Chapter 75 Fufeng's Book Guardian (1/2)
Chapter 75 Fufeng's Book Guardian (1/2)
The items arranged inside the wooden box were the very Lost Treasures that Mr. Ying had asked him to pay attention to.
Wang Anfeng was momentarily stunned, but then enlightenment dawned upon him.
Since the other party thought he had no interest in gold, they had given him these equally valuable items, lacking the vulgarity of gold, in hopes of averting disasters and reducing calamities.
They must see me as one of those people who want to reap benefits without gaining the reputation of being greedy...
With this thought, Wang Anfeng found it somewhat laughable; nonetheless, since he had acquired the Lost Treasures, he felt much more at ease. Considering it was not appropriate to return to Shaolin Temple at this time, he decided to securely keep the Jade Beads and put them into his bosom before turning to go to the kitchen.
He had not revealed any abnormalities until night, when he informed Baili Feng and others that he had reached a critical time in his Internal Strength Cultivation and should not be disturbed. Only then he returned to his guest room, sat cross-legged on the bed, fingers tracing the Buddha Beads as he whispered:
"Return to Shaolin Temple."
Accompanied by a familiar sensation, the scenery of Shaoshi Mountain unfolded before him, still resembling the usual scene but with a sense of nostalgia. He had not been able to return to the Shaolin Temple for some time due to the constant presence of martial experts around him. Today, having obtained the Lost Treasures and with Master Fu Mo intoxicated and unconscious, he decided to make a trip back.
The three elders remained their usual detached selves. Wang Anfeng came forward to pay his respects, then recounted the recent events, opened the wooden box, and placed it beside the chessboard of Ci and Mr. Ying. After spending a brief moment on the solitary peak, he stood up to leave and, just as always, went to Copper Man Lane to continue his cultivation.
He had recently acquired the swordsmanship of the Sword Saint, and after his battle today with the Flying Cloud Swordsman, many insights emerged in his mind. He needed the polish of real combat to reach purity.
Atop the lonely peak.
Once again, the surroundings shattered into chaos. Mr. Ying raised his hand to draw the wooden box into his grasp, the corner of his eye slightly raised, his expression somewhat disdainful.
Ci looked up at his friend, sensing something amiss, and asked in a soft voice:
"What's wrong?"
The Scholar casually flicked three Jade Beads out of the box back onto the chessboard, where they spun around. He closed his eyes slightly and leaned back lazily in the bamboo chair, saying:
"It's just as I thought."
"These so-called Lost Treasures also vary in grade, from top to bottom. Among them, only two beads are useful, and even the useful parts are far less substantial than last time."
His voice paused briefly before he shook his head and said coldly:
"Let alone the skills of that Star Picking Hand, not even his one hand can be recreated."
"Not to mention the supreme skills of the Divine Thieves Sect..."
"The kid's Qinggong is truly too inferior."
An embarrassed look appeared on Ci's face.
At this time, Wang Anfeng's Qinggong movement technique was the Vigorous Step Technique of Shaolin Temple. Although Shaolin was a major school of Martial Arts with its Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills that shook the world, the Vigorous Step Technique was merely for novices within their first three years, meant for tasks like carrying water up and down the mountain. Its main advantage lay in stimulating Inner Strength throughout the body, cleansing the physique, and strengthening the body.
However, with Wang Anfeng's cultivation of Golden Bell Shield now already profound, the effect of this External Kung Fu Body Tempering was becoming increasingly negligible. In terms of lightness and agility, the Vigorous Step Technique was only slightly better than the Qinggong of ordinary gangs in Jianghu and could not compare to that of the great sects.
Wu Changqing stroked his beard, recalling the last time Wang Anfeng had fallen into danger due to his subpar Qinggong, which hindered his ability to shake off his opponent. This forced him to resort to a risky move, which might have worked once but might not be effective a second time. He pondered for a moment and then suggested:
"Why not pass on our Qinggong to Anfeng?"
Two gazes settled on the old man. The old man stroked his beard and explained with a chuckle:
"Although the Qinggong of Medicine King Valley is ordinary, the ability of Shaolin to 'cross rivers on a reed' is considered top-notch in Jianghu. Once mastered, one can figuratively cross the sea of suffering of the secular world with one's body, which is quite impressive."
The Scholar glanced at him, originally wanting to ridicule, but considering Wu Changqing's intention for Wang Anfeng, he refrained and simply shook his head, saying:
"That won't do."
"The Qinggong of Divine Thieves Sect forms its own lineage, incorporating not just Qinggong but also Qimen Internal Strength. Although it's just a thief's Martial Arts and cannot ascend to elegance..."
His prideful nature always led him to ridicule those he viewed with contempt. As he spoke, he realized his words were inappropriate, so his voice paused, and he grudgingly continued:
"Well, it does have its merits..."
"But it requires starting from the very beginning of cultivation."
"We might as well forget about the Vigorous Step Technique, but if he cultivates 'crossing rivers on a reed,' he must be well-versed in Buddhist principles, which do not align with the principles of Divine Thieves Sect's Martial Arts, making it difficult to master both."
As his voice fell, he couldn't be bothered to explain further and casually extracted the spiritual essence of the two meaningful Lost Treasures and stored them away, not expecting them to be even less than he had anticipated, his expression growing increasingly displeased.
If he could have brought the fingers of that lethargic thief fully back to life.
Now, it looks like he'd have to cut down by half.
Playing with the three Jade Beads in his hand, originally he had planned to refine all the beads into treasures for Wang Anfeng's protection, but now he had a new idea.
After all, the kid wouldn't be facing any dangers for a while.
The Scholar thought to himself.
Next, he would be staying inside Fufeng Academy.
Given the current pace, even if he were to turn that thief into a mere stick figure, there's no telling how long it would take.
With brows furrowed in thought, an idea faintly formed in Mr. Ying's mind, but just then, he suddenly felt something was amiss.
Wang Anfeng left the place with a connection to Shaolin Temple and sensed something amiss outside the guest room. He frowned slightly, waved his long sleeve, and uttered in a low voice:
"Someone is spying outside the guest room, boy, you go out first."
Wang Anfeng was in the midst of displaying his swordsmanship and confronting his opponent when he heard this. He was momentarily stunned, not yet regaining his composure, when he found himself in the guest room of North Martial City. His hands still held the longsword, which had not yet been sheathed, with sword momentum gathering on the blade, nearly bursting forth. Just as he was about to sheath the wooden sword, the window that had been closed was suddenly flung open by someone, and a person burst in.
Dressed in vigorous attire, with clear and bright features, was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, as bright as the autumn moon. She held a longsword, which emitted a heroic air. As soon as she landed, she saw Wang Anfeng's unsheathed wooden sword and the sword qi vaguely pulsating along the blade. Her expression suddenly changed, showing a trace of stupor.
No, this isn't right...
This isn't how the script goes.
The girl's pupils dilated with shock.
Wasn't he cultivating Internal Strength?!
Shouldn't it be that after finishing his cultivation session he would see me in front of him, then feel a shock in his heart?
Could it be that he had already noticed?
With this thought, her heart skipped a beat, and she turned her gaze back to the young man in front of her, only to feel that he truly resembled the person Zhao had spoken of, but there was an incredibly intense combat will in his eyes that was startling at first glance, solidifying her suspicions even more.
If he hadn't already noticed, how could there such intense combat will?
Being discovered would inherently cause some dismay; in such a state of mind, the girl felt that the young man before her had become even more unfathomable. Even dressed in plain clothes, he seemed like an edgeless great sword, exuding an imposing aura.
....................
In Fufeng County City, under the jurisdiction of the Court of Judicial Review.
A loud voice came from the sky, as a Flying Eagle descended. A petty official teased it for a while, then untied a letter from its leg. Glancing at it casually, his expression changed slightly, and he hurried back inside.
Two people were idly chatting inside: one was the officer in charge here, while the other was a famous detective from Heaven Capital City who was passing through on official business. It was said that the detective was in his early twenties, but he looked more like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy with fair skin and a friendly demeanor. His eyes, in particular, were exceptionally soft, not at all as fierce as the rumors suggested.
The petty official dared not linger, hastening to his superior's side to deliver the letter and whisper a few words in his ear. The middle-aged officer looked slightly stunned, then waved his hand to dismiss his subordinate.
The detective opposite him laughed softly and said, "Master Wu, is there some urgent matter?"
"Then Wuxin will not disturb any further."
The officer laughed and said, "Haha, what are you saying, Master Wuxin? It's not anything major, just that there was a fight in North Martial City involving people from the Constellation Ranking List, and it had been reported, so I also have to report back to Heaven Capital."
Wuxin nodded in understanding, as this was the custom of Great Qin, not taking it to heart. The officer unfolded the letter, glanced at it casually, and exclaimed softly in admiration:
"To defeat the opponent within ten moves and even slash out Sword Qi, truly remarkable."
"Wang Anfeng, I've never heard this name before."
"In the land of Great Qin, truly talents emerge like dragons."
While Wuxin was not particularly concerned, the mention of the name Wang Anfeng startled him, and he saw the officer frowning in thought, saying:
"Since Wang Anfeng has emerged from Fufeng County, it should be me who comes up with his nickname, which will then be sent to Heaven Capital...Hmm, since he uses the sword and his name is Anfeng, how about calling him Furious Wind Sword?"
"That won't do... Defeating the Flying Cloud Swordsman in ten moves is quite domineering."
"Perhaps, call him Furious Wind Sword Tyrant?"
As the officer pondered with a frown, Wuxin felt a bit strange.
Imagining that gently-mannered youth introducing himself in a duel as 'Furious Wind Sword Tyrant Wang Anfeng,' he could hardly suppress his mirth. Noticing his reaction, the officer knew his own naming skills were lacking and looked embarrassed. Clearing his throat, he said:
"Master Wuxin, perhaps you have a suggestion?"
Wuxin stopped his laughter upon hearing this, thought for a moment, and said:
"I have heard of him; he is the library guardian of Fufeng Academy. Why not bestow him the title 'Fufeng Library Guardian'?"
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His voice paused, then he added, recalling the details of the encounter:
"My undercover agents have reported to me that this Wang Anfeng's Internal Strength Cultivation is mediocre, just entering Ninth Grade. He specializes in swordsmanship, with average qinggong, and his External Kung Fu Body Training..."
The corners of his mouth lifted, and his narrow eyes suddenly resembled those of a fox, concluding:
"Is very poor."
Detective Wuxin, who had become famous three years ago for his impartiality, was taken at his word by the officer without doubt. Pondering the name Fufeng Library Guardian for a moment, the officer felt that it indeed suited better than the names he had considered. He expressed his admiration aloud, then casually pulled out a piece of paper and wrote:
"Fufeng Library Guardian, Wang Anfeng."
"Defeated the Flying Cloud Swordsman within ten moves, capable of releasing Sword Qi at the Ninth Grade, exceptional swordsmanship, but with mediocre Internal Strength."
"Very poor External Kung Fu Body Training."
PS: The first update