Chapter 15: Mount Hua’s Cliff of Repentance
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On the Cliff of Reflection, there were no insects or birds, only the howling of the cold wind. It was indeed the perfect place to face the wall and repent. Here, one would not be disturbed by worldly distractions, and the mind could remain wholly undivided.
Upon entering the cavern, one immediately saw a great stone meant for sitting in meditation while facing the wall. Candlelight flickered faintly, casting a dim glow across the stone walls.
On the western wall, three characters had been carved with forceful, elegant strokes: “Wind Clear Yang.” The inscription was sunk nearly an inch into the stone, as though written with a sharp blade. Linghu Chong followed him inside, scabbard in his left hand and sword in his right, watching the figure before him without daring to move rashly.
Seeing the man survey the surrounding walls, Linghu Chong had no idea what he intended to do. He parted his lips slightly, yet found himself unable to ask.
Ren Yi looked around as though no one else were present. Then, without warning, he stooped and picked up several pebbles from the ground. With a flick of his finger, he sent one shooting toward the stone wall with a faint hiss.
Clang!
The pebble ricocheted away.
Linghu Chong stared at him, growing more and more bewildered. Ren Yi flicked another pebble from his fingers, and it shot forth once again. Following the same method, he sent them flying one after another.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—
Suddenly, there came a deep thud.
Linghu Chong turned toward the eastern wall, following the strange sound, and his eyes widened in astonishment.
It was hollow?
Before he could make sense of it, Ren Yi had already lifted the candle and walked over.
He placed a hand against the stone wall and tapped it lightly.
Another deep thud rang out. Judging by the sound, the wall was only a thin layer of stone, perhaps three or four inches thick. Beyond it lay empty space.
Ren Yi raised his hand and struck out with his palm. As his palm descended, a powerful force surged from its center, driving forth a violent gust.
The candle flame swayed. With a thunderous crash, a great hole burst open in the stone wall.
Seeing that Ren Yi was about to enter the secret cavern, and fearing that it might contain an undisclosed secret of Mount Hua, Linghu Chong shouted, “Wait! This is a forbidden place of Mount Hua. You cannot enter!”
Ren Yi turned his head lazily and said in an indifferent voice, “Though I have little regard for you, you are not someone who deserves to die. But if you anger me again, I will kill you with a single palm strike.”
With that, he entered the cavern.
Linghu Chong dared not stop him again. The difference between their martial abilities was vast; even his own master would not have been a match for this man. If he continued to obstruct him, he would only lose his life beneath that palm.
For a moment, Linghu Chong hesitated over whether he should descend the mountain and inform his master and mistress. Then he remembered that they had already left Mount Hua, and he could only abandon the thought. For now, all he could do was remain here and see what the man intended.
Linghu Chong could not understand how Ren Yi had known of this entrance, or how he had discovered the secret cavern behind the wall. Whatever the case, Ren Yi had already entered, and Linghu Chong had no choice but to follow and see for himself.
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The passage leading into the secret cavern was covered on every side with marks left by axes and swords. After walking several yards, they turned with the passage, and the space suddenly widened dozens of times over.
It seemed to be an enormous cavern, large enough to hold several hundred, perhaps even a thousand people.
Aside from the skeleton lying near the entrance, seven more sets of bones rested within the cavern. Beside each skeleton lay a weapon. None were ordinary swords or sabers; all were strange and unusual arms.
At the four corners of the cavern stood four candle stands, each still bearing wax.
Ren Yi struck the candle flame in his palm. At once, the flame divided into four sparks and flew toward the candle stands. The wicks caught fire, and light flooded the cavern.
After sweeping his gaze across the chamber, he walked toward one of the stone walls. To the left of the inscription, “Fan Song and Zhao He broke the Hengshan Sword Method here,” were more than a hundred carved human figures.
Ren Yi studied them one by one. With only a glance, he had already passed over the techniques represented by more than a dozen figures. By the time Linghu Chong entered, Ren Yi had examined more than half of the hundred or so figures.
Linghu Chong stared blankly at the patterns and inscriptions on the wall.
No one knew how much time had passed before Ren Yi finally withdrew his gaze. He closed his eyes, then opened them again a moment later. He moved to the open space at the center of the cavern, and his iron sword flashed from its scabbard.
