Mysterious Martial Arts: The Record of the Swordsman

Chapter 305 The Six Secret Teachings: The Flying Bear

Inside the Tongtian Hall, the rock tea on the tea table had long since cooled, while the boiling water was still bubbling in the copper kettle in front of Fu Ningdie. The steam had already permeated the golden snake sword that Yuan Chengzhi had placed horizontally, making the patterns on the sword's spine appear and disappear, much like Jiang Wen's solemn expression at this moment.

Speaking of martial arts tournaments, Jiang Wen has participated in quite a few in Jin Yong's world of martial arts, which can be summarized into the following types.

The first type emphasizes the sense of righteousness and belonging, similar to the Five Great Swordsmen's Tournament at Mount Hua, the Heroes' Gathering at Dasheng Pass with Guo Jing and his wife, and the Five Sacred Mountains Alliance Conference at Mount Song.

Regardless of whether the name of such martial arts gatherings is "competing for the Nine Yin Manual", "resisting the Yuan Dynasty and protecting the people", or "concerning the survival of the Five Sacred Mountains", they all use some kind of name to grasp legitimacy. Those who do not attend the gathering naturally lose some kind of precious qualification. As a result, even though Qiu Qianren, the Iron Palm Water-Drifter, was already no less skilled than the Five Greats, he was still bothered by this, and it even became a mental demon.

The second category focuses on power struggles, such as Cheng Kun's planning of the Shaolin Lion-Slaying Assembly, Ren Woxing's Sun Moon Sect General Assembly, and Huang Rong's first participation in the Beggars' Sect Junshan Assembly.

These martial arts gatherings are actually events where various forces vie for dominance and convene to resolve internal issues in a certain forum. The gatherings do not have a specific objective, so the powerful can use their power to suppress others, and those who are good at leveraging power can also rise to the top. The power structure of the gatherings often changes abruptly due to external factors.

The third category focuses on alliances and counter-alliances, such as the Shaolin Heroes' Gathering at Shaoshi Mountain after the death of the Shaolin Abbot, the Beggars' Gathering at Xingzilin, and the Wudang Zhang Sanfeng's 100th birthday banquet where all the martial arts sects gathered.

These kinds of martial arts tournaments are quite insidious. They often involve a weaker group using rituals and public opinion to judge a stronger party. At that time, Xiao Feng had already stormed Juxian Manor alone to save A'Zhu, drinking the wine of severing ties and becoming an enemy of all the heroes in the world. Everyone knew there was no way to keep him, so they could only change the tournament from the second type to the third type, ensuring that even with his unparalleled martial arts skills, he was destined to be abandoned by everyone and forced to leave the martial arts world.

Jiang Wen pondered for a while and felt that the latter two types of martial arts tournaments, which relied too much on conspiracies and tricks, might backfire. A balance needed to be found between "open schemes" and "conspiracies," and clear intentions and a wide network of connections were the key to uniting people's hearts.

"When Master Yuan spoke of 'a crucial step,' could he perhaps mean a 'legitimate' pretext?"

Jiang Wen ran his fingertips along the carved patterns on the corner of the table, his gaze falling on the deepening twilight outside the hall. “Indeed, I know that this reputation is insufficient to suppress the thoughts of people in the martial world—after all, without real benefits and a strong sense of righteousness, it is difficult to make heroes willingly travel from afar.”

Jiang Wen naturally understood this as well. Just like the premise of the Guangzhou Rebellion, it was that the nun Wu Mei produced a forged edict of Emperor Chongzhen and endorsed it, which turned the old routine of "overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming" into a new atmosphere of "rebellion is justified".

However, if we simply copy Song Xianze's ideas, it's hard to imagine what use it would be to raise an "anti-Qing" banner on Mount Wuyi. The most likely outcome is that no one in the vast martial arts world would be willing to come to the alliance. After all, given the current reputation of the Wuyi Sect, and the fact that they don't reimburse travel expenses, it's hard to pique anyone's interest for the time being.

"That's right. If we only give some trivial reasons, they will probably be seen as the sect amusing itself. If we are not careful and say something too serious, we will be suspected of using the alliance to fight for power. At that time, let alone distinguishing friend from foe, even the small sects in northern Fujian may not be willing to come."

Jiang Wen pondered and felt that this seemingly empty title was indeed necessary. If Jiang Wen couldn't come up with a decent title, he naturally wouldn't be able to gain the favor of his fellow martial arts practitioners based on any personal connections. This was also the most important reason why the Wuyi Sect's martial arts conference was still in the draft stage.

