Qin Mu frowned. He had also considered these points. The Nightmare Mountains were, after all, too far away. Although the older ones were very strong, their bodies would inevitably age. If they stayed at home, they could still protect Chang'an. If they were really sent on an expedition, and something happened to them on the way, they would have no one to blame but themselves. It was not the first time that important officials had died of old age or illness on expeditions.
Cultivators are still human. Spiritual cultivation can bring powerful abilities, but birth, aging, sickness, and death are irreplaceable. Spiritual cultivators are generally better off, living longer than ordinary people. However, martial cultivators are different. While their qi and blood bring powerful attack power, they also consume a person's foundation. Each time it may be only a trace, but over the years it accumulates to a great extent. Although they can constantly replenish their qi and blood to strengthen their physique, what martial artist is immune to injury? The more injuries they sustain, the greater the burden on their body.
Another point is that on the battlefield, you can't just stop fighting whenever you want. Continuous fighting and constantly squeezing out the vital energy in your body is the greatest damage, and sometimes even irreparable damage.
It's like a building. If there's a problem with the foundation, even if you reinforce it, it only delays the building's use; it doesn't completely fix it. Because it's impossible to restore the entire foundation to its perfect state.
"Has it been decided? Who's leading the group? How many people are they taking?" Qin Mu asked.
"The leader is right in front of you. He only has three hundred men. As for how many you can take with you, that's up to you," Cheng Zhijie said with a smile.
"You're going there yourself? How come there are only three hundred people? Isn't that too few?" Qin Mu asked in surprise.
“It’s not him, it’s me! Three hundred people is a lot. That place is a bit special; too many people would just be a hindrance,” Luo Cheng interjected.
“Indeed! The place where the three mountains meet is said to be a narrow passage. Facing those powerful ferocious beasts, numbers are meaningless; ordinary soldiers simply cannot withstand them. Moreover, there are too many ferocious beasts, attacking almost non-stop, and there are even flying creatures. Therefore, only experts can be sent. Fortunately, the ferocious beasts are mindless; they will not continue to advance until they have devoured all the enemies in front of them,” Cheng Zhijie continued.
Qin Mu nodded to indicate that he understood. Those ferocious beasts absolutely could not be allowed to break out of the mountains, otherwise the losses would be incalculable. It was impossible to allow all the people to live in the city, and outside the city, ordinary generals could not deal with them.
Unlike wild beasts, ferocious beasts will not stop attacking as long as there are living creatures.
“If His Majesty allows me to go, I should be able to bring more than two hundred people. However, we can’t bring the triangular oxen through the mountains,” Qin Mu said after thinking for a moment.
He brought two hundred men, elites he had personally trained. Although they weren't quite as strong as the previous batch, they had greater potential. After conquering the monkey tribe and Yazhou Island, their strength was now considerable. Taking them along for a major battle would also facilitate their breakthroughs. The remaining men were the students; if they wished, Qin Mu would take them with him as well.
"That's fine too. The main force at that time may not necessarily be us," Luo Cheng agreed.
From their tone, Qin Mu knew that his going there was already a foregone conclusion, or rather, Luo Cheng had been trying to pull him along ever since he learned of his return. And Li Shimin naturally went along with it.
After the banquet, Qin Mu returned home, still pondering the problem of the ferocious beasts. How long would it take to hold off an unknown number of them? Those mindless creatures felt no fear, no terror. In other words, all he could do was resist and resist until they were all wiped out.
"What are you thinking about? Your son has called you several times already," Princess Changning said with displeasure.
Seeing his son stretching out his arms for a hug, Qin Mu felt a warmth in his heart. He smiled and hugged his son, then lowered his head and pressed it against his son's tummy, making the son giggle.
Seeing Qin Mu teasing his son, Princess Changning couldn't help but smile warmly each time. In her memory, she had never seen a father as doting on his son as Qin Mu. Her brothers would at most reach out and play with him, rarely even holding him. Unlike Qin Mu, who would lift her high in the air, carry her around like a little ox, and run around the yard!
Sometimes she gets a little jealous; her son forgets his mother as soon as he sees his father and clings to him.
"Something happened in the Nightmare Mountains, and I might have to go there soon." After joking around for a while, Qin Mu explained why he had been in a daze earlier.
Upon hearing the mention of Nightmare Mountains, Princess Changning knew what it was about. Her expression changed slightly, and then she said calmly, "I'll go with you."
"No, if you go, who will take care of our son?" Qin Mu hurriedly objected.
“Isn’t there Aunt Zheng at home, and Xin’er and the others? In short, I must go this time. I never want to be alone at home again, living in fear every day, afraid that I will hear bad news one day,” Princess Changning said stubbornly.
