Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Chapter 135 Li Han's smile reveals the truth; Xu Guanzhong appears to apologize.

“He is my disciple, and his worship of me is the righteous path. There is no need for the stars! Descendant of Master Xu, you have caused this mess. If we hadn’t arrived in time, how would you have cleaned up the mess? How would all the wronged souls of Taihang Mountain have been afflicted by that fox? Fine, let me help you one more time!”

After speaking, the True Lord surveyed the mountains and rivers with his divine form, his voice like thunder from the heavens: "Behold, all of you, what is the wondrous path of Pure Source!" The Three-Pointed Knife drew talismans in mid-air, as if the peaks of Mount Tai were an inkstone, the Yellow River waves were ink, and the blue sky was paper to write the characters. With a single stroke, he suppressed evil spirits. The Three-Pointed Knife, like a brush wielding ink, produced a hundred-foot-long golden talisman on the Taihang Mountain wall. It was the ancient seal script of the character "镇" (suppress). The talisman penetrated thirty feet into the mountain, and the golden light flowed for a thousand years without fading, eventually disappearing from the surface.

Meanwhile, on the other mountaintop, a hermit was prostrating himself, weeping and pleading: "My humble cultivation has only just begun, and today I have finally witnessed the profound Dao of the Pure Source True Lord! My attempt to be clever has backfired, and I am now filled with shame!"

After Zhenjun finished casting his spell, he turned around and first used his divine eyes to shine on Li Hanxiao to heal his injuries. Li Hanxiao felt his limbs and bones filled with strength, and his injuries and pain healed without any medicine. Only then did he have the strength to stand up.

The True Lord smiled at Li Han again: "In ten thousand years, I have only taken you as my disciple. Even Sun Wukong had three disciples. How can I let you fall into his hands this time? Now, I have left my divine power in this sword. The sword in your hand is the embodiment of my sword. I will teach you the techniques to protect yourself. You must use a righteous heart to guard it!"

Having said that, the Meishan brothers, the main generals, the grass god, and the Howling Celestial Dog in the air were all drawn into the clouds. The True Lord's Dharma Image dissipated, and a drop of golden dew fell from the sky, perfectly embedding itself into Li Hanxiao's three-pointed blade, transforming into the eighth star pattern of the Big Dipper.

Li Hanxiao felt that the three-pointed double-edged sword in his hand had become much heavier. When he lifted the sword to look at it, he saw that the length of the blade had increased to nine feet and five inches, which was close to the number nine and five, the supreme number of the emperor. The whole blade was like a cascading Milky Way, and the Big Dipper pattern was faintly visible between the flowing cold light. Above the seven stars, there was an eighth giant star, whose light was dark blue like the ice of the far north.

The blade has three points: the central point is as thick as a dragon's spine, while the two side points are as thin as cicada wings. When wielded, the wind is like a dragon's roar, capable of splitting metal and stone and cutting through flowing water. The handle is made of Kunlun cold jade, which feels warm to the touch. It is carved with the shape of a coiled dragon swallowing its mouth, and the dragon's eyes are inlaid with two fire pearls. In night battles, it is like two suns hanging in the sky, illuminating the way so that evil spirits have nowhere to hide.

The handle is adorned with a chain of the Big Dipper stars, with seven stars that hold hidden secrets: Tian Shu governs killing, Yao Guang suppresses the soul, Kai Yang breaks through illusions, Yu Heng distinguishes loyalty from treachery, Tian Quan measures good and bad fortune, Tian Ji attracts wind and thunder, and Tian Xuan stabilizes the universe. When used, it can be extended to strike far and wide, and can be thrown and retrieved at will, just like a chain gun.

The most peculiar thing is that the blood grooves on the three blade tips form a vertical golden eye at the point where the blades meet.

This is precisely what the divine power of the True Lord of the Pure Source Wonderful Way left behind. Normally it is closed like a fine gilded seam, but when it encounters evil spirits, it will suddenly open and shoot out a golden light about ten feet long, which is used to break through demonic spells and obstacles.

This eye was transformed from the Heavenly Eye between Erlang Zhenjun's eyebrows. Erlang Zhenjun's Heavenly Eye can see through the illusions of the Three Realms. It once pierced through the Nine Netherworlds and the Thirty-Three Heavens. At this moment, he left a trace of divine power on the knife to protect Li Hanxiao.

As for the hilt of this knife, it is covered with tadpole-shaped characters, which upon closer inspection are the full text of the "Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjing". Each character is like a dragon or snake coiled up. The blade is cast with the head of a mythical beast, with four orifices and eight rings. Nine soul-capturing bells are attached to the rings. The sound of the bells is like thunder, which can frighten away ghosts and gods.

This sword now weighs eighty-one jin, which corresponds to the number nine-nine, representing pure yang energy. Only a loyal, righteous, and courageous person can wield it.

When Li Hanxiao gripped the knife again, the hilt sprouted dragon scales that pierced into his palm. Taking blood as a token, the blade's light changed according to its master's thoughts. When angry, it burned the sky with crimson flames; when sad, it covered the earth with frost; when benevolent, it protected him with azure clouds; and when brave, it pierced the dawn with golden light. It also inputted the wonderful techniques left by Erlang Shen into Li Hanxiao's mind.

The True Lord's divine form gradually faded, and he smiled at Li Han: "Although this fiend has escaped, I have already stripped him of ninety percent of his cultivation. When I conquer the north one day, I will wield this blade to annihilate all demonic forces!"

After saying this, when the divine light dissipated, everyone saw: the narrow gorge had transformed into a wide valley, hot springs had sprung up from the ground to cure the poison of the corpse, all the ancient pines had leaned westward to form a natural lush forest, and knife marks on the mountain wall were ten feet deep, from which clear springs had seeped out to cure all diseases. In the past, the mountain was split to save his mother, and now the divine peak had opened up a smooth road.

Who was the "descendant of Xu Zhenjun" that Erlang Shen mentioned before?

This man was named Xu Guanzhong, a native of Daming Prefecture in Hebei Province, and a first-rate master.

In the original novel, he was proficient in military strategy, martial arts, and tactics; he was knowledgeable in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; he was fluent in the languages ​​of Khitan, Jurchen, Tangut, Tibetan, and Mongolian countries; he was truly a man of both literary and martial talents; he was well-versed in the geography of the world; he had traveled extensively to famous mountains and rivers; he was famous throughout the world; Lu Junyi and Yan Qing both called him a "living map".

During the Zhenghe era, this person passed the martial arts examination and became a martial arts champion, possessing exceptional martial arts skills.

This person also possessed Taoist magic and was a descendant of Xu Xun and Xu Jingyang from the Jin Dynasty. Xu Xun was the founder of the Jingming School of Taoism and was known as one of the Four Great Celestial Masters of Taoism, along with Zhang Daoling, Ge Xuan, and Sa Shoujian. Xu Guanzhong knew his family's magic and was no less capable than Gongsun Sheng, the "Dragon Entering the Clouds".

Speaking of cultivation, the current "Entering the Clouds Dragon" does not yet know the Heavenly Gang Five Thunder Orthodox Method, so his cultivation level is actually not high. Xu Guanzhong, on the other hand, knows the Pure Bright Sect Thunder Method, and his cultivation level is a notch higher than his.

In the original story, when Song Jiang returned victorious from attacking the Liao Kingdom, he met Xu Guanzhong, who was living in seclusion in Shuanglin Town. Xu Guanzhong had also passed the military examination, but due to the presence of treacherous officials in the court, he resigned and wandered the rivers and lakes.

Although Song Jiang invited Xu Guanzhong to come along, Xu Guanzhong declined, saying that his elderly mother was seventy years old and needed care. Instead, he invited Yan Qing to his home for a chat.

During their conversation, Yan Qing invited Xu Guanzhong to join him in seeking a better future. However, Xu Guanzhong said that the court was filled with treacherous officials who were jealous of the virtuous and capable, and that loyal and upright people had all been framed. He had long since lost heart and advised Yan Qing that when he achieved fame and success, he should also find a way to retire. He said that since ancient times, once the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away. Yan Qing sighed deeply after hearing this, and it was because of this that Yan Qing had the idea of ​​retiring in the future. Later, Xu Guanzhong presented Song Jiang with a map of the Three Jin regions, which helped Song Jiang quell Tian Hu's rebellion.

