The Man Behind the Greatest Under Heaven - Chapter 3

When Luo Ziqi was eighteen, he finally returned to Mount Qingcheng.

Wild with excitement, he secretly cut him a new outfit from cloud brocade newly delivered to the storeroom. With the scraps, he made himself a sash. He could not wear a personal disciple’s robes, but at least he could share a little of Luo Ziqi’s good fortune.

He also prepared a jar of wine, hoping to toast him amid the lively crowd.

This time, he would not be as ridiculous as he had been at thirteen. He would solemnly tell Luo Ziqi his name and say how long he had admired him.

But something suddenly went wrong within the sect.

Several pages of the inner cultivation method Luo Ziqi had specifically requested had been fabricated. Fortunately, he glanced through it before it left the secret archive. He had copied that manual before and remembered every word.

There was no other copy in the archive, so he transcribed a fresh copy overnight and had it delivered first thing the next morning. Then he quietly investigated everyone who had handled the manual and caught the traitor.

When Luo Ziqi came to thank him at the secret archive, he was holding a long whip and conducting a brutal interrogation.

Through the door, Luo Ziqi said, “Thank you, Warden.”

It was the first time Luo Ziqi had spoken to him, but he did not answer.

Luo Ziqi soon left. Not far away, music and dancing filled the air at his welcoming feast.

That night, he drank an entire jar of wine alone, staring regretfully at the bloodstain on his white sash.

Beyond regret, he came to another realization: Luo Ziqi was light, and he was shadow. Since they walked different paths, it was better that they never became acquainted.

He needed only watch Luo Ziqi shine from below.

His master neither approved nor disapproved of his discreet removal of several traitors. Old now and preparing to pass the leadership to Luo Ziqi, he had no interest in such trifles.

Then, several months later, his master abruptly summoned him.

When he arrived, two peers were already waiting in the courtyard.

One came from a great clan and often accompanied their master on social calls. The other was the son of a wealthy merchant, born to immense riches and skilled in finance.

The three often worked together. Now they looked at one another, unsure of their master’s purpose.

Before long, two sets of footsteps approached from the front hall.

He looked up. Luo Ziqi stood in the hall in white robes with a sword at his waist, like a long blade resting in its sheath, unable to conceal its deadly edge.

He had grown taller, his features fully matured, but his eyes were just as they had been five years earlier—quiet and clear.

Their gazes met. He hurriedly lowered his head.

He paid no attention to anything his master said afterward. Fortunately, they were soon dismissed.

His master turned to Luo Ziqi. “Of these three, one is adept at dealing with people, and one excels at managing money.”

“And the other?”

His master answered meaningfully, “He is willing to do anything.”

His master told him to choose.

Luo Ziqi picked up a green bamboo slip, glanced out the window, and wrote three characters.

The day Luo Ziqi became Sect Leader, he became Deputy Sect Leader.

Luo Ziqi inclined his head. “Deputy Sect Leader.”

Overwhelmed by the honor, he bowed to the ground. “Sect Leader.”

The outer disciples were indignant. “Who does Luo Ziqi think he is? So what if his martial arts are good?!”

They maliciously tried to sow discord. “Senior Brother, you manage every affair in the sect, yet he gets to be Sect Leader. Who knew anyone could have it so good?”

Standing beside Luo Ziqi, he looked at their matching, flowing white robes—only Luo Ziqi’s cuffs and lapels were edged in blue, while his were not—and thought the same thing: Who knew anyone could have it so good?

He threw himself into mundane sect business with greater enthusiasm than ever.

As time passed, everyone gradually forgot his name.

They knew him only as the Deputy Sect Leader.