Chapter 169

Chapter 169: Chapter 169: The Cauldron Nourishes a Hundred Meridians

“I actually lost just like that?”

Liu Changsheng was somewhat dazed. He had thought about the possibility of losing to Zhou Heng, but never in his wildest dreams did he expect to be defeated so quickly, so directly.

What was that Golden Bell just now?

And that golden light?

Was it the “Pure Yang Danjing” from Pure Yang Palace’s Sect Fifth Rank inner strength?

But Zhou Heng is only at the Martial Path Eighth Rank, how could he possess such formidable strength? What kind of freak is he really?

Is this… the reincarnation of a great power?

Upon this thought.

Liu Changsheng couldn’t help but smile bitterly, shaking his head gently as he closed his eyes and said indifferently, “Kill me.”

He came to kill, naturally prepared to be killed.

As these words were spoken, everyone around immediately held their breath, watching Liu Changsheng and Zhou Heng without blinking.

What would happen next?

Would Zhou Heng actually kill Liu Changsheng, especially since the other had come with the intention of killing him?

“I won’t kill you,” Zhou Heng suddenly spoke up, withdrawing his sword stance.

“You actually have the mercy of a woman?” Liu Changsheng’s eyebrows raised, somewhat incredulous.

“Killing you would be as easy as slaughtering a chicken; life and death are at my whim,” Zhou Heng shook his head slightly, speaking indifferently, “This time I’ll spare your life, and we’ll consider the favor of the past settled.”

The Tiger Bone Refining Pill that first truly put him on the Martial Path was a gift from Liu Changsheng.

Although even without that pill he would have eventually reached the Ninth Grade of Martial Path, oftentimes in life the difference is just a matter of sooner or later.

Sooner or later, that is the difference between life and death.

If he hadn’t reached the Ninth Grade at that time, Yu He would have been tainted by ghostly energy and died; if he hadn’t attained the Ninth Grade, he might himself have been killed by the ghostly beings…

Zhou Heng had always remembered this favor.

“Favor, are you talking about that Tiger Bone Refining Pill?” Liu Changsheng heard this and was astounded, never having thought that a pill given away on a whim could actually save his life.

After all, he initially just wanted Zhou Heng to reach the Ninth Grade so he could have a match with him and satisfy his desire for martial competition.

Serendipity had led to unintended blessings.

“That’s right, you may go,” Zhou Heng nodded slightly.

“…” Liu Changsheng was silent, his hand holding the sword trembling slightly. After a long moment, he exhaled deeply, shook his head with a light chuckle, “Heh, never thought I would actually be spared by you.”

Then, he took a few steps back, bowing deeply to Zhou Heng with utmost respect, while the hand holding the sword brought the blade against the back of his hand, drawing a line of blood.

Blood dripped down.

The crowd immediately erupted in a buzz.

“An oath with the sword! This is a pledge to never harm Zhou Heng and his close ones in this lifetime.”

“Not just that, by taking the oath with the sword, the swearer must fulfill any need of the other party, even if it means risking their own life.”

“Liu Changsheng is treating his own life as if it’s one given by Zhou Heng.”

“Indeed, thinking about it that way isn’t wrong, but such changes in the state of the world really make one sigh.”

The crowd was buzzing with conversation.

The posture in which Liu Changsheng now bowed to Zhou Heng was the famous oath with the sword in the martial world, no words needed; to simply perform this gesture was to take the oath with the sword.

“You really didn’t have to do this,” Zhou Heng said.

“The gentleman displays great benevolence, I simply cannot return it with injustice,” Liu Changsheng got up and sheathed his sword, already addressing Zhou Heng differently, “Thank you, sir, for giving me a new life, I bid you farewell.”

Having said that, he turned and left.

The crowd immediately parted, creating a path for him to pass through.

Yu He approached Zhou Heng and murmured, “You’re just letting him go like that?”

“Yeah,” Zhou Heng nodded, watching the gradually receding figure of Liu Changsheng, “Perhaps, from now on, there will be no Liu Changsheng in this world.”

Liu Changsheng saying he had been given a new life meant his life from now on started with Zhou Heng sparing him.

The son of Liu Gaoyang, Liu Changsheng of the past, was now dead.

That also fulfilled what Zhou Heng had said earlier about settling past favours, and it matched what he had declared before descending the mountain, that past grudges were settled.

What came next would be a completely new life.

In the crowd.

Pei Luoling, looking at Zhou Heng’s figure, couldn’t help but admire aloud, “What a magnanimous heart, great benevolence, this must be the demeanor of a grandmaster, right, brother? What do you think?”

“He… has grown even stronger,” Pei Luoshu replied in awe, “Just now, Liu Changsheng’s sword technique was undoubtedly that of the Secret Six Rank, but he was able to break through it so directly, truly boggling the mind.”

“…” Pei Luoling was at a loss for words and could only roll her eyes in response.

…

Liu Changsheng left Huangtong Mansion City, walking to a place where few people tread.

He suddenly stopped, sighed, and said, “Come out, Manager Wang.”

On both sides of this road were forests.

Only the rustling of tree leaves was heard when a plainly-dressed elder emerged from a tree. It was Wang Lang.

“Young Master, I—I just feared disturbing your mind,” Wang Lang said, lowering his head, not daring to speak loudly. He was so nervous he feared Liu Changsheng might, in a moment of despair, draw his sword and slay himself.

Those who failed in their revenge and were spared by their enemies often died by their own hand out of humiliation and shame.

“Are you worried that I’d take my own life?” Liu Changsheng turned his head to look at Wang Lang and smiled, “Actually, there’s no need for that. I’ve just been reborn, why would I seek death?”

“That’s wonderful, Young Master!” Finally relieved, Wang Lang smiled and said, “Then let’s return to Five Elder Mountain. I’ll instruct the household to prepare a feast for you, to welcome you back and celebrate your rebirth.”

“I’m not going back to Five Elder Mountain,” Liu Changsheng shook his head and said, “From now on, Liu Changsheng no longer exists. Manager Wang, you should follow my previous instructions and disperse the Liu family’s people.”

“Ah?” Wang Lang’s smile froze on his face as he exclaimed in astonishment, “Why is that??”

“I will leave Da Qi,” Liu Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, gazing northward, and said, “I’ve heard that the people of Northern Zhou are fierce, and the martial valor surpasses that of Da Qi. I want to go there and see the martial artists and affairs of that land, to meet the young heroes there.”

“Young Master, the thirty-three provinces of Da Qi are vast too. If you want to roam the martial world, why leave your homeland?” Wang Lang asked, not understanding.

“In Da Qi, I will always be a true disciple of the Five Elements Sect, unable to act freely; others would also be wary of me. Moreover…” Liu Changsheng turned to look in the direction of Huangtong Mansion City and said, “With my current strength, I’m not worthy to stand beside him. The martial world of Da Qi in the next decade or so will be his.”

“Are you talking about Zhou Heng?” Wang Lang asked in surprise. “Is he… that formidable? The top ten of the rankings are extremely powerful, nearly inhuman.”

“If the top ten are inhuman, then Mr. Zhou would be ranked among immortals,” Liu Changsheng said with a light laugh. “Manager Wang, you don’t need to persuade me. Isn’t the outcome now much better than you expected?

“At least, I am still alive, and going to Northern Zhou doesn’t necessarily mean death.”

“But…” Wang Lang still wanted to argue.

“Manager Wang!” Liu Changsheng interrupted him, “There’s no need for further words.”

“…Okay.” Wang Lang could only nod and sighed, “I hope you take good care of yourself, Young Master. Remember to be careful in the martial world. Many who seem kind actually harbor malice… If you encounter someone you cannot defeat, don’t fight recklessly. Be sure to run…”

He had intended to offer only a few pieces of worldly advice, but somehow his words became a lengthy and detailed discourse, as if he feared leaving anything out.

Wang Lang truly cared for Liu Changsheng. Though by status he was merely a subordinate of Liu Gaoyang, having lost his family at a young age and never having married or had children, he had watched Liu Changsheng grow up and had long come to care for him as if he were his own son.

That was why Wang Lang always followed Liu Changsheng whenever he left the mountain, whether it was openly or in secret, fearing that something might befall him.

This time, however, Liu Changsheng did not interrupt Wang Lang; he just listened with a smile. After Wang Lang had finished speaking, he bowed deeply, bade him farewell, and left.

From that point on, in the martial world of Da Qi, there was no more Little Green Wood Sword.

…

The opening ceremony of Longxing Martial Arts Hall was splendid. Besides the initial grand opening celebration, there was a seven-day-long ongoing banquet, open to all regardless of status, with no limit to the number of guests. Anyone who came was welcome to take a seat.

These seven days became a carnival for Huangtong Mansion City and the surrounding counties.

It was extraordinarily lively.

However, Zhou Heng had not appeared since the duel with Liu Changsheng that day.

After all, the matters of the martial arts hall could be handled by Lei Xiuyan and Yu He—there was no need for him to trouble himself with it.

“`

In the training room of Longxing Martial Arts Hall.

Zhou Heng sat cross-legged, allowing his inner Qi to circulate on its own, nourishing his tendons, bones, blood, and limbs, but this simply strengthened his physique and did not enable him to truly break through to the next realm.

These days he had been primarily comprehending the “White Rainbow Sword Technique” given to him by Cheng Jianjian.

He was also reflecting on his battle with Liu Changsheng.

Although he had won very easily at the time, and the reward notification was “not worth a blow,” the feeling of forcefully countering Liu Changsheng’s “Qing Divine Descending Sword” move had given him much more insight.

At the time, it seemed he was merely charging head-on with the strength of the Golden Bell Cover, but in reality, he was simultaneously executing several martial arts.

Innate Skill, Pure Yang Dan Scripture, Minor Indiscriminate Skill, Golden Bell Cover, Sword-Breaking Form, Ring Gold Palm, Six Paths Folding Plum Hand, and One-Read Across the River—all these martial arts were deployed at the same time, which led to his overwhelming victory over Liu Changsheng.

If it were somebody else, it would have been nearly impossible.

A normal Eighth Rank martial artist could not possibly have access to so many Seventh Rank or even higher-level martial arts, and even if they did, it would be unlikely for them to learn them all, let alone integrate and simultaneously execute them.

But Zhou Heng was different; he had cheats.

“According to Miss Cheng’s experience with the White Rainbow Sword Technique, she honed her swordsmanship through countless battles, gradually extracting the essence from the many Eighth Rank sword techniques she had learned.

“Finally, combining her own understanding of the Sword Dao, she created a sword technique that was unique to her and used it to construct a miniature internal realm as the foundation to break through the realm, transforming and stepping onto the Seventh Rank level.

“This is a process of simplifying complexity and striving for perfection, and it should be the path that Senior Brother Yan pointed out to me too, but the martial arts I have learned are too diverse, and their rankings are not low.

“If I take this path, I’m afraid it would take decades of refinement before I could possibly summarize and devise a unique martial arts path of my own…”

“However, the fundamental purpose of creating martial arts is to integrate one’s will, thereby constructing a miniature internal realm fitting one’s state of mind; this is not the only method. Ordinary martial artists also manage to break through by diligently, slowly exploring their own conditions.

“Considering the characteristics of my current martial arts, what would most suit me is actually a miniature internal realm that can accommodate many different martial arts and run smoothly as one.

“Nourish the hundred channels with the cauldron and tripod?”

As Zhou Heng pondered in his mind, he mused, “But if I want to construct such a miniature internal realm, what form should it take, and what kind of will should be the foundation?

“What kind of miniature internal realm can cultivate the hundred channels, what kind of will can be thorough and consistent, all-encompassing and inclusive of everything? It seems I still need to spar with stronger opponents to gain further insight.

“Speaking of which, I haven’t really had a proper fight with someone who has an external manifested miniature realm. Once things settle down at the martial hall, I should go out and travel.

“But these experts have elusive whereabouts, so I’ll need to find someone to inquire about their locations.”

Peak of the Seventh Rank is the initial manifestation of an external miniature realm.

If it’s a young expert, they are usually ranked within the top thirty on the people’s list.

Bang bang!

Just at that moment, there was a knock at the door.

“Zhou Heng, there are two people looking for you outside,” Yu He’s voice came from outside the training room, saying, “A man and a woman, siblings. Their names are Pei Luoshu and Pei Luoling. Do you want to see them?”

“`