Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 72

Zhu Yuchen ignored him, walked to a table to the side, picked up a pen and wrote: On this auspicious Mid-Autumn Festival, I hope to meet with you. Please do not refuse.

As he sealed the letter, he said to A Niu, "I'm writing you a letter. Send someone to deliver it to Master Zhang at Wudang. Once the messenger returns, let them go."

Ah Niu responded with a nod of agreement, then put away the letter and kicked the five people out of the room.

There was a Shaolin monk and the Kunlun sect leader who were humiliated by being hung on a flagpole. After that, no one dared to be disrespectful and they all kept their distance.

Only after Zhu Yuchen received Zhang Sanfeng's reply did A Niu release the five men. Without a word, the five turned and left with their followers, completely humiliating Shaolin and Kunlun.

………………

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, a horse-drawn carriage slowly drove up to the foot of Wudang Mountain.

Song Yuanqiao, Yu Lianzhou, and Zhang Cuishan had been waiting for a long time at the Sword-Unlocking Stone.

Although he had heard about it from his two junior brothers, Song Yuanqiao was still momentarily stunned when he actually saw Zhu Yuchen's appearance, thinking to himself, "This person is probably not even twenty years old yet."

Having been in charge of the household for over a decade, he was no longer one to show his emotions in his daily interactions with others, and no one would be concerned about his real age; he would simply greet him normally.

After exchanging greetings, Song Yuanqiao did not ask them if they were carrying any weapons, but said directly, "Upon learning of your Mid-Autumn Festival visit, my master prepared a warm welcome. Please come in."

Zhu Yuchen nodded and said, "I am fortunate to have met a grandmaster of Taoism. I should personally visit Wudang."

Seeing his polite manner, Song Yuanqiao felt secretly relieved, realizing he wasn't there to provoke Wudang. He then led the way while introducing the scenery of Wudang Mountain.

Upon entering the Taihe Hall on the front mountain, they found no one else besides the Seven Heroes of Wudang. Zhang Sanfeng was already waiting at the edge of the cliff. Beside him, ancient pines and gentle breezes created a harmonious scene of movement and stillness. His robes fluttered in the wind, creating a natural and ethereal atmosphere, like that of a true immortal.

Zhu Yuchen clapped his hands and said, "As expected of a grandmaster, you are truly a great master. Seeing this scene, you are completely at ease, and your realm is no less than mine."

Zhang Sanfeng stroked his beard and laughed...

"Fellow Taoist, you are so complimentary!"

"When we returned to the mountain by lotus boat long ago, we spoke of you, fellow Daoist. You can injure people with your eyes and communicate with them heart to heart, which is quite reminiscent of Bodhidharma. At that time, I was also greatly inspired and realized that your spiritual path had surpassed mine!"

"Upon meeting you today, Fellow Daoist, you are so carefree and unrestrained. Although this is your first time visiting Wudang, your aura is perfectly integrated with that of Taihe Mountain. This old Daoist no longer has any advantage in terms of location."

“Fellow Daoist benefits oneself wherever one is, achieving success without being confined to one place. This is beyond my reach.”

Zhu Yuchen nodded and said, "I have achieved mastery of martial arts. No matter where I am, within a ten-foot radius around me, I am one with heaven and earth."

Zhang Sanfeng exclaimed, "I have lived in Taihe for a long time, but I did not know that there was such a talented person as you in the world. Judging from your age, you are only in your twenties. There has never been anyone like you in ancient or modern times."

Chapter 142 On the Dao by Sanfeng

Zhu Yuchen, as carefree as a tourist, stood three feet in front of Zhang Sanfeng, looking down the mountain, and casually said...

"Senior is a grandmaster, but you are only at the beginning of your martial arts journey. That's why you are confined to one place. When your realm is fully perfected, I'm afraid I will feel ashamed of my inferiority."

"Our Taoist sect has always been known for its deep accumulation and sustained power. Our predecessors have accumulated profound knowledge and skills. Now that they have reached this level, their future progress will be beyond my reach."

"As for age? It's all an illusion. I have gone through four lifetimes and three reincarnations, collecting the treasures left by my predecessors, before I finally reached the Nascent Soul stage."

The crowd behind Song Yuanqiao and the others were in an uproar. They looked at each other, thinking that this man was talking nonsense.

Zhang Sanfeng was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist is actually a reincarnation of a senior Daoist? Is there really such a thing as reincarnation in this world?"

Zhu Yuchen laughed and said, "This world? Senior, do you believe me? Do you think I'm exaggerating?"

Zhang Sanfeng frankly said, "When I was in seclusion, I often felt as if I were on a sphere, moving with the earth. This continued until I first achieved mastery of martial arts."

