Volume 1: Fengyi . Nanhai Volume Chapter 13: The Rebellious Island's Guardian Snake

  "Dad, mom, I and Master Gu will leave with big brother tomorrow, okay? It's been a long time since I've seen Master Lin and Uncle Liu. I want to go up the mountain early to ask for your well-being." In fact, Lian Wanru was thinking of seeing her younger sister Meng'er and younger brother Chujiu earlier, but she said this, asking with pleading eyes at her older brother Lian Tian and her mother Ye Lan.

  Lian Wanrou's Lin Shibo is the current leader of the Diancang Sect, "Slanting Sun Divine Sword" Lin Ruochi, and the Liu Shishu she mentioned is "Cloud Play Sword" Liu Chenfei, Gu Baiyun's fifth senior brother.

  The eighteen-year war, seven of the big disciples of Dian Cang were killed and three were injured. Although only three survived, their reputation became even more renowned, so these three people on the rivers and lakes were also known as "Dian Cang San Zi".

  Among them, "White Cloud Sword Guest" Gu Baiyun likes to wield his sword and travel the world, with the most famous reputation and the widest connections. "Slanting Sun God Sword" Lin Ruoqi's Slanting Sun Swordsmanship is already famous all over the world, but he often closes his door to practice his sword, and the nineteen roads of Cangjian Swordsmanship are all familiar and unmatched. In the past decade, he has almost never fought with anyone, and no one knows how high his martial arts skills have reached.

  However, for over a decade, it has been widely spread throughout the Tian Nan that "Slanting Sun Divine Sword" Lin Ruo Chi is the number one expert in Tian Nan, and no one disputes this.

  So, in the teaching of general things, it is usually the fifth junior brother "Cloud Sword" Liu Chenfei who takes care of them. Liu Chenfei is only thirty-seven years old, and he is a clever and fair person with abundant vitality. All the big and small affairs on the mountain are handled by him in an orderly manner.

  He himself did not accept apprentices, and instead focused on cultivating the disciples of his two senior brothers. Because their master had passed away early, Liu Chenfei's martial arts skills were almost entirely taught by Gu Baiyun and Lin Ruochi. The "Cloud Play Sword" technique was even more brilliant than its predecessors, earning him the reputation as the number one among his peers in Jianghu, and he became known as the "Cloud Play Sword Guest".

  But in the fierce battle eighteen years ago, if it weren't for Big Brother and Second Brother risking their lives to rescue him, Liu Chenfei would have died at the hands of the Demon Sect's "Scorpion Flying Devil" Du Xie.

  So, Liu Chenfei and Dian Cang were united in their efforts, and the disciples of both Palm Gate and Gu Baiyun's branch looked up to Wu Shu with admiration and respect. Under Liu Chenfei's management, Dian Cang had slowly recovered from the severe losses it suffered eighteen years ago, and its disciples had grown up and made a name for themselves, their reputation spreading far and wide, until finally, on August 19th, they held a grand ceremony to bestow swords upon them.

  After the grand ceremony of granting swords, it marked that Diancang's disciples had officially become swordsmen from Diancang, becoming the best among this generation of disciples in Jianghu, and shouldering the heavy responsibility of revitalizing Diancang's prestige.

  Lian Rong looked at his gentle wife and daughter, also silently with a soft gaze, could only turn his head to instruct Lian Tian: "Your sister last time went up the mountain, unexpectedly wanted to compare swords with your fifth younger brother, seventh younger brother, and eighth younger brother. Last time your Liu Shu uncle just saw me once, he asked me to compensate for two chairs, three tables, and some flower vases from the Xuan Qing Temple, as for flowers, grass, trees, etc., even more countless, all were your sister's masterpieces, haha! I think if your sister goes up the mountain a few more times, our entire mountain villa will be compensated to Dian Cang! This time you must take good care of your sister!"

  Lian Wanrou heard that her father agreed, and she cheered loudly, smiling at her parents and older brother. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked again: "Gu Shi Bo, Father, Mother, what is the 'Reversal Island' and the 'Five-Colored Divine Snake' 'Rate Ran'?"

  She asked this question knowing that everyone was very interested, and it wasn't because she was asking Luo Zhihan, but because she knew Luo Zhihan didn't know.

  As expected, Lian Tian, Luo Zhihan, Lu Shaohang and Lu Lun all turned their heads in unison to look at Gu Baiyun and Lian Rifen with anticipation.

  Luo Zhihan said, "As a junior disciple, I followed my master and elder brother to roam the jianghu. The 'Island of Defying Heaven' is a forbidden place for our sect, and I have never been there, so I don't know what the 'Five-Colored Divine Snake' is."

  Gu Baiyun knew that Mr. and Mrs. Lian were well-versed in the mysteries of Taoism, so they should have a deeper understanding of "naturalness" than herself, so she remained silent, waiting for the couple to speak up.

  Ye Lan Mo saw that everyone was silent, her husband was also staring at herself, and only said: "This five-colored divine snake, named 'Rate Ran', is the legendary two-headed divine snake, with scales on its body, it has actually become a five-colored color.

  "Rate Ran" is an ancient beast, if it still exists, it's likely to have become a spirit. For over a hundred years, rumors have circulated in the Jianghu that the guardian deity of the Nanhai Sword Sect's forbidden land, "Inverted Heaven Lonely Island", is actually it, but who knows whether it's true or false!

  Gu Baiyun, who had only known the name of Lian Yifeng before, now felt curious after hearing this and asked: "Younger brother and sister, what is the origin of this Double-headed Five-colored Divine Snake? How can it become the guardian deity of 'Nitian Gudao', the forbidden land of the South Sea Sword Sect?"

  Yelanmo smiled and said, "It has two heads, extremely agile. When it comes into contact with people, if someone attacks its head, its tail will come to take their life. If someone attacks its tail, its head will come. If someone attacks its waist, both its head and tail will arrive at the same time. And its tail is not a real tail, but rather there is also a head on top of its tail."

  She saw her beloved daughter's stunned expression, and gently said: "Therefore, the beginning is the end, the end is the beginning. The attack is swift and unparalleled in the world! However, it is not cruel by nature, and generally does not lightly attack people!"

  "Perhaps it's a rumor that's wrong, and this Double-Headed Five-Colored Divine Snake is being suppressed by the 'Reversal Heavenly Isolated Island' of the South Sea Sword Sect?"

  His point of view was indeed novel, and Ye Lanmo was taken aback. This was something she had never thought of before. Perhaps the Double-Headed Five-Colored Divine Snake and the "Island of Inversion" were mutually protecting each other!

  She didn't have time to think much before Lian Wanrou chuckled and said, "This 'Rate Snake' is really an interesting divine snake, but I've never heard of it before!"

  Ye Lan was silent, but Lian Tian said: "Mother, I think last month you taught me the 'Art of War' by Sunzi, where it says 'the momentum of the army is like a snake'. This snake must be referring to this! I was puzzled about the meaning of that sentence at the time, now I finally understand!"

  Ye Lan smiled slightly and nodded in agreement, but didn't say a word. Tian was his beloved son, and now that he saw how clever he was, how could she not be delighted? Yet it wasn't convenient for her to praise him openly.

  Luo Zhihan let out a sigh of "Ah" and said: "It turns out that our sect still has such a divine object, I'm afraid even Master hasn't seen it before!"

  "It should be like this, the 'Double-headed Five-colored Divine Snake' has a spirit from an early age and not everyone can see it. According to legend, only the leader of the South Sea Sword Sect in each generation can see it, what he said is not nonsense!" Ye Lan added.

  Everyone was speechless for a moment, and then Rong Ba said: "Alright, you all go play first! The chrysanthemums in the backyard are blooming, covering the ground with golden yellow petals. Ruo Er will take your brothers to have some fun, I'll discuss the important matter of the sacrifice at Diancang with your mother and Gu Shu Bo."

  When he said the last sentence, he first smiled and looked at his younger brothers and sisters. He was indeed a gentleman in front of his elders, and also polite to his juniors.

  Lu Shao Hang, Lian Tian, Lu Lun, Luo Zhi Han, and Lian Wan Rou all bowed and exited the study.

  Lian Tian was so clever, knowing that his parents and Shibo still had something important to discuss about the sacrifice of Dian Cang. It must be something else. So after leaving the door, he said to Luo Zhihan: "Luo Xiongdi, take my sister and my shixiong, shidi to play in the garden on that side, I'll help you put down this sword, and return it to you tomorrow."

  Luozhi thought it would be inconvenient to hold a sword in his hand while being a guest in someone else's home, so he made a bow and said: "Thank you, Brother Lian."

  He handed the sword to Lian Tian, turned around and saw Lian Wanrou chatting with Lu Lunxing excitedly, Lu Shao Hang also had a smile on his face. Occasionally, Lian Wanrou turned her head and beckoned him over, so he followed.

