Mysterious Martial Arts: The Record of the Swordsman

Chapter 325 Cleverly Using Letters to Travel the World

Chapter 325 Cleverly Using Letters to Travel the World

The Nine-Bend Stream winds around the mountains like a jade ribbon, or like light clouds veiling the moon. As the bamboo raft gently sways, the group steadily approaches the stream bank with the skillful poles of the Tanka people. Before the bamboo raft has even settled, Jiang Wen is the first to get up and step onto the damp pebble beach. Looking up, he sees the famous Jade Maiden Peak of Wuyi Mountain.

Jade Maiden Peak is a typical Danxia columnar mountain in the Wuyishan area. It stands out prominently on the south bank of the second bend of the Jiuxi River. The rock face is divided into three progressively increasing sections by vertical joints, resembling three sisters standing side by side.

The peak is covered with flowers like a maiden's hair, and the rock face is as smooth and clean as jade. It is just like a graceful young girl dressing by the water, which is exactly the poem line "A strange peak with flowers by the water, with jade bones and ice skin like a maiden". The green pool below the peak is called "Bathing Fragrance Pool". The clear water reflects the blue sky, green bamboo and strange peak. From a distance, it looks like a fairyland.

Jiang Wen and his disciples strolled along the mountain path. It was nearing noon; although the morning mist had dissipated, the moist air still carried the fresh scent of grass and trees and the slight coolness of the rocks. Ancient trees with gnarled roots and hanging vines lined the path, and moss clung to the stone steps and rock walls, spreading in varying shades of green. Occasionally, mountain birds would sing, their melodious and clear voices echoing through the valley, quite different from the majestic grandeur of Dawang Peak and the secluded tranquility of Zhizhi Nunnery. All traces of human presence seemed to be isolated by these beautiful peaks.

"Master, this place is so beautiful!"

Fu Ningdie was also setting foot here for the first time, and couldn't help but admire it, letting her gaze linger on the scenery. Hong Wending, Lin Pingzhi, and the others nodded in agreement, and even Little Stone temporarily forgot about eating fish, curiously looking around.

Jiang Wen, however, was not visiting for the first time and understood that the Red Sun Sect had put a lot of effort into creating a secret branch. Although the original Jade Maiden Peak was occasionally visited, the mountain path was rugged and the stone steps were bumpy. Moreover, because it was rarely visited by outsiders, there were far more snakes, insects, and rodents than elsewhere. In comparison, although the Great King Peak had more immortals and a greater temperature difference, it was still more convenient to go up and down.

Just as everyone was immersed in the beauty of the landscape, a graceful red figure silently emerged from the bamboo path. The newcomer was a young woman dressed in the distinctive half-sleeved palace attire of the Red Sun Sect. She wore a light veil over her robes, which fluttered in the breeze, and her movements were light and almost silent.

"Jiangyou Protector Jun'an."

She had a pretty face, and although she was somewhat young, her expression carried a unique aloofness and coldness. She walked straight to Jiang Wen a few steps away and gave him a graceful bow.

"Greetings, young lady. Did the Holy Mother instruct you to wait for me, Jiang?"

The Holy Mother of the Crimson Lotus took five people with her on this trip, leaving the youngest of them, the Six Ding Goddesses, to handle communications. Jiang Wen didn't know how they communicated, but the effectiveness of their communication was far superior to that of ordinary people.

The woman's voice was clear and melodious, yet utterly flat. "The Holy Mother has sent me here to deliver this letter to Sect Leader Jiang." She presented a plain-colored letter sealed with wax, the envelope bearing no writing.

Jiang Wen followed her deeper into Jade Maiden Peak. There, nestled among the green bamboo shadows, sat an elegant house surrounded by pine and vine moss. Without careful observation, it would be easy for an ordinary person to overlook it.

"Master, Master, why don't we build a house like this?"

Fu Ningdie said to Jiang Wen with envy.

“My dear disciple, we can’t stay here. We are mortals, we can’t live here.”

Jiang Wen caught a faint, barely perceptible odor and remarked with feeling, "You see, although mosquitoes and gnats have little time to rest, bamboo vipers have a lot of time to be active."

