Chapter 86

Update time: August 17, 2012

Xu Fengnian stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

Xu Fengnian, who was about to stand up, looked up and saw the old sword god turn and walk back.

Xu Fengnian had a good memory, so good that Xu Weixiong said his only strength was remembering things. He could read ten lines at a glance and almost never forget what he read. The great yellow court mantra of the previous Wudang Sect leader Wang Chonglou, the "Can Tong Qi" fabricated by the cow-riding Du, the "Lushuiting Sword Practice Record," the Jade Pillar Heart Method in seven or eight volumes, Du Sizhong's "Thousand Sword Grass Outline," the "Killing Whale Sword" of the Purple Forbidden Manor, and the three secret manuals of the Qingyang Palace. Over the years, he had read a lot while climbing up and down the Tingchao Pavilion, but unfortunately, most of it was just a cursory glance without much attention.

Those things Jiang Ni read word by word, Xu Fengnian listened and understood, and the memory was particularly deep. However, he practiced the saber, and the old white-haired man only led this young prince to the threshold and then laughed out of the mansion. Later, his aunt suggested in the Qingyang Palace that Xu Fengnian first perfect the first fifty moves, which was like pointing out a small path up the mountain. But the problem was that Xu Fengnian had not yet reached the second rank, and he could not evaluate the thousands of martial arts in the world from a high vantage point. His reading was too eclectic, which became a hindrance to his cultivation, making everything a mess and leading to stagnation. It wasn't until Li Chunjiang gave him the challenge of breaking walnuts with a saber that it was like a fine crack in the fog. Xu Fengnian was not unfamiliar with this. When the national teacher Li Yishan taught him the fifteen lines of strategy, he liked to use his newly devised Go patterns to let Xu Fengnian solve them. Xu Fengnian sat there until dawn, and during this time, he successfully used the Xiu Dong saber to shatter the walnuts into powder, without damaging the boat deck. He even managed to shatter a stack of walnuts with one strike of the Xiu Dong saber.

Li Chunjiang sat in front of Xu Fengnian and asked, "Do you know the difference between sword techniques and sword intent?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head in confusion.

The old man said expressionlessly, "Draw your saber."

Xu Fengnian placed the Xiu Dong saber horizontally.

The old sword god extended a finger and casually flicked the blade. The Xiu Dong saber did not seem to bend, but the three walnuts in front of Xu Fengnian exploded simultaneously. The old man lightly flicked his sleeve and stacked three more walnuts, then flicked the Xiu Dong saber again, and the walnuts shattered once more. The two actions produced the same result, leaving Xu Fengnian puzzled about what the old sword god was up to.

Seeing Xu Fengnian's puzzled expression, Li Chunjiang sneered, "Try placing the Chun Lei saber under the Xiu Dong."

Xu Fengnian switched to holding the saber with both hands.

The old man flicked the Xiu Dong again, and Xu Fengnian felt a shock in his tiger's mouth, making it hard to hold the Chun Lei. The shock from the Chun Lei saber spread to Xu Fengnian's hand, causing his entire arm to tingle and go numb. Xu Fengnian understood; this was the sword qi, which the storytellers in the streets often called sword energy, though it was slightly different. Li Chunjiang did not give Xu Fengnian time to catch his breath and flicked the Xiu Dong again. Instantly, the Chun Lei almost slipped from his hand, and the right edge of the saber slid toward Xu Fengnian's chest, missing by a hair. The old sword god caught the Chun Lei with two fingers. The Xiu Dong saber remained completely still, leaving Xu Fengnian in shock. He was completely baffled.

The old sword god, seemingly frustrated by Xu Fengnian's lack of insight, glared and said, "When you flick the Xiu Dong, anyone can see it bend in an arc, which looks impressive but is superficial. When I flick it, with your limited cultivation, how many times do you see the Xiu Dong bend? It seems the Xiu Dong doesn't move, but it really doesn't? My first finger sent the sword qi through the Xiu Dong and hit the Chun Lei. The second finger, however, abandoned the qi to focus on the technique. The Xiu Dong actually bent six times and struck the edge of the Chun Lei, causing it to slash toward you. The highest sword techniques are all about speed and stability, fast as thunder, steady as the Five Peaks. Boy, you're still very green."

Xu Fengnian asked in confusion, "So, which is stronger, the sword qi or the sword technique?"

The old sword god sneered, "If I want to use the sword qi to defeat the enemy, then the sword qi is powerful. If I choose to use the sword technique to kill, then the sword technique is stronger than all the sword qi in the world."

Xu Fengnian, feeling somewhat helpless, nodded.

The old man, being fair, stood up and said, "Are these two fingers enough to buy all your rice paper?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, "More than enough."

The old sword god wandered around the boat before returning to the cabin. Xu Fengnian watched the old man's back, feeling a mix of emotions. The old man, who could slay dragons, was not just a boast. He had two sleeves concealing blue dragons, the most rigid and yang, and his flying sword could collapse the Taohua Mountain, said to have inherited the essence of the immortal sword of Lu Dongxuan. This hidden double-sleeve sword was naturally much more powerful than the "Immortal Sword Kneeling." Xu Fengnian originally thought that after Li Chunjiang lost his arm, he could no longer use the double-sleeve technique, but now he no longer underestimated him.

The two fingers flicking the Xiu Dong, one showing the sword qi and the other the sword technique, were explained in simple terms, guiding Xu Fengnian, who was at a crossroads in his martial path, onto a narrow path. Combined with the words of the armored maid Zhao Yutai, Xu Fengnian felt as if he had suddenly emerged from a ghost gate, with a clear view ahead. As for when he would reach the first rank or even touch the edge of the Vajra realm, Xu Fengnian was not in a hurry. This was due to the subtle influence of Old Huang, who taught by example rather than words. Old Huang's sword, though not as powerful as the old sword god Li Chunjiang's, was significant in Xu Fengnian's heart. The weight of Old Huang's sword case and the old sword god's wooden horse, who was heavier and who was lighter, was obvious.

Riding out of Beiliang.

Xu Fengnian finally learned from Xu Xiao what Old Huang said to Wang Xianzhi before he died, facing north.

Xu Fengnian stood with his hand on his saber, gazing at the vast river, closing his eyes and continuously breathing, guiding his qi like the river, and silently reciting the great yellow court mantra: "Qi returns to the elixir field, the pot gives birth to yin and yang. Yin and yang give birth to each other, a thunderclap resounds. The trigram reveals the profound truth, who says there is no immortality, the white rainbow rides the dragon straight to the great heaven..."

Generally, the Daoist teachings on immortality often seem overly focused on profound and mysterious words. When ordinary people first read them, they only find them marvelously profound and mysteriously deep, but without a true immortal to guide them and teach specific breathing and qi guidance techniques, they will only enter the mountains without finding the immortals and return empty-handed. As the saying goes, "The immortals do not clearly speak, confusing countless people," which is the truth.

When Xu Fengnian was in a state of spiritual wandering, he sensed someone approaching from behind. The only one who dared to disturb the young prince's cultivation was Yu Youwei. She held Wu Meiniang and softly said, "Want to eat something?"

Xu Fengnian opened his eyes and nodded. He glanced at Yu Youwei, who was truly a beauty, but he remembered the early warning of the immortal Lu Zu: "A beautiful woman of sixteen has a body like butter, her waist like a sword that cuts through ordinary men. Though no heads fall, it secretly drains your spirit." Xu Fengnian found this very frustrating, but he was not a novice in the flower world. From the time he started practicing the saber on the mountain to the time he came down, he always maintained his composure, showing his remarkable self-control.

During the meal, only Xu Fengnian, the old sword god, and Wei Shuyang were at the table.

Li Chunjiang took a bite of a flatbread, remembered something, and casually said, "Although I repelled that Wu family swordsman, if he comes again, he will likely be at a higher level. That strike, which you all just saw as a spectacle, will help him understand some principles, greatly benefiting his sword cultivation."

Xu Fengnian's face stiffened, and he took a fierce bite of the steamed bun.

After breakfast, the old sword god spread out the rice paper in the cabin and said to Jiang Ni, who was hiding and reading, "Come, Jiang girl, if you don't want to learn the sword, that's fine, but I can teach you calligraphy."

Calligraphy?

Jiang Ni liked it; otherwise, she wouldn't have secretly drawn on the ground with a stick in the Beiliang mansion.

But the old man, holding the brush with one hand, changed his demeanor and said sternly, "But remember, I can teach you calligraphy, you can watch, but you cannot learn!"

Jiang Ni didn't pay much attention and just lightly said, "Oh."

Xu Fengnian asked Qingniao to warm a pot of yellow wine and sat alone.

That year, on the top of Wudi City, Old Huang died standing, with Wang Xianzhi, the second strongest in the world, by his side. Old Huang just faced north and said, "Come, bring wine for the young master."