Chapter 96: Sword Traversing Mountains and Rivers
The village chief's primordial energy overflowed, slowly forming legs and then arms. He gently rose from the stretcher and waved his hand. The Young Protector Sword in Qin Mu's hand immediately flew out and landed in his "hand."
The old man's eyes were hazy, as if lost in distant memories.
Clang—
A sword's cry rang out as the Young Protector Sword floated in the air. The blade moved slowly, its strokes distinct: lifting, wiping, chopping, thrusting, circling, hanging, pointing, snapping, flicking, slashing, intercepting, sweeping, flourishing, and blocking. These were the most basic sword techniques, but the difference lay in how the village chief combined these fundamental moves, presenting them to Qin Mu in a strange and unique way of wielding the sword.
Sword Traversing Mountains and Rivers.
Under his swordplay, the sword light revealed shadows and outlines—majestic and towering like mountains, swift and winding like rivers, rising and falling. The light and shadow of the sword formed a vast, surging landscape chronicle, a picture of mountains and rivers before Qin Mu's eyes!
The first form of the village chief's sword technique was incredibly complex, carrying the grandeur of magnificent mountains, clouds, seas, and long rivers!
This was a map of geography and mountains reflected by the sword's light and shadow!
The village chief's sword gestures changed, and the landscape shifted with them. The old man sang as he wielded his sword, his voice carrying a mix of heroic passion and sorrow.
"In the hall, strategists plan within the tent; on the border, fierce generals wield their spears! Heaven's time, earth's advantage, and human harmony. Can the gods be conquered?"
"The answer: Yes!
"On this day, towers and cauldrons stand tall; in the future, swords traverse mountains and rivers. The people sing together the Song of the Great Wind. Command all gods to come and pay homage!" ①
His sword moved slowly to accommodate Qin Mu, allowing him to see the flow of the technique. Despite the slowness, the swordplay's grandeur was fully expressed in every gesture!
Qin Mu focused on memorizing. Although the village chief's sword technique was complex, even the most intricate moves were composed of basic thrusts, flicks, lifts, and points. As long as he mastered the fundamentals, he could learn any complex swordplay.
By the time the village chief finished demonstrating the form once, Qin Mu had already memorized the sword technique. He used a numerical memory method: thrust was one, wipe was two, chop was three, and so on.
He only needed to remember the sequence of numbers to memorize the most complex sword technique in the shortest time.
This was also the village chief's thoughtful design. Over the past two or three years, the chief had never taught him sword techniques, only making him practice basic moves like thrusting, wiping, lifting, chopping, and slashing, pushing the power of these fundamentals to their limits.
With such a solid foundation, learning complex sword techniques now became simpler and easier.
Qin Mu closed his eyes, reviewing the numerical sequence of the Sword Traversing Mountains and Rivers form in his mind over and over, then converting the numbers into moves and reviewing them again repeatedly.
After a long while, he used his primordial energy to control the sword, slowly and clumsily executing the sword technique the village chief had taught him.
His movements were awkward, strange, and stiff, and he often had to stop to recall details.
But by the second time, Qin Mu had become much smoother, only needing to pause occasionally to think.
By the third time, he could perform the entire set of moves fluently, though he still couldn't achieve the village chief's swordplay, which resembled a divine technique of mountains and rivers.
Qin Mu practiced over and over, gaining stronger control over Sword Traversing Mountains and Rivers. However, mastering its mysteries and unleashing its power in a short time was still difficult for him.
Before long, Grandma Si finished making lunch and called him to eat. Even during meals, Qin Mu occasionally used his primordial energy to roll chopsticks and practice in the air above the table.
At night, he practiced for a long time before sleeping, dreaming of himself practicing the sword.
This continued for over ten days until he finally grasped the key to Sword Traversing Mountains and Rivers!
Reading a book a hundred times reveals its meaning; the same goes for sword techniques. Qin Mu had practiced Sword Traversing Mountains and Rivers countless times!
He had memorized the form thoroughly. When he performed it this time, a flash of insight struck. He felt his primordial energy perfectly merge with the sword—towering mountains, flowing water, dragon-like ridges, hanging rivers. His sword technique executed rapidly, and the light and shadow painted a scroll of rivers and mountains!
Ding—
The sword light suddenly retracted into the fish-dragon sword guard. Before him, the scroll of mountains and rivers slowly faded away.
Qin Mu stood in a daze. He had finally mastered this sword technique.
"Mu'er, you have come of age."
The village chief smiled and said, "From today on, you are an adult, no longer a child. You can leave the Village of the Crippled and the Great Wasteland to make your own way."
Grandma Si leaned against the doorframe, watching the sword scroll appear and disappear, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
"Mu'er, you've grown up," she said with a smile.
Qin Mu stayed in the village for a few more days, learning the Art of Stealing Heaven and Replacing the Sun from Cripple. After finishing that, the day of his departure finally arrived.
Grandma Si prepared his travel luggage—a large bundle stuffed with things Qin Mu thought unnecessary—and turned the Great Nurturing Heavenly Demon Sutra into a white glove for him to wear.
After drinking the farewell wine, Qin Mu finally set off from the village. The young man looked back and saw all nine villagers standing at the village entrance, even the village chief, who had manifested his legs.
Qin Mu turned back, hugged Horse Ye, then Cripple, and hugged each one in turn. He stepped back two paces, kowtowed three times to Grandma Si, and turned to leave.
"Mu'er, if you can't win, run!"
Cripple shouted loudly: "There's poetry in the distance, but also hardship!"
Horse Ye waved: "Be strong! If someone bullies you, fight back! Don't always back down!"
Butcher raised his pig-slaying knife: "Don't disgrace us old cripples! If anyone bullies you, chop them up!"
"Be a cultured person!"
"If you can't win, you can poison them!"
"Ah, ah, ah ah!"
…
Qin Mu turned back, waved his hand, and showed a sunny smile.
Soon, he arrived at the Suppressing Central Palace valley. The demon ape was cultivating, breathing and exhaling, with a monk's staff standing beside him.
The demon ape had grown even more massive and powerful, his cultivation deep. He had practiced Horse Ye's fist techniques, and with Qin Mu teaching him the "Overlord Body Three Elixir Technique," he handled the monk's staff skillfully, looking more and more like a ferocious, black-furred demon monk.
Horse Ye's fist techniques and the Gap Shaking Monk's Staff both came from the Buddhist tradition. Although the Overlord Body Three Elixir Technique wasn't Buddhist, it suited the demon ape well, giving him an unconscious Buddhist bearing, like a temple's guardian vajra.
"What a fine demon monk! If I could make him a monk's robe and a string of skull-sized prayer beads, he'd look even more like a guardian vajra!"
Qin Mu praised, then woke the demon ape and said, "Big guy, I'm leaving. I'm going to the distant… hardship. I'll be away for a long time, maybe a while before I return."
The demon ape scratched his head: "Far?"
Qin Mu nodded: "Far."
The demon ape scratched his head again, looked back at the beasts in the valley, and suddenly let out a loud roar. From deep in the valley, the dragon-elephant guarding the herd immediately galloped over, wagging its tail ingratiatingly.
Without hesitation, the demon ape pinned the massive creature to the ground and beat it thoroughly, leaving the dragon-elephant bruised and swollen. The dragon-elephant whimpered pitifully, trembling, not daring to fight back.
"Guard!"
The demon ape pointed at the beasts in the valley, clenched his fist, and muscles like umbrella-sized mushrooms bulged on his arms. He growled fiercely: "Eat, die!"
The dragon-elephant, aggrieved, lay on the ground nodding repeatedly.
The demon ape pulled up the Gap Shaking Monk's Staff, beat his chest: "I, go."
Qin Mu shook his head: "Far."
The demon ape pointed at himself: "I, big. You, small."
Qin Mu shook his head again: "I, strong. You, weak."
The demon ape was furious, stammering: "Talking to you, is… exhausting!"
Qin Mu was amused and shook his head: "This time, I'm going to human territory. It's not like the Great Wasteland—everywhere is full of vicious people. Taking you would be too conspicuous. Wait until you can cultivate into human form, then we'll travel and train together. Besides, the dragon-elephant is savage. If you leave it here, it'll behave for a few days, but sooner or later, it'll eat all your little friends in the valley. And the dragon-elephant is so stupid, if it accidentally releases the old demon in the Suppressing Central Palace, things will get serious."
