6kv Chapter 57 Debt
Chapter 57 Debt
"Zhou Xian, talk to him about our sect," Liu Qing said.
Zhou Xian responded and looked at Mo Zheng with a smile, "Junior Brother Mo, you should have received your inner disciple's token now. Try injecting your inner energy into it."
Upon hearing this, Mo Zheng immediately took out his waist token, representing his status as an inner disciple of the Martial Arts Hall, and infused it with his inner energy.
The identity badge was made of jade, with the words "Martial Arts Hall" engraved on one side and "Inner Disciple Mo Zheng" on the other.
However, as internal energy was injected, the three characters "Yanwutang" slowly disappeared without a trace, and three large, flamboyant characters reappeared on top of them: Huntianzong.
Hun Tian Sect?
Mo Zheng was startled. It really was the Hun Tian Sect. He had never known that there was such a change on the waist token.
Zhou Xian said, "More than a thousand years ago, the world was in chaos. The Great Yan Emperor, who came from humble beginnings, worked hard to cultivate his skills and made many friends among the heroes. In just eighteen years, he conquered the world and quelled various rebellions in eighteen provinces. What do you think he relied on, Junior Brother Mo?"
"The military strength of the Great Yan Emperor?" Mo Zheng answered uncertainly.
This is the standard answer from the official propaganda of the Great Yan Dynasty. Legend has it that the Great Yan Emperor was a once-in-a-millennium genius, an unparalleled prodigy who was invincible in the realm of Martial Saints, and his record includes the killing of many Martial Saints.
"Yes and no. Although the Great Ancestor of Great Yan was powerful, almost invincible among Martial Saints, there were still those who could rival him. At that time, there was the Prince Gun, whose divine power was overwhelming, in the east, and the Han family with the Xuanwu bloodline in the west. The northern barbarians had also been eyeing Great Yan for a long time, ready to raid south at any time. No matter how strong the Great Ancestor of Great Yan was, how could he possibly deal with so many powerful enemies at the same time?"
The Han family with Xuanwu bloodline?
Mo Zheng felt a jolt in his heart. This was the second time he had heard of the Xuanwu bloodline, but why was the surname Han?
Yes, it must be because the clansmen had to hide their identities due to the constant pursuit by the Great Yan government.
However, this Xuanwu bloodline is truly powerful. According to Senior Brother Zhou, it can even be considered a formidable enemy of the Great Yan Ancestor. No wonder that even after a thousand years, my elder brother and the others are still being relentlessly hunted down.
"Fortunately, the Great Yan Emperor was not only powerful himself, but also willing to make friends with heroes. He had five major sects and twelve bloodline martial arts families serving him. Everyone worked together and risked their lives to help the Emperor kill many powerful enemies, conquer this magnificent territory, and lay the foundation for an everlasting dynasty."
"Our Hun Tian Sect is one of the five major sects that founded and established this nation."
"Afterwards, the Great Yan Emperor bestowed titles upon his officials, and those twelve families were all granted hereditary titles of kings and marquises, which are now commonly referred to as the 'Four Kings and Eight Marquises' meritorious families. Unfortunately, their descendants were incompetent, there were very few people whose bloodlines had awakened, and the family members were afraid of hardship and fatigue. Few of them made a name for themselves in martial arts, so their prestige gradually declined."
"On the other hand, our five major sects were enfeoffed by the founding emperor to guard various states. Over the past thousand years, they have recruited many disciples, and their lineage has been orderly and prosperous."
"Our Hun Tian Sect has been allocated the lands of Youzhou, Liangzhou, and Qingzhou. The other four major sects also each have three lands."
Of the eighteen states, the Hun Tian Sect occupied three. It should be noted that Liangzhou alone had eighteen prefectures and hundreds of millions of people. The land in these three states was vast. And the five major sects each occupied three states, so the territory of a full fifteen states was divided up in an instant.
Mo Zheng clicked his tongue in surprise at the generosity of the Great Yan Emperor. No wonder these families and sects were willing to serve him with such generous rewards.
