Chapter 91: The Woman Who Mastered It Without a Teacher

“Brother, this Nine Yin Scripture is incredible.”

Early in the morning, Zhang Wuji eagerly sought out Zhang Jie.

“Hm?”

“Looking at you, Younger Brother, you’ve made great progress.”

Zhang Jie, having finished his practice and sipping tea calmly, smiled.

“Brother, after practicing the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Bone-Strengthening Chapter you recommended,

I feel the bottleneck in my Nine Yang Divine Art has shrunk considerably.”

Zhang Wuji’s excitement was plain to see.

His Nine Yang Divine Art had nearly reached completion several months ago,

but since then he had been utterly stuck, knowing he’d hit a bottleneck and feeling as if he were dying from frustration.

Now, seeing the first glimmer of breakthrough and advancement in his Nine Yang Divine Art, how could he not be overjoyed?

“In this world of martial arts, what matters most is talent and comprehension.

Younger Brother Wuji, your comprehension is exceptional, and with the Muscle-Tendon Changing Chapter to aid you, the completion of your Nine Yang Divine Art is within reach.”

Zhang Jie set down his teacup and analyzed calmly.

Having already completed the Nine Yang Divine Art himself, he had ample experience in this regard:

The reason the Nine Yang Divine Art requires a brush with death to reach completion

is not because it truly touches upon the mysterious realm of life and death.

After all, the world of the Sword of the Heavenly Sword is merely a low-to-mid martial realm.

The reason it demands such a trial is simply to use the pressure of life and death to awaken latent potential.

And sometimes, the gap between people is greater than that between a man and a dog.

Those with superior talent can easily awaken their potential and thus require far less pressure.

Zhang Jie was not surprised that Zhang Wuji had already made minor progress in the Muscle-Tendon Changing Chapter in just one night.

After all, Zhang Wuji was a genius who, with nothing but the Nine Yang Divine Art manual and no guidance from anyone,

had reached near-completion—his comprehension was truly extraordinary.

Had Zhang Jie never appeared, Zhang Wuji would have already been destined to inherit the title of Number One under Heaven after Master Zhang’s death.

At this moment, Zhang Wuji’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he said hesitantly:

“Brother, may I teach the Nine Yin Scripture to my adoptive father?”

It wasn’t that he coveted Zhang Jie’s manual; rather, the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Healing Chapters within the Nine Yin Scripture

would greatly benefit his adoptive father, the Golden-Haired Lion King, who bore many hidden injuries.

“Of course you may. Since I gave you the Nine Yin Scripture, you have full authority over its use.”

Zhang Jie said generously.

To ordinary martial artists, the Nine Yin Scripture was a peerless masterpiece,

a guarantee of their family’s supremacy in the Jianghu for generations to come,

an absolute secret never to be shared with anyone,

and anyone who even learned a fragment of it must be killed and their art seized,

to ensure their own and their descendants’ eternal dominance.

But for Zhang Jie, who possessed a shared space, it was merely a precious manual.

Precious, yes—but not so precious that it couldn’t be shown to others.

Still, remembering Zhang Wuji’s kindness bordering on weakness, Zhang Jie added a warning:

“Wuji, you may share it with others, but remember: do not entrust it to the unworthy.”

Zhang Wuji nodded firmly: “I understand, Brother!”

He recalled the deceitful faces of Zhu Changling, Zhu Jiuzhen,

and Wu Lie at the Zhu-Wu Linked Villa, and his vigilance rose.

“Brother, I have some questions I’d like to ask you.”

After resolving the issue of transmitting the Nine Yin Scripture,

Zhang Wuji began asking Zhang Jie about the parts of the Nine Yin Scripture he didn’t understand.

Although Zhang Jie had only received the Nine Yin Scripture yesterday, Zhang Wuji knew that Zhang Jie’s comprehension and martial skill far surpassed his own,

and that he must have progressed much further in studying it.

Zhang Jie did not boast, but replied humbly:

“Speak your questions—we’ll discuss them together, as brothers.”

The morning passed as Zhang Jie and Zhang Wuji explored the manual together.

Of course, most of the time, Zhang Jie spoke with lofty insight while Zhang Wuji listened.

During this time, the Golden-Haired Lion King, with Zhang Jie’s permission, also joined in.

Though he had never seen the Nine Yin Scripture, as a seasoned top-tier expert,

his understanding of martial terminology was profound, and on several occasions he left Zhang Jie in awe.

‘Though these martial artists are far inferior to me in cultivation,

their grasp of martial arts and terminology should not be underestimated.’

Zhang Jie silently warned himself: never underestimate any martial artist.

Their cultivation cannot be inherited across generations, but their wisdom from past sages can.

‘Perhaps I could hold a grand discourse across the Jianghu, using the wisdom of various experts to ignite my own martial Dao.’

A thought quietly surfaced in Zhang Jie’s mind.

‘Even spread the Dao across the world!’

…

At noon, after lunch, Zhang Wuji began teaching the Golden-Haired Lion King the Nine Yin Scripture,

while Zhang Jie went up Mount Wudang to meet Zhou Zhiruo.

Discussing the Dao across the world could wait—but a date with a beauty could not.

Jiangshan and beauty, Zhang Jie says he wants them all!

When Zhang Jie arrived at yesterday’s meeting spot, he saw a graceful figure standing there.

Clearly, unlike him who arrived right on time,

Zhou Zhiruo had come early—indeed, she had been there since the morning.

Feeling he had kept her waiting, Zhang Jie walked to Zhou Zhiruo’s side and apologized:

“Zhiruo, I’m late.”

Zhou Zhiruo was not annoyed by his “lateness”; she smiled sweetly:

“Brother Jie, you’re not late—it’s I who came too early.”

“Ah! To have a wife like this—what more could a man ask for?”

Zhang Jie sighed, gently extended his arms, and moved to embrace Zhou Zhiruo.

Such a considerate beauty made the fire of his protective love burn even hotter.

Zhou Zhiruo, slightly shy, softly rebutted:

“Who’s your wife!”

Hearing this, Zhang Jie feigned heartbreak, clutching his chest:

“Surely… surely my little Zhiruo doesn’t want to marry me?”

Then he pretended to turn away, as if he would never return.

Deceived by Zhang Jie’s superb acting, Zhou Zhiruo panicked, stomped her foot:

“I—I do want to!”

As she spoke, she moved willingly into Zhang Jie’s arms.

“Hah!”

Zhang Jie, having succeeded in his scheme, swept her into his arms and laughed triumphantly.

“You’re a bad person—you tricked me!”

Realizing Zhang Jie’s act, Zhou Zhiruo pouted,

and with practiced grace, pinched the soft flesh on his waist.

“Ow!”

Zhang Jie cried out in pain, begging:

“Good Zhiruo, I won’t dare do it again—please forgive me this once!”

Well, this was also faked.

With his martial skill, even an arrow couldn’t pierce his skin,

let alone Zhou Zhiruo’s slender, powerless fingers.

Had he not suppressed his protective aura, she would have been repelled by it instantly.

But having learned from his experience with Pan Jinlian and Yan Poxi in the Water Margin world, he knew exactly what to do.

‘Still, why do women always seem to instinctively know this trick?

Are women really tigresses, with this trait passed down by blood?’

Not only did it not hurt, Zhang Jie internally grumbled, finding himself almost amused.

“Hmph! See if you dare next time!”

Zhou Zhiruo’s face broke into a triumphant smile, her goal achieved.

It was worth the effort she’d put in last night, seeking advice from her senior sisters.

As the experienced senior sisters had said:

A little wave of the hand, and Zhang Jie would surrender obediently~

Looking at Zhou Zhiruo’s face, as rosy and tempting as a red apple, the youthful Zhang Jie could no longer hold back.

He planted a loud kiss on her lips.

“Ah!”

Startled by the ambush, Zhou Zhiruo let out a cry.

Refusing to be taken advantage of, she immediately struck back.

“Hehe, the Abbess isn’t here today—see how I’ll deal with you.”

A mischievous smile spread across Zhang Jie’s face.

He had carefully observed his surroundings just now and confirmed that Abbess Mei Jue had not come.

Probably knowing she couldn’t match him in strength,

unable to stop him, she chose to turn a blind eye.

“Who’s afraid of whom?”

Though her heart fluttered with shyness, Zhou Zhiruo retorted defiantly.

With mutual affection between them, the two passionately kissed.

“Bad man!”

After a long while, breathless and chest heaving,

Zhou Zhiruo glared at Zhang Jie as she greedily sucked in fresh air.

“Women!”

Zhang Jie shrugged, wondering who had been unwilling to let go just now.

Yet this perfect moment could not be wasted,

and Zhang Jie began to admire the faintly revealed, snow-white peaks of Zhumulangmafeng.

Zhang Jie: I’m not lustful—I just can’t ignore a flower in full bloom;

if I don’t admire it, I’d seem utterly insensitive to beauty~

After lingering warmly for a while, Zhang Jie turned to the matter at hand:

“Zhiruo, how are you progressing with the Nine Yin True Scripture?”

“This…”

Zhou Zhiruo turned her head away, avoiding Zhang Jie’s gaze, feeling guilty:

She’d been inexplicably excited all yesterday and couldn’t calm her mind.

At night, she’d chatted with her close friends about how to win a man’s heart—she had no interest in practicing the Nine Yin True Scripture.

Seeing this, Zhang Jie, knowing he was the cause of her distracted heart, could say nothing.

He could only take matters into his own hands and teach her personally.

“Zhiruo, the Nine Yin True Scripture…”

Zhang Jie first explained the overarching principles of the Nine Yin True Scripture.

Although Zhou Zhiruo had studied the Emei Nine Yang Art for years,

she could not fully switch to the Nine Yin True Scripture, but she still needed to understand its underlying principles.

In the era of the Condor Heroes, Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng had misunderstood its meaning and forced their practice,

turning the noble Daoist Nine Yin Divine Claw into the demonic Nine Yin White Bone Claw.

Worse still, they had transformed themselves into monstrous, inhuman creatures.

Once disciples of the Five Greats, they became the feared Black Wind Duo Sha, hunted by all.

Remember, Huang Yaoshi was the most elegant and image-conscious of the Five Greats.

He likely held the same standards for his disciples as the Xiaoyao Sect did—requiring them to be handsome and beautiful.

Zhou Zhiruo, aware of the importance, listened intently to Zhang Jie’s explanation.