Chapter 656: Tianji
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The second day, just as Murong Chun and Xia Liyan were preparing to, once again, advice Zhuge Feng to make Zhuge Tian the next Hill Master, Zhuge Feng suddenly opened his mouth, “I have thought for an entire night and I have decided, the next Hill Master shall be Zhuge Tian!”
The six Elders startled in surprise but were immediately overjoyed.
A slight feeling of suspicion seeped through the exultation, they did not know why Zhuge Feng suddenly changed his att.i.tude. According to his previous stance, he would not agree no matter what they said and they had already made preparations for long-term lobbying.
They would never have thought that he would come to his senses in just one night.
“Hill Master, how did you come to that decision?” Murong Chun hurriedly asked.
Zhuge Feng said lightly, “His martial arts have indeed improved. I have had enough of suffering just because of weak martial arts and I do not wish for the next Hill Master to end up with a situation like I have ended up in.”
Murong Chun nodded his head firmly.
Ever since last time, he had come to the realization that for the Hill Master of Crouching Bull Mountain, martial arts was the most fundamental. It was the backbone of the faction. If the Hill Master’s martial arts were not strong, nothing else would be worth mentioning.
Zhuge Feng said, “Although that vile sp.a.w.n of mine is unworthy, his martial art is indeed exquisite. If I insist on chasing him out, it would indeed be a huge loss for the faction. From today onwards, I will let him return to the faction. I hope that everyone will not resent me for constantly changing my mind.”
“There is nothing wrong with changing your mind as long as it is for the sake of our faction!” Murong Chun laughed.
Xia Liyan said, “For the Hill Master to be able to straighten out his thinking, it is truly admirable and worthy to be congratulated upon!”
“Today I will hand the Hill Master’s Insight of Crouching Bull over to him and give him the secret of our faction. If I am no longer in this world, you all must a.s.sist him well.”
“Please do not say such inauspicious things, Hill Master. How would the Hill Master not be in this world anymore!” Murong Chun said.
Zhuge Feng scoffed. “That’s hard to say! …He has been rather methodical in his conduct recently. You all must counsel him often, do not let him go overboard.”
“Understood,” The six closed fist saluted and said deeply.
…
Chu Li followed Zhuge Feng to a precipice behind the mountain. Below it was a deep ravine and when he peered over to look, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew on his face, the sound ghastly and shrill, as if a ferocious ghost was hiding at the bottom of the ravine, wanting to drag people down.
“Follow me,” Zhuge Feng said and leaped down.
Chu Li fluttered after him.
When Zhuge Feng descended around a thousand feet, he suddenly shouted, “We’re almost there!”
His body swayed and he clung onto the moss-covered cliff. He fiercely patted a stone four times and with a ‘kaboom’, a cave appeared. He fluttered inside.
Zhuge Feng stared ahead and said lowly, “Remember my footsteps, the moment you make a mistake, a fatal trap will be activated. No matter how strong your martial arts, you will not be able to escape from it!”
Chu Li nodded and followed at Zhuge Tian’s heels, stepping in his every footprint.
He saw all the traps hidden in the wall using the Omniscient Mirror. There were sharp arrows, short swords and on the surface of every arrow and sword was blueish-green, they were razor sharp and poisonous and were spread all over both sides of the stone walls. Above their heads was a huge stone and below their feet were pitfalls, inside the pitfalls were short vertical spikes. If they dropped in there, they would have more holes than swiss cheese.
The two of them arrived at a stone chamber. The four sides of the stone chamber were all filled with vibrant murals. The people in the murals were all incredibly lifelike, their features precise. Their skins were white but it was mixed with long red and blue lines, which were the flowing direction of their meridians.
Chu Li glanced at it and imprinted the image in his brain and attentively a.n.a.lyzed it. There were two martial arts altogether; one was an inner energy heart technique and the other was a fist technique.
He realized that these two martial arts would not be easy to cultivate. At first glance, it did not look difficult, but the inner energy flowing was incredibly intricate and abstruse as if there was formless energy which was obstructing it.
Zhuge Feng said, “This is the Insight of Crouching Bull, it is a shame that it is only half of it. The inner energy heart technique and the fist technique are all just halves now, so they might have been greatly reduced. If you can completely master the Crouching Bull Power and the Crouching Bull Punch, then you will be invincible.”
