CHAPTER 175: COMMENCE THE PLAN!

Nineteenth day of the first lunar month, in the small courtyard behind Wudang Mountains.

"Senior Sister! I did it! I did it!"

Wang Sheng called out joyfully under the clear skies. It had been years since he felt so excited. He immediately used his footwork technique to dash across the uneven ground of the courtyard and into the nearby woods.

Mu Wanxuan, who was sitting in meditation atop the sea of trees, opened her eyes. Looking down, she couldn't help but smile upon finding Wang Sheng holding up a gleaming longsword toward her. His training attire was riddled with holes, making it look just like the pitted ground outside the courtyard gate.

Smoke had blackened his face, and the long hair he had tied up was partially singed, yet he still looked full of joy and satisfaction. His hard work paid off. After fiddling for two days and a half, Wang Sheng had finally refined a decent flying sword.

"Look, Senior Sister!"

Wang Sheng tossed the longsword into the air. The sword immediately flew up and, with a flick of his finger, unleashed a series of elaborate movements. It then hovered back into his palm. With a snap of his right fingers, the flying sword quickly melted and turned into a silver-white sword core about ten centimeters in diameter.

Mu Wanxuan's eyes lit up. She drifted down from the treetop.

Smiling, Wang Sheng handed her the sword core. "This is for you. I've already obtained permission from the Shu Sword Sect to share with you the methods of nurturing a flying sword and refining it into a sword core. However, since it is their foundational art, we must never spread it to anyone else."

"Mm!" Mu Wanxuan smiled brightly and carefully accepted the silver-white sword core. She held it between her fingertips as she examined it under the sunlight.

Wang Sheng couldn't help but grin. A deep sense of accomplishment welled up in his heart.

Over the past two days, he had used up all the treasured materials that the Shu Sword Sect had given him and managed to refine seven flying swords in total. The one that he had given to Mu Wanxuan had been made using the most precious set of materials in a final gamble. It had been a close call, but he succeeded in the end.

Seeing his senior sister's delighted expression, Wang Sheng felt that all his efforts over the past two days had not been in vain. "Let's head back inside, Senior Sister. I'll teach you how to refine and nurture a sword core. You don't have to spend too much effort on it."

"Got it," Mu Wanxuan readily agreed. She then followed behind Wang Sheng, already starting to wrap her true essence around the sword core.

In truth, the most valuable part of the Sword-Controlling Art from the Shu Mountains wasn't the sword techniques. It was the sword-nurturing and sword-refinement methods.

While the power of Sword-Controlling Art varied, it could generally be figured out through personal experimentation, given enough time. Unlike its combat techniques, the sword-nurturing and sword-refinement methods were unknown to other sword cultivators. They had once been the signature techniques of Zhenren Qing Feng.

Mu Wanxuan grasped cultivation-related things quickly. In less than half an hour, she had already refined the sword core and could summon it into her palm at will. What she found most peculiar was how her palm looked completely normal despite merging the sword core into it.

Having mastered the method, she immediately began experimenting nonstop. Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm the entire time.

It was amazing.

Standing to the side and watching his senior sister, Wang Sheng thought about the years he had lived since his regression. He couldn't help but feel that after more than a decade of hardship in his previous life, the heavens had finally shown him a bit of kindness.

Among all things in the mortal world, nothing was more precious than advancing further in the Immortal Dao. Among all that is precious in life, the most treasured was having someone to walk that path with.

During these past few days of forging swords, Wang Sheng had more or less come to a decision. If his senior sister remained indifferent to matters between men and women, then he would simply continue cultivating alongside her like this.

However, if one day she suddenly came to understand such feelings and a sprout of love blossomed in her heart, he would devote himself entirely to making sure she never felt a moment of loneliness.

It was easy to say "go with the flow," but truly letting things unfold without forcing them was much harder to do.

"Senior Sister, I'm going to tidy up the courtyard. I left quite a mess over the past few days."

Having received the gift, Mu Wanxuan offered, "I'll help—"

"I'll take care of it. Chores like this are a junior brother's duty," Wang Sheng replied with a smile.

Mu Wanxuan, who had already rolled up her sleeves, blinked and nodded obediently.

Wang Sheng picked up a broom and began sweeping the courtyard inside and out. Since the two would be living here for some time, they could leave it in such a messy state.

He had just finished sweeping the inner courtyard and had yet to clean the perimeter when two people slowly approached along the mountain path. Since sweeping the ground could be seen as a subtle hint for guests to leave, Wang Sheng quickly set down the broom and stood up to welcome them.

Gao Shixing, the lean and dark-skinned Daoist master, was in the lead. Zhou Yinglong followed right behind, dressed in a pale-white Daoist robe and a hat.

As they reached the mountain, Wang Sheng stepped forward to greet Gao Shixing. "Martial Uncle."

However, before he could say anything to Zhou Yinglong, Zhou suddenly flicked the front of his Daoist robe, knelt before Wang Sheng, and performed a formal kowtow.

"Please, Senior Brother Zhou, there's no need for that."

Wang Sheng hurried forward to help him up, worried Zhou Yinglong was still injured and unable to exert himself.

Zhou Yinglong knocked his head on the ground twice before jumping up with a grin. Slightly embarrassed, he said, "This was my master's strict order. I must show respect. You saved my life, Junior Brother Wang. I owe you everything."

Wang Sheng smiled. "There's no need to speak to me that way. The alchemical pills came from a senior of Medicine God Valley. I already profited from your two generous gifts. Anyway, please come in, Martial Uncle Gao, Senior Brother Zhou. Let's talk inside."

Gao Shixing smiled faintly. "Very well."

Once obsessed with the Dao of the Sword, Gao Shixing had finally emerged from his sword-focused world. Compared to their first meeting, his smile now appeared far less stiff and much more natural.

Mu Wanxian had clearly been aware of the outsiders' presence from the beginning. She had already returned to her room, changed into a flowing ancient dress, and styled her hair into an elegant updo. Once Wang Sheng and the other two were seated under the tree in the courtyard, she walked out gracefully, carrying tea in her hands. She served each of them before leaving gracefully.

The flying sword that slowly revolved around her drew more than a few glances.

She had already begun exploring the Sword-Controlling Art. Since Wang Sheng couldn't pass on much of it to her, she had made up her mind to invent a set of Pure Yang Sword-Controlling Art and hoped to one day rival the Shu Sword Sect.

Zhou Yinglong leaned toward Wang Sheng and bitterly asked, "Isn't the Sword-Controlling Art forbidden to teach to outsiders?"

Wang Sheng smiled as he served Gao Shixing tea. "I only taught my senior sister the sword-nurturing method, and I had the sect's permission."

Zhou Yinglong licked his lips and glanced at the martial uncle beside him. Not daring to say anything rash, he could only fix Wang Sheng with a deeply resentful look.

Wang Sheng asked, "You shaved your head?"

"Mm." Zhou Yinglong took off his hat, revealing an inch or so of new hair.

He had always been used to wearing a Daoist robe and having long flowing hair. Since his new look still felt awkward to him, he kept his hat on and decided to wait until his hair grew back properly.

Zhou Yinglong then raised his eyebrows. "The Medicine God Valley's medical skills really are incredible. I was already prepared to spend the rest of my life looking like a hideous monster. But not only did they heal my burns, they even repaired my bones. JuniorBrother, take a look. Don't I look a little more handsome now?"

Wang Sheng gave him a serious once-over and nodded. "Looks like it reshaped your bones. Since your face hasn't changed, I guess the skin of your face just got thicker[1]."

"He he he..." Zhou Yinglong chuckled foolishly. Partway through his laughter, he sighed softly, and his expression darkened. Those junior brothers of ours, though... they couldn't be saved."

Wang Sheng and Gao Shixing both fell silent.

"You should focus on cultivating," Gao Shixing said. "Once you're stronger, you can avenge them yourself."

"Me?" Zhou Yinglong smiled wryly. "I want to get stronger, too, but this injury drained too much of my primal qi. The elders at Medicine God Valley said I'll need to spend an extra ten years at the Foundation Establishment Stage. If I rush, I might not even live long enough to form a Golden Core."

"The path of cultivation depends on each person's fate," Wang Sheng said reassuringly. "Be more optimistic, Senior Brother, and just focus on training here in the mountains. I will make sure those corrupt cultivators face justice."

Looking at Wang Sheng, Gao Shixing's eyes lit up. "You broke through? Want to spar a little?"

Wang Sheng was more than happy to oblige. With a flick of his hand, two of the flying swords that he had forged flew over from the corner of the courtyard.

He then said, "These past few days, I refined a few flying swords while practicing the Sword-Controlling Art. They're good enough to count as artifacts. I'll keep two as spares. Martial Uncle, you can take the rest to add to the Daoist Canon Repository. Let the younger disciples make use of them."

"Alright," Gao Shixing said, flicking one of the swords with his finger. He immediately sensed something different about it.

The blade wasn't especially sharp, and the forging technique wasn't very refined. Moreover, the surface was dull and unpolished. However, the spirituality within the sword far surpassed that of ordinary treasured swords. Even without the Sword-Controlling Art, which could fully unleash its power, training with this sword would be very helpful in understanding the Dao of the Sword.

Soon after, the two stood facing each other in the courtyard, both emanating Illusory Core Realm auras.

Wang Sheng stepped forward just as Gao Shixing moved to attack. Their sword intents clashed with a metallic ring.

Mu Wanxuan stood at the doorway watching the match. After a while, she quietly dismissed her thoughts about developing her own Pure Yang Sword-Controlling Art. Her junior brother's swordplay had already reached such a level. If she didn't focus enough on the Dao of Yin and Yang, she could soon find herself falling behind his sword techniques.

Maintaining her authority as his senior sister still seemed necessary. Otherwise, her junior brother might start pushing her around.

Under the tree, Zhou Yinglong sat on a stool, watching the sparring with a hint of disappointment in his eyes. Soon, however, he smiled quietly to himself, adjusting his mindset. He probably didn't even realize that after brushing up against death and slowly regaining balance, something in him had already changed.

In the blink of an eye, the courtyard was filled with sword phantasms. The two combatants weaved and shifted positions using nimble and refined footwork. It was clear that Gao Shixing had spent the past two years diligently training in movement techniques.

Neither went all out, however. After a hundred moves, they both stepped back and returned to the tree to discuss the Dao of the Sword.

This time, Wudang had issued a strict order that forbade anyone from approaching the courtyard. Only Zhou Yinglong and a handful of Daoist masters even knew that Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan had returned to the Wudang Mountains.

As the sun sank low, Gao Shixing and Zhou Yinglong each took two flying swords and bid farewell to Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan. Before leaving, Gao Shixing reminded Wang Sheng not to slack off in training in the Dao of the Sword. Even if he couldn't make any breakthroughs, he should spend at least an hour or two each day practicing sword techniques. He should not become overly reliant on the Sword-Controlling Art either.

Wang Sheng agreed solemnly.

Once they were gone, Wang Sheng prepared to enter meditation. However, he received a message from his master.

The second phase of the "bait and ambush" plan had been approved. The Special Investigation Unit had already begun meeting to go over the entire plan and all its details.

Wang Sheng clenched his fist, then quickly calmed his mind and sat down to meditate.

He had to make another breakthrough before the Special Investigation Unit finalized everything.

Even if he was only at the Illusory Core Realm, even if he was just a sword cultivator with no earth-shattering techniques, he would still go all in. He would do everything in his power to eliminate the threat that the Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect posed to his senior sister.

So what if his heart was clouded with killing intent? He could always go into seclusion for ten or twenty years afterward to cleanse his mind.

1. telling someone they have thick face skin is the Chinese way of calling someone thick-skinned/shameless ☜