As the sword light rose, the candle flames suddenly dimmed. Linghu Chong turned his attention to Ren Yi and saw that his swordplay was intricate and rigorous, excelling in defense. He recognized it at once as a technique of the Hengshan Sect.
What astonished him was that Ren Yi wielded those techniques even more skillfully than the disciples of Hengshan itself.
Hengshan swordplay possessed great subtlety and密度 but lacked ferocity, making it particularly suited to women. Yet in Ren Yi’s hands, its defensive strength increased greatly, while its killing strokes became fierce, swift, and merciless.
A succession of more than a dozen sword strokes swept forth like a violent storm, like quicksilver spilling across the ground.
He moved faster and faster. More than a hundred techniques flowed together in a single, seamless performance, without the slightest pause.
An absurd thought arose in Linghu Chong’s mind.
Could he truly have learned the entire Hengshan sword method just like that?
After several moments, Ren Yi had performed every Hengshan technique. When the swordplay ended, he returned to the stone wall and stood before the inscription, “Zhang Chengyun and Zhang Chengfeng completely defeated the Mount Hua Sword Method.”
He followed the same process.
The Taishan Sword Method…
The Hengshan Sword Method…
The Songshan Sword Method…
The longer Linghu Chong watched, the more horrified he became. After the horror came dread. He could not imagine whether Ren Yi had ever practiced the sword methods of the Five Sacred Mountain Sects before this. If he truly had not, then—
Then what sort of monster was he?
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Beads of sweat rolled down from Linghu Chong’s brow, while the candlelight reflected against his pale face.
Time passed. The hour of the Snake gave way to the hour of the Monkey. The martial arts of five sects, more than six hundred sword techniques, had all been performed by Ren Yi one after another. Linghu Chong no longer knew what to think.
Suddenly, someone shouted from outside:
“Brother Linghu! An old friend has come to visit. Come out and see me at once!”
Outside the cavern, Tian Boguang carried a shoulder pole. A huge wine jar rested in each of the two bamboo baskets. By the time he set down his burden, Linghu Chong had already emerged from the cavern.
When Tian Boguang saw him, a smile immediately spread across his face. He was just about to speak when the smile abruptly froze. The words that had been on the tip of his tongue could no longer be uttered.
His tone changed, and his body trembled involuntarily. He instantly put on an ingratiating smile and said, “So… so Young Master Ren is here as well.”
To encounter Ren Yi here was something Tian Boguang had never imagined. He wanted to flee, but he knew that his lightness skill could never outpace this man. From the speed of Ren Yi’s swordplay, Tian Boguang suspected that the instant he turned around, a sword might already have pierced through his back and emerged from his chest.
Ren Yi walked up to him and asked, “That monk found you, then?”
Tian Boguang was stunned for a moment. He immediately recalled what Ren Yi had said to him that day at the Wild Goose Return Tower, and gave a bitter smile.
“So Young Master Ren had already anticipated that this day would come for me.”
Ren Yi neither confirmed nor denied it. He merely said淡ly, “I do not care why you have come to Mount Hua, but remember not to disturb me. I need to meditate and rest quietly in the cavern for an entire day.”
Tian Boguang was delighted. “Rest assured, Young Master Ren. I absolutely will not disturb you. Please, go ahead.”
Ren Yi gave a slight nod, turned, and walked back into the cavern.
Linghu Chong naturally dared not stop him, nor did he dare say anything more. He merely turned toward Tian Boguang and said, “Brother Tian, you truly have courage. My master and mistress have already descended the mountain to hunt you down, yet you still dared to come to Mount Hua?”
Once Ren Yi had left, Tian Boguang let out a breath of relief and smiled.
“You need not worry about me, Brother Linghu. To tell you the truth, it was I who lured your master down the mountain. But enough of that. Come, have a drink with me.”
Linghu Chong did not know why Tian Boguang had come to the mountain. Just as he was wondering about his purpose, his heart suddenly jolted, and he could not help thinking of the secret cavern.
“Two days ago, I went to the cellar of the Immortal Exile Tower in Chang’an and took out two jars of fine wine that had been sealed and aged for a hundred years. I traveled through the night so I could come to Mount Hua and enjoy a hearty drink with Brother Linghu.”
Beneath the evening glow stood two enormous wine jars. The red paper seals had faded to white, and the floral markings on their tops were worn and tattered. One glance was enough to tell that the jars had seen many years.
When Linghu Chong heard that it was a century-old vintage, he could not help feeling delighted.
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