Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 62

[You have achieved a profound understanding of the true meaning of the Nine Yang Manual, and your internal energy has reached the point where true qi can be generated spontaneously, revealing endless mysteries.]

[You have achieved a profound understanding of the true meaning of the Nine Yang Manual. Your internal energy now possesses the secrets of self-protection and rebound, and you have gained new insights into your Vajra Indestructible Body.]

[You have gained a new understanding of the true meaning of the Nine Yang Manual. You have comprehended the ultimate essence of pure Yang, and your internal energy now possesses the properties of resisting and avoiding poison.]

[Your Nine Yang Manual's true meaning has merged with the Purple Cloud Divine Skill and One Yang Finger, giving your true energy the characteristics of the rising sun, pure yang, blazing yang, and supreme yang.]

[Your Sunflower Manual has been inspired by the true meaning of the Nine Yang Manual, advancing from Yang to Yin to the ultimate Yin, and you have comprehended the characteristics of Cold Poison, Ultimate Yin, and Qi Breaking.]

Your "Great Dao Azure Lotus Chapter" has been updated.

Chapter 121 Three Years with the Giant Bandit

Time flies, and several years have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the courtyard, Zhu Yuchen slowly practiced Tai Chi, his movements as slow as an ox, yet his stances combined the strengths of dragon and tiger, embodying the principles of Yin and Yang. Every movement harmonized with the surrounding world, as if he himself were a part of the scenery within the courtyard.

Several years have passed, and Zhu Yuchen is eighteen years old. Dressed in a simple blue robe, his skin is unusually pale, as if he hasn't been exposed to sunlight for too long. At first glance, he gives off a quiet, easygoing, yet sickly feeling.

If you look closely, you'll see eyes as black as ink; if you stare at them for too long, it's as if your gaze is being drawn in. His slender body, however, possesses an unusual sense of indestructibility.

Several years passed, and with the continuous supply of monkey wine, along with the occasional rare mountain delicacies, and by gathering the essence of the sun and moon to nourish himself, Zhu Yuchen achieved the foundational success of the "Great Dao Green Lotus Chapter," thus attaining an indestructible body.

Despite his slender frame, he possessed immense strength with every movement; his fair skin was impervious to swords and blades, his inner and outer self perfectly integrated, making him fearless of weapons and poisons.

As he performed the Tai Chi for the second time, his entire body trembled, his essence overflowed, his dantian and qi sea opened up, and a brand new true qi spontaneously manifested.

Then, the vast essence transformed into surging true energy, flowing endlessly through the newly formed meridians and acupoints, like a great river, or a roaring tsunami.

The entrance to the body opened wide, and the essence of the sun and moon surrounding the body was completely absorbed by the divine sense, causing the surrounding vision to darken for a moment.

With this internal and external blessing, a silver phantom flashed in Zhu Yuchen's eyes. Within the phantom, a purple-blue lotus phantom swayed, its inner light shining outward, reflecting on Zhu Yuchen's body inside and out, his limbs, bones, and meridians, revealing every detail.

Zhu Yuchen took a deep breath. His true energy needed time to be transformed according to the new meridian diagram and incorporated into the characteristics of the Nine Yang True Scripture.

Only when the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit reunite will he be able to fully restore his cultivation from his previous life. However, from now on, in this world, perhaps only the founder of Wudang can be at the same level as him!

"Refining Qi into Spirit is only the first step. One must continue refining Spirit until the lotus phantom gives birth to lotus seeds. Then one can condense the martial primordial spirit (Yin spirit). The road ahead is long and arduous, and I will continue to explore it."

Experiencing a completely new realm and the joy of regaining what was lost, Zhu Yuchen's Dao heart becomes even purer and more vibrant. With each rebirth, he gains new insights.

As he opened his eyes, a flash of silver lightning seemed to illuminate the courtyard for a moment. It was his powerful martial spirit and will, unleashing a burst of energy through his eyes.

"Congratulations, young master, on mastering your martial arts." Ah Niu, who was on duty at the courtyard gate, smiled.

Zhu Yuchen smiled slightly, also feeling joy in his heart, but his Dao heart had been honed over a long period of time and was no longer moved by this.

