Chapter Twenty-Six White Plum Fragrance

  Liang Xiao ran out a long way, sat on a rock, and thought to herself: "That little mute is clearly jealous of me, afraid that I'll learn swordsmanship and defeat her. Humph, she doesn't want to practice with me? Who cares! Thinking of this, she looked up at the winding path ahead, which led straight to the mountain top. She had an idea: "There must be few people on the mountain top, I'll go there first to practice my swordsmanship, then find that little mute and challenge her to a duel, and defeat her soundly."

  Thinking of unfolding his light body skill, he climbed all the way up and approached the East Peak in less than an hour. In the distance, he saw a small octagonal pavilion perched on top of a rock, with its eaves extending over the cliff, like a flying eagle. Next to the pavilion was a stone tablet with the three characters "Dui Yi Ting" (Pavilion of Chess) inscribed in large letters, accompanied by a note: "Song Taizu lost at Huashan".

  Liang Xiao had heard his father say that when Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin was not yet an emperor, he once met a Taoist named Chen Tuan in this place. Chen Tuan knew beforehand and knew that the red-faced boy would be rich and powerful in the future, so he pulled him down to play chess, with Mount Hua as the stake, saying that if Zhao Kuangyin lost, after becoming emperor, he would exempt Mount Hua from taxation.

  Liang Xiao imagined Zhao Kuangyin's unlucky appearance when he lost at chess, and secretly found it amusing. As he walked into the pavilion, he saw a stone table with a chessboard carved on it, with two cups of chess pieces at each corner, and black and white chess pieces arranged on the board, as if a game had been left unfinished. He thought to himself: "It seems like someone has been here, why haven't they cleaned up the chess pieces?" He didn't understand chess, but seeing the black and white pieces surrounding each other in intense battle, he couldn't help but wonder where the intensity was coming from.

  Suddenly, he felt someone watching him from behind. Liang Xiao's heart skipped a beat as he turned around and shouted, "Who?" But there was no one in sight. He thought to himself, "Am I being paranoid? Ah, since I'm already here on this mountain, wasting time, the terrain is flat, and no one is watching, it's perfect for practicing my sword skills." He took out his treasured sword and began to practice the "Qianjian Dao" technique. After a while, as he turned around, he suddenly felt a faint warmth and moisture on the back of his neck, as if someone or something was breathing on him. His hair stood on end, and with a swift motion, he swung his hand around, but there was nothing there.

  Liang Xiao thought for a moment, turned his body around, and faced east. At this time, it was not yet noon, the sunlight shone from east to west, casting his shadow on the ground. Liang Xiao lowered his head to take a closer look, and apart from his own shadow, there was another person's shadow on the ground, wearing a Confucian hat and a long gown, with a slender figure.

  Liang Xiao's mind was shocked, and he shouted: "Who?" The man saw that he had seen through his disguise, and smiled: "I am Wang Er." "Wang Er" is a phrase from the "Qi Wu Lun" chapter of Zhuangzi, referring to the shadow of a shadow. Liang Xiao didn't know the origin of these two words, and cursed out loud: "What Wang Er? I'm still Li Ye!" He took advantage of the homophone to scold the man for teasing him and to take advantage of him.

  That man was furious, scolding: "You little brat is ignorant and deserves to be beaten!" He stretched out his hand and slapped Liang Xiao's buttocks. Liang Xiao's buttocks felt like they were on fire, he jumped up in anger, looked around for the person's position, and swung his sword backhand. The man sneered and followed closely behind Liang Xiao, never leaving his side.

  Liang Xiao dodged left and right, his sword stabbing and hands grasping, like a dog biting its own tail, but couldn't get close. After the initial shock and anger, he rolled over and stabbed again, flying through the air with a loud whoosh, using every trick in the book, but still didn't touch the other person's clothes. Every time he stopped to catch his breath, he heard that person chuckling to himself.

  Liang Xiao's anger gradually dissipated, replaced by a growing sense of fear: "Is this person's method evil? Could it be that he's not human, but a mountain spirit?" As he thought this, a chill ran down his spine, and he almost wanted to turn and run. But then he reconsidered, thinking that if he couldn't even see his opponent's face, wouldn't that be too cowardly. He turned his eyes, suddenly leaping out several dozen feet, standing at the edge of the rock behind the pavilion, with his back to the cliff, thinking: "Let's see where you'll stand this time!"

  Suddenly, the man laughed and said, "This move doesn't work either!" Liang Xiao was shocked: "Ah, is he really a ghost? Hmm, don't be in a hurry, I haven't retreated completely, there's still room behind me?" He knew that if he turned around to look, the man would definitely turn around again. Without turning around, he pretended to stab with his sword, attracting the opponent's attention, and then took a step back. If the opponent was human, they would inevitably lose their footing and fall forward in front of Liang Xiao.

  Who would have thought that as soon as his right foot stepped out, it was a misstep, and Liang Xiao's heart cried out in alarm. His left foot tried to steady himself, but unexpectedly the stone surface was slippery with moss, and he couldn't stand firm for a moment. He fell towards the cliff below, and in his heart he cried out: "Ah, could it be that the vengeful spirit of the cliff jumper has found a substitute...?" Before he could even finish the thought, his wrist was grasped by someone, and his whole body was suspended in mid-air. Liang Xiao's soul had not yet calmed down, and as he looked up, a scholar smiled at him. The scholar was about 40 years old, with disheveled hair and beard, and very thin features, but his eyes were bright and spirited. His left hand grasped Liang Xiao, while his right hand clutched the rock above, his five fingers sunk into the moss as if they had been cast in iron.

  Liang Xiao looked at him, thinking he was human, and felt slightly relieved. He thought of teasing him, wanting to scold him a few times. Suddenly, a gust of wind rose from below, the mountain was high and windy, Liang Xiao felt like a swing swaying in the autumn breeze, his heart also lifted up to his throat. The scholar laughed loudly, shook his arm against the wind, and shouted: "Go up!"

  Liang Xiao's ears were blown by the wind, and he leaped up to the top of the cliff like a cloud riding on the fog. Before he even landed, the scholar had already counterattacked, flipping his body and floating down. Liang Xiao was both enraged and astonished: "What kind of divine being is this person?"

  The Confucian scholar glanced at him and laughed: "You little scoundrel, you're not even good at being angry. If you fall down, I'm afraid you'll be smashed to pieces... Ha ha, you won't even have a shadow left!" Liang Xiao angrily said: "How dare you say that? It's all your fault for pretending to be mysterious and teasing people. I didn't provoke you, why did you come to bother me?" The Confucian scholar laughed: "I'm playing chess here, who told you to come disturb me?" Liang Xiao retorted: "You're playing chess by yourself? Besides, I didn't see you when I came up the mountain." The Confucian scholar rolled his eyes and coldly sneered: "I love playing chess alone, what's wrong with that? When you came up the mountain, your footsteps were too loud, disturbing my peace and making me forget my next move! If I don't tease you, would there be any justice in heaven?"

  Liang Xiao didn't understand the chess path, and when he heard him speak seriously for a moment, he was stunned. He said, "Okay, I won't disturb you playing chess, I'll go to the top of the mountain." The scholar said, "That's not okay either. Mount Hua has only one road, and when you come down later, I'm just getting to the crucial point, wouldn't that be disturbing me again?" Liang Xiao's anger suddenly rose, but he thought it was still his own fault, so he endured and said, "Then I'll go down the mountain." The scholar sneered, "Good, you made me forget the chess path, now you want to slip back home?" Liang Xiao hesitated for a moment, thinking in his heart, "Going up is not okay, going down is not okay, what does this wicked scholar want me to do to satisfy him?"

  The Confucian scholar looked up and saw his thoughts, smiled and said: "It's better this way, you stay here quietly, don't move at all, until I remember the chess moves, then you can leave. Remember not to make any noise, if there is a sound, it will disturb my thoughts again, and I'll have to start thinking from scratch." Liang Xiao angrily said: "What kind of talk is this? If you can't think of it in ten days, do I have to wait for you for ten days; if you can't think of it all your life, do I have to wait for you all my life?"

  "Good! You don't agree?" Rujun laughed. "Of course not!" Liang Xiao said angrily. "Then I have no choice but to use force." He made a move, and Liang Xiao quickly retreated two steps, his hand grasping the sword hilt, concentrating and waiting, afraid that he would be forced into a stalemate, standing for three days and three nights.

  The scholar stared at him without blinking, gazing for a while, then suddenly put his hand on his waist and burst out laughing, his mustache trembling with laughter. Liang Xiao asked, "What are you laughing at?" The scholar didn't respond to him, but continued to laugh wildly, one hand on his waist and the other pointing at Liang Xiao: "Haha, really stupid, haha, really stupid, haha..." Liang Xiao angrily said, "How am I stupid?" The scholar laughed and said, "I'm just talking nonsense, do you believe it? What kind of absurd thing is this in the world, haha, idiot, haha, big idiot..."

  Liang Xiao was left speechless, scratching his head and thinking: "I'm really stupid, these nonsense words are so obvious, but I actually believed them? Hmph, this wicked scholar has been fooling people from start to finish!" The Confucian scholar seemed to have never laughed in his life, but now he burst into a fit of laughter. Suddenly, he grabbed the Go pieces on the stone table and threw them out one by one while laughing loudly. All that could be heard was the sound of the pieces hitting the wall, embedding themselves an inch deep. Liang Xiao's eyes widened in shock, his heart filled with extreme astonishment.

  The Confucian scholar threw down the chess piece, and suddenly flew into a rage again, staring fiercely at Liang Xiao, shouting: "Do you think I want to play chess alone? Do you think I want to play chess alone......" His eyes gleamed with a fierce light, like a long spear or halberd, as if he wanted to pierce through the person.

  Liang Xiao involuntarily took a step back, grasping his sword tightly, feeling suffocated and unable to speak. The scholar's eyes dimmed for a moment before softening again, and he finally let out a sigh, beckoning Liang Xiao over with a wave of his hand. "Little kid, come here." Liang Xiao composed himself slightly, snorted, and said, "You call me little kid? You're not much older than me!" The scholar chuckled, "Do I look young to you? Ha! In terms of age, I could be your father's father!" Liang Xiao said, "Are you trying to trick people again?" The scholar, normally lazy and carefree, didn't bother explaining, smiling as he asked, "Who taught you that sword technique you just used?" Liang Xiao replied, "Ling Qing Dao Zhang!" The scholar raised an eyebrow, laughing, "Ling Qing? What a great Ling Qing!"

  Liang Xiao looked at him with a strange expression and asked, "Do you know her?" The scholar shook his head and said, "I don't know her, but I recognize your sword technique." Liang Xiao was startled, and then heard the scholar say, "Little guy, show me again from start to finish." Liang Xiao said, "You're thinking too much, my Returning Sword is the best in the world, how can I let you see it? Hmph, you're sneaky, originally wanting to steal a look at my sword technique? Luckily I discovered it early, almost letting you succeed."

  The Confucian scholar scowled and cursed, "You stinky little brat, spouting nonsense!" His body flashed, leaping over two zhang, his toes supporting himself on the mountain wall. Suddenly he leapt again, plucking a branch of white plum with ease. His sleeves fluttered as he gently floated down to the ground. This display of lightness left Liang Xiao's eyes fixed and mouth agape.

  The Confucian scholar laughed and said, "You say that the Guizang sword is the best in the world? Hmph, I'll use this plum blossom to exchange blows with you. If you can knock off a single petal from the branch, then you win!" Although it was already late autumn, the mountain was high and cold, and the plum blossoms had already formed small buds. The buds were filled with dew, shining brightly and radiating a delicate glow.

  Liang Xiao was underestimated by others, and his heart was annoyed. He said loudly: "Good, you said it." The sword light flashed coldly, and the electric shock stabbed out. The white plum in the Confucian scholar's hand followed and swept out, the sword and plum intersecting, and the flower buds were shaken by the sword wind. The Confucian scholar's wrist suddenly turned, and the plum branch swept across Liang Xiao's wrist. Although the flower buds were soft and delicate, they still made his pulse gates feel numb after being infused with the Confucian scholar's strong inner energy.

  Liang Xiao swiftly and suddenly sliced back, the plum branch retreated far away, but then it came from the left again, leaving a drop of dew on his cheek. Fortunately, it was just a flower petal; if it were a treasured sword, Liang Xiao's head would have been sent flying. His heart in disarray, he hastily swung his sword to defend himself.

  After dozens of moves, Liang Xiao used all his strength but couldn't knock off a single petal, and was instead teased by the scholar who took advantage of the opportunity to strike back. After a few more moves, Bai Mei suddenly dodged to the side and scratched the back of Liang Xiao's neck from behind. Liang Xiao felt both numb and itchy, and burst out laughing. In this moment, he thought to himself: "Ah, that previous move, if I had used the 'Autumn High Clouds' stance to feign a leftward movement, and then swung my sword northward with the 'Upper Desolate Falling' stance, there's no way he could have turned around behind me. And then if I had used the 'Eight Directions Turning' stance to defend myself, and counterattacked with the 'Eternal Lone Feather' stance, how could I not win? Liang Xiao, you fool, why didn't you think of that?"

  He recalled the moves in front of him, and understood many of the subtleties of "Qianjian Dao". His interest rose, and his annoyance disappeared. His mind was completely absorbed by that branch of white plum blossoms with a thousand changes. He only thought about how to lure the enemy with false moves, how to launch a real attack, how to create strange and wonderful changes, how to attack while defending, and prevent sneak attacks. His heart and hands responded to each other, giving rise to many strange and special changes.

  After several more moves, the scholar's feet didn't leave the ground and his hands didn't move, retreating two zhang. Liang Xiao's sword fell empty, just as he was about to counterattack, when suddenly he heard that person laugh and say: "What 'Returning to Storage Sword', complete nonsense! A poor wretch's belly is hungry, going to eat! You're not convinced, come again tomorrow." He tossed the plum blossom, wearing a pair of tattered shoes, kicking and walking away over the mountain ridge.

  Liuxiao Zhengdou was on a high note, his opponent said he wouldn't fight if he didn't want to, and with a slap on the butt, he walked away. He grasped his treasured sword, enraged: "The emotions of the Taoist priest's swordsmanship are very good, but I haven't practiced it thoroughly yet. Hmph, this person underestimates the Returning Sword, I must use this method to defeat him." He sat in the pavilion, recalling the wonderful places he had figured out, and compared them for a while, when suddenly his stomach growled with hunger, so he returned to the Xuan Yin Temple to eat.

  When he arrived at the outer courtyard, Dumb Boy was reading a book. Seeing him return, his mouth pouted. Liang Xiao felt annoyed in his heart and entered the main hall directly. Ah Xue had gone down the mountain to buy vegetables and prepared a table of vegetarian dishes. Seeing Liang Xiao return, she was very happy and set up the table, preparing for dinner. Knowing that Liang Xiao's mood wasn't good, seeing many dishes on the table, he said: "Ah Xue, you've made so much, can we finish it?" Liang Xiao smiled: "Not too much, Daozhang, watch me eat."

  He fought with the Confucian scholar for half a day, exhausting himself greatly. The wind rolled up the remaining clouds and swept away more than half of the food. Ah Xue saw him eating happily and her heart felt sweet and pleasant, occasionally picking dishes and adding rice for him. Mute's mouth couldn't speak, but in his heart he secretly scolded Liang Xiao as a rice bucket.

  After dinner, it was already evening. Liang Xiao walked to the edge of the cliff and gazed out at the sparse lights below the mountain. He thought about his encounter with Rujin during the day and his emotions surged. He drew his sword and began practicing again. After a while, he suddenly heard Qingxiao say: "Liang Xiao, you've understood so much in just one day." Liang Xiao turned around and smiled: "Qingxiao, you're doing well."

  He looked at him silently for a while, shook his head and sighed: "You're really a genius, okay, I won't be slow either. Come, sit here." He picked up a big stone and sat down, with Liang Xiao standing beside him. Leng Qing taught him the incantation with hand gestures in the cold mountain wind. Liang Xiao listened intently, comparing it to his sword fight with Bai Ri, occasionally having epiphanies and insights, listening with rapt attention, overjoyed beyond measure.

  They talked and laughed together until midnight, when they reluctantly parted ways and Liang Xiao hurried back to bed.

  Liang Xiao rested for a night, and the next day after breakfast, he went to the Duixi Pavilion again. The scholar was already waiting in the pavilion, and when he saw Liang Xiao, he didn't say much, but smiled and handed him a plum blossom to start their match. Although Liang Xiao had improved his skills, the scholar was even more formidable. After exchanging hundreds of moves, Liang Xiao hadn't even managed to cut down the plum blossom before the scholar excused himself to eat and left.

  Liang Xiao was furious, thinking that if he could just take down a few more moves, he would be able to defeat Mei Hua. But the scholar had to leave and there was nothing he could do about it. Changing his mind again, he thought that today he had gained a deeper understanding of many subtleties, so he picked up his long sword and began to ponder each move carefully.

  At night, Liang Xiao returned to the Taoist temple. Leng Qing saw that he had made rapid progress and was overjoyed, but also secretly suspicious, so she asked him where he had gone during the day. Liang Xiao was extremely embarrassed and thought: "I couldn't defeat that Confucian scholar, how can I explain this to Leng Qing?" So he just said he went to find a place to practice his sword skills. Leng Qing's heart was clear as moonlight and wind, but she didn't expect the boy's competitive spirit, so she didn't ask again and continued to teach him her techniques.

