I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 559 A Hundred-Foot River Splits, A God Tells His Story

On the large ship where Ning Emei was stationed.

Zhou Chengan and Li Chungang were sitting at the bow of the boat, fishing with their rods.

The two had been fishing on the river for several days, and at first many people thought they were foolish.

With such turbulent water and the boat constantly moving, it's no wonder you can't catch any fish.

To everyone's surprise, the two not only caught fish, but quite a lot of them.

Zhou Chengan, in particular, catches at least 30 to 40 jin of fish every day.

As for Li Chungang, he never won a single time.

Looking at the surging river, Zhou Cheng'an said to Li Chungang beside him, "I'm about to catch a fish, do you believe it or not?"

Li Chungang snorted: "I'll definitely catch more fish than you today."

Just then, a small boat on the river approached the large ship.

On the small boat, a young man dressed as a scholar in a blue robe suddenly plunged a bamboo pole into the bottom of the large boat, causing the rear of the small boat to rise high.

At the same time, he lifted up the bamboo pole that had been inserted under the large ship.

A dark green bamboo pole instantly bent into a crescent shape.

The small boat remained standing, while the large ship was suddenly lifted up by the bamboo pole and was about to capsize in the river.

The people on the boat lost their balance and tilted to one side.

Only Zhou Chengan and Li Chungang remained seated at the bow of the boat, motionless.

The two of them seemed glued to the boat, as steady as Mount Tai.

The boatmen on the other three boats turned pale with fright, staring in terror at the figure in the small boat.

—Could this man in blue be the Dragon King himself, attempting to capsize a large ship with a single pole?!

Just when everyone thought the large ship ahead was about to capsize.

The large ship miraculously returned to its original position and landed steadily back down.

Almost simultaneously, the small boat with its high, upturned rear end beneath the large ship crashed back onto the river surface.

The man in the blue robe on the small boat glanced at the two people fishing on the bow, then suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Blood stained his chest, and the man in the blue robe's expression changed slightly.

"It's you! Zhou Yichui. This doesn't count as a match between us."

Immediately afterwards, the man in the blue shirt picked up a bamboo pole, pushed it into the river, and began to drift downstream in his small boat.

Zhou Cheng'an sat at the bow of the boat, watching the man in blue robes trying to swim away, and said indifferently, "You just need to be taught a lesson. You've disturbed our fishing pleasure. You should swim back."

After saying that, he raised his hand and pointed, and a rainbow light suddenly streaked across the sky, flying towards the man in the blue robe.

Upon seeing this, Li Chungang's pupils contracted, and he shouted.

"What a sword!"

Above the turbulent river, a flying sword plunged straight into the water.

Thick columns of water shot into the sky with a roar, stretching for over a hundred feet along the river, and capsized the small boat beneath the man in the blue robe.

The man in the blue robe thrust the fishing rod forward, and the rod sped across the river.

At the same time, he leaped into the air, trying to step onto the boat pole.

Just then, a flying sword flashed through the air, its sword energy sweeping across the sky and shredding the bamboo pole into pieces.

The man in the blue robe had nowhere to grab hold of. After flying through the air for a few breaths, he was struck by the giant waves and columns of water that kept surging up from the river. His body fell into the river and disappeared without a trace.

The flying sword transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the horizon.

That wasn't a real sword, but a flying sword formed from condensed sword energy.

Seeing this, Li Chungang laughed and said, "You really do keep your word."

"It's just a matter of reciprocity," Zhou Chengan said with a smile.

Li Chungang remained noncommittal, gazing at the rolling river, and said, "That man must have come from the Wu family's Sword Tomb. He has that pedantic smell unique to withered swords. His move 'Mountain-Pulling' was not bad, but unfortunately, that kid had bad eyesight and kicked a nut to crack, Master Zhou."

"Wu Liuding, the contemporary swordsman of the Wu Family Sword Tomb... Hmm, the fish is here!"

Zhou Chengan lifted the fishing rod in his hand, and a silver carp weighing at least seven or eight pounds took the bait and kept thrashing about.

With a flick of the pole, the big white carp was thrown onto the boat.

Zhou Cheng'an called out to Ning Emei over there, "General Ning, save the fish head for me, I'll let you try the chopped chili fish head tonight."

"Thank you, young master."

Looking at Zhou Cheng'an's bright smile, Ning Emei felt as if he were a mountain, and her calmed mind began to sway again.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned two armored soldiers who carried the white carp away.

Li Chungang glanced at it and muttered, "This fish is really unlucky."

Zhou Chengan laughed loudly: "You're going to lose again today."

Li Chungang jerked his fishing rod and said angrily, "It's all that kid's fault. If it weren't for his meddling, I would have caught a fish with this line. But because of that kid's commotion, the fish that was about to get into my mouth got away."

……

On another ship.

Xu Fengnian stared wide-eyed as Wu Liuding fell into the water and disappeared without a trace. He muttered to himself, "That kid's skills are pretty good, but unfortunately, his eyesight is bad. He didn't choose the right boat."

"Do you know who that person is?" Yu Youwei asked.

"Wu Liuding, the contemporary swordsman of the Wu family's sword tomb," Xu Fengnian said quietly.

He had a feeling that Wu Liuding wasn't after Zhou Cheng'an this time, but rather after him.

The people on the other boats were still reminiscing about everything that had happened on the river.

First came the Green-Robed Dragon King who used a pole to lift a boat, then came the Green-Robed Taoist who split the river a hundred feet deep.

Everyone was amazed. The godlike power of the supernatural ability left a deep impression on them, especially the guards who were with Xu Fengnian.

Lu Qiantang, also a swordsman, stared blankly at the calm river and Zhou Chengan, who was still fishing at the bow of the boat. His eyes were filled with a mixture of fervor and frustration.

He never expected Zhou Chengan's swordsmanship to be so terrifying, and he regretted that he hadn't been able to see even the slightest clue about the flying sword splitting the river.

That sword strike was far too profound, a level of swordsmanship that he couldn't comprehend at his level. Moreover, the speed of the flying sword was astonishing; he could barely make out its trajectory.

Shu Xiu, standing next to Lü Qiantang, looked astonished, her palms sweating profusely.

Although she already knew that Zhou Cheng'an's cultivation was amazing after her previous defeat, she realized what a terrestrial immortal was after seeing him today.

The flying sword cleaved the river for over a hundred feet; such divine power was comparable to that of immortals and gods!
Wu Lingsu sat calmly not far from them, unconcerned; he had seen far more terrifying sights than this.

Compared to the Daoist's initial arrival at Qingyang Palace, where the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder suppressed Qingcheng, the hundred-zhang-long river-splitting event was nothing at all.

The thought of heading south, setting foot on Longhu Mountain, and finally achieving great success filled him with immense joy.

...It was evening.

Zhou Chengan and Li Chungang went to the large ship where Xu Fengnian was to have a meal.

Xu Fengnian immediately gave a thumbs up: "Cheng'an, awesome! Your flying sword technique really gave me a fright."

Jiang Ni chimed in, "I always thought flying swords were just something you heard in stories, but I never imagined that there were actually people in the world who could use them."

Upon hearing this, Li Chungang curled his lip.

"I can do that too, little Jiang. Would you like me to teach you a couple of moves?"

“Didn’t that kid surnamed Wu use the move ‘Mountain-Moving’? I’ll teach you the move ‘Sea-Overturning’.”

Jiang Ni shook her head: "I won't learn."

Li Chungang: "..."

Seeing his discomfiture, Xu Fengnian couldn't help but smile and asked, "What do you think Wu Liuding was after in all this trouble?"

Li Chungang picked at his ear and sneered, "Are you stupid, kid? When you're out in the martial world, all you do is make a name for yourself, right?"

"Otherwise, why would Wang Xianzhi claim to be the second best in the world?"

"Only with a reputation can one have the confidence to challenge experts; otherwise, who would bother with an unknown nobody?"

