Seeing the smile on Master Chongxu’s face, Ye Qiu’s heart skipped a beat.
This old Taoist isn’t trying to scam me again, is he?
Damn it, if he tries to pull one over on me, I’ll give him a beating!
Ye Qiu clenched his fist and asked, “Senior, when can you take me to study the Chunyang Wuji Technique?”
“Right now. Master Ye, follow me,” Master Chongxu said, leading Ye Qiu out of the scripture repository.
Soon, they arrived at another palace.
The palace wasn’t large but was impeccably clean, with a serene environment.
“This is my residence,” Master Chongxu explained, guiding Ye Qiu inside to a study.
The wooden bookshelf held hundreds of thread-bound Taoist texts.
Ink paintings adorned the walls, exuding a natural Taoist charm.
Sandalwood incense wafted through the air.
The room was steeped in an ancient aura.
Master Chongxu found a thick book on the shelf and pressed it lightly. With a whoosh, the wall behind the bookshelf slid aside, revealing a secret chamber.
“After the scripture repository was robbed, my master feared the Chunyang Wuji Technique would be stolen too, so he built this chamber,” Master Chongxu said. “Master Ye, please.”
He led Ye Qiu into the chamber.
The space was small, about twenty square meters, containing only a stone bed and nothing else.
Where’s the Chunyang Wuji Technique?
Ye Qiu, puzzled, scanned the room.
Master Chongxu stepped forward, knocked heavily on a wall, and three seconds later, it parted, revealing a mottled bluestone stele.
The stele, about three meters tall and two meters wide, was engraved with over a dozen practice diagrams.
Ye Qiu’s eyes locked onto it instantly.
He could tell at a glance that this was a profound internal cultivation technique.
“This stele was carved by our founder, Master Zhang, and contains the cultivation method for the Chunyang Wuji Technique,” Master Chongxu said. “Master Ye, you’ve seen the technique. About the promise you made…”
“Senior, rest assured. I won’t go back on my word. Whether the stolen scriptures are in the Forbidden City or not, I’ll help you retrieve them,” Ye Qiu said.
“Then I’ll thank you in advance, Master Ye,” Master Chongxu smiled. “Since you’ve seen the Chunyang Wuji Technique, let’s head out.”
Head out?
No way!
I finally found a supreme technique and haven’t even practiced it—why would I leave?
Ye Qiu stated his position, “Senior, to be honest, I urgently need to improve my cultivation, so I want to practice the Chunyang Wuji Technique.”
Master Chongxu shook his head, “That won’t do.”
“Why not?” Ye Qiu was annoyed. “Senior, I’ve promised to help you recover the scriptures. Are you reluctant to let me practice this technique?”
“Not at all. Master Ye, you don’t understand. Wudang’s martial arts have always been taught only to insiders. As you’re not a Wudang disciple, you can’t practice our techniques,” Master Chongxu said. “How about joining our Wudang Sect?”
“If you join, you can practice any Wudang technique.”
Ye Qiu immediately saw through Master Chongxu’s intentions.
“This old Taoist is trying to trick me into joining Wudang. Dream on!”
Ye Qiu cursed inwardly and said, “Senior, I’m the master of Dragon Gate. If I join Wudang, what happens to Dragon Gate?”
“Plus, if I become a Taoist, what about my confidante? Abandoning her would make me ungrateful.”
“And I have a mother to care for, with worldly affairs unfinished.”
“So, I won’t join Wudang…”
“Master Ye, hear me out,” Master Chongxu interrupted with a smile. “You can become an outer disciple of Wudang.”
“This way, you can practice Wudang techniques, marry, have children, and still handle your affairs, including healing people.”
“It’s a win-win solution. What do you think?”
Sounds too good to be true?
Ye Qiu was skeptical.
He now understood: Master Changmei was unreliable, and Master Chongxu was a cunning old fox.
Would this schemer really have my best interests at heart?
Ye Qiu didn’t buy it.
“Senior, is there a catch?” Ye Qiu asked.
Master Chongxu laughed, “Not really a catch. Just that if you become our outer disciple and Wudang faces trouble, you can’t stand by and do nothing.”
Ye Qiu’s face turned green with anger.
This isn’t taking a disciple—it’s recruiting a free thug!
“Senior, I won’t join Wudang. Since you won’t let me practice the Chunyang Wuji Technique, I’ll take my leave.”
Ye Qiu bowed and turned to go.
“Master Ye, please wait!” Master Chongxu called out. “Don’t be angry.”
“Actually, whether you join Wudang or not, your promise to recover our stolen scriptures is enough for me to let you practice our techniques.”
“But I’m afraid you can’t practice the Chunyang Wuji Technique.”
Ye Qiu was confused, “Why not?”
“Master Ye, look here.” Master Chongxu pointed to a line of small text in the stele’s bottom left corner.
Ye Qiu read softly, “Chunyang Wuji requires a virgin body to practice. If not a virgin, practicing it will cause meridians to shatter and lead to death.”
Damn it!
Ye Qiu was furious enough to curse.
Only now did he realize Master Chongxu had been setting him up from the start, luring him into promising to recover the scriptures.
Not only that, but Master Chongxu hadn’t mentioned this upfront and even tried to trick him into joining Wudang.
So cunning!
“If I’d agreed to join Wudang, I still couldn’t practice this divine technique. Senior, you’re quite the schemer!”
Ye Qiu laughed in anger.
Master Chongxu smiled, “Master Ye, don’t be upset. I knew from the start you wouldn’t join Wudang, so I was just joking.”
“Though you can’t practice the Chunyang Wuji Technique, to thank you for helping recover our scriptures, I’ll gift you another Wudang supreme technique.”
Master Chongxu walked to the stone bed, bent down, and tapped it several times.
Click, click—
With a soft sound, the bed slid half a meter, revealing a square stone slot in the floor.
Master Chongxu retrieved an iron box from the slot, saying solemnly, “Master Ye, this contains the secret manual of Wudang’s foundational technique, also created by Master Zhang.”
“I’m lending it to you temporarily.”
“You can’t take this manual out of this chamber. Study it here, and return it to me after you’ve learned the method.”
“I won’t disturb you, Master Ye. See you later.”
Master Chongxu handed the iron box to Ye Qiu and left the chamber.
Ye Qiu opened the box.
