Reading Poetry in Pursuit of Skill

"The Flowing Cloud Manor Master has indeed been far too quiet these past few months."

Chu Tianshu said, "Since he wasn't stabbed by you and needs to recuperate, then the calm of the past few months is very likely because he's been studying the Fifteen Death-Claiming Swords."

Lu Shuangyan looked worried. "Although I feel that the Fifteenth Sword doesn't align with the path I truly want to take..."

"But if the Fifteenth Sword truly appears, I'm afraid even if I had several decades more, I might not be able to create a move that can rival it."

Xiahou Feishan asked in confusion, "You two easily suppressed the Fourteenth Sword just now. Even if there really is Fifteenth Sword, surely the two of you working together can't handle it?"

Lu Shuangyan sighed, "The Fifteenth Sword is on a completely different level from the previous fourteen."

"Moreover, I myself practice this sword technique. If I'm really pushed to that point, I'm afraid I won't be able to resist using the Fifteenth Sword."

"In that case, I don't know what I might do."

Xiahou Feishan recalled his feelings just now.

He only wanted to unleash the full Fourteenth Sword strike, yet he already felt an overwhelming urge.

It seemed to yearn to bring death to all living things around it.

"Ah!"

Xiahou Feishan realized, "If the Flowing Cloud Manor Master's mind is corrupted by this sword technique, it could lead to a catastrophe."

The Flowing Cloud Manor pursued hegemony. Although it used bloody methods of killing, it knew not to exhaust its resources once it actually occupied a territory.

Even when the Great Ming still held a prominent position, Flowing Cloud Manor was able to control three provinces.

Besides the deterrent effect of the upper echelons, it was also due to the cooperation of the common people.

Because the number of high-ranking officials in the Flowing Cloud Manor is far less than that of the Great Ming court, and the Lineage members and disciples that emerge from each batch of high-ranking officials have not yet had time to grow strong.

The people living under their rule were more at ease than those living in other parts of the Great Ming.

However, if the Flowing Cloud Manor Master changes his mind and no longer thinks about accumulating strength, but only cares about killing...

"No, it won't."

Lu Shuangyan said, "If he were truly controlled by the Fifteenth Sword, how could he possibly have enough rationality to mobilize the entire power of the Flowing Cloud Manor?"

"I fear that if some rash orders are issued, our own supplies and troop movements will fall into disarray."

"What is worrying is what if he were to take control of the Fifteenth Sword."

"Given his personality, he'll definitely act immediately and kill all the powerful figures in the martial arts world who might pose a threat to him in the future!"

Lu Shuangyan sighed deeply.

"In that case, the martial arts world for the next few decades would be far too boring."

Xiahou Feishan corrected him, "If that were really the case, you would definitely be among the first to die, never having the chance to experience such a dull world of martial arts."

"Hahaha."

After laughing heartily, Lu Shuangyan continued, "A whole generation of martial arts talent has been lost. Even if I can't see it, it still pains me to think about it."

Chu Tianshu stroked his chin, considering whether he could send a message to the capital.

Explain the stakes involved and invite the leaders of Shaolin Wudang to take the initiative to ambush and kill the Flowing Cloud Manor Master.

However, such letters rarely receive a satisfactory reply.

Even the emperor had something to say.

Who can be certain of where Flowing Cloud Manor Master is?

What if the Shaolin and Wudang leaders just left, and then the Flowing Cloud Manor Master assassinates the emperor?

Even the two top sect leaders would have to be suspicious first.

It remains to be seen whether the three of them will surround and kill the Flowing Cloud Manor Master, or whether a large group of people will surround and kill the two of them.

Alas, the longer someone holds a high position, the more likely they are to suspect that someone is trying to harm them when faced with chaos.

However, regardless of the outcome, the letter still needs to be sent.

Whether there are any dates or not, let's shoot first.

"I have little understanding of the Death-Claiming Sword Intent, and I have no clue about the fifteen sword strikes."

Chu Tianshu said, "But I am very interested in the first thirteen sword techniques."

"You use Sword Qi to guide your physical body. Although it doesn't make your body strong enough, it at least ensures that your movements are fluid. You cultivate your Divine Intent with Sword Qi, and your sensory intuition and grasp of various combat positions are superb."

Chu Tianshu was able to achieve something similar by cultivating multiple different paths of cultivation techniques.

Lu Shuangyan, however, only followed the path of Refining Spirit into Qi, and yet she possessed these advantages.

This shows that he not only has a profound understanding of this particular path, but also has the potential to apply it to other areas.

"I can lend you my cultivation techniques, including a set called ' Secret Incantations of Vertical and Horizontal,' which might inspire you. In exchange, I'll share my insights on sword creation."

Chu Tianshu emphasized again, "I don't want the final sword technique framework you summarize; I want your insights gained during the sword creation process."

How do the breath, body, and mind transition and connect?

Lu Shuangyan looked hesitant.

"The results of swordsmanship can be expressed not only through words but also through actual practice and sparring. However, the insights gained during the creation of a sword can only be described verbally."

Lu Shuangyan said, "I may not be able to express that feeling."

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "That's alright, come with me."

Before leaving, he gave the monks a few more words of advice, saying that since everyone was upset, they shouldn't eat too much that night and should go to bed two hours early.

The three of them went up the mountain together to the courtyard where Chu Tianshu lived.

It's located between the Arhat Hall and the Dharma Hall, not too far from the Sutra Repository.

Chu Tianshu didn't let them stay in the courtyard; he invited them directly into the house.

Apart from a set of bedding and a table and chairs, there was nothing in the room that was inconvenient to be seen.

There were just several stacks of books piled up on the table.

The bed was a mess, with books piled higher than a person's head on either side of the pillow.

There were a few books on the inside of the bed; Chu Tianshu had read them while sitting on the bed before going to sleep and had casually stuffed them there.

When he was in poor health, he would sweat profusely at night, and if the sheets weren't changed, the smell the next night would be unbearable.

When his cultivation reached a high level and he was no longer so afraid of dreams, he liked to look through things in bed before and after sleeping, but this only made things more messy.

Lu Shuangyan and Xiahou Feishan were not surprised at all.

Although the three came from very different backgrounds, they were all close in age and Zhongdu what their own room would look like.

"Please have a seat."

Chu Tianshu walked around, sorted out a few books, and placed them on the table.

Lu Shuangyan opened the book and saw that it was full of words and short phrases.

Tang poems, Song lyrics, Yuan dramas, and excerpts from some famous articles.

He was somewhat puzzled and opened another book.

This book contains poems, couplets, maxims, and koans by famous Zen masters from various regions during the Tang and Song dynasties.

"The window is still, birds peer into my meditation; the heart is the master, the body is the guest."

"The mountain is empty, the wind blows, leaves fall; the sky fills the summit, the sea overflows the roots."

Lu Shuangyan read aloud the passage that had been specially highlighted, savoring it carefully, and found it to be full of charm—truly a beautiful sentence.

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "Many Zen masters throughout history were quite skilled in writing."

"When they were compiling the martial arts of Southern Shaolin, they also liked to quote the words of their predecessors to express their artistic conception. In order to study the martial arts, I read through these books more often."

Traditional martial arts Refining Spirit into Qi and transforming it into qi, and there are many aspects of focusing on artistic conception in the cultivation of internal energy.

But the concept of artistic conception is always the most difficult thing to express.

This forced them to specialize in developing their expressive abilities in this area, employing originality and extracting phrases from classical texts.

It borrows various famous quotes from predecessors and organizes them into a chapter.

"This room full of books of mine can be considered a carefully selected and compiled vocabulary."

Chu Tianshu sat down at the table and said, "You will share your thoughts and feelings."

"Xiahou and I listened together, and when we came to any unclear parts, we looked up similar sentences in these books to show you if they were more accurate."

"Or make slight modifications to famous lines, ignoring the tones and rhymes, just make sure it expresses your feelings directly."

Lu Shuangyan became increasingly pleased as she listened.

"I've sought knowledge from many people, and discussed martial arts with others quite often, but this is the first time I've encountered something like this."

Lu Shuangyan looked at the poetry collection in her hand. "In the past, I would at most read Zhuangzi and the Diamond Sutra, which are well-known classics that are good at inspiring martial arts. I didn't pay much attention to anything else."

"Discussing martial arts while reading poetry—that's truly novel!"

Chu Tianshu picked up the teapot, slightly channeled his inner energy to heat the water, and poured three cups of tea.

"Didn't you say before that both literature and martial arts are the foundation of all professions, but you're not good at literature?"

"The nature of a virtuous person is not different; they are simply good at making use of things."

Chu Tianshu spoke calmly and gently pushed the two cups of tea towards them.

"We focus on the wisdom of martial arts, and are not good at literature, so we borrow literature from the sages of the past to enhance our knowledge and take it a step further."

"Because old objects can corroborate new ones, the treasures we can unearth from the vast annals of history are truly boundless."

Lu Shuangyan took a sip of tea, a wellspring of curiosity welling up in her heart, temporarily distracting her from her thoughts on the fourteenth and fifteenth swords.

I want to see! I want to see how my journey of creating the Death-Claiming Sword can be expressed through poetry and prose.

While the three of them were immersed in literature and martial arts.

Inside the Flowing Cloud Manor, someone had just awakened from meditation.

"The Fifteenth Sword, huh? Are you trying to create it again through someone else's hands?"

(End of this chapter)