Chapter 11: Past Events

"What strange thing?" Xue Qing and Situ Ping asked in unison.

Yan Ming Jushi continued, "When the four of us carried food and wine up to the mountain top, it was early morning, just as the sun was rising. When we reached the only large pine tree on the mountain top, we found that someone had already taken that spot."

"It was an old beggar with white hair and beard, a ruddy complexion, and an air of a sage. He was leaning against the stone slab under the tree, and the rising sun shone on him, making him look like a deity." Yan Ming Jushi squinted his eyes, slowly recounting the story as if reminiscing about the past.

"His clothes were tattered, clearly those of a beggar. We thought he might be an elder of the Beggar Sect, but he wasn't carrying a cloth bag. When the old beggar saw us approaching, he asked, 'Do you know martial arts?' We all nodded and said yes. Then he asked, 'Do you have wine and meat?' We nodded again and said yes. He said, 'Bring the wine and meat over.' At that moment, I was holding the wine and meat, and for some reason, I followed his command and handed them over to him. The old beggar's eyes lit up when he saw the wine and meat, not any less than the sunlight shining on him."

"The old beggar took the wine and meat and started eating and drinking greedily. It was strange, the four of us just watched him eat and drink until he finished everything. Then he wiped his mouth and said, 'Good wine, good meat, it's worth it to live this life.' He then said to me, 'You, not bad,' and to the other three, 'You, also not bad.'"

"Then, the old beggar took out a piece of leather from his chest, tore it into four pieces, and casually threw one to each of us. I was about to unfold mine when the old beggar took out a small book from his chest and threw it to me. After doing all this, he lay back on the stone and closed his eyes, ignoring us. We were all puzzled, opened the leather in our hands, and examined it carefully. It was the same as what you now have in your hands, but we couldn't figure it out. So, I opened the small book, and the content inside made me more and more astonished and excited. Seeing my surprised expression, everyone knew we had encountered something good. After I finished reading, your masters also read it, and we realized we had found a treasure."

"According to the small book, the leather contains a treasure map left by a swordsman named Qu Da three hundred years ago. The treasure is hidden in the hawthorn forest in front of us. Qu Da found the treasure map here and discovered sword techniques and medicines. He then lived in seclusion and practiced swordsmanship for over a decade, becoming a great swordsman in the martial world. After Qu Da's martial arts reached perfection, he did not take the sword techniques and medicines with him but left them here, hoping for a worthy successor. The small book also explained how to use the leather and the time to enter the treasure site. To be honest, we were all excited and wanted to find the place immediately, but we realized that only on the 15th day of the first lunar month each year could we enter. This calmed us down."

Yan Ming Jushi glanced at the sky, where the darkness was gradually fading, and continued, "To be honest, when we saw this huge windfall, we were all stunned at first. When we came to our senses, we found it hard to believe. However, the old beggar was still lying on the stone, and we had many questions. We waited for him to wake up, but soon discovered that he wasn't just sleeping; he had no breath. We all checked, and he was indeed dead. After we buried him, we discussed the matter of the treasure. Since it was still early for the 15th day of the first lunar month, we returned to our respective sects to verify the authenticity of the treasure and plan the details of the treasure hunt, and we agreed on the time and place for our next meeting."

"When we met again, we all presented the information we had gathered. It turned out that three hundred years ago, a one-armed swordsman named Qu Da appeared in the martial world. His name was ordinary, but his martial arts were extraordinary, and he was known for his integrity. At that time, the martial world often heard stories of him fighting against evil and helping the weak, but no one knew his origin. Many tried to find out his sect and background but failed. Qu Da never challenged anyone, as he said his sword techniques were lethal and could not be used for sparring. He was not interested in fame, and although his martial arts were high, no one could compare him to the top martial artists. However, the then top martial artist, Qingmao Daozhang, said that after seeing Qu Da's sword techniques, he believed he could not match Qu Da's resolute and swift killing intent. This caused a stir in the martial world, and no one dared to provoke Qu Da."

"However, some people still tried to challenge Qu Da, but he always avoided them. Until one day, Qu Da encountered the second most powerful evil practitioner, who was massacring a village. Qu Da, moved by righteousness, killed him with his sword, and from then on, no one dared to challenge him. Qu Da lived in Yunzhou, which is now Pingyang City, and no evil practitioner dared to act recklessly there."

"Actually, what we envied most was not his martial arts. The sword techniques would only truly interest the people of Wanjianfeng." Yan Ming Jushi smiled at Ma Xiangyang. "We discovered that Qu Da lived to be 120 years old."

"Ah~" The six young listeners were all surprised and exclaimed.

Martial artists are different from ordinary people. They live a life of danger, and it's common to have internal and external injuries. When they are young, it might not be a big issue, but in their old age, these injuries can become serious. Only those with profound internal skills can live past eighty. Therefore, Qu Da living to 120 was truly a miracle.

At this moment, the eyes of the young people sparkled, thinking about whether they could find longevity medicines in the forest. In fact, most people had the same attitude towards the secret manual: they couldn't finish practicing their own sect's martial arts, let alone have time to practice others'. Besides, even the most advanced martial arts require time and effort. The people present were not young, and their meridians were already set. Practicing new skills would be twice as hard, and no one would be foolish enough to do that. It would be better to gain personal benefits, such as living ten more years, which would mean ten more years of enjoyment and ten more years of martial arts practice, which would be better than any advanced martial arts. Of course, if there were any advanced sword techniques, bringing them back to their sects would be a contribution to the development of their sects, and their names would be recorded in the sect's history, achieving eternal fame. As they thought, they could almost see the drool on each other's faces.

Yan Ming Jushi saw the expressions of these juniors and smiled, then continued, "So, the four of us discussed the exploration and retrieval of the treasure. Based on our respective forces, we assigned different people to search for similar terrain. Heaven rewards those who are diligent, and two months ago, we finally discovered this Stone Man Peak. According to our previous discussions, to avoid drawing attention from other sects, the others stayed in their sects and sent only the second-generation outstanding disciples, even excluding the top disciples who might attract attention. I, the owner of a small estate without a sect, led the people from various sects to retrieve the treasure."

"Of course, you are all reliable choices in your sects, trusted by your masters. Before coming, we discussed that if you have any special encounters in the treasure site, they will belong to you." Everyone's expressions immediately brightened, finally understanding why their masters sent them and not others. Yan Ming Jushi continued, "Now, let's talk about the most important thing: the distribution of the treasure." Everyone listened intently. "If the treasure can be evenly distributed, it will be. If there are differences, we will first distribute what can be evenly divided, and the rest, how do you think it should be divided?"

Everyone was stunned, finding it strange that Yan Ming Jushi was still testing them at this moment. No wonder the masters trusted him to lead a group of juniors. Wen Wenhai rubbed his nose and said, "Sir, martial artists have their own rules. Let's decide by martial arts." The others also agreed.

Yan Ming Jushi said mysteriously, "Your masters also said this. At first, they suggested a sword competition, but only Wanjianfeng agreed. Then they suggested a fist competition, but only Miaomiao Sect agreed. The leg techniques were the same. So, they suggested a three-round competition, with the winner of two rounds winning, but they were worried about the safety of their disciples, as you are all their direct disciples or relatives. They argued a lot, and I finally came up with a solution. Can you guess what it is?"

Everyone looked at each other, unable to guess. Yan Ming Jushi encouraged them, and finally, Xue Qing, blushing, stammered, "P... Predecessor, could it be rock-paper-scissors?" His face turned red as if it would bleed. Yan Ming Jushi was surprised and said, "Xue Xiaojie, you are truly insightful, guessing it exactly right." Everyone was astonished, but only Wen Wenhai had a strange expression.

Everyone "reverently" looked at the lean-faced, scholarly-looking predecessor, feeling a sense of familiarity. They all thought, "How can people be so different? Our masters always have stern faces, but this person has such a demeanor."

Just as everyone was criticizing their masters, Yan Ming Jushi glanced at the morning sky, slapped his forehead, and said, "Quick, go to the edge of the forest, don't miss the time."

Saying this, he ran to the edge of the forest first.

At that moment, the rising sun from the east cast a shadow that flashed past the forest, passing between two trees at the edge of the forest and quickly retreating to Stone Man Peak.

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