Wudang Elder

　　"Greetings, Wudang's Elder Shou." Even if I couldn't recognise other styles, there was no way I could mistake Wudang's mental cultivation taught only to direct disciples.

　　Wudang was home to many venerated elders. Besides Patriarch Daoist Shenfa, there were three senior elders of the same seniority. They were a.s.signed the t.i.tles Tortoise, Crane and Deer. Although Wudang was a dao sect, their disciples consisted of daoists and non-daoists. Two of the three senior elders weren't daoists.

　　Elder Shou was a.s.signed Tortoise, but Elder Tortoise just sounded ridiculous, which was why the martial world conferred him the t.i.tle Shou and called him Elder Shou. The logic behind the t.i.tle was because the Shou character and first part of the term t.i.tle of "elder" suggested a long lifespan. He was the oldest among the three elders and was the friendliest amongst them. It came as no surprise, then, that he rarely had any disputes with anyone. He was able to end conflicts between other allies without lasting consequences - if any at all.

　　Emperor Yuansheng silently reflected, "How did I miss that when Ming Feizhen noticed? I'm now sure the hook and then circle hand movement he performed to defuse Young Master Ling and Lie Shang's internal energy is Wudang's mental cultivation. It seems the rumours Elder Shou is on par with their patriarch are true. Based on his execution of the technique, Wudang's Universe Empyrean Style, a style taught exclusively to direct disciples, he must've mastered it quite thoroughly."

　　"I knew it!" blurted Emperor Yuansheng.

　　Get out of here! Had I not said anything, you'd still be guessing this time next year!

　　In spite of me easily identifying him, Elder Shou still smiled affably: "Impressive, Young Master Zhong. It seems this old one will have to accept this drink."

　　Elder Shou took the cup from me and knocked it back in one chug. He wiped his mouth and pulled the corners of his lips up again, exuding an unfettered and suave aura: "Since this old one accepted your drink, he should repay the favour. How about a divination?"

　　Elder Shou chortled as he took out a golden tortoise sh.e.l.l from his sleeve. The sh.e.l.l was made from metal. Most people in the pugilistic world would recognise it and know it was an item Elder Shou made famous through his usage.

　　Ostensibly, Elder Shou's divinations were always correct. He, understandably, was renowned for his divination skills even amongst Wudang. Emperor Yuansheng instated a member of Wudang as preceptor of state because he believed in their divination skills. Owing to the same reason, he nudged me over to Elder Shou as soon as the latter offered to perform a divination for me and suggested, "It is not big deal. Consider it some fun."