The Golden Summit of Mount Emei stands at an altitude of 3,077 meters, marking the pinnacle of China’s famous Mount Emei.
On this day, countless luxury vehicles came to a stop at the mountain’s base, transforming the various parking lots into a grand exhibition of high-end cars. Even the auto shows in Beijing or Shanghai might not gather such a large number and variety of luxury vehicles.
Old-timers who had long lived incognito, withdrawn from worldly affairs, many of whom hadn’t ventured out or left their seclusion for years, all converged here. Many respected sect leaders and masters also arrived in person.
Miyamoto Musashi, the top figure in Japanese swordsmanship, revered as the “Sword God”—most senior practitioners in China who were around a bit older would know that Miyamoto Musashi had crossed over to China twenty years ago, causing a significant stir. As a Japanese, he managed to humble almost all the young talents of the martial world back then.
Now, twenty years later, Miyamoto Musashi’s return was not as a gifted swordsman, but as a true grandmaster.
As for Jiang Fei, this young man who had risen to fame in less than a year and was hailed as a once-in-a-century “Sword God”—he was already considered one of the strongest masters in China’s martial world by most.
How far could a clash between such powerful warriors be from the legendary duel between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue? What about compared to the essence of the “Mount Hua Sword Discussion”?
In fact, this contest to determine superiority carried even more weight. The identities of the two combatants came from different nations. Jiang Fei represented the vast land of China, while Miyamoto Musashi represented the entire swordsmanship tradition of Japan. The underlying significance here was something even the “Mount Hua Sword Discussion” and “Duel at the Forbidden City’s Peak” couldn’t quite match.
Little Wine Ghost, the direct disciple of the Western Region’s revered master, the Wine Ghost Monk, was dressed no differently today than in previous times. He still stepped out of a Bentley, wearing coarse linen clothes like a mountain wild man, with an ancient-looking gourd hanging from his waist.
He had been following the duel between Jiang Fei and Miyamoto Musashi from the start and naturally wouldn’t miss this final confrontation.
However, unlike many lesser figures who eagerly arrived at Mount Emei days in advance to book rooms, he only came to the mountain’s base on the very night of the duel.
The main peak, several thousand meters high, naturally couldn’t be climbed on foot starting from the Baoguo Temple at the base. Starting from there, an ordinary person would take at least ten hours. Even for masters like them, who were beyond ordinary, reaching the summit wasn’t achievable in just an hour or two.
Little Wine Ghost leisurely sipped wine in the back seat, occasionally closing his eyes to savor the rich aroma, occasionally opening them to gaze at the scenery outside the window. However, it was already late at night. The cold moon in the sky wasn’t full, only a slender crescent hung there, limiting visibility.
The Bentley sped along, the fierce wind rushing through the open windows. Along the way, they encountered quite a few people.
None of these people looked like ordinary tourists, and few tourists would be climbing the mountain this late. Even those seeking refined pleasure to watch the sunrise from the Golden Summit would typically get up around three or four in the morning.
Moreover, it seemed Mount Emei had received instructions from relevant authorities yesterday, implementing special measures to drastically reduce tourist numbers. So, there weren’t many genuine tourists on the mountain today.
Almost everyone still rushing up the mountain now shared the same purpose as Little Wine Ghost: to witness the duel.
Midway, Little Wine Ghost spotted a man with his head down, sprinting vigorously yet with a stable posture and steady breathing. He couldn’t help but lean out and call with a smile, “White Bear, climb slowly. I’ll go ahead.”
The burly man with a small ponytail on his head, sprinting with all his might, was none other than Bai Kedi, the direct disciple of “Lord Dong”.
Bai Kedi glared unhappily at the Bentley that quickly overtook him, his feet churning even faster, moving like the wind. He actually caught up to the car and grumbled, “Open the door, let me in!”
Little Wine Ghost chuckled. Without slowing or stopping the car, he simply opened the door and shifted to the other side. Bai Kedi’s burly, bear-like frame from the northeast nimbly slipped inside.
“Watching a fight like this, and you have the nerve to drive? Shouldn’t we all climb on foot?” Bai Kedi shot Little Wine Ghost a disdainful glance.
“If you’re so noble and traditional, then why get in the car? Get out and keep running,” Little Wine Ghost teased.
Bai Kedi muttered irritably, “Damn it! If all of you are driving, wouldn’t I look like a fool running alone?”
Little Wine Ghost burst out laughing, “Haha!”
Soon, the car reached Leiping Cave. To go further up, driving wasn’t an option. One had to either climb on foot or take the cable car.
At this moment, a long line had already formed outside the cable car station. The queue consisted of men and women, young and old, all looking rather anxious, urging, “Hurry up! Move faster up front, there are so many people waiting behind!”
