in2ebook Chapter 158, fragments of "Six Strategies"
Chapter 158, fragments of "Six Strategies"
Chapter 158 Fragments of the Six Secret Teachings
"How could this jade pendant possibly be here!"
Ye Ru held the jade pendant in his hand, a look of shock appearing on his face. Then, as if remembering something, he took out a smaller jade pendant from his pocket.
Both jade pendants are engraved with the character "叶" (ye), and the marks are exactly the same.
"These jade pieces are identical in appearance, and they have a faint white, cold light under the sunlight. Each piece of jade is pure white and flawless, without any blemishes. Moreover, when the two pieces collide, a subtle energy emerges. This should be a mother-and-child jade pendant."
Kong Hexuan examined the jade pendant and then spoke in detail.
Upon hearing this, Ye Ru was slightly shaken. Since this was a mother-and-child jade pendant, his parents must also be related to it.
Moreover, since Wang Xiaoyang infiltrated from the demon race and brought this jade pendant, his parents are most likely among the demon race!
"Damn it, I should have kept them alive. This is the only clue we have now."
Ye Ru took a deep breath, then turned to Kong Hexuan: "Brother Kong, can you glean any clues from this jade pendant?"
"The tree desires stillness, but the wind never ceases; the child wishes to care for their parents, but they are no longer there. However, the situation isn't as dire as it seems. I once read about this mother-and-child jade in the *Record of Strange Things*. One sentence reads: 'Mother-and-child jade is formed by the very essence of heaven and earth, naturally shaped, with every detail exquisitely rendered, lifelike. It can be compared to the He Shi Bi jade. Those who possess this jade can imbue it with talent; if one half breaks, the other half will also break.'"
Kong Hexuan spoke again.
Upon hearing this, Ye Ru began to channel his talent into the Book Palace. As this talent was channeled into the Mother-Child Jade, a bright light shone forth, followed by a pillar of light shooting straight into the sky.
"I didn't expect this person to possess the Demon King's Mantra. It took some effort to deal with him, but we finally managed to eliminate him. I'll handle the remaining bandits; you don't need to—"
As they spoke, a lazy voice descended from the sky, and Li Jianchen gracefully landed. However, as soon as his vision cleared, he saw corpses lying haphazardly on the ground, causing him to spit out a mouthful of saliva with difficulty, and then gasp in shock:
"You did all of this?"
Kong Hexuan and Wang Hu shook their heads, then looked at Ye Ru.
"I didn't expect I really underestimated you. I'm afraid you could have killed this scholar even without me."
Li Jianchen narrowed his eyes, his heart churning with turmoil, and then spoke to Ye Ru.
"Thank you for saving me, Special Envoy Li. I am deeply grateful. That poem by the Poet Immortal was indeed written by me. I once entered a cave and happened to find a famous work by the Poet Immortal inside."
Knowing why the other party had come, Ye Ru casually made up a lie.
Since there really is a poet immortal here, these poems do not have the added talent of the original works.
What is the name of this poem?
Li Jianchen asked.
"The title is 'Climbing Phoenix Terrace in Jinling.' It is a seven-character regulated poem. When I saw this work that day, I was deeply moved by its magnificent and powerful spirit, so I wrote it down."
Ye Ru pondered for a moment, then said that he knew how much benefit these poems by the immortal poets would bring to the Azure Lotus Sword Domain. Even if the Azure Lotus Sword Domain couldn't withstand five countries, it could still shake half of them.
Unlike other scholarly nations, the Azure Lotus Sword Domain advocates the simultaneous cultivation of swordsmanship and poetry, and its swordsmanship is extraordinary.
"Could you please give us this poem? Otherwise, I won't be able to explain it to the Sword Domain."
Li Jianchen cupped his hands in greeting to Ye Ru and then spoke.
"Why not? This poem originally belonged to the Azure Lotus Sword Domain, so I will write it down now."
After Ye Ru finished speaking, he picked up his pen and began to write the poem "Climbing Phoenix Terrace in Jinling".
"Phoenixes once roamed the Phoenix Terrace, but now the phoenixes are gone, the terrace is empty, and the river flows on..."
"This poem combines the vicissitudes of history with ancient and ethereal legends to express the poet's feelings and sentiments, conveying a profound sense of historical reflection and a clear-headed contemplation of reality. No wonder this gentleman said that the poem has a lofty and ancient style and a profound tone. Now it seems that this is indeed the case."
Ye Ru wrote down the entire poem, and Li Jianchen silently recited it in his mind. Then his eyes lit up, and he nodded.
"The first two lines of this poem describe the legend of Phoenix Terrace. The word 'phoenix' is used three times in fourteen characters, yet it doesn't feel repetitive. The rhythm is smooth and melodious, extremely beautiful. A master is indeed a master. Even if I studied for five years, I'm afraid I couldn't surpass the masterpiece that the Poet Immortal casually wrote."
When Kong Hexuan was in Huangshan, he did not think carefully about the artistic conception of this poem, but now when he reads it, he cannot help but feel deeply moved.
"Since you are so generous, I naturally cannot keep anything to myself. This fragment of the *Six Secret Teachings* is the true text of the sages, possessing unparalleled power. I obtained it from this ghostly scholar, and this fragment is from the *Tiger Teachings* section of the *Six Secret Teachings*. Once you fully comprehend it, its power will certainly not be weaker than Sun Tzu's *The Art of War* and *The Thirty-Six Stratagems*. In fact, if you also gather the *Three Strategies*, its power will be even greater."
Li Jianchen took out a stack of yellowed papers from his sleeve. Although the papers were yellowed, the terrifying talent surging within them made Ye Ru solemn.
"What is this 'Six Secret Teachings'?"
Wang Hu, who was standing next to Kong Hexuan, whispered something to him.
Upon hearing this, Kong Hexuan glanced at Ye Ru with envy, then smiled and sighed:
"This *Six Secret Teachings*, also known as *Taigong's Six Secret Teachings*, is the military strategy section of *Taigong*, a famous Huang-Lao Daoist classic from the pre-Qin period of ancient China. The book consists of six volumes and sixty chapters. If this *Six Secret Teachings* had fallen into the hands of military strategists, it would have undoubtedly elevated their power to a new level. But now, it's a pity for Ye Ru."
"That's amazing?"
Wang Hu's eyes widened, and he looked at Ye Ru with even greater admiration.
"Such a precious gift, I am unworthy to accept it."
Feeling the terrifying fluctuations of talent, Ye Ru immediately waved his hand. As the saying goes, a gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it in a proper way. If he were to accept such a valuable item, the path to sainthood might be shaken.
"No, you deserve it. This poem made me feel a sense of righteousness, and it also gave me a deeper understanding of the ethereal concept of qi."
“Because Qi has been widely used since the pre-Qin era. As the great Confucian scholar Cao Pi of the Wei and Jin Dynasties wrote about Qi, Qi was also used as an important element in many art forms. But I am different. I want to apply Qi to swordsmanship. Your poem has helped me a lot. How could I possibly feel unworthy of it?”
Li Jianchen shook his head and offered words of advice, then handed the fragment of the "Six Secret Teachings" to Ye Ru.
"In that case, I shall respectfully accept your offer. Thank you, Special Envoy Li."
"No need to thank me. You are far superior to the scholars of other noble families. They only offer empty words; after searching for a hundred years, they have only helped my Azure Lotus Sword Domain find a dozen or so authentic works by the Poet Immortal."
Li Jianchen seemed uninterested in the Ten Kingdoms and began listing the faults of past rulers in front of the three of them. This undoubtedly made Ye Ru and Kong Hexuan smile wryly, because what he said was true.