Chapter 130: One Lamp Illuminates All

April brimmed with spring's fullness.

Ouyang Qing, who had stepped down from the carriage with Gu Qing, wore a springlike smile; alongside them came the Sect Master, Xue Bing, Gongsun Lan, Shangguan Feiyan, and Shangguan Xue'er—amid this retinue of beauties, Gu Qing entered a tavern. No sooner had they ascended the stairs than he was startled to find the place filled with familiar faces.

Mu Dao Ren of Mount Wudang, and Simen Chuixue, seated alone at a separate table.

Upon seeing Gu Qing, both men's gazes flickered with surprise. Gu Qing greeted Mu Dao Ren, then walked straight to Simen Chuixue's table and studied him closely.

Long unseen, Simen Chuixue remained cold, but no longer radiated that sharp, cutting indifference.

"Your sword path has changed."

Gu Qing assessed Simen Chuixue with sharp insight.

In the original Lu Xiaofeng legends, after his duel with Ye Gucheng, Simen Chuixue realized his swordplay had grown sluggish; thereafter, he severed ties with Sun Xiuqing and retreated into seclusion, refining his sword art until it grew colder and harsher, his emotions ever more detached. In "The Flying Dagger Returns," it is mentioned that Simen Chuixue and Lu Xiaofeng once fought a duel in the morning mist.

The invincible Lu Xiaofeng versus the heartless Simen Chuixue—no one knows the outcome, but it has become a legend of the Jianghu.

"I have no sword. How can there be a sword path?"

Simen Chuixue spoke calmly.

Gu Qing nodded. At the peak of the Forbidden City, he had struck away both Simen Chuixue's and Ye Gucheng's swords at the final moment—striking away their obsessions. The sword must have an end, but a man holds infinite potential.

The current Simen Chuixue would no longer leave Sun Xiuqing alone in an empty chamber.

Gu Qing felt it, but did not pry into their marital affairs.

"Who is that man? How dare he sit across from Simen Chuixue?"

Simen Chuixue was unmistakable—and recently, he had been hunting Lu Xiaofeng across the Jianghu, a fact known to all.

"Not just across from Simen Chuixue—he's sat across from the Emperor himself."

Mu Dao Ren spoke calmly.

"Who is he?"

"Gu Qing—the one and only Gu Qing, unmatched under heaven and earth."

"The one who wiped out the Japanese Jianghu and founded the Tanuki Pacification Office?"

"That's him. I never expected him back."

Mu Dao Ren lifted a bowl of wine and raised it in salute to Gu Qing.

Gu Qing ordered a bowl of wine, returned the salute, and drained it in one gulp.

"I heard you created a technique called 'The Sword of No Thought' in Japan, becoming a dark cloud over Japanese martial arts?"

Simen Chuixue suddenly asked.

Gu Qing laughed suddenly. "If 'The Sword of No Thought' counts as a dark cloud over Japanese martial arts, then Japan's skies are thick with them—Ruyi Orchid Palm, Hua Gu Mian Zhang, Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens, Heartless Sword, Shin-Ichi-ryu… Honestly, when I was in Japan, I only used efficient strikes to clear out minor thugs. For actual killings, I never resorted to flashy techniques."

All this stemmed from Gu Qing's superior internal energy, superior lightness skill, superior swordplay, and superior insight. With such a high-level setup, even a blade of grass could kill—so in Japan, he casually invented countless martial arts names.

The Tanuki Pacification Office and the Invisible People had established themselves in Japan, determined to force Japan into submission.

Simen Chuixue drank a cup of plain water. "I still wish to test that sword of no thought, no intention."

In Buddhism, 'no thought' means an enlightened being.

Gu Qing shook his head and smiled. "Just empty fame."

As they spoke, several more people entered the tavern, drawing everyone's attention. It was an elderly official returning to his hometown, accompanied by his wife, son, and steward, who sat down calmly.

The official was Lu Xiaofeng in disguise.

Lu Xiaofeng had infiltrated the Phantom Manor and was preparing a Thunderbolt Operation.

The Phantom Manor's leader, Old Knife Boss, ordered his disciples to disguise themselves and descend the mountain in batches, heading for Mount Wudang to carry out revenge.

Now, Lu Xiaofeng had changed his appearance and come here purely to watch the spectacle.

"Waiter! Bring wine!"

After speaking, Lu Xiaofeng sat down and drank several bowls in succession, scanning the room… Gu Qing's return was the happiest news for Lu Xiaofeng—no matter the Phantom Manor, if Gu Qing intervened, the battle would be settled.

"Great Master Gu, General Gu."

Mu Dao Ren suddenly said: "Only you can save Lu Xiaofeng now."

Gu Qing looked at Mu Dao Ren. The Phantom Manor affair had begun. Simen Chuixue was hunting Lu Xiaofeng, but the current Jianghu rumor claimed Lu Xiaofeng had not assaulted Sun Xiuqing—he had assaulted Shi Xiuxue.

"People make mistakes. Lu Xiaofeng made a bet with you, and the pressure of desire built up too long—he couldn't help himself."

Mu Dao Ren spoke of Lu Xiaofeng's affair.

It was said Hua Manlou had witnessed Lu Xiaofeng assaulting Shi Xiuxue firsthand, and severed ties with him. Upon hearing this, Simen Chuixue immediately began hunting Lu Xiaofeng.

…Perhaps Lu Xiaofeng feared the rumor reaching Gu Qing's ears and being forced to share a bed with Simen Chuixue—so he chose Hua Manlou, since sleeping with him was more comfortable.

"Absurd!"

Gu Qing said coldly: "Lu Xiaofeng betrayed Hua Manlou—what does that have to do with my bet? He couldn't control himself! I, Gu Qing, am a true man—I scorn to be grouped with such a scoundrel!"

"Forget the bet. If I meet Lu Xiaofeng, I'll run him through with one sword!"

To serve Shi Yan's plan, Gu Qing would make Lu Xiaofeng suffer—he severed all ties with him.

Lu Xiaofeng sat with his head down, drinking several bowls of wine in silence.

In this tavern, due to Gu Qing's presence, no further incidents occurred. After leaving, Gu Qing, accompanied by Gongsun Lan, Xue Bing, Ouyang Qing, and others, headed for Mount Wudang. Simen Chuixue turned elsewhere. Mu Dao Ren, meanwhile, assumed the role of Old Knife Boss, assigning Lu Xiaofeng tasks to ensure the Phantom Manor's plans were fully carried out.

Mount Wudang was the holy ground of the Jianghu.

Gu Qing and Mu Dao Ren ascended the mountain together, arriving to treat the sect's patriarch, Shi Yan.

"I've read many medical texts, but practiced little. I'm uncertain about Shi Yan's condition—I cannot say whether I can save him."

Gu Qing said.

"That old man restored Hua Manlou's sight. If you used even one-tenth of your skill, you could save Shi Yan."

Mu Dao Ren said calmly: "But now, we've done all we can. If you can even slightly improve Shi Yan's condition, I will give you Wudang's sword manuals and qi cultivation texts as payment."

Gu Qing nodded. He had accumulated good karma, memorized every technique taught by the old man Wu Ming, and sought to connect his meridians to reach the realm of the Tai Xuan Scripture in the Jin-style wuxia world—so he had studied medicine deeply. When he placed his hand on Shi Yan's pulse and pressed it to his heart, he sensed numerous abnormalities within.

Shi Yan's illness lay deep in his liver and heart.

After sensing for a moment, Gu Qing looked at Shi Yan. "You know the Twelve Extraordinary Meridians, don't you?"

The Twelve Extraordinary Meridians differ from the regular meridians—they enter and exit the organs, linking the five zang and six fu organs to the meridians.

Shi Yan nodded. "But my illness is too advanced. Even if I constructed a circulation through the Twelve Extraordinary Meridians, it wouldn't save my life."

At this moment, Shi Yan was utterly resigned.

"For anyone else, you would die. But you met me."

Gu Qing smiled. "Your fate isn't sealed."

Shi Yan and Mu Dao Ren stared at Gu Qing in astonishment, unable to fathom how such a fatal illness could be cured.

"I know Hua Gu Mian Zhang."

Gu Qing said. "I can dissolve the stagnation inside your body, then you can build the circulation of the Twelve Extraordinary Meridians to ensure free flow of your organs. Afterward, rest and recover."

Hua Gu Mian Zhang can be brutal or gentle. Gu Qing could turn Toyotomi Hideyoshi into a skin, or slowly dissolve all stagnation within Shi Yan.

Martial arts are tools that can kill—and heal.

"But the nearby meridians are complex. If you damage even one, it could be fatal."

Mu Dao Ren worried.

"That's even easier."

Gu Qing said. "I have Ruyi Orchid Hand. It specializes in separating tendons and misaligning meridians—I can gently shift Shi Yan's meridians aside. It will hurt, but won't kill."

Shi Yan and Mu Dao Ren exchanged glances, both visibly relieved. They had never imagined a cure for this fatal illness existed—Mu Dao Ren immediately prepared a quiet room for Gu Qing and Shi Yan to begin treatment.

Gu Qing's control over martial arts was already exquisitely refined. Though Ruyi Orchid Hand and Hua Gu Mian Zhang were complex, he mastered them completely. As he worked, sweat and blood oozed from Shi Yan's entire body. By dusk, he suddenly broke free from Gu Qing's grasp, collapsed to the ground, and vomited clots of blood—his spirit visibly improved.

Stepping out of the quiet room, Shi Yan saw Mu Dao Ren waiting outside the door. He sighed, his emotions complex.

In Shi Yan's mind, Mu Dao Ren was the prime suspect in the Phantom Manor affair—but now, Mu Dao Ren stood guard outside, loyal and genuine.

"You've worked hard."

Shi Yan said.

Mu Dao Ren gave a slight nod, then asked Gu Qing: "How are you?"

Gu Qing's face was pale. He shook his head. "I need to rest thoroughly—I can't move a muscle."

Mu Dao Ren nodded. "But tonight's Wudang ceremony—you must gather your strength to observe. With you here, Mount Wudang is honored."

Taking advantage of Gu Qing's weakness, Mu Dao Ren intended to showcase him.

Gu Qing gave a slight nod, accepted the manual Shi Yan offered, and went to find a quiet room to rest.

In Gu Long's world, Mount Wudang was founded by Zhang Sanfeng, and its legacy included the Two-Instrument Sword Form, Small Heavenly Star Palm, Nine Palaces Linked Sword, Small Grasping Hand, Seventy-Two Grasping Hands, Water Binding into Staff, Golden Silk Cotton Palm, and Meteor Step… Gu Qing flipped through these martial arts; after one glance, he memorized every detail, comparing them to extract valuable insights.

As he compared, Gu Qing couldn't help but recall the Divine Condor world—wondering what achievements the adult Zhang Sanfeng of that world might have attained.

"Thud!"

A fire-worshiping Daoist arrived to deliver food, slamming the food box onto the table and turning to leave.

"Wait!"

Gu Qing suddenly called out. "Who told you to leave?"

The fire-worshiping Daoist turned, coldly: "What else should I do?"

Gu Qing smiled, studying the Daoist. "I'm curious—how did the official in the tavern become a fire-worshiping Daoist of Mount Wudang?"

This fire-worshiping Daoist was Lu Xiaofeng in disguise. He had been ordered by Old Knife Boss to infiltrate Mount Wudang. When the ceremony began, darkness would suddenly fall, and Lu Xiaofeng would descend from the rafters to snatch Shi Yan's Daoist crown—rumored to conceal many secrets.

Lu Xiaofeng also hoped to use this to force Old Knife Boss to reveal himself during the Phantom Manor gathering.

"I can change if I want!"

Lu Xiaofeng said coldly. "You can't stab me now—but I can kill you with a single point!"

In the tavern, Lu Xiaofeng had been publicly scolded by Gu Qing—his fury had boiled over.

"Is that so?"

Gu Qing smiled, gently, and his pale face instantly regained its color as he calmly regarded Lu Xiaofeng and said, "Now?"

Gu Qing has good karma to his name; feigning weakness was merely to deceive others.

Gu Qing feared that the Wood Daoist might grow suspicious and abort the plan; in truth, immediately after treating Shi Yan, he restored his own condition.

Lu Xiaofeng's face fell. "I never touched Shi Xiuxue—this was all just to fool Old Knife Boss. I only slept with a woman at the Phantom Manor, under Old Knife Boss's deliberate test—and that was Flower Widow, absolutely unrelated to my friend…"

Lu Xiaofeng changed the subject, still wanting to press the bet.

Gu Qing shook his head. "I don't bet with fools."

"You're calling me a fool?"

Lu Xiaofeng pointed at his own nose.

"Of course!"

Gu Qing said, "You never think. By the time you react, it's always too late. So go back. If I keep talking to you, even I'll grow stupid. Old Knife Boss—I'll find him for you."

Lu Xiaofeng scowled as he walked out of Gu Qing's room, vowing to find Old Knife Boss before Gu Qing did—he was the one who first dragged Gu Qing into this, and had even come face-to-face with Old Knife Boss…

Lu Xiaofeng had too great an advantage.

On the main hall of Mount Wudang, a beam hung ten zhang above ground. Lu Xiaofeng leapt up, planted his left foot on his right instep, and pushed off midair to land atop the beam, where he waited silently—for nightfall, for the lamps to die, for the moment to strike, to expose Old Knife Boss's identity.

The oil lamps in the Wudang main hall were all precisely calculated, each filled with exactly one liang and three qian of oil, so that at a set time, all would extinguish together.

As dusk approached, the hall blazed with light. From the beam, Lu Xiaofeng saw Gu Qing—still pale, frail-looking—with the Abbess and Gong Sun Lan supporting him. Lu Xiaofeng had met the Abbess at the Silver Hook Gambling Den; he knew her stubborn nature, yet now she looked docile, like a virtuous wife, and he was impressed.

Shi Yan arrived. The Wood Daoist arrived. The Beggar Sect, the Shaolin monks… the hall gradually filled with people, each of high rank and influence in the Jianghu.

Lu Xiaofeng watched from the beam as the ceremony unfolded—until, at a precise moment, all seventy-two eternal lamps in the hall went out at once.

A whistling sound pierced the air—a projectile struck the candles.

The entire hall plunged into darkness.

Lu Xiaofeng leapt instantly from the beam, aiming straight for Shi Yan's Daoist cap…

All of this unfolded according to Old Knife Boss's script.

But suddenly, in the darkness, brilliant light burst forth.

In Gu Qing's hand was an oil lamp, its flame flickering, standing over a foot tall—this single lamp dispelled the darkness.

Like Suiren bringing fire to mankind, beneath this lamp, Gu Qing appeared serene and divine; this tiny oil lamp shattered the flawless conspiracy.

Everything hidden in the darkness was now laid bare before all.

Shi Yan's Daoist cap had been seized; one hand reached to steady it, while beside him, the Seven-Star Sword was drawn.

The one who drew the sword was the Wood Daoist.

On the hall's dais, Shi Yan and the Wood Daoist stared at each other—Shi Yan gazed at the Wood Daoist's small hand drawing the sword, while the Wood Daoist turned his head toward Gu Qing…

The Wood Daoist's painstaking, elaborate plan collapsed beneath the light of this oil lamp.

A thousand years of darkness—lit by a single lamp.

【Satisfied Shi Yan's wish…】

【Satisfied Master Tiejian's wish to light the flame…】

【Satisfied the Daoist acolyte…】

【…】

Gu Qing calmly held the oil lamp, having made a fortune.

(End of Chapter)