Chapter 91: Chapter 90: Taoist Yi Hong’s Invitation

Likes and comments can be bought with traffic, but followers aren’t so easy to accumulate.

Gu Zhao had seen plenty of accounts with tens of thousands of likes and thousands of comments, but only a few hundred followers. They were all from creators who had lost money by failing to buy traffic for a single video.

But the collaboration between [Yue Ya] and [Xi Shi] was genuinely viral. Many other creators had already reposted and made derivative works from their latest videos. The one filmed at the Large Bird Cage, in particular, when combined with footage from onlookers, got even more traffic than their official upload of "Empty Mountain·Array-Breaking Music."

First came the fans who were just there for their looks.

"So beautiful!"

"Why are all the girls who play music so pretty?"

Then came the expert music fans.

"The transition from ’Empty Mountain Bird Language’ to ’Qin King’s Battle Music’ was silky smooth. These two ladies have a profound foundation. They’re definitely professional folk musicians."

"Go check out the bios for [Yue Ya] and [Xi Shi]. They’re graduates of the Yandu Music Academy and are now with the Yangcheng Folk Orchestra. The video was shot at the Yangcheng White Cloud Mountain Large Bird Cage!"

"It looks good and sounds good! ’Empty Mountain·Array-Breaking Music’ is a great watch, and ’Ambush from All Sides’ and ’High Mountains and Flowing Water’ sound amazing too."

Of course, most of the comments were about the standoff between a certain someone and the Red-crowned Crane.

"Major points for Crane Fist!"

"I went and watched the footage from the onlookers. It was actually real?"

"This is so shocking! I know the ancients drew inspiration from animal movements to create fist techniques, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone perform a fist technique so well that an animal mistakes them for its own kind."

"My entire worldview is shattered!"

"Can anyone tell me who that master performing Crane Fist is?"

"You don’t even have to ask. He’s definitely a national Martial Hero Level athlete."

"I asked a professional. They said his Crane Fist is in a class of its own and isn’t part of any of the established Crane Fist styles."

"@ZongHeFist, @MingHeFist, @FlyingCraneFist, @EatingCraneFist"

"Traditional martial arts is the GOAT!"

"Don’t hype it up. I’m just asking, can he get in the UFC and fight a champion?"

"Do you still not understand the difference between traditional martial arts and modern combat sports?"

"It’s about the artistic conception! Do you get it? The conception!"

"It’s so beautiful!"

This was the internet age. The perfect filter through which people viewed traditional martial arts, created by wuxia novels and films, had mostly faded away.

While national arts were once killing techniques, the times were different, the environment was different, and the people were different. Traditional martial arts masters might have been formidable fighters in the past, but now, they were basically useless in a real fight.

Everyone was soberly aware that modern-day folk practitioners of traditional martial arts were no match for professional fighters in a ring. But that didn’t stop people from enjoying traditional martial arts and wuxia performances.

There was no other reason. It just looked damn good.

On platforms like TikTok, many traditional martial artists posted short videos with effects rivaling the wuxia films of old. They had plenty of fans, and even though viewers knew their actual combat skills were probably average, they couldn’t help but love watching.

Now, a real-life example had appeared before everyone’s eyes, vividly showcasing the philosophy and beauty of traditional martial arts—not through editing, but with a live demonstration. Naturally, it blew up.

"This master has trained Crane Fist to his very bones!"

"He probably started his martial arts training by observing Immortal Cranes since he was a kid. He must have the scent of an Immortal Crane on him. That, plus his movements, made the Red-crowned Crane see him as an enemy."

"A Southern Fist master!"

"I have a feeling that Crane Fist might see a resurgence thanks to this wave of popularity."

"You don’t need a feeling. A lot of Crane Fist practitioners are already gaining followers."

"Tsk tsk, even the official state media accounts have reposted it. ’Folk Martial Artist Channels the Spirit of Crane Fist as Red-crowned Crane Dances Gracefully, Showcasing the Traditional Martial Arts Ideal of Unity Between Heaven and Man’!"

"’Dances gracefully’? They almost got into a fight, hahaha!"

"Awesome!"

"It’s just plain awesome!"

Gu Zhao scrolled gleefully through his phone for a while before starting his fist practice.

