Chapter 11
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 11: Past Events
“What strange occurrence?” Xue Qing and Situ Ping asked simultaneously.
Hermit Yanming continued: “When the four of us reached the mountaintop with our food and wine in the early morning, just as the sun was rising. When we walked to the only pine tree on the top of the mountain we found that someone had already occupied the place.”
“It was an old beggar with white hair, a ruddy complexion, and a demeanor like that of an immortal. He was reclining on a stone slab under the pine tree, bathed in the morning sun he resembled a deity.” The Yanming Hermit squinted his eyes as he recounted, seemingly lost in memories of the past.
“However, his clothes were tattered, clearly indicating he was a beggar. We initially thought he might be an elder from the Beggars’ Sect, but he didn’t have a cloth sack with him. When the old beggar saw us approaching, he asked, ‘Do you know martial arts?’ We all nodded in agreement. Then he asked, ‘Do you have wine and meat?’ Again, we nodded. He said, ‘Bring them here.’ At that moment, I happened to be carrying the wine and meat. As if under a spell, I obeyed his command and handed them over. The old beggar’s eyes lit up at the sight of the wine and meat, shining as brightly as the sunlight upon him.”
“The old beggar took our wine and meat without hesitation and wolfed it down voraciously. Strangely, the four of us just stood there watching him eat and drink until he finished everything. Then he wiped his mouth and said, ‘Good wine, good meat, not wasted this lifetime.’ He then turned to me and said, ‘You, not bad,’ and to the other three, ‘You guys, not bad either.'”
“Then, the old beggar took out a piece of parchment from his pocket, tore it into four pieces, and casually tossed one to each of us. As I was about to examine mine, he pulled out a small booklet from his pocket and flung it towards me. After doing this, he lay back on the stone with his eyes closed, paying no attention to us. We were all puzzled, but upon opening the parchment and examining it closely, it turned out to be what you are holding now. However, we couldn’t make heads or tails of it. So, I flipped through the small booklet, and the contents inside left me increasingly shocked and excited. Seeing my expression of surprise, everyone knew we had stumbled upon something good. After I finished reading, your masters also took a look. That’s when we realized we had found a treasure.”
“According to the booklet, the parchment depicts a treasure map left behind by a swordsman named Qu Da three hundred years ago. The location of the treasure is right here in front of us, in this sour jujube forest. Qu Da discovered this treasure map, found sword manuals and medicines here, and then secluded himself here to cultivate his swordsmanship for over ten years, eventually becoming a renowned hero of the Jianghu. After Qu Da achieved mastery in martial arts, he didn’t take the sword manuals and medicines with him but left them here, hoping that future generations would come across them. The booklet also explains how to use the parchment and the time to enter the treasure site. To be honest, at that moment, the four of us were filled with excitement, eager to find this place and claim the treasure immediately. However, upon checking the time, we realized that the only opportunity to enter is on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month each year. That’s when we calmed down.”
Yanming Hermit glanced at the gradually fading darkness of the sky before continuing: “To be honest when this enormous opportunity literally fell into our laps, we were initially stunned. It wasn’t until we regained our senses that we realized how unbelievable it was. However, the old beggar was still lying on the stone, and we were full of questions, waiting for him to wake up. But soon we discovered that he wasn’t asleep, he had simply ceased breathing altogether. The four of us inspected him closely, and indeed, he had passed away. So, after giving him a proper burial, we discussed the matter of claiming the treasure. However, since it was still early for the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, we each returned to our respective sects to confirm the authenticity of the treasure and plan the details of the expedition. We also agreed on the time and place for our next meeting.”
“When we met again next time, we each presented the information we had gathered. It turned out that three hundred years ago, there was a one-armed swordsman who appeared in the Jianghu. His name was quite ordinary, just Qu Da. He was exceptionally skilled in martial arts and known for his integrity. Stories of his righteousness and chivalry spread far and wide, but no one knew his background. Many tried to inquire about his sect and origins but to no avail. Qu Da never engaged in sparring matches because, as he claimed, his sword techniques were all killing moves, once he moved, he must see blood, so they could not be used for sparring. He was also not keen on fame, so despite his remarkable martial prowess, no one could rank him among the top martial artists of the time. However, according to Daoist Qingmao, who was considered the best martial artist at the time, after witnessing Qu Da’s swordsmanship, he admitted that he couldn’t match Qu Da’s unwavering and instantaneous killing sword intent. Upon hearing this, the entire Jinaghu was astounded, and fewer dared to provoke Qu Da.”
“However, there were also those who sought fame and challenged Qu Da, but he always evaded them. It wasn’t until one day when Qu Da encountered the second-ranked expert of the Demonic Path massacring a village and out of righteous anger he intervened and slew the villain with his sword. From that day on, peace reigned in his vicinity, and no one dared to court death by provoking him again. The area where Qu Da resided, called Yunzhou, was known as Pingyang City three hundred years ago. There were no troublemakers in the Jianghu daring to cause trouble in that region.”
“In fact, what truly fascinated us wasn’t just his martial prowess or his sword manual. Only those from the Ten Thousand Sword Peak would truly covet it.” Said Yanming Hermit, smiling at Ma Xiangyang. “We discovered that this Qu Da actually lived to be one hundred and twenty years old.”
“Ah~” Exclaimed the six young listeners in astonishment at the story.
People in the Jianghu were unlike ordinary folks. They spend their whole lives on the edge of the blade, inevitably accumulating internal and external injuries. While these might not be significant in their youth, they tend to manifest in their later years. Unless they have mastered profound internal arts, very few live past eighty. So, for this Qu Da to have lived to one hundred and twenty years old, it truly is a miracle.
At that moment, the eyes of the several young ones also lit up as they pondered whether they could find longevity medicines in the dense forest. However, their attitudes towards secret techniques were mostly the same. They all knew that they hadn’t even finished mastering their own sect’s martial arts, so who would have time to learn from other sects? Besides, even if it were the most superior martial arts, it still required time and sweat to accumulate. Everyone present was not young anymore, and their meridians were already formed. Trying to learn something new would undoubtedly be half as effective. Who would be foolish enough to do such a thing? It would be better to gain some personal benefits. Living an extra ten years meant enjoying life for an additional decade, and practicing martial arts for ten more years was a much stronger appeal than any top-notch martial arts. Of course, if there were any suburb sword techniques that could be brought back to the sect, it would contribute to the sect’s development. Recording it in the sect’s classics would also ensure their names lived on for eternity. Thinking about it, it seemed like everyone could almost see each other drooling.
Yanming Hermit, seeing the expressions of these juniors, smiled knowingly, then continued: “So the four of us continued to discuss the exploration and retrieval of the treasure. According to our respective strengths, we divided the manpower to search for similar terrain. As luck would have it, two months ago, we finally discovered this Stoneman Peak. In the end, according to our prior agreement, to avoid drawing attention from other sects, they all stayed behind in our respective sects. We only dispatched the outstanding second-generation disciples from our sects. We didn’t even send the senior disciples who might attract attention. Instead, I, the master of a sect that didn’t establish its own faction, led representatives from various sects to retrieve the treasure.”
“Of course, you are all reliable members from your respective sects, trusted confidants of the sect leaders. Before coming here, we discussed that if you encounter any unexpected gains in the treasure trove, it will belong to you.” Immediately, everyone’s faces lit up, finally understanding why they were chosen by their masters to come instead of others. Yanming Hermit continued: “Now, let’s talk about the most important matter, the distribution of the treasure.” Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions became serious, listening carefully. “If the treasure can be evenly distributed, then we’ll distribute it equally. If there are discrepancies, we’ll distribute what can be evenly distributed first. For the remainder, how do you think it should be divided?”
Everyone was taken aback, feeling somewhat surprised. This Yanming Hermit was indeed witty. At this moment, he still wanted to test the younger generation. Truly a clever person, no wonder their masters entrusted him to lead the group of juniors alone. Wen Wenhai scratched his nose and said: “Hermit, the rules of the Jianghu are set by the Jianghu itself. Let’s settle this with our martial arts skills.” The others agreed. Yanming Hermit, with an enigmatic smile, said: “Your masters said the same thing. At first, they suggested a sword duel, but apart from Thousand Swords Peak, no one else agreed. Then they proposed a fist fight, but apart from Piaomiao Sect, the others disagreed. The same went for leg techniques. So they proposed three rounds of competition, with the winner of two rounds being the overall winner. But how can we martial artists be so precise in controlling the outcome of a fight? They were also worried about the safety of their disciples, after all, you are all their direct disciples or relatives. They argued endlessly until I came up with an idea that solved everything with just one sentence. Can you guess what method I suggested?”
Everyone looked at each other, unable to guess at all. Yanming Hermit chuckled on the side. Finally, Xue Qing, blushing and stammering, said: “El… Elder, could it be rock-paper-scissors?” After saying this, her face turned so red it seemed about to bleed. Yanming Hermit exclaimed in surprise: “Young Hero Xue is truly insightful, she guessed it perfectly.” There was a commotion among everyone, but only Wen Wenhai wore a strange expression on his face.
Everyone looked at the senior expert in front of them with ‘reverence’, who had a thin face and looked like an old scholar. They couldn’t help but think to themselves: “People are always amazed at how different others can be. Our own masters always have stern faces, there’s no such demeanor as this.”
As everyone was inwardly criticizing their own masters, they suddenly saw Yanming Hermit glance at the dawn sky, slap his forehead, and exclaim: “Quick, to the edge of the woods, don’t miss the hour!”
With that, he dashed ahead towards the edge of the woods.
At that moment, the rising sun peeked out from behind the mountains, casting a shadow that flashed like lightning past the edge of the woods, swiftly retreating towards Stone Man Peak.
