Chapter 252: with translation of chapter title

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's parents and family were all killed by bandits amidst the war and flight, leaving them parentless orphans who could barely manage three meals a day; they had no choice but to engage in petty theft, becoming small-time thugs on the streets of Yangzhou, and naturally suffered much bullying.

The reason they dream of accomplishing great deeds and becoming high officials is simply that they do not want to be bullied and looked down upon by others.

But they were illiterate and unskilled in martial arts; nobody treated them as human beings except Fu Junyu, who valued them. Not only did she rescue them from Yuwen Huaji's pursuit, she also passed on her master Fu Cailin's, the Grand Master of Goguryeo martial arts, 'Nine Mysteries Grand Method' to the two brothers.

Although young, both were clever and knew right from wrong; they felt deep affection for Fu Junyu, and seeing her breathe her last, they were truly heartbroken to the point of despair.

The two knelt before Fu Junyu, wailing loudly, their grief bordering on despair, unable to restrain themselves.

Feng Yi saw the two weeping bitterly, not knowing when it would end, and feared they might cry themselves unconscious; seeing the beautiful lady Fu Junyu dead before his eyes, he also felt it a pity, and said, 'You killed her—does a bout of weeping let you feel guiltless?'

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, immersed in grief, upon hearing these words, involuntarily turned their heads and glanced at each other, seeing anger and confusion in each other's eyes.

Xu Ziling's lips trembled as he loudly asked, 'What do you mean by that?'

Feng Yi said leisurely, 'If you had not stolen the Longevity Secret and provoked Yuwen Huaji's pursuit, how could Fu Junyu have died?'

Shuanglong - Double Dragon (nickname)

High Beauty - Goryeo (place)

Last night, Yuwen Huaji spoke of Fu Junyu's lightness skill; they felt ashamed of not being equal. It was all because they stole the Longevity Secret, which drew Yuwen Huaji; Fu Junyu did not want to abandon the two, so she fought him head‑on, resulting in her sustaining a fatal injury.

Heavenly Dragon World - Heavenly Dragon World

Twin Dragons World - Twin Dragons World

Nine Mystic Great Law - Nine Mystic Great Law

Thinking of Yuwen Huaji's martial prowess and influence, the two felt stifled in their hearts; the thought of revenge seemed impossible.

Heart-Destroying Palm - Heart-Destroying Palm

They were still grieving, yet who would have expected Feng Yi to open his mouth demanding the Longevity Secret; upon seeing his calm expression, devoid of joy or sorrow, it seemed as if Fu Junyu's death caused no ripple in him.

Suddenly Kou Zhong reached out and pinched Xu Ziling's thigh, thudded to his knees, and said, 'Great sir, you must be an immortal descended to the mortal world; I give it to you—can you spare our lives?'

Divine Illumination Classic - Divine Illumination Classic

They had been hustling in the market streets for so many years; how could they not know that, to some people, killing to silence is just everyday fare? They had also grown accustomed in Yang Prefecture to calling people 'big brother,' so naturally they called him that.

Suddenly, a 'ding' sounded in Feng Yi's mind: 【Heal Fu Junzhuo, reward achievement points 1000】

Feng Yi thought to himself that he could save Fu Junzhuo, yet he was unwilling to intervene.

He no longer wanted to deal with this nervous system.

Whether it's from time-traveling or issuing missions, it has always been that overbearing, never caring whether people are willing, just doing as it pleases.

Feng Yi also has a temper.

Moreover, if it were in Jin Yong's world, saving such a beauty Feng Yi would naturally not be stingy, for he knows where those masters appear and roughly when; but in the world of the Two Dragons he has no clue about the plot—who knows, while saving someone, a master might leap out and take his life?

Feng Yi, thinking this, then let the Daoist friend die, not the poor Daoist.

The Tianlong world didn't complete the mission, yet you still had people transmigrate.

So just think of the mission, you go ahead with it slowly—it's nothing at all.

Feng Yi said to Kou Xu: 'Whoever among you has the Longevity Secret, show it to me; I will not only not kill you, but I can also teach you a martial art.'

'What martial art?' Kou Xu instantly felt a surge of delight.

Feng Yi casually slapped out a palm at a lush tree in the distance.

His empty palm produced not a whisper of wind; Kou Xu and Xu Ziling were baffled, feeling like a monk two zhang tall who can't find his head.

Feng Yi's palm passed, his sleeve swept, bringing a gentle breeze; that towering tree actually toppled in the wind.

Kou Xu and Xu Ziling, fearing Fu Junzhuo's corpse would be crushed, hurriedly carried the body away to avoid it.

Feng Yi, however, remained motionless, staring fixedly at the spot where the tree had broken.

He saw that within a ring of greenish bark, the trunk was completely shattered inside; he couldn't help but think in alarm: 'Such a minor Heart-Destroying Palm, and I unleashed this much power—what if I used the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms or the Six Meridian Divine Sword?'

Kou Xu and Xu Ziling's eyes showed fear, they slowly exhaled a breath, yet also felt excited, and they glanced at each other.

Kou Xu widened his eyes and said: 'I will give you the Longevity Secret… will you then teach us this divine skill?'

Feng Yi gave a slight nod: 'That's only natural!'

Kou Xu looked at Xu Ziling, who immediately nodded; Kou Xu then pulled the Longevity Secret from his back and handed it to Feng Yi.

Fu Junzhuo had said that this Longevity Secret is not a martial art; it would be best to find a place to discard it, otherwise disaster might eventually befall them because of it. Previously they still harbored fantasies, but now Fu Junzhuo's death clearly told them: 'What is called, the innocent man who carries a jade is guilty of it!'

Moreover, Fu Junzhuo had failed to transmit the Nine Mysteries Grand Method in full; originally hoping they would achieve inner strength before teaching them swordsmanship, now it all came to nothing. They wanted to avenge her but were powerless; being able to exchange this for a divine skill, they were a hundred percent willing.

Feng Yi received the secret manual; as soon as it entered his hand, a strange sensation transmitted through his fingertips.

This secret manual is woven from dark metal thread, impervious to water and fire, unharmed by blade strikes; its entire text of seven thousand four hundred characters is in oracle bone script, yet more than three thousand of those characters have been deciphered. The book is densely filled with annotations by those who have read it before, yet often these comments are even more confusing than the original.

Fortunately, the book contains seven diagrams of human figures, each in a different posture, marked with various symbols such as red dots and arrows, seemingly describing some cultivation method.

Those who do not understand its meaning may simply refrain from practicing; but if one stubbornly follows a certain symbol to mobilize inner energy, the blood and qi will surge immediately, and before long they will suffer qi deviation, which is extremely dangerous.

Hence, Yang Prefecture's foremost master Shi Long spent three years day and night with this book, yet gained nothing—it was like a treasure laid before one's eyes, but lacking the key to open it.

Feng Yi is versed in Daoist and Buddhist classics, and he also understands the meaning of the more than three thousand characters that have been deciphered.

This book indeed has nothing to do with martial arts; like his Divine Illumination Classic and other divine skills, it tells people how to make the human body mesh with the natural mysteries of heaven and earth, so as to unite and become one whole—that is, the so-called unity of heaven and man. But this is a broad concept; exactly how to do it has no answer, nor, in the remaining four thousand-plus oracle bone characters, can anyone currently make sense of them.

Feng Yi thought to this point and mused: 'The Two Dragons will ultimately achieve great things, but everything starts now; why not observe them a bit and then plan the next steps?' Having thought this, he glanced at the Two Dragons.

He saw the two men using Fu Junzhuo's posthumous sword to shave timber into planks, constructing a most crude coffin, placing her corpse inside. Just as they were about to dig a grave, Feng Yi raised his hand and brought down his palm—boom! —blasting a large pit into the ground, muttering: 'If I won't save you, I'll at least be your gravedigger for once!'