He pointed to the sky and said, "You won't believe it, but at that moment, I was lost in thought and flew out of the sky. I saw no stars, only darkness. Although it was only for a moment, I knew that there are heavens beyond heavens."

Zhu Yuchen sighed and said, "I am not as insightful as you, senior. I can only bury myself in worldly affairs and climb step by step."

Zhang Sanfeng laughed and said, "There's nothing wrong with climbing step by step. A tall building starts from the ground up. It's more reassuring to walk one step at a time."

………………

Zhu Yuchen laughed and said, "I'm not here to just talk to you today, senior. Please, senior!"

Zhang Sanfeng stroked his beard and said, "This old Daoist is physically weak and not as strong as you, fellow Daoist. I hope you will show mercy!"

Zhu Yuchen shook his head and said, "Martial arts competitions are for discussing the Dao, not for testing internal strength."

He walked casually, his steps seemingly as slow as a stroller, yet in the next instant he was already a foot in front of Zhang Sanfeng, his afterimage lingering in the same spot, his right hand already flicking out with his sleeve. This single movement seemed to distort space itself, the power of motion and stillness contained within making the others feel dizzy and nauseous.

Zhang Sanfeng stroked his beard with his right hand, flicked his sleeve, and executed a move that was "as if sealing and closing," perfectly natural, blocking off a foot in front of him.

Zhu Yuchen didn't take it to heart. At first, his right hand hung down, as if he were pinching an orchid, with a profound Zen-like quality. When he reached the middle of the movement, it was as fast as a shooting star, as if he were playing a zither, perfectly natural. When he approached Zhang Sanfeng's robe, it was like a secluded orchid in a Zen room, naturally freehand, and extremely quiet.

Fingers collided with sleeves; the former was effortless yet heavy as a mountain, the latter extremely delicate yet as solid as steel. The impact produced a resounding "thud," like a thunderclap, followed by a series of crackling sounds.

Zhu Yuchen brushed his hand against his sleeve, feeling only the initial, soft, yet powerful force, like clouds and cotton, layer upon layer, yet as hard as steel to the touch. The force of his fingers was redirected by the Tai Chi energy, failing to seal the meridians and acupoints.

Zhang Sanfeng exclaimed, "Fellow Daoist's move combines three martial arts styles, both Buddhist and Taoist, and it changes freely in terms of movement and stillness, hardness and softness, speed and slowness. It is truly wonderful."

Zhu Yuchen didn't take it seriously and said, "The Buddhist flower-picking finger technique, the Nine Yin Manual's hand-playing five strings, and the Peach Blossom Island orchid-brushing acupoint technique."

As he spoke, Zhu Yuchen flicked his hand and transformed it into a palm strike, which was as powerful and fierce as Mount Sumeru collapsing, and struck Zhang Sanfeng's sleeve.

Zhang Sanfeng exclaimed in astonishment, "The Great Vajra Palm of Buddhism!" As he spoke, his right hand darted out from his sleeve, and with a flick of his wrist, he struck the palm with a gentle, weak force.

Zhu Yuchen felt the palm strikes, like threads, wrapping around his hand, trying to dissolve the Vajra Force layer by layer. He smiled slightly, and his palm strike abruptly stopped. The extremely fierce palm strike suddenly went empty, becoming hollow and powerless.

The originally howling palm force transformed into a suction force that controlled the crane and captured the dragon. When it collided with Zhang Sanfeng's cloud hand, the former twisted like a dragon, while the latter coiled like silk, both combining strength and softness, curvature and straightness.

With a "pop," the ground beneath their feet seemed to turn upside down, creating waves three feet high, shattering stone slabs into dust, and forming ravines.

As the shockwave rolled in, the eight onlookers were forced to retreat. The two people in the center had no time to spare…

Zhu Yuchen pressed his palm together and pointed out with a single finger, as domineering as the blazing sun and as freehand as a landscape painting. His finger force was as light and as fluid as water, reaching everywhere and sealing off major acupoints on Zhang Sanfeng's chest and limbs.

Zhang Sanfeng held his hands loosely, as if cradling a baby. His breath was ethereal, seemingly present yet absent, like a chicken egg. His true energy spun around, deflecting the force of his fingers.

The two touched and immediately withdrew. Before Zhu Yuchen could exhaust his finger strength, he had already combined his fingers into a sword, like the true form of the Five Sacred Mountains, like a single sword giving rise to myriad laws.

Zhang Sanfeng remained unmoved by appearances. His right hand was curled up as if holding a long sword, and with each stroke, yin and yang complemented each other, and dragon and tiger converged, leaving no flaws.

