Chapter 242: Chapter 232: Stirred Hearts, Encircled Mountain

Stars twinkled brightly, collaborating to outshine the moon.

The night breeze was gentle.

Li Xian practiced diligently as advised, using the stars as a guide, training by comparison. The ’Seven Stars Step’ involves astronomy, but has been simplified and trimmed to be easy and straightforward.

If not, before practicing, Li Xian would need to study the celestial mechanics of three months. Compose a star chart, then apply it to the footwork.

When executed, the steps are extremely fast, as if stars are embellishing the sky, appearing both here and there, seemingly omnipresent. Li Xian’s ’Seven Stars Step’, however, lacks this profound mystery.

But with a light body, increased speed, and agile technique, it was just right. It could be said to be the perfect remedy that showed immediate results.

[Seven Stars Step]

[Skill Level: 15/600 Beginner]

[Description: Covers the changes of the zodiac and glimpses the insignificance of stars. The origin of this martial art is indeed grand. But after layers of simplification, it merely contains the principle of star-infused body agility technique.]

[By comparing the star chart, practicing the lightness skill, skill level +1]

Li Xian initially practiced the lightness skill, immediately felt its wonder, his body felt light, springing up with a stance ready to catch a goose.

The Seven Stars Step aims to convert inner qi into seven groups of qi force, each residing in Huangting, Mud Ball, Life Gate, Danzhong, Jiaji, tailbone, and Hundred Meetings, mirroring the seven stars above.

When qi is concentrated without dissipation, the body feels as light as a goose. The whole body feels wrapped in a light force, and following the star chart footwork, the speed is incredibly fast. Upon leaping into the air, it can even rise further.

Worldly martial arts lightness skill.

Can be mainly categorized into three standards: evasion, speed, and ascension. Of course, more superior lightness skills can have even greater capabilities. The Seven Stars Step is excellent in both “evasion” and “speed,” but is most outstanding in “ascension.”

Leaping seven steps in the air is incredibly powerful. Li Xian practiced with full devotion, thoroughly absorbed in it. He thought: “Martial arts lightness skill ultimately needs to be combined with the scene. The Seven Stars Step with continuous leaps in the air is more for show than practical use.”

“Moreover, if I fall from a high place and use the Seven Stars Leap, it would only slow down my descent.”

[Seven Stars Step]

[Skill Level: 169/600 Beginner]

Li Xian was full of energy, having just acquired the lightness skill. Feeling as if he had obtained a treasure, he explored its mysteries. In the blink of an eye, the sky became pale, and the stars all vanished.

“Without stars, I can’t compare with the star chart. But I have already entered the basics, following the routine practice, I can still accumulate progress. But having practiced all night, I should ease up.”

Last night, Wen Caishang watched the moon and stars, observing the evil servant practicing the lightness skill. She felt quite at peace and gradually fell asleep. Li Xian saw her sleeping soundly, her brows slightly lifted, vaguely resembling her former expression.

He didn’t disturb her. He left the cave to find a stream to wash up with cold water, feeling a slight chill.

“Hiding here is just a temporary measure. The forces of Sword Rain Tower, Yellow Sand Sect, and others will certainly take action. I can’t just sit and wait for death. I need to find a breakthrough method.”

Li Xian pondered briefly, returned to the cave to retrieve his sword. He moved a large stone to block the cave entrance, scattered earth and grass, then sprinkled some powder to repel beasts.

“Taking advantage of the lady not waking, I act alone. Quickly into the city, get a map. Clearly understand the terrain, then I can make plans.”

Li Xian left quietly. His Qi Lake was full, reaching fifty-two yards. Inner qi concentrated in groups at Huangting, Danzhong, and the like. Then he used the Clear Wind Leg and Vast Leg’s mystical technique. With one step, he jumped two yards far, climbing trees and slopes in an instant.

He quickly made his way out of the woods.

To avoid accidents, Li Xian picked wild fruits to satisfy his hunger, restored his inner qi, then entered the city and town.

