CHAPTER 508: CHAPTER 462 HOW MANY INNATE MARTIAL ARTISTS DOES DA RONG HAVE?

Chongshan Pass, the front hall of the Marquis Mansion.

At this moment, Yang Zhenshan was receiving a guest, and his guest was none other than Ji Zhen, the Sect Leader of the Hengdao Sect.

In the hall, after exchanging pleasantries, Yang Zhenshan and Ji Zhen took their respective seats as host and guest, with Ji Hai standing behind Ji Zhen, and only Yang Mingcheng by Yang Zhenshan’s side.

Holding his cup of tea, Yang Zhenshan said with a beaming smile, "I have long admired Mr. Ji’s great reputation; meeting you today truly brings joy to my junior self!"

Ji Zhen was almost eighty years old, over twenty years senior to Yang Zhenshan, so it was only fitting for him to refer to himself as a junior.

His admiration for Ji Zhen was not mere flattery. As the number one expert in Liaodong and with the Hengdao Sect dominating Jizhou, both Ji Zhen and the Hengdao Sect enjoyed a very good reputation in Liaodong.

Reputation might be biased, but for decades, Ji Zhen and the Hengdao Sect have been well-regarded, which speaks volumes about their honorable conduct.

Having dealt with Ji Hai many times, Yang Zhenshan had seen enough to recognize the good nature of the Hengdao Sect through the cooperation with the Tenglong Guard and Chongshan Town over the years.

To say that Ji Zhen was a heroic figure was no exaggeration.

Thus, Yang Zhenshan truly held Ji Zhen in high esteem.

"Marquis Zhenshan guards the frontier, ensuring the safety of countless citizens and rescuing them from peril. You are indeed a model for us martial artists! For me to meet the Marquis is a great honor!" Ji Zhen, stroking his snow-white beard, said.

The two exchanged glances and burst into hearty laughter.

Once the laughter subsided, Yang Zhenshan took a light sip of tea before posing a question: "Mr. Ji, have you already stepped into the Innate Realm?"

At that remark, the atmosphere in the hall fell silent.

Ji Zhen stroked his beard with a calm demeanor, while Ji Hai looked at Ji Zhen’s silver hair with gleaming eyes.

Indeed, Ji Hai did not know whether his master had achieved a breakthrough to the Innate Realm. Despite his suspicions, Ji Zhen had never confirmed it to him, leaving him uncertain.

As for Yang Mingcheng, he watched Ji Zhen with curiosity. Yang Zhenshan had told him that Ji Zhen might have reached the Innate Realm, and now seeing the man in person, his curiosity was piqued.

After all, he was facing what he thought was the first Innate Martial Artist he had ever met, or the second to be precise, as he was unaware that Yang Zhenshan had already made the breakthrough.

Ji Zhen gave a small smile, "Compared to the Marquis, I am still a step behind."

Yang Zhenshan chuckled, "It’s not about speed; what matters is crossing the threshold."

Ji Hai, taken aback, then suddenly looked up at Yang Zhenshan with an incredulous expression.

The statement implied that both had broken through to the Innate Realm.

If only Ji Zhen had announced his own breakthrough, Ji Hai would have been more joyous than surprised. Learning that Yang Zhenshan, too, was an Innate Martial Artist, left him only in shock!

"Dad is an Innate Martial Artist?" Yang Mingcheng’s reaction lagged, and he couldn’t help asking.

"Yes, how old are you? There’s no need for such a fuss!" scolded Yang Zhenshan as he glanced at his naïve son, contrasting him with Ji Hai who, though astonished, showed no intention of interrupting.

"Ha ha, Ming Cheng is straightforward and sincere; having such a disciple, I do envy you!" Ji Zhen looked at Yang Mingcheng with full admiration.

Simplicity and sincerity are not flaws; on the contrary, they are the most trustworthy traits to those close to us.

In martial arts, simplicity and sincerity are among the best of qualities, as the path of martial arts requires one to be down-to-earth. Those who are too clever might not thrive in martial arts.

In contrast, those who are straightforward and sincere can go much further.

Sincerity begets sincerity; in martial arts, if one is sincere, martial arts will also be sincere in return.

Though there’s a saying, ’Once a teacher, always a father,’ in truth, the bond of father and son is often closer than that of master and disciple.

Ji Zhen, having no children of his own, held his disciple as his closest kin.