When the two collided, Zhu Yuchen's myriad swords merged into one, transforming into a single, merciless sword, embodying the Dao and separating Yin and Yang.

The two paused. Zhang Sanfeng soared through the sky like a crane in the clouds, seemingly slow yet as fast as thunder; Zhu Yuchen retreated like a shooting star, seemingly fast yet as ethereal as a cloud, giving the impression of being slow.

Since the two began fighting, there has been a strange sense of disharmony that is hard to understand. The person who was supposed to be slow is actually incredibly fast, while the person who was supposed to be fast is as slow as an ox.

………………

"I am in poor health, so let's stop here," Zhang Sanfeng said, waving his hand.

Zhu Yuchen chuckled and said...

"Senior's bones and muscles are like a dragon's, and he has long since cleansed his marrow with the pure Yang Wuji True Qi. How can he be called old? Pure Yang Wuji, the way of pure Yang is the most refined and pure. The way of Wuji transforms into Yin and Yang, and then gives birth to Taiji."

"The path of the senior lies entirely in the boundless Yang. It turns out that the senior had already found the way forward, but was hindered by techniques!"

Zhang Sanfeng stroked his beard and said...

"In my early years, I worked odd jobs at Shaolin Temple under Master Jueyuan and knew absolutely no martial arts. It was only by chance that I embarked on the path of martial arts. I am already satisfied with what I have achieved today."

"I used pure Yang to transform Tai Chi, integrating all my knowledge, and Wudang has been passed down through the ages, which is also a wonderful story."

Zhu Yuchen flicked his sleeve, and the two books flew towards Zhang Sanfeng, saying...

"Your wisdom and foundation are profound. I would like to see if we will have the opportunity to meet again in the future."

"One of these books is the Nine Yang Manual, which aims to accumulate internal strength and open up the Great Circulation of Qi in order to achieve a continuous flow of true energy."

"This book contains the essence of the Taoist classic 'Nine Yin Manual,' a concise yet profound text, every word a gem. I have benefited greatly from it, but it is of no use to me now, so I am passing it on to you today."

Upon hearing the name "Nine Yang Manual," Zhang Cuishan, standing in the crowd, became excited and couldn't help but step forward. Song Yuanqiao reached out, grasped his shoulder, and shook his head.

Zhang Sanfeng was stunned for a moment, then stroked the Nine Yang Manual and sighed, "If only you had come a month earlier!"

Zhu Yuchen immediately understood and asked, "Senior, is it for Zhang Wuji?"

Zhang Sanfeng nodded and said, "My child suffers from the torment of cold poison, enduring it day after day. I had already given up, but I never expected..."

Chapter 143 Waiting for the Seven Injury Fist to Arrive, Zhu Yuchen Plans to Promote Zhang Wuji to Power

“Every drink and every bite is preordained. The master and his disciples lost this scripture in the past, and its return to Wudang today is also a matter of fate. It is not too late now,” Zhu Yuchen said.

Zhang Sanfeng put the scriptures away, turned around and said, "Cuishan, go down the mountain today and find Wuji and Susu and bring them back."

Zhang Cuishan was in high spirits and immediately accepted the order to leave, so Yin Liting went with him.

The narrator prompted from the side...

Because of his past relationship with the "Purple-Robed Dragon King" Daichis, "The Immortal Physician of Butterfly Valley" Hu Qingniu vowed never to help those outside his sect again.

[Yin Tianzheng, the "White-Browed Eagle King," reclaims his position as the Protector King of the Ming Cult to save his grandson Zhang Wuji, allowing Zhang Wuji and Yin Susu to stay overnight in "Butterfly Valley."]

………………

After Zhang Cuishan and his companion left, Zhang Sanfeng said, "I have no way to repay your kindness, fellow Daoist. I only have some insights into martial arts. Fellow Daoist, why don't you stay a few more days and we can exchange ideas?"

Zhang Sanfeng was deeply grateful for your gift of the book and, having no way to repay you, was willing to impart all the Tai Chi principles he had just integrated. With the guidance of this grandmaster of Taoism, you made a leap forward in refining your Qi and transforming your spirit.

Upon seeing the narration, Zhu Yuchen clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and said...

"But I have a wish, which I dare not ask you."

"I have come to bother you for another reason, which is related to your grand-disciple Zhang Wuji."

"Oh?" Zhang Sanfeng frowned and asked, "Fellow Daoist, you've also come for Xie Xun?"

Upon hearing this, Song Yuanqiao and the others couldn't help but feel a bit bitter. Although they had already decided to hand Xie Xun over to Abbess Miejue to be kept under the care of Emei, this matter was far from over, and they didn't know how many more aggrieved parties would come knocking on their door in the future.

