Chapter 2808: Xianyang Collapses

Tingxue nodded, though it was unclear if she understood what Zu An was getting at. “Where should we head next?”

She wasn't fond of thinking too much into things—Nebula worshipers were emotionless machines in the first place. She liked how she didn’t have to speculate too deeply when with him.

“Mount Hua!”

Mount Hua wasn't too far away from Mount Zhongnan. It only took them three days to arrive there.

Looking at Mount Hua’s treacherous cliffs, which looked as if someone had hacked cleanly through them, Tingxue remarked, “It is a little short, but there are few mountains as steep as this in the Myriad Worlds.”

Zu An chuckled. The mountains in this world were short compared to those in the Myriad Worlds, which easily reached tens of kilometers tall. This was a world where supernatural powers were forbidden, after all. It would be hard for such tall mountains to grow without the nourishment of ki or spirit energy.

The two of them made their way up Mount Hua. Unlike the modern-day mountain, which had paved routes, the trial world’s version was dangerous to climb. It was fortunate that Zu An and Tingxue were strong enough to overcome most obstacles, so it didn’t take them long to reach the top of Mount Hua, where the Huashan Sect was located.

The current era’s Huashan Sect was still shabby. Hao Datong had long passed away, and there were only young disciples left in the sect.

When they saw Zu An and Tingxue, these young disciples put up their guard, having deduced that they were Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu from the duo’s appearances. Clearly, they knew about Hao Datong accidentally hurting Grandma Sun[1], which resulted in the latter’s death.

They thought Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu had come to the Huashan Sect to exact vengeance for Grandma Sun.

But that wasn't Zu An’s intention.

He explained that he hadn’t come to exact vengeance. Rather, he had great respect for Wang Chongyang and didn’t want his martial arts to disappear with time, so he'd journeyed to Mount Hua to offer them some martial art manuals.

The Condor Hero had built up a good reputation over the years, and Zu An told them about Zhang Baojun rescuing a line of Quanzhen disciples as well. These details helped to dispel the Huashan disciples’ doubts, and they welcomed the pair as honored guests.

Zu An soon learned that the Huashan Sect had already developed the Purple Haze Divine Skill.

It turned out that Hao Datong had felt helpless after encountering so many top-notch experts. While the Quanzhen Sect’s inner energy method was calm and righteous, it lacked power. Thus, he put his heart into developing a new inner energy method to amplify the power of Quanzhen inner energy.

However, the Purple Haze Divine Skill had side effects. Those who overexerted themselves in the long run would find their skin turning purple.

The Quanzhen Seven Masters are still quite capable. Each of them found their own path and developed unique martial arts. Their martial arts might not be top-notch, but they're easily high-grade.

Since the Huashan Sect’s inner energy problem had been resolved, Zu An imparted to them the Quanzhen Sect’s swordsmanship, whereas Tingxue imparted to them the Ancient Tomb Sect’s Jade Maiden Swordsmanship.

The future Huashan Sect did have the Jade Maiden Swordsmanship and the Virtuous Lady Swordsmanship, after all. Zu An was certain that those had been passed down from the Ancient Tomb Sect.

That day, the Huashan disciples witnessed a white-robed fairy executing indescribably beautiful swordplay. That was a sight they would never forget in their lives. They unanimously agreed to name the Huashan Sect’s main peak Jade Maiden Peak.

After they passed down their respective sword skills to the Huashan disciples, Zu An asked if they had a disciple named Feng Qingyang[2], but unfortunately, everyone shook their heads.

Zu An figured that Feng Qingyang hadn't been born yet.

I might have to return to Mount Hua again decades from now.

The two of them bade the Huashan disciples farewell and began wandering Mount Hua.

While walking past a cliff, Tingxue suddenly exclaimed. She walked up to a boulder and saw the words ‘Cliff of Remembrance’ inscribed on it. “This handwriting looks familiar.”

Zu An inspected the handwriting and said, “It’s likely from Guo Xiang. She traveled the world searching for Yang Guo. She might have heard about Yang Guo witnessing the showdown between Hong Qigong and Ouyang Feng on Mount Hua’s peak, so she came here to try her luck. She didn’t find Yang Guo here, so while watching the scenery in a daze, she suddenly felt sentimental and left these words behind.”

Tingxue sighed. “Miss Guo is truly a sentimental woman. Yang Guo is a heartless man.”

Zu An laughed. “Is it fine for you to speak about your father like that? He would have been cheating on your mother if he'd accepted Guo Xiang.”

Tingxue rolled her eyes. “You know they aren’t my parents.”

“Your expressions are more animated than before. You look better now.”

“...Where do we go next?”

“We’ll head to the imperial palace. We have to find a eunuch.”

“???”

“It’s about time to create the Sunflower Manual. That skill should be inspired by the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra as well. We have to close that loop as well.”

“Is it that demonic skill that requires practitioners to castrate themselves?” Tingxue frowned. “How did the Ancient Tomb Sect’s martial arts get distorted like that?”

“The Ancient Tomb Sect’s martial arts are unorthodox. Practitioners of the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra are vulnerable to cultivation deviation, especially if they didn’t have a mentor to guide them. Those who obtain an incomplete copy are prone to be misled,” Zu An replied with a smile.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“Practicing the Innate Energy Art requires one to consume all kinds of pills, which may lead to unbearable heat building up within one's body. Similarly, cultivating the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra can easily stoke one’s lust. If the Sunflower Manual originates from those two, it’s not that surprising that it demands its practitioners to castrate themselves. Let’s look into it on the way.”

“Alright...”

So, Zu An and Tingxue traveled during the day and discussed the creation of the Sunflower Manual in the inns at night. Neither of them had ever learned such a bizarre skill, so it wasn't as easy for them to create it.

At the start, the two of them still stayed in separate rooms, but they often stayed up late to discuss the details of their plans, so they eventually just booked a single room and slept on the same bed when they were exhausted. They'd already shared a bed in Xianyang anyway.

Of course, the two of them slept with their clothes on.

Some time later, they arrived at Lin’an. When they saw how the capital was still merry despite the ongoing war, the two of them sighed. This explained why the Song Dynasty was ailing.

That said, neither of them was in the mood to worry about the country. They slipped into the imperial palace and looked around, but they couldn’t find a suitable eunuch.

Later, it struck Zu An that even the humblest eunuch would have become a master after decades of training, and such a character would have undoubtedly left his mark in ‘Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber’. That didn’t check out.

Most likely, he would have to find a suitable successor for the Sunflower Manual later on, similar to the case of the Nine Swords of Dugu.[3]

Just then, they heard news on the street, saying that the Mongols had encircled Xianyang, and the reinforcements dispatched by the imperial court had been crushed. Xianyang was on the verge of collapse.

Without hesitation, Zu An and Tingxue hurried back to Xianyang. But by the time they returned, the place had already collapsed.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong had realized that there was no way to turn the tables anymore, so they urged Lu Wenhuan, the general guarding Xianyang, to surrender to the Mongols and open the city gates in exchange for the people’s safety.

Then, they'd ended their lives because they didn’t want to bow to the Mongols. The Guo manor was set ablaze.

This was aligned with the world’s intended trajectory. Zu An had planned it with Firework beforehand—she would leave with the Heavenly Sword ahead of time, while the Dragon Slaying Saber would fall into the hands of the masses and be fought over by different factions.

In addition, Guo Polu also vanished after the battle in Xianyang, with rumors that he had died fighting against the Mongols.

These things were all planned out beforehand, but Zu An still felt melancholic witnessing it in person.

Huang Rong and Guo Jing must have been disappointed that I didn’t return...

Just then, there was a ruckus in the city. A lady carrying something in her arms was being chased by the Mongols. A few members of the Beggar Sect fought to their dying breath to escort her out of Xianyang, but it didn’t take long before they were massacred by the Mongol soldiers.

The Mongols slowly approached the lady, their faces twisted into perverse smiles.

What a gorgeous lady. We've struck gold this time!

The lady was Guo Fu, and the item she was carrying was the Dragon Slaying Saber!

1. Grandma Sun took care of Xiaolongnu while she was growing up. ☜

2. Feng Qingyang appeared in ‘The Smiling, Proud Wanderer’ as a swordmaster wielding the Nine Swords of Dugu. ☜

3. In Jin Yong’s wuxiaverse, the Sunflower Manual was created by a eunuch. To close that loop, Zu An is seeking to create a Sunflower Manual and pass it on to the eunuch. But if he passed on the Sunflower Manual now, the eunuch would have become an expert by the start of ‘Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber’ and would have played a huge role in that story. ☜