Nine-Headed Mura Flower

"Ah!"

Li Caiyun was practically dizzy with delight.

Her second son had been admitted to the Sword Dao Academy, with limitless prospects ahead of him, while her eldest son was about to become a full-fledged officer. After so many years of hardship, the Liang Family's bitter days were finally coming to an end.

She hurried to the ancestral tablets at home and lit several sticks of incense, muttering, "I knew it. The Liang Family has been loyal and righteous through every generation. Of course they would bless us..."

But seeing how calm the children all were, as though they had known already, she asked in puzzlement, "Aren't you happy for Xiao Peng?"

"Happy! Extremely happy!" Liang Yue and Liang Xiaoyun exchanged a glance and hurriedly nodded again and again.

The two of them had known that Liang Peng was going to take the examination. They had always had faith in him and had long considered it a certainty set in stone, so naturally they were not all that surprised.

To keep Mother from guessing that they had little secrets behind her back, they still put on the appearance of having just heard the news.

The family was once again filled with warmth and laughter.

By evening, Liang Yue finally had time to study his technique alone.

This "Sword Domain Swimming Dragon Movement Technique" contained only a single visualization diagram. The first few pages described the acupoints for circulating power and the use of qi flow. They were the theoretical portion and had to be mastered thoroughly. Yet after grasping them, whether one could truly execute the technique still depended on whether one could comprehend the Dao rhythm within the visualization diagram behind them.

The written portion naturally posed no difficulty for Liang Yue. He was not Da Chun; he would not get sleepy just from reading.

The movement technique's simplified diagram looked somewhat obscure. The various movements depicted were incredibly casual, yet their degree of folding and flexibility was astonishing.

Judging from the illustrations alone, it hardly seemed meant for humans to cultivate.

According to what was recorded, the origin of this technique truly had not been human. Back then, the patriarch of the Sword Control Branch slew a dragon beside a lake, unleashing a sky-filling sword domain that nearly spread across the entire greater world. Yet that accomplished demon dragon could still find gaps through which to evade, without even a single scale being scratched.

That patriarch had comprehended this set of movement techniques from the encounter. Its speed was extraordinary, supple and swift as a swimming dragon.

But after the movement technique was created, few disciples throughout the mystic sects could cultivate it. Only after careful investigation did they discover that Qi Refiners' bodies were not strong enough to endure such repeated torment, and so the technique was left idle.

It was only when the Sword Control Branch produced a cultivator who had switched to martial cultivation some years ago that it was brought out from the scripture pavilion again.

As his Divine Sense slowly sank into the diagram, Liang Yue's consciousness arrived in a landscape of clear, beautiful mountains and waters. Beneath a blue sky lay a vast emerald lake, and seated cross-legged within it was a green-robed Daoist with his eyes closed.

As Liang Yue's consciousness entered, the green-robed Daoist abruptly opened his eyes. In that instant, heaven and earth changed color!

The wind howled and the lake water trembled. Liang Yue had a vague premonition. The patriarch in the Hu Family Blade Technique visualization diagram from last time was separated from this one by an entire realm.

If that one had been a master, then this one was at least a peak Grandmaster, or perhaps even in the legendary Immortal Realm!

A technique created by such a figure had to be extraordinary!

Boom!

As the green-robed Daoist opened his eyes, a cold flash suddenly shot out from the lake. It was a chilling flying sword! Then came a second, a third... too many to count, thousands upon thousands!

Countless flying swords burst out from the lake, stirring up a rain of cold light across the sky! As that curtain of rain fell, the sea of swords formed by endless flying swords spread out and shrouded an entire mountain peak!

The green-robed Daoist raised two fingers, and the sea of swords became like a dragon, instantly twisting into one mass before sweeping toward a single point with a roaring rush! Wherever it passed, mountains and rivers shifted shape, sun and moon exchanged positions. Its might was so terrifying that it shook heaven and earth!

Then came a dragon's roar. "Haa—"

A lithe white radiance rose into the air, charging straight toward the sky-filling sword domain without the slightest fear of that formidable Sword Qi formation.

Clang clang clang—

Countless flying swords collided as they converged upon the white demon dragon. It transformed between heaven and earth, now large, now small; now long, now short. It was like lightning, like formless flowing water.

A swimming dragon!

Just as the white dragon was about to close in, the green-robed Daoist turned his fingertips once more, apparently intending to drive the sword formation to slaughter the demon dragon charging through it with even greater speed.

Liang Yue wanted to look more closely, but suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his temples.

"Ah..."

With a thud, he fell to the ground, his mind spinning. It was quite a while before the golden stars filling his vision finally faded.

"My Divine Sense is overdrawn." There was not the slightest trace of dejection on Liang Yue's face. Instead, his exhaustion was filled with excitement. "This technique is somewhat taxing for me."

Strictly speaking, it was not that he could not visualize its Dao rhythm, but that his Divine Sense was insufficient to support visualization of such intensity. Even if he could visualize the scene, his Divine Sense lacked the strength to evolve it.

He was not discouraged in the slightest, because the harder a technique was to comprehend, the more powerful it proved to be.

If he could ultimately cultivate it to the white dragon's form, then it would be nearly shadowless and formless, without a single flaw to exploit!

When Liang Yue woke the next morning, his mind still felt hollow and his spirit drained. Ever since cultivating martial arts, his qi and blood had been replenished and his spirit full; it had been a long time since he had felt such fatigue.

He had requested leave from the station yesterday, but he still forced himself out of bed, because today was the day Liang Peng would be sent to the academy.

The Sword Dao Academy was located at Vast Righteousness Peak on Langyun Mountain east of the city, far too distant from the Liang Family's Fukang Ward home. He could no longer attend classes from home every day and had to live at the academy instead.

Liang Yue rented a carriage, and the whole family loaded Liang Peng's belongings onto it. Li Caiyun clung to her son's hand reluctantly, tears nearly spilling from her eyes. "Why is this so sudden? You're leaving just like that..."

"Mother, I'll be back soon. I can come home for three days every half month." Liang Peng did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Besides, the east side of the city isn't that far away. I can still come home for meals whenever I have time."

"Alas." Li Caiyun sighed. "When your father went to war, he also said he would be back soon."

"Mother, Mother, Mother..." Liang Xiaoyun hurriedly stopped her. "Xiao Peng going to the Sword Dao Academy is a joyous occasion. Please say something auspicious."

Li Caiyun then reminded him, "If anyone bullies you at the academy, come home and tell Mother, understand?"

"Mm!" Liang Peng nodded heavily.

Even after Liang Yue drove away with Liang Peng and his luggage, Li Caiyun continued staring sorrowfully at the carriage tracks. "Alas, Xiao Peng is the kindest person. Now that he'll be so far from home, I'm truly worried he'll suffer grievances."

"Mother." Liang Xiaoyun comforted her, "Xiao Peng can handle things himself... You really needn't worry."

The carriage slowly left the city. Spring had warmed the official road, with flowers blooming on both sides and lush, vivid greenery everywhere. Liang Peng sat on the driver's bench, and the brothers chatted on and off.

Along the way, families occasionally led children or teenagers in the same direction for an outing, perhaps to see the grand spectacle of the Sword Dao Academy. Spring had come, flowers were splendid, and scholars were elegant.

As they drew closer, Langyun Mountain's majestic bearing came into view, while Vast Righteousness Peak stood solemn and magnificent, both among the most imposing of mountain scenery. Turning around, they could see that directly opposite Vast Righteousness Peak, on another towering cliff face, a vast rock mural had been carved.

The mural depicted a flower with nine long, narrow petals growing side by side, carrying a faintly demonic air.

Liang Yue's gaze shifted. The flower on the mural looked somewhat familiar, so he asked, "What flower is that carving?"

"That's the Nine-Headed Mura Flower." Liang Peng glanced at it before answering, "Since its nine stalks have always shared one branch, it used to be the national flower of the ancient Yang Kingdom. Later, when the Nine Yang Kingdoms completely split apart, none of them wished to mention that flower much anymore."

"Then why is it carved directly opposite the Sword Dao Academy?" Liang Yue asked again.

"It was carved by the academy's predecessors." At this, Liang Peng's expression became somewhat more solemn.

"Over four hundred years ago, the Nine Yang Kingdoms invaded the Yin Dynasty. They once occupied Liang Province, West Province, and North Province for several decades, and continually pressed into Central Province. Fortunately, the Daxing Emperor ascended the throne in that time of peril. After ten years of bitter warfare, he drove back the Nine Yang Kingdoms and prevented the danger of the Nine Provinces sinking beneath the waves."

