He Mu cast a glance at Meng Qi, his voice dull and heavy, “Mr. Su, do you think I’m not sad enough? Besides, you wouldn’t understand even if you watched.”
As he spoke, he extended his right hand from behind his back, picked up the wooden sword lying on the ground, and slightly furrowed his brow. He was still perplexed and frustrated about why he kept losing to Fifth Senior today.
“The first time, I used the move ‘Thousands of Sails Across the Sea,’ and Fifth Senior responded with ‘Lonely Sail Fading into the Distance.’ When I changed to ‘Emerald Sea, Azure Sky,’ he countered with ‘Bright Moon Over the Sea,’ striking my wrist. He wasn’t this skillful at countering before…” He Mu muttered to himself while practicing sword techniques, describing the duel of the day.
He didn’t particularly value Meng Qi’s opinion; he simply wanted to vent his frustration and analyze the fight to identify problems, hoping to win tomorrow and not disappoint Master He.
Meng Qi rolled up the “Heavenly Inquiry” into a tube and lightly tapped his palm while waiting for He Mu to finish his practice. Then he chuckled, “I heard the ‘Martial Arts Competition’ is coming soon. It’s perfectly normal for your fifth senior to seek guidance from experts. You shouldn’t always judge him by old standards.”
“That’s right!” He Mu suddenly realized, “Fifth Senior’s father is a merchant with considerable wealth; he must have hired experts to coach him!”
As he spoke, his head drooped lower, his expression dejected. His parents worked tirelessly every day just to afford his martial arts training at the academy, with no extra money left to hire experts. How could he compete with that? If Master He hadn’t charged little for tuition, he wouldn’t even have had this opportunity!
Therefore, he was deeply grateful to Master He and didn’t want to disappoint him. He also longed to succeed and become self-reliant so his parents wouldn’t have to work so hard anymore.
This martial arts competition was an opportunity, but he saw no hope whatsoever!
Meng Qi grinned mockingly, “You could always ask me for guidance. I’m an expert, truly an expert!”
He Mu listlessly raised his eyes to glance at Meng Qi. Seeing him in his wide-sleeved robe, refined and scholarly, exuding the grace of a learned man, he bitterly smiled, “Mr. Su, please don’t tease me.”
From daily observations, Mr. Su rarely went out, being one of the few scholars who could endure the restlessness of the world. He worked steadily, neither hurried nor slow, and though leisurely, he was exceptionally diligent. Whenever He Mu had literary questions, Mr. Su was always approachable, smiling warmly, amiable, and humorous. He also loved gourmet food, often wandering through alleys and streets. His lifestyle always reminded He Mu of the poetic line: “Picking chrysanthemums beneath the eastern hedge, I gaze leisurely at the southern hills.”
But He Mu’s current problem wasn’t academic—it was martial arts. Judging by Mr. Su’s age, even if Confucianism included the six arts, he could at best be a beginner.
“You could try connecting ‘Thousands of Sails Across the Sea’ with ‘Bright Moon Over the Sea,'” Meng Qi said with a smile.
He Mu became even more helpless, “Mr. Su, how can those two moves connect?”
Indeed, he was clearly a bookish fellow with little martial arts foundation. ‘Thousands of Sails Across the Sea’ was a horizontal slash with flickering sail-like movements, while ‘Bright Moon Over the Sea’ was a downward strike from above. How could they connect?
“What’s so hard about connecting them? The last sail in your horizontal slash can rise higher and expand larger, covering the sky and blocking the sun. Then the moon breaks through the sail shadows, shining into the sea,” Meng Qi explained the connection between the two moves in a literary way.
“Higher and larger… covering the sky and blocking the sun… the moon breaking through the sail shadows…” He Mu, with limited literary knowledge, struggled to understand. However, Meng Qi’s vivid description helped him grasp the key idea. He swung his wooden sword—thousands of sails competed, the shadows growing larger, gradually obscuring the blue sky. Then the moon appeared in the middle of the sky, pure and serene, its brilliance spreading.
“This… this actually works! But… how can ‘Thousands of Sails Across the Sea’ be modified like this? Master He will hit my palms for deviating from the form!” Master He required his disciples to strictly follow each move and form without any deviation, so He Mu couldn’t easily accept this change.
Meng Qi smiled, “Why not? From a storytelling perspective, this is perfectly reasonable.”
