Chapter 20 (Fourth update before it goes to VIP) Braised Pig Trotters and Chicken Feet
Chapter 20 Braised Pig Trotters and Chicken Feet
Unlike Lao Qu, he studied under Wuyou Mountain.
Mount Wuyou is a very special place in the entire martial arts world. Legend has it that the peerless master "Sword Wuyou," who retired from the martial arts world decades ago, lives on Mount Wuyou.
No one knows his name; all that is known is that "Worry-Free Sword" is his weapon, and the name "Worry-Free Sword" comes from his weapon.
Unfortunately, "Sword Worry-Free" appeared in the martial arts world for a very short time. Although the swordsmanship of "Worry-Free Sword" was exquisite and unparalleled, reaching the pinnacle, "Sword Worry-Free" retired to "Worry-Free Mountain" at the peak of his career.
No one knows what "Sword Worry-Free" went through, nor does anyone know where Worry-Free Mountain is.
But there has always been a rumor in the martial arts world that whoever obtains the inheritance of the "Worry-Free Sword" will dominate the martial arts world...
For decades afterward, people in the martial arts world flocked to Wuyou Mountain, searching for the whereabouts of "Sword Wuyou" and the "Sword Wuyou," but to no avail.
"Sword Worry-Free" vanished from the martial world as if he had evaporated into thin air...
Wang Sumo had heard of "Sword Worry-Free".
"Sword Without Worry" is a legendary tale in the martial arts world that is still talked about with great interest. However, because "Sword Without Worry" appeared in the martial arts world for too short a time, it did not leave behind as much material for storytellers as "The Immortal Gentleman Sword".
But most people who travel the martial arts world have heard of the legend of "Sword Worry-Free".
Compared to Qiu Bairen, whose sacrifice could cause ten thousand ghosts to weep, Jian Wuyou was the legendary figure that people in the martial arts world flocked to.
"So, Master He, you were a disciple of 'Sword Worry-Free'?" Wang Sumo never imagined that two legendary tales of the martial world would intertwine in this way.
Indeed, both the "Eternal Life Gentleman's Sword" and the "Worry-Free Sword" are unparalleled sword techniques in the martial arts world, and they are actually from the same lineage.
Wang Sumo never expected that she would learn all this during her trip to Qingyun Manor.
Master He looked gently into the distance, as if his thoughts were drifting back to the past: "I was the last disciple accepted by my master, and also the youngest among my fellow disciples. My master cultivated in seclusion in Wuyou Mountain, so there weren't many fun things to do there. Every time a fellow disciple came down the mountain, he would bring me delicious candies and sweets."
When Wang Sumo recalled the time when Master He ate candied ginkgo nuts, he was probably thinking of the camaraderie they shared back then.
Master He continued, “I have been learning internal energy cultivation and swordsmanship from my master since I was a child. But what my master warned me the most was that the swordsmanship in the world is ever-changing, but it all comes down to one principle – in short, the sword reflects the person.”
"The highest level of swordsmanship is to forget the rules and let the sword become a part of your body, as natural as any gesture. A sword will be imbued with the same spirit as a person. Therefore, a sword is like a person; one's mind must be upright before the sword can be sharp and righteous. If one's heart cannot be restrained, the sword will go astray."
Wang Sumo understood.
Therefore, the "Sword of the Immortal Gentleman" refers to the sword of "immortality" which means cultivating one's character and virtue, and the sword of "gentleman" which means having a virtuous and upright personality.
That's how it is.
"My master was a man of few desires and pure heart, but our sect placed great emphasis on rules and conduct. So I grew up accustomed to the sect's rules, and now Qingyun Manor also requires its disciples to follow them. One must first have upright character, then be self-disciplined, and only then can one's sword reflect one's character and avoid going astray..."
Therefore, what Wang Sumo saw and heard at Qingyun Manor was exactly the same.
"Then one day, my master suddenly summoned me to his presence and told me that he had nothing more to teach me on Mount Wuyou. All that remained was for me to go down the mountain and experience it for myself, just like my fellow disciples before me. Whether I would establish my own sect or remain a carefree swordsman in the eyes of others was entirely up to me. But I must never return to Mount Wuyou..."
Master He sighed, “My master said that it’s impossible for a person to be carefree for a lifetime; a period of carefree life is enough.”
Wang Sumo listened with her chin in her hand, as if observing the passing down of two martial arts giants from afar.
"After that, Elder Master He, did you ever return to Wuyou Mountain?" Wang Sumo asked curiously.
Master He took a deep breath and smiled regretfully, “The mountain is now deserted. Only later did I realize that what Master meant when he said, ‘It’s impossible for a person to be carefree for a lifetime, but a period of carefree life is enough,’ was actually referring to himself. I was Master’s last disciple, and after I left Wuyou Mountain, he also left. From then on, Wuyou Mountain no longer had the ‘Wuyou Sword’ or ‘Sword Wuyou.’ But who can say that Master didn’t find the answers to his inner confusion in Wuyou Mountain?”
Wang Sumo was enlightened.
Everyone has their own way of attaining enlightenment. Senior Jian Wuyou's enlightenment seems to have been something he did together with his disciples when he encountered a bottleneck.
There has always been a rumor in the martial arts world that whoever can inherit the "Worry-Free Sword" will dominate the martial arts world; but in fact, the greatest inheritance of the "Worry-Free Sword" is that the sword is like the person.
The more profound the martial art, the fewer shortcuts there are.
The shortcuts you take will eventually become the detours you have to take.
The level that each person can comprehend is the pinnacle that their martial arts can reach.
Just like the "Eternal Gentleman Sword," which was trained by the "Worry-Free Sword," decades later, it can still become another peak comparable to the "Worry-Free Sword."
Wang Sumo seemed to have suddenly grasped some of the meaning himself.
The topic of conversation among Master He shifted from the "Worry-Free Sword" to what happened after he went down the mountain years ago.
"Back then, I was carrying a bag of gold leaves given to me by my master, a Qingyun sword, a few bottles of healing medicine and antidote powder, and a white robe. That's how I unknowingly stepped into the martial world. Before that, I had made a promise with a few senior brothers in Wuyou Mountain that I would go and find them when I came down the mountain. They had entered the martial world earlier than me, and even if they were all over the country, it would be enough for me to travel for a while. It was at that time that I met Lao Qu."
The old man made his appearance, and Wang Sumo listened intently with wide eyes, curious about the scene when the old man made his entrance.
Don't underestimate a young man's potential. Even if he didn't have the Cloud-Piercing Mountain-Splitting Hand back then, how bad could the old man have been?
But one sentence from Master He left Wang Sumo speechless—
"He was tied up and hung upside down from a big tree. His hands and feet were bound, and even his mouth was stuffed with a wad of cloth. When he saw me pass by, he struggled desperately and mumbled loudly, making 'whimpering' and 'uh-huh' noises incessantly, as if afraid I wouldn't hear or see him and would just walk past without letting him down. He would have remained hanging there..."
Wang Sumo has a big head.
However, it actually does resemble the kind of thing that the old man would encounter when he was young.
Wang Sumo quickly picked up his chin, and Old Master He continued.
It's clear that even after so long, Master He still remembers it vividly, and he even smiles when he recalls it.
When you're out in the world, you should help those in need, especially if they're already completely trapped.
He casually picked up a small pebble from the ground and flicked it with a deft flick of his finger. Before the other person could react, the sharp side of the pebble precisely severed the rope suspending them.
The other party was suddenly "released" with a "bang".
Although it was a loud "bang," it shouldn't have hurt too much, because he still had the strength to curl up and quickly took the rag out of his mouth. He spat lightly and complained, "This rag is so dirty, these stinking bandits!"
His tone was one of deep frustration and righteous indignation.
Then, he suddenly remembered to thank the person who saved him, "Brother, thank you so much!"
As he spoke, he reached out to untie the rope binding his ankles.
But the rope here was tied so tightly that it was not easy to pull it off by hand.
Finally, he stepped forward, and with a gentle flick of his sword, cut the rope binding the other man's ankles.
"What a delightful sword!" the other exclaimed, his eyes filled with envy.
He smiled politely, then reached out to help the other person up.
The man on the other end quickly pulled away the cut rope, reached out his hand to him, and helped him up, while smiling broadly as he said, "I am a follower from Heyin. May I ask your name, sir?"
"My name is He Wenxue."
"Brother He!" Qu Guan bowed with his fists clasped, then patted his sleeves. He had just fallen and was covered in dust, so he needed to dust himself off to look presentable.
"I will never forget your life-saving grace, but I have important matters to attend to right now—Brother He, did you see that village over there? It was robbed by bandits! Several righteous martial arts practitioners agreed to go and eliminate them, but they didn't expect the enemy to be so numerous, and they were quickly scattered. Those martial arts practitioners are probably not in good condition right now, I have to go and check on them."
He paused for a moment, then asked curiously, "Brother Qu, why did those bandits trap several righteous martial arts practitioners in the village, but hang you here?"
Unfollow: "..."
Uh, unfollowing, clenching fist and coughing lightly.
He must have gotten the gist of it. Although he was reluctant to bring it up, he had no choice but to answer since the question had been asked. "They think I'm too noisy. They said they'll tie me up here first, and after they've dealt with those righteous martial arts figures, they'll come back and cut out my tongue to eat with their wine. Grandpa's going to go eat it with their wine!"
After saying that, he strode towards the village he had mentioned that had been robbed by bandits.
Wang Sumo has a big head.
The old man from decades ago probably only had rudimentary skills, but he was never one to mince words.
Even the bandits were prepared to give him a final good thrashing.
Even so, he still strode off to his death!
"Then, what happened next, Master He?" Wang Sumo was still a little worried.
After all, the old man seemed a bit dim-witted back then...
Old Master He placed his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant lights, a smile still lingering in his eyes.
"Later, I went with him and met the vicious bandits he mentioned, as well as those few righteous martial arts practitioners." Master He paused slightly at this point, then smiled and didn't continue.
Wang Sumo suddenly understood and tried to ask, "But, the large group of bandits the old man mentioned, is actually only four or five people?"
Master He smiled but remained silent.
Wang Sumo knew that this meant he had tacitly agreed.
The old man was quite a headache when he was young...
But in the eyes of Master He, these were all beautiful memories.
In fact, the so-called large group of bandits at the exit was only four or five people, but they did look "very vicious"!
"You still dare to come!" The one wielding the large sword immediately stepped forward.
Unfollowing him wasn't even a problem, "Why doesn't your grandpa dare to come?"
The other party immediately became angry.
He also confirmed one thing: those few righteous martial arts practitioners did indeed possess some skill, but they were likely just quick-witted and agile, having fought many battles since childhood, so they had their own set of techniques. However, without solid internal strength and techniques, it would be difficult for them to deal with those bandits bare-handed.
The martial arts practitioners who were protecting the villagers were seriously injured, which led to them being cornered by the bandits.
But it must be said that these few bandits were not enough to make him draw his sword...
With a slight effort using the hilt of his sword, he knocked down the bandits. Qu Guan stepped forward, looking at him with newfound respect, "Impressive, Brother He!"
"Brother, you flatter me." He held his sword and clasped his hands in greeting.
Several martial arts practitioners, having survived the ordeal, stepped forward to thank him and inquired about his name and which sect he belonged to.
He kept his master's teachings in mind and did not mention Wuyou Mountain. He only said that his name was He Wenxue and that his master had retired from the martial arts world for many years.
The martial arts practitioners bowed and thanked them again, then left together, leaving him and Qu Guan alone.
During the fight, Qu Guan injured his leg and is still limping. He helped him up and said that he was fine and would be better in a couple of days. He then said goodbye.
In the world of martial arts, there are countless chance encounters, and many friendships are as pure as water. He thought that although unfollowing him might have led to a somewhat unorthodox approach to martial arts, it was still the act of a chivalrous knight. Perhaps one day he would hear news of him again in the martial arts world.
He bowed respectfully, intending to say goodbye and that they would meet again someday.
But as luck would have it, my stomach, which had just unfollowed me, let out a long, drawn-out rumble...
Unfollow: (#￣▽￣#)
he:……
But having already performed the cupped-hand salute and maintained the proper posture, he smiled slightly and suddenly changed his mind, saying, "Brother Qu, why don't we have a simple meal together?"
(⊙o⊙)…
The expression of unfollowing was clearly a huge buffer from the valley to the peak, and he said somewhat awkwardly, "I forgot to eat when I woke up this morning, and then I played with them all day before I realized that I hadn't eaten anything."
He smiled and said, "Perfect timing, I haven't had dinner yet either, how about I invite you to come?"
His eyes lit up immediately after unfollowing, "Then I won't be polite!"
Wang Sumo's head immediately split into two.
Although she had a premonition from the very beginning that the old man's experiences of wandering the world in his youth might be a bit silly, she never expected it to be such a completely unrestrained and carefree affair.
Old Master He, however, was immersed in the joy of reminiscing. "We were in the same restaurant. He ordered a pot of braised pig's trotters and chicken feet. After finishing the pig's trotters and chicken feet, he mixed rice with the broth and ate five bowls. After finishing the broth and rice, he even licked the plate clean, feeling completely satisfied."
In the memories of Master He, the boy who unfollowed him was such a willful and capricious young man.
They ate quite a lot and then walked a long way from the restaurant to the outskirts of town, where they lit a fire and chatted together.
We chatted about everything under the sun, from strange tales of the martial arts world to the various masters, the villains, life itself, and even whether one day they too would become masters with a place in the martial arts world!
With his hands behind his back, he grinned and said, "Anyway, I know how!"
In the dead of night, in the countryside where only the chirping of insects and the howling of wild animals could be heard, suddenly came the voice of "unfollowing" – "Unfollowing will make you a grandmaster!"
He was startled!
But he was quite enthusiastic about unfollowing, saying, "He's admired by thousands!"
As he listened, he suddenly smiled knowingly.
She unfollowed him and turned to look at him, "He Wenxue, you better watch out. By the time we meet again, I'll have surpassed you! What was that sword of yours again?"
"Azure Cloud Sword".
"Yes, it's the Azure Cloud Sword!" The user laughed heartily, "I'm going to fight it for three hundred rounds!"
He also burst into hearty laughter.
This was the first time he had laughed so freely and with such relief since leaving Wuyou Mountain.
Unfollowing him was also the first friend he met after leaving Wuyou Mountain.
The next day at dawn, the sky began to lighten with the pale glow of dawn.
They got up from the large tree trunk that lay broken across the roadside. They had sat there chatting all night and were now close friends who could talk about anything.
He unfollowed her, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Brother He, we'll meet again someday. I must continue my journey through the world! Thank you for the braised pig's trotters and chicken feet; I'll treat you next time."
He smiled and agreed.
She had only taken two steps after unfollowing him when she turned back with a smile, making a cool, cautionary gesture at him, "Watch out, He Wenxue, I'll surpass you next time."
Wang Sumo was both amused and annoyed. "So, did it exceed the limit?"
Old Master He couldn't help but laugh a few times, then cut to the chase, "No."
She knew it!
Therefore, the old man's growth process was not something that happened overnight.
Compared to the elegant, peerless, and sword-wielding Master He, the old man stumbled and struggled in the mire of the martial world.
Fortunately, he later actually became the "Cloud Piercer and Mountain Breaker".
The old man and Master He were truly childhood friends who then joined hands to reach the pinnacle of the martial arts world.
Therefore, there is some competition between them, but more than that, there is mutual respect and appreciation...
After a brief pause, Elder He continued, "I saw him again two years later. In those two years, he joined the Divine Heaven Sect."
"Shentian Sect?" Wang Sumo found the name unfamiliar; it didn't sound like a well-known sect in the martial arts world. Just hearing the name made it sound grand. Righteous sects in the martial arts world rarely used such words to refer to themselves. Even villains in the martial arts world would at most use words like "divine fire" or "golden spirit."
The name "Shentian Sect" is too grandiose and doesn't quite fit into reality.
It doesn't seem like a martial arts sect; it's more like a cultivation sect that storytellers in taverns talk about.
Wang Sumo coughed twice, and although he was reluctant to believe it, he still asked, "This Divine Heaven Sect, could it be some kind of charlatan?"
They use a grand and impressive banner to specifically deceive inexperienced newcomers who are eager to make their way in the world.
Master He sighed softly. Even Miss Wang could guess it, but Old Qu must have been blinded by something back then.
