Mysterious Martial Arts: The Record of the Swordsman

Chapter 314 Pitiful Bones in a Desolate Mound and a Poor Spring

Chapter 314 Pitiful Bones in a Desolate Mound and a Poor Spring

Inside the Sanqing Hall of Huixian Temple, candlelight flickered and sandalwood incense wafted through the air. Yuan Louzi let out a carefree hiccup, his missing front tooth grinning as he revealed a lazy yet smug smile: "Junior brother, did our patriarch leave this thing behind to breed offspring?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Huazi's hair stood on end, his face, already pale from exhaustion, turned ashen and then flushed crimson. His finger trembled as he pointed at Yuan Louzi, his voice distorted by extreme shock.

"Then you...you...you can't just...use the last copy of the 'Supreme Star Ascension Talisman' personally passed down by the Patriarch like that?!"

His chest heaved violently, as if all his strength had been drained. He staggered and grabbed the edge of the cold altar to steady himself. His eyes seemed to have stopped moving, as if the tumor in his left chest that had been throbbing for decades had finally stopped.

Although Jiang Wen had some knowledge of the history of the Supreme Star Ascension Talisman, he was not clear about its uses. He only knew that the Manting Immortal Banquet was able to resist the poison of the Heartbeat by having this talisman on its body.

“Master Yuanhua, please calm down. Things have come to this point, there’s no point in saying more…” Jiang Wen quickly smoothed things over and steered the conversation elsewhere. “I thought the Supreme Star Ascension Talisman had been completely used up, but I didn’t expect Master Yuanlou to still have one.”

Yuan Louzi, clutching his wine gourd, said, "When the Patriarch Bai Yuchan passed this talisman on to his disciples, it was passed down secretly for many years and thus never leaked out. My master, knowing that all seven of us brothers had the duty of guarding the mountain gate, gave each of us a talisman for protection."

Jiang Wen stroked his chin and said, "I see. So there should still be five more Supreme Star Ascension Registers, and they are in the hands of your fellow disciples. Why is True Man Yuanhua so heartbroken?"

"Oh, how could I possibly be heartbroken over this talisman!"

Yuan Huazi gasped for breath, forcing himself to calm down, but his voice still carried barely suppressed emotion, "Senior brother, what are you thinking? This talisman... its effects and consequences... do you even know them?!"

Yuan Louzi took a swig of wine: "Junior brother, you're just too fixated on everything being perfect. You said their souls were captured and trapped by that damned 'Misty Path to the Emerald Kingdom,' right? The Yellow Register Fasting Ceremony is about 'inviting' and 'guiding,' but that place is evil; ordinary methods won't work, you can't even find the door. How can you invite them? How can you guide them?"

He paused, walked to the soft couch, and stretched out his rough fingers, lightly touching the space between Huang Liang and Jian Fu's eyebrows, where a faint, almost imperceptible lingering starlight seemed to remain.

"The wonder of this 'Supreme Star Ascension Register' lies in the words 'ascension' and 'jump'! It doesn't go to the underworld to retrieve people, but forcibly carves out a gap that allows one to 'jump out of the Three Realms' in an instant, so that the person can be found out of the world for a moment!"

"Even a fleeting moment of 'feigned death' is enough to give their tightly bound, mired souls a chance to breathe, like a drowning person suddenly pulled to the surface and gasping for air! That breath is life! No matter how bizarre that place is, its binding force will inevitably loosen and break in the face of this momentary illusion of 'elevation.' The soul, having gained this opportunity, will instinctively break free of its restraints and return to its body. This method is called 'putting oneself in a life-or-death situation' or 'using feigned death to break true entrapment'!"

Jiang Wen listened from the side, his curiosity piqued.

Although this explanation is profound, it subtly resonates with the feeling he had when he witnessed the misty road through the emerald kingdom of Yunnan, a feeling of instantaneous spatial displacement and the forced stripping of life.

By forcibly creating a momentary state of "fake death," one can deceive the perception and restraint of that eerie entity, thereby breaking free...

This idea is so unconventional and extreme, it's absolutely brilliant! I guess only a seasoned veteran like Yuan Louzi, who seems unruly and crazy but is actually indifferent to life and death, would dare to think and do such a thing.

Yuan Huazi's expression shifted as he listened, seemingly shocked by his senior brother's boldness while also being deeply troubled by the word "fake death," and he let out a heavy sigh.

"Feigning death? Senior brother! Do you know how dangerous this 'feigning death' gap is? The slightest carelessness, and feigned death will turn into real death! The soul leaves the body, and things can change in an instant. If we don't seize this opportunity, we might attract the attention of the Jade Dragon Third Kingdom..."

