Myths Begin From Boys' Gong

“A genius is capable of what ordinary people cannot do. Moreover, your swordsmanship is not perfect. A few flaws and some strengths and weaknesses are not worth mentioning.”

Yan Congke nodded, but his expression suddenly changed.
"You have quite the arrogance. Having received my swordsmanship, you still dare to be picky and bossy. I'll test your skills and see just how good you really are!"

The word "He" had barely left his lips when it dissipated into the night wind, but a sharp, resounding sword cry echoed throughout the courtyard, shaking the void and creating ripples that caused the plants climbing the courtyard walls to sway back and forth.

A sharp, fierce sword light, seemingly born from nothingness, pierced towards Meng Zhao.

This sword strike used the very sword technique of the Soaring Sky Sword, which was embodied in the chaotic sword marks on the thick wall.

However, this sword strike was completely different from the sword marks left by simple sword practice.

In this instant, swift as lightning, the sword pierced the air, seemingly traversing time and space; the moment the sword light appeared, it had already arrived before its opponent.

What's even more remarkable is that speed is only one aspect of the sword; it also contains thirteen variations of sword techniques, making it a decisive sword strike that integrates change, speed, and honor.

The burst of energy from the sword was like a surging cloud, unstoppable and difficult to contain.

However, as Meng Zhao said, the sword intent within the sword is not pure. In addition to its lofty and soaring nature, it has added three parts of fierce and murderous aura. This is due to Yan Congke's personal temperament. It seems to amplify the power of this sword technique, but in reality, it has made it difficult for the sword to maintain its soaring spirit.

Meng Zhao clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and a protective aura, like ripples on water, suddenly appeared around his body, shielding him from the inside out. This was his newly acquired Three-Part Return to Origin Qi Divine Skill.

The strongest aspect of the Three-Part Returning to Origin Qi is its unparalleled and domineering cultivation. The flowing water-like Qi contains many profound mysteries such as dissipation, dissipation, melting, and transformation. In terms of self-protection and defense, it is definitely not inferior to the Golden Bell Cover, Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, and many other protective divine skills, and may even be superior to them.

When Yan Congke's soaring sword landed in front of Meng Zhao, it struck the protective aura of the Three-Part Returning Origin Qi.

The moment the two collided, countless sharp and fierce sword energies pierced the energy shield, but they were like rain falling into a river, silently merging into it and unable to harm it in the slightest.

Instead, Meng Zhao clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and the Three-Part Returning Qi condensed into two illusory large handprints, clamping the long sword between them.

The next moment, Yan Congke felt a powerful force from the illusory handprint, almost snatching the longsword from his hand or even breaking it. Fortunately, his cultivation was superb, and his decades of experience were not to be underestimated.

He drew his sword and retreated, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at Meng Zhao.

Such skill and such energy were truly unprecedented in his life.

"What kind of kung fu is this?"

Yan Congke knew that the person in front of him was not old, and could even be described as a teenager who had not yet grown up, but his martial arts skills were truly outstanding. Not only could he not contend with him, but it was still unknown how much he could surpass him.

Meng Zhao sensed three parts of the Returning Origin Qi within his heart. He felt that the Returning Origin Seed in his body was still continuously generating Returning Origin Qi. This Qi was constantly being transformed and refined by the Returning Origin Seed, becoming more and more refined and vast, which made him very happy.

"The Threefold Return to Origin Qi is an unparalleled divine skill. Although I have only just mastered it, I can already rely on it to compete with the heroes of the world!"

Meng Zhao waved his sleeve, his confidence overflowing. His eyes, in particular, were so piercing that even a fierce man like Yan Congke would have to back down.

Yan Congke sighed, gripping his longsword tightly. To achieve such a level with just his internal energy was already an innate advantage. If you add the swordsmanship and cultivation level of the opponent, it's unimaginable what kind of power or what kind of person could cultivate such a peerless genius.

He slowly sheathed his longsword, and after it was back in its sheath, he said...

"What brings you here?"

Meng Zhao smiled and recounted the entire grudge between Chen Xiaodao and him. In fact, it wasn't a big deal. The key point was that he wanted to see Yan Congke.

This person is indeed a lone wolf; his character and temperament are such that he would never be second to anyone.

However, Meng Zhao did this because he was confident enough to make Yan Congke break his rules and become a swift sword under his command.

