Sword Snow Stride Book 1 Chapter 33

Book 1 – White Horse Out of Liangzhou
Chapter 33 – The Mountain Is Not Getting Any Higher

Wudang’s eighty-one peaks facing the big summit, the topography of the mountain was extremely spiritually beautiful, but the colored glass big summit generated unusual phenomenon. On the Little Lotus Peak, Song Zhiming found the wielding-power-over-the-ethics-and-clear-regulations Er Shixiong [second martial (older) brother] Chen Yao, the Si Shidi [fourth martial (yonger) brother] Yu Xingrui, and the Wu Shidi [fifth] Wang Xiaoping, were gathered behind them, together with their Xiao Shidi Hong Xixiang looking in the direction of the Xuan Xian Guan [hanging immortal coffin]. Only to see the bull rider was running like crazy toward Gui Tuo Bei [see Chapter 15]. With one leap it was already at the top, standing on the top of the stone tablet, all ten fingers were pinching and moving, dazzling the eyes. _{Translated by foxs}

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Xiao Shidi could not always remember his age, but his level of mastery in numerology was profound. The Book of Changes and the Four Canons, he knew all inside and out [orig. ripe as a melon that rolls from its vine], he mastered the subject via a comprehensive study of surrounding areas. In divination, he was a rider leaving everybody else in the dust, surpassing even his Shixiong of the same generation by a large margin. He even calculated Xuanwu Dangxing’s five-hundred-year glory that in the past, even the Zhangjiao of the previous generation sighed that they were inferior. They once said that green was coming from blue, but it surpassed the blue too much.

With sweat on his forehead, Hong Xixiang tumbled and sat on the stone tablet.

Immediately the group of Shixiong became nervous.

Standing under the Gui Tuo Bei, Yu Xingrui asked carefully, “Is there any unforeseen event?”

Hong Xixiang wiped his sweat, he grinned wickedly and said, “Natural change does not make mistake. Only this thunderstorm’s momentum is smaller than what I budgeted for, not enough to frighten and break the guts of those Longhu Shan sneaky figures.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Yu Xingrui and the others were as if they were relieved from a burden, they looked at each other with a smile. Their Zhangjiao Shixiong mastered the Da Huang Ting, already words were spread. Their arch-rival Longhu Shan naturally would send people to come and investigate. They expected it was a bluff from Wudang like a cornered dog would jump over the wall. Da Shixiong quietly went out of seclusion, already several people of Longhu Mountain who were hiding on Huangting Peak did not accept it as the truth. They regarded Wudang as a sham [orig. face swollen from beating posing as a fat person], thereupon there were rumors in Jianghu that Wang Zhonglou’s so-called cultivating Da Huang Ting was just a gimmick to make a name for himself. Xiao Shidi could not accept, so he specially picked today, this date, as Wudang’s Zhenwu Fu Mo [Lord of profound heaven (major Taoist deity) subduing evil spirit] Day, which only happened once in several decades. Every time, there would be sudden clap of thunder and heavy rain pouring down in torrents.

Da Huang Ting Guan, in a nutshell, was the binding of great pill inside the furnace. The elephant turtle drew the qi to the spiritual root, the qi mechanism resonated with the heaven and earth. Taoist priests were known as Zhenren [lit. real person], it was taken from the ancient saying in ‘Da Huang Ting Jing’ [lit. great yellow court scripture], ‘immortals and Taoist priests are not deity, amassing essence and accumulating qi is considered to be true’. Only after mastering Da Huang Ting would one be considered Zhenren. Nowadays, people around the world like to see any Taoist priest and inundate him by calling him Zhenren, but one must not speak of two things on the same day [idiom: to mention things on equal terms]. _{Translated by foxs}

Buddhists and Taoists have been fighting for hundreds of years, but one thing is very common, that is, Buddhists and Taoists are people who withdraw from worldly affairs, who cultivate transcendental methods, who do not esteem the relative superiority of military force. Therefore, in the past, Longhu Mountain produced one Qi Xuanzhen who was publicly known to have unbounded magical powers, his reputation was like the sun at noon, yet he only subdued demons and got rid of evil spirits, and never fought over reputation with Wang Xianzhi.

A few years ago, Wang Zhonglou cut off the Canglan [lit. blue-dark green waves; lan is an alternative character of lang; so we get Canglang which is the ancient name for the Han River; the Wudang mountain range runs east-west along the southern edge of the Han River] with one finger, busybodies ranked him among the top ten martial art masters. Longhu Mountain extremely despised and spurned this, publicly or semi-publicly they said a lot of unpleasant things, even those soft and immature, yellow-mouthed Taoist boys on Longhu Mountain were reciting a ballad arranged by Wudang Zhangjiao.

Contrary to what one might expect, Wang Zhonglou did not argue, did not admit, did not say a word about this. After cutting off the river and rescuing common people who fell into the water, he went up the mountain and lived in seclusion to cultivate Huang Ting.

Yu Xingrui asked with a smile, “Xiao Shidi, how much Da Huang Ting can this Shizi Dianxia obtain?”

Hong Xixiang sighed and said, “About five or six parts out of ten.”

Yu Xingrui was shocked, he said, “Then wouldn’t it mean this kid’s inner power is the crown in Wudang?” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Shaking his head, Hong Xixiang said, “That will still take quite a long time to digest.”

Frustrated, Chen Yao said, “These days, Wudang has spent all its efforts to expand Xu Fengnian’s meridians and acupoints, has wasted countless pills. It is like digging a deep pool in his body, and Zhangjiao Shixiong’s inner power is the Xuan Xian Feng Waterfall, when it strikes down, it will be full and will overflow. Absorbing half is already a gargantuan good fortune. No matter how it is, Da Shixiong can still keep half of Da Huang Ting.”

Hong Xixiang still shook his head, “Not necessarily,” he said.

Chen Yao was puzzled, he asked, “Why did you say that?”

Hong Xixiang revealed a secret that the headmaster Wang Zhonglou had told him before he went to live in seclusion, “At the beginning, Zhangjiao Shixiong cultivated it according to the qi acupoints in Shizi Dianxia’s body, therefore, no matter how much Shizi Dianxia could accept in the end, the entire Da Huang Ting in Da Shixiong’s body could only scatter in its entirety, not leaving a single drop.”

Yu Xingrui’s countenance turned pale, he muttered, “What should we do? What should we do?” _{Translated by foxs}

Smiling bitterly, Chen Yao said, “Zhangjiao Shixiong, is it worth the trouble? No matter how weak our Wudang is, we don’t need to be afraid of Da Zhu Guo like this.”

Wang Xiaoping glanced at the sky, he turned around and left.

Without looking back, Hong Xixiang spoke softly, “Xiao Wang Shixiong, don’t go to Huang Ting Feng to give trouble to Longhu Shan Taoist priests. You will miss your pure sword heart. Don’t kill people who shouldn’t be killed, once you make an exception, the demonic heart on the Shen Tu Sword will be aroused, it will overshadow the immortal mechanism and sword intention. For the rest of your life, Xiao Wang Shixiong would be drifting further and further away from the Way of the Sword. The harder you strive, the further away you will be.”

Wang Xiaoping halted his steps, but he only halted briefly, and then walked away, confident and at ease, without any worries in his heart, still carrying the Shen Tu on his back.

In the Washing Elephant Pond [see my previous comment on White Elephant (Bai Xiang), Washing Elephant (Xi Xiang), and Hong Xixiang’s name], plunging into the deep natural pond to select pebbles to make chess pieces, Shizi Dianxia slowly stooped down and groped about at the bottom of the pool; only his speed was slightly slower than walking on land, apart from it, there was no difference at all. The pool was a thousand chi deep, it was even more icy-cold than the bottom of the lake at the king’s mansion. However, when training saber with the white-haired Lao Kui, he unconsciously learned his breath-holding technique. Xu Fengnian thought he was just practicing his water skill, not realizing that this kind of strange breath-holding technique was different routes to the same destination as the Taoist School’s returning-to-unpolished-gem fetus breathing. For the time being, no need to talk about Xu Fengnian’s inner power was still meager, but after all is said and done, he has found the right way. The difference was huge. A person who looked at the mountain from a distance definitely could not compare to the person who climb the mountain. A person who climbed a mountain but could not find a way could not compare with a person who found the way. As for the hundreds and thousands of roads up the mountain, which path to take, which step to take, it all depended on destiny, opportunity and personal hard work. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Fengnian picked up more than a dozen smooth stones, he was not in a hurry to float to the surface. Watching the scenery at the bottom of the lake was also very interesting. Otherwise, previously Shizi Dianxia would not have visited the white-haired Lao Kui at the bottom of the lake often. Only this deep pool’s water was dark bluish green; looking up, looking down, anything he saw was blurry.

Xu Fengnian was not aware of the lightning flashes and thunder rolls at the summit of Wudang. He only felt that the momentum of the waterfall was a little stronger and the bottom of the pool was getting colder and even more unbearable.

Walking toward the tuberous roots of the aquatic plant at the edge of the boulder at the bottom of the pool, both feet tapped the ground, Xu Fengnian launched himself towards the surface of the lake, carrying the spoils of war with both hands.

Above the Xi Xiang Chi, a white stream of waterfall pours down like the water pouring down from Guanyin’s bottle[1].

Wudang Zhangjiao Wang Zhonglou swept up to the boulder, bent down his knees and sat down, he looked toward the bottom of the pool, and smiled. _{Translated by foxs}

And then he closed his eyes.

Gently breathed out, gently breathed in.

The mist was beginning to pervade the air above the water.

This old Taoist priest, a Zhangjiao of one of the three great Taoist Schools in the world, was not without many ups and downs in his life. He was born in lone-hardship and poverty. When he was twelve years old, his parents sent him up the mountain in order to avoid starving to death. In addition to two classes in the morning and evening, he was on duty at the Tai Xu Gong, sweeping the floor and cleaning the used-up incense sticks every day; day after day, year after year. At that time, his Shifu Chen Yingning had not yet become Wudang Zhangjiao, but he had more than twenty disciples, among them, Wang Zhonglou’s natural endowment was in the lower half, only he was willing to immerse himself in reading scriptures. When sweeping the floor, he would hold an introductory ancient book in his hand. When he couldn’t sleep at night, he would read by moonlight, studying and reading at the same time, becoming a bookworm in his Shixiongdi’s eyes.

Only when he was twenty-four years old did he have the qualifications to shake inscribed bamboo stick [used in divination] and tell fortunes for pilgrims. When he was forty, he was barely considered to have made small accomplishment in Taoism, so when the previous generation Zhangjiao Chen Yingning passed away, and Wang Zhonglou took over Wudang, the world was in an uproar.

At that time, even Longhu Mountain had not heard much about this middle-aged Taoist priest. Surprisingly, Wudang’s Zhenren of this generation, when they were young, most had astonishing skills [acquired through religious practice], but as they aged, they did not go any farther. Only the inconspicuous Wang Zhonglou gradually obtained the Great Way and skyrocketed. Cutting off the river with one finger was just a small example of how Wang Zhonglou grew older and overflowing with power.

Wang Zhonglou’s pair of sleeves waved.

His Taoist robes swelled and fluttered. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Unexpectedly the waterfall that was falling down with ten thousand jun momentum was pulled over.

The waterfall curved like a bridge.

‘Can Tong Qi’ [joint agreement, see last chapter] went one notch beyond the Taoist ancient canon ‘He Shang Gong Laozi Zhang Ju’ [lit. old man of the river’s saying, zhang means ‘chapter’] which proposed ‘Wu Fu Cang Shen’ [five internal organs hiding the spirit], in that chapter, there were three sections, eight scenes [of a play], a total of twenty-four spirits.

Only to see this old immortal breathing into the dantian, closing his eyes and emptying his mind, sinking his spirit to enter into meditative state, his essence and mind overflowing, his entire person glistening, shining like a Taoist immortal becoming as light as a feather and ascending to heaven written in the ancient texts.

Only to hear Wang Zhonglou reciting silently, “The five-color sunset clouds diffusing in the mist. Closing my eyes, looking inside and around, I realize that my body is a paradise, turns out that Huang Ting is a blessed place …”

“Yellow clothes and purple belts with dragon and tiger insignias, the eternal spirit and all the more, fate, depend on Taixuan [greatest mystery]. Three calls for two, four qi will naturally flow through.” _{Translated by foxs}

“The world absolutely longs for grains and the five flavors [i.e. sweet, sour, bitter, spicy hot, salty; all kinds of flavors], but I only eat Taihe [grand harmony] Yin and Yang Qi.”

“Two water kings compare their disciples, making people’s long life reaches high to the ninth heaven …”

Every time he spoke a line, a stream of golden yellow qi color came out of the old Taoist’s mouth, and lingered between heaven and earth.

In the end, a total of nine times nine, eighty-one streams of golden qi wound around the main waterfall stream, and exploded together into the deep pool together.

Xu Fengnian was halfway up when he felt something was wrong with the pool water. At first, it became increasingly icy-cold, yet in a flash was boiling. The water growing hot was not a problem, he simply speeded up. The most frightening thing was that he vaguely saw a water column in the sky rushing down straight to him. Xu Fengnian gnashed his teeth and went against the flow, but no matter what he would not be able to break through the column of water and the strange golden color on the surface of the lake. No matter how hard Shizi Dianxia tried, it was to no avail. The surface of the water seemed to be covered with a large lid weighing a thousand jin, human strength simply could not lift, could not open, could not push aside. Xu Fengnian’s consciousness gradually became hazy, still clutching the pebbles in his hands that he wanted to use ‘Lu Shui Ting Jian’ [green water pavilion sword, see ‘Lu Shui Ting Jiazi Xi Jian Lu’ in Chapter 22] to carve chess pieces with. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

In this hazy mind, without any reason, he suddenly recalled his Er Jie Xu Weixiong’s verse, “The big stove of heaven and earth, who won’t be burning inside?” With no reason, he recalled when he was young and only wanted to play, he was almost drowned in the lake. With no reason, he remembered the first time he killed someone with a saber, a badly mangled victim …

Was he going to die?

Xu Fengnian passed out. All the pebbles in his hands fell down.

Wang Xiaoping went to Huang Ting Feng and back, but did not kill anyone.

The three men from Longhu Mountain tactfully went down the mountain. The sword maniac’s sword was really terrifying. It’s not that the three men did not have the strength for a desperate fight, it’s just that on Wudang Mountain, Wang Xiaoping occupied the superior position of the right time, the right place, and right people, therefore, their odd of success was simply too small.

Wang Xiaoping came to the bank of Xi Xiang Chi and sat down and closed his eyes. The peach wood Shen Tu on his knees kept jumping and buzzing.

Shizi Dianxia was supported by the golden qi that was interweaved like a lotus seat, suspended above the surface of the water, while the waterfall was pounding against the top of his head.

Wang Xiaoping did not look. _{Translated by foxs}

With his temper, he really wanted to chop that waterfall with a sword strike. It should be noted that this waterfall could be considered Zhangjiao Shixiong’s lifetime cultivation.

After a day and a night.

The thunderstorm stopped.

The air on the mountain was fresh and clean.

Shizi Dianxia, whose whole body was suffused with red, was carried to the thatched cottage on Hong Xixiang’s back, the middle of his forehead, between his eyebrows was imprinted with vertical jujube-red mark.

Wang Xiaoping carried the sword on his back and went down the mountain.

Hong Xixiang and Wang Zhonglou came near the Gui Tuo Bei.

Looking at the old Taoist priest Zhangjiao, it appeared that his qi and color were normal, but Hong Xixiang knew very well that Da Shixiong was already past his prime like the final radiance of the setting sun, at most he would only live for two or three years more.

The young Shishuzu said bitterly, “Does it absolutely have to be like this for Wudang to rise?” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

The old Zhangjiao calmly, with warm smile, said, “Not necessarily, but whether I cultivated Da Huang Ting or not, without Da Huang Ting, what good will it do to Wudang? You can’t always stand in the latrine and not defecate. With me as the Zhangjiao, it’s really a small talent being put in powerful position. You have calm temperament and let things taking their own course. I’m doing this, it is also to give you a little pressure, which is always a good thing. Look, even your Xiao Wang Shixiong has gone down the mountain, nothing unexpected happened. With his heavenly resources, plus his travel this time, in the future he will be able to surpass the Wu Jia Jian Zhong. At that time, there will be you up the mountain, and he will be down of the mountain. No need to talk about our Shifu saying about Xuan Wu Dang Xing five-hundred-year glory. In any case, we will have more money for the incense burning in front of the temple. The Taoist robe you are wearing, it has been seven, eight years old and you haven’t been willing to change. When the time comes, you can wear a new one.”

Hong Xixiang squatted on the ground, he sighed again and again. Helpless, he said, “You only dare to say this to me. If the other Shixiong hear it, won’t they be infuriated to death by you?”

The old Taoist priest roared in laughter, completely without any depressed or dejected expression.

Hong Xixiang was silent without saying anything, his hands propping his cheeks, he gazed into the distant mountains, lost in thought.

Wang Zhonglou spoke softly, “Although Xu Fengnian’s evil tendencies are heavy, his conducts cannot be considered too bad. You interact with him, I won’t say anything more, I am just afraid that in the future, Jianghu and the imperial ancestral temple will no longer calm down.” _{Translated by foxs}

Hong Xixiang spoke softly, “I have no ability to interfere.”

Wang Zhonglou simply sat down by his Xiao Shidi’s side, he said in regret, “This time I give up, momentarily you won’t be able to go down the mountain even more. Are you going to blame Da Shixiong?”

Hong Xixiang laughed and said, “Of course I will complain, but if you don’t let me be the Zhangjiao, I won’t blame you!” [Note: same character can be translated blame or complain.]

‘Humph!’ Wang Zhonglou snorted, he said, “Don’t even think about it. You want to blame me, go ahead. When the moment comes, I won’t be able to hear, I won’t be able to see, so go ahead and blame me.”

Hong Xixiang shook his head, he said, “Da Shixiong, can you act a bit like a Zhangjiao?”

The old Taoist priest disagreed. He was not one of those old guys from Longhu Mountain. Under celestial beings are all human beings; seniority and status, are all illusory things. If one cannot distinguish oneself through virtue, cannot distinguish oneself through one’s writing [both are parts of the three imperishable], everything would just be external things that cannot be brought into the coffin. Why bother carrying the shelf, putting on a straight, stern or blank face looking at people for dozens of years? _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Wang Zhonglou suddenly spoke softly, “Xiao Shidi, how about we have a competition? It’s been many years since we competed against each other. Oh, we are competing on distance.”

Very cautiously [orig. as if meeting a great enemy (idiom)], Hong Xixiang spoke nervously, “Isn’t it bad?”

The old Taoist Zhangjiao taunted him, “You don’t dare?”

Full of youthful vigor, Hong Xixiang said, “You want to compete, then let’s compete!”

Only to see the two most senior Taoist priests in Wudang on the edge of the ten-thousand-fathoms cliff that looked like it was cut by a knife – Little Lotus Peak, doing something that offended the whole of society.

They peed!

The old Zhangjiao sighed, “In the past, I could pee ten zhang against the wind, now that I am old, I wet my shoes. Old, old, I can’t but admit defeat.” _{Translated by foxs}

Hong Xixiang roared in laughter, he said, “What do you think? It’s farther away than yours, right?”

The old Zhangjiao patted Xiao Shidi on the shoulder, he spoke meaningful and heartfelt words, “In this matter, after Shifu lost to me in the past, he told me that the day I lose to Xiao Shidi, I can put this burden down.”

Hong Xixiang’s face turned bitter.

The old Taoist priest looked into the distance, sighing with sorrow, he said, “The mountain is not getting any higher. Only it’s a pity that I will not see the day when Wudang will flourish.”

“Mm hmm,” Hong Xixiang responded. He wanted to sneakily pat his Da Shixiong’s shoulder.

He had just touched it, immediately he was brushed off.

Why did Da Shixiong pat him on the shoulder? Hong Xixiang was very clear about it!

The old Zhangjiao cleverly evaded him, he said angrily, “Your Taoist robe is older than mine; this one on Shixiong’s body is brand new!”

Embarrassed, Hong Xixiang pulled his hand back, he spoke indignantly, “That is so unfair.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Wudang Zhangjiao laughed heartily, he left Little Lotus Peak, his voice called out from afar, “Xiao Shidi, later when you really want to go down the mountain, you must be a bit more stylish, give Da Shixiong more face.”

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[1] Guanyin holding a bottle/vase.