Chapter 132 Confrontation

As Lao Liu unfurled his fan once more, wisps of ghostly wind began to swirl from its surface. His expression remained unchanged as he said, "I'd like to know, where do you get the confidence to be so arrogant?"

I had already told Lao Liu about my previous encounter at Yao Ba Chi's coffin shop. Back then, Yao Ba Chi was utterly spineless.

His sudden change of character made Lao Liu suspect that he had gained some new backing.

Yao Ba Chi, however, adopted a profound and enigmatic air. "These are not things you should be asking. Scram while you still can!"

Lao Liu remained unhurried and unperturbed. "Let me think! You were probably just a dog of the Coffin Gate, right? But by spying on Liangjie Tang (Two Realms Hall), you transformed yourself from a four-legged dog into a two-legged one. That's why you've learned to bite."

Yao Ba Chi's face instantly darkened. Lao Liu continued with a cold laugh, "A dog is a dog, and it can never become a human. Your arrogance today is your path to death."

Yao Ba Chi burst out in anger, "Liu Bao, I ask you, are you a disciple of Li Po? Is Li Po a successor of the Coffin Gate's Yin-Yang lineage?"

"Yes!" Lao Liu simply nodded slightly. Yao Ba Chi immediately scolded harshly, "Since you are a disciple of Li Po, and Li Po is a student of the Coffin Gate, you should pay your respects to your elders."

"Insulting your elders in the sect originally deserves having your tongue cut out. But considering this is your first offense, kneel down and slap yourself fifty times, then crawl out of here."

Wang the Butcher finally couldn't stand it anymore. "What if I say no?"

Yao Ba Chi sneered, "If you dare to utter a single word of refusal, then prepare to be punished according to the rules of the sect!"

Wang the Butcher's hand immediately went to the cleaver at his side, but Lao Liu stopped him, smiling. "Then let me ask you a few questions."

"First, are the secret methods of the Yin-Yang lineage a Coffin Gate inheritance?"

Yao Ba Chi said contemptuously, "Of course not. Although the Yin-Yang lineage comes from ghosts and deities, they are not qualified to cultivate the secret methods of the Coffin Gate."

Lao Liu nodded. "Second, among the Coffin Gate's eight branches, does it include the Yin-Yang lineage?"

Yao Ba Chi laughed, "Are you stupid? The Yin-Yang lineage hasn't even cultivated the secret methods, so how could they enter the Coffin Gate's main branch?"

Lao Liu's voice suddenly turned sharp. "Then I ask you, what is the relationship between the Yin-Yang lineage and the Coffin Gate?"

Yao Ba Chi was suddenly startled. "This… this…"

Lao Liu smiled and said, "If you don't understand, I can tell you. The Yin-Yang lineage has never been a vassal of the Coffin Gate. It represents a bond of brotherhood."

"Of course, you don't need to understand the deeper meaning. You just need to know that the Yin-Yang lineage is merely like a guest elder within the Coffin Gate."

Yao Ba Chi argued, "Nonsense! Even if the Yin-Yang lineage isn't a main branch, they should at least have the status of a registered disciple."

"Is that so?" Lao Liu sneered, "Since they're registered disciples, let me ask you, have the successors of the Yin-Yang lineage ever eaten the Coffin Gate's rice or drunk the Coffin Gate's water? Have they received the Coffin Gate's inheritance or taken the Coffin Gate's secret treasures?"

"This, this, this…" Yao Ba Chi didn't know how to answer.

In the eyes of practitioners of the arcane arts, the meaning of the word "Shifu" (Master) differs somewhat from the Confucian concept of "Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parent, Teacher." Confucianism equates teacher with parent in order to strengthen Confucianism's position in feudal society. The "father" in Shifu has a special position of being looked up to and obeyed.

However, in the arcane arts, the reason why the relationship between Shifu and disciple is equivalent to that of father and son is more important than the formal master-disciple relationship: before a disciple completes his training, he will live in his Shifu's home.

The Shifu is in charge of the disciple's food and drink in addition to passing on his skills. In an agricultural society, the relationship between Shifu and disciple is more like a family relationship. That is why the word "father" is added after the word "master."

In the eyes of those in the arcane arts, taking money to attend private school or hiring a teacher can only be called "Shi" (teacher), not "Fu" (father).

The disciples of the Yin-Yang lineage neither learned from the Coffin Gate, nor received the Coffin Gate's favor, nor took advantage of the Coffin Gate. Strictly speaking, they are not even close to being registered disciples.

Yao Ba Chi said with a gloomy face, "Even if that's the case, what does that represent?"

Lao Liu smiled, "That means the disciples of the Yin-Yang lineage can break away from the sect!"

Whether it is the arcane arts or the martial world, joining a certain force means that you can't just come and go as you please. If a member of the sect wants to leave, they must pay a certain price or give the sect an explanation.

"Breaking away from the sect" is the most direct method.

If someone wants to leave the force to which they belong, they must use three blades to break away from the sect and end the grievances.

Three blades and six holes: one blade in the arm, one blade in the leg, and the last blade is called "剖肝沥胆" (pōu gān lì dǎn, dissecting the liver and draining the gall), which may not require digging out one's liver and gallbladder, but one must pierce a hole straight through one's body.

Whether the person who breaks away from the sect can survive this knife cut depends entirely on fate.

Yao Ba Chi laughed, "Good! If you dare to break away from the sect, I dare to accept it. I want to see if Li Po dares to come and dissect his liver and drain his gall."