Chapter 6: The Martial Arts Tournament

Brother Wang—" Zuo Chaoqun pulled Wang Lie down and said: "I just received an invitation."

In the wild and unrestrained song, a group of people, full of vigor and spirit, gallops towards the north

"Old Zuo," Wang Lie said without any courtesy, "I wonder if it would be convenient for you to take me along."

However, if one is determined and does not spare their strength, traveling a thousand miles in a day is not a problem. "Zuo Chaoqun said, "I imagine that it would take only a few days for the great hero Murong to travel from Yunnan to Shaolin.

Haha, this is still quite fast. The endurance of the Yunnan horses we have here far surpasses that of ordinary horses, " said Zuo Chaoqun. "Otherwise, it would take much longer. I remember more than twenty years ago, I accompanied my master to Shaolin, and that time we walked for a full six months to get there.

Young Hero Wang—Wang Lie was fiddling with the Qing Steel Sword, lost in thought, when a loud call echoed from afar. It was a disciple of the Wuliang Sword Sect

How many worldly matters have the waves washed away from the red dust of life

The Shaolin Temple intends to hold a martial arts conference, inviting various major sects from the martial world to participate. Please help me analyze whether I should attend or not," Zuo Chaoqun asked anxiously. The Wuliang Sword Sect is merely a small sect, and the martial world is fraught with complexities, necessitating caution.

The rivers and mountains smile, amidst the misty rain.

The vast sea laughs, the tides surge on both shores

I am here—I'll be there soon!" Wang Lie replied loudly

Wang Lie, accustomed to the convenient transportation of later generations, could not help but exclaim in astonishment

More than a month has passed since the sword competition between the East and West sects of the Wuliang Sword Sect. During this time, Wang Lie could not resist the enthusiastic invitation of Zuo Chaoqun and settled down at the Wuliang Sword Sect. On ordinary days, he would play chess with Zuo Chaoqun, chat with the disciples of the Wuliang Sword Sect, and continue to practice his Yiyang Finger technique in the evenings. He lived quite leisurely and comfortably. The Qinggang sword was obtained from the Wuliang Sword Sect. After practicing the Yiyang Finger internal skill for two months, having reached the ninth rank, Wang Lie noticed a significant increase in his strength. He then found a sword to chop some wood to test his strength.

"I never expected this journey would take so long," Wang Lie complained. Riding a horse is not a comfortable task; his thighs had already been chafed. Fortunately, the disciples of the Wuliang Sword Sect carried gold sore medicine with them.

Although he obtained the lightness skill of the Wuliang Sword Sect, Wang Lie did not practice it, as there was no need to cultivate such a third-rate martial art. Practicing it would only lower his own standards. The One Yang Finger, while not the pinnacle of martial arts, is nonetheless the foundation of the Six Meridians Divine Sword and can be considered first-rate martial arts, so practicing it is still worthwhile. However, practicing the sword techniques of the Wuliang Sword Sect would be a pure waste of time. Do you not see the Sword God Zhuo Bufan in 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,' who, after twenty years of hard practice in swordsmanship, was easily defeated by Xu Zhu? 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils' is a world where internal strength reigns supreme. Remembering these sword techniques is sufficient; diligently cultivating internal strength is the true path.

Haha, Brother Wang, even if you don't say anything, I still want to invite you to join us," said Zuo Chaoqun with a hearty laugh. "Such a grand event as the Martial Arts Conference, I believe that the great hero Murong will definitely participate. I hope that Brother Wang can introduce me to him when the time comes. If I could receive some guidance from the great hero Murong, it would make this trip worthwhile for me.

Indeed. After a moment of contemplation, Zuo Chaoqun said, "The rivers and lakes have been peaceful for a long time, and there will not be any bloody turmoil. I might as well take my disciples to Shaolin for a visit"

Zuo Chaoqun was sitting in the hall drinking tea. Upon seeing Wang Lie approach, he quickly stood up and took two steps forward, saying, "Brother Wang, you have finally arrived"

Drifting with the waves, I reflect on today

It is easy to say, but Wang Lie laughed it off, realizing that one cannot casually tell lies. If one were to truly encounter Murong Longcheng, it would indeed lead to a troublesome situation.

Hmm, is it time for Old Zuo to ask me to play chess again?

For more than a month, Wang Lie successfully deceived Zuo Chaoqun into genuinely believing that he was a chess friend of Murong Longcheng. Speaking of Wang Lie's chess skills, they are indeed quite limited. He has an aunt who is a professional chess player, and he learned chess alongside her from a young age. Although he cannot compare to those professional masters, his rank is still quite respectable. Moreover, placed a thousand years ago, the countless chess games he has memorized in his mind would be enough to crush these amateur players. It is worth noting that although contemporary figures in the martial world enjoy dabbling in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, their skills are generally mediocre. Wang Lie recalls that later, Huang Mei Seng and Duan Yanqing also played a game of chess. Those two might be considered Go experts, but Zuo Chaoqun is clearly not one of them

"Brother Wang, if you continue along this official road heading north, in about ten days you will reach the borders of Henan, and after a few more days of travel, you will arrive at Shaolin Temple," said the old man with a long beard, who was Zuo Chaoqun, as he raised his riding whip and pointed to the north.

"Old Zuo, the weather is so nice, let's sing a song," Wang Lie said, not waiting for Zuo Chaoqun to respond, he began to sing.

Wang Lie then noticed that Zuo Chaoqun was holding a red invitation card in his hand

Who bears the responsibility and who emerges victorious is known through the heavens and the earth, as depicted in the illustrations and recorded in the texts

Then I will go back to pack my luggage, and we will see each other later said Wang Lie, waving goodbye to Zuo Chaoqun as he left the hall

On this day, a group of over ten horse-riding individuals from the martial world arrived on the official road. Leading them was an elderly man with a long beard, around fifty years of age, accompanied by a young man in white, about seventeen or eighteen years old. Following them were a dozen or so individuals of varying ages. Each of these riders, in addition to their bundles and luggage, carried a long sword, causing passersby to hastily avoid them, as martial artists are known to draw their blades at the slightest provocation, and the common folk prefer to avoid trouble.

With exceptional chess skills and a profound understanding of the Infinite Sword Technique, Zuo Chaoqun regarded Wang Lie as a distinguished guest

The heavens laugh, as the tides of the world surge and swell

At the thought of something delightful, Wang Lie burst into laughter. Zuo Chaoqun and a group of disciples all rolled their eyes, having grown accustomed to Wang Lie's habit of laughing foolishly from time to time.

In that case, I shall instruct someone to make preparations, and we will set off north to Shaolin in three days" time

"Behold as I strike with a blade against the wind!" With a swift sound, a branch as thick as an arm fell from the sky. Wang Lie looked at the falling branch with great satisfaction and waved the Qinggang sword in his hand.

"Go on, why not go?" Wang Lie blurted out. "Recently, there haven't been any significant events in the martial world related to *Tu* and *Shu*, so this martial arts conference should not be a major upheaval; it is likely just a gathering for friends to exchange martial arts. Of course, if there is excitement, one should join in; otherwise, how would you promote the name of your Wuliang Sword Sect?" Seeing Zuo Chaoqun's indecisiveness, Wang Lie added another remark.

Not long after, Wang Lie returned to the Sword Lake Palace

It is hard to tell whether Zuo Chaoqun or Murong Longcheng is the more deluded fan, Wang Lie thought to himself, not continuing along with his words. In recent days, Wang Lie had been inquiring about various matters, yet he found that even the more famous figures in the martial world were unknown to him. Apart from having heard of Murong Longcheng, he had not even managed to learn the name of Wuyazi. Of course, it was also possible that Zuo Chaoqun and the others were simply ignorant. The current abbot of Shaolin Temple, known by the Dharma name Ruxian, is said to be as tranquil as the sea and as wise as the void. This Ruxian monk is five generations senior to Xu Zhu, and Tianshan Tonglao once had peer relationships with monks of the Ling generation, so they should still be quite young now. Logically speaking, the Xiaoyao Sect is not completely reclusive, so it is uncertain whether they will encounter Wuyazi and the others at this martial arts conference. Wang Lie was filled with anticipation for this martial arts conference; regardless of whether he could meet Wuyazi, it was a great opportunity to witness the martial arts of the world. If luck was on his side, he might even become proficient in the martial arts of the world ahead of time, transforming into a paradise of Langhuan.