A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 38 Aftermath
"How come you weren't poisoned?" Nie Yi asked loudly as Song Qingshu flew towards him.

Song Qingshu didn't reply. He thrust his sword forward, and a bloody flower spurted from Nie Yi's shoulder. The latter retreated with a muffled groan, and casually drew a golden ring saber, slashing horizontally. Song Qingshu's sword moved like a dragon, and he struck the blade with his sword. The powerful force made Nie Yi almost lose his grip on the saber, and his body involuntarily fell forward.

Nie Yi gritted his teeth and roared, unleashing his power. The golden ring saber knocked the longsword away and thrust straight at the same time. Seeing this, Song Qingshu turned his longsword and pierced through the golden ring. In Nie Yi's horrified gaze, the blade that had shattered the golden ring pierced his heart as easily as cutting tofu.

Sheathing his longsword, Song Qingshu looked down at the two still fighting below and felt relieved. Although Kong Yi was older, his skill was far inferior to Zhang Wuji's, and it would not be difficult for the latter to defeat him.

Song Qingshu searched Nie Yi's body and found a bottle of pills. He uncorked it, smelled it, and confirmed that it was indeed the antidote. He then stuffed the antidote into the mouths of the disciples.

Kong Yi was already showing signs of defeat under Zhang Wuji's sword techniques. He wondered why the disciples outside hadn't come in. Had something unexpected happened?

Seeing that his opponent dared to be distracted while fighting him, Zhang Wuji's attacks became even more ferocious. Kong Yi wrapped his Buddhist beads around the sword, pulling Zhang Wuji towards him, and then struck out with his right hand. Upon seeing this, Zhang Wuji channeled his inner strength, causing the sword to tremble. A surge of power from his left palm clashed with his opponent's. A scream was heard, the Buddhist beads scattered, and Kong Yi spat out blood and flew backward. Before he could even get up, the sword blade was already pressed against his throat.

Song Qingshu looked at Kong Yi and asked, "You're a smart man, you should know what I want to ask. Tell me who the mastermind is."

Despite his disheveled appearance, Kong Yi still laughed loudly: "Would you believe me if I said the Shaolin Sect ordered me to do it?" With a look of relief in his eyes, Kong Yi pulled out a dagger and committed suicide.

"Senior brother, do you think what this monk said is true? Could it really be Shaolin Temple?" Zhang Wuji was somewhat doubtful, after all, it wasn't uncommon for people to be framed.

Song Qingshu couldn't figure it out for a moment. The robbery of medicinal herbs and the murder of Wudang disciples seemed so abrupt and strange.

"We originally hoped to find out who was behind this, but the trail went cold. It seems we have no choice but to report this to our senior brother, the sect leader, and let him handle it."

"Senior brother, look, there's a letter inside this monk's robe," Zhang Wuji said, his sharp eyes taking something from Kong Yi and handing it to Song Qingshu.

The cover reads: "Opened personally by Master Kongru of Shaolin."

Song Qingshu took the envelope and saw that it was sealed with red lacquer. He carefully opened it and read it through. Then, Song Qingshu angrily exclaimed, "This monk is truly vicious!" Seeing his senior brother's rage, Zhang Wuji quickly asked, "Senior brother, what does it say inside?"

"Junior brother, take a look for yourself," he said, handing the letter to Zhang Wuji. After reading it, the latter's expression turned grim.

Kong Yixin mentioned that as long as the killing of those Wudang disciples could be framed on the imperial court, Shaolin would promise to give them three unique skills and would also be willing to accept the Western Region Shaolin as a branch temple.

“Senior brother, this matter is too important to be decided by the sect leader. However, Tianxiang Valley has only itself to blame, and we must avenge Junior Brother Wu and the others,” Zhang Wuji said through gritted teeth.

"Senior Brother Song, Nie Lei has been killed by my subordinate, and the rest of the Tianxiang Valley people have been brought under control. In addition, we have found the warehouse," a Wudang disciple reported.

"Take everything out of the storeroom and bring it back to Wudang. Also, find out who was involved and don't let any of them get away with it. Wudang disciples cannot die in vain."

Song Qingshu had no intention of accepting Tianxiang Valley. This troublesome place needed to be gotten rid of as soon as possible. Although Kong Yixin mentioned that it was Shaolin who did it, who could guarantee that the imperial court wouldn't have intervened later?

Everyone worked until dawn before they finished organizing everything. Dozens of carriages lined up for miles, with Song Qingshu leading the way and Zhang Wuji bringing up the rear. The Wudang group headed south towards Wudang Mountain.

After everyone had disappeared from sight, Song Yuanqiao and Zhang Cuishan came out.

“Senior brother, Qing Shu is getting more and more experienced. We are getting old too,” Zhang Cuishan sighed.

Song Yuanqiao stroked his beard and said, "The sect leader intends for Qingshu to take charge of Wudang, and in recent years he has already increased his responsibilities considerably."

"The sect leader is in his prime, so why is he in such a hurry to cultivate a successor and to compile those martial arts manuals and set up Wudang? To be frank, it seems like the sect leader is making his final arrangements," Zhang Cuishan said, not knowing where this feeling came from. He just suddenly thought of it.

Upon hearing this, Song Yuanqiao not only didn't say anything, but also somewhat agreed, "We don't need to worry too much about the sect leader's affairs. Since he's doing this, there must be a reason for it. What we need to do is watch the younger generation grow up, and the rest is up to Wudang's fate."

A few days later, news spread that Tianxiang Valley had colluded with the Shaolin Temple in the Western Regions to attack Wudang, and had been severely punished by Wudang.

Among the various factions, many people watched coldly. No one would believe that the Western Region Shaolin dared to act so recklessly without the support of the Shaolin Temple. Now it was up to the sect leader, Gu Xu, to decide what to do.

Wudang Mountain

Gu Xu took the letter from Song Qingshu, opened it, read it once, and then casually put it aside.

"Sect Leader, is there something wrong with this letter?" Song Qingshu asked in a low voice.

He had previously questioned the authenticity of the letter, but some of its contents were indeed correct. The sect leader seemed unsurprised, as if he was quite certain about the matter.

"This letter is genuine, and Shaolin is undoubtedly the mastermind behind it. But Shaolin probably doesn't know that the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The Western Region Shaolin lineage is not so foolish. Three unique skills are not enough to warrant their audacity."

"Senior brother, you mean..." Upon hearing Gu Xu's words, Song Qingshu realized that the imperial court was indeed behind it.

"This Western Region Shaolin Temple may seem to share the same origin as Shaolin, but it is not without its dirty secrets. Before Kongyi made contact with Kongru, he had already spoken with the imperial court. As for what promises he made, we have no idea. You said that Kongyi was determined to die when he fought with you. In that case, I have a guess," Gu Xu suddenly thought of something.

"Senior brother, what's your guess?" Zhang Wuji asked hurriedly. "To exchange one person for the future of the entire Western Region Shaolin Temple," Gu Xu guessed that Kong Yi wanted to drag Shaolin down with him, and then have the imperial court support the Western Region Shaolin Temple. In this way, they could legitimately enter the Central Plains. The imperial court only needed to do favors for Wudang and suppress Shaolin Temple, thus killing three birds with one stone.

First, Shaolin will inevitably fall into internal strife and its strength will be greatly reduced; second, supporting the Shaolin Temple in the Western Regions will give the imperial court eyes and ears in the martial arts world; third, it will check and balance Wudang and maintain the balance of the martial arts world.

"Our emperor is no ordinary person. Qingshu, Wuji, remember this: no matter how Wudang develops in the future, always leave yourself a way out. Remember to keep a low profile and don't try to stand out in everything. That will not do Wudang any good. Also, remember that Wudang people cannot participate in the affairs of the court. If any Wudang disciple enters the court as an official, then they must voluntarily give up their status as a Wudang disciple."

"Senior brother, we've got it." Song Qingshu and Zhang Wuji felt a pang of sadness as they watched Gu Xu give his solemn instructions, as if the sect leader were entrusting his affairs to the sect leader. Despite their many doubts, they dared not ask and could only keep their senior brother's words firmly in mind.

Seeing the two men's expressions of sudden realization, Gu Xu also understood that time was running out. In recent years, as his martial arts skills had improved, he increasingly felt that his time in this world was running out. He decided to resolve some important matters as soon as possible so that they would not be left for future generations to complete.

"You can all go now. Don't get involved in this matter. Your main focus right now is to improve your martial arts skills."

Song and Zhang agreed and then left the main hall.

Gu Xu remained silent for a while, then went to the table, pondered for a moment, and began to write a letter. He wrote six whole pages before reluctantly putting down his brush, putting the letter in an envelope, and then putting it away.

Just as the various factions were trying to find out Wudang's next move, the imperial court suddenly issued an edict targeting Shaolin, confiscating all of Shaolin's land in the nine-story area and ordering all monks with prior criminal records to be investigated, with those guilty of heinous crimes to be executed.

Surprisingly, Shaolin Temple remained silent on the matter, and its already half-open gates were now completely sealed off. Apart from offering incense and prayers, no one from Shaolin was seen moving about in the martial arts world.

Suddenly, all the sects turned their attention to Wudang Mountain.

"Sect Leader, Shaolin has been closed for twenty years, and I heard that Kongru was also punished by Master Kongwen according to the sect rules and has died. It seems that Shaolin has really washed its hands of this matter." Cheng Xu couldn't help but feel indignant. Although the families of the three Wudang disciples received compensation, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

"Junior brother, I understand your feelings, but this matter involves a great deal of issues, and you must not act on your own," Gu Xu solemnly instructed Cheng Xu. It was clearly the imperial court that was taking action, and their own martial arts sect did not want to get involved.

Moreover, a few days ago, Kong Wen sent someone to deliver a letter saying that he did not know that Kong Ru had committed such a heinous crime, but in the end, it was because Shaolin was not strict in its discipline. Therefore, in addition to taking out three Great Rejuvenation Pills, he also promised three favors to Wudang.

Kong Wen presented such a generous gift, which Gu Xu accepted without hesitation. Gu Xu temporarily entrusted the three Great Rejuvenation Pills to Hu Qingniu for research. Once the prescription was analyzed, Wudang would have another treasure.

Upon hearing the sect leader's words, Cheng Xu immediately realized that there must be more to the story, and that it was best not to inquire further.

"Sect Leader, the Ancestral Master requests your presence," a young Taoist priest entered the hall, bowed to Gu Xuxing, and said respectfully.

Gu Xu nodded upon hearing this and said he understood. Cheng Xu then said, "Sect Leader, I still have some matters to attend to. If you have no further instructions, I will take my leave now."

Cheng Xu saw Gu Xu nod, so he bowed and left the main hall.

"The Patriarch has been in seclusion for a long time. I wonder what it's for this time?" Gu Xu pondered to himself, his steps never faltering. In no time, he arrived at Zhang Sanfeng's secluded place.

"Come in," a kind voice said as Gu Xuzheng walked to the door. The gatekeeper was no longer there.

With a soft creak, Gu Xu pushed open the door and entered.

Zhang Sanfeng was drinking tea when he saw Gu Xu coming over. He smiled and said, "Sit down and try this wild mountain tea. It has a unique flavor." He then poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.

Gu Xu took the porcelain cup and sat down. He smelled it; it was bland and tasteless. He took a sip, and instead of being refreshing, it tasted bitter. Then he felt a cool sensation that invigorated him.

"Master, this wild tea is truly extraordinary. It possesses all three qualities: mildness, bitterness, and clarity. Although it lacks any sweetness, its aftertaste is endless." Gu Xu, who usually doesn't like drinking tea, has become interested in this wild tea.

"Since you became the sect leader, you've never been as relaxed and natural as before. The reason I asked you to come here today is to have a chat with you. Gu Xu, don't be so tense. Relaxing a little won't do you any harm. If you keep working so hard, your body probably won't be able to take it."

Although Zhang Sanfeng had been in seclusion for a long time, he was not unaware of everything. Since Gu Xu took over the sect, Wudang had undergone tremendous changes, and Zhang Sanfeng was gratified by the amount of effort Gu Xu had put in. He felt sorry for Gu Xu, as the boy was working too hard.

"Master, I know, but I dare not relax. Now is the most important time for Wudang. The slightest slackening may cause irreparable damage. Master, rest assured, I know what I'm doing. I also want to see Qing Shu and Wu Ji grow up completely and continue to carry forward Wudang."

"Sigh, since you know what's going on, I won't say anything more. I just hope you don't live too hard," Zhang Sanfeng said, glancing at Gu Xu before taking another sip of tea from his porcelain cup.

"This tea is like most people's lives—plain and bitter."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xu pondered for a moment, met Zhang Sanfeng's eyes, and said, "This disciple cannot be an ordinary person, not even for the sake of Wudang."

Zhang Sanfeng nodded upon hearing this, "Wudang is proud of you. These are some of my insights into Tai Chi. Take a look when you have time. I don't have anything else to teach you."

Gu Xu took the booklet from Zhang Sanfeng, carefully put it away, and after sipping his tea for a while, he left.

Watching Gu Xu's departing figure, Zhang Sanfeng shook his head and sighed before entering into meditation and going into seclusion.

(End of this chapter)