The sea of love is like a sea of suffering; even Buddha cannot save people, they must save themselves.
Ru Wu might have genuinely felt some affection for her, otherwise why wouldn't he have destroyed the fan? But compared to anything else in the world, this affection was far too insignificant.
A later admirer of the sage monk Ruwu wrote a poem: "He died a common death on his meditation mat, his black hair a poignant reminder of his tragic end, the foremost monk of this dynasty."
People judge things by appearances, unaware that "all forms are illusory. If one sees all forms as non-forms, then one sees the Tathagata."
Tang Clan of Sichuan
( ) The Tang Clan of Sichuan. Its long-standing fame is all due to the Tang Clan's two unique skills: poison and hidden weapons.
The Tang Clan has four treasures: scriptures, armor, beads, and a staff.
The scripture is the "Scripture of Ten Thousand Poisons," and the founder of the Tang Clan instructed: "Command all poisons to relieve the people's suffering."
The armor is made of ice silk, woven from silkworm silk. It is waterproof, fireproof, and undamaged by swords and blades.
The pearl is a jade bead, and those who wear it are immune to all poisons. However, this pearl recognizes its owner and cannot be accepted by ordinary people.
The staff is the Langya Staff, entirely emerald green, the color of jade, and it remains undamaged even by sharp blades.
The world says, "Better to encounter Yama, the King of Hell, than to provoke a member of the Tang Clan." The engagement of Tang Li, the eldest son of the Tang Clan and the next leader, to Xiao Qin, the beloved daughter of Xiao Qingyuan, the leader of the Yuejian Clan, caused a sensation in the martial arts world. This marriage also featured a particularly interesting twist: the Tang Clan presented the Jade Pearl, one of their four treasures, as a betrothal gift, while the Yuejian Clan reciprocated with the Pure Jun Sword, a treasured artifact for centuries.
The *Yue Jue Shu* records that the sword appraiser Xue Zhu, upon examining Gou Jian's "Chun Jun" sword, said:
"When Wang Qu Chunjun heard of this, Xue Zhu was suddenly defeated. After a while, he seemed to realize his fear, descended the steps and pondered deeply. He sat down in simple clothes and looked at him. He waved his brush and his beauty was like a lotus just emerging. Looking at his blade, it was as brilliant as a row of stars; looking at his light, it was as turbulent as water overflowing in a pond; looking at his sharp edges, they were as rugged as small stones; looking at his talent, it was as clear as ice melting."
Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn Period, Xue Zhu, a man from the Qin state known as the greatest sword appraiser in the land, traveled to the Yue state. King Goujian of Yue invited him to appreciate swordsmanship on the palace terrace. Xue Zhu slowly drew the sword from its sheath, and a burst of light erupted from it, like a lotus emerging from water, elegant and pure. The carvings on the hilt resembled the movement of stars, gleaming with a profound light. Sunlight streamed seamlessly onto the blade, like clear water flowing over a pond, calm and gentle, while the blade itself resembled a towering cliff, lofty and majestic…
The swordsmith Ou Yezi died from exhaustion while forging the sword, and the Chun Jun sword has become a lost art.
A fine sword for a hero, a pearl for a beauty. This marriage is a perfect match, a union of talent and beauty.
But at this critical juncture, a momentous event occurred. The blueprints for the Tang Clan's signature "Rain of Pear Blossoms" nail technique, renowned as the "King of Hidden Weapons," were stolen. News of a traitor within the Tang Family Fortress, which had been impenetrable for centuries, spread like wildfire. Instantly, the entire Tang Clan was gripped by fear and unease.
The Tang Clan operates like a family business, comprising six departments: internal departments for machinery, firearms, and concealed weapons—all research and development departments with access to core secrets, and key positions held by direct descendants of the Tang Clan; and external departments for industry, personnel, and martial arts. The Tang Clan's industry has two main categories, which are also its primary sources of income besides the sale of poisons and concealed weapons. One is a nationwide chain of over a hundred pharmacies, used to collect and trade various raw materials for making poisons and antidotes. These pharmacies also acquire rare herbs from across the land for research. The other is a network of taverns stationed in important towns, used for intelligence gathering. Personnel is specifically for managing outsiders within the Tang Clan. During famine years, the Tang Clan adopts orphans, selecting those with potential and bestowing upon them the Tang surname, nurturing them extensively as a talent pool. Because Tang Clan disciples have long relied too heavily on concealed weapons and poisons, their martial arts have gradually neglected. Therefore, the martial arts department's overall strength is generally average, but when deployed on missions, the combination of poisons and concealed weapons often yields significantly better results.
