Volume 8: The Jianghu Chapter 383: The road ahead is long, just like me back then
"Haha, why not!"
Seeing Li Muchan striding away, Wu Ming laughed wildly and ran like an arrow, chasing after him.
Inside the Fengtian Hall, the attendant's eyes widened as he looked at the parting hook on his throat and fell at the emperor's feet.
No one expected such a result.
This catastrophe, which should have turned the world upside down, brought chaos to the Central Plains martial arts world, and stirred up the thirteen provinces, ended so easily.
It can be easily made invisible by just a few words from one person.
The game is over.
Dugu Yihe's face was ashen, but he didn't want to surrender. He leaped up and immediately ran out of Fengtian Hall and disappeared into the night outside the hall.
Huo Tianying also turned around and left, and followed the golden eagle into the sky, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Yang Shen wanted to chase them again, but he heard the emperor behind him say, "Let them go."
This sentence is more of a melancholy and a sigh.
Facing Yang Shen's slightly surprised look, the emperor stood up and said calmly, "Nothing happened tonight."
Yang Shen was stunned for a moment, then his eyes tightened and he quickly lowered his head and replied, "Yes, nothing happened tonight."
The emperor nodded, then looked out of the hall, saying in a tone that was neither light nor heavy: "Recall all the spies the court has spread into the martial arts world... It's really boring."
※※※
Under the moonlight, two figures had already left the Forbidden City and the capital.
Wu Ming's breath did not change, but his mind was tense, as if he was ready to attack or defend at any time.
It was really because Li Muchan left such a deep impression on him.
Wu Ming would probably never forget that invincible belief and that invincible back until his death.
Li Muchan put his hands in his sleeves, and his steps seemed casual and slow, but every step he took was as if he moved in the air, shrinking the distance into an inch. In a moment, he was already four or five feet away. The energy in his body flowed like floating clouds and breeze, and he did not seem like an ordinary person at all.
While Wu Ming was alert in his heart, he was also running at full speed. As his body changed, he displayed 27 kinds of extraordinary light skills in the world, which were ever-changing and had infinite uses.
Neither of them spoke. Li Muchan just ran, and Wu Ming, wanting to compete, also kept chasing after him.
Just like this, the two of them chased each other from darkness to dawn, climbing over mountains and crossing rivers. The mountains, rivers and land were all under their feet, and they never stopped.
Seeing that Li Muchan was calm and composed, Wu Ming opened his mouth to speak several times but held back .
Wu Ming not only wanted to talk, he also wanted to take action.
However, although this person seemed to be right in front of him, he gave people an extremely unreal feeling. There was no flaw, no chance of victory. He was like the clouds in the sky, high and ethereal, as if he could be seen but not touched.
Wu Ming was already feeling regretful, and he thought of Zhu Da back then.
His current situation is even more dangerous than Zhu Da's back then.
Zhu Da still had a chance to make a move, but at this moment he couldn't find any opportunity to do so.
I can only waste time.
He couldn't retreat either. If he did, it would be a life-or-death situation, and he would be attacked by a fatal attack in an instant.
Therefore, Wu Ming now has neither the confidence to attack with absolute certainty nor the confidence to escape unscathed, so he can only continue to follow Li Muchan.
However, there was no murderous intent in Li Muchan's body. He just walked across the Central Plains as if he was strolling leisurely in the garden, his pace did not change, and he looked at the mountains and rivers as if he was sightseeing.
Seeing this scene, Wu Ming's expression changed. It was not that he was not as good as Zhu Da, but that Li Muchan was no longer the same as before and was even better than before.
This person's current state can no longer be described as "powerful" or "invincible".
But how could Wu Ming allow himself to be killed? A cruel look appeared in his eyes, and he suddenly started running wildly.
Since he couldn't retreat, he advanced and turned the passive situation into the active one.
