16: Chapter 16 Zhang Cuishan and his wife return

The homeward-bound ship cut through the azure waves of the East Sea, speeding all the way toward the Central Plains.

On the bow, Zhang Sanfeng stood by the railing, the sea breeze fluttering his moon-white Daoist robe, while the Pure Yang Dao Rhyme surrounding his body merged with the sea breeze, creating a seamless, natural harmony.

His gaze swept across the deck, falling upon a few people not far away, a faint, indifferent smile in his eyes.

Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan was practicing the Wudang Cotton Palm on the deck.

The ten years on Ice and Fire Island had not caused him to abandon Wudang Sect martial arts; every Move and stance still carried the unique, rounded harmony characteristic of the Wudang Sect.

However, he had always carried a trace of unresolved melancholy within him.

It was not until Zhang Sanfeng personally stepped onto the island and untied the greatest knot in his and Yin Susu's hearts that this melancholy finally dissipated, and his sword Moves regained the spirited vigor of his youth.

"Cuishan, your Cotton Palm emphasizes form over intent, yet it lacks the essence of 'following the curve and extending'."

Zhang Sanfeng walked over slowly, his voice calm, yet every word precisely pointed out the flaws in the palm technique.

He raised his hand casually, his fingertips carrying a wisp of Pure Yang Qi, and gently brushed against Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan's wrist, turning slightly along the trajectory of his Move.

With just this simple action, Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan instantly felt a rounded, unobstructed force surge into his limbs and bones.

His previously stagnant palm technique instantly became fluid as flowing water, and within the Cotton Palm, the true essence of Taiji—overcoming hardness with softness—faintly emerged.

"Master!" Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan was both surprised and delighted; he withdrew his sword and bowed deeply to Zhang Sanfeng.

"This Disciple is dull-witted; for ten years, I have been unable to break through this barrier. Thank you for your guidance, Master!"

"You were merely trapped by the knots in your heart; when your state of mind is blocked, your martial arts naturally cannot make any progress."

Zhang Sanfeng waved his hand and turned his gaze to Yin Susu, who was holding their child nearby. "Susu, come here as well."

Upon hearing this, Yin Susu hurriedly walked forward while holding Cult Leader Zhang Wuji, bowing gracefully to Zhang Sanfeng, her expression still carrying a touch of wariness.

Even though Zhang Sanfeng had long stated he would not pursue the past, she still harbored a profound sense of awe for this Wudang Ancestral Master.

"Your Mosquito Whisker Needles and the hidden weapon techniques of the Heavenly Eagle Cult are cunning enough, but they lack a solid Foundation." Zhang Sanfeng looked at her, his tone gentle.

"I will pass on a set of Wudang Sect Flowing Cloud Scattered Hands to you. It can dissolve the baleful energy in your hidden weapon techniques and complement your Internal Skill, giving you an extra measure of self-protection should you encounter danger in the future."

Yin Susu suddenly lifted her head, her eyes filled with disbelief.

She was originally a demoness of the Ming Cult; not only did the Master not hold her past faults against her, but he was actually going to personally teach her Wudang Sect martial arts?

"Thank you, Master, for your great kindness!" Yin Susu's eyes reddened, and she knelt deeply on the ground while holding Cult Leader Zhang Wuji.

Zhang Sanfeng raised his hand to help her up, his gaze falling upon Cult Leader Zhang Wuji in her arms.

The little fellow was only five years old, looking robust and lively with a pair of bright, dark eyes.

He was not at all shy, staring curiously at Zhang Sanfeng while clutching the corner of Yin Susu's clothes and saying something.

Zhang Sanfeng understood in his heart that this was the future Ming Cult leader, Cult Leader Zhang Wuji, who in the original story lived a life of displacement and suffering.

He first suffered from the cold poison of the Xuanming Divine Palm, enduring endless torture, and later drifted through the Jianghu, indecisive his whole life, pushed along by fate.

But now, this child's fate should be rewritten.

He reached out, his fingertips condensing a wisp of gentle Pure Yang Qi, and gently tapped it onto Cult Leader Zhang Wuji's brow.

The little fellow was not afraid; instead, he giggled and reached out his small hands to grab Zhang Sanfeng's fingers.

The Pure Yang Qi flowed from his brow into his body, slowly circulating through his extraordinary Meridians.

Zhang Sanfeng clearly perceived that this child indeed possessed excellent Nine Yang meridian talent; he was a natural-born genius for cultivating the Wudang Nine Yang Skill.

The Protective Aura circulated slowly within his body, laying the first Foundation of the Wudang Nine Yang Skill while simultaneously clearing out all the Impurities from his body, making his Meridians more unobstructed and resilient.

"Wuji, remember this cultivation route. Circulate it three times every morning upon waking, and your path in martial arts will be much smoother in the future."

Zhang Sanfeng looked at the little fellow, his voice gentle, while simultaneously imprinting the basic Mind-Cultivation Technique of the Wudang Nine Yang Skill into Cult Leader Zhang Wuji's mind using the power of his Divine Soul.

Cult Leader Zhang Wuji nodded as if he understood, leaned his little head toward Zhang Sanfeng, and called out in a milky voice: "Thank you, Grandmaster."

This call of "Grandmaster" caused a slight stir in Zhang Sanfeng's heart, and the smile on his lips deepened.

Nearby, Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun was leaning against the ship's railing, holding the dragon slaying saber, his ears twitching slightly as he listened to the commotion over here.

Though he was blind, his five senses were far superior to ordinary people, and he heard the entire process of Zhang Sanfeng laying the Foundation Establishment for Cult Leader Zhang Wuji clearly.