"When I was young, I would cut melons and vegetables indiscriminately no matter who I was facing. That was just me acting impulsively and trying to prove myself."

"Later, as I got older, I lost the desire to compete and win."

"However, that Wu kid also came out ahead today."

Upon hearing this, Xu Fengnian asked with some surprise, "The person was thrown into the river and their fate is unknown. How could he have made a profit?"

“Who told that kid to get Master Zhou to make a move?” Li Chungang glanced at Zhou Chengan and laughed. “Master Zhou’s reputation is already quite high. Once he goes up Longhu Mountain, the world will know how capable Wu Liuding was to escape from Master Zhou’s clutches.”

Xu Fengnian was slightly taken aback, then nodded in agreement.

Although he felt that Wu Liuding had not come for fame, Li Chungang's words made no mistake.

According to Li Chungang, Zhou Chengan's arrival at Longhu Mountain would surely cause a sensation, and Longhu Mountain might not be a match for Zhou Chengan.

Therefore, Wu Liuding's defeat at the hands of Zhou Cheng'an is not something to be ashamed of.

"Speaking of which, young Xu, if it weren't for this old man and Master Zhou today, who knows how many of your hundred or so light cavalry would have been lost. You should be more polite to Jiang in the future, and stop putting on airs like a young master. There aren't that many experts at the Celestial Phenomenon Realm."

Back then, Li Chungang's mental state was damaged after accidentally killing his beloved Green Robe Girl. After discussing the Dao with Qi Xuanzhen, his cultivation level dropped to the Finger Profound realm. He imprisoned himself in the Listening Tide Pavilion of Beiliang for twenty years, but has now returned to the Celestial Realm.

Upon hearing this, Xu Fengnian was first taken aback, then exclaimed with delight, "Cheng'an, you've entered the Celestial Realm?!"

"It still points to the mystery."

Zhou Chengan said calmly, "However, killing a celestial being is no problem."

"Below the level of a terrestrial immortal, your cousin is invincible!" Li Chungang added.

The word "invincible" stunned Xu Fengnian.

"So fierce?!"

Zhou Chengan smiled modestly: "It's alright, let's eat."

Xu Fengnian nodded blankly, glanced at Zhou Chengan, and then at Li Chungang, who was picking his nose and showed no trace of a master's demeanor. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

—They're both experts, so why is there such a big difference between them?

After dinner, Zhou Chengan and Li Chungang set up a chessboard and started playing Go.

When Li Chungang was young, he was a romantic figure who also had some knowledge of refined arts such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

He wasn't exactly an expert, so sometimes he needed time to think before making a move, giving Zhou Chengan enough time to appreciate the scenery on both sides of the strait.

At the end of Tongling Gorge, the two cliffs are as neat as if cut by a knife, less than ten feet apart, forming a gate that is only wide enough for one boat to pass through.

This place is the gates of hell.

The cliff face is inscribed with the four large characters "Ghost Cries at the Majestic Pass," carved by Lü Dongxuan, the patriarch of Wudang Mountain who ascended to heaven on a crane, using his immortal sword.

Lu Dongxuan was known as an "immortal" in the three arts of alchemy, swordsmanship, and poetry. He was the undisputed number one in the Heavenly Way and the Sword Way, and a famous terrestrial sword immortal. Even Li Chungang, who wielded a wooden horse and ox and claimed that "If Heaven had not given birth to me, Li Chungang, the way of the sword would have been in eternal darkness," held him in high esteem. At the same time, he was also skilled in alchemy, and many of his poems and songs have been passed down.

But the calligraphy piece made with a sword as a brush only has eight characters.

Besides the four characters "Ghost Crying at the Pass" in front of you, there is also "Xuanwu Shall Prosper" on Wudang Mountain.

Looking at the four large characters "Ghosts Cry at the Pass," Zhou Cheng'an could roughly sense some of Lü Dongxuan's former brilliance by observing the characters.

It can only be said that Lü Dongxuan truly deserves to be called the pinnacle of martial arts in the Snow World.

Once you emerge from the Gates of Hell, your view opens up dramatically. The Yanzi River, Shu River, and Canglan River converge here. This place was once a battlefield during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Three Kingdoms period, a place where countless heroes and warriors have waged war throughout history.

The river's flow changes from rapid to gentle, and its surface from narrow to wide, giving one a sense of being in another world, as if stepping from the underworld into the world of the living, which is refreshing and delightful.

When he was passing through the gates of hell, Li Chungang had no interest in playing chess. Like Zhou Chengan, he stared at the four large characters "Ghost Crying at the Pass" and seemed lost in thought.

But unlike Zhou Cheng'an, his expression darkened as he looked at it.

After passing through the Gates of Hell, Li Chungang turned back reluctantly, looking back at the four large characters "Ghost Crying at the Pass." Perhaps it was because the scene evoked memories of the past.

As he walked further and further away from the gates of hell, and as darkness fell and he could no longer see clearly, he finally looked away.

under night.

Xu Fengnian sat cross-legged next to the two of them, cultivating the Great Yellow Court with his eyes closed.

Li Chungang looked dejected as he picked up the chess pieces on the board and said to Zhou Cheng'an, "I did many foolish things when I was young. I entered the Vajra Sect at sixteen, the Finger Profound Sect at nineteen, and the Celestial Phenomenon Sect at twenty-four. I was hailed as a sword immortal talent that appears once every five hundred years."

Zhou Chengan paused in picking up the chess pieces and laughed, "If it were anyone else, they would think you were showing off."

Li Chungang smiled and continued, "When he first entered the martial world, he crossed the river on the Guangling Tide under the watchful eyes of millions of tide-watchers. At the age of twenty-four, he went to Dongyue Sword Maniac to challenge Wu Wei of the Plum Blossom Sword Sect. He humiliated that senior to the extreme, causing him to commit suicide."

"At the age of thirty-six, I claimed to be invincible, saying that apart from me, the other four grandmasters were all just seeking fame and fortune. Even if the spear immortal Wang Xiu, the green-robed man from Fengdu, and the red-armored talisman general Ye Hongting joined forces, it would still be a matter of one sword strike from me."

"Later, I didn't lose to them, but I was defeated by the younger generation Wang Xianzhi. She left Fengdu and found me. That silly woman deliberately let me pierce her chest with a sword. I thought I could defeat any opponent in the world with one sword and be beckon any woman in the world with one finger. In the end, I realized what heartache is."

Zhou Cheng'an put away the chessboard and sighed, "Your injury is my pain."

Li Chungang paused for a moment, then nodded in strong agreement: "To save her, I went to Longhu Mountain to ask Qi Xuanzhen for the Life-Extending Golden Pill, but she died before I even reached the Demon-Slaying Platform."

"Before she died, she said she didn't want to live. She wanted to die in my arms. If she lived, we would be strangers again. She didn't want that. Even then, I still didn't have the courage to say it. What's the point of being invincible if I don't have her?"

"This Gate of Hell is where I first met her. At that time, I could already fly with my sword, but she was just a clumsy girl who had not yet learned martial arts. I don't know how she became the Green Robe of Fengdu. I only know that we will never see each other again in this life."

"The past events, the glory and disgrace, the ups and downs, are like morning dew, fleeting clouds and smoke."

"I like Jiang Yatou, but actually I feel sorry for her back then. She went up to Lotus Peak and down to Demon Slaying Platform. I learned from Qi Xuanzhen that she was the daughter of my enemy. Since she unfortunately met me and couldn't kill me, she thought that dying at my hands would be the best ending."

"But she didn't know that longing is the most painful thing, and the two worlds are the furthest apart."

Xu Fengnian, who was cultivating, couldn't help but open his eyes when he suddenly heard Li Chungang's heartfelt words.

He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

As the saying goes, love between men and women in this world may seem as simple as eating and drinking to onlookers, but for those who are moved by it, it is like falling into a raging river, from which they cannot save themselves.

(End of this chapter)