Sunset Swordplay

At the entrance to Miejue's bamboo courtyard, Gu Shao'an raised his clasped hands above his head and gave a deep bow.

"Your disciple pays respects to Master."

No sooner had he spoken than a creaking sound rang out.

As the bamboo gate opened, Miejue emerged from the Bamboo Hut.

"Come in!"

When her gaze fell upon Gu Shao'an, Miejue's tone unconsciously became gentler and softer.

Hearing this, Gu Shao'an straightened and stepped into the bamboo courtyard.

Before a table woven from green bamboo in the courtyard, Miejue pointed to the bamboo chair beside her. "Sit."

"Thank you, Master!"

Gu Shao'an obediently answered. After sitting down, he immediately picked up the teapot on the table and poured tea for Miejue.

If Senior Brother and I had married back then, our child would probably be about Shao'an's age now, wouldn't they? And perhaps they would be as graceful and composed as Shao'an, just like Senior Brother...

The thought passing through her mind, Miejue could not help but let out a quiet sigh.

Then she asked Gu Shao'an, "Do you have any difficulties in your cultivation?"

Facing Miejue's question, Gu Shao'an answered truthfully, "In reply to Master, I have not encountered any problems so far. If I had to name one, it would be that my internal cultivation method progresses rather slowly."

Miejue replied, "Internal cultivation is painstaking work, like dripping water wearing through stone and gathering streams into a sea. Slow progress is normal. Those in the martial world with profound internal strength all built it up over time before achieving a breakthrough. You cannot rush it."

Gu Shao'an nodded. "This disciple understands."

Seeing that Gu Shao'an still showed not the slightest impatience, Miejue could not help but smile.

Miejue had met many descendants of scholarly families, but in all her life, she had never seen anyone besides Gu Shao'an who possessed such steady, unhurried composure at so young an age.

Setting aside her thoughts, Miejue gestured to Gu Shao'an. "Turn around."

Though Gu Shao'an did not understand, he still did as told, turning slightly to face Miejue.

The moment Gu Shao'an turned toward her, Miejue suddenly raised both hands and gripped his shoulders.

In an instant, Gu Shao'an felt his shoulders being squeezed by her fingers, along with Miejue's true qi rushing into his arms.

Starting from the tendons and bones in Gu Shao'an's shoulders, Miejue's fingers slid along to his rear shoulders, then gradually moved downward until she grasped both his hands.

Her gaze swept over Gu Shao'an's hands.

The skin at the roots and tips of his fingers was soft and tender, without even a single callus or scar.

They were absolutely not the hands of someone who had practiced martial arts and wielded a sword for years.

Releasing him, Miejue smiled. "The tendons and bones in your arms are extraordinary, and even those around your rear shoulders are much stronger than those of ordinary people. These particular areas happen to be precisely the ones that must be engaged when using a sword. As expected of someone Born with a Sword Bone—truly beyond comparison with ordinary people."

"A sword bone?" Gu Shao'an asked blankly, seemingly confused.

Without suspecting anything, Miejue replied, "When you were cultivating last night, your three Shijie and I were nearby as well. We noticed then that your sword was far faster than an ordinary person's, and when you swung it, the tip remained steady in the air, exceptionally stable."

"These traits should have appeared in swordsmen immersed in swordplay for years, even decades—not in a newcomer like you, who has only just begun learning swordplay."

"Thus, I surmised that you were Born with a Sword Bone, which is why your sword practice has such unusual qualities."

"My examination just now has also proven that my judgment was correct."

After hearing Miejue's explanation, Gu Shao'an understood the reason.

Miejue had mistaken the strengthening of his tendons and bones brought by the Drawing Sword Like a Rainbow trait for something else.

Gu Shao'an therefore cooperatively revealed an enlightened expression and did not explain further.

It was merely that, influenced by memories from his previous life, the words "sword bone" sounded somewhat strange to Gu Shao'an.

After a pause, Miejue asked, "For other disciples, after cultivating internal strength, they would still need to spend several months or half a year practicing the fundamentals before they could learn swordplay."

"But you are Born with a Sword Bone. From Master's examination of your bones just now, the tendons and bones in your arms and rear shoulders are far stronger than those of ordinary people. Those preparatory exercises before sword practice are of no use to you, so you may skip that stage."

"Now that your internal strength has condensed, you may also begin learning Emei's martial arts. Although Willow Leaf Swordplay is decent, it is ultimately only meant for ordinary disciples beginning their sword training. It is not particularly profound."

"Today, Master will teach you true Emei martial arts."

As she spoke, Miejue raised her right hand and placed it on Gu Shao'an's shoulder.

Though her hand rested there casually, Gu Shao'an felt a powerful suction force coming from his shoulder.

Then Miejue sprang into the air, taking Gu Shao'an with her.

After several swift leaps, they landed in an open space at the center of the bamboo forest behind the mountain.

Gu Shao'an swept his eyes around and saw that the clearing beneath his feet was covered in marks of varying lengths and depths.

Many of the thick bamboo stalks around them also bore numerous scars of different depths.

When Zhao Jingxuan and Zhou Zhiruo had shown Gu Shao'an around Emei before, they had mentioned this bamboo forest.

According to them, this bamboo forest was where Miejue usually trained.

Removing her hand from Gu Shao'an's shoulder, Miejue stepped forward. Her long sleeve swept through the air, and a straight, emerald-green bamboo stalk roughly three feet long flew into her hand.

After walking more than ten paces, Miejue raised her eyes toward Gu Shao'an.

"Remember this well!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Miejue lifted her sleeve, and her sword swept through the sky.

Since she was teaching martial arts, Miejue naturally did not move too quickly. Even Gu Shao'an could clearly see every one of her movements.

"This swordplay has thirty-six Sword Moves, nine of which are killing moves."

"The first move: Golden Crow Inspects the Sky. Qi rises from the dantian, travels through the Hand Shaoyang meridian, passes the Jianliao acupoint, gathers strength in the arm, runs through Tianjing, enters Zhigou. The sword releases nine points, like the rising sun, majestic as it ascends."

As she described the route of the internal strength, the bamboo sword in Miejue's hand abruptly changed. It traced a perfect golden circle through the air, concealing nine successive thrusts within it.

If an enemy stood before her, those nine strikes would precisely envelop nine vital points—the head, throat, chest, and more.

The opening stance alone carried a radiant heavenly might, enough to shake an enemy's spirit.

"The second move: Thousand Peaks Receive Sunlight. Qi enters the Hegu acupoint. Press down with the sword and cleave, forming the stance of 'mountain peaks receiving sunlight.'"

"The third move: Melting Gold Boils the Sea. Qi travels through the Hand Taiyang Small Intestine meridian, passes Houxi, and enters Yangchi."

Though Miejue deliberately slowed her Sword Moves, Gu Shao'an saw that her sword force combined hardness and softness, every move vast and majestic. It carried an unstoppable momentum, as though once the sword left its sheath, there was no return, its force capable of setting an abyss ablaze.

Compared to Willow Leaf Swordplay, this swordplay was far more exquisite, and its power was wholly beyond comparison with the swordplay Miejue was demonstrating now.

A short while later, Miejue rested the bamboo sword behind her back and looked at Gu Shao'an.

"This martial art is called Sunset Swordplay. It was created by Patriarch Guo Xiang in her later years after witnessing the wondrous sunset over Emei Golden Summit, combining part of the supreme-yang principles of the Nine Yang Divine Skill with the Buddhist concept of the cycle of formation, abiding, decay, and emptiness. It may be considered the finest of Emei Swordplay, not inferior even to Wudang Sect's Two Forms Swordplay."

"Did you see everything clearly?"

Gu Shao'an nodded. "This disciple has remembered it all."

Though she had been prepared for it, Miejue's expression still stiffened for a moment when she heard that Gu Shao'an had memorized all of Sunset Swordplay after watching it only once.

Raising her right hand, Miejue tossed the bamboo sword in her hand toward Gu Shao'an.

"Try it!"