THE GUIDE AND PROTECTOR, VOLUME 8 - Season 11 Episode 88

“Senior Sikong, exactly what is going on?” Chu Feng asked in curiosity.

“Chu Feng, you ought to know who Baili Xuankong is, right?” Sikong Zhaixing answered with a question.

“Of course. Baili Xuankong is our Southern Cyanwood Forest’s first generation’s headmaster, the founder of our Southern Cyanwood Forest.”

“Back then, he was an expert with his name renowned throughout the entire Cyanwood Domain. He is also the senior martial brother of the Cyanwood Mountain’s headmaster. In the Cyanwood Mountain, he possessed an exceptionally high status. It was precisely because of the request of the Cyanwood Mountain’s headmaster that he created the Southern Cyanwood Forest.”

In the past couple days, Chu Feng had learned a lot about the Southern Cyanwood Forest. The first headmaster of the Southern Cyanwood Forest, Baili Xuankong, was most definitely the most heroic and legendary headmaster of the Southern Cyanwood Forest. It could even be said that he was the sole person that the Southern Cyanwood Forest’s disciples were intensely proud of. That was because his successive headmasters were much inferior to him.

During the time of Baili Xuankong, the Southern Cyanwood Forest was the strongest among the four Cyanwood Forests. It was so much that the other three Cyanwood Forests simply could not even be mentioned alongside the Southern Cyanwood Forest due to their enormous gap in strength.

However, after his death, the Southern Cyanwood Forest suffered a sudden, devastating decline. Without the protection of this exceptional expert, the successive generations of the Southern Cyanwood Forest became inferior to the one preceding it. Today, the Southern Cyanwood Forest had become pitifully weak and become the laughingstock.

“Chu Feng, you are a very smart and intelligent child. Have you ever thought to yourself that, with the strength that Headmaster Baili and the power that our Southern Cyanwood Forest possessed back then, why did we decline to such a state after his death? There must be a reason to it, right?” Asked Sikong Zhaixing.

“To be honest, junior has indeed thought about this question before. As the saying goes, a camel that is starved to death would still be bigger than a horse. With how powerful Headmaster Baili was before his death, the Southern Cyanwood Forest that he left behind shouldn’t have declined to today’s state.” Chu Feng honestly voiced his opinions.

“That’s right. If Headmaster Baili truly wanted to properly operate the Southern Cyanwood Forest, then even though the location where the Southern Cyanwood Forest was constructed is extremely weak, we still should not have declined to today’s level.”

“As for the reason for the Southern Cyanwood Forest’s devastating decline, that was because although Headmaster Baili was powerful, he did not leave behind any inheritance for the Southern Cyanwood Forest nor did he cultivate outstanding descendants. It was so much that even when he was selecting the next headmaster to take over him, he merely randomly chose someone to do that.”

“I have even heard that before his death, he even especially told his friends that regardless of how devastating of a state the Southern Cyanwood Forest would end up in, they are not to extend any helping hand. However, he also asked his friends to not let the Southern Cyanwood Forest perish. He even especially mentioned to the headmaster of the Cyanwood Mountain at that time to, regardless of what might happen to the Southern Cyanwood Forest, continue to let it exist.”

“That was the reason why, after his death, the Southern Cyanwood Forest received a sudden and devastating decline. Moreover, many of the experts that have come to join the Southern Cyanwood Forest because of Headmaster Baili’s fame also left the Southern Cyanwood Forest after his death. Adding on the requests he had made before his death; this was the reason why the Southern Cyanwood Forest has declined to today’s level.”

“Although the Southern Cyanwood Forest is still in existence, when compared to the glorious days back then, the Southern Cyanwood Forest has become pitifully weak.” Said Sikong Zhaixing.

“Such a thing actually happened? Why would Headmaster Baili do such a thing?” Confusion was written all over Chu Feng’s face.

“Although Headmaster Baili did not seem to leave anything behind for the Southern Cyanwood Forest, he did leave some things behind.” Sikong Zhaixing said.

“What things?” Chu Feng asked.

“You ought to know about the Ascension Sect, right?” Asked Sikong Zhaixing.

“This junior knows. The Ascension Sect is the same as the Orion Monastery. They are one of the Cyanwood Mountain’s first-rate subsidiary powers. Moreover, it is said that the Ascension Sect’s strength is a bit stronger than the Orion Monastery and is comparable to the Northern, Western and Eastern Cyanwood Forests.” Replied Chu Feng.

“Our Headmaster Baili was best friends with the founding sect master of the Ascension Sect. Back then, before his death, Headmaster Baili had created a pagoda in the Ascension Sect. The pagoda is called the Southern Cyanwood Forest’s Pagoda.”

