Chapter 8 Chapter 7: The Returning Hunter
"Killer!"
A call sounded, and the passengers who had just disembarked on the ferry ran away one after another, and then stood still and turned their heads to see what happened.
I saw a puddle of blood on the boarded ferry by the river.A man with a big knife hanging from his back held his bloody left hand, his pale face was covered with cold sweat.
Opposite him, stood a strangely dressed woman.
With her tall figure, she wore a scarlet toga, which was woven with bright flower patterns, and the collar and sleeves were trimmed with brocade; she was wearing a pair of wooden clogs, revealing two slender wheat-colored calves.With this attire, one can tell at a glance that they are not from the Middle Earth.
The woman covered her hair and the lower half of her face with a purple cloth scarf, revealing only a pair of bright and big eyes, but at this time her eyes were as murderous as a tigress.An extremely narrow and long broadsword hung slantly behind her waist, and one could tell that it was a precious item just by looking at the band and scabbard.Both hands are wearing leather palm guards with bird-shaped copper ornaments nailed on them, and a sharp short knife is held behind the back in the right hand, and the blade is stained with blood.
The man looked at his injured palm.Both Shi and Zhong fingers were cut off, with only a little flesh attached.This hand is probably useless from now on.
"Damn it, where did the witch come from..." The man gritted his teeth and glared at the foreign woman.But just now when I got the point, I couldn't see how the other party drew the sword and made a move. I knew that she must be evil, so I didn't dare to move the sword forward.
Seeing that the man was so useless, the murderous intent disappeared from her eyes, she shook the blood off the dagger lightly, and put the blade back into the sheath of the belt in front of her abdomen.
The onlookers were amazed.This place is on the edge of the Minjiang River in the outskirts of Meizhou in central Sichuan, far away in the Xishu Mountains, have people ever seen such Japanese people from overseas?Let alone a woman.She was wrapped with a white cloth under the neckline of her robe, which obviously bound her chest with a cloth belt, and she was wearing a wide robe, but she still couldn't conceal her plump and curvy figure. Although she hadn't seen her face, she could already imagine that she was a great beauty.
At this time, there were two officials who guarded the ferry. When they heard the commotion coming, they were also startled when they saw such a strange scene.They recognized the injured man as a small leader of the Minjiang Gang in Meizhou City.But looking at the dress of this foreign woman, it seems that it is not some vendetta.
"Who are you?" One of the officials carefully approached the woman with a stick in his hand. "Why did you hurt someone?"
The woman's left hand was crossed at the waist, and her right hand was resting on the handle of the long wild knife behind her, which made the official nervous.
"Who told him to offend me?" She pointed at the man. "Come over on the boat. When you get off the boat, you will follow me. If you dare to reach out and touch me, you will lose two fingers, and it will be easier for him."
The official sent a sigh of relief to hear that she knew how to speak the official dialect of Zhongtu, even though her pronunciation and sentences were a bit weird.
"Who the hell are you? In broad daylight, with such a big knife, didn't you see our king's law?"
The woman picked up the bag that had fallen on the ground beside her, found a booklet from it, opened it, and showed it to the official.
"I am the daughter of the guardian of Satsuma, the Shimadzu family, so is Hu Linglan. A few months ago, I took the Ouchi Clan to the Ming Dynasty, and I am definitely not a bandit who smuggled into the country."
The official sent a look at the "reconnaissance and cooperation book".On the opened page, there is half a cinnabar talisman printed on it, which is a line of number Chinese characters, but it is cut off from the center, only the right half.
As a small official in Sichuan, where has he seen this kind of "reconnaissance symbol" that only appears in the southeast coast?He was dubious, but seeing this woman named Shimadzu Hu Linglan, her dress and accent seemed to be true.
——What are you talking about "Waguo", why is this woman so tall? ...
If this woman is indeed an emissary from a foreign country with an official sigil, it would be very bad if she was involved with the gangsters of the Jianghu Gang.The officer looked at his colleagues behind him.The colleague also understood, knowing that the big issue should be reduced to a small one, and hurriedly helped the injured Minjiang gang leader to leave.The little boss yelled in pain as he walked, and was still swearing.
The official servant didn't want to entangle with the Japanese girl any more, so he just said "don't make trouble" and wanted to leave.Unexpectedly, the vermilion figure was chasing after him again.
"I have something to ask."
The officer sighed and said, "What?"
Hu Linglan's big eyes looked directly at the officials.
"'Wodan'."
The officer heard these two words and thought for a while. "What did you say? I don't know what you're asking!"
Hu Linglan continued to look directly at him, and then slowly said clearly word by word.
"Wudang."
It was only then that the official came to a sudden realization.
"What? You came to find... Wudang?... Why are you looking for them..." He hesitated for fear of getting into trouble.
"Where?"
In Hu Linglan's eyes, there was a force that made the other party unable to surrender.
"I heard..." The official's forehead was covered with beads of sweat. "...It is true that people from the Wudang faction came to Sichuan... went to... Mount Qingcheng."
He stretched out his finger and pointed north along the river.
Hu Linglan nodded.
The official officer thought he could breathe a sigh of relief, but he didn't know that she took out a folded piece of paper from the skirt of her shirt.
Hu Linglan spread out the paper and held it in front of the officer.
"Have you seen this man?"
On that piece of paper, a bust of a character was drawn in black ink.
It's a man.
A head of long messy hair.The body is very strong.There are patterns on both shoulders: a flower on the left and a sun on the right.He holds a paddle in his hand.
On the upper right corner of the paper were written the Chinese characters "Jing Li".
People from the Wudang faction found Xi Zhaoping's body because they saw birds gathering strangely in the sky above the forest. It was already the next morning.The night before, the Wudang disciples carried torches and searched the back mountain of Qingcheng until late at night, but because they were not familiar with the terrain, they could only arrest a few Qingcheng disciples to lead the way. They moved very slowly and found nothing. They also guessed that Xi Zhaoping might just have lost his way in the mountains, so everyone from Wudang went down to the foot of the mountain and stayed in an inn in Weijiang Town for one night, thinking that Xi Zhaoping might be able to find the way down the mountain by himself. And so it turned out. The disciple led Ye Chenyuan and Jiang Yunlan to the cliff.They saw Xizhaoping's head stuck upright on the ground by a thick branch, and birds had pecked at many parts of his head, face and eyes.But the neat cut at the neck was still very fresh.The headless corpse lay beside it, and a large flock of birds surrounded and competed for food, but the Wudang disciples who discovered it drove them away. "Unload it quickly!" Jiang Yunlan ordered, several disciples immediately covered Xi Zhaoping's head with clothes, took it off from the branch, and placed it on the corpse. Everyone in Wudang was still immersed in the excitement of eliminating the Qingcheng faction, but now seeing such a tragic situation, they all became silent. ——The prestige of the Wudang faction has been tarnished. "Did you ask clearly..." Ye Chenyuan said, "Is there no one else from the Qingcheng faction hiding in the mountains?" "I have already asked those remaining guys." A disciple replied: "No." "It's definitely not the kid who ran away with the 'Dragon Tiger Sword'." Jiang Yunlan said: "The martial arts are too far behind." "Then..." Ye Chenyuan shrank his pupils.The two lines of tattoos under his eyes were trembling. "It's that...the so-called 'Hunter'." The Wudang faction has been acting in various places for several years, winning consecutive battles and invincible; only in the past year, four people were mysteriously killed one after another, and the identity of the enemy has not been determined yet.There was a lot of discussion in Wudang Mountain, and some disciples even privately called this mysterious enemy "Wudang Hunter"... This title is very disrespectful to our sect. Of course no disciples dare to say it publicly, but everyone in the sect knows it. "Zhaoping is already the fifth one." Jiang Yunlan gritted his teeth. "And he is much stronger than the four disciples who died before! It seems that we underestimated this guy. He only attacked the disciples who were alone before, but this time he dared to follow us up to Qingcheng Mountain—and right before our eyes Let's do it! Who is it?" Ye Chenyuan was silent for a while and said: "In the past few years, we have not encountered this level of resistance except Qingcheng. If there is such an enemy, I must have the impression. He cannot come from the one we eliminated. sect." "Those sects are outside, and there will always be relatives or friends. There may be such a strong opponent among them." Jiang Yunlan said: "This is obviously revenge. This guy must be caught." To complete the Wudang faction's hegemony of dominating the martial arts, the whole faction has long been prepared to be enemies of the warriors from all over the world and forge countless blood feuds.But five people were assassinated like this, but the real identity of the enemy was not even known, which greatly damaged the morale among the disciples.People are panicked, which is very detrimental to future battles. "I feel that it's not just for revenge." Ye Chenyuan objected. "The targets of this man are stronger than the other. He is testing. Trying his kung fu against us. He is learning how to deal with Wudang sect's kung fu." Jiang Yunlan's expression was chilling. "He wants to defeat the Wudang faction, just like we want to defeat the world sect." Ye Chenyuan nodded. "Very good." Jiang Yunlan sneered. "That is to say, he will show up to us sooner or later." Jiang Yunlan then ordered his disciples to search the mountain for most of the day.For safety reasons, disciples marched in groups of five. Ye Chenyuan and Jiang Yunlan knew in their hearts that it was very difficult to find this invisible enemy now. As for Yan Heng who disappeared with the "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword", they have long since ignored it. Although the "Dragon and Tiger Sword" is a treasure, it is not necessary for the Wudang sect; it is nothing if a "Tao Chuan disciple" who ranks last in Qingcheng remains in the world. Qingcheng faction is already a past name in their hearts.
When Yan Heng woke up, the first thing he heard was the sound of running water. He opened his eyes and saw the morning light cast from the green branches and leaves.The skin feels comfortable and warm.The sound of gurgling water can be heard in the ears.very familiar.The nose inhales the fragrance of the leaves. He remembered sleeping here before.In the morning class on a certain day, I ran up the mountain to practice Qi, and then practiced sword.When it was over, he fell asleep on the grass covered with leaves.After practicing the exercises, the blood in the body is smooth, and the whole body is relaxed and attached to the ground, as if it is integrated with the mountains and forests.It was a very happy feeling.He is willing to live like this on Mount Qingcheng for the rest of his life... As soon as he breathed hard, the pain woke him up.Then remember everything that happened yesterday. The good memories just now crumbled like sand.He thought of the blood sprayed on his face by Master He Zisheng.Warm feeling, pungent fishy smell. master. "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword". Yan Heng woke up startled, and propped up his upper body.Only then did I realize that the right sternal rib was tightly bound and fixed by something. He stroked his lower back. "Tiger Pi" is gone.The "Dragon Thorn" he was holding was also missing.He was covered in cold sweat. At this moment, Yan Heng smelled a scent again. It is aroma.He followed the smell and looked over.There was a firewood on which some fish were roasting. A tall and broad body, with its back to Yan Heng, sat on a stone beside the fire. The man was holding a wooden oar in his left hand and a small knife in his right, and was adding one obliquely to the four stripes on the oar.He was pushing hard, and the oars were obviously made of very strong material. Yan Heng didn't know where the strength came from, he jumped up suddenly, and threw himself on Jing Li's back. Jing Li seemed to have eyes in the back, threw away the oar, and grabbed Yan Heng's head and neck with a single turn, with the knife in his hand resting on his chin.Jing Li twisted again, throwing Yan Heng to the ground heavily. Yan Heng's body fell to the ground, and the wound on the right side of his body was in severe pain.But he still tried not to cry out. Jing Li continued to press the knife against his neck, and slapped him twice with his left hand. "Crazy enough yet? Wake up!" "Give me back!" Yan Heng yelled angrily, "Give me back! Give me back the sword!" Jing cracked suddenly.He pushed Yan Heng away and stood up, pointing the knife at the ground next to him. "Isn't it nice to put it there?" Yan Heng hurriedly took a look. The "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Swords" were lying flat on the grass, and were cushioned with a rough cloth. He crawled over, stretched out his hand to caress the "Dragon Thorn", and couldn't help it anymore, crying "Wow". Jing Li ignored him, sat down and continued to carve the oar, Yan Heng was crying loudly behind him, turning a deaf ear to it.After engraving the oblique lines, Jing Li put down the oars in satisfaction, then picked up a cooked fish beside the fire, wiped the knife on his clothes twice, and cut off the fish to eat. After Jing Li had eaten the whole fish, Yan Heng also stopped crying. Only then did Yan Heng gradually recall what happened yesterday when he was hunted down by Xi Zhaoping.He wrapped the "Dragon Tiger Sword" with the coarse cloth, carried it on his body, and walked to Jing Lie. "I'm sorry..." Yan Heng said, clutching his wound. "It was me who blamed the good guy." "I don't blame you." Jing Li put away the knife. "Is it the last thing your master entrusted to you?" Yan Heng felt sad for a while. Jing Li picked up another fish. "eat." Yan Heng shook his head.Every breath he takes now hurts, and he has no appetite at all. "Eat." Jing Li insisted. "Even if you spit it out after eating, you have to eat again. If you want to live, you have to eat." Yan Heng took the grilled fish.He looked to where the sound of water was coming from.Here is a protruding rock, below which there is a rushing river ditch. The name of the river is Wulonggou. According to legend, it got its name from five dragons hidden in hiding. It is a scenic spot on the back mountain of Qingcheng.Yan Heng, Hou Yingzhi and Song Li also visited here before. Wulonggou is far away from the cliff on the east side of Houshan Mountain.Although this man named Jing Li is strong and strong, it must not be easy for him to walk this long mountain road with Yan on his back. Escaping so far is naturally to avoid the Wudang faction's search. "Thank you very much for saving my life." Yan Heng said, trying to recall the conversation he heard on the cliff yesterday. "Your name is...Jing Li, isn't it? It's the South China Sea..." "South Sea Tiger Venerable Sect." Jing Li said, picked up the oars and walked to the rock, overlooking Wulonggou together with Yan Heng. "Like your Qingcheng faction, it is a sect that will perish for the Wudang faction." Hearing the word "destruction", Yan Heng felt sad.He looked at Jing Crack. "In that case... why did you..." "You want to ask: why am I still alive?" Jing Li smiled. "I joined the sect when I was very young, and left when I was fifteen. I went to many faraway places. I returned to my hometown of Quanzhou a year ago, and only then did I know that my sect was extinct. When Wudang sent me, I didn't not there." Yan Heng looked at the weird tattoo designs on Jing Li's shoulders, and then looked at the exotic short knife on his waist. Seeing his gaze, Jing Li pulled out the dagger and handed it to Yan Heng.Yan Heng was biting the roasted fish, freeing his left hand to take the dagger for a closer look.The handle of the knife is shaped like a long-necked bird's head. When the handle is held in the hand, the curved bird's beak just catches the tail finger, making the handle difficult to remove. The design is very ingenious.The blade is long and narrow, but the back of the blade is very thick, and the blade surface is covered with layers of convoluted patterns. The casting method is obviously different from that of Middle Earth swords. Yan Heng handed the knife back to Jing Li. "Have you... been to many places?" Jing Li smiled, pointing to the cloth bag that Yan Heng was holding on his right hand. "Open it and have a look." Yan Heng squatted down, and unfolded the coarse cloth wrapped with "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Swords" on the ground.Only then did he realize that there were many zigzag lines drawn on this piece of cloth, and various small characters were marked on it, most of which he didn't recognize.In the blank space between those lines, some wavy symbols are drawn.Yan Heng looked at it for a while before realizing that it was a sea chart. Jing Li inserted the paddle into the ground beside him, and lightly waved the dagger in his hand. "Our South Sea Tiger Sect is different from your Qingcheng Sect. It is a small sect with only a dozen members." Jing Li said. "Although it is well-known in Fujian, it is not well-known in martial arts. I have studied in the school for several years, and after learning all the basic boxing and sword techniques, several fellow brothers are no longer my opponents. That I was one or two years younger than you are now. I don’t think I will make any big progress in the Huzun sect, and I really want to learn other martial arts, but switching to other sects is a big taboo in the martial arts, and I can’t let it go I am satisfied with the skills I have learned. I am determined to become a real strong man. So one night, without telling my master, I went to the seaside and stole a small boat from the government, and smuggled out to sea by myself. This trip lasted nine years." When the government enforced a sea ban, and civilians went out to sea by boat privately, it was a crime of beheading. Jing Li squatted down and pointed at the chart with the tip of his knife. "In the past nine years, I have been to almost every place I can get by boat." The tip of the knife moved northeast along the coastline. "I have been to the Satsuma country in Fusang, where there are the most fierce Japanese warriors and bandits. I have fought them dozens of times, and learned their sword skills from them." The tip of the knife moved south. "I have also helped the natives of Luzon Island to fight off pirates at sea; learned their strange sword skills from the Hui people of Sulu Kingdom; practiced with Siamese swordsmen and boxers; Crossing the road, living by eating raw snake meat..." Yan Heng listened fascinated.He looked at the little