Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 68

He glanced at the atmosphere, the two clearly divided sides, and the wary Emei Sect members, and couldn't help but say, "Is there some misunderstanding between you all? Why don't we sit down and discuss it slowly?"

Only then did he realize that Abbess Miejue was injured. Remembering what Zhu Yuchen had said earlier—that Abbess Miejue possessed something he needed—he looked into her hand and exclaimed in surprise, "The Heaven-Slaying Sword!"

Slightly taken aback, Yu Lianzhou and Zhang Cuishan gave a wry smile, never expecting that their unintentional words had actually come true!

At this moment, the leading nun of the Emei Sect, Abbess Jingxu, bowed and said, "Uncle-Master Yu, this young man and his servant stole Master's Heaven-Slaying Sword. The facts are clear, and we only want to seek justice!"

"Jingxu, shut up!" Abbess Miejue flicked her sleeves and shouted with a sour face.

She looked at Zhu Yuchen and his companion and said coldly, "Who are you? Tell me your names, or Emei will not let this go!"

Ah Niu raised an eyebrow, stepped forward, and said coldly, "Old nun, what are you planning to do? I'll take you all at once!"

Zhu Yuchen waved his hand, and A Niu responded with a "Yes," then quietly retreated behind him.

At this point, neither the Emei Sect nor Zhu Yuchen would back down, ultimately because Zhu Yuchen had seized the Yitian Sword from the Emei Sect. Logically, Wudang should have sided with the Emei Sect, since the Emei Sect was in the right in this matter.

However, he also knew that Miejue's trip to Wudang was not well-intentioned, but rather aimed at making things difficult for his fifth brother's family and Wudang. He was full of resentment and did not want to stand up for the Emei Sect.

At this moment, Yu Lianzhou and the others were caught in the middle, finding themselves in a dilemma.

………………

“This Heaven-Slaying Sword doesn’t belong to your Emei Sect. If we’re really talking about it, it belongs to the Yang family.” Zhu Yuchen examined the longsword in his hand and tapped it lightly with his fingers.

With a resounding "dong," like the chime of an ancient temple bell, the sound was clear, melodious, and lingered on the air.

"What a fine sword! It truly lives up to its reputation as a sword forged from Xuan Tie." Zhu Yuchen praised.

He sheathed his longsword and casually handed it to A Niu behind him. He looked at Abbess Miejue and asked, "You want to retrieve this sword manual to avenge Gu Hongzi? Why bother with the trivial? Aren't the martial arts of Emei enough for you to practice?"

Abbess Miejue's expression changed, and she said incredulously, "What nonsense are you spouting! What Yang family, what secret manual? This was personally passed down by our sect's founder. How dare you spout such nonsense?"

Zhu Yuchen sighed softly and said...

"I know far more than you do!"

"The supreme martial arts weapon, the Dragon-Slaying Saber; commanding the world, none dare disobey. Without the Heaven-Reliant Sword, who can contend with it?"

"On the eve of the fall of Xiangyang, Guo Jing, the Northern Hero, split Yang Guo's Xuan Tie Sword in two and forged it into the Heaven-Reliant Sword and the Dragon-Slaying Saber."

"The sword and the saber were originally forged from the Yang family's Xuan Tie sword, which is why I said they belong to the Yang family."

"Guo Xiang had a crush on Yang Guo back then, but her love was unrequited. She only gave up when Yang Guo's whereabouts became a mystery. This Heaven-Slaying Sword was originally something she used to remember Yang Guo."

"Your master's name is Abbess Fengling. It's because you met Yang Guo at Fengling Ferry and fell in love with him at first sight! That's why Guo Xiang gave your master the Buddhist name 'Fengling'!"

"Later, Guo Jing passed the Dragon-Slaying Saber to his son Guo Polu, hoping that he could take up the banner of resisting the Yuan Dynasty and continue to resist the Mongol invasion of the Central Plains."

"Later, Guo Polu died when the city fell, and Guo Xiang fled with the Heaven Sword. Later, at the age of forty, she became a nun in Emei and founded the Emei Sect."

