Chapter 182: The Encyclopedia of the Martial World
Chapter 182 Encyclopedia of the Martial World
Along the way to Meizhou, there were many martial arts practitioners, all of them in high spirits and with longing expressions.
It has been more than 30 years since the last martial arts gathering, and there has been no similar grand event in the martial arts world since.
Aside from the martial arts sects invited by the Four Heroes of Meizhou, many other martial arts heroes went voluntarily. After all, how many thirty-year periods does one have in a lifetime? If you don't go to such a grand event to broaden your horizons, who knows how many years it will be before the next one comes around?
The martial arts world has always existed.
But the people in the martial arts world have changed time and time again.
To have the privilege of witnessing such a grand event makes one's journey through life worthwhile.
Inside the carriage, Huo Ling and Duan Wuheng both leaned out of the windows, excitedly looking at the groups of martial arts figures outside.
Lingxu Temple!
It's the Tiger Roar Faction!
This is the Stone Gate!
...
The two little heads huddled together, their joy beyond words.
Of course, there were many other martial arts figures whose names they couldn't recall and whose characteristics they couldn't identify. The two young men were completely bewildered. Just then, Old Master Weng approached: "This is the Liujin Sect. Their side business is iron flower forging, which is quite famous. The disciples are all wealthy, but it's hard-earned money. Their signature technique is 'Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers.' Imagine if you were facing disciples of the Liujin Sect, and more than ten of them used the 'Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers' formation to smash molten iron against you—could you withstand it?"
Both little heads shook their heads.
That's amazing!
Grandpa Weng laughed and said, "Therefore, martial arts skills are not divided into high and low, but only into angles and domains."
Huo Ling and Duan Wuheng nodded again, like chickens pecking at rice.
The encyclopedia of martial arts is inside the carriage; it knows everything.
"Grandpa Weng, what kind of sect is that? Everyone carries a big scallion on their back!" Duan Wuheng asked curiously.
The sight of green onions piqued the curiosity of everyone in the carriage.
Including Old Master Weng—the one who carries scallions, that's truly unheard of. What strange and unusual sects have emerged in the martial arts world these past few years?
Everyone's curiosity was piqued, but Old Master Weng pounded Duan Wuheng's head and said angrily, "Is that a green onion? That's the weapon of the Fuluan Sect, the Fuluan whisk!"
Duan Wuheng: (⊙o⊙)…
Everyone: -_-||
Huo Ling was overjoyed.
Although Duan Wuheng admitted his mistake and was beaten by Old Master Weng, he was not angry and continued to watch from the window with Old Master Weng and Huo Ling.
Looking at the scene before them, everyone in the carriage more or less recalled their own experiences when they first arrived in the martial world. It was as if everything was new and surprising.
Afraid of admitting I'd made a mistake, but also curious...
Everyone smiled slightly.
Time flies like an arrow.
"What sect is that?" Duan Wuheng and Huo Ling continued.
"What is that?" Even Old Master Weng himself couldn't help but frown slightly.
He doesn't seem to have seen him before...
They were all dressed in black, and carried weapons on their backs that looked like scissors, but they weren't quite scissors. They were more like, as Old Master Weng's gaze sharpened, another form of ghost-headed club.
Hasn't the Ten Suns Sect always been located in the south and never ventured into the Central Plains martial arts world?
This is not the Ten Days Gate.
It's another sect...
Grandpa Weng couldn't quite put his finger on it, but a vague sense of unease began to creep into his heart.
Grandpa Weng stepped forward.
"Grandpa, don't push..." Huo Ling was always outspoken.
Duan Wuheng was also surprised, but he didn't say anything.
Grandpa Weng's gaze swept over the surroundings. They were getting closer and closer to Meizhou, where everyone was coming to attend the martial arts tournament.
Old Master Weng had sharp eyes.
In the past two years, so many new and large-scale martial arts sects have emerged in the martial arts world. Has Zhenhu Division failed to control them or notice anything unusual?
Grandpa Weng was slightly taken aback.
"Yutang." Old Master Weng called out, then made way for Duan Wuheng and Huo Ling to step forward and continue to look curiously out of the carriage.
