Sword Among Us
Sword Among Us - Chapter 52: Acknowledged, Shifting Stars

The Murong Clan had enjoyed an illustrious position for a period of time in the world of martial artists, but the formation of the four aristocratic clans and eight great clans suppressed them and dimmer their glory a little. However, this did not affect the power and prosperity of the Murong Clan itself. With their perfected and peerless martial art, Shifting Stars, they could even fight on equal grounds against the leading martial artists.

Murong Bo and Murong Xuan were the masters of the clan during the previous generation. They were genius martial artists, and they enjoyed an incredibly great reputation and high status in the world of martial artists. Even the master of Shaolin Temple and leader of the martial artists took the initiative to invite them over to his place in the past. It could be said that Murong Clan reached the peak of their glory during that time.

The information the Murong Clan Lady revealed made Happy excited. In his previous life, two genius players were produced by the Murong Clan. Not only did they train Shifting Stars until it reached perfection, their individual strength did not lose to the legendary seven dukes and thirteen aces. Even if they were engaged in a chaotic group battle, they could move about at ease and in a relaxed manner among countless enemies.

Even though the requirements to practice Shifting Stars were incredibly harsh, to Happy, who had three years experience in the game, it was only a matter of time before he perfected the technique!

“But a pity…” Once she mentioned Murong Clan’s glorious past, the Murong Clan Lady’s tone changed, and there was a slightly lonely and desolate expression on her face. “When the old master died and the current master went into isolated training to practice Shifting Stars, our fame gradually faded.

“No one outstanding has appeared among the disciples of the younger generation. Now… we can only choose someone among all of you in the current generation who is suitable to inherit our legacy.”

Happy had nothing to say about that.

“Shifting Stars is a peerless martial art. We cannot teach it to any disciple in Murong Clan!” The Murong Clan Lady cast Happy a profound glance. “Uncle Rong can be considered as a person who is somewhat my master. Since you can fight him for one hundred moves and not lose, it shows that you are extraordinarily talented.

“You have the ability to learn Shifting Stars. Uncle Rong has also acknowledged you… but you still cannot learn this technique with your current abilities. You have a long way to go before then, and you must not be lacking in experience of the world of martial artists, do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“This time, I asked you to come here because you attained the requirements to enter the world of martial artists. I will now hand you a very important task.” She nodded and said, “There is a prerequisite to learning Shifting Stars, and that is you must learn one hundred different martial arts!

“Only by doing so will you be able to bring out the pinnacle of the profundity behind the words, ‘I will deal with you the same way as you dealt with me.’ Hence, from today onwards, once you leave our clan, you must learn one hundred martial arts and push them all above the tenth realm!”

When she finished speaking, the system let out its notification bell to remind the stunned Happy that he had received a clan quest that he must complete—One Hundred Martial Arts!

[Practice one hundred different martial arts and push all of them above Level 90. The number required for completion of quest: 96]

Happy had nothing to say. This huge quest that would definitely last for a long time was such a heavy weight on his shoulders that he had nothing to say about it.

Even though it would not take long for him to bring one low-tier martial arts to the tenth realm, he would need to spend more than one hundred years if he counted the accumulated time of practicing one hundred martials arts to that level…

And the prerequisite for it was that nothing came to bother his training during that period of time!

This was basically the same as martial artists going into isolation training for more than half a year!

When he thought about this in depth, Happy felt like he was about to fall unconscious or go mad.

If he wanted to learn Shifting Stars, he would have to wait for at least half a year, and that was the shortest time possible for him to learn the technique…

He remembered that half a year later, World of Martial Arts would have been launched for a whole year, and there would be plenty of powerful players in the game by then. In fact, some of the foreign servers would also join their server. The one emperor, two empresses, three kings, and other powerful people who were so strong that they could defy nature would gain a solid standing that could not be shaken by anyone else. The representatives of those titles could act independently by then.

However, since he had already accepted the mission, Happy could not reject or raise a protest against it.

He sighed, forced to accept his fate.

With such a quest, it would be best if he pushed back the training for Shifting Stars a little. He would first learn a few decent high-tier martial arts to help him get through the stages that were to come, so that when the time came for him to fight against the seven dukes, thirteen aces, and other powerful fighters that were of equal standing to them, he could be on equal grounds against them.

Once Happy accepted the quest, he could officially leave Murong Clan to start his life of wandering about the plains as a martial artist and risk his life to experience the world…

Of course, the players could continue staying in their clan or sect and train while they received some minor quests to slowly become stronger and get through the stages that were to come.

There was nothing wrong with them doing this.

However, Happy knew that it was difficult for people who were bound to their sects and clans to trigger the many storylines and missions in the world of martial artists.

On top of that, leaving the clan or sect did not mean that the player could no longer receive any of the quests from them…

He might be outside, but once an emergency happened, his clan would take the initiative to send a messenger pigeon to him and tell him to go back, or they would just give him the quest and orders. Hence, once the Murong Clan Lady gave him the One Hundred Martial Arts quest, Happy quickly began making preparations for his journey in the future.

Leaving Gusu City straightaway and wandering around the plains alone was clearly very unwise. That was, in fact, the act of a true amateur.

Happy had silver notes worth nearly eighty thousand taels of silver crumbs and one Ruyi jade that was worth more than fifty thousand taels of silver crumbs. He was considered to have a lot of money when he had that sum on his person. If he turned that money into things that would add to his strength, it would be pretty good.

Once Happy left Murong Mansion, he went into an apothecary.

“Young swordsman, what might you need?” When the employee in the shop saw the Noble Sword in Happy, he went up to him in a friendly manner and greeted him. “We have the best Jinchuang Ointment for chiropractic purposes, antidotes, medicinal tablets that quickly recover qi, hangover soup, medicinal pills that treat internal injuries…”

Happy knew the medicines that the employee mentioned. Aside from the Jinchuang Ointment that he used the most often, the other medicinal pills were not cheap. However, what he needed the least right then was Jinchuang Ointment. He already had no fewer than two hundred units from training in Black Wind Mountain, and they were enough for him to last for half a year.

“Give me two units of medicinal tablets, ten units of Jinchuang Ointment…” another customer asked.

There were three players who were browsing through the various types of medicines in the apothecary. Once one of them announced what he needed and heard the price, he felt his heart clench in pain, but there was nothing he could do about it. Medicinal pills were too expensive. They actually cost two hundred taels of silver crumbs each, and the player who bought the medicine seemed to be someone who practiced lightness skills. Once he considered the amount of qi needed to use them, he could only grit his teeth and buy them.

When that player saw Happy come in, he was stunned for a moment before he nodded and left.

The other two did not leave. They continued to linger before the counter.

Happy swept his gaze around the shelves before he brought out a stack of silver notes from his Universe Bag. Then, with a calm voice, he announced the list of medicines he needed.

“One hundred medicinal tablets, ten antidotes, and ten medicinal pills.”

“Al-alright!”

As if he were human, the employee was stunned for a moment before he took the silver notes. Soon, he put on an even more friendly smile. “Please wait for a moment.”

Happy did not bother about the two players who were now dumbfounded on the side. He stood in a relaxed manner at the entrance and pondered over where he should go to practice his Black Dragon Murder once he bought a lightness skill manual.

After all, a secret technique could decide whether someone won or lost in a battle during a critical moment!