"The Heaven Sword contains the essence of the Beggar Clan's secret manuals, the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms and the Nine Yin Manual, which Guo Jing learned. The Dragon Slaying Saber contains the 'Martial Arts Legacy' that he obtained from Iron Palm Peak."

"The saying goes: 'The Dragon-Slaying Saber commands the world.' This means using the Wumu Manual hidden within the Dragon-Slaying Saber to build and train a new army to continue resisting the Yuan army."

"And the saying 'All heroes under heaven dare not disobey!' is because if one can sweep across the world with the legacy of Yue Fei, become emperor and establish a country, then naturally no one in the world will disobey his orders."

"As for 'Without the Heaven-Slaying Sword, who can contend with it!', it was only because Huang Rong was worried that the next generation would seize military power and do whatever they wanted, and no one could control them. So she sealed Guo Jing's skills into the Heaven-Slaying Sword, hoping that the one who would rule the world would be wary and dare not act recklessly."

"The former is alright, but the latter is truly laughable. Without sufficient power, relying on a mere martial arts manual and a mere martial artist, they think they can threaten the rulers of the world? They've really lost their minds!"

"Not to mention the imperial guards, even the palace guards could turn you into a pincushion with a volley of arrows. No amount of the Nine Yin Manual would be of any use."

"But if you want to use the martial arts from the Nine Yin Manual to kill Yang Xiao and avenge Gu Hongzi, that's enough! I just don't understand, aren't the martial arts of Emei enough for you to practice?"

"Guo Xiang possessed the skills of the Eastern Heretic, the Northern Hero, the Quanzhen Sect, and the Beggar Clan. Later, she became a disciple of the Golden Wheel Monk of the Western Regions and was taught some of the secret techniques of the Western Regions, the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill."

"Before becoming a nun at Emei, she, along with Zhang Sanfeng and Shaolin Wuse, received a portion of the Nine Yang Manual from Master Jueyuan of Shaolin."

"Back then, the three people who received the Nine Yang Manual outside Shaolin Temple were all in different situations. Wu Se of Shaolin had the highest martial arts skills; Guo Xiang had the most extensive knowledge; Zhang Sanfeng had no foundation in martial arts at the time, and only had a pure understanding of it."

"Therefore, the three schools of martial arts each have their strengths, but they can also be said to have their weaknesses. The martial arts of Emei can be said to be vast and boundless, so why do you abandon the essential and pursue the trivial by seeking a mere secret manual?"

"Guo Xiang used a portion of the Nine Yang Manual as her foundation, integrating many other unique skills into her body. The martial arts of the Emei Sect are not weak. If you can concentrate on your cultivation and let go of your obsessions, wouldn't killing Yang Xiao be as easy as turning your hand?"

“Your brow is furrowed with anger, and your heart is filled with resentment. You have long been blinded by the death of your senior brother, Gu Hongzi. This is not how you love someone.”

"Do you know that you are about to fall into demonic possession? If it weren't for the Emei Nine Yang Skill's ability to suppress inner demons and your many years of Buddhist practice, you would have already gone astray, your meridians would have been severed, and you would have died."

What Zhu Yuchen said contained many secrets, including stories about the senior masters, the founders of the Emei, Wudang, and Shaolin sects, which were unknown to the Emei disciples and Yu Lianzhou, among others.

And this was the first time they had learned the secrets of the Heaven Sword and the Dragon Saber.

Zhang Cuishan's face darkened. He exchanged a glance with his wife, Yin Susu, and couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself: If his sworn brother Xie Xun knew that the secret of the Dragon-Slaying Saber was actually a military treatise, how crazy and insane he would be.

The thought of Xie Xun on Icefire Island, spending his days pondering the Dragon-Slaying Saber, sent a chill down their spines. They feared this news would drive Xie Xun mad.

