Great Zhao

"You, dear listeners, must be wondering: how could the Celestial Maiden Sect have male disciples?

"The words 'celestial maiden' refer only to the source of its cultivation methods, not their current inheritors. Just as the Imperial Daughter Sect traces its origins to Nüwa, the Flame Emperor's daughter, its disciples include both women and men.

"Su Yunzhang actually came from a family with a distinguished tradition. Her aunt, Su Liudan, was universally acclaimed throughout the martial world as the Greatest Beauty in the World thirty years ago.

"As the saying goes, every flower finds its own admirer; Spring Orchid and Autumn Chrysanthemum each have their own splendor. When busybodies compile the Rivers and Lakes Beauty Register or the Jade Tree Martial Arts Rankings, controversy often abounds. Everyone has their reasons for who should make the lists and who should rank above whom. Those who disagree often attack each other, sometimes even spilling blood. Thus, for a long time now, these lists have had no ranking order. Anyone who enjoys widespread acclaim can be included.

"Nearly two hundred and sixty years have passed since the dynasty's Southern Crossing. Amid all the turmoil under heaven, only two women have won recognition from the heroes and heroines of every nation as the greatest beauty. One was Su Liudan of the Celestial Maiden Sect thirty years ago; the other was Feng Yining of the Five Saints Sect ten years ago.

"Feng Yining swallowed a phoenix egg when she was young. By the time she entered the martial world at sixteen, she had already reached the Law Realm and become a Martial Grandmaster. For four whole years, her dazzling gifts stunned the world. Who knows how many gallant warriors fell for her and willingly followed her, ready to serve at her beck and call? In her final battle before returning to the Five Saints Sect, she used Righteous Spear and Faith Fist to break the Sage-Slaying Path demoness Ji Hanyi's Heaven-Shifting Earth-Changing Divine Skill, leaving a flaw in that demoness's heart that forever barred her from entering the Celestial-Human Realm and joining the ranks of Great Grandmasters.

"You, dear listeners, might ask: she only lost a single fight, so why should her martial progress stop forever? Not so! Demoness Ji was equally dazzling in her talent, and only nineteen at the time. She cultivated the Heavenly Heart Wisdom Scripture, one of the Sage-Slaying Path's three great secret canons. Proud and arrogant, she went straight to Feng Yining's door to challenge her, only to lose by far more than a single move. And the Heavenly Heart Wisdom Scripture's fundamental art, the Heaven-Shifting Earth-Changing Divine Skill, emphasizes 'imprinting one's own heart upon the heart of heaven.' Once your own heart has a flaw, how can it merge seamlessly with heaven's heart and attain the Celestial-Human Realm?

"If she had later managed to defeat Feng Yining once, her heart could have regained its wholeness. But after returning to the Five Saints Sect, Feng Yining chose to enter seclusion unto death in pursuit of the Celestial-Human Realm. Eight years have passed without any further news. Judging by past precedent, that fragrant blossom has likely withered long ago. As the saying goes: pity the lovesick souls of the martial world, who shall never hear the phoenix's cry again.

"I'm not making any of this up. The orthodox sects love publicizing the martial arts and weaknesses of evil demons and heretical paths, so our own people can take precautions. Ah, let's leave the matter there for now. Otherwise, if some fiend from the Sage-Slaying Path passes through our Dingjiang Prefecture and hears this, they might creep into my house at night and deny me even a quick death.

"Dear listeners, this is dangerous business. Spare me a hot meal! Those with money, support me with your coins; those without, support me with your presence. Whether you give much or little, I appreciate the kindness. It's entirely up to you!"

Ding Songyan tossed a few copper coins into his fellow storyteller's bamboo basket, then continued listening to tales and anecdotes of the martial world.

As he listened, Xu Chang'an grew entranced, unable to stop himself from saying to Ding Songyan:

"Second Brother Ding, do you think I could become a Great Thief too? One who arrives upon the moonlight and takes treasures from beneath the guard of countless experts?"

You? Ding Songyan gave him a sidelong glance and said mildly:

"Straighten your back."

Xu Chang'an looked bewildered, but straightened his back as instructed.

Ding Songyan studied him closely for a few breaths. A smile gradually appeared on his face, and after considering his wording, he said:

"Now that's the bearing of a Great Thief."

Complimenting someone cost him none of his own silver, and earned him goodwill besides. Why not?

Xu Chang'an was delighted to hear this and felt that Second Brother Ding truly was the best friend he would ever have.