This Golden-Haired Lion King had been arrogant and had killed countless people in his life, yet he treated Cult Leader Zhang Wuji as his own flesh and blood.

He had originally thought that returning to the Central Plains would inevitably be a bloody affair, where Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan and his wife would be forced to their deaths by the major Schools, and Wuji would end up displaced and destitute.

But he had not expected that Zhang Sanfeng, with his heaven-defying cultivation, would personally travel to Ice and Fire Island to bring them home and even lay such a profound martial arts Foundation for Wuji.

Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun gripped the dragon slaying saber in his hand, bowed deeply toward Zhang Sanfeng's direction, his voice hoarse.

"Grandmaster Zhang, great kindness needs no thanks. I, Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun, have killed countless people in my life; the debt of gratitude I owe you is impossible to repay in this lifetime."

"It was merely a small effort." Zhang Sanfeng said indifferently.

"Cult Leader Zhang Wuji is a grand-Disciple of my Wudang Sect; protecting him is only right. As for your grievances, once we return to the Central Plains, I will help you resolve them one by one."

Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun trembled all over, lowered his head, and could not say another word; only the tightly gripped hilt of his saber betrayed his inner agitation.

The return journey was smooth sailing; during this time, they encountered dozens of East Sea pirate ships that wanted to plunder the fleet.

But before the pirate ships could even get close, Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun, brandishing the dragon slaying saber, leaped into the air and, with a single strike, split the lead pirate ship in two.

The remaining pirates were so terrified that their souls flew away and spirits scattered; they turned and fled, but were all captured by Yu Lianzhou and the Wudang Sect Disciples, who then crippled their martial arts.

After this incident, whether it was the Wudang Sect Disciples or the sailors of the Heavenly Eagle Cult, all held a few more points of awe for this legendary Golden-Haired Lion King.

After twenty-eight days at sea, the fleet finally arrived at the port of Jiaxing Prefecture in Jiangnan.

The port was already packed with a sea of people.

Yin Yewang, along with the Core Disciples of the Heavenly Eagle Cult, as well as the Sect Heads and Disciples of the various major martial arts Schools in Jiangnan, stood densely packed on the ground, all waiting for the fleet to dock.

When they saw the Wudang Sect flag fluttering in the wind at the bow and the figure in the Daoist robe standing at the prow, the port instantly erupted into thunderous cheers.

The gangplank was lowered, and Yin Yewang rushed up first; looking at his sister Yin Susu, whom he hadn't seen in ten years, as well as Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan beside her and his nephew Cult Leader Zhang Wuji, his eyes instantly reddened.

"Brother!" Yin Susu, holding Cult Leader Zhang Wuji, threw herself into Yin Yewang's arms and burst into tears.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Yin Yewang patted his sister's back, his voice choked with emotion, then turned around and bowed deeply to Zhang Sanfeng, bending all the way to the ground.

"Grandmaster Zhang, the Heavenly Eagle Cult will never forget your great kindness!"

"There is no need for such formalities." Zhang Sanfeng raised his hand to help him up. "Susu is the daughter-in-law of my Wudang Sect; it is only natural that I protect her."

This single sentence once again solidified Yin Susu's status in the Wudang Sect and completely bound the relationship between the Heavenly Eagle Cult and the Wudang Sect together.

Over the next few days, Zhang Sanfeng led Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan and his party north from Jiangnan, returning to Wudang Mountain.

Wherever they passed along the way, the Schools of the Jianghu all came out of their cities to welcome them and pay their respects.

Everyone wanted to see this legendary Wudang Ancestral Master with their own eyes and behold this martial arts myth who had broken through the shackles of the martial path.

The reputation of the Wudang Sect, like a snowball, skyrocketed to an unprecedented height.

On this day, the group finally arrived at the foot of Wudang Mountain.

Song Yuanqiao, along with Third Master Yu Daiyan, Yin Liting, Mo Shenggu, and hundreds of Wudang Sect Disciples, had been waiting outside the mountain gate for a long time.

When they saw Zhang Sanfeng leading Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan walking toward them, the eyes of Song Yuanqiao and the other six instantly reddened.

"Fifth Brother!"

"Third Brother! Eldest Brother! Second Brother!"

Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan rushed forward like a madman, embracing his six fellow Disciples tightly. Ten years of separation, ten years of longing; the seven brothers were finally reunited.

Third Master Yu Daiyan, who had originally been paralyzed in a wheelchair, was now standing steadily before him, his posture upright and tall—where was there any trace of paralysis left?

"Third Brother..." Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan's voice trembled.

"The Master cured me." Third Master Yu Daiyan patted his shoulder, his eyes full of smiles.

"Fifth Brother, the past is in the past. As long as you can return, we seven brothers are complete."

This single sentence completely untied the last of the worries in Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan's heart.

Zhang Sanfeng watched the Seven Heroes of Wudang, reunited and whole, feeling gratified in his heart. He knew that the tragedy of the Seven Heroes of Wudang in the original story had been completely rewritten.

And just as Wudang Mountain was decorated with lanterns and colored streamers, celebrating the reunion of the Seven Heroes, the Shaolin Sect on Mount Song, the Golden Summit of Mount Emei, as well as the Kunlun, Kongtong, and Huashan Schools—all major Schools—received news—

Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun had followed Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan up Wudang Mountain.

For a time, the entire Central Plains Martial Arts World was surging with undercurrents.

The Sect Heads of the various major Schools one after another summoned their Disciples and rushed toward Wudang Mountain.