Chapter 112: Learning Secret Arts

This year’s climate was especially suited to tiger lilies and flowering crabapples, and they were the most luxuriant blooms in the courtyard. Of course, the moth orchids and monthly roses were beautiful as well, each possessing its own hue and charm.

Liu Yi watered every flower bed, then walked over to the fence to examine the osmanthus buds.

“The atmosphere of summer has not yet quite faded, and you are already preparing to join the autumn blossoms. I imagine it will not be long before your fragrance fills the entire garden!”

“What refined taste you have, Young Master!”

The abrupt voice behind him startled Liu Yi. He quickly steadied himself. The voice must have come from that man. He turned around—and found that he was right.

“You are awake?”

Shuo smiled gently, carrying with him an air of cultivated elegance. “Since the Young Master wished for me to awaken, naturally I ought to have done so sooner. Though your surroundings are beautiful and this warm, peaceful bed is comfortable, I should not impose upon you for too long.”

“Since Senior can perceive my thoughts, you must know that I had no intention of urging you. I merely saw you sunk in an unconscious sleep without knowing what injuries you had suffered, and so I was somewhat worried.”

Shuo smiled and made a circuit of the courtyard. “Indeed, this is a fine place. Flowers fill the garden with fragrance, while the fruits and vegetables are pure and unadorned—a perfect refuge for cultivating both mind and nature. You have kept it so clean that I imagine you must be fond of secluded cultivation. In that, you and I have something in common.”

“Judging from your origins and manner of speech, Senior must be a highly accomplished cultivator. May I ask why you appeared here, and where you came from?”

“Though such matters are akin to heavenly secrets, you have shown me kindness, so I shall answer you frankly. I am a disciple of Kunlun Void. Someone within our sect stole snow chrysanthemums to sell, and I was sent out to investigate. Unfortunately, I was injured along the way and defeated here by that person. To speak of it is rather embarrassing.”

“You jest, Senior. You are an esteemed master of an upright sect, and were carrying out an honorable duty. Why should there be anything shameful in it? It is only that I am ignorant and failed to recognize your distinguished identity. I hope you will forgive my offense.”

Shuo had nearly burst out laughing, but restrained himself and replied in a refined, gentle manner. “You rescued me, and you too are devoted to secluded cultivation. How could you have offended me? Still, although the mortal world is rich in color and filled with the mingled flavors of life, it can never compare with a sacred land of cultivation, eternally tranquil and free of thought or desire. Since you call me Senior, allow me to offer you some earnest advice: I hope you will see through the path of cultivation as soon as possible.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Senior. But I attained that state of mind long ago. I have simply been waiting for a suitable opportunity, while lacking the means to escape the restraints of my mortal identity. This place is not perfect, but it is still an excellent refuge in which to nurture my mind and body.”

“If you wish to attain the Dao, you must take action. It cannot be achieved by clinging forever to peace and quiet. You are intelligent and courageous—why not travel across the famed mountains in search of an accomplished master? Could the fetters of the mortal world truly suppress a sincere heart?”

Liu Yi smiled serenely and sighed. “If the heart is sincere, naturally nothing can restrain it. But opportunity can restrain the body. Though I possess the Dao within my heart, I have neither a great master nor sacred treasures in the real world. That alone makes it a difficult undertaking.”

“Not difficult, not difficult. It is only difficult to find the right person, not difficult to seek one’s dream. Since fate has brought us together, why not—”

Liu Yi gave a faint smile and cut off Shuo’s words, maintaining that same pure, detached expression, as though he cared for nothing.

“There is no need for you to break your sect’s rules, Senior. I know that your school forbids casually teaching others. Though fate has brought us together, it has done no more than connect us through a kindness; there is no need for you to instruct me. Each person must walk his own road, and cultivation must rely entirely upon oneself. You should rest and recover instead.”

With that, Liu Yi picked up his hoe and walked toward the fields, leaving Shuo behind in boundless astonishment and regret.

“This Liu Yi is truly as clear and aloof as a mountain valley breeze. I could not deceive him even if I tried. Is it because our thoughts are not alike? Ah, it is all because I lost my head for a moment. Why did I bring up helping him first? I only hope he has not seen through my intentions. I must find some way to win back his good opinion…”

At the Snow Bamboo Grounds, the Thousand Returns Heavenly Venerable was absent once again, while Bluewater was occupied with his duties. Only the three of them remained.

They brought out a yellowing scroll and spread it across the table. The three gathered around it, studying it closely and whispering from time to time.

The book had been obtained by Xue Ze after pleading with her master. It recorded a secret art of Tianshan—the Fish-Tail Drinking Ice—a wondrous technique of Tianshan that had been lost for many years.

Over the years, very few people had mastered it. The art was so formidable that it was hardly ever needed, and it could be inherited only by those with exceptional spiritual roots and immortal bearing, who cultivated it with a tranquil mind and sincere devotion.

The Fish-Tail Drinking Ice took its name from the soft, thorny flesh and fins of a fish’s tail. When faced with a powerful enemy, they could harden like armor and strike back, becoming as unyielding as ice after drinking it. Used properly, the technique could repel an opponent’s powerful attack or return it to its source. The fish tail itself would remain completely unharmed, while the practitioner would not lose so much as a drop of blood.

“Do you think Master lent us this book because he believes we can learn it?”

Ji Lin considered the question, then nodded in agreement with Lianzi. “I think that makes sense. Otherwise, Master would not have allowed us to waste time at such a critical moment. Besides, both this book and the technique within it are closely guarded secrets. For Master to risk lending it to us, he must have anticipated a favorable outcome and placed great trust in us.”

Xue Ze was not concerned with that. She carefully examined the scroll and soon discovered numerous points of doubt.

“Look here,” she said, indicating several passages. “What this book says does not seem to match what we know. This part, this part, and this sentence are all somewhat different from what we were told. Could there be some other mystery hidden within the technique?”

“What does any of this mean? I cannot understand a word.”

Ji Lin laughed. “Lianzi, you would do better to save your energy. You can only look at the illustrations. The writing is in Tianshan’s secret script; no one could understand it without years of study. This book is ancient, and it records a secret art of great importance. Naturally, it would not be written in ordinary language. Still, Xue Ze has indeed found several suspicious points. What could they mean?”

“Oh, if you both know I cannot understand it, then explain it to me! Why not translate it?”

Ji Lin merely continued laughing, so Xue Ze picked up Lianzi’s request.

“What we knew before was limited to the technique’s name, its uses, and its extraordinary characteristics. Today, we must search the book for the method of learning it, as well as its taboos. But I have discovered that the description here is not entirely the same. Both the origin and the defining characteristics state that the Fish-Tail Drinking Ice is an advanced offensive technique, rather than a defensive one.”

Lianzi nodded and looked at Xue Ze with a smile. “That is not a problem. If it can be used both to attack and defend, then that fits its purpose perfectly. It resists the incoming spell damage, then returns it all to the attacker. Is that not defending first and attacking afterward?”

“No, it is not!” Xue Ze glanced at the book before continuing. “The meaning here is that the technique combines the gains and losses of both functions. Defense and offense occur almost simultaneously. That is precisely what makes it so powerful.”

“Then is that not even better?”

“But ordinary people cannot control when it defends and when it attacks. They therefore cannot regulate the technique’s force. No wonder Senior Brother refused to learn it. Fortunately, it is a secret art of Tianshan; otherwise, there would be yet another forbidden technique. Its power combines the methods of both the righteous and the wicked, rather like the Star-Absorbing Art, carrying within it a hint of dark, imprisoning evil.”

“The Star-Absorbing Art? Is that the one that draws people toward it, then devours their magical power or vital essence? I have heard a little about it. But why bring it up? That art is mostly used by evildoers. Can it truly be compared with such a secret technique?”

Ji Lin sighed and answered for Xue Ze. “That art was originally an orthodox technique, used by cultivators to absorb spiritual energy. Who could have known that villains would twist it to their own ends, until it gradually became what it is now? Xue Ze mentioned it because she fears the Fish-Tail Drinking Ice may suffer the same tragic fate.”

“I see. But the name Fish-Tail Drinking Ice alone makes it sound like an orthodox technique. Its characteristics also make it incapable of attracting wicked thoughts. How could it end up like the Star-Absorbing Art? Could there be another hidden mechanism behind it?”

“You guessed correctly!” Xue Ze stared at Lianzi. “Almost every technique has more than one use, and the Fish-Tail Drinking Ice is no exception. The reason I am worried is that this technique can also be used to freeze things. Do you remember what happened in the secret realm last time? That person used a freezing technique and nearly killed both of us. The Fish-Tail Drinking Ice is half tail and half ice, possessing two distinct functions.”

Lianzi nodded, now completely understanding. “So that is what it means… Wait. In that case, was the technique used by that person last time actually this one? Fish-Tail Drinking Ice—turning a fleshly shield into armor of ice, which can then be used to counterattack. But if the technique is not used to oppose spells and is instead applied to a person who cannot fight back, then that would be…”

Ji Lin interrupted her speculation and said calmly, “The Fish-Tail Drinking Ice is not the only technique capable of freezing things. The technique used by that person in the secret realm has already been identified as well. It is another secret art and cannot be compared with the Fish-Tail Drinking Ice. Do not exaggerate the traitor’s abilities so greatly.”

“But how could a secret art of Tianshan be learned by an evildoer? Should it not be more suitable for Tianshan disciples to cultivate?”

Lianzi nodded and agreed. “I also find it strange. Most techniques that are forbidden or concealed are precisely the ones Tianshan disciples cannot easily master, while villains seem better suited to them… Could it be because their identities are different?”

“That is exactly what you have guessed!” Ji Lin tapped her lightly on the forehead. “Most secret arts are designated as forbidden techniques for two reasons. The first is that they are excessively violent and terrifying. The second is that outsiders can control them more easily. To preserve the balance between the two sides, such techniques can only be hidden away.”

Xue Ze pondered for a long while before sighing softly. “Are you saying… that those who cultivate extraordinary arts all possess outsider identities? Then… could the traitor also have an extraordinary origin?”

“Perhaps.” Ji Lin spoke with complete indifference. “Who knows how many outsiders may be hidden among the disciples of Tianshan? Apart from those chosen through strict selection, many disciples were personally promoted by Celestial Masters or Heavenly Venerables. It is entirely possible that some of them conceal extraordinary identities.”

Lianzi stared blankly at the other two. “You mean…?”

“It seems that although we have not yet mastered the technique, we have found a clue,” Xue Ze said with a sigh.

“Then do you still intend to learn it?” Ji Lin asked.

“Of course.” Xue Ze looked at the book and thought to herself: Master said that anyone capable of using a freezing technique powerful enough to injure Tianshan disciples must either possess a rank higher than that of a Heavenly Venerable or have an extraordinary true nature. The traitor’s identity is likely far from simple—and anyone truly capable of mastering the Fish-Tail Drinking Ice would hardly be ordinary.