial arts families in the Guanzhong region, such as Huayin, Weinan, and Chang'an. This not only allows them to control various forces and benefit the people, but also enables them to profit from these activities.

At the same time, they also venture into businesses such as restaurants and pharmacies.

The Sword Sect has over four hundred members, and their daily expenses are like flowing water.

You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household.

Cai Qingyan was frugal in his daily life, saving as much as he could, and he wouldn't even spend a penny more than necessary on himself.

But look next door.

The salt-selling business orchestrated by Master Zixiao was not only incredibly lucrative, but also easy to manage. Furthermore, it propelled the four major sects of Songshan, Hengshan, Hengshan, and Taishan to grow ever larger and more powerful.

They can easily earn hundreds of thousands of taels of silver every year.

Therefore, although the disciples of the Qi Sect were not extravagant, their clothes and swords were of the highest quality, and they received money and items during festivals. The only thing missing was that each of them was assigned a maid to serve them.

With such a comparison, doesn't that just breed hatred?

And the hatred runs deep!