Chapter 230 - 231: Toughness!
“This is the Hall Master of the Yaoshan Sword Sect, Wu Feng,” Bai Qin’an immediately introduced.
The Sect Leader wearing the black veil nodded slightly, but did not speak. Not only did she disregard the salutation, she did not respond at all.
Wu Feng felt somewhat embarrassed, not expecting the Sect Leader of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect to be so aloof, or was it that he, as a minor Hall Master, was simply beneath her notice?
As Wu Feng approached, he noticed that several Swordswomen, who were also Hall Masters, were intently staring at him.
After all, Wu Feng was a man past thirty and wouldn’t narcissistically think that they were all enamored with him.
Most likely, they were eager to spar with him. It was not often that a Hall Master from the Yaoshan Sword Sect visited their mountain, and these women, who were obsessed with the Sword Dao, were probably itching to draw their swords and meet him in battle.
There seemed to be another very important reason.
Men were indeed not very welcome here.
Miss Nan Lingsha, who had arrived earlier, was seated under a white parasol, with fragrant fruits and fine wine before her, and a young female disciple attending to her.
But Hao Ye did not receive such treatment. He was essentially seated outside, subjected to the wind and the sun, with nothing but a cup of the simplest clear water before him—and nothing else.
Looking at his own seating arrangement, Wu Feng found it was indeed just a cushion, the kind on which a hen could hatch eggs.
Is the disparity between men and women really that great?
Hao Ye appeared to be an easygoing person, accustomed to the life of wandering the lands, often sleeping in dilapidated temples, so he was quite content with the treatment here, but Wu Feng felt slightly less comfortable.
He reluctantly sat down on the cushion, with the sunlight shining directly into his eyes, causing discomfort.
A while later, the young disciple Shao Ying ascended the mountain.
Bai Qin’an gave a brief introduction, and sure enough, those Hall Masters and Elders exhibited some degree of the expected hospitality, personally inviting Shao Ying to the prestigious white tent where she joined Miss Nan Lingsha, served by the female disciples of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect.
Shao Ying, being of a lower status and not as powerful, was merely there to make up numbers. Seeing her seniors, who were far stronger than her—Hao Ye and Uncle Master Wu Feng—sitting rather pitifully in a corner, she suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
Wu Feng sighed softly, waved his hand, and gestured for Shao Ying to follow the local customs after all, they were on someone else’s territory, and the entire nation had this kind of atmosphere…
It wasn’t long before Yun Zhonghe arrived.
Bai Qin’an did not even bother to introduce him, and those Elders and Hall Masters of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect showed no interest at all.
Yun Zhonghe was completely baffled and then was placed next to Wu Feng, on the same kind of cushion, with an attitude of ‘sit however you like.’ The sun was at its most scorching, and even in autumn, it was unbearably hot.
Yun Zhonghe was angry but dared not speak out.
“Uncle Master, we’ve come all this way, already reaching the capital, and not only have we been left to one side for several days, but once we were finally allowed up the mountain, we’re being completely disregarded,” Yun Zhonghe whispered his grievances to Wu Feng.
“It’s not that they don’t consider us at all. Look, isn’t Shao Ying being treated with great hospitality?” Wu Feng said helplessly.
Yun Zhonghe was left speechless at once.
So, it was because they were men?
And they didn’t even offer him a sip of water?
In the sweltering heat, Yun Zhonghe’s hands and feet were ice cold, his anger making him shiver all over.
When would men be able to stand tall in the Miao Kingdom?
They waited for nearly half a ‘time’.
The people of the Miao Mountain Sword Sect did not say a word, as if they would disdain to interact with those from the Yaoshan Sword Sect until everyone had arrived.
“Could Zhu Minglang have gotten lost?” Yun Zhonghe said.
“He’s lost his Sword Cultivation Level, he might find it difficult to read the Sword Score, so let’s wait a little longer,” Wu Feng said with a calm heart.
As they were speaking, Zhu Minglang walked up from the terraced steps of the mountain. He glanced at the Miao Mountain Sword Sect’s grand setup. Although it was all women, who were indeed a pleasure to the eye, they gave off a forbidding chill that made one quite uncomfortable.
“Everyone is here,” Bai Qin’an said.
Miss Xinghua did not ascend the mountain, choosing to wait with Fang Niannian in the kingdom.
Considering it possible that someone might steal the Ancient Lantern Jade, it seemed better that the powerless Prophet did not risk involvement.
“Please take a seat,” said a Swordswoman, wrapped tightly from head to toe, guiding Zhu Minglang towards a simple straw mat placed in the sun.
But Zhu Minglang walked straight to the extravagant white umbrella tent and sat next to Nan Lingsha. He grabbed a bunch of grapes, which he liked to eat, paying no mind to behaving as a guest.
“Our rules dictate that men may not enter the tent, nor sit on chairs…” the tightly-wrapped Swordswoman sternly stated at that moment.
Bai Qin’an was about to speak when the Sect Leader beside her raised a hand to signal her not to intervene.
“You set your rules; whether I follow them is my business,” Zhu Minglang replied.
“Why are you so rude?” the Swordswoman heatedly demanded.
“Your Chief Disciple is polite to me, yet you, a mere Swordswoman, dare to point fingers and make unnecessary gestures,” Zhu Minglang glared at the haughty Swordswoman.
Wu Feng, Yun Zhonghe, and Hao Ye watched Zhu Minglang as he remained arrogant and domineering on others’ turf, and could not help but give him a mental thumbs up!
So audacious!
“This is the Miao Mountain Sword Sect, I will not tolerate such insolence from a lowly man here…”
“Get lost!” Zhu Minglang ran out of patience and scolded coldly.
Chirping and chattering, disturbing the peace.
The young Swordswoman, with her face turning red with anger and helpless against someone who refused to follow the rules, could only look pitifully for assistance from the Hall Master, who was the only one without a Black Veil.
The Hall Master, with her austere face, exuded the severity and autocracy unique to those who governed the Disciplinary Sword.
“Master Wu Feng, are your disciples also so undisciplined and uncontrolled in your sect?” the Disciplinary Sword Maiden challenged.
“This is my junior brother Zhu Minglang, not a disciple,” Wu Feng responded indifferently.
Control Zhu Minglang? Not even the Elder Sword Sovereign could handle him!
And to control him, you’d have to defeat him first.
“Our rules have been passed down for thousands of years, and we will not proceed with this swordsmanship exchange until the rules are properly observed,” the Disciplinary Sword Maiden stated.
“There’s nothing much to exchange anyway, just some outdated, boring swordsmanship with no practical use; it’s purely because you secluded Swordswomen think you’re still the elite of the Sword Sects, simply because you venture out so seldom and are nothing but frogs in a well,” Zhu Minglang stated.
Wu Feng’s eyes nearly popped out at the words.
This was their territory!
A little restraint was in order, especially with elders and Sect Leaders present!
“Heh, such big talk. In recent years, you’re only the second person to speak so boldly in our Miao Mountain Sword Sect,” said the Disciplinary Hall Master as she approached, clearly intent on asserting her authority.
Males are just like that, not disciplined for a day and they climb the roof to tear off the tiles!