Chapter 211

Feng Yi and A Zi entered the wooden house; it was empty and bare. Feng Yi understood the situation, but A Zi was very curious, saying, "Old man, where are you?" She had also heard the voice just now.

Only a hoarse, low voice came from behind the wooden board: "For decades, no one has been able to solve this chess puzzle, yet you forcibly broke it—this is clearly cheating!"

The words "my chess puzzle" were like a bucket of ice water poured over her; A Zi shrank behind Feng Yi, not daring to breathe.

She thought Su Xinghe said this chess puzzle was left by his master, i. e., my grandmaster; this person can still speak, really strange—could it be a ghost appearing? Her heart pounded wildly.

Feng Yi laughed: "If it's cheating, why did you invite me, senior?" With a light palm, he again broke through a board wall and walked in.

A Zi followed him in, peeking from behind Feng Yi; a chill rose from her heels and spread through her body, as if her hair stood on end, she cried, "Big brother, a ghost!" and trembled all over.

It turned out this place was another empty, bare room, yet there was a person sitting cross-legged, levitating in midair.

Such a sight terrified A Zi immensely; if Feng Yi hadn't been ahead, she would have already fled in fright.

Then he sighed: "You solved the puzzle in an obscure way; it could be called cheating, or relying on force to exploit a loophole in the rules. I am no vulgar ruffian—how could I quibble with you like an old woman?"

Feng Yi laughed heartily: "My initial training came from the Xuanmen; heaven does not restrain, earth does not interfere, the Dao follows nature. My participation in this dispute is merely a chance occurrence; if you dislike it, I will withdraw on my own."

The man fell silent for a moment; then A Zi examined him closely and saw that a black rope bound him, its other end attached to a crossbeam, suspending his body in midair.

Because the wooden wall behind him was pitch black and the rope was also black, the two blacks overlapped, making the rope invisible; at a glance he appeared to be sitting levitating.

He sighed and said: "I understand the principle of honoring a bet, but why did you bring the wicked disciple of Ding Chunqiu here?"

A Zi felt a rush of blood to her head and couldn't help shouting: "I am no longer his disciple!"

Gazing at him, she saw his eyes bright and clear like a deity's, his black beard three feet long with not a single white hair, his face like a flawless jade crown, without a wrinkle; though his voice indicated he was not young, his spirit was lively and his bearing graceful—clearly not a ghost, and she relaxed.

Feng Yi said: "Without A Zi, you would hardly be able to clean up your sect."

The man startled, then said: "You are so certain?"

Feng Yi smiled without speaking.

In the original story, Ding Chunqiu was merely subdued by Xu Zhu and imprisoned in Shaolin Temple; his later fate is unknown, but at the very least Wuxiazǐ's wish to have him exterminate the wicked disciples remains unfulfilled.

The man said: "It seems you have long known my identity!"

A Zi laughed: "Su Xinghe said the chess puzzle was set by his master, while you claim you set it yourself; if you're not a ghost, then you must naturally be his master—what's there to ask?"

"'Little brat,' the man gave a slight nod: 'You are indeed clever and quick-witted; I am the master of both Su Xinghe and Ding Chunqiu.'"

Having said that, his pair of eyes, cold as icy stars in a well, gazed at Feng Yi in a deep, lingering manner.

Feng Yi immediately clasped his hands and smiled: "My apologies, I am Feng Yi; may I ask your honored name, sir?"

The man said: "Come closer!"

Feng Yi stepped forward in response; the man raised his hand, and a strong gust of wind blew straight at his face.

This palm strike was swift, heavy, and extremely fierce; the palm wind headed straight for Feng Yi's nose, making his breath catch involuntarily.

Feng Yi turned his right palm outward, releasing his force just in time to shield his face, a maneuver of exquisite skill.

The man then flicked his other sleeve, sweeping toward Feng Yi's nape.

This sweep seemed ordinary, yet he had infused his inner energy into the sleeve—making it like a whip or rod, with the tip striking Feng Yi's Dazhui point; the precision of the target and the concentration of force were extraordinary.

As soon as he moved his force, Feng Yi sensed it; he changed tactics with astonishing speed—after a palm sweep, he followed with a forward palm strike, intertwining his forces to fully protect his back; if the man did not withdraw his move, once the sleeve struck, Feng Yi would surely seize it, pull and push, and the palm force would land on his body.

The man immediately withdrew his sleeve, his beard and hair bristling; with his left hand he executed a three-part strike in one motion, aiming separately at Feng Yi's crown and shoulders, so fast it defied description.

Feng Yi brought his palms together up and down, releasing a chilling, icy aura; A Zi felt as if heaven and earth had frozen.

With a series of "puff-puff" sounds, Feng Yi retreated three steps, while the man resembled a great bird soaring back and forth in the air.

Although they had only exchanged a few moves, the techniques were exquisite and the strength extraordinary; Feng Yi secretly sighed, 'Such high martial arts, yet it was ruined by my wife and disciple into a cripple! Who can one trust in a lifetime?'

The old man's heart also surged with waves; he had thought his martial arts superior to Feng Yi's, but after this bout they were evenly matched, with Feng Yi even having a hidden edge. As he pondered and swayed back and forth, he repeatedly shook his head, saying, 'What a pity, what a pity.'

Azi didn't know what to do, her heart pounding; she thought the rope's quality was truly good, and hearing this she asked, 'What's the pity?'

The person pondered and said, 'Your internal yin and yang qi flow ceaselessly; this is the orthodox divine art of our Daoist school. Moreover, your true qi is vast and powerful, which is a Buddhist cultivation.'

At present, although yin is excessive and yang deficient, unable to harmonize yin and yang, yet when the cultivation is completed, it will possess the power to ingeniously seize creation and marvelously participate in heaven and earth; this has put me in a difficult position!

Saying this, he felt deep regret and uttered two more 'What a pity.'

Azi exclaimed in surprise, 'How does this put you in a difficult position again? What else do you find regrettable?'

The old man steadied his body, sighed, and said, 'I am the head of the Xiao Yao Sect, Wuya Zi.'

Azi let out an exclamation and asked, 'What is the Xiao Yao Sect?' She had never heard that name before.

Wuya Zi smiled and said, 'To ride the properness of heaven and earth, to master the six qi's transformations, and to wander without limit—that is what is called Xiao Yao.'

Seeing Feng Yi's calm expression, he felt slightly surprised, thinking that the name Xiao Yao Sect was unknown to others, yet from Feng Yi's demeanor he seemed to already know it; he then asked, 'Little brother, have you heard of the Xiao Yao Sect?'

Feng Yi replied, 'I have heard of it before.'

Wuya Zi asked again, 'How did you come to know of it?'

Feng Yi said, 'It's a long story.'

Wuya Zi gave a slight nod and said, 'Then there's no need to say more; my years are numbered, and I have no time to waste on this.' He then asked, 'Who are the experts who have come today?'

Feng Yi briefly explained, and Wuya Zi said, 'Most of the world's experts have arrived—about six or seven out of ten. Hasn't the one called Qiao Feng come?'

Azi laughed and said, 'I've heard Qiao Feng is my brother-in-law, but I've never seen him and don't know where he went.'

Wuya Zi gave a slight nod and asked again, 'You are a disciple of Ding Chunqiu; how could you be his enemy?'

Azi hesitated and stammered, briefly recounting how she had been harassed by Ding Chunqiu and had stolen the Divine Wood King's Cauldron.

Wuya Zi sneered, 'Ding Chunqiu this brat—betraying his master is bad enough, but he even harbors evil intentions toward his own disciple; he truly deserves death ten thousand times. Yet, like me, he is blind and oblivious, and karma will not spare him!'

Without waiting for Azi's reply, Wuya Zi sighed again and said, 'In my generation, the Xiao Yao Sect has three fellow disciples...'

Azi laughed and asked, 'Which of you three is the strongest?'

Wuya Zi chuckled, answering off the point: 'In my life I have taken two disciples. My eldest disciple, Su Xinghe, is of precious character, but he indulges in playthings and neglects his martial training; fortunately his aptitude is not poor, his bearing is magnificent, and he also has some noteworthy qualities—his martial arts are merely middling.'

