Chapter 9: Blessed Land Dao Master: A Fisted Grip Is A Grip On Power—power And Martial Might As One
The autumn night was deep and chilling.
A hazy mist permeated the Jade Belt River.
Splash!
The oars stirred ripples, guiding the slightly off-course black-canopied boat towards the shore, traveling steadily.
Yang Lie stood at the bow, rowing. The cold wind from the river, carrying moisture, soaked his clothes. He couldn’t help but mutter, “It would be great to have a drink.”
As a martial arts practitioner, his muscles and bones were strong, so this bit of cold and dampness was nothing. But being able to endure it physically didn’t mean he was immune to the elements.
He involuntarily cast his gaze into the cabin, eyeing Wu Duxiong’s wine pot with envy.
Hong Yuan was no exception; he was thoroughly soaked. The chill against his skin made his mind, however, more active.
He was quite concerned about that Master Qin, or rather, it was the ‘Blood Contract Talisman’ that piqued his interest. He slightly turned his head, observing the cabin for a moment to confirm Master Qin was still unconscious.
He moved closer to Yang Lie, appearing hesitant, then asked in a low voice, “Brother Yang, what’s the deal with Master Qin?”
“Master Qin?” Yang Lie glanced into the cabin, then lowered his voice and sighed, “He was a teacher at the county’s private school and had known my uncle for nearly twenty years. He has an only son named Qin Ziyue…”
Master Qin and his wife were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love. Sadly, when he was thirty, his wife suddenly fell ill and passed away. Master Qin was heartbroken and never remarried, pouring all his affection into his only son.
Over time, Qin Ziyue became spoiled. He made friends with all sorts of unsavory characters. Master Qin, being overly doting, couldn’t bear to discipline him with a club, only offering verbal reprimands, and as a teacher, he couldn’t keep an eye on him constantly…
Then, one day, Qin Ziyue disappeared.
Master Qin inquired everywhere, reported to the yamen, and exhausted all his efforts, but found no trace. Finally, he sought help from Yang Erhu.
‘So Yang Erhu is Yang Lie’s uncle.’
Hong Yuan’s attention had clearly shifted; he had initially speculated they were father and son or master and disciple.
Yang Erhu was a man of loyalty. Seeing his old friend in tears and desperately pleading, how could he refuse?
But he was merely a martial artist with limited connections. A month passed, and he only managed to find a few clues.
He felt that if this dragged on, the hope of rescuing the person would become even slimmer. He immediately sent a letter to the prefecture city for help, which then gathered Wu Duxiong and Yang Lie as two more assistants.
Along with Master Qin, the four of them spent immense effort to track down the so-called ‘Biwu Immortal Realm,’ leading to Yang Lie and even Master Qin risking their lives to go undercover. Yang Lie spoke volubly about the dangers, but the critical parts of the process were glossed over with a brushstroke of literary convention.
“Brother Yang is truly righteous and helpful; I admire you greatly.” Hong Yuan cupped his hands in admiration. “However, you must have gone through a lot of trouble.”
“Alas, it’s a long story!” Yang Lie sighed deeply, his young face etched with the weariness of unforgettable experiences.
Hong Yuan actually felt Yang Lie was holding something back. The fire oil alone wasn’t something three or four people could prepare, let alone transport into a heavily guarded manor. But since Yang Lie didn’t mention it, he didn’t pry.
Hong Yuan expressed his sympathy for Master Qin’s tragic misfortune and then let it go, as he himself was quite unfortunate, having transmigrated for no reason.
“What is that ‘Blood Contract Talisman’?” Bringing up Master Qin, Hong Yuan’s main goal was to lead the conversation here. Talk of talismans always stirred some imagination.
“It’s a special type of talisman art. Once this talisman is refined, it can use one’s own vital blood as a guide to locate the whereabouts of a close relative…”
Seeing Hong Yuan’s solemn expression, Yang Lie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Brother Hong, as a scholar, you’ve probably read too many miscellaneous accounts of immortals and strange tales. But supernatural arts in this world aren’t as wondrous as in books. The range of this ‘Blood Contract Talisman’ is only within twenty to thirty feet.”
His voice lowered further.
“Within twenty to thirty feet, if it’s a living person, this talisman isn’t needed. It’s only for…”
Yang Lie sighed again.
Hong Yuan immediately changed the subject.
The light boat drifted with the wind, gliding over the waves.
In their casual conversation, Hong Yuan learned more about Yang Lie. Yang Lie’s father and Yang Erhu were not only brothers but also fellow disciples from the same school. In their youth, they had roamed the Jianghu. Now, as they got older, one had established a business in the prefecture city and lived comfortably, while the other opened a martial arts school in the county town to teach disciples.
As for Yang Lie’s martial arts, although he had received guidance from his father, it wasn’t the true transmission. Instead, his father had found him another renowned master to teach him.
