Time waits for no one. Shangguan Tou and Xuezhi also began to study swordsmanship.
Northern Star Island, training ground.
A massive, greyish-white stone staircase leads to a plaza at its center. Behind the plaza lies a lush, dense forest, with a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) diagram carved in the very center, occupying half of the area.
There was still some time before formal martial arts practice, so all the disciples present were polishing their weapons and practicing simple moves. Yue Shanggu used staff techniques, but Shangguan Tou's servant carried a pile of swords and threw them on the ground, attracting everyone's attention. When Xue Zhi saw that pile of weapons, she was reminded of her arduous training years at Chonghuo Palace.
Shangguan Tou picked out a fine jade ring knife, looked it over, and handed it to Xuezhi: "Try this one."
Xuezhi gripped the hilt of the knife. As soon as Shangguan Tou let go, Xuezhi's hand was almost pulled to the ground.
Why is it so heavy?
"The knife is fine, but the staff is a bit heavier. Try using it first and see if it feels comfortable in your hand."
62
Xuezhi was completely baffled. How was she supposed to use such an unfamiliar weapon? Besides, the Jade Ring Blade was the lightest of all the blades; she really didn't know what would happen if she replaced it with the Vajra Blade.
Xuezhi gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, swung it horizontally, and then thrust it forward forcefully: "Uh, it's not working well."
"How can you use a knife like you would a sword?" Shangguan Tou picked up a larger knife, slashed horizontally, then hooked it with his other hand. "A sword is heavy on its edge, a knife on its body; a sword is used in pairs, a knife in single strokes; the sword is the way of the king, the knife the way of the tyrant. If you pay a little attention, you'll find that when weapons wear down, a sword either has its edge worn smooth or breaks completely; it's rare to find a sword with an intact edge and a worn body. But when a knife wears down, it's covered in cracks, though the tip is usually still relatively sharp. So, even when stabbing someone, if you use a knife, you should try to maximize the attack area. That's how you can utilize the knife's advantages." After saying that, he slashed horizontally, splitting a wooden stake. "Try it."
Xuezhi nodded, steadied the knife in her hand, twisted her wrist, and with a flick of her wrist, cleaved a wooden stake in two.
"You've chopped very well, but you're still using a sword." Shangguan Tou leaned closer and tapped Xuezhi's arm. "You should use force here and try to avoid using your wrist." Standing behind Xuezhi, he grasped her hand and swung it forcefully: "Like this."
The two combined their strength, their movements agile and powerful, crushing the wooden stake as easily as if it were being crushed with two fingers. Xuezhi had never imagined wielding a weapon could be so effortless and graceful. She turned to look at Shangguan Tou: "Indeed! Amazing!"
Then she realized that Shangguan Tou was standing way too close to her. He held her hand as if he were hugging her from behind. Xue Zhi turned around in a panic, shook her head, and tried to concentrate. But Shangguan Tou seemed not to notice this and whispered in her ear, "One more time."
Xuezhi spent the entire day practicing her swordsmanship in a state of distraction.
Compared to the grueling training of the past, the simple movements on the first day were nothing. After dinner, Xuezhi took some time to study the book "Samadhi Flame Phoenix Blade." She read until midnight, and was so frightened by the contents that she endured it for a long time before finally going to see Shangguan Tou the next day.
Xuezhi said this secret manual was truly unbelievable. Shangguan Tou took the manual, flipped through it, read a few pages, exchanged a glance with Xuezhi, and also said, "This..."
So he immediately began studying.
Shangguan Tou looked at the book and tried dancing the first level once, then sat down, read it again, and danced it again. He repeated this several times until he finally felt that reading the entire manual was the correct approach. So Shangguan Tou copied a copy, took it back to his room, studied it for several days, and finally came to the conclusion: "Nothing is right. Is there some hidden secret?"
Xuezhi had been troubled by this for a long time, and the two decided to wait for Lin Yuhuang to return.
About five days later, Lin Yuhuang returned to Moonrise Valley. The first thing he did was ask Xuezhi how her Flame Phoenix Blade training was going. Xuezhi and Shangguan Tou both said in unison, "We really can't figure it out."
“As expected.” Lin Yuhuang was not surprised at all. “I have been studying this martial art for six years, but I still haven’t grasped the key. Lian also said that the ‘Samadhi Flame Phoenix Blade’ and ‘Azure Sea Snow Lotus Sword’ are two sword techniques that are extremely Yin and Yang. When practicing them, you must follow this routine, and it is impossible to complete them in a short period of time. At the time, I did not expect it to be so difficult, so I did not ask him.”
