Questions and Answers About the Sword Manual

Commander Chen glared at Wang Jingyuan. "Kid, don't ask questions you shouldn't."

"Understood. Though that does seem strange. He helped the emperor seize the throne, after all. He might not have been made a marquis or chancellor like Chang Yuchun or Xu Da, but surely he could have lived comfortably as a man of leisure. So who are those people on Blackwood Cliff?"

Commander Chen snapped, "I said, stop asking!"

Wang Jingyuan watched Commander Chen's reaction and suddenly understood. "I get it. Back in the previous dynasty, the Ming Cult was basically divided into two groups. One was the upper ranks, represented by the Left Messenger, the Dharma Kings, and the Wanderers. After Yang Dingtian died, they forgot all about resisting the Yuan. They were so busy fighting over the position of cult leader, they could barely keep from tearing one another apart.

"The other group consisted of the middle and lower ranks, represented by the Five Elements Banners and ordinary followers. They joined the Ming Cult because it accepted anyone, and it happened to give them a platform to organize people willing to resist the brutal Yuan.

"They were the ones who defeated the Yuan. The upper ranks had nothing to do with it. And toward the end, the founding emperor even forced the former cult leader—the one who had been involved with Princess Shaomin—to step down.

"The upper ranks of the Ming Cult happened to be very close to that former leader, so you can imagine how they felt after the founding emperor forced him out. Given their role in helping him seize the throne, it's understandable they ended up in their present position."

Commander Chen was horrified. "Stop! Do you want to die?!"

"So I guessed right." Wang Jingyuan nodded in satisfaction and casually patted Commander Chen on the shoulder. "Don't be so nervous. You're only a centurion, not even a battalion commander. If you know this much, it can't be that important."

Commander Chen's hand was already resting on his Embroidered Spring Saber. He narrowed his eyes at Wang Jingyuan. "My ancestor, Chen Qi, was a deputy battalion commander in the Yanshan Left Guard during the Hongwu reign."

"Oh, so it's a family tradition? You give your youth, then your whole life, then your descendants. After all these years, I suppose only the families who fought alongside the founding emperor still know about this. Then I have another question: what's the imperial court's attitude toward the Sun Moon Holy Cult now? Is there anyone in the palace who remembers the old ties and would shield them?"

Commander Chen snorted. "Those petty, self-serving people are in no way comparable to the palace's honored nobles."

"I see. They can't bring themselves to act because of the old ties, but they'd be happy to see someone else do it. Otherwise, in just a little over a hundred years, it wouldn't have become the only Demonic Cult in the martial world.

"For some reason, I'll end up crossing paths with the Sun Moon Holy Cult, and there's a good chance I'll destroy it. I've got a few investment slots open. Want to put some money in, brother? The earlier you invest, the higher the returns!"

"The Imperial Guard is the Son of Heaven's personal army. How could I join forces with a martial—"

"I only want results. I don't want any credit."

"...Since you're a martial artist, I'll let this go as your first offense. Just don't do it again.

"Tomorrow's my day off. I want to rest and don't feel like going out. Here's a silver coin. Go to the market tomorrow and buy some aged wine and a fat chicken to bring me. My home is the old house facing south in the eastern part of Hengyang City."

Wang Jingyuan took the silver and casually pocketed it. "One last question. Are there any schools in the martial world that mustn't be touched?"

Commander Chen gave him a meaningful look. "If you could be an official, why would you want to farm? I thought you weren't afraid of anything, kid."

Wang Jingyuan understood. With his hands behind his back, he turned and headed to the front hall. "It's not that I'm afraid. The stronger the other side is in a guild PvP match, the more excited I get. But I'd have to be out of my mind to pick a fight to the death with a Great Saber Guard."

Commander Chen couldn't make sense of what Wang Jingyuan was saying. He could only shake his head inwardly, regretting that he'd let himself be swayed by this lunatic. Why had he been so impulsive?

By the time Wang Jingyuan reached the main hall, almost everyone had arrived—even Mo Da. The man was solitary by nature; after a brief greeting to Liu Zhengfeng, he sat in a corner and closed his eyes to rest. Of the Five Great Sword Sects, only the Mount Song Sect was absent.

Yue Buqun, meanwhile, was making the rounds, exchanging pleasantries with the other martial arts elders. When he saw Wang Jingyuan coming out of the rear courtyard, he gave him a pointed look.

Wang Jingyuan understood. It was, after all, the plan they had agreed on beforehand. Yue Buqun smoothly changed the subject, steering the conversation toward Wang Jingyuan and shamelessly showering him with praise.

After praising him for a while, Yue Buqun finally turned the conversation to another disciple. "You all know that I recently had the good fortune to take on an outstanding disciple. But you may not know that, besides Jingyuan, another young man recently joined the Mount Hua Sect as well."

At this, everyone perked up. What did he mean, they might not know? Lin Pingzhi had joined the Mount Hua Sect and offered the Bixie Swordplay as his tuition. The news had spread everywhere days ago.

After all, Lin Yuantu had truly made a name for himself in his early years with a single sword, building the Fuwei Escort Agency's transportation network into what it was today. His record was well known. In the southeastern region, the Bixie Swordplay was famous far and wide.

Yue Buqun continued, "When Chief Escort Lin of the Fuwei Escort Agency sent someone with his family's sword manual, I was at a loss as to what to make of it. But Chief Escort Lin was so sincere that I could only accept Pingzhi as my disciple.

"I'm ashamed to admit it, but when I was young, I read a number of the sages' books and have always tried to hold myself to the standards of a gentleman. I intended to return the sword manual to Pingzhi as soon as he arrived, but in the end, I couldn't resist taking a look."

Yue Buqun openly admitted in front of everyone that he had read the Bixie Swordplay manual. Some people were envious and jealous, but most nodded inwardly.

After all, the Lin family had given him the manual as tuition. Yue Buqun was entitled to do whatever he liked with it. Yet he still regretted giving in to temptation and looking at it. The name Gentleman Sword was indeed well deserved.

"Alas!" Yue Buqun sighed. "Only after reading it did I realize that the Bixie Swordplay truly is a miraculous art, rare in this world. It demands exceptionally high natural aptitude from anyone who practices it.

"Those without sufficient aptitude would only harm themselves if they tried to force their way through the training. Among my Mount Hua disciples, no one has the required talent except Jingyuan, so I've permitted only him to study and practice it.

"The Mount Hua Sect has few members, and for this sword manual to remain in our hands would be a waste of a precious treasure. So I intend to make the Bixie Swordplay public. With so many talented people in the various schools, surely someone else will be able to practice it.

"But people's hearts are hard to fathom. If this peerless art fell into the hands of the devious—or into the hands of the Demonic Cult—it would bring disaster upon the orthodox schools.

"So I intend to make several copies of the Bixie Swordplay and entrust them to Shaolin, Wudang, and the Five Great Sword Sects. Anyone who wishes to learn the swordplay need only earn the approval of any one of these schools.

"That way, the swordplay won't fall into wicked hands, and those suited to it will still be able to practice it. But I must warn you all: only those of exceptional natural talent should attempt this swordplay. For anyone else, it will do far more harm than good."

Shaolin, Wudang, and the Mount Song Sect had sent no representatives, so Yue Buqun had first handed the copies of the sword manual to the other three Mount Hua sects. But with this peerless martial art right before them, everyone present was growing restless—especially one short fellow.