“Of course, Western Chu has its shortcomings as well. The people of the Southern Border are all crude and barbaric, disobedient to teaching and reform, refusing to pay homage to the superior state, while concealing countless Evils...”
Lu Ming’s voice grew quieter and quieter. It was not because he was drunk, but because Dezhou bordered the Southern Border, and if he spