Chapter 86: Teaching You How to Practice Calligraphy Without Studying

Two young Kui beasts were curled up in a deep sleep at Xu Fengnian's feet, looking utterly endearing. The little creatures were easy to keep; if casually tossed into the river, they could already hunt for carp and crucian carp on their own. After eating their fill and playing, they would extend their hook-like claws to an oar and easily climb back onto the boat.

Xu Fengnian, who was about to get up, looked up and saw the old Sword God turn around and walk back.

Xu Fengnian had an excellent memory, so good that Xu Weixiong claimed his only redeeming quality was his ability to remember things. He could read ten lines at a glance and possessed an almost photographic memory. He had seen many texts during his years of climbing up and down the Tide-Listening Pavilion, including the "Grand Yellow Court" incantation of the previous Wudang sect leader Wang Chonglou, the "Cantong Qi" fabricated by the Daoist riding the ox, the "Green Water Pavilion Sword Practice Record," seven or eight volumes of the "Jade Pillar Heart Method," Du Sicong's "Thousand Swords Herbal Compendium," the "Whale-Slaying Sword" from Forbidden Mountain Villa, and three secret manuals from Qingyang Palace. Unfortunately, most were merely skimmed without much thought.

Those that Jiang Ni read out word by word, Xu Fengnian listened to and comprehended, remembering them with particular clarity. However, since he practiced the saber, the white-haired old man had only led the prince to the threshold of the art before laughing heartily and departing from the manor. Later, his aunt at Qingyang Palace suggested that Xu Fengnian first master the initial fifty moves, which was akin to pointing out a small path up a mountain. But another problem arose: Xu Fengnian had not yet reached a second-rank cultivation, so he couldn't grasp the bigger picture and offer comprehensive critiques of the world's countless martial arts. His diverse and extensive reading, instead, became a hindrance to his cultivation, leaving him muddled and stagnated. This continued until Li Chungang presented the challenge of flicking a saber to smash walnuts, which was like a narrow tear appearing in a dense fog. Xu Fengnian was not unfamiliar with this type of problem; when the Imperial Preceptor Li Yishan taught him the fifteen-move strategy of Go, he enjoyed presenting his own Go formations for Xu Fengnian to solve. Xu Fengnian sat rigidly until dawn. During this time, he successfully flicked the walnuts into powder with his Xiudong saber, yet the boat deck remained completely unharmed. He even managed to shatter multiple stacked walnuts in one fluid motion with the Xiudong saber.

Li Chungang sat before Xu Fengnian and asked, "Do you know the difference between a sword move and sword intent?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head, looking puzzled.

The old man said expressionlessly, "Draw your saber."

Xu Fengnian laid his Xiudong saber flat.

The old Sword God extended a finger and casually flicked the saber's blade. Without the Xiudong saber visibly bending, three walnuts in front of Xu Fengnian simultaneously shattered. The old man lightly flicked his sleeve, stacked three more walnuts, and flicked the Xiudong again; they still shattered. The results of both actions were identical, leaving Xu Fengnian wondering what secret the old Sword God held.

Seeing Xu Fengnian's puzzled expression, Li Chungang scoffed, "Try placing your Chunlei saber beneath the Xiudong."

Xu Fengnian then adjusted his grip to hold both sabers.

The old man Li tapped the Xiudong again. Xu Fengnian's tiger's mouth trembled, and he couldn't hold the Chunlei steady. This was because a point on the Chunlei saber felt like a thunderclap, which then spread to Xu Fengnian's hand, causing his entire arm to tingle and ache. Xu Fengnian understood: this was saber aura. Storytellers in the markets and alleys commonly referred to it as 'sword qi,' though there was a subtle distinction. The old man Li gave Xu Fengnian no time to recover. He tapped the Xiudong again, and instantly the Chunlei almost flew from Xu Fengnian's grasp, its right edge sliding sharply towards Xu Fengnian's chest. It narrowly missed, because the old Sword God had pinched the Chunlei with two fingers, while the Xiudong saber remained completely still. Xu Fengnian was astonished; he racked his brain but simply couldn't comprehend it.

The old Sword God Li seemed to find the young man's comprehension too poor; he couldn't feel comfortable without letting out a scolding. He glared and said, "When you flick the Xiudong, anyone can see it bend into an arc. To an outsider, it looks impressive, but it's flashy and impractical. When I flick it, given your shallow level of cultivation, can you tell how many times the Xiudong vibrated back and forth? It might seem motionless, but is it truly still? With my two fingers, one finger transmitted saber aura through the Xiudong, striking the Chunlei. The second finger, however, abandoned the aura for a sword move. The Xiudong's blade had actually bent six times, striking the Chunlei's edge with a sideways impact, which caused the Chunlei to swing towards you. Superior sword moves are nothing more than seeking speed and stability: swift as a thunderclap, steady as the Five Great Mountains. Boy, you're still very green!"

Xu Fengnian asked, puzzled, "Then which is stronger, sword aura or sword moves?"

The old Sword God Li sneered, "If I wish to defeat an enemy with saber aura, then saber aura is superior. If I choose to kill with sword moves, then naturally sword moves are stronger than all saber auras in the world."

Well, that was a pointless question.

Xu Fengnian felt a bit helpless.

The old man Li was quite fair in his dealings. He stood up and said, "Are these two finger-techniques enough to buy all your Xuan paper?"

Xu Fengnian nodded and said, "More than enough."

The Sword God Li wandered around the boat for a bit before returning to the cabin. Xu Fengnian watched the old man's retreating figure, feeling a surge of complex emotions. Slaying flood dragons wherever they appear was no idle boast. The old man truly had 'azure dragons hidden in his sleeves'—a martial art of ultimate rigidity and pure yang, incomparably domineering. His flying sword, capable of demolishing Mount Taihua, was reputed to embody the essence of Lü Dongxuan's immortal swordsmanship. This prized 'Twin Sleeves Sword' technique was naturally a hundred times more formidable than the 'Immortal Kneeling Sword' move. Xu Fengnian had originally wondered how Li Chungang could speak of 'twin sleeves' after losing an arm, but now he no longer dared to underestimate him.

With two fingers, he flicked the Xiudong, one demonstration for saber aura, one for saber technique. His words were profound yet easy to grasp, pointing out a clear, if winding, path for Xu Fengnian, who was confused at a crossroads in his martial arts journey. Coupled with the armored maid Zhao Yutai's words, Xu Fengnian felt as if he had instantly emerged from the gates of hell, and his mind suddenly cleared. As for when he could reach the first-rank realm, or even approach the edge of the Vajra realm, Xu Fengnian was genuinely not in a hurry. This was due to Old Huang's subtle influence and teaching by example. Verbal instruction was often less effective than practical demonstration. Of course, Old Huang's swordsmanship was still a distance from that of the old Sword God Li Chungang, but in Xu Fengnian's heart, the significance of Old Huang's sword box versus the old Sword God's wooden ox was clear.

Riding out of Beiliang, Xu Fengnian finally learned from Xu Xiao what Old Huang had truly said to Wang Xianzhi when he sat facing north on his deathbed years ago.

Xu Fengnian stood with his hand on his saber, gazing at the vast river surface. He closed his eyes and continued to breathe deeply. His vital energy flowed continuously like a river, guided by his silent recitation of the "Grand Yellow Court" incantation: "Qi returns to the elixir field, creating Kan and Li within the pot. Yin and Yang endlessly cycle, transformed by a thunderclap. The trigrams unveil profound truths; who dares say immortality is impossible? A white rainbow, carried by a dragon, ascends directly to the Great Luo Heaven..."

Generally speaking, Daoist maxims for achieving immortality often devolved into the deliberate pursuit of subtle and mystical language. When ordinary people first read them, they would only find them endlessly wondrous and profoundly mysterious. In reality, without a true Daoist master personally guiding and teaching specific breathing and qi-guiding techniques, one would ultimately "enter the mountain but find no immortal," returning empty-handed. This is precisely why it is said that "immortals are unwilling to speak plainly, thus misleading millions."

As Xu Fengnian's thoughts wandered far, he sensed someone walk up behind him. At that moment, only Yu Youwei dared to approach and disturb the prince's peaceful cultivation. She held Wumeiniang and softly asked, "Won't you eat something?"

Xu Fengnian opened his eyes, grunted, and glanced at Yu Youwei. She was indeed a temptress, but unfortunately, Patriarch Lu had long ago left a poem to warn future generations: "A girl of sixteen, her body soft as butter; her waist like a sword, slays mortal men. Though no heads are seen to fall, secretly it drains your vital spirit." Xu Fengnian felt quite helpless about this. He was no naive youth, having always maintained his composure even when tempted from the time he began training his saber on the mountain until he descended. This level of self-control was remarkable.

During the meal, only Xu Fengnian, the old Sword God, and Wei Shuyang sat at the table.

Li Chungang chewed on a flatbread, remembered something, and casually remarked, "Although I made that Wu family swordsman retreat, he might come again later, and it's highly likely his cultivation will be a level higher. As for that sword move, you bunch of fools only watched the spectacle, but that fellow could discern some insights from it, which will greatly benefit his sword cultivation."

Xu Fengnian's face stiffened, and he took a harsh bite of his steamed bun.

After breakfast, the old Sword God Li spread out Xuan paper inside the cabin. He smiled at Jiang Ni, who was engrossed in a book, "Come here, Jiang girl. If you don't want to learn swordsmanship, that's fine, but I can teach you calligraphy."

Calligraphy?

Jiang Ni liked it; otherwise, she wouldn't have secretly doodled with branches on the ground in the Beiliang Prince's manor.

However, as the old man held the brush with one hand, his demeanor completely transformed. He still smiled, but said in a deep voice, "But remember, when I teach you calligraphy, you may watch, but you are not allowed to learn."

Jiang Ni didn't pay much heed, simply uttering a soft "Oh."

Xu Fengnian had Qingniao warm a pot of yellow wine and sat alone in a secluded spot.

That year, atop the wall of Martial Emperor City, Old Huang, on the verge of death, stood unyielding. Beside him was Wang Xianzhi, the second most powerful person in the world. Old Huang merely faced north and said, "Come, serve wine to the young master."

My QT room is open. Fenghuo Xizhuhou official QT room number [1655].

Reader recommendations: