Wuxia 13

This time, the two of them returned home in glory.

The people of Wudang were delighted to see them.

Especially after witnessing their profound inner strength and superb martial arts, even the trace of discomfort in Song Yuanqiao's heart disappeared.

Everyone asked the two about what they had experienced over the years.

The two told them about Lingjiu Palace on Piaomiao Peak.

The people of Wudang were astonished.

They had never imagined that the remnants of an immortal sect truly existed in this world.

Liu Zhong had Song Qinghua present the manuals for Lingbo Weibu and Tianshan Six Yang Palm to the sect, so that everyone at Wudang could learn the two techniques.

As for not sharing the inner cultivation method with everyone—

First, the Eternal Spring Skill was selective about its practitioners' aptitude. In Liu Zhong's estimation, only Zhang Sanfeng had the aptitude to cultivate it in all of Wudang Mountain.

Second, Wudang's disciples had practiced the Wudang Nine Yang Skill for decades and had all mastered it. It was impossible for them to switch to another inner cultivation method.

Besides, Tianshan Six Yang Palm was highly compatible with the Wudang Nine Yang Skill. Learning it would give everyone at Wudang a considerable boost in strength.

The Wudang elders gladly accepted the manuals.

For a time, everyone was in high spirits.

Liu Zhong then brought up Song Qinghua and Zhou Zhiruo's mutual affection. The elders were delighted and happy to give them their blessing.

Zhang Sanfeng immediately told Song Yuanqiao to go to Mount Emei in person and ask for his son's hand in marriage.

Song Yuanqiao was delighted, too. His son was getting married, which meant he could soon hold a grandchild.

Song Yuanqiao looked at his eldest son. "Your younger brother has found someone he loves. What about you?"

Liu Zhong waved a hand. "I'm devoting my life to martial arts. I don't want to marry."

Getting married would leave him no time to study the Eternal Spring Skill.

He still wanted to follow Xiaoyaozi's path of entering the Dao through martial arts and ascending to immortality.

Song Yuanqiao had several junior fellow disciples who were devoted to martial arts and had no desire to marry. He had long since come to terms with it.

So when Liu Zhong used that excuse to brush him off, all he could do was sigh and let the matter go.

Song Qinghua and Zhou Zhiruo's wedding arrangements went smoothly. Abbess Miejue was eager to form an alliance with Wudang through marriage, so she readily agreed.

Thinking of how Ji Xiaofu's engagement to Yin Liting had dragged on for a long time, leading her to cheat on him and have a daughter with another man, Abbess Miejue did not want this marriage to suffer any complications. After discussing it with Song Yuanqiao, she set the wedding date for three months later.

A word about Ji Xiaofu: Liu Zhong had exposed the matter of her daughter early on, so Ji Xiaofu dared not take any chances. She immediately took her daughter and fled before Abbess Miejue could catch her.

Later, hounded by Emei disciples until she could no longer remain in the martial world, and unable to return home to seek her parents' help, she had nowhere else to turn. She could only take Yang Buhui to find Yang Xiao, officially becoming his wife. Later, she also bore Yang Xiao a son.

When the Six Great Sects besieged Bright Peak, Yang Xiao received word in advance and sent his wife and children away, settling them somewhere safe.

As a result, Yang Buhui never met Yin Liting and developed no feelings for him.

Naturally, she never had the chance to meet Zhang Wuji, either.

Three months later, Song Qinghua and Zhou Zhiruo were happily married.

On their wedding night, the newlyweds nestled together like mandarin ducks, spending a passionate night in each other's arms.

The next morning, Song Qinghua opened his eyes, his gaze filled with complicated emotions.

After falling asleep the night before, he had dreamed of his previous life.

In that life, he had met Zhou Zhiruo after Zhang Wuji did, so her heart belonged only to Zhang Wuji. She had never cared for him.

He had done many foolish things because of Zhou Zhiruo, and in the end, his grand martial uncle had killed him with a single palm strike.

He had failed so completely in his previous life. He had never imagined Heaven would give him another chance.

But in this life, he was no longer Song Qingshu. There was another person named Song Qingshu.

The elder brother who had taken the name he had borne in his previous life had changed the course of his life.

He had learned peerless martial arts no less formidable than the Nine Yang Divine Art, met Zhou Zhiruo before anyone else, and made her unable to forget him.

Under his elder brother's guidance, he had rescued the people of the Five Great Sects and become their benefactor, a renowned young hero admired by the martial world.

Now, he had even succeeded in marrying the woman he loved...

In this life, he had truly found fulfillment.

Compared with his previous life, he was far too happy.

And it was all because he had an elder brother...

"Husband, what are you thinking about? Get up. We have to go pay our respects to Grand Master, Father, and our uncles."

A gentle voice sounded beside him.

Song Qinghua turned and saw beside him the face he had yearned for day and night in his previous life.

He smiled. "All right. I'll get up now."

The couple got ready and headed to the main hall.

Zhang Sanfeng, the Six Heroes of Wudang, and Liu Zhong were already waiting there.

Song Qinghua glanced at Liu Zhong, his eyes flickering.

Liu Zhong noticed and raised an eyebrow.

Had he regained the memories of his previous life?

After the couple had finished serving tea, the elders sent Song Qinghua and Zhou Zhiruo on their way.

As their elders, they didn't want to intrude on the young couple's newlywed bliss.

The Six Heroes of Wudang also went their separate ways to attend to their own affairs, leaving Liu Zhong to keep Zhang Sanfeng company.

Liu Zhong and Zhang Sanfeng discussed martial arts together.

Liu Zhong recited the Eternal Spring Skill for Zhang Sanfeng.

Zhang Sanfeng did not practice the Eternal Spring Skill. His martial arts had already forged their own path, and he would not switch to another style.

But he could study the Eternal Spring Skill, learn the martial principles within it, and incorporate them into his own martial arts.

Zhang Sanfeng was highly experienced, so his understanding of the Eternal Spring Skill naturally surpassed Liu Zhong's.

He shared his insights with Liu Zhong and guided him.

Over this period, Liu Zhong's understanding of the Eternal Spring Skill had grown ever deeper, and the realm that had previously been stagnant began to advance slowly once more.

He couldn't help but think, As the saying goes, having an elder at home is like having a treasure.

Liu Zhong simply moved to the rear mountain to live with Zhang Sanfeng. The two studied martial arts together, and each made progress.

Meanwhile, Song Qinghua and Zhou Zhiruo lived a sweet, peaceful life together, paying no attention to the conflicts raging at the foot of the mountain.

Though Song Qinghua had lived two lifetimes, he was not an ambitious man with grand designs. He had never considered taking part in the struggle for the throne. Even if Zhang Wuji was the Ming Cult's leader, the cult's growing strength made it likely to claim the realm.

—Well, he didn't know that Zhang Wuji would eventually give up his position as Ming Cult leader and retire to a secluded life.

He only wanted to surpass Zhang Wuji in martial arts. He had never thought of competing with him for the realm.

As for Liu Zhong, if he had not found the Eternal Spring Skill, he might well have joined the struggle for the realm and become the founding emperor of a new dynasty.

Awake, holding power over all beneath Heaven; drunk, reclining in a beauty's arms.

But he had found the Eternal Spring Skill and learned it. After grasping how profound it was, he realized that mastering it might allow him to enter the Dao through martial arts. From then on, Liu Zhong devoted himself to martial arts.

What was being an emperor compared with becoming an immortal?

With a chance to become immortal, he would have to be a fool to waste his time fighting for the realm.