’Xingyi Twelve Forms... If I learned Tiger Fist, would it attract an attack from a real tiger?’

’A tiger is different from a crane. A tiger wouldn’t back down so easily. If I accidentally killed it, would I be held legally responsible?’

As Gu Zhao was pondering this, he received a message from Xiao Ya, informing him that the Daoist named Yi Hong had arrived in Yangcheng.

Gu Zhao’s schedule was flexible, so they arranged to meet that afternoon.

Taoist Yi Hong was an elder, so Gu Zhao declined his offer to come see him. Instead, Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi drove over to pick Gu Zhao up and take him to the Daoist’s hotel.

Following the two women into the hotel restaurant, Gu Zhao saw three Daoists waiting for him.

One was an old Daoist, the very Taoist Yi Hong whom Xiao Ya had mentioned. Beside him were a middle-aged Daoist and a young Daoist.

The moment he saw Taoist Yi Hong, the Five Thunders Order and the Thunder Seed in Gu Zhao’s mind began to stir with excitement.

Gu Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. ’Just as I thought!’

In the next instant, Taoist Yi Hong strode forward, cupped his hands, and smiled. "Mr. Gu, this old Daoist has admired you from afar for a long time. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you today."

"It’s a pleasure, Daoist," Gu Zhao replied, also cupping his hands in greeting.

Taoist Yi Hong invited Gu Zhao to sit and said with a smile, "Actually, the first time I learned of you wasn’t because of Younger Brother Xiao’s Celestial Spirit Talisman."

"Oh?" Gu Zhao was surprised.

"Before that, when I went to Yuanfa Palace to collect some Dragon Gate Classics, I saw the Five Thunders Talisman you drew for Hui Bin." Taoist Yi Hong began to explain his first encounter with Gu Zhao’s work.

At first, he hadn’t connected Gu Zhao with Yuanfa Palace, as he knew Xiao Ya had obtained her talisman from Qingcheng Mountain. However, on his second visit to the Xiao Family, he overheard Xiao Ya’s mother sighing that a grown daughter can’t be kept at home forever, and learned that Xiao Ya and Gu Zhao had first met at Yuanfa Palace. Only then did he realize that the person who drew the Five Thunders Talisman and the Celestial Spirit Talisman was one and the same.

Taoist Yi Hong was already very curious about Gu Zhao, and since he happened to have business in the south, he made a detour to Yangcheng to meet him.

Taoist Yi Hong asked, "Mr. Gu, you are not yet an ordained Daoist of the Zhengyi Dao, are you?"

"I am not," Gu Zhao replied. "I learned Daoist Techniques from my grandfather. My lineage is an unaffiliated one, so I have not been ordained."

Taoist Yi Hong nodded and continued, "I have come south this time because the Penglai Immortal Pavilion in Port City is holding a commemorative ritual for its centennial anniversary. The Penglai Immortal Pavilion is a Dragon Gate Dojo, so for this grand centennial ceremony, they have invited people from the Yandu Ancestral Court White Cloud Temple and the Ten Directions Forest Eight Immortals Palace in West Capital, Qin Province to attend."

Gu Zhao’s eyebrow twitched. "You wish to invite me to observe the ceremony?"

Taoist Yi Hong nodded, then shook his head. "Observing the ceremony is just a pretext. After all, there are few true cultivators these days who could recognize your extraordinary abilities. My main reason for inviting you to come along is to introduce you to another young man.

When I last visited the Eight Immortals Palace, I met another Daoist who has also cultivated Inner Breath True Qi. He’s only in his thirties, around the same age as you, Mr. Gu. He will be attending as well, so I wanted to introduce you two."

At this, Taoist Yi Hong couldn’t help but sigh. "In this day and age, there are not many people left who can cultivate Inner Breath. It is all the more reason for you all to communicate more and learn from each other."

Gu Zhao was stunned to hear this. In this modern era of endless distractions, to be able to quiet one’s mind and cultivate Inner Breath True Qi meant that this person was also a true Daoist Quanzhen, with a talent no less than his own!

Taoist Yi Hong asked, "I wonder if you have the time, Mr. Gu?"

Gu Zhao nodded decisively. "I would be deeply honored to attend the centennial ceremony of the Penglai Immortal Pavilion!"