Chapter 655: Chapter 278: Martial Pavilion

The old man pushed the teacup toward Fang Shuwen and said relaxedly, "Try it. This is no ordinary tea."

Thoughtful, Fang Shuwen probed it using the methods of the white-clothed girl from the Divine Doctor Valley. Only after confirming it was non-toxic did he pick up the cup and take a light sip under the old man’s smiling gaze.

At first, he felt nothing unusual, but as the tea entered his stomach, a sense of lightness washed over his entire body. In the blink of an eye, the sensation rushed to his head, radiating traces of coolness from the center of his brow.

Only then did he realize the extraordinary nature of this brew. "What kind of tea is this?"

"Clear Heart Tea," the old man said with a smile. "This tea clears the heart and sharpens the eyes. It invigorates the mind and suppresses inner demons."

Hearing this, Fang Shuwen sighed softly. "Jianghu is truly profound and vast. The number of exotic treasures and capable individuals with unique talents is indeed incalculable. I’ve never even heard of this Clear Heart Tea before."

The old man chuckled. "That poison-testing method you just used actually has some history with this tea."

Fang Shuwen raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Divine Pill Valley!?" he thought.

If it was something produced by the Divine Pill Valley, then it made perfect sense.

However, he didn’t point this out. Instead, he set down his teacup and asked, "How should I address you, sir?"

"Just call me Elder Hai." The old man chuckled softly. "Please forgive me for the presumptuous intrusion, young friend."

"I wouldn’t dare." Fang Shuwen cupped his fists. "But may I ask where you hail from, Elder Hai, and what the purpose of your visit is?"

"I come from the Martial Pavilion, and I am here for two matters." Elder Hai took a sip of tea before continuing. "The first is to invite you to join the Martial Pavilion."

Fang Shuwen blanked for a moment, then burst into dumbfounded laughter. "What kind of place is the Martial Pavilion?"

A hint of difficulty surfaced on Elder Hai’s face, as if he were contemplating how to explain it. After a brief silence, he finally said, "The Martial Pavilion... originated in Jianghu. It houses tens of thousands of books, including the sole existing copies of the world’s various martial arts manuals, as well as records of the rise and fall of dynasties and changes in the world.

"In ordinary times, the Martial Pavilion does not reveal itself in Jianghu or interfere with the world’s general trends.

"However, at critical junctures, we must step forward to protect the common people.

"If you join the Martial Pavilion, you will have free access to anything within it, be it exotic treasures or Divine Skill Manuals."

Fang Shuwen raised a brow slightly. "And if I refuse to join?"

"...If you don’t join," Elder Hai considered for a moment, "then you don’t join."

Rendered speechless, Fang Shuwen pressed on. "What if I join but only intend to reap the benefits without protecting the common people?"

Elder Hai smiled. "Those invited to enter the Martial Pavilion are chosen with extreme care.

"Although you bear the fearsome moniker of the Human World Demon God, you are by no means a wicked person.

"When the time truly comes, you will do what you must without the Martial Pavilion needing to give you any orders."

These words took Fang Shuwen somewhat by surprise. Even so, he shook his head. "I am used to being free and undisciplined. I have no desire to join any organization and be bound by its rules."

Elder Hai thought for a moment. "Although the Martial Pavilion wouldn’t heavily restrict you...

"If you did join, you indeed wouldn’t be able to continue roaming Jianghu. Instead, you would have to accompany me to the Martial Pavilion to cultivate in seclusion.

"In that sense alone, it is indeed a form of restriction.

"How about this? After I return, I’ll discuss it with the Pavilion Master and see if we can alter this rule.

"Since you don’t want to join now, we shall drop the matter for the time being."

Fang Shuwen immediately felt that something was a bit off and couldn’t help asking, "Can the rules of this Martial Pavilion really be changed just like that?"

"They can," Elder Hai replied. "After all, including myself, the current generation of the Martial Pavilion only has six people.

"If you joined, there would be seven..."

Fang Shuwen took a deep breath. Hearing Elder Hai speak so grandly earlier, he had assumed the Martial Pavilion was a fathomless organization akin to the Dragon Abyss. He thought it must have had at least a few thousand members, if not tens of thousands.

In the end, it only had a measly seven people?

Wait... seven was if he included himself. Without him, there were only six!?

It was an absolute miracle that this Martial Pavilion had managed to survive in Jianghu for thousands of years! The slightest mishap would have wiped out their entire lineage.

After letting his thoughts run wild for a moment, Fang Shuwen shook his head and asked Elder Hai about the second reason for his visit.

Elder Hai didn’t hide anything. He pulled a folded booklet from his robes and handed it to Fang Shuwen.

Opening it with a look of confusion, Fang Shuwen found a blueprint sketched inside.

After studying it carefully for a moment, his expression turned grave. The various ingenious mechanisms recorded on it were absolutely extraordinary, even with his extensive knowledge. "What is this?"

"It’s the design blueprint of the East Sea secret treasury," Elder Hai explained. "The one who designed that place back then feared that the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror would truly be lost forever.

"He was also worried that when that great tribulation arrived, no one in the East Sea would be capable of retrieving the item...

"Thus, he drew the design of the place and entrusted it to the Martial Pavilion for safekeeping.

"Originally, if no one came to explore this place within another year, the Martial Pavilion was going to intervene and extract the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror ourselves to choose a suitable successor for it.

"But since you’re here now, we’re giving this to you."

Fang Shuwen was completely astonished. "Is this for real?"

"Of course it’s real." Elder Hai nodded. After casting another glance at Fang Shuwen, he added softly, "The climate has been unpredictable lately. The great tribulation might arrive within the next year or two.

"The Eight Forbidden Lands and the so-called Four Saints of the East Sea aren’t quite up to the task.

"Each generation is truly worse than the last..."

Saying this, he stood up. "Alright, my business here is done. I’ll take my leave now."

A thought stirred in Fang Shuwen’s mind. "Hold on."

Elder Hai looked at him. "Do you want some tea leaves? I didn’t bring much with me on this trip—just enough for this pot... How about I bring you some the next time we meet?"

Rendered speechless once again, Fang Shuwen clarified, "I wanted to ask: what exactly is this so-called great tribulation?"

Elder Hai hesitated for a moment before slowly walking toward the courtyard exit. Moving at a pace that seemed sluggish yet was deceptively swift, his voice drifted into Fang Shuwen’s ears.

"It’s a group of lunatics from the north."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.