The powerful, like the five major sects, each held sway over their respective regions, reigning supreme. Even the weaker, like the twelve families, enjoyed wealth and prosperity generation after generation, sharing in the fate of the nation.
"Xiao Zheng, don't you think it was incredibly generous of Emperor Taizu of Great Yan to grant us fifteen prefectures in one go?" Liu Qing asked.
Mo Zheng nodded.
"Hahaha, it's not what you think. It's because our Hun Tian Sect has a Martial Saint. The twelve bloodline families without a Martial Saint wouldn't get a fiefdom."
Liu Qing laughed and said, "Besides, Qingzhou was originally the territory of the Hun Tian Sect, while Youzhou and Liangzhou were mostly occupied by demonic beasts and sparsely populated. Fortunately, our Hun Tian Sect predecessors worked hard and fought tirelessly for thousands of years to achieve such a prosperous state. Most of the other four major sects were in the same situation. How could the Great Yan Ancestor allow us to take such a big advantage?"
"The three states they govern are not only nearly as large as our two states, but also almost devoid of monsters. They are the most central and prosperous heartland of the Great Yan."
"Therefore, even after a thousand years, the power of the Great Yan royal family still far surpasses that of our five major sects."
Mo Zheng understood. This was just like the Zhou emperor enfeoffing eight hundred princes, who took all the largest and most fertile lands that had been developed, while the other meritorious officials had to go to the remote and barren lands to struggle on their own.
Indeed, how could the founding emperor, who was able to lay the foundation for an everlasting dynasty, be so unwise as to give up all the territory to others?
If you want territory, you have to use your strength to take it from the monsters.
"The reason I had Zhou Xian tell you all this is so that you can understand the history and strength of our Hun Tian Sect. The Great Yan is not only the Great Yan of the royal family, but also the Great Yan of our five major sects, and the Martial Arts Hall is the way we recruit disciples."
"Xiao Zheng, now that you've joined our Hun Tian Sect, you must never tarnish the prestige of your sect, no matter what you encounter when you travel outside, whether it's royalty or disciples from other sects," Liu Qing said.
"Yes, Master."
Mo Zheng responded, clearly indicating that the royal family and the five major sects were not on good terms.
That's true. Everyone here is a shareholder of Dayan. Who can be more authoritative than whom?
No wonder the abbot congratulated me on joining the sect that day; it turns out that was the reason.
Mo Zheng recalled the words of the mountain chief after leaving the secret realm, and only now did he realize the truth.
Hun Tian Sect, what a Hun Tian Sect.
Mo Zheng thought of something more. Since the Martial Arts Hall was the way the Hun Tian Sect recruited disciples, were these Martial Arts Hall teachers also members of the Hun Tian Sect?
The answer is yes.
Their family influence extends to various prefectures and states, and their disciples at the Bone and Tendon Realm have established numerous large and small factions in other areas.
Aside from the rogue cultivators, most of the slightly larger families in Youzhou, Liangzhou, and Qingzhou probably have intricate connections with the Hun Tian Sect.
What an enormous force this is!
If they wanted to, they could make the entire Great Yan Dynasty unable to move an inch in these three states, or even overthrow it entirely.
No wonder all the disciples of the Martial Arts Hall can hold the title of constable of the Six Doors.
This would not only enable the disciples of the Martial Arts Hall to serve the imperial court and apprehend criminals, but also allow local officials to know the identities of the disciples of the Martial Arts Hall, so as to avoid conflicts with the people of the five major sects.
"I have been teaching in the Martial Arts Hall for forty years and have taken in a total of twenty-four disciples. Three of them have reached the Visceral Realm, and only one of them has the opportunity to become a Martial Saint, which is your second senior brother. The path you have chosen is the most difficult, but it also offers the opportunity to become a Martial Saint. Therefore, I have set two goals for you."
Liu Qing said seriously, "The first is to comprehend the Twelve Swords of Wind before the age of thirty, and the second is to reach the Visceral Realm before the age of thirty-five. With your talent, you definitely have a chance to achieve these goals."
Di Xiao spent eight years mastering these twelve sword techniques, while Mo Zheng is only fifteen years old this year, fifteen years away from turning thirty.
Liu Qing gave them plenty of time; fifteen years was enough time to graduate from the martial arts academy.
"Master, I can definitely do it," Mo Zheng replied firmly.
Neither of the two goals is easy for the disciples of the Martial Arts Hall, but Mo Zheng has the help of mental power, which greatly helps him comprehend the sword technique. In addition, the headmaster has also bestowed upon him a thousand-year-old Bodhi seed. With so much assistance, how could Mo Zheng not have confidence?
As for the second goal, as long as one successfully comprehends the Twelve Swords of Wind, achieving the Visceral Realm will be a very easy task.
"Hahaha...Good, I hope that a true martial saint will emerge from my sect in the future."
Liu Qing smiled and said, "Let's have dinner first to celebrate your joining my sect. I'll start guiding your cultivation after you return from your annual leave. Remember, you must maintain your daily cultivation during your annual leave; you cannot slack off even for a day."
Mo Zheng agreed again, noting that the latter instruction was similar to what some of the teachers at the Hall of Enlightenment had said.
Martial arts is like rowing against the current; if you don't practice for a day, you will regress.
It was already afternoon when I came out of Liu Qing's courtyard; the meal had taken more than an hour.
The chill from Xiaohan Peak instantly sobered Mo Zheng, who had drunk quite a bit of alcohol.
"Junior Brother Mo, when will you return home?" Zhou Xian asked.
"I plan to go to Liangzhou City to buy some gifts early tomorrow morning."
It's getting late, and I can't rush back now. Besides, I've been away for two months, and now that I have some money, it wouldn't be good to go back empty-handed.
Come to think of it, he's been at the Martial Arts Academy for so long, but he's never even visited Liangzhou City nearby.
"Okay, see you after your annual leave."
Zhou Xian smiled and said, "However, when you're out and about, remember to bring the Six Doors silver seal with you. It can avoid a lot of trouble."
"Thank you for the reminder, senior."
Mo Zheng bowed in thanks and descended the mountain with Zhou Xian, just like when they first entered the martial arts hall two months ago.
However, times have changed. Back then, he had just entered the Martial Arts Hall and was very cautious in everything he did, but in the blink of an eye, he broke through the Stone Skin level and his strength greatly increased.
Furthermore, he even had a powerful martial artist, whose skill was unmatched even in the Visceral Realm, as his master.
The changes are too great.
However, the greater the progress he made, the more Mo Zheng realized his own insignificance.
The five major sects and the Great Yan royal family are nothing compared to these behemoths. Even a martial artist at the Visceral Realm is nothing, let alone a mere flesh and blood martial artist like him.
Even if he has telekinesis, there are countless people who could kill him.
Unfortunately, his surname is Mo, and he comes from a family that inherits the bloodline of Xuanwu.
The secret of the Xuanwu bloodline must never be revealed.
Mo Zheng secretly became alert.
Once discovered, even Liu Qing might not be able to protect the Mo family, and their fate at that time is self-evident.
The powerful bloodline that could contend with the founding emperor of the Great Yan for the throne, the Great Yan royal family, the five major sects, the four kings and eight marquises, and other powerful forces that had participated in the struggle for supremacy, would not let go of the opportunity to eliminate them completely.
Halfway there, Zhou Xian returned to his residence. He was a true disciple and had his own small courtyard on Xiaohan Peak.
Mo Zheng watched him walk away, but instead of continuing down the mountain, he turned back and went to the abbot's residence.
Even Zhou Xian didn't want to reveal the secret of the Blood-Awakening Grass.
Mo managed to obtain five Blood-Awakening Herbs.
"You don't necessarily want to awaken your own bloodline, do you?"
The headmaster was a little surprised that Mo had taken so many Blood-Awakening Herbs, and said, "A person can only take a maximum of three herbs. After three herbs, they will have no effect. Taking more is useless."
"I want to let my family try it too," Mo Zheng said.
This is quite common; give it a try and maybe your bloodline will awaken!
"Well, since we're not from a family with a bloodline of lineage, using these is a bit of a waste."
The headmaster felt a little regretful, but didn't say much. Whether to sell it or use it himself, it was none of his business.
Given his status, he wouldn't covet these five Blood-Awakening Herbs.
He took out five Blood-Awakening Herbs, told Mo Zheng to be careful, and then let him leave.
Back in the courtyard, Mo Zheng headed straight for Liangzhou City.
"Is this the Blackscale Horse Ranch?"
Before them was a horse market, not very large in scale. At a glance, there were about twenty or thirty horses, but they were not ordinary steeds, but black-scaled horses with the bloodline of demonic beasts.
Upon returning home, the first thing to do is buy a horse. Although Shangyin County is not far from Liangzhou City, and a fast horse can reach it in a day, with this black-scaled horse, the time can be shortened to half a day.
When Mo Zheng traveled with Zhou Xian, he had long admired Zhou Xian's black-scaled horse. Now that he was rich, he naturally wanted to buy one himself.
There are also rules to follow when choosing a horse.
Look at the teeth, hooves, bones, etc., and don't try to do anything that you don't understand.
But he has telekinesis.
As he walked past these horses, he used his mental energy to examine them closely and immediately discovered the strength of their qi and blood. He chose the black-scaled horse with the strongest qi and blood, paid three thousand taels of silver, and Mo Zheng successfully advanced to the horse-owning clan.
Mo Zheng rode his horse happily down the street, browsing through several shops and buying some cosmetics, fabrics, jewelry, snacks, and pastries.
As dusk settled, just as Mo Zheng was preparing to return to the martial arts hall, a sudden clanging of weapons echoed from the main street ahead.
"A martial arts battle?"
Martial artists possess keen hearing and sharp eyesight, and with their mental power, their five senses become even more acute.
The sounds of fighting breaking through the air were deafening not far away, and the scale of the battle was beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.
"However, judging from the sound, the moves were clumsy, so the skill level is probably average."
Mo Zheng lost interest after hearing it only once, and rode away to avoid it, as he had no interest in meddling in other people's business.
However, some things cannot be avoided just because you want to. The fighters suddenly rushed in front of Mo Zheng, making it three against one. The one being attacked saw Mo Zheng riding the black-scaled horse and shouted, "Stop immediately! I am a Silver Seal Constable of the Six Doors, and I have requisitioned your horse!"
People from the Six Doors? Requisitioning my horse?
Mo Zheng's heart skipped a beat. He looked up and saw that the leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a light blue constable's uniform, holding a goose feather knife, with a full beard and a rather panicked expression.
It was him, He Xiong.
Mo Zheng recognized the constable at a glance; it was He Xiong, the silver-seal constable he had met in Shangyin County. He couldn't help but laugh.
What's that saying again? "You may plant flowers with care, but they may not bloom; you may plant willows without intention, and they may thrive."
He had almost forgotten about that debt, but unexpectedly, the other party walked right into his life.
He Xiong looked panicked, his eyes fixed on the black-scaled horse, thinking of escaping on horseback, and he paid no attention to Mo Zheng.
The three people behind him were all dressed in black, with a large "元" (Yuan) character printed on their chests.
"He Xiong, where are you going? You owe my Sanyuan Gambling House ten thousand taels of silver and you won't get away with it, not even to the ends of the earth!" one of the three men in tight-fitting clothes shouted.
He Xiong ignored him and leaped forward, intending to jump onto the horse.
Unexpectedly, the young man flicked his wrist, and a copper coin came flying. Before he could react, it struck him heavily in the chest, and the immense force it contained knocked him to the ground.
Finished!
He Xiong was immediately filled with despair, cursing his bad luck for having offended such a master.
But the next moment, the young man said with a smile, "Officer He, long time no see!"
"You owe me five hundred taels of silver, when are you going to pay me back?"
……