Mo Xi flipped through the document in his hand, feeling a great headache. The target this time was named Tang Huan, but in Mo Xi's opinion, this guy's life could only be described as having no joy in life.
The Tang Clan has a long tradition of producing romantics. Tang Huan's grandfather, Tang Ling, at the age of forty, consumed the year's best new product, "Morning and Evening," to follow his deceased wife in death. "Morning and Evening" sounds like a name of tender, lingering romance; those who consume it experience hallucinations, becoming hopelessly addicted, ultimately dying from exhaustion and loss of sleep and appetite. Tang Huan's father, Tang Jue, was even more extreme. At the age of twenty, disregarding the objections of the Tang Clan elders, he resolved to marry Lin Xi, the leader of the Shu Mountain Sect, the Tang Clan's arch-rival. Ultimately, the two leaders became husband and wife. Tang Jue became the only leader in the Tang Clan's two-hundred-year history to be expelled from the sect, thus securing his place in history. After his wife, Lin Xi, abandoned her position to wander the world with him, the Shu Mountain Sect fell into chaos due to the lack of a leader, leading to the rule that only ordained disciples could become leaders. They both pioneered a new path in their respective sects, and were both listed as negative examples of choosing beauty over power, serving as a brainwashing tool for each successor. They were truly a perfect match.
When Tang Huan was about five years old, Tang Ling, on his deathbed, used the full power of the Tang Clan to recall Tang Jue, and the family of three returned to Tang Family Fortress. The following year, Tang Jue and Lin Xi both passed away due to illness, leaving Tang Huan an orphan without parents. At the age of seven, he accidentally entered a trap while playing and broke both his legs, becoming paralyzed ever since. Tang Huan has been weak since childhood, relying on various rare herbs to prolong his life. Fortunately, his uncle Tang Yun treated him like his own son, and his cousin Tang Li was as close to him as a brother, which allowed him to survive his broken body until now, at the age of twenty.
These are nothing compared to the most crucial point: Tang Huan is the designer and creator of the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Nails, one of only three people in the Tang Clan who know the craftsmanship, besides Tang Yun and his son Tang Li. Records show that Tang Huan has been curious about crafts since childhood; the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Nails were his creation at sixteen, and many other hidden weapons that are difficult for martial artists to defend against also originated from him. Mo Xi inwardly grumbled, "Why are you so determined despite your disability?" This matter requires careful consideration. First, infiltrating the heavily fortified Tang Family Fortress is as difficult as climbing the Shu Road; second, this unfortunate but determined young man, Tang Huan, although he doesn't know martial arts, has an unpredictable and masterful use of hidden weapons and poisons. Mo Xi doesn't want to be riddled with bullets, and even less does he want to become a guinea pig for the Tang Clan's experiments, commonly known as a "medicine man," rumored to be the Tang Clan's most severe punishment.
It's truly a stroke of luck; just when you're about to fall asleep, someone offers you a pillow. The Tang Clan, having had the blueprints for the "King of Hidden Weapons" stolen, has mobilized all its top experts from its hidden weapon, martial arts, and industrial sectors to track down the blueprints and purge the mole. And Tang Huan, this disabled but determined young man, as the head of both the hidden weapon and mechanical departments, is at the forefront. In other words, Tang Huan, known as the Fourth Young Master Tang, who has lived in seclusion in Tang Family Fortress for fifteen years, is about to leave the fortress.
King of Hidden Weapons
( ) The Wind Group's secret intelligence reports that someone recently appeared at the Ingenious Pavilion in Jinling with a blueprint, the design of which resembles the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Nails. The Tang Clan has also received the news and is rushing to Jinling.
The Ingenious Workshop has risen to prominence in the martial arts world in recent years, specializing in the design and manufacture of mechanisms and hidden weapons. It boasts several remarkable features: it never inquires about the origin of the blueprints when accepting business, and it can even conduct reverse engineering like in modern times—disassembling the finished product to be replicated, studying its structure, and then making a direct copy. The fact that it dares to operate in this way suggests that its owner is no small figure, yet even the Wind Group has been unable to find a trace of it for years. To open such a shop in the red-light district of Qinhuai is truly ingenious.
It is said that four people have been fortunate enough to obtain the Rain of Pear Blossom Nails and have wanted the Mechanical Workshop to replicate them. However, the Mechanical Workshop has also lost six master craftsmen with more than thirty years of experience as a result. All of them were killed when they triggered the mechanism during disassembly and were pierced through to vital organs by the bursting steel nails at close range.
The title of "King of Hidden Weapons" is well-deserved.
Mo Xi chose to remain still and wait for the opportune moment, focusing wholeheartedly on practicing her swordsmanship. She knew that martial arts were the foundation of her livelihood.
Ten days passed peacefully. Mo Xi's Frost Flowing Sword had improved considerably, but it was still far from being able to unleash devastating power with a single strike. An assassin's pursuit of martial arts perfection lies in unleashing their strongest potential in an instant, aiming for a decisive blow and a safe retreat. As for the fancy moves taught by various schools of martial arts, especially those from prestigious families, which sound impressive but lack any real lethality, Mo Xi disdained them. Pursuing beautiful moves has two major drawbacks: first, it subconsciously confines one to fixed techniques in combat, hindering adaptability; second, it inevitably adds unnecessary movements, significantly reducing speed and power.
It must be said that Wu Hao is a swordsmanship genius. His annotations on sword practice in the sword manual often enlightened Mo Xi. The ancients' knowledge of human organs and acupoints was no less than that of modern people. The sword moves in the manual can be described as extremely ruthless, each one aimed at the vital points.
News came from the Jinling branch: the goods will be picked up at Wuyi Lane at noon three days from now. It's only been thirteen days! They made it so quickly!
Mo Xi, dressed in men's clothing, walked slowly towards the bustling Confucius Temple, crossing the Wende Bridge over the Qinhuai River. Passing Meixiang, he continued southwest for several dozen meters until the inscriptions and poems of Wuyi Lane came into view. The blue brick pavement, damp with morning mist, remained wet even near noon due to the overcast weather. Passing through a narrow alley, he reached Yanzi, where he secured a prime window seat facing the street. He ordered spring water fish, three-yellow chicken, lotus root balls, plum rice cakes, and a pot of Tieguanyin tea.
Swallows live across the street from the Ingenious Pavilion. If my estimation is correct, a fierce battle is sure to break out in Black Robe Lane before dusk. And Mo Xi will only be a spectator today.
The name "Yanzi" (Swallow) naturally comes from a poem by Liu Yuxi. The restaurant's specialty is its ability to make ordinary dishes exceptionally exquisite, and the serving dishes are also particularly beautiful, truly achieving a fusion of the old-world elites and ordinary people.
Mo Xi didn't know how many people had heard the news. However, there were quite a few江湖人士 (jianghu figures) ordering food, clearly speaking with various regional accents. But everyone was afraid of revealing too much and spoiling the show, and since many people, like Mo Xi, had come alone, no one discussed it for the time being.
When they were about 70% full, a young boy dressed as a page appeared at the alley entrance. He was about twelve or thirteen years old and seemed to have some basic martial arts skills. He flashed into the vermilion door of the Jiqiao Pavilion and went inside. Mo Xi clearly felt the air around him freeze, as everyone was obviously holding their breath.
After about the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, the servant boy came out. He had only taken ten steps when he was surrounded by eight men dressed in close-fitting clothes. The eight men were coordinated and solemn, and they seemed to have a good working relationship. Presumably, they were cautious and did not close the circle too tightly.
