Secret Records of the Leader of the Beichen Sword Sect
Chapter 76 Tang Tong

Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Tang Tong

After staying at Honzan for just one night, Tie Dan already held a deep dislike for the people there.

Still, being unfamiliar with the place, he followed Tang Tong along obediently.

This place was dense with high mountains and forests, sparsely inhabited. Tang Tong obviously couldn’t fly or disappear, but at least he knew how to find a way out.

He held a copper plate in one hand, using the other for calculations, mumbling to himself. The copper plate was engraved with the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, Celestial Stars, and a Mystic Sect Secret Talisman. Activated by True Qi, it began rotating on its own, while Tang Tong manually adjusted it according to his calculations, constantly changing formulas to advance in a general direction.

"This is called the Yang Gong Plate, a Magic Artifact for feng shui and arithmetic, never seen it before, can’t understand it, want to learn it, don’t you."

Tang Tong knew Tie Dan was secretly watching him, feeling full of pride,

"It’s just a pity, the Secret Technique isn’t taught to the outer mountain. Junior brother, on your first day up the mountain, you were already punished by chopping wood, so you’re probably not fated to learn it."

Tie Dan looked at him,

"Why."

"Why isn’t it taught?"

Tang Tong stopped his steps, glanced at Tie Dan,

"Why else, isn’t it just to prevent what’s happened in other sects, where they inadvertently take in rebellious and anarchic disciples who ignore moral principles, learn the skills here, and end up betraying their masters and ancestors, changing sects and traditions."

Tie Dan remained silent.

Tang Tong shook his head,

"So, junior brother, why are you so upset, you’re already at the Foundation Establishment stage, just take a beating if given, it won’t hurt you.

It’s hard enough to come to Honzan, whatever they give you, you have to take it, and take good care of them, or who will teach you real skills?

What, you think you’re the only talented one? Just because you’re gifted, you’re skilled, everyone should praise you, accommodate you?

Don’t be silly, little brother! You think the Sect Leader is your father? For those of us who can be accepted into the mountain, we’re all about the same!

The senior management just wants to screen out those who are disobedient and hard to manage first! Don’t act like a headless fly, stumbling into others’ traps!"

Tie Dan just looked at him,

"Why."

Tang Tong raised his eyebrow,

"I’ve explained this so clearly, and you still don’t understand. How did you establish your Foundation?"

Tie Dan still stared at him,

"Why are you helping me."

Tang Tong was momentarily startled, then suddenly understood,

"Huh? Oh, I wasn’t helping you. After all, I’m just sweeping the floor, it doesn’t concern me, so I just speak the truth.

Moreover, those few are truly unworthy. Who in the mountain doesn’t know their behavior, especially those who even want to walk the Valley Path, it’s really disgusting. I still want to pass on the line for the Tang family, I certainly don’t want to associate with them.

But logically, you should already be dead, I really don’t know why Sect Leader let you off the hook..."

Tie Dan didn’t quite understand.

"Passing on the family line?"

Tang Tong raised his eyebrow,

"You don’t understand passing on the family line? Oh no, this is quite an intricate matter, talking about it would take three days and nights non-stop, I can’t teach you, if you want to learn you have to find a sister from the Qingtang Sect..."

Tie Dan squinted his eyes,

"Without Primordial Yang, how to forge a sword embryo? Having forged a sword embryo, becoming one with the sword, making your body the sheath, what family line is there to pass on?"

Tang Tong was dumbfounded,

"You... are you a Sword Attendant?"

Tie Dan,

"Aren’t you?"

Tang Tong was speechless for a moment,

"I am, no, I’m not, it’s not me, sigh... alright, you win, no wonder you’re so formidable, slicing them with just a few strokes. So this is the Sword Attendant, truly living up to its name...

Oh, I get it, no wonder the Sect Leader and others are reluctant to chop your head off now! They’re waiting for your sword infant to forge a sword!"

Tie Dan wasn’t surprised, in fact, seeing the full mountains of swords, he had vaguely guessed it.

As a sword boy, isn’t this how it’s used. Once the sword infant is formed, the whole person is put into the furnace to brew, becoming the so-called Body and Sword, which is renowned as the famous sword casting secret skill of the Sword Sect.

But judging by the looks of it...

"Don’t you people in Honzan refine Sacrificial Swords?"

No, perhaps I should rephrase,

"Without sacrificing oneself, can one still refine swords?"

Tang Tong opened his mouth, sighed, and nodded,

"That’s a method not passed on to outer mountain."

Alright then, Tie Dan understood everything.

So Honzan really has every method, they just don’t teach you.

"Using outer mountain’s sword casting for Honzan’s use.

How is this any different from serving as a sword sheath for the Emperor at the Demon Palace back then?"

Tang Tong scratched his head,

"At least refining into a sword infant and becoming one with the sword, gives you a lifespan of hundreds of thousands of years.

You’re not thinking about how those from your outer mountains, which one of you isn’t found by the roadside or bought in the market.

If the Sword Sect hadn’t picked you up, how could you have lived to this age?"