A slight stiffness appeared on the face of the Six Ding Goddess. She quietly turned away, patted her arm, and then decisively ignored Jiang Wen's mockery.

Having lived in seclusion in the deep mountains and forests for so many years, Jiang Wen naturally knew that while such mountain valleys with waterfalls, springs, and vines surrounding houses were beautiful, they were also hiding places for mosquitoes, gnats, snakes, and insects, and who knows, wild animals might also inhabit them. These city dwellers didn't understand the difference between good and bad, and now that spring has arrived and everything is reviving, they would definitely not be able to stand it and would move away soon.

Jiang Wen sighed inwardly, thinking that young people these days really can't endure hardship. He knew that the older generation didn't suffer at all. They didn't even have cell nuclei and could only eat impurities from seawater. They might not even get a bite of organic food during the New Year.

“Protector Jiangyou, if there is nothing else, I shall take my leave now.”

The girl didn't give him a friendly look, but Jiang Wen ignored her and reached out to stop her.

“Please wait a moment, Miss. I have already read the Holy Mother’s letter. If needed, I will have to trouble you to send a message back.”

He then quickly opened the envelope and displayed the letter. The handwriting of the Holy Mother of the Red Lotus was delicate yet neat, with only a few lines of text.

"Master Jiang, as instructed, I have thoroughly investigated the whereabouts of the three members of the Tengpai Sect. According to the intelligence gathered along the way and the secret reports from the countryside, these three are indeed not good people. They have been acting suspiciously all along the way, and have successively looted several Song Dynasty tombs of gentry and merchants in Songxi County and Wuyi Mountain. The amount of gold, silver and jade artifacts they obtained is unknown."

Jiang Wen frowned. These people were indeed repeat offenders. No wonder the leader of the Tengpai Sect didn't even want the truth. Their background couldn't withstand scrutiny. If they really waited three days to find out the truth, all the dirty deeds they had done would probably be exposed.

They were rushing to Dawang Peak to participate in the martial arts tournament, and their journey was already urgent. The fact that they could still hide by day and go out at night to rob so many tombs suggests that they are seasoned and experienced criminals.

"The secret report also states that three people, who stayed overnight in Shunchang, behaved improperly and stole the tombs of 'Great Sage Equaling Heaven' and 'Great Sage Reaching Heaven' from the Shuangsheng Temple on Baoshan Mountain in Shunchang, as well as ancient artifacts from the stone pavilion on Guoyan Mountain in Shunchang County. These three people are elusive and have no scruples. I urge Sect Leader Jiang to investigate this matter thoroughly."

...And they even stole the eldest brother's grave? Did they steal the golden cudgel that weighs 13,500 jin? Or did they suddenly grow hair all over their bodies and become incredibly strong after seeing the mural of three rabbits sharing an ear?

Jiang Wen was starting to look at these three with new respect. They were making sure they didn't leave empty-handed, weren't they?

Jiang Wen had heard of this "Monkey King's Tomb" in his previous life. It is located in the Shuangsheng Temple behind the South Heavenly Gate of Baoshan Mountain, which is 1305 meters above sea level. It was first built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties and has a building area of ​​about 18 square meters. Inside the temple is an ancient joint burial tomb with two stone tablets standing side by side.

However, according to folklore reports, there have always been traces of monkey worship in the area. Although this Sun Wukong tomb is a genuine tomb, it does not contain Sun Wukong's body. It is just a "formal sacrificial mound" - which generally refers to a simple ground offering without burying the remains of the tomb owner. For example, the famous Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum and Yan Emperor's Mausoleum are also just "formal sacrificial mounds".

It's safe to say that with this level of curiosity and dedication, it's hard to avoid making mistakes.

"Young lady, recently someone has been reported to have encountered a ghost at the foot of Jade Maiden Peak. Was that your doing?"

Jiang Wen asked what was on his mind. He was very curious whether the White Lotus Sect was behind the supernatural charade, but the Six Ding Goddess shook her head.

