Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Wanwan's gaze shifted to a roll of leather on the coffee table beside her, and she asked curiously, "What is this? Why does Master Shi carry it with him? May I take a look?"

"Oh?"

Su Yuchen paused, glanced at her, and a look that sent a chill down Wanwan's spine. He said with a half-smile:

"You certainly know how to take advantage of a situation. It's not that you can't see it, but let's wait until you can satisfy me."

"However, I can tell you in advance that this is Shi Zhixuan's 'Undying Seal Scroll'. It was originally in Shi Qingxuan's hands, but she kept it because she had no use for it, so I asked for it to take a look, and then I forgot to return it to her."

"The concepts of reversal at the extreme, the cycle of life and death, and the endless generation of true energy in this martial art are very beneficial to your Heavenly Demon Great Art. If you can integrate and master them, you may be able to forge your own path to heaven."

Wanwan's eyes lit up, and she asked, "How can I exchange a glimpse of it with Master Shi?"

Su Yuchen shook his head:

"Let's talk about it when I think of something, or when you've done it. If you can get me the 'Great Method of Planting Demons in the Heart of the Dao' or the 'Wisdom Scripture of Controlling the Roots of All Laws,' I can take a look."

"Oh, the 'Mastery of All Laws and Roots of Wisdom Scripture' is a martial art of the Great Ming Venerable Sect. Besides the Venerable Master Xu Kaishan, the Shadow Assassin Yang Xuyan also knows it."

"With Master Shi's martial arts skills, why doesn't he go and get it himself?" Wanwan asked, puzzled.

Su Yuchen smiled and said calmly, "I'm just interested, not that I need it. I'll take a look if I get it, but it's not a big deal if I don't."

………………

On this day, Song Shidao paid a visit.

"Master Shi seems to have no prejudice against the Demonic Sect?"

Su Yuchen glanced at him and said:

“You’ve met Wanwan! But you’re still worried about the Yin Kui Sect? If we’re talking about prejudice, I have no prejudice against anyone or anything, as long as it has a good side.”

Confucius once said: "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me. I will choose their good points and follow them, and correct their bad points."

"The reason why Confucianism was able to dominate the world and suppress other schools of thought during the Han Dynasty was because Confucianism was inclusive and adaptable to the times, thus meeting the needs of the ruling class."

"But this does not mean that other doctrines are useless. The greatest contribution of Confucianism is the establishment of 'rites'. With 'rites', the ruling class, or rather the emperor, had a fundamental legal legitimacy, which maintained stability."

"Confucianism established rites, which made military generals, though arrogant, dare not easily rebel, and instilled a sense of awe in the common people. These are all good things, and we cannot deny them."

"However, Confucianism is not omnipotent. They are not proficient in matters concerning national affairs and people's livelihood, such as city construction, water conservancy, agriculture and animal husbandry, and trade."

"As an emperor, you cannot view any particular power with preconceived notions. The teachings of the various schools of thought inherited by the Demonic Sect may have deviated from the right path, but the essence of those schools is still good."

"Keep the good ones and cut the bad ones out. The power to choose is now yours, not the Demonic Sect's. This is the trend of the times."

"Moreover, only by entrusting professional matters to professionals can we avoid worrying about them. You just need to stand at a certain level and put the right people in the right positions."

"If you are well-versed in history, you should discover a truth. Among the founding emperors of all dynasties, were there any who exclusively employed 'pure Confucian scholars'? And among the founding ministers of all dynasties, were there any 'pure Confucian scholars'?"

Song Shidao nodded and said, "Now that I think about it, the downfall of dynasties throughout history seems to be related to the heavy reliance on Confucian scholars. Most Confucian scholars are just good at empty talk and have nothing to say, but as Master Shi said, the etiquette they established stabilized the social hierarchy and gave each class something to rely on, so that it was no longer a mess."

Su Yuchen shook his head, not intending to delve into this issue, as it involved the level of social productivity, the stakes of enlightening the people, and so on.

"Does Master Shi disagree with what Master Dao said?" Song Shidao asked curiously when he saw him shake his head.

Su Yuchen shook his head and said, "You can think about this yourself. Do you remember the Three Departments and Six Ministries system I told you about before?"

Song Shidao suddenly realized, "Professionals should do professional things! Did Master Shi already think about how to accommodate the doctrines of the various schools of thought back then?"

Su Yuchen said, "Settling the various schools of thought is only one aspect. Another aspect is to divide the powers and responsibilities, separating the court into several groups to prevent any one group from becoming too powerful. Also, it is to increase the number of people in the court and provide opportunities for people from humble backgrounds to rise in order to prevent aristocratic families from becoming too powerful again."

Song Shidao nodded, then hesitated and said, "Although the Three Departments and Six Ministries system is good, it separates the emperor and his ministers. If the court officials unite, it will be easy to deceive the emperor. In the long run, this will be detrimental to the rule of future generations."

Su Yuchen was not surprised and said, "That's why I said that everything has two sides, advantages and disadvantages. If you look at it separately, is the advantage greater or the disadvantage greater? Moreover, you can find a way to add institutions to check and balance the court officials."

Song Shidao nodded and said, "Does Master Shi mean that, like in the military, spies should be planted in the court and among the officials to monitor their movements and prevent them from uniting?"

Su Yuchen said calmly, "Nothing is absolute! I didn't condemn all aristocratic families outright. Why?"

Song Shidao raised an eyebrow: "Because aristocratic families and commoners are not on good terms. Even if they unite briefly, they will eventually go their separate ways and are not a monolithic entity. If handled well, they can be divided."

"And then there are your Song clan members! They are born royalists! Only if the Song family secures the throne can their power and wealth be preserved," Su Yuchen pointed out.

Song Shidao muttered to himself:

"The powerful clans are deeply entrenched and have immense influence, and cannot be dealt with in a short time. Only by uniting the common people and the demonic sects can they contend with the powerful clans."

"The Song family naturally had to stand on the emperor's side. As long as the emperor needed them, they could maintain a balance and prevent any one family from becoming too powerful."

"Therefore, the aristocratic families, the poor families, the evil factions, and the royalists are all indispensable, but no single family should be allowed to dominate."

"Add to that the spies hidden among the court officials, the people who belong exclusively to the emperor, and you can secure your position! What Master Shi said is truly the study of imperial rule."

Su Yuchen shook his head and said, "The way of checks and balances is not immutable. Moreover, the art of power and strategy is ultimately just a minor skill. If the common people of the world cannot survive, even the best power and strategy cannot stop the murderous intent of those who are about to starve to death."

Song Shidao nodded and said, "Disciple understands! Disciple has kept in mind Master Shi's words on the analogy of boat and water."

Su Yuchen waved his hand dismissively, saying, "The fate of this world ultimately depends on the choices of the people themselves. Don't think too highly of yourself, nor look down on the people. Alright, go now!"

Chapter 385 Inheritance Dojo

While the north was engulfed in war, the south was also bustling with activity.

Under Xu Xingzhi's leadership, the recruitment of talent, the pacification of the people, the reorganization of the army, and the training of new recruits were all carried out in an orderly manner.

Even Song Shidao praised Xu Xingzhi's talent, saying he had the ability of a prime minister. Not only could he manage and balance the old Jianghuai Army and the Song family army, as well as the Yangzhou garrison, but he could also handle political affairs and manage people's livelihoods, saving Song Shidao himself countless troubles.

Once you arrive at Shilong Dojo, all the noise and commotion disappear. No one would be foolish enough to cause trouble at the place where the world's number one master lives in seclusion. It seems that even making a loud noise nearby is a sin.

As most of the disciples of Shilong Dojo joined the army or government, the place became deserted, except for a few old servants. Apart from Shilong, only one disciple chose to stay and practice martial arts—Yang Zhiruo.

On this day, Yang Zhiruo was practicing her skills in the training ground. Her figure crisscrossed, leaving claw marks everywhere. Streams of soft, yin energy filled the training ground, and as she moved, it seemed to outline a pale yellow phoenix soaring in the air.

"Good good!"

At the edge of the training ground, Su Yuchen, who rarely came out of seclusion, looked at this disciple and couldn't help but admire him.

Upon hearing the voice, the pale yellow figure flashed and disappeared into thin air, then reappeared three feet in front of Su Yuchen, cupping his hands and calling him "Master".

Su Yuchen nodded, gesturing for her to follow, and said:

“I heard from the old servant that your parents have come to see you many times. Are you really unwilling to leave the temple and compete for fame and fortune?”

"Nowadays, the South does not reject women serving in government. Many of your junior sisters have made achievements in the logistics of the army and in government officials. In addition, with my affection for you, if you are willing, you may be able to compete for a noble title for generations."

Yang Zhiruo shook her head behind her, then, fearing that Su Yuchen might not have seen her, she said, "This disciple is aware of her own talents and abilities, and I don't like to deal with those mundane affairs. It's enough for me to stay at the dojo to practice martial arts. As for fame and fortune, I'll leave those to my fellow disciples."

Su Yuchen turned around and saw that she was speaking seriously, so he nodded and said, "In that case, I will send someone to explain to your parents. From now on, you can stay at the dojo to practice martial arts."

Looking at a clump of bamboo in the corner with his hands behind his back, Su Yuchen smiled and said, "Speaking of which, all your fellow disciples have already entered the world, and my Daoist temple is lacking a successor. Your eldest and second eldest brothers have already passed away. Would you be willing to inherit the Daoist temple?"

"This..." Yang Zhiruo hesitated for a moment, then said, "Although Senior Brother has joined the army and entered the world, it does not prevent him from inheriting the Daoist temple. Master, would you like to consider this?"

Su Yuchen shook his head and said patiently:

“Your two senior brothers are no longer suitable. They have already been labeled and have lost their eligibility to inherit the dojo. I don’t want future disciples to be forced to join a certain faction. That would not be fair to them.”

"I've made up my mind. You will take over the dojo. It's just a martial arts school, so you don't need to refuse."

Yang Zhiruo nodded hesitantly, not yet realizing the greatest benefit of inheriting the dojo.

Su Yuchen nodded and said:

“Since you are going to inherit the dojo, you should also inherit what your teacher has learned.”

"Speaking of which, the three of you still don't know what I've been learning. Since I have some time today, I'll explain it to you."

"Speaking of which, I studied under the Taoist school in my youth, and most of what I have learned comes from Taoism. Later, I also learned some Buddhist and Confucian cultivation methods from other places. Eventually, I returned to Taoism again."

"After organizing and integrating all my knowledge, I have written a book called 'The Great Dao of the Azure Lotus,' which is the general outline of my martial arts. The martial arts I have taught you three are just a tiny part of this."

"However, this martial art is too profound and mysterious. It not only requires the integration of the four schools of thought of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Demonism, but also involves more than the number of acupoints on the body. There has never been a successor."

"Over the years, I have only been able to extract a part of it, integrate it with other methods, and create some suitable martial arts to be passed down, but it cannot encompass all the knowledge I have acquired."

"During these days, I have been in seclusion, organizing and refining the basics of this martial art. Although it is still very difficult to get started, at least we have a starting point."

"This compilation of martial arts can be considered the general outline of all martial arts in the world. It can integrate and transform any martial arts in the world, and it can also restrain any martial arts in the world. There is no end to learning it."

As he spoke, Su Yuchen took out a copy of "Notes from the Martial Arts Center" from his sleeve and handed it to Yang Zhiruo, saying, "This martial arts manual is a summary of the essentials of what I have learned, and it is also the theory of my martial arts cultivation. I will pass it on to you today."

"However, I am now the most impatient with teaching disciples. Fortunately, my cultivation is still good, and I can use some tricks that I could only imagine in the past."

"I will seal this martial art in your consciousness, and gradually unseal it when you need it. As for whether you will pass it down or what you do with it in the future, that is up to you."

Yang Zhiruo was puzzled, not understanding why she was given such a choice. If she wanted to, she would certainly choose to pass on her sect's martial arts!

Your "Notes from the Temple" is beyond the scope of the curriculum. If you weren't willing to transmit the Dharma through divine means and heart to heart, Yang Zhiruo wouldn't have been able to learn your basic introductory text.

Yang Zhiruo, using the martial arts principles you passed down, combined the Nine Yin Manual, the Heavenly Questions on the Ice Soul, the Pure Yang Limitless Seal, and the Taibai Vast Sword Manual into one, achieving the only primordial spirit (yin spirit) in this world, and shattering the void with her physical body.

Because her physical body was shattered, she was given a brief respite, and her destiny's course changed.

Your martial arts skills were fleeting, leaving only fragments for posterity. No one could understand your martial arts philosophy, considering it the delusion of a madman.

Seeing the narration, Su Yuchen smiled helplessly. He had only wanted to try, but he hadn't expected to get such a result. He glanced at the bewildered Yang Zhiruo, then flicked a golden dot at his fingertip, which contained shimmering purple and blue light, and sent it into her sea of ​​consciousness.

Yang Zhiruo felt her head go blank, as if she had been hit by a large bell, her head felt heavy, and many blurry images of words flashed by and disappeared before she could see them clearly, leaving only the first few hundred words in her heart.

With just a little effort, Yang Zhiruo was captivated by the content and became completely absorbed in it.

………………

After a long time.

Yang Zhiruo, who was standing, came to her senses in a daze. Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground, her eyes filled with ignorance and confusion.

"This martial arts manual is still too obscure for you. You don't need to rush. Just study it for two or three hours every day."

Su Yuchen's voice was so close, yet it sounded like it was from afar to Yang Zhiruo. She nodded blankly, still lost in thought after reading the massive amount of text.

After a moment, Su Yuchen raised his head, looked at the distant sky, and said, "Interesting!"

Chapter 386 Great Terror

Su Yuchen looked at the distant sky, and in his eyes, a clear and natural energy, as vast as all things, was coming towards Yangzhou.

"Its energy is extremely pure, primordial and unified, and it is the way of countless changes from poverty to prosperity. Its form is one, but its spirit is myriad. This is what the 'Wen Shi Zhen Jing' transmits. It was originally a high-ranking Taoist master from Louguan."

Once upon a time in the world of Laughing at the world, Su Yuchen would retreat to the Scripture Pavilion to study the books it contained. Later, as his strength grew, he did not stop there. On the contrary, as the Huashan Sect's Scripture Pavilion continued to replenish itself, it collected more and more books, and the number of secret treasures he could see also increased.

Later, when the Huashan Sect was officially recognized by the imperial court, he collected many of the treasured books in the palace, including the Wenshi Zhenjing, which was secretly kept by the Louguan Dao. His later martial arts philosophy was partly influenced by the Wenshi Zhenjing.

It was from that time that Su Yuchen conceived the dream of uniting all the myriad paths of the heavens to become a Great Luo Immortal. In each world thereafter, he gradually practiced his own path, which led to his achievements today.

However, he chose a different path. The "Wen Shi Zhen Jing" states that emptiness is the foundation and self-cultivation is the principle. Emptiness leads to formlessness, and nothingness leads to non-attachment, thus resulting in vastness. Form is one, spirit is myriad, transformations are endless, and one moves with the times.

What Su Yuchen seeks is to have myriad forms but one spirit, an unchanging essence, the myriad worlds as illusions, the world changing but I remaining unchanged, only me, only the Dao, the one and only!

Looking at that aura, Su Yuchen instantly discerned its hidden essence and guessed the identity of the newcomer.

[Yi Guozhen, a successor of the Louguan Daoist sect, wishes to visit you.]

[Yi Guozhen, a Grandmaster of Taoism, is a master of the "Shattering the Void" level in this world. Based on the Tao Te Ching, he incorporates parts of the Wen Shi Zhen Jing, seeking to unite himself with heaven and earth and all things, returning to the true Tao.]

[He later passed on his teachings to Ning Daoqi. Ning Daoqi, based on the true teachings of Louguan Dao, and incorporating some of the true meaning of Zhuangzi's "Free and Easy Wandering," created the Eight Styles of Freehand Fighting.]

You unintentionally severely injured Ning Daoqi, which prompted him to come see you and express Louguandao's determination to withdraw from this struggle for supremacy.

He is currently staying in the southern suburbs of Yangzhou.

With a flick of his finger, Su Yuchen sent a surge of energy down Yang Zhiruo's head like a cold spring, making her shiver and clearing away all her thoughts, restoring her senses.

“A master from the Daoist sect has come to visit. Please go to the south gate to greet him on my behalf,” Su Yuchen said.

Just as Yang Zhiruo came to her senses and was about to ask who was welcoming her, she saw Su Yuchen draw a circle in the air with his right hand, and a wisp of water vapor appeared out of thin air, forming a water mirror.

A ripple appeared in the mirror, and a carriage emerged from it. An elderly figure appeared in the mirror, seemingly aware of something. He looked up at the void and smiled. The carriage then automatically headed towards Yangzhou.

"I have already shown your aura to him. Once you arrive, he will naturally find you. Go ahead, and don't keep the guest waiting," Su Yuchen said calmly.

Although Yang Zhiruo was puzzled, she still stood up and bowed with a hint of shock, heading towards the south of the city.

………………

South Gate of Yangzhou.

Not long after Yang Zhiruo arrived, she saw a simple horse-drawn carriage approaching.

The carriage was old and simple, with paint peeling off in many places. The curtains were faded and yellowed. The old horse carrying the carriage looked listless and weak. It was unclear how long it had been traveling. It blended into the crowd of merchants and travelers and was not noticeable at all.

Yang Zhiruo, however, was able to spot the carriage at a glance. This ordinary carriage, in her eyes, possessed a strange rhythm, simple and natural, pure and inactive!