People Hated Him, Dogs Despised Him, Heaven Rejected Him; Even the Earth Mourned Amid Ghostly Wails and Wolfish Howls

"Of course, Western Chu has its shortcomings too. The people of the Southern Border are all crude and savage, refuse to be civilized, pay no respects to the suzerain state, and harbor many Demonic Beings..."

Lu Ming's voice grew quieter and quieter. It wasn't because he was drunk, but because Dezhou bordered the Southern Border, and if he spoke too loudly, the Demonic Beings or the crude savages might hear him.

He couldn't afford to provoke either group.

The Southern Border didn't refer to a single country, but to a region south of Western Chu, dotted with tribes and varied beliefs. From time to time, a powerful tribe would establish a kingdom, but each had a short-lived reign for complicated reasons that couldn't be explained in a few words.

Western Chu had once tried to occupy the Southern Border and bring it under its rule. But the cost of planning and administering it was too high, and the disadvantages outweighed the benefits. It was better not to occupy it, so they simply let it develop in its own wild way.

Though Western Chu had never occupied it, it had never given up trying to control the Southern Border. Under the banner of "building roads and doing business to improve the locals' lives," it infiltrated the region, always managing to profit from the murky waters.

If there were no murky waters, they made some!

And so Western Chu called the people of the Southern Border savages, while the Southern Border called Western Chu bandits. That was just how things stood between the two countries.

Lu Ming didn't want to say much about the Southern Border, and he said even less about the Demonic Beings within it. After a few swigs of wine, he moved on to the first-rate powers within Western Chu.

"Our Shendu, the capital of Western Chu, is the ancestral homeland of the Upper Zhou. Its fortune runs long and deep, nothing like Northern Qi or Southern Jin. The two great Noble Families, the Li Nan Wu Clan and the Shao Xian Chen Clan, also uphold the old laws and get along harmoniously with the imperial family..."

As he went on, Western Chu, which had supposedly been able to unify the world just moments before, lost its swagger. "Those famous mountain sects claim that the court is the court and the martial world is the martial world, that the court doesn't meddle in the martial world's affairs, and the martial world doesn't interfere in government. They're full of principles and full of schemes. If they didn't keep us in check, our Western Chu would have conquered the world by now."

After muttering for a while, he named several first-rate powers that were the least obedient.

The Unrivaled Palace, Sword Heart Studio, Heavenly Sword Pavilion, Heavenly Saber Sect, Heavenly Martial Sect...

Sword Heart Studio practiced both Buddhism and Daoism, and most of its disciples were women. The Unrivaled Palace was made up entirely of female disciples. If you didn't provoke them, they'd quietly be elegant, cultured beauties. But once you crossed them, you wouldn't find a single peaceful place, no matter how far you fled.

What was more, they had a strong habit of protecting their own. Beat the young ones, and the elders would come after you. Even fiends took a detour to avoid them.

"The Heavenly Sword, Heavenly Saber, and Heavenly Martial lineages all share the same origin. They split off from the Heavenly Sect, once the world's foremost school. Speaking of the Heavenly Sect, we have to mention its founding patriarch, Yan Xuanhe, the greatest under heaven, undefeated in his age. What might a sword that could sever the sky not accomplish?"

"Supposedly, the Heavenly Sect once ruled over several provinces. Though it was a sect, it was no different from a country..."

Lu Ming heaved a long sigh. "A pity that its successors lacked ambition and insisted on fighting among themselves to see who was superior. The Heavenly Sect lasted only eight thousand years before splitting into three, never to reclaim its title as the greatest under heaven."

Without the ability to claim the title of greatest under heaven, they'd inherited the temperament of those who could. The Heavenly Sword was wild, the Heavenly Saber domineering, and the Heavenly Martial proud. Though they came from the same family, they couldn't stand one another. Every few years, they held a martial contest to discuss the Dao, bringing all manner of trouble to Western Chu.

Nine times out of ten, they were behind the trouble. People hated them, dogs despised them, Heaven rejected them; even the earth mourned amid ghostly wails and wolfish howls.

Put simply, if those three families behaved themselves, Western Chu would be halfway to peace.

"The Forget Sword Manor and White Cloud Manor are no better. One calls itself Forget Sword, Unconcerned with Strife; the other styles itself Idle Cloud, Wild Crane. Their trading houses span the lands from north to south, and who knows how much wealth they've amassed."

