Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

………………

This was on the banks of the Lancang River.

The sun was high in the sky. In a roadside teahouse, several tables of customers, some carrying knives and swords, sat talking in hushed tones. At one of the tables, a burly man sat alone, drawing the attention of the others from time to time. After all, in this day and age, those who dared to travel alone on long journeys were all ruthless and capable men; otherwise, bandits and outlaws along the way could easily devour them.

Just as everyone was at peace, someone looked up and stared blankly, spilling tea from his chin onto the floor, which made his companions laugh and scold him as they looked up.

On the distant avenue, a young couple moved with the grace of immortals, seemingly floating on air. One moment they were far away, and the next, it seemed like only a few steps had passed before they arrived outside the teahouse.

Looking at him now, the man's sleeves fluttered, his appearance was handsome, and his eyes were warm yet cold, seemingly gentle yet indifferent to everything; the woman's embroidered robe was obviously of extraordinary quality, she stood there looking frail, yet she possessed a touch of heroism, and her eyes flashed with divine light as she moved, clearly indicating that she was a highly skilled martial artist.

The man glanced around, then smiled and looked at the burly man sitting alone at the table. He walked over and sat down, saying, "Brother Qiao, I didn't expect to meet you in Dali."

The two people who arrived were Su Yuchen and his companion, while the burly man was none other than Qiao Feng, who had entered Dali alone.

At this moment, Qiao Feng's eyes flashed as he looked at Su Yuchen and Wang Yuyan beside him, and said with a smile, "I didn't expect to run into Brother Su in Dali. Are you two taking a leisurely stroll in Dali?"

Qiao Feng knew your martial arts skills and comprehension well. Your appearance in Dali around the time of Xuan Bei's murder made him suspicious of you.

Upon seeing the narration, Su Yuchen was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "My purpose in coming here was to visit Tianlong Temple to preach to several monks."

"Pfft..." Wang Yuyan laughed upon hearing this, "Is that what you call preaching? You forcibly borrow someone else's sword manual and then belittle it as worthless."

Seeing Qiao Feng's probing gaze, Su Yuchen had no choice but to explain, "I calculated that there would be opportunities in this Yunnan-Guizhou region, so I made a special trip here. As for the sword manual? The Six Meridians Divine Sword of Tianlong Temple is said to be incredibly powerful, and it would be a pity not to see it for myself, so I had to come and borrow it."

Qiao Feng's tiger-like eyes revealed a hint of interest as he said, "Rumors in the martial arts world say that the Dali Six Meridians Divine Sword and the Shaolin Yi Jin Jing are the two most extraordinary martial arts in the world. Brother Su, you have already witnessed them, so I wonder if the rumors are true or false?"

Su Yuchen shook his head, unconcerned, and said, "The Six Meridians Divine Sword is said to be incredibly powerful, but it is actually just a killing technique that makes up for the lack of lethality in the One Finger Divine Skill. It has greatly disappointed me."

As he spoke, he pressed down with his right thumb, unleashing a sharp and powerful force that seemed capable of shattering the heavens and earth. With a 'thud,' it blasted a hole the size of a bowl into a large tree ten feet away: "This is the Shaoshang Sword."

As he spoke, he stretched out his index finger, and streams of energy, ever-changing, shot out a row of holes around the bowl-sized opening: "This is the Shangyang Sword."

Then he flicked his middle, ring, and little fingers in succession, demonstrating each sword technique. Each technique had its own unique characteristics, with distinct energy flows, yet they could be combined with one another.

The teahouse was now completely silent. Even those who initially thought he was bragging all lowered their heads, afraid to look or speak, lest they inadvertently invite disaster upon themselves.

Qiao Feng looked at the huge tree that had crashed down ten zhang away and couldn't help but exclaim, "The Six Meridians Divine Sword of the Dali Duan Clan is indeed worthy of its reputation. It can kill an enemy with a flick of the finger from ten zhang away."

Su Yuchen was not satisfied and shook his head, saying, "This Six Meridians Divine Sword only has destructive power and nothing special, which greatly disappointed me. It's not as interesting as the Zen practiced by Monk Kurong."

"Brother Su, are you referring to Master Kurong of Tianlong Temple?" Qiao Feng asked.

Su Yuchen showed a hint of surprise: "Brother Qiao also knows the monk Kurong?"

Qiao Feng nodded and said, "I once heard Master Xuanku comment on the masters of the world. Although this Master Kurong is not well-known, it is rumored that his One-Finger Divine Skill has reached the second rank. His martial arts skills are so high that he can be ranked among the top ten in the world."

Su Yuchen shook his head dismissively and said, "The One-Finger Divine Skill of Withering and Glory is nothing special. However, the Zen of Withering and Glory that he cultivates is a unique Buddhist art, which contains the cycle of life, death, withering and glory, and is quite enlightening to me. It is much more interesting than the One-Finger Divine Skill or the Six Meridians Divine Sword."

Qiao Feng looked distressed, unsure of what to say. However, thinking that this person would learn quickly and become proficient in no time, he feared that the masters of Tianlong Temple would be even more incompetent than he was when they first met him, so he shook his head.

Chapter 318 Commentary on the World's Top Masters

Seeing that these three were no ordinary people, the merchants and martial arts practitioners who had stopped to rest all got up and quietly left, fearing that they might accidentally overhear something they shouldn't and be killed to silence them.

The three chatted for a while about what they had seen and heard at Tianlong Temple. Su Yuchen commented on the several hidden masters in Tianlong Temple, saying that they could only be considered first-rate masters and were still some distance from being top-tier.

"If you have the discerning eye of Brother Su, I'm afraid there are few masters in the world who can rival you!" Qiao Feng exclaimed.

A glint of gold flashed in Su Yuchen's eyes, gone in an instant. Qiao Feng, sitting opposite him, felt a tightness in his heart, as if he had been seen through from the inside out, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Su Yuchen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said...

"If I don't count, there are still quite a few masters in the world."

"Besides me, the most powerful master I know in the world is an old monk who lives in Shaolin Temple sweeping the floor."

"And there's Xiaoyaozi, whose whereabouts are unknown. We don't know if there are any old monsters on Longhu Mountain. These people can be ranked alongside that old monk in the top tier."

"Below these people are Empress Dowager Li Qiushui of Western Xia, 'Tianshan Child Granny' Wu Xingyun, 'King Yama's Enemy' Xue Shenyi's master Wu Yazi, and you, Brother Qiao. The four of you can be ranked in the second tier of the world."

"The three people who are ranked alongside you, Brother Qiao, are fellow disciples from the same school. Xiaoyaozi is their master."

"Next are Miss Wang beside me, the generation of Shaolin Xuanci and Xuancheng, Murong Fu, Ding Chunqiu, several people from Tianlong Temple in Dali, Emperor Duan Zhengming of Dali, Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi, Duan Yanqing, the leader of the 'Four Evils', and so on."

"However, Miss Wang is exceptionally talented. As long as she doesn't go astray, she can become a Grandmaster in the future, and she can be ranked alongside that old monk as one of the top figures in the world."

Qiao Feng glanced curiously at the little girl beside him, then said, "Master Xuancheng is proficient in more than ten Shaolin skills and can be called the number one Shaolin master of our time. With his martial arts, it would be quite difficult for me to defeat him. Isn't he enough to be on par with me?"

Su Yuchen shook his head and explained, "Every Shaolin skill has its flaws. Although Xuancheng has great perseverance, he is too obsessed and lacks comprehension. His martial arts have great flaws and he will surely suffer a calamity in the future."

"May I ask what you mean by this, Brother Su?" Qiao Feng asked, cupping his hands in greeting.

Su Yuchen explained...

"Both Buddhism and Taoism pursue the Great Way, while martial arts merely seek methods to protect one on the path."

"Shaolin pursues Buddhism, emphasizing compassion and helping others to help themselves, which conflicts with the methods of martial arts and killing. Therefore, many of the Shaolin Seventy-Two Arts require understanding the meaning of Buddhist scriptures in order to practice them."

"In Buddhist terms, it means using compassion to resolve the killing intent within the Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills; in my words, it means balancing the conflicting philosophies of Buddhism and martial arts."

"Xuancheng pursues the ultimate in martial arts and killing, yet he is unwilling to let go of his attachment to the Buddhist concept of forgiveness. As a result, these two ideas are constantly in conflict, which is what is known as inner demons."

"He either puts down one and pursues the way of martial arts to become a Dharma Protector King, or he chooses to give up martial arts and become a great monk; or he uses one ideology to overcome another and subdue his mind so as not to disturb his mind."

"Given his current state, if he continues to practice, he will inevitably become mentally unstable. Going into qi deviation would be the least of his worries; he might even suffer the complete rupture of his meridians and die."

Wang Yuyan asked in confusion, "According to you, the sweeping monk in Shaolin Temple is second only to you. Doesn't he understand this principle? Why won't he save Xuancheng?"

Su Yuchen scoffed...

"This is what Buddhism calls serendipity. The sweeping monk refused to explain it explicitly, but simply placed the corresponding Buddhist scripture next to the martial arts manual that Xuan Cheng often read, hoping that Xuan Cheng would discover it on his own."

“But Xuancheng is focused on martial arts and wouldn’t know any of this. Even if he did see it, he would assume that the monks in the temple had misplaced the scriptures.”

"Hehe! It's ridiculous. On the one hand, Buddhism teaches 'lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot,' and guides evil people into Buddhism; on the other hand, it tells its own people about 'chance encounters,' and says that if they don't understand, they won't be saved."

