Chapter 233 A Heart in Turmoil, Crowds Surround the Mountain

The stars shine brightly, working together to eclipse the moon.

The night breeze is blowing gently.

Li Xian practiced diligently as instructed, using the stars as a guide for his practice. The "Seven Star Steps" involved astronomy and astrology, but it was simplified and abridged for ease of use.

Otherwise, before practicing his skills, Li Xian would need to properly observe and study the celestial principles and astrology for three months, write down the star charts, and then apply them to the footwork.

When used, the movements are extremely fast, like stars twinkling in the sky, appearing in the east and west, seemingly omnipresent. Li Xian's "Seven Star Steps" do not possess this mystery.

However, the lightness of body, increased speed, and agile movements were just right. It was like a targeted prescription, with immediate results.

[Seven Star Step]

[Proficiency: 15/600 (Beginner)]

[Description: Covering the changes of the celestial sphere and glimpsing the vastness of the stars. This martial art traces its origins to a very ancient level. However, after layers of refinement, it is merely a movement technique and lightness skill that contains the principles of the stars.]

[Refer to the star chart, practice light footwork, proficiency +1]

When Li Xian first learned the lightness skill, he immediately felt a sense of wonder. His body was light and agile, and with a leap, he was pouncing on a wild goose.

The Seven Star Step aims to transform internal energy into seven clusters of energy, which are stored in seven acupoints: Huangting, Niwan, Mingmen, Tanzhong, Jiaji, Weilu, and Baihui, respectively, to reflect the seven stars in the sky.

The Qi condenses and remains, making the body as light as a goose. The entire body feels enveloped in a light aura, and following the star-patterned footwork, the speed is astonishing. Furthermore, when leaping into the air, one can naturally break through...

By suddenly stepping on the seven internal energy points—Huangting, Niwan, Mingmen, Tanzhong, Jiaji, Weilu, and Baihui—one can ascend to a higher level.

The martial arts of the world are lightness skills.

There are only three main standards: dodging, speed, and leaping. Of course, superior lightness skills naturally have greater capabilities. The Seven Star Steps excels in "dodging" and "speed," but it is particularly outstanding in "leaping."

Seven consecutive steps in mid-air—how impressive! Li Xian practiced with complete absorption, utterly absorbed in the skill. Then he thought, "Martial arts and lightness skills ultimately need to be combined with the context. The Seven Star Steps in mid-air are more for show than practical."

"Furthermore... even if I were to fall from a great height and use the Seven Star Steps technique, it would only slow down my fall."

[Seven Star Step]

[Proficiency: 169/600 (Beginner)]

Li Xian was full of energy, having just mastered the lightness skill. He was overjoyed and eager to explore its mysteries. In the blink of an eye, the sky was beginning to lighten, and the stars had all disappeared.

"Without the stars, there is no way to refer to the star chart. But I have already mastered the basics, and by practicing step by step, I can still make progress. However, I have already practiced all night, so it is time to take a break."

Last night, Wen Caishang gazed at the moon and stars, watching her wicked servant practice his light-footed skills. She felt a strange sense of peace and gradually drifted off to sleep. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, Li Xian gently raised her eyebrows, a hint of her former expression still lingering.

So I didn't disturb them. I went out of the cave to find a stream to wash myself. I washed my face with cold water and immediately felt a chill.

"Hiding here is ultimately a matter of expediency. Jianyulou, Huangshamen, and the others will surely make a move. I cannot sit idly by and wait for my death; I must find a way to break out."

Li Xian pondered for a moment, then returned to the cave to retrieve his sword. He moved a large rock to block the cave entrance, then sprinkled mud, sand, and vegetation on it. He also sprinkled animal-repelling powder on top.

"Since the lady is still unconscious, I will act alone. I must quickly enter the city and obtain a map. Only by surveying the terrain can I devise a plan."

Li Xian departed lightly. His Qi Lake was full, reaching a height of fifty-two zhang. His inner Qi condensed into a ball, residing in seven locations including the Yellow Court and the Tanzhong point. He then activated the profound techniques of the Clear Wind Leg and the Vast Expanse Leg. In a single step, he leaped two zhang, climbing trees and ascending slopes in an instant.

They quickly emerged from the woods.

To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, Li Xian picked some wild fruit and ate his fill. After replenishing his internal energy, he then ventured into the town.

Li Xian deliberately avoided being seen, keeping his head slightly lowered as he walked along the road. Seeing that the town was small, his heart sank slightly. Although the county seat had a map, the area was remote and sparsely populated, so few people paid attention to it. The maps hadn't been updated for years, even decades, and were crudely drawn, with only a few hastily sketched lines depicting the terrain. This was all quite common.

They walked about seven or eight li.

He came across a bookstore called "Good Scholar's Bookstore." Li Xian asked, "Boss, do you have any good books to recommend?"

The host, a young man, said, “Yes, I have good books. This book on worldly affairs contains profound knowledge. If you can thoroughly understand it, it will greatly benefit your future.”

Li Xian rambled on, randomly picking through a few miscellaneous books. Midway through, he casually asked, "Do you have any maps?"

"What do you need the map for?" the shopkeeper asked with a smile. At that time, the Great Wu was in chaos, and maps could be of varying importance. The less important ones were simply paper and ink, while the more important ones were classified information.

These were powerful and influential families, each a local tycoon. They personally drew maps and surveyed the feng shui, refusing to sell their findings. Firstly, they focused on developing natural resources; minerals, firewood, fishing, and medicinal herbs were all crucial for their growth. Secondly, they thoroughly understood the terrain to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.

Furthermore, tomb raiding and the selection of ancestral tombs are closely related to geography.

However, ordinary people rarely buy maps.

Li Xian said, "I'm just curious." The shopkeeper said, "Yes, it's two taels of silver. You'll have to pay before I give it to you."

Li Xian paid for the map along with the miscellaneous books, spending three taels of silver. After buying the map, he turned the corner and hid in a dark alley to examine it. He was greatly disappointed; the map only depicted the surrounding towns, mountains, and countryside…

There was nothing particularly remarkable about it, and it was only a few dozen miles in circumference. Li Xian cursed, "I didn't have much silver to begin with, and this is all for nothing." He felt a pang of regret.

I can't help but sigh: "The days of spending money like water are gone forever. They say a towering building can be leveled in a day, and the ancients were right."

Walking down the street, at a loss for what to do. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw several young men. They were all dressed in coarse cloth, but walked steadily, their brows furrowed, and they carried long swords.

Li Xian pondered: "These young men possess martial arts skills and are definitely not ordinary people. Their appearance here must be for some purpose. I guess they are probably from the Sword Rain Pavilion. However... they are quite clever, as they are dressed in plain clothes. If I didn't look closely, I really wouldn't have noticed. I'll follow them and see if I can find some clues."

He secretly followed, moving with barely any footsteps. Unaware of their presence, the group entered a restaurant for a bite to eat. Li Xian followed, and to appear part of the group, used his last remaining silver coins to order half a roast chicken and several side dishes…

Then I heard several people talking:

"This Sword-Slaying Alliance has really had its share of twists and turns. I heard that they had already captured that thieving woman. But hey! Her little gigolo is cunning and treacherous, and he used some tricks to rescue her again."

“If it weren’t for that, we would have returned to our sect long ago. Why would we need to disguise ourselves, travel in plain clothes, and hide in the surrounding towns like this?”

...

Li Xian understood: "It seems they don't know my whereabouts. They also know that Wen Caishang's internal energy is completely depleted, so they changed their strategy, scattering their disciples and expanding the search area."

Listen attentively.

Several people said, "I've heard that this is quite a large force. The Sword-Slaying Alliance has five sects. Originally, this area was occupied by Sword Rain Pavilion, Yellow Sand Sect, and Taixin Sect. Now, forces such as Corpse Luo Village and Wuji Blade Sect are also surrounding this area."

"Yes, I reckon this Sword-Slaying Alliance is about to end. What difference would it make if they hid for another three or five days, clinging to life for a few more days?"

"Alright, the food is served. Eat quickly, and once we're full, we still need to go to 'Lotus Village' outside the city to investigate."

As they talked, they took out a map.

Li Xian's brow furrowed and then relaxed. The waiter brought the dishes to the table, but he had no appetite. So he asked for some oil paper and wrapped up half a roasted chicken, crispy beans, braised meat, and other dishes, hiding them in his chest.

They left the shop first, waiting for the time it takes to eat a meal. After eating and drinking their fill, the group from Jianyu Tower, with their bellies bulging, walked out of the restaurant arm in arm.

Li Xian quietly followed. Passing a crowded area, he quickly caught up and stealthily reached out. His movements were swift and agile, like plucking clouds from the mist. His unparalleled "Cloud-Soaring Hand" technique proved invaluable.

They silently seized the map. Then, taking advantage of the situation, they stole two money pouches.

Li Xian slowed his pace and blended into the crowd. Then he quietly turned into an alley and hurried out of the city. After all this commotion, it was already noon.

There was no one around.

Li Xian opened his money pouch and couldn't help but spit out, "How can a disciple of a major sect be so poor!" Each of the two money pouches contained several hundred copper coins and a few pieces of silver. In total, they amounted to no more than two or three taels of silver.

Li Xian was unaware of this.

The Sword Rain Pavilion has been in decline for over a decade, entirely thanks to Wen Caishang. The Sword Rain Pavilion has two main businesses: sword forging and medicinal herbs.

Wen Caishang killed the swordsmith and burned down the medicine mountain. She ruined the situation, disrupted the plans, and damaged the sect's vitality. With the sect struggling to make ends meet, the disciples naturally tightened their belts.

The stolen map was enormous, meticulously marking the surrounding mountains, terrain, and river network. Li Xian was delighted, thinking to himself, "This must have been bought in a major city!"

The map indicates that this location is southwest of "Huashui Prefecture," and the mountain where Li Xian and Wen Caishang are hiding is called "Luanfang Mountain." A scholar with exceptional fortune once passed by this mountain, won the heart of his beloved, and in his excitement, he wrote a poem naming the mountain. "Luanfang Mountain" signifies: A heart in turmoil.

However, on the southeastern side of the mountain, countless exotic flowers grow. The name Luanfang Mountain also implies "a profusion of flowers".

What is this?

Li Xian observed carefully, then suddenly frowned. He noticed that besides the mountain ranges on the map, there were also red dots marked on it. Next to the red dots were the words "3:45 AM"... "2:45 PM"... and so on.

"This is the search map. There are extremely clever people in the Sword Rain Tower. He arranges for people to patrol various places at set times, thus making the best use of his manpower. And it's very orderly, stable and not chaotic..."

"According to the map, all the villages around Luanfang Mountain have been inspected today. Tomorrow we will surround Luanfang Mountain... They are so clever, they even anticipated that my wife and I would hide in the mountains."

"Moreover... this map only belongs to Jianyu Tower. Huangshamen and Taixin Sect must have made their own arrangements, and their encirclement will be even tighter! The situation is very bad!"

Li Xian rolled up the map and disappeared into the forest. He rushed back to the deep cave and, when he moved aside the covering, saw Wen Caishang with red eyes, looking quite pitiful.

turn out to be……

Not long after Li Xian left, Wen Caishang woke up. Their relationship was gradually changing, no longer just that of master and servant... Wen Caishang was weak and unable to move, but her thoughts were overflowing with affection.

Although he guessed that Li Xian had entered the city to try and obtain a map, he couldn't help but have many distracting thoughts, thinking about this and that. He even considered things he had never thought of before in his life.

Wen Caishang was extremely powerful, but she became powerful too early. With her strength at her disposal, she displayed a cold and ruthless side. The weak looked down on her, while the strong feared her. But this moment was different from all the past.

Wen Caishang sneered, "Fine, I thought you ran away again!"

Li Xian laughed and said, "Madam is wise and capable; how could she not have guessed that I was going to work on maps?"

"Looking like this, how can I be considered wise and mighty? I can't even move right now," Wen Caishang said. "When I woke up, I couldn't see you and thought you were lying about my lightness skill, so I immediately ran away to save my life."

With a strange expression, he said again, almost as if possessed, "I almost hated you again."

Li Xian was moved, and seeing Wen Caishang's genuine emotions, he gently picked her up and said, "Then you guessed wrong."

Wen Caishang spat, "You wretched servant." Then, her anger subsided, and she suddenly seemed to realize, "Wen Caishang, Wen Caishang, are you such an easily appeased woman? This wretched servant ran away without a word, and when he turned back, you weren't angry anymore?"

"That's right... I'm too weak to move right now, so I'm just deliberately not getting angry at him. I'll get my revenge later, and I'll make sure he gets it back hard."

(End of this chapter)