“Okay! Let’s go together.” Qin Mu was very touched and gently said, holding her hand.
They had been married for two years and known each other for seven years. They understood each other very well; a single sentence was enough for them to understand each other's feelings. The next day, Qin Mu returned to her parents' home and then secluded herself at home, spending time with her family. Occasionally, she would go out to visit her teacher, Li Gang. Half a month later, Li Shimin issued an imperial decree ordering Qin Mu to accompany Luo Cheng to the Nightmare Mountains.
As the departure date approached, Qin Mu learned that the number of people mobilized this time was larger than expected. There were only over six hundred people from their imperial court, while there were a thousand people from the martial arts world. Among them, four hundred were wearing Taoist robes, and the rest were mainly martial arts practitioners who practiced swordsmanship, as well as some carrying flags and wooden staffs.
The leader was also an acquaintance: Taoist Celestial Master Yuan Tiangang, Daoist Master Zhiyuan, and Confucian scholar Meng Ziyi.
"Huai Dao, it's been a long time. I didn't expect you to become a great Confucian scholar so quickly." During the night's rest, several leaders gathered together, and Yuan Tiangang said with a smile.
"I have only barely entered the realm of a great Confucian scholar, and I am far inferior to my predecessors."
"Huai Dao, do you know how the great changes in the world will affect cultivation?" Yuan Tiangang asked again.
"The spiritual energy of heaven and earth has become richer; cultivators should be able to feel it, right? I wonder what other effects it will have?" Qin Mu asked blankly.
“You’re right, but not entirely.” Yuan Tiangang and Zhiyuan exchanged a smile, and Zhiyuan took over the conversation.
"Please enlighten me, Daoist Master!" Qin Mu said, bowing respectfully.
“Don’t mention it. You’ll experience it all eventually. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth becomes richer, making it easier and more powerful to use spiritual techniques. It’s as if the fundamental principles of heaven and earth have suddenly become clear. Some secret techniques that were previously unusable can now be used again,” Zhiyuan explained.
“Some of these secret techniques, which we thought were just legends and had no effect, have now proven to be usable and have demonstrated astonishing power,” Yuan Tiangang continued.
"Ah! There's such a thing!" Qin Mu exclaimed in surprise. He really didn't know this. After all, he could use everything in the Ghost Valley Manual, and its power had increased. There was no situation where he couldn't use it before but suddenly could.
After thinking about it, Qin Mu guessed that it was because he had not yet fully cultivated after entering the Great Confucian realm when the great changes in the world had already occurred, so he naturally could not perceive them.
"Taoism has talismans, and Confucianism has characters. In fact, whether it is a talisman or a character, they are both explanations of the ultimate principles of heaven and earth and all things in nature. Legend has it that the first kind of writing was the sound that heaven and earth first created. It was emitted with spiritual energy and its power was unfathomable," Meng Ziyi explained.
"Yes." Qin Mu nodded. He had heard Li Gang mention this before, and it was also recorded in the manual. However, he knew that Meng Ziyi would not bring it up for no reason, so he listened very carefully.
“The characters and runes we use today are simplified by our ancestors. Master Yuan means ancient runes. In the past, those ancient characters were either unusable or their spirit could not bear them or be invoked.”
"Can I use it now?" Qin Mu asked in surprise. He had tried writing oracle bone script before, but he almost fainted. After that, he never tried anything beyond his capabilities again.
"Only a portion can be used; it mainly depends on one's understanding of the text. With your current strength, even if you can't use it, it won't cause any harm. That's why we haven't released it. Those with insufficient understanding and low strength still can't learn it," Meng Ziyi explained.
“Huai Dao, you cultivate both Confucianism and Taoism. You can try to cultivate during this time on the road. If you have any questions about Taoist runes, you can ask us,” Yuan Tiangang said with a smile.
“That’s right, we’ll tell you everything we know.” Zhiyuan nodded with a smile.
"Thank you, three seniors," Qin Mu said, bowing respectfully.
He knew that Yuan Tiangang and the others were using this opportunity to provoke him, since with his limited cultivation time, he couldn't possibly have the experience to learn so many complicated things.
Although the Guiguzi Manual records many secret techniques and miscellaneous knowledge, its main focus is still on the Seven Yin Talisman Techniques. It's not recommended to spend too much time on the use of talismans. As Guiguzi said, when one reaches a certain level, understanding will come naturally.
Of course! Qin Mu guessed that Guiguzi wouldn't have foreseen that his legacy wouldn't be inherited until a thousand years later. And a thousand years ago, perhaps runes were just common knowledge; after all, Small Seal script only appeared around that time.
Writing systems have evolved several times, so how could runes remain unchanged? When Yuan Tiangang and the others said they should ask for help if they didn't understand something, it was just a euphemism; what they really meant was to have Qin Mu go and they would teach him.
Back in his tent, Qin Mu began studying bronze inscriptions, which recorded events and activities of the time, including sacrificial rites, imperial decrees, edicts, wars, hunts, and alliances. Bronze inscriptions, also known as bell and tripod inscriptions, were written on bronze vessels and were written later than oracle bone script. Qin Mu believed that bronze inscriptions would be simpler than oracle bone script and therefore less difficult to learn.
The key difference is that bronze inscriptions are characters carved on bronze artifacts. Compared to oracle bone script, one resembles official printing, while the other resembles casual private writing. Bronze inscriptions are easier to decipher. Even in another world, where he has already learned quite a bit, he cannot guarantee there are no errors. If there are errors, will they render the inscription useless, or will something bad happen? He doesn't know.
As Meng Ziyi said, not all writing has destructive power; only those that resonate with the universe do. First learn, then combine. What Qin Mu needs to do now is concentrate his mind, write with spiritual energy, and see which character can resonate with that energy.
After a night of recollection and exploration, he finally found twenty-six characters that could resonate with spiritual energy. This was not as easy as he had imagined; writing with spiritual energy required the consumption of mental and spiritual power. The next day, Qin Mu was somewhat listless, which was rare for him. This made Han Chen look at him strangely, and even subtly ask if he needed a tonic.
"The righteous spirit is also a kind of spiritual energy, so using these ancient scripts is equally powerful. Of course! In the past, the more commonly used scripts were the Greater Seal Script and the Lesser Seal Script. The Book of Songs is written in the Greater Seal Script, and each poem contains a secret technique. However, as the spiritual energy decreases, it gradually loses its effectiveness."
"The most suitable things, besides the sacred objects left by sages, are the poems and lyrics you write yourself, written in the Great Seal script, which will increase their power by more than 30%." Meng Ziyi explained as it was time for another day of rest.
"A 30% increase is fantastic! I was just saying that the power of divinely bestowed poems was waning and would eventually become useless," Qin Mu said in surprise. He hadn't expected that written language could be used in this way.
"Not bad, thirty percent! Like our Meng family, your righteous spirit has transformed into a righteous and upright spirit. This is why I agreed to guide you, Master Yuan. Those who can cultivate a righteous and upright spirit will surely have the world in their hearts and be upright and incorruptible! This is Heaven's reward for us. Remember to maintain your original heart, otherwise, the consequences will be even more serious than those of a great Confucian scholar."
Below the level of a great Confucian scholar, ordinary Confucian cultivators can use methods to deceive the perception of heaven and earth, so that even if they do things against their conscience, it will not affect their cultivation. But it is not the same for us who cultivate Qi. Black is black, and white is white. If black and white are reversed, it will be intolerable to heaven! At best, one will make no further progress; at worst, one's cultivation will be greatly damaged." Meng Ziyi warned.
"I understand! Thank you for your guidance, senior," Qin Mu said with a deep bow.
"Well, there's not much I can teach you. Confucianism emphasizes righteousness and propriety; rules are paramount. So every stroke must be correct, and the order must be precise, unlike regular writing where you can do whatever you want. These two volumes of 'Wan Zhang' and 'Gaozi' are handwritten from a book by my ancestor Mencius, entirely in seal script. I'm giving them to you." Mencius waved his hand, revealing a box, and handed it to Qin Mu.
"Thank you very much, senior!" Qin Mu accepted the gift with both hands and expressed his gratitude solemnly.
"No need to be polite, I can copy it anytime I need," Meng Ziyi said, waving his hand dismissively.
Qin Mu certainly knew the value of the scrolls copied by the great Confucian scholar. After all, he was now a great Confucian scholar himself, and his scrolls contained a trace of the spiritual power of a great Confucian scholar. Compared to those copied by others, it was easier for him to comprehend the spirit of the book.
Especially the books that great Confucian scholars often read, those are even more extraordinary, and the insights gained by these scholars are just like those they used to explain.
"If we use bronze script or oracle bone script to write poems, how powerful would they be?" Qin Mu asked.
“Bronze script and oracle bone script!” Meng Ziyi paused for a moment and said, “Of course, the power is superior, but first you have to know so many characters, and then there’s the writing! Although great Confucian scholars understand profound meanings, they can’t apply them to seal script, let alone bronze script. This requires a lot of time to practice, otherwise it’s too slow and not very effective.”
70
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com