As Gu Fangchen's uncle, Ning Songjun had often, at Ning Caiyong's request, taught the young Gu Fangchen swordsmanship.
But Gu Fangchen's talent in martial arts was mediocre to the extreme, and when it came to the Way of the Sword, he was utterly clueless.
He had been pampered since childhood. The original Gu Fangchen believed he had already suffered greatly during cultivation and considered himself quite diligent. In truth, his effort was not even one-tenth that of others.
If not for Ning Caiyong's sake, a disciple like that would have been expelled from Sword Pavilion without hesitation.
Later, when Ning Songjun accepted Xu Zhenguan as his disciple, it was clear the Sword Saint preferred honest, steadfast students.
After all, though Xu Zhenguan improved rapidly under hardship, there had been others whose sword talent was far more dazzling.
Take, for instance, the one known as "Form-Grass Sword," who had already perished by Prajna Lianyue's hand, an invincible prodigy since debut.
But such geniuses usually had their noses pointed at the heavens, and that was precisely the kind of arrogance Ning Songjun despised most.
Right now, Gu Fangchen, in Ning Songjun's eyes, was showing signs of becoming that kind of man.
After sixteen years of quiet endurance, he suddenly broke through to Sixth Grade in Martial Dao, took an unorthodox path, and displayed such cunning, inevitably, he might one day regard the world as beneath him.
If not suppressed, his arrogance would surely grow unchecked.
Ning Songjun's expression darkened.
Before, when Gu Fangchen had no cultivation, any trouble he caused was within their ability to handle.
But now, as a Sixth-Grade martial expert with unknown limits, the potential havoc he could wreak was beyond measure.
Even for his elder sister's sake, Ning Songjun had to make Gu Fangchen understand that beyond Fourth Grade, every boundary was a mountain,
and the strength of the upper Three Grades was far beyond his imagination, not to be taken lightly.
The previous incident, where he killed a Fifth-Grade opponent, was nothing but a small, unrepeatable stroke of luck!
Ning Songjun's face remained cold.
Yes, luck, and nothing more.
No matter what, that boy's arrogance must be curbed.
When he had threatened Gu Fangchen earlier with sword intent, he had already noticed that while Gu Fangchen possessed true cultivation, there was no trace of any martial or sword techniques in his movements.
That was also one of the reasons Ning Songjun ultimately chose to believe him.
If he had been possessed by another soul, the mouth could lie, the body could lie, but the "Dao" could not.
There was no trace of a formed Dao within Gu Fangchen.
For a time, raw strength might allow him to break through all techniques by force.
But once he reached the upper Three Grades, he would become like rootless duckweed, bound to suffer.
Ning Songjun walked to the cliff at the mountain's peak, overlooking Dragon Hollow Lake shrouded in mist, surrounded by the towering peaks of Sword Pavilion.
A streak of morning light spread gradually across the world.
Behind him, a Sword Pavilion elder came to report:
"Vice Pavilion Master, the two direct disciples, Qiu He and Qi Linghua, have returned to the sect and are currently reporting to the Pavilion Master."
He briefly described the casualties and the arrangements for the families of those who had died.
Then the elder hesitated, looking puzzled.
"However... they both said it was a Daoist with the title 'Not Daoist' who saved the young princess. This person's origin is unknown. He claimed that 'Lotus Concealed in the Womb' was in his possession, and he also carried a sword that may have been of supreme grade."
"On the way, this man gifted that sword to a servant disciple, then split off to rescue the young princess."
"But now, that servant disciple and the sword are missing, and this Not Daoist has also disappeared. There's something strange about this, so I wanted to ask, have you seen this Not Daoist before?"
"Not Daoist?"
Ning Songjun frowned, then relaxed, letting out a cold snort in his heart. It was clearly the disguise Gu Fangchen had used.
"What 'Not Daoist'? Isn't that just saying 'I'm not a Daoist'?"
And the disciples actually believed that!
Utter fools,
Completely deceived by Gu Fangchen, and still unaware. Truly disgraceful!
"Never seen him!"
Ning Songjun said with a dark expression, waving his hand, then paused as a thought struck him.
He asked, "Did this Not Daoist show himself before the pursuers?"
The elder nodded.
"Yes, they fought openly. Many should have seen his face."
Ning Songjun narrowed his eyes.
"In that case, spread word that 'Lotus Concealed in the Womb' is in his possession. Since he wanted to fish in troubled waters, let him have his wish."
A moment's thought, and he understood Gu Fangchen's intent,
to shift all blame for "Lotus Concealed in the Womb" onto this so-called Not Daoist.
Though it wouldn't end the turmoil completely, it would be enough for Sword Pavilion to deflect public scrutiny and divert attention.
The elder nodded.
Ning Songjun then asked in a low voice, "How is Lianqian?"
The elder hesitated.
"The Pavilion Master is tending to her personally. The young princess's external injuries are not serious, and fortunately no inner harm remains. With rest, she will recover."
"However... after such a calamity on her first venture into the martial world, she will likely carry deep trauma."
"At present, she remains unconscious. Only once she wakes can we learn the full details."
Ning Songjun's gaze chilled.
"What about the Sky-Eye Division?"
"They still insist their intelligence was accurate."
Ning Songjun's voice turned icy.
"It seems some people will not shed tears until they see the sword's edge."
"I'll visit the Sky-Eye Division soon and have a good talk with the two Division Lords."
...
Gu Fangchen stepped out of his room into the dawn light, stretching lazily and loosening his joints.
Talking to his uncle was never easy,
especially if he wanted a proper conversation that lasted more than a few minutes.
The original Gu Fangchen never had that kind of face or privilege. Delaying the Sword Saint for even an hour just for small talk? Impossible.
So, some preparation was in order.
Ning Songjun, apart from his devotion to the sword and to his elder sister, had no particular hobbies,
except one: fine wine.
The water of Dragon Hollow Lake was not only good for forging swords but also for brewing exquisite liquor.
That old swordsmith who had earned Ning Songjun's deep trust, one reason was his talent for winemaking.
But Ning Songjun's true favorite had always been "Drunken Spring Breeze," brewed at the lakeside distillery near Dragon Hollow Lake.
Unfortunately, the only brewer capable of making "Drunken Spring Breeze" had died three years ago.
The last few jars of his wine had sold out the year before last.
There was no more "Drunken Spring Breeze" in the world,
a lasting regret for all wine lovers.
However, what no one but Gu Fangchen knew at this point was that one final jar still existed.
The brewer had buried it as "daughter's red," to be opened only on his daughter's wedding day.
Gu Fangchen's goal now was to find that daughter and get his hands on that jar.
The only problem was that this brewer's daughter, though seemingly an ordinary beauty selling wine by the counter, was in truth the elusive Master of the Path of Extinction... the Lord of the Four-Phase Calamity.