His path is "only me, only the Way," allowing him to experience the miracle of life being born from the world, yet he will not accept the world's attempts to hold him back. The joy is real, and so is his unwavering heart of the Way; everything is only what his own heart desires.

Zhu Yuchen was lost in thought for a moment. He had experienced several worlds and witnessed many people and events, but his original heart had never wavered. Now that he thought about it, it seemed that many people had become his past.

He shook his head and chuckled; wasn't this the path he himself had been seeking?

………………

Sitting on a recliner under the eaves, Zhu Yuchen glanced at A Niu and nodded in satisfaction.

In these three years, Ah Niu has lived up to his potential, with a pure and innocent heart, he is truly a promising candidate for the path of enlightenment.

Not only has his cultivation of the Complete Perfection Great Dao Song progressed greatly, but his new Purple Cloud Divine Skill is also nearing completion. His Taoist true energy is extremely refined and pure, and is harmonious and upright.

In the past three years, in addition to the Golden Goose Skill and the Nine Yin Divine Claw, Zhu Yuchen also taught him the Vajra Palm, the Golden Crow Saber Technique, the finger technique of "Leisurely Drinking at Xinling", and the archery technique of "Swift as a Meteor".

In the martial arts world, Ah Niu's skills are already on par with the leaders of the major sects. No one knows that the small Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor actually hides a martial arts master who can be famous throughout the world.

………………

"Ah Niu, you've worked so hard all these years!"

Zhu Yuchen looked at 'Desert Blade' A Niu, who worked diligently and without complaint, doing the work of a servant, cleaning the courtyard, and taking care of his daily needs.

Ah Niu scratched the back of his head, gave a simple, honest smile, and said...

"Young Master, please don't say that. My father said that what you gave me is something our family could never have received in our entire lives."

"What else can I do if I don't serve the young master?"

"However, young master..."

Zhu Yuchen swayed back and forth in the recliner, looking up at the azure sky, and said, "Just say what you have to say, don't beat around the bush."

A Niu nodded and said, "Young Master, over the years, we have gathered the thirteen major bandits of the Southern Desert, assembled thousands of cavalry, and controlled all the trade routes in the Southern Desert. Young Master, do you intend to conquer the world?"

Over the years, as A Niu's martial arts skills have become highly proficient, in order to train him, Zhu Yuchen asked him to take down all the bandits and notorious thieves in the surrounding area. A Niu lived up to expectations, and with his Golden Crow Blade, he earned the nickname "Desert Blade of Blazing Sun".

To prevent the scattered bandits from causing further trouble, Ah Niu had no choice but to gather them together. As more and more bandits were hunted down, he also gathered more and more men under his command.

Later, Zhu Yuchen ordered him to divide the seven thousand bandit cavalrymen he had gathered into thirteen groups, collectively known as the Thirteen Bandits of Southern Desert.

To support these people, raiding trade routes and harassing herders was no longer feasible. Zhu Yuchen then divided the entire southern desert into thirteen parts, assigning each region to maintain trade routes and collect protection fees.

As a result, caravans entering and leaving the southern grasslands had to pay fees in the areas they passed through, and in doing so, they accumulated a great deal of wealth.

With the wealth they had acquired, the cavalry recruited even more impoverished herders, and now the number of cavalrymen was approaching nine thousand, almost matching the size of a ten-thousand-household armed force in the early days of the Mongols.

With the Yuan Dynasty weakened, these armies have become the de facto rulers of the southern desert, but apart from the Thirteen Bandits, no one knows that they belong to the same commander.

Nowadays, even the farms and ranches under Zhu Wu Lianhuan Village, as well as the caravans entering and leaving the Central Plains, have to pay protection fees to the bandits under A Niu's name.

Today, the trade routes of the entire Qinghai region and half of Tibet are under the control of the Thirteen Bandits. Caravans that do not pay protection money will be attacked by all the major bandits in southern Mongolia and will not be able to leave southern Mongolia.

Zhu Yuchen paused, then urged the rocking chair to continue rocking, and said, "Aniu, have you ever thought about becoming emperor?"

Ah Niu shook his head, embarrassed, and said, "Young Master, I can't do it."

Zhu Yuchen chuckled and said...

