Chapter 66: Iron Flame Secret Order

  In early July, Zhang Sanfeng had already told Zhang Cuishan the essence of his newly created martial arts over the past decade, and what was left was for him to realize it himself.

  Zhang Cuishan then asked his master to allow him to leave Wudang for a while, saying that he was going to take Yin Susu to the Heavenly Eagle Sect - they had become husband and wife, and now that they had obtained their master's permission, they were overjoyed. However, he had not yet met his father-in-law and mother-in-law, and Susu had not seen her father and brother for ten years, so she must be very homesick. Moreover, Yin Tianzheng was also extremely worried about his daughter and grandson in his letter.

  Zhang Sanfeng was over a hundred years old and had become extremely perceptive about many things in the world. Since learning that his beloved disciple had married the daughter of the Tianying Sect leader, he had put aside the so-called struggle between good and evil and had been exchanging letters with Yin Tianzheng for several months. At this moment, when he heard Zhang Cuishan say this, he stroked his beard and smiled.

  "Cuishan should indeed pay his respects to Master Yin once, have you two already discussed this?"

  Zhang Cuishan nodded slightly awkwardly and said: "It's great that Master agrees, we plan to take Wuji to stay at the Tianying Sect for a while."

  Zhang Sanfeng asked again: "Is it just the three of you in your family?"

  Zhang Cuishan slightly frowned and said, "Su Su has also invited Little Martial Sister to come along, saying that her father-in-law wants to thank her in person. Little Martial Sister couldn't refuse Su Su and has already agreed. In this way, Wuji's studies won't fall behind either, and he is very happy too. However, with Little Martial Sister gone from the mountain, I'm afraid Master will feel unaccustomed, so I've come to ask for Master's permission."

  Zhang Sanfeng suddenly gazed into the distance, looking at the young girl and boy who were still practicing their lightness skills not far away. He smiled and said: "Xue Zhu is with you, so I'm naturally at ease. You can set off at your own pace, staying for a longer period of time doesn't matter, it's only right that children should be filial. Cui Shan, look, Xue Zhu has lost her sword again, and is using a tree branch to spar with Wuji. How is your silver hook iron brush coming along?"

  Zhang Cuishan was originally thoughtful and clever. Upon hearing this, he smiled and said: "It's just the right time to take it down the mountain. The sword for Little Martial Sister is also ready."

  That day, Zhao Min gave Zhang Wuji a sword as a gift. Zhang Cuishan took note of this and after some investigation, he found out that in all these years, his junior sister had not gone out of her way to look for a good sword. She usually just used a tree branch or a wooden sword casually. On that birthday, she happened to have a long sword with an open blade, which was rare. Although it was an ordinary iron sword, the meaning behind it was extraordinary. She gave this valuable gift to his only son, and as her senior brother, he couldn't just accept it empty-handed. So on that day, he rushed to order a new sword from the blacksmith's shop, requiring the material and workmanship to be even better than before, hoping to repay his junior sister's kindness.

  Zhang Sanfeng nodded with a smile and said: "Be more careful on the road, the Jianghu is not peaceful nowadays."

  "Disciple understands." Zhang Cuishan bowed slightly and smiled, "I'm afraid that on this journey, we'll still have to rely heavily on Little Sister's 'World's Number One Sword' reputation."

  Zhang Sanfeng smiled and waved his hand, indicating that he could take care of himself. He shook his long sleeves and walked over to the stone table, where he sat down in a meditative pose.

  Zhang Cuishan bowed again to Zhang Sanfeng, then walked lightly over to Yao Guang and asked: "Little junior sister, just the four of us are traveling together, what do you think?"

  Yao Guang hinted that Zhang Wuji should contact them himself, and casually threw the branch back under the tree. He walked to one side, thought for a moment, and replied: "If Fifth Brother is not at ease, we can call Second Brother and Third Brother. However, after arriving at Tianying Sect, it might be a bit troublesome. The two brothers may not be willing to stay, and if they return to Wudang alone, the journey back will likely be uneasy as well. Actually..."

  Yao Guang thought back to the appearance of those "masters of various sects" he saw that day, and continued: "I think as long as we are careful, nothing will happen. If someone wants to change their luck on this road, it's not my sword's fault for not recognizing them."

  Zhang Cuishan couldn't help but be shocked, and his eyes naturally revealed a look of astonishment.

  Yao Guang couldn't help but smile at the sight, saying: "One can only be benevolent when one has excess energy... what fault is it of the child?"

  This sentence was somewhat euphemistic, but Zhang Cuishan listened without any difficulty.

  Only when one has the upper hand and is sure to win can they afford to show mercy. If the outcome of life and death is still uncertain, how can one afford to leave any room for maneuver? A difference of a single thread can be the difference between life and death. Wasn't it the same when he and Su Su joined forces to fight against Xie Xun back then? At that time, several people were still enemies, not sworn siblings. In the vast ocean, how many times did the situation change? He, Su Su, and his sworn brothers, who else could afford to show mercy?

  On this road, if someone covets the Dragon Slaying Sword, they can't just refrain from taking action simply because the opponent is a disciple of a "noble and orthodox" school. If they're not careful, they'll fall into enemy hands, and what will happen then is entirely predictable.

  Zhang Cuishan thought that he had been forced to the point of implicating his school, and in the end it was his junior sister who took responsibility for everything. He felt grateful and ashamed at the same time, thinking that if they encountered anything on the road, he must not hesitate again and cause his junior sister more trouble. A man should be able to stand up for himself, how could he be restricted by his "chivalrous name"? In the past, when Kunlun, Emei, Shaolin and other schools forced Wudang, had they ever considered emotions?

  Repay kindness with kindness, how can you repay malice? Repay kindness with kindness, and repay malice with uprightness.

  The words of saints should be as they are.

  Zhang Cuishan's heart suddenly cleared up, and in keeping with the habit of not thanking for great kindness, he didn't say much, only saying that he would go back to pack his luggage.

  Yao Guang smiled and bid farewell, then went to say goodbye to Zhang Sanfeng.

  She has been in Wudang for over a decade, except for the time she went to see Liu Ye's wife, Ji Xiaofu, she had never left Wudang Mountain for so long. Now that she is leaving again, it's uncertain when she will return, so they should bid farewell.

  Yao Guang walked up to Zhang Sanfeng, seeing the old man closing his eyes and pretending to sleep. Without saying much, she intentionally lightened her footsteps, which were already almost silent, and stood quietly beside him, waiting in silence. After only a short while, the old man nodded slightly, and she immediately stepped forward, bowing her hands in respect.

  "Master, I'd like to go with Fifth Brother to the Heavenly Eagle Sect. Please don't worry, Master. Along the way, I'll take good care of Brother, Sister-in-law and Wujie."

  Zhang Sanfeng opened his eyes wide, with no turbidity in them, clear and bright, without a hint of sleepiness.

  He smiled and nodded: "Also take good care of yourself. Xue Zhu, I have something to tell you."

  Yao Guang saw Zhang Sanfeng beckoning him and walked closer, sitting down on a stone bench beside him as intended.

  Zhang Sanfeng looked at the Jade Light for a moment, then said in a low voice: "There's something I should have given you several years ago, but at that time, Cuishan hadn't returned yet. I didn't want you to encounter danger as well. Now that Cuishan and his family have returned safely, Yin Tianzheng has also deliberately tried to make friends with me. In a letter, he revealed a major secret: it turns out that the title 'White Eyebrow Eagle King' was originally one of the four great protective dharma kings in the Ming Sect. Due to the sudden death of the previous Ming Sect leader, Yang Dingtian, the sect split into five factions. In a fit of anger, he led his followers and established the Tianying Sect. The letter mentioned some of the Ming Sect's tenets, which are actually quite good. After careful consideration, I have decided to give this thing to you."

  Zhang Sanfeng took out a brocade pouch from his bosom, the pouch was somewhat old, but it could still be seen that it was exquisite and beautiful in its heyday. The embroidery on the brocade was made of golden thread, which had a faint reflection in the sunlight. He placed the pouch on the stone table, indicating to Yao Guang to open it herself, and continued: "Fifteen years ago, I picked up a female infant wrapped in swaddling clothes at the foot of Wudang Mountain, with this brocade pouch placed on top of the swaddling clothes. I don't know which family member hastily abandoned the child, but later I raised her as my own and took her as my apprentice. She didn't disappoint me, deeply mastering the true teachings of Taoism..."

  It's already obvious who it is, there are no other female disciples on Mount Wudang.

  Yao Guang was stunned.

  She knew she should have died in that battle with Ximen Chui on the isolated island in the sea, so this life was more like a reincarnation where memories were not lost. Because in her first few years, she was immersed in the comprehension of Tao and couldn't clearly recall the "parents" of this life. She even thought for a while that she had simply turned back into a baby but wasn't born after being carried in someone's womb for ten months. Now, suddenly hearing Zhang Sanfeng say so, she felt dizzy for a moment.

