The next morning, while they were eating breakfast, Duàn Yì told Bái Xī Wén that he had successfully developed a sense of qi, and raised several doubts that had arisen while studying the Ice True Qi cultivation method.
Bái Xī Wén appeared much calmer upon hearing the news. Though surprised, he was not shocked.
For one thing, Duàn Yì's performance the day before had already prepared him. Whether it was his formidable memory or his exceedingly rare physical aptitude for martial arts, both had made Bái Xī Wén see him in a new light.
For another, Bái Xī Wén had once used his own cultivation to help Duàn Yì nurture his sense of qi. He could claim some credit for this extraordinary rate of progress.
Picking up a bite of greens, Bái Xī Wén ate as he explained Duàn Yì's questions. From his lofty vantage point, he made everything crystal clear. At last, he said,
"To turn the insubstantial into the substantial, to transform a sense of qi into true qi, you must follow the path of refining essence into qi.
"In other words, whether you can successfully cultivate true qi is intimately connected to whether your own essence and qi are abundant.
"This essence is the essence of the five grains—the food you eat at your three daily meals. Aside from sustaining your ordinary vital functions, it can be transformed into true qi and stored away, growing ever stronger.
"That is why people often say that scholars may be poor, but martial artists must be rich. And those who practice martial arts must not only eat much, but eat well.
"By 'well,' I do not simply mean delicious food, but foods rich in essence and qi.
"All manner of warming and nourishing pills are refined by specialized masters. Their ingredients are balanced and harmonized to enhance their medicinal properties, so the speed of true qi cultivation naturally surpasses that of ordinary people.
"Pure medicinal herbs—ginseng, fleeceflower root, deer antler, and the like—contain essence and qi that have not been regulated or stimulated, yet are incomparably pure. They leave behind no medicinal toxins and will not harm the body.
"If you have neither of those, then eating plenty of fish and meat is still a way to strengthen the essence and qi within the human body."
Duàn Yì had been wolfing down a large bowl of rice and huge mouthfuls of greens, his cheeks puffed out. Hearing this, the food instantly became like chewing wax, utterly tasteless.
Bái Xī Wén was naturally fond of vegetarian food, so his three meals each day were all light and plain. Duàn Yì could only follow him in eating vegetables. Meat? Dream on.
He was penniless now. He was only able to avoid starving because of Bái Xī Wén's support. He could hardly learn another man's martial arts, eat another man's food, then demand fish, meat, and precious herbs from him as well, could he?
A person could have a thick skin, but they could not be shameless.
Duàn Yì had already swallowed his pride when he came up the mountain, using Yuè Jiāo Nú as leverage to make Bái Xī Wén take him in and teach him martial arts. If he dared make another unreasonable request, he would truly be shameless.
"Brother Bái, since you're an elder of the Golden Cauldron Sect and its foremost expert, do you know any ways to make money?"
In the end, Duàn Yì could only beat around the bush. If he did not want to eat for free, then he could work while studying—learn martial arts while earning the expenses needed to practice them. That was not a bad method either.
"Make money? Ever since I came up the mountain to learn martial arts, all my daily expenses have been supplied by the sect. Where would I find any way to make money?
"Still, if you truly want to earn money, I can introduce you to someone.
"His name is Zhou Xiong. He is the chief outer disciple of the Golden Cauldron Sect. His martial arts are not particularly impressive, but he is smooth and polished, with sleeves long enough for a good dance. He is highly skilled at dealing with people and making money. Every year, he brings considerable profit to the Golden Cauldron Sect, so the sect leader values him greatly."
Bái Xī Wén understood what Duàn Yì meant. He scratched his head, thought for a moment, and replied.
His martial arts were powerful. Setting aside the silver the Golden Cauldron Sect paid him every month, the mere name Bái Xī Wén was worth ten thousand gold in the martial world. Countless people scrambled to give him money. Why would he need to rack his brains over earning it?
Yet upon hearing the name Zhou Xiong, Duàn Yì's expression changed. Two faces immediately rose in his mind.
One belonged to the exquisite, flawless, and extraordinarily well-born young woman he had met by chance—Yuè'er.
Though she was rather willful and liked making him look foolish, being around her had been easy and relaxing, as though she were a mischievous little sister.
The other was Zhou Xiufen, so fat that her features were nearly impossible to make out. She had almost kidnapped him to marry him. Her impression upon him had been no less profound. Wasn't her brother the Golden Cauldron Sect's chief outer disciple, Zhou Xiong?
I must not get involved with this person.
The thought surfaced in Duàn Yì's mind almost instinctively. There was no other reason—he truly feared running into Zhou Xiufen again.
He had never forgotten the meaningful glance Zhou Xiufen gave him before she left. It had always weighed upon his mind, so he kept Zhou Xiong at a respectful distance as well.
He did not bring up making money again. After breakfast, once they had cleared away the dishes, the troubled Duàn Yì was once more called by Bái Xī Wén into the open courtyard.
"If you wish to learn and practice swordsmanship, then a sword that suits your hand is indispensable.
"This is the iron sword uniformly issued to Golden Cauldron Sect disciples who practice the sword. It is forged to the ten-refinements standard, with a blade three feet five inches long and a weight of four pounds eight ounces. Though ordinary, it is more than enough for a beginner like you. From now on, use it to practice swordsmanship."
In the courtyard paved with blue bricks, beneath the shade of an old tree, Bái Xī Wén wore a plain robe. His right hand held an unsheathed longsword, while the fingers of his left hand stroked its edge as he spoke slowly.
When he finished, Bái Xī Wén stepped forward. His longsword soared into the air, and sword light poured down like the rippling waters of a fathomless lake, yet concealed a killing intent that ebbed and surged. The sword light shifted, the sword technique turned, and it became like a Divine Dragon from beyond the heavens, proud and unmatched—Eternal Dragon, a move of Songshan Swordplay...
Duàn Yì could only clearly see those two moves. The remaining sword techniques were still in the style of Songshan Swordplay, yet when wielded by Bái Xī Wén, they were utterly impossible to see through.
When he struck, when he changed moves, when he withdrew his sword—it was like a curtain of light, indistinguishable to the naked eye. Only the sword chant roared like a dragon, each clear cry ringing in the ears and shaking the heart.
Duàn Yì's spirit swayed. His eyes did not blink. Even if he could not make out the other man's techniques, he had to watch until the end.
He had once watched Yuè Jiāo Nú practice Branch-Breaking Swordplay, but compared to this, the gap was simply too vast. It was not only that Songshan Swordplay was stronger than Branch-Breaking Swordplay, but that Bái Xī Wén's attainments in swordsmanship far surpassed Yuè Jiāo Nú's. The two were not even on the same level.
Apart from the unfathomable depth of his swordplay, Bái Xī Wén's sword seemed to contain fierce and powerful true qi. The gale it stirred was concentrated and biting cold, sweeping up fallen leaves in the courtyard and shredding them into countless fragments that fluttered down.
Even from several yards away, Duàn Yì's face felt as if it were being cut by knives. The pain became harder and harder to endure, until he had no choice but to retreat again and again to evade the fierce gale.
So strong. That was Duàn Yì's first reaction.
As the Golden Cauldron Sect's foremost expert, Bái Xī Wén's strength lay in far more than just the Invincible Treasure Codex. His swordsmanship alone was extraordinary.
In Duàn Yì's eyes, Bái Xī Wén had at least cultivated Songshan Swordplay to the level of Great Accomplishment. As for which stage he had reached, that was beyond Duàn Yì's ability to discern.
"I have already given you the sword manual. You may study the moves recorded within, as well as the methods for exerting force.
"What I am teaching you now is the essence of Songshan Swordplay—its bearing. That is the soul of Songshan Swordplay.
"If your thoughts are tangled and scattered, if you are timid and weak in spirit, then even flawless techniques will never lead to accomplishment. I hope you remember my words."
Bái Xī Wén sheathed the longsword, then tossed it out. It drew an arc through the air before finally landing in Duàn Yì's hand. Even after that display, Bái Xī Wén's expression remained unchanged and his breathing steady. There was no telling how much strength he had actually used.
Feeling the cool, solid metal in his hand, Duàn Yì slowly drew the sword. Its blade was dark and muted, as though the sword light that had flashed moments ago had merely been an illusion. Yet that only further proved Bái Xī Wén's mastery of the sword.
The sword occupied an exceedingly important place in Duàn Yì's heart. Compared with saber techniques, swordsmanship seemed more mainstream. More experts made their names with swords in hand and roamed the world unchallenged.
*I have it. Though I have no silver to earn for now, my fundamental goal is to strengthen my own essence and qi, so that I can nurture internal energy into being.
Shalu Mountain is so vast and boundless, with countless precious resources hidden within. Can't I make use of them?
Looking at the thin, razor-sharp blade, which could certainly be called a weapon of slaughter, a thought suddenly flashed through Duàn Yì's mind. Without money to buy pills, fish, or meat, he could hunt and search for them himself.
After all, compared with when he had encountered Yuè Jiāo Nú not long ago, he was now as different as heaven and earth. His strength had increased enormously.
Especially now that he had a sword in hand, he was like a tiger with wings.
Still, Shalu Mountain was the Golden Cauldron Sect's territory, and other sects occupied the other two peaks. Duàn Yì did not know whether his idea was feasible, so he asked Bái Xī Wén for confirmation.
"Of course you can. Though you are not a member of the Golden Cauldron Sect, you can still be considered my sworn younger brother. The game and medicinal herbs on the three peaks where the Golden Cauldron Sect resides are yours to take, so long as you have the ability."
Bái Xī Wén greatly approved of Duàn Yì's idea.
This was also the principle Bái Xī Wén wanted Duàn Yì to understand: rely on yourself.
He could not protect Duàn Yì forever, nor could he support him forever. Duàn Yì was no longer young. It was time for him to learn how to stand on his own.
Otherwise, would it not still be more than easy for Bái Xī Wén to support a single Duàn Yì in practicing martial arts?
"Enough. We can discuss those matters later. You may practice your sword now."
At those words, the sword manual Duàn Yì had comprehended in the Scripture Repository flashed through his mind. Holding the sword, he began practicing the basic sword techniques one move at a time: lunging forward with a straight thrust, turning and chopping behind him...
Every movement was proper and flawless, without the slightest error. In Bái Xī Wén's eyes, he simply did not look like someone with no foundation at all.
Every time he saw it, Bái Xī Wén could not help but sigh. What an enviable talent.
Before you continue