  The next day, Liang Xiao again fought a sword match with the Confucian scholar. He would gain an advantage, but the scholar would also gain an advantage, and in the end he couldn't knock down the plum blossoms. They fought until noon, when Liang Xiao returned once more, feeling frustrated. His temperament was tough and resilient; at this time his heart was focused on the Returning to Storage sword, and even in his dreams he dueled with that scholar. In his dream, he shouted and laughed, dancing with his hands and feet, several times using too much force and falling off the bed. Rubbing his eyes and taking a look, the bright moon was still in the sky.

  He was amazed by his insight and, without stopping, taught him the "Qianjian Dao" heart method, as well as the Kun, Gen, Dui, Kan, Li, Xun, and Zhen seven great sword paths.

  In the Eight Trigrams, "Kun" represents the earth, and "Kun Sword Path" is a heavy and powerful defensive sword technique. "Gen" represents mountains, and "Gen Sword Path" is majestic and extraordinary. This sword method is rarely used alone, often combined with "Dui Sword Path", Dui represents wetlands, mountains and wetlands complement each other, one positive and one negative, often trapping the enemy in a formless state. "Kan" represents water under heaven, and "Kan Sword Path" also deeply understands the nature of water, like rivers, seas, lakes, and waterfalls. To know that "nothing is softer or weaker than water, yet nothing can overcome the strong", this sword method has mastered the subtlety of "weakness overcoming strength, softness overcoming hardness". It can be said to be the most powerful sword technique in the Return to Storage Sword. "Li Sword Path" represents fire, with an overbearing aura, unstoppable once unleashed, like a wildfire sweeping across the plains. Although Liang Xiao is usually calm and even-tempered, when it comes to this sword method, he is not pleased, but Liang Xiao likes it very much and studies it with great diligence.

  "After the 'Lei Jian Dao', comes the 'Xun Jian Dao'. Xun is wind, and wind is the energy of the universe. It rises from the tips of the green shoots and dances under the pine and cypress trees. The 'Xun Jian Dao' has many changes and variations, it is the most profound of the returning sword techniques. When soft and gentle, there are the wonders of 'Yang Hua Fu Liu' (swaying flowers and willows) and 'Hui Ling Chong Xue' (returning to the ridge and rushing into the cave); when fierce and crazy, then there are the great powers of 'Jue Shi Fa Mu' (kicking rocks and chopping wood) and 'Cui Ku La Jiu' (destroying withered trees and pulling out rotten stumps)."

  The last road is "Zhen Jian Dao", "Zhen" means thunderbolt, fleeting in an instant. This sword technique also has only one move, if not out then nothing, if out then invincible.

  On this day, Leng Qing finished transmitting the "Zhen Jian Dao", and ordered Liang Xiao to practice the "Ba Jian Dao" from start to finish. After Liang Xiao finished practicing, he saw Leng Qing staring blankly without speaking, and his heart was full of wonder. He asked: "Leng Qing Daozhang, did I make a mistake?" Leng Qing came back to himself, shook his head and said: "You didn't make any mistakes at all, ah, it's just like the Sword Immortal has possessed you. It's strange, why have you made such rapid progress? Not only did you learn everything I explained clearly, but even the things I didn't explain, you somehow managed to understand them on your own." For a moment, he furrowed his brow, unable to comprehend.

  Liuxiao Xin sighed in shame: "Thanks to that Confucian scholar, if it weren't for him sparring with me every day, I wouldn't have understood so many subtleties. Now the plum blossoms are about to fall, but I still can't cut off a single petal from him. Alas, his skills are truly worthy of being called a sword immortal..." Just as he was lost in thought, he heard someone say: "However, Liuxiao, if you think these eight sword moves are the Gui Cang Sword, then you're greatly mistaken."

  Li Xue was shocked and said, "Isn't the Guizang sword just this?" Leng Qing shook his head and said, "The eight sword moves seem to be fierce, but they are only the foundation of the Guizang sword. Since you're clever, do you understand the principle?"

  Liang Xiao was taken aback and couldn't respond. Leng Qing stroked the bamboo flute in his hand, smiling: "Liang Xiao, this single bamboo flute is easy to break; if eight are tied together, can you break them all at once?" Liang Xiao said: "Even with all my strength, I can still break it."

  She smiled slightly and said, "What about the sixty-four hexagrams tied together?" Liang Xiao was taken aback: "That's absolutely impossible." She laughed and said, "Yes, the eight sword paths are not separate bamboo flutes, but are tied together with the pre-heavenly easy principle of the I Ching. To make another analogy, the eight great sword paths are like the five major musical notes - gong, shang, jiao, zhi, and yu. Listening to them individually is quite dull, but once a musician harmonizes them, they can linger in your ears for three days, making you forget about food."

  Liang Xiao thought for a moment, clapped his hands and laughed: "I understand. When the 'Qian' hexagram and the 'Kun' hexagram are combined, with Qian on top and Kun below, they form the 'Tai' hexagram of heaven and earth. With Kun on top and Qian below, they become the 'Pi' hexagram of heaven and earth. In this way, it is no different from transforming into the 'Taijian Dao' and the 'Pijian Dao'. If the Tai and Pi hexagrams intersect, they form a new hexagram. This cycle of transformation can go on endlessly."

  Ling Qing fell silent for a moment, then sighed and said: "Liang Xiao, it's so easy to talk to you. Many things, just mention the beginning, and you'll understand everything." Liang Xiao smiled and said: "It's all thanks to Daozhang's teachings!" Ling Qing gave him a white eye and said: "You kid, how did you become a bootlicker?" As soon as she spoke, she felt it wasn't quite right. Day by day, talking with Liang Xiao, she was influenced by him, and her speech became less restrained.

  Liang Xiao said, "Swordsmanship is not comparable to arithmetic. The latter involves derivation and change, which I can hardly grasp. The 'Qian Sword Path' and the 'Kun Sword Path' are diametrically opposed, and the two swords of Kan and Li are at opposite extremes. To integrate these two sword paths is no easy task." Leng Qing smiled and said, "This is where the test lies. You're like a great general commanding thousands of soldiers and horses. The eight sword paths are your soldiers, and the principle of return to storage is your military strategy. If you have soldiers but not a strategy, you'll be defeated in battle; if you only rely on books on warfare, you'll also suffer defeat. Therefore, it's not easy to use strategy to command soldiers and bring out their abilities. Throughout history, the difference between famous generals and mediocre ones has been vast."

  Liang Xiao heard this and seemed to have gained some insight. After thinking for a while, he bid farewell to Qing and returned to his room to rest.

  It was a night of strong winds, and Liang Xiao was awakened several times by the sound of the wind. When dawn broke, he pushed open the door to find a cold gust of wind blowing in with snowflakes. Looking out, he saw that the mountains, rivers, and trees were all covered in white, and his heart thought: "What a big snowfall! I wonder if that scholar will come?"

  He put on his clothes, braved the wind and snow, climbed to the pavilion, but saw no one in the pavilion. He couldn't help thinking: "Today's snow is big, he won't come!" As soon as this thought arose, he heard the sound of footsteps, turned his eyes, and saw a scholar stumbling over the mountain ridge, with crystal snowflakes hanging on his beard and hair, his clothes tattered and thin, exposing many places of skin.

  The Confucian scholar held a red lacquered gourd filled with wine in his hand, and seeing Liang Xiao from afar, he took a sip of wine and laughed: "Little kid, aren't you giving up yet? What new trick do you have today?" He looked up to see that the night's storm had ravaged many plum blossoms, and couldn't help but sigh, "After today, the plum blossoms will be gone. Well, let's play one last time today." Liang Xiao was shocked: "What?" The Confucian scholar sneered: "The plum blossoms are all gone, what's left to play with?"

  Liang Xiao was born with a heroic spirit, loudly saying: "Today I must win you!" The scholar clapped his hands and laughed: "The young man's ambition is not small, but the skill is very small!" A gourd hung from his waist, he broke off a branch of plum blossoms, on which still hung three white plums. He shook it in the wind, shaking off two, leaving only one flower bud.

  Liang Xiao watched with his eyes, and scolded in his heart. To know that the two were fighting, the Confucian scholar had to hold onto the plum blossoms on the branch from time to time. The more plum blossoms there were, the more he had to worry about losing them. If there were even more plum blossoms, and Liang Xiao swept one away, it would be considered a loss for him; on the other hand, if there were fewer plum blossoms, the Confucian scholar's mind would be at ease, naturally saving trouble. Liang Xiao had been fighting with him for a long time, so he naturally understood the reasoning behind it. As the white plum blossom season was about to end, the number of plum blossoms on the branch decreased day by day. It was heaven's will, and there was nothing that could be done about it. However, the Confucian scholar deliberately shook off the plum blossoms, which was almost shameless.

  The Confucian scholar glanced at Liang Xiao, chuckled and casually pointed diagonally: "Little guy, come on!" With his inner strength reaching out, the flower bud slowly burst open. Just as the solitary plum blossomed for an instant, a brilliant light burst forth from Liang Xiao's palm. For a moment, the wind and snow grew even more intense and urgent.

  The two men's exchange this time was different from before. Liang Xiao was determined to win, and the Confucian scholar also fought hard to protect his late move, so despite the fierce wind and snow, the two men moved back and forth, their intense movements even more thrilling than before.

  Liang Xiaojian walked the "Qian Jian Dao", a sword stabbed out, and suddenly scattered in all directions. The Confucius scholar rotated his two fingers on the plum branch, sometimes east and sometimes west, only playing with the shadow on the edge of Liang's sword, with an elegant demeanor, as if playing. After more than 20 moves, Liang Xiao changed to "Li Jian Dao", wildly slashing and stabbing, but the Confucius scholar wandered around in all directions, the plum branch seeming to stick to his sword, following him freely east and west. Liang Xiao saw that he was so capable, and his heart was both shocked and admired.

  A few moves flashed by, and Liang Xiao's sword momentum was still swift and fierce. As he swung his sword, it fluttered slightly, as if the treasured sword was about to slip from his grasp. The scholar smiled and said, "Little guy, can't win, want to drop your sword and admit defeat?"

  Liang Xiao Dao said, "Hmph, speaking big words without fear of slipping one's tongue?" Amidst the fierce sword moves, a fleeting glimpse of elegance appeared. The sword tip shot forward, sending a two-inch long segment of plum branch flying out. It twirled in the wind and snow before falling into a hundred-foot deep valley.

  This sword almost knocked down the plum blossom, which was exactly Liang Xiao's newly realized "Tongren Sword". The Book of Changes says: "Heaven and fire are the same, Tongren, gentlemen distinguish things by category." Heaven and fire were originally the same gas, and it is easier to merge. This sword technique has three parts of madness and seven parts of fleetingness, with a momentum like fire falling from heaven.

  A Confucian scholar shouted "Good!" and retreated with a yielding momentum, while the plum branch broke through the wind and stabbed forward. Liang Xiao deeply knew that although the plum branch was weak, the Confucian scholar's internal strength was unmatched, and injecting it into the plum branch could pierce muscles and bones. Immediately, the sword momentum reversed and repeated, changing from "Dry Below Heaven Above" to "Great Fire in Heaven". The Book of Changes says: "Fire is above heaven, great and abundant, gentlemen punish evil and promote good, follow heaven's will." This move punished evil and promoted good, and was indeed a thunderous technique. With the Confucian scholar using attack against attack, he did not fall behind.

  A Confucian scholar let out a loud laugh, his body moving swiftly and suddenly. All around him were shadows of people, it was unclear how many times he had moved or how many swords he had drawn. Only the shadow of Mei seemed to be layered, like waves crashing against the shore, rushing towards Liang Xiao.

  Liang Xiao had never seen such a sword technique before, and he only felt dizzy and confused. In the chaos, he changed from "Qian" to "Kun". The "Kun Sword Path" is an earthy symbol, one of the rare defensive sword techniques in the world. The long sword spun around left and right, making a loud humming noise, defending his entire body without leaving any gaps, but the sword intent of the "Li Sword Path" had not been retracted, changing into the "Kun above Li below" "Ming Yi Sword". This means that fire is underground, like magma hidden beneath the earth's surface, and as soon as there is an opportunity, it will erupt.

  The Confucian scholar's heart was like a willow in the wind, yielding to the changes of the universe. The fire rose above the earth, transforming into the "Jin Sword Path". Wildfires raged across the plains, impossible to contain. With a flick of his wrist, plum blossoms danced in the air, brushing against the sword's spine like a spring silkworm spinning silk. Silken threads were weak and fragile, yet as long as they flowed unbroken, they could weave a sturdy cocoon.

  Within ten moves, Liang Xiao was at a disadvantage, his "Li Sword Way" aura gradually disappearing, only barely holding on with the "Kun Sword Way". The scholar gained the upper hand and laughed: "Youngster, today you're not going to make it! Admit defeat!" Liang Xiao cried out "Not necessarily", his long sword flashing like lightning, suddenly unleashing the power of the "Zhen Sword Way".

  The Confucian scholar floated lightly, yielding to the fatal sword, and saw that Liang Xiao's momentum was exhausted. He floated up, covering his face with a plum branch, and struck Liang Xiao's "period gate" acupoint. Liang Xiao quickly turned his sword around, and once again, he was about to be harmed by the protective move, which was another technique of the "Kun Sword Way". The Confucian scholar saw that Liang Xiao had become agile, and smiled slightly, just as he was about to break through, when suddenly Liang Xiao raised his arm, transforming into a thunderous image. The "Zhen Sword Way" was fierce and unparalleled, and even with the Confucian scholar's abilities, in order to protect the plum blossom, he had to temporarily avoid its edge.

  Liang Xiao suddenly switched between defense and offense, defending five times and making five sword moves, each one faster than the last. In an instant, he forced the Confucian scholar to retreat five steps. This sword move was divided into four parts for attack and six parts for defense, with a strong emphasis on the "reversal" technique from the Gui Cang Sword style, which is based on the principle of the "Repeating Hexagram" in the I Ching: "The path returns again after seven days." The Reversal Sword move has seven variations that alternate between attack and defense.

  Liang Xiao changed to the seventh move, glaring and shouting loudly, his sword and body as one, charging forward. He staked everything on this single move, but the scholar was too quick, and before he could react, the white plum blossom was swept away by the sword wind, its branch and flowers reduced to fragments. The scholar didn't wait for Liang Xiao to retract his sword, instead using a broken branch to deflect it, then pulling back and striking again. Liang Xiao's tiger-like mouth opened wide in shock as his long sword flashed like lightning, shooting straight towards the mountain cliff.

  This sword not only carried his entire body's strength, but also the unparalleled divine skill of a Confucian scholar. With a loud ringing sound, the Xuanyuan Sword broke through the stone and entered, all the way to the hilt.

  Liang Xiao didn't have time to react, the Confucian scholar withdrew his plum branch, took a big leap back and laughed loudly: "Little girl, I lost, you're impressive!" Liang Xiao admired him so much that he was willing to prostrate himself, and seeing that he accepted defeat graciously only added to his respect. He bowed and said: "If sir had used his sword, I would have died several thousand times." It was rare for him to admire someone, and it was even harder for him to belittle himself, but once he spoke, every word came from the heart.

  The Confucian scholar took a sip of wine from the gourd and smiled, saying: "Little guy, you don't have to be humble. For now, being poor and miserable is just a bit higher than you. In a few years, ha! It's hard to say." Liang Xiao said: "Senior's martial arts are strong, his reputation must be prominent, dare I ask your honorable surname and name?"

  A Confucian scholar smiled faintly, drained his cup, tied an empty gourd to his waist, and suddenly burst into a loud song: "The fame of the snail's horn is empty, the profit of the fly's head is tiny, it's all just a bother. Everything was predetermined, who is weak and who is strong? Let me take advantage of my idle body not being old yet, let me be a little wild and unruly. In a hundred years, I'll be drunk for 36,000 days..." As he sang to this point, his figure flashed, and he disappeared behind the mountain ridge, leaving no trace.

  Liang Xiao knew he was a master of disguise, if he wanted to leave, even with his high agility, he wouldn't be able to see his shadow. He could only sigh and walk to the stone wall, wanting to pull out the treasure sword. But the sword seemed to be connected to the rock wall, no matter how hard he tried, it was difficult to pull out even an inch.

  He pulled it out four times, but the treasure sword didn't budge. Liang Xiao was afraid of using too much force and damaging the blade, so he had to give up for the time being and look for an axe to chisel through the rock.

  Walk back to Xuan Yin Guan, the wind and snow have stopped. Leng Qing is with Ya'er and Ah Xue sweeping the accumulated snow on the roof of the thatched hut to prevent it from collapsing. Ah Xue sees Liang Xiao on the ladder and calls out from a distance: "Brother."

  Ling Yu turned around and frowned, saying: "On a snowy day like this, where did you go?" Liang Xiao said: "I went to practice my sword!" Ling Yu said: "Diligence is good, but if you want to practice, do it here. The mountain roads are steep and slippery on snowy days, don't go out tomorrow." Liang Xiao heard the concern in her words and was touched, smiling: "Ling Yu, I'll help you sweep the snow." Ling Yu smiled and handed him a broom, brushing off the snowflakes from his shoulder. Suddenly, she noticed that he wasn't carrying his sword and couldn't help but ask: "Liang Xiao, where's your sword?"

  Liang Xiao thought to himself, "I've already won against the Confucian scholar, so it's no big deal if I tell Qing Dao about it." After some thought, he said, "Qing Dao, is there really someone like this in the world?" He then described the Confucian scholar's appearance and told him about their sword fight. He also said, "I didn't intentionally try to deceive you, but I couldn't defeat him and take the plum blossom from his hand, which would have damaged the reputation of the 'Gui Cang Sword'. I was too ashamed to mention it. Now that I've managed to gain the upper hand over him by a hair's breadth, alas, this person's martial arts skills are really frighteningly high."

  After finishing his words, he looked at Ling and saw that her face was gloomy. He couldn't help but feel anxious in his heart and asked: "Are you blaming me?" Ling's expression changed slightly as she smiled and said: "What do I have to blame you for? Alas, I just thought of something." Liang Xiao asked: "What is it?" Ling smiled and said: "Ah Dou is not young anymore, staying in Huashan is not a long-term plan. Hmm, I want to take her to the Jianghu to experience it." Ah Dou, who was listening on the wooden ladder, couldn't help but show joy on his face.

  Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Has Dao Zhang's extreme stillness turned into movement? With Dao Zhang's martial arts skills, he will definitely make a name for himself and shake the Jianghu. However, there are also many people who will be beaten up for no reason!" He spoke with veiled criticism, but Ah Er couldn't help but hear it, giving him a fierce glare. Thinking of bidding farewell to Ah Xue, she felt even more melancholic. Ah Xue saw through her intentions and smiled, tightly grasping her hand.

  Ling Xiu smiled wryly and said, "What's the point of monks fighting over fame and wealth? You're just showing off your eloquence." He then turned to Ah Yu and said, "Pack up our things, we're leaving immediately." The three were shocked at the same time. Ling Xiu widened his eyes and said, "Why so sudden? Can't we wait until after the snowstorm passes?" Ling Xiu smiled again and said, "I've always been one to act on impulse. Ah Yu, what are you still standing there for?" Ah Yu had no choice but to enter the room to pack up, with Ah Xue following to help her.

  Liang Xiao saw the emotional and strange behavior, deeply felt puzzled: "She was fine just now, why did she suddenly want to leave." Thoughts flashed, a terrible idea emerged, and he blurted out: "Daozhang, is that Confucian scholar your enemy?" Ling Qingguang asked strangely: "Why say such things?" Liang Xiao stomped his foot: "I remembered, that Confucian scholar heard your Daoist name, cried and laughed, later scolded Gui Cangjian as nonsense, must be resentful of you. Alas, it's all because I was too proud, didn't mention it earlier, Daozhang is in a hurry to leave, isn't he trying to avoid him?"

  Ling Yu's words trailed off, and she finally lowered her head, sighing softly. Liang Xiao was even more perplexed, saying: "If that person had a grudge against Dao Zhang, why didn't he come to take revenge earlier? With his abilities, who could have withstood him?" Ling Yu heard this and also looked puzzled, muttering: "Yes, why didn't he come earlier?"

  Two people each had their own thoughts, on the mountain cliff only heard the wind blowing snow falling, rustling sounds. Suddenly, a voice from the foot of the mountain said: "Lao Er, it's strange, I've searched the whole mountain and can't find anyone. Is someone sending false news? Lin Huixin is not even in Mount Hua." The two exclaimed in surprise, Liang Xiao looked at Qing, the female Taoist's face became even more peculiar, with a hint of nostalgia in her worried expression, as if she had remembered something extremely distant.

  Another crisp and clear voice chimed in, "That's what you say, but that anonymous letter was written clearly, Lin Hui Xin is indeed at Mount Hua. It shouldn't be an unfounded rumor. If it wasn't someone in the know, why would they go to such trouble to play this boring joke?"

  One of them said in a low voice: "Lao Er, you're really nosy. We just need to catch up with Minggui, what's the point of finding Lin Huixin?"

  Zuo Lao Er said: "Xiu Lao Si, you don't know that we are all guilty and should infer the meaning of our superiors. Ming Lao Da is cunning like a fox and a rabbit, it's not easy to catch him, even if we meet him, dare I ask Xiu Lao Si, do you dare to fight him?"

  Xiu Lao Si fell silent for a moment, then sighed: "It's hard, it's hard. No matter what, we've had a friendship of fifty or sixty years."

  Zuo Lao Er said, "That's it. Hua Wu Xian is going to keep the younger generation in the palace as hostages, but send us old guys to capture Ming Gui. Firstly, she wants us to fight each other and kill ourselves off, whoever dies will make her happy; secondly, she wants to test our loyalty, let us hand over our surrender letters, if we return empty-handed, who knows what evil plan she'll come up with. However, in my opinion, compared to Ming Lao Da, Hua Wu Xian hates Lin Hui Xin even more. If they can capture that woman alive and bring her back to the palace, maybe her anger towards us will be gone."

  Xiu Lao Si suddenly said: "Your meaning is, using Lin Hui Xin as a substitute for Ming Lao Da, to deceive that Huā Wú Qiān?"

  "That's right!" As soon as the second left elder finished speaking, two figures appeared on the cliff top. They were none other than "White Crane" Zuo Yuan and "Red Crowned Crane" Xiugou.

  Liang Xiao was puzzled in his heart, not knowing what these two old things were doing here. The two old men seeing him also paused for a moment, their faces half surprised and half disappointed. Xiu Gu shouted: "Good kid, you're still not dead?"

  Liang Xiao laughed and said: "Xiu Lao Si, I will die sooner or later, but you, live as long as you want!"

  Xiu Gu was taken aback, nodded and said: "Thank you for your auspicious words." Zuo Yuan snorted and angrily said: "Xiu Laosan, you were scolded but didn't even realize it, he cursed you for not dying of old age!"

  Xiu Gu's face turned red with anger, but as soon as he glanced around, his eyes fell on Qing and he froze for a moment, his eyes shining with joy. "Ah," he exclaimed, "it really is you!"

  "Mr. Xiu is well," she said with a nod, "it's been thirty years since we parted ways at the Huai River." The two old men fixed their eyes on her, their faces extremely gloomy, and Zuoyuan shouted, "How did you become a Taoist?"

  "Good, I've understood the emotions." Xiu Gu said: "Understood the emotions? Humph, you think that just by saying it, it's settled? Hua Wu has searched for you all over the world, do you think you can hide from her by entering the Mystic Gate?"

  Ling Dang said faintly: "What if you can hide, what if you can't?" Zuoyuan coldly snorted: "You'd better behave yourself and follow us to the Heavenly Machine Palace!"

  Before answering, Liang Xiao loudly said: "Hey, Old Left the Second, how did you change your nature and become a running dog for Hua Wenyin?" Old Man Zuo's face turned red with rage, angrily saying: "You little brat, mind your own business, this matter has nothing to do with you!"

  Liang Xiao smiled and said, "The Tianji Palace is your territory, of course you have the final say. But this is my territory, I'll interfere if I want to. Zuo Laoer, why aren't you staying in the Tianji Palace enjoying your good fortune? What brings you here?"

  Zuo Yuan and Xiu Gu looked at each other, their faces gloomy. Liang Xiao thought of the previous conversation between the two and smiled: "I know, is it that Hua Wu used your children as hostages to force you to capture Ming Gui? So that you can kill each other, and best of all, three old bones will be lost outside, never to return to Tianji Palace!"

  Zuo Yuan's face turned black with rage, and he shouted: "You stinky little brat, dare to wag your tongue at me? I'm too lazy to waste words on you. Are you leaving or not? If you don't leave, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

  He frowned, just about to respond, when Liang Xiao interrupted him again: "Lao Er, if I were you, I'd dig a hole and bury myself. Just look at that expression of yours - your face is pale, your eyes are dull, one glance and it's clear you're a dead man. Let me calculate... He snapped his fingers, speaking with an air of importance: "Lao Er, Xiu Lao Si, the two of you won't make it past today!"

  He was so arrogant and overbearing that not only did the two old men jump up in anger, but even Lian also couldn't get a word in edgewise. Zuo Yuan couldn't bear it any longer, took a step forward, and struck out with his "Rocky Feather Palm" at Liang Xiao's face.

  Liú Xiāo raised his hand, and with a palm wind, he executed the "Zhèng Xuán Zhuàn Hún Tiān" move. His footwork was swift as he shifted his weight, causing Zuǒ Yuán to stumble and almost fall to the right. However, Liú Xiāo quickly regained his footing, adopting a horse stance, and stared at Liáng Xiāo with a look of surprise on his face.

  "Old man is fierce!" This move comes from the "Mysterious and Easy Realm" of Shi Zhen Wu Xue, it's mysterious and unexpected, can knock down the opponent. At this time, Wu Gong didn't dare to underestimate him, he made a gesture, concentrated his mind and faced the enemy.

  Zuo Yuan's heart was racing, and he recalled how Liang Xiao had defeated Ming Sanqiu with his bare hands. The previous move was subtle and mysterious, and if they were to fight hand-to-hand, it wasn't certain that Zuo would emerge victorious. Thinking this, he put down the jade flute and used it as a substitute for his sword, thrusting it at Liang Xiao.

  Liang Xiao's sword remained at the Duipai Pavilion, and now unarmed, he could only dodge and retreat. Zuo Yuan's swordsmanship was exquisite, and as the jade flute reached its midpoint, it made a horizontal sweep, sending a burst of strong wind towards Liang Xiao's wrist, aiming for his Quze acupoint.

  Liang Xiao's wrist felt a slight numbness, and he quickly withdrew his hand. Yuanyuan followed closely behind him. The jade flute was raised, and with a sudden "wu" sound, a strong gust of wind shot out from the flute hole, like an invisible arrow, sweeping across his eyes. Liang Xiao's eyes were dazed, unable to open them, only feeling the strong wind rushing towards him, the jade flute flashing towards his throat like lightning.

  A sharp sound, the bamboo flute stretched out from the side, pointing to the "Shenque" hole at Zuo Yuan's waist. Zuo Yuan didn't expect a sneak attack and quickly retreated backwards, but the bamboo flute was faster than him, still pointing at the "Shenque" hole without letting go.

  Zuo Yuan was both shocked and enraged, taking a step back of about ten feet, swinging his flute downwards to strike. The bamboo flute, which had just retracted, suddenly extended again, slightly raised, pointing at the "Shenzhong" acupoint on his chest.

  Zuo Yuan retreated again, the bamboo flute suddenly rising and falling, sometimes left and sometimes right, never leaving his side to harm him. No matter how he dodged, he couldn't shake it off. The two of them advanced and retreated, like flying eagles chasing each other. Zuo Yuan blinked and retreated to the edge of the cliff, his heart almost jumping out of his throat.

  As the old friend was about to fall off the cliff, Xiugou couldn't help but take out his sword. It was a thin steel plate made of windmill, held on a two-foot-long steel handle, like a child's toy, and with a gust of wind, it whirred and spun non-stop.

  He rushed up with swift steps and attacked the enemy from both sides. The windmill spun around rapidly, making a sharp and strange noise that startled people's hearts and disturbed their minds.

  One-on-one, Ling Qing was easily defeated by the two of them. Once they joined forces, their strengths and weaknesses were immediately reversed. Zuo Yuan and Xiugou had been good friends for many years, with a tacit understanding between them. As soon as Xiugou made his move, Zuo Yuan immediately launched a counterattack, and the two of them quickly counterattacked, forcing Ling Qing to retreat several feet.

  Liang Xiao watched anxiously, just thinking of going forward to help, when Xiu Gu suddenly waved his hand with too much force. With a "ge" sound, the windmill slipped out of his grasp and flew forward.

  Ling saw him drop his weapon, took the opportunity to swing his flute and strike, Xiugou dodged and weaved, Zuoyuan blew his flute to rescue. The bamboo flute and jade flute sounded simultaneously, their voices different, their flavors distinct. Ling's wrist shook, a yellow shadow flashed, the bamboo flute split in two, one branch opened up the jade flute, the other pointed at Xiugou's heart.

  Xiu Gu busy with the windmill handle to resist, at this time, Liao Shao suddenly heard a loud shout: "Be careful." A strong gust of wind rose from behind, and the iron windmill spun back with the wind. The bright blade slashed towards Qing's neck.