Sword Stained with Royal Blood Chapter 3

Sword Stained With Royal Blood English Translation 

Chapter 3 - Part 1

At the second watch of the night, footsteps lightly approached from outside the door. A person floated in, it was mute man. He had a burly and sturdy figure, but walked as light as a feather, making only a faint sound as he landed.

Yuan Chengzhi was overjoyed to see mute man and rushed over to grab him, asking repeatedly, "Where is Uncle Cui?" He had forgotten that mute man couldn't speak. Mute man grinned foolishly, obviously happy to see Yuan Chengzhi again. After a while, he gestured with his hands and pointed to something while communicating with Madam An in sign language.

Madam An said to Yuan Chengzhi, "Uncle Cui is fine, don't worry." She communicated with mute man for a while, and he nodded his head continuously while clapping his hands. Yuan Chengzhi didn't know what he was agreeing to so eagerly.

Madam An took Yuan Chengzhi by the hand and walked to the inner room, sitting side by side on the edge of the bed. She said, "Chengzhi, I liked you the moment I saw you, as if you were my own son. Today, you risked your life to save Xiao Hui, and I will never forget that. I have to go to a faraway place tonight. You will follow mute man."

Yuan Chengzhi said, "Madam An, I will go with you."

Madam An smiled and said, "I can't bear to part with you either. I want mute man to take you to someone who once taught Uncle Cui martial arts. Uncle Cui only studied with him for two months, and his martial arts skills were already remarkable. This old man's martial arts are unparalleled in the world, and I want you to learn from him." Yuan Chengzhi listened with fascination.

Madam An said, "He has only had two true disciples in his life, and that was many years ago. He may not be willing to take on a new apprentice. But you have good aptitude and a kind heart, and I think he will like you. Mute man is his servant, and I will ask him to take you to beg for acceptance. Go well. If he really refuses to take you, mute man will bring you back to me." Chengzhi nodded in agreement, thinking that it would be fine if he wasn't accepted.

"Madam An" warned again, "this old senior has a very peculiar temper. If you don't listen to him, he will naturally not like it. If you listen too much, he will think you are too stupid and have no mind of your own. You can only rely on your fate to connect with him." She took off a golden bracelet from her wrist and put it on his wrist. She gently pinched it, and the bracelet immediately shrunk and stopped falling. She smiled and said, "When you learn martial arts well and become an adult, don't forget Madam An and Xiao Hui."

"I will never forget. If the old senior is willing to accept me, Madam An, please bring Xiao Hui to see me when you have time." Madam An's eyes turned red and she said, "Okay, I will always remember you."

Madam An wrote a letter and handed it to mute man to deliver it to his master. The four of them went out and parted ways.

Although Yuan Chengzhi had not been with Madam An and Xiao Hui for long, the mother and daughter were extremely kind to him. They had experienced life and death together in the battle during the day, and they felt reluctant to part when they separated.

Mute man knew that Yuan Chengzhi was injured, bleeding heavily, and his body was weak, so he carried him in his arms, took big strides, and walked as if flying.

After walking day and night like this, they traveled north for more than a month. Yuan Chengzhi's injuries had also healed, leaving only a small scar above his left eyebrow. When they stayed in an inn, Yuan Chengzhi would always ask for food, and mute man had no preferences for what to eat, so he would eat whatever was given, at least two catties of noodles per meal. When Yuan Chengzhi asked him where they were going, he would always point northwest.

After several days of walking, they entered deep mountains and walked higher and higher, until there was no road to follow. Mute man used both his hands and feet, climbing up the vines and creeping plants, always climbing up the high mountains. After passing one peak after another, there were deep valleys beside the mountains. Yuan Chengzhi held onto his neck and hugged him tightly with both hands, fearing that he would fall and die. After climbing like this for a day, they reached the top of a high peak. They saw that the top of the peak was a large flat land, surrounded by ancient pine trees. They passed through the pine forest and saw five or six stone houses.

Mute man smiled and pulled Yuan Chengzhi's hand into one of the stone houses. The house was covered in dust and cobwebs, showing that it had not been inhabited for a long time. He took a large broom and cleaned it inside and out, and then boiled water and cooked rice. On this perilous mountaintop, it was unclear how the food and utensils were transported up there.

Three days later, Yuan Chengzhi became anxious and gestured to his master to ask where he was. Mute man pointed down the mountain, but shook his head to indicate that he could not go. Yuan Chengzhi had no choice but to endure the loneliness and isolation of living on the 

dangerous peaks with no way to communicate with mute man. He longed for the warm days spent with Madam An and her daughter, wishing he could sprout wings and fly back to them.

One night, he suddenly woke up to the glare of a bright light and saw an old man standing by his bed holding a candle. The old man had a full head of white hair, but his face was flushed and he smiled as he looked at Yuan Chengzhi.

Yuan Chengzhi got off the bed and respectfully kowtowed four times to the old man, addressing him as "Master." The old man chuckled and asked him who taught him to call him "Master" and how he knew that he would accept him as his disciple. Yuan Chengzhi replied that it was Madam An who taught him, and the old man shook his head, saying that she only caused him trouble. However, he decided to accept Yuan Chengzhi as his disciple out of respect for his deceased father.

