Chapter 326: 335 Instruction

It was already late at night when the Gaoyuan Marquis emerged from the Sword Hut, which had temporarily served as a prison. She had gone in with a gentle expression, but returned looking extremely grave.

She did not return to the terrace, but stopped at the entrance of the Sword Hut, beckoned Xing Ji and Tang Zhao over, and said, "Circumstances have changed; I must return tonight."

Tang Zhao's heart sank. He knew that Zhou Chengzhi must have revealed something incredible, completely disrupting the Gaoyuan Marquis's plans. As the matter was of great importance, he naturally would not ask presumptuously, and simply waited with Xing Ji for the Marquis's arrangements.

The Gaoyuan Marquis glanced at Xing Ji and said, "Xing Ji, come back with me. I still need you for this matter."

Xing Ji cupped his hands in acknowledgment. The Gaoyuan Marquis then looked at Tang Zhao, her expression softening slightly, and said, "I had originally planned for Xing Ji to stay for a few days to privately instruct you, but with the situation changing, I am forced to have him return. How about this: let Chi stay behind to instruct you."

Chi refers to Chi Qianli, the name of the Chi Deputy Envoy.

Tang Zhao replied, "Official business comes first; the Marquis need not worry about this subordinate."

The Gaoyuan Marquis was very satisfied to hear him refer to himself as such and smiled, "It is still necessary. Those who plant the trees provide shade for those who come after; every Sword Guest under my command must receive a legacy, otherwise, wouldn't it hinder the prospects of our own people? Although Chi is also a new Sword Guest, he is from a proper background in the Land Inspection Division. He has learned everything he should have and was trained step-by-step, just like what Xing Ji learned. Of course, Xing Ji still has some private techniques; he will naturally pass them on to you sooner or later. For now, start with the orthodox."

Tang Zhao agreed. The Chi Deputy Envoy naturally had no objections. Although he was a proper Sword Guest and had personally captured a crucial state criminal, he was merely a Deputy Envoy of a city's Land Inspection Division, a small local official. He was not in a position to participate in truly major events, but since instructing Tang Zhao was a task personally assigned by the Marquis, he would certainly give it his all.

The Gaoyuan Marquis said no more and let Tang Zhao and the Chi Deputy Envoy return first.

Tang Zhao went back and mentioned this to his master, his mood somewhat heavy—the wind and rain were about to arrive, filling the building; this wind was surely a gale, a hurricane. He could not guess what great secret Zhou Chengzhi had revealed, but it must involve the safety of an entire province for the Gaoyuan Marquis to rush back to make arrangements. Perhaps a great upheaval was about to come.

However, he was still at the stage where "if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up," so even if there were a major event, it was not his place to worry.

The Gaoyuan Marquis did indeed descend the mountain that very night, taking not only Xing Ji but also Ping Jiangqiu. Although Ping Jiangqiu held no official position, he had previously been recruited by Xing Ji on the Marquis's orders, rescued from the Time Jar, and given a sinecure in the Hou Mansion, supported generously in the Dudu Mansion, naturally for the sake of using him when needed. But he was not a frontline combatant, and ordinary missions did not require him. That the Gaoyuan Marquis took even him away showed the severity of the situation. Presumably, there would soon be a general mobilization of Sword Hero-level figures in Yunzhou. While not every official Sword Guest in every region would necessarily be moved, most of the available effective strength would likely be utilized.

Although the departure was urgent, the Gaoyuan Marquis still took the "Treasure Sword" with her when she left. The exchange plan proposed by Tang Zhao had been approved; the Gaoyuan Marquis would first take this source-of-disaster sword, and as for the "Jieya" sword that Tang Zhao wanted, she would have Xue Yeyu come to Zhongtian Prefecture to retrieve it later.

This was not a simple cash-on-delivery transaction, but the Gaoyuan Marquis would not take advantage of Zhuoyu Villa, not even for the sake of two Sword Smiths with limitless futures. Having Xue Yeyu go to Zhongtian Prefecture to retrieve the sword originally implied that if the Jieya sword was not suitable, other suitable swords could be taken instead. It was considered securing Xue Yeyu's future as a Sword Guest.

Now, the connection between Zhuoyu Villa and the Gaoyuan Marquis was already very close, and the Gaoyuan Marquis was very happy to see Zhuoyu Villa gain more strength.

After seeing off the Gaoyuan Marquis, this Sword Casting Conference had completely come to an end. Everyone's friends also descended the mountain within a day or two. As for Wang Fei, he had not been seen on the day the Gaoyuan Marquis left; either he had left with her, or he had achieved his goal and secretly returned to Kungang. Such high-level matters were known to an increasingly limited number of people, and one should not take the initiative to ask if one did not know.

Tang Zhao did not go around shouting to everyone that he was already a Sword Guest. After all, such a thing was shocking; while it might be satisfying to cause a wave of astonishment, who knew what unpredictable consequences it might trigger? Only Xue Laotou would do such a thing. However, since it involved Tang Zhao, Xue Xianyun also restrained his desire to show off. Even his own people barely knew; Tang Zhao had not even told Yun Xiyan.

Yun Xiyan had come from afar, and although she had helped with some things on the mountain, she felt the Sword Casting Conference had been too hasty and was left wanting more, so she intended to travel through Yunzhou with her sword. Tang Zhao thought the current situation was unclear and feared she might be drawn into the upcoming major events, so he advised her to go somewhere further away to experience different scenery. Yun Xiyan thought for a moment and decided to go to Liangzhou for an adventure.

It just so happened that Che Sha and Wusun Tong of the One Hundred and Eight Springs were returning north and invited Tang Zhao to visit, but Tang Zhao declined the trip on the grounds that he still had some trivial matters to finish. Yun Xiyan was quite sociable and went up to join them, wanting to see the scenery of the Liangzhou grasslands and deserts. The One Hundred and Eight Springs were happy to befriend a major power like Feitian Cave, so they naturally did not refuse.

After sending off all the guests, Tang Zhao and his senior brother and sister cleaned up Zhuoyu Villa, mainly checking for any small paths or secret passages leading directly to the heart of the villa to plug these loopholes. After a round of inspection, they blocked several small paths and used an Artifact Array to surround the remaining exits, at least ensuring that if someone invaded, the alarm would sound, giving the villa time to react.

It took a few days to finish these things, and there were still some aftermath tasks, such as the young disciples of the Three Jades moving back to their dormitories, cleaning up Jichun City at the foot of the mountain, and holding the White Jade Shines Bright auction, but Tang Zhao no longer participated. After all, the Chi Deputy Envoy also had limited time; although he explicitly stated he would not participate in major events, once there was a change in Yunzhou, local stability was also crucial. As a Sword Guest, he certainly had to return to hold the fort; how could he keep being delayed on the mountain?

The Chi Deputy Envoy had actually taken a trip down the mountain during these past few days, as there was a lot of information to be sent back to Jichun City, including matters regarding the Turtle Bandits, the Marquis's orders, and so on. After reporting at the foot of the mountain, he returned the next day and came to Tang Zhao's Sword Hut to guide him in the practice of Sword Art.

"This is our Land Inspection Division's own teaching material." The Chi Deputy Envoy opened a box.

Yes, a box.

In the box, three feet long and wide, were dozens of scrolls, each filled with dense handwriting.

Tang Zhao was very surprised: "Are these all... is the cultivation of a Sword Guest that profound?"

No, what he said was a bit problematic... Sword Guest cultivation was of course vast and profound, but wasn't Sword Guest cultivation extremely personal? While there were some common experiences that made learning twice as effective with half the effort, did one really need to read so many books?

Could those Sword Guests even read through them?

Chi Qianli explained: "Only four of these scrolls are the unified cultivation scriptures of the Division. The General Sword Manual, the Sword Essence Chapter, the Sword Heart Chapter, and the Sword Art Chapter. The rest are the experience notes of our predecessors. And this is only a part of it. According to the rules of our Land Inspection Division, all Sword Guests must leave behind their own insights once they reach a certain level of cultivation. The headquarters will read all the insights, select some well-written ones, and publish them to be sent to every Town Guardian post. We in Jichun City have only collected this portion and those of our own people, so the quantity is still limited. Once you go to the headquarters, you can see all the insights and also see the collections of other offices. This is the foundation of our legacy."

Tang Zhao nodded repeatedly, feeling admiration in his heart. This was what they called pooling wisdom; even if Sword Guest cultivation was so individualistic, it was still very useful for everyone to share their experiences. Perhaps the problem you encountered had the answer in one of these books? Disciples of large sects were more likely to go far and walk steadily; it was evident how important a complete and orderly legacy was.

Tang Zhao opened the General Manual chapter to read. Chi Qianli said: "Don't rush to read the books; there are so many that you won't be able to finish them in a while. I will tell you about them so you have an idea. I borrowed these books for you, and there is only half a month. I will stay for a few days and then return, so I will prioritize explaining them first. You can read the rest yourself when the time comes, and return them when the date is up. Only one thing: don't lose them."

Tang Zhao was naturally very grateful. These books were definitely Internal Data of the Land Inspection Division. With his position still undecided, it would be difficult to borrow them legitimately. Even if he could read them, he would at most be able to read the four official chapters; he would likely not be able to borrow the rest of the experience notes. The Chi Deputy Envoy had considered things very thoroughly for him.

However, since it was a lecture, Tang Zhao still pulled out the General Manual chapter to use as a textbook on the table, then took out a notebook and a pen.

Listening to a lecture like this felt right.

"The General Manual chapter—" Although the Chi Deputy Envoy said he would focus on his own explanation, he still pulled out a book and opened it to look. This book was written very systematically and could help him recall memories and organize his thoughts.

"The first part is the key to comprehending the sword, starting from the Sword Student, talking about how to refine the spirit, realize the Sword Intent, and finally become a Sword Guest. I won't talk about that; you can make up for it yourself later. Honestly, you became a Sword Guest too quickly, and there is no such precedent. With my level, I don't know if this is a great thing or if there are hidden dangers. You are smarter than me; you can study it yourself. Check for gaps and fill them."

"Let's talk about Sword Guests. When we become Sword Guests, not talking about the sword, but only about ourselves, the most appropriate word is 'shedding the mortal body and exchanging the bones.' This is not a metaphor; it is real."

He picked up a dagger and slashed at his own hand, but it was like slashing a thick wall; no mark was left, let alone breaking the skin. This was not like the skin of a Mortal.

"The so-called copper skin and iron bones—ordinary blades and swords cannot hurt us. Of course, don't use Art Tools."

The Chi Qianli said something redundant. Once one became a Sword Guest, what one faced was at least an Art Tool or Qi; which of these things could not hurt a Sword Guest? This so-called copper skin and iron bones basically had no place to be used.

"Besides this, there are many other benefits, such as lifespan. Generally, practicing martial arts only by training external skills not only doesn't lead to longevity but also consumes the body, making it easy to have a short life. Practicing internal arts will lead to a slightly longer life; if you are careful, you can live past eighty or ninety. We Sword Guests can reach over a hundred. If you live well, living to a hundred and twenty or thirty is no problem. Although few die of old age, you generally won't get sick, and if you are lucky, reaching a hundred is not difficult."

"Also, after becoming a Sword Guest, your Spirit will reach a higher level, your mind will be sharp, and you will learn other knowledge and martial arts faster. You can also stay up late, endure hunger and thirst, and go several days without sleep or food without damaging your foundation."

He said this and then said solemnly: "I say these things not to boast about the benefits of being a Sword Guest. It is to tell you that no matter how magical the sword is, or how much one is 'man and sword as one,' we as Sword Guests are the foundation of cultivation itself."