“What’s wrong with that? Some people start with just a bowl and still manage to conquer the world. You now have nearly ten thousand cavalry and a vast amount of wealth, making you much stronger than him.”

"If you want, those oppressed herdsmen can be armed into cavalry at any time, and it is not a problem to gather 10,000 or 20,000 cavalrymen."

"If you wish, you can enter the pass from Lanzhou, Gansu, at any time and advance on the Yuan court's capital, Dadu. At that time, hold Gansu firmly, sit back and watch the world's affairs unfold. You can advance to peek at the founding emperor's throne, or retreat to the southern grasslands."

"We could also head south to Sichuan, take control of the Land of Abundance, and then learn from Zhuge Liang. Even if we can't conquer the Central Plains, at the very least we could divide up Sichuan and establish our own kingdom."

Ah Niu did not hesitate and said, "But young master, you also said that the human heart is the most difficult thing to fathom. I don't want to spend my whole life trying to fathom the human heart and seeing the darkness."

"Then forget it," Zhu Yuchen said with a smile, not insisting.

Chapter 122 Talking about Hunting Dogs

Seeing that Ah Niu really didn't mean it, Zhu Yuchen didn't force him and said, "Since you're not willing, then let's keep them for now. Maybe we'll need them someday."

Ah Niu knew that these people could not be released easily, so he nodded and said, "I will keep them in check."

As the two were talking, they heard a cacophony of barking from the backyard. Zhu Yuchen frowned, displeased, and said, "How many dogs does Zhu Jiuzhen keep? Why are they so noisy?"

………………

Although A Niu didn't know why Zhu Yuchen disliked the Zhu and Wu families, over the years, despite Zhu Yuchen not being mentally challenged, rumors circulated in the manor that the eldest young master was an idiot.

The young master neither stopped nor clarified the rumors, but instead allowed them to spread.

Thinking that the young master was not born to the current Zhu Weishi, and why she was suddenly transferred to the young master's side that year. Ah Niu: I don't know, I don't want to think about anything, I'm just a simpleton.

Naturally, Ah Niu forced himself to forget these thoughts and said with a smile:

"Miss Zhu built a 'Hound Camp' in the manor and raised more than 30 hunting dogs, naming them after official titles such as 'General of Chariots and Cavalry,' 'General of the Flying Cavalry,' and 'General of the Vanguard.' She also hired many experienced hunters and trained them with mannequins. At first, they were quite well-trained and never disturbed the manor. They were originally intended to guard the house and the property, which was good."

"It's just that the young master Wei and Miss Wu next door always stir up trouble whenever they go hunting, and Miss Zhu can't stand being provoked."

"So these hunting dogs have become increasingly ferocious in recent years. Every time they go out, they bite and injure the hunters and herders in the vicinity. Some people suffer terribly, but there is nothing they can do. Some injured villagers have come to us before, but they were all driven away by the servants in the village."

"Later, every time they went out, the three of them would bring a large number of guards and servants, partly to drive away the villagers and prevent them from being bitten by the hunting dogs, and partly to deter the injured villagers from causing trouble."

"Heh..." Zhu Yuchen scoffed, "In Zhu Jiuzhen's eyes, these hunting dogs are probably more important than the lives of those common people!"

Ah Niu said helplessly, "Miss Zhu is becoming more and more spoiled. If this continues, I'm afraid the reputation of Zhu Family Village in the area will suffer..."

Zhu Yuchen shook his head and said...

"What reputation does Zhu Family Village have left? It's all ruined. But so be it. As the saying goes, 'The blessings of a virtuous man last only five generations.' From Zhu Ziliu to now, Zhu Family Village has been passed down for five generations."

In his opinion, these two families, passed down through generations, are basically devoid of good people, so he should just let them fend for themselves.

But Ah Niu thought for a moment and said, "Miss Zhu is only fifteen or sixteen years old, still young. If she's properly educated, she might be able to be reformed. It's just those two next door..."

………………

"Ah……"

Zhu Yuchen sneered and said disdainfully...

Whether a child can be taught well depends on the parents. It's clear that my father and mother didn't care about these little things.

"My father, though skilled in business, has long since become a treacherous, cunning, despicable, and shameless philistine."