The next morning, before dawn, Yuan Chengzhi got up and mute man, overjoyed at the news that the old man had agreed to take him as a disciple, tossed him up in the air and caught him several times.

When the old man heard Yuan Chengzhi's laughter, he walked out of the room and said with a smile, "Well done, you are so young, but you already know how to act chivalrously and save women and children. That's remarkable! Show me what you can do." Yuan Chengzhi blushed and felt uneasy at this request.

The old man chuckled and said, "If you don't show me your skills, how can I teach you?" So Yuan Chengzhi began to practice the " Palm" that he had learned from Cui Qiushan from beginning to end.

The old man watched him with a smile, and when he finished, he said, "Qiushan praised your intelligence, and at first, I didn't believe him. But he only taught you for a few days, and you have already achieved such results. That's quite impressive."

When Yuan Chengzhi heard the name of Cui Qiushan, he wanted to ask about his safety, but he didn't want to interrupt the old man while he was talking. When the old man paused, he hurriedly asked, "Where is Uncle Cui? Is he okay?" The old man replied, "He's fine and went back to General Li Chuang's place to fight." Yuan Chengzhi was very happy to hear this.

A mute man brought out a fragrant table. The old man took out a painting of a middle-aged scholar holding a sword. He lit incense candles and respectfully kowtowed to the painting. He said to Yuan Chengzhi, "This is our founder of the Huashan Sect, Feng Zushi. Come and kowtow." Yuan Chengzhi looked at the person in the painting and thought, "You are much 

younger than my master, why are you the ancestor?" He went over and kowtowed to the painting. He didn't know how many times to kowtow and thought the more the better, and continued until the old man laughed and asked him to stop. The old man smiled and was about to speak when Yuan Chengzhi knelt down again to kowtow, formally becoming his disciple.

The old man accepted his bow with a smile and said, "From now on, you are my disciple of the Huashan Sect. I took two disciples many years ago, but since then, I haven't met a smart and willing-to-learn child, and haven't taken any more disciples. You are my third disciple and also my last disciple. You must study hard and not embarrass me." Yuan Chengzhi nodded repeatedly.

The old man said, "My surname is Mu, and my name is Mu Renqing. My friends in the martial world call me the Immortal Ape with the Divine Sword. Remember, next time don't let people ask you what your master's name is. Oh, sorry, I don't even know my own name." Yuan Chengzhi laughed and thought that Madam An had said that the old man had a strange temper, and he was a bit scared, but who knew that he was actually amiable and humorous.

When Yuan Chengzhi heard the name of Cui Qiushan, he wanted to ask about his safety, but he didn't want to interrupt the old man while he was talking. When the old man paused, he hurriedly asked, "Where is Uncle Cui? Is he okay?" The old man replied, "He's fine and went back to General Li Chuang's place to fight." Yuan Chengzhi was very happy to hear this.

The mute man brought out a fragrant table. The old man took out a painting of a middle-aged scholar holding a sword. He lit incense candles and respectfully kowtowed to the painting. He said to Yuan Chengzhi, "This is our founder of the Huashan Sect, Feng Zushi. Come and kowtow." Yuan Chengzhi looked at the person in the painting and thought, "You are much younger than my master, why are you the ancestor?" He went over and kowtowed to the painting. He didn't know how many times to kowtow and thought the more the better, and continued until the old man laughed and asked him to stop. The old man smiled and was about to speak when Yuan Chengzhi knelt down again to kowtow, formally becoming his disciple.

The old man accepted his bow with a smile and said, "From now on, you are my disciple of the Huashan Sect. I took two disciples many years ago, but since then, I haven't met a smart and willing-to-learn child, and haven't taken any more disciples. You are my third disciple and also my last disciple. You must study hard and not embarrass me." Yuan Chengzhi nodded repeatedly.

The old man said, "My surname is Mu, and my name is Mu Renqing. My friends in the martial world call me the Immortal Ape with the Divine Sword. Remember, next time don't let people ask you what your master's name is. Oh, sorry, I don't even know my own name." 

Yuan Chengzhi laughed and thought that Madam An had said that the old man had a strange temper, and he was a bit scared, but who knew that he was actually amiable and humorous.

Mu Renqing, the Sword Immortal Ape, had the highest martial arts skill in the world and had never met an opponent in his twenty years of wandering the Jianghu. However, he was not well-known because most of his deeds were done in secret without leaving his name. He was originally a solitary person, but seeing the lonely and pitiful young boy Yuan Chengzhi and being highly recommended by Cui Qiushan and Madam An, who respected his father, the loyal minister Yuan Chonghuan, who was wrongfully executed, he took a liking to him and treated him differently than usual.

Mu Renqing had no children and only traveled alone with his sword. As he grew older, he suddenly saw a clever and lively child and liked him very much, not less than Yuan Chengzhi's encounter with a good teacher. He couldn't help but act out of character and talk and laugh with him.

Mu Renqing said, "Your two senior brothers are both twenty or thirty years older than you. Their disciples are much older than you too. They might blame me for adding a little junior brother at this time. Hehe, if you don't work hard and fall behind their disciples in the future, they will have more reason to blame this old confused man."

Yuan Chengzhi said, "Disciple will definitely work hard." He asked again, "Is Uncle Cui also your disciple?" Mu Renqing replied, "He followed the famous general to fight and had no time to study with me. I only taught him a set of Tiger Subduing Palm techniques, which cannot be considered a disciple. Besides, with his aptitude, he cannot be my disciple." He pointed at mute man and said, "Like him, he watched and learned many moves every day, but compared to my two disciples, he is far behind." Yuan Chengzhi was extremely impressed with mute man's lightning-fast movements when he threw the constables twice with his hands, and when he heard his master say that his two senior brothers were even more skilled than him, he was still happy because as long as he worked hard, he could at least catch up to mute man.

Mu Renqing said, "There are many rules in our Huashan sect, such as abstaining from sex, abstaining from serving officials, and abstaining from being a bodyguard. I won't explain them to you now because you wouldn't understand. I'll just tell you two things: listen to your master, don't do bad things, and don't kill or injure people at will. You must remember this." Yuan Chengzhi said, "I will definitely listen to my master and not do bad things, and I won't dare to kill or injure people at will."

Mu Renqing said, "Alright, let's start practicing. Your Uncle Cui taught you the whole set of 

Tiger Subduing Palm in a hurry because of the time constraint. However, this technique is too complicated and profound for you to use properly at your young age. I will teach you a set of Ten Brocade Long Fist first." 

Yuan Chengzhi said, "I already know that. Uncle Ni taught me before."

Mu Renqing replied, "Do you really know it just because you learned a few moves? Far from it! If you truly understand the intricacies of Ten Brocade Long Fist, there won't be many people in the martial arts world who can beat you."

Yuan Chengzhi blushed and didn't dare to say anything more. Mu Renqing then demonstrated the Ten Brocade Long Fist, which was exactly the same as what Ni Hao had taught Yuan Chengzhi before. Yuan Chengzhi was puzzled and thought there was no difference.

Mu Renqing challenged Yuan Chengzhi to touch his clothes, saying that if he could touch any part of his clothes, he would pass. Yuan Chengzhi laughed and didn't move. Mu Renqing urged him to try, but Yuan Chengzhi was hesitant to compete with his master. Mu Renqing said, "Come on, I'm teaching you martial arts!"

Yuan Chengzhi was eager to learn, so he rushed forward and reached out to touch the back of his master's robe. Just as he was about to touch it, Mu Renqing's clothes suddenly shrank, and he was only two or three inches away. Yuan Chengzhi extended his arm a few more inches, but his master disappeared from his sight. Mu Renqing had lightly pinched the back of his neck and said, "I'm here."

Yuan Chengzhi turned around, and saw that his master was already two zhang (around six meters) away. He thought to himself, "I have to catch you!" and rushed forward to grab his master's sleeve. Mu Renqing swept his big sleeve and evaded the attack.

Yuan Chengzhi chased after him while mute man signaled him to be careful. Yuan Chengzhi realized that his master's movements were all from the Ten Brocade Long Fist technique, but how could he move so quickly? While chasing after him, Yuan Chengzhi observed his master's movements carefully. Although he was already familiar with the Ten Brocade Long Fist, he found that his master's techniques were exceptionally agile, and he had unique ideas even with the same moves. Yuan Chengzhi secretly learned the techniques, and soon he was able to use some of his master's leaping and dodging skills, which made him much faster. Mu Renqing nodded in approval and was pleased to have such a talented student.

At this moment, Chengzhi caught up quickly, and Mu Renqing dodged with agility. The two of 

them hurriedly ran towards the square, where only two figures could be seen dancing around. Chengzhi had forgotten to laugh and play, fully concentrating on emulating his master's movements, trying to catch up with him.

Suddenly, Mu Renqing burst out laughing and reached back to lift him up, saying, "Good disciple, you're a good kid!" Seeing the intricacies within the Ten Brocade Long Fist set, Chengzhi was both surprised and delighted. Mu Renqing said, "Alright, that's enough for you to practice for now." He put him down and asked him to review it a few more times before going inside to practice on his own.

Chengzhi practiced the routine more than ten times from beginning to end. In addition to remembering his master's movements, he also discovered some clever variations on his own. He was so happy that he couldn't sleep properly all night, even practicing his moves in his dreams.

When daybreak arrived, he was afraid of forgetting what he had learned the day before, so he went to the square to practice again. The more he practiced, the more excited he became. Suddenly, he heard a cough behind him, so he quickly turned around to see his master standing behind him with a smile, and he called out, "Master!" while standing respectfully with his hands down.

Mu Renqing said, "The moves you discovered on your own were not bad, but this one is too fast, and your stance leaves you open to attack. If your opponent is skilled, they can easily take advantage of this. So, you should do it this way." He then demonstrated and explained the technique to him in detail. Chengzhi was very impressed and learned many new tricks that day.

Three years had passed, and Chengzhi was now thirteen years old. During these three years, Mu Renqing had also taught him the "Breaking Jade Fist" and the "Mix Element Palm." Although the "Mix Element Palm" was a palm technique, it was used for cultivating internal energy. Different schools and sects all had their own methods of practicing internal energy, emphasizing breathing techniques, meditation, and qigong. However, the Huashan Sect had a unique approach, cultivating internal energy from the outside in, using palm techniques to practice inner strength. Although this method was time-consuming and slow to show results, it had no risk of demonic possession during practice, and after mastering it, it was incredibly powerful. By cultivating both the internal and external aspects simultaneously, each move and technique naturally incorporated inner strength, which could be used to defeat opponents without even thinking about it. When the "Mix Element Art" was fully mastered, it would become an unstoppable force.

Yuan Chengzhi had only been practicing martial arts for a short time and had not yet achieved anything in the "Mix Element Art" technique, but his body was already exceptionally robust and impervious to illnesses. Whenever Mu Renqing came down from the mountain, he would stay for two or three months, or sometimes even four, and upon returning, he would examine Yuan's progress in martial arts. Seeing that he was diligent and making rapid progress, Mu always praised and encouraged him.

One year on the Dragon Boat Festival, after drinking some realgar wine, Mu Renqing took out the portrait of their ancestor and bowed to it. He then instructed Yuan Chengzhi to do the 

same and asked him, "Do you know why I am teaching you to pay homage to our ancestor today?" Yuan Chengzhi replied, "Please enlighten me, Master."

Mu Renqing brought out a long wooden box from inside the room and placed it on the table. When he opened the box, a bright and shining three-foot-long sword lay inside. Yuan Chengzhi was overjoyed and his heart raced as he trembled and said, "Master, please teach me the sword." Mu Renqing nodded and picked up the sword from the box. His expression turned serious and he said, "Kneel down and listen to me." Yuan Chengzhi obeyed and knelt down.

Mu Renqing said, "The sword is the ancestor of all weapons and the most difficult to learn. Our school's sword technique is even more profound, and every generation of our ancestors has added to it. Other schools of martial arts often keep their secret techniques, but our ancestors have always taught everything to their disciples. Speaking only of swordsmanship, each generation has surpassed the previous one. You are intelligent and diligent, so learning swordsmanship should not be a difficult task for you. What is expected of you is to carry forward our legacy in the future. And remember, the sword is a sharp weapon. When used for good, its goodness is infinite, but when used for evil, its evil is also boundless. Today, I want you to make a solemn vow that you will never kill an innocent person in your lifetime."

Yuan Chengzhi said, "If I accidentally injure a good person with my sword in the future, I will also be killed." Mu Renqing replied, "Good, you may rise now." Yuan Chengzhi stood up.

Mu Renqing said, "I know you have a kind heart and would never intentionally kill a good person. However, it can be difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, and the world is full of deceit and people's hearts are unpredictable. A good person may be bad, and a bad person may actually be good. But as long as you maintain a heart of loyalty, forgiveness, and tolerance, it will be difficult for you to make mistakes." Yuan Chengzhi nodded in agreement. Mu Renqing continued, "Emperor Chongzhen killed your father because he believed your father was a bad person. He thought he was right to kill him, but he made a big mistake. Over the years, Emperor Chongzhen has killed many ministers and generals, some of whom were bad people, but he also killed many good people. He has no understanding of right and wrong and no sense of tolerance. His indiscriminate killing could lead to the downfall of the Ming dynasty." Yuan Chengzhi nodded sadly, knowing that his master mentioned the matter of Emperor Chongzhen killing his father to teach him the lesson of "difficult to distinguish right from wrong, do not kill indiscriminately", which he will never forget.

Mu Renqing made a sword gesture with his left hand and drew his long sword with his right hand. His swordsmanship was unmatched in the world, with the sword moving like a dragon and snake, and white light flashing like a rainbow.

Under the sunlight, the long sword glimmered and by the end of the routine, a ball of white 

light rolled back and forth. Yuan Chengzhi had practiced martial arts with his master for three years and his vision had changed significantly. Even so, he still couldn't see clearly his master's swordsmanship and movements, only feeling the heaviness like a mountain and the lightness like a breeze. The changes were unpredictable and incredibly swift. When the routine reached its climax, Mu Renqing shouted loudly and the long sword flew out suddenly, piercing into a big pine tree on the mountain, the blade straight to the hilt.

Yuan Chengzhi knew that the pine tree was very dense, and he had seen the sword body tremble as his master wielded the sword. This showed that the sword blade was both strong and flexible. Unexpectedly, with this throw, the entire blade had penetrated the tree, leaving him surprised and unable to close his mouth.

Suddenly, someone behind him exclaimed, "Good!"

Yuan Chengzhi had been on the mountain for three years, and apart from his master's voice, he had never heard anyone else speak. Although there was a mute man, the mute man could not make a sound. He quickly turned around and saw an old Taoist walking up the peak with a smile.

The Taoist was wearing a yellow rough cloth Taoist robe, with a yellow, thin and dry face, sparse white hair and little black, and a small Taoist bun tied up. He loudly said, "Old monkey, this move 'Heavenly Flying Dragon' is something that no one else in the world can do. The old Taoist has broadened his horizons today. I haven't seen you use a sword in more than ten years, but you have improved so much!"

The Mu Renqing laughed heartily and said, "Wonderful, wonderful! What wind blew you here? As soon as you arrived at Mount Hua, you gave me a big compliment. Chengzhi, this Daoist Musang is a good friend of our master. Quickly kowtow to the Daoist."

Chengzhi hurried over and knelt down to kowtow. Daoist Musang smiled and said, "That's enough!" He reached out to help him up.

Anyone who practices martial arts will instinctively use their skills to resist external forces. When Daoist Musang pulled him up, Chengzhi's "Mix Element Art" had already achieved some success, and he gently resisted with his arms naturally following.

Daoist Musang had tested his skills and said to Mu Renqing with a smile, "Old monkey, haven't seen you in these years. You've been secretly hiding here to teach your little monkey disciple. You're lucky, one foot is already in the coffin, and you've still found such a good kid."

Mu Renqing was used to joking with him and couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile contentedly when he praised his little disciple.

Daoist Musang said, "Oh, I didn't bring any greeting gifts today, but I don't want to offend you with these few heads. What should I do?"

When Mu Renqing heard this, he had a sudden inspiration and thought, "This old Daoist has unique martial arts skills, and people in the martial arts world call him ‘Thousands of Changes and Myriad Calamities'. If he is willing to pass on something to Chengzhi, it would be of great benefit to him. But this person has never been willing to take on disciples, so I'll have to think of a way to persuade him." He said, "Chengzhi, the Daoist promised to give you a reward. Quickly kowtow and thank him." Chengzhi, upon hearing his master's words, immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

Daoist Musang laughed heartily and said, "Alright, alright! Like master, like disciple. The master has no shame, and the disciple has no ability. Hey, kid, listen to me. You must be honest and straightforward, don't learn from your master's thick-skinned ways. When you hear someone offer you something, don't rush to accept it. Do you think an old man like me would cheat you, child? Alright, today I'm in a good mood, so I'll give this to you." As he spoke, he took out something from his backpack and handed it over to Chengzhi.

Chengzhi thanked him and respectfully took the gift with both hands, stood up, and opened it. Inside was a pitch-black vest, heavy in his hands and made of an unknown material that was neither silk nor leather. He was puzzled, but then heard Mu Renqing say, "Brother, don't be joking. How could I give him such a precious treasure?"

Chengzhi realized it was a valuable item and quickly handed it back. But Musang Taoist refused, saying, "Bah! How could an old Taoist like me be as mean as your master? Once something is given away, it cannot be taken back. Give it to me obediently!"

Chengzhi dared not accept it and looked to his master for guidance. Mu Renqing said, "In that case, thank you, Master Taoist." Chengzhi knelt down to express his gratitude. Mu Renqing said solemnly, "This is the self-defense treasure that the Taoist spent countless efforts and risked his life to obtain. You should put it on." Chengzhi followed his advice and put on the vest.

Mu Renqing stepped in front of a pine tree, hooked two fingers around the hilt of his sword, and lightly pulled it out, saying, "This vest is made of black gold thread, hair, and golden monkey hair, and no powerful weapon can harm it." He then casually swung the sword  towards Chengzhi's chest.

The sword strike was lightning-fast, and Chengzhi could not dodge it. He was startled but saw that the tip of the sword hit the vest and bounced off lightly. He was overjoyed and knelt down again to thank Musang Taoist.

Musang Taoist laughed and said, "You see this black lump of a thing, it doesn't look like much. When you first kowtowed to it, you probably felt a bit wronged. But now you are truly willing to do so." Chengzhi blushed and smiled but did not respond.

After some talking, Mu Renqing asked, "Have you heard any news about that person recently?" Musang Taoist had a smile on his face, but when he heard "that person," he couldn't help but sigh, and his expression turned unhappy. He said, "To tell you the truth, this guy has been hiding somewhere for a while, but recently he has been appearing in and around Shanhaiguan. The old Taoist doesn't want to see him, but what can I do? I had to avoid him. I came to Mount Hua to seek refuge."

Mu Renqing said, "Brother Taoist, why give others an advantage and harm your own prestige? With your superb skills, can't you deal with him?"

Musang shook his head with a look of disappointment and said, "It's not that I can't deal with him, it's just that I can't bring myself to do it. Over the years, I've fought with him twice. The first time, I had the upper hand, but in the end, out of respect for our shared master, who had instructed me to take good care of him on his deathbed, I spared him. The old Taoist's teachings had been misguided, leading him down the wrong path and causing him to sink deeper into it. The old Taoist felt guilty and couldn't bring himself to make the final blow. In the second fight, he had learned some powerful martial arts from some evil sect and stabbed me in the heart with a sword. Fortunately, my protective vest saved me from the blade. He was surprised and thought I had some amazing martial arts skill. He let his guard down and I was able to subdue him. I advised him well, but he just sneered and said, 'I see now, you rely on your protective vest. Next time, I'll stab you in the face, how will you protect yourself then?'

Mu Renqing was angry, "This man is so arrogant. Brother Mu, you spared him out of respect for our shared master, but we have no relation to him. Brother, you can stay here with us and I will go down the mountain to find him. If he is still causing trouble, I will bring his head to you."

Musang said, "Thank you for your kind offer, but I still hope he can repent and reform himself. I have studied his evil martial arts over the years and if I had to fight him again, I could probably defeat him. I came to Mount Hua to avoid him and seek peace. If he can reform himself, it will be good for our sect, but if not, let him continue on his wrongful path and perish." He sighed and said, "But can he really change? It's hard, very hard!"

Mu Renqing said, "This man is lecherous and has ruined the reputations of many good women. Lately, he has become even more brazen. If he falls into your hands again, Brother Mu, please don't spare him out of old feelings. It's for the good of our sect and to repay our master's kindness." Musang nodded and sighed deeply.

Yuan Chengzhi listened to their conversation and understood that Musang Taoist had a senior brother with a bad character but powerful martial arts, and that Musang possessed a protective vest. He said to Musang, "Master, if you want to deal with that evil man, it would be safer to wear the protective vest. Once you defeat him, you can give it to me. I'm not skilled enough to fight him yet, so I don't need this treasure."

Musang patted him on the shoulder and said, "Thank you for your kindness, but even without the vest, he cannot kill me. His evil martial arts can only attack an unprepared opponent and can only be used once. You don't need to worry about me, young one."

Mu Renqing saw that he was gloomy and knew that there was only one thing in the world that could make him forget everything else. He said, "Talking about it will only ruin the mood. Cow nose, your skill in Go..." When Musang heard the words "skill in Go", his facial muscles twitched and he immediately became radiant, as if he had become twenty years younger. Mu Renqing asked, "Have you improved a little in these years?" He hurriedly replied, "What? Your martial arts have always been beyond my reach, but I can certainly be your Go master. If you don't believe me, let's..." Mu Renqing smiled and said, "Alright, let me learn the 'Thousand Changes and Myriad Calamities' skill from you. Did you bring your chessboard and pieces?"

Musang smiled and took out a chessboard and two packs of pieces from his bag, saying, "This thing is always with me. You're afraid of me and want to avoid the battle, saying that there's no board or pieces on Mount Hua, but you can't get away with it, haha, haha!"

A mute servant brought out a chair, and the two began to play under the shade of a tree. Yuan Chengzhi didn't understand Go, so Musang played while explaining the rules to him, and boasted about how skilled he was and how his master was far from being his opponent. Mu Renqing just smiled and pondered, letting him boast.

Go is easy to learn but hard to master, and the rules are simple. After watching one game, Yuan Chengzhi understood the general idea. He saw that the board was made of high-quality steel, with black pieces made of black iron and white pieces plated with white copper on top of wrought iron. The sound of the stones hitting the board was clear and pleasing to the ear.

Musang won by two points in that game. The old friends played three games from noon to nightfall, with Musang winning two and losing one. He said he wanted to continue, but Mu Renqing said, "I don't have the energy to keep up with you!" Musang reluctantly went to bed.

For three consecutive days, Musang kept pestering Mu Renqing to play Go. Yuan Chengzhi watched with interest. On the fourth day, Mu Renqing said, "Let's take a break today and let me teach my disciple swordsmanship first." 

Musang thought this was important and didn't want to obstruct him, but he was itching to play. After Mu Renqing finished teaching swordsmanship, Musang immediately grabbed him and said, "Come on, let's play three more games." Mu Renqing had been teaching swordsmanship for a while and was feeling a bit tired, but he knew that Musang was addicted to Go and might not sleep well if he didn't play with him, so he went to play under the tree with him. After practicing his newly learned swordsmanship for a while, Yuan Chengzhi heard Musang cheerfully exclaim, "Chengzhi, come and see! Your master is playing terribly!" and ran over to watch.

Mu Renqing's skill in Go was originally not as good as Musang's. At this moment, he was barely able to keep up and things were not going smoothly for him. Before the middle game, he was already at a disadvantage and saw that one of his white stones was in a precarious situation. Even if he tried to make a living eye, all four corners would be occupied by his opponent. He picked up a stone, contemplated for a while, but still couldn't decide where to play it.

Yuan Chengzhi, who was watching on the side, couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Master, if you play here, Musang will definitely have to come to the rescue. If you play this move, you can break out. I don't know if what I said is right or not."

Mu Renqing was always modest and not as arrogant and competitive as Musang. So he followed his disciple's suggestion and played that move. A large group of white stones really broke out and trapped a small group of black stones instead. Mu Renqing was originally losing badly, but with this move, he only lost by five stones.

Musang praised Yuan Chengzhi for his cleverness and played a game with him, giving him nine stones.

Although Yuan Chengzhi did not understand the methods of the past, in Go, the most important thing is insight. As the saying goes, "If you're not a master by the age of twenty, you'll never be one in your lifetime." This means that if one cannot master Go in their childhood, no matter how hard they practice in the future, they will still be mediocre. Even 

someone as intelligent as Su Dongpo, who was knowledgeable in history, literature, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song, was still unable to become an exceptional Go player. It was one of the greatest regrets in his life. He once wrote a poem that said, "Victory brings joy, but defeat is also a pleasure." Later generations praised him for his broad-mindedness, not being obsessed with winning or losing. However, in Go, the gains and losses are crucial. Every stone and every point must be calculated carefully without any relaxation to win. Therefore, if one always plays with the mentality of "victory brings joy, but defeat is also a pleasure" as a form of entertainment and relaxation, it is fine, but they will have fewer "joyful" moments and more "pleasurable" ones.

Mu Renqing was indifferent by nature, playing Go with Musang didn't feel like a fierce battle, which was not satisfying for him. However, playing against Yuan Chengzhi was different. He had talent in this field and was full of childlike enthusiasm, always trying his best to beat his senior. Although Musang won the game, it was full of danger and didn't go smoothly.

The next morning, Musang took Chengzhi to play Go again. Chengzhi won three games in a row, so Musang changed from giving him nine stones to giving him eight. In less than a month, Chengzhi had memorized all the tricks and moves used by Musang, and his Go skills greatly improved. Musang could only give him a three-stone handicap, and they were evenly matched.

Chengzhi's focus on Go caused him to spend less time on martial arts, and his progress in learning swordsmanship was slower than when he practiced his fists and feet. At first, Mu Renqing didn't say anything due to the friendship with Musang. However, he later saw that Chengzhi and Musang spent all day and night playing Go, neglecting sleep and food, which was unacceptable. Therefore, he secretly instructed Chengzhi to only play one game of Go with Musang per day and use the rest of his time to practice martial arts.

After being reminded by his master, Chengzhi felt ashamed of neglecting his martial arts training for so many days and quickly began to practice swordsmanship. For two consecutive days, when Musang called him to play Go, he said he was practicing his swordsmanship. Musang said, "Come play Go with me. Afterward, I'll teach you a skill that your master will definitely like." Chengzhi replied, "I'll ask my master first." Musang said, "Okay, go ahead."

Chengzhi ran in to tell Mu Renqing what Musang had said, and Mu Renqing was delighted to hear it. Musang's nickname among people was "Thousands of Changes and Myriad Calamities." When he was young, his light work was outstanding, and his body movements were unpredictable. He earned the nickname "Flying on the Grass with a Thousand Changes and Myriad Calamities" in the martial arts world. Later, he became obsessed with playing Go. Go emphasizes "capturing stones," and there are countless variations that arise from capturing stones. Musang's martial arts skills were very high, but he considered himself average in Go, even though his skill was above average. He was very self-confident and even changed his nickname to "Thousand Changes and Myriad Calamities Go Master." Others 

didn't want to offend him and didn't object to his self-proclaimed nickname. But they also knew that his Go skills and "master" level were actually worlds apart. Therefore, they compromised and simplified his nickname to "Thousand Changes and Myriad Calamities." These words actually praised his martial arts skills for their unpredictability and ability to kill enemies with "no chance of resurrection." However, if someone explained this in front of him, Musang would be very angry and insist that the nickname referred to his Go skills before he would stop.

Mu Renqing had always admired Musang's unique martial arts skills, but Musang never wanted to teach anyone. Now, he promised to teach Chengzhi martial arts, which meant that he couldn't resist his Go addiction anymore. He quickly pulled Chengzhi's hand and walked out, bowing to Musang and saying, "Thank you for agreeing to teach my disciple. I appreciate it." He then asked Chengzhi to kowtow to Musang and become his disciple.

Chengzhi knelt down, but Musang stood up and waved his hands, saying, "I don't take disciples. If he wants me to teach him, he must use his skills to defeat me." Mu Renqing asked, "What can this little boy do to defeat you?" 

Musang replied, "When it comes to swordsmanship and boxing, you are unparalleled in the world, and I, an old Taoist, am no match for you. If this child can learn two or three of your skills, he will be hard to find an opponent in the martial arts world. However, when it comes to lightness skills and hidden weapons, I'm afraid I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Mu Renqing said, "Who doesn't know that you are a master of a Thousands of Changes and Myriad Calamities, with a hundred tricks up your sleeve!" Musang laughed and said, " Thousands of Changes and Myriad Calamities refer to my unparalleled Go skills, which have nothing to do with martial arts. Don't confuse the two. It's just because you consider yourself a grandmaster in all things, emphasizing on grandeur and style, and not putting much effort into lightness skills and hidden weapons, that I can stand out in these two areas. So, let's do this. You let Chengzhi play two games of Go with me every day, and I'll give him three stones. If I win, it's just a way for him to show filial piety to his master. If he wins a game, I'll teach him a lightness skill. If he wins two games in a row, I'll teach him another hidden weapon skill. We'll make it interesting with some betting. Isn't that fair?" 

