Martial Forest

Chapter 28: The Shadow of the Underworld Gate

Shi Yuan is truly overbearing. Bai Qingniu then erupts with anger

‘Shi Yuan! I already tell you what you want to know. I do not have the scroll and I do not see its content. Why would you force me this way?’

‘Why? Because the Underworld Gate is moving again’ Shi Yuan simply said.,

And Bai Qingniu stiffened. Shi Yuan sighed and then said

‘In my bid to break the arrangement of the Underworld Gate against me, I have crippled my own internal energy. I thought that I was free. I did not care much of losing my internal energy after all I am now free. I don’t think you would also care about it since you too have free yourself from the sect’

Bai Qingniu did not interrupt. After all, the longer that Shi yuan talked the better. Shi Yuan of course did not notice Bai Qingniu intention. And even if he did, he probably would not care since he himself is confident of his power

He then shakes his head like remembering the matters of the past and continue his story

‘A few years ago, I managed to get a martial arts technique that enable me to practice internal energy again. and I slowly recover back my internal energy. But it is slow. But still, I would not care much about the slowness in practicing. My goals were never to be the number one in the world. Heh’ he scoffed at himself and then continue saying

‘I still have my blade technique and that alone have served me well all of these years and I have a decent reputation in Wulin. But then I hear rumors. Underworld Gate is opening. And they will start moving again. Brother Bai, you could only imagine what kind of fear gripped me when I ascertain that the news is real’

Bai Qingniu is also pale in the face. Since he too has connection with the Underworld Gate and knows how terrifying this organization really is.

And the Underworld Gate coming out to the world is not really something that Bai Qingniu wish.

Shi Yuan could see the expression on Bai Qingniu face and the smile bitterly before saying

‘And while my blade technique is praised by many, you and I both know the true might of the Underworld Gate. they have been active since before Yang Guang time and amass all kinds of wealth and possess may powerful martial arts technique. They might not even lose when compare to the One Hundred Eight Arts of the Righteous Temple’

Snorting he said

‘Even the Scroll is in their hands. They are recuperating and laying the grounds for their reemergence and they have been infiltrating the many camps of the warlords that have appeared since the Huangchao rebellion. Don’t you see what is happening?’

Smiling he then said

‘Brother Bai. A change of dynasty is about to begin. The battle between the orthodox and heterodox path will begin again. During the Sui dynasty, the Underworld Gate hold sway and the orthodox path were oppressed. During the late years of Sui, Yang Guang is an incompetent ruler giving a chance for the righteous path to mount a counterattack. So the righteous path supported Li Shimin’

‘Tang rose from the ashes of Sui, Taizong created the pillars of Tang and so the orthodox path held sway and the heterodox path were oppressed’

‘You think you alone could stop the advent of the Underworld Gate?’ Bai Qingniu ask with a hint of disdain in his tone. Shi Yuan laughed.

‘Of course not. But to protect myself, it would be enough. I, myself had not been that interested in the Scroll in the first place. It was not until I went into the imperial palace and see some old archive that I gained an interest in that Scroll’

Bai Qingniu did not know what to say. He probably knows which part of the Scroll that aroused Shi yuan desire.

One of the effect of practicing the many arts in the Scrolls is the miraculous ability of quickly increasing one level of internal energy.

If one has their internal energy crippled, by mastering that one art in the Scroll they could even be like a mythical phoenix, reborn from the ashes becoming even stronger.

But, he could not give the Scroll content to Shi Yuan. Yes, Bai Qingniu did read the Scroll

He saw the entirety of that Scroll.

And he also knows that the Scroll that he had seen is incomplete. The one that he had manage to see is a heart technique, the Longevity Scroll.

But even if he saw it, he would not give it to Shi Yuan.

The Longevity Scroll falling into the hands of Shi Yuan would only create calamity.

The Longevity Scroll amplified what is in the heart already. A righteous person would cultivate a righteous heart and those with evil heart would cultivate evil deeds.

Bai Qingniu had never practiced the internal martial arts of the Longevity Scroll. First, because he no longer wanted to be associated with any of the matters of Jianghu.

Second, he was afraid.

He himself did not know whether he is a good man now, or is he still the evil person he is all of those years ago.

And because he doesn’t know, he doesn’t dare.

And the third is because, he could not understand it. He knows it could work but he does not know how to practice it.

If not, how could he be like this. But there is also some kind of fate in that.

He possesses the complete manual of the Longevity Scroll and remember each of the method and practice in it.

But while he remembers it, he could not practice it.

At first, he had cursed himself and fall into despair.

He thought that even if he had his internal energy being crippled he would still be able to stage a comeback.

Who would have thought even if he had the Scroll he still could not become a powerful expert?

But it is also because of him losing his martial arts he had quite a happy life. His age is thirty when he was crippled. Since then he got married, settled down and having daughters and granddaughters.

He did not become a powerful expert of the martial path but he had lived his life quite happily.

At the age of forty, he had extinguished his desire of trying to learn it and instead determined to not let such art falls into the hands of any evil people.

In that ten years he had changed and knows the immensity of his sins and as such he had learned medicine and go all around the empire to heal people.

To the rich he charged a few Ding. to the poor he sometimes accepts payments like some foods. And to those who have no food, he treated them for free.

He thought now, that he is old and probably would die in a couple of years, that he had already extricated himself from the matters of Jianghu.

Who would have thought because of that Scroll, today matter would happen?

Wang Li had already nearly killed him last night. In the morning, the Senior brother came and about to do harm to him again.

Bai Qingniu did not worry about his life.

He did not care that much dying under the blade of Shi Yuan. But, he knew that Shi Yuan would not kill him unless he tells him where is the Scroll.

He is worried about his granddaughter and his disciple.

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