“I’ve heard about this too. That night, the sentry reported that someone was loitering on the riverbank behaving strangely. However, we did not go to intimidate them. As long as the other party does not step into the Jade Maiden Peak area, the Holy Mother does not allow us to take action.”

"How strange. If this matter has nothing to do with the Red Sun Sect, I am rather curious as to where they have attracted such a powerful figure who is hiding in the shadows and opposing me."

Zhao Wuji had just been defeated not long ago, and Jiang Wen felt that the probability of him taking action again was not high, especially given his bewildered behavior, which seemed more like some kind of unpredictable accident. This time, he not only went out to investigate himself, but also sent out Lao Ye and the four stone lions, but the mastermind behind the scenes did not take any action, as if each action was just a whim.

The Goddess Liuding replied, "Protector Jiangyou, I can only say that there is no problem with Sanliting. In the past hundred years, apart from you, Protector, no martial arts masters have ever emerged from this area. If we count, only a few masters from the former Song Dynasty lived in seclusion here. They couldn't possibly be alive now to make trouble."

After listening, Jiang Wen pondered for a moment and felt he had no clue what to do. So he found paper and pen in his room and began to think about how to reply.

The findings were too fragmented; he couldn't very well just throw four words at the other party and expect the Holy Mother of the Crimson Lotus to write a research paper.

First, the inscription he found on the cliff along the stream at Jade Maiden Peak definitely needed to be investigated. His intuition told him that the inscription "Lao Dan is not dead" on the cliff and the inscription "Lao Dan Liang is not dead" in the poem should refer to the same thing.

Lao Dan is Laozi, but his only surviving work, the *Tao Te Ching*, does not mention his immortality. Instead, Zhuangzi, in *The Principle of Nourishing Life*, states it directly: "When Lao Dan died, Qin Shi mourned him, crying three times before leaving." He describes birth, aging, sickness, and death as natural occurrences in the human world, believing that being born in accordance with the seasons and dying in accordance with them is a manifestation of freedom from worries and attachments. Conversely, he criticizes actions that violate nature, calling them "the punishment of escaping Heaven."

However, the book *Zhuangzi* frequently employs metaphors, often fabricating characters to illustrate principles. The content is not necessarily entirely factual. At its core, these allegorical stories promote the Daoist philosophy of "naturalness and non-action"—Lao Dan was born in accordance with the seasons, in accordance with the principles of nature; he transmitted the Dao of naturalness and non-action while alive, in accordance with the principles of nature; and he died in accordance with the seasons, in accordance with the principles of nature. Lao Dan's life and death were both in accordance with the Dao of nature; what is there to grieve about? Although he died, his spirit and thoughts are passed down, he is immortal, his lifespan is as long as the Southern Mountain, and his virtue endures forever.

Secondly, the phrase "Lao Dan is immortal" itself is rich in profound meaning.

The first sentence of Chapter 6 of the Tao Te Ching mentions, "The spirit of the valley never dies; it is called the mysterious female. The gate of the mysterious female is called the root of heaven and earth." However, this sentence needs to be punctuated and should be punctuated as "the valley spirit never dies," because Chapter 39 further elaborates on this: "Heaven obtains oneness and becomes clear; earth obtains oneness and becomes tranquil; the spirit obtains oneness and becomes divine; the valley obtains oneness and becomes full."

The "valley" here does not refer to a mountain valley, but rather to a state of "emptiness" and "encompassing," just as a valley can contain all things, symbolizing the invisible yet all-encompassing origin of the universe. "God" is not a deity in the religious sense, but refers to "the unpredictable vitality" and "the creative function of nature," representing the intrinsic driving force of the growth and storage of all things.

The "immortality" here does not refer to physical immortality, but rather to the "eternal existence" and "unending cycle" of this primordial power, which is as everlasting as the changing seasons and the alternation of day and night.

If we interpret it this way, it can be combined with the content of "Nourishing Life" in Zhuangzi, both pointing to Lao Dan's understanding and attainment of a state like the Great Dao, eternal and indestructible, without birth or death, transforming all things and never fading.

