**Chapter 96: Sword Across Mountains and Rivers**
The Village Chief's qi overflowed, gradually transforming into legs and arms. He rose gently from the stretcher and beckoned. The Shao Bao Sword in Qin Mu's hand flew from his grip and into his "hand."
The old man's eyes were misty, as if lost in distant memories.
CLANG—
A sword's cry rang out. The Shao Bao Sword hovered, its movements slow and its techniques deliberate. Rising, sweeping, cleaving, thrusting, circling, hanging, tapping, flicking, lifting, cleaving, intercepting, sweeping, flourishing, blocking—all the most basic sword techniques. But the difference was that the Village Chief combined these simplest moves, displaying them before Qin Mu in a strange, flowing manner.
Sword Across Mountains and Rivers.
Under his swordsmanship, the blade's light and shadow formed outlines—towering and majestic like mountains, rushing and winding like rivers, rising and falling. The sword's light and shadow composed before Qin Mu a magnificent map of mountains and rivers!
The Village Chief's first move of swordsmanship was incredibly complex, carrying the grandeur of mountains, clouds, and seas!
This was geography and mountains revealed through the light and shadow of the sword!
The Village Chief's sword techniques shifted, and the mountains and rivers shifted with them. The old man controlled the sword and sang, his song carrying a touch of heroic fervor and sorrow.
"Court ministers strategize, frontier generals wage war! Heavenly timing, earthly advantage, and human harmony. Can the gods be conquered?"
"Yes!
"This day the tripod cauldrons, tomorrow the sword across mountains and rivers. The people sing the Great Wind Song together. Let all the gods come to congratulate!"
①
His sword was slow to accommodate Qin Mu, letting him see the sword's path. Though slow, the sword's majesty was displayed to the fullest in every gesture!
Qin Mu committed it to memory. Though the Village Chief's swordsmanship was complex, even the most complex techniques were composed of the most basic thrusts, sweeps, lifts, and taps. Once the basic moves were mastered, no matter how complex the swordplay, it could be learned.
After the Village Chief demonstrated the move once, Qin Mu had already memorized it. He used a numerical memory method—thrust was one, sweep was two, cleave was three, and so on.
He only needed to memorize the sequence of numbers to record the most complex swordplay in the shortest time.
This was also the Village Chief's painstaking care. For the past two or three years, the Village Chief had never taught him swordsmanship, only having him continuously practice the basic moves of thrust, sweep, lift, cleave, and slash, pushing the power of these most basic techniques to their limit.
With an incredibly solid foundation, learning complex swordplay now became simpler and easier.
Qin Mu closed his eyes and reviewed the numerical sequence of the Sword Across Mountains and Rivers move in his mind, over and over. Then he converted the numbers to techniques and reviewed those in his mind, over and over.
After a long while, he used qi to control the sword, slowly executing the move the Village Chief had taught.
His execution was clumsy, awkward, and awkward, sometimes stopping to recall carefully.
But by the second repetition, Qin Mu was much smoother, only needing to pause occasionally to think.
By the third repetition, he could execute the entire set of techniques fluidly. However, the Village Chief's swordplay, where the sword art approached divine power—Qin Mu still couldn't achieve that.
Qin Mu practiced again and again, his control over the Sword Across Mountains and Rivers growing stronger. But mastering the move's mysteries and unleashing its power in a short time was still difficult for him.
Before long, Grandma Si prepared lunch and called him to eat. Even while eating, Qin Mu occasionally used qi to lift his chopsticks and practice above the dining table.
At night, he practiced for a long while before sleeping, and even in his dreams he was practicing.
This continued for more than ten days. The key to the Sword Across Mountains and Rivers finally clicked for him!
Reading a book a hundred times reveals its meaning; swordplay is the same. Qin Mu had practiced this single movemore than a thousand times over?
This move was alreadyseared into his mind. When he executed it this time, suddenly a flash of inspiration struck. He felt his qi and sword fuse perfectly—high mountains and flowing waters, mountain ranges like dragons, long rivers like waterfalls. His swordplay accelerated, and the blade's light and shadow painted a scroll of mountains and rivers!
TING—
The sword's light snapped back into the fish-dragon mouth. Before him, the scroll of mountains and rivers faded away.
Qin Mu stood in a daze. This sword move—he had finally mastered it.
"Mu'er, you are an adult now."
The Village Chief smiled. "From this day forward, you are a man, not a child. You may leave the Village of Broken Elders, leave the Great Ruins, and make your own way in the world."
Grandma Si leaned against the doorframe, watching the sword scroll appear and disappear. She didn't know what she was feeling.
"Mu'er, you've grown up," she said with a smile.
Qin Mu stayed in the village for a few more days, learning the Heaven-Thieving Hands from the Cripple. When he finished learning, the day of departure finally arrived.
Grandma Si prepared his travel bundle—a very large pack stuffed with things Qin Mu deemed unnecessary. She also transformed the Great Nurturing Heavenly Demon Sutra into white gloves for him to wear.
After drinking the farewell wine, Qin Mu finally set out. The youth looked back and saw all nine villagers of the Village of Broken Elders standing at the village entrance. Even the Village Chief had manifested his legs and stood there.
Qin Mu returned and embraced Old Ma, then the Cripple, hugging each person. He then stepped back and kowtowed three times to Grandma Si before turning to leave.
"Mu'er, if you can't beat them, run!"
The Cripple called out, "In the distance there is poetry, and also desperation!"
Old Ma waved, "Be strong! If someone bullies you, fight back! Don't just keep retreating!"
The Butcher raised his butcher's knife, "Don't shame us old cripples! Anyone who bullies you—chop them up!"
"Be a refined man!"
"If you can't beat them, poison them!"
"Ah ah, ah ah ah!"
...
Qin Mu turned back and waved, a sunny smile on his face.
Before long, he arrived at the Suppressing Calamity Palace valley. The demon ape was cultivating, breathing deeply, a Khakkhara staff standing beside him.
The demon ape was even more massive and powerful now, his cultivation deep. He had learned Old Ma's fist arts, and Qin Mu had also taught him the Supreme Body Three-Dan Art. He wielded the Khakkhara staff with increasing skill, looking more and more like a burly monk covered in black fur.
"What a demon monk! If only I could make this big fellow a monk's robe and a string of prayer beads the size of heads, he'd look even more like a dharma protector!"
Qin Mu praised, then woke the demon ape. "Big fellow, I'm leaving. I'm going far away... to travel far. I may not be back for a long time."
The demon ape scratched his head. "Far?"
Qin Mu nodded. "Far."
The demon ape scratched his head again, looked back at the beast herd in the valley, then suddenly roared. From deep in the valley, the dragon-elephant that had been guarding the herd came galloping over, wagging his tail submissively.
The demon ape grabbed the massive creature and slammed it to the ground, beating it fiercely. The dragon-elephant yelped in pain, trembling, not daring to fight back.
"Guard!"
The demon ape pointed at the beast herd in the valley, clenching his fists. Muscles on his arms bulged like mushroom caps popping out. He snarled, "Eat, die!"
The dragon-elephant lay on the ground,aggrieved nodding repeatedly.
The demon ape pulled out the Khakkhara staff and pounded his chest. "I, go."
Qin Mu shook his head. "Far."
The demon ape pointed at himself. "I, big. You, small."
Qin Mu shook his head again. "I, strong. You, weak."
The demon ape was furious, stuttering, "Talk... with you... really... difficult!"
Qin Mu laughed helplessly, shaking his head. "This time I'm going to human territory. It's not like the Great Ruins—it's full of vicious people. Bringing you would attract too much attention. Wait until you cultivate a human form, and we'll travel and train together. Also, the dragon-elephant is fierce. Leave him here. He'll behave for the first few days, but eventually he'll eat all your little friends in the valley. And the dragon-elephant is so stupid—if he releases the old demon sealed in the Suppressing Calamity Palace, that would be a real disaster."
The demon ape relented, nodding helplessly. The dragon-elephant lay aggrieved on the ground, wiping away tears. So the beating had been for nothing?
Qin Mu waved and walked out of the Suppressing Calamity Palace.
"Little one—"
The demon ape leaped onto a cliff and waved vigorously. "Come back soon!"
Qin Mu arrived at Emerald Cloud Valley waterfall and saw Hu Ling'er reading from an ancient scroll to several foxes, reaching a fascinating point. The foxes listened, spellbound.
Qin Mu walked over. Hu Ling'er quickly set the book aside. The seductive foxes also stood and bowed gracefully in unison, "Young Master Mu." Their voices were crisp.
Qin Mu returned the greeting. "There's no need for formalities. Ling'er, I've come to say goodbye. I'm planning to travel far, to Yankang beyond the Great Ruins. I'm afraid I won't be back for three to five months."
The white fox's eyes lit up. She ran into the thatched hut, packed quickly, and emerged with a tiny bundle on her back. "Sisters, stay here and cultivate. I'll go travel with Young Master. Let's go!"
The little fox's bundle was a hundred times smaller than Qin Mu's, looking quite dainty on her back.
"Sister, are you drunk again?" one fox asked alertly. "People outside are very bad. They'll skin us for clothes."
Hu Ling'er laughed, "With Young Master Mu here, there's nothing to worry about."
Qin Mu's head throbbed. "Ling'er, this isn't a game. It's dangerous. Stay here with your sisters."
Hu Ling'er laughed, "The Spirit Monster King is forcing me to marry him. I find him ugly, so this is a good chance to escape. My sisters can cultivate while I'm gone,quickly shedding their beast forms to become human."
Qin Mu shook his head. "I'm not bringing the demon ape, and I can't bring you either."
Hu Ling'er blinked. "That big fellow is so clumsy and stupid—how can he compare to me? Besides, who will take care of your meals and lodging on the road? This concubine doesn't want to marry the Spirit Monster King. Would Young Master really send this fox into the tiger's mouth?"
Qin Mu relented. "If you insist on coming, you must listen to me. No mischief."
"Yes!"
By the Yong River, Qin Mu burned several sticks of incense and sang the river god's prayer. Before long, a river-bearing beast swam up. After feeding it, the two—the youth and the fox—stood on the beast's back and drifted downstream. Green mountains lined both banks, birds singing in the quiet valleys.
Qin Mu looked toward the riverbank. The Village of Broken Elders flashed past. Grandma Si still stood at the village entrance, waving to the youth.
"Mu'er, don't let a fox spirit seduce you out there... bastard!"
Beside Qin Mu, the little white fox sat primly, turned to Grandma Si, and stuck out her tongue.
Just then, an old monk arrived at the Suppressing Calamity Palace valley. He had fleshy bumps on his head and wore a yellow kasaya. He walked into the valley and saw the demon ape practicing the Eight Thunder Moves. He stopped and praised him.
The demon ape stopped immediately. The old monk smiled, "Your practice is good. You follow the Buddhist path. But you haven't received the true transmission. I'll teach you this technique completely. If you have the affinity, you'll learn."
The demon ape was puzzled. "Bald, who?"
"You mean me?"
The old monk had a kindly face but a dignified bearing. He smiled, "I am the abbot of the Great Thunderclap Monastery. They call me Tathagata. I'm not truly bald—feel, I've cultivated my hair into flesh."
The demon ape reached out his great hand, touched the old monk's head, and exclaimed, "Bald, hair!"
The old monk laughed, "You've practiced my fists and taken my staff. Our affinity has arrived. I thought my staff was in a young man's hands, so I came to convert him. But it seems he and I have no affinity—you do. Come, I'll teach you the Tathagata Great Vehicle Sutra. When your affinity comes, go to the Great Thunderclap Monastery to find me."
The demon ape seemed to understand, yet not.
① Note: Nai (鼐), pronounced nài, fourth tone, is a type of tripod cauldron. This poem is adapted from Xin Qiji's "West River Moon: Court Ministers Strategize."