Wulin : Martial Heroes

Chapter 43: The One Writing the Pages

Li Xin did not know whether to believe what he had heard about the Underworld Gate but if the stories he heard was true when he was playing the game, then the conflict between the changing of dynasty is basically the battle between the orthodox sect and the heterodox sect.

Li Xin shakes his head.

‘This just shows I need to explore more’ he thought to himself. He did not think that this scroll had something to do with the Underworld Gate

And who is this person writing this introduction page? Is he a person of the Underworld Gate? But, it doesn’t seem so

From the way he writes this introduction story, it appears he is much more in line with the people of the orthodox sect.

If it is a person of the orthodox sect, how did this person end up in the library of the Underworld Gate?

It is clear however that this person also tries to read the secret manual and learn from it. But, it seems that this person failed to learn anything

‘Hmm. The story itself is fascinating and the person who writes this is also interesting. Just as I expected. This kind of thing really does have hidden plots on it’ Li Xin had call it long ago.

This kind of thing is like the treatment of a protagonist.

Even if he does not want to be involved in anything complicated, the plot would come to him so that he would have no choice but to participate.

Then he steals a glance toward that unconscious girl in the hut and shakes his head

‘Well, when I think about it, this book is actually would be that girl fate and destiny. So, it is more accurate to say that this girl is also a child of destiny’ he thought to himself.

But people like him with a system is always the foil of this child of destiny. And honestly, Li Xin still did not have any idea with what to do with Zhou Qingxuan

He does not want to kill her. But then what should he do after he cures her?

‘Let’s just think of it as doing righteousness. And I even get a reward doing it’ he thought to himself.

‘As for this person identity, maybe later when I have time, it would not be bad for me to investigate who writes it. Knowing the system, it might even generate a quest later’ he mutters to himself.

Then he looks back at the book, search back the page where he stopped and then started reading it again

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 In the early news of the appearance of this secret manual in the world, many believe that the one holding the secret manual is the Underworld Gate.

It is a reasonable suspicion. Many believe that the manual is excavated by the disciples of the Underworld Gate from the tomb of the Duke

But, I, on the other hand had read many books in the Underworld Gate. And from the records, it shows that the Underworld Gate did not possess this secret manual during the Taizong and even Gaozhong era.

My speculation was that it was Taizong that first got this manual and tries to practice the martial skill in it.

Taizong in his campaign against Goguryeo failed terribly. And he is even said to be injured greatly at that time extinguishing his desire to rule Goguryeo.

Duke Jingwu probably did not bring the martial arts to his grave and instead entrusted it to be given to the Emperor.

Because one of the enduring legends regarding the Scroll of Duke Jingwu of Wei was that whoever learned the Scroll to its pinnacle would gain longevity and immortality, breaking through the grandmaster realm is not a fantasy

The reason why Li Jing is said to be unable to live as long even after practicing this skill is because he only understands certain truth after he is half step into his grave.

And coupled with the fact that his wife who he loved dearly had died before him, the Duke might not feel there is anything worth living for anymore.

But whether Taizong could practice the martial arts in the Scroll is another story entirely. Taizong in his later years were not a good sight to look at.

He lost all his vigor of youth and his idealism has disappeared and one could argue that Taizong in his later years is only a little good than Yang Guang

Considering that not long after the death of Li Jing that Taizong also died, one could surmise that Taizong did not succeed in practicing the Scroll.

Then when did the Underworld Gate acquire this scroll?

During the chaos of the palace during Wu Hou rule, it is probably at that time the Underworld Gate sneak into the palace and manages to steal it from the palace.

Whoever read this manual, be prepared to hide the secret of this scroll.

There are many people coveting this scroll form the remnants of the ancient sects of the past, to the Underworld Gate to the imperial family.

The reason why I told this story is to warn the future practitioner of this skill that if the matter of this scroll is spread out, the great forces of the world would try to seek you and force it out of you. If you want a peaceful life it is better to leave this book alone or return it back.

This humble scholar does not bear to destroy this art. Even though, I know that it could bring calamity and bloodshed to the martial art world, this is after all the effort of the past senior and someone that this humble scholar heavily admired

However, if you insist to practice, then knows that it would not be an easy task. I have been reading this book for a decade but my understanding of it was limited. While I have learned many of the esoteric knowledge that is contained in this book, the true essence of the skill is not something that I have been able to uncover.

I put some of my thoughts in the manual and at the same time discover a secret about this manual

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Li Xin put down the scroll for a moment.

At least now he got another clue about the writer of this introduction page. It seems that he is a scholar.

The way he addresses himself as a humble scholar really give it away.

Li Xin then look at the book and could see that below that sentence, the scholar seems to remind whoever that wanted to learn this skill need to know that there is many other useful knowledge inside the book other than just inner energy skill

There is the diagram of Qi Jing Ba Mai and Jing Bie. Li Xin looks at it and suddenly he closes his eyes. He had some understanding of the Qi Jing Ba Mai and then after a few second he opens back his eyes.

He still did not find the method to open the Qi Jing Ba Mai but just now, he could feel an understanding had dawned on him

The only unfortunate thing was that that understanding seems to slip away from him. The Scholar also writes that he had also benefited a lot from reading the manual

The practice of the Eternal Life Scroll is a method of training that promotes healing and regeneration. The Scholar also said that it helps him in the study of medicine.

It also deepens the scholar own understanding on the concepts of healing, medical practices, poison arts among many others

The scholar said the knowledge he got from the Scroll is better than practicing for a few decades. All in all, the Scholar had many praise about the skills that he had learned from the Scroll.

Li Xin did not only read the praise that the Scholar have for the scroll he also read about the Scholar own crystallization of knowledge.

This probably would not be recorded by the system. Or it might be. But Li Xin did not want to take chances.

This is after all the first time that he would try to learn skill from this world. Most of the skill he has is all learned from the system

And in the system, after he buys a book from the system store and uses it, the book would disappear.

If the same thing happens to this manual, then if there is any other information in this book that is not registered by the system, what then?

Li Xin is only trying to be cautious. If his system is like other system he had always read in novels, it could answer his question

But since the beginning he have the system, he always had to think of it for himself. There is hints sometimes but most of the times, he has to explore the system rules and function by himself.

He sighed. He looks back at the book and read the Scholar writing.

The Scholar writes about a lot of knowledge of medicine and even categorized certain herbs that is helpful in healing and certain herbs that is very good for poisoning.

There is even a list of poisonous herbs that is odorless and undetectable by many other poison detection skills.  

There is also a part of the Scroll that spoke about the resonance between human and heaven and Earth and how it affects the energies in one body.

Many theoretical practise of martial arts, body refining skill is also written down.

The Scroll seems to be the amalgamation of many practise of martial arts compressed and modified to become a comprehensive all-encompassing inner energy method.

Probably that is also the reason why some of them seems to be too complicated while at the same time possessing certain concepts that the Scholar could understand and others which he could not.

In one part of the Scroll there is parts that seems to have some Daoist elements.

On other parts it seems to have certain elements of Buddhism.

Other parts there is an element of Confucianism. There is even some that have the elements of other faiths and ideological thoughts.

But each of these element seems to reinforce toward the progress and advancement of one understanding of the martial path

There is hints and it seems to achieve the goal through different routes.

Ten people could read the same Scroll and each of these ten people probably would have different understanding of the Scroll deep teachings and meanings.