Master He said softly, "Yes, that Shentian Sect is a bunch of swindlers who specialize in deceiving and cheating people. They use the guise of a 'major martial arts sect' to make money. They create all sorts of pretexts to collect gold and silver from disciples who come to join their sect. They also use these disciples to do free labor. Wherever they build houses or irrigation canals, the money paid goes to the sect leader. The disciples in the sect don't learn any martial arts skills, they are cheated out of their money, do their labor for nothing, and they even have to pay for their own meals."
"Externally, they also extort protection money from the surrounding people, or promise to do something but then deny it. When others see that there are so many disciples in his sect, they can only swallow their anger and suffer in silence."
Ironically, this was a highly profitable business; the sect leader of the Divine Heaven Sect certainly made a fortune back then.
This is because they really lacked real skills and were dishonest; otherwise, they might have actually built up a third-rate sect!
Grandpa He continued, "At that time, I was invited by some friends in the martial arts world to take down the 'Divine Heaven Sect,' a den of swindlers. I arrived a day ahead of them, thinking that I would infiltrate the Divine Heaven Sect to find out what was going on before discussing it further. As a result, I met Lao Qu inside the Divine Heaven Sect."
Thinking about how the old man was tricked into paying a huge apprenticeship fee under various pretexts, then used as free labor to do a lot of hard work, and had to pay for his own meals every day, and in the end he didn't learn anything, Wang Sumo felt a little sorry for the old man.
But at least, the old man ran into Master He again.
“I tried to tell him that this Shentian Sect is problematic. It is not a reputable sect, and it is not even a villain. It is just a fraudster that uses the banner of a reputable sect to swindle people. There is no such legitimate sect in the martial arts world, and it cannot be found in the government’s records.”
"What did the old man say?" Wang Sumo was afraid he would be stubborn.
At this point, Old Master He laughed again, "Old Qu, Old Qu, how could you possibly take the usual path? When I told him about the evil deeds of the Divine Heaven Sect, he didn't argue with me at all, not even with any theory. He just suddenly realized and said, 'No wonder he thought this place was a mess, it turns out it's all a bunch of swindlers!'"
The old man's thought process was so peculiar that Wang Sumo couldn't help but exclaim, "And then what happened?"
They really listened.
Master He couldn't help but laugh again, "As a result, before my friends from the martial arts world who invited me even arrived, Lao Qu got angry and dragged me along. The two of us ended up destroying the headquarters of the Divine Heaven Sect."
Wang Sumo was stunned.
However, I also feel that this is very much like the old man, exactly his style.
It was the same decades ago...
At this point, Master He was in high spirits. "In this way, the headquarters of the Divine Heaven Sect was destroyed, but there were still a group of stubborn people who refused to leave. Old Qu himself stepped forward and gave a personal account, which finally convinced the remaining disciples in the sect who were unwilling to leave. Old Qu told them to take their gold and silver and leave quickly. As for the silver that the Divine Heaven Sect had extorted from each household, Old Qu insisted on taking me with him to return it to each and every one of them."
Ha! Old man...
Wang Sumo smiled.
"For two whole months, we paid off each debt and crossed it off in the ledger. The ledger was finally finished. Afterwards, we went out for a big drinking session, and we drank to our hearts' content. But this time, he paid the bill. He remembered everything he had said. We also had a contest, and he still couldn't beat me. He was somewhat regretful about the two years he had wasted in the Divine Heaven Sect. But it just so happened that after that, Lao Qu began to gain a reputation in the martial arts world—he kicked down the Divine Heaven Sect and returned the money that the Divine Heaven Sect had extorted and amassed over the years to the surrounding people, merchants, and even government offices. He became a legend in the martial arts world."
Oh!
Wang Sumo was happy for the old man.
However, they all lead to the same goal!
So that's how the old man made his name back then.
Grandpa He continued, "That time we drank all night, and I asked him what his plans were for the future. He said he wanted to go to a proper sect to learn martial arts and even asked me where I should go. I told him to go to Kunlun Mountain. He wasn't good with swords, but he was strong and had excellent palm techniques. The Kunlun Palm of the Kunlun Sect was famous throughout the world. If he went, he might really become famous one day. Later, he really went to Kunlun Mountain and became a disciple of the Kunlun Sect leader."
[Author's Note]
As usual, red envelopes will be sent to the first 100 people.
Lao Qu's dish, "Braised Pig's Trotters and Chicken Feet," is on its way.
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