  Lian Tian thought for a moment, then returned to his room to put away his sword before sneaking back to the window at the back of the study. He knew that his master, father, and mother's martial arts skills were far superior to his own, so he didn't dare get too close. He listened in on their conversation, and it wasn't about the matter of Dian Cang's memorial service as he had expected.

  All I could hear was the sound coming from the window, and it seemed to be Shibo speaking:

  "...the two men in black who escaped used the absolute secret of the Kongtong Sect: 'Left meets right, left palm and right sword, both sides work together, mutually assist and support each other.' Their martial arts skills are higher than my junior disciple Shao Hang, but they can't beat me alone for more than thirty moves. However, when two people use 'Left meets right, left palm and right sword, both sides work together, mutually assist and support each other' together, their power increases by a factor of two."

  So, I launched a surprise attack with the "Canglang Sword Technique" and struck them with 21 swords in pursuit of the moon. However, they only suffered minor injuries and escaped easily. It seems that their skills are not just ordinary, with left and right palms and swords working together in harmony, assisting and supporting each other. I suspect that they must have practiced for over ten years to achieve this level of mastery. With their martial arts skills, I doubt that they are the same sect as Lie Chi Yan's Nine Swords, or at least they are from a collateral branch of his school.

  Lie Chi Yan is the renowned leader of the Kunlun Sect, and Lian Tian had heard his seniors and parents mention that he has exceptional martial arts skills but is treacherous by nature. In recent years, the Kunlun Sect's influence has grown significantly in the northwest, almost surpassing that of the Kunlun Sect.

  Inside, there was a long silence. Then, Tian heard his mother's voice: "Brother Baiyun hesitated to tell Zhihan the truth about this child, fearing that he would rashly rush to Cuifeng to avenge and lose his life in vain, so he didn't tell him, right?"

  "Ah, Kongtong has been in close contact with the imperial court these past few years. We Jianghu people value our freedom and ease, why bother being a dog for the imperial court? So after this grand ceremony of passing on the sword, I fear that the peace we've had in Jianghu for 18 years may not last much longer. The South Sea affair might just be the beginning."

  So, I want to bring Zhi Han to Mount Cangyan to meet the junior master of the sect and invite various schools and factions, as well as friends from the Jianghu, to discuss this matter. Moreover, since this is a grand ceremony for passing on the sword, it's certain that at least one of the nine elder swordsmen of Lie Chi Yan's school will come to Mount Cangyan. I'll ask them to clarify what's right and wrong! Lian Tian heard the anxious voice of his master.

  "Brother Baiyun, there's no need to worry too much. Twenty-nine years ago and eighteen years ago, such big things were resolved, I believe that no matter what happens in the future, with Shaolin, Wudang and your Mount Emei here, what is there to fear? Moreover, I see that Zhihan's skeletal structure is extraordinary, his forehead is full, and the back of his head is abundant, not like someone who will die young. He will definitely have a day to rise to prominence." Lian Rong said, having always been quite knowledgeable about the Book of Changes, and naturally would verify it when he first saw someone.

  "Yes, I see that this child is elegant and refined, yet strong and stable. Among the younger generation, it's truly rare to find someone like him. As long as Big Brother Gu can bring him up to Mount Cangshan, he'll definitely make great progress in his martial arts after a period of tempering!" Ye Lan said in agreement with her husband, knowing that Gu Baiyun was a chivalrous and kind-hearted person who would naturally take good care of Luo Zhihan.

  Gu Baiyun burst out laughing: "So even you, younger brother, can tell fortunes and read faces? When did this happen, haha..."

  For several days, I heard this secret and didn't dare make a slight move. It just so happened that the parents and teacher were laughing loudly inside the house, providing an opportunity for me to bow my head and retreat back.

  In the backyard, he saw Luo Zhihan and Lu Shidi and his sister admiring chrysanthemums and practicing swordplay. They were laughing and chatting in low voices, having a great time. Lu Dashi was also smiling and guiding his sister, so he walked over as well.

  Luozhi Han had been wandering with his master in the Central Plains and other places since he was a child, but he always passed by like a fleeting glance, searching for the key to their sect's survival. He didn't have a deep understanding of any place, and knew even less about the Diancang Sect.

  He only knew that his master had mentioned the name of Diancang Sanzi, whose swordsmanship was renowned for being divine and unparalleled. The fame of Diancang Sanzi shook the heavens, but as for everything else, he was completely unaware.

  He thought that after a few days he would go up to Mount Cang, and it would be better to know more about it, so he asked Lian Wanrou: "Lian girl, you mentioned Jiang Er Xiao Shijie and Chu Jiu Xiao Shixiong, who are they?"