"During the great war, the Daxing Emperor moved the capital from Qingdu Yunlu City to the divine capital, Dragon Abyss City. He faced the Nine Yang Kingdoms directly and personally guarded the nation's gates. At his proposal, the Confucian Saint Ancestor established the Sword Dao Academy specifically to cultivate Confucian Cultivators for the court who combined book and sword."

"The Nine Yang national flower was carved opposite it to remind Sword Dao Academy students that the enemy stands before their eyes and has never truly gone far. The humiliation of the Nine Provinces must never be forgotten."

Liang Yue listened to his explanation and nodded lightly.

He had heard some of that history before, but this was indeed the first time he had seen a Nine-Headed Mura Flower.

He had seen something similar before...

On Phoenix Butterfly's tattoo, just behind her shoulder. But Phoenix Butterfly's had only three flowers.

After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "Does this flower only come with nine heads? Are there three-headed or four-headed ones?"

"Heh." Liang Peng laughed. "Big Brother, why are you so hung up on this flower? Mo Luo Flowers are naturally born with only nine heads. Oh, right, there seem to have been Three-Headed Moluo Flowers in history, but that was merely the emblem of a merchant guild."

"Just curious." Liang Yue shook his head and asked no more.

The carriage followed the main road up the mountain until it was stopped before the academy's main gate halfway up the slope.

Ahead stood a tall statue of a sword-bearing Confucian scholar, its blade pointing from afar at the Nine-Headed Mura Flower on the opposing cliff.

He too had been the decisive figure behind the victory in the war of reclamation: the Confucian Saint Ancestor.

He and the Daxing Emperor had met in their youth and become close friends. Later, each encountered their own opportunities, until they ultimately ascended to the summit together and built an age of peace. Their story had long become a celebrated tale.

Two lines of golden words were also carved onto the platform beneath the statue.

"To govern a nation requires seasoned men; to save the world calls for the young."

It was said that the Daxing Emperor had personally inscribed the words to honor the immense achievements of those young scholars who had bled and sacrificed themselves in the war of reclamation four hundred years ago.

During the years when the Nine Yang Kingdoms occupied the three provinces, they tried to erase all traces of the Yin Dynasty within several decades. They destroyed books, poetry, prose, and paintings, and killed anyone who dared use the writing of the Nine Provinces.

Countless young people had resolutely gone there, spreading the culture of the Nine Provinces throughout enemy-occupied lands through word of mouth and lessons written in sand. This allowed the people of the three provinces to remember where their roots lay and to await, at every moment, the royal army's march north.

In that process, who knew how many Confucian scholars had gone gallantly to their deaths?

That was the meaning of those words. In peaceful times, governing a nation required seasoned stability, so that the country would not easily fall into turmoil and chaos. But if one were born into troubled times, only the fiery blood of youth could save the world!

The carriage slowly stopped outside the mountain gate.

A young Confucian scholar stood smiling beside the statue and called out, "Junior Brother Liang Peng, you came rather early. Fortunately, I arrived ahead of time as well."

"Senior Brother Bian." Liang Peng jumped down from the carriage and cupped his hands in salute. "Of course I had to arrive early. I would not dare make Senior Brother wait for me."

"I'm from the Bamboo Character Division, and my name is Bian He. Since Junior Brother Liang Peng has only just entered the academy, I'll help him familiarize himself with the mountain gate over the next few days." Senior Brother Bian then said to Liang Yue, "Family members and carriages cannot go up the mountain. Hand his luggage over to me."

"Senior Brother Bian, I can carry it myself." Liang Peng hurriedly said.

"Hey." Senior Brother Bian waved his hand. "There's no need for that."

After Liang Yue and Liang Peng had unloaded all the luggage from the carriage, he confirmed, "That's everything, right?"

With that, he formed a hand seal with both hands. A clear breeze wrapped around him, Liang Peng, and the luggage on the ground, whisking them into the air in an instant.

Walking through the air, his feet drifting weightlessly beneath him, Liang Peng was experiencing such mystery for the first time. Yet his expression remained fairly calm as he waved farewell to Liang Yue in midair. "Big Brother, I'm going now. Be careful on your way home."

"Study hard and make progress every day!" Liang Yue earnestly reminded him.

Then Liang Peng flew upward, while Liang Yue drove the carriage back alone.

As he descended the mountain, Liang Yue looked up at the Nine-Headed Mura Flower on the opposing cliff. His gaze flickered as he fell into thought. "Whether it is or not, one investigation will reveal the truth."

Good morning.