"Besides, do you remember what Master once said? The origin of the Supreme Star Ascension Register is unknown, and its existence in the world is inherently a hidden danger. It should be completely destroyed once the tribulation is over."

Jiang Wen knew that the "calamity" Yuan Huazi mentioned referred to the Mirage Conch hidden deep within Manting Peak for thousands of years. It seemed that this talisman, like the incense of the Han Yuanshou Palace, was something that had to be kept due to the urgency of the situation, but he never thought of letting it circulate again. At this moment, he couldn't help but ask.

"Two esteemed masters, what is so strange about this Supreme Star Ascension Register? Why are you being so cautious?"

Jiang Wen noticed the two old Taoists exchanging glances, and only after Yuan Huazi nodded slightly did Yuan Louzi ask with interest, "Sect Leader Jiang, do you know what a 'lu' is?"

The Seven Tablets of the Cloudy Bookcase states: "The registers are the spiritual texts of the Supreme True God and the secret words of the saints of the Nine Heavens." Holding them can control mountains and rivers, cleanse impurities, transmit memorials, and communicate with immortals.

Jiang Wen, even as a fake Taoist priest, still had some understanding of these things. The so-called "lu" (箓), also known as "daolu" (道箓) or "falu" (法箓), is a document that records the names of divine officials and generals. It usually lists the names of the divine officials and corresponding talismans, and some even have images of the gods. When performing rituals, Taoist priests who have received the "lu" are required to read and memorize it.

The reason why they look so mysterious is that the talisman diagrams are mostly drawn using the talismanic script symbolizing clouds and mist, and the text lists many names of celestial beings and earth gods, which dazzles outsiders and makes them confused.

Seeing that his junior brother had not yet recovered, Yuan Louzi continued, "But this Supreme Star Ascension Record has no one to know the name of the deity recorded on it. It is as if it is a natural cloud script, so once it is used, no one can copy it again and reproduce its true appearance."

Jiang Wenqi said, "The origin is so mysterious? No wonder anyone who gets their hands on this Supreme Star Ascension Talisman can use it. But in my opinion, could it simply be that it has been forgotten over the years?"

Yuan Louzi interrupted him as if it were the most natural thing in the world, shaking his wine gourd. "Good question. Then let me ask you, do you know where the Supreme Star Ascension Register came from?"

Jiang Wen pondered for a moment, then carefully explained, “Let me think… Emperor Ai of Han tried to prolong his life using the Bluebird Method, but failed and was transformed into a jade cocoon. When Wang Mang usurped the Han throne, he discovered an unyielding blue-gold seed inside Emperor Ai’s jade cocoon… He attempted to plant the blue-gold seed in his own body with the help of Ai Zhang from Zitong, but ultimately failed and was killed… The seed later ended up in the hands of Tao Hongjing of the Shangqing School, and that’s when it got its new name—Taishang Buxing Shenggang Lu.”

Yuanlou Daoren also shook his head and said, "That's right. More than three hundred years have passed since Wang Mang was killed and the Shangqing School was founded. The sudden appearance of the Taishang Buxing Shengganglu is impossible to verify. Master Bai Yuchan always believed that there were still hidden stories, but after investigating in many places, there was no news. He could only tell his disciples to be more careful."

Yuan Huazi spoke in a deep voice, his tone unusually serious.

"It's not that simple. Before my master passed away, he mentioned to me that the Shangqing Sect had an inexplicable relationship with the Azure Bird Technique, and now the Supreme Step Star Ascension Talisman has suddenly become popular. I'm afraid..."

Jiang Wen quickly asked, "Master, what do you mean by that?"

Although the two old Taoist priests, Yuanhua and Yuanlou, were discussing the secrets of their sect, Jiang Wen did not intend to avoid the topic. This was mainly because both of their sole disciples had died for various reasons, and it was not realistic for them to find successors at their age. If he didn't tell them some things, he was afraid he would take them to his grave.

"Old Taoist, let me ask you one more question: Who created the talisman?"

Jiang Wen pondered, "The origin of the Taoist scriptures has always been attributed to Laozi, but it was actually founded by Zhang Daoling's Five Pecks of Rice sect. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Biography of Zhang Lu: 'Zhang Daoling was a guest in Shu, where he studied Taoism in Crane Cry Mountain and created Taoist books.'"