My second disciple, Ding Chunqiu, has no interest in miscellaneous studies, yet he is ardent in martial arts; however, after mastering his art, he has committed heinous sins.

Azi, young and hot-headed, blurted out, 'I know—he seduced the master's wife and betrayed his master...'

Wuya Zi's eyes flashed with sharp light, and Azi immediately fell silent.

Wu Ya Zi said, "How do you know?"

Feng Yi, fearing to implicate the divine doctor Su, said, "Su Xinghe's disciples were threatened by Ding Chunqiu; we overheard a few people talking, and only then did we learn!"

Wu Ya Zi pondered, sighed, and said, "Back then, this rebellious disciple colluded with my junior martial sister, suddenly launched an attack, and cast me into a deep valley; I was unprepared and nearly lost my life at his hands."

Fortunately, my junior martial sister's conscience stirred, she stopped him from further cruelty, and my eldest disciple Su Xinghe feigned deafness and muteness, luring him with our sect's various secret techniques, allowing me to barely survive and live another thirty years.

Su Xinghe's aptitude was actually quite good, but unfortunately he was led astray by me, distracted and sidetracked, going to study music, chess, calligraphy, painting and other frivolous pursuits that waste one's ambition; my supreme martial arts, he could never learn no matter what.

Over these thirty years, I have only hoped to find a clever and devoted disciple to whom I could pass all my lifelong martial arts, sending him to exterminate Ding Chunqiu.

A Zi said, "He's already been beaten to death by Su Xinghe!"

Wu Ya Zi's expression was joyful as he said, "Excellent, excellent! Ding Chunqiu's havoc in the world is entirely due to my having taught him martial arts; if this person is not eliminated, my sins cannot be erased. Even if I die now, I can smile in peace in the underworld."

A Zi said, "You look full of vigor; how can you be about to die?"

Wu Ya Zi laughed and said, "Who in the world is immortal? I am already ninety-three years old; my allotted lifespan is exhausted—how could there be any other?"

A Zi clapped her hands and said, "I understand now; you've practiced the Eternal Youth Spring Skill, which is why you look so young."

Wu Ya Zi smiled and said, "You even know the Eternal Youth Spring Skill—did Ding Chunqiu tell you that?"

A Zi stuck out her tongue and said, "I overheard it."

Wu Ya Zi smiled and said, "In order to cultivate a successor to exterminate Ding Chunqiu, but over these many years, opportunities have been rare; the clever ones have bad natures, possibly repeating the mistake of raising a tiger to one's detriment; those with good natures lack comprehension. Seeing that my lifespan is nearing its end and I can wait no longer, I have now made public the Precious Jade I set up back then, in order to seek out talent."

My demise is imminent, and I have no time left to impart martial arts; therefore, the closed-door disciple I accept must be a clever and outstanding youth.

A Zi said, "Isn't my elder brother clever and outstanding enough?"

Feng Yi laughed and said, "As the Dao De Jing says, 'How close are good and evil?' Your sect judges by appearance, losing all decorum."

Wu Ya Zi seemed to be stunned for a moment, fell silent, then suddenly burst into loud laughter: "I wouldn't have expected someone so young to understand such reasoning; it's remarkable, worthy of discussing with me."

A Zi nodded and said, "Looks are given by one's parents; no one has control over their appearance—fortunately, my elder brother is handsome!"

Wu Ya Zi said, "It's a pity your elder brother possesses internal energy, so he ultimately cannot become my disciple."

Feng Yi laughed and said, "I also didn't intend to become your disciple; we could be friends as peers—would that be to your liking?"

Wu Ya Zi was taken aback, then laughed and said, "Not bad; I too come from the Daoist tradition, yet I am fixated on appearances. Being friends involves no restraint and is far more pleasant than a master-disciple relationship; that scoundrel Ding Chunqiu is as good as dead by your hand—this friendship is excellent!"

Feng Yi shook his head and said, "I dare not claim credit for Ding Chunqiu's death; without A Zi, I would never have encountered him, let alone eliminated him."

Wu Ya Zi pondered and said, "I intend for you to inherit the position of sect leader of the Carefree Sect."

Feng Yi wondered, "My martial arts are not of the Carefree Sect; how could I become its sect leader?"

Wu Ya Zi laughed and said, "There are countless martial arts in the world, not just our Carefree Sect. Moreover, the Carefree Sect's martial arts have existed for hundreds of years; who knows which school or sect they originally came from? With your foundation, learning any martial art would be easy, so what's wrong with becoming sect leader?"

Feng Yi naturally understood this clearly.

The stone walls of the Spirit Vulture Palace have existed for hundreds of years; in the original plot, Xu Zhu relied on the carvings on the stone wall to practice martial arts, his strength growing daily. This shows that the Carefree Sect was not at all founded by their master Free and Easy Zi; it merely, like him, got lucky and took over a nest.

A Zi was highly excited, clapping her hands and laughing, "Marvelous, marvelous! My elder brother becoming sect leader of the Carefree Sect is more than enough; if you then take me under your door, we'll roam the jianghu with delight!"

"Little girl, unaware of the heights of heaven and depths of earth." Wu Ya Zi laughed and scolded, "Still more than enough, roaming the jianghu with delight!"

Feng Yi knew Wu Ya Zi liked to praise first then criticize, after all that's how a master's demeanor is shown; he therefore laughed and said, "Since you have little time left, sir, do you think A Zi is fit to inherit your inner strength?"

Wu Ya Zi was quite puzzled and said, "Little brat, you seem to know what I intend to do." Feng Yi thought, "You're about to die, naturally you don't want to waste your inner strength." But he couldn't say that outright, so he said, "Since your sect's martial arts were not created by you, others can also learn them; it's nothing remarkable."

Wu Ya Zi laughed and said, "Oh, then tell me who knows the Carefree Sect's martial arts!"

Feng Yi said, "Someone out there does."

Wu Ya Zi startled and said, "Who?"

Feng Yi said, "A Zi, go call your brother in."

Feng Yi, by nature fond of martial arts, since he had come, intended to settle everything at once.

Duan Yu therefore could not be let go.

"Oh!" A Zi turned and left the room.

After A Zi left, she saw Duan Yu sighing long and short, and immediately asked her own confusion: just how good is Wang Yuyan?

Duan Yu, seeing it was his sister, nodded and said, "She's very good!"

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A Zi gave a faint cold smile and said again, "You're just an idiot!"

Duan Yu furrowed his brows and said, "How am I stupid?"

A Zi sharply said, "Aren't you stupid? If it were me, just now when Murong Fu committed suicide, I wouldn't have cared."

Don't you have eyes?

"Your gaze is on that young lady, but her gaze is always on Murong Fu; if he doesn't die, what good is it for you to constantly think of him for a lifetime?"

A flicker of pain crossed Duan Yu's eyes; he lightly sighed and said, "A Zi, you don't understand—when you like someone, you should wish them well; if Mister Murong were to die, Miss Wang would surely be heartbroken."

"What a great sage!" A Zi's eyes filled with anger as she loudly said, "Then just wait for her to marry someone else while you spend a lifetime in misery; having a brother like you is truly a blessing!"

Duan Yu hung his head, dejected, and said, "My life is hard; what else can I do?"

A Zi said, "Come with me!"

Duan Yu asked, "What for?"

A Zi gave him a sideways glance and said, "Someone wants to see you!"

Seeing A Zi come out, Su Xinghe, concerned for his master's safety, gave a few orders to his disciples to guard the surroundings, then said to Duan Yu, "Please!"

Knowing Su Xinghe was a martial arts master, Duan Yu had no choice but to follow him through the broken hole into the wooden hut; Su Xinghe casually moved a wooden board to block the hole. Several people entered the house, passing through two wooden walls,

"Oh dear!" Duan Yu exclaimed softly, astonished that a person could actually hover in midair.

Su Xinghe, however, knelt and kowtowed, saying, "Greetings, Master!"

Wu Ya Zi suddenly leapt up, performed a somersault in midair, then floated down slowly; his descent was exceptionally slow, not like a body of flesh and blood, but rather like an empty-shaped kite.

Upon hearing that this was Su Xinghe's master, Duan Yu hastily stepped forward to pay his respects: "Junior Duan Yu pays respects to you, Senior!"

Wu Ya Zi fixed his gaze on Duan Yu, then suddenly lunged with both hands to seize Duan Yu's wrist acupoint; Duan Yu had no time to react, feeling only a heat at his pulse gate as a surge of internal energy shot up from his arm and rushed with incredible speed toward his chest,

Duan Yu's internal energies opposed each other; both shuddered all over and felt the other's internal energy to be extremely abundant.

Wu Yazi said, "Where did you learn this Northern Dark Divine Skill?"

Duan Yu was speechless; Su Xinghe was also greatly astonished.

Feng Yi said, "Brother Duan, this Mr. Wu Yazi is the sect leader of the Carefree Sect!"

Duan Yu felt the three words "Carefree Sect" sounded familiar, as if he had heard them somewhere; suddenly he recalled the Immortal Sister's words beneath her feet, "Kill all Carefree Sect disciples," and was instantly shocked.

"Kid, my master is asking you a question!" Su Xinghe said impatiently.

Duan Yu's chest heaved; after a long while he calmed, he looked at Wu Yazi and gave a wry smile: "Senior, I will not kill you."

Su Xinghe's face looked grim, and he said: "Kid, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Only then did Duan Yu realize this was wrong; he then briefly recounted how he went to Dali Boundless Mountain, saw a jade statue of a woman in a stone cave, kowtowed a thousand times, obtained the Northern Dark Divine Skill and Wave-Treading Tiny Steps, and how the Immortal Sister said she wanted to kill all Carefree Sect disciples.

Wu Yazi said woodenly, "So it is." He tried to keep his tone flat, but could not hide the bitterness: "This too is fate, but whether it is blessing or curse for you remains unclear now. Great martial prowess is not necessarily a blessing. Those in the world who know no martial arts have no worries or cares, and thus have fewer struggles and fewer vexations."

Back then, if I had only studied music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and not dabbled in martial arts, I would have lived a much happier life.

Feng Yi said lightly: "If you don't know martial arts, your junior and senior sisters might not like you, or if you encounter a lecher, you'll have no strength to truss a chicken and will be waiting for women to protect you?"

Wu Yazi grunted, lifted his head, seemed to recall many past events, after a while said: "This Dali Boundless Mountain was once where I enjoyed great blessings; I and my junior sister had a daughter, I also collected martial arts manuals from various schools, wishing to create an all-encompassing extraordinary skill, and I even carved a jade statue in her likeness!"

"Is the jade statue of a woman in the stone cave of Boundless Mountain your junior sister, senior?" Duan Yu exclaimed in astonishment.

Wu Yazi gave a bitter smile: "This jade statue also became the root of my estrangement from my junior sister."

Duan Yu could not help but ask: "Why? How could carving a statue of her lead to estrangement?"

Wu Yazi fell silent for a moment, then said: "Originally I carved it according to my junior sister's likeness, but I kept thinking of her sister in my heart, so I poured all my thoughts into the jade statue."

"Ah?" Duan Yu exclaimed again in surprise,

Feng Yi smiled and said: "When did you realize you liked your aunt's younger sister?"

Wu Yazi laughed heartily and said: "Matters between men and women are too subtle; although I realized it late, it's still better than being completely unaware."

Feng Yi said: "You take it quite lightly!"

A Zi said: "Wouldn't your junior sister be angry?"

"I don't know!" Wu Yazi raised his voice: "Anyway, she found many handsome youths to be affectionate in front of me, and in anger I left."

A Zi pursed her lips: "You're fickle, yet you don't allow others to be the same?"

Feng Yi said: "Do you hate her? Ding Chunqiu is dead, but she still lives!"

Wu Yazi laughed: "What is there to hate? As A Zi said, I am fickle and at fault first; I also fear that my successors learning my Carefree Sect martial arts might encounter obstacles, so I ask her for guidance!"

A Zi exclaimed in shock: "Since she betrayed you, you still have people seek her for martial arts guidance—are you also foolish?"

Su Xinghe angrily said: "You're being insolent!"

"Yes." Wu Yazi waved his hand and sighed: "If I weren't foolish, how could I have eyes but no pearls, ending up like this?"

A Zi nodded repeatedly.

Feng Yi said slowly: "Actually, human nature is complex, hearts change; who can know a person's future? Today a good person may become evil tomorrow, and today's evil person may perhaps awaken and become good one day."

How many lovers also turn into enemies!

Who again considers that they once swore vows as steadfast as glue and lacquer?

I originally also feared that A Zi gaining your power would harm the world, but then I thought: human hearts cannot be seen through, worldly affairs cannot be foreseen; all we can do is live well in the present and do what we ought to do now.

In my heart there is still an unsaid sentence: "What we can do is merely guard as best we can; gentlemen are easy to get along with, villains are hard to guard against."

Wu Yazi smiled: "No more wasting time—will you take over as sect leader of the Carefree Sect?"

Feng Yi said: "I don't want to be a leader; Brother Duan has already learned the Northern Dark Divine Skill—wouldn't he be more suitable?"

Wu Yazi shook his head: "We both come from the Daoist path; we should know that all things follow fate. He has not grasped my Precious Jade solution, showing we have no affinity; it cannot be forced."

Feng Yi said: "Then what about A Zi? Her being able to come here with me is itself fate!"

Wu Yazi said: "Her disposition is not settled; she might well become another Ding Chunqiu!"

A Zi, upon hearing this, was quite disappointed.

Feng Yi smiled: "Everything is fate; A Zi is my fate. I understand her disposition better than you do, I share your concerns, and I have them too. But since she is my woman, I have a duty to set her on the right path, and naturally I will take responsibility for her actions."

Moreover, your divine skill is only worthwhile if passed to someone with better aptitude; if you gave it to Su Xinghe, he would likely never reach Ding Chunqiu's level in a lifetime—what a waste!

Su Xinghe couldn't help but break into a sweat: "The way of martial arts lies in combining internal energy with technique to exert power."

Otherwise, Wu Yazi would only need to infuse his divine skill into Su Xinghe to deal with the traitor Ding Chunqiu; why then expend great effort to seek another successor? The fact is Su Xinghe simply cannot meet the requirement.

Wu Yazi pondered: "Our sect's rule has always been that the sect leader need not be the eldest disciple; whichever disciple has the greatest martial prowess becomes leader. In the past, my martial arts surpassed those of my senior and junior sisters, which is why I became leader."

Even though the traitor has been punished, my senior and junior sisters are still alive; even if I passed my divine skill to her, given her abilities and status, she could not sit as leader of the Carefree Sect.

Feng Yi said: "If I become leader, would it not be a waste to keep your martial prowess to yourself and take it to the grave?"

Wu Yazi furrowed his brow, stared at Feng Yi for a while, then slowly said: "Is she your lover or your beloved?"

Feng Yi smiled: "She is both lover and beloved. With me, there will certainly be no such favoritism that causes the inner courtyard to catch fire."

Wu Yazi looked at A Zi, then at Feng Yi, pondered a moment, then suddenly burst into loud laughter.

Duan Yu asked strangely: "Senior, what are you laughing at?"

Wu Yazi laughed: "I must remember this thick-skinned hero Feng Yi, lest I suddenly forget him in the underworld!"

Feng Yi said: "Senior, have you agreed?"

Wu Yazi said: "Why call me senior? We are friends!"

Saying this, he let out a long sigh: "My master took in three disciples; I first liked the senior sister, then the junior sister, and later my aunt's younger sister; the result was that several people ended up resentful and hateful. If I had your thick skin, perhaps I would not have come to this pass."

Feng Yi expressed deep agreement with this.

Because since I liked them all, I might as well have taken them all; perhaps it would not succeed, still being a tangle of hatred, but if Wu Yazi liked them one by one, wouldn't he also have capsized?

Rather than that, it would be better to use my own method, to try a grand group sleep. Even if it fails, I have striven and have no regrets!

Wu Yazi also said: "Feng brother, my lifespan is nearing its end, time is short; I will now tell you our sect's martial arts in detail—whether you succeed depends on your fortune."

Feng Yi said: "Now there are no external enemies pressing, how many more days can you live?"

Wu Ya Zi thought for a moment and said: "I think living until tomorrow is still possible."

Feng Yi said: "Then just say it; top-tier martial arts don't need practice."

(End of chapter)