Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 7

Yue Yuchen stood to the side and said leisurely, "Unless it was a conspiracy from the beginning, unless there was a problem with the Sunflower Manual from the start, unless the contents they remembered were incompatible from the beginning..."

"This... how is this possible? The two patriarchs were secretly learning the Sunflower Manual, so how could there be a problem?" Ning Zhongze asked in confusion.

"Ugh……"

Yue Buqun sighed: "What if inviting the two patriarchs, Cai and Yue, back then was intentional? What if letting them find the Sunflower Manual was also intentional?"

Ning Zhongze asked blankly, "Senior brother, do you mean that Shaolin deliberately framed the two patriarchs? By giving them a fake manual?"

"Whether the manual was real or fake, it was destroyed in that conflict," Yue Buqun said. "Before my master passed away, he demonstrated the sword moves of the 'Sunflower Manual' that he had memorized here for me."

After saying that, Yue Buqun reached out and drew his sword. Sword light danced and figures darted about in the Ancestral Hall.

After a moment, Yue Buqun stopped and asked, "Junior Sister, Yuchen, what do you think?"

“It’s riddled with errors,” Ning Zhongze said.

“A complete mess,” Yue Yuchen said.

As soon as Yue Yuchen finished speaking, the system's voice sounded in his mind...

[You have studied the incomplete sword techniques of the "Sunflower Manual". The sword techniques are ordinary and full of flaws. You need to be as fast as lightning to achieve the best results.]

“Yes, it is this kind of swordsmanship. You and I can both see that something is wrong with it. Why couldn’t the patriarch see through it?” Yue Buqun said with a grim expression.

He then added, “My master instructed me before his death that I must retrieve the Sunflower Manual so that I could see exactly what makes this manual so extraordinary. All my fellow disciples harbor resentment and are extremely unwilling to accept that this manual destroyed the Huashan Sect.”

………………

Yue Yuchen paused for a moment and said, "Back then, Mount Hua was incredibly prosperous, ruling over the Five Sacred Mountains, unparalleled in its time, and enjoying boundless glory. Its power overshadowed Shaolin and Wudang. How could Shaolin possibly sit idly by?"

"If this manual itself has been altered, the cultivators will be impulsive, easily angered, and restless. Once there is an argument, they will easily draw their swords against each other."

"Once they're blinded by rage, and with someone stirring up trouble, I'm afraid no one will be able to stop."

"Moreover," Yue Yuchen sneered, "Southern Shaolin Temple already has countless masters, and its Scripture Pavilion contains numerous martial arts manuals. How could it be so lax in its defenses that it could easily allow the two founders to succeed?"

"If Shaolin Temple were really that weak, it would have been driven out of Putian long ago. How could it possibly have a foothold in the south? At the very least, forces like Wudang and Longhu Mountain would never let this opportunity pass."

………………

"Let's set aside the issues for now; the truth will be revealed one day," Yue Buqun said, ending the discussion.

Yue Yuchen cupped his hands and asked, "Master, how should the Huashan Sect proceed from here?"

"Oh? What suggestions do you have?" Yue Buqun asked.

Yue Yuchen laughed and said, "Since we can't beat them, why don't we join them?"

Upon hearing this, Yue Buqun's eyes flickered, clearly he had never considered this possibility. Seeing that he was interested, Yue Yuchen continued...

"In terms of lineage, there are no more than the three schools of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. My Huashan Sect is originally a direct line of the Quanzhen School of Taoism. Now it is just a continuation of the Taoist tradition."

"In terms of martial arts, Master is already a first-rate master in this world. I think if Master goes to pay a visit and make friends through martial arts, the security escort agencies and martial arts schools down the mountain will surely give him some face."

"In terms of power, we are one of the Five Sacred Mountains Sword Sects recognized by the righteous path, a model of righteousness. If Master would be willing to pay a visit to the local officials, surely recruiting some refugees and clearing some wasteland at the foot of the mountain could be done?"①

"As a model of righteousness, serving the greater good of the court, reducing its burden, and taking in some young and strong refugees, wouldn't that be a great achievement for local officials?"①

"If local officials refuse, it must be because the wrong approach was taken. Giving gold and silver is too vulgar; it's considered corruption and bribery. If everyone could exchange antiques and paintings, or appreciate ginseng and deer antlers, they would surely be happy."

"In terms of wealth, although my Huashan Sect doesn't have much gold, silver, or worldly possessions, we still have quite a few classic texts passed down by our founders. These texts encompass Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. It's not unreasonable to have those down-on-their-luck scholars copy these books and make some good connections."

"We don't need these candidates to do anything. We just need them to copy some classics and historical texts. If any of them pass the imperial examinations in the future, we don't ask for anything in return. We just need them to help us out at crucial moments."

Seeing Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze's stunned expressions, Yue Yuchen changed the subject and continued...

“Now that Master and Mistress have accepted Linghu Chong as their disciple, there will be many more junior brothers and sisters coming up the mountain in the future. If they are not taught well, they will not understand Master and Mistress’s good intentions and will instead harm everyone.”

"They are all at the best age to reshape their concepts and recognize the Huashan School. We should all work together to overcome this challenge."

“The master and mistress should also teach them to take the revitalization of Mount Hua as their own responsibility, instead of letting them develop at will.”

"Otherwise, Master, all your hard work will be in vain, and it will also damage the relationship between master and disciple."

"Having a goal gives you motivation; otherwise, if you live too comfortably, you'll lose your drive."

"Master, Mistress, what do you think?"

P.S.: ① Is it good to read more history?

In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang allowed and encouraged farmers to reclaim wasteland themselves.

In the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, due to the increase in the number of members of the imperial family and clan, their burdens became heavier, and they secretly resisted taxes in the Jiangnan region, resulting in a daily decrease in the imperial tax revenue.

With the encouragement of court officials representing the landlord class, it was permitted for the landlord class to gather landless refugees to reclaim wasteland, but additional taxes would be levied.

Chapter 14 The Great Changes at Mount Hua

Ning Zhongze looked troubled and hesitated before saying, "Each of these things requires a lot of money! But we really don't have that much money right now." She couldn't help but sigh softly.

Yue Buqun's face darkened upon hearing this; truly, even a hero can be brought down by a mere penny. He knew all too well the true colors of the officials at the foot of the mountain. Without money, forget about getting anything done, you couldn't even expect a shred of courtesy!

Yue Yuchen said, "Master and Mistress, don't worry. We're sitting on a treasure trove, so we're not afraid of running out of resources. Over the years, I've collected a lot of ginseng, deer antlers, and other rare and precious things in the back mountains. We can give them to you to help us make a living."

At this point, Yue Buqun no longer regarded him as an ordinary child, and the three of them discussed things in the Ancestral Hall.

The procedures for teaching disciples in the future were established, and these would be handled by the three of them in turns. As for dealing with matters down the mountain, Yue Buqun would be solely responsible.

Afterwards, Yue Yuchen went to the room and took out the rare and precious herbs he had accumulated over the years, including two ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms that were over a hundred years old, which he believed would be enough to get through to the government.

As Yue Buqun emerged from the courtyard where Yue Yuchen lived, he looked somewhat troubled. Facing his wife's doubts, he did not hide anything: "Yuchen's precocious intelligence is truly beyond my expectations."

Seeing that his wife didn't understand, he said, "As the saying goes, deep affection is short-lived. Yu Chen is too precocious, and I'm afraid it will affect his lifespan. Originally, I wanted to make him the next leader of the sect, but I was afraid he would die young."

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhongze remained silent, unsure of what to do.

………………

[Your rough suggestion was adopted by Yue Buqun. He decided to give it a try regardless of whether it was right or wrong, as long as your initial arguments about "status" and "position" shocked him.]

[Yue Buqun has decided to accept your suggestion because you've given too much.]

Yue Buqun worries that your deep affection will lead to a short life, and that your great intelligence will bring you harm. Young man, you don't seem like the type to die young.

As the system's narration kept prompting, Yue Yuchen was speechless. Fortunately, Yue Buqun had already left, otherwise he would have been even more worried seeing his eldest disciple in his current state.

………………

Time flies, and ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. Yue Yuchen is now twenty-one years old.

Looking back, over the past decade, Yue Buqun has actively expanded his network of contacts, not only establishing close ties with the local government but also making friends with numerous escort agencies, martial arts schools, and people from all over the world.

Through these people, the rare and exotic herbs of Mount Hua were sold to various prefectures and counties in the surrounding areas. After accumulating a large amount of money and goods, they took advantage of the government to reclaim a large number of barren mountains. Now, the fertile and abundant thousand acres of farmland at the foot of Mount Hua all belong to the Mount Hua Sect.

Moreover, during these ten years, taking advantage of the opportunity to shelter refugees and reclaim wasteland, Yue Buqun and his wife Ning Zhongze carefully selected a group of exceptionally talented and young children to join the Huashan Sect.

These children rise at dawn every day to recite Taoist classics to cultivate their character; then they climb to the mountaintop to practice Qigong breathing exercises; after breakfast, they begin to study literature, practice martial arts, and learn to read.

In the afternoon, they would go down the mountain together to participate in farm work and personally experience the hardships of their parents' hard work. After nightfall, they would also need to study moral education courses personally compiled by Yue Yuchen.

Through diligent practice day after day and year after year, the younger generation of the Huashan Sect has begun to make a name for themselves in the martial arts world.

Led by Linghu Chong, Lao Denuo, Shi Daizi, Lu Dayou, Yue Lingshan, Ye Xueer, and Mei Yuting, they were collectively known as the "Seven Swords of Mount Hua".

Over the past decade, the martial arts world has been in constant flux, and Shaolin, as a leading force in the martial arts world, has naturally not been idle and has frequently taken action.

They first tried to put pressure on Yue Buqun by leveraging the power of the government.

Unfortunately, Yue Buqun was already well-versed in the ways of officialdom. Through various connections of interest, he established close relationships with local officials and generously funded a large number of impoverished scholars seeking fame and fortune over the past decade.

After successfully weaving a vast network of interests, Lao Yue knew that he could not compete with Shaolin on his own, so he decisively took action and actively moved closer to the Taoist sect.

The Huashan Sect was originally a branch of the Quanzhen School of Taoism, and Yue Buqun seized the opportunity to shout the slogan of revitalizing the Quanzhen Taoist tradition.

Of particular note is the grand debate held five years ago.

At this grand event, Yue Yuchen, with his profound Taoist knowledge and outstanding talent, defeated many promising young Taoist masters from Wudang, Longhushan, Laoshan, and Qingcheng.

He won the high recognition of many senior Taoist masters, and since then, he has had the Taoist community as his solid backing.

After that, Yue Yuchen thrived, constantly absorbing the essence of various Taoist schools. While his own strength improved by leaps and bounds, he also gained extensive knowledge in medicine, poisons, elixirs, and other fields.

Gradually, he distinguished himself in the "Internal Alchemy" school of Taoism in the north, and his reputation spread far and wide. He became a well-known figure in the world, highly respected by various forces, and many noble families treated him with great courtesy.

The Huashan Sect is now brimming with talent, with nearly two hundred disciples. Among them, Yue Yuchen leads in the transmission of thought and culture, while Linghu Chong is the foremost master in martial arts.

The entire sect presented a prosperous and thriving scene, which was remarkable.

………………

On this day, inside the Sutra Repository.

Over the course of ten years, the Huashan School's Sutra Repository has expanded repeatedly, housing countless ancient texts and secret records. The entire repository has grown from one floor to four.

All Huashan disciples knew that the fourth floor was the place where the sect leader and the eldest brother cultivated in seclusion. Apart from the sect leader's wife, the junior sister, and the second brother, no one else was allowed to enter without being summoned.

At this moment, in a quiet room on the fourth floor, Yue Yuchen was flipping through the twenty-seventh volume of the Wanshou Daozang, a rare Daoist scripture that had been lost in the martial arts world.

[You perused the sixteen volumes of Huang Shang's "Wanshou Daozang" and learned the Nine Yin Divine Claw.]

Linghu Chong sat quietly to the side, not disturbing him. After finishing reading the current few pages, Yue Yuchen put the book aside and then looked up at him.

