Martial Forest

Chapter 26: The Scroll of Duke Jingwu of Wei I

This old man did not immediately enter the hut area. He takes a dep breath first, and prepared himself.

He knows something is a little wrong from what the things he has seen.

Something probably have changed and this old man had found the fate that had befallen his martial junior brother

It is clear then that the scheme of his junior brother did not succeeded.

He had also seen Bai Qingniu, his granddaughter and his disciple before Wang Li schemed against them. Looking at those three, he was sure that those three have no martial arts ability.

So how could they pose a threat to Wang Li. But if they did not pose a threat how could Wang Li have died in this forest

The young disciple of Bai Qingniu, Xu Wen is just an aspiring physician and while that young disciple of Bai Qingniu had a sword on him, it is clear with a glance, that Xu Wen knows nothing about using a sword.

The granddaughter is even more unlikely to learn any martial arts. Even if they did, how could they easily kill Wang Li?

Wang Li might not be a first rate martial artist because of his old injuries but that did not mean he was weak.

Whoever killed Wang Li had startled Wang Li so much so that Wang Li could not take back the initiative in battle.

He had seen the wounds and the damage that is done to Wang Li. He could see the cuts and bursting of the nerves.

He could not reconstruct the battle in his mind but he imagines that whoever kill Wang Li is quite an expert in swordplay.

Each of the cut that was given to Wang Li is deep and forceful.

However, this make him even more sure that the Scroll is on Bai Qingniu.

Bai Qingniu had once said that he no longer had the Scroll.

The Righteous temple and many other orthodox sects had search him and search every brick and stone of his residence and found nothing.

He said that the Underworld Gate had already taken the Scroll from him.

Since Underworld Gate is a mysterious sect that no one had ever gone to and even the Righteous temple would not attack Underworld Gate without any reason, they could not confirm Bai Qingniu words and it is not like the Underworld Gate would come out and publicizes it if they have the Scroll.

But the fact that the Underworld Gate did not deny Bai Qingniu words could also means that it is truly like Bai Qingniu said.

Bai Qingniu also no longer have any of his internal energy and his ability to use the martial arts that he was proficient in the past was also taken away.

And after that he reemerged as a famous physician that even went to the Capital City of Chang’an and cure some of the noble family of their ailments and he got the reputation of a divine physician.

Bai Qingniu did not meddle in the matters of Jianghu and would excuse himself of any entanglements between evil and good in the martial arts world.

Some people even forget that in the past Bai Qingniu is known as the White Ghost and committed many evils.

He, on the other hand knew some of the back story of the past and he also knew why Bai Qingniu internal energy was stripped out of him and why the Righteous temple that rarely interfere in the matter of the human affairs went out of their mountain and send Three Divine Monks to capture Bai Qingniu in his youth.

It is all because of the Scroll.

He sighed a bit. He is old yet he could not escape the allure of the Scroll.

The Scroll is called the Scroll of Duke Jingwu of Wei. Duke Jingwu of Wei is the Great General of Tang Li Jing, courtesy name Yaoshi and serve three Emperor.

He served Emperor Yang of Sui, Gaozu and Taizong.

The old man himself did not live during the Zhengguan era but Duke Jingwu is known to have great talents and handsome and ambitious when he is young, talented both in literary and military matters,

Li Jing mastery of Sun Tzu’s and Wu Qi’s strategies had served him well in the year leading to his rise and one of the most powerful general in Tang history and also one of the twenty-four portraits in the Lingyan Pavilion

But there is one thing that many people did not know about Li Jing. They all knew him as a powerful general and undefeated in war.

But Li Jing himself was a very powerful martial expert and also tangled with many forces in Jianghu during the rebellion of Emperor Yang of Sui.

He is proficient in spearmanship, able to hold weapon heavier than himself and could fight thousands of men with his martial arts.

He is also a master in horsemanship and he never lost a battle

It is said that during Duke Jingwu youth, he had met a thick bearded man. This bearded man looking at his face believes that Duke Jingwu have great destiny in the future.

This bearded man kidnaped Duke Jingwu and Li Jing maternal uncle, the great Sui General Han Qinhu move his soldiers to seek for his nephew.

But they could never find the bearded man. When they do find the bearded man, the bearded man could sweep a battalion of soldiers easily and run away and hide again.

They were many that said that the Bearded Man is Yan Wudi. Yan Wudi himself is a legendary martial experts during the late year of Sui and one could said he had relations with Wagang Army

It is said that it was him that killed the Sui General, Zhang Xutuo. It is said after the killing of Zhai Rang by Li Mi, Yan Wudi leave Wagang Army.

Whatever the reason was, no one could ascertain whether the bearded man is really Yan Wudi or not.

Li Jing disappeared and no one could find him

After a few months, they thought Li Jing would be lost forever. But one-day Li Jing appeared in the front steps of his residence

Li Jing was not harmed but instead returned safely back to his family residence in Chang’an. When asked what had happened, Li Jing told his uncle that he was taught a martial arts technique and become the disciple of the bearded man

When Han Qinhu fought against the much younger Li Jing, to his surprise Li Jing could spar with him. Han Qinhu then said

‘In five years, this boy would probably surpass me’

This martial arts technique that he had learned from the bearded man is the one that enables Li Jing to become such an expert of martial arts.

Early in Duke Jingwu official carrier he served as a minor county official for Chang’an county and get involved in a few matters of Jianghu, solving it with his ability in martial art

He tangled with the heterodox path and even meet a few experts from the righteous side and met some of the Divine Monks of the Righteous Temple

and then he later served as a low level official within the imperial administration. It was during this time, that he caught the eye of many important people in the Sui court.

In one of the martial arts competition held in the palace, using his martial arts he impressed both the Prime Minister of Sui Yang Su and the important minister Niu Hong.

In one case he even saving the live of Yang Su when someone had tried to assassinate the prime Minister and as such the Prime Minister owes him greatly as Li Jing is the benefactor of Yang Su

His martial arts are regarded by many people of the capital to be a supreme martial arts technique. In his records of battle, he remains undefeated

During the year that Li Yuan rebelled and captured Chang’an, Li Yuan wanted to execute Li Jing.

Li Jing had tried to report the rebellion plans of Li Yuan to Emperor Yang and Li Jing himself is a very powerful martial artist making Li Yuan uneasy if such a talented person become his enemy.

When he was brought to the execution site, his feet and hand were bounded by heavy metal chains that would break anyone bones but it could barely constrain Li Jing.

Even at that time, Li Shimin, the future Taizong had always admired Li Jing and has always been impressed with Li Jing abilities.

At the execution site, Li Jing yelled to Gaozu

‘You, duke, rose in order to eliminate tyrannical rule for the people. You are not concerned about what is important, but instead are executing a brave man on account of personal enmity!’

Li Yuan hearing this was very impressed by Li Jing words and Li Shimin interceded on Li Jing behalf

Li Yuan released Li Jing, and Li Shimin soon gained the loyalty of Li Jing.

He serves the Tang dynasty defeating a lot of foreign enemies.

At the same time, with each conquest and each victory, Li Jing grew powerful both in his attainment of internal energy and his martial arts technique.

The name of the technique that he had practiced is lost to history but many of the martial arts world old records do recorded that Li Jing practices a very powerful martial art.