  Zhang Sanfeng sighed: "The old Taoist wanted to protect her for a lifetime, hoping she would grow up safely and successfully in her practice, but if she were to learn about her origins one day, would she not resent the old Taoist? Therefore, the old Taoist will give her the right to choose, she can continue to be Xue Zhu of Wudang Sect or go back to her ancestral home..."

  At this point, Zhang Sanfeng suddenly smiled and said: "If you still want to come back after that, the old Taoist will be waiting at any time."

  Yao Guang almost said "Then I won't watch it", but after hearing Zhang Sanfeng's next sentence, she suddenly realized that he was joking again. She burst out laughing and said: "No matter who my biological parents are, there is no reason for me to abandon the sect. Since Master has said so, I want to see what this is all about even more."

  She gently pulled out the silk cord on the brocade bag, and from inside she took out an iron plaque the size of a jujube kernel. It was black and heavy, although it was only a thin piece in her hand. She didn't know what material it was made of. She rubbed the plaque twice, and against the light, she faintly saw one side with a line engraved with sun and moon. Flipping it over, the other side had golden threads embroidered into a flame shape. The flame was carved very vividly, and under the sunlight, it seemed to be burning.

  "The moon's vastness will win its light, the sun's splendor will hold its integrity. The sacred fire shines brightly, the sacred light glows radiantly, never leaving nor abandoning, words and deeds forever inherited."

  Zhang Sanfeng's qigong skills had reached an extremely high level, but at this moment, he couldn't help but feel a sudden jolt in his body upon hearing these words. After a while, he said: "The Tao is naturally formed, and spiritual wisdom has been awakened early."

  The sun and moon are bright, the iron flame is a secret order in the Ming Cult, outsiders who see this order will find it difficult to understand its meaning. However, Yao Guang can decipher various profound meanings at a glance, how could Zhang Sanfeng not think of a child born with memories remembering his parents' whispers in his ear? From this, he was even more certain that her biological parents were people from the Ming Cult.

  Yao Guang held the Iron Flame Order and flipped it over several times, feeling more and more that this thing must be related to the Ming Cult. He opened his mouth and asked: "Is this a Ming Cult object?"

  Zhang Sanfeng nodded and said in a low voice, "This is the Iron Flame Order of the Ming Sect. I only know that this thing is also very powerful in the Ming Sect, but I don't know the specifics... You can ask Old Man Yin when you go to the Tianying Sect."

  Yao Guang thought for a moment, then put the Iron Flame Order back into her sleeve and nodded: "I understand. Is there anything else you want to entrust me with, Master?"

  Zhang Sanfeng saw that Yao Guang's face was calm and serene, which made him feel a bit more at ease. The heaviness in his heart dissipated, and he smiled: "Cuishan is kind and gentle, Yin Niang is decisive, if the two of them have a disagreement, you can try to mediate."

  Is this a dispute over whether or not to kill the incoming offender between Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister?

  The master is indeed loving the house and the crow, not saying cruel but saying decisive, even Yin Tianzheng can come and go, this kind of heart is not something that an ordinary famous door's master can have.

  Yao Guang smiled and nodded in understanding: "I understand. I will try my best to prevent it from happening."

  Zhang Sanfeng watched as Chao Guang accompanied Zhang Wuji to a distance, and suddenly a premonition arose in his heart, as if this closed-door disciple would leave Wudang for a long time. He smiled slightly and continued to feign sleep with his eyes closed.

  Author has something to say: Yao Guang, do you understand the principle that the slogans of other sects cannot be shouted casually? Now it's not just one person who has identified you as Mingjiao, and there is physical evidence...

  。

  There are a lot of original plots coming up next. After so much foreshadowing, the current direction of the world of Yi Tian and the original work "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" have deviated quite a bit. Next is (what I agreed with Ji You) to resolve the restoration of the Han Dynasty from the Tartar court, which I completely dislike, as well as resolving the issue of the Heaven Sword and the Dragon Slaying Knife. Once the world is at peace, this volume can be concluded. If you don't like original plots, feel free to skip ahead.

  。

  Too busy with work, overly tired, can't handle the strain of writing at night, feel like it's too draining on my body. Will switch back to updating every other day instead, with over 3k words per update. Thanks for everyone's understanding and support!

  。

  Overlord ticket thank you list!

  Tang Dan threw a landmine with a very literary name, too cute.

  Cissy threw a landmine I have a friend whose English name is the same as yours, what a coincidence, muah muah.

  The poem book was thrown away like a landmine with a good name, so cool.

  The feathered heart threw a grenade This is the biggest (and also my biggest) Moe master, right? ~moe moe da

  This chapter is Chapter 66: Iron Flame Secret Order. If you think this chapter is not bad, please don't forget to recommend it to your friends on QQ group and Weibo!