“Storytelling?” He Mu stared at Meng Qi in shock. What did sword techniques have to do with storytelling?
Meng Qi glanced around to ensure no one else was nearby, then grinned slyly, “In my opinion, sword techniques and storytelling are essentially the same. Look, ‘Thousands of Sails Across the Sea’ tells a story of an endless sea with countless sails. If the sail shadows grow larger, naturally they can connect to the sky, to the moon. You don’t have to be bound by the original structure of the story.”
“This… how can they be the same?” He Mu had never heard such a theory before and couldn’t accept it.
Meng Qi folded his hands behind his back, smiling ambiguously, “When you use sword techniques to fight someone, isn’t it often like telling them a story? It has a beginning, a process, changes, traps, twists, a climax, and an ending!”
“People who use sword techniques to tell stories fall into two categories. One tries hard to prevent the opponent from guessing the next part because, from a storytelling perspective, that would ruin the appeal. From a martial perspective, it means failure. The other deliberately tells a story that seems almost real, making the opponent fully believe it, then reverses the plot at a crucial moment, shocking everyone and ending with a climax. This is deception, a trap, an important storytelling technique, and also an essential approach to swordsmanship.”
“There’s actually a third type of person. They don’t set traps; the following parts of the story are predictable to everyone, but the opponent can only follow along helplessly, unable to break free or escape. This is the ultimate mastery of sword techniques.”
Seeing He Mu’s bewildered and astonished expression, Meng Qi chuckled, “So, I think storytelling techniques can be applied to sword duels.”
“Mr. Su, don’t be absurd…” He Mu finally regained his senses, saying weakly.
Meng Qi smiled cheerfully, “Why not give it a try? Tomorrow, tell your fifth senior a story—a story of ‘Thousands of Sails Across the Sea’ followed by ‘Bright Moon Over the Sea,’ but one that develops differently from the norm, a story no one can predict.”
After saying that, he left He Mu behind and leisurely walked back to his courtyard.
He Mu stood there, dazed, for a long time before swinging his wooden sword again, this time telling the story of countless sails competing, shadows covering the sky, and the bright moon shining high.
Although he thought Mr. Su’s theory about sword techniques and storytelling made no sense, after practicing for several years, he had developed some judgment regarding changes in sword forms.
The next day.
After finishing his practice, He Mu approached a young man dressed in black and bowed, “Fifth Senior, today I humbly request your continued guidance.”
The senior and junior disciples around couldn’t help but snicker. This fool was truly stubborn. After suffering so many defeats yesterday, he actually dared to issue another challenge today.
Master He Ye, observing silently, nodded slightly. Persistence was commendable, but he also needed to remind He Mu to know his limits to avoid future hardships.
Fifth Senior pursed his lips, raised his wooden sword, and said, “He Mu, if you lose again, don’t keep bothering me. I still need to seek guidance from the seniors.”
He Mu nodded slightly, performed a bow, then swung his sword horizontally—’Thousands of Sails Across the Sea.’
Fifth Senior didn’t hesitate, immediately countering with ‘Lonely Sail Fading into the Distance,’ his sword piercing downward from above, avoiding the countless sails.
The ‘lonely sail’ gradually shrank, almost disappearing into the horizon, landing at He Mu’s lower abdomen.
But He Mu’s ‘thousands of sails’ rose and fell larger, quickly covering the sky and blocking the sun.
At the height of the swing, his sword slashed downward—the moon breaking through the sail shadows, striking Fifth Senior’s shoulder just before the latter could hit He Mu’s abdomen.
Pak! Fifth Senior felt pain in his shoulder, his wooden sword flew out, landing in front of He Mu.
“How… how can you use ‘Thousands of Sails Across the Sea’ like that?” Fifth Senior pointed at He Mu, his face filled with anger and disbelief.
Qu Tianhe opened her big eyes in surprise. How could the Fifth Senior, who had almost made the older apprentice cry yesterday, lose in one move today?
The martial arts students around them showed various expressions—some were surprised, some confused, some secretly delighted, others frowned. How could Fifth Senior lose so quickly? Could ‘Thousands of Sails Across the Sea’ really be used like that?
Won! I won! I really won… He Mu paid no attention to Fifth Senior’s accusation, his mind filled with these thoughts. Indeed, he had told Fifth Senior a different story, one no one could predict or counter… Mr. Su’s words seemed to have some truth…
“He Mu, did you come up with this yourself?” Master He asked in a neutral tone, showing no emotion.
He Mu was about to answer honestly but instinctively changed his mind when he opened his mouth, “Master, it was something I thought of by chance.”
“It’s good to be able to apply sword techniques flexibly, but you’re still at the foundational stage. It’s more important to master the basics thoroughly,” Master He said impartially, then turned aside, muttering almost inaudibly, “Thousands of Sails Across the Sea can connect with Bright Moon Over the Sea like that…”
Fifth Senior pondered for a moment and said defiantly, “He Mu, let’s have another fight!”
He Mu’s heart skipped a beat, feeling uneasy. He only had this one story! If they fought again, everyone would know the plot and ending.
Wait a minute! Everyone knows, so I can change the plot and ending! They all think I’ll follow ‘Thousands of Sails Across the Sea’ with ‘Bright Moon Over the Sea,’ so I can do the opposite and tell an unexpected story!
Hmm, how should I connect them… He Mu imagined himself as Mr. Su, unbound by conventional rules, quickly made a plan, and replied with hidden anticipation, “Alright, Fifth Senior, please guide me.”
This time, Fifth Senior took the initiative. After a few exchanges, He Mu seized the opportunity and launched ‘Thousands of Sails Across the Sea.’
Fifth Senior sneered inwardly, deciding not to use ‘Lonely Sail Fading into the Distance’ but instead directly countering with ‘Emerald Sea, Azure Sky,’ his sword shadows covering the moon.
His sword moved up and down, creating sail-like shadows. High, they could cover the sky and connect with the moon; low, the shadows nearly vanished.
At that moment, when the shadows nearly vanished, He Mu changed tactics, sweeping upward from below—’Tide Rising from the Solitary Peak!’
Pak.
Fifth Senior clutched his chest and abdomen, his wooden sword flying out again as he gasped, “You… you… how could you do this!”
He Mu was extremely happy, barely suppressing his smile, “Fifth Senior, you’re too kind.”
He could tell stories now!
After that, Fifth Senior didn’t persist, fearing further losses would damage his reputation. He Mu focused on the matches, his mind filled with storytelling, winning a few times and losing a few times.
“He Mu, for the martial arts competition after the New Year, I’m planning to let you participate as well,” Master He, who had been silently observing all along, noticed He Mu’s sudden burst of creativity and decided to give him one of the six spots from Qingfeng Martial Arts Academy. This would allow him to test himself against truly skilled peers of his age, honing his mindset and sword techniques.
As for the results, Master He didn’t place high hopes on He Mu. Only the top three disciples bore the responsibility of achieving good rankings, while the other three mainly participated for training purposes.
He Mu was both surprised and delighted, yet anxious, “Me? Master, am I… am I capable?”
“You’ll know after trying,” Master He smiled.
Once participating in the martial arts competition, one could easily catch the attention of sects or noble families. At the very least, one could find a job as a bodyguard or estate protector… Filled with anticipation yet anxious, He Mu left the academy absentmindedly and unknowingly arrived at Meng Qi’s doorstep.
“Mr. Su, Mr. Su’s ‘Sword Story Theory’ isn’t entirely unreasonable… Is he really an expert?” He Mu still found it hard to believe, thinking it was just a coincidence. Yes, Mr. Su practiced martial arts little, so he wasn’t bound by swordplay rules. That allowed him to break free from the original “house” and make his thoughts more flexible. “Maybe I should talk to him more often. Perhaps there really is a connection between storytelling and sword techniques… His sword skills might not be good, but he’s really good at telling stories!”
Knocking on the courtyard gate, He Mu heard the lazy voice saying, “Come in.” Pushing the door open, he saw Mr. Su wrapped in a long coat, sitting beneath a plum blossom tree, warming wine with a small red stove while holding a book and softly reciting:
“…In the beginning of ancient times, who passed on the Dao?
Before heaven and earth took form, how could one verify it?”
…
This scene captivated He Mu, making him hold his breath and focus. Then he saw Mr. Su pointing to an adjacent seat, so he walked over quietly and sat down silently.
“Yin and Yang combined in threefold harmony, what is the origin, what is the transformation?”
After reading this line, Meng Qi turned his head to look at He Mu, “Do you know what it means?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage