A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 236 Two Kinds of Scholars in the World

Although the main force of Liangshan had returned to the marshland, a small group of elite soldiers, led by Lin Chong and his men, went to mines in various prefectures and cities to rescue miners.

The number of miners gathered at Liangshan has now exceeded ten thousand. The only way to resolve the accumulated poison in their bodies is to teach them demonic techniques.

Demonic cultivation techniques are indeed convenient. In the early stages of cultivation, as long as there are enough resources, the threshold is extremely low, and progress is incredibly rapid.

Any system Guan Luoyang had ever encountered before, even the martial arts and internal skills of the Tang Dynasty, paled in comparison in terms of its efficiency in popularization.

However, the more one practices this demonic path, the deeper the hidden dangers become. After the heavy and turbid energy of crystals and minerals invades the bone marrow, it rushes into the brain, causing nightmares, making it difficult to control one's emotions, and inevitably leading to a vicious personality.

Recently, Guan Luoyang attempted to improve upon the Nine Earths Expansion Scripture. With his own knowledge and having also consulted the immortal cultivation methods of Gongsun Sheng and Lin Lingsu, the modification was not difficult. He could also conveniently fulfill the "supporting the immortal path" standard required by the mission.

"This set of techniques..."

After looking through it, Lin Lingsu silently went through the deductions, and the look of surprise on her face grew stronger and stronger.

Although both the immortal path and the demonic path require the use of crystals and minerals for cultivation, they have one major difference.

The cultivation of immortality is extremely efficient. Only a small amount of minerals are needed to continuously refine them within the body, turning every impurity and toxicity into the pure vital energy required by the human body.

However, to enter the path of immortality, one must first have sufficient knowledge and cultivation to understand the physical changes of various minerals and to comprehend the phenomena occurring within one's own body.

The stomach, intestines, heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys; qi, blood, bones, muscles, tendons, and brain; limbs and bones; spine and torso—the problems that occur in each meridian correspond to which part of yin and yang and the five elements, and how to resolve them—all of these must be roughly learned. Sufficient focus and arduous practice are also required to cultivate the path of immortality.

In this era, 99% of the people in the world are illiterate. To expect them to directly enter the path of immortality is simply wishful thinking.

The reason why demonic cultivation techniques have low barriers to entry but great hidden dangers is that they directly skip the step of "targeted resolution and refinement".

The cultivation method that Lin Lingsu has now is based on the "Nine Earths Exorcising Changes Scripture," with some additions. It greatly simplifies the cultivation of immortality, and divides the human body into five parts in an extremely crude manner: "tendons, bones, skin, respiration, and brain."

Those who learn this exercise only need to have a basic understanding of the relevant knowledge in these five parts to be able to dissolve, refine, and purify mineral impurities.

The idea was very simple. When Lin Lingsu was eight years old, she thought that it would be great if the reactions of hundreds of minerals with the human body in immortal cultivation techniques could be simplified to five or six.

The path of immortality has been passed down for thousands of years, and there must be countless people who have had similar thoughts.

Unfortunately, reality dealt them a harsh blow. If they removed the complex knowledge and only kept a few simplified ones, then those who practiced this simplified technique would soon experience mineral poisoning.

Because the real human body is complex and cannot be summarized by just five or six reactions.

"So, why did you succeed by doing it this way?"

Lin Lingsu repeatedly deduced and confirmed that the seemingly deceptive cultivation technique in his hand could actually be successful without leaving any impurities or toxins.

"Moreover, this cultivation method's demand for minerals is actually decreasing. In the early stages, you only need minerals to help you cultivate quickly. If you don't care about the cultivation speed at all, you can even cultivate without minerals. Is this the path of immortality, the path of demons, or the unorthodox path?"

Completely baffled, he could only exclaim to Guan Luoyang, "Could you truly be some kind of celestial being descended to earth?"

Guan Luoyang shook his head: "What you see is just the result of a mere cultivation technique. In fact, behind it lies the wisdom accumulated by countless predecessors. I just happened to be there."

The Four Great Trainings, True Spirit Electric Energy, and the martial arts characteristics of the Tang Dynasty world, under the guidance of Guan Luoyang, and with reference to the immortal and demonic methods of this world, were able to yield such a fruit of simplicity in the great way.

Lin Lingsu didn't press for details, but simply sighed and said, "But unfortunately, even if you simplify the immortal cultivation method to this extent, it's still more difficult than the demonic cultivation method."

"The miners and soldiers of Liangshan number in the tens of thousands. They need to be able to understand the meaning of the words in this cultivation manual before they can begin to practice. Where are you going to find so many people to teach them?"

To ensure a certain level of educational quality, it is already the limit for one person to teach hundreds of children. In some ways, it is even more difficult to teach illiterate adults like those in Liangshan.

Optimistically speaking, a knowledgeable person who can understand Guan Luoyang's martial arts techniques can probably only teach thirty or forty Liangshan disciples.

Guan Luoyang pondered for a while and then sent someone to summon Li Kaixian.

"Should we search for scholars in the nearby state capitals?"

Li Kaixian shook his head and said, "I'm afraid this matter will be difficult to handle. Most scholars will not be willing to work for Liangshan. We can only send people to forcibly invite them, but they will not live together. If we search for their residences one by one, it will be too much of a waste of time."

Guan Luoyang said, "But the matter cannot be left undone, so let's set a ten-day limit. Within ten days, we'll find as many people as we can."

He added, "I've heard that scholars have poetry societies and there are some famous historical sites that are particularly attractive to them, so you can prioritize visiting those places."

Li Kaixian laughed and said, "If you want to know what's most attractive to scholars, why don't you let everyone go to the brothels first?"

"A brothel?" Guan Luoyang was taken aback, then suddenly thought, "I've heard that many women in brothels are literate and educated. Is that true?"

Li Kaixian said, "That's true. Places that can be called brothels all have a certain air of pretension, trying to cultivate an elegant atmosphere. If they can chat happily with officials, scholars, and wealthy patrons, how could they not study?"

"Alright!" Guan Luoyang clapped his hands. "Then let's invite these girls back too."

Li Kaixian was stunned: "Chief, are you perhaps planning to invite those courtesans back to instruct the Liangshan brothers?"

Guan Luoyang said calmly, "What's wrong with that?"

"This...this..."

Li Kaixian wanted to say that such a thing had never happened, that it was outrageous, but then he thought that he was a scholar who was now rebelling, and it would be ridiculous to talk about manners and rules.

Lin Lingsu suddenly remarked from the side, "Ninety-nine percent of scholars in the world want to become officials, and ninety-nine percent of those who become officials want to get close to the emperor. There are plenty of women in the brothels of Bianliang who have been close to the emperor. If we're talking about looking down on people, shouldn't it be the brothel girls who look down on those who study hard?"

"That's utterly unreasonable!"

Li Kaixian immediately retorted, then realized his mistake and said with a wry smile, "That's right. So many Confucian scholars flock to courtesans in brothels, only to discard them like worn-out shoes. I thought I hadn't stooped to their level, but it turns out I'm just a vulgar person after all."

He bowed to Guan Luoyang and Lin Lingsu, saying, "I have learned a lot, Chief. I will have someone take care of this matter immediately."

Guan Luoyang instructed, "Those who end up in brothels are inevitably miserable people. Let Lin Chong and Lu Da each lead their own teams, and make sure they keep their men in check and exercise some restraint."

Given Liangshan's current size, it's absolutely impossible for them to occupy the entire eastern part of Jingdong. Just managing the eight hundred li of water marshes and the area around Quancheng has already kept Li Kaixian and Li Ying extremely busy.

However, if the goal is not to conquer, but merely to enter and exit cities, then there is no place in the surrounding prefectures that can stop the Liangshan people.

In just a few days, cartloads and boatloads of courtesans were brought to the 800-mile stretch of water, most of them terrified and weeping softly.

Even after Guan Luoyang sent people to arrange accommodations for them, many of the girls still looked pale and had tears welling up in their eyes.

Although they were also looked down upon in the city, they could at least keep their lives. Sometimes their food, clothing, and daily necessities were even better than those of people outside. But if they were robbed by bandits, they would only face certain death.

"I heard..."

Some of the younger girls started crying again, "I heard that there are more than 100,000 people in Liangshan. They kill without blinking an eye and love to eat human flesh. They've eaten all the refugees and beggars in Quancheng. If they kidnap us, it's fine if it's just for sex, but what if they see how fair and tender we are..."

Outside the large, simple wooden hut, a man carrying a wooden basin suddenly burst through the door, shouting, "Heavens above! What kind of heartless talk is this? When have the benefactors of Liangshan ever eaten people?"

The woman who entered was carrying half a basin of flatbread. She slammed the flatbread onto the table angrily, shouting, "I was originally a beggar outside Quancheng. It was all thanks to the benefactors of Liangshan who distributed food to us, brought us here, built houses for us, and gave us land. And yet they say our benefactors eat people? That's utterly twisted black and white, a rotten tongue!"

The little girl was startled and shrank back, muttering softly, "I didn't say that."

The girls in the room forgot to cry after being glared at by the old woman. Some of the more mature ones tentatively asked about Liangshan.

If a burly man had come, these girls would never have dared to ask or believe it. But the people who delivered the bread and dinner to these brothel girls were all women or mothers-in-law, all with rough skin and thin figures, yet they were full of energy.

They quickly struck up a conversation.

These women were not well-versed in literature and their speech was not refined, but they knew right from wrong. In addition, since this was something the chief had instructed them to do beforehand, they all tried their best to appease the courtesans.

Inside the wooden houses in this area, the crying gradually subsided, and the soft whispers continued until midnight before everyone gradually fell asleep.

By the next day, the girls were finally able to calm down and listen to the tasks Guan Luoyang gave them.

They would read and memorize a set of exercises, then explain it to the Liangshan disciples. They could practice it themselves, and if they had extra energy, they could also ask the ordinary people of Liangshan to practice together.

Li Kaixian and his men added another rule to the Liangshan military regulations, repeatedly emphasizing that soldiers were not allowed to harass or speak ill of those who gave them lectures.

A few days later, the people who had arrived at Liangshan gradually calmed down, but the rumors outside were rampant and growing more and more intense.

In Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yizhou, and Mizhou, legends circulated that the leader of Liangshan was a lecherous and wicked Taoist priest. It was said that he practiced evil arts of replenishing yang by absorbing yin energy and that he would sleep with a hundred women every night. Each story was told with great conviction.

Although many people don't even know what the leader of Liangshan is called, at least ten different schools of thought have been created to describe the leader's lineage. Even the names, effects, and times of practice of the martial arts techniques have been compiled by enthusiastic people.

"That sorcerer came from Bianliang City. You've heard of Li Shishi, the famous courtesan of the capital, right? She was defiled by this sorcerer for three days and three nights. Tsk tsk tsk, and she died a gruesome death."

In the restaurants of Qingzhou, almost every table was discussing this matter.

A burly man deliberately let out a long, drawn-out sound and sneered, "You're all just repeating hearsay. What so-called sorcerer? Let me tell you, the leader of Liangshan is clearly a monk."

"I saw them snatching girls in Qingzhou a few days ago. They were huge, bald, and their physique was truly impressive. No wonder they practiced Yin-Yang cultivation; they were really strong."

The man gave a thumbs up. "At the time, the madam in the building was disciplining a few newly bought, disobedient girls in the backyard. It was probably because the madam was ugly that the evil monk disliked her and grabbed her with one hand, throwing her into the air. She didn't fall down for a long time. Later, I heard that she fell in the west of the city."

"This is the famous Great Buddha's Joyful Zen Kung Fu."

No one believed him, and the big man got anxious: "I really saw it with my own eyes. To tell you the truth, I have a preference for those with fiery tempers who are not well-trained. I just wanted to go to the backyard to try something new. Luckily, I had diarrhea that day and hid in the latrine for a long time. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here talking to you."

choke!

The gleaming green sword suddenly pressed down on the burly man's shoulder, sending a chill down the spines of everyone in the restaurant. The lively discussion that had just taken place fell silent.

The burly man froze in fright, when a voice behind him said, "Have you really seen that lecherous fiend from Liangshan? Describe his features in detail."

The man swallowed several times and described it carefully several times.

The man holding the sword muttered to himself, "I did hear that the one who killed Yun Tianbiao and Liu Yongxi was a Taoist priest. But whatever, whether he was a Taoist priest or a monk, he deserved to die for doing this. If the opportunity arises, I'll kill him as well."

Only then did the man realize that the person behind him had a soft, delicate voice with a hint of coldness. It was extremely pleasant to listen to. Although she kept mentioning the word "kill" in every sentence, just by listening to her voice, he could picture the appearance of a stunningly beautiful young woman, which aroused his lust.

"Young lady, what are you talking about, fighting and killing? Put your sword away, brother..."

chap!

With a swift sweep of her green sword, the aloof and beautiful girl in black left the restaurant, sword in hand.

A moment later, the man's head rolled off his shoulder, and a fountain of blood gushed out of the restaurant, eliciting screams of terror.

As the sun sets in the west, the sky is filled with stars, and by midnight, the night is deep.

The waters of Liangshan Marsh are vast and the waves rise and fall. The subdued dragon swims slowly at the bottom of the water, dragging its tortoise shell, silently surveying its surroundings.

The dragon's scales twitched slightly, and it suddenly sensed something was wrong. It turned its head to scan its surroundings, but couldn't detect anything amiss. It shook the mane on its neck and continued its underwater journey.

On the shallow beach at the edge of the Liangshan mountain range, a girl in black, carrying a sheathed longsword, slowly walked into the forest and glanced back.

"It's actually guarded by a dragon. After all, it's a rare creature from the water. It wouldn't be difficult to chop off its head, but to get away with it silently is quite a close call."

She walked slowly through the forest, her figure solitary, gazing at the peaks and quietly trying to figure out where the chieftain's residence might be located.

This man was incredibly audacious. He dared to venture to Liangshan alone with only a sword. Although he was young, he possessed a murderous nature that disregarded life and death. Moreover, he had keen senses and heard footsteps from afar. He suddenly jumped and hid among the shadows of the trees.

A breeze swept through the empty forest, causing the branches and leaves to sway and the light and shadows to dance, revealing no trace of anyone hiding there.

"Old Ling, researching technology is a good thing, but you've been working on those mechanical puppets left by Liu Huiniang for days and nights without closing your eyes. You need to go out for a walk, get some fresh air, and relax once in a while."

Under the shade of the trees, a young Taoist priest in white robes led a dark-skinned man as they walked.

Ling Zhen said absentmindedly, "Those mechanical puppets can't withstand a few of my cannon shots, but their design is ingenious. If I can figure them out, I might be able to make those cannons, which are extremely inconvenient to move, smaller. Then I can fire a few shots at them before they have time to be alerted, which would be very enjoyable."

Guan Luoyang smiled faintly and said, "You were brought to Liangshan after being knocked unconscious, yet you're so devoted to Liangshan?"

Ling Zhen solemnly said, "That man surnamed Dai underestimates me. I am not a heartless person. I have seen what Liangshan has done. Even a true man like Lu Da admires our leader so much. If I were to be fickle, what kind of hero would I be?"

"Haha, Dai Zong's matter was a misunderstanding. After all, he was in the enemy camp at the time, and he was afraid that he wouldn't have time to explain."

As Guan Luoyang spoke, his eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly stopped, pressing down on Ling Zhen's shoulder, causing Ling Zhen to also stop in his tracks.

Leaves were falling from the trees in the woods from time to time, all of them green and tender, except for one leaf that had just fallen from the treetop not far ahead, which was tinged with yellow.

"Unexpectedly, before the imperial troops have even arrived, an assassin has appeared."

Guan Luoyang's figure suddenly disappeared.

The large tree in front of us suddenly split into finger-sized pieces starting from the top, including the trunk, branches, and leaves.

That's because there was an incredibly fast sword aura, without light or darkness, that instantly pierced from the treetop to the roots, cutting through the tree hundreds or thousands of times.

This sword strike was merely to block Guan Luoyang's palm strike, which flashed out lightly and horizontally.

The dense and incredibly swift net of sword energy immediately became sluggish when it touched Guan Luoyang's palm. The invisible sword energy, devoid of light or darkness, seemed to have acquired a semi-transparent form.

Even Ling Zhen, who was not far away, could clearly see the shape of those leaping sword blades.

Then, those sword energies were shattered under Guan Luoyang's palm, and even the remains of the big tree were broken into burning dust that was indistinguishable to the naked eye.

The girl in black appeared behind the shattered sword energy. She blocked with her gleaming green sword and was immediately sent flying out of the forest, crashing into the water.

As her figure touched the lake water, she suddenly transformed into a long blue rainbow, sword and all, and flew towards the summit of Liangshan Mountain.

The tip of the sword aura quickly became transparent and disappeared.

Guan Luoyang raised his hand and grabbed towards the sky. The magnetic field of the surrounding mountains and forests was stirred up by him, flashing with visible lightning. It was like a huge spiral spherical force field that rose from the ground and crashed into the sky.

The flying swordswoman, who had concealed her form, was once again revealed by the lightning. The spiraling force field was like a giant vortex, with gravity and magnetic fields pulling her toward Guan Luoyang's palm.

The girl in black froze in mid-air for a moment, then loosened her grip on the sword hilt and fell.

boom!!!

The ground churned up dust and smoke. Guan Luoyang took the azure ancient sword, cleaved through the dust with a single stroke, and held it to the neck of the girl in black.

The spine of the sword struck her shoulder, making her stagger, but she did not kneel down.

"Um?"

Guan Luoyang asked with a hint of doubt, "Why did you suddenly abandon your sword?"

This man's swordsmanship and skill were extremely refined, comparable to Lin Chong after he obtained a fine spear from the Guangwu Divine Weapon.

If she hadn't abandoned her sword herself, Guan Luoyang would have had to go through a lot more trouble to capture her.

The girl in black said, "You're the leader of Liangshan?"

Guan Luoyang said, "I'm the one asking you."

"Because I realized I was wrong. If I continue fighting with you, wouldn't I be making the same mistake again?"

The girl in black looked Guan Luoyang up and down with an air of nonchalance. Her eyes were like glass that could see through metal and stone. "That place on the mountain is far from dampness and free from insects and miasma, but it's not the chief's residence. It's inhabited by a group of girls with heavy makeup. They must be the ones you've recently snatched from brothels all over the place."

"Besides, if Lu Da were here, the person he admires could not possibly be a lecherous monster who is accustomed to eating people."

Ling Zhen approached, and upon seeing the girl's appearance, exclaimed in surprise, "You are... Chen Daozi's maid? How is it you?"

(End of this chapter)