Reborn Song Qingshu: Besieging Bright Peak at the Start

Zhang Sanfeng's secluded courtyard for meditation was deep in the bamboo forest behind the mountain.

The bamboo forest stretches across the mountains, its verdant waves rippling in the wind.

A gentle breeze and a bright moon carried Yu Daiyan, with Song Qingshu following beside him.

The group went up the diagonal path behind Zixiao Palace, passed three stone beams, and saw a small courtyard enclosed by a bamboo fence reaching chest height and two whole bamboo doors.

The courtyard is small and square, with the ground paved with local bluestone slabs.

There is a stone house to the north, with walls built of mountain rocks, a thatched roof, and doors and windows made of old bamboo.

It is so simple that it is almost crude, yet it has a sense of tranquility and peace.

The wooden gate was ajar, and it was quiet inside, with only the occasional bird calls coming from the depths of the bamboo forest in the distance.

Standing outside the door, Song Qingshu felt a rare sense of nervousness.

This grandmaster, who inherited all of the original owner's memories, was facing him for the first time.

Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of the Wudang School, was a martial arts master who lived for nearly a hundred years.

In his memory, the Grand Master had always been gentle with Song Qingshu, but the original owner of the body was unaware of his good fortune and took those expectations for granted.

Yu Daiyan straightened up slightly in the rattan chair, about to ask for an audience, when he suddenly heard an aged voice coming from inside the courtyard:

"Daiyan is here, come in."

Song Qingshu pushed open the wooden gate and led Qingfeng Mingyue, who was carrying a rattan chair, into the courtyard.

The doors and windows of the stone house were open, and the morning breeze blew through the bamboo forest, bringing a refreshing scent of bamboo leaves.

The interior furnishings are extremely minimalist.

A wooden couch, a stone table, and a wooden sword hanging on the wall.

On the stone table is a teapot, a teacup, and a futon.

An old Taoist priest with white hair and beard was sitting cross-legged on a futon with his back to the door.

He was tall and wore a gray Taoist robe, the hem of which fluttered slightly in the breeze.

"Grand Master."

Song Qingshu bowed respectfully outside the threshold, his voice lower than usual.

As he uttered the word "Grand Master," a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.

In the original owner's memory, this old man had instructed him in sword practice countless times in the square in front of Zixiao Palace, personally stayed by his bedside to help him reduce his fever when he had a high fever, and smiled and smoothed things over when he was punished by his father, saying, "He's just a child, teach him slowly."

  

Now, standing here, as scenes flash through his mind, he truly feels the old man's expectations for Song Qingshu.

That is the future of the Wudang Sect, Song Yuanqiao's only son, and the grand-disciple he watched grow from a small regimental commander to the upright and sturdy disciple he is today.

Qingfeng and Mingyue carried Yu Daiyan's rattan chair into the room and then left.

Zhang Sanfeng slowly turned around. Sunlight slanted in through the window, falling on his wrinkled yet still ruddy face.

At this moment, the old man before my eyes overlaps with my memories.

He opened his eyes slightly and fixed his gaze on Song Qingshu.

Those eyes, though seemingly clouded, actually see through everything.

With just one glance, Song Qingshu felt as if he had been thoroughly examined from head to toe.

A barely perceptible ripple crossed Zhang Sanfeng's eyes.

"I'm also curious when a master appeared at Wudang Mountain?"

Zhang Sanfeng spoke, his voice still calm.

"Qingshu, when did you cultivate your internal energy to such a level?"

Song Qingshu's heart skipped a beat.

He had long anticipated that Zhang Sanfeng would be a difficult hurdle to overcome.

With this grandmaster's cultivation level, no matter how much an ordinary martial artist tries to conceal their aura, they cannot escape his perception.

After he mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill, his internal strength had reached a state of perfection. Although he tried his best to restrain it, he could not hide it from Zhang Sanfeng in the end.

He had no idea that the old man had already discerned his martial arts school and the depth of his cultivation from the footsteps he heard at the courtyard gate.

Yu Daiyan was also surprised. His master's words proved that his nephew's internal strength was extremely profound, far beyond what he could compare to.

Song Qingshu composed himself, bowed, and replied:

"Reporting to Grandmaster, I accidentally obtained a copy of the Nine Yang Manual left behind by a senior master in the Kunlun Mountains. I have been cultivating it ever since, and by chance, I have mastered all four volumes of the manual according to the instructions."

He neither lied nor revealed everything.

The Nine Yang Manual, left behind by our predecessors in the Kunlun Mountains, is entirely true, though details such as the white ape are omitted.

Zhang Sanfeng's brow twitched slightly.

He remained silent for a moment, slowly stroking his beard. His gaze swept over Song Qingshu once more, and the caution in his eyes gradually transformed into a deep, almost sighing understanding.

After a long silence, he slowly nodded, his voice tinged with reminiscence:

"The Nine Yang Manual... When Master Jueyuan passed away, I, along with Heroine Guo Xiang and Zen Master Wuse, each wrote down a portion of the text."

The Wudang Nine Yang Skill, the Emei Nine Yang Skill, and the Shaolin Nine Yang Skill are each possessed by one of the three schools.

In the past century, no complete Nine Suns has appeared in the world.

Since you have had the opportunity to see the whole leopard, that is your good fortune.

He didn't ask for details, nor did he inquire why the Nine Yang Manual appeared in the Kunlun Mountains. A century had allowed the old man to see through many things.