The demon ape had no choice but to nod. The dragon-elephant looked wronged, slinking away with its tail between its legs, wiping tears. Had it taken that beating for nothing?
Qin Mu waved and walked out of the Suppressing Central Palace.
"Little one—"
The demon ape jumped onto a cliff and waved vigorously: "Return, soon!"
Qin Mu reached the Green Cloud Valley Waterfall, where Fox Ling'er was holding a book and lecturing a few foxes. She was at a wonderful part, and the foxes listened with rapt attention.
When Qin Mu approached, Fox Ling'er quickly set the ancient book aside. The enchanting foxes also stood up and bowed gracefully, saying in unison, "Greetings, Young Master Mu." Their voices were crisp.
Qin Mu returned the bow and said, "No need for formality. Ling'er, I've come to say goodbye. I'm planning a long journey to Yankang outside the Great Wasteland. I might not return for three to five months."
The white fox's eyes sparkled. She hurried into a thatched hut, packed a small bundle, and came out quickly. The little fox carried a tiny backpack, much smaller than Qin Mu's, and smiled: "Sisters, you stay here and cultivate. I'll go out and explore with the young master. Let's go!"
The little fox's backpack was a hundred times smaller than Qin Mu's, looking very cute on her.
"Sister, are you drunk again?"
A fox said warily: "People outside are very bad. They'll skin us to make clothes."
Fox Ling'er laughed: "With Young Master Mu here, nothing will happen."
Qin Mu's head ached: "Ling'er, this trip isn't a game. It's very dangerous. Stay here with your sisters."
Fox Ling'er smiled: "The Demon Spirit King is forcing me to marry him. I think he's ugly, so it's a good chance to escape the marriage. My sisters can cultivate while I'm away and shed their beast forms to become human sooner."
Qin Mu shook his head: "I'm not taking the demon ape, and I can't take you either."
Fox Ling'er blinked: "That big guy is so stupid, how could he be as clever as me? Besides, young master, you need someone to take care of your daily needs on the road, don't you? I don't want to marry the Demon Spirit King. Can you bear to throw a fox into the tiger's mouth?"
Qin Mu had no choice but to say, "If you insist on coming, you must obey me and not cause trouble."
"Yes!"
At the Yong River, Qin Mu lit some incense and sang the River Sacrifice Chant. Soon, a river-carrying giant beast swam over. After feeding it, one human and one fox stood on the beast's back, drifting downstream. On both banks, green mountains were lush, and birds sang in the quiet valleys.
Qin Mu looked toward the riverbank. The Village of the Crippled flashed by. Grandma Si was still standing at the village entrance, waving to the young man.
"Mu'er, don't let a fox spirit seduce you out there… Damn it!"
Beside Qin Mu, the little white fox sat primly, turning to stick her tongue out at Grandma Si.
At that moment, an old monk arrived at the Suppressing Central Palace canyon. His head was covered in fleshy bumps, and he wore a yellow kasaya. He walked into the valley and saw the demon ape practicing the Thunder Sound Eight Forms. He stopped to praise him.
The demon ape quickly stopped. The old monk smiled and said, "You practice well, following the Buddhist path. But you haven't received the true transmission. I'll teach you this technique completely. If you have the affinity, you'll learn it."
The demon ape was puzzled: "Bald, who?"
"Are you referring to me?"
The old monk had a kind face but a solemn bearing. He smiled and said, "I am the abbot of the Great Thunderclap Temple. They call me Tathagata. I'm not truly bald. Feel it—I've cultivated my hair into flesh."
The demon ape reached out a big hand, touched his head, and exclaimed in surprise: "Bald, hair!"
The old monk smiled: "You've practiced my fist and taken my staff. Our affinity has arrived. I thought my staff had fallen into the hands of a young man, so I came to guide him. It seems he has no affinity with me; you do. Come, I'll teach you the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. When your affinity arrives in the future, come to the Great Thunderclap Temple to find me."
The demon ape seemed to understand but not quite.
Note ①: Nai, pronounced nài, fourth tone, a type of cauldron. This poem is adapted from Xin Qiji's poem, "West River Moon: Strategists at the Table in the Hall."
Book friend Yan Zhi Gui wrote a fan fiction about Sun Guardian Yan Jingjing, which Pig has placed in the related works section. Book friends can go check it out!