A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 39 Ancient Tomb
After Shaolin closed its gates, Wudang became the most prominent sect in the martial arts world. Fifteen years later, of the original six major sects, only Emei and Huashan still have members active in the martial arts world, apart from Wudang.

Wudang Mountain

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, are you really sure?" Cheng Xu objected to Gu Xu's decision to resign as sect leader. After all, anyone could see that the past twenty years had been a golden age for Wudang, and Gu Xu's leadership was indispensable to all of this. Now that he was resigning, it was not good news for Wudang.

“Junior Brother Chengxu, I have been in charge of Wudang for twenty years. Now Wudang is on the right track and no longer needs to be aggressive. What we need to do in the future is to settle down and consolidate. This is not in line with my personality. If we continue like this, it will not be good for Wudang.”

Gu Xu glanced at Cheng Xu and continued, "Moreover, Qing Shu is doing very well now. He has a peaceful temperament, and I feel very reassured with him leading Wudang."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xu sighed inwardly. It seemed that his senior brother, the sect leader, had already made up his mind. In terms of temperament, Qing Shu was still slightly inferior to the sect leader. This was just an excuse.

"Since Senior Brother Sect Leader insists on this, I have no choice but to obey his orders."

"Alright, we'll hold the succession ceremony after Qing Shu emerges from seclusion."

Two years ago, Song Qingshu went into seclusion to cultivate the Pure Yang Profound Skill, and he will soon emerge from seclusion.

"Has Wuji sent any letters back?" Zhang Wuji had been away for years, and every two weeks he would send a letter introducing the places he had been to, the local customs and culture, which Gu Xu liked very much.

"There has been no news recently, but some disciples have seen him heading towards Zhongnan Mountain."

“Zhongnan Mountain, huh?” Gu Xu pondered for a moment, then said to Cheng Xu, “Tell me as soon as Wuji returns with the letter.”

Cheng Xu should claim it is true.

Zhongnanshan

Zhang Wuji traveled from south to north, and learned that Zhongnan Mountain was the ancestral home of the Quanzhen Sect in the past. He made a special trip there. Although time had passed and Chongyang Palace had long been destroyed by war, the scenery on the mountain was as serene as ever.

“Back then, Master Chongyang was such a great man, but unfortunately his disciples were useless, and he turned this Taoist sect into piles of rubble.” Gu Xu once told Zhang Wuji this story when Zhang Wuji was cultivating the Nine Yin Manual.

Stepping on the broken tiles, Zhang Wuji felt even more admiration for Gu Xu. The Wudang Sect and the Quanzhen Sect were so similar before. If it weren't for Gu Xu's hard work and dedication, the Wudang Sect might have followed the same path as the Quanzhen Sect. Now, he was extremely fortunate that Wudang was blessed by heaven and had such an unparalleled genius to carry forward Wudang's glory.

“Senior Brother Qingshu will surely take over Wudang, and I cannot let the sect leader down.” Zhang Wuji was very clever. Under Gu Xu’s tutelage for many years, he had become familiar with Wudang’s external structure. He was just waiting for Qingshu to take over Wudang, and he himself would be Wudang’s spokesperson. With the two of them working together, one inside and one outside, they would be able to safeguard the foundation.

As Zhang Wuji was strolling, he suddenly heard a melodious zither tune. The sound cleansed his spirit and soothed his heart, like a clear spring flowing or an echo in an empty valley, making him unconsciously immerse himself in it.

Following the sound of the zither, Zhang Wuji turned left and right until he arrived at a pool of water. The pool was filled with colorful flowers and plants, butterflies and bees. A beautiful woman in a yellow dress was playing the zither. To her left were four girls in white holding zithers, and to her right were four girls in black holding flutes.

The woman in yellow seemed to pay no attention to Zhang Wuji, and the latter did not disturb her, continuing to listen quietly. After a while, the music gradually stopped, and only then did the woman in yellow turn her gaze to Zhang Wuji.

"Are you from the Wudang Sect?" A clear voice rang in Zhang Wuji's ears.

"I am Zhang Wuji of the Wudang Sect. My intrusion into your esteemed place is truly presumptuous. Please forgive me," Zhang Wuji said, raising his fist in a salute.

"So it's Zhang Erxia, one of the two heroes of Wudang! He is indeed a handsome and extraordinary man," the woman in yellow exclaimed.

In the martial arts world today, there are only a handful of people who can catch his eye, and Wudang has two of them: Zhang Sanfeng and Gu Xu. Therefore, he pays much more attention to the Wudang sect than to other sects.