He didn’t need to say more, Tie Dan knew that his life was given by the Sword Sect, and they could use it however they wanted. This reasoning Tie Dan always understood, it’s just this world now. But...

"You Honzan folks, weren’t you also picked up like monkeys at the start, how are you different from us."

Hearing Tie Dan ask this, Tang Tong couldn’t help but laugh,

"Oh, you’re talking about the Ape Stealing Child legend of sword transmission, Sword Sect disciples were all raised by White Apes brought back into the mountain, that’s why each one is cautious of killing and looks unlike a human.

That’s just a fictional tale from the streets, a veiled story about the origin of the Beichen Guards, not to be taken seriously..."

Seeing Tie Dan still staring at him, Tang Tong scratched his head, sighed,

"Fine, you’re fixated on this inner and outer mountain thing, do you know how I got this disciple position?

My Tang family has been living for generations in Qianzhou, serving the Sword Sect for eight generations, offering tribute every year, and in the ninth generation, I am the sole surviving seed, fortunate enough to attain Tao and practice Cultivation, so we went bankrupt, sold everything, pooled together 3,000 jin of charcoal, 3,000 jin of iron, and 3,000 acres of land deed, sent it all into the mountain, then knelt for nine days and nights. The mountain ultimately considered our family’s years of diligence, and reluctantly nodded to accept me into the sect.

So you ask, what difference do we have? There, that’s the difference. I paid my tuition. How about you?"

Tie Dan was silent for a while,

"So in Honzan, everyone is Gate Valve."

"Gate Valve? Haha! Gate Valve!?"

Upon hearing that conclusion, Tang Tong laughed out of anger,

"What is Gate Valve? Just because a family has a wider doorway, thicker foundation, more family members, does that make it Gate Valve?

By that logic, even a beggar on the street, tracing back eight generations, how many of them aren’t Gate Valve?

Those truly poor people from generations ago, they starved to death on the streets! There’s no descendants left!

Everyone’s roots are Gate Valve! Seeds of the Demon Palace!

Oh, what, brother, your family has fallen, you’re pitiful, so the arts should be taught to you for free?

I’ve been in the mountain for nine years already! Sweeping every day! Splitting firewood! Taking their beatings! Am I not pitiful?

Just because my family’s contributions were the smallest! Up until now, I’ve only been taught this arithmetic skill for finding paths! Based on what!

I’ve been enduring it for nine years, enduring it silently, because of this small matter, being implicated and forced down the mountain! Because you wanted to fight for that breath of anger! Because you couldn’t endure one beating!

And you ask, based on what! Based on what! Just on my family’s years, on the tribute we offered! On the grain we paid! On the iron we mined! On the sweat we shed! On the blood we bled! It was all for nothing!?

I’m still asking, based on what! Without Gate Valve like us making contributions! What would you eat, drink, and use on the mountain, does it fall from the sky!?

Tell me! Without recruiting Gate Valve! How would you survive up there, hmm!?"

Tie Dan replied coldly,

"Rob."

"Ha! Haha! Rob!"

Tang Tong laughed out loud,

"Haha! Rob! Good! Brother, you’re really something! At least you’re not pretending to be pretentious! Good! Rob!

Then why don’t you ask, whether the ones you’re robbing feel it’s fair or not!

Would they question, since everyone is the same! No difference!

Why are they destined to be robbed by you!"

"They just are."

Tie Dan coldly looked at the young man opposite him, speaking in a deep voice, as if talking to him, yet also to himself.

"The world is like this, those older and stronger than me can rob, bully, and kill.

But when I’m strong enough, I will rob back, take back, kill back.

Everyone’s life is the same, anyone can die under the sword, no one is different.

Since everything I care about has been taken from me.

Then whatever I want, I’ll draw my sword and take it, anyone in my way, I’ll kill.

As long as I keep killing, keep robbing, until I become the best in the world, then no one can take my things anymore."

"Bah! Nonsense! I think you’re possessed by demons!"

Tang Tong stared angrily at Tie Dan.

Tie Dan also coldly glared at Tang Tong.

The two stared at each other, refusing to back down, until dusk set in, when a bear came over the mountain ridge, and was startled to see the two of them sizing each other up fiercely, ran a few steps out of surprise, then realized.

No, I’m a bear, why am I running?

So it turned back, stood on its hind legs, and roared fiercely.

Tang Tong sneered, raising his head,

"Please, senior brother, you’re capable, explain your reasoning to it."

Tie Dan nodded slightly,

"Alright! White Tiger Leaping Over the Stream!"

The Qingshuang Sword flashed, the Cold Blade was unsheathed!

With the raise of his hand and a swift stroke, the bear’s head was split in two!

"Hmph, with a sword in hand, hidden and unsheathed, you just wanted to kill from the start."

Tang Tong snorted coldly, pulling out a waist card with a gesture, retrieving the bear.

Tie Dan didn’t argue with him, continued to hang his right arm weakly, feigning weariness.

"Lead the way, it’s getting dark."

Tang Tong turned his head away as well, no longer looking at him, just trudging along in silence.

The two youths, one in front of the other, silently walked into the darkened mountains.