"Young Master told me to do this, you can't..." Before the little book boy could finish speaking, the eight people had already launched their attack. Clearly, they were worried about the sandalwood box that the book boy was tightly holding, and they were trying to seize the box before the mechanism was activated.
Seeing this, the young page panicked, his legs trembled, and almost subconsciously his fingers twitched. In an instant, 36 black steel nails shot out like meteors, and the eight men fell to the ground, their faces showing disbelief.
Blood spilled across the long, blue-brick street, carpeting the ground crimson. The dampness in the air, mixed with the stench of blood, added to the lingering, sticky feeling.
Mo Xi recalled that the Rain of Pear Blossom Nails in Gu Long's novel "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" was "a silver spring-loaded box, seven inches long and three inches thick. It was engraved with small seal script: 'When it goes out, blood will be drawn; if it returns empty-handed, it is an ominous sign; the most urgent of all, the king of hidden weapons.' When used, the twenty-seven silver nails were swift and powerful, making it the best in the world. Every time it was shot, blood would be drawn. The once invincible Daoist Yichen in the Southern Wilderness died because of this hidden weapon. This hidden weapon was made by Zhou Shiming, the Twin Swords of Nanhu. At that time, he found the most famous craftsmen in the world and it took three years to complete."
The exact time it took to launch the Rain of Pear Blossom Nails was unclear, but its exterior was a sandalwood box, serene and ancient, roughly the same size as the one in the book, though slightly thinner. Inside were 36 black steel nails. However, aside from the precious materials, the box looked quite ordinary, without any markings. After all, concealed weapons are meant to be unexpected; carrying such a large box was already conspicuous enough, but to then ostentatiously inscribe words on it—wasn't it as if they wanted to ensure the enemy wasn't on guard? Moreover, silver nails were far inferior to steel nails in hardness and sharpness, significantly reducing their lethality. The choice of sandalwood for the box was likely due to its hardness. Although Mo Xi didn't know its mechanical structure, the principle was probably the use of a spring-like mechanism for braking and launching; such a rapid launch would inevitably result in a powerful recoil, requiring an exceptionally sturdy box to withstand the force.
However, Mo Xi still really liked Gu Long's description of the Rain of Pear Blossoms Nails. To write about a deadly weapon with such romanticism was truly a kind of beautification of her profession.
The eight people dressed and had a similar demeanor, so they were probably sent by the Tang Clan, or perhaps from the Martial Arts Hall. The others, like her, were just there to watch the spectacle. Therefore, although the Rain of Pear Blossom Nails were highly coveted, especially since everyone had just witnessed their power as the king of hidden weapons, no one dared to seize the opportunity to snatch them in full view of everyone. It wasn't worth provoking the Tang Clan for them. Besides, this box was their last resort, a trump card that needed to be reloaded after each use. Even the fastest fighter could manage that brief interval. If the enemy risked sacrificing the first group and then attacked during the reload, even with the king of hidden weapons protecting them, they would ultimately be forced to surrender.
Mo Xi secretly recalled the situation just now. If she were within the range of the Rain of Pear Blossoms Nails, it would be extremely difficult for her to dodge all 36 nails. At most, she could protect her vitals and, after being injured, still be able to escape with 70% of her usual lightness skill for an hour. However, if the nails were poisoned, she would have no chance at all.
The Fourth Young Master Tang is an extremely tough nut to crack.
The young pageboy, perhaps killing for the first time, froze on the spot, unsure what to do. He didn't know to flee, only clutching the box tightly, standing on the long street, surrounded by corpses lying haphazardly. He had killed others, yet his expression was one of utter grief. Suddenly, a long whip swept out from a dark alley intersecting with Wuyi Lane, encircling the pageboy and vanishing in an instant. It was unclear whose handiwork it was.
Seeing that there was no more entertainment to be had, everyone paid their bills and left. Mo Xi, however, remained seated. He picked up the pot of Tieguanyin tea, which had gone cold long ago, poured himself a cup, and slowly sipped it.
The whole thing seemed strange from beginning to end. It was like a well-rehearsed play, with the actors and audience all present. But where did things go wrong?
Mo Xi followed Yanzi downstairs with the last group of lunchtime diners.