Make a Quick Grab Before Leaving

Li Daniu was unsure of the distance between Xiangyang and Mount Wudang.

He carried the Fire Monk from the bottom of the cliff and walked outward, reaching the city of Xiangyang in just a day and a half.

“Over two hundred li?” Li Daniu was startled when he heard the answer from the innkeeper.

“That’s right, sir. Are you going to Mount Wudang to join the Wudang Sect and learn martial arts?” the innkeeper asked, with familiar enthusiasm.

“Something like that.” Li Daniu hadn’t expected himself to be so capable. To say he “walked” wasn’t quite accurate; besides teaching him everything from the Nine Yang Manual, the Fire Monk had also taught him a qinggong technique called “Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada.”

Yes, Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada—an entry-level qinggong in the martial world. If catching a cicada requires eight steps, one can imagine how weak the technique is. But Li Daniu didn’t mind; qinggong was something he had always dreamed of—who wouldn’t want to leap across roofs and walls?

From the moment he left the cliff bottom, Li Daniu had been using Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada, delighting in his deep inner strength. Without realizing it, he arrived at Xiangyang.

Uninterested in the innkeeper’s stories about who in Xiangyang went to Wudang to become disciples, Li Daniu asked for directions and left.

He found a carpenter to make a wheelchair, then a blacksmith to reinforce it, and finally bought two long whips at the horse market, attaching them to the wheelchair.

“How is it? Can you control the wheelchair?” Li Daniu watched the Fire Monk curiously.

“Hah! You underestimate me.” The Fire Monk sat in the wheelchair, and without any apparent movement, the wheelchair rolled forward on its own, and the two whips attached to it swung about.

“Are two whips enough?” Li Daniu marveled. Although his own Nine Yang Divine Skill had reached the ninth level, it was only in terms of quality and quantity; to achieve the Fire Monk’s level of control would take much more practice.

“They’re enough.” The Fire Monk’s lips twitched. Ever since Li Daniu had grown stronger, he often teased the Fire Monk for being like a creature with many tentacles.

“All right. Tonight I’ll go to the magistrate’s office, bring back some gold and jewels, and find you a safe place with some servants.” In Li Daniu’s memory, the Yuan Dynasty would last another twenty or thirty years before Zhu Yuanzhang would overthrow it.

“Why are you still going to the streets to perform today?”

“You wouldn’t understand. Life is short; one must try different experiences and savor other pleasures so as not to waste it.”

“Have you decided to go to Shaolin?” The Fire Monk couldn’t be bothered with Li Daniu’s nonsense. Though he had urged Li Daniu to go to Shaolin to acquire martial arts manuals, Shaolin was not so easily infiltrated. It had existed for centuries, and how many outsiders had ever stolen its secrets?

“I promised you, so I can’t turn back. Besides, I want to learn more martial arts.” Li Daniu couldn’t tell the Fire Monk he was leaving this world soon, so he replied casually, “I’ve heard the imperial court possesses a Black Jade Paste that can cure your paralysis. If I get the chance, I’ll bring it back for you—don’t die before I return.”

“Rest assured, even if you die, I won’t.”

“That’s good.”

In truth, the Fire Monk wasn’t a villain; in the original novel, he was actually a benevolent character. Only in this film adaptation was he somewhat darkened. For Li Daniu, not only was there no conflict of interest, but the Fire Monk had also painstakingly taught him the Nine Yang Divine Skill and helped him reach the ninth level. Morally and emotionally, he couldn’t abandon him as Zhang Wuji did in the film.

That night, Li Daniu went to the magistrate’s office and returned with a heap of gold and jewels.

“No wonder those martial arts masters never lack money—robbing the rich to help the poor is so easy.” Li Daniu sighed. “Come to think of it, taking money from the magistrate right in front of him shouldn’t be considered stealing, right?”

“You’ve only robbed the rich; where’s the help for the poor?” The Fire Monk spared no effort in mocking Li Daniu. He was about to lecture Li Daniu on what it meant to truly help the poor, when Li Daniu spoke up.

“We’re the poor—aren’t we penniless?” Li Daniu had spent all the money he’d swindled during the day on new clothes and the wheelchair for the Fire Monk.

The Fire Monk was beginning to wonder how someone with such a character could have persevered through his tests.

After tidying up the gold and jewels, Li Daniu went to his room to sleep. He hadn’t touched a bed in over a month, having always slept on the ground at the cliff bottom.

He slept straight through until the sun was high the next day.

“You didn’t move all night?” Li Daniu entered the Fire Monk’s room and saw him still sitting in the wheelchair, which remained where Li Daniu had left it the night before. He asked, surprised.

“You’re mistaken.” The Fire Monk wouldn’t tell Li Daniu he’d avoided showing his face by day for fear of enemies.

Li Daniu didn’t press further. The Fire Monk’s sleep was none of his concern—he certainly wasn’t his confidante. After breakfast and lunch, Li Daniu found an agent—a kind of ancient intermediary—and bought a property and hired some servants, handing them over to the Fire Monk.

“Don’t let these non-martial servants swindle you.” Li Daniu gave all the gold and jewels to the Fire Monk; he had no interest in such things anymore, even if the wealth could let the Fire Monk live as a lord for the rest of his life.

Gold and silver, with the weight Li Daniu could bring back to the modern era, would amount to at most tens of millions in RMB—not worth the trouble, nor easy to sell. As for pearls and coral, they were even less valuable in modern times; their worth in ancient times was due only to low productivity.

“You may leave now.” The Fire Monk couldn’t listen to Li Daniu’s jibes anymore.

“Enjoy your life as a lord.” Li Daniu wasn’t worried about the Fire Monk. Even paralyzed, if they fought, it wasn’t clear who would win—the Fire Monk was a veritable tentacle monster.

Li Daniu waved, took a silver ingot, and departed with flair. Whether the Fire Monk blessed or cursed him afterward meant nothing; as far as Li Daniu was concerned, their paths would not cross again.

No longer burdened by the Fire Monk and with a precise destination, Li Daniu travelled with the speed of the wind.

With thirty-six hours left before his return, Li Daniu finally arrived at Wudang.

“Li Daniu?” The gatekeeper was still the same young Daoist, but Li Daniu was no longer the man he once was.

“Long time no see,” Li Daniu greeted.

“Didn’t you sneak away? How dare you come back?”

“Sneak away? When did I do that?” Li Daniu realized at once that Senior Brother Cao must have spread that rumor.

“If you didn’t run, where have you been for more than a month?”

“I fell off a cliff—the one in the back mountain.”

The Daoist looked at Li Daniu, seeing him unharmed, and burst out laughing.

“So you’re a ghost now?”

“No time for banter. My time is short—go report to the Grandmaster, I have urgent matters.”

The Daoist thought him mad. “The Grandmaster isn’t someone you can see at will. Go back to the chores hall and ask Senior Brother Cao for forgiveness.”

“Enough nonsense—just tell the Grandmaster I know how to save Zhang Wuji.”

“You really are mad. Even the Grandmaster has no way; what could you possibly do?” The Daoist looked at Li Daniu with pity.

Li Daniu sighed. He had hoped to follow protocol, but it seemed impossible.

“Li Daniu, disciple of the Fire Monk, requests an audience with Zhang Sanfeng, Grandmaster of Wudang.” Li Daniu called out with all his strength. Though unfamiliar with sonic techniques, unable to focus his voice to harm, he wanted only to spread it far—so his call echoed across all of Wudang.

To be clear, “all his strength” didn’t mean exhausting his inner energy. Just as an ordinary person can punch with all their might, delivering maximum force without being unable to throw another punch, so too could Li Daniu speak with full power all day and night without running out of breath, given his inner energy recovery.

“How is your voice so loud?” The gatekeeper’s ears rang; he hadn’t realized Li Daniu was now a master of deep inner strength. Indeed, who could progress from not even sensing qi to becoming a master in just over a month?

“Please proceed to the main hall.” Li Daniu had no time to answer; he heard Zhang Sanfeng’s voice—gentle as a breeze—drifting from the main hall to the mountain gate.

“That’s...the Grandmaster’s voice?”

“Yes. Aren’t you going to lead me in?”

Li Daniu knew the way, but still followed the Daoist into the hall. At the entrance, he saw the seven Wudang heroes and other third-generation disciples standing in formation, ready to greet a distinguished guest.

Li Daniu noticed those third-generation disciples had their hands on their sword hilts. Clearly, they weren’t welcoming him, but guarding against him—for he had announced himself as the Fire Monk’s disciple.

“Li Daniu? Is it really you?” Someone among the guards cried out.

“Senior Brother Cao? Heh…” Li Daniu sneered and ignored him, entering the hall surrounded by the Wudang Seven.

“Do you know him?” The third-generation disciples outside asked quietly as the group entered.

“I…I…” Senior Brother Cao’s legs trembled. He had heard that powerful shout. He’d thought it was a namesake, but now it was really him. The Daoist hadn’t reacted, but Cao had—someone who could shout so loudly must have deeper inner strength than his master Song Yuanqiao.

Leaving Cao in terror, Li Daniu entered the hall and saw Zhang Sanfeng seated.

“Li Daniu, disciple of the Fire Monk and former Wudang menial, pays respects to Grandmaster Zhang.” Li Daniu wanted benefits from Zhang Sanfeng, so he spoke with respect.

“Former menial?” Zhang Sanfeng had considered that Li Daniu might be here for vengeance or to find the Fire Monk, but hadn’t expected such an introduction.

“Grandmaster, I once drove for Fifth Hero Zhang. After his death, I stayed at Wudang as a menial disciple. Uncle Song, do you remember? You were the one who permitted me to stay.”

“You? Is it really you?” Song Yuanqiao had thought Li Daniu looked familiar, but couldn’t place him. First, menials left little impression; second, Li Daniu’s aura had changed since mastering divine skill. Now, hearing the story, Song recalled.

Song Yuanqiao walked to Zhang Sanfeng’s side and recounted what he knew.

After listening, Zhang Sanfeng stroked his beard and asked, “How did you become the Fire Monk’s disciple?”

“That day, Senior Brother Cao ordered me to search the back mountain for a jade pendant lost by Senior Brother Song Qingshu, and wouldn’t let me return until I found it. I searched everywhere and found something by the cliff. I tied a rope and descended, but someone cut the tree anchoring my rope, and I fell.”

Li Daniu decided to let Zhang Sanfeng deal with those two rather than seek vengeance himself.

As expected, Zhang Sanfeng glared at Song Yuanqiao, since both Cao and Song Qingshu were related to him, the latter his own son.

“When I fell, the rope snagged on a branch, so I survived. At the bottom, I met the Fire Monk.”

“What? The Fire Monk was at the bottom of that cliff?” Even Zhang Sanfeng’s composure was shaken.

“Yes. When he jumped years ago, a mistake left him injured and disabled, so he remained at the bottom. After I fell, he took me as his disciple and taught me the Nine Yang Divine Skill.”

“You know the Nine Yang Divine Skill? Which level?” Zhang Sanfeng forgot to ask about his rival; the Nine Yang Divine Skill was crucial for Zhang Wuji’s survival.

“Ninth level already.” Li Daniu responded righteously. “Whether for Fifth Hero Zhang’s kindness or Wudang’s later hospitality, I cannot ignore it. I heard only the Nine Yang Divine Skill could heal Wuji, so I returned once I mastered it.”

“You say you returned to heal Wuji?” Zhang Sanfeng doubted anyone could be so selfless; Zhang Wuji had told him about his past, and there had never been a driver—so the only possibility was someone he met on the road. What kindness could there be?

“Yes. I encountered robbers and was saved by Fifth Hero Zhang’s generosity. Later, when his carriage was damaged in the town below, I found another and brought them up the mountain.” Li Daniu no longer needed to conceal anything; he had the confidence now. With the ninth level of the Nine Yang Divine Skill, not even Zhang Sanfeng could detain him.

