Claiming the Summit [Wuxia Mystery]

New author looking for follows and comments, doing my best to grow...

[Martial Arts + Mystery]

Evil and unruly young sect master of a poison sect + aloof, reborn prince + quiet, simple-minded little brother

Updates every night at 9:00. If there's nothing by 9:10, there won't be an update that night~

1.

"Of all the insults people have hurled at me, this young master likes the word 'evil' best."

As the young master of the Han Jie Sect, Ren Pingsheng's greatest dream is to become the greatest under heaven.

According to the Central Plains martial world pact, to become the Chief Elder, he must collect four Lotus Tokens.

He thought he could obtain the tokens with brute force, but it turns out he needs brains too. He has to solve cases to earn them.

Ren Pingsheng: All those years of training were for nothing...

2.

The saying, "Swords and sabers are supreme, poison research is inferior," has made the Han Jie Sect, famed for its poison, the most despised sect in the martial world.

The insults have gone on for decades, and even his own mother left Ren Pingsheng because of them.

Yet soil buried under rubble can still nurture a flower of astonishing beauty. A young martial arts prodigy made a name for himself in Gusu, traveling alone along the river with a sword and a jug of wine. He invented all his own moves, internal techniques, and lightness skills.

People call him "Evil Poison," because he is both powerful and wicked.

He acts erratically and disregards the righteous path. One moment, his peach-blossom eyes brim with a gentle, warm smile; the next, he can coldly wager his own life and that of an immortal sect disciple on the edge of a cliff.

Ren Pingsheng traveled far and wide to collect the four Lotus Tokens bestowed by the ancient god.

But in the end, standing at the foot of the snow-capped peak, the highest place in the martial world, he merely glanced at the tokens before tossing them all into the abyss.

The one who sought supremacy never reached the summit, and the fame he pursued was nothing but an illusion.

The empty mountain holds no sign of that person. It is his regret, one only the eagles soaring through the nine heavens can understand.

3.

Sixteen years ago, the kingdoms of Yulin and Zhongzhou divided their lands along a river and lived in peace.

Then one day, Yulin received a military report: Zhongzhou's army of six hundred thousand was invading. Before an imperial order could even be issued, Yulin's four hundred thousand troops had already rushed to the border in support.

After ten months of fierce fighting, Yulin fell. Seven days later, the empress and crown prince of Yulin both perished in a secret passage.

Sixteen years later, a young man of astonishing martial skill appeared in the martial world. He carried the sacred seal of the Chief Elder and called himself Shen Huan.

His features were refined and handsome, but his mind was like that of an old man, and he regarded worldly affairs with indifference, as if they were passing clouds.

The ancient god granted him rebirth and gave him a mission: he, a person who did not belong in this world, would become the god's hand and bring about the god's final fall.

Returning to the martial world, he found everything changed. He thought being reborn was a blessing, but gradually came to understand that it was a regret.

His regret was finding the belongings of an old friend, but never seeing the friend again;

It was drinking wine with his brother on a snowy peak, only to finally realize the truth about his kin;

It was having no desire for fame, yet being ensnared by fame and fortune;

It was watching the world and its people change, while he kept trying to retrieve his lost sword from the past, like a mark carved into a boat, never able to move on.

4.

[Reader's Guide]

- The story is a slow burn at first. The first case properly begins in Chapter Eight.

- A trio of central characters.

- Mystery cases + the martial world.

- Primarily a pure martial arts story. Ancient gods and immortal sects are only part of the backdrop.

- Plot-driven, with a very restrained romance.

Ren Pingsheng: "Through mist and rain, I go as I will. The road to heaven is rugged, but I forge ahead. The martial world calls me 'evil,' and I gladly accept the name."

Fuzi: "Raw aconite is deadly poison, but processed it becomes good medicine. Whether poison or medicine, keep to your true nature. If your heart is good, all things are good. A true gentleman is no mere vessel. He holds the world in his heart and helps its people."

Shen Huan, courtesy name Shike: "In dreams, I know not that I am a guest, and for a moment, I indulge in joy."

"Hollow fame, petty profit, what is there to rush around for?"

Theme: Live the life you want for yourself