Mu Renqing thought that the old Taoist was really funny and said, "Good, let's do that. I was worried that Chengzhi's Go-playing would hinder his progress, but now that there are so many benefits, I won't object if you play eight or ten games a day." Musang and Chengzhi were thrilled to hear this and went back to playing Go, with one old and one young.

Musang won one game and lost one game that day. After the game, he said to Chengzhi, "Today, I'll teach you a lightness skill. Although it's just one move, if you practice it diligently, it will benefit you for a lifetime. Watch carefully." As soon as he finished speaking, he didn't 

bend his knees or make any moves, but suddenly he lifted his entire body and leaped to the top of a big tree. He then did a somersault and landed in front of Chengzhi. Chengzhi was stunned and applauded.

Musang then taught Chengzhi the "Climbing Clouds and Riding Dragons" lightness skill. Although it was just one move, it contained countless subtleties in terms of waist and leg strength, footwork, and eye movements. Although Chengzhi tried to learn it diligently, it was not easy to comprehend it all at once.

The next day, Chengzhi lost two games in a row and gained nothing. Musang was delighted and boasted endlessly. On the third day, Chengzhi used a surprise attack strategy and gave up all the corners and edges, instead occupying the central area. Surprisingly, he won both games. Musang was not happy and played two more games, winning one and losing one. In the end, it was determined that Musang would teach Chengzhi three moves.

Musang taught him two lightness skills and saw that he remembered them well. Then he asked, "Do you know what weapon I use when facing an enemy?" Chengzhi shook his head. Musang grabbed the chessboard and said with a smile, "I used to use a sword, but in recent years, I have switched to this baby."

Yuan Chengzhi initially thought that the chessboard he saw was made of fine steel, assuming that it was a tool for playing Go, which he loved, and carried with him for fear of damaging it. Little did he know that it was actually a weapon against enemies. Musang then picked up a chess piece and laughed, saying, "This is my hidden weapon!" He threw it out and over a dozen Go stones flew up into the air. As they fell, Musang lifted the chessboard, and with a loud bang, all the Go stones landed on it at the same time. Yuan Chengzhi stuck out his tongue and was speechless for a while.

Originally, when over a dozen Go stones were thrown into the sky, they should have fallen in a certain order, with the iron and white iron pieces colliding with the steel chessboard, making a clanging sound. However, when the Go stones landed, they all hit the board at the same time, indicating that Musang had thrown them with remarkable evenness. What was even more amazing was that when the Go stones fell on the board, not a single one bounced off and hit the ground. It was as if he had stopped the falling motion of the Go stones with his right hand and placed them on the board one by one.

Musang laughed and said, "To use hidden weapons, you must first train your strength, then your accuracy. Once you have a grasp of the weight when you throw them, you can talk about whether it's accurate or not." He then taught him the technique of throwing Go stones with force.

Musang stayed on the peak of Mount Hua for half a year, playing Go with Yuan Chengzhi every day, lost in the game and never tired of it. He openly shared his knowledge of martial arts and the technique of throwing Go stones with him during this time.

It was already early winter, and Chengzhi practiced his boxing and sword skills in the morning, and played Go with Musang under the tree in the afternoon. At this point, his Go skills had surpassed Musang's, but Musang was a sore loser and always let him go first, resulting in more losses than wins. Despite the endless changes in the game, he continued to lose. However, he had a vast knowledge of martial arts, so even though he lost many times in Go, he had a wealth of tricks to repay his debt.

On that day, the technique being taught was still the "Flower Rain in the Sky" technique of throwing hidden weapons. Seven chess pieces were thrown simultaneously, aiming to hit the enemy's acupoints one by one. This superior martial art could not be learned overnight. Yuan Chengzhi had been practicing this technique for over two months, but he could only manage to hit one or two pieces with each throw, despite trying to throw three or four at a time.

Musang made a wooden sign with a human figure drawn on it and had a mute man hold it while running. Musang shouted, "Tianzong, Jianzhen, Yuzhen!" Yuan Chengzhi threw three chess pieces, hitting the acupoints of Tianzong and Yuzhen, but missed Jianzhen's acupoint. Musang shouted again, "Guan Yuan, Shen Feng, Zhongting!" The mute man continued to run while shaking the wooden sign. Yuan Chengzhi used his light body technique to catch up with him. Just as he was about to strike, Musang shouted, "Guan Yuan was not hit!" Yuan Chengzhi was taken aback by the sudden shout, and then he heard a loud cry from behind. He rushed to grab the mute man's arm and pulled him back.

The mute man turned around and saw a giant ape standing behind him, with a ferocious expression, baring its teeth and claws, as if it was about to pounce. The mute man lifted the wooden sign and hit the giant ape on the head, but then his left arm was suddenly pulled back by Musang.

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