Chapter 81: The Daoist’s Identity and the Martial Dao Landscape
Chapter 81: Chapter 81: The Daoist’s Identity and the Martial Dao Landscape
A jolt went through Xie Yuan; he couldn’t help but be affected by Situ Qin’s gravity.
’Look down on all living things?’
With a description like that, it was as if they weren’t even the same species as ordinary people.
Xie Yuan subconsciously lowered his voice and asked slowly,
"What kind of power does an expert of that realm possess?"
"Moving mountains and filling seas is no myth."
Situ Qin said with a grave expression,
"They unite the internal and external, perceiving the Celestial Dao from above. Experts of this realm have already touched the so-called ’Dao.’ Their methods are beyond what any ordinary Martial Artist could possibly imagine.
"In the early stages of the Martial Dao, each realm is indeed a new mountain to climb. But later on, each realm is a new heaven entirely. After crossing the Heaven and Earth Bridge, the path of the Martial Dao is like ascending a heavenly ladder, chasing the state of a celestial being.
"The four passes of External Training, the three transformations of Qi and Blood... every breakthrough is a complete metamorphosis, let alone the Grandmaster Realm that follows."
Xie Yuan was lost in thought for a moment.
’The Martial Dao can lead to divinity... to think the path goes this far.’
’That Daoist... could he really be a Grandmaster from the Celestial Dragon List?’
Xie Yuan asked,
"Are there any Daoist masters on the Celestial Dragon List?"
"Daoists? The Sect Leader of the Xuanzhen Sect, Master Yuxu, is ranked second on the Celestial Dragon List. He’s probably the most famous Daoist Grandmaster."
Situ Qin was a little confused.
"Why do you ask that?"
"Xuanzhen Sect? The Major Sect of Daoism, as famous as Prajna Temple?"
"What’s with that uncertain expression?"
Situ Qin couldn’t help but press a hand to her forehead.
"You don’t even know about the famous Struggle of Buddhism and Daoism from the founding of the Great Li Dynasty? Fine. It was those two. They wanted to become the state religion and raised an absolute storm right after the new order was established. It was quite the spectacle. In the end, neither succeeded.
"The Grand Ancestor of Great Li actually never intended to establish a state religion. He just dangled an empty promise to weaken the leaders of both Buddhism and Daoism. You have to admit, his methods were brilliant.
"But both sects have such long histories that they are still Major Sects in the world. The Xuanzhen Sect is in the southeast, quite far from Yunzhou in the northwest, so you not knowing about it is... understandable. But Prajna Temple is right in the north. You know about that one, right?"
Xie Yuan nodded and went on to tell Situ Qin what Cao Shan had said when he first joined the Iron Guard Escort Agency. He finished by saying,
"So I suppose you could say I carry the legacy of Prajna Temple."
Situ Qin doubled over with laughter.
"That senior brother of yours is a real piece of work! Hah! If you truly had the legacy of Prajna Temple, you wouldn’t need to be a lowly Darts Master."
Xie Yuan just smiled, his thoughts turning to the booklet from Liu the Monk. ’I wonder where it really came from...’
’When I get back from this trip, it’ll be around the fifteenth of the first month. I’ll have to go check out Panlong.’
’And that Daoist... when I asked about his realm, he was so noncommittal. I wonder if he’s truly a master who has united the internal and external, or something else entirely?’
’If he’s a Grandmaster on the Celestial Dragon List, could he be the Sect Leader of Xuanzhen Sect, Master Yuxu?’
’The leader of a sect, the head of Daoism in the world... would someone like that really come to a small mountain village like this?’
Xie Yuan didn’t know. But since the Daoist had left no clues to his identity, he could only set his doubts aside for now.
He then recalled Situ Qin’s demeanor as she confidently discussed worldly affairs and evaluated the major sects. She was clearly knowledgeable, that much was certain. And while she showed respect, her manner was calm and composed, lacking the deep reverence most people displayed when speaking of Major Sects and great powers. ’This young woman’s origins,’ he thought, ’are probably even grander than I imagined.’
Since the two of them were already chatting so comfortably, Xie Yuan decided to probe a little.
"If I may ask, Miss Qin, which family do you come from?"
"My surname is Situ, and I live in Yunzhou. So of course, I’m from the house of Situ Qin in Yunzhou."
Situ Qin giggled. Seeing Xie Yuan’s confused and sheepish expression, she found it even more amusing and said,
"This time, I can’t blame you. We’re not one of the so-called Eight Great Families, so it’s normal you haven’t heard of us. Mmm, the Eight Great Families have long histories and profound influence, on par with the top-tier sects. You can learn about them gradually later on."
Situ Qin, who had been enjoying the conversation, showed a faint, mocking smile at the mention of the Eight Great Families and didn’t elaborate any further for Xie Yuan’s benefit.
Xie Yuan had already learned a great deal from Situ Qin—about the Struggle of Buddhism and Daoism, the East Sea Sword Summit, the "One Religion, Two Sects, Four Schools, and Eight Families," and so on. He finally had a top-down overview of the world, which was more than enough for him to digest for a while.
Seeing that Situ Qin had fallen silent, he tactfully created a little distance. He then saw the young woman lower the carriage’s window curtain, apparently to rest.
Xie Yuan glanced ahead. Although he had never been to Yunzhou Prefecture to the south, he was familiar with the route and terrain. They had already covered a good distance.
Time really flew by when they were chatting.
The Hidden Dragon List, the Flying Dragon List, the Celestial Dragon List...
One Religion, Two Sects, Four Schools, and Eight Families...
What a magnificent, multifaceted world.
Xie Yuan urged his horse on, his eyes burning with intensity.
Suddenly, a melodious and pleasing sound drifted out.
A serene zither melody drifted from the carriage, ethereal as high mountains and flowing water, yet gentle as a babbling brook. It floated around the entire convoy, washing away everyone’s fatigue.
When the song ended, Xie Yuan returned to his senses. He glanced at the carriage before riding up beside the leader of the guards.
"Commander Hu, does Miss Qin often play her zither on the road? Her skill is so superb it completely erases the hardship of the journey."
Commander Hu glanced at him and gave a lukewarm nod before replying,
"She does."
Seeing Commander Hu’s lack of enthusiasm, Xie Yuan certainly wasn’t going to press his luck. Instead, he looked at the narrow mountain path ahead and offered a dutiful reminder,
"We’re about to cross the mountains ahead. The terrain is treacherous here. If there were bandits, this would be the perfect place for an ambush."
"I am well aware."
Commander Hu scoffed.
"I’ve traveled this road many times. With a convoy of our size, what enemy would dare attack? Master Xie needn’t worry. Just continue ’protecting’ the young miss by her carriage."
Xie Yuan detected the sarcasm in his tone and frowned.
The man was far too arrogant. Even when Zhao Xingyang traveled a familiar road, he would boast that no bandit dared to stand in his way, but he never failed to secretly send out scouts. Commander Hu, in comparison, seemed rather unprofessional.
Regardless of the man’s attitude, Xie Yuan had a duty to fulfill. He was just about to offer another reminder when he suddenly heard a WHOOSH. A sharp arrow was flying straight for Commander Hu’s head.
CLANG! Commander Hu instantly drew his saber and sliced the arrow in two, roaring,
"Ambush!!!"
Instantly, dozens of figures in black emerged from the woods, charging down in silence. A quick count revealed at least forty or fifty of them—twice the number of the convoy’s guards!
Xie Yuan’s pupils contracted. It wasn’t just their numbers, but the fact that they were all masked and dressed in black. They didn’t yell or shout, which meant they were well-trained—not common mountain bandits.
He unfurled his escort flag and waved it, but the attackers paid it no mind, further proving his suspicion. They had come prepared.
Commander Hu had obviously realized something was wrong as well. His expression grew grim as he loudly commanded the guards to tighten their formation and use the carriages to create a defensive circle.
A volley of arrows rained down with a series of THWACKS, blocked by the guards’ raised iron umbrella-shields. Seeing this, the black-clad men in the rear fired another volley to provide cover. Then, just as the two front lines were about to clash, they put down their bows and formed a second wave behind the first.
But Xie Yuan and his men had no time to worry about the second wave. They could already see the cold eyes of the men in the front rank. Rows of sharp sabers flashed with a cold light that dazzled the eye.
As the enemy swung their blades, Xie Yuan’s expression hardened. He drew his own saber and met them with a horizontal slash.
The convoy guards and the men in black crashed into one another. In an instant, blood sprayed through the air amid a flurry of desperate cries.