Xuezhi thought for a moment, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Second Father, are you sure that First Father was of sound mind when he was writing these two secret manuals?"
"I have no idea."
"Most techniques have at least nine levels, but this 'Samadhi Flaming Phoenix Blade' only has three. Each level is unremarkable, lacking any skill, and unbelievably simple. I'm just a beginner who has only just picked up a blade, and I can perform it very easily. Moreover, when Sister Zhaojun, who knows blade techniques, used it, the effect was exactly the same, and there wasn't much difference in the movements..."
“You don’t know? I’ve been researching this for six years, and the result I came up with,” Lin Yuhuang gave Xuezhi a deep look, “is the same as yours.”
Shangguan Tou said, "Could this be a tactic of feigning ignorance while being wise?"
Lin Yuhuang said, "The problem is, what's worth studying about these moves? I've seen a lot of bad martial arts since I was a child. They're not only useless but also ugly. The effect is about the same as this."
Shangguan Tou said, "Or perhaps... is Palace Master Lian trying to give us a psychological suggestion? In reality, there is no martial art in this world that can surpass the 'Nine Forms of the Lotus God'?"
Lin Yuhuang thought for a moment and then said, "Zhi'er, you are actually very well-liked. It's better that you didn't leave, because now that you've left, everyone misses you. This time when I return to Chonghuo Palace, everyone wants you to come back. The elders said that as long as I go back, it's no problem for you to go back as well."
Xuezhi said, "I'm not going back!"
"Why?"
“I…I’m not someone who can be summoned and dismissed at will; I have my own self-respect.”
“Sigh, Zhi’er, your father’s martial arts skills are either some kind of secret he hasn’t revealed, or he’s just really out of his mind. Anyway, I’ll never understand what he’s thinking. Instead of risking so much time on this, we should go back to Chonghuo Palace and practice our martial arts first.”
"You can practice martial arts anywhere, do you really have to go back?"
"Has your martial arts improved significantly during your time away?"
Xuezhi fell silent.
"Go back. You're still young. What can't be solved later? Go into seclusion and cultivate for a while before coming out. Your future path will be much broader."
Xuezhi glanced quickly at Shangguan Tou and said in a low voice, "Let me think about it some more."
63
Only when you arrive at Moon Valley at night will you learn the origin of its name.
Early summer.
Standing at the bottom of the valley at night, looking into the distance, the white moon hangs high in the sky, large and exceptionally bright. Almost all the buildings are covered by lush trees, casting fragmented shadows of moonlight on the ground.
Shangguan Tou and Xuezhi were strolling by the water, their shadows appearing and disappearing in the moonlight.
"Haven't you made up your mind yet?" Shangguan Tou asked, fanning himself. He was wearing his favorite white clothes, with slightly tight cuffs and trouser legs, which made him appear tall and slender.
"You should know that once someone leaves, they never want to go back. No matter how fun it is to wander the world, I can't let go of you, Sister Hongxiu, and Brother Langya."
"Silly girl, it's not like you're going there and never coming back."
"But, but I just don't want to go back."
"When I was young, my father told me that a person's life is like a book that can only be read once. Whether you skim through it or read it word by word is up to you. You may not like the content of this book, or you may find some parts unbearable, but no matter how you read it, you only have one chance. Zhi'er is living a carefree life in the martial arts world now, and because she is indulging in momentary pleasure, she has quickly flipped through the most important and tedious pages. I wonder if she will regret it later?"
"I know what you mean." Xuezhi lowered her head. "But if I go away for a very, very long time, when I come out, will you all not remember me?"
"So that's what you're afraid of." Shangguan Tou laughed heartily. "I don't know about Langya, but he sees all women as objects. Hongxiu definitely remembers you."
"And what about Sister Zhaojun?"
What do you think?
"Definitely. You're even worse than Brother Wolf Fang."
Shangguan Tou was silent for a while: "Actually, there's something I've never told you, and I don't think it's very important."
"What's up?"
“I’ve known your second father for over six years. In those six years, there hasn’t been a single day that he hasn’t mentioned you.” Shangguan Tou closed his fan and said meaningfully, “If I could forget someone who has been mentioned more than two thousand times, then I should really start to doubt my age.”
"No way?" Xuezhi's eyes widened. "What did he say about me?"
Shangguan Tou thought for a moment and said, "More than two thousand times, the repeated and non-repeated content... Well, basically before I met you, I knew you completely. So after meeting you, I didn't feel too unfamiliar, except that your appearance is not quite what I imagined."
What kind of person do you imagine me to be?
"It should be a bit taller and gentler."
"you--"
"And then, it wasn't this pretty."
Xuezhi's anger instantly subsided, and she whispered, "Sister Zhaojun...do you think I'm pretty?"
"You're only seventeen now, and you're already so beautiful. I wonder what you'll look like in a few years. I think the man who marries you must be very outstanding."
Xuezhi was easily embarrassed in this regard, blushing after just a few words, and quickly changed the subject: "When I return to the martial world, will Sister Zhaojun already be married?"
"It's Tou-gege."
"Okay, could it be that Tou-nii has already gotten married?"
"No one can say for sure about these things, but I don't plan to get married for the time being. Since Zhi'er is starting to work hard, how can I not do the same?"
Xuezhi clenched her fists and looked up at Shangguan Tou: "Alright! Let's work hard together!"
Shangguan Tou smiled slightly and said, "Yes. When Zhi'er comes out and her martial arts skills become much better, Brother Tou will definitely take Zhi'er to travel the world again and explore all over the country."
"Then they became chivalrous heroes, turning into the most famous pair of chivalrous siblings!"
“Okay.” Shangguan Tou laughed. “If you like, we can also ask Immortal Xingchuan for some prescriptions, go to the mountains and valleys to collect herbs, and then have Langya and Hongxiu help us refine the medicine. We can then take it to the big cities to treat people or sell it for a high price to make money.”
"Isn't that the person I've always dreamed of—a herbalist and elusive healer?"
Seeing Xuezhi's sparkling eyes, Shangguan Tou struggled to suppress his laughter. Lin Yuhuang had mentioned before that Xuezhi had always loved these childish herbal transactions, which resembled playing house. She had even added two catties of croton seeds to Liuli's soup, intending to get him to beg her for a prescription. But Liuli didn't beg; instead, he moved into the outhouse. It was unexpected that after all these years, she hadn't changed at all.
Thinking of this, Shangguan Tou suddenly said, "It's getting late, Zhi'er, go to sleep. We have to leave early tomorrow morning."
"Huh? So fast?" Xuezhi looked at Shangguan Tou and whispered, "Then, can you grant me a request?"
"Please feel free to speak."
“I think, I…” Xuezhi realized her hands were trembling slightly, “I want to hug Tou-gege.”
Shangguan Tou paused for a moment, then said softly, "Okay."
Xuezhi threw herself into Shangguan Tou's arms and hugged him tightly.
"Brother Tou, please don't forget Zhi'er."
Shangguan Tou frowned slightly and gently stroked Xuezhi's hair: "Absolutely not."
64 65 66
64
Half a month later, earth-shattering news spread throughout the martial arts world: Chong Xuezhi had found her father, Lin Yuhuang, the former second master of Chonghuo Palace. The two returned to Chonghuo Palace with the intention of revitalizing Chonghuo and regaining their position as the overlord of the martial arts world.
As the big news spread, all sorts of rumors also began to circulate. Some said Chong Xuezhi was going to cultivate the "Nine Forms of the Lotus God," some said Chong Lian wasn't dead, some said Mu Yuan was actually Chong Lian's illegitimate son, and some even said Chong Xuezhi found Lin Yuhuang in a rich woman's male concubine... Xuezhi was furious, but Lin Yuhuang was completely unfazed. After so many years in the industry, he had long since become utterly numb.
The truth is, Lin Yuhuang brought Xuezhi back to Chonghuo Palace. He originally planned to invite Jieyu along, but Jieyu said that she was too busy at Yue Shang Valley, so she didn't go with them.
Before returning to Chonghuo Palace, Xuezhi went to Xueyan Sect alone and found Lin Fengzi. Fengzi seemed pleasantly surprised to see her, saying, "Sister, you actually came to see me on your own initiative!" Xuezhi, being straightforward, immediately questioned her about what had happened at Shaolin Temple. Lin Fengzi, however, appeared completely innocent and clueless. Xuezhi had no choice but to give up, feeling more wary of her while also suspecting that someone might have framed her. Although she had escaped death that time, it was the first time Xuezhi had been murdered, and she lived in constant fear for a long time afterward.
Upon returning to Chonghuo Palace, Lin Yuhuang did not immediately send her into seclusion, suggesting that it would be better to begin her cultivation next spring. He even smiled and gave her a cultivation checklist:
Cultivate the "Chaotic Moon Sword Technique", "Crimson Flame Divine Art", and "Nine Luminous Shadows" to the ninth level;
At least two of the techniques in "Sunset Flame Sword", "Rebirth from Fire", and "Red Cloud Technique" are at the eighth level;
All of the four levels of "Water Ripple Sword Technique", "Qilin Sword", and "Star Chariot Slash" must be mastered to the fourth level, or one of them must be mastered to the eighth level.