“He had left behind a keepsake at the top of the Southern Cyanwood Forest’s Pagoda, and then made a promise with the Ascension Sect’s sect master saying that as long as someone from Southern Cyanwood Forest is able to obtain that keepsake in the future, the Ascension Sect is to ally itself with the Southern Cyanwood Forest. Moreover, they are to swear to undergo trials and tribulations, live and die, alongside the Southern Cyanwood Forest.”

“At the same time, he also stated that if no one from the Southern Cyanwood Forest is able to obtain that keepsake, then the Ascension Sect is to never provide the Southern Cyanwood Forest a helping hand.” Said Sikong Zhaixing.

“So Headmaster Baili had already guessed that the Southern Cyanwood Forest would decline so low?” Chu Feng seemed to have understood something.

“That’s right. That’s why we say that Headmaster Baili is a true sage. When he created the Southern Cyanwood Forest, he did so all for the purpose of waiting for one exceptional genius, a person who would be able to affect the entire Holy Land of Martialism. It could be said that the Southern Cyanwood Forest was founded all for that person.”

“While he was willing to help that person, he was unwilling to help nor develop the Southern Cyanwood Forest. That’s why he did not leave behind any of his skills and abilities for the Southern Cyanwood Forest’s later generations. This was also why he did not allow his friends to provide assistance to the Southern Cyanwood Forest. Yet, he still demanded for the continued existence of the Southern Cyanwood Forest and left behind such a promise with his best friend.”

“His intentions were very clear. While it is true that he did not leave anything for the Southern Cyanwood Forest, he has left behind some assistance to the person that he believed would emerge from the Southern Cyanwood Forest.”

“Many people do not understand why Headmaster Baili would do such a thing. The previous me was one of those people. I was completely blind to his intentions and even felt what he did to be superfluous. Yet, the current me now understands him because I eventually came to believe in the words he left behind.”

“He said that the Southern Cyanwood Forest would wait for a person that would affect the entire Holy Land of Martialism, only then would the purpose of the existence of the Southern Cyanwood Forest be shown. Likewise, that would also be the time for the Southern Cyanwood Forest to become glorious.”

“And now, that person has appeared. That person is you.” Sikong Zhaixing looked to Chu Feng. Complicated expressions filled his eyes. It was a kind of entrust, an entrustment of all his hopes onto Chu Feng.

“Senior Sikong, are you bringing me to the Ascension Sect to obtain the keepsake in the Southern Cyanwood Mountain’s Pagoda so that the Ascension Sect will become our ally and assist us?” Chu Feng had understood Sikong Zhaixing’s intentions.

“Mn, the power the Orion Monastery has in the Cyanwood Mountain is very strong. Even with the rules of the Cyanwood Mountain, you would still suffer if Yuan Qing wanted to do something to you.”

“However, if the Ascension Sect is to shield you, the situation would be completely different. That is because the strength of the Ascension Sect in the Cyanwood Mountain is not at all inferior to the Orion Monastery. It could even be said that they’re a bit stronger than the Orion Monastery.” Said Sikong Zhaixing.

“However, Senior Sikong, after all these years, are you certain that the Ascension Sect would comply to the promise their founding sect master and our founding headmaster made?”

Chu Feng was a bit worried. After all, the gap between the current Southern Cyanwood Forest and the Ascension Sect was too enormous. It was not certain that the Ascension Sect would comply to an oral agreement from their ancestor and ally itself with the Southern Cyanwood Forest. This was especially true considering that Chu Feng had offended the Orion Monastery.

“Actually, even I am unable to determine whether they would comply with the promise. After all, such a long time has passed.”

“However, the Ascension Sect is different from our Southern Cyanwood Forest. Ever since the time of their founding sect master, their method of selection for their successive sect masters was very special. The person they would choose would not necessarily be the one with the strongest cultivation. Instead, it would definitely be the one with the best moral conduct.”

“Thus, the successive sect masters of the Ascension Sect have always been people with moral conduct greatly approved by others. Thus, even though the Ascension Sect is unrelated to our Southern Cyanwood Forest since the death of our Headmaster Baili, I know that their current sect master still remembers the promise that their ancestor has made with Headmaster Baili.” Said Sikong Zhaixing.

“In that case, let’s place our trust in Headmaster Baili this time.” Chu Feng gave a relieved smile. He no longer bothered to think much about it.

The meaning of his words was very clear. The complicated relationship the Southern Cyanwood Forest had with the Ascension Sect was created by Headmaster Baili. If Chu Feng was able to obtain the keepsake but the Ascension Sect refused to acknowledge their promise, it could only mean that Headmaster Baili had miscalculated. At the very least, he had selected the wrong target to make his promise with.

However, Chu Feng actually trusted Headmaster Baili quite a bit. He felt that this Headmaster Baili was an extraordinary man. As for such sort of extraordinary man, they were generally people with great abilities.