Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 101 - 98: Borrowing a Chicken to Make Eggs, The Li Substitutes for the Peach to Feign Death

Chapter 101: Chapter 98: Borrowing a Chicken to Make Eggs, The Li Substitutes for the Peach to Feign Death

’Red Lotus Siege!’

Zhou Ping’an’s heart thumped forcefully.

He seemed to be able to imagine that scenario.

Did Tian Shouyi’s death really have such a significant impact?

Thinking about it, it indeed seemed possible.

Not to mention Tian Shouyi’s connections with various forces within the city, capable of summoning experts from all sides to aid him.

Just consider the man himself; he was by no means weak.

Be it deploying troops, arranging formations, or in martial skill and wisdom, he could be counted as one of the best.

This was clear to Zhou Ping’an from the several exchanges he had with him.

The man was just a bit crafty but ultimately qualified as a general.

Had it not been for his greedy nature and the mistake of hindering Zhou Ping’an’s path, making them irreversible enemies,

Zhou Ping’an would not have considered eliminating Qingyang City’s defending general in advance.

But now it was done.

Now, pondering how he might have fended off the Red Lotus Army’s blade also seemed mostly pointless.

However, what Zhou Ping was puzzled about was why Miss Qing was so keen on rebellion and besieging cities—could there be secrets he was unaware of?

Or could it be that the rewards after accomplishing this feat were too rare to come by?

Thinking, he asked.

"Miss Qing, why are you always thinking about breaching the city? Could it be that Qingyang City holds some strategic importance?"

Here lay Zhou Ping’an’s confusion.

The city was built against the mountains, bordered by Guyang County on the left and Shanyin County on the right, none of which were significant transportation hubs. In fact, one even had to cross the Li River to get to Guangyun County.

No matter how you looked at it, it was situated in a secluded corner.

Apart from the Black Mountain being rich in resources and having some appeal for gathering herbs and hunting, he couldn’t figure out what else made this place so worthy of coveting.

Was it necessary to mobilize a large army, time and again, to attack?

Could it be just for the population here?

"It’s not really a strategic location... Brother Zhou might not know, but the reason to attack this city is simply that it’s easy to breach; the military force is weak, and the generals few. It can be quickly captured, and in the face of County Soldiers’ counterattack, one can immediately retreat into the mountains," Miss Qing said, pausing thoughtfully. "As for benefits, there are indeed some. Whichever person leads the troops into the city, controlling tens of thousands of people, will receive tremendous benefits.

If that wasn’t the case, that idiot Lie Yan wouldn’t have ordered an attack on the city without waiting for us to be ready...

As a result, he wasted a great opportunity, which infuriated me as well."

"You mean?"

"It’s about gaining momentum.

The grand situation of the world may not just lie in one city or one place, but even the smallest town or the fewest people represents a momentum.

To understand why one seeks to gain momentum, that delves into the secrets of cultivation.

We martial artists, during the Mortal Rank Ninth Refinement stage, initially refine the muscles and bones, in the middle phase the organs and marrow, and later solidify the pill and turn Qi into Gang Qi, all part of the process from Blood Refining to Qi Refinement...

If one desires to go further and generate the True Intent of the Martial Path from True Primordial Qi, the influence of a momentum is essential," Miss Qing explained with eloquence.

"Whether one takes an unbeatable path, challenges the world with the sword, or conquers cities and subdues the regions...

In fact, they all serve one purpose—to acquire the overwhelming momentum, integrate into it, allow one’s will to transform, and hence make significant progress in martial arts.

To blast open the Mysterious Barrier Aperture and lay the foundation for the True Martial Realm."

"Therefore, whenever a dynasty reaches its end and chaos begins, Daoist Buddhist Sects, Demonic Sects, all send their disciples down the mountains to join various forces, as if a horde of demons dances wildly.

Also during this period, heroes emerge in droves, and True Martial masters, who would only appear once every few decades or even a century, will spring forth like a well eruption.

Some say that heroes are born in tumultuous times, which is both true and false. The reason some fortunate individuals can improve their cultivation at an incredible speed and become strong is because of this momentum.