Song Qingshu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then heard Zhang Sanfeng add unhurriedly:

"The Nine Yang Manual is extremely strong and yang. When practicing it, remember to harmonize it with the Wudang Taoist mental techniques."

Your foundation is solid, so you shouldn't encounter any major problems, but remember that excessive rigidity can lead to breakage.

Song Qingshu felt a chill run down his spine and bowed, saying, "Grandson will remember Grandmaster's teachings."

Zhang Sanfeng nodded slightly, then shifted his gaze from him to Yu Daiyan, who was sitting on a rattan chair to the side, his face pale.

With his keen eyesight, he immediately noticed that Yu Daiyan's expression was off. He frowned slightly and said:

"Daiyan, what happened?"

Yu Daiyan took a deep breath and reported everything that Song Qingshu had just told him to Zhang Sanfeng, from beginning to end.

He spoke in great detail, leaving out almost no crucial details.

Zhang Sanfeng listened quietly until the end.

He sat cross-legged on the futon, his expression remaining largely unchanged throughout.

But when he heard that Zhang Wuji was still alive, a glint of light suddenly flashed in his cloudy old eyes. When he heard that Yin Liting had been seriously injured by the Vajra Finger, he slowly closed his eyes, and his beard and eyebrows moved for a moment without any wind.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

"You just said that Liting was injured by the Shaolin Vajra Finger technique?"

Zhang Sanfeng spoke first.

Yu Daiyan nodded, his voice hoarse: "Yes. It's exactly the same method used to injure me back then."

Zhang Sanfeng pondered for a moment and then slowly said:

"This matter is strange. Shaolin Temple has strict rules, and the Vajra Finger is one of the seventy-two unique skills. It is not allowed to be practiced by anyone other than the direct disciples."

If there were such a ruthless person in Shaolin Temple, they would have already investigated when you were injured, but they never found a clue.

Now that Liting has suffered the same fate, either there's a scoundrel in Shaolin, or someone is framing them.

He changed the subject and looked at Song Qingshu.

"Qingshu, what do you think?"

Song Qingshu was slightly taken aback, not expecting Zhang Sanfeng to call his name at this moment.

He quickly gathered his thoughts and said in a deep voice:

"Reporting to Grand Master, I believe it is more likely that the blame was shifted."

The fact that all six major sects have encountered trouble this time is definitely not something that a single sect could have accomplished.

The disciples discovered during their reconnaissance that all five major sects were ambushed on their return journey, indicating that they had come prepared.

To be able to wipe out the elite forces of all six factions in one fell swoop—only the imperial court could probably pull off such a feat.

The "Vajra Finger" technique, used to injure someone and frame Shaolin, was precisely intended to sow discord among the six major sects, allowing the imperial court to reap the benefits.

After listening, Zhang Sanfeng nodded, a smile appearing on his lips:

"Qingshu, you've certainly broadened your horizons since you came down the mountain."

Song Qing remained expressionless, bowing his head and saying, "I am merely reporting what I have seen and heard truthfully, and I dare not make any unfounded speculations."

Zhang Sanfeng slowly stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, looked at the lush green bamboo forest outside, and after a long while said in a deep voice:

"Back then, Daiyan was injured by the Vajra Finger, and Wudang sent people to Shaolin to question him."

The abbot of Shaolin Temple firmly denied it, which made me suspect that it might be a branch of the Shaolin Temple in the Western Regions.

However, after years of inquiries, I learned that the Shaolin Temple in the Western Regions was in extreme decline, and its disciples only studied Buddhism and were not proficient in martial arts.

Now that Liting has been injured again, I'm reminded of someone: the Fire-Worker Monk.

Zhang Sanfeng paused here, a look of reminiscence in his eyes, and continued after a moment:

"Back then, the Fire-Worker Monk secretly learned martial arts and killed the head monk of the Bodhidharma Hall of Shaolin Temple, Master Kuzhi."

The various masters of the Shaolin School had a major dispute, which led to the monk Ku Hui traveling to the Western Regions and establishing the Western Region Shaolin School.

If this matter was not committed by the Shaolin Western Regions lineage, it is highly likely that it was done by the successor of the Fire-Worker Monk.

This person was inherently ruthless and vicious, so it's not surprising that his successor could do such a thing.

Song Qingshu thought to himself, "Isn't that Indian a disciple of the Fire-Worker Monk? He also has a senior brother named Gang Xiang, who will be coming to ambush you in a few days."

However, Song Qingshu would not say these things outright.

But Zhang Sanfeng continued:

"This is just my guess. Its authenticity still needs to be verified. Let's wait until Wuji asks the Shaolin Temple before we can say anything."

Zhang Sanfeng did not continue the topic, but turned to look at Yu Daiyan and said in a deep voice:

"Daiyan, the most urgent task is to find out the whereabouts of Yuanqiao and the others."

"Have your disciples split into two groups: one group will investigate on their own, and the other group will inform the disciples of the other five sects to assist in the investigation."

Yu Daiyan replied from the rattan chair, "Yes, Master."

After explaining everything, Zhang Sanfeng walked up to the two men, his weathered face calm as he spoke:

"I sat in seclusion for eighteen months and comprehended the essence of martial arts, including a set of Tai Chi Chuan and Tai Chi Sword."

"I originally intended to teach them all at once when Yuanqiao and the others returned, but now their whereabouts are unknown. Only the two of you are by my side, so you must pass on my life's most precious skills."