Yu Lianzhou also looked distressed. With so many people present today, if the secrets of the Heaven-Slaying Sword and the Dragon-Slaying Saber were to be revealed, who knows what kind of bloodshed would ensue.

At this moment, everyone had different expressions as they looked at the Heaven-Slaying Sword in A Niu's hand. Abbess Miejue's face was ugly, and she said, "You brat, talking nonsense."

Chapter 134 Extinction and Silence

Zhu Yuchen sighed...

“Stubborn to the end. If it weren’t for the friendship between my family and the Guo family back then, and for the sake of Guo Xiang and Zhang Sanfeng, I wouldn’t care whether you live or die.”

"I'll take this Heaven-Slaying Sword. With your martial arts skills, you won't be able to protect it in the future. Keeping it will only be a seed of trouble!"

Abbess Miejue flicked her sleeves and stepped forward, saying, "If you want to take the Heaven-Slaying Sword, you'll have to step over my dead body." Upon hearing this, the Emei disciples drew their swords and pointed them at Zhu Yuchen and his companion.

Yu Lianzhou stood in the middle, caught in a dilemma, and said, "Let's talk things out calmly. This matter doesn't have to escalate to this point!"

Seeing the resolute look on Abbess Miejue's face, Zhu Yuchen clapped his hands and laughed, "Since that's the case, I'll grant your wish!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Lianzhou was greatly alarmed and exclaimed, "Senior, please... wait!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a glint flashed in Zhu Yuchen's eyes. He took a step forward, and the world seemed to change drastically...

Before everyone's eyes, Zhu Yuchen had vanished, replaced by a solemn and dignified Buddha standing with his right hand forming a mudra. The Buddha spoke, his voice vast and boundless: "The Buddha said there is no self, no sentient being, no deceased."

The Buddha pushed forward with his right palm, and a series of Zen chants filled the air. His appearance was solemn and dignified. The golden Buddha palm pressed down, and the golden Buddha's head shone with light.

Abbess Miejue felt golden light swirling before her eyes and Zen chants entering her heart. It was as if the image of her senior brother, Gu Hongzi, was gradually blurring from the depths of her heart. She couldn't help but shout, "No!"

Suddenly, everything went black before Abbess Miejue's eyes. A hand slapped her forehead, and with a "boom" in her mind, she lost consciousness.

When everyone looked again, there was no Buddha or any Buddha light shining. Zhu Yuchen was still standing in the same spot. Yu Lianzhou had just uttered the word "slow down" when he breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, among the Emei disciples, Abbess Jingxu's expression changed. She looked at Abbess Miejue, whose fierce aura had completely disappeared and who stood quietly with her eyes closed, and tentatively called out, "Master?"

When everyone looked over, they realized that Abbess Miejue had already passed away sometime during the night.

The Wudang Sect members were shocked. Abbess Miejue, the leader of the Emei Sect, died so easily. Wouldn't this mean the two sides would be locked in a life-or-death struggle?

Zhu Yuchen clapped his hands and said, "He sought death and was granted it; his wish was fulfilled; he died well, he died wonderfully!"

"You scoundrel, prepare to die!" Abbess Jingxu's eyes turned cold as she immediately drew her sword and thrust it forward. The Emei disciples drew their swords one after another, surrounding the two in the formation.

As more than a dozen longswords approached, Zhu Yuchen simply smiled. A tangible and substantial wall of energy appeared around him, and with a series of clanging sounds, all the longswords were shattered by the energy wall.

With a flick of his sleeve, Zhu Yuchen sent the Emei Sect members flying. His voice was cold as he said, "This is Miejue seeking death, and she has obtained what she sought. I have granted her wish. As members of the martial arts world, you should have heard this clearly. Why are you so angry?"

These words were spoken calmly and naturally, yet they were like a bucket of ice being poured over someone's head, causing the surrounding temperature to drop significantly. A chill rose in everyone's hearts, and they felt as if their bodies and minds were enveloped in coldness.

"Fifth Brother, that's how I felt back then." Yin Susu's eyes narrowed as she quietly said to Zhang Cuishan beside her. Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu pulled Zhang Wuji back a step.