The saying goes, "It's easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a general." Similarly, people like Yan Congke are rare and precious.

Meng Zhao was all alone, and sometimes things were quite complicated for him to do. He needed someone powerful to serve him in his daily life and handle the trivial matters.

Yan Congke may not be able to do much else, but he can certainly act as a sharp sword in Yan Congke's hand to remove some obstacles for him.

In particular, since he wanted to kill the dragon in Xiaohan Village and take its dragon pearl, he would have to deal with the people from the Shangguan Mansion or the Star Palace. Even though he was incredibly skilled, he was still bound by his own limitations, so he needed some helpers.

Establishing a new power becomes a good option.

As for establishing power being troublesome, it's not that complicated.

The unique environment of this world actually provides similar clandestine organizations with great potential for growth and protection.

In particular, his mastery of martial arts allowed Meng Zhao to gather many daring and promising fighters simply by relying on the martial arts manuals he possessed.

There are far too many people who have talent but lack opportunity and resources. Meng Zhao just happens to have all of these, so he can naturally build a large number of people at the grassroots level who are loyal to him and work for him in a very short time.

However, compared to other positions, the number of middle-level and core personnel is relatively small and not so easy to find.

As for training from scratch, it's not impossible, but it would require too much time and effort, and Meng Zhao doesn't have the patience for that.

Most of the people available are already loyal to someone else, such as members of the Fang family, government officials, or gangs. They each have someone they serve, and if you want them to switch sides, you have to offer them the necessary benefits.

Meng Zhao had two ideas.

One method is to entice him with benefits. If Yan Congke in front of him is a gambler or a swordsman, he can start from there, create a gambling technique for him, and add bricks and tiles to his swordsmanship. All the other party has to do is offer his loyalty.

Even if things are bad, you still have to do things for him, be fair and just, and treat everyone equally, young and old.

The second idea was coercion.

For example, Meng Zhao created a technique similar to the Life and Death Talisman through the Seven Revolutions Cold Toad Devouring Divine Skill. By using internal energy, he could inject a wisp of frost poison into a person's body, which would not only damage the person's power and meridians, but also cause them unbearable pain.

They were in a state of being unable to live and unable to die.

Only special methods and timely interventions can resolve these negative effects.

This method involves infiltrating a carefully selected expert to coerce or intimidate them into working for one's own benefit.

The former is the way of the king, the latter is the way of the tyrant, but whichever one you choose, as long as you can achieve your goal, you're doing a great job.

Yan Congke was the first person he chose. He was skilled in martial arts, arrogant, and a sharp blade.

Whether or not we can win him over, we'll see tonight.

Yan Congke was speechless after hearing this. He had only thought that Chen Xiaodao had a source of wealth, and five thousand taels was nothing. Who would have thought that this eccentric guy would actually do something like this? Now that trouble had arisen, he had been implicated instead.

If time could be reversed, Yan Congke would never have accepted Chen Xiaodao as his student, much less taught him a single move.

He vaguely understood Meng Zhao's intention.

Such powerful individuals are not easy to deal with, much less easy to talk to.

If Chen Xiaodao takes advantage of this and does something so disgraceful, and then only pays a small amount of money to let the matter drop, wouldn't that mean that others could follow suit in the future?
Just like corporal punishment, if the punishment is too lenient, the other party will dare to commit the same offense again next time, so a severe punishment must be used.

As for Chen Xiaodao, he held a certain position in Yan Congke's heart, but it wasn't a high one.

There was a special reason why he took Chen Xiaodao under his wing and taught him a sword technique. Later, when he left Kaiyan County, he needed to leave some people in the county as an anchor point so that he wouldn't be completely clueless.

At this point, the troubles left behind by Chen Xiaodao outweighed his value.

While Chen Xiaodao was still pondering what Yan Congke would do, he didn't notice that a sharp sword light had silently slashed across his head.

The next moment, Chen Xiaodao's head was severed from his body, and the corpse collapsed with a thud. The sharp sword energy had cleanly sliced ​​his neck, leaving it as smooth as a still lake, with sizzling blood gushing out. The whole scene was exceptionally eerie and terrifying.

"This fool is so arrogant and ignorant that he has offended you. I will offer his head as an apology. Is that enough?"

Yan Congke's hands were steady and his mind was calm. He showed no psychological fluctuation even when he killed his own disciple or took out real money to support him.

From beginning to end, he was a very solitary person. He had no relatives, no lover, and a few friends, but unfortunately, they all passed away one after another, and now there are not many left. The world is vast, but he has no ties to anyone.

Chen Xiaodao held a place in his heart, though not much. Now, with a single sword strike, there was not a ripple, yet that small place in his heart was revealed. It seemed cold-blooded, but it was actually a reflection of reality.

This scene was exactly what Meng Zhao had expected.

He was even able to clearly depict Yan Congke's psychological state at that moment.

He was definitely not afraid of Meng Zhao, because it was impossible for him to be terrified of Meng Zhao's display of the Three-Part Returning to Origin Qi.

Yan Congke's actions stemmed from two main reasons.

Firstly, Chen Xiaodao is too self-centered. It's not that he can't use Yan Congke's name, but he can't just make decisions without even informing him. This is a major taboo and the main reason why Yan Congke is so ruthless.

Secondly, Chen Xiaodao's actions were not only unethical, but he also deliberately brought Meng Zhao over, clearly intending to have Yan Congke help him get revenge.

It's not that it's impossible, but we must honestly and sincerely tell Yan Congke about this matter.

They placed themselves entirely under strict and demanding rules, using the method of complaining to superiors from a subordinate position.

But Chen Xiaodao did not act that way. He regarded himself as a wise man, like playing chess, maneuvering Yan Congke to fight against Meng Zhao.

His thoughts were not hard to guess, but such ideas were completely unacceptable to a ruthless person like Yan Congke.

What I want to give, you can accept; what I don't want to give, you can't actively seek.

This is the logic of being strict and demanding.

He was an extreme person, a die-hard loner, and self-centered. Chen Xiaodao misjudged this point, which is why he met such a tragic end.

Even if Meng Zhao doesn't express his opinion and acts as the one who goes with the flow, Yan Congke, who knows the whole truth, will not let Chen Xiaodao off the hook.

It's highly unlikely they'll kill him so cleanly and efficiently. Perhaps they'll extract every last drop of wealth and possessions from him before finally killing him.

Meng Zhao nodded, his expression indifferent, showing no joy.
"That's enough. All I want is an attitude, nothing more."

However, this is only one of the reasons I came here.

Yan Congke's expression changed slightly, and his tone turned cold.
"Your martial arts are indeed superb, but I, Yan Congke, am no pushover either. Whatever it is, draw up the rules, and I'll take it all."

Meng Zhao looked Yan Congke up and down and said,
"Your murderous intent is hidden but I can see it clearly. It seems you want to find out my identity and background, and then take advantage of my distraction to deal with me by targeting my family, right?"

It seems that you really didn't take the words of advice that Old Master Fang had been saying to you for so long to heart.

"Living and doing things are like wielding a sword. Extreme skill and ruthlessness are indeed incredibly powerful, but excessive rigidity leads to breakage. Don't you understand this principle?"

Yan Congke held his sword upright in front of him, with drops of crimson blood still running down the blade.

"You and that old man from the Fang family think the same way, but I never thought that being too rigid is easy to break."

Since it can break, it means that its rigidity is not extreme enough, not strong enough, not resilient enough, and not tough enough.

Upon hearing this, even Meng Zhao was stunned. This person was truly ruthless.

However, this is a divergence of views on martial arts between the two sides, and it cannot be said that one is right and the other is wrong.

Perhaps Meng Zhao was right, because he viewed Yan Congke, this person and this sword, with an air of otherworldly wisdom.

However, strictness is not necessarily wrong.

The so-called great path leads to the same destination, only the process is different.

Take the sword for example. He follows a path of relentless, ruthless, and decisive action, never wavering or softening his stance.

There must have been many difficulties and obstacles, but that doesn't mean the sword wasn't powerful.

As long as the sword is sharp enough, it can cut through all obstacles and difficulties, and reach the final destination, which is still the Great Way.

However, based on experience, very few people actually manage to take this step; they are extremely rare.

Nine out of ten, or even more, people will die on the path of practicing this extreme way.

Occasionally, one or two people may reach the pinnacle, which only means that they are special, destined for greatness, and protagonists. It does not mean that this narrow, arduous, and dangerous path has become a broad and prosperous road.

In Meng Zhao's eyes, it would take at least three years, and at most ten, for Yan Congke, this extremely resolute sword, to break, rather than continue its relentless pursuit to the end. (End of Chapter)