Chapter 254 The Art of Swordplay: A Marriage Contract
The dream was hazy, seemingly both real and unreal.
Countless stories of secrets passed down through dreams have been told throughout history. People generally believe that the more powerful the secret, the deeper it must be hidden. Lü Dongzhi, however, went against this logic. Although there were great treasures in his tomb, he could hardly find any martial arts manuals, recipes, or anything else.
The stone tablet containing the lost dream is placed outside the cave. If fate allows, there's no need to enter the tomb to search. Just one more glance, and the unseen response will send the lost dream away.
"The Way of Arts... Do you know what the Way of Arts is?" Lü Dongzhi asked.
Li Xian immediately explained his understanding in a concise manner. Lü Dongzhi was extremely surprised and asked Li Xian if he had a highly accomplished master. Because martial arts knowledge is something martial artists rarely talk about. Many martial artists enter a realm of martial arts in a daze, but their knowledge is not systematic.
Seeing that Li Xian already had a considerable understanding of martial arts, and still unable to let go of his lingering dream, Lü Dongzhi cut to the chase, saying, "Since you already know about the arts, I will say no more. I drink the essence of heaven and eat the essence of earth, and have mastered three arts."
"Lost dreams, riding the wind, caressing cranes."
Li Xian listened quietly.
Lu Dongzhi said, "You already know about the Dream Loss Technique. It only benefits you, kid, and has no other use. Technique Dao: Riding the Wind and Flying in the Air."
"This technique, combined with lightness skill, allows me to ride the wind and hover in the air for a long time. How elegant! What natural barriers can hinder me in the slightest? Where can I not go?"
"As for the Dao of Arts - Soothing the Crane, it was something I learned in the early stages of martial arts, when my understanding was very shallow. It was something I grasped through eating and drinking indiscriminately. But when paired with 'Riding the Wind,' one can 'Ride the Wind and Soothe the Crane,' which is quite good."
Li Xian couldn't help but admire it, and asked again, "If it's so powerful, why the regret?"
Lu Dongzhi said, "I once went with seven martial artists to an island in a sea. The sea there was full of towering waves and dangers. Ships could not cross it, only flying was possible."
"My seven friends and I each sought a way to cross the sea. We tried everything: martial arts, magic, rare treasures and artifacts..."
"However, it ultimately failed!"
Li Xian said, "Senior, you travel a thousand miles a day on a crane, surely you can cross the ocean?"
Lu Dongzhi said, "I have mastered the arts of 'Riding the Wind' and 'Soothing the Crane' and I can say without any modesty that I can go anywhere, no matter how vast the world is. Even the boudoir of the Empress of the Nanyang Dynasty, hehe... I sneak in every night and no one knows."
"But techniques like 'Riding the Wind' and 'Soothing the Crane' are extremely mentally taxing. And the sea is vast and boundless. If I fly halfway across the vast ocean, the waves and winds will beat me down... and I will be exhausted and have to stop halfway!"
"If I were to master the 'Sword Technique' and combine it with my Pure Yang Divine Sword, I would be able to cross the vast ocean!"
At this point, I let out a heavy sigh.
Lü Dongzhi said, "Therefore, my greatest regret is that I have never truly been able to 'control the sword'."
Upon hearing the words "riding a sword," Li Xian immediately envisioned the divine feat of riding a flying sword and slaying enemies across thousands of miles.
Lu Dongzhi said, "This 'Lost Dream' technique was originally meant to be 'Sword Control,' but something went wrong along the way, causing me to regret it for the rest of my life. Therefore, my greatest regret and my greatest legacy is the 'Sword Control Recipe.'"
Li Xian asked suspiciously, "Senior Lü, what if I also experience a 'nocturnal emission'?"
Lu Dongzhi possessed only a wisp of a lost dream. Hearing Li Xian's disdain for the "Dream-Reliving Technique," he felt as if his heart was being pricked by needles, and his face twitched. The path of magic is infinitely mysterious; even the slightest deviation in its application can drastically alter one's understanding of the art.
What one desires is often unattainable.
Lu Dongzhi said, "I have improved the recipe. If you strictly follow the recipe, you may not be able to 'control the sword,' but you certainly won't be able to 'lose your dream.' Alas, 'lose your dream' is not bad either; some clans and forces are quite fond of it."
He reached out with both hands to embrace the white mist. There, unexpectedly, was an extra cookbook.
The recipe states:
The Art of Swordplay.
The essential treasures: Earthly Splendor Thirty-Six - Earthly King, Heavenly Essence Thirty-One - Heavenly King, Human Yellow Fifteen - Sword Tomb Yellow.
The following details the contraindications, order of consumption, and so on, in great detail.
Lu Dongzhi's order of consumption was: Sword Tomb Yellow, Earth Kui, and Heaven Kui. This was to obtain "Skill Dao: Lost Dream". However, consuming Heaven Kui first, then Earth Kui, and finally Sword Tomb Yellow was the way to obtain "Skill Dao: Sword Control".
However, "Heavenly Essence" is hard to find, and "Earthly Essence" is even harder to come by. No matter how many times Lü Dongzhi came, the order would still be Sword Tomb Yellow, Earthly King, and Heavenly King.
Li Xian said, "Senior Lü, Heavenly Essence and Earthly Essence are extremely difficult to find. I'm afraid I can't obtain them. Having the recipes is just a helpless situation."
Lü Dongzhi said, “You’re right. It’s extremely lucky to find traces of Earthly Essence every few hundred years. Heavenly Essence is even rarer.”
"That's a really big problem, but you're lucky, kid!"
"I possess the essence of heaven and the splendid essence of earth. But... I have stored them elsewhere. You are the inheritor of my lost dream, so I have given you all these things. Go and retrieve them when the time comes!"
Li Xian asked, "Where should I store my luggage?"
Lu Dongzhi said, "Tian Kui is in Xingyun Palace, Di Kui is in Huangfu Mountain, and the Sword Tomb Huang is not hard to find. Many sword-cultivating sects have traces of it."
Li Xian thought to himself, "If it were me, I wouldn't have the magnanimity to store such a treasure elsewhere."
As if sensing something, Lü Dongzhi coughed twice and said, "At that time, I was trying to win over the Palace Master of Xingyun Palace, so I flattered and fawned over him, and entrusted Tian Kui to me."
Seeing that Lü Dongzhi was unpretentious and easygoing, Li Xian felt relaxed and asked with a smile, "Did you manage to win him over?"
Lu Dongzhi shook his head and sighed, "I, Lu Dongzhi, am unparalleled in my elegance, but it is always difficult for things to go as I wish. It is a pity and a shame that the heavens are jealous of me and people resent me. The Palace Master of Xingyun Palace has no interest in me."
Li Xian thought to himself that he hadn't even scratched the surface of the art of "Sword Control." But obtaining the map was already enough to satisfy him. This was an unexpected joy, and he dared not ask for anything more.
Lü Dongzhi said, “As for the second great regret, although I have many disciples throughout my life, none of them have truly inherited my teachings. Since you have fulfilled my dying wish, let’s not discuss your talent, but there are some aspects of you that I greatly admire.”
"You must try to cross the sea for me."
Li Xian said frankly, "Even without the inheritance from my predecessors, their maps have already saved my life. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely do my best to serve you. However, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to cross the sea."
Lü Dongzhi said with satisfaction:
"I really like your attitude!"
Speaking of the past, he said:
"Back then, the eight of us made a pact to cross the sea, all to express our spirits and show our heroic sentiments. In the end, we failed, which was quite regrettable, but it was expected. To say that we were heartbroken or disappointed would not be so bad. After all, that sea was extremely dangerous, with thunder rumbling around it. How could it be easily crossed?"
"Back then, we failed to cross the sea and were all wounded. We gathered at the Eight Immortals Restaurant to drink, and I drank to my heart's content. Suddenly, I said, 'Brothers and sisters, we will never see that island in this lifetime. But perhaps in the future, there will be geniuses who can fulfill our unfulfilled regrets. I heard that Brother Li and Brother Han have both taken on powerful disciples. How about this... we make a pact to cross the sea and pass it down from generation to generation?' The other seven all responded enthusiastically."
"So many years have passed, the promise to cross the sea may have become invalid. But I'm keeping my promise and telling you about this. You decide what to do!"
He immediately described the location of the sea area and various details. Finally, he passed down the [Five Viscera Avoiding Turbidity and Meeting Yang Scripture].
Then he spoke of his third great regret: "Alas, the third great regret is actually about my Daoist partner. I entrusted the Earthly Kui to Huangfu Mountain because I wanted to pursue a beautiful woman. In the end, I didn't get the beautiful woman, but I did get engaged."
Li Xian cupped his hands and said, "Senior Lü... truly... truly magnanimous!" He thought to himself, "He used up all of his heavenly essence and earthly essence to woo her."
Lü Dongzhi sneered, "Heh, you can fulfill my dream, so you must be a lecher at least. We're evenly matched, don't laugh at me."
Li Xian said, "Senior, I am very honest."
"It doesn't seem like it to me." Lü Dongzhi's voice faded, turning into white smoke and dissipating.
Li Xian suddenly came to his senses, the feeling of floating and drifting vanished, and he found himself firmly on his feet, back in the library. The candlelight flickered, its light uncertain, and Li Xian's weariness dissipated, his mind clearing. Recalling what had just happened, he couldn't tell whether it was real or unreal.
Upon careful reflection, the phrase "Five Organs Avoiding Turbidity and Gathering Yang" was imprinted in his mind, each word and phrase crystal clear. Li Xian exclaimed with delight, "It seems that the dream I just had was indeed real. The profound mystery of the Dao can even leave one with a dream for a thousand years."
The recipes for sword-wielding games are also real!
Suddenly, a piece of yellow paper floated down from the bookshelf. Li Xian raised his hand, inhaled, and caught the yellow paper in his hand.
This is precisely the "marriage contract" that Lü Dongzhi was referring to. Its content is concise, with only a few words explaining the reasons for the marriage agreement.
It turns out... the events of that year were quite complicated. While Lü Dongzhi was indeed a womanizer, the Zhao woman from Huangfu Mountain was also exceptionally beautiful.
At that time, the Zhao woman was studying the arts, but lacked the "Earthly Essence and Earthly Excellence." Lü Dongzhi happened to possess them and earnestly requested them.
Lü Dongzhi readily agreed. He offered half an inch of his earthly essence to the Zhao woman to study Daoist arts. The woman said, "I am very grateful for your lending me your earthly essence, but I cannot marry you in this life. Name your conditions."
Lü Dongzhi did not coerce him, and said, "Fine, you'll spend three years with me. If you still don't like me, then forget it."
Knowing she would never fall for Lü Dongzhi, the woman surnamed Zhao was grateful for his help and unwilling to betray his sincerity. However, she was even more unwilling to compromise herself. So she devised a compromise, saying, "If you are so persistent, then so be it. Let us spend three years together, but I will never fall for you. In the end, I will owe you. How about this: even if we are not destined to be together, our descendants will repay this debt of marriage for us?"
Lü Dongzhi readily agreed, and Di Kui was not retrieved.
And so it came about... This marriage contract. However, they couldn't stay together for three years before he had to leave in haste due to urgent business. The remaining Earthly Deity was then placed in Huangfu Mountain. Three years later, the two were found to be truly destined to be apart, hence the marriage contract.
Li Xian muttered, "Senior Lü has had more than ten Daoist partners, yet his nature remains unchanged. One minute he's seducing the Palace Master of Xingyun Palace, the next he's flirting with the Zhao family of Huangfu Mountain... Sigh! This marriage contract is probably useless now. Thousands of years have passed, who would remember this? Besides, who knows if Huangfu Mountain and Xingyun Palace are still around?"
"In this light, the most useful inheritance is indeed the 'Five Viscera Avoiding Turbidity and Gathering Yang Scripture.' This scripture seems quite profound; I'll study it slowly when I have time. For now, it's best to leave the forest as soon as possible!"
After tidying up the library, we respectfully bowed in all four directions, then retraced our steps and quickly passed through.
The tomb of Lü Dong was vast, encompassing all directions; the area Li Xian had explored was less than a fraction of its size. However, his mission was complete, and this was an unexpected gain. He wouldn't take all the treasures from the tomb. He returned home, full of enthusiasm.
Suddenly, he heard a "tap" sound coming from the bend in the road ahead. It was quite far away, but because the tomb was secluded and Li Xian had extremely sharp hearing, he could hear it clearly.
Li Xian frowned. Having spent a long time with Wen Caishang, he knew her to be elegant and dignified, walking lightly and silently, leaving only a lingering fragrance of her hair. This footstep could not possibly be hers.
"The footsteps of the newcomer were uneven, their breathing weak, as if they had been frightened. It was definitely not Madam. Could it be someone else who has also sneaked into the tomb? I will hide and observe quietly!"
My heart is heavy.
He was very familiar with the mechanisms of the tomb passage. He ducked into the shadows, extinguished his torch, and listened intently. The footsteps grew closer.
Li Xian secretly observed and clearly saw the appearances of the two men. One was from the "Wuji Blade Sect," and the other was from the "Sword Rain Pavilion."
(End of this chapter)
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