Fu Ningdie then wobbled over, carrying a freshly brewed cup of tea. A few drops of hot water splashed out as she placed the copper kettle on the table, instantly turning into white steam. Yuan Chengzhi smiled, took the teacup but didn't drink it. He just stared at the tea leaves swirling in the cup and asked, quite naturally.

"I have another question: how many times has Master Jiang interacted with the sects in the martial arts world, how many times has he sought favors from them, and how many times has he shown a life-or-death bond with them?"

Jiang Wen listened and began to make plans in his mind.

The Fuwei Escort Agency, with hostages in their hands, is certainly one of them. The others, located in Fujian and Guangdong, include Chen Jinnan of the Heaven and Earth Society, Monk Sande of the Southern Shaolin, Hong Xiguan, and Luo Yuantong with the Golden Knife...

Why are they all rebelling? Is it really appropriate to invite them to the martial arts tournament?

Then consider the four major martial arts sects of the Ming and Qing dynasties: Wudang, Shaolin, Tai Chi, and Emei.

Although he knew Feng Daode, the leader of the Wudang Sect, he had been badly beaten by Jiang Wen twice during their two meetings in Chong'an and Fuzhou. Furthermore, Wudang disciples were opposing him in Guangzhou. The enmity between the two sides clearly outweighed their friendship, so there was no reason for him to travel a long distance to attend the meeting.

Shaolin is divided into two branches, North and South. The Northern Shaolin closed its doors more than a decade ago to avoid trouble, while the Southern Shaolin was burned down and dispersed to resist the Qing Dynasty. It seems that neither side is willing or able to get involved.

He was even less familiar with the other two sects. He had never dealt with Jiang Wen of the Wenzhou Tai Chi School, and the Sichuan Emei School was thousands of miles away from Fujian. With none of the four major sects able to attend, the Wuyi School's martial arts tournament seemed doomed from the start.

Surely Jiang Wen can't just barge in with his sword, knock out and tie up all the sect leaders, right? What would he say as his first words to them? "Not bad, you're the most well-mannered person here."
Seeing Jiang Wen's brows furrow slightly and his fingertips tapping the table, Yuan Chengzhi spoke up to remind him, "Master Jiang, do you know how I became the leader of the martial arts alliance of seven provinces?"

"Naturally, it was by widely issuing invitations to heroes and winning over all the heroes at the Mount Tai Conference to become the leader of the alliance."

Yuan Chengzhi shook his head in disappointment after hearing this.

"Master Jiang is mistaken. I was able to be chosen by my fellow practitioners for three reasons: first, the legacy of my father as the Grand Master of Liaodong; second, the good relationships I made while traveling the martial world; and third, my martial arts skills, which allowed me to subdue Ding You, the disciple of Meng Bofei, the leader of the North China martial arts world. As the saying goes, times make heroes. To make a name for oneself in the martial world, family background, sect, virtue, and reputation are more important."

Yuan Chengzhi's words reflected the wisdom he had gradually come to understand after years of seclusion in Brunei. There was nothing wrong with what he said, since those from prestigious sects were always more likely to become leaders in the martial arts world. His words implied a desire to persuade Jiang Wen to stop.

But Jiang Wen suddenly looked up, and the candlelight reflected in his eyes, revealing some unusual intentions.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, Master Yuan, which seven provinces were those back then?"

Yuan Chengzhi replied, "It refers to the seven provinces of Northern and Southern Zhili, Shandong, Henan, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi."

How many sects participated in the alliance?

"Besides the Huashan Sect of our own sect, there are also the Golden Snake Camp of the Righteous Army established by Yuan, Sun Zhongshou, a former subordinate of my father, as well as the Longyou Gang of Jiangnan, the Qingzhu Gang of Beizhili, the Jinlong Gang of Nanjing, the Qingliang Temple of Nanyang, the Water Gang of Poyang Lake, the Sha Family Gang of Shandong Green Forest, and the Seventy-Two Islands overseas."

"Hey, you know, this Sha family gang, when they're working, they should address each other by their job titles, right...?"

Jiang Wen savored the thought, then suddenly slapped his thigh. "I know what's wrong. Why are all the participants in the Mount Tai Tournament small gangs and factions? Not even a single martial arts leader has come!"

Seeing Yuan Chengzhi's slightly embarrassed expression, Jiang Wen quickly added, "I'm sorry, it was a slip of the tongue. The Huashan Sect has a thousand-year history of outstanding people and beautiful scenery, and it should be a truly prestigious sect!"

“Sect Leader Jiang, you are not wrong. The Huashan Sect is not large. Including my master’s disciples and outer disciples, there were only twenty or thirty people. It can’t be considered a large sect.”

Yuan Chengzhi seemed unconcerned about facing reality and frankly spoke of the secrets of the Huashan Sect: "Moreover, I have also asked my old master. Although our Huashan Sect respects the founder Feng, my master only accidentally received some of the founder's martial arts inheritance. It is not a direct continuation of the Huashan lineage."

Upon hearing this news, Jiang Wen immediately asked, "So, among the former leaders of your Huashan Sect, there isn't a single one nicknamed 'Gentleman Sword'?"

Yuan Chengzhi glanced at Jiang Wen to make sure the other party wasn't taking advantage of him before shaking his head firmly.

Jiang Wen suddenly realized, and finally understood a long-standing question in his mind.

Why is Mu Renqing nicknamed "Divine Sword Immortal Ape"? Logically, he should be a master swordsman with unparalleled skills. However, his disciples Huang Zhen and Gui Xinshu are mostly known for their internal strength and fist techniques. Even someone as outstanding in swordsmanship as Yuan Chengzhi relies heavily on the teachings of the Golden Snake Gentleman and the Iron Sword Sect.

It's important to know that in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," the Huashan Sect was one of the six major sects, second only to Shaolin and Wudang in the martial arts world, and was very powerful. However, by the time of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," the Huashan Sect had been excluded from the six major sects and became one of the Five Mountains Sword Sects, and was one of the weaker ones among the Five Mountains Sword Sects.

Finally, during the time of Mu Renqing and Yuan Chengzhi, the internal sword techniques of the Huashan Sect completely declined, but the sect's internal skills became extremely advanced. How could Feng Qingyang, an unparalleled martial arts genius of the Sword Sect, possibly reverse the order of Heaven and Earth and cultivate a Qi Sect leader?

"It turns out that even a sect like the Huashan Sect cannot escape the ups and downs; it truly makes one sigh."

Jiang Wen stroked the Zhanlu sword at his waist, still holding back half a sentence—nowadays, he was probably the only one in the martial arts world who was proficient in Huashan's unique skills such as "Zixia Divine Skill", "Taiyue Three Green Peaks", and "Deadly Chain Three Immortal Swords". Doesn't that mean that the true lineage of Huashan is in Wuyi?

Seeing Jiang Wen sigh deeply, Yuan Chengzhi replied quite casually, "Sect Leader Jiang, there's no need to worry. The rise and fall of the martial arts world is like the four seasons for plants; it's a constant principle. How many sects can remain prosperous like Shaolin and Wudang?"

After saying that, he seemed to recall some old story.

“I vaguely remember that more than ten years ago, there was a ‘Wuyi School’ in Wuyi Mountain, but after years of ups and downs, I don’t know where it has been scattered.”

Jiang Wenze was greatly surprised upon hearing this.

How can the cycle of karma be so swift? I was just plotting to seize the Huashan Sect's rightful succession, and in the blink of an eye, my Wuyi Sect's rightful succession has become someone else's!
"Is there such a thing?!"

Yuan Chengzhi nodded.

"Since the beginning of the tea route between Fujian and Zhejiang, there have been many bandits, and the imperial court has imposed heavy taxes, which has made tea merchants suffer. Various groups often clash over disputes along the tea route. Later, the tea merchants pooled their money to recruit martial arts figures. These small factions that came to protect the tea along the route eventually called themselves the 'Wuyi Faction' and began to act accordingly."

"Its subsequent decline is needless to say. When the land ravaged by war was barren, tea farmers fled into the desolate mountains, and merchants became skeletons in the wilderness, the Wuyi School naturally vanished into thin air."

Jiang Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If that's the case, the Wuyi Sect that previously went bankrupt must have all made a living along the official roads, which is fundamentally different from the Wuyi Sect he founded on Dawang Peak.

That's true. Since one is a Jianghu gang and the other is a martial arts sect, there's no need to use the welcome banner he just prepared.

"There's no one on King Peak, so I came up to check. What's wrong?" "I thought there were no sects here." "My Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms can't be stopped." "Go talk to my Iron Rhino." "We're all trying our best to live."

"When inviting major sects, it is essential to seek common ground rather than seeking differences; when winning over smaller sects, it is necessary to offer tangible benefits rather than empty titles. I have said all I need to say, and I believe Sect Leader Jiang already has a plan in mind."

The water in the copper kettle boiled again, and Fu Ningdie poured tea again. The steam carrying the fragrance of rock tea spread out, finally dispelling the solemnity in the hall. The two clinked their teacups together, the sound of tea being poured softly. Yuan Chengzhi saw that the candlelight reflected in Jiang Wen's eyes was becoming brighter, and he stopped talking with a slight sense of relief.

"Thank you very much, Master Yuan. I understand completely now!"

"First, we need to create a 'Pinhaomeng' (拼好盟)!"

"These participating sects don't necessarily need to be very famous. Their main role is to create a buzz and even enhance the image. The key is to offer benefits to attract them, which is a very necessary thing."

"I need to think of a way to persuade the first group of people. Once someone is convinced to participate, rumors will spread like wildfire, and people will follow suit. There will be no shortage of guests and VIPs on Wuyi Mountain."

"Secondly, we need to establish a 'prefabricated alliance'!"

"The true purpose of the martial arts tournament is not important, but outsiders must be able to guess and acknowledge its purpose. It's enough to reach a tacit understanding. If we're too explicit, we'll be more easily manipulated."

"I have a ready-made idea for this matter. Why not use the name of the Prince of Jingnan's Mansion to hold a gathering of heroes? I don't believe that so many martial arts sects don't intend to follow the example of the Fuwei Escort Agency and secure a future for themselves!"

Jiang Wen became more and more excited as he spoke. The doubts that had been blocking his mind suddenly cleared up. With these two combined moves, even if the Wuyi Sect was unknown, it would surely be able to create some decent momentum after some maneuvering.

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Yuan!"

Jiang Wen exclaimed that what one learns from books is ultimately superficial; his own experience in participating in public affairs could never compare to the experience of those who have been recruited. Looking at Yuan Chengzhi, he suddenly realized that this somewhat gray-haired veteran of the martial arts world was indeed quite shrewd, even having a contingency plan for such a insightful scheme.

Such dirty political tactics are really not chivalrous at all. They must have been planned by Yuan Chonghuan's former subordinates Sun Zhongshou, Zhu Anguo and others.

"........."

Yuan Chengzhi originally told Jiang Wen about the ways of the martial arts world to show that his past as the leader of the outlaws in the seven provinces of Zhili, Shandong, Henan, Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi was nothing more than a small-time operation. His main intention was to advise Jiang Wen to plan carefully, accumulate strength, and wait until he had done enough good deeds before taking action.

But he didn't expect that after listening to Jiang Wen, what he said became more and more absurd and outrageous. He was embarrassed and didn't know how to persuade the other party. In fact, he had overanalyzed everything.

However, upon hearing the final part, even Yuan Chengzhi was somewhat convinced by Jiang Wen's plan and hurriedly voiced his final doubts, attempting to stop this groundbreaking scheme.

"Master Jiang, please be slow. Throughout history, the rise and fall of the martial arts world has been due to the rise of those who are peaceful and virtuous and the fall of those who are arrogant and reckless. If one's actions are too immoral and lose power, it will lead to internal strife and make too many enemies, which may eventually lead to collapse. This is an unchangeable truth."

This isn't Yuan Chengzhi being deliberately mysterious, but rather that Jiang Wen's approach is likely to attract unwanted attention. Otherwise, the martial arts tournament might become a mere formality, while he ends up making a lot of enemies and rivals.

"If the Wuyi Sect is seen as a thorn in someone's side, wouldn't its disciples suffer an undeserved calamity? Sect Leader Jiang, please think twice!"

Yuan Chengzhi then sheathed the Golden Snake Sword. The clear sound of the sword made the candlelight in the hall flicker slightly. At this time, the twilight outside the hall had deepened, and the mountain wind blew rain and mist into the hall. Fu Ningdie quickly went to close the window.

Jiang Wen tightened his grip on the teacup, causing the tea leaves to gradually sink to the bottom. He then stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Yuan Chengzhi, and, with a very strange expression, said something as he swept the hem of his blue robe across the corner of the table.

"It's alright. Master Yuan, have you ever heard the saying, 'A hater is still a fan'?"

September has ended, wishing everyone a happy National Day! _(`」∠)_