When this topic came up, Yang Lie felt both puzzled and a hint of resentment.
Without realizing it, the boat had traveled over ten miles. As lights faintly appeared ahead, Yang Lie exclaimed, “Uncle Wu, Uncle, we’ve arrived!”
The black-canopied boat slowly docked. Yang Lie jumped ashore first and used the rope from the boat to tie it to a wooden stake on the shore.
Hong Yuan leaped down.
Following them, Wu Duxiong and Yang Erhu, carrying Master Qin, disembarked one after another. The group moved forward silently in the darkness. The lights grew brighter, and the silhouette of a small town appeared ahead.
Upon closer inspection, they saw the town had only two streets, one intersecting the other. The houses on either side were low, mostly single-story, with only a two-story restaurant and shops in the center.
The lights were coming from the restaurant, and occasional sounds of rowdiness could be heard from within, suggesting some idle people were drinking and reveling late into the night. Coughs and dog barks intermittently came from the surrounding houses.
Yang Erhu and the others were very familiar with this small town and navigated it with practiced ease. Without alerting anyone, they circled around to the back door of the restaurant and knocked a few times.
Knock, knock, knock!
After a while, more knocks followed in a rhythmic pattern.
With a creak, the back door gently opened. In the dim light, a shriveled, thin old man with a face full of wrinkles, wearing a long robe, appeared.
Hong Yuan observed clearly. The old man’s cloudy eyes lifted, quickly scanning each of them before lingering on him for an extra moment. He then lowered his head and coughed, “You’re back!”
“Let’s go inside and talk.”
Yang Erhu nodded calmly and led the group directly inside. It was a cramped courtyard with a few small rooms that could be lived in.
Yang Erhu chose a room. It wasn’t elaborately decorated, containing only a table and a bed. He placed Master Qin on the bed, tucked him in, closed the door, and came out. Seeing Yang Lie and Hong Yuan soaked, he said to the withered old man, “Bring two sets of clean clothes.”
“Alright, I’ll get them right away,” the thin old man nodded.
Yang Erhu waved his hand, signaling him to wait, then said to Yang Lie and Hong Yuan, “Your robes can’t be worn out anymore. Please have the old gentleman handle them as well.”
The thin old man extended his dry hands, touched Yang Lie’s sleeve robe, rubbed his fingers, and grinned, “High-quality silk. If sold on the black market, these two robes could fetch at least twenty taels.”
“I’ll leave it to you. Just bring me fifteen taels tomorrow,” Yang Erhu said.
“Then thank you, thank you very much!” The old man’s wrinkled face seemed to bloom like a chrysanthemum.
Listening to their conversation, Hong Yuan felt a strong sense of disconnect. On one hand, he knew the importance of money. On the other, having just transmigrated into this world and not even a full night having passed, he felt like nothing mattered.
The two emotions intertwined, creating a complex feeling.
Yang Erhu and Wu Duxiong also felt a contradiction. They had just witnessed the extravagant spending of the women in ‘Biwu Immortal Realm,’ who pretended to be divine beings, and now they were haggling over a few taels of silver. It felt absurd.
They had considered taking valuable items from the ‘Biwu Immortal Realm’ to exchange for money, but they feared alerting the enemy and, second, they feared not knowing the true value of the items, potentially selling stolen goods back to the original owners and falling into a trap.
Clothes and robes were less of an issue; they could always be dismantled into fabric and remade.
Hong Yuan and Yang Lie immediately removed their robes, leaving only their thin inner shirts. Each chose a small room to enter. Although there were oil lamps inside, there was no open flame. Fortunately, Hong Yuan could see in the dark and went directly to the bed plank.
The room and even the bedding had a slight odor, but Hong Yuan had no mind to be picky. Having transmigrated and engaged in a sudden fight, now that he relaxed, he felt physically and mentally exhausted. Wrapped in his damp thin shirt, he still wanted to fall asleep.
He gathered his spirits, got up, and propped the door shut with the small table and wooden stool in the room. With a thought, lines of small characters resembling flying mosquitoes appeared.
Hong Yuan stared intently at the four characters ‘Blessed Land Dao Master,’ and the next moment, all the small characters spun rapidly, transforming into a gray-white vortex.
Hong Yuan took a breath, relaxed his spirit, and let the suction from the vortex pull him. The next moment, his surroundings suddenly changed.
Swish!
When he opened his eyes again, Hong Yuan’s body suddenly appeared on a large gray-white square. However, he could distinctly feel that his physical body was still in the small room of the restaurant; what appeared here was merely his consciousness manifested.
Hong Yuan looked around. The gray-white square was surrounded by rings of white, misty haze that made it impossible to see far, like an abyss. Only in front of Hong Yuan was a huge, equally gray-white stone door, seemingly embedded in the mist, appearing and disappearing.