Li Xian intentionally avoided being noticed, keeping his head slightly lowered. Seeing that the city was not big, his heart was slightly gloomy. Although the county’s governance had maps, due to being remote with few people, maps were rarely emphasized. Maps many years or even decades old remained unchanged, crudely drawn, with mountainous terrain sketched with a few strokes. This was common.

After traveling about seven or eight miles.

He saw a bookstore named “Good Scholar Bookstore.” Li Xian asked: “Do you have any good book recommendations?”

The store owner, a young man, replied: “Good books, yes, good books we have. This classic philosophy, it contains extensive knowledge. If you delve into it, it will be immensely beneficial for your future path.”

Li Xian picked up randomly a few miscellaneous books. Casually, he asked: “Do you have any maps?”

“What do you need a map for?” the owner asked with a smile. Due to the chaos in Great Wu, maps could be either trivial or significant. In trivial hands, just paper and ink, but significant ones could be strategic secrets.

Aristocratic families, local powers would personally draw maps, exploring feng shui, and never sell them. First, discovering natural resources—minerals, wood, fishing, medicine—was critical for development. Second, understanding the terrain was essential for unforeseen events.

Also, tomb raiding and selecting ancestral burial sites were closely related to geography.

However, ordinary people rarely bought maps.

Li Xian said: “Just out of curiosity.” The owner said: “Yes, two taels of silver, you need to pay before I can give it to you.”

Li Xian paid with the miscellaneous books, spending three taels of silver in total. After buying the map, he turned around the street corner, hiding in a dark alley to examine it, only to be greatly disappointed. The map depicted only the surrounding towns, mountain forests, suburbs…

Nothing extraordinary and only covers several tens of miles. Li Xian cursed: “I don’t have much silver to begin with; it was truly a waste.” Feeling secretly pained.

He couldn’t help but lament: “The days of extravagance are gone forever. They say a skyscraper can fall in a day, truly the words of the ancients make sense.”

Walking in the street, feeling at a loss. Suddenly, a glance caught the sight of several young men. All wore simple coarse cloth suits, but walked steadily, frowning, carrying longswords.

Li Xian pondered, “These young men harbor martial arts and are definitely not ordinary people. Appearing here, they must have an agenda. I bet eight out of ten they belong to Sword Rain Tower. However… they are clever, disguising themselves in plain clothes. If I didn’t look closely, I truly wouldn’t have noticed. I’ll follow them and see if I can find some clues.”

Then secretly followed, stepping lightly. The group remained oblivious and entered a restaurant to rest. Li Xian followed, striving to fit in, using the last of his silver to order half a roast chicken and several small dishes…

Then heard them conversing:

“This Sword-Seeking Alliance is truly full of twists and turns. It’s said that they had already captured that treacherous woman. Ha! Her little lover was cunning and deceitful, using some ploy to rescue her again.”

“If not for that, we would have returned to the sect long ago. Why bother now, disguising and traveling light, hiding in the surrounding towns?”

…

Li Xian understood, “It seems they are unaware of my whereabouts. Knowing that Wen Caishang’s inner qi is completely depleted, they’ve changed tactics, scattering disciples to expand the search area.”

Calming his mind, he listened again.

The group said, “I’ve heard it’s quite a spectacle. The Sword-Seeking Alliance consists of five sects. Originally, in this area, it’s Sword Rain Tower, Yellow Sand Sect, and Taixin Sect distributed. Now, factions like Shiluo Village and Wuji Saber Sect are also converging here.”

“Indeed, it seems this Sword-Seeking Alliance is about to end. Let them hide for another three to five days, survive a few more days, but what could that change?”

“Alright, the dishes are served. Let’s eat quickly, after eating our fill, we need to check ’Lotus Village’ outside the city.”

While they were talking, they took out a map.

Li Xian’s eyebrows furrowed and then relaxed. As the waiter brought the dishes to the table, he had no appetite and instead requested oil paper, wrapping half the roast chicken, crispy beans, braised meat… and other dishes, tucking them into his chest.

Leaving the restaurant first, he waited as long as it takes to eat a meal. As the group from Sword Rain Tower finished their meal, patting their stomachs, they walked out of the restaurant with arms over each other’s shoulders.

Li Xian quietly followed. Passing through a crowded area, he swiftly kept up, stealthily reaching in. His movements were light and agile, like probing clouds and mist. The peak “Vertical Cloud Hand” proved greatly useful.

Silently and without a trace, he took the map. Then, in passing, he also deftly extricated two money pouches.

Li Xian slowed his pace, blended into the crowd, and quietly turned into an alley, making a beeline out of the city. After this turmoil, it was already noon.

The surroundings were empty.

Li Xian opened the money pouches and could not help but spit, “For disciples of such a major sect, how can they be so poor!” Each money pouch contained only a few hundred copper coins, a few pieces of broken silver, adding up to only two or three taels of silver.

Li Xian did not know.

The decline of Sword Rain Tower had lasted over ten years, thanks entirely to Wen Caishang. Sword Rain Tower’s businesses were twofold: swordsmithing and medicinal herbs.

Wen Caishang killed the swordsmith, burned the Medicine Mountain, disrupted the structure, ruined the plans, and drained the primordial energy. The sect’s days were tough, naturally, the disciples had to tighten their belts.

The stolen “map” was significant, detailing the surrounding mountainous terrain and river networks in great detail. Li Xian was pleased, thinking, “This must have been bought in the big city!”

Along the route, marked was the southwest edge of “Huashui Prefecture”, where Li Xian and Wen Caishang were hiding in a mountain called “Luofang Mountain”. Once a scholar with good fortune passed by this mountain, found love, and in an exhilarated state, named the mountain by writing a poem. Luofang Mountain meant: a heart beginning to flirt.

But on the southeast side of the mountain, numerous exotic flowers grew. Luofang Mountain also implied “a riot of flowers”.

“What is this?”

Li Xian examined closely, his brow suddenly locked. The map not only indicated the mountain’s topography but also marked “red dots”. Beside the red dots, were written “Mao hour third quarter”… “Hai hour second quarter”… and other times.

“This is a search map. There is a highly intelligent person in Sword Rain Tower. He has people patrol various places, specifying times. In this way, he can greatly utilize the manpower, with order and stability…”

“According to the map, every village surrounding Luofang Mountain has been searched today. Tomorrow they’ll encircle Luofang Mountain… Damn, they’ve already guessed that my lady and I are hiding in the woods.”

“Moreover… this map is only of Sword Rain Tower. Yellow Sand Sect, Taixin Sect must also have arrangements; the encirclement is sure to be tighter! The situation is very bleak!”

Li Xian rolled up the map, slipped into the forest. He returned to the cave deep in the mountain, moving the covering material away, finding Wen Caishang with red-rimmed eyes, looking quite pitiful.

As it turned out…

Not long after Li Xian left, Wen Caishang woke up. Their relationship had gradually changed, no longer master and servant dependent… Wen Caishang was weak, physically immobile while thoughts surged.

Though guessing Li Xian likely went to the city to try to get a map. Yet couldn’t help scattered thoughts, wondering here and there. Imagining things she’d never thought of in her life.

Wen Caishang was extremely formidable but became formidable too early. Her power at hand, always displaying a cold and cruel side. The weak despised her, the strong feared her. But at this moment, it was completely different from before.

Wen Caishang sneered, “Oh, I thought you ran away again!”

Li Xian laughed, “How could a wise and valiant woman like yourself not figure out I was getting a map?”

“In my current state, where am I wise and valiant? Right now, I can’t even move,” Wen Caishang said, “When I awoke, and couldn’t see you, I thought you tricked me into giving you the lightweight skill, then immediately fled for your life.”

Her complexion was strange, and involuntarily said, “I almost hated you again.”

Li Xian touched, seeing Wen Caishang’s genuine emotions, gently held her, saying, “Then you guessed wrong.”

Wen Caishang spat, “Wicked servant.” But no longer angry or hateful, suddenly bemused, “Wen Caishang, Wen Caishang, are you such an easy woman to placate? This wicked servant disappears without a word, then comes back, and you’re not angry?”

“That’s right… I can’t move right now, so I deliberately don’t get angry at him. I’ll settle it later, need to settle it thoroughly.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep