7. New Species in the Jianghu
If we consider the martial world as a body, then Shaolin and Wudang can be regarded as normal cells, providing the necessary substances for the metabolism of the martial world. In contrast, alliances like the Five Great Sword Sects resemble cancer; they can expand indefinitely, seizing the nutrients of the body, and may even threaten the very life of the body.
The Five Mountain Sword Sects, however, are different; their alliance is solemnly enshrined in the organization's constitution, formalized in the form of explicit legal decrees. When the poor become slaves to the wealthy and young women become mistresses, their relationships acquire legal validity, binding both parties and cannot be casually dissolved
Category B certificates are issued to guilds, which are akin to associations. Members of the same faction may not necessarily have a mentor-student or classmate relationship, but they share common aspirations or adhere to the same principles. The organization has its own regulations and structure, governed by a leader, sect master, or council of elders, implementing an oligarchic system. Within the organization, there are various ranks from high to low, with the rank determining one's status. Subordinates are expected to obey their superiors, and the hierarchy of positions is generally determined by merit and martial skills. Representative organizations of Category B include the Beggar's Sect and the Demon Cult.
From the name, "Five Mountains" subtly corresponds to the Five Elements and is related to the actions of emperors conducting inspections and performing sacrifices. Why would a humble sect from the rivers and lakes choose such an overreaching name?
Therefore, this Five Mountains Sword Sect appears to be a source of calamity in every respect
Thus, the Five Mountains Sword Sect is a new species within the society of the Jianghu
From the perspective of sects, the Huashan School aligns with Confucianism, the Hengshan School with Buddhism, and the Taishan School with Daoism. The Five Mountain Sword Schools span across the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, which is unique in the martial world. It is well known that in the martial world, the Shaolin School holds the leading position in Buddhism, while the Wudang School leads in Daoism. The Five Mountain Sword Schools involve themselves in both teachings; what is their true intention? "The primary reason for the alliance of the Five Mountain Sword Schools is to deal with the Demon Cult." (Chapter 6 of 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer') This reason sounds appealing, but it is difficult to find it convincing.
Chongxu Dao: "Zuo Lengchan becoming the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Sect is the first step. The second step is to unify the five sects under his leadership. Once the five sects are unified, their strength will be formidable, allowing them to stand alongside Shaolin and Wudang as the three pillars of power. At that time, he will further encroach upon the Kunlun, Emei, Kongtong, and Qingcheng sects, merging them one by one, which constitutes the third step. Then he will provoke the Demon Sect, leading the Shaolin and Wudang sects to strike a decisive blow against the Demon Sect, marking the fourth step. ... If Zuo Lengchan can eliminate the Demon Sect, he will hold an unparalleled position in the martial world, and it would not be impossible for him to absorb Wudang and deal with Shaolin ... At that time, he might even aspire to become an emperor, and after becoming an emperor, he would seek immortality and eternal life. This is what is called 'the insatiable heart of man, like a snake swallowing an elephant'; it has been so since ancient times. Among the heroes and outstanding figures, very few can escape the threshold of 'power'.
It takes ten years to cultivate a tree and a hundred years to nurture a person. For instance, schools like Shaolin and Wudang must invest over ten years to train outstanding disciples to strengthen their capabilities. In contrast, the Five Mountains Sword Sect, as an alliance, targets potential sects, either by offering inducements (such as forming groups for revenge) or through coercion. Within a few months, they have absorbed a number of skilled individuals. When comparing the two approaches, the rapid expansion of the Five Mountains Sword Sect is astonishing.
Chongxu nodded and said: "... ... Zuo Lengchan has great ambitions and aims to be the foremost figure in the martial arts world. Aware that it is difficult to win the support of others, he can only resort to covert schemes."
In Chapter 30 of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer"
The C certificate is issued to wanderers, who are all independent operators. Although they may have intricate connections economically or in terms of mentorship with a certain sect or gang, they possess the autonomy to act, do not take orders from any organization, independently bear the risks of the martial world, and also independently reap its rewards. For instance, the famous Chu Xiangshuai and Lu Xiaofeng are actually of the same type as Tian Boguang.
Fang Zheng sighed, saying: "The Left Alliance Leader possesses both literary talent and martial prowess, truly an outstanding figure in the martial world. Among the Five Mountains Sword Sect, there is originally no one who can compare. However, his ambitions are too great, and his eagerness to overshadow the Wudang and Shaolin sects is somewhat unscrupulous"
In the past, the martial world was not devoid of alliances among factions. For instance, those lay disciples of Shaolin, after embarking on their journeys, made names for themselves and established their own sects. However, they still adhered to the commands of Shaolin, willingly acting as peripheral organizations of the Shaolin group. Yet, these alliances were loosely structured and lacked formal documentation; the relationships were maintained solely through personal feelings and cost-benefit considerations. This is akin to the poor clinging to the wealthy or young women becoming mistresses. When resources are depleted, people disperse, and when circumstances change, loyalties are severed. Thus, these alliances were extremely unstable and could not be considered the social cells of the martial world.
