Chapter 23. It's just that it's important, so I emphasized it.

Shang Wu Tian, with a look of shame on his face, said, "My disciple is so incompetent that I only bring trouble to my master. However, we will arrive in Shuzhou tomorrow. Please rest and recover there for a few days."

For Shang Wu Tian, who was escorting his master, the suppression of the Oufeng Bandits was not a concern. His mind was filled with thoughts of where to take his master after the suppression was over.

"Hehe, trouble? Compared to the days when I roamed under the sky with the earth as my floor, this is a luxury."

Tian Ji Shangren looked at Shang Wu Tian with a kind smile.

Given that he had been freed from the tedious routine, he should have been grateful, not complaining.

The two disciples waited for the food to arrive in a warm atmosphere.

However, it wasn't long before Shang Wu Tian's expression turned sour.

It was because the noise from three men sitting next to him was grating on his ears.

"Is it said that the Manshou Merchant Guild is plotting this time?"

"I think it will be tough. Whether it's the Nanyang Merchant Guild or the Manshou Merchant Guild, they're all the same. To put it bluntly, if the Nanyang Merchant Guild can't do it, neither can the Manshou Merchant Guild. Isn't that right?"

"That's true, but..."

"Hey! It seems these people haven't heard the news. Did you know that the Manshou Merchant Guild rushed to the Wudang Sect? If the Wudang Sect gets involved, would a mere bandit camp be a problem?"

"Wow! Really? But will the Wudang Sect help?"

"They will. The leader of the Manshou Merchant Guild is a lay disciple of the Wudang Sect."

"But what, even if he is, he's just a layman. There are many lay disciples."

"Hey, the Manshou Merchant Guild must have some tricks up their sleeve. Merchants are not ordinary people, you know?"

"True."

"Good times are over, aren't they? If the Wudang Sect gets involved, the Oufeng Bandits will be uprooted, roots and all."

"I want to know. If the Wudang Sect has to be involved to suppress a bandit camp, is the Manshou Merchant Guild weak, or is the Oufeng Bandits strong?"

"Huh? Now that you mention it, it's strange. The Manshou Merchant Guild boasted that they were the best in Henan Province. How many of their warriors walked around with their chests puffed out? But they were afraid of the newly formed Oufeng Bandits?"

"They were just a bubble."

At the word 'bubble,' Shang Wu Tian, whose pride was hurt, gritted his teeth.

Tian Ji Shangren lightly clicked his tongue at the sight.

"Tsk tsk! To be so easily swayed by a single word from people, your mental cultivation is still far from complete. After this matter is resolved, you should go into seclusion for some training."

"I am sorry."

"By the way, is it true that there are quite a few bandits with excellent martial arts skills?"

"The leader of the Nanyang Merchant Guild, Jing Tian Swordsman Li Wu Liang, is a lay disciple of the Huashan Sect's Yunzhen Immortal. Since he personally led the suppression and still failed..."

"Hmm, do you know anything about the mysterious martial artists?"

"Not much. They say it's a teenage boy, but no one has confirmed his age."

"Who is his master, then?"

"The Manshou Merchant Guild suspects he might be a disciple of the Heaven-Shattering Demon Lord."

At the mention of the Heaven-Shattering Demon Lord's nickname, Tian Ji Shangren fell silent for a moment. What seemed like a simple task was becoming a bit complicated.

"It's unlikely. If the Heaven-Shattering Demon Lord had such a disciple, the news would have spread already."

Tian Ji Shangren, who knew the Heaven-Shattering Demon Lord's character, shook his head. A man who liked to boast wouldn't hide an outstanding disciple!

"But isn't it true that there's no one else in the Green Forest who could cultivate such a martial artist?"

"Perhaps. The world is vast, and there are many extraordinary people..."

"If the bandit is a disciple of the Heaven-Shattering Demon Lord, it would be best to avoid the conflict, wouldn't it?"

"Is it for the sake of the merchant guild? Or..."

Tian Ji Shangren suddenly fixed his gaze on Shang Wu Tian.

The profound look in his eyes made Shang Wu Tian feel a chill down his spine and he was startled. If he mentioned the Wudang Sect's martial artists here, he might receive a harsh reprimand.

"Well, if we make enemies with the Green Forest, it will certainly make business difficult."

"Is that so? I will consider it. I don't want to cause you any inconvenience because of me. Yes..."

Only then did Shang Wu Tian let out a sigh of relief.

Unlike the leader of the merchant guild, his master belonged to a completely different world. In a relaxed atmosphere, he might slip and say something he shouldn't.

***

Henan Province.

Bofeng County, Hajiavillage.

The village chief readily accepted the bandit leader Feng Yanchao's request to "send some maids." Although it wasn't explicitly stated, this was actually a welcome development for Hajiavillage. The village elders even expressed gratitude, saying, "It's a relief that the bandits are willing to take care of those who are struggling to make ends meet."

Contrary to the concerns of the deputy bandit leader, Zhuo Goming, that "no sane woman would come," the maids were quickly found. There were many widows who barely made ends meet by working hard.

The recent generous spending by the Oufeng Bandits in Hajiavillage also played a role. If they had said the same thing last year, it would have been dismissed as nonsense.

But today, the people of Hajiavillage did not doubt the bandits' words. There were already quite a few people from the village working for the bandits and receiving payment.

The village chief selected five widows with many children and sent them to the bandit camp, partly to reduce the number of mouths to feed in the village.

Although three more houses had to be built to accommodate the increased number of people, Feng Yanchao was actually pleased. The once desolate bandit camp was now beginning to feel like a place where people lived.

The widows brought a total of twelve children with them.

Just one day later, the children were running around in groups, laughing and playing.

Lian Jie Xia, who was teaching Han Caiyan and Xia Suobai in a corner of the courtyard, shouted at the children who were sneaking closer.

"Get lost! You brats!"

The children, startled by Lian Jie Xia's fierce gaze, quickly ran to the opposite side.

Han Caiyan, who was swinging a wooden sword and sweating profusely, asked with a puzzled look, "Brother, do you dislike children?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, why? Aren't they cute?"

"Not really."

Han Caiyan tilted her head, seeing the disapproval in Lian Jie Xia's eyes.

"Phew!"

Lian Jie Xia even spat on the ground where the children had been.

Han Caiyan was surprised by Lian Jie Xia's unexpectedly rough attitude. Who would have thought that Lian Jie Xia, who was usually gentle unless provoked, could act like this!

Xia Suobai, who had a sense of empathy for the children from the same village, cautiously interjected, "It seems you really dislike children. What bothers you so much?"

Lian Jie Xia's eyebrows twitched for a moment.

He remembered the stones thrown by village children that had made him bleed when he was a wandering beggar. The same thing happened when he passed through Hajiavillage last summer. One of those brats might have been among the children who threw stones that day.

The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became, but he didn't want to go into the details of the past.

"Let's stop talking about that. The next thing to learn is the method of breathing. Before that, you need to memorize the first three hundred characters of the Nine Heavens and One Day Scripture."

Then, the first three hundred characters of the Nine Heavens and One Day Scripture, which consists of nine hundred characters, flowed from Lian Jie Xia's mouth.

"Those who seek the Nine Heavens Qi must straighten their minds [九天氣得者 應如是降伏其心]. The Nine Heavens Qi has no reality and no emptiness [九天氣 無實無虛]..."

Han Caiyan and Xia Suobai concentrated, but even after half a day, they could only memorize a hundred characters.

Lian Jie Xia, who had no experience teaching, did not dwell on the scripture any further.

He guided the women to the next step, which was the method of breathing.

Thanks to the hundred characters of the scripture, the two women quickly fell into deep breathing, despite it being their first time practicing.

The sight of the two women entering a state of no-mind inspired a strange feeling in Lian Jie Xia.

Although he grew up in a martial arts family, he had never closely observed the process of cultivating inner energy. The sight of the women was a shock and a revelation to him.

Seeing the women in a state of oneness with the universe, the vague concepts he had previously encountered became more concrete. It was as if he was learning the basics in reverse.

Lian Jie Xia sat cross-legged next to the women and recited the Nine Heavens and One Day Scripture.

In the quiet and stillness, time passed.

The first to open her eyes was Xia Suobai, who had no basic martial arts skills.

Next, Han Caiyan emerged from her meditation.

When Xia Suobai was about to shout in excitement, Han Caiyan put a finger to her lips to shush her.

Only then did Xia Suobai realize that Lian Jie Xia was still in the middle of his practice and closed her mouth.

Whoosh.

Suddenly, the air around Lian Jie Xia vibrated.

Then, his body floated about a foot off the ground.

Five flowers of different colors—blue, red, white, black, and yellow—appeared above his head and then disappeared, followed by three golden flowers blooming.

Soon, all the qi flowers dissipated into mist, and Lian Jie Xia's body gradually transformed into a state of emptiness.

The two women's eyes widened in amazement at the sight they had never seen before.

Whoosh.

A fierce wind swirled around Lian Jie Xia's body, and then he slowly descended.

Flash.

When Lian Jie Xia opened his eyes, a burst of light emanated from them.

However, after blinking a few times, his eyes returned to a normal state.

The two women, witnessing the incredible phenomenon, were speechless with their mouths agape. The manifestation from Lian Jie Xia's body was something they had never heard of.

Lian Jie Xia, meeting their eyes, got up with an embarrassed look.

"From now on, you must recite the scripture and practice breathing in the morning and evening. Understand?"

"Yes!"

"Yes! Brother!"

The two women answered with determination.

They were confident that with hard work, they could become female heroes in the martial world.

Inspired, Lian Jie Xia decided to teach them the first move of the Nine Heavens and One Day Technique, the Flying Dragon Ascending.

"I'll teach you one more thing. Watch closely. This is more complex than the demon-suppressing technique you learned before. It's called the Flying Dragon Ascending, a move from the Nine Heavens and One Day Technique. First, imagine pulling the energy up and sending it to your fingertips. Then, extend the sword tip downward. When you feel the energy flowing from your fingertips to the sword, slash diagonally from left to right, and then from right to left. Like this!"

As he spoke, Lian Jie Xia's wooden sword rose in a zigzag pattern.

Then, the wooden sword smoothly drew a half-circle from the top and fell to the ground.

The sword wind that burst from the wooden sword swept forward.

The two women, wide-eyed, were captivated by the amazing sight created by the wooden sword.

At that moment, Lian Jie Xia had completely forgotten that the Nine Heavens and One Day Technique was a secret technique of the Wulong Sect.

"The sword technique mentions the transformation of Qian and Kun, Yin and Yang, but you don't need to worry about that. Just think of pulling the energy up and then releasing it. I didn't understand it at first either, but one day..."

Lian Jie Xia shared his insights generously.

However, an unexpected side effect emerged during the process.

For example, Lian Jie Xia had been confined in a warehouse for ten years, with no one to talk to. Now, with the opportunity to teach martial arts, his words flowed like a flood. The words he had held back for ten years showed no sign of stopping.

At first, the two women, amazed by Lian Jie Xia's hidden skills, tried to catch every word he said. However, there is a limit to concentration.

When the tedious explanation stretched beyond a quarter of an hour (about 30 minutes), even the words they had heard at the beginning became hazy.

Unable to bear it any longer, Han Caiyan interjected.

"Brother, the explanation is fine, but please show us the move again. I've forgotten everything with all the talking."

The flood of words that had been pouring out suddenly stopped.

"Oh, right. I see. I must have been a bit too excited. I said that those who seek the Nine Heavens Qi must straighten their minds. Remember the hundred characters we memorized? The Nine Heavens Qi has no reality and no emptiness..."

"Yes, yes, I remember. Please show us the Flying Dragon Ascending again. I'm feeling dizzy."

"Me too, Brother. My head is starting to hurt."

Even the gentle Xia Suobai was