“What’s all the noise? If you think it’s slow, climb up yourself!”
“Hey, watch your mouth, kid! Believe me, two palms from me, Chen Fangping of the Eight Trigrams Swimming Dragon Palm, will smash your head!”
“So what about the Eight Trigrams Swimming Dragon Palm? Trying to scare people? Haven’t you heard of who I, Ye Yunlong of the Hong Fist, am? Believe me, one punch from me will have you begging for mercy on your knees!”
Seeing this scene, Little Wine Ghost and Bai Kedi both felt the urge to swear.
Was there any trace of martial arts masters in these people? They were practically like common folks, like aunties haggling in a wet market!
Who knew why these guys came here tonight? With this mindset, were they even interested in a duel between top masters? Even if they reached the summit later, would they understand the speed and techniques employed in a battle between masters of Jiang Fei and Miyamoto Musashi’s caliber?
Could they even see them clearly?
They were all just followers of trends, there for the spectacle.
Who knew which bastard spread the news about Jiang Fei and Miyamoto Musashi’s duel at the Golden Summit, leading to so many people swarming the mountain tonight, casting a faintly melancholic shadow over this epic battle.
A high-level clash like this should only be witnessed by those of proper standing!
Now, without Bai Kedi needing to say anything, Little Wine Ghost and he glanced at the cable car line. Their figures immediately became like the wind, sprinting towards the mountaintop.
From Leiping Cave to the highest point, the Golden Summit, it might take an ordinary person three or four hours, if they could make it at all. But for them, without even going all out, twenty minutes was enough.
They thought the crowd waiting for the cable car was the worst of it.
However, more than ten minutes later, when Little Wine Ghost and Bai Kedi, with a flash of their figures, leaped onto the highest peak, the Golden Summit, they were rendered speechless by the scene before them.
It was already deep winter. The mountaintop was covered in pure white snow—on the Buddha statues, temple roofs, and tree branches. So, even with only a sliver of bright moon in the sky, the snow reflected a fair amount of light.
It was precisely because of this light that Little Wine Ghost and Bai Kedi could see that the open areas of the Golden Summit were already packed with people!
While it wasn’t terrifyingly dense like a packed crowd, every spot seemed occupied. Everyone was craning their necks, eagerly awaiting the protagonists of the day.
Seeing this, the corners of their mouths twitched.
How did so many of these idiots get here?!
If one didn’t know better, they’d think the sunrise had been moved from dawn to the middle of the night!
“They’ve taken over the entire venue. Where will Jiang Fei and Miyamoto Musashi duel when they arrive?” Little Wine Ghost asked worriedly.
Bai Kedi was also annoyed, “I really feel like throwing all these guys off the cliff!”
Of course, they couldn’t throw all the spectators off the cliff.
Not only were there too many martial artists, involving almost every sect and school in China’s martial world, but among them, there were also some genuine masters.
Although most of tonight’s audience were fillers and followers, there were still some with real skill and respected seniority. They couldn’t just act recklessly.
Fortunately, Bai Kedi and Little Wine Ghost didn’t dwell on it for long. In less than half a minute of scanning, they spotted an alternative. Like ghosts in the night, their figures flashed and disappeared from the crowded area outside the Golden Summit Hall.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Their lightness skills were pushed to the limit at this moment. They practically flew across the rugged, cliff-like mountain paths, reaching a peak about a hundred meters away from the Golden Summit.
This peak was secluded, with poor scenery, far from the Golden Summit’s splendor. Its area wasn’t large either, with no buildings or squares constructed on it. Everything here was purely natural.
Therefore, it wasn’t crowded. Ordinary people simply wouldn’t come here.
However, upon arriving, one could see a tall figure standing at the edge of the cliff. In the freezing snow, he wore a loose white kimono, wooden clogs, with his chest exposed, and long hair.
The man stood by the cliff, hands behind his back, gazing into the distance with a faint, gentle smile, as if waiting for an old friend.
“So Miyamoto Musashi arrived so early. It seems he takes today’s duel very seriously, not treating it as a game,” Little Wine Ghost remarked, looking at the man with an ethereal aura from afar.
“That’s why I say Jiang Fei’s chances are slim,” Bai Kedi said.
Little Wine Ghost sighed, “Let’s hope this guy, who came out of nowhere, has some incredible hidden card up his sleeve…”
The crescent moon gradually rose. Snow began to fall from the sky at some point, draping the mountaintop world in an even more pristine white coat. Still, many spectators rushed towards the Golden Summit.
On the mountainside, not far from the summit.
Ye Yuanyuan, who had transformed from the “big-eyed girl at the airport” to a “big-eyed girl with a figure,” followed behind Jiang Fei with a determined face, steadily climbing upwards.
Her pace was neither hurried nor slow, but firm.