Organizations like ABC expand on a per-person basis, whereas the expansion of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, as an alliance, occurs on a per-sect basis. In comparison, the expansion of the Five Mountains Sword Sect is astonishingly vast.
Not at all, not at all. This has been the consistent view of Shaolin and Wudang regarding the successive leaders of the Five Mountains Sword Sect
When the Wudang Sect rose to prominence, the Shaolin Sect also attempted to suppress Wudang. However, upon realizing that suppression was ineffective, they changed their strategy to focus on fostering a relationship. Soon, Shaolin and Wudang established a strategic partnership. By the time of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," their relationship had developed to the extent that "the two leaders of the Wudang and Shaolin Sects shared a bond of life and death, experiencing both honor and disgrace together" (Chapter 33)
If given enough time, after the significant development of the Five Mountains Sword Sect's influence, would the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Sect form such a deep friendship with the abbot of Shaolin and the master of Wudang?
The wise can see a single leaf fall and know that autumn has arrived. The emergence of the Five Mountains Sword Sect is indeed a cause for concern, as it indicates that this martial world is beginning to undergo a transformation.
The Five Mountain Sword Sects are an anomaly in the martial world. Prior to their emergence, there existed three forms of organizations within the martial community. If the imperial court had wished to establish a harmonious society and implement an admission system for the martial arts world, it would only have needed to issue three types of certificates: A, B, and C.
This is akin to the situation in the imperial court, where conflicts and disputes among ministers are normal. However, if someone forms factions and engages in party strife, it is a harbinger of disaster. When one side forms a faction, the other side, in order to protect itself, must also seek alliances to advance or retreat together. The destructive power of two factions clashing can be significantly greater than that of two individuals fighting fiercely.
A certificate is issued to sects, which are organizations comparable to large families with four generations living together. The characteristic of such organizations is that the members share a common martial arts lineage, having teacher-student and classmate relationships among themselves; the organization has rules and a system, governed by the sect leader in a patriarchal manner; the status within the organization is determined by the seniority in martial arts, with those of higher seniority wielding greater power; representatives of Class A organizations include Shaolin and Wudang, among others, and the Five Mountain Sword Sects, when divided, also belong to Class A.
It is feared that it is impossible; the Five Mountain Sword Sects, as a new species, are too aggressive, causing unease.
However, the Five Mountain Sword Sects are an unpopular new species, primarily due to their excessive aggressiveness, which threatens to disrupt the ecology of the martial world
When the Five Mountains Sword Sect was established, although its slogans were quite grand and appeared to be very just on the surface, does a loud slogan and a righteous demeanor truly make one a good person? If this good person possesses overwhelming strength, to the point where no one can match or restrain them, will this good person still be a good person?
The emergence of the Five Mountain Sword Sects has posed a challenge for the officials responsible for issuing certificates in the court
In this chapter, Fang Zheng and Chong Xu complement each other harmoniously; could it be that this is merely a judgment on Zuo Lengchan alone
From a geographical perspective, Mount Song, located in the heart of the Central Plains, is flanked by Mount Hua to the northwest, Mount Heng in North China, Mount Tai in East China, and Mount Heng in South China. The influence of the Five Great Mountains Sword Sect is extensive, nearly covering the entirety of Huaxia. What does this signify? A delineation of power? Moreover, despite the formidable presence of the Wudang Sect, it has yet to establish any branches, and Shaolin has only registered a subsidiary in Putian, Fujian. Yet you, on the other hand, have opened five branches at once.
Because, from any perspective, this emerging alliance is not to be underestimated
There is every reason to believe that since its establishment, the Five Mountain Sword Sects have never gained the goodwill of the two major powers, Shaolin and Wudang
The Five Mountain Sword Sect is currently in its infancy, and its influence has yet to expand, so its ambitions have not yet been revealed. If, in the future, it becomes fully developed, will it seek to enlarge its alliances? As the saying goes, "Three Mountains and Five Peaks," will the Five Mountain Sword Sect eventually be renamed the "Three Mountains and Five Peaks Sword Sect," incorporating Huangshan, Lushan, and Yandangshan into its fold? By this logic, will it expand indefinitely, ultimately absorbing all the renowned sects and unifying the martial world?