"Of course, perhaps that old monk just wanted to watch Xuancheng's meridians rupture, so that he would give up his desire for martial arts and settle down to be a great and virtuous monk."

"There is another possibility: no one in this generation has learned the Shaolin Yi Jin Jing, simply because the concept of Yi Jin Jing is too advanced. Perhaps he wants to take this opportunity to see if Xuan Cheng has the opportunity to practice Yi Jin Jing."

"However, these are all my guesses. I am not that old monk, and I cannot possibly know what he is thinking."

Qiao Feng asked, "The Yi Jin Jing and the Six Meridian Divine Sword are considered the two greatest martial arts in the world. Shaolin Temple has countless masters, so is it possible that no one can learn the Yi Jin Jing?"

Su Yuchen gave him a meaningful smile...

"The Yi Jin Jing is the foundation of Buddhism. When Bodhidharma spread the Dharma, his original intention was to use the Yi Jin Jing to cultivate oneself internally and protect the Dharma externally. Therefore, the requirement for practicing the Yi Jin Jing is that one must not have the desire for martial arts."

"But if you're not a martial arts master, you might not understand the Yi Jin Jing; and how could a martial arts master who can understand the Yi Jin Jing not have the desire to learn martial arts when they see such a divine skill manual?"

"Perhaps only someone like Xuan Cheng, who was a martial arts master but has lost all his martial arts skills, has a slight chance of being able to do so. Of course, this requires that Xuan Cheng is not completely despondent and that no one can give him pointers or arouse his desire to learn martial arts."

"But there is another problem. If Xuancheng hadn't become despondent and had instead devoted himself to studying Buddhism, seeking to become a great and virtuous monk, would his compassion have allowed him to practice a martial art that involves killing?"

Upon hearing this, both Wang Yuyan and Qiao Feng fell silent. After a long while, Qiao Feng finally said, "But this doesn't seem fair to Master Xuancheng."

Su Yuchen waved his hand dismissively and said, "This is a matter within Shaolin Temple. I am merely speculating and gossiping. How could outsiders know whether it is bitter or sweet?"

Wang Yuyan shook her head and said, "Then who else in this world can learn the Yi Jin Jing?"

Su Yuchen chuckled and said meaningfully, "Someone has already learned it."

"Oh?" Wang Yuyan and Qiao Feng were startled and looked over at the same time.

Su Yuchen laughed and said, "Some people are highly skilled in martial arts, but they have no desire to learn martial arts. It's unbelievable, but it's true. It's just that they don't know it even after they've learned it."

………………

Wang Yuyan counted on her fingers and couldn't help but ask, "Could it be your newly accepted disciple?"

Seeing Qiao Feng's confusion, Su Yuchen explained that after they parted ways, he had taken on a disciple in Suzhou.

Speaking of Li Ziqiong, Su Yuchen smiled and said, "Ziqiong is going to enter the Taoist sect, otherwise why would I have ruined her Buddhist foundation? Li Ziqiong's future achievements are not in martial arts, at most she can be on par with you, Brother Qiao."

Qiao Feng's eyes flashed with fighting spirit as he said proudly, "I didn't expect Brother Su to have such a high opinion of me. I also didn't expect there to be so many masters in the world that I was unaware of."

Su Yuchen smiled and said, "Most of the famous martial arts masters in the world come from Xiaoyaozi's Xiaoyao Sect. These people are all senior masters. Li Qiushui is already in her sixties or seventies. Brother Qiao, you can be ranked alongside them, which already shows your extraordinary talent."

Wang Yuyan: ...

"Let me tell you, can you keep using my grandmother as a power ranking index all the time?"

Chapter 319 Casual Talk about the Murong Family

After chatting for a while about the world's top martial arts masters, Su Yuchen said that he only knew about them but didn't really understand how they were.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Feng asked, "Brother Su, you know a lot about the stories of the world's masters. Do you know about the murder of Master Xuanbei of Shaolin at Shenjie Temple in Dali?"

Su Yuchen nodded and said, "I've only heard about this, I don't know the specifics. I heard that Xuanbei died from his most proficient martial art, the 'Weituo Pestle'?"

Qiao Feng nodded and said...

"That's true. Moreover, there are rumors in the martial arts world that Master Xuanbei died because the Murong family used their own methods against him. But according to the Beggars' Sect's investigation, when Master Xuanbei died, Young Master Murong was in Yanziwu and did not appear in Dali."

"If someone wants to use this to incite conflict between Dali and Shaolin, but then kills him with the Murong family's ultimate technique, that's clearly unreasonable. The only thing I can think of is that someone wants to use this opportunity to stir up conflict in the Central Plains martial arts world."

"The Dali, Western Xia, and Khitan people all have motives for doing this. I, Qiao, would like to ask Brother Su for his opinion."

