Heaven and Earth One-Saber Slash

"I want to become a high-class boss like that someday," Xu Qi'an thought with a touch of envy, then clasped his hands in a fist salute and said.

"Last night, Daoist Jinlian from the Earth Sect came to my door. He didn't harm me, nor did he take back the Earth Book. Instead, he invited me to join the Heaven and Earth Society."

Wei Yuan of the Heaven and Earth Society turned around and walked into the tea room.

"The initiator of the Heaven and Earth Society is none other than the Golden Lotus Daoist of the Earth Sect, and his Earth Sect disciples behind the scenes." Seeing Wei Yuan listening attentively, Xu Qi'an knew that the information he had given was very valuable.

"The core members of the Heaven and Earth Society number nine, and they are also the holders of fragments of the 'Book of Earth.' They use the fragment numbers as code names and do not reveal their real names." Xu Qi'an briefly recounted last night's conversation:

"Currently, we only know that Number One is in the capital, backed by considerable power; Number Two is in Yunzhou, keen on suppressing bandits, and is suspected to be a member of the imperial court."

The white-haired eunuch pondered for a long time before asking, "What else did Jinlian say to you when we didn't know each other's identities?"

Xu Qi'an answered truthfully, "He said that the Earth Sect had problems and he wanted to clean house, so he founded the Heaven and Earth Society."

At this point, he noticed the senior eunuch opposite him; his eyes, filled with the wisdom of time, suddenly brightened as he gazed at him, his deep voice carrying a solemn tone:

Explain in detail.

"The leader of the Earth Sect has fallen into demonic possession, affecting almost all the sect members. Only a few remained conscious and escaped the sect. This is because of the protection of the Earth Book." Xu Qi'an completely betrayed Daoist Jinlian:

"So he formed the Heaven and Earth Society, distributing fragments of the Earth Book to the chosen ones scattered throughout the world, supporting them so that they would have assistance when he cleansed up the sect in the future."

The Daoist leader has fallen into demonic possession. Could it be that the Purple Lotus has become sinister and evil? Wei Yuan's refined and handsome face remained expressionless as he asked in a testing tone, "Why do you think the Golden Lotus told you all this?"

Xu Qi'an was about to say he didn't know, but meeting Wei Yuan's deep gaze and sensing the test in his tone, he swallowed his words.

Given Wei Yuan's cunning and shrewdness, he certainly wasn't seeking answers from me. He was testing my abilities.

Um... If I had blurted out "I don't know," would this high-ranking eunuch have thought of me as a subordinate who wasn't very smart and had only average intelligence?

Xu Qi'an's mind suddenly became active, and he smiled with a relaxed expression:

"The unusual situation at the Earth Sect is known to all members of the Heaven and Earth Society. Master Jinlian's honesty is a way of showing me sincerity."

Wei Yuan nodded almost imperceptibly. "The Earth Sect's whereabouts are elusive; even the Nightwatchers is unaware of the inside story of Gongde's demonic possession."

Xu Qi'an's eyes widened. "Does Duke Wei mean that Daoist Jinlian intends to secretly form an alliance with you, using me as a medium?"

Wei Yuan nodded in satisfaction, but did not answer. He said gently, "From now on, you will be the Nightwatchers's spy within the Heaven and Earth Society, responsible for investigating the true identities of other members. When necessary, the government will provide you with some assistance."

Xu Qi'an clasped his hands in a fist salute and replied, "Yes."

If I had acted a little slower just now, would Duke Wei have taken back the fragments of the Earth Book and replaced me with a brilliant subordinate to infiltrate the Heaven and Earth Society as a traitor?

A powerful figure's probing is like a gentle breeze; a moment's carelessness can lead to mistakes and oversights.

Wei Yuan said, "You've already reached the Qi Refining Realm, it's time to try cultivating some ultimate techniques. Go to the Scripture Pavilion and pick one."

Do you prefer a knife or a sword?

"A knife!" Xu Qi'an replied.

Even when he was still a minor official, he carried a broadsword. Although he rarely had the chance to use it, he had carried it with him for many years, and his affinity for the broadsword was always stronger than that for a sword.

Wei Yuan advised, "When choosing a unique skill, remember to select a simple and pure sword technique. Avoid anything that is too complicated or flashy."

"Martial artists differ from other systems; they don't possess many supernatural abilities, only extraordinary strength. Therefore, the purer a martial artist is, the better. You will understand this principle when you reach a higher level."

These few simple words were more valuable than a thousand pieces of gold. Xu Qi'an was overjoyed, "Thank you for your guidance, Duke Wei."

Having a powerful organization behind him is just the beginning. If he can gain Wei Yuan's appreciation and recognition, his career and Martial Dao will benefit greatly.

The Bureau of Astronomy only accepts young boys, not young chickens. Confucian School is not suitable for me. Moreover, neither of the former two is a martial arts system. If I want to pursue the Martial Dao, I can only rely on the watchmen's office, where Nightwatchers gather.

Holding Wei Yuan's handwritten letter, Xu Qi'an arrived at the Sutra Repository, accompanied by Li Yuchun.

Li Yuchun glanced at the clerk leading the way and said meaningfully, "When did you manage to curry favor with Duke Wei?"

"Duke Wei summoned me on his own initiative." Xu Qi'an with an innocent expression.

Li Yuchun nodded slightly, showing no displeasure, nor did she press for further questions.

The assessment of Jia's qualifications was personally conducted by Duke Wei, and it was perfectly normal for him to intend to cultivate Xu Qi'an.

Li Yuchun was already aware of this, and he harbored no resentment or jealousy towards his subordinates who bypassed him to curry favor with the higher-ups.

Firstly, it was inevitable that Jia Shang's talent would be cultivated and that he would attract Duke Wei's attention. Secondly, Xu Qi'an was a subordinate of Wei Gong.

With this bond of kinship, he couldn't be more eager for Xu Qi'an to rise as high as possible.

The official led them to a bookshelf and said, "There are 407 sword manuals in total, all of them are here."

After Xu Qi'an and the other person nodded, he withdrew.

Li Yuchun glanced at Xu Qi'an, and before he could speak, laughed and said, "Are you going to ask me which sword technique is the strongest?"

Xu Qi'an chuckled.

Li Yuchun pondered for a moment and said, "There are two kinds of extraordinary skills: technique and principle. Don't even think about the latter. As for the former, there is no distinction between strong and weak; it all depends on the person."

The two slowly began to select sword manuals. Xu Qi'an kept Wei Yuan's advice in mind and did not choose those flashy sword techniques.

An hour later, Li Yuchun said impatiently, "Isn't anything satisfactory?"

"Boss, I forgot to tell you, I have decision-making phobia!" Xu Qi'an nodded with a wry smile.

Li Yuchun thought for a moment, "Wait for me."

He summoned the officials and asked, "Have any new martial arts techniques been added to the archives recently? I mean, sword manuals."

The clerk pondered for a moment and said, "Yes, the Bureau of Astronomy sent over several rare martial arts manuals a few days ago, which were exchanged for several thousand taels of silver."

Several thousand taels of silver. Li Yuchun was taken aback, then a smile appeared on his face, "Xu Ningyan, you're lucky."

He explained, "The secret techniques worth several thousand taels of silver are of better quality than those inside; I estimate that one of them is a fragment of a swordsmanship manual."

"The Dao?" Xu Qi'an's eyes lit up.

"Master techniques imbued with Daoist principles are usually created by high-ranking martial artists, containing their lifelong insights into Martial Dao. Those aspiring to become high-ranking martial artists must avoid such techniques, for they represent someone else's Dao. However, fragments can be studied." Li Yuchun instructed his clerk.

"Go and find it."

A moment later, the official brought over several martial arts manuals, one of which was indeed an incomplete version of the art of the sword.

Heaven and Earth Slash

The person who chose this name is either a delusional teenager or a fanatic. Xu Qi'an made this judgment in his mind, opened the thin book, and read the preface:

There's nothing in this world that can't be cut off with a single stroke; if there is, my advice is to run away.

Xu Qi'an resisted the urge to throw away the secret manual and patiently turned to the second page.

Only after carefully reading the outline did my opinion of this extraordinary skill change.

If I'm not mistaken, the author of this book is a fanatic. He believes that everything in the world can be severed with a single stroke, including heaven and earth.

The same goes for the enemy.

Any unnecessary moves or fighting are an insult to the way of Martial Dao.

I'll strike with one blow; it's either you or me. Of course, being a fanatic doesn't mean losing your mind. The manifesto mentions that when faced with an opponent too powerful to defeat, the advice is to run away.

Xu Qi'an silently finished reading the outline and mentally wrote a new preface for this ultimate technique: Focus on one point, reach the pinnacle!

He closed the booklet, his eyes shining. "I want it."