circles on the chart that represented islands.He had never heard of these place names. "In the country of Sumatra, in order to earn some travel expenses, I participated in a real knife duel for local gambling money; and in Managa, I had a dispute with those who looked like evil spirits. Look..." Jing Li said, Pulling up his shirt, he pointed to a small star-shaped scar on his left abdomen. "It was wounded by their firearms. If there had been a thick belt in the way, and the shot hadn't gone deep, I would have been buried in the merchant ship." Yan Heng couldn't figure out what a "firearm" was.But from Jing Li's description, he guessed it was some kind of terrible hidden weapon. ——This person is only a few years older than me, but has so much more experience than me... "I didn't realize until I was out of the house that what the Tiger Venerable Sect taught me was just the basics." Jing Li said. "I'm different from those famous sects like you. My true martial arts cultivation is honed from hundreds of life-threatening battles outside." He put the short knife back into its sheath, and touched the Yanling waist knife on the other side of his waist.It was the only thing he took with him when he went abroad in a small boat ten years ago. "But the Tiger Sect is my enlightenment after all. Master also has the kindness to nurture me. I will take revenge for this enmity." Hearing the phrase "the grace of nurturing", Yan Heng remembered his own life experience, and his eyes became moist again. He looked at the oar beside Jing Lie.A new engraving was added on it, crossing the other four horizontal lines obliquely, making a total of five lines. The newly engraved one naturally represents Xizhaoping. "You... have already killed five members of the Wudang faction?" Jing Li nodded. "The previous four were not considered masters. Over the past year, I searched and tracked around, looking for opportunities to attack them, just to test the way of Wudang sect's martial arts. This Xizhaoping is the first real Wudang sect I have faced. Good player, in fact, his skills are about the same as mine. He stabbed you first, and his moves were not calm enough, which also gave me a little advantage." He stroked the paddle and said: "I'll tell you the truth: this time they have a lot of people, and there are top figures like Ye Chenyuan among them. I followed up to Mount Qingcheng. I originally just wanted to spy on their strength. You did. You happened to escape to my hiding place, and you said those passionate words. I can't let you die at the hands of that disgusting bastard." "Teach you to take risks." Yan Heng said embarrassedly. "I haven't thanked you properly yet. I will never forget this kindness in my life." "It's nothing. Besides, didn't you avoid them now? What a pleasure to kill another Wudang faction!" Jing Lihao said with a smile. "You'd better eat it quickly. Just holding the fish and talking, it's getting cold." Yan Heng looked at the grilled fish in his hand.He recalled that before, he had caught fish with Hou Yingzhi and Song Li many times in the mountain stream, and then made a fire and roasted them on the spot.The situation of the two of them at the moment did not know what was going on, which made him very anxious. "I..." Yan Heng rewrapped the "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword" with that sea chart. "...Go back and have a look." "Two more nights." Jing Li shook his head. "People from the Wudang faction must have discovered Xi Zhaoping's body by now, and they are still searching for us. Let's wait until they leave." "But……" "If you want revenge, you have to live first." Jing Li looked at Yan Heng seriously. "Yesterday you said that you will avenge this blood feud in your lifetime. Did you say it out of a whim, or did you mean it?" "Of course I'm serious!" Yan Heng raised his thick eyebrows. "Then listen to me. Live. I'll talk about the rest later." Jing Li grabbed his left hand and lifted the grilled fish in that hand to his mouth. "eat."
The next day, Jing Li still couldn't resist Yan Heng's begging, and accompanied him to leave Wulonggou, and go back to Qingcheng School's "Xuanmenshe" to have a look. In order not to be discovered by others, the two did not take the mountain road, but directly climbed the mountain and crossed the wilderness. Yan Heng didn't cough up any more blood, and the internal injury was obviously calmed down, but the cracked bone was more swollen than before, and it was difficult to lift up his strength, and he was in pain every step of the way, let alone climbing a mountain.But along the way, he just leaned on the crutches made of branches silently, carried the "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword" behind his back, and walked forward without humming. He looks ahead.Jing Li didn't say anything, and didn't look back at him much.But he knew that Jing Li was deliberately slowing down to accommodate him. They walked very slowly, and Yan Heng had to rest a few times on the way, but it was only in the afternoon that they returned to Houshan Mountain. Before arriving at the "Xuanmen She", they saw a large plume of black smoke rising to the sky from a distance. Yan Heng already knew what it was.He didn't say a word to Jing Li, and wanted to move on. "You wait here first." Jing Li put the baggage, the Japanese sword on his back and the oar in his hand beside Yan Heng. "I'll go check it out." Yan Heng nodded, watching Jing Li's back disappear. He sat on a rock and looked up at the towering trees. The deep mountain forest has a calming effect.But Yan Heng couldn't settle down, rubbing the crutch nervously with both hands. It only took a short time for Jing Li to go back and forth, but to Yan Heng, it seemed like a long wait. "How is it?" Yan Heng asked hastily. Jing Li didn't answer him, just picked up the things on the ground. "Let's go there."
The flame has been extinguished, but the ashes of the remaining tile rafters of "Xuanmenshe" are still emitting black smoke. In front of the scorched earth, a dozen men were busy burying the corpse. The teaching ground has become a cemetery, and more than 20 new graves have been erected, and there are seven or eight holes that have just been dug.The men wrapped the corpse in a green robe with straw mats and threw them into the pit together. The soil dug up from the grave was all red-soaked with the blood of the fierce battle the day before yesterday. Seeing Jing Lie and two people suddenly appearing, the group of men immediately fled in panic.They ran for a long time, and then looked back carefully, distinguishing that the two were not Wudang people in black robes, so they came back with wariness. They saw Yan Heng's Qingcheng swordsman robes that had become filthy and tattered, and they knelt down one by one. Yan Heng recognized that these were all residents of Weijiang Town at the foot of the mountain. One of the townspeople was older, about forty years old, with a very strong figure, and he knew at a glance that he was doing rough work for a living.Yan Heng recognized him as Huang Erji, a carpenter in the town. Huang Erji tremblingly said to Yan Heng: "We waited for those people to leave before we dared to go up... At that time, the fire was already burning so fiercely that we couldn't save it..." Yan Heng turned his head to look at the "Xuanmen House" that had turned into a pile of charcoal, and was very excited. The plaque of "Bashu Wushuang" in the "Guiyuan Hall"; the nameplates of the elders and "disciples of Taoism" on the wall; the ancestral hall dedicated to the ancestors of the Qingcheng School at the back of the hall...these symbolize the tradition and dignity of the Qingcheng School for hundreds of years. Things, all disappeared, can only be turned into memories. ——And it was a lonely memory of only him. Huang Erji continued: "We... can only get a coffin and give it to Mr. He. The other swordsmen can only be buried hastily like this... The Qingcheng faction has kept our town safe for hundreds of years , the only thing we can do is this...Young Xia, I'm sorry..." ——These mortals are not equal to us. Yan Heng was so excited that he fell to his knees on the ground, and knocked heavily on the townspeople. The townspeople were so startled that they immediately stepped forward to help him up. "I can't bear it! I can't bear it!" They all shouted. "I...I..." Yan Heng couldn't speak clearly, and couldn't organize his words. Although he was grateful in his heart, he still held back his tears.Thinking that the masters were still respected by these townspeople in the end, he didn't want his tears to damage this respect. Holding on to his crutches, he walked among the new graves on the field. There are no steles, and only a blunt iron sword is inserted above each tomb as a mark. "The swords were taken away by those people, and only these blunt swords remained. We had to make do with it." Huang Erji explained. "Master... where is Head He's tomb?" "Here..." Guided by Huang Erji, Yan Heng walked to the most central pile of raised graves.There is also an iron sword stuck in the soil, and a string of garlands is specially hung on the hilt. Jing Li walked to Yan Heng's side and looked at He Zisheng's tomb together. Jing Li put down his oars, and bowed to Heshi, the grave. "I saw Master He's unrivaled sword skills that day. It's a pity. It's not that his eyes are sick, he will definitely win, and the Qingcheng faction will not end up where it is today." Yan Heng threw away his crutches, knelt down and knocked three times in front of his teacher's grave. "Master..." He touched the "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword" behind him. "The sword is still there, and it has not been snatched by the traitor. Rest in peace, old man." Yan Heng stood up, then went to each grave, knelt down one by one, and knocked heavily. After knocking, Yan Heng's forehead was damaged, and a line of blood flowed along the center of the eyebrows and the side of the nose. He stood side by side with Jing Li, silently looking at the large iron sword mound reflecting the light under the sun. "You asked me..." Yan Heng said after a while, "I said I want revenge, am I serious?" Jing Li nodded. "I was really serious when I said it." Yan Heng sighed. "But now that I see this cemetery, I understand. So what if I take revenge? Even if I kill all the Wudang faction, then what? Can I bring back the masters and brothers of the Qingcheng faction? No. The Qingcheng sword faction has already no longer exists." "Aren't you, Qingcheng disciple, still alive?" Jing Li said. "You hope that there will be another Qingcheng faction in the world, so you can revive it with your own hands." "Me?" Yan Heng laughed bitterly. "Is it just me? I'm just the lowest-ranked 'Tao Chuan Disciple'. I haven't even learned swords in the 'Guiyuan Hall' for a day, and I haven't even touched all the real secret skills of the Qingcheng School. " He patted the double swords on his back again. "This Qingcheng School's 'Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword Art', even my uncle Song Zhen didn't learn it all. But now even he is dead. This sword art will be extinct in my master's generation. I don't know how to sword How can someone revive the Qingcheng sect with just these pair of swords? What are you laughing at?" Jing Li was silent for a round.Then he threw away his oars, drew his iron sword from a grave, and swung it a few times. "Bullshit nonsense." "What did you say?" Yan Heng said angrily. "I said, what you just said was bullshit and nonsense!" Jing Li inserted the sword back into the grave. "What kind of martial arts in the world is not created by humans? Isn't your patriarch also a human? Isn't he also a person with a head, one pair of hands, and two legs? Why do you want to think about what they can think of and practice?" Can't make it out, can't practice it?" "But..." Yan Heng was stunned. "Haven't you already learned the basics of Qingcheng swordsmanship? No martial art in the world, no matter how deeply you study it, you can't do without the basics." Jing Li continued. "I dare say that even your set of 'Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword' is the same, after all, it is still the most basic thing from Qingcheng swordsmanship. What's more, you have seen your master use it once the other day. Your ancestors, men, out of thin air You can create this thing; you have seen it once with your own eyes, why don’t you have the confidence to reproduce it in the world?” Listening to Jing Li's words, Yan Heng was speechless. "Besides, some things are lost, so fuck it, let him be lost!" Jing Li's heroic voice resounded throughout the cemetery. "Can't you create another set of more powerful martial arts? Don't you just decide to create a stronger Qingcheng faction?" Yan Heng felt his heart warm up again. "Stronger... Qingcheng faction?..." "Down with the Wudang faction. That proves you are stronger." Yan Heng looked confused. After all, three days ago, he was a seventeen-year-old boy who had just passed the test and became an official disciple of the Qingcheng School.At that time, he thought that his life path had been decided from then on.However, within a few days, he discovered that Qingcheng martial arts, which he believed deeply in the past and considered unattainable, was completely destroyed in front of another sect.Now he has become even more alone, and will continue to be hunted down by the enemy in the future. ——If I am like this, can I still bear the heavy burden of "reviving the Qingcheng School"? ... "...what can I do?" "Just like me. Constantly fighting." Jing Li said. "This is the fastest way to make yourself stronger. Every day, no matter when you are eating, shitting, sleeping and dreaming, you are thinking about how to overcome. Keep going to the Wudang faction and knock them down one by one. If you can't die like this, I will You will become a master——I firmly believe in this path.” Yan Heng was speechless after hearing this, savoring Jing Li's words. ——If I can't die like this, I will become a master. He thought about that morning.Kneel on the floor of "Guiyuan Hall". ——Now I give you a name, a single word "horizontal". Yan Heng looked at the Qingcheng sect graves all over the place.Most of the people lying here three feet underground are seniors who are much stronger than him. ——Can I really do it?With the strength of one person, to fight against that Wudang faction? When Yan Heng thought of the overwhelming strength of the enemy in front of him, cold sweat ran down his back. Seeing Yan Heng's puzzled look, Jing Li said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter if you don't do it. As long as you don't hold a sword or become a warrior in this life, the Wudang faction won't pay attention to you anymore, and everything will be with you again." You have nothing to do. Find a place where no one knows you, go plowing the fields, start a small business, forget about the Qingcheng faction, and live your life in peace. Anyway, in this world, not everyone has a reason to practice martial arts .” When Yan Heng heard this, he looked at the townspeople again.He remembered what he had said to Hou Yingzhi that morning. —Have you thought about going home? ... The Qingcheng faction has disappeared.It was as if a dream had come to an end.Maybe, it's really time to go back and be a mortal... — But can you really swallow this breath?Can you really forget? Jing Li yawned. "I'm tired. I've been hiding in the mountains for so many days. I'm hungry and dirty. I'm going to go down to the town, have a good meal, take a bath, and then sleep in the inn." He picked up the oar and put it on his shoulder, without looking at Yan Heng again. "I'm only staying one more night. I'm leaving tomorrow. You decide what you want, and I don't give a shit." He scratched the braided head. "Anyway, I've been alone for so long." After Jing Li finished speaking, he left, leaving Yan Heng alone. Yan Heng stood where he was, looking at the large cemetery filled with iron swords.The sun shifted, and the cross-shaped shadows began to tilt and lengthen. ——Why can't I agree to Jing Li straight away? ... Yan Heng is not afraid of death.He wouldn't care if he was one of the war dead buried here.But to embark on such an impossible path of revenge... He doesn't have the strong self-confidence that ignores everything like Jing Li. Facing near-certain failure is harder than dying. At this time, that Huang Erji came over again: "Young Xia, there is one more thing I didn't tell you..." Yan Heng felt ashamed that he could not be called "Young Hero". "Please say." "It's...the daughter of Director Song of your sect. She is still staying in Tai'an Temple below." "What? Xiaoli, she..." Yan Heng woke up suddenly.He blamed himself, once he saw this Iron Sword Tomb, he forgot about Xiaoli. "Those who worked in your faction, as well as their family members, ran away in fear. Miss Song was the only one who stayed here blankly. It seemed that she was too sad... She passed out later. Several people in our town A woman, I carried her down the mountain and entrusted her to the temple for the time being..." Yan Heng didn't wait for him to finish speaking, leaning on his crutches, he walked down the mountain road. But the heavy doubt in my heart still lingers.
Jing Li soaked in a large wooden barrel filled with hot water, closed his eyes and relaxed, and stretched his limbs. He was born in the south, and wandered among tropical island countries for many years. He is not used to the winter climate on Mount Qingcheng. He feels extremely comfortable just soaking in hot water at this moment. Now stripped naked, he reveals his many other tattoos.Especially on the back, there is a big weird eight-armed monkey, looking up at the sky, and the legs are in a strange posture like dancing. Among them, the hands above the head are held high, one is holding a sword, the other is holding a trident. Curved exotic spells and symbols. As the steam rose, he opened his eyes. In my mind, the sword fight between He Zisheng and Ye Chenyuan that I witnessed that day came back again. At that time, Jing Li was standing on the cliff, watching from a distance the master duel that he had only seen in his life.Every move and style is deeply imprinted in memory. Jing cracked his hands, and unconsciously moved in the hot water, gesticulating to imitate the sword moves of the two of them.Especially at the end, how Ye Chenyuan used the "Tai Chi Sword" to remove the lead, and how He Zisheng solved the situation with a "shaking scale". He moved his hands under the water, stirring up small waves and eddies.The flow of the water waves seems to be random, but also seems to have a certain pattern. Thinking of the moment He Zisheng was injured by the sword, Jing Li stopped his hands. --it's a pity.There are probably only a handful of masters who can break "Tai Chi" in the world today.Now there is one less person. Jing Li recalled the sword fight again.But this time, he completely substituted He Zisheng's side, imagining what would happen if he faced Ye Chenyuan... After a while, a chill hit the spine. He stood up suddenly from the bucket, and the bath water splashed all over the floor. ——Fucking Wudang, it's too strong. Jing Li once again confirmed: There is still a long, long road ahead of this road of swords and blood. During Jing Li's overseas wanderings, he came into contact with many foreign martial arts, here are a few of them. 荆裂访日本之时，当地为室町幕府末期至战国时代初期，“兵法”（即武术）流派正处于黎明时期，未如后世衍生众多。 鹿儿岛萨州（萨摩国）武士，以粗犷的实战剑法“示现流”（又称“自显流”）闻名于世，但那是荆裂到访的几十年之后才创立的流派。当时他在萨摩接触并学得的日本刀法，主要实为“阴流”剑术。（日本的“剑术”，其实是砍斩为主的单刃刀法。） “阴流”又称“影流”、“猿飞影流”，爱洲移香斋久忠（1452～1538）所创，与“念流”、“天真正传香取神道流”合称日本“兵法三大源流”。“阴流”后来衍生出著名的“柳生新阴流”（柳生家高手更担任了德川幕府将军的剑术师范）；而大明抗击倭寇的名将戚继光，著书记录其所得日本刀法（“辛酉刀法”），当中有记载《影流之目录》刀谱。 荆裂所到达的暹罗为大城（阿育陀耶）王国，当时暹罗武士所受的武术训练，称“Krabi Krabon”，乃是集合刀术、长矛、拳法等多种项目的战场武术，其技法深受天竺（印度）武艺之影响。当中徒手拳法一项，即是现代世界知名的“八臂武术”——“泰拳”之始祖。 荆裂又于苏禄群岛，跟当地回教徒学习刀法。菲律宾南部的穆斯林民族称作“摩洛人”（Moro），其血统与信仰乃从马来群岛传来，武术风格亦是深受马来武术“Silat”的影响。因当地人身材及生活习性，摩洛人武术的主力技法是刀剑短兵。数百年来，摩洛人不断以武力手段对抗西班牙殖民者、美国占领者以至今日的菲律宾政府，可见其民风之强悍。 荆裂所使用的鸟首短刀，并非摩洛人兵器，而是菲律宾中部米沙鄢群岛（Visayas）一种称为“Pinuti”的刀子，本为农用刀具。
Notes:
People from the Wudang faction found Xi Zhaoping's body because they saw birds gathering strangely in the sky above the forest. It was already the next morning.The night before, the Wudang disciples carried torches and searched the back mountain of Qingcheng until late at night, but because they were not familiar with the terrain, they could only arrest a few Qingcheng disciples to lead the way. They moved very slowly and found nothing. They also guessed that Xi Zhaoping might just have lost his way in the mountains, so everyone from Wudang went down to the foot of the mountain and stayed in an inn in Weijiang Town for one night, thinking that Xi Zhaoping might be able to find the way down the mountain by himself. And so it turned out. The disciple led Ye Chenyuan and Jiang Yunlan to the cliff.They saw Xizhaoping's head stuck upright on the ground by a thick branch, and birds had pecked at many parts of his head, face and eyes.But the neat cut at the neck was still very fresh.The headless corpse lay beside it, and a large flock of birds surrounded and competed for food, but the Wudang disciples who discovered it drove them away. "Unload it quickly!" Jiang Yunlan ordered, several disciples immediately covered Xi Zhaoping's head with clothes, took it off from the branch, and placed it on the corpse. Everyone in Wudang was still immersed in the excitement of eliminating the Qingcheng faction, but now seeing such a tragic situation, they all became silent. ——The prestige of the Wudang faction has been tarnished. "Did you ask clearly..." Ye Chenyuan said, "Is there no one else from the Qingcheng faction hiding in the mountains?" "I have already asked those remaining guys." A disciple replied: "No." "It's definitely not the kid who ran away with the 'Dragon Tiger Sword'." Jiang Yunlan said: "The martial arts are too far behind." "Then..." Ye Chenyuan shrank his pupils.The two lines of tattoos under his eyes were trembling. "It's that...the so-called 'Hunter'." The Wudang faction has been acting in various places for several years, winning consecutive battles and invincible; only in the past year, four people were mysteriously killed one after another, and the identity of the enemy has not been determined yet.There was a lot of discussion in Wudang Mountain, and some disciples even privately called this mysterious enemy "Wudang Hunter"... This title is very disrespectful to our sect. Of course no disciples dare to say it publicly, but everyone in the sect knows it. "Zhaoping is already the fifth one." Jiang Yunlan gritted his teeth. "And he is much stronger than the four disciples who died before! It seems that we underestimated this guy. He only attacked the disciples who were alone before, but this time he dared to follow us up to Qingcheng Mountain—and right before our eyes Let's do it! Who is it?" Ye Chenyuan was silent for a while and said: "In the past few years, we have not encountered this level of resistance except Qingcheng. If there is such an enemy, I must have the impression. He cannot come from the one we eliminated. sect." "Those sects are outside, and there will always be relatives or friends. There may be such a strong opponent among them." Jiang Yunlan said: "This is obviously revenge. This guy must be caught." To complete the Wudang faction's hegemony of dominating the martial arts, the whole faction has long been prepared to be enemies of the warriors from all over the world and forge countless blood feuds.But five people were assassinated like this, but the real identity of the enemy was not even known, which greatly damaged the morale among the disciples.People are panicked, which is very detrimental to future battles. "I feel that it's not just for revenge." Ye Chenyuan objected. "The targets of this man are stronger than the other. He is testing. Trying his kung fu against us. He is learning how to deal with Wudang sect's kung fu." Jiang Yunlan's expression was chilling. "He wants to defeat the Wudang faction, just like we want to defeat the world sect." Ye Chenyuan nodded. "Very good." Jiang Yunlan sneered. "That is to say, he will show up to us sooner or later." Jiang Yunlan then ordered his disciples to search the mountain for most of the day.For safety reasons, disciples marched in groups of five. Ye Chenyuan and Jiang Yunlan knew in their hearts that it was very difficult to find this invisible enemy now. As for Yan Heng who disappeared with the "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword", they have long since ignored it. Although the "Dragon and Tiger Sword" is a treasure, it is not necessary for the Wudang sect; it is nothing if a "Tao Chuan disciple" who ranks last in Qingcheng remains in the world. Qingcheng faction is already a past name in their hearts.
When Yan Heng woke up, the first thing he heard was the sound of running water. He opened his eyes and saw the morning light cast from the green branches and leaves.The skin feels comfortable and warm.The sound of gurgling water can be heard in the ears.very familiar.The nose inhales the fragrance of the leaves. He remembered sleeping here before.In the morning class on a certain day, I ran up the mountain to practice Qi, and then practiced sword.When it was over, he fell asleep on the grass covered with leaves.After practicing the exercises, the blood in the body is smooth, and the whole body is relaxed and attached to the ground, as if it is integrated with the mountains and forests.It was a very happy feeling.He is willing to live like this on Mount Qingcheng for the rest of his life... As soon as he breathed hard, the pain woke him up.Then remember everything that happened yesterday. The good memories just now crumbled like sand.He thought of the blood sprayed on his face by Master He Zisheng.Warm feeling, pungent fishy smell. master. "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword". Yan Heng woke up startled, and propped up his upper body.Only then did I realize that the right sternal rib was tightly bound and fixed by something. He stroked his lower back. "Tiger Pi" is gone.The "Dragon Thorn" he was holding was also missing.He was covered in cold sweat. At this moment, Yan Heng smelled a scent again. It is aroma.He followed the smell and looked over.There was a firewood on which some fish were roasting. A tall and broad body, with its back to Yan Heng, sat on a stone beside the fire. The man was holding a wooden oar in his left hand and a small knife in his right, and was adding one obliquely to the four stripes on the oar.He was pushing hard, and the oars were obviously made of very strong material. Yan Heng didn't know where the strength came from, he jumped up suddenly, and threw himself on Jing Li's back. Jing Li seemed to have eyes in the back, threw away the oar, and grabbed Yan Heng's head and neck with a single turn, with the knife in his hand resting on his chin.Jing Li twisted again, throwing Yan Heng to the ground heavily. Yan Heng's body fell to the ground, and the wound on the right side of his body was in severe pain.But he still tried not to cry out. Jing Li continued to press the knife against his neck, and slapped him twice with his left hand. "Crazy enough yet? Wake up!" "Give me back!" Yan Heng yelled angrily, "Give me back! Give me back the sword!" Jing cracked suddenly.He pushed Yan Heng away and stood up, pointing the knife at the ground next to him. "Isn't it nice to put it there?" Yan Heng hurriedly took a look. The "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Swords" were lying flat on the grass, and were cushioned with a rough cloth. He crawled over, stretched out his hand to caress the "Dragon Thorn", and couldn't help it anymore, crying "Wow". Jing Li ignored him, sat down and continued to carve the oar, Yan Heng was crying loudly behind him, turning a deaf ear to it.After engraving the oblique lines, Jing Li put down the oars in satisfaction, then picked up a cooked fish beside the fire, wiped the knife on his clothes twice, and cut off the fish to eat. After Jing Li had eaten the whole fish, Yan Heng also stopped crying. Only then did Yan Heng gradually recall what happened yesterday when he was hunted down by Xi Zhaoping.He wrapped the "Dragon Tiger Sword" with the coarse cloth, carried it on his body, and walked to Jing Lie. "I'm sorry..." Yan Heng said, clutching his wound. "It was me who blamed the good guy." "I don't blame you." Jing Li put away the knife. "Is it the last thing your master entrusted to you?" Yan Heng felt sad for a while. Jing Li picked up another fish. "eat." Yan Heng shook his head.Every breath he takes now hurts, and he has no appetite at all. "Eat." Jing Li insisted. "Even if you spit it out after eating, you have to eat again. If you want to live, you have to eat." Yan Heng took the grilled fish.He looked to where the sound of water was coming from.Here is a protruding rock, below which there is a rushing river ditch. The name of the river is Wulonggou. According to legend, it got its name from five dragons hidden in hiding. It is a scenic spot on the back mountain of Qingcheng.Yan Heng, Hou Yingzhi and Song Li also visited here before. Wulonggou is far away from the cliff on the east side of Houshan Mountain.Although this man named Jing Li is strong and strong, it must not be easy for him to walk this long mountain road with Yan on his back. Escaping so far is naturally to avoid the Wudang faction's search. "Thank you very much for saving my life." Yan Heng said, trying to recall the conversation he heard on the cliff yesterday. "Your name is...Jing Li, isn't it? It's the South China Sea..." "South Sea Tiger Venerable Sect." Jing Li said, picked up the oars and walked to the rock, overlooking Wulonggou together with Yan Heng. "Like your Qingcheng faction, it is a sect that will perish for the Wudang faction." Hearing the word "destruction", Yan Heng felt sad.He looked at Jing Crack. "In that case... why did you..." "You want to ask: why am I still alive?" Jing Li smiled. "I joined the sect when I was very young, and left when I was fifteen. I went to many faraway places. I returned to my hometown of Quanzhou a year ago, and only then did I know that my sect was extinct. When Wudang sent me, I didn't not there." Yan Heng looked at the weird tattoo designs on Jing Li's shoulders, and then looked at the exotic short knife on his waist. Seeing his gaze, Jing Li pulled out the dagger and handed it to Yan Heng.Yan Heng was biting the roasted fish, freeing his left hand to take the dagger for a closer look.The handle of the knife is shaped like a long-necked bird's head. When the handle is held in the hand, the curved bird's beak just catches the tail finger, making the handle difficult to remove. The design is very ingenious.The blade is long and narrow, but the back of the blade is very thick, and the blade surface is covered with layers of convoluted patterns. The casting method is obviously different from that of Middle Earth swords. Yan Heng handed the knife back to Jing Li. "Have you... been to many places?" Jing Li smiled, pointing to the cloth bag that Yan Heng was holding on his right hand. "Open it and have a look." Yan Heng squatted down, and unfolded the coarse cloth wrapped with "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Swords" on the ground.Only then did he realize that there were many zigzag lines drawn on this piece of cloth, and various small characters were marked on it, most of which he didn't recognize.In the blank space between those lines, some wavy symbols are drawn.Yan Heng looked at it for a while before realizing that it was a sea chart. Jing Li inserted the paddle into the ground beside him, and lightly waved the dagger in his hand. "Our South Sea Tiger Sect is different from your Qingcheng Sect. It is a small sect with only a dozen members." Jing Li said. "Although it is well-known in Fujian, it is not well-known in martial arts. I have studied in the school for several years, and after learning all the basic boxing and sword techniques, several fellow brothers are no longer my opponents. That I was one or two years younger than you are now. I don’t think I will make any big progress in the Huzun sect, and I really want to learn other martial arts, but switching to other sects is a big taboo in the martial arts, and I can’t let it go I am satisfied with the skills I have learned. I am determined to become a real strong man. So one night, without telling my master, I went to the seaside and stole a small boat from the government, and smuggled out to sea by myself. This trip lasted nine years." When the government enforced a sea ban, and civilians went out to sea by boat privately, it was a crime of beheading. Jing Li squatted down and pointed at the chart with the tip of his knife. "In the past nine years, I have been to almost every place I can get by boat." The tip of the knife moved northeast along the coastline. "I have been to the Satsuma country in Fusang, where there are the most fierce Japanese warriors and bandits. I have fought them dozens of times, and learned their sword skills from them." The tip of the knife moved south. "I have also helped the natives of Luzon Island to fight off pirates at sea; learned their strange sword skills from the Hui people of Sulu Kingdom; practiced with Siamese swordsmen and boxers; Crossing the road, living by eating raw snake meat..." Yan Heng listened fascinated.He looked at the little circles on the chart that represented islands.He had never heard of these place names. "In the country of Sumatra, in order to earn some travel expenses, I participated in a real knife duel for local gambling money; and in Managa, I had a dispute with those who looked like evil spirits. Look..." Jing Li said, Pulling up his shirt, he pointed to a small star-shaped scar on his left abdomen. "It was wounded by their firearms. If there had been a thick belt in the way, and the shot hadn't gone deep, I would have been buried in the merchant ship." Yan Heng couldn't figure out what a "firearm" was.But from Jing Li's description, he guessed it was some kind of terrible hidden weapon. ——This person is only a few years older than me, but has so much more experience than me... "I didn't realize until I was out of the house that what the Tiger Venerable Sect taught me was just the basics." Jing Li said. "I'm different from those famous sects like you. My true martial arts cultivation is honed from hundreds of life-threatening battles outside." He put the short knife back into its sheath, and touched the Yanling waist knife on the other side of his waist.It was the only thing he took with him when he went abroad in a small boat ten years ago. "But the Tiger Sect is my enlightenment after all. Master also has the kindness to nurture me. I will take revenge for this enmity." Hearing the phrase "the grace of nurturing", Yan Heng remembered his own life experience, and his eyes became moist again. He looked at the oar beside Jing Lie.A new engraving was added on it, crossing the other four horizontal lines obliquely, making a total of five lines. The newly engraved one naturally represents Xizhaoping. "You... have already killed five members of the Wudang faction?" Jing Li nodded. "The previous four were not considered masters. Over the past year, I searched and tracked around, looking for opportunities to attack them, just to test the way of Wudang sect's martial arts. This Xizhaoping is the first real Wudang sect I have faced. Good player, in fact, his skills are about the same as mine. He stabbed you first, and his moves were not calm enough, which also gave me a little advantage." He stroked the paddle and said: "I'll tell you the truth: this time they have a lot of people, and there are top figures like Ye Chenyuan among them. I followed up to Mount Qingcheng. I originally just wanted to spy on their strength. You did. You happened to escape to my hiding place, and you said those passionate words. I can't let you die at the hands of that disgusting bastard." "Teach you to take risks." Yan Heng said embarrassedly. "I haven't thanked you properly yet. I will never forget this kindness in my life." "It's nothing. Besides, didn't you avoid them now? What a pleasure to kill another Wudang faction!" Jing Lihao said with a smile. "You'd better eat it quickly. Just holding the fish and talking, it's getting cold." Yan Heng looked at the grilled fish in his hand.He recalled that before, he had caught fish with Hou Yingzhi and Song Li many times in the mountain stream, and then made a fire and roasted them on the spot.The situation of the two of them at the moment did not know what was going on, which made him very anxious. "I..." Yan Heng rewrapped the "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword" with that sea chart. "...Go back and have a look." "Two more nights." Jing Li shook his head. "People from the Wudang faction must have discovered Xi Zhaoping's body by now, and they are still searching for us. Let's wait until they leave." "But……" "If you want revenge, you have to live first." Jing Li looked at Yan Heng seriously. "Yesterday you said that you will avenge this blood feud in your lifetime. Did you say it out of a whim, or did you mean it?" "Of course I'm serious!" Yan Heng raised his thick eyebrows. "Then listen to me. Live. I'll talk about the rest later." Jing Li grabbed his left hand and lifted the grilled fish in that hand to his mouth. "eat."
The next day, Jing Li still couldn't resist Yan Heng's begging, and accompanied him to leave Wulonggou, and go back to Qingcheng School's "Xuanmenshe" to have a look. In order not to be discovered by others, the two did not take the mountain road, but directly climbed the mountain and crossed the wilderness. Yan Heng didn't cough up any more blood, and the internal injury was obviously calmed down, but the cracked bone was more swollen than before, and it was difficult to lift up his strength, and he was in pain every step of the way, let alone climbing a mountain.But along the way, he just leaned on the crutches made of branches silently, carried the "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword" behind his back, and walked forward without humming. He looks ahead.Jing Li didn't say anything, and didn't look back at him much.But he knew that Jing Li was deliberately slowing down to accommodate him. They walked very slowly, and Yan Heng had to rest a few times on the way, but it was only in the afternoon that they returned to Houshan Mountain. Before arriving at the "Xuanmen She", they saw a large plume of black smoke rising to the sky from a distance. Yan Heng already knew what it was.He didn't say a word to Jing Li, and wanted to move on. "You wait here first." Jing Li put the baggage, the Japanese sword on his back and the oar in his hand beside Yan Heng. "I'll go check it out." Yan Heng nodded, watching Jing Li's back disappear. He sat on a rock and looked up at the towering trees. The deep mountain forest has a calming effect.But Yan Heng couldn't settle down, rubbing the crutch nervously with both hands. It only took a short time for Jing Li to go back and forth, but to Yan Heng, it seemed like a long wait. "How is it?" Yan Heng asked hastily. Jing Li didn't answer him, just picked up the things on the ground. "Let's go there."
The flame has been extinguished, but the ashes of the remaining tile rafters of "Xuanmenshe" are still emitting black smoke. In front of the scorched earth, a dozen men were busy burying the corpse. The teaching ground has become a cemetery, and more than 20 new graves have been erected, and there are seven or eight holes that have just been dug.The men wrapped the corpse in a green robe with straw mats and threw them into the pit together. The soil dug up from the grave was all red-soaked with the blood of the fierce battle the day before yesterday. Seeing Jing Lie and two people suddenly appearing, the group of men immediately fled in panic.They ran for a long time, and then looked back carefully, distinguishing that the two were not Wudang people in black robes, so they came back with wariness. They saw Yan Heng's Qingcheng swordsman robes that had become filthy and tattered, and they knelt down one by one. Yan Heng recognized that these were all residents of Weijiang Town at the foot of the mountain. One of the townspeople was older, about forty years old, with a very strong figure, and he knew at a glance that he was doing rough work for a living.Yan Heng recognized him as Huang Erji, a carpenter in the town. Huang Erji tremblingly said to Yan Heng: "We waited for those people to leave before we dared to go up... At that time, the fire was already burning so fiercely that we couldn't save it..." Yan Heng turned his head to look at the "Xuanmen House" that had turned into a pile of charcoal, and was very excited. The plaque of "Bashu Wushuang" in the "Guiyuan Hall"; the nameplates of the elders and "disciples of Taoism" on the wall; the ancestral hall dedicated to the ancestors of the Qingcheng School at the back of the hall...these symbolize the tradition and dignity of the Qingcheng School for hundreds of years. Things, all disappeared, can only be turned into memories. ——And it was a lonely memory of only him. Huang Erji continued: "We... can only get a coffin and give it to Mr. He. The other swordsmen can only be buried hastily like this... The Qingcheng faction has kept our town safe for hundreds of years , the only thing we can do is this...Young Xia, I'm sorry..." ——These mortals are not equal to us. Yan Heng was so excited that he fell to his knees on the ground, and knocked heavily on the townspeople. The townspeople were so startled that they immediately stepped forward to help him up. "I can't bear it! I can't bear it!" They all shouted. "I...I..." Yan Heng couldn't speak clearly, and couldn't organize his words. Although he was grateful in his heart, he still held back his tears.Thinking that the masters were still respected by these townspeople in the end, he didn't want his tears to damage this respect. Holding on to his crutches, he walked among the new graves on the field. There are no steles, and only a blunt iron sword is inserted above each tomb as a mark. "The swords were taken away by those people, and only these blunt swords remained. We had to make do with it." Huang Erji explained. "Master... where is Head He's tomb?" "Here..." Guided by Huang Erji, Yan Heng walked to the most central pile of raised graves.There is also an iron sword stuck in the soil, and a string of garlands is specially hung on the hilt. Jing Li walked to Yan Heng's side and looked at He Zisheng's tomb together. Jing Li put down his oars, and bowed to Heshi, the grave. "I saw Master He's unrivaled sword skills that day. It's a pity. It's not that his eyes are sick, he will definitely win, and the Qingcheng faction will not end up where it is today." Yan Heng threw away his crutches, knelt down and knocked three times in front of his teacher's grave. "Master..." He touched the "Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword" behind him. "The sword is still there, and it has not been snatched by the traitor. Rest in peace, old man." Yan Heng stood up, then went to each grave, knelt down one by one, and knocked heavily. After knocking, Yan Heng's forehead was damaged, and a line of blood flowed along the center of the eyebrows and the side of the nose. He stood side by side with Jing Li, silently looking at the large iron sword mound reflecting the light under the sun. "You asked me..." Yan Heng said after a while, "I said I want revenge, am I serious?" Jing Li nodded. "I was really serious when I said it." Yan Heng sighed. "But now that I see this cemetery, I understand. So what if I take revenge? Even if I kill all the Wudang faction, then what? Can I bring back the masters and brothers of the Qingcheng faction? No. The Qingcheng sword faction has already no longer exists." "Aren't you, Qingcheng disciple, still alive?" Jing Li said. "You hope that there will be another Qingcheng faction in the world, so you can revive it with your own hands." "Me?" Yan Heng laughed bitterly. "Is it just me? I'm just the lowest-ranked 'Tao Chuan Disciple'. I haven't even learned swords in the 'Guiyuan Hall' for a day, and I haven't even touched all the real secret skills of the Qingcheng School. " He patted the double swords on his back again. "This Qingcheng School's 'Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword Art', even my uncle Song Zhen didn't learn it all. But now even he is dead. This sword art will be extinct in my master's generation. I don't know how to sword How can someone revive the Qingcheng sect with just these pair of swords? What are you laughing at?" Jing Li was silent for a round.Then he threw away his oars, drew his iron sword from a grave, and swung it a few times. "Bullshit nonsense." "What did you say?" Yan Heng said angrily. "I said, what you just said was bullshit and nonsense!" Jing Li inserted the sword back into the grave. "What kind of martial arts in the world is not created by humans? Isn't your patriarch also a human? Isn't he also a person with a head, one pair of hands, and two legs? Why do you want to think about what they can think of and practice?" Can't make it out, can't practice it?" "But..." Yan Heng was stunned. "Haven't you already learned the basics of Qingcheng swordsmanship? No martial art in the world, no matter how deeply you study it, you can't do without the basics." Jing Li continued. "I