Chu Li said, “Skyward Palace only has the second half, aren’t they worse off?”
The first half was always basic and introduction, while the second half would have the full display of its might. Without the second half, the power would be weaker but without the first half, it would be impossible to start cultivating in the first place.
Zhuge Feng scoffed. “They are not cultivating the Crouching Bull Power and the Crouching Bull Punch, they are just an exterminated sect cultivating the Skyward Sect martial arts.”
Chu Li frowned. “If that is the case, why are you unable to s.n.a.t.c.h it back?”
“Because the Hill Master at that time pledged an oath to never forcefully take the martial arts of Skyward Palace,” Zhuge Feng said.
Chu Li shook his head and laughed. It was no wonder Crouching Bull Mountain was declining. They kept doing baffling things and causing baffling things. The greatest ability of the previous Hill Masters seemed to be sabotaging their descendants. The position of Hill Master was harder to manage generation after generation.
Chu Li said, “In that case, how do we take back the Skyward Palace martial arts?”
Zhuge Feng replied, “We must let them return it willingly.”
“Willingly…” Chu Li laughed.
Zhuge Feng said, “I’ll leave this to you, don’t let it drag on to the next Hill Master!”
“I will try my best.” Chu Li did not dare to give any promises, he had no understanding at all about Skyward Palace.
“I’ll give you two days, can you memorize all of this?” Zhuge Feng pointed at the stone walls.
Chu Li shook his head. “I have already memorized it.”
Zhuge Feng startled. “So fast?”
“My brains are good,” Chu Li said.
Zhuge Feng sighed in secret, he never imagined that his own son would be this intelligent. It was no wonder that he could cultivate the Cloud Slas.h.i.+ng Sword Technique.
“In that case, then let’s leave,” Zhuge Feng said, “With the Crouching Bull Power, you will be able to develop the might of the various martial arts of Crouching Bull Mountain. As the next Hill Master of Crouching Bull Mountain, you must properly cultivate the Crouching Bull Power.”
Chu Li said, “I want to know the location of Skyward Palace.”
“What are you planning?” Zhuge Feng scoffed.
He walked towards the exit and Chu Li followed after him. The steps to go out were different than the ones used to come in.”
Chu Li said, “To find out the actual situation.”
“It is in a remote mountain a thousand miles away,” Zhuge Feng said, “Qiao San knows, let him bring you there.”
The two of them conversed as they left the cave.
The stone gates rose and blended together with the surroundings. Without someone leading the way, it would be impossible for pa.s.sersby to discover it even if they knew that there was a stone cave.
The two of them just returned to the main hall when they saw that there were guests in the main hall. Xia Liyen was chatting with an old and a young man, but the other Elders were not present.
“Greetings to the Hill Master.” seeing them enter, the old man and the young man stood up and closed fist saluted.
The Elder was short and stout, his smile dignified. Even though he was all smiles, his disposition caused others to not dare to underestimate him, he was awe-inspiring.
The young man’s appearance was not considered handsome but he had a certain degree of calmness. His figure was slender, but it gave off a sense of power as if huge power was hidden inside his slender body. His gaze was calm and his smile was casual.
Zhuge Feng closed fist saluted in return and frowned, Elder Hu, why are you here!”
“Hehe, Hill Master, do you still remember Tianji?” The elderly Hu Huarong pointed at the young man and smiled. “Lu Tianji.”
“Of course I remember Tianji.” Zhuge Feng glanced at Lu Tianji, nodded his head and sat in the armchair in the middle. “Elder Hu, you did not give a notice in advance to let me go down the mountain to welcome you.”
“You don’t have to do that for this old man,” Hu Huarong waved his hand, “I returned this time to send Tianji, to let him cultivate here for a period of time. Letting him interact well with his peers would be a good plan for the future.”
Xiao Liyan asked, “What plans for the future?”
“Hehe, don’t you think Tianji is suitable to be the next Hill Master?” Hu Huarong stroked his beard and laughed, “He is extremely talented and he carries out his actions with prudence. To be able to produce such a genius like him, it really is the fortune of our Crouching Bull Mountain!”