"Do you really think he didn't know about something this big? He just didn't care about these lives!"

"That's true. He doesn't care about the life or death of his own son, and he tries every means to cover up the facts and conceal the truth, let alone those people who are irrelevant to him."

"The descendant of a prime minister of a nation has not only lost all his connections, but he also acts like a petty swindler, always scheming about trivial matters. Even if the Zhu family is not finished now, it will be finished in the future."

Zhu Yuchen was speechless and couldn't help but sigh. Logically speaking, given the relationship between Zhu Ziliu and Emperor Yideng of the South, Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor could be connected with Emei and Wudang.

However, over the years, Zhu Wu Lianhuan Village has had no such connections, and neither of the two families even knew that they had such resources.

He managed to cultivate himself into the position of a nouveau riche in the countryside, barely qualifying as a second-rate figure in the underworld.

Ah Niu stood aside, offering no opinion. He acted as if he hadn't heard Zhu Yuchen's words at all; he simply did whatever Zhu Yuchen told him to do.

Zhu Yuchen closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. Although he wanted to leave them to fend for themselves, he was reluctant to do anything about it.

But since I have taken over this body, that is cause and effect. If I am destined to become a god, Buddha, immortal, or saint, then the cause of today will inevitably become the effect of tomorrow.

………………

"Is that Habusa Hasatu nearby?" Zhu Yuchen asked.

Ah Niu nodded and said, "It's him. He leads about 1,500 bandit cavalrymen, all skilled in archery. The area he controls includes the Kunlun Sect, Zhu Family Village, Chen Family Village, and Wei Family Village. Does Young Master have any instructions?"

Zhu Yuchen thought for a moment and said...

"Let Habusa Hasatu find some excuse to kill all the hunting dogs and evil guards while Zhu Jiuzhen and the others are out hunting!"

"And that Wei Bi, isn't he trying to play both sides between the Zhu and Wu families, gaining both wealth and women? Then send him down ahead of time, and burn more paper figures and ingots for him, so that he won't run out of supplies down there."

"As for Zhu Jiuzhen and Wu Qingying, let's just leave them alone. Just cut off one of their arms. I hope they won't be so frightened that they go insane."

"If Zhu Changling still doesn't know when to stop, then let them launch a night raid on Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor and burn it down!"

………………

At noon that day, the sound of barking and howling dogs came from the dense forest northwest of Zhu Wu Lianhuan Village. There were more than a dozen dogs.

The barking grew more urgent, as if the dog had already caught its prey and was chasing after them.

A moment later, a bright red fox was seen leaping out of the forest and running frantically ahead.

Amidst a chorus of barking, a dozen long, menacing dogs appeared, surrounding the fire fox from all sides, eager to attack.

Just then, several cavalrymen appeared not far ahead. They quickly drew their bows and nocked arrows. Amidst the whistling of the arrows, Fire Fox and several vicious dogs fell to the ground, struck by the arrows.

After a moment of panic, the remaining hunting dogs scattered, barking loudly and baring their teeth and claws, trying to pounce.

The men laughed heartily, completely disregarding the hunting dogs. Instead, they rode up on their horses, letting the dogs surround them and reveal their gleaming white teeth.

As one of them bent down to pick up the fire fox from the ground, a hunting dog bared its fangs and pounced fiercely. The man seemed to have been prepared, as his free right hand remained resting on the curved knife at his waist.

As the hunting dogs pounced, a flash of light appeared, and one of the dogs' heads rolled away. Its body froze, then fell onto the snow, staining it red.

The man snorted coldly, sheathed his scimitar, and his fierce and domineering eyes caused the pack of dogs to lower their bodies and retreat.

Chapter 123 The Bandits Arrive

As the two sides were locked in a standoff, they heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance, and someone was shouting, calling for hunting dogs.

Upon hearing the howling sound, the dogs, agitated, let out a whimper and rushed towards the sound.

A moment later, three horses galloped out of the forest; it was Zhu Jiuzhen, Wei Bi, and Wu Qingying. Behind them followed a large group of servants and guards, each carrying a long sword.

The pack of hunting dogs ran around Zhu Jiuzhen, barking wildly when they saw the group.