Yuan Huazi nodded and said, "The Daoist scriptures do indeed say that when Zhang Tianshi was cultivating in Yangping Mountain, he established twenty-four administrative regions, created twenty-four grades of Zhengyi Mengwei Scriptures and Registers, and assigned them to the twenty-four administrative regions to supervise the ghosts, gods, and meritorious officials of the twenty-four administrative regions. But if you count, that was during the reign of Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty..."

Jiang Wen suddenly understood what Yuan Huazi's lineage was worried about.

If the creation of Taoist talismans is generally considered to have occurred during the reign of Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty (around 120 AD), marked by Zhang Daoling's creation of the "Zhengyi Mengwei Jinglu", while the Taishang Buxing Shenggang Lu appeared in the second year of the Yuanshou era of Emperor Ai of the Western Han Dynasty (1 BC), it would be very risky both logically and emotionally.

"If I hadn't personally witnessed the power of the Supreme Star Ascension Talisman, I would have suspected that the Shangqing Sect had fabricated a talisman out of thin air..."

Jiang Wen sat cross-legged in the Sanqing Hall, stroking his chin and saying, "But now it seems that the Shangqing School didn't just fabricate it out of thin air. It's more likely that they made a far-fetched connection, calling something that seems plausible but isn't 'Lu'..."

At this moment, Yuan Huazi's expression softened slightly. He glanced at Jiang Wen, who looked troubled, but remained silent.

"So that's where the strange thing is... I think the problem probably lies in the matter of Zhang Tianshi establishing the religion."

Jiang Wen slapped his hand on the bluestone floor and suddenly spoke, drawing sidelong glances from Yuan Huazi and Yuan Louzi.

The history of Taoism is described as "starting with Laozi, then recounting the immortals, and following Zhang Ling." Although Zhang Daoling is revered as the Celestial Master, he only founded the main early sect of Taoism, the "Celestial Masters Sect." Before Zhang Daoling founded the sect, other sects already existed. These sects are obscure and vague in historical records, but there were at least several sects, including the Celestial Masters Sect, the Huang-Lao Sect, the Fangxian Sect, and the Wu-Gui Sect. They just hadn't truly merged yet and all identified themselves as "Taoism."

Jiang Wen spoke slowly, pondering as he went: "During the reign of Emperor Ai of Jin, the Taoist master Yang Xi descended through spirit writing, claiming that Wei Huacun had bestowed upon him the *Shangqing Zhenjing* (True Scripture of Shangqing), and ordered Yang Xi to write it down in clerical script, thus establishing the Shangqing School. Later, it was passed down to Xu Mi, the military commander of Jurong, and his son Xu Xun. The two Xus also copied the *Shangqing Jing*, and both attained Tao through practicing the methods of the Shangqing Scripture... I wonder where this Lady Wei attained Tao?"

Yuan Huazi replied: "Lady Wei, the Supreme True Lord of Purple Void and the God of Fate, was fond of the Dao from a young age. She was quiet, respectful, and well-versed in the classics of Zhuangzi, Laozi, the Five Classics, and the Hundred Schools of Thought. She especially admired immortals. When she was thirty-seven years old, she was meditating when suddenly a group of immortals descended. The Pure Void True Man Wang Bao descended and bestowed upon her the 'Way of Divine Immortality'."

Jiang Wen muttered to himself, "It's another incantation technique... Where did that Pure Void Master Wang Bao obtain his Dao from?"

Yuan Huazi hesitated for a moment, then returned to his study to retrieve the "Seven Tablets of the Cloudy Bookcase." After flipping through it for a while, he found the record on page two of Volume Four, "Preface to the Annotations on the Source of the Shangqing Scripture": "On the day of Wuwu in the ninth month of the second year of the Yuanshi era of Emperor Xiaoping of Han (2 AD), the True Man of the Western City bestowed the thirty-one volumes of the Shangqing Scripture upon the True Man of Qingxu, the Lesser Heavenly King Wang Bao, at Yangluo Mountain..."

“I remember now. Wang Bao Zhenjun, courtesy name Zideng, was born in the third year of Jianzhao of Emperor Yuan of Han. He was from Xiangping, Fanyang. His father, Wang Kai, was an important minister of the Han Dynasty, but Wang Bao was indifferent to fame and fortune and loved the Dao. At the age of thirty, he entered Mount Hua to cultivate for nine years and studied under the Taiji Zhenren Xicheng Wangjun.”

Jiang Wen continued to ask, "Where did the Taiji Master, Xicheng Wangjun, learn his teachings?"

This time, the two old Taoists answered in unison, "We are disciples of Qing Tongzi."

During the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, people believed that the Eastern King Duke was also known as the Green Boy Lord. He was a great deity who transmitted scriptures to the Shangqing School in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and he became the founder of the Quanzhen School of Taoism in the Song Dynasty. Naturally, he was a household name.

According to Taoist scriptures, most of the Shangqing School's scriptures, Taoist practices, and talismans were transmitted to the human world by the Shangxiang Qingtongjun, a position similar to that of the Lingbao School's Tianzhen Huangren.

The Heavenly Emperor is also an important deity revered as an ancient immortal in Taoism. He has a strange appearance and is covered in black hair. He lives in seclusion in Mount Emei and transforms the heavenly book into common words and characters, and gives the Yellow Emperor the "Scripture of Salvation".

Upon hearing that he was to learn from such a mysterious and esoteric deity, Jiang Wen lost interest: "Hmm... the idea of ​​learning from the Eastern King Duke is too far-fetched and impractical, it's as good as saying nothing at all."

However, this journey of tracing the origins was not entirely fruitless. At least Jiang Wen figured out the lineage of the Shangqing Scripture: Qing Tong Jun—Xi Cheng Wang Jun—Wang Bao—Wei Hua Cun—Yang Xi—Xu Xun.

This reminded him of Song Xianze and Li Xinghe, the master and disciple he had met in Guangzhou. They were from the lineage of Fangxian Daoist Master He Shang Zhangren - An Qisheng - Ma Mingsheng - Yin Changsheng - Bao Liang - Ge Hong.

Just then, Yuan Louzi swayed over after taking a swig of wine. His cloudy old eyes flashed with an unusual glint in the candlelight, no longer from drunkenness, but from a profound insight that was almost penetrating.

"Speaking of the King of Xicheng, this old Taoist knows a bit about him. More than a hundred years ago, Shaanxi was struck by an earthquake, and I heard that an ancient city had appeared in Ankang, so I went there with great interest..."

Jiang Wen almost forgot that besides being a drunkard, Yuan Louzi was also a very proactive rhinoceros hunter. He had traveled all over the country to many famous mountains just by following the clues of the ancient sword that shot the dragon's light. He just didn't know if he had ever played the role of a tomb raider.

The earthquake mentioned by Yuan Louzi was an 8-magnitude earthquake that struck Huaxian County, Shaanxi Province on December 12th of the 34th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty. This was one of the deadliest earthquakes in global history. The "Treatise on the Five Elements" in the History of Ming describes it as "the ground cracked and springs gushed forth," and "city walls and houses sank into the ground," affecting many areas in Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan provinces.

The local county annals of Ankang record the following: "A great earthquake struck, lasting for days, with a sound like ten thousand thunderclaps. Mountains crumbled and cliffs split open. Half of the western city street collapsed. The day after the earthquake subsided, black water gushed out from a hole in the corner of the city. Soon after, black locusts covered the sky and flew out of the city. The jagged rocks split open, revealing the ancient city below the collapsed ravine. The city walls and gates were still intact, and the brickwork and decorations were all in the style of the Former Han Dynasty."

According to Yuan Louzi's recollection, when he arrived at the ancient city after searching for traces, the government had already closed it off again for many years.

Locals say the crack is not far from the city wall, and people often hear a continuous series of faint sounds coming from it, as if millions of people are whispering together in the dark underground. The bolder people who peek into the city from the wall see that it is pitch black without any light, and there seems to be a huge creature crawling inside, with a girth of more than ten arm spans, with no head or tail in sight, slowly wriggling.

The man was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground. After the other two people carried him back, he lost his voice and could no longer speak. He died not long after.

"I spent money searching locally and finally found some fragments of bamboo slips and silk. They were written in Taoist scripture and had all sorts of signatures. That's how the old Taoist learned that the so-called Third Grotto-Heaven, Xicheng Grotto-Heaven, was not the one five miles northwest of Ankang County at all! The Wang family of Xicheng was a Wang family that lived in Xicheng for a long time during the Former Han Dynasty. It should be a group, not just one person!"

After organizing the documents, Yuan Louzi discovered that the first person to appear in the fragments, the King of Xicheng, was named Qun, and likely lived during the late Qin and early Han dynasties. His life and deeds are unknown; what we know about him now comes mostly from Zhang Junfang's *Yunji Qiqian* (Seven Tablets of the Cloudy Bookcase) and Tao Hongjing's *Zhen Gao* (True Proclamation). Following him are Wang Bao, Wang Fangping, and various other accounts…

There's another interesting point here: Wang Jun of Xicheng's disciple was named Mao Ying, and according to records, his great-grandfather Mao Meng had sought guidance from Guiguzi—and Guiguzi, Wang, whose given name was Xu and whose alias was Chan.

Jiang Wen suddenly added, "Oh, and don't forget that the powerful Empress Dowager and her nephew from the late Western Han Dynasty also had the surname Wang..."

Jiang Wen silently calculated in his mind that Wang Bao Zhenjun was born in the third year of Jianzhao of Emperor Yuan of Han (36 BC), and entered Huashan to cultivate at the age of 31. It seemed to be very close to the timeline of the Queen Mother of the West's plan and Emperor Ai of Han taking medicine.

"........."

For a moment, the Sanqing Hall fell silent. No one dared to continue the topic. After all, the three of them had pondered for a while and actually deduced that the Shangqing School, one of the major Taoist schools, was likely a disguised form of the Western City King's lineage.

This incident alone wouldn't be significant, as there have been numerous questions about Yang Xi's origins throughout history. However, once this matter is linked to things like the Azure Bird Descent Technique and the Supreme Star Ascension Register, the story seems to point directly to a grand conspiracy hidden in a vast fog of mystery for thousands of years...

"Cough cough...uh..."

At this moment, Jianfu, who was being guarded by laborers in the backyard, suddenly coughed and vomited a small mouthful of black, stagnant blood. He then curled up in pain, clutching his head tightly with both hands, as if something inside was tearing at it frantically.

Huang Liang also spoke hoarsely, his voice like sandpaper scraping, his body trembling slightly, his eyes fixed on his thighs and ribs, where, beneath the bandages, it felt as if invisible teeth were gnawing at his nerves.

Jiang Wenxun immediately stepped forward, channeling his Yi Jin Jing internal energy gently into the two individuals' bodies to help them regulate their disordered breathing and calm their turbulent blood and qi.

He could sense that although there was internal energy surging through their meridians, it wasn't a major problem. The source of the issue was a cold, eerie, and resentful aura that lingered there.

After this discussion about the Supreme Star Ascension Register, Jiang Wen, Yuan Huazi, and Yuan Louzi exchanged glances and clearly reached a consensus on how to handle the matter.

"The two brave warriors have finally awakened. You are both recovering from serious injuries and should not move around rashly. It would be better for you to stay in Huixian Temple to recuperate for the time being. This Master Yuanhua's medical skills and Taoist arts are both first-rate in this world, so you can rest assured."

"May you enjoy boundless longevity and blessings. Since your souls have been damaged, you must recite the 'Qingjing Jing' and 'Duren Jing' in front of the ancestral master's image every morning and evening. With the power of the scriptures and mantras, you can gradually cleanse the evil stains from your souls."

Yuan Huazi turned to Jiang Wen and Yuan Louzi, his tone calm but firm and unquestionable: "Forty-nine days! The two of them must stay in Huixian Temple, not leaving for a moment!"

Yuan Louzi also dropped his nonchalant expression, and unusually nodded in admission of his mistake. He took a swig of wine and said in a low voice, "Junior brother was right this time. This matter is very strange. We must not leave the Taoist temple even for a moment, otherwise... hehe, the trouble we will attract will probably be more than just this bad luck."

Huang Liang and Jian Fu had just woken up when they were repeatedly threatened by the three of them in a coordinated manner. In addition, they were too weak to speak, so they could only nod and continue to lie down to rest. It seemed that nothing would change in the short term.

Jiang Wen breathed a sigh of relief, but thinking about the growing number of martial arts figures in Xiamei Town, a motley crew of all kinds, and the upcoming martial arts conference rife with undercurrents, he felt that time was running out and immediately took his leave.

“I understand your good intentions, Master. I will entrust these two to you. We will settle all the necessary medicines and expenses later.”

Jiang Wen seemingly generously cupped his hands to Yuan Huazi and the other man. He glanced at Huang Liangjianfu, whose consciousness was sometimes clear and sometimes blurred, and said, "I will make other arrangements for them once their condition stabilizes."

It wasn't that he was ignoring the two of them, but the Wuyishan Martial Arts Tournament was scheduled to open at the latest the day after tomorrow, so he had to rush back as soon as possible.

Although the major sects hadn't arrived yet, he had been planning for a long time, intending to give the martial arts world a once-in-a-lifetime surprise at the conference. However, Jiang Wen seemed to have forgotten one thing: the troublemaking nature of martial arts figures meant they would never settle for mediocrity. Therefore, he had no idea what kind of "surprise" these people would bring him later…