dare say that even your set of 'Male and Male Dragon and Tiger Sword' is the same, after all, it is still the most basic thing from Qingcheng swordsmanship. What's more, you have seen your master use it once the other day. Your ancestors, men, out of thin air You can create this thing; you have seen it once with your own eyes, why don’t you have the confidence to reproduce it in the world?” Listening to Jing Li's words, Yan Heng was speechless. "Besides, some things are lost, so fuck it, let him be lost!" Jing Li's heroic voice resounded throughout the cemetery. "Can't you create another set of more powerful martial arts? Don't you just decide to create a stronger Qingcheng faction?" Yan Heng felt his heart warm up again. "Stronger... Qingcheng faction?..." "Down with the Wudang faction. That proves you are stronger." Yan Heng looked confused. After all, three days ago, he was a seventeen-year-old boy who had just passed the test and became an official disciple of the Qingcheng School.At that time, he thought that his life path had been decided from then on.However, within a few days, he discovered that Qingcheng martial arts, which he believed deeply in the past and considered unattainable, was completely destroyed in front of another sect.Now he has become even more alone, and will continue to be hunted down by the enemy in the future. ——If I am like this, can I still bear the heavy burden of "reviving the Qingcheng School"? ... "...what can I do?" "Just like me. Constantly fighting." Jing Li said. "This is the fastest way to make yourself stronger. Every day, no matter when you are eating, shitting, sleeping and dreaming, you are thinking about how to overcome. Keep going to the Wudang faction and knock them down one by one. If you can't die like this, I will You will become a master——I firmly believe in this path.” Yan Heng was speechless after hearing this, savoring Jing Li's words. ——If I can't die like this, I will become a master. He thought about that morning.Kneel on the floor of "Guiyuan Hall". ——Now I give you a name, a single word "horizontal". Yan Heng looked at the Qingcheng sect graves all over the place.Most of the people lying here three feet underground are seniors who are much stronger than him. ——Can I really do it?With the strength of one person, to fight against that Wudang faction? When Yan Heng thought of the overwhelming strength of the enemy in front of him, cold sweat ran down his back. Seeing Yan Heng's puzzled look, Jing Li said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter if you don't do it. As long as you don't hold a sword or become a warrior in this life, the Wudang faction won't pay attention to you anymore, and everything will be with you again." You have nothing to do. Find a place where no one knows you, go plowing the fields, start a small business, forget about the Qingcheng faction, and live your life in peace. Anyway, in this world, not everyone has a reason to practice martial arts .” When Yan Heng heard this, he looked at the townspeople again.He remembered what he had said to Hou Yingzhi that morning. —Have you thought about going home? ... The Qingcheng faction has disappeared.It was as if a dream had come to an end.Maybe, it's really time to go back and be a mortal... — But can you really swallow this breath?Can you really forget? Jing Li yawned. "I'm tired. I've been hiding in the mountains for so many days. I'm hungry and dirty. I'm going to go down to the town, have a good meal, take a bath, and then sleep in the inn." He picked up the oar and put it on his shoulder, without looking at Yan Heng again. "I'm only staying one more night. I'm leaving tomorrow. You decide what you want, and I don't give a shit." He scratched the braided head. "Anyway, I've been alone for so long." After Jing Li finished speaking, he left, leaving Yan Heng alone. Yan Heng stood where he was, looking at the large cemetery filled with iron swords.The sun shifted, and the cross-shaped shadows began to tilt and lengthen. ——Why can't I agree to Jing Li straight away? ... Yan Heng is not afraid of death.He wouldn't care if he was one of the war dead buried here.But to embark on such an impossible path of revenge... He doesn't have the strong self-confidence that ignores everything like Jing Li. Facing near-certain failure is harder than dying. At this time, that Huang Erji came over again: "Young Xia, there is one more thing I didn't tell you..." Yan Heng felt ashamed that he could not be called "Young Hero". "Please say." "It's...the daughter of Director Song of your sect. She is still staying in Tai'an Temple below." "What? Xiaoli, she..." Yan Heng woke up suddenly.He blamed himself, once he saw this Iron Sword Tomb, he forgot about Xiaoli. "Those who worked in your faction, as well as their family members, ran away in fear. Miss Song was the only one who stayed here blankly. It seemed that she was too sad... She passed out later. Several people in our town A woman, I carried her down the mountain and entrusted her to the temple for the time being..." Yan Heng didn't wait for him to finish speaking, leaning on his crutches, he walked down the mountain road. But the heavy doubt in my heart still lingers.
Jing Li soaked in a large wooden barrel filled with hot water, closed his eyes and relaxed, and stretched his limbs. He was born in the south, and wandered among tropical island countries for many years. He is not used to the winter climate on Mount Qingcheng. He feels extremely comfortable just soaking in hot water at this moment. Now stripped naked, he reveals his many other tattoos.Especially on the back, there is a big weird eight-armed monkey, looking up at the sky, and the legs are in a strange posture like dancing. Among them, the hands above the head are held high, one is holding a sword, the other is holding a trident. Curved exotic spells and symbols. As the steam rose, he opened his eyes. In my mind, the sword fight between He Zisheng and Ye Chenyuan that I witnessed that day came back again. At that time, Jing Li was standing on the cliff, watching from a distance the master duel that he had only seen in his life.Every move and style is deeply imprinted in memory. Jing cracked his hands, and unconsciously moved in the hot water, gesticulating to imitate the sword moves of the two of them.Especially at the end, how Ye Chenyuan used the "Tai Chi Sword" to remove the lead, and how He Zisheng solved the situation with a "shaking scale". He moved his hands under the water, stirring up small waves and eddies.The flow of the water waves seems to be random, but also seems to have a certain pattern. Thinking of the moment He Zisheng was injured by the sword, Jing Li stopped his hands. --it's a pity.There are probably only a handful of masters who can break "Tai Chi" in the world today.Now there is one less person. Jing Li recalled the sword fight again.But this time, he completely substituted He Zisheng's side, imagining what would happen if he faced Ye Chenyuan... After a while, a chill hit the spine. He stood up suddenly from the bucket, and the bath water splashed all over the floor. ——Fucking Wudang, it's too strong. Jing Li once again confirmed: There is still a long, long road ahead of this road of swords and blood. During Jing Li's overseas wanderings, he came into contact with many foreign martial arts, here are a few of them. 荆裂访日本之时，当地为室町幕府末期至战国时代初期，“兵法”（即武术）流派正处于黎明时期，未如后世衍生众多。 鹿儿岛萨州（萨摩国）武士，以粗犷的实战剑法“示现流”（又称“自显流”）闻名于世，但那是荆裂到访的几十年之后才创立的流派。当时他在萨摩接触并学得的日本刀法，主要实为“阴流”剑术。（日本的“剑术”，其实是砍斩为主的单刃刀法。） “阴流”又称“影流”、“猿飞影流”，爱洲移香斋久忠（1452～1538）所创，与“念流”、“天真正传香取神道流”合称日本“兵法三大源流”。“阴流”后来衍生出著名的“柳生新阴流”（柳生家高手更担任了德川幕府将军的剑术师范）；而大明抗击倭寇的名将戚继光，著书记录其所得日本刀法（“辛酉刀法”），当中有记载《影流之目录》刀谱。 荆裂所到达的暹罗为大城（阿育陀耶）王国，当时暹罗武士所受的武术训练，称“Krabi Krabon”，乃是集合刀术、长矛、拳法等多种项目的战场武术，其技法深受天竺（印度）武艺之影响。当中徒手拳法一项，即是现代世界知名的“八臂武术”——“泰拳”之始祖。 荆裂又于苏禄群岛，跟当地回教徒学习刀法。菲律宾南部的穆斯林民族称作“摩洛人”（Moro），其血统与信仰乃从马来群岛传来，武术风格亦是深受马来武术“Silat”的影响。因当地人身材及生活习性，摩洛人武术的主力技法是刀剑短兵。数百年来，摩洛人不断以武力手段对抗西班牙殖民者、美国占领者以至今日的菲律宾政府，可见其民风之强悍。 荆裂所使用的鸟首短刀，并非摩洛人兵器，而是菲律宾中部米沙鄢群岛（Visayas）一种称为“Pinuti”的刀子，本为农用刀具。
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