Chapter 34

“Wuji, younger brother.”

Zhang Jie called out softly to the boy sitting in meditation on the open ground outside the thatched hut.

This boy was naturally the orphan of Zhang Cuishan, one of the Wudang Five, and Yin Susu, the demoness of the Tianying Cult,

the disciple’s disciple of Wudang’s founder Zhang Sanfeng, and Zhang Jie’s younger brother, Zhang Wuji.

“Huh? Did I just hear Senior Brother Zhang Jie calling me?”

The meditating Zhang Wuji stirred at the call, scratching his head in confusion.

“I must be losing my mind—how could there be Senior Brother Zhang’s voice here?”

Zhang Wuji dismissed the thought as soon as it arose.

This place was a valley beneath a hundred-meter cliff, thousands of miles from Mount Wudang.

“Sigh! I truly wish I could return to Wudang!”

Zhang Wuji sighed.

Even though his nature was uncompetitive, and those years on Ice-Fire Island had accustomed him to solitude,

at least on Ice-Fire Island he had his parents and his adoptive father to keep him company.

If not for the intelligent white ape in this valley who could listen to his complaints, he feared he would have gone mad long ago.

Over these three years, life on Mount Wudang frequently appeared in his dreams.

Even though Song Qingshu, the senior disciple of the third generation at Wudang, had inexplicably targeted him,

he still had his Grandmaster, Senior Brother One, Senior Brother Two, Sixth Uncle, Seventh Uncle, and others who cared for him deeply.

Moreover, he had made his first true friend on Mount Wudang—Zhang Jie.

Senior Brother Zhang Jie never looked down on him as a sickly boy plagued by periodic Cold Poison attacks,

not only training him in martial arts, but also standing up for him whenever Song Qingshu bullied him.

Unfortunately, since he went to Hu Qingniu, the Immortal Physician of Butterfly Valley, to study medicine,

he had not seen Senior Brother Zhang Jie again during his treatment for the Cold Poison.

“Wuji, younger brother, after all these years, don’t you recognize your senior brother?”

As Zhang Wuji sank into memory, overcome with sudden melancholy, Zhang Jie appeared on the open ground before the thatched hut.

“S-Senior Brother Zhang Jie?”

Faced with Zhang Jie suddenly before him, Zhang Wuji stammered.

“It’s your senior brother, indeed.”

Zhang Jie, holding his longsword, smiled and nodded.

“Senior Brother, how did you find this place?”

After some pleasantries, Zhang Wuji asked curiously.

Since leaving Butterfly Valley and bringing Yang BuHui to Mount Kunlun to search for her father Yang Xiao, he had gradually lost contact with Wudang.

“It’s like this. After I went down the mountain, I first went to Butterfly Valley looking for you…

then I found Zhu Wu Linked Mountain Villa, and from there, Zhu Wu’s people led me here.”

Zhang Jie told Zhang Wuji his fabricated story—no, the truth with certain details omitted.

“Senior Brother~”

Zhang Wuji was deeply moved.

From Wudang to Butterfly Valley, then to Ming Cult’s Bright Peak, then to Zhu Wu Linked Mountain Villa,

and finally to this Kunlun Valley—how many thousands of miles had he traveled?

And how many dangers and obstacles must he have faced along the way?

He himself had struggled immensely bringing Yang BuHui to find the famed Bright Left Messenger Yang Xiao;

how much harder then for Zhang Jie to find a nobody like Zhang Wuji?

“We’re brothers, aren’t we?”

Zhang Jie waved his hand, implying that brotherly loyalty surpassed heaven and sea,

Jie-ge was simply that kind of loyal, righteous man.

Life is precious, love is more precious; but for the sake of brotherhood, both can be cast aside!

“Senior Brother, did you have any conflict with the people of Zhu Wu Linked Mountain Villa?”

Zhang Wuji remembered his own experience there and asked with concern.

With Zhu Wu’s treacherous scheming and formidable martial arts, Zhang Jie was no match for them.

“Conflict?

At first there was a little trouble, but I resolved it all through my efforts.”

Zhang Jie spoke with ease.

As he spoke, he raised his right thumb and forefinger, making a tiny gesture.

“Good, good that it’s resolved.”

Not knowing how Zhang Jie had “resolved” it, and still ignorant of the world’s cruelty, Zhang Wuji breathed a sigh of relief.

“Younger brother, I observe your spirit, energy, and vitality are all strong, and you show no signs of illness—

surely the Immortal Physician Hu Qingniu’s medical skills are superb, and he has cured your Cold Poison?”

Seeing the groundwork was laid, Zhang Jie steered the conversation toward his true purpose.

“Oh!

Senior Brother, you mean this? Wait a moment—I have something for you.”

Zhang Wuji slapped his forehead, dropped those words, and without waiting for Zhang Jie’s reply, turned and ran into the thatched hut.

After rummaging through every box and drawer inside the hut, Zhang Wuji handed a book to Zhang Jie.

On the cover, four bold characters were clearly written: Nine Yang Divine Art!

“Senior Brother, it was precisely the Nine Yang Divine Art that allowed me to completely expel the Cold Poison.”

Zhang Wuji explained to Zhang Jie how he had rescued a white ape with a pus-filled abscess in this valley,

discovered the Nine Yang True Scripture hidden within the abscess, then cultivated the Nine Yang Divine Art,

and successfully purged the Cold Poison from his body.

Zhang Wuji knew Zhang Jie already knew the Nine Yang Divine Art could fully expel the Cold Poison:

back then, Grandmaster Zhang Sanfeng had often lamented that Wudang’s Nine Yang Gong was only a fragment of the full Nine Yang Divine Art.

Had his master Jueyuan’s complete version of the Nine Yang Divine Art been available,

it would surely have fully cured his disciple’s disciple Wuji of the Cold Poison.

“Finally in my hands!”

Holding the scripture containing the Nine Yang Divine Art, even Zhang Jie’s hands, strengthened by repeated sharing enhancements, trembled slightly.

After countless schemes, countless killings, destroying Zhu Wu Linked Mountain Villa,

weaving lies—he had finally achieved his goal!

Zhang Wuji fully understood Zhang Jie’s excitement;

three years ago, when he first learned this was the Nine Yang Divine Art, he had been so overjoyed he couldn’t sleep for days!

Three years ago, when he learned this was the Nine Yang Divine Art, he was so delighted he couldn’t sleep for days!

As Zhang Jie steadied his composure, the large white ape returned.

“Wuji, younger brother, who is this?”

Zhang Jie, pretending ignorance but watching the ape warily, kept his hand near his sword hilt.

To make it more convincing, he even gripped the hilt.

To make it more convincing, he placed his hand on the sword hilt.

The white ape, sensitive to energy, sensed Zhang Jie’s overwhelming killing intent and instantly hid behind Zhang Wuji.

“Senior Brother, this is the white ape I just mentioned.

I obtained the Nine Yang Divine Art from inside his belly.”

Seeing Zhang Jie ready to draw his sword at any moment, Zhang Wuji hurriedly explained.

Seeing Zhang Jie was ready to strike at the slightest provocation, Zhang Wuji quickly explained.

Zhang Jie feigned sudden realization, loosened his grip on the sword hilt, and withdrew his killing intent.

“Thank you, White Ape, for saving my younger brother’s life.”

Zhang Jie, ever mindful of his role as an actor, bowed solemnly to the white ape.

Yet, in truth, he had no killing intent toward the ape.

In the absence of threat or conflict of interest, Zhang Jie had always been a refined and amiable man.

In the absence of threat or conflicting interests, Zhang Jie had always been a refined and amiable man.

Sensing Zhang Jie’s lack of hostility, the white ape emerged from behind Zhang Wuji.

Only after sensing that Zhang Jie truly had no intent to kill did the white ape step out from behind Zhang Wuji.

The white ape approached Zhang Jie and offered him two large peaches, pleadingly.

“Wuji, younger brother, what are these?”

Zhang Jie remained fully in character.

“Senior Brother, these are the fruits from the peach trees in the grove at the valley’s center.”

"Senior brother, these are the fruits from the peach trees in the grove at the center of the valley."

The earnest Zhang Wuji carefully introduced to Zhang Jie.

“So that’s how it is—thank you, Elder Monkey.”

Zhang Jie took the peach and expressed his gratitude to the white ape.

“Squeak squeak.”

The white ape waved its arms, as if to say no thanks were needed.

“Hmm, truly an unusual breed.”

Zhang Jie marveled aloud.

In a xianxia world, this white ape could absorb heaven and earth’s spiritual energy—it wouldn’t take long before it became a demon.

“Crack.”

Zhang Jie casually wiped a plump, juicy peach—one that seemed to burst with juice at the slightest squeeze—

bit into it, and instantly felt its sweetness, a rich, fragrant rush flooding straight to his skull.

“Fine peach, fine peach.”

Zhang Jie praised it repeatedly.

Now he understood why the Monkey King loved peaches so much.

Even a peach from this wuxia world’s secret realm was this delicious—

then what would the peaches from the Heavenly Court’s Peach Garden in the Journey to the West world taste like?

“First, set a small goal: sneak into the Peach Garden and steal a few peaches~”

In high spirits, Zhang Jie set himself this small goal.

“Squeak squeak~”

Hearing Zhang Jie’s praise, the white ape danced with joy,

scratching its head and rubbing its face, as if delighted to have found a kindred spirit.

“Wuji, do you want to leave?”

After swallowing the peach in a few bites, Zhang Jie asked.

Zhang Wuji’s face lit up with longing.

Having spent three lonely years in this valley, he had never craved the warmth of human life as much as he did now.

But the next moment he hesitated: “Brother,

the people of Zhu Wu Linked Manor have always sought my father’s killer and the Dragon-Slaying Blade on me.

If I leave with you, I’ll only bring you trouble.”

“We’re brothers—what’s all this talk of trouble?”

Zhang Jie slapped Zhang Wuji’s shoulder and chuckled.

“Besides, I’ve already settled all the trouble from Zhu Wu Linked Manor.”

Zhang Jie continued.

Seeing Zhang Jie so confident, Zhang Wuji finally decided to go out and see.

…

“Squeak squeak~”

At the cave entrance, the white ape looked anxious and reluctant.

“Elder Monkey, I’ll be back soon—keep an eye on the place.”

After giving the white ape these words, Zhang Wuji followed Zhang Jie into the cave.

Just as the narrowest gap couldn’t stop Zhang Jie, it also couldn’t stop Zhang Wuji—his Nine Yang Divine Art nearly complete, his body perfectly controlled—

and the two reached the stone platform without hindrance.

“Brother, is this your solution?”

Zhang Wuji stared, stunned, at Zhu Changling’s cyan-purple corpse.

Though Zhu Changling had spent three years enduring hardship on this platform, his hair matted, clothes tattered, face sallow and gaunt,

Zhang Wuji still recognized him instantly—he had known him too well.

“Yes.”

Zhang Jie shrugged as if it were obvious.

If you kill the person who created the problem, isn’t the problem solved?

Zhang Jie: I’m not good at solving problems—but the martial arts I’ve trained in these years make me exceptionally good at eliminating those who create them.

“Brother, you must’ve wiped out the entire Zhu Wu Linked Manor!”

Seeing the graves of Zhu Jiuzhen, Wu Lie, and Wei Bi, Zhang Wuji was shocked by Zhang Jie’s brutality.

No wonder Zhang Jie had frightened the white ape so badly even before drawing his sword.