Chapter 77: Chapter 54: Impermanence 1
Translator: 549690339
Having said all that, it has passed.
To live is to look to the future.
What should be the next step?
Xu Yang fell into thought.
Continue dreaming the dreams of Zhuanzhou Mengdie?
That’s certain, but not now.
The eight hundred years had eroded too heavily, and even with an extraordinary treasure like the Heshi Jade, completely cleansing the spirit and regaining vitality would require some time.
Before that, Xu Yang did not plan to dream again.
Besides, the accumulation of eight hundred years, along with the last decade or so of insights from the War God’s Atlas, also needed time to be assimilated and mastered; one shouldn’t just accumulate without utilizing.
Thus, the next step should focus on the development in the real world.
Dreaming the Zhuanzhou Mengdie dreams may be wonderful, but they are ultimately but illusions, and the reality of one’s physical existence is the foundation.
If the physical self is in constant peril, then any amount of dreaming, any achievements, are meaningless.
One must strengthen the physical body’s power, extend the lifespan, and use various methods to aid and protect one’s Dao.
All of these can be achieved through cultivating the Martial Arts Scripture.
In the world of Great Tang, over eight hundred years had passed; in the real world, nearly three years had gone by.
During these three years, Xu Yang had continuously cultivated the Martial Arts Scripture, intentionally or otherwise, actively or passively, while asleep.
Hence, his cultivation had reached the True Qi Stage and was already complete, soon to transform into True Gang.
With a cultivation level of Martial Path True Gang, he already possessed a certain self-defense capability in this mundane world and could even consider establishing his own Martial World faction or opening a martial arts school.
The power of a group will always surpass that of an individual; the benefits of establishing a force go without saying. The examples of Hundred Broken
Mountains in the world of Great Zhou and the Security Hall in the world of Great Tang are but the best instances.
But…
Xu Yang pondered for a long while, but eventually conceded the idea.
The real world is different from Great Zhou and Great Tang.
Over these three years, he had also conducted various explorations in his spare time. The deeper he probed, the more dangerous it became.
When he established forces in Great Zhou and Great Tang, he faced covetousness from all quarters, exclusion, and even brazen acts of seizing power.
Could things be calm in the real world?
Clearly not.
Gangs would vie for territory, martial arts schools for disciples. In any industry where there are benefits, conflicts are bound to arise.
Skirmishes of the Martial World are inevitable.
Xu Yang had no desire to be enmeshed in such whirlwinds and to stage the all-too-familiar theatrics of “after beating the small ones, come the big ones, and after the big ones, the undying seniors” with those bastards.
Thus, establishing a force was temporarily out of the question.
But not establishing a force does not mean he couldn’t teach martial arts.
The various attributes of the teacher’s skills, such as mutual growth through teaching and All Age Mentor, possess extremely powerful assistive effects that can effectively enhance the speed of cultivation. It would be too wasteful not to utilize them.
Therefore. Xu Yang planned to alter his appearance and, under the guise of a “martial expert,” impart certain Martial Arts Scriptures, even directly print and mass-produce martial arts manuals, scattering a dozen here and a heap there.
In doing so, he could not only disseminate the Martial Arts Scripture and enjoy various feedback bonuses from the teacher’s skills; he could also conceal his identity.
As long as enough people cultivated the Martial Arts Scripture, when he used those techniques in the future, it wouldn’t attract excessive attention or suspicion.
Of course, the Martial Arts Scriptures he threw out couldn’t be the full version.
The complete Martial Arts Scripture was all-encompassing, a mature cultivation system. Had he disposed of the entirety, it was unpredictable how many disturbances it would cause or how much attention it would draw. Xu Yang would not create such trouble for himself.
He only planned to release a simplified version of the Martial Arts Scripture. It would contain only the methods from the Inner Strength stage to the True
Gang stage, and various secret techniques and ultimate moves from the Power Scroll and Fighting Scroll would also be cut.
This simplified Martial Arts Scripture would be only slightly stronger than the top-tier martial arts passed around in the ordinary world, just a tiny bit more, no more, no less, perfect for testing the waters.
In addition to teaching the Martial Arts Scripture, constructing a lair, breeding alien beasts, and undertaking cultivation production were also agenda items.
Farming is a challenging task but also a joyful one, especially when the harvest belongs entirely to you.
He had no interest in the Martial World or seeking immortality through Cultivation.
He just wanted to live his life well.
In the vast expanse of Dongting Lake, he dreamed of fishing, feeding eagles, finding a secluded island to settle down, setting up layers of formations for self-protection, undisturbed; raising cats and dogs, chickens and ducks, snakes and turtles; planting flowers and grass, and opening up a few acres of rice fields and orchards…
In short, to farm honestly and practice martial arts quietly!
Until he was unmatched in the world, then he would leave seclusion to kill those bastards who troubled him and prevented him from living a peaceful life!
Such a simple, humble, unpretentious little wish.
After all, cultivating the Martial Arts Scripture currently requires only the essence of Qi Blood, with no need for nature’s spiritual energy, Spirit Stones, or Spirit Veins; surely those unknown Cultivators hidden somewhere wouldn’t bother to find trouble with a mere fisherman in the mundane world, right?
Thus…
Time flies, years pass swiftly by.
In the blink of an eye, three months passed.
It was still the same fish market, the same tavern, but much had changed.
After all, three years had gone by.
Three years, while not exceptionally long, brought many changes.
First was the Goldfish Gang; it… was no more.
How it disappeared, opinions varied. Some said it offended a certain big shot, others conjectured a hero had intervened. In any case, it was gone.
Gone was gone. Such things were all too common in the Martial World.
Not just the people in the Martial World, but even commoners had grown accustomed to witnessing the rise and fall of different powers; it didn’t matter who was in charge, it was all the same to them.
Eat they must, and work they must.
The Goldfish Gang was gone, but the Iron Lion Gang remained, though the once mighty Eight Roaring Lions had now been wiped out. An unappreciated disciple, known by the nickname “Black Dog,” seized power through conspiracy and killed several lion cubs and the old lion, and took the last lioness. He was thoroughly enjoying himself.
Indeed, the world is unpredictable, nothing can be foreseen.
In those three years, amidst all the change, only one name remained unaltered, a taboo.
“Old xu!”
Many still vividly remember that bloody affair, that tumultuous episode from three years ago.
Nobody dared to mention it, even though the Goldfish Gang was no more, and the Iron Lion Gang had died out too.
Why?
Because after the Goldfish Gang was gone, the Silver Fork Gang appeared, and nothing changed. In fact, things got even worse.
But none of this concerned Xu Yang.
“Old Xu” was a thing of the past.
Now, he was a martial artist dressed in black, with a sword slung on his back and an air of Evil Qi about him.
No one dared to provoke him, let alone let their imaginations run wild enough to connect him with the old fisherman from years ago.
“Honored guest, your wine!”
A buxom and graceful woman approached, delicately placing a pot of wine in front of Xu Yang, deliberately leaning forward to reveal an enticing glimpse of her chest.
She was called Jiu Niangzi, the new proprietress of the tavern, rumored to be the daughter of the former “San Niangzi”, following in her mother’s footsteps.
Xu Yang ignored the blatant hint, picked up his chopsticks, and continued to eat and drink.
Just like in the past.
Only, things had changed: the beverages and dishes were no longer watered-down sour wine or fatty meat and skimpy chicken, but rather fragrant, intoxicating Huadiao wine and deliciously cooked gourmet dishes… There were also no loudmouth drunks spewing nonsense nearby.
Much more comfortable.
After having his fill, Xu Yang left a piece of small denomination silver on the table and stood up to leave.
Jiu Niangzi looked on with longing: “Honored guest, take care. Do come back more often!”
Xu Yang smiled and left the tavern, where a donkey cart had been waiting for a while.
The carter pulled back the curtain: “Honored guest, your goods are all loaded. Where should I deliver them to?”
“I’ll do it.”
Xu Yang smiled, climbed onto the cart, and with a light flick of the whip, took up the reins adeptly.
Seeing him so down-to-earth, the carter felt much more at ease and struck up a casual conversation: “Honored guest, you really handle the cart impressively, even more steady than this old fellow who’s been driving for over a decade.”
“That’s…”
The two chatted and laughed while driving towards the outskirts of town.
Suddenly…
“Come here, everyone come over.”
At the entrance to the fish market, there was a commotion.
Xu Yang stopped the cart and looked toward the noise, only to see a group of brawny men hauling a bloodied young man, and hanging him directly from the archway of the fish market.
“Isn’t that Old Chu’s boy?”
“I remember, his name is Chu He or something like that.” “How did he get into trouble with the Silver Fork Gang…”
“Did he commit some kind of offense?”
“Who knows!”
As the Silver Fork Gang hung up the bloodied youth, everyone felt a jolt of fear. They wanted to leave but dared not make a move.
“Hmph!”
At that moment, a burly leader of the Silver Fork Gang snorted coldly and lashed his long whip forcefully onto the boy’s body, adding another ghastly, bloody welt.
“This brat, daring to steal our Silver Fork Gang’s Martial Arts Secret Techniques, truly audacious and oblivious to death! Today, I will show everyone what happens when you violate the rules of my Silver Fork Gang, so no one else makes the same grave mistake.” With that said, another lash struck the boy.
The crowd fell silent upon hearing this.
Just beside the burly man was a weasel-faced man dressed like a fisherman, who chuckled and said, “Well struck, Eight Masters! Your skills are improving by the day. This Chu family brat dared to steal our Silver Fork Gang’s martial arts – he was asking for it. And as for that old man, pah, he got off easy…”
While flattering the burly man, he also intimidated the onlookers, blatantly playing the role of a sycophant.
Seeing this, the people felt both anger and fear, yet none spoke out.
They knew what was going on.
Stealing the Silver Fork Gang’s Martial Arts Secret Technique?
If that Chu boy had such skills, would he still be toiling on the lake under the sun and wind, fishing?
Most likely, he had fortuitously found a Martial Arts Secret Technique and was secretly practicing it when the sycophant caught him and ratted him out to the Silver Fork Gang.
Upon hearing that a fisherman was covertly practicing martial arts, the Silver Fork Gang couldn’t stand it, suspecting that he stumbled upon a Divine Skill. They immediately led a large group to the scene, seized the Chu boy, and tortured him cruelly.
Such incidents were not uncommon. After the Silver Fork Gang rose to power, they became even more heinous and intensified their actions, turning a blind eye even if many cases were built on false charges or were entirely fabricated, ruling with an iron fist.
In recent years, several fishermen had already met unjust deaths.
And now, the Chu family was added to the list.
Old Chu was likely already dead, and as for that little boy, it was uncertain how much longer he could endure.
Those damn Silver Fork Gang!
The crowd cursed silently in their hearts, still keeping their silence.
“Take a good look; this is the result of practicing the Silver Fork Gang’s martial arts without permission!”
“Don’t say Eight Masters didn’t warn you all. Some things are not for everyone to touch. If anyone dares to steal from the Silver Fork Gang again, or finds something but doesn’t turn it in and secretly tampers with it, hmph, this will be the consequence!”
With that, another lash struck down forcefully.
The blood-soaked boy hung in mid-air, only letting out a muffled groan, no longer having the strength to scream.
“Leave him hanging here, as a lesson for those who pass by!”
‘Yes!”
The manager of the Silver Fork Gang threw down his whip and left with his men, leaving only two gang members to watch the scene.
Seeing this, the onlookers dared not speak and quickly left with bowed heads.
“Honored guest…”
On the donkey cart, the carter looked worriedly at Xu Yang, fearing that this guest with a sword on his back, a figure out of the Martial World, might take up the cause of injustice and lend his sword in aid.
Xu Yang smiled, said nothing, spurred the donkey cart on with his whip, and headed straight for the docks..