At this time, Linghu Chong was already different from the original character. He wore a dark blue Taoist robe, had a wooden hairpin in his hair, and his eyes were bright and lively. Occasionally, when he opened and closed his eyes, a glint of light would be revealed, showing his remarkable internal strength.

Although he appears somewhat unrestrained, the occasional hint of authority he exudes makes him a force to be reckoned with, clearly indicating that he has long held a high position.

Seeing Yue Yuchen look over, Linghu Chong knew his senior brother disliked formalities, so he cupped his hands and said directly...

"According to the information sent back by the spies, the Songshan Sect has received even deeper support from Shaolin, and the martial arts of the Thirteen Protectors have already reached the peak of the second tier."

"I'm afraid Shaolin will secretly encourage the Songshan Sect to unify the Five Mountains Sword Sects, since they still have the Alliance Leader's command flag in their hands. This is also a good way to suppress us."

"Oh? You've seen their martial arts skills?" Yue Yuchen asked curiously.

A hint of disdain flashed in Linghu Chong's eyes as he said...

"Some time ago, Master Fangzheng invited various sects to participate in the Shaolin Grand Ceremony. I met a few of them, and their martial arts skills were indeed remarkable."

"These people's martial arts skills have reached some of Junior Brother Shi Daizi's level, but that's about it. If it were a one-on-one life-or-death battle, Junior Brother Shi and the other three would be the best."

"Although you fellow disciples also fought your way out of piles of dead bandits, these people have also taken many lives on their hands, so they should not be underestimated."

"However, I did not see Zuo Lengchan. It is said that he is creating an internal martial art and has been in seclusion for a long time."

"Where's Laudenau?" Yue Yuchen asked casually.

A murderous glint flashed in Linghu Chong's eyes: "Third Junior Brother is still very loyal. Over the years, he has sent a secret report to Songshan every month without fail."

"Alas... It's a pity that my master and I put in so much effort, but he didn't appreciate it at all." Yue Yuchen shook his head and sighed.

“When Master brought him back to the mountain that day, both my junior sister and I could sense that he was different. He insisted on staying. Over the years, we have given him chances again and again, but unfortunately, our third junior brother did not want them,” Linghu Chong said calmly.

Yue Yuchen gazed out the window for a long time before saying, "You are now the acting head disciple of the Huashan Sect, so you are in charge of handling these matters. Is there anything else?"

“Yes, it’s related to the Fuzhou Fuwei Escort Agency that you’ve been following, Senior Brother,” Linghu Chong said.

Chapter 15 is about to begin.

[Linghu Chong brings you news from the Fuwei Escort Agency, which indicates that the story is about to begin.]

Young man, are you ready to step into the world of martial arts?

"Oh? Tell me about it." Yue Yuchen looked at the system's narration and said with great interest.

Linghu Chong gathered his thoughts and said...

"Over the years, we have been keeping a close eye on the Fuwei Escort Agency. Just recently, Yu Canghai, that short fellow from Qingcheng Mountain, led a group of disciples down the mountain quietly. Their target was clearly Fuzhou City."

"Speaking of the martial arts skills of Lin Zhennan and his wife, even classifying them as second-rate is quite a stretch. Compared to Lin Yuantu, who swept through both the underworld and the legitimate world and defeated countless powerful enemies back then, they are worlds apart!"

"Such a Lin family cannot stop Yu Canghai, who is determined to avenge his master."

Yue Yuchen laughed and said, "Back then, Yu Canghai's master was known as the best swordsman west of the Sichuan Gorge, but he was defeated by Lin Yuantu and died vomiting blood."

"Yu Canghai's claim of seeking revenge for his master is a pretense; his true intention is to seize the Lin family's Evil-Repelling Sword Manual."

Linghu Chong frowned and said...

"Back then, to verify the truth, I sent Dayou to secretly test Lin Zhennan's skills, but the result was very disappointing. His Evil-Repelling Sword Technique was simply appalling."

"Senior Brother, I really don't understand why we are so concerned about the Lin family. I hope you can enlighten me."

Yue Yuchen looked out the window and said, "This matter involves the sword and qi dispute from back then. That case has almost become a heartache for Master."