“What do you want?” Zhang Sanfeng, wise with age, knew there was no such thing as a free lunch—especially with a disciple of his former rival.

“Besides healing Wuji, I’d like to exchange the Nine Yang Manual for Wudang martial arts manuals.” Li Daniu finally stated his purpose.

“No way.” Before Zhang Sanfeng could answer, Song Yuanqiao and others protested. To them, Wudang techniques were the best in the world; the Nine Yang Manual was something they’d only heard of, never seen—who knew its value? Why trade?

“What martial arts do you want?” Zhang Sanfeng ignored his disciples and asked directly. At his level, only the Nine Yang Manual could offer new insights.

“Cloud Ladder, Taiji Fist, Taiji Sword.” Li Daniu named the three he desired.

In this film, Zhang Sanfeng was not the Fire Monk’s disciple. His victory over the Fire Monk was due to creating Taiji Fist and Taiji Sword, as the Fire Monk had told Li Daniu.

Taiji Fist needs no explanation—renowned through the ages. Taiji Sword, in “The Smiling, Proud Wanderer,” allowed Master Chongxu to confound Linghu Chong, who had learned the Dugu Nine Swords. As for Cloud Ladder, it was famed as the pinnacle of qinggong.

“You’re dreaming. One Nine Yang Manual isn’t enough.” Zhang Sanfeng wasn’t surprised Li Daniu requested those three. With Nine Yang Divine Skill for inner energy, Li Daniu didn’t need more from him. For external skills, Wudang’s best were those three.

“Give what you wish. Otherwise, let me heal Wuji first to show my sincerity.” Li Daniu was ready to take whatever he could get; he couldn’t beat Zhang Sanfeng, and Wudang had no scripture pavilion for him to steal from.

“Cloud Ladder I can give you. As for Taiji Fist and Sword, I’ll teach you for six hours—you can learn as much as you can.” Zhang Sanfeng saw Li Daniu’s boldness and responded in kind. In his view, six hours wasn’t enough to master both; he intended only to guide Li Daniu, repaying a debt.

“Once spoken, it cannot be taken back.” Li Daniu was delighted. Six hours? The Nine Yang Manual, apart from the divine skill, mostly expounded martial principles.

Zhang Wuji, using those principles, mastered both the Heaven and Earth Shift and Taiji Fist in less than three hours. Li Daniu, even if not as gifted, wouldn’t fail to learn at least one. Besides, Taiji Fist and Sword complemented each other—master one, and the other would follow.

“Yuanqiao, you all leave. Bring Wuji in.”

At Wudang, Zhang Sanfeng’s word was law. Song Yuanqiao and the others left, and Zhang Wuji came in alone.

Li Daniu wasted no time. He used the ninth level of the Nine Yang Divine Skill to dispel the Xuanming Palm’s chilling poison from Zhang Wuji, then recited the Nine Yang Manual in front of him.

Zhang Wuji, I took your opportunity and now return it to you—don’t let Zhou Zhiruo ensnare you again.

Zhang Sanfeng didn’t mind Zhang Wuji hearing the Nine Yang Manual; he felt guilty toward the Zhang family. In the original story, had Zhang Wuji not become the Ming Cult leader, he would have passed Wudang to him.

After hearing the Nine Yang Manual, Zhang Sanfeng sighed.

“Who would have thought the Nine Yang Manual contained martial principles? With these, any skill you learn will be twice as effective.”

“Grandmaster, please teach me Taiji Fist and Sword.” Li Daniu had no doubts about Zhang Sanfeng’s character.

“Wuji, pay close attention as well.”

Li Daniu looked at the somewhat bewildered Zhang Wuji and wondered what kind of monster he was helping to create. So young, already learning the Nine Yang Manual and Taiji Fist and Sword—what would he grow into?

No matter. Soon he would leave this world, and whether Zhang Wuji became a prodigy or not was no concern of his.