Why do I have so many masters?

"Is that the mechanism on Sister Sikou's wrist?"

Mu Shanxue fell silent, then said,

"Sister... Have you started addressing her that way so quickly?"

"Back then, it took me nearly half a year of running around just to get you to call me 'brother.' I got stung all over my face and head while gathering honey for you and had to lie in bed for a fortnight before you finally called me that."

The little Taoist gritted his teeth, looking at Mu Shanxue in front of him, wishing he could pounce on her and bite her fiercely.

Mu Shanxue chuckled dryly and spoke earnestly,

"Yes, that's the thing."

"However, that item is not some Mo Family mechanism, but a very rare Qimen Weapon from Jianghu known as the Heavenly Secrets Whip. It changes by the inch, can be long or short, can be rigid or flexible, encompassing the principles of Yin and Yang change."

"In its short form, it acts as a dagger; as a sword when medium; flexible as a whip; rigid as a spear."

"Each form has its corresponding moves. When truly wielded, it's like several people attacking one simultaneously, extremely tricky and hard to defend against. Sword moves can transform into whip techniques, and under spear techniques, one can also quickly close in on the opponent. The intriguing and upright complement each other, cycling endlessly – it's a superior martial arts skill rarely seen in Qimen martial arts."

The little Taoist listened, eyes wide, murmuring,

"Is it that powerful?"

Mu Shanxue sighed,

"What's powerful is not the weapon's transformation, but the person using this weapon. The Number One Manor in the World stands above both Jianghu and the Imperial Court, due in part to that Land Immortal with unfathomable martial arts skills and also four vice manor masters who are solidly in the Grandmaster realm."

"One of them is proficient in both long and short swordsmanship, fist and foot gun techniques. People say it's hard to achieve greatness if one's focus is divided, yet this person has cultivated each type of martial arts to an extremely profound level. Each skill is sufficient for a life-and-death struggle."

"Every time before a battle, it's always unclear which set of martial arts would be best to use. However, one can't carry five or six weapons every time one confronts someone. Thus, to fully exhibit all that has been learned, the manor sought a Mo Family master to specially craft this unique weapon set."

"Although it's a top-notch sharp weapon, due to its versatility, ordinary martial artists can hardly use it well, and might as well stick to their own swords. So, it seems that this person must be a disciple of some grandmaster."

Mu Shanxue sighed.

The little Taoist pondered for a moment, then looked at Mu Shanxue and said,

"But, what does this have to do with the disrespect you showed just now, brother?"

Mu Shanxue widened his eyes, staring at his disciple. The little Taoist looked back at him with a mix of curiosity and confusion. The two brothers silently faced each other for a moment. Mu Shanxue averted his gaze and murmured,

"That's not right..."

"With your perception and thoughts, you shouldn't have been able to see through it..."

The little Taoist froze for a moment, his cheeks flushing red, and he grabbed Mu Shanxue's arm and bit down hard.

When they finally managed to calm the furious little disciple, Mu Shanxue's palm had two tiger tooth marks on it, and he grimaced in pain, clearly showing that the little Taoist had not held back.

The little Taoist crossed his arms and turned his back on Mu Shanxue, sulking.

Sikou Tingfeng brought two disciples from the manor, offering some pastries and fragrant tea. They set a table. The woman cooling her hand by blowing on it, Mu Shanxue, had a strange look in her eyes and said,

"Is this from...?"

Mu Shanxue, with his right hand behind his back, laughed,

"Bitten by a splendid clustered black and white little kitten."

Sikou Tingfeng glanced at the sulking Taoist with his arms around himself, munching on the pastries, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes as he nodded and said,

"It seems this little cat has really upset the Taoist."

"He bit through a Sixth Rank Martial Artist's True Qi. I wonder if it has shattered his sharp teeth,"

The young Taoist had his mouth full of pastries, his cheeks bulging, and upon hearing this, he just continued to chew loudly in silence.

He was reluctant to come initially, but after arriving, Mu Shanxue seemed not in a hurry to leave. The sheathed longsword lay horizontally on the table. After finishing the tea and snacks and taking in the mountain scenery, he leisurely stood up to take his leave.

Leading a gray donkey, he descended the mountain from the gated entrance.

The little Taoist, still upset, followed closely behind Mu Shanxue.

Below the gated entrance, Sikou Tingfeng quietly watched the two Taoists leave.

An old man with white hair emerged from the room inside the forbidden gate, took a step forward, and had already appeared behind Sikou. Short in stature, he tiptoed to peer down at the two departing Taoists and nodded knowingly.

Turning his gaze to Sikou Tingfeng beside him, he said,

"You actually returned from your seclusion today, which is quite rare."

Sikou Tingfeng responded evenly,

"Aren't you the same, sir?"

The white-haired elder chuckled,

"You and I are not the same."

Sikou Tingfeng nodded and said calmly,

"Today, on a whim, I calculated a divination and found that the little Taoist carries a strand of Heavenly Secrets, so I came out to see."

"My fourth master once performed a grand divination over a hundred days by aligning the stars, glimpsing a strand of Heavenly Secrets, and saying that the next generation would be even more thrilling than the Jianghu of the past three hundred years."

"Among the five who dominated the world for a hundred years, three from this generation might not be as unrivaled as before."

"In such an era, while the power of the Great Qin Country grows daily, The Number One Manor in the World sits between them. Flourishing will inevitably lead to decline, and it is good to forge a connection."

The elder smacked his lips, raised his hand to stroke his white beard, exuding an aura of a learned master, and laughed,

"What of it? Given your talents, if you were to leave seclusion and enter the world, venturing into the worldly life, you'd advance rapidly. Though I dare not call you a Grandmaster, after a few years, your martial arts skills definitely would reach the Upper Third Rank."

"By then, except for the Manor Master, perhaps none of your other masters would be able to surpass you. Regardless of how the world changes, among those who stir up storms in Jianghu in the future, you are sure to be one."

"That young female Taoist might be considered half, possessing a strand of Heavenly Secrets, and originally had limitless prospects. Unfortunately, it seems she doesn't like practicing martial arts, focusing all her thoughts on that lazy Taoist, hence only half."

The voice paused, and the white-haired elder again laughed,

"But that Taoist is no ordinary individual either."

"Weiming Sect originally split from the Taoist Sect three hundred years ago due to differing philosophies."

"To contract it, one must first expand it; to weaken it, one must first strengthen it; to abolish it, one must first promote it; to seize it, one must first give it. This is called 'Weiming.'

'The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong. A fish cannot escape from the deep, and the sharp weapons of a country should not be displayed. Currently, it is merely 'grasping the subtle and profound,' that's the extent of martial arts skill we see. If one day it transforms into 'restoring life to the ordinary, understanding the ordinary brings enlightenment,' to what realm will it ascend?'"

Sikou Tingfeng remained silent, unperturbed.

The white-haired elder, with his hands behind his back, gazed at the vast landscape below and smiled leisurely,

"With such an era unfolding, it makes me want to live a bit longer too."

"How splendid, truly splendid..."

PS: The second update for today...…