Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 95 - 92: Moon over the Tip of the Willows, a Rendezvous After Dusk (Please Subscribe, Request for Monthly Pass)

Chapter 95: Chapter 92: Moon over the Tip of the Willows, a Rendezvous After Dusk (Please Subscribe, Request for Monthly Pass)

Zhou Ping’an felt things were getting interesting.

It was like playing a game.

He was on the side of the righteous factions, joining a small family as a minor leader.

He was preparing to strive for an opportunity to join a sect and gain its inheritance...

But unexpectedly, the antagonists had already drawn a big pie for him, offering a chance to leap into the sky and become one of the high-ranking members.

What a commotion this was causing.

If it weren’t for his disagreement with some of the Red Lotus Sect’s ideologies,

Zhou Ping’an wasn’t sure whether he would switch allegiance and join this bright and brilliant rebellion.

Unfortunately, the other side was rebelling just for the sake of rebellion.

They were not doing it for the common people, and there wouldn’t be any final outcome to speak of.

They only cared about the process.

Passing by, walking by, rebelling and then...

The aftermath would be a mess, turning to ashes and smoke, a fate that seemed inevitable.

The history of this world had already proven that the Red Lotus Sect only knew destruction, not construction, and following them was a hopeless endeavor.

That’s what he thought in his heart.

In his mouth, however, he didn’t mind flattering and wheeling and dealing a bit.

"How can one perform meritorious deeds? And what kind of grand achievement is needed to become a Saint Heir?"

At this question, the Green Lady hesitated and didn’t answer.

After some thought, she said, "I have long heard that Young Master Zhou is extraordinary with the sword and has astonishing strength. Would it be possible to see a demonstration of your skill?"

Before, she thought if he was just an ordinary "Dharma Protector Divine General," nothing more than a short-lived thug, driving him to his limits and using him fully would be enough.

She never imagined that not only was his martial arts exceptional and his talent astonishing.

But also, in terms of poetic talent, he was extremely impressive.

When that poem came out,

The Green Lady of course knew that in his heart, he was actually cursing her for being a scheming woman.

His intentions could hardly be described as pure and good.

But that was because he didn’t know the cultivation technique she practiced required talent in literature and the energy of the mortal world.

When Tianyin sounds, it bewitches and intoxicates.

If this man were to grow stronger and could cultivate with her...

Wouldn’t this Oblivion Melody be able to reach the legendary state of "great soundless sound, great love wordless," and might even hope to step into True Martial, or even, get a glimpse of the Divine Martial path.

By then, what would the position of "Holy Maiden" matter? It might be possible to challenge her own mother, and vie for prominence.

Such a "rare commodity" genius.

Wasn’t it somewhat inappropriate to pull him into the clash of battle formations?

The Green Lady was sometimes frowning, sometimes pondering.

She was at times longing, at times anxious, her expressions changing a hundred times, leaving Zhou Ping’an momentarily confused, thinking she was worried that his martial skills were inadequate for the important task of retrieving the "Karmic Fire Red Lotus Visualization Method."

He decided to give her some confidence.

"Miss Qing, please teach me."

He didn’t hesitate; since he needed to show his mettle, there was no need for concealment.

He struck out with a fist directly to the chest.

Without sound or warning, it was incredibly fast and powerful.

Where the punch was aimed, the air itself seemed to be constrained.

Not only had the space in front turned into a vacuum, but it seemed even the sound had been shattered.

This punch was not the Chopping Wave Knife or the Wave Subduing Jin.

Instead, it was the Xingyi Bong Fist, operated with the Ninth Level Overlapping Waves Method.

The punch was swift as an arrow, faster than a clap of thunder.

With short and rapid force, the core concept was to defeat the enemy with one move.

"Excellent fist technique."

When the Green Lady saw this punch, her eyes lit up.

Her legs were still, and her shoulders didn’t sway.

Suddenly, her hands became thousands of shadows.

Sometimes clenching fists like hammers, sometimes fingers joined like swords, sometimes palms erect like knives, sometimes arms crossed like shields.

So much so that Zhou Ping’an’s vision blurred momentarily, feeling as if not one person, but countless people were making moves at the same time.

Solid, agile, sharp, fierce...

All kinds of forces struck and swept across, leveraging and offloading power, like a dense haze of phantoms pressing on his punch.

The relentless force of the Ninth Level Overlapping Waves should have been unstoppable, breaking through everything.

Yet for the first time, he encountered someone who chipped away at its power, bit by bit.

And furthermore, turning it into a magnificent force that counterattacked.

In comparison to the extremely rigid force of the Ninth Level Overlapping Waves, it was even more formidable.

"What kind of fist technique is this?"

Zhou Ping’an completed a circle with his arms, containing the tremendous force that was about to send him flying, within that circle.

He swayed slightly and stepped back.

He asked as he opened his mouth.

His Wave Subduing Blade Force had been honed and pondered daily in practice with Lin Huaiyu, and he gradually grasped its essence.

By this time, he had reached the Fourth Turning of the Wave Subduing.

According to Lin Huaiyu, another breakthrough would allow him to ignore various malicious and yin energies invading his body, move smoothly like flowing water.

Although he had not yet entered the realm of Five Turnings into Perfection, he was not too troubled to block this heavy force coming from one direction.

However, this allowed him to see that this delicate and charming woman, who seemed to possess little strength, had a cultivation realm that surpassed his own.

It was very likely that she was a Great Martial Master at the Training Viscera Realm, and not just at the entry level—perhaps she had trained three or four viscera, or maybe like Lin Huaiyu, had simultaneously trained all five.

This judgment was made because...

In Jianghu, people’s attacks generally come in two types: ordinary attacks and ultimate moves.

Take himself as an example.

When he threw a punch with all his might, it was still the Ninth Level Overlapping Waves Power, but it certainly couldn’t be considered an ultimate move.

For an ultimate move, he would have to use a technique that could unleash six times the power, together with a suitable weapon, ignite the will to fight, and muster the killing intent...

But the Green Lady on the other side also hadn’t used her ultimate move.

Even the smile on her face remained unperturbed.

She didn’t even need to use the so-called "Oblivion Melody" she had mentioned before; merely by probing with a casual move, she was already unfathomable.

To think that just any Celestial Maiden from the Red Lotus could be so strong.

What about this "Holy Maiden"?

Suddenly, Zhou Ping’an began to feel very uneasy about Tang Lin’er’s situation.

Could it be that Saintess Yunling had cultivated True Qi, and perhaps even Gang Qi, indicating she was a high-level expert?

If so, the chances of avenging his grievances might be basically nonexistent.

Not to mention the power of her backers, he couldn’t even catch up to her in terms of pure strength.

No, that’s not right.

I have also trained in the "Purifying Lotus Body"; I may not be a "Dharma Protector Deity General", but I am on par with one.

If that Saintess Yunling were to find out...

Wouldn’t she also be implicated?

Moreover,

If Saintess Yunling knew that I have already cultivated the "Karmic Fire Red Lotus Visualization Method" she has been coveting—and that there was only one chance for transmission—

Would she be so angry that she might spit blood?

’In that case, it may not be suitable for me to continue being the Saint Heir,’ he thought.

Perhaps there was another path—that of rapid strengthening of my abilities.

To become so formidable that she wouldn’t dare to target me.

Of course, as I am improving, so is she.

Whether one is strong or not is always a moot point.

I’ll need a two-pronged approach: bluff my way through first and foremost.

Zhou Ping’an was entertaining various thoughts in his mind.

Then he heard the maid by his side proudly speak, "My young mistress practices the Thousand-Handed Guanyin Technique—thousands of hands and eyes. No martial technique in the world is unbreakable to it."

"Indeed formidable," Ping’an sincerely admired.

He didn’t think the maid was exaggerating on behalf of her mistress.

Rather, he could tell.

Just how powerful this "Thousand-Handed Guanyin Technique" could be.

It all depends on the individual’s learning capability.

At Miss Qing’s first move, he saw that it incorporated at least seven or eight, perhaps even more than ten types of martial arts.

The methods of jin operation, the angles of attack, each had its subtleties.

And she could perfectly integrate them together, resulting in a combined force.

If she were to learn even more secret techniques and blend them in, the "Thousand-Handed Guanyin Technique" could become even more formidable and terrifying.

"It’s not as mystical as Xiaoyu has made it sound. I have neglected my martial practice and manage only to defend myself.

As for Young Master Zhou, your Ninth Level Overlapping Waves, from extreme rigidity to softness, and the Fourth Level Realms of your Wave Subduing Blade Force, combined with the explosive power of the Lotus Body, are indeed more than enough for self-protection.

For this operation, I’d ask for your help to seize back the secret manual, which would qualify as a great achievement."

After pondering, Miss Qing made up her mind and said further, "Brother Zhou, your previous attempt to counter the Heartbite Worm with the power of the Ninth Turning of Wave Subduing was not misguided. The Extreme Softness Realm—transforming into flowing water—makes it difficult for any technique to harm you...

However, the Heartbite Worm of our sect has some peculiarities. Not only does it dissolve in blood, but it also incorporates into one’s qi.

It seems alive, yet it is inanimate, extremely difficult to expel.

Even if one transforms into flowing water, it cannot stop this thing from following the qi and dissolving into the blood, penetrating deep into the heart. Once it acts up, it’s truly hard to resist."

Ultimately,

The implicit meaning in Miss Qing’s words,

Was still to encourage Zhou Ping’an to work hard for the sect, to improve his status and position.

So much so that she detailed every aspect of the Heartbite Worm’s traits,

And even advised him on the methods to neutralize it.

Appearing to go out of her way, she seemed very considerate of him.

But from start to finish, Zhou Ping’an never heard her mention how to solve the inherent dilemma of the "Purifying Lotus Body" itself.

This cultivation technique can’t be stopped once started,

And it shouldn’t be overused.

The problem lies right there.

Carrying a blade in one’s heart, murderous intent arises spontaneously.

Having learned such a powerful technique that can fiercely erupt, when facing a strong adversary, to use it or not?

It’s not even a question of wanting to use it or not.

Once you train in it, you are bound to use it.

Thus, a short lifespan becomes inevitable.

Miss Qing didn’t mention this; whether it’s intentional mitigation or because she doesn’t feel the need to think too far ahead remains unknown.

From this standpoint,

Compared to Lin Huaiyu’s genuine treatment, she falls far short.

She might truly wish to elevate me to the position of "Saint Heir", but to say she holds no reservations would be joking.

However, it doesn’t matter.

Zhou Ping’an isn’t disappointed.

Utilizing each other, there’s no need to talk of heart-to-heart connections.

Jianghu people, after all, abide by the principle of "Speak prudently, never pour out one’s whole heart to others."

Being able to get along merrily and work wholeheartedly together is already quite good.

...

The moon climbs over willow tips,

Meeting after dusk has fallen...

No sooner said than done.

As the sky darkened and the moon rose high among the trees, Zhou Ping’an donned his black night clothes, carrying a fine iron spear as thick as a goose egg, and disappeared into the thick night.

He had agreed with Miss Qing to infiltrate the County Warden’s Mansion together that night.

No sooner had he leaped out of his residence, he saw Lin Huaiyu also dressed in black, leaning against a large tree with a long sword at his side, looking on with a smile that was not quite a smile.

...

I seek your Monthly Pass.