Zhu Yuchen nodded, then shook his head, and said...

"This matter is related to Xie Xun, but not so much; it is mainly related to Zhang Wuji."

"I am giving this scripture in exchange for a martial art with your grand-disciple, the Seven Injury Fist of the Kongtong School."

"Seven Injury Fist?" Zhang Sanfeng stroked his beard and said, "With your level of martial arts, it seems you don't need this kind of martial art!"

Zhu Yuchen casually flicked his right hand, the palm shadow was fierce and domineering yet graceful and agile, ever-changing and unrestrained, it was truly 'Zhao Ke Man Hu Ying'.

The palm strike landed on the ground with a crisp "crack," but the stone slab remained completely still, as if it had not been subjected to any force, as if it were brand new.

Before the others could react, Zhang Sanfeng flicked his right sleeve, and a gentle breeze blew away the stone slab, turning it into layers of powder and revealing the rock beneath, half charred and half icy. He stroked his beard and exclaimed, "Your palm strike combines hardness and softness, positive and negative, straight and curved, ice and fire, lightness and heaviness, slowness and speed... You have mastered many techniques. Fellow Daoist's understanding of Yin and Yang is already perfect."

Zhu Yuchen said...

"Our Taoist cultivation begins with refining essence into qi. We do not know what the ancient human race was like. In our present human form, we cannot constantly over-exploit our bodies, otherwise our qi and blood will be exhausted before we have even completed the refining of qi."

“Nowadays, in cultivation, on the one hand, one seeks out grains and natural treasures; on the other hand, one strengthens oneself. Buddhism has the I Ching and the Marrow Cleansing Classic, and our predecessors also had the Pure Yang Wuji Gong. The Nine Yin Manual also begins with the I Ching forging bones.”

"Both Buddhism and Taoism do this, in order to strengthen the body as much as possible before cultivating Qi, so as to reach the state of self-generated true Qi, and thus not damage the body's original nature."

"As the senior said, the seven types of force in the Seven Injury Fist of the Kongtong School are not what I value. What I value is the essence of this fist technique."

"It is said that Kongtong was the former Taoist temple of the Taoist master Guangchengzi, and this set of boxing techniques is said to have been passed down from Guangchengzi. However, ordinary people with insufficient internal strength will inevitably suffer 'seven injuries when practicing, and all seven will be injured', damaging the five internal organs and six bowels."

"I suspect that this boxing technique is actually a Taoist foundation-building exercise written by Guang Chengzi, used to strengthen the five internal organs and thus revitalize the body."

"If later generations use it for fighting, I'm afraid it will be a waste of their hard work and ruin the legacy of their predecessors. But if I were to forcibly take this boxing style from the Kongtong Sect, those old guys might not be happy about it."

"It just so happens that this martial art was once in Xie Xun's possession, and his grand-disciple Zhang Wuji also knows it, so I'll trouble him to make a copy for me."

Zhang Sanfeng nodded and said, "What you said, fellow Daoist, has enlightened this old Daoist. I'm afraid I'll also like to take a look and see what mysteries this boxing technique holds."

Zhu Yuchen shook his head and smiled, knowing that he wanted to take on the karma of this boxing technique. Even if the Kongtong Sect found out in the future, they would settle accounts with Zhang Sanfeng, and it would have nothing to do with Zhu Yuchen.

It's such a trivial matter, there's no need to make a fuss about it. Even if the Five Elders of Kongtong knew about it, they would just have to swallow their anger.

They might find out, and secretly spread the word, since the Kongtong Sect considers this boxing technique useless. Now that Zhang Sanfeng has taken their boxing technique, wouldn't Wudang owe the Kongtong Sect a huge favor?

………………

When the Seven Heroes of Wudang Mountain learned that it was all for a martial arts technique, and that their master had already agreed, they figured that the fifth brother's family wouldn't refuse, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"There's another matter, which I've only recently come up with, but it's also related to Wudang and Zhang Wuji," Zhu Yuchen continued.

"Oh?"

Zhang Sanfeng chuckled and said, "This old Daoist didn't know that my grand-disciple is a great treasure. Fellow Daoist, please tell me about it."

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but laugh, and the atmosphere in the room improved considerably.

Zhu Yuchen shook his head and chuckled, then said...

"Now that the Yuan court is weak, righteous armies are rising up all over the world, causing people to live in misery and hardship. I'm sure you, Master, have experienced this firsthand."

"I wish to end this chaotic world as soon as possible and restore vitality to the Central Plains. Therefore, I want your grand-disciple Zhang Wuji to take up the banner of resistance and sit on the throne. I wonder what you think, Master?"