But no matter how hard Wu Ming tried, even using all the superb lightness skills he had learned, he still could not surpass the figure in front of him, who was always half a step faster and several feet ahead of him.
The two of them said nothing along the way and ran at lightning speed.
This time, he ran from the north to the south.
After crossing the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, they arrived in Jinling.
Wu Ming sneered in his heart because he had found the opportunity to take action.
Since Li Muchan himself has no flaws, he will look for flaws from the outside world.
Because Li Muchan's son is in Jinling.
Outside the Divine Sword Villa, beside the Green Water Lake, all the heroes of the martial arts world gathered, all wanting to seek an explanation.
Because Li Xiyi and Xie Xiaoyu have already hidden in the Divine Sword Villa.
But these people did not dare to force their way in, after all, there was a world-shaking sword legend in charge.
Not only that, just a while ago, the man in white had already walked into the Excalibur Villa.
The earth-shattering battle that could be imagined did not happen.
Quiet, very quiet.
However, in the invisible space, there was a sword intent spreading, the water was rippling, the wind was blowing in the sky, and the leaves were falling back to the dust.
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the swords at their waists were suddenly unsheathed, fell in front of their eyes with a trembling sound, and stuck upside down on the ground, actually piecing together a word.
"retreat!"
The martial artists who had been clamoring non-stop all looked at each other in shock, their faces pale with fear.
Beyond all this, Li Muchan was watching everything, observing these people's reactions and expressions, listening to their exclamations, and feeling the sword intent spreading over the mountain. He even heard the sounds of Li Xiyi and Xie Xiaoyu bickering in the Divine Sword Villa, as well as Shangguan Shisan and Qingqing hiding in the crowd, and finally Shangguan Xiaoxian in the dark. He knew everything.
In a thatched cottage in the Divine Sword Villa, two people who were fighting with swords and discussing philosophy suddenly had their eyelids twitched. Then they looked outside the villa thoughtfully, their eyes as if they could see through everything, looking in the direction of Li Muchan.
But at this time, Li Muchan had already floated away without stopping, and even Li Xiyi, who was right in front of him, did not show up to meet him.
Wu Ming followed closely, somewhat confused and even a little crazy.
He always thought he was extremely smart, but at this moment he didn't understand what Li Muchan was going to do.
Was this a cat-and-mouse game, playing with him? Or was he waiting for him to surrender and beg for mercy?
"Your son is in trouble now, and you are indifferent?" Wu Ming couldn't help but sneered.
He was really fed up with this situation and the silence between them.
Li Muchan said nonchalantly, "The waves rise and fall, and there are countless changes. Sometimes it is a dilemma, but it may also be an opportunity... Besides, that is their world, and it has its own unpredictable situation."
Wu Ming was speechless.
The two of them turned around and left Jinling again, one chasing the other, as if they didn't know the end or the way back, and just walked aimlessly.
But gradually, Wu Ming discovered the clues.
He found that Li Muchan's eyes were constantly wandering. He would look at the scenery along the way, the passers-by along the way, and even listen to the birds singing, watch the clouds floating in the sky, and appreciate the green water under his feet.
But this person's gaze seemed to have never lingered on him from beginning to end.
Wu Ming's face instantly turned ashen, and he roared, "What on earth do you want to do?"
He regarded Li Muchan as his mortal enemy, but the other party actually humiliated him like this, which was really too much.
Could it be that in the other party's eyes, Wu Ming is not as important as the grass and dust on the roadside?
Li Muchan's eyes were calm as he said softly, "I just want to show you this world."
Wu Ming stared at Li Muchan intently, his eyes only focused on her, unable to see anything else. He then rasped, "I know you've always looked down on me... It was the same back then, and it's still the same now."
The sharp voice was like a sharp knife.
Li Muchan finally turned his head, his eyes full of confusion.
Wu Ming laughed strangely, "Why are you pretending to be stupid?"
He met Li Muchan's eyes and said a name, "Sikong Wuming."
"You still remember this person, right?" Wu Ming's eyes were bloodshot, his face strange, and he looked like a madman. "You once taught him a unique skill. Do you know how envious I was at that time?"
Li Muchan was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Envy?"
Wu Ming sneered, "Back on that boat, I said that 90% of people in the world are losers, and only 10% can truly dominate the world... I said that just to get you, Brother Li, to look at me more and value me. But in the end, you passed on your skills to Sikong Wuming, which disappointed me greatly."
Seeing Li Muchan remain silent, Wu Ming's eyes lit up fiercely. "You saved my life and my mother's life. I am extremely grateful to you. I even worshipped you as a god. You will never know how much your presence meant to me when I was dying and my mother's life was in danger ."
His tone was strange, and his expression kept changing, sometimes crying and sometimes laughing. He seemed to be talking to himself, as if he was possessed by a demon.
"Just that?" Li Muchan said.
"How could I possibly do that?" Wu Ming sighed. "It seems you've forgotten I still have a deep blood feud to avenge. My entire Wu family was tragically murdered, my relatives, friends, and brothers all killed at the hands of the Azure Dragon Society. How could I possibly forget that? In truth, at the time, I was merely envious of Sikong Wuming. But everything changed when my mother learned that Zhu Dazeng had buried an untold treasure on the island."
The two of them talked as they walked, without stopping.
Wu Ming's tone was complicated. "You were about to set sail at that time, and had no time to consider us. My mother knew that was her last chance. You thought she was just an ordinary woman, but you didn't know that she never forgot revenge day and night."
Hearing this, Li Muchan finally understood, "But the Qinglong Society has already perished."
"The Azure Dragon Society is destroyed." Wu Ming laughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes. "But the law of the jungle prevails, and the fittest survive. This is the rule of this martial world. My mother planned to pretend to leave so that I could revive the Wu family and prevent them from being bullied, and then wait for an opportunity to steal the treasures."
Li Muchan's eyes flickered, "Did you really kill your mother?"
Wu Ming rubbed his eyes, as if wiping away tears, but the laughter that came out of his mouth was slightly sick. "It doesn't matter. Hehe, whether I killed her or not, it's all because I'm a useless son who failed to protect her."
Li Muchan said softly, "What a pity."
Wu Ming's smile gradually turned arrogant and rebellious. "It's not a pity, actually. People are just like that. Sometimes, if they take one wrong step, they'll make more and more mistakes, making it difficult to turn back. Besides, I never feel like I've done anything wrong. On the contrary, I enjoy it. Don't even think about making me admit my mistakes. Even if it goes against the will of the people, I will never admit my mistakes."
Suddenly, Wu Ming stopped and looked at Li Muchan with a tense expression as if he was facing a great enemy.
Because Li Muchan stopped, stopped in front of a big river.
Are you ready to take action?
Just as Wu Ming's fighting spirit was rising and his energy was increasing, he suddenly felt a chill on the tip of his nose. He subconsciously looked up and saw snowflakes floating between the sky and the earth without him noticing.
The snow was getting heavier and heavier. At first there were only a few scattered snowflakes, but in just a dozen breaths they turned into heavy snow.
The sky and earth are vast, and snow is flying on the cold river.
The vast snow curtain almost buried the two of them.
Wu Ming had a ferocious look on his face. He didn't want to wait any longer, nor did he want to leave. He was determined to see this martial arts legend no matter what.
But at this moment, a young man was seen walking towards them from afar, standing upright on the upper reaches of the river, braving the wind and snow.
Especially when he saw Li Muchan, his eyes lit up and he pressed the sword at his waist.
"I've seen you before."
"Where?"
"Under the Cuiyun Peak, beside the Green Water Lake!"
"May I have your name?"
"Ding Peng!"
The two asked and answered each other in a concise and clear manner.
"I challenge you, draw your sword!"
The young man said the last sentence very solemnly and with great force.
Li Muchan glanced at the sword on the other person's waist that was as simple as scrap iron, and then looked at the man who was dressed shabbily but had a burning gaze and was fearless.
"You've got the wrong person."
Ding Peng was stunned for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "This is impossible, Li Muchan. You are the invincible Li Muchan. There is no way I could be wrong."
Li Muchan stood by the river, gazing at the snow, and said calmly, "You're looking for the Li Muchan with the knife, but I have nothing in my hand. I don't have the knife anymore."
Ding Peng's breath stagnated, and he blurted out in surprise, "Why did you throw away the knife?"
Li Muchan looked at the river and said calmly, "What I'm giving up is just empty reputation."
Ding Peng said unwillingly, "But...but the sword in your hand is the legend of the undefeated martial arts world. If you abandon the sword, wouldn't your life's pursuit be in vain?"
Li Muchan smiled casually, stretched out a hand, and called away the snow in the wind. "But only without a sword in my hand can I control the universe, grasp the changes of the four seasons, capture the wind, rain, and thunder, and witness the prosperity of the world."
Ding Peng was stunned. "What is this?"
Li Muchan asked back, "What did you see?"
After just a few words, Wu Ming on the side gradually fell silent. His murderous intent disappeared, his eyelids trembled, and his expression became uncertain and kept changing, as if he was possessed by a demon.
Ding Peng frowned, "Nothing."
Li Muchan sighed, "Your sword blocks your vision, so you can't see anything."
Ding Peng, covered in snow, his hand on his sword, said in a deep voice, "My sword is the world in my eyes, and the great Dao in my heart. So, let's compete to see whose world is more vast, whose Dao is higher."
"Don't fight," Li Muchan shook his head. "The Dao exists in heaven and earth, so why fight?"
Ding Peng angrily said, "I can't help but fight. I wielded a sword at the age of seven, and spent thirteen years diligently cultivating, vowing to make my name known in the martial arts world and challenge the world's masters. If I don't fight, what's the point of all my life's training?"
Li Muchan said, "For fame, for being in front of me."
Ding Peng retorted hastily, "No, I simply want to climb over this mountain of yours, reach the pinnacle, and stand taller. Even if I perish in this battle, even if I break into pieces and lose my sword, I will never regret it... I will never regret it even if I die!"
Li Muchan stood with his hands behind his back, his black robe billowing, his black hair covered in white snow. Upon hearing this, he simply smiled softly and said, "Where is the mountain? It's nothing but a piece of stone. Now my heart holds the world, and I roam the human world. The mountains and rivers are me, the grass and trees are me, the birds and beasts are me, the wind, frost, rain and dew are all me..."
Ding Peng was stunned. "Why is this happening?"
Li Muchan replied, "Because I don't have a knife in my hand."
Wu Ming closed his eyes and murmured, almost groaning, "Hold the Heavenly Dao in your hands!"
Ding Peng's face turned pale, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Could it be that I can never beat you again?"
Li Muchan glanced at the young man again and said softly, "Everyone wants to win, but if you win over others, do you win over yourself?"
Ding Peng was startled at first, then frowned and asked, "How do you defeat yourself?"
Li Muchan exhaled, "Desire is like water, can it be cut off?"
Ding Peng subconsciously looked towards the surging river, his face pale and powerless. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Could it be that I will never make any further progress in this life, and must stop here?"
"No!"
Li Muchan shook his head.
Wu Ming had no expression on his face. He turned around and walked away, heading east along the river.
Before leaving, the man said in a deep voice: "As long as you live, I will never set foot on land in my life."
Li Muchan didn't even look at it, but just looked at the river surface with Ding Peng. Suddenly, he raised his index finger and made a light stroke. Then he saw that the river was split and the waves were opened where the finger passed, and the water was cut into land. Then he walked away and disappeared in the vast snow.
"The road ahead is long, just like my time !"
It's a new beginning again...
(End of text)