That’s why disciples like Yang Mingcheng were his most favored.

This is not to say that Ji Hai was any less, but if he could have Yang Mingcheng as a disciple, that would be a great fortune to wish for.

Unfortunately, it was impossible for Yang Mingcheng to become his disciple. With Yang Zhenshan as his father and being the heir to Marquis Jing’an Mansion, Yang Mingcheng would surely not join the Hengdao Sect.

Hearing Ji Zhen’s praise made Yang Mingcheng somewhat embarrassed.

Yang Zhenshan smiled and then changed the topic, "I have invited Mr. Ji here because there is something I wish to consult you about."

"Marquis, please speak freely. I shall spare no detail in what I know," replied Ji Zhen.

"How many Innate Martial Artists does our Da Rong have?" Yang Zhenshan inquired.

His knowledge of Da Rong’s Innate Martial Artists was sparse. Firstly, because he had lived on the outskirts of the northeast of Da Rong, far from the martial circles of Da Rong, not to mention the Innate Martial Artists within the Da Rong court.

Secondly, his former status had been too low, a mere country farmer, and his rise had only spanned a few years, with limited contact with martial arts masters.

In contrast, Ji Zhen’s experiences were much richer; living within the worldly society, he was well-connected, and his understanding of Innate Martial Artists was far superior to Yang Zhenshan’s.

After pondering a moment, Ji Zhen said, "Not too many, yet not too few!"

"Oh, how many exactly?" Yang Zhenshan asked.

Ji Zhen shook his head slightly, "I’m not certain, but I estimate that there shouldn’t be more than forty Innate Martial Artists throughout Da Rong!"

"So many?" Yang Zhenshan was astonished.

He had previously thought that Da Rong having a dozen or so Innate Martial Artists was impressive enough, but nearly forty was unexpected!

"Yes, Innate Martial Artists live much longer than ordinary people, some even reaching a hundred and twenty years of age. And some old-timers prefer to live secluded in deep forests and mountains. Unless you know them personally, you wouldn’t even be aware of their existence," Ji Zhen explained.

That Innate Martial Artists prefer seclusion doesn’t mean they withdraw completely from society; they simply no longer crave worldly desires. Whether it be power, wealth, or beauty, these attract them little.

They pursue the highest levels of martial arts.

As such, they rarely appear in worldly society or court.

Of course, they don’t sever ties with society as they still require basic living materials and resources for cultivation.

But they can easily have their disciples take care of basic necessities. After all, what Innate Martial Artist wouldn’t have disciples?

Even without disciples, they could buy what they needed themselves. An old person visiting town is unlikely to draw much attention.

As for cultivation resources, the resources from the secular world have already become of little use to them. Even Treasure Medicines rarely catch their eye.

Take Ji Zhen, for example; it may not be long before he passes the Sect Leader position of the Hengdao Sect to Ji Hai. By then, he will take to seclusion within the Hengdao Sect, never stepping out for a decade or even several decades. After those decades, there will probably be few in the secular world who remember him.

Even if he doesn’t seclude himself within the Hengdao Sect and wants to take a walk outside, he would not venture into bustling areas, but rather, he would seek out deep forests and ancient mountains.

He has long since experienced the bustle of the world and it has lost its appeal for him. What he seeks are the many heavenly and earthly treasures hidden within the forests and mountains.

Perhaps he would also seek out peers for exchange, but those peers, he estimates, are much like him, having already distanced themselves from the secular world.

Therefore, Innate Martial Artists are seldom seen in the secular world.

"With so many Innate Martial Artists, our Liaodong should also have some, right?" Yang Zhenshan continued to ask.

"Yes, there is one, but which old predecessor has secluded himself in Changqing Mountain, I have only heard about and never seen!" Ji Zhen said.

Okay, so this is a reclusive expert who likes to dwell in the mountains and forests!

"What about the court? Are there any Innate Martial Artists there?" Yang Zhenshan was more curious about Innate Martial Artists in court.

Ji Zhen pondered for a moment and said, "Marquis, do you know about Sanshan Valley?"

"Sanshan Valley!" Yang Zhenshan shook his head.

Ji Zhen explained, "It’s located to the west of the Capital City, between Wanfu Mountain, Longevity Mountain, and Wansui Mountain. Sanshan Valley lies between these three mountains!"

Yang Zhenshan suddenly understood. Of course, he knew about these three mountains; Dacheng Temple was situated on Wanfu Mountain, but he had never been there.

"Sanshan Valley is where the court venerates Innate Martial Artists, there should be seven or eight Innate Martial Artists there!"

"Besides, among the nobility of the court, there are also a few Innate Martial Artists!"

Speaking of which, Ji Zhen looked at Yang Zhenshan and smiled, "Like the Changping Marquis Mansion!"

"Changping Marquis Mansion!" Yang Zhenshan once again showed a surprised expression.

"The grandfather of the current Marquis Changping has never passed away!" Ji Zhen said.

Yang Zhenshan’s pupils suddenly contracted.

He really didn’t know about this.

Damn!

Was the Changping Marquis Mansion hiding that deep?

The Yang family and the Changping Marquis Mansion were in-laws, and they didn’t even know there was an ancestor in the Innate Realm in the Changping Marquis Mansion.

"Otherwise, Marquis, why do you think the Changping Marquis Mansion has been able to last for over three hundred years!" Ji Zhen said.

Yang Zhenshan stroked his beard; he had always thought that the Changping Marquis Mansion did not wish to integrate with the nobility to avoid the Emperor’s suspicion. Now it seems that the Changping Marquis Mansion simply disdains to integrate with the nobility.

"What about the other nobles?" Yang Zhenshan continued to ask.

Ji Zhen slightly shook his head, "That I do not know. The reason I know about the Innate expert in the Changping Marquis Mansion is that the Marquis Changping once served as General in Chongshan Town. As for the other nobles, I do not have contact or understanding of them!"

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly, "What about within the Imperial City?"

Ji Zhen smiled helplessly, "I’ve never entered the Imperial City!"

Yang Zhenshan broke into a sweat; his question was somewhat difficult.

If it were worldly matters, Ji Zhen naturally had seen much and knew a lot. But when it came to matters within the court and Imperial City, it was normal for Ji Zhen to be unaware.

Yang Zhenshan recalled the three old eunuchs he had once seen beside Emperor Chengping!

So it seems that the court should have around a dozen Innate Martial Artists, roughly half of all those in Da Rong.

It’s just unknown what level of strength and cultivation these Innate Martial Artists possess.

The five levels of the Innate Realm: entering the door, controlling Qi, Mystical Mechanism, Ruwei, Entering Tao!

Are there any Innate Martial Artists at the Entering Tao level?

If so, Yang Zhenshan wanted to seek their advice.

Although Yang Zhenshan is at the Innate Realm and has reached the level of Entering Tao, to be honest, his understanding of this level is quite superficial.

Afterwards, Yang Zhenshan exchanged some cultivation insights with Ji Zhen.

Compared to Ji Zhen, Yang Zhenshan was lacking in depth and his understanding of Martial Arts was more superficial.

Yet, Yang Zhenshan’s cultivation in the Innate Realm was much more profound than Ji Zhen’s, and he had his own understanding of controlling Qi.

Both benefited greatly from the exchange.

However, the ones who benefited the most were Yang Mingcheng and Ji Hai.

Both of them had already begun cultivating the Innate Cultivation Technique and were at the stage of condensing Innate True Qi. The exchange between Yang Zhenshan and Ji Zhen, even if they could only comprehend a few words, was a significant gain for them.

After the exchange, both Yang Zhenshan and Ji Zhen felt they had not had enough, so Yang Zhenshan decided to have Ji Zhen stay at the Marquis Mansion for two more days.

It was mainly because both had reached the Innate Realm but had not had exchanges with peers. Upon meeting a fellow traveler today, neither wanted to part.

Err, does this sound a bit mushy?

In any case, that’s what it meant!

Similar to newly confirmed lovers who have endless topics to talk about, everything they do is done with enthusiasm, as if they never wish to be apart.

Two days later, Yang Zhenshan still sent Ji Zhen away, although he wanted to exchange more with Ji Zhen for a few more days. However, Ji Zhen needed to visit the Capital City and should not stay in Chongshan Pass for long.

As for why he needed to visit the Capital City, it was not difficult to understand.

Becoming an Innate Martial Artist, you must inform the court.

For the court, an Innate Martial Artist is an unstable element. Notifying the court spares any misunderstandings and troubles later on.

Of course, Yang Zhenshan had no intention of revealing his cultivation for now, and he asked Ji Zhen and Ji Hai to keep it a secret for him.