Arhats Subduing Demons: Starting with The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber

Chapter 18 The Way is Not Easily Passed Down
Hearing this, and seeing Chang Kong's serious expression, the woman in yellow felt very pleased.

Although she had maids and servants, everyone treated her with utmost respect, and she had to maintain the airs of a young lady at all times. Chang Kong's words and actions were something she had never seen or heard of before.

Even though she knew that what he wanted was advanced martial arts, she still brought up the fact that Yang Guo would definitely teach him martial arts. This gave the woman a feeling of novelty she had never experienced before, and she couldn't help but think of the story of Xiaolongnu and Yang Guo.

The woman loved to hear flattery, but she said coldly, "My ancestor would never have taught you martial arts if he saw you. Now I finally know how Yin Wushou died. The rumors in the martial arts world are completely unreliable!"

Chang Kong was slightly surprised when he heard her last sentence: "What? What's going on in the martial arts world? I killed Yin Wushou?"

Chang Kong was well-versed in human nature. He had long anticipated Yang Guo's early fame and spoke with a clear conscience. He was even more certain that the woman in yellow was incredibly proud and would never diminish Yang Guo's reputation. How could she let him off the hook only to attack him? Naturally, she was quite ruthless, but in the martial arts world, ruthlessness was considered a heroic spirit.

The woman laughed and said, "A few years ago, I heard in Chang'an that Yun Changkong, the young head of the Jinyang Escort Agency, killed Yin Wushou of the Tianying Sect with three punches and two kicks. He was only eleven years old. This matter was already known to everyone in the martial arts world. Now, it seems that it is a little bit lacking."

Chang Kong's line, "I may be gone from the martial world, but my legend lives on," is by no means an exaggeration.

As a viewer, one might think that someone like Yin Wushou is just a minor character! But if you hold this view, then apart from Zhang Wuji, everyone else is a minor character, like the woman in yellow, including Zhao Min, Zhou Zhiruo, and Zhang Sanfeng, because they are also serving the main characters.

Therefore, this view is naturally incorrect in the world depicted in the book.

The achievements of people like Yin Wushou and Yunhe are figures that ordinary people can hardly come into contact with in their entire lives. Even if you come to entrust a shipment, you may not be able to get received by the chief镖头 (head镖师, chief镖头 of the largest镖局 in several provinces) like Yunhe.

As for Yin Wushou, he was originally a bandit. If you want him to rob you, you'd have to be qualified. Ordinary cattle and horses aren't worth his time; that's the real reality.

Imagine how noble Song Qingshu of Wudang was in the story, how skilled he was in martial arts, and how famous he became known as "Jade-faced Mengchang" at a young age.

Yet, this dignified candidate for the third generation of Wudang sect leader not only couldn't defeat the three Yin brothers, but also suffered a loss, yet still won the respect of the Emei sect.

Even arrogant masters like Abbess Miejue and Wei Yixiao did not hesitate to praise Song Qingshu.

It's not shameful to lose to the three servants of the Yin family because they have a great reputation in the martial arts world, and their ruthlessness is no less than that of top-notch fighters.

But this Yin Wushou was the one who was killed by Yun Changkong, who was not even eleven years old.

The reason this matter was able to spread was that, despite their gratitude to Yunhe, the people of Jinyang Escort Agency were also afraid that the Tianying Sect would capture them to vent their anger. After all, there were so many people in the escort agency at the time. Even if you could guarantee that you wouldn't speak up, you couldn't guarantee that others would do the same. So, it was better for me to speak first.

Therefore, many things that should have been kept extremely secret eventually spread in the public sphere; that's human nature!
When they spread the word, they naturally embellished it, describing Yun Changkong as a young hero who was no match for Yin Wushou, so that the Sky Eagle Sect could go after Yun Changkong.

This is similar to martial arts gangs boasting about their ancestors or leaders; regardless of their actual abilities, they must project an image of being "high-class and impressive." However, it was precisely this boasting that made eleven-year-old Yun Changkong a unique young master in the martial arts world, which led to this unnecessary turmoil.

The woman continued, "You only want me to teach you martial arts so that you can find the key to unlocking your inner strength. But since you know about my ancestor, don't you know that all the martial arts he learned were the best in the world? Don't you understand the principle that the Dao is not easily passed on and the method is not obtained in vain?"

Chang Kong said, “The Dao is not easily passed on, the Dharma is not taken for nothing, the principle of being invincible without desire and finding joy in being free from wants is known to everyone. I’m not stupid. If I didn’t know it, why would I flatter you so much? I’m not angry even if you hit me, and I even bring up Master Yang. Isn’t it just to provide you with emotional value and show my desire to seek the Dao?”

That's the truth. If he didn't want to acquire advanced martial arts skills and unleash his inner strength, he wouldn't care how arrogant the woman in yellow was; he would have stopped serving her long ago.

The woman scoffed, "Your skin is thicker than the earth's. Is this what you call a heart seeking the Dao?"

"Of course!" Chang Kong laughed. "Even if I have a thick skin, not just anyone can see it, right?"

The woman in yellow smiled slightly, her brows furrowed, her lips parted slightly, and she slowly withdrew her hand, saying, "You really didn't mean to insult me ​​just now?"

"Not again?" Chang Kong sighed and shook his head. "Big sister, if you're talking about a crazy woman who no one wants, that's a stretch. But you hit me first, that's why I said that!"

The woman's face flushed red, and she snorted, "I didn't take your beating to heart!" She withdrew her hand, twisted her waist, and spun around gracefully, her body moving like a willow in the wind, drifting several feet away.

She sat down on the same rock, raised her delicate white hand, rested her chin on her hand, and pondered, "Then tell me, how exactly did you cultivate this internal strength?"

Asking about someone's internal strength is a major taboo in the martial arts world, and given the pride of the woman in yellow, she would never do such a thing. But now she was also full of curiosity.

Chang Kong's expression turned serious, and he said, "I figured it out and practiced it myself."

"Figure it out yourself?" The woman in yellow snorted, "Nonsense! This divine skill is incredibly powerful. You are so young yet you possess the ability of an indestructible body. If it were an ordinary person, that shout just now would have shattered their heart and killed them. If you can figure it out yourself, what a learned person you must be. How could you ask me such a question?"

Yun Changkong took out a wooden Arhat from his pocket and said, "I really practiced it according to the instructions. There are eighteen such Arhats, one for each meridian. But there are twenty meridians in total, including the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians. There are only eighteen Arhats, but there are no Chong or Dai meridians. Take a look."

He knew that to uncover someone else's secrets, he had to reveal his own first; only then could they truly connect.

The woman in yellow did not accept it. She merely glanced at the wooden Arhat, her face growing even redder, her cheeks flushed like rouge. She nodded slightly and said, "No wonder you have such strong internal energy, yet you are so ignorant, asking a woman like me about the Chong and Dai meridians."

When she looked at the wooden Arhat's acupuncture points, she realized that there wasn't a single character on it, not even the names of the acupoints. She understood that she had probably misunderstood something.

Chang Kong stared intently at the woman. Upon hearing the words "to me, a woman," and seeing a blush rise on her pale cheeks, he had a sudden thought: "This woman's sudden change of attitude seems to be due to the difference between men and women?"

The woman said, "The Chong meridian is one of the eight extraordinary meridians, regulating the Qi and blood of the twelve meridians. Whether the pulse is strong or weak, it will have a great impact on both men and women. The Dai meridian belongs to the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. Because it is located on the lateral abdomen, it is closely related to women, and to men..."

It turns out that the Chong meridian is closely related to reproduction, especially to women's menstrual flow, hence it is also called the Sea of ​​Blood. The Dai meridian is where the Qi of the Dai meridian passes through, and it mainly treats women's menstrual disorders and leukorrhea. Ultimately, these two meridians are closely related to matters between men and women.

Chang Kong was somewhat embarrassed: "I really didn't know."

The woman in yellow resumed her icy demeanor and sneered, "The Shaolin sect consists of monks who must observe the precepts. Their martial arts are primarily based on strength and masculinity. If they were to deliberately cultivate the Chong and Dai meridians, what would become of them?"

Chang Kong thought to himself, "I'm a talent too, but if a monk practices standing erect, wouldn't that cause a huge disaster? I really suffered from my lack of education this time!"

When the original owner was practicing the Shaolin beginner internal skills, he practiced exactly as Yunhe taught him, without ever considering the Chong and Dai meridians. After he obtained the "Subduing Demon Skill" and pretended to be the "reincarnation of Buddha," he naturally wouldn't ask Yunhe about the knowledge of these two acupoints and meridians, lest his trick be exposed.

The woman continued, "Apart from the Shaolin School, even other schools of internal energy rarely channel their energy to the Ren and Du meridians. You only need to accumulate internal energy and open up the other meridians. Once the Ren and Du meridians are connected, the Yin and Yang seas will converge, and these two meridians will naturally open without any effort." After saying this, she gracefully turned and left.

The woman in yellow heard that Yun Changkong had become famous at a young age and had personally witnessed his profound inner strength, especially regarding the mistakes he made in practicing the "Weituo Subduing Demon Sword," which were in the same vein as her own.

Chang Kong, at such a young age, has cultivated a miraculous internal skill to such a level that even I am not as good as him. He is truly a young prodigy. Naturally, he must have a thorough understanding of all the meridians and acupoints.

Who would have thought that Yun Changkong, a young man, would ask a woman in yellow, an unmarried girl, about meridians, a matter of fertility and physiology? Any woman would have considered this a blatant insult.

Little did the woman in yellow know that Yun Changkong's extraordinary skills were all thanks to the "Jade Pendant." He himself was a martial arts idiot, and even when he discovered problems with any martial art, he only knew the "what" but not the "why."

The problem is that Chang Kong's foundation is too weak. Yun He's martial arts skills are not top-notch. When Zhang Wuji encounters difficulties after cultivating the Nine Yang Divine Skill, he can study the meaning of the text in the Nine Yang Manual and comprehend it.

Chang Kong had no written knowledge whatsoever; he simply practiced using the lines of the Eighteen Wooden Arhats, which made it impossible for him to learn anything. This resulted in a severe lack of martial arts knowledge, which was far from matching his actual strength.

Especially regarding the study of acupoints and meridians, which is extremely rigorous and detailed, Yunhe's knowledge was worlds apart from that of the woman in yellow. How much could Changkong possibly understand? It wasn't until the woman in yellow asked Changkong several times and saw that he was still indignant, and then saw him take out the wooden Arhat, that she realized that Changkong's internal strength was truly a gift from heaven, and not a pretense of ignorance to tease her. Therefore, the insult was no longer relevant, and she was naturally willing to explain the meaning to Changkong.

Chang Kong watched her retreating figure, intending to thank her, but then he remembered that his question had not only proven him to be a fool, but also earned him a bad reputation for harassing women. His words and the fact that he had held her in his arms were enough to get him killed.

Besides, she's as proud as a swan. If I bow down to her, will I ever be able to stand up again? But if I don't bow down and don't get to eat this delicious food, wouldn't that be torture for a glutton like myself?
do not care!
Chang Kong, with a calm and composed mind, felt reassured that since the "Arhat Subduing Demon Skill" was not flawed, his role as a "fool" was worthwhile.

If things don't work out, I can always study and work harder to improve myself!

It's never too late to learn, and there's nothing shameful about acquiring knowledge. I was just about to ask to stay.

The woman suddenly turned around, about to speak, but seeing that Chang Kong seemed to have something to say, she closed her mouth again.

Chang Kong smiled slightly, his smile as bright as the stars and moon, and walked over with a calm demeanor. He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Today, thanks to your guidance, Miss, I have found peace of mind and benefited greatly. However, I have not repaid you in any way and have even disrespected you. This is truly an unforgivable sin!"
I will not make excuses for myself, nor will I shirk responsibility.

My sister is like a fairy, yet she has been so offended by this boy. A simple apology would be too lenient; even cutting off her tongue, chopping off her hands, or taking her life would not be enough to warn the world.

However, Chang Kong has two reasons for not being able to die immediately: firstly, he has something to do and cannot die right away; secondly, an ignorant boy like me is not worthy of your personal action, as it would inevitably damage your reputation.

However, Chang Kong will surely meet his end in the martial world after descending the mountain. So, don't bother your hands, sister. When news of Chang Kong's death arrives, if you can calm down, please, like me, forget about today! With that, he strode past her and headed out of the woods.

(End of this chapter)