Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Su Yuchen shook his head and said, "I won't see him. Let him go back."

Steward Su nodded, his expression shifting slightly, and said, "Won't our repeated rejections of the Prince Zhao's kindness make them hold a grudge?"

Su Yuchen smiled and said nonchalantly:

"Ever since I overpowered the Prince Zhao's mansion half a year ago, causing Wanyan Honglie to lose face, those defeated subordinates have long harbored resentment towards us."

"Human hearts are never satisfied. Steward Su, why do you think he comes to our door again and again? Isn't it because he covets the martial arts I taught you?"

"I've seen plenty of people like Yang Kang. Even if you teach him everything you know, he'll probably still suspect you're holding back some tricks against him. At such a young age, he's already bullying his superiors and flattering his subordinates. You can't tame someone like that."

"I heard that his master is Qiu Chuji of the Quanzhen School?"

Butler Su nodded and said, "That's true. According to the gatekeeper of Prince Zhao's mansion, it seems that since the year before last, Master Qiu has been staying at Prince Zhao's mansion for a period of time every year to teach him martial arts."

Su Yuchen shook his head and said it was a pity. He waved his hand to indicate that he could leave.

Although Butler Su did not know what he was regretting, he did not say anything more and turned to go downstairs.

………………

The third floor of the front courtyard of Zhigelou.

Butler Su moved with light steps, as nimble as a fox and as swift as a rabbit, leaping up to the third floor in a single stride. Such lightness of footwork made Sha Tongtian and Hou Tonghai, who were standing at the entrance of the "Purple Smoke Pavilion" on the third floor, envious.

Butler Su simply nodded, then pushed open the door and went inside under the watchful eyes of the two men.

Beside a window on the third floor facing the street, a boy of fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in fine clothes and wearing a golden crown, with a face as handsome as jade, was looking down at the crowds coming and going on the street.

Upon hearing the voice, Yang Kang turned around, a fleeting look of disappointment flashing in his eyes. He asked, "Boss Su, you still refuse to see me?"

Steward Su's gaze remained unchanged. He simply cupped his hands in apology and said, "Young Master is focused on his secluded cultivation and has no energy to meet with outsiders. Moreover, the Prince Zhao's mansion has countless experts. Why should the young master go to such lengths?"

Yang Kang shook his head and raised his voice, saying, "The Four Ghosts of the Yellow River, Master Lingzhi, and Master Liang Ziweng are all heroes of the Jianghu and martial arts masters. Their martial arts skills are naturally excellent. However, I admire Taoism, and my household lacks experts in this field."

Sha Tongtian and Hou Tonghai at the entrance wore smiles, clearly having heard Yang Kang's praise, and their resentment towards Yang Kang for insisting on coming to Zhige Tower had lessened somewhat.

Butler Su said expressionlessly, "My young master knows that the young master is a disciple of Master Qiu of the Quanzhen Sect. The Quanzhen Sect is descended from Master Wang Chongyang and has countless Taoist methods. The young master does not need to seek it far away."

A glint of light flashed in Yang Kang's eyes as he said, "In a while, Master Qiu will be coming to the Prince's Mansion to teach martial arts. I wonder if Young Master Su would do me the honor of discussing Daoist philosophy with Master Qiu?"

Butler Su shook his head and refused, saying, "Young Master is not interested in people from the martial world. He only wishes to focus on cultivating the Dao, so it is inconvenient for him to receive guests."

Seeing that the other party avoided him every time he came, Yang Kang, being just a child, became increasingly resentful. However, remembering Wanyan Honglie's teachings, he managed to suppress his anger.

"In that case, my master just taught me a skill a few days ago. Please give me some pointers, Steward Su."

As soon as Yang Kang made his move, Steward Su secretly shook his head, because Yang Kang's Quanzhen sword technique was immature and lacked refinement, completely lacking the seasoned skill that Su Yuchen had described when commenting on martial arts.

Faced with Yang Kang's sword moves, Steward Su merely shifted his feet slightly, his steps subtly incorporating the principles of the I Ching and the Eight Trigrams, and with a slight sway of his body, he had already evaded Yang Kang's sword technique.

Seeing that Steward Su easily dodged his sword strikes, Yang Kang pressed forward, changed his sword technique, and thrust his fingers at the vital points on Steward Su's chest and arms. His moves were vicious, insidious, and ruthless, each strike capable of injuring or maiming the person.

Butler Su frowned slightly, flicked his sleeve with his right hand, and used a flowing cloud sleeve technique to cover his face. He then extended his right hand from the sleeve and flicked his fingers on Yang Kang's wrist.

Yang Kang's tendons went numb, his true energy dissipated, and his strength vanished. He staggered back a few steps before regaining his footing.

"The young master's foundation is not yet stable. His sword techniques are ruthless and lack a sense of honor and righteousness. It would be best if he did not practice them too much," Butler Su advised.

Yang Kang quietly clenched and unclenched his right fist behind his back several times, then nodded and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Steward Su. I understand. Since Young Master Su is not receiving guests, I will take my leave now."

After saying this, Yang Kang got up and walked towards the door, where he met up with Sha Tongtian and the other two. They then hurried downstairs.

In the restaurant lobby, Yang Kang walked hurriedly with a somber face, clearly in a bad mood. Everyone knew he was the heir of the Prince of Zhao's mansion, and they all made way for him.

Butler Su walked to the window and watched Tian Yangkang and his group leave, then couldn't help but sigh.

Just as Yang Kang's carriage turned the corner, a figure dressed in a dark blue Taoist robe passed by the carriage, shook his head as he watched it depart, and headed towards 'Zhige Tower'.

Seemingly sensing something, the old Taoist priest looked up towards the third floor, his eyes meeting those of Steward Su. A glint flashed in their eyes, and they nodded to each other before the old Taoist priest stepped into the restaurant lobby.

"He's a master," Butler Su thought to himself. He turned and went downstairs towards the lobby.

………………

The night was deep, and there were few pedestrians on the streets. Low-hanging, dark clouds hung in the sky, as if they might fall down at any moment.

After giving a few instructions to the two people on night watch and putting away the ledgers, Butler Su finished his day's business and headed towards the small building in the backyard.

Upon reaching the second floor of the small building, Su Yuchen's golden light transformed into silver threads, enveloped by countless moonbeams, with a faint silver-white glow shimmering around him every three feet.

Steward Su composed himself and said, "We have a guest seeking lodging today. I asked him a few questions and found out that he is Master Ma Yu, the leader of the Quanzhen Sect. I have already arranged for him to stay in a guest room in the backyard."

Su Yuchen knew he was overthinking it, chuckled softly, and said:

"Uncle Su, there's no need to worry. Judging by the time, Ma Yu should have come from the grasslands and was probably on his way back to Zhongnan Mountain. He just happened to be passing by."

"Besides, Yang Kang and the Zhao Prince's Mansion alone can't persuade Ma Yu. As the leader of the Quanzhen Sect, he won't easily entrust the fate of the Quanzhen Sect to the Zhao Prince's Mansion."

"Danyangzi is a great master of Taoism. It's a pity that I am at a critical moment in my spiritual cultivation and cannot meet him. However, the cause of the past has brought about the effect of today. Please give this manuscript to him."

As they spoke, the phoenix shadow behind Su Yuchen moved, spread its wings and flew to the bookshelf on the second floor, picked up a manuscript and handed it to Butler Su. It was a copy of "The Golden Lock Illuminating Divine Technique".

"Alright, it's getting late, Uncle Su, you can go now."

Butler Su nodded, turned and went downstairs. The silver phoenix phantom returned to Su Yuchen's back. With a faint dragon's roar and phoenix's cry, purple flames and silver frost ignited in Su Yuchen's eyes, reflecting each other.

Chapter 442 The Past of Butler Su

A north wind howled all night, and early the next morning, snowflakes that had been brewing for a long time began to fall gently, covering the entire Daxing Prefecture in a blanket of white, concealing all dirt and creating a vast expanse of white.

There was a brief commotion in the backyard guest room, which quickly subsided. Ma Yu stepped out into the snow, her footsteps light and graceful, leaving only a shallow layer of footprints that were quickly obscured by the falling snow.

They bumped into Butler Su, who was coming out of the courtyard, and the two smiled at each other.

"Master, your skill is truly impressive. The Golden Goose Skill of the Quanzhen School has reached a high level."

"Manager Su's skills are not bad either. His 'walking on snow without leaving a trace' technique is even more advanced than that of the old Taoist."

Butler Su shook his head and said, "They're just some amateur dealers, barely enough to protect this family business. Oh, by the way, this is for the Taoist priest..."

As he spoke, Butler Su took out the manuscript from his pocket, and with a gentle force, the manuscript seemed to be connected by a thread, swaying and floating away; this skill, his eyesight, wrist strength, and control of true energy were all top-notch in the world.

Ma Yu's eyes narrowed, and he flicked the whisk that was nestled on his elbow, scattering strands of silver hair as he gathered the manuscript into his hand.

Looking at the words "Golden Lock Divine Technique" on the cover, Ma Yu frowned, as if he had thought of something, but he wasn't quite sure what it was.

"What does Butler Su mean by this..." Ma Yu asked, puzzled.

Butler Su smiled and said, "Yesterday, I and my young master talked about the Taoist priest coming to stay. My young master asked me to give this manuscript to the Taoist priest to settle the past grievances."

Ma Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Please forgive my foolishness. I have never been to Daxing Prefecture, let alone have any connection with your esteemed young master. I'm afraid I've sent you to the wrong person."

As he spoke, Ma Yu handed the manuscript back to him. Butler Su shook his head and said, "I was just following orders. Daoist, please take it."

Just as Ma Yu was about to refuse, a clear, melodious voice rang in their ears...

"What you did in the past, you are reaping today. This is what Wang Chongyang left behind. You bear the lineage of Quanzhen Taoism, so there's no need to refuse it. Just take it."

Ma Yu was slightly taken aback, then realized something and looked up at the small courtyard behind Steward Su. He was secretly astonished that someone could transmit sound so clearly to his ears from several miles away. This skill was truly terrifying.

"I'm afraid even the Five Greats don't have this level of skill. Who exactly is this person?" Ma Yu pondered to himself.

Butler Su smiled slightly and said, "Since the young master has already said he would give it to the Daoist, the Daoist should accept it. Moreover, this is a legacy left by your master, and it should be returned to Quanzhen."

After a slight hesitation, Ma Yu accepted the manuscript with a single-handed bow.

The two headed towards the main hall in the front yard. At this time, it was snowing heavily and there were few pedestrians on the road. Even in the main hall, there were only a few people sitting here. Most of them stayed in the guest rooms in the back yard and did not want to come out. The waiters could only go back and forth to deliver hot water and food to the rooms.

"With the heavy snow making travel difficult, next year should be a bountiful one," Butler Su remarked.

"Master, you should stay a few more days. Considering the weather, the heavy snow has been falling for the past few days, making the journey difficult."

Ma Yu pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "This old Taoist has been away from Zhongnan Mountain for a long time and is getting restless. We'll prepare more dry rations later. Besides, for us martial artists, climbing through ice and snow and adapting to whatever comes our way is commonplace."

Butler Su nodded and said, "Then I will instruct the counter to prepare more food for the Taoist priest, enough for him to get through these few days of heavy snow."

After breakfast, Ma Yu got up to take his leave. Watching him step into the snowstorm until his figure was completely obscured by the snow, until he could no longer be seen, Butler Su turned back to the main hall and gave instructions...

"With the heavy snow falling, there probably won't be anyone around. You guys should put up the doors, leaving only one door open for entry and exit."

After the waiters responded, he went behind the counter to get a jug of wine before turning and walking towards the backyard.

………………

"Son..."

"On the second floor of the backyard," Butler Su said hesitantly.

Su Yuchen glanced at him and saw that he reeked of alcohol, and said, "Uncle Su, please speak frankly."

"No, it's nothing." Butler Su opened her mouth to speak, then shook her head and turned to go downstairs.

Su Yuchen said calmly:

What is Uncle Su's relationship with Yue Fei's army?

"Just now I heard you chatting with Ma Yu in the front yard. When he talked about climbing the ice cave, Uncle Su, your mind seemed to be in turmoil for a moment."

“I once watched you practice martial arts. Your swordsmanship was exactly the kind of killing technique used in the military. So I specially taught you the ‘Ten Forms of Blood Battle’ swordsmanship and the ‘Forty-Nine Forms of Dual Killing with Swords and Sabers’ swordsmanship.”

"However, I once saw you practicing your spear technique under the moon. The moves were the Yue Family Spear, created by Yue Fei, which is the direct lineage of the Yue Family Army."

“Uncle Su, you were originally a fierce general in the army, and you came to my family later. Although my father never asked, he had many guesses about your background.”

“I didn’t want to bring this up, fearing it would be a painful memory for you, Uncle Su. But seeing your uneasy state of mind today, I’m afraid you have something on your mind. You’ve worked so hard for the Su family and raised me. Whatever it is, feel free to tell me.”

"You should know that I will not stand idly by."

Butler Su paused for a moment, then said:

“When I first arrived, you were still young, but I didn’t expect you to be so observant. But then again, you are no ordinary person, and it’s not surprising that you see through everything.”

"My original name was Wang Jun. Later, I met the master and changed my surname to Su. The name Wang Jun is something from a long time ago."

"I was originally the deputy commander of the vanguard of Yue Fei's army, and the deputy of Commander Zhang Xian."

"In the past, during the Northern Expedition, General Yue was recalled from the battlefield, and the Northern Expedition ended in failure, and the Yue Family Army was also disbanded. I followed General Zhang to transfer to another place, and later General Zhang was also falsely accused of treason, and our unit was thus scattered in the north."

"Unfortunately, we were out of luck and lacked the vision and knowledge of General Yue. We could only wander around and were eventually besieged by the Jin army in the Lüliang Mountains. I was the only one who broke through the encirclement, but I was seriously wounded and on the verge of death."

"Later, I was treated by the master and recovered from my serious injuries. I could only bury my brothers in the wilderness with tears in my eyes. It has been eight years since then."

“Thinking back to my former comrades, I feel I have let them down, which is why I have lost my composure.”

Su Yuchen sighed and said, "Uncle Su, if you have any wishes, feel free to tell me. I will try my best to fulfill them if I can."

Butler Su shook his head and said, "I just felt a little sad thinking about my comrades who were stranded in the north with me, and how they could only be buried in the wilderness, exposed to the wind and sun, and buried under ice and snow."

Su Yuchen nodded and said, "If Uncle Su is willing, you might as well move the remains of these comrades into the Su family ancestral tomb. With these heroic souls guarding it, the Su family ancestors would not mind sharing some incense offerings."

"This, how can this be..." Butler Su hurriedly refused.

Su Yuchen said:

“I have heard people say that loyal souls are immortal and will be remembered in history, and that their iron will and loyalty will shine on future generations. The descendants of the Su family are blessed by the spirit of the hero, and our ancestors will not be surprised.”

“My mind is made up. Uncle Su, go to the mountain where the ancestral graves are located, choose a feng shui treasure site, and arrange for someone to relocate them after the snow stops. Just don’t tell anyone.”

Butler Su nodded, knelt down and kowtowed several times, then turned and went downstairs.

Chapter 443 The Way of the Yang God

Once Butler Su's figure disappeared, Su Yuchen looked at the wind and snow outside, his eyes burning with an even stronger purple-silver light.

He reached out and a copy of "Questions and Answers of Lü Zu" fell into his hand from the desk behind him. The pages turned on their own without any wind, revealing a particular page...

The content of this text is a discussion of the Yin and Yang spirits by Lü Zu, Tieguai Li, and Zhongli Quan.

Lü Zu asked, "What is a Yin spirit? What is a Yang spirit?"

Zhong Liquan explained:

"The Yin spirit is the alternation of Yin and Yang. When one's mind is pure and clear, the soul and consciousness can be concentrated, gathering the Qi of Heaven and Earth and directing it to one's own use. Although it has supernatural powers and can leave the body, it fears sunlight and is as faint as a shadow, hence it is called the Yin spirit."

"The Yang Spirit is a being that has undergone a complete transformation, possessing a body outside the body. When gathered, it takes form; when dispersed, it becomes energy. This is the Yang Spirit. With a single thought, it can enter and exit the netherworld and roam the heavens and earth."

Lü Zu asked, "Can a yin spirit transform into a yang spirit?"

Zhongli Quan said, "The Yin spirit must be shattered to its original form. When the Yin is exhausted and the Yang is pure, the True Man can manifest."

Tieguai Li laughed and said, "Ordinary people have no such destiny as immortality."

Su Yuchen looked at the arguments in the book and pondered to himself...