Chapter 40 A Woman in Yue, A Sword in Yunmeng (Please Read and Vote)
"Senior brother, don't you think I'm brainless?"
"No."
Ouyang Rong shook his head without looking to the side, and met the gaze of his junior sister facing him. Well, he didn't care at all about the size of the future cafeteria for his junior disciples.
"I still fell for such an obvious trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain."
"The more sophisticated the trap, the simpler it is often."
Xie Lingjiang was a little melancholy: "Really... But I've read so many books, and my father often tells me to use my brain before I act. But when I see an enemy wounded and running away, I want to chase after them, thinking I can catch them quickly."
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment and comforted her, "It's normal. I used to impulsively dive towers thinking I could kill someone with a sliver of health, but I later realized that's just a delusion."
"Crossing the tower... fatal weakness... what does that mean?" Xie Lingjiang was taken aback and tentatively asked, "Senior brother, are you also a Qi cultivator?"
"No... but it's pretty much the same. I understand that feeling of losing a head you've almost gotten." He sighed.
"Senior brother." Xie Lingjiang's nose felt a little sore.
"So, junior sister isn't brainless, she's just a little... no... a little slow. She'll become quick-witted after some practice with her senior brother."
"..." Xie Lingjiang.
“If you don’t know how to comfort people, you don’t have to.” She nodded sternly.
Ouyang Rong chuckled, picked up half of the bronze beast mask from the table, and examined it closely. "So, Junior Sister, have you clearly seen what this demon looks like?"
"No, he still had paint on his face, he was just pretending... He jumped into Butterfly Creek and escaped while injured."
Seeing the apologetic expression on Xie Lingjiang's face, Ouyang Rong said softly:
"Judging from the current situation, he was probably sent by the Liu family. He might even have accomplices to help him. It was right that Junior Sister didn't impulsively go into the water." Besides, Junior Sister probably can't swim as well as him; she's a couple of pounds heavier.
Xie Lingjiang was still indignant. "The main problem is that I'm not good at swordsmanship. Otherwise, I could have easily broken through these false magic spells with a single sword strike and directly attacked the target."
Ouyang Rong, who was about to offer some words of comfort, twitched at the corner of his mouth and glanced at the longsword at her waist. "You call this being bad at swordsmanship?"
"This is nothing. Senior Brother, this must be your first time meeting a Qi cultivator, right?" Xie Lingjiang shook his head. "The path I follow is not known for swordsmanship. The one that can truly break through all laws with a single sword is another hidden path."
"Junior Sister follows the path of scholars?"
"Hmm. Senior brother also knows about Qi cultivators?"
"I've heard Liu Lang mention it a bit, but I don't know much about it." After a pause, Ouyang Rong asked curiously, "Are there different ranks among the Qi cultivators' cultivation paths? What realm are you at, Junior Sister?"
Although he was going home after controlling the flood and slaying the dragon, he couldn't resist a little gossip, because he always suspected that the merit tower in the lake of his heart was related to the Qi cultivator...
At present, it seems that junior sister's Qi cultivation is somewhat like the masters in martial arts novels, only with a different name. It seems that she does not cultivate physical martial arts, but something called "Qi". Even junior sister, who is only two pounds heavy and has a delicate body, can fly over walls and roofs, which shows that it is indeed quite magical.
Furthermore, the origins of this power system can be traced back to the pre-Qin Qi practitioners mentioned only in fragments of ancient texts.
But we don't know where the origins of those pre-Qin Qi practitioners can be traced back to, perhaps to the ancient mythological era?
Moreover, what is the current state of the top Qi cultivators? Could they really live forever? Did the First Emperor of Qin find the elixir of immortality a thousand years ago...? Hmm, probably not. If Qin Shi Huang were still alive, there probably wouldn't be the current Li Gan and Wei Zhou.
"Don't pry into matters of the martial world, senior brother." The noble lady of the Xie family seemed to still be angry; someone had just ruined her feelings.
Ouyang Rong smiled, peeled an orange, patted the white pith twice, and handed it to her, saying, "Junior Sister, calm down."
Xie Lingjiang snorted: "I won't eat it, it'll make me feel hot."
The young magistrate thought for a moment, then silently pushed the pile of orange peels and white fibers on the table away.
This will cool you down.
"..."
With a flick of her sleeve, Xie Lingjiang snatched the peeled orange that her senior brother was about to take back, and glared at him with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"Eat the skin yourself. Peel two more for me."
Ouyang Rong smiled and nodded, then peeled a few more and handed them over, saying, "Let's get down to business."
Xie Lingjiang then turned serious and said:
There are nine ranks of Qi cultivators.
"But actually... it's a sixth-rank official."
"Because the final three steps to 'myth' have long been lost."
"This is similar to the official ranks in the Zhou court. The top ranks, such as the Three Masters and the Three Dukes, are not granted real power but are merely honorary titles."
"The first, second, and third ranks of Qi cultivators are similar. In the current martial arts world, both inside and outside the world, it has been almost a hundred years since anyone has been heard of reaching this level."
"However, even though it has been lost, the Qi practitioners in the entire martial arts world still use the nine-rank system, which was created during the Wei and Jin Dynasties along with the Nine-Rank System."
"Among them, the ninth and eighth ranks are the initial Qi cultivators, whose spiritual energy is blue; the seventh and sixth ranks are the middle-grade Qi cultivators, whose spiritual energy is vermilion; the fifth and fourth ranks are the upper-grade Qi cultivators, whose spiritual energy is purple; and above that is the lost Celestial Rank, which is called... Divine Continent Celestials in ancient books. It is said that they can fly and escape into the earth, and ride the wind."
Xie Lingjiang sighed.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but ask, "Spiritual energy has color? I don't see yours."
"First, I haven't reached the level of external projection yet; second, my senior brother doesn't know how to observe qi."
He understood, and then asked, "What do those nine mythical Dao veins mean?"
Xie Lingjiang popped a segment of orange flesh into her mouth, her slender fingers lightly touching her lips, and carefully chose her words:
"All Qi cultivation techniques in the world today originate from the nine mythical Daoist lineages passed down from the pre-Qin period."
"Some say that the end of each of the nine Dao veins leads to mythology, some say that the ultimate goal of climbing to the ninth rank is immortality, and some say that advancing to the first rank will allow one to ascend to the Penglai Immortal Realm... But, who knows?"
"Myths have long been lost. Immortality and the Penglai Immortal Realm are now only pursued by those crazy sorcerers overseas and the most fanatical Taoist Qi practitioners."
"The nine mythical lineages have been passed down to this day, and the world has changed drastically since then."
"Or perhaps it would be better to disappear into the long river of history like the Mohist school, and from the whale fall all things will be born."
"Otherwise, like the military and yin-yang schools, it declined during the two struggles over the past thousand years and fell into the hands of imperial power and hidden clans."
"Or, like the lineage of scholars and the lineage of Daoist practitioners, it has been passed down for thousands of years and remains an unshakable and prominent sect in the world, dedicated to saving the world."
"Or... they could retreat into seclusion, each with their own mission, their own obsessions, and their own... madness."
Xie Lingjiang sighed softly.
Ouyang Rong seemed to be deep in thought, then asked, "So this complete lineage of scholars belongs to our Confucian school?"
Xie Lingjiang shook his head: "The lineage of scholars is not exclusive to Confucianism or Confucian families. There are also a few disciples of Legalism and the School of Diplomacy who follow this path. It's just that the Confucian lineage is the most prominent in the world. It stood out from the Hundred Schools of Thought in the pre-Qin period and was the only state that was respected during the reign of Emperor Wu. But all the Hundred Schools of Thought were scholars."
Ouyang Rong really wanted to ask him why the academy hadn't taught him Qi Refining Technique since he was so good at studying in both his past and present lives. Did he not know the value of being one of the Eighteenth Top Scholars? However, seeing how his junior sister didn't mention this matter and was considerate of his feelings, he probably understood the reason.
He thought for a moment and nodded: "What is your current rank, Junior Sister?"
"The scholar's lineage, eighth rank, gentleman." He paused, then explained, "Moreover, in the martial arts world, those who cultivate Qi from the Confucian school at the initial level are collectively called gentlemen, while those at the middle level are called sages..."
"No wonder Junior Sister kept emphasizing that she was a gentleman. She truly treats people with sincerity and didn't lie to her senior brother..."
Xie Lingjiang shook her head and said softly:
“I thought my senior brother knew a little bit about it… Moreover, having a rank title is a luxury, because it is all the experience summarized by senior Qi cultivators, and it is all summarized by the various Qi cultivator forces themselves. It can vaguely point out a path involving ‘Qi’.”
"Only those with a complete lineage of mythical cultivation can enjoy such treatment, such as the three supreme sects of Manifestation. In the martial world, those Qi cultivators with miscellaneous lineages who lack a stable lineage are simply referred to as rank-a few Qi cultivators..."
"What was your previous rank of 9?"
"A scholar." She said calmly.
"What about the seventh rank?"
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but glance at her senior brother. She tilted her head slightly, a half-smile on her face, and asked, "Why does Senior Brother know so much?"
Ouyang Rong coughed, pointed to the bronze beast mask broken in two on the table, and nodded:
"Since this sorcerer is connected to the Liu family, I should at least ask around just in case, to prepare in advance. Junior Sister, do you know what lineage this sorcerer belongs to, and what rank he is?"
Xie Lingjiang hesitated for a moment before truthfully replying, "It should be the Dao lineage of a divine sorcerer, also of the eighth rank. However, it should be someone who has only recently entered the eighth rank. And if I remember correctly, the title of this eighth rank is... Seeking Immortals."
She paused, then earnestly gave further instructions:
"The lineage of sorcerers is a mythical lineage with a history as long as that of scholars, but they are quite... wicked and unpredictable in terms of good and evil. They like to seek immortality overseas, are skilled in external alchemy, and often sell the art of longevity to powerful figures throughout history. This has been the case since the Qin Dynasty, which is also the source of the conflict between our Confucian Qi practitioners and them."
"Moreover, when Qin first unified China, Confucian scholars and alchemists were both under the command of the First Emperor. The Confucian scholars assisted the First Emperor in performing the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai to promote the Way of the King. However, these alchemists were even more excessive than the Legalists who were simply fighting over the path. They encouraged the First Emperor to seek immortality. Later, they even deceived the emperor, fled, and framed him, which led to the burning of books and burying of scholars alive. It was from that time that the feud began... Senior brother, you must be careful of these kinds of people and don't believe in immortality."
Seeing her senior brother's indifferent expression, Xie Lingjiang nodded in relief, then looked slightly puzzled.
"However, these sorcerers usually seek immortality in the northern seas and rarely operate in the south. I wonder where the Liu family or some other family found this sorcerer, and how he dared to get so close..."
Ouyang Rong asked curiously, "Why are there fewer sorcerers in the south? The Lingnan region further south is also by the sea, so why can't one seek immortality there?"
Xie Lingjiang smiled and said, "Because this Jianghu in the south, which is composed of Jiangnan Road and Lingnan Road, has a mortal enemy of the immortals and sorcerers."
Ouyang Rong realized, "Uh, could it be that Dao lineage that can break through all laws with a single sword strike?"
Xie Lingjiang pointed his index finger upwards, "At the highest point of the Tiannan Jianghu, there is a top-tier hidden sect, the ancestral home of swordsmanship in the world. This sect is called... Yunmeng Sword Marsh."
"This sect possesses the Yue Nu Dao lineage, one of the original nine mythical Dao lineages. It only accepts female cultivators, with strict conditions, and it hides itself away from the world, rarely entering the mortal realm."
"And the female cultivators of Yunmeng are most fond of killing Taoist priests," Xie Lingjiang said with a smile.
“Yunmeng Sword Marsh… wait, why does that sound so familiar?” Ouyang Rong frowned.
After Xie Lingjiang finished eating the last segment of orange pulp, she got up and left, leaving behind a table full of orange peels and a comment:
"That's right, it's right next door in Yunmengze. Speaking of which, it was the floodwaters in their area that inundated my senior brother's county town."
"..." A young county magistrate.
...
On the west side of Donglin Temple, there is a simple yet tidy house belonging to a family of three.
Inside a bright room with its windows reopened and no longer dim.
A tall, thin man with the character "越" tattooed on his face was packing his bags with his head down.
An anxious old woman was pulling at him with both hands, her white hair trembling in the air, her words also:
"Don't go down the mountain, Ah Shan, don't go down the mountain. Let's just stay in the temple and live our lives peacefully."
Liu Ashan remained silent, his movements unchanged as he continued tidying up, only occasionally coughing and swaying slightly, his body appearing somewhat unsteady. He still suffered from the weakness that comes with prolonged illness and bed rest.
However, the man acted swiftly and decisively, leaving all the remaining money at home, simply grabbing a few changes of clothes and stuffing them into his bundle, taking only some necessities down the mountain.
"Ah Shan, please don't go down, Mother begs you..."
With tears in her eyes, Liu's mother held his hand, but Liu Ashan, who had his back turned, shook his head.
At the doorway, the curtain was quietly lifted, revealing a pair of bright, intelligent eyes. Ah Qing silently watched her mother and brother arguing inside.
My brother's illness has mostly healed. He was able to get out of bed and walk around last night. However, he only rested for one night. This morning, my brother got up early to pack his things, saying that he was going down the mountain to find the county magistrate.
Aqing hesitated, unable to understand her mother's worries, but also unable to understand her brother's stubbornness.
However, she knew that the magistrate was a good man. Ah Qing was actually quite happy that her brother went to see the magistrate, and that she would also have the opportunity to visit the magistrate when she went to see her brother in the future.
Ah Qing was a little worried about her brother's health. Also... her mother seemed to have never been so sad as she was today. Even when her brother was diagnosed with a terminal illness, her mother had only shown a numb, resigned attitude, as if it were all her fate.
Liu Ashan slung her bundle over her shoulder, turned around and knelt down before her crying mother who was trying to stop her. She kowtowed three times, then got up and left without a word. She patted her obedient little sister's head outside the door, then silently turned and left the courtyard.
Liu's mother chased after her, crying out:
“Ah Shan, our benefactor won’t care whether we repay his kindness or not. We can spend the rest of our lives burning incense and praying for blessings, and be reborn as your servants in the next life. Don’t go down there, this kindness can never be repaid…”
Liu Ashan kept walking without turning his head, his voice hoarse and deep:
"Young master, please let me go down the mountain to find him once I've recovered from my injuries. Mother, please go back."
The old woman, helped up by Aqing, stared blankly at the child's retreating figure, murmuring to herself:
"We poor people can never repay the kindness of benefactors. Even the smallest favor they do for us is greater than the sky. How can we poor people repay them? We only have one life..."
But apart from the bewildered Aqing, no one else heard, and no one would listen.
The man's muffled voice came from afar again:
“Aqing, take good care of Mother. Brother is leaving.”
...
Actually, the respectful title for a county magistrate is "Mingfu," but I've been making a mistake and calling him "Mingtang" instead. *cough cough*... I'll have to take a chicken leg off my dinner.
(End of this chapter)
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