  Lian Wanrou was having a great time playing with Lu Leng, first pointing and gesturing as she talked about the new sword moves her mother had recently taught her, then listening to Lu Leng talk about the wonders of the "Black Cloud" treasured horse.

  At this time, Luo Zhihan asked about Qing'er and Chujiu, and couldn't help but stop, unknowingly laughing out loud, with a soft gaze, full of smile, as if anyone who thought of them would feel gentle and pleasant.

  "Ming'er, my older brother's master, is the current leader of the Diancang Sect, 'Slanting Sun Divine Sword' Lin Ruochi, Lin Shibo's only beloved daughter. She's only a few months older than me, but always acts like an elder sister in front of me. We often practice sword together, and from my first trip to Diancang Mountain at the age of seven, she took my hand and we went to play by Erhai Lake together. We've been close sisters for a long time." As she spoke, Lian Wanrou's thoughts turned to her younger brother, and the smile on her face became even more wistful, gentle, and slow.

  "Chu Jiu, the little Shixiong, is the youngest disciple of our Lin Shifu's generation and my big brother's best friend. That Tianxuan broken wood sword was made by Father after we begged him repeatedly for Chu Jiu. Chu Jiu, this little Shixiong, is a weird but sunny guy who can come up with 17 or 18 fun ideas as soon as he thinks about it. Being with him is always joyful!"

  After finishing speaking, he was still immersed in his own words, as if seeing the smile of Xiao Shi Xiong on the ninth day of the first lunar month, like the warm sunshine on a winter morning, and the leisurely and carefree expression seemed to be right in front of him.

  The next day, at the crack of dawn, Lian Wanru got up early and waited for her maid to finish collecting and washing her clothes before preparing to bid farewell to her mother.

  When they arrived at the hall, everyone had already gotten up and was tidying up. They were all in the hall. As soon as they asked Gu Baiyun and Father how they were doing, Ye Lan had personally brought out lotus leaf porridge and some small dishes of salted vegetables from the kitchen with the servants.

  Gu Baiyun and Lian Rifen had the twelve long swords loaded into the carriage by the servants, and after they were properly stowed away, Qinglian and the others bid farewell to Lian Rifen.

  Gu Baiyun solemnly took out a red invitation and handed it to Lian Rifen with both hands, naturally inviting Lian Rifen and his wife to Diancang Mountain in the name of Diancang Sect. Lian Rifen accepted it and said: "My wife and I will definitely go to the mountain to disturb you!"

  On the other side, Ye Lan Mo also tidied up Lian Yu Ru's clothes and instructed Lian Tian a few words, which were naturally words of taking care of his sister.

  She turned around and took a set of new sky blue long shirts from the servant's hand and handed them to Luo Zhihan, comforting him with two sentences. Ye Lan had seen that Luo Zhihan's clothes were quite old yesterday, so she brought over the fabric she had originally planned to make for Lian Tian last night and made it into a set of clothes for Luo Zhihan overnight.

  Lu Zhi's heart was filled with gratitude, and he hastily thanked him and accepted it.

  Crowds of people led the horses over, and "Black Cloud" let out a long whinny from afar. After resting for a night, it was even more spirited. Behind it were three other horses, aside from Lian Tian's one horse, the other two were exactly the ones that Lian Ri Feng had given to Lu Shao Hang and Luo Zhi Han. They were all fine horses with long legs and broad backs, fast and swift.

  He "Shen Mang Mountain Villa" is financially powerful, with many good horses in the stables. Giving away two horses was just a small matter. Lu Shaohang and Luo Zhihan bowed their heads to thank him together.

  Among the crowd, Gu Baiyun rode "Black Cloud" and followed behind the carriage with Luo Zhihan on horseback. Lu Shaoxing and Lian Tian rode horses in front of the carriage, while Lu Lun still drove the carriage from the middle, with luggage and Lian Wanrou inside. Lian Wanrou occasionally opened the front curtain of the carriage and chatted with Lu Lun, laughing and joyful beyond compare. Everyone surged forward to the west in a grand manner.

  Note: The "Shenyi Jing (Xihuang Jing)" and "Bowuzhi (Yiwén)" have records of the five-colored snake, named Shuairan, also known as a two-headed snake. If someone touches it, if they touch the middle of its head, its tail will arrive; if they touch the middle of its tail, its head will arrive; if they touch the middle of its waist, both its head and tail will arrive at the same time.