Chapter 153: The w.a.n.g Family
The w.a.n.g family of Jiangdong was one of the 14 biggest aristocratic families in the world. In Jianghu men’s eyes, it ranked above the Longnan Zhang. Hence when Wu Qinxin and others heard that “Burning Sun Super Palm” Zhang Zhifan asked Meng Qi such a question, they first felt shocked and awed, and then they took it for granted. Of course, the well-known Truth-seeking Sword Scripts was the top Exterior sword art based on all the sword theories. No wonder they could not find its advantages. Instead, they recognized it as ordinary. After all, their realms were quite different.
“Brother Meng is from the w.a.n.g Family in River East… ” At first, in Wu Qinxin’s opinion, Meng Qi was a handsome Jianghu idler. But now, she vaguely felt that he had a casual but uninhibited temper.
People there suddenly changed their view on Meng Qi, since only the immediate descendants of the w.a.n.g family were ent.i.tled to learn the “Truth-seeking Sword Art”.
As for these aristocratic families, the meaning of descendants was not restricted to their surname—w.a.n.g. In order to compete with the other martial sects, even their daughters’ children who made an oath not to let their Kung Fu out in their ancestral temple could be counted as their descendants too. Besides, if he was excellent, he would be taken as a son-in-law. Thus, every year the list of successful martial talents was published, a lot of families would choose their sons-in-law in front of the list.
“Childe Zhang, you have misunderstood me.” Meng Qi put his sword into the scabbard and answered with a smile.
This kind of thing was supposed to be made clear. Otherwise either pretending to be a descendant of the w.a.n.g family or secretly learning their magical Kong Fu would be extremely troublesome.
However, Meng Qi was not too concerned about it. Since the w.a.n.g family of Jiangdong was widely known, he had heard of the “Truth-seeking Sword Art”, which was just similar to Nine Strategies Beyond the Swords in form.
The ancestor of the w.a.n.g family of Jiangdong was born in the times of the ancient Myths. He obtained the “Book of Luo” of Peerless G.o.dly Weapons by chance. And then he comprehended the truth of Heaven and spent a lifetime to create a kind of magical Kung Fu, which could match the “Fu Huang Eight Diagrams” and was named Derivation Sutra. It meant figuring out the theories of Heaven, Dharma and Logos, the secular world and human thoughts.
Therefore, the w.a.n.g family of Jiangdong went through the ancient times and medieval times, experienced changing fortunes and developed into an aristocratic family with the longest history. Though they knew a lot of ancient secrets, their descendants who gained the Derivation Sutra were feeble and sick. In addition, if they could not achieve the Dharmakaya ahead of the age of 50, they would inevitably die young. This was because the Derivation Sutra was so arbitrary that the heaven would be jealous of it.
However, even now as human’s lifespan is drastically reduced, the strong experts of the Exterior Realm were in their glory in their 50s. If in the ancient times and medieval times, their life was just “starting out”.
That was why the w.a.n.g family was always a medium aristocratic family even with a long impartation and the tyrannical martial art, for most of their excellent disciples died too young and Dharmakayas could not be achieved in all generations.
In this generation, “Ledgerkeeper of Lives” w.a.n.g Siyuan was much expected by his family. By the age of 22, he had opened Nine Apertures and was about to enter Half-step Exterior Scenery, and thus he was honored as an expectant to be claimed Dharmakaya before the age of 50.
The “Truth-seeking Sword Art” was a sword art at the top level of the Exterior derived from Derivation Sutra. Corresponding with it, there were “Mountain Range Palmstrike” and “Return to Tibet Step”.
Meng Qi said with a smile, “I’m Meng Qi. My sword form comes from Predecessor Duk-gu. He studied hundreds of sects’ sword art, digested the gist of all sword theories and created this Nine Strategies Beyond the Swords, which is particular about the changes of the sword art and recovers its original simplicity. What I have just displayed is called the Sword-breaking Move, a strategy of it.”
He did not say the latter part— “All Sword-breaking Move” because there were many super demons and martial sects in the world and the “Nine Strategies Beyond the Swords” was not powerful enough to break all the sword moves. Thus, it remained to be seen how it would develop in the future.
“Sword-breaking Move?”
Even if Meng Qi did not say the latter part, but what he said already made others full of imagination. Wu Qinxin, Shangguan Han, Hua Tiangeand and others all had the idea whether “Sword-breaking Move” meant a move specially designed to break the sword art. There were so many sword arts in Jianghu but he should have some special ones to break them! How conceited he was!
However, n.o.body would speak their mind. Just now the “Shadow Reflection Sword Art” was turned into “Falling into Water Sword Art” and the “Finger-winding Sword Art” was broken within just one move from Meng Qi as if meeting its nemesis. Who else would ask for trouble to prove his sword art?
Seeing Meng Qi dressed in a thin indigo robe and wearing a sword at his waist, natural and unrestrained, they all had a strange feeling as if his Sword-breaking Move would really break all sword art one day.
“Burning Sun Super Palm” Zhang Zhifan thought what Meng Qi frankly said was credible. He had witnessed w.a.n.g Siyuan’s great failure. He knew their moves were different in some details. Hence, he nodded, “Please forgive my ignorance, but what is the name of your sect? Your sword art seems to have returned to its original nature.”
Although the similar sword arts were rare, there were still several sects.
Meng Qi smiled, “Having just learned it, I peregrinated here, and had no time to win a t.i.tle.”
He thought for a while: “Roving Sword”, but this sobriquet was too much intended, so he did not mention it.
“Brother Meng’s sword art has entered imperceptibility, which is bound to be well-known in Janghu in the future.” When he saw Meng Qi had transferred this topic from his disciples’ failure, Hua Tiange sincerely praised him with a hearty laughter as if he would like to make a sobriquet for Meng Qi at once.
Cupping one hand in the other before his chest, Meng Qi smiled and thought to himself, “Since I have shown them my sword art, it is not necessary for me to keep it as a secret. Let me use the Nine Strategies Beyond the Swords to compete with ‘Flying Cloud Sword’ Huang Yun who is expected to be a candidate of the Ranking List of Young Masters.”
He was about to speak when a huge thud sound burst out. The roof opposite to the Outsky Strange Stone collapsed with tiles showering down and smoke and dust flying in the air. A figure fell down to the ground and directly s.n.a.t.c.hed the Outsky Strange Stone.
His whole body was wrapped in black. Stamping his feet, he even jumped straight into the sky fast as lightning and flew up from the cave to the roof.
All this occurred in a flash. Since his attention was s.h.i.+fted, Hua Tiange failed to stop him right under his nose and only tore off a piece of black cloth with his right hand.
“Chase!” He was scared and angry. He could never expect that his Outsky Strange Stone would be audaciously robbed with so many super veterans gathering here in broad daylight!
He jumped up, pedaled on a beam and directly flew out to go after the man in black.
Ning Jidao, Zhang Zhifan, Huang Yun and others came to their senses and rushed out of the hall to catch up.
“Pursue him!” These Jianghu men on the spot suddenly were seething with anger and all people in the hall rushed out.
Each of them inwardly hoped that he could secretly take the Outsky Strange Stone away if both sides could be losers in the fight by accident— that would help him to be famous overnight.
And even if there was not such a good luck, it was also good for them to help the Talent-accruing School and the Mount Qin Sword Sect to reclaim the Outsky Strange Stone. Thus, they could develop better contacts for the future use.
“Meng, Childe Meng, why not chase him?” When Wu Qinxin saw Meng Qi calmly return to his table, she stopped too and wonderingly asked him.
“Hey-hey, my t.i.tle is from the younger brother to a childe…” Meng Qi sn.i.g.g.e.red, “Door Master Hua, Head Ning, Childe Zhang, Swordsman Huang are martial veterans, it is no doubt that they will seize back the Outsky Strange Stone. There is no need to join in the chasing.”
In his view, if they could not catch up with the man in black, neither could he. After all, Hua Tiange and Ning Jidao both were at the level of the nine apertures. Even during the enlightenment period, they focused on the move changes and his Nine Strategies Beyond the Swords was their nemesis by chance, but when they united together, he might be not more powerful than them unless at the same time dark clouds were gathering in the sky with a powerful thunderstorm.
Besides, if lucky, he could grab the Outsky Strange Stone back, he would not keep it for his own according to his temper. Then why bother wasting time?
“Aye.” Wu Qinxin and Shangguan Han simply remained too and slowly walked out of the hall with Meng Qi.
Both of them were silent because they did not know how to have a conversation with Meng Qi who suddenly became an expert of sword art.
“After having the open-air banquet, I have to go down Jiangdong, so it’s time to say goodbye.” Meng Qi looked at the sky and said with a smile.
Wu Qinxin bit her lips, mustered her courage and curiously asked, “Childe Meng, the Nine Strategies Beyond the Swords is known as Nine Swords. Since there is already a Sword-breaking Move, could it be that there is Blade-breaking Move?
“You are smart.” Meng Qi praised her.
A little embarra.s.sed and a bit curious, Shangguan Han asked, “I do not know Predecessor Duk-gu’s formal name, maybe there is some hearsay about him.”
“Predecessor Duk-gu’s original name was unknown. He called himself Begging Failure. He was dying to lose in a martial compet.i.tion but never could he.” Meng Qi longingly answered.
He basically told the truth. In fact, the Exchange List of the Dominator of Samsara in Six Realms only introduced the characteristics of this sword art and did not mention which world it came from. Since the main world was very vast, there were countless military achievements spreading within small fields. Therefore, when other Samsara travelers heard this name, they would just say yes to them and told them that it turned out to be their sword art.
“Just a desire for failure?” Though Wu Qinxin and Shangguan Han felt Meng Qi was bragging, because Predecessor Duk-gu was not a famous Dharmakaya Immortal in the recent hundreds of years, his lofty spirit was worth yearning for.
Meng Qi smiled and said, “If you will walk out of the ‘Three Mountains and Four Waters’, you will find there are quite a lot of wonderful Kung Fu and consummate skills. On the contrary, if you only stay here, you will inevitably have a narrow view without a desire to advance further, which will limit the development of your martial art. But it is very dangerous outside.”
Wu Qinxin and Shangguan Han just intended to get free, so Meng Qi’s proposal fitted perfectly with their taste. They nodded yes to him without any hesitation.
“We will be careful and plan to travel to Huanzhou in the future.” Shangguan Han yearningly answered. Since Afterglow Supersword School had certain influence in Huanzhou, they would be relatively safe if they travelled there.
“Huanzhou ah, maybe there was a chance for us to meet again… “ Meng Qi laughed and said goodbye to them, cupping one hand in the other before his chest. He turned over with his hand on the sword and floated away.
Looking at his back, Wu Qinxin could not help but loudly praise, “Childe Meng is really an unfettered swordsman.”
Because he had fought in Mount Qin, Meng Qi did not directly go by boat but climbed over the mountains to the next city with a port.
As it was getting dark and he was a little tired, Meng Qi entered a broken temple and meditated to harmonize Qi-circulation in front of the Buddharupa.
Suddenly, his ears moved and he heard the sound of water dropping which was so weak that he nearly thought he had some aural illusion.
Meng Qi stood up, took out the Ice Palace Sword, and carefully looked around. When he reached the back of the Buddharupa, he stopped and found a few drops of black blood under the Buddharupa.
Earnestly listening to it, Meng Qi heard the feeble breath in the Buddharupa.
“Who is it?” Meng Qi asked in a low voice.
The breath in the Buddharupa paused in no time, for he might think Meng Qi would play tricks on him.
Meng Qi could not neglect it. Observing for a while, he thrust his sword and opened the secret door at the back of the Buddharupa, revealing a hole inside and a man dressed in a cotton robe curling up there with a puddle of black blood under him.
“Are you OK?” Meng Qi asked.
The man saw Meng Qi not hurt him and forced a smile. “This childe, as you see, I am in trouble.”
He paused, “I am Hua Lun. I accidentally discovered that Mount Qin Sword Sect colluded with Luo Denomination, so I was chased here, hiding in the Buddharupa. You must be careful.”