Keeping his back straight, he paced back and forth.

Ding Songyan listened a little longer, then decided to visit a storyteller recounting ancient history to learn about other matters.

Throughout this process, he had been quietly surveying his surroundings, watching to see who might be shocked by his "return."

After he had walked seven or eight steps, someone suddenly sidled up, produced a thin booklet, and whispered:

"Want one? The Rivers and Lakes Beauty Register, with illustrations. The artist's brushwork is excellent. Just three fen of silver, or twenty-four copper coins."

Ding Songyan glanced at the bookseller without speaking.

The bookseller, young but already wearing a worldly expression, looked around:

"Not interested in this one? How about this? The Jade Tree Martial Arts Rankings."

He pulled out another booklet.

Amused, Ding Songyan pointed at the Rivers and Lakes Beauty Register:

"Guaranteed authentic?"

The bookseller more or less understood what he meant and was about to spin some nonsense when he noticed Xu Chang'an glaring fiercely at him beside Ding Songyan. Meanwhile, the man asking wore an enigmatic half-smile, his intentions unclear.

He stammered:

"The artist hasn't seen them in person. He could only imagine them based on rumors from the martial world. If you two want real likenesses, you could have someone buy a volume of Lay Buddhist Little Zhang's paintings in the Flame Capital. He's met two or three of them."

Ding Songyan did not press the issue, instead asking thoughtfully:

"Do you have any books about the Xiaoming Sect?"

He had already made up his mind to study martial arts, and the most renowned local sect seemed to be the Xiaoming Sect. Although gaining admission would certainly be difficult, with exceedingly slim prospects, Ding Songyan had always believed that only by aiming for the highest could one achieve something middling. If he aimed for an inferior choice from the outset, the result could only be worse. Thus, he felt all his initial preparations should meet the standards for becoming a Xiaoming Sect disciple.

Naturally, that meant gathering more information.

At Ding Songyan's question, the bookseller sprang a step backward and shook his head firmly:

"No!"

Ding Songyan raised an eyebrow.

The bookseller glanced to either side and hastily explained:

"They actually live in Dingjiang Prefecture!"

So you only pick on the experts in the Jade Tree Martial Arts Rankings and the Rivers and Lakes Beauty Register because they aren't local and can't come after you, right? Ding Songyan clicked his tongue and headed toward another storyteller with Xu Chang'an.

After listening for a long time, Ding Songyan combined what he heard with the earlier martial-world anecdotes and his younger sister's account of the Zhen Estate, gaining a preliminary understanding of this world:

This place was called the Great Wilderness, or the Classic of Mountains and Seas World;

After Xia Qi, son of Emperor Yu, history seemed to have diverged from the world Ding Songyan had lived in before his transmigration. Its myths were also familiar, yet different;

There had also been Qin and a First Emperor, who unified the Great Wilderness and subdued the Hundred Tribes, but that dynasty had lasted more than two hundred years;

A few lines of poetry familiar to Ding Songyan had actually appeared here as well. Their source remained unknown, since this storyteller had recently been focusing on the current dynasty's history and had only briefly mentioned preceding dynasties;

The current dynasty's name was Zhao. Its imperial family claimed descent from Zhurong and bore the surname Hong. It had once ruled all under heaven, but nearly two hundred and sixty years ago, the Giant People Tribe, Zhourao Tribe, Three Bodies Tribe, Three Heads Tribe, Jingren Tribe, Gentlemen Tribe, Shouma Tribe, Quanrong Tribe, and other foreign tribes had suddenly rebelled, tearing the realm apart;

A noble of the Hong family had reestablished the dynasty in the Flame Capital south of the great river, turning back the raging tide and propping up the collapsing edifice. Through alliances and diplomacy, he had finally stabilized the situation. Meanwhile, the northern tribes descended into internal strife and fought for many years, eventually forming three great nations. One was Yu, established by the Three Bodies Tribe, who claimed descent from Emperor Shun, together with the Shouma Tribe and Jingren Tribe; the storyteller called it New Yu. Another was Gan, dominated by the Giant People, Gentlemen, and Zhourao Tribes. The third was Feng, founded by the Three Heads Tribe, Quanrong Tribe, and Rong Tribe. Separated from Great Zhao by Yu and Gan, the Feng Kingdom shared no border with it;

Beyond these four nations were Ba, Tiandu, and other countries, all in the Frontier Wastes;

Since the Southern Crossing, the current dynasty had first flourished, then declined. Sects and great clans fought over profits, while fiends of the Evil Path stirred up turmoil. Only when the Former Emperor, Emperor Chengzu Wen, came to power did he reconcile with the major leading Top Sects, quell internal unrest, reform the institutions, and strive tirelessly for good governance, finally restoring an age of prosperity. His Majesty was even more intent on advancing, sharpening weapons and feeding warhorses. He had chosen Jianwu as his era name, hoping to recover the lost homeland within his lifetime;

In martial arts, there was no sign of powers on the level of gods, monsters, immortals, or demons. Those in the Law Realm were Martial Grandmasters, those in the Celestial-Human Realm were Great Grandmasters, and those in the Spirit Platform Realm were Perfected Persons. As the saying went, a Martial Grandmaster held a prefecture, a Celestial Person guarded a province, and a Perfected Person sheltered a nation. There were currently only fourteen Perfected Persons in the world: ten orthodox and four of the Evil Path;

The distinction between orthodox and evil had nothing to do with nationality. Those who made sowing chaos under heaven their mission, delighted in spreading calamity, and practiced bloody, cruel cultivation methods all belonged to the Evil Path. They were wanted in every nation, though some countries did cooperate with the Evil Path in attempts to foment unrest in enemy territory;

Only sects or great clans with a Great Grandmaster qualified as leading powers. Great Zhao currently had the Six Sects and Four Factions, the Two Religions and Three Clans, the Two Great Sacred Grounds, the Two Hidden Sects, the Dangkang Agricultural Office, the Body-Mind Heterodox Sect, and the Xingtian Clan. Gan Kingdom, Yu, and Feng were much the same. The Everlasting Sect and the Celestial Maiden Sect were leading Top Sects in the Gan Kingdom;

The same held true for the Evil Path. Those that qualified as leading powers were collectively known as the Twenty-One Paths of Evil Demons, divided into the Upper Nine and Lower Twelve. The Sage-Slaying Path was one of the Upper Nine Paths;

The local Xiaoming Sect had once been a Top Sect, but suffered devastating losses during the upheaval more than two hundred years earlier, losing some of its crucial teachings. It had barely survived through the efforts of a few disciples before rebuilding in Dingjiang Prefecture, Ning Prefecture, south of the great river. After many generations, it had recovered a little of its former strength and now had several Martial Grandmasters;

The Zhen Estate's old patriarch, Zhen Qianfan, was a Supreme Elder of the Four Waters Gang. This gang's influence lay chiefly along Ning Prefecture's internal waterways. It had declined somewhat in recent years and had only two Martial Grandmasters left. Old Master Zhen was one of them and enjoyed considerable standing in Dingjiang Prefecture;

Every year, Great Zhao published an edition of the Exalted Orchid Roll, assigning grades to outstanding figures from all corners of the realm. These had nothing to do with cultivation realms or official ranks, but were brief appraisals based on demonstrated strength. So far, the storyteller had only mentioned that Martial Grandmasters were divided into two grades: the lower was Subtlety, and the higher Spirit Communion. The world's Perfected Persons and Great Grandmasters were few enough to count, and were not included in the roll...

Pondering all this, Ding Songyan prepared to move on to the next storyteller.

He had just turned sideways when he suddenly saw a pair of eyes.

Those eyes, with more black than white, grew on either side of a bronze-colored chest. Below them was an enormous navel that opened and closed as a mouth. Above the lips, off to one side, was a conspicuous black mole, seemingly marking where a nose might have been.

Uh... Ding Songyan's gaze slowly traveled upward. He saw a severed stump of flesh at the neck, and empty space where a head should have been.

A person could live without a head? Wait, the Xingtian Clan?

His blue-black jacket hung open, revealing knotted muscles, and he stood a full nine feet tall. Already intending to leave, the headless man glanced back at Ding Songyan, then turned and walked toward the Dangkang Temple.

"That's one of the Headless People from Qiaoqian Province. His Majesty wants to combine the Xingtian Method with the Way of the Military Strategists to strengthen his soldiers, so he sent this Light Cavalry Commandant to Dingjiang Prefecture to reorganize the barracks," Xu Chang'an explained quietly to Ding Songyan. "These Headless People dream of fighting their way back north."

The Xingtian Method? That might be worth considering too... Ding Songyan's heart stirred at the words.

An entirely one-sided stirring.

Once his heart stirred, action had to follow. He intended to make the acquaintance of that Headless People Light Cavalry Commandant.

PS: Thanks to Ranzhi Jimie for the silver alliance donation~