Chapter 90: Contemplating the Nine Yin Manual

At dusk, Zhang Jie and Zhou Zhiruo strolled through the Mount Emei Sect.

Most of the disciples along the way treated Zhou Zhiruo with great kindness.

But a few disciples not only ignored her, they also cast cold glances her way.

“Zhiruo, why are those disciples treating you like this?”

Zhang Jie asked, concerned for her situation.

If anyone dared threaten Zhou Zhiruo’s safety,

he would unleash his fist—the second strongest in the world, just beneath Zhang Sanfeng’s.

Zhang Jie: My woman is not for anyone else to touch!

If anyone must touch her, it should be me…

“I don’t know. They’ve just suddenly turned against me for no reason.”

Zhou Zhiruo smiled bitterly at this.

Today’s choice to practice swordplay in secluded spots was partly due to being subtly shunned by her fellow disciples.

“Are they all close to your senior sister Ding Minjun?”

Zhang Jie, pondering the Mount Emei Sect’s internal dynamics, rubbed his chin and formed a guess.

“Jie-ge, how do you even know that?”

Zhou Zhiruo’s face was filled with astonishment. Though she knew Zhang Jie’s martial prowess was extraordinary—

even her master, the formidable Mistress Mei Jue, was no match for him—

he had never set foot on Mount Emei before; he shouldn’t know these things.

Yet, remembering Zhang Jie’s miraculous feats, she wasn’t too surprised.

The man she had chosen must be extraordinary!

She went on, sounding dejected:

“When I first came to Mount Emei, Senior Sister Ding was so kind to me.

She personally taught me every move of the Emei Sword Art.

But over the past two years, she’s grown distant from me,

and the sisters close to her have subtly targeted me.”

Zhang Jie smiled knowingly:

“Foolish girl, you’re too close to see the truth!”

“Huh?”

Zhou Zhiruo remained confused.

“It’s like this…”

Zhang Jie pinched her delicate nose, speaking as an outsider:

“Senior Sister Ding was likely the top candidate to inherit the sect leadership.

But these past few years, your master has grown increasingly fond of you,

and she fears you’ll steal her position as next sect leader—so she’s been suppressing you.”

“So that’s why.”

With Zhang Jie’s insight, the brilliant Zhou Zhiruo instantly grasped the core issue.

Yet she remained despondent, puzzled:

“But I never wanted to become sect leader in the first place!”

“Whether you want it or not doesn’t matter—what matters is Mistress Mei Jue’s opinion.”

Zhang Jie’s tone turned serious.

Though martial sects across the Jianghu were far weaker and smaller than the imperial court,

the selection of a sect leader bore resemblance to the imperial princes’ struggle for succession:

Any disciple with potential to compete for leadership would naturally guard against

other disciples with similar potential—even if those disciples had no ambition.

The gentleman bears no guilt, yet possessing jade invites accusation!

Or rather, talent itself is the greatest sin!

In the Wudang Sect, Song Qingshu repeatedly targeted him precisely because he feared Zhang Jie would usurp his position as top third-generation disciple.

The same applies here in Mount Emei—especially since Mistress Mei Jue openly favors Zhou Zhiruo.

Would other imperial princes treat a prince favored by the emperor,

nearly openly named crown prince, with brotherly affection?

Subtle hostility, attempts to topple him and replace him—that’s the norm!

Even a crown prince formally designated by imperial decree is not safe:

Yin Shi, named crown prince at birth during the Kangxi reign,

endured two depositions and spent forty years as crown prince—he knew this well.

“Maybe I should just run away with you back to Mount Wudang?”

Understanding the danger, and unwilling to openly break with Ding Minjun, Zhou Zhiruo said.

If she went to Mount Wudang, Ding Minjun would surely realize she had no ambition to become sect leader, wouldn’t she?

The only question now was whether Zhang Jie would take her back.

Her nervousness showed plainly; her slender frame trembled slightly.

“Of course there’s no problem.”

Zhang Jie took her small hand in his, assuring her.

Zhang Jie took Zhou Zhiruo’s small hand and vowed.

Feeling the warmth from Zhang Jie’s broad palm,

Zhou Zhiruo’s flushed face whispered a barely audible “mm.”

“But the real problem now is whether Mistress Mei Jue will let you leave the mountain.”

Zhang Jie pointed out another obstacle.

He already knew the answer in his heart: given Mistress Mei Jue’s deep favoritism toward Zhou Zhiruo,

she would never allow her to leave with him.

Zhou Zhiruo shuddered at this, clearly having thought of it too.

“Jie-ge, what if… what if I elope with you?”

Zhou Zhiruo recalled how her senior sister Ji Xiaofu had run off with Yang Xiao, and summoned her courage.

Zhou Zhiruo thought of Ji Xiaofu, her senior sister, and her affair with Yang Xiao, and mustered the courage to speak.

Zhang Jie, even with his thick skin, was momentarily stunned by Zhou Zhiruo’s bold idea.

If the previous generation’s favored disciple Ji Xiaofu had eloped,

and now this generation’s most carefully nurtured disciple, Zhou Zhiruo, did the same—

Mistress Mei Jue’s temper would either drive her to storm Mount Wudang and demand an explanation from his master Yu Lianzhou,

or she’d die of rage, just like her brother, the late Gu Hongzi.

“That probably won’t work…”

Zhang Jie explained his concerns to Zhou Zhiruo.

Zhou Zhiruo realized it made sense—but then how to deal with Ding Minjun?

“Then what should we do?”

Zhang Jie gave her a reassuring look:

“Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”

If Mistress Mei Jue and Ding Minjun refused to listen to reason,

then Zhang the Man would resort to a little physical persuasion…

That night, after escorting Zhou Zhiruo back, Zhang Jie returned to the foot of Mount Emei.

A man spending the night on a mountain full of female disciples would invite gossip.

Even if his conscience was clear, rumors could still spread.

As the saying goes: a lie spreads in a breath; truth runs till its legs break.

Though he could silence gossips with brute force,

the matter would still damage a maiden’s reputation.

Besides, with his lightness skill, he could run down and up the mountain in less than an incense stick’s burn—easily Wangfan .

“Brother, have you finished your business?”

In a roadside inn at the foot of Mount Emei, Zhang Wuji, who had been waiting, asked curiously.

“Mm. Here’s yours.”

Zhang Jie tossed a book to Zhang Wuji.

Zhang Wuji caught it, opened it, and immediately grew excited:

“Brother, is this the Nine Yin Manual?”

“Brother, this is too precious—I can’t accept it.”

"Senior brother, this is too precious—I cannot accept it."

Zhang Wuji, having learned the origins of the Nine Yin Scripture from Zhang Jie, reluctantly prepared to return it, though he was loath to let it go.

This copy of the Nine Yin Scripture was entirely Zhang Jie’s work—he contributed not an inch of effort, so he couldn’t possibly take it.

“Between master and disciple brothers, why must you be so precise?”

“Besides, didn’t you share the Nine Yang Divine Art with me in the Kunlun Valley?”

Zhang Jie shoved the copied version of the Nine Yin Scripture straight into Zhang Wuji’s arms.

“Senior brother…”

Zhang Jie was moved to tears.

“Study hard—your righteous father will rely on you for protection henceforth.”

Zhang Jie pointed at Golden-Haired Lion King, who was drinking and devouring meat with great delight.

Though he had agreed to help Xie Xun kill Cheng Kun, that didn’t mean he’d become Xie Xun’s caretaker.

He directly dumped this duty onto Zhang Wuji.

After all, when the senior brother has trouble, the junior disciple must shoulder the labor!

Besides, this isn’t dumping responsibility: given the bond between Zhang Wuji and Xie Xun,

Zhang Wuji is destined to care for Xie Xun in his old age, see him through to his death, and wear mourning clothes after his passing.

“Understood—I will study it diligently!”

Zhang Wuji nodded firmly, acutely aware of the heavy burden upon his shoulders.

After dismissing Zhang Wuji, Zhang Jie went to the private chamber he had rented,

took out the original copy of the Nine Yin Scripture from his robe, and began to practice.

“The Dao of Heaven diminishes what is excessive and supplements what is lacking; thus emptiness triumphs over fullness, and deficiency over abundance.”

“Its meaning is vast, its principle profound, its intent deep…”

“Nine is the utmost number. Nine times nine is Yang Supreme; nine itself is Yang.”

“The Nine Yin Scripture is, in truth, the Yin-Yang Scripture—a supreme art of Yin-Yang harmony,

water and fire intermingling, hardness within softness, and softness within hardness!”

As he flipped through the Nine Yin Scripture, its teachings arose within Zhang Jie’s mind.

It seemed as if the voice of Huang Shang, the martial master from over a hundred years ago, was whispering teachings into his ears.

After comprehending the General Outline, Zhang Jie began practicing the “Muscle-Tendon Changing and Bone-Strengthening Chapter.”

Of all the sections in the Nine Yin Scripture, Zhang Jie believed the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Bone-Strengthening Chapter was the most exquisite.

It is known that a martial cultivator’s innate talent is determined by Heaven—only world-class celestial treasures can alter it.

Yet after practicing the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Bone-Strengthening Chapter, one’s innate talent actually increases.

Great masters like Guo Jing, Huang Rong, Hong Qigong, and Yang Guo all practiced it and gained immensely.

In the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, Song Qingshu, originally merely a second-rate martial artist,

after practicing it, within just a few years could match Yu Lianzhou, the second of the Wudang Seven Heroes and the most powerful among them—clear proof of its efficacy.

“Men think that sitting still and stilling thoughts is the path to moral advancement, yet they fail to realize that those who have attained the highest level

possess perfect clarity and wisdom, cultivate both essence and function, remain still even while moving, and remain tranquil even amid turmoil.”

The teachings of the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Bone-Strengthening Chapter flowed slowly through Zhang Jie’s mind,

and his internal Qi began to follow the prescribed circulation path.

In an instant, Zhang Jie felt as if immersed in a warm spring, his entire body suffused with gentle warmth.

“Press on!”

Knowing this was the sign of progress, Zhang Jie continued his practice.

Time knows no bounds in cultivation—the night passed in the blink of an eye.