A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 40 Fermented Rice
"So that's how it is. The True Man Chongyang and the Ancestor of the Ancient Tomb had such a relationship. It's just a pity that the lovers could not be together in the end," Zhang Wuji sighed after listening for a long time.

Zhang Wuji stood up, looked up at the scriptures on the wall, and asked, "Sister, what are you going to do with these scriptures?"

The woman in yellow drew a long sword, its light flashing repeatedly. In no time, she had destroyed all the scriptures, which surprised Zhang Wuji.

"The Ancient Tomb Sect is, after all, a reclusive society. It's best not to leave such a treasure in our possession, lest it attract evil people. If that happens, the Ancient Tomb will not be at peace, and we will be going against the wishes of our ancestors." The woman in yellow was worried that someone would find out about this secret in the future, and the Ancient Tomb would have no successor. That would truly be a case of "possessing a treasure is a crime."

Zhang Wuji agreed. In this ancient tomb, the only one who had achieved success in cultivation was his sister, and she had no disciples. With just a few maids, it would be difficult to maintain this foundation, and it was destined to decline in the future.

Thinking of this, Zhang Wuji felt extremely heavy-hearted about the secret manuals in his arms.

Seemingly noticing Zhang Wuji's unusual expression, the woman in yellow smiled and said, "Since you've come here, you should try my specially made Jade Bee Brew. This is very beneficial to those who practice martial arts."

With his attention diverted by the woman in yellow, Zhang Wuji became interested in the Jade Bee Brew. As for things that could enhance internal strength, Wudang had no shortage of them. Judging from the name, it seemed to be a wine made from honey.

Zhang Wuji followed the woman in yellow to a tomb chamber filled with the aroma of wine. He took a whiff and felt a faint, cool sensation flow down his throat, sink into his dantian, and be transformed into his true qi.

The woman in yellow said to Zhang Wuji, "This wine cellar was built by our ancestors. This jar of Jade Bee Wine is eighty years old, making it the oldest. Brother, please have a cup." As she spoke, she poured a cup of amber-colored wine from the jar.

Although he hadn't drunk it yet, the fragrance kept wafting into Zhang Wuji's nose. Zhang Wuji glanced at the woman in yellow, then swallowed the wine in one gulp. After the wine entered his stomach, Zhang Wuji felt a chill enter his body, clashing with the intense pure yang energy within him. He quickly sat down cross-legged and began circulating his internal energy.

The woman in yellow remained calm and watched him with interest. Zhang Wuji's face flushed red and then turned pale, sometimes half red and half pale, for quite some time. Finally, Zhang Wuji slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened his eyes.

"Sister, this Jade Bee Wine is indeed extraordinary. Just this one cup has benefited me greatly. It can be called a priceless treasure." Zhang Wuji felt that this wine was even more effective than the Rejuvenation Pill.

"The longer this fermented rice wine is aged, the greater its effects. In addition, it contains various precious medicinal herbs. It's absolutely impossible to gather such a jar now."
The woman in yellow had tried to brew the wine several times before, but some of the medicinal herbs had long since disappeared and had to be replaced with other things. Moreover, the most precious jade bees were gradually dying out, and the honey that remained was of poor quality. Therefore, the efficacy of the jade bee wine was greatly reduced.

She wouldn't have taken this out today if it weren't for Zhang Wuji.

Zhang Wuji was also taken aback upon hearing this. He realized that he had gotten a good deal. Thinking about it, it made sense. A treasure that could increase one's internal energy by two levels in a short time must be extremely rare.

"Sister, you should keep this treasure. I'm already incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to drink a cup of it."

The woman in yellow chuckled and said, "Although this wine is precious, I'm willing to part with it and have a few more cups." As she spoke, she poured another cup and handed it to him.

Zhang Wuji took it and downed it in one gulp. With the foundation laid last time, there was no change this time, except that he felt his internal energy circulating more smoothly.

The two talked and drank, and soon most of the jar of jade bee wine was gone. Seeing that Zhang Wuji was a little drunk, the woman in yellow had someone take him to rest.

Nothing happened that night. After Zhang Wuji sobered up, he not only did not feel unwell, but his energy was also greatly enhanced, which was probably due to the wine.

After breakfast, Zhang Wuji said to the woman in yellow, "Sister, I plan to leave today." He didn't know when they would meet again.

Hearing this, the woman in yellow nodded and said, "Alright, I won't keep you any longer." Although she didn't seem to care much, her reluctance was evident. Zhang Wuji followed the woman in yellow to the exit.

Looking at the somewhat murky pool, Zhang Wuji asked, "Sister, is this the only exit from this ancient tomb?" Zhang Wuji always felt that the exit from the ancient tomb shouldn't be here; who would set the exit up like this?

"This was not the real exit originally. The real exit has been sealed off by the Dragon-Slaying Stone and cannot be opened."

The woman in yellow sighed, "Back then, our ancestors didn't want to be disturbed, so they simply left the Dragon-Slaying Stone standing there, leaving only this hidden entrance and exit. Today, the younger generation's skills are insufficient to open the Dragon-Slaying Stone, so they have no choice but to enter and exit through this place. Although they have to change their clothes every time, there's nothing they can do about it."

"Sister, take me to that Dragon-Slaying Stone and let me try to open it. If I succeed, it will save you a lot of trouble."

Zhang Wuji was determined to solve a problem for the woman in yellow.

The woman in yellow looked at him and said with a smile, "If that's the case, then come with me, little brother." She led Zhang Wuji around several side paths and opened several hidden doors. The two arrived at a huge rock. Looking at the rock, which was about the height of a person, Zhang Wuji stepped forward and touched it with his hand. The rock was of fine texture. He tapped it and it made a dull sound. He drew his sword and slashed at it with force, and a string of sparks flew out.

"What a hard stone!" Zhang Wuji was also somewhat surprised. His precious sword was forged from the finest metals and meteorite iron, and was no less powerful than the Heaven-Slaying Sword. Yet now, it couldn't even leave a single sword mark.

The woman in yellow was not surprised at all. She had tried to ignite the stone with fire and water, and even tried to chop it with the precious weapon, but the stone remained unmoved.

Zhang Wuji sheathed his sword, glanced at the woman in yellow, then gathered his inner strength, placed his hands on the boulder as if glued to it, and slowly pushed it upwards. A soft cracking sound suddenly echoed in the silent tomb. The woman in yellow, hearing the sound, was startled, then looked at Zhang Wuji, her face flushed. With a shout, she propelled the boulder upwards, letting in a beam of light. The woman in yellow rushed to help, bracing the bottom of the boulder with both hands. Together, they finally returned the boulder to its original position.

Zhang Wuji's body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. His face was flushed and covered in sweat. The woman in yellow felt a pang of heartache upon seeing this.

After helping Zhang Wuji up, they took him to a nearby tomb chamber to rest. It took about 45 minutes for Zhang Wuji to slowly recover.

"Your brother has done your sister a great favor, and I am grateful for it."

This boulder requires powerful internal energy to move. Although the woman in yellow is skilled in martial arts, her internal energy cultivation is slightly inferior to that of Zhang Wuji, who is now cultivating the Pure Yang Profound Skill.

"Sister, you're being too polite. If you need help, I'll naturally help you. Now that the Dragon-Slaying Stone has been opened, it will be easier for you to come and go."

Once Zhang Wuji had recovered, he wanted to return to the mountain as soon as possible, so he took his leave.

The woman in yellow escorted him all the way to the outside of the Dragon-Slaying Stone, gave him some more detailed instructions, and only returned to the Ancient Tomb after Zhang Wuji's figure disappeared.

After leaving Zhongnan Mountain, Zhang Wuji went to the nearest town, bought a fast horse, and rushed to Wudang Mountain as quickly as possible.

At this moment, on Mount Wudang, Gu Xu was playing chess with Zhang Sanfeng.

"Judging by the days, Qing Shu should be coming out of seclusion soon. You can rest well and don't need to work so hard," Zhang Sanfeng said, taking out a white chess piece and placing it on the chessboard.

"Four days left, Ancestor, your move has failed. Then this disciple will not be polite." Gu Xu laughed, and the black piece fell, capturing the few white pieces. The white pieces, which were already at a disadvantage, had begun to collapse, and defeat was only a matter of time.

Zhang Sanfeng lightly shook his folding fan and chuckled, "You little rascal, can't you give me a handicap?" After glancing at the chessboard, Zhang Sanfeng threw the white piece he had already picked up back into the chess box.

"This disciple dares not hold back, otherwise I will be the one to lose," Gu Xu said, seeing that Zhang Sanfeng had no intention of playing anymore. So he waved his sleeve and swept the chess pieces into the chess box.

“Wuji wrote to me the other day saying he wanted to visit Zhongnan Mountain. He should have arrived by now,” Gu Xu thought of the mysterious woman in yellow.

“Zhongnan Mountain? I heard my master mention it when I was young. It was once the ancestral home of the Quanzhen School. The once illustrious Taoist sect has become a pile of ruins.” Zhang Sanfeng sighed. No matter how powerful a sect is, if it has no successor, it is just a flash in the pan, like a shooting star. Although it is dazzling, it is destined not to last long.

Looking at Gu Xu, Zhang Sanfeng laughed again. Who could have imagined that thirty years later, Wudang, which was once facing the predicament of having no successors, has now undergone earth-shattering changes under Gu Xu's leadership? Even if he were to pass away, he could rest in peace.

"Sect Leader, a message sent by carrier pigeon," Cheng Xu said, walking over with several slips of paper and bowing to Zhang Sanfeng and Gu Xu.

Zhang Sanfeng nodded, and Gu Xu took the slip of paper and examined it one by one.

"Master Miejue of Emei is preparing to pass the throne to Zhou Zhiruo. The succession ceremony will be held next month. Chengxu, prepare a generous gift for her, and I will send someone to attend." Gu Xu was preparing to send Zhang Wuji to attend the succession ceremony of Master Miejue.

"As for Moyun Temple, we don't need to worry about it. As long as they don't cause trouble in Hubei, let them be. If we're talking about being anxious, Master Kongwen of Shaolin Temple is probably more anxious than we are."

With the tacit support of the imperial court, the Shaolin Temple in the Western Regions moved the Moyun Temple back to the Central Plains. Whether it was intentional or for some other reason, the Moyun Temple was built in Henan Province, far away from the Shaolin Temple, which blatantly overshadowed the Shaolin Temple.

"But this last matter requires careful verification. If it is true, then send them to Zhengqing Academy. If not, then arrest all those who spread rumors and execute them without mercy. Remember, whenever a Wudang disciple does something that damages the reputation of Wudang, once verified, they must be severely punished."

Cheng Xu sensed the killing intent in the sect leader's tone and felt a chill run down his spine. "These ungrateful bastards seem to have forgotten what happened to those who broke the sect rules back then."

"Yes, Sect Leader," Cheng Xu replied immediately, seeing that he had no further instructions.

Zhang Sanfeng, who had been silent until now, asked, "What happened that made you say such harsh words?" In his memory, Gu Xu was always quite calm and rarely lost his temper.

"Master, your disciples have reported that several outer disciples, relying on the name of Wudang, are secretly helping their families seize land, abduct women, and even have some minor sects send them offerings regularly. I have already sent Chengxu to investigate the matter. If it is true, these people cannot be allowed to live. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that someone is secretly impersonating them. We will wait for the investigation to be completed before making any further decisions."

Zhang Sanfeng nodded and said, "With so many people in the sect, there will inevitably be places that cannot be looked after. You can handle them yourself."

After exchanging a few more words, Gu Xu got up and left, going to the Zixiao Palace.

(End of this chapter)