Actually, he was also trying to facilitate the creation of the 108 stars. Otherwise, why would he have been asked to present the map of Shanxi? And then he advised the Liangshan heroes to retire gracefully so they could survive?

But he couldn't defy fate.

In fact, in the original work, many powerful people were trying to reveal messages that went against the will of Heaven to Song Jiang and others. For example, there was Master Luo of Erxian Mountain, Elder Zhizhen of Wutai Mountain, and Xu Guanzhong of Shuanglin Town.

Master Luo knew the past and future. He knew that if Song Jiang and his 108 heroes could see through fame and fortune and foresee their predetermined fate, they might be able to continue to resist the approaching Red-Bearded Dragon and save the land of China from disaster. Therefore, he wrote eight lines of verse for Song Jiang: "The loyal are few, the righteous are rare. The campaign in Youyan is over, the bright moon shines but in vain. Winter's end arrives, wild geese fly apart. From the head of Wu to the tail of Chu, official positions and rank return together."

Unfortunately, Song Jiang paid no attention to it. Later, when he arrived at Mount Wutai, he met Elder Zhizhen, who gave Lu Zhishen a four-line verse: "Rise when you meet a forest, become rich when you meet a mountain, prosper when you meet water, and stop when you meet a river."

He then gave Song Jiang a Zen-like verse: "The six senses have been bound for many years, the four elements have been entangled for too long. Alas, in the blink of an eye, I've tumbled several times. Ah! All beings in this world, roaring and howling amidst the mud and sand."

It also foreshadowed the fate of Liangshan Marsh. However, being a Buddhist monk, he valued destiny more. Although he didn't explicitly state it, he subtly hinted at it to the Liangshan Marsh members. Neither Lu Zhishen nor Song Jiang understood at the time, so they asked him. Then Elder Zhizhen clarified things further, saying: "When the wild geese flutter in the wind, the Eastern Palace will not be reunited. One eye's merit is enough; the Twin Forests will bring blessings and longevity."

As it turned out, Song Jiang still hadn't figured it out.

Having gone through these two ordeals, Xu Guanzhong realized that fate was beyond redemption, so he only persuaded Yan Qing, whom he knew, and did not try to persuade Song Jiang and the others further.

This time, he used magic to create the Mysterious Illusion to test Li Hanxiao and the others, but it backfired and attracted that old fox. His magic power was not as strong as that old fox's, so he had no choice.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the old fox was easily defeated by the divine power of the True Lord Qingyuan Miaodao. It was the True Lord's strength that made the old fox so formidable, not the fox's incompetence. The fox itself possessed ten thousand years of cultivation, had seen much of the world, and was a disciple of the Tongtian Sect Master's Jie Sect. It had even participated in setting up the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation. If it weren't for its superior strength, it wouldn't have been able to enter. Xu Guanzhong, a mere mortal, had already achieved considerable talent in twenty years of cultivation, but to say he could fight this old fox was highly unlikely…

Why did Xu Guanzhong come here this time and set up the Xuanzhen Illusionary Realm?

This is still related to Gongsun Sheng, the "Dragon Entering the Clouds." Gongsun Sheng was trying to persuade the 108 heroes of Li Hanxiao to join his ranks, and he also tried to persuade other outstanding figures to join Li Hanxiao. So, naturally, he ended up persuading Xu Guanzhong.

Xu Guanzhong was known in the martial arts world as "Xu Tianjun" because he was a descendant of Xu Xun, the master of Taoism, and was also skilled in Taoist magic. Gongsun Sheng, the "Dragon Entering the Clouds," was also a member of the Xuanmen sect, and they knew each other.

Gongsun Sheng, the "Dragon Entering the Clouds," also knew that Li Hanxiao's appearance had altered the course of fate. The predetermined heavenly secrets had been changed by him, and since he was not within the heavenly secrets, he would inevitably attract some strange and supernatural beings to harm Li Hanxiao.

Although Li Hanxiao received martial arts instruction from Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun, it was only martial arts, which belonged to the physical level and did not include magical abilities.

A Taoist practitioner is needed to help Li Hanxiao and provide him with some level of protection through magic.

However, Gongsun Sheng, nicknamed "Entering the Clouds Dragon," still had matters to attend to, so the best solution was to find someone to help him.

Therefore, Gongsun Sheng, the "Dragon Entering the Clouds," came to make a request to Xu Guanzhong, the "Heavenly Lord Xu."

Gongsun Sheng, the "Dragon Entering the Clouds," spoke highly of Li Hanxiao, but Xu Guanzhong, the "True Lord Xu," did not entirely believe him.

After all, he and Li Hanxiao didn't know each other, so how could he know what kind of person Li Hanxiao really was? He personally felt that he couldn't completely trust what "Entering the Clouds Dragon" Gongsun Sheng said.

He needed to find a way to verify for himself whether Li Hanxiao was worthy of his loyalty.

As a Taoist practitioner, he was naturally willing to take on the responsibility of protecting the common people. However, when he was eager to serve the court, he was prevented from doing so by the interference of treacherous officials. This caused him to develop a lot of wariness.

This same wariness was also applied to Li Hanxiao. He wanted to test Li Hanxiao himself, so he found Li Hanxiao and his group and set up a mysterious illusion to test Li Hanxiao.

In fact, Xu Guanzhong was quite impressed by Li Hanxiao's performance in the various tests he faced in the Xuanzhen Illusion. If it weren't for that old fox's arrival, he would have gone to pay his respects to Li Hanxiao and seek refuge with him.

At this moment, Li Hanxiao led everyone out of the valley quickly. The events of today were something that everyone present would never forget for the rest of their lives!

At this moment, Li Hanxiao was reviewing the cultivation technique that Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun had just taught him in his mind.

This cultivation technique is called the "Great Celestial Immortal Technique"!

Li Hanxiao was very familiar with this technique!

The Great Celestial Immortal Technique is the supreme and wonderful method that Patriarch Bodhi taught Sun Wukong in "Journey to the West". Patriarch Bodhi was proficient in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. This technique also contains the meaning of boundless freedom, supreme infinity and supreme supremacy of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. This is an extraordinary way, seizing the creation of heaven and earth and encroaching on the mystery of the sun and moon. After the elixir is completed, it is difficult for ghosts and gods to tolerate it, because every five hundred years one must undergo a calamity, which consists of thunder, fire and wind calamities.

However, this Great Celestial Immortal Technique is incomplete, only a part of it exists. According to the setting of "Journey to the West", when this technique reaches its peak, it is no less than the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts. It can understand the nature of the Dharma, obtain the source, and infuse the spirit body. It can be good at invisibility and escape, and can create and control the Dharma. It has a path to heaven and a door to earth. It can walk on the sun and moon without casting a shadow, and enter metal and stone without hindrance. It cannot drown in water or burn in fire. It can turn wine into rain, subdue tigers and capture dragons, kick the sky and make a well, change the constellations and shift stars. It can do all kinds of ingenious things, perform strange and wonderful feats, move and move objects, behead and chop off brains, disembowel and gouge out the heart, bathe in a pot of boiling oil, speak after being cut off, fight after having arms chopped off, walk after having legs removed, and recover after disembowelment. It is so wonderful that it can live forever without dying.

Li Hanxiao only possessed the method of refining essence into qi. In theory, he could refine his body with the Samadhi True Fire, absorb spiritual energy, and use the Samadhi True Fire to refine himself. He could also consume immortal fruits, elixirs, and wines, and then use the Samadhi True Fire to forge himself into one piece, thus becoming an indestructible and indestructible body. He could not be harmed by knives, axes, spears, or swords. He possessed boundless strength capable of carrying mountains, just like Sun Wukong could carry Mount Sumeru and Mount Emei, and easily chase the stars and the moon...

However, even though it was only this part, Li Hanxiao still couldn't see the whole thing. It seemed that Erlang Shen had added some restrictions, and Li Hanxiao could only see the basic introductory techniques in his mind. So no matter how much Li Hanxiao practiced, he really couldn't achieve that level of skill.

The techniques he currently possesses, once mastered, would likely grant him physical abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people, allowing him to focus solely on physical training.

Although it's called physical training, it's not impossible to develop magical power from the outside in. It's still quite difficult to be able to fight ghosts and capture demons, or even fly through the clouds.

If this pure body-refining method is practiced continuously, it might even lead to physical sanctification from the outside in...