Su Yuchen nodded in agreement with his analysis, but after a slight hesitation, he said, "As far as I know, there are probably only two people who could have attacked Xuan Bei. One is Murong Fu's father, Murong Bo, and the other is someone who is related to you, Brother Qiao."

"Murong Bo?"

"Uncle-in-law?"

Qiao Feng and Wang Yuyan spoke at the same time, and looked at each other in bewilderment at the answer.

Qiao Feng smiled wryly and said, "Brother Su, please don't joke. Murong Bo has been dead for many years. How could he have killed Master Xuanbei? Hmm? Brother Su, do you mean that Murong Bo faked his death?"

Su Yuchen nodded and said, "Murong Bo did indeed fake his death to escape. If Brother Qiao doesn't believe it, you can sneak into Yanziwu and go to Murong Bo's tomb to check. You will find that it is just an empty tomb."

“But, but the way my cousin has acted all these years, it seems like my uncle’s death isn’t fake,” Wang Yuyan couldn’t help but say.

Su Yuchen smiled and said...

"Murong Fu himself was unaware of this matter. His mother taught him from a young age to carry on his father's last wish and restore the Great Yan. Murong Fu also took this as his goal, never imagining that his father had faked his death to escape."

"Do you remember what happened when Murong Bo died?"

Wang Yuyan shook her head.

Su Yuchen said calmly, "When Murong Bo died, it was right around the same time that Shaolin Xuanbei and Xuancheng ascended Yanziwu."

“Ah! Indeed! Master Xuanbei and Master Xuancheng went to Yanziwu at the same time. I remember they seemed quite surprised at the time. Could there be some connection?” Wang Yuyan asked suddenly.

"Because if Murong Bo hadn't faked his death to escape, I'm afraid Shaolin would have attacked and destroyed Yanziwu." Su Yuchen said with a disdainful smile.

Qiao Feng asked in surprise, "What's the reason for this?"

Su Yuchen explained, "Because this involves a scandalous case concerning Shaolin. If Murong Bo killed Xuan Bei, I think it's probably related to the fact that he gradually discovered over the years that Murong Bo had faked his death and escaped. Murong Bo wanted to use this to cover up the fact that he was still alive."

Qiao Feng was silent for a moment, then said, "Brother Su just said that the Murong family takes it upon themselves to restore the Great Yan Dynasty, but I don't know what that means?"

Su Yuchen exclaimed in admiration...

"Brother Qiao is truly a great hero, always putting the affairs of the nation first."

"That's right, the Murong family has always been thinking about rebelling and overthrowing the Song Dynasty. This involves the Murong family's background. The Murong family are descendants of the Murong family, the royal family of the Great Yan Kingdom established by the Xianbei people during the Five Barbarian Invasions."

"Later, the Xianbei Murong family fled to Taihu Lake in Suzhou. Murong Bo married the daughter of the Wang family of Suzhou, and from then on, he was completely rooted in Jiangnan."

"The Murong family's ambition throughout history has been to re-establish the country and rebuild the Great Yan."

Qiao Feng frowned and said, "The Murong family is acting so recklessly, didn't the Wang family of Gusu notice? Why didn't they report it to the imperial court?"

Su Yuchen, with an amused expression, explained to Qiao Feng, "If a fool were shouting in his own home, 'I want to establish a country and become emperor,' would you believe him?"

"Ah..." Wang Yuyan and Qiao Feng were both stunned.

Su Yuchen smiled and said...

"I bet you all that the Murong family's affairs are known not only to the Wang family of Gusu, but also to the current emperor."

"Well, it's likely that apart from the Murong family themselves not knowing, and others not knowing that their goal is to rebel, the rest of the aristocratic families in the Suzhou area probably already know."

"But what does the Murong family have? They have neither military power nor official positions! Even if they want to rebel, they have no troops and no power. What makes you think you can? Just because you shout a few slogans?"

"The Wang family of Gusu must have seen through the Murong family's true strength long ago, knowing that this father and son were nothing but fools with empty promises, and they simply couldn't be bothered with them. As for the daughter who married into the family, it's possible that she was sacrificed to keep an eye on the Murong family, in case any unexpected situations arose that would cause the Murong family to get out of control."

"Moreover, I am certain that this matter must have been reported to the emperor by the Wang family of Gusu. Otherwise, the court would not have appointed a member of the Wang family as the prefect of Hangzhou, just so that they could keep an eye on Yanziwu nearby."

"I dare say that Murong Fu's every move over the years has been watched closely by the powerful families of Suzhou and the emperor of Tokyo. It's just that he's an incompetent fool. Otherwise, the prefect of Hangzhou would have already sent troops to wipe out Yanziwu."

"Even so, there are still countless imperial spies watching the Suzhou-Taihu area, and even Yanziwu. No action can escape the attention of the powerful families and that emperor."