Finally, Laozi's life is largely unknown, with his birth and death dates remaining a blank. Even in later generations, people did not know the year of Laozi's birth. They only knew that Lao Dan had some interaction with Confucius and that Confucius had consulted him. Therefore, based on Confucius's birth time, Laozi's birth time was pushed back by 20 years, and 571 BC was taken as his birth time.

Sima Qian alone stated that Laozi once served as "the Keeper of the Archives of Zhou." Later generations usually interpret the "Keeper of the Archives" of Zhou as the national library of the Zhou Dynasty, but this interpretation is not entirely accurate. In addition to managing classical texts, the Keeper of the Archives was also responsible for managing cultural relics, illustrations, covenants, genealogies, and oaths. Therefore, the Keeper of the Archives of Zhou was roughly equivalent to a combination of today's national library, archives, and museum.

In Jiang Wen's view, this profession is quite dangerous. If the archives keep documents from the three ancient dynasties, then at least the Shang dynasty section is full of oracle bone fragments stained with human blood.

Rather than investigating Lao Dan, this mysterious figure who seemed to roam freely in the void, Jiang Wen decided to focus his limited resources on specific matters. Thus, in his letter, Jiang Wen detailed the recent events, hoping that the Holy Mother of the Red Lotus would investigate what the three members of the Rattan Shield Gate had stolen, who this "Changshu Sixuan Hermit" was, and what connection he had with Wuyi Mountain.

"This letter has been written, and I would be grateful if you could pass it on to the Holy Mother. I wonder how the Holy Mother is doing lately?"

Jiang Wen spoke politely to the Six Ding Goddesses, handing over the folded letter in his hand. The youngest of the Six Ding Goddesses seemed to be in much better spirits, perhaps because she had been cooped up in the mountains alone for a while, and couldn't help but speak.

"Thank you for your help, Protector Jiangyou. Since the Holy Mother Bodhisattva received your assistance, the backlash from our sect's Sacred Fire Technique has been greatly reduced, and her power has even improved. Even if it cannot be completely harmonized, she has suffered much less pain."

Jiang Wen turned his gaze to the cloud-shrouded Jade Maiden Peak and sighed, "The Holy Fire Technique is strange and unpredictable, and its nature is aggressive like fire. If you are not careful, it will become a prairie fire. I still hope that the Holy Mother will give up as soon as possible."

The Goddess Liu Ding smiled slightly: "Protector Jiangyou, you too are someone who knows it's impossible but still does it, so why care so much?"

Jiang Wen jumped back and solemnly declared:

"Stop! I'm expressing concern, not worry. Miss, please watch your words. You don't want the left and right protectors of the Red Sun Sect to fight each other over this, leaving the Holy Mother all alone again, do you?"

"Besides, I'm different. My martial arts tournament is only slightly hampered so far, not to the point of serious damage. As long as I use a little trick, I have a way to take the tournament to the next level. Nothing is absolute, and the possibility of me doing so is quite high."

Several disciples followed closely in Jiang Wen's footsteps. They could sense that their master's determination this time was extraordinary. It seemed that he was really preparing to do something big. So they turned around and headed back to Da Wang Peak.

The Six Ding Goddess followed behind, her youthful face showing a gossipy expression, her eyes seemingly burning with flames, and she asked.

"Jiangyou Protector, so you mean... there's still a possibility between the Left Protector and the Holy Mother Bodhisattva?"

Jiang Wen pondered for a moment: "Hmm... If you say it's impossible, then the two of them are inseparable; but if you say it's possible, then the two of them refuse to meet no matter what. In my opinion, there is only one way to solve this problem."

The Six Ding Goddess's Sacred Fire Technique was at its full power, and her eyes shone brightly as she stared at Jiang Wen.

"any solution?"

"It's very simple."

Jiang Wen stroked his chin and said, "Go and get an artifact. Go home and draw a magic circle on the ground. A person will pop out of the ground. Then take this person to a place called Fuyuki City in Japan and fight six people. If you win, there's a wishing machine underground where you can make a wish."

Liu Ding Goddess: (⊙o⊙?)