Volume One: The Turmoil of Yan and Yun Chapter Thirty-Two: The Greatest Seclusion Lies Within the World (Part Five)

Three of the Four Great Divine Guards have arrived, and of the royal family's only two supreme Dao-integrated experts, one is here as well. The Divine Emperor is truly sparing no expense, Snow Without Trace remarked to Wind Arising, clicking his tongue.

Wind Arising seemed a little helpless. "Master, are you certain you won't take part in the battle?"

Snow Without Trace shook his head. "With Mo Gu present, whether I go or not makes little difference."

Wind Arising paused in surprise. "Is the Wind Divine Guard really that formidable?"

Snow Without Trace shot him a glare. "What do you think? When that fellow was young, there were only two or three in the world who could outshine him."

Wind Arising asked, "Were you one of them?"

Snow Without Trace was momentarily stunned, then flew into a rage. "You impudent brat, are you mocking your master?"

Wind Arising thought to himself, How is that mocking you?

Snow Without Trace mused, If I had been on their level in my youth, wouldn't I have achieved Dao-integration long ago?

"Fine, let me put it another way," Wind Arising said. "When Mo Gu was young, who could suppress him?"

After some thought, Snow Without Trace replied, "Perhaps only two people."

"Could it be Dao Sage and Sword Supreme?" Wind Arising guessed.

Snow Without Trace shook his head. "In terms of years of cultivation, so-called Dao Sage and Sword Supreme are a half-generation his juniors. They only rose to fame after Mo Gu had already shone brilliantly."

"But it's only a difference of a little over ten years," Wind Arising protested.

"That may be," Snow Without Trace said, "but when you consider their lifespans stretch over a thousand years, a decade or so in youth is a lifetime's difference."

Wind Arising could only concede. "Alright, then who are the two who could surpass him?"

"Who else? Dugu Flying Cloud and Wei Sanmu."

Wind Arising was puzzled. "Wasn't the Old Emperor much younger than Wei Sanmu?"

Snow Without Trace snorted. "That’s a fabrication from after the founding of the Divine Dynasty—deliberately erasing Dugu Flying Cloud from that era to improve his image. In truth, Dugu Flying Cloud was the eldest son of Dugu Changsi."

Wind Arising was still bewildered. "The Three Thousand Dao Canon?"

Snow Without Trace snorted again. "The Three Thousand Dao Canon was selected by the Pavilion of Unfettered, which has always followed Dugu Flying Cloud's lead. It's perfectly normal for some bias to appear in their choice of records."

"What about the 'Lesser Annals of Returning Origin' and the local chronicles of Luzhou?" Wind Arising pressed.

"When the Divine Dynasty truly wishes to conceal something, so-called unofficial histories and local tales are nothing but jokes," Snow Without Trace replied.

Unwilling to give up, Wind Arising asked, "What about the Wind Family's Library Pavilion?"

Snow Without Trace looked at him with exasperation. "You said it yourself—the Wind Family's Library Pavilion. Who doesn't know the Wind Family and the Dugu Clan have been on friendly terms even before the Divine Dynasty was founded?"

Wind Arising sighed. "Then what of the story that the founder of Moon-Chasing Peak was enamored with the Old Emperor? Is that false as well?"

Snow Without Trace paused, then asked, "Is that from the Dao Canon?"

Wind Arising shook his head. "No, it's from the 'Annals of Notable People in Hangzhou.'"

Snow Without Trace replied, "That kind of rumor still circulates? You mustn't utter such words at Snowcloud Sect. If you provoke that wild girl atop Moon-Chasing Peak, she'll kill you!"

Wind Arising's eyes lit up. "So it's true?"

Snow Without Trace said, "There’s no smoke without fire."

"By your reckoning, Master, doesn't that make the Old Emperor much older than the founder of Moon-Chasing Peak?"

"Dugu Flying Cloud was already traversing the world when that girl was still in open-crotched pants!" Snow Without Trace replied.

He paused, then added, "But it's a complicated matter; best not discussed here. If you ever go to Snowcloud Sect, make sure not to mention a word of it."

Wind Arising was taken aback. "So all those scandalous love stories are true?"

"Precisely because they're true, they seem so scandalous," Snow Without Trace said.

Wind Arising laughed aloud, then suddenly seemed to remember something, looking at Snow Without Trace with a peculiar expression.

Snow Without Trace seemed to guess his thoughts and cut him off preemptively. "I don't deny that incident, but you’d best keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, you might find yourself cast out before you’ve even officially become my disciple."

Wind Arising's laughter grew even more unrestrained.

Yun Wanyan was still caught in a perilous situation, yet his laughter seemed almost cruel.

But Snow Without Trace did not mind. In fact, there was even a hint of appreciation in his gaze.

For the ripples of battle from the south had faded away.

The intent of blade and sword, once poised to erupt, now returned to nothingness.

The spirit of the Divine Wind soared straight to the ninth heaven, piercing through all of Northern Yan.

With this, Mo Gu announced the Divine Dynasty’s victory to all of Northern Yan.

That he won with such flamboyance could mean only one thing:

The Princess of Northern Yan was unharmed.

Since that was so, why not laugh out loud?