Yu Lianzhou felt a chill permeate his body and mind, and his emotions seemed to have calmed down. The pure yang qi within his body, without being urged, spontaneously circulated throughout his body, and waves of warmth dispelled the chill in his heart.

Zhu Yuchen glanced at Yu Lianzhou, his eyes revealing a hint of appreciation, but not wanting them to ruin the Extinction Sect's chances of survival, he flicked his sleeve and said, "This is a matter between me and the Emei Sect, you can leave now."

Yu Lianzhou was still circulating his internal energy when he heard this and before he could speak, he felt a powerful force sealing his body and carrying him, his fifth brother, and his wife, flying backward.

Before they could react, the four of them were already on horseback. The steed neighed and galloped away.

………………

"Alright, now it's up to your sect leader's own fate whether he lives or dies!" Zhu Yuchen clapped his hands, startling the Emei Sect disciples who were still standing there in a daze.

He looked around, pointed to a small hill nearby, and then pointed to Abbess Jingxu, saying, "Where are we going with Extinction? If she survives, it'll be a good sign she still has some understanding; if she dies, you can gather some firewood and cremate her!"

Having said that, without waiting for their consent, he headed in that direction first. Ah Niu snorted and followed, leading five military horses.

"Senior sister...??"

The Emei disciples all looked at Abbess Jingxu, waiting for her to make a decision. They were prepared to risk their lives to splatter these two with blood.

This made Ding Minjun secretly resentful. None of her fellow disciples had asked for her opinion. Instead, they asked Jingxu, who was always indifferent to worldly affairs. At this moment, Ding Minjun even hated Jingxu.

Master Jingxu lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Junior Sister Xiaofu, what do you think?"

"Huh?" Ji Xiaofu seemed to be lost in thought, as if she had forgotten everything else. She paused for a moment, then said, "I will do whatever Senior Sister says."

Ding Minjun looked at Ji Xiaofu's expression, a hint of mockery, hatred, and a touch of pleasure flashing in her eyes. Then she carefully glanced at the others, and seeing that no one was paying attention, she quickly lowered her head.

Master Jingxu seemed to have thought of something, and looking at Ji Xiaofu's expression, she sighed inwardly before asking, "Junior Sister Siyao, did that person mean that Master is not dead yet?"

The women turned to look at one person in the crowd, who was clearly 'Junior Sister Siyao'. This was the same person who had been whispering with Miejue earlier.

Chen Siyao nodded, then shook her head, and said, "He said whether he's alive or dead depends entirely on Master's own understanding. It seems like Master isn't dead, yet it also seems like he is! But..."

"But what?" the women asked urgently.

Chen Siyao said uncertainly...

"However, I have read in Buddhist scriptures that the Buddha was unable to attain enlightenment for a long time, so he chose to actively enter Nirvana in order to see through the great matter of life and death in Nirvana and seek a chance to transcend it."

"But this is just an ancient legend, and even the Buddha could only pass away on his own. I've never heard of anyone being able to help someone else pass away and attain enlightenment. This... this is simply a fantasy."

"But... when that person stepped forward just now, that strange phenomenon seemed like an illusion, yet it also seemed not. Even now, a trace of Zen echoes in my junior sister's heart. No matter how you look at it, it feels like the Buddha himself is here."

The women fell silent upon hearing this, and then all looked at Abbess Jingxu.

Looking at Miejue's rosy cheeks, Master Jingxu saw that apart from the lack of breath, she seemed to be asleep. She gritted her teeth and said, "Let's go, we'll follow. Master shouldn't be dead yet. We can't understand these supernatural abilities at all. Rather than risking Master's life or death, we should seek a glimmer of hope."

Apart from Ding Minjun, who looked rather displeased, the disciples including Jingxuan and Ji Xiaofu nodded in agreement. They immediately picked up the broken blades from the ground, and Abbess Jingxu carried the 'corpse' of Extinction on her back, chasing after the direction in which Zhu Yuchen and the other person had left.

Seeing that no one paid any attention to her from beginning to end, Ding Minjun, who was lagging behind, gritted her teeth in anger. She glanced at Abbess Miejue on Jingxu's back, a hint of hatred flashing across her face, and then stepped forward to follow.

………………

Over there, Yu Lianzhou and his three horses had traveled more than ten miles when the horses gradually slowed down. Yu Lianzhou used his internal energy to dispel the chill before stopping.

"Senior brother, should we go back?" Zhang Cuishan asked.

Yu Lianzhou gave a bitter smile, glanced at the dejected Zhang Wuji, and said...

"We can barely protect ourselves, and going back would only be a pointless death. However, the death of Abbess Miejue will surely shake the martial world, and we should inform our master of this matter as soon as possible."

"Alas! That person's martial arts are unpredictable. If Master has to face such a person, I really... Never mind! I will do whatever Master says."

As they were talking, Yu Lianzhou's expression changed. He looked towards the woods on the left and shouted, "Who's there? Sneaking around like that!"

Chapter 135 Wuji is kidnapped

"Who goes there? Sneaking around like that!"

Yin Susu, who had been on edge the whole way, immediately hugged the child in her arms tighter and followed Yu Lianzhou's gaze. A moment later, a wild rabbit hopped out of the bushes in the woods.

"Phew." Yin Susu exhaled and said, "So it was just a wild rabbit." She couldn't help but think to herself: Uncle Yu is being far too tense, seeing threats everywhere. We're already close to Wudang Mountain; who would dare to act recklessly in front of Master Zhang?

Upon hearing Yin Susu's words, Yu Lianzhou's expression turned ugly, and he shouted, "Come out!"

Yin Susu thought he was making a fuss over nothing. The next moment, a figure as serpentine flew close to the ground, instantly bypassing several horse legs, and slithered to the ground beneath Yin Susu's horse, then glided along the horse's belly to reach her.

The newcomer chuckled, slapped Yin Susu on the shoulder, knocking her off her horse, and then sat down behind Zhang Wuji. With a gentle pinch on his neck, Zhang Wuji fainted.

Yin Susu was struck by that man's palm and couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. She clutched her shoulder and cried out in anguish, "Wuji, my Wuji!"

Just as Zhang Cuishan leaped off his horse, the man pulled on the reins and immediately spurred the horse forward. Before Zhang Cuishan could react, Yu Lianzhou had already leaped up and unleashed a "Wudang Cotton Palm" strike, aiming a palm strike at the man's face from mid-air.

The man chuckled and extended his palm to meet Yu Lianzhou's. With a "pop," the man froze, then let out a strange cry: "Impressive skill!"

With Zhang Wuji in his left hand, he stepped on the horse and with a thud, he unleashed the power of his palm strike. The horse neighed and knelt down, but the man used the force to leap over Yu Lianzhou and gallop more than twenty feet ahead.

When Yu Lianzhou received the palm strike, he immediately felt a chilling true energy surge upwards along the meridians of his right hand. His right palm immediately became uncontrollable, and his entire body felt icy cold, causing him to sway uncontrollably.

At this moment, Yin Susu reacted and had already given chase. Zhang Cuishan couldn't catch up in time, but seeing that Yu Lianzhou's face was pale and he was still seriously injured, he reached out to support the swaying Yu Lianzhou: "Second brother, how are you?"

Yu Lianzhou forced a smile, immediately sat cross-legged and began to circulate his internal energy, using his pure yang energy to fight against the chill. However, he did not expect that this yin energy was extremely stubborn and could not be expelled from his body for a short time.

He barely opened his eyes and said, "I'm fine. You go after your sister-in-law. She's no match for that strange man. Be careful, or she might not come back alive."

Seeing no enemies around, and worried about the safety of his wife and children, Zhang Cuishan immediately got up, took his horse, and chased after his wife. After five miles, he saw his wife still running wildly, but the strange man had already disappeared.