Chapter 6: Preparing for the Grand Competition
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Qiu Zhiqing felt as if he had lived a complete childhood within Quanzhen—setting traps, idling about, searching for bird eggs, molding clay figures… he had tried nearly everything he could think of! After all, life in Chongyang Palace was unbearably dull. Since they were forbidden from descending the mountain, they could only find amusement in the surrounding wilderness.
“Little sister Li, bring more honey next time; this isn’t nearly enough…” Liu Zhiyuan hurriedly sealed the jar as he brushed on the honey.
They had learned the hard way about this stuff—the first time, the three of them, naive and unaware, attracted a swarm of bees from the back hill. Fortunately, the area had plenty of streams and pools, allowing them to escape unscathed. As for Li Mochou’s identity, Qiu Zhiqing had his suspicions. She only said her surname was Li and that she lived in the back hills of Zhongnan Mountain…
Wasn’t her identity plainly evident? Of course, Qiu Zhiqing wouldn’t directly ask if she was Li Mochou.
In those days, directly asking a woman’s name was considered impolite—akin to, in your modern world, spotting a girl on the street and bluntly asking if she wanted to come home to see your prized possession. Any decent person would give you a sharp rebuke.
He wasn’t some clueless newcomer to this world!
Two adorable little rabbits quickly vanished into the mouths of the four of them. Naturally, they weren’t out hunting for wild game; after a satisfying meal, they began discussing their respective cultivation practices, sharing insights…
They certainly wouldn’t reveal Quanzhen’s secret techniques to outsiders—only discussing their personal cultivation experiences. Even Li Mochou could join in this conversation. Yet all of this was quietly observed by a woman in white perched on a distant tree…
Seasons passed—autumn turned to winter, and the cold gave way to warmth. Time flew by, arriving at the twelfth year of the Jiading era of the Southern Song, 1219 AD. Qiu Zhiqing was sixteen that year!
It was not a peaceful year. The Song and Jin dynasties were engaged in full-scale conflict along a front stretching thousands of miles—from the Two Huai rivers in the east to Longyou in the west. Historically, this was because the Jin had lost large swathes of territory in Hebei, Shanxi, and the northeast, and sought to extort the Southern Song for their own gain.
However, in this world, the Mongols had yet to begin their war against the Jin, so the Jin simply aimed to bully the weaker Song for extortion…
Over these years, each disciple had grown, mainly driven by the competitive spirit sparked by Fang Zhiqi and Liu Zhiyuan, who all worked harder than ever before.
In light of this, the Patriarch decided to hold an internal competition to assess the progress of the disciples… this would later evolve into the year-end grand tournament!
Qiu Zhiqing offered suggestions to Ma Yu based on his understanding. Ma Yu accepted some but not all of them. By now, Chongyang Palace had expanded significantly compared to a decade prior, mainly extending to the sides and the back hills.
Among this batch of disciples, the proportion of secular disciples had greatly increased. Many believed that Quanzhen’s inner cultivation techniques consisted solely of the “Quanzhen Heart Method” and “Innate Skill,” but that was not the case!
These two were merely the core methods of Quanzhen—what does “core methods” mean? Simply put, these two heart techniques aligned most closely with Quanzhen’s doctrine, which was why Ma Yu considered himself a cultivator of the Way, not a martial artist!
Over the years, many martial arts had been incorporated into Quanzhen. Veterans like Tan Chuduan, Hao Datong, and Sun Buer on Zhongnan Mountain were revising and simplifying some heart methods and combat techniques for the use of outer disciples and well-behaved displaced people who came to study there.
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…
At dawn, the rosy light reflected upon Zhongnan’s white peaks.
Outside the mountain gate, the displaced did not forget their chivalrous hearts!
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, today’s morning assembly was far grander than usual. After the assembly, they would open the altar to invite the ancestors—essentially a way of telling the Patriarch: disciples are celebrating the New Year, so please rise early without anger; there will be festivities ahead and offerings at night!
The internal competition was held similarly. According to Ma Yu, “We’ve already woken the Master—how could we keep him from seeing what his disciples have achieved over the past year? Such a thing would be improper.” Thus, the internal competition was scheduled for this New Year’s Eve!
Today was a fine day, with snow three feet deep and bright sunshine. The seven Quanzhen disciples took to the snow clearing, their palm techniques fluttering and true energy flowing. With their light dusters, they swiftly cleared the snow from the plaza in front of the Chongyang Hall!
Zhao Zhijing muttered inwardly, “No wonder they don’t need to assign disciples to clean overnight. These elders clearing snow so skillfully… if only…” He shook his head. “Zhao Zhijing, Zhao Zhijing, what are you thinking? Don’t dare, can’t, must not!”
Qiu Zhiqing, however, was not surprised, as he often used his duster, combined with Quanzhen sword techniques or the “Three Flowers Gathered at the Top Palm,” to clean the Scripture Pavilion. At first, he only dared to clean tables and chairs.
In the end, he reached a conclusion: a carpenter who doesn’t train martial arts isn’t a good Daoist!
The full range of Quanzhen martial arts had improved his quality of life by several levels. Though Ma Yu often scolded him, Qiu Zhiqing had his own twisted logic, insisting that this saved much trouble and was, after all, in perfect harmony with Quanzhen doctrine…
As his elders showcased their skills, naturally, Qiu Zhiqing, the direct disciple of the Quanzhen leader, was eager to open the mountain gate—allowing the Patriarch to see the grand plaza his disciples had built…
“Little Divine Doctor! The Little Divine Doctor has come out! We’ve gathered some mushrooms from the mountain for you. During the New Year and holidays, us displaced people have little to offer, but this is our small token of appreciation to the Daoist masters. Please, Little Divine Doctor, don’t disdain it!”
Watching the burly men calling him “Little Divine Doctor” with such familiarity, Qiu Zhiqing felt a pang in his heart. War raged endlessly, leaving people displaced and destitute… behind this lay untold bitterness and tears…
It was the first time he truly faced this harsh reality in the once-romanticized martial world of the future. It was not romantic at all—rather brutal and bloody.
This also made Qiu Zhiqing realize he was no longer in a harmonious and peaceful country. Hence, he spared no effort in offering suggestions to Ma Yu, freely sharing his cultivation insights with his two roommates, who then passed them along to other disciples…
Snapping back from his wandering thoughts, Qiu Zhiqing smiled, “So it’s Brother Li. Is your wound healed?” This was the man previously bitten by a venomous snake, whom Qiu Zhiqing had saved by acupuncture, and who was also one of the many displaced people who had learned Quanzhen martial arts.
“Mushrooms are fine, but you’ve had a hard time yourselves. Save them for the New Year. Today’s internal competition means we can’t entertain you much…”
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Unexpectedly, when Qiu Zhiqing said this, one of them quickly took a small black and white bundle from his bosom, offering it with a smile: “Little Divine Doctor, we’ve also been practicing martial arts for a long time. Could we come in to watch?”
Qiu Zhiqing was surprised: “Is that a bear cub? Where did you get it? So impressive!”
Seeing the look of surprise on his favorite “Little Divine Doctor,” the man chuckled:
“This wasn’t something we could fight for. That big fellow fell from a tree and was impaled by a stake; when we arrived, the little one was right beside it. They said the Little Divine Doctor loves small animals, so we brought it as a gift!”
Qiu Zhiqing felt embarrassed. Indeed, he was quite fond of small animals—couldn’t miss them at every meal… But this was different. Respect must be shown—it was a national treasure in the future! Taking the so-called bear cub, he couldn’t help but smile wryly—it had died an unfortunate death…
No wonder it had few natural enemies and was rarely hunted, yet still became endangered. Truly a master of courting death!
Having accepted the gift, he could hardly refuse now. He allowed them to invite all who practiced martial arts to come watch and learn, but forbade any unnecessary noise.
The men quickly agreed and went to gather others. Qiu Zhiqing told them not to rush; the competition would only begin after the meal—otherwise, how could they fight on an empty stomach?
After watching them leave, Qiu Zhiqing, holding the little panda in his arms, hurried to breakfast, preparing some food for the little one. What did it eat again? Bamboo, and…?
As Qiu Zhiqing walked away, the gate opened wide. The north wind swept in, carrying drifting snowflakes, passing over Chongyang Hall, and blowing farther south into the Song Kingdom…
In the dining hall, Fang Zhiqi and Liu Zhiyuan had already served his meal, as arranged earlier. As soon as Qiu Zhiqing sat, the two crowded in from either side…
“Immortal of Boundless Heaven, may your Dao spirit endure! Junior Brother, where did you get this late-night snack? I’ve never seen it before!”
Qiu Zhiqing impatiently brushed away Fang Zhiqi’s salty hand, “Eat, eat! You only know how to eat!”
At that time, the title “Immortal of Boundless Heaven” did not yet exist—it was Qiu Zhiqing’s own nonsense, and when Ma Yu heard it, he scolded him harshly for being unlearned.
Later, for convenience in spreading the Way, the term was adopted officially. After all, it sounded no worse than the Buddhist “Amitabha.” At worst, they could add a unique prefix later when using it…