"It's fate that Zhang Erxia has come. Since you're here, please have a cup of tea," the woman in yellow said, dismissing her maids. Soon, she placed pastries and tea on the stone platform.

Zhang Wuji wasn't worried about being poisoned. He sat down casually, picked up a piece of pastry and popped it into his mouth. After taking a sip of tea, he asked, "May I ask your name, young lady?"

The woman in yellow smiled and said, "My surname is Yang, and this place is where my ancestors lived in seclusion."

"Yang, could it be that Miss Yang's ancestor was the Condor Hero from a hundred years ago?" Upon hearing her words, Zhang Wuji immediately thought of Yang Guo, the Condor Hero, whom Gu Xu and Zhang Sanfeng had mentioned before.

"Zhang Erxia actually knows about our ancestor?" The woman in yellow was also somewhat surprised, after all, the name of the Condor Hero had not been mentioned for a long time.

"To be honest, my senior brother Gu Xuhe once told me about the past deeds of the Condor Hero. He said that he was chivalrous, dedicated to the people and the country, and had the demeanor of a grandmaster. My master was also instructed by the Condor Hero in a few moves, so he respected him very much."

Zhang Wuji recounted some things about Yang Guo, and the woman in yellow was naturally pleased to hear the respect in his tone.

The woman in yellow had grown up listening to stories of her ancestors and was very familiar with them. The fact that the Wudang Sect had recorded these things in such detail showed that they must have put a lot of effort into it, which further increased her goodwill towards Wudang.

“Zhang Erxia, I am grateful for the kindness of the Wudang Sect. If you are not in a hurry to travel, please stay for a while. I have a request to make.” The woman in yellow said solemnly.

"Miss Yang, you're too kind. I have plenty of time," Zhang Wuji said readily, seeing her earnestness.

“Zhang Erxia, please follow me,” the woman in yellow said to Zhang Wuji as she walked slowly to the pool. “This pool is the entrance to the ancient tomb. You must stay close to me. There are hidden currents below, and you might go astray if you’re not careful.”

The woman in yellow jumped into the water first, and Zhang Wuji followed closely behind. Although the water was dark and murky, Zhang Wuji focused his eyes and quickly saw the figure in front of him. He swam up quickly, avoiding the undercurrents, and soon came to a spacious pool. Zhang Wuji poked his head out of the water and saw a tomb chamber that occupied a considerable area.

Standing in the tomb chamber, Zhang Wuji concentrated his inner energy. The heat from his Pure Yang Xuan Gong evaporated the moisture, and a white mist appeared out of thin air before gradually disappearing. After drying his clothes, Zhang Wuji looked around. The walls were smooth stone, and the light from a few candles was insufficient to dispel the darkness. A straight passage led ahead, its destination unknown. Unfamiliar with the area, Zhang Wuji dared not move about. He prepared to sit cross-legged and wait for the woman in yellow when two bright young women appeared before him.

One of the girls, dressed in white, said, "Second Master Zhang, please follow me," and pointed with her hand, taking the lead.

Zhang Wuji thanked her and followed closely behind, while the girl in black remained silent.

The girl in white led Zhang Wuji to a clean room. Inside, besides a stone bed and candles for lighting, there was only a stone table and two stone stools. There was nothing else. After the girl in black served them tea and pastries, the two left.

"Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it," Zhang Wuji immediately sat cross-legged on the stone bed and began meditating and circulating his internal energy.

Zhang Wuji didn't have to wait long. The woman in yellow, who had changed her clothes, came to the room and looked at Zhang Wuji, who was meditating, with admiration on her face.

"This young man is highly skilled, truly worthy of being called a hero of Wudang. I imagine Song Qingshu is no less capable, and there's also the mysterious Gu Xu. With three such individuals in the Wudang sect, it's truly enviable."

The woman in yellow, not wanting to disturb him, sat quietly on the stone bench and waited.

"Miss Yang," Zhang Wuji felt a sense of comfort after circulating his qi throughout his body. He opened his eyes and saw the woman in yellow smiling at him. He quickly got out of bed.

"Zhang Erxia, I am a few years older than you. How about we address each other as brother and sister?" The woman in yellow was trying to bring the two of them closer.

"Sister Yang," Zhang Wuji quickly changed his address, and the woman in yellow was delighted to hear him call her sister.

She was born in an ancient tomb and had no brothers or sisters except for the maids around her, which made her feel very lonely.

If it weren't for repaying a favor, I wouldn't have left the ancient tomb and would have been content to live a lonely life. I never expected to take in Shi Hongshi as my sister. Although the latter intended to use me as a backer, I really liked her when I heard her name.

Now, both Zhang Wuji and Shi Hongshi call her "sister," but she feels that Zhang Wuji's intentions are purer.

“Since you call me sister, I can’t be stingy. Consider this Qingxin Pendant a gift for our first meeting,” the woman in yellow said, taking out a crystal-clear piece of mutton-fat jade, carved with a magnificent golden eagle that looked incredibly lifelike.

Zhang Wuji did not refuse, saying "Thank you, sister," and readily accepted it.

Seeing his carefree attitude, the woman in yellow nodded repeatedly, noting that this young man did indeed share some similarities with her ancestor's character.

"Little brother, do you remember what I said before about needing your help?"

"I remember, I remember. I wonder what my sister wants me to do?" Zhang Wuji wasn't worried that his sister would ask him to do anything immoral.

"Come with me," the woman in yellow said, leading Zhang Wuji out of the room. After walking through the maze for a while, the two finally arrived at a more spacious tomb chamber. Judging from the layout, it should be the core of the ancient tomb. But why did his sister bring him here?

"This is the main hall of the Ancient Tomb Sect. All the martial arts manuals are hidden here. These things are all to be handed over to you, little brother," the woman in yellow answered Zhang Wuji's question.

“Sister, martial arts manuals are the foundation of a family’s heritage. How can you give these things to me?” Zhang Wuji was not greedy for the Ancient Tomb Sect’s martial arts. After all, the martial arts of the Wudang Sect were enough for him to cultivate, so there was really no need for such a thing.

"It is precisely because you are a Wudang disciple that I feel comfortable entrusting this to you."

The woman in yellow glanced at Zhang Wuji and continued, "Our Ancient Tomb Sect has always been small in number and lives in seclusion. If we are not careful, our lineage will be cut off. Now I am passing on my martial arts to you, but I also have my own selfish reasons. Wudang is now very famous. If you are willing to accept this inheritance, the Ancient Tomb Sect will also benefit from it in the future. In fact, I am the one who benefits."

Zhang Wuji pondered for a moment, looking into the other person's sincere eyes, and said, "Sister, I can take these things, but in the end, I still need Senior Brother Gu Xu's permission."

Upon hearing this, the woman in yellow said, "This is the right thing to do." In fact, she was already certain that Gu Xu would not refuse. As long as her younger brother spoke up, given his temperament, he would definitely agree.

The woman in yellow walked to the center of the tomb chamber, came to the offering table, reached out and turned the mechanism. A stone coffin on the left opened, and the woman in yellow stepped forward and took out several books.

"Brother, this is all the martial arts of the Ancient Tomb Sect," the woman in yellow handed the book to Zhang Wuji. He took it and saw that the cover had several martial arts techniques written on it, such as "Jade Maiden Heart Sutra," "Heavenly Net Formation," and "Beauty Fist Technique."

Zhang Wuji carefully put the book away and said to the woman in yellow, "After I return to the mountain, I will immediately explain the reason to Senior Brother Gu Xu. If it is successful, I will inform my sister."

The woman in yellow readily agreed. Having resolved a matter on her mind, she felt much better. Then she turned to Zhang Wuji and said, "Brother, come with me to another place." Zhang Wuji followed the woman in yellow to another tomb chamber.

"Brother, look at the writing on that stone wall." Following the yellow-clad woman's guidance, Zhang Wuji saw that many characters had been carved into the smooth stone wall with a weapon. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that it was the "Nine Yin Manual," which shocked him.

"How could the Nine Yin Manual be here?"

“Sister, this is clearly the Nine Yin Manual, but the content is quite incomplete,” Zhang Wuji said to the woman in yellow. She replied, “That’s right, this is the Nine Yin Manual, and it was personally carved by Master Chongyang.”

Zhang Wuji was puzzled. Why would Master Chongyang inscribe the scriptures here for no reason?
The woman in yellow knew that the Wudang Sect possessed the Nine Yin Manual from the Emei Sect long ago. Zhang Wuji did not hide this from her, which made her very gratified, as she knew she had not misjudged him.

Seeing Zhang Wuji's puzzled look, the woman in yellow smiled and said, "This is a long story, it all started with the story of Master Chongyang resisting the Jin..."

(End of this chapter)