Chapter 24: Su Jing, Who Takes All—Men and Women Alike
Recently, the Moon State has been caught in a whirlwind of chaos. First, the Yellow River was deliberately diverted, displacing millions of people. Then, the chief elder of Little Lotus Flower Peak in Transcendent Mountain was killed in Ruxi County. And now, another scandal has erupted—yet another disciple of Transcendent Mountain has gone rogue, this time killing civilians. Word has it he was a personal disciple of the deceased Tu Zhenren.
In response, nearly all the first-ranking elders across Transcendent Mountain have descended the peaks, launching a massive manhunt to capture this disciple—Su Jing. They aim to abolish his cultivation and bring justice to the people.
For a while, all of Moon State was in an uproar over this one supposed renegade from Transcendent Mountain. Even wandering Rogue Cultivators and martial wanderers began paying attention.
Transcendent Mountain claimed it was a righteous act—to uphold justice for the common people because Su Jing killed one civilian. But no one in the martial world was truly naive enough to believe that story.
There were many speculations. Rumors spread like wildfire that Su Jing had stolen a precious treasure from Transcendent Mountain, which explained the sect’s unusually aggressive response—dispatching top elders to pursue a mere 1st stage Qi Sea Realm disciple.
Some said Su Jing had stolen the sect’s agar jade dew. Others believed he had taken a supreme cultivation technique. More outrageous rumors claimed he had escaped with Qingming, the Head Master’s Flying Sword, a legendary weapon passed down through the sect’s generations.
Though no one could agree on what exactly was stolen, they all agreed on one thing—Su Jing must have taken something priceless, and that’s why Transcendent Mountain was in such a frenzy.
All of Moon State was in turmoil. Many powerful factions sent out their own experts to search for Su Jing, hoping to get a piece of the prize. From county to county, forces turned the land upside down—but Su Jing’s trail had vanished.
Some even speculated that he had already fled beyond Moon State.
...
Moon State, Yingchuan County, Funan County.
The official road was wide but mostly empty. On its edge stood a modest teahouse. Despite its small size, it was lively with merchants and Rogue Cultivators coming and going. The establishment held seven or eight tables, most occupied by men dressed like martial wanderers, resting and sipping tea.
Martial wanderers loved to gossip, especially about sensational events.
And right now, nothing was more sensational than the pursuit of Su Jing by Transcendent Mountain.
“Every inch of Moon State has been turned upside down,” muttered a man in a black robe, a heavy black-iron sword leaning against his chair. He took a sip of tea, his face sharp and scarred—clearly no stranger to bloodshed. “But no one’s found Su Jing yet. He must be hiding well.”
His remark opened the floodgates of conversation.
“I heard even Transcendent Mountain’s retired elders came out of seclusion to join the hunt!” one said.
“They say he murdered someone! Transcendent Mountain really is righteous to go this far,” added another.
“You don’t know a damn thing,” the black-robed man sneered. He leaned in, voice low and mysterious. “I’ve got connections. I know the real reason.”
Everyone leaned in closer. “Tell us. What is it?”
The black-robed man smirked. “Yes, Su Jing did kill someone. But it was just a refugee—what’s that in the grand scheme of things? No, the real reason is that he stole agar jade dew from Transcendent Mountain.”
Gasps echoed around the table.
Agar jade dew—one of Transcendent Mountain’s sacred treasures—was ranked among the top ten legendary items in the cultivation world. It was said to heal all hidden injuries, cleanse one’s meridians, and significantly boost one’s cultivation potential. Its value was unimaginable.
Eyes sparkled with greed. Normally, this kind of treasure was beyond their dreams. But now? Su Jing, a lone 1st stage Qi Sea Realm cultivator, was supposedly carrying it.
The black-robed man added, “Su Jing may be strong, but he’s only one man. If we join forces and catch him, we can split the treasure equally.”
Encouraged, the group quickly finished their tea, tossed down some copper coins, grabbed their weapons, and rushed off along the road.
The teahouse remained busy. New groups of Rogue Cultivators came and went, resting briefly before setting off. The topic never changed.
Su Jing had become the most talked-about name in Moon State.
And the rumors became more ridiculous by the hour.
“I heard Su Jing stole the Head Master’s personal sword and killed dozens of fellow disciples!”
“That’s nothing—I heard he’s seducing female disciples left and right! A real flower thief!”
“You’re all wrong. I heard Su Jing swings the other way—he bewitched several young noblemen and got exposed in a scandal. That’s why all the big clans are hunting him down!”
"Ahem... he likes both. Men and women—he takes them all.”
“Damn! What a disgrace to Transcendent Mountain!”
“A shameless villain! Truly the shame of the entire sect!”