If they dared to amass wealth on such a grand scale today, I couldn't guess what they'd dare to do tomorrow!

Lu Ming didn't say that aloud. He merely widened his eyes to show his indignation, then grumbled, "Those two have plenty of trading houses. I've seen many people get swindled by them. You're sure to deal with them someday, so keep your eyes open and don't get fooled."

"The Qingxu Sect is a fine Daoist temple. Every member of the sect is a Quanzhen Daoist and worships True Lord Qingxu Daode. Aside from exorcising demons and vanquishing fiends, its disciples rarely venture out..."

Xiang Yuan was listening intently when he suddenly sensed that something was off. He knew the name True Lord Qingxu Daode. The character was from the mythological novel Investiture of the Gods, one of the Twelve Immortals of the Chan Sect, who possessed many magical treasures. The most famous were the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan and the Heart-Piercing Nail.

But True Lord Qingxu Daode was a fictional character from a novel—or, at best, a fictional immortal. How could he have a lineage of Daoist teachings?

Perhaps there really had been such an immortal, who just happened to share the same name.

Xiang Yuan couldn't make sense of it, so he came up with an excuse and continued listening to Lu Ming talk about Western Chu's first-rate powers.

"Last is the Great Awakening Temple, where I studied under a master. That Great Awakening Temple really is extraordinary. It passes down the Thirty-Six Peerless Skills, each one a first-rate martial art in this age. Master them to perfection, and their peerless techniques rival the Buddha on Land!"

Lu Ming came from the Great Awakening Temple. Though he was a lay disciple, he thought constantly of the debt he owed his teachers, so whenever he mentioned the Great Awakening Temple, he never skimped on the praise.

In his telling, the Great Awakening Temple was foremost among the four Buddhist schools, far surpassing Shaolin Temple, Yankong Temple, and Baojing Temple.

After a couple more swigs of wine, even Yan Xuanhe, the Heavenly Sect's wild, domineering, and proud patriarch, would have the clearest, calmest eyes upon meeting its abbot.

Shaolin Temple?

Was there a Shaolin Temple in this world too?

Well, Shaolin was everywhere across the myriad worlds. Wherever there were monks, there was a Shaolin Temple. It wasn't strange.

Xiang Yuan grumbled inwardly and slowly raised his hand, wanting to ask whether the local Shaolin Temple also had the Seventy-Two Peerless Skills.

At that moment, the young man in front of him raised his hand again, successfully blocking him once more.

"Coach, I heard Shaolin had the Seventy-Two Peerless Skills, while the Great Awakening Temple only had thirty-six. That's half as many. Could they lose in a fight?"

You little rascal, you again!

That was a good question. Don't ask it again.

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes and lowered his hand. It was certainly nice to have someone else speak up, sparing him the risk of saying too much and giving himself away. Still, having someone cut him off twice in a row felt a little uncomfortable.

"Ptooey!"

Lu Ming spat, making the boys scramble out of the way. He snapped, "Who told you that seventy-two is automatically better than thirty-six? How could Shaolin's seventy-two minor skills compare to the Great Awakening Temple's Thirty-Six Peerless Skills? The Thirty-Six Heavenly Stems come first, and the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends come after. Do I really have to explain something that simple to you?"

Then he launched into a stream of curses.

Shaolin was in Northern Qi, so Lu Ming wasn't afraid of speaking loudly. He was more afraid of speaking too softly for the abbot of the Great Awakening Temple to hear him.

The boy who'd brought Lu Ming's ire down on himself sat dejectedly, not daring to ask again which was stronger.

"You! You're adding an hour of extra practice today. When you're done, go find one of the senior brothers at the Martial Arts School for an assessment. If you lose, you'll do another hour!"

"Ah..."

The boy looked miserable and slumped down, dejected and listless, as if his whole body had turned gray.

Lu Ming had forcefully cemented the Great Awakening Temple's unchallengeable prestige in the boys' minds. He waved his hand and said, "I'm a little drunk. That's all for today. Go back and rest. After you've eaten, come see me one by one, in order of your ranking at the Martial Arts School."

With that, he left behind several empty wine jars and got to his feet.

The wine really was good, and he really could drink.

After dinner, Xiang Yuan was the first to go see Lu Ming.

He'd already been near the top of the rankings, with few among the boys able to beat him. On top of that, all the ones with good prospects had already been selected, leaving only those ranked below him. So he came first.

Lu Ming had built the Martial Arts School. He lived, ate, and worked in the back courtyard, all alone. He'd never mentioned parents or children.

The back courtyard was spacious, and the school's disciples cleaned it every day. It looked quite neat and tidy.

Xiang Yuan entered the courtyard and saw that the door was open. He raised a hand and knocked lightly, respectfully addressing him as Coach.

His voice was a little hoarse, as if he'd only just recovered from a serious illness.

"Come in."

Lu Ming put down the book in his hand. When Xiang Yuan approached, he looked him up and down, then gestured for him to sit before saying, "Xiang Yuan, among these boys, you've been the most diligent in your martial arts training, and you're not lacking in talent either. I'd thought the Six Doors would select you, but then you fell seriously ill, and all your hard work came to nothing."

The Six Doors carried heavy responsibilities and were no ordinary organization. They taught superior martial arts, and in time, one could enjoy wealth and status. It was no exaggeration to call being selected a great opportunity.

Xiang Yuan lowered his head and said nothing, expressing his helplessness through silence.

"You were unconscious that day. I put in a good word for you, but it didn't help."

"Thank you for speaking up for me, Coach. Everyone has their fate. I... I've stopped thinking about it," Xiang Yuan said, his voice heavy.

"It's good if you've stopped thinking about it. What I fear is that you'll keep dwelling on it and, unable to accept things, end up going astray."

Lu Ming shook his head and glanced toward the open door. Lowering his voice, he said, "Xiang Yuan, you've studied martial arts under me for two years and mastered the essence of my Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber. You've made some progress in your footwork and movement too. You're a piece of gold. Sooner or later, you'll shine."

The Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber—just hearing the name made it sound like some generic martial art!

Xiang Yuan looked up at Lu Ming and said sincerely, "Coach, I'll think about the future when it comes. Right now, I only want to recover and relearn the martial arts. I'm afraid I've been ill for so long that my mind's still muddled, and I've forgotten many of the moves."

The Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber was a complete saber style with sixty-four forms and a matching set of footwork. The more one practiced, the fresher it became. Xiang Yuan hadn't integrated many of the scattered memories, so he'd indeed forgotten most of it.

In a real fight, any boy near the bottom of the rankings could easily beat him.

That was the main reason Xiang Yuan felt so anxious. Never mind not making it into the Six Doors; being sent to some barren mountain to watch over graves would be unbearably miserable.

He wasn't even thirty yet—no, fifteen. He was still a child.

"Martial arts are carved into your bones. Once you learn them, you'll never forget them for the rest of your life. Your mind might forget, but your body will remember."

Lu Ming didn't seem to think much of it. He took a wooden box from the bookshelf and opened it. Inside were several sheets of thin paper. "I won't waste words. I pity your situation, so I'll teach you the true techniques. Practice hard, and once you've achieved something, the Six Doors will come recruit you."

Xiang Yuan's eyes widened. He stared at Lu Ming in disbelief, and his anxious heart settled. He couldn't help feeling a little warmth inside.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not giving them to you for nothing. I'm old and have no one to rely on. I only hope that good deeds bring good results. When you make it big someday, don't forget today."

Lu Ming laughed, pretending to be casual. "Don't waste time. You only have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If you take too long, the others will definitely suspect I'm secretly teaching you my best techniques."

"If I ever rise to greatness, I'll never forget your kindness in teaching me!"

Xiang Yuan nodded firmly and quickly took the five sheets of thin paper, committing them to memory in the time it took an incense stick to burn.

It was good to be young. Unlike in his previous life, when he'd worn himself out and kept forgetting things.

Lu Ming closed the wooden box and cautioned him, "Giving something is a kindness; withholding it is a grudge. Favoritism breeds resentment. Remember this well: don't tell anyone about this. Otherwise, you could bring disaster upon yourself. I might be able to protect myself, but you'd be in trouble."

It was better to fear unequal shares than scarcity. Xiang Yuan understood the principle. He thanked Lu Ming again and left the back courtyard.

A short while later, a young man entered and knocked lightly.

"Ma Jie, you've studied martial arts under me for two years and mastered the essence of my Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber..."

"I know your talent. You're a late bloomer, and you've got what it takes. You're a piece of gold. Sooner or later, you'll shine!"

"I pity your situation, so I'll teach you the true techniques..."

"Remember well: don't tell anyone about this..."

"Coach~~"