Kou Xu and Xu Ziling couldn't hear his words, but seeing that a single palm could blast a pit large enough to hold a coffin, they were filled with envy; they buried Fu Junzhuo and placed her treasure sword as a burial good.

Kou Xu, while shoveling earth, said: 'Little Ling, this immortal elder who obtained the Longevity Secret didn't kill us to silence us; he really is a good person!'

Xu Ziling also sighed: 'His martial arts are so formidable; in my view, even Martial Sovereign Bi Xian and Recluse Ning Daoqi are no match for him—such a person's word is law.'

These two have been wandering the jianghu for years, and having followed Fu Junzhuo, they know that even if they are several zhang away, they cannot hide from Feng Yi's spiritual ears; thus this flattery is meant for him to hear.

Feng Yi listened quietly, knowing they still feared he would kill them to silence them, so he gave himself a compliment and then laughed: 'You two youngsters, though not old, are already outstanding, with heavenly court full and earthly mansion square—hehe, truly dragons among men, you will surely become regional hegemons!'

He wanted the Two Dragons to cultivate, so he naturally did not stint on praise.

Kou Xu and Xu Ziling glanced at each other, then turned to look at Feng Yi; seeing his amiable bearing, his warm, moist eyes, and a faint sparkle, they both thought: 'You took the Longevity Secret and then say we're outstanding, and speak of heavenly court full and earthly mansion square—do you think, because we're young, we don't know this is the nonsense of a fraudulent fortune-teller?'

They thought they had seen through Feng Yi's intentions, feeling quite pleased, yet they couldn't help recalling their own plight, their eye sockets reddening, and they secretly hated: "That old scoundrel Yuwen Hugu must surely be killed to avenge our mother!"

Kou Zhong glanced at Feng Yi, curious, and asked: "Sir, what level of martial arts does Yuwen Hugu's skill count as in this jianghu?"

=9+book_ba

Feng Yi heard him call Yuwen Huaji again as Yuwen Hugu, didn't mind, but Kou Zhong's question he also didn't know the answer, and casually said: "The way of martial arts is vast and profound, with many categories; this kind of question, without actually fighting, actually has no fundamental standard."

Xu Ziling frowned and said: "What about the 'Martial Venerable' Bi Xuan, the 'Loner' Ning Daoqi, the 'Sword Arts Grand Master'—how many people have actually crossed hands with them? Why are they called the Three Grand Masters of the world, ranked so high?"

Feng Yi let out a "Huh?" and said: "You even know this?"

He thought the duo were still just petty thugs, and this remark had already surpassed their understanding.

"What's that?" Kou Zhong gave a hehe laugh and said: "We also know of the Cihang Serene Abbey!"

Xu Ziling calmly said: "We heard this from our mother and from Song Shidao of the Song family clan."

Originally, when Fu Junyao brought the two to flee Yuwen Huaji's pursuit, she mentioned the prestige of Fu Cai Lin, Ning Daoqi, and Bi Xuan, and by chance on the river she also encountered Song Shidao, son of the Lingnan Song clan chief Tian Dao, Song Que.

He said that for hundreds of years, the Cihang Serene Abbey has held a supreme position in the Mystic Gate, its inhabitants all women who cultivate the Heavenly Dao; it is said that the foremost expert of the Daoist sect, the "Scattered True Person" Ning Daoqi, once came to the abbey seeking the abbess to discuss martial arts, little knowing that the abbess allowed him to view the abbey's treasure, the Cihang Sword Canon, and before he could finish reading he vomited blood and was injured, knowing the difficulty he retreated, and few know of this matter, so it has not been spread in the jianghu.

Kou Zhong then also sighed emotionally to Xu Ziling, saying that this was truly the real secret manual.

Feng Yi smiled and said: "Jianghu rankings aren't necessarily true to name; for example, Tian Dao Song Que's reputation falls short of Ning Daoqi and the other two grand masters, but in terms of actual strength, he may not be inferior to them!"

Kou Zhong nodded and said: "Sir, your words are very insightful; people say jianghu hides dragons and tigers, claiming there is no figure like Feng Yi, yet in martial prowess he seems like an immortal!"

Xu Ziling said: "In my view, a lofty hermit like the great hero Feng Yi is truly a true master!"

Feng Yi saw the two earnestly flattering him, knowing they still worried he would strike deadly, and laughed: "Alright, stop with the nonsense. Your mother died because of this Longevity Secret; you ultimately need to examine it more!"

Kou Zhong objected: "My mother said the Longevity Secret is not martial arts; are you not going to teach us martial arts?"

Feng Yi said: "That palm strike I just used is called the Heart-Crushing Palm, an external divine skill that does not require starting from internal cultivation. But to achieve great accomplishment in the way of martial arts, one must cultivate both internal and external."

Although the Longevity Secret is not a martial art, it contains the essence of the Daoist sect; as the saying goes, all things in heaven and earth conform to nature—if one comprehends this fundamental truth, a year of practice surpasses ten years of others!

"Ah!" Xu Ziling suddenly realized: "When Mother passed on the Nine Mysteries Great Law to us, she said that everyone harbors a deep-hidden treasury of boundless potential, merely obscured by various attachments; thus training should begin from childlike innocence, making it easy to dispel delusion and awaken insight."

Feng Yi gave a slight nod: "People differ; even if they cultivate the same method, their achievements will also differ."

If you can grasp even a hint of profundity from the Longevity Secret and integrate it into yourselves, then on the way of martial arts you will have entered the hall and can go even further; a mere Yuwen Huaji is like an ant!

The two stared blankly for a moment, then silently lowered their heads.

That evening, Fu Junyao transmitted to them the heart method of the Nine Mysteries Skill, but had not yet explained the practice when Yuwen Huaji arrived; thus they now only understand the heart method, the meridian points' locations, and the form of seated meditation, but know nothing about how to begin training—how could they possibly attain divine skill by relying on a single ghost-drawn talisman?

Feng Yi knew what they were thinking and sneered: "Who are you putting on this lifeless, listless act for?"

You have excellent aptitude and have obtained the Longevity Secret—what a great opportunity—yet you lack ambition so much; how can you deserve to avenge Fu Junyao!

The two flew into a rage, lifted their heads, and glared fiercely at Feng Yi.

Kou Zhong shouted: "Who says I lack ambition?"

Xu Ziling also said: "We simply don't know how to train."

Feng Yi said: "All martial arts in this world are created by people; if others can do it, why can't you? Moreover, you have the Longevity Secret, making you far stronger than those with nothing at all; saying this only shows your lack of self-confidence."

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, both extraordinarily talented, found Feng Yi's words like a sudden blow to the head.

Yeah, if others can do it, why can't I?

Kou Zhong instantly felt his whole body clear and transparent, his spirit lively.

Xu Ziling vaguely seemed to grasp a hint of something, yet it was illusory and elusive, impossible to catch!

In short, although they possessed no internal energy or martial arts, the two youths' minds had already entered a new realm, taking a great step forward on the path to becoming the Twin Dragons.

Kou Zhong clasped his fists and said: "Sir, you are right!"

Xiao Ling, from now on we must never underestimate ourselves again; not only must we avenge our mother, but we must also roam freely between heaven and earth!

Xu Ziling also said: "Yes, we must definitely carve out our own place in the world!"

Kou Zhong took hold of the Longevity Secret, and together with Xu Ziling they began to flip through it; although they did not recognize the ghost-drawn talisman-like script, they could at least follow the qi flow along the dotted lines in the illustrations, and then practice according to the heart method and meridian points taught by Fu Junyao.

Feng Yi laughed heartily, knowing that the present Yangzhou Twin Dragons were like an uncarved lump of pure gold and jade; any artificial polishing would not only erase their natural charm but might also ruin their cultivation path.

The best approach is for them to figure it out themselves.

Of course, this way I can observe their progress, ask again, test them again, which is more advantageous for me.

Feng Yi was enjoying his thoughts when he heard 【Ding, host has again violated the system task, no more than three times.】(End of chapter)