Qi cultivation without gaining momentum is tantamount to vanity and holds no hope of reaching the True Martial Realm."

Momentum and Qi?

That’s essentially spirit and momentum.

This secret was entirely new to Zhou Ping’an, who felt as if he was hearing something otherworldly.

There’s such a thing?

The Third Miss never mentioned it.

If she knew, she would not have omitted it.

With this thought, Zhou Ping’an understood.

Deep inside, he couldn’t help but feel sad for Lin Huaiyu.

The explanation was simple; the reason she was unaware was because nobody chose to tell her, nor did they find it necessary for her to cultivate to such a level.

Perhaps, her fate was sealed from the beginning.

She would inevitably marry a stranger, becoming a dispensable pawn in a political marriage.

For such a tool-like person, what need was there to reveal the profound secrets of cultivation?

’So Mortal Martial arts culminate in cultivating one’s momentum? It makes sense now why the Red Lotus Sect tirelessly conquers and besieges—it appears like a fool’s errand to the uninitiated but is actually shrewd calculations...’

It’s the process that matters, not the ultimate outcome.

Not caring for eternal constancy, but valuing the possession, even if just for a moment.

As long as one holds that vast momentum for a period, someone will seize the "momentum" to make significant progress in cultivation, thereby gaining great power.

Isn’t this a form of growth, a form of success?

Thinking of the "Karmic Fire Red Lotus Visualization Method" that gathers the power of Incense Prayer Power and can refine and strengthen the soul, combined with the fast cultivation progress of all experts, Zhou Ping’an shook his head, realizing his own naivety.

Some people do business at the loss of their heads, but a loss-making trade? That no one does.

Clearly, the Red Lotus Sect was not a force that made loss-making trades.

"Then why do True Martial Realm experts join various forces? They’ve already made a breakthrough and don’t need to gain momentum, right?" Zhou Ping’an no longer saw the stories from street gossip as mere myths or legends at this point.

He recalled the tales where True Martial masters would save the day, altering the grand situation of the world.

What was their purpose?

Green Lady had come to accept that Zhou Ping’an was a country bumpkin, knowing he wasn’t familiar with some Jianghu secrets. She didn’t find his question strange and casually replied, "What else could it be for? Mortal martial artists practice qi refinement for gaining momentum, but for the True Martial, it’s about gathering fortune...."

"When fortune comes, the earth and sky work together with you; when it fades, even heroes are not free to act. True Martial fortune cultivation is actually about gaining the recognition of the heaven and earth, it’s about one’s own status and position...."

"With fortune, all pass unimpeded; without it, one is beset with obstacles...."

"Therefore, True Martial masters also choose their domains. The winner takes all, whereas the loser’s body and reputation both shatter."

"Of course, one can choose not to enter the fray, but that’s tantamount to relinquishing the chance to ascend and waiting for death."

"Fate cultivation, huh?"

Zhou Ping’an felt that this world of martial cultivation was somewhat different.

Wasn’t it said that true masters would hide in deep forests and mountains, uninvolved in worldly affairs, and when they emerged, they would sweep across the land?

This wasn’t the case here at all.

"Is there also life cultivation besides fate cultivation?"

After all, aren’t the words for "fate" and "life" often read together?

"Indeed, there is!"

Green Lady, with her big eyes open wide, looked at Zhou Ping’an in astonishment, "You actually guessed it."

Zhou Ping’an opened his mouth slightly, not knowing how to express his old-fashioned skepticism, and asked with a raspy voice, "You’re not going to tell me that the Divine Martial Realm is about life cultivation, are you?"

"That’s right! Divine Martial life cultivation involves igniting the life stars, comprehending the principles, and breaking the limits of heaven and earth.

Brother Zhou is indeed a man of wit. Just hearing a little you understand a lot. This Divine Martial Realm..."

Green Lady sighed.

It was still far too distant from her; better not to discuss these matters not to muddle her aspirations.

Besides, she had never seen the Red Lotus Sect’s Immortal Scripture; all these messages were indirectly obtained. Too profound matters were also half-understood to her, vague and unclear, nothing good to be told.

"It’s getting late. I’m grateful for Brother Zhou’s kind hospitality. For today’s matters and this treasure, I truly owe you one.

If you ever need help in the future, please speak up. I will not decline."

Overall, Green Lady was very satisfied.

She not only made the acquaintance of such a promising seed but also completed an important task.

As for future matters, there would be plenty of time to discuss them properly with Zhou Ping’an.

There must be a way to convince him to join forces with her...

"Wait a moment, Miss Qing, have you ever thought about taking control of Qingyang City for yourself?

I think I understand now why Fiery Flame Messenger was so impatient to attack. He probably didn’t want anyone else to share in the credit but aimed to monopolize Qingyang City for greater benefits, right?"

"That’s right, what does Brother Zhou think?"

"If that’s the case, instead of letting others take Qingyang City, we might as well seize it for ourselves...

Now that Tian Shouyi is dead, the City Guards are scattered, and if the Guangyun Subruder people arrive, they will benefit. But if the two of us take control of this city and change the flag... "

"What do you mean?"

Green Lady felt a tingling in her head as if something was about to sprout.

Her heart was pounding.

She was no fool.

Zhou Ping’an had made it so clear; how could she not know what he was thinking?

Her eyebrows raised slightly, and with a flash of inspiration, she felt that this was indeed a very good strategy.

No matter how Qingyang City was conquered, it couldn’t compare to actually holding it in one’s hand.

If she could seize the position of the County Magistrate and control the soldiers in the city with support from the lower faction, wouldn’t the city be easily hers?

Whether the County Magistrate was obedient or not didn’t matter. In times of chaos, possessing military power meant doing as one wished.

She could attack Guyang and Shanyin, crossing the Li River to strike at Guangyun; or she could hold the city, awaiting the right time...

Compared to her previous plans, it was at least ten times stronger.

If this plan succeeded, she might be able to open a meridian in a month, develop Gang Qi in three months, and unlock the heavenly gate in six, wouldn’t she?

For her cultivation progress, it would practically fly.

"To seize the position of County Magistrate, first you need the right background, then reputation, and third, the most critical, a powerful patron."

Green Lady said, her eyes lighting up.

"It’s easy to handle the background issue. In a few days, it will be the Empress Dowager’s birthday. The Imperial Court is summoning the entire nation for a special civil service examination for martial artists...

Though Qingyang County can’t take part in official exams, it can conduct exams for young students and martial scholars. As long as you pass these two hurdles, you’ll have a legitimate background."

"As for reputation, that’s even less of a problem. After that Lyric Poem the other day, Brother Zhou is already famous throughout Qingyang.

As time goes by, your renown will soon spread across the land.

Of course, that poem has a slightly indecent undertone...

But that’s also not an issue, you can just write another poem about defending the nation and caring for the world to balance it out.

I believe it should be easy for Brother Zhou, so the hurdle of reputation can also be easily cleared."

"With that, only the support of a powerful patron remains."

Zhou Ping’an’s mind raced, thinking of a ploy to swap the peach for the plum. Using the concept of "gaining momentum," he easily convinced the Red Lotus Celestial Maiden, and felt a slight stir within too.

Gaining momentum was one aspect.

Most importantly, the city would not easily fall into the hands of the Red Lotus Rebel Army.

This would prevent mass suffering, achieving two goals with one action.

Green Lady nodded, her eyes rolling, and smiled, "The support of a powerful patron shouldn’t be too difficult either.

I’ve put in some effort these days here, and it wasn’t a waste of time...

There’s no rush. In a few days, we’ll discuss this matter further. I need to find some people to plan this properly."

After the conversation, Green Lady left in high spirits, feeling the bright future right before her eyes.

Zhou Ping’an shook his head with a smile; he also felt a bright future wasn’t far away.

Especially as the two before him had consumed so much resources from Baicao Hall, they must have something valuable on them.

No matter how worthless, Tian Shouyi had two treasures for offense and defense on him.

...

Requesting a Monthly Pass.