Those outside the carriage probably recognized that the large wooden box contained the Eight Treasures Pavilion, and some kind and outgoing people greeted them warmly.
Admittedly, there were also pigs and sheep outside the Eight Treasures Pavilion carriage, which were probably vegetables brought along for the journey!
Bazhenlou is indeed extraordinary!
Wow, Duan Wuheng and Huo Ling looked delighted.
This feeling is like meeting someone by chance, but in a glance, a nod, a smile, there is a sense of the world.
Duan Wuheng and Huo Ling suddenly felt a surge of anticipation for the upcoming martial arts tournament!
This is just a short part of the journey; I wonder how lively and exciting the martial arts tournament will be at the end!
With so many sects and martial arts heroes present, it must be a grand and solemn occasion!
Who knows when we'll encounter such a grand martial arts gathering again!
Duan Wuheng and Huo Ling seemed unable to get enough of looking at him.
"What's wrong, sir?" Jiang Yutang stepped forward.
Old Master Weng hadn't cared before, but now he asked, "What's the reason behind the Four Heroes of Meizhou holding this martial arts conference?"
Jiang Yutang is an expert in the martial arts world; she must know this.
She did know, but most of the people at Bazhenlou were indifferent and didn't really care about the martial arts tournament. They had come to Meizhou to ask for medicine for Huo Ling, so Jiang Yutang hadn't mentioned it.
When asked by Old Master Weng, Jiang Yutang replied, "Not long ago, there was a disaster in the west. The relief grain sent by the imperial court was embezzled at various points along the way, involving the whereabouts of many martial arts sects. The Zhenhu Division gave explicit and implicit instructions, and the Four Heroes of Meizhou convened a martial arts conference. They discussed two matters: first, how to explain the sects involved in the relief grain embezzlement; second, since this chaos was caused by a lack of leadership, they needed to elect a martial arts alliance leader to take charge and prevent such things from spreading..."
After Jiang Yutang finished speaking, Old Master Weng fell silent.
When did Zhenhu Division start doing this kind of thing besides collecting taxes and controlling the proliferation of martial arts sects within a certain period of time to avoid causing unrest?
Something unusual must be going on.
If Zhenhu Division cannot remain aloof, then all sects in the martial arts world will become a weapon in Zhenhu Division's hands.
Zhenhu Division can also become a weapon in the hands of others.
This goes against the original intention behind the establishment of Zhenhu Division...
The people of Zhenhu Division must be aware of this.
Once the position of Zhenhu Si is not properly secured, this is the beginning of chaos.
With so many sects and martial arts practitioners in the martial arts world, if chaos breaks out, it's tantamount to exposing all these unstable factors to the imperial court.
When an emperor ascends the throne, he fears nothing more than instability.
Some people insist on bringing this instability to the forefront.
Old Master Weng sat back down in his original spot, remaining silent. The closer they got to Meizhou, the more trouble they seemed to get involved in.
The waters around Meizhou are probably deeper than we imagined...
*
In another carriage, Wang Sumo, Bai Cen, Fang Rushi, Zhao Tong, and Meng Huizhou were together.
Wang Sumo drove the carriage, while the others remained inside.
Bai Cen was acupunctured, and Fang Rushi and Meng Huizhou, together, examined Huo Ling's poison in the same way they had done before.
One person examined the eyelids, while the other took the pulse.
On their journey from Weizhou to Meizhou, a trip that took more than half a month, Fang Rushi and Meng Huizhou devoted almost all their energy to Bai Cen.
Especially after Meng Huizhou learned the true origin of Bai Cen's poison, he dared to make judgments in directions he had never dared to think of before, concluding that Lian Xu was a person who had lived for a very long time.
Lian Xu has read more medical books and met more people than he and Fang Rushi combined.
The poison that Lian Xu used to solve the problem once and for all could not be easily cured.
For the umpteenth time, Zhao Tong woke Fang Rushi and Meng Huizhou up. The two continued to pull themselves out of the nightmarish illusion, but they were still in a daze, leaning against the carriage, panting and breathing heavily.
Wang Sumo had no martial arts skills, and Bai Cen was ill, so they had to ask someone else for help besides Old Master Meng and Fang Rushi.
Zhao Tong is the most suitable.
"How about it?"
After Fang Rushi and Meng Huizhou had caught their breath, Zhao Tong asked about it.
Fang Rushi shook her head: "There's been no progress."
There were some, but not many, and there was no need to mention them, Fang Rushi fell into thought.
Meng Huizhou's gaze also dimmed.
The more he learned, the more he felt that the only one who could surpass Lian Xu was Bai Cen.
However, the poison Lian Xu administered lingered in Bai Cen's meridians for a long time, nourished by Bai Cen's own internal energy. Lian Xu's ninefold true energy suppressed Bai Cen's own internal energy, which was equivalent to cutting off the nutrients for these toxins.
Once his ninefold true energy is withdrawn, these toxins will use Bai Cen's internal energy as nourishment and multiply wildly.
However, if his ninefold true energy is not withdrawn, Bai Cen will not have the internal force to unleash the Silver Dragon Jade Belt.
This is a vicious cycle!
Meng Huizhou was helpless.
Before the patriarch, Lian Xu might not be a genius, but the long years had turned him into a madman who greedily absorbed martial arts and medicine—a half-genius, and a madman at that…
How can we cure the poison in Bai Cen's body?
What would the patriarch do if he were here?
Meng Huizhou was covered in sweat.
The day's attempt came to an end, and Fang Rushi and Meng Huizhou both needed a full day to rest and could not try again.
Zhao Tong released the pressure points on Bai Cen's body.
Bai Cen slowly opened his eyes.
Although there was a hint of expectation in her eyes every time she opened them, she was mentally prepared, so she habitually looked at Lao Zhao and saw that Lao Zhao did not speak.
Bai Cen wasn't exactly disappointed, but his mood sombered slightly.
Whether it's Fang Rushi, his senior uncle, or Wang Sumo and Lao Zhao who are with him, he has nothing to be disappointed about.
Zhao Tong patted him on the shoulder, then went out to drive to a different employer.
Wang Sumo slowly stopped, lifted the curtain and entered, her gaze falling on him.
Bai Cen smiled and said, "I feel much better today."
Wang Sumo knew he was lying and tried to comfort her.
Wang Sumo sat down beside him, and Bai Cen sighed softly, knowing that lying to Wang Sumo wouldn't work.
He was clearly feeling a bit discouraged.
"It's not too disheartening," he said truthfully.
Wang Sumo looked at him.
Bai Cen laughed and said, "I was just thinking that I'm the only one in the world who knows the Silver Dragon Jade Belt. If I still look like this..."
Wang Sumo interrupted, saying gently, "Xiao Bai, you don't need to save the whole world."
Bai Cen's eyes paused slightly.
Wang Sumo said softly, "Don't put all the burden on your own shoulders."
A warmth gradually appeared in Bai Cen's eyes.
Wang Sumo continued, "There's no shame in running away if you can't win."
Bai Cen's lips curled up slightly.
Just then, the carriage came to a slow stop. Zhao Tong said, "The carriage has stopped ahead."
It should be a rest stop along the way.
Wang Sumo and Bai Cen got off the carriage to get some fresh air. Behind the carriage were slots filled with flowers and plants. In one of the slots were two spinach plants that were protected by paper windows made of oil paper and straw curtains. They were living tenaciously in the harsh winter.
The two smiled at each other; it was the winter spinach that Wang Sumo had planted for him.
Both of them thought back to a long time ago, on the merchant ship to Qingyun Manor, when Wang Sumo made them spinach and egg pancakes...
Bai Cen still remembers that he hadn't eaten for two days.
The feeling of happiness when you eat that spinach and egg pancake is incredible.
And so, he's been following them ever since.
Bai Cen smiled.
He wanted to protect his spinach, in this little corner of the Eight Treasures Restaurant...
“They will survive; winter isn’t long, and spring will come soon.” Wang Sumo’s words always have a comforting quality.
Bai Cen looked at her and said gently, "Su Mo, tell the old man the truth..."
[Author's Note]
First update
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