Below the gray-white stone door were nine steps, each one as tall as a person. Hong Yuan instinctively walked towards the gray-white stone door. But as he reached the first step and was about to reach out to climb, a gentle force suddenly repelled him.
Bang!
Hong Yuan was flung far away, falling onto the gray-white square. He wasn’t injured, of course; he didn’t know how his manifested consciousness body could be injured.
“What’s going on?”
As Hong Yuan looked on in surprise, his vision suddenly changed.
【Blessed Land Dao Master（Gray）—Outside the Threshold: Hong Yuan（18）】
【Root Bone: 2/100】
【Comprehension: 2/100】
【Talent: Qi Flows Through the Hundred Skeletons, Clear Eyes and Penetrating】
The ‘Blessed Land Dao Master’ section had changed, with ‘Outside the Threshold’ added. Hong Yuan looked at the square beneath his feet and the gray-white stone door with nine steps below it, and he had some guesses.
Immediately after, the stone door trembled with a ‘hum,’ and suddenly, an ancient, heavy thought surged into Hong Yuan’s mind.
After a while, Hong Yuan processed the information, his face filled with shock.
This stone door—
To be precise, the world behind the stone door was called 【Great Year Blessed Land】!
When he transmigrated, he didn’t know how he became bound to this 【Great Year Blessed Land】 and became its 【Blessed Land Dao Master】. But for now, it was just a title. To truly take charge, he had to achieve two accomplishments.
Great Year refers to the Grand Year God, the Ruler of the Year!
He wielded the greatest authority and possessed the strongest martial power within a year, hence he was also called the Mid-Year Son of Heaven and the leader of all gods.
The emphasis in this passage was on power and martial strength!
For Hong Yuan to ascend the nine steps, knock open the stone door, and enter the 【Great Year Blessed Land】, he had to achieve two accomplishments: his personal martial power reaching its zenith, unmatched by anyone, and his grip on power being supreme in the world.
Martial Power First!
Power First!
Double Crown!
Only then could he not only have the nominal title of 【Blessed Land Dao Master】 but also real benefits. That is, once he stepped into the 【Great Year Blessed Land】, his lifespan would be integrated with the Blessed Land. As long as the Blessed Land remained, he would be immortal, living as long as heaven.
Even as a manifested consciousness, Hong Yuan felt his breath seize, his heart seemingly about to leap out of his incorporeal body.
After a considerable moment, Hong Yuan gradually calmed down. This was a huge prize, but extremely difficult to obtain.
Firstly, regarding power, the Great Yin Dynasty had abolished the Imperial Examination, leaving commoners with virtually no path for advancement. To become an official, one had to serve noble clans, powerful families, or the nobility.
If these influential figures were pleased, they might throw a few bones, offering an opportunity to become an official.
But even if one became an official, the idea of becoming a powerful minister and acting like Wang Mang was simply a pipe dream.
Because the Great Yin Dynasty had reached its current state, many prefectures and states had powerful factions that, while outwardly obeying the imperial court’s decrees, often withheld taxes and converted the imperial army into their private forces.
Not to mention others, take Linjiang Prefecture, where Hong Yuan was located, as an example. Otherwise, how could a mere prefecture support three divisions of prefecture troops like the ‘White Scale Guard,’ totaling over ten thousand soldiers?
Entering the court as an official and then climbing step by step to the highest position was an untenable idea; there were no internal conditions for reform.
Even if one reached the highest echelon of officialdom and wanted to achieve supreme power, to become the emperor, one would still have to conquer the world and defeat all the powerful nobles and warlords. Wasn’t that rebellion?
‘Martial Power, at this stage, the most important thing is personal martial power!’
No matter how big the prize, one must have the life to eat it. Only by continuously growing stronger could one avoid being stifled in the cradle.
Fortunately, Hong Yuan could continuously improve his root bone and comprehension. Otherwise, his attitude towards obtaining the prize would be not extremely difficult, but almost impossible.
‘Combat, and medicinal baths can both increase root bone and comprehension.’
‘So the goal is to enhance martial power, protect myself, and then use martial power to seize power. Holding a fist is how one holds power!’
‘Power and martial arts united.’
Hong Yuan thought silently. Another issue that worried him was whether there were any superhumans in this world, and to what extent.
With a thought, Hong Yuan withdrew from the gray-white square.
“Initial contact with the gate of the blessed land has elevated your spirit, leading to a transformation in your state of mind. Comprehension +2 strands.”
“Huh?”
Hong Yuan’s expression changed. A cool sensation reverberated in his mind, bringing him a sense of emptiness once more. Looking at the ‘Comprehension: 4/100’ section, his consciousness entered the gray-white square again.
After a few breaths, Hong Yuan opened his eyes in the dark room, touched his chin, and sighed inwardly, “As expected, I can’t repeatedly farm comprehension…”
Thirty thousand plus characters, and finally, the theme is revealed…
