A Martial Arts Holy Land: Bright Moon Pavilion, Finding the Mountain Gate

A Martial Arts Holy Land: Bright Moon Pavilion, Finding the Mountain Gate

Xu Sheng said he had already graduated from his sect, looking a little embarrassed.

Bright Moon Pavilion was a renowned martial arts holy land in the jianghu of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Every few years, it opened its gates wide to recruit disciples.

Typically, new recruits spent three years as Outer Sect Disciples, tempering their character to prove they weren't crooked in their ways.

They then spent three years as Formal Disciples. During this stage, they were taught introductory martial arts and tested for their aptitude and comprehension.

After that, only those who performed well could become Inner Sect Disciples and learn the sect's True Inheritance Martial Arts, or even its Sect-Protecting Skill.

If, after three years as a Formal Disciple, a student showed poor aptitude or comprehension, the sect would advise him to leave.

Of course, they wouldn't put it that way publicly.

Officially, they would say that after six years of practice, the disciple had made some progress in martial arts and was ready to venture into the jianghu.

Formal Disciples could act under their sect's name while out in the world. If they faced danger, they could invoke the sect's prestige. If they were killed without cause, the sect's experts would avenge them. And if their descendants showed talent for martial arts, they could send them back to the sect to study.

Of course, these Formal Disciples enjoyed the sect's benefits, but they also had to follow its basic rules and couldn't do evil or tarnish its reputation.

The drone followed far ahead of the ship. The Gates to Heavens' entrance coordinates kept changing, maintaining a distance of one kilometer from the ship.

Xu Sheng finally took his leave.

That remark referred to how Zi Yi had ordered only a bowl of plain noodles when they ate earlier.

Xu Sheng noticed Zi Yi's slight embarrassment and smiled as he praised him. "Bright Moon Pavilion is a celebrated martial arts holy land in the jianghu. Even someone like me, tucked away in a remote corner, has heard of it. Senior Brother Jingguan, being able to practice martial arts in such a place is a fortune anyone would envy."

As he spoke, he took out a fifty-tael ingot and slipped it into Zi Yi's sleeve.

As they talked, Zi Yi smiled and brought out the food and wine he had bought at the Linze County docks, setting them on the table. He took a bite himself before inviting Senior Brother Zhao to join him.

"First, I'll calculate the coordinates for Coastal County."

Xu Sheng piloted the drone around the county from above. It soon reached the vicinity of the docks, where it landed on a concealed rooftop and went into standby.

Then, seizing the opportunity, he asked, "I can see that Senior Brother Jingguan is skilled. Why are you in such dire straits? As a martial artist, going hungry for a long time can damage your qi and blood."

"Farewell."

People like Xu Sheng, who owned a few businesses, had some martial strength, and got along well with local officials, counted as local strongmen. But they were still many levels below Bright Moon Pavilion, a martial arts holy land.

Was Zi Yi really that short of money?

To maintain a powerful physique, one naturally had to consume more food every day.

"Don't let my ordinary talent for martial arts fool you. My son, though, has shown uncommon talent. He has a good chance of becoming an Inner Sect Disciple one day."

A young man like this surely had a bright future ahead of him.

If he got lucky and filmed Bright Moon Pavilion experts teaching disciples their Sect-Protecting Skill, that would be an even bigger windfall.

"This time, I came to Linze County to deliver goods. I also planned to visit Bright Moon Pavilion and bring my son money to buy nourishing medicine. The ship will be setting out soon, so I must take my leave."

Xu Sheng had made an exception and stayed up late that night. He read a novel on his tablet while occasionally glancing at the footage from the drone's night-vision camera.

Through the drone's camera, Xu Sheng clearly saw Zi Yi come off the ship with his luggage and find a lit room in a corner of the docks.

Xu Sheng still hadn't gone to bed. He resumed reading his novel on the tablet, only occasionally glancing at the drone footage to make sure his target, Zi Yi, was still there.

"I slept the whole way here from Linze County, so I'm not tired just yet. I bought some food and wine on the way. Senior Brother Zhao, if you don't mind, you can join me for a bite and a drink to pass this long night."

Xu Sheng did need money. His lips moved as though he wanted to speak, but in the end, he didn't.

A drone silently emerged five hundred meters above Coastal County.

Before today, Xu Sheng had only had a superficial understanding of the jianghu of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Just then, he heard Zi Yi say his farewells.

A smile appeared on his face. He thought this new acquaintance really knew how to talk.

He continued the earlier topic. "Before I came to Linze County, I once accompanied a guest and met Senior Brother Gao. I heard him explain what happened."

Rumor had it that Bright Moon Pavilion, Divine Sword Pavilion, Fallen Flower Valley, and Azure Wave Palace—the four great martial arts holy lands of the realm—were all closely connected to the Great Zhou Founder, who had established the Great Zhou Dynasty a hundred and thirty years ago.

Xu Sheng really wasn't just making things up with his praise.

"If he's in a hurry, he'll probably get in touch with Bright Moon Pavilion's ship around midnight and head out to sea for that martial arts holy land."

That thought flashed through Xu Sheng's mind. He sighed, "So that's what really happened in the battle between Hero Gao and Nether Fiend One-Hero."

Xu Sheng went home, bathed, changed, and ate dinner.

Instead of going to see his concubines, he sat in his study and began to ponder.

This man controlled when Xu Sheng could travel to Crescent Moon Island, so even if Zi Yi had to eat plain noodles himself, he still scraped together money to entertain him.

Once he had successfully pinpointed the location, Xu Sheng sent away the servants and concubines, then entered his private courtyard under the pretext of practicing.

"Martial Arts, you may not know this, but my son is also studying at Bright Moon Pavilion. He just passed the Outer Sect Disciple examination and became a Formal Disciple."

Seeing Jingguan try to refuse, Xu Sheng cut him off before he could speak.

"As you know, Martial Arts, practicing martial arts costs a great deal. Becoming an expert costs even more than studying for the civil examinations."

Hearing this, Zi Yi fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"Senior Brother Jingguan, we've had a pleasant conversation today. I have no parting gift to remember you by, so please accept these silver taels. Don't refuse—would you look down on me if you did?"

The little fellow looked up to a prestigious school, but he was an underachiever himself. It was an awkward feeling.

"If you're so kind, I'll accept. When I return, I'll be sure to visit you again, Martial Arts. We'll share wine and talk."

Minor factions banded together for warmth. Local strongmen ruled their own territories. Famous sects were renowned across the provinces. Martial arts holy lands shook the realm.

The hearts of parents under heaven were always tender.

"Nether Fiend One-Hero were all formidable fighters, good enough to be called Seventh-Rate experts in the jianghu. But Senior Brother Gao's martial arts were even better. They fought at Golden Plum Valley in Ningshan County, where Senior Brother Gao easily killed one of them in a one-on-one battle."

Xu Sheng glanced at Senior Brother Zhao, then smelled the food and wine himself. After confirming there was nothing wrong with them, he agreed. "All right, I'll have a little to eat and drink."

That meant Xu Sheng now had a ticket to becoming one of the top experts in this world.

First, he sent the yellow croaker Dan Xuliang had brought him back to the Main World and put it in the freezer. Then Xu Sheng went to the Two Realms Trade Base and opened a portal to Coastal County in the Other World.

It wasn't difficult. Once Xu Sheng gave the general direction, they quickly finished pinpointing the location.

As Zi Yi spoke about Senior Brother Gao receiving a reward of twelve hundred taels, clear envy showed in his eyes.

"Not only did he save the pearl, he also collected the twelve-hundred-tael reward for that man in Lanjiang City. And so the story spread."

They chatted for a while longer. From Zi Yi, a man who had come from a prestigious sect but was now only a middling martial artist, Xu Sheng learned a great deal of accurate information about the jianghu.

First, he could use drone footage to watch Bright Moon Pavilion's disciples practice martial arts. Then Xu Sheng could replace the crude Crane Step Tiger Form Fist he currently practiced with Bright Moon Pavilion's superior martial arts.

According to Xu Sheng's rough understanding of the jianghu in the Great Zhou Dynasty,

the drone could only stay airborne for a short time before its battery ran low, but it could stay on standby for a long time.

Xu Sheng watched silently.

He knew this world had martial arts, had a rough idea of how strength was ranked, and knew there were peerless experts who could take a general's head amid a vast army.

But he didn't know where those experts were, or where he could learn the peerless martial arts that would let him reach their level.

In that situation, even with the Gates to Heavens, Xu Sheng wouldn't know where to open a gate.

Especially as midnight approached, Xu Sheng put down his novel and stared intently at the docks in Coastal County.

"The storyteller wasn't wrong. His Highness the East Sea King sent two pearls to His Majesty and had his bodyguard commander, Senior Brother Gao, escort them. Somehow, this Nether Fiend One-Hero got wind of it."

"Martial Arts, I want to visit the mountain gate and see my son. Do you know when a ship will be leaving for Crescent Moon Island?"

Xu Sheng's mind turned.

"After Zi Yi left Linze County by ship in the evening, he should reach Coastal County around midnight."

Xu Sheng's face showed that he looked forward to giving his descendants a better life. He didn't mind having to live more frugally himself.

This time, however, after speaking with Zi Yi, Xu Sheng learned the general location of Bright Moon Pavilion, a martial arts holy land.

The four great martial arts holy lands had many disciples serving in the Great Zhou court. That showed just how powerful and influential they were.

"Most of all, he's been saving money to buy qi-and-blood tonics for his son. He hopes they'll give the boy a better chance of becoming an Inner Sect Disciple and, one day, a great expert like Senior Brother Gao."

Xu Sheng readily took his leave and sincerely invited Zi Yi to visit again.

"Then I'll look forward to seeing you again. My home is in West Gate Cloud and Mist Alley, in Linze County. Senior Brother Jingguan, please be sure to visit when you return. I'll give you a proper welcome."

"Senior Brother Jingguan, I can't very well ask you to stay after you've said that."

He could meet Senior Brother Gao, a master of formidable martial arts, because the head of his escort agency was acquainted with him.

"Martial Arts, I can't hope to make much more progress in martial arts at my age. So I've been saving money to buy nourishing medicines for my son and give him a better chance of becoming an Inner Sect Disciple. Then he might grow into a great expert like Senior Brother Gao."

Xu Sheng could see in his face the hope that his children and grandchildren would have a better life. He didn't mind if he had to go without himself.

He had been chatting happily with Zi Yi for some time. Seeing that it was already late in the day, Xu Sheng had been about to invite him to move elsewhere for a second round of drinks.

If he could find Bright Moon Pavilion's mountain gate, the possibilities would suddenly open up.

Walking the jianghu, it was a blessing to have a sincere friend like Xu Sheng.

From their conversation, Xu Sheng learned that after leaving the sect, Zi Yi had joined an escort agency started by a fellow disciple and worked as an escort guard. His usual job was to protect people and goods on their journeys, earning money along the way.

Through the open door and window, Xu Sheng saw Zi Yi bow to the old man in the room, who was reading by lamplight. Then he heard him speak.

The old man known as Senior Brother Zhao answered.

"At the latest, they'll leave Coastal County tomorrow morning for Bright Moon Pavilion's mountain gate. Although Zi Yi never told me exactly where Bright Moon Pavilion is, as long as I follow him, I'll find the mountain gate of that martial arts holy land."

Zi Yi's answer surprised Xu Sheng, though it also made perfect sense to him.

Xu Sheng closed his eyes, contacted the Gates to Heavens, and began pinpointing the coordinates for Coastal County.

Formal Disciples who graduated from their sects weren't unique to Bright Moon Pavilion; this was an unwritten rule among all the great orthodox sects in the jianghu.

After bidding Senior Brother Zhao farewell, Zi Yi boarded a huge ship at the docks in Coastal County and sailed out to sea.

Xu Sheng read their lips and could roughly guess what they were saying.

The forces in the jianghu ranked from lowest to highest: minor factions, local strongmen, famous sects, and, above those, martial arts holy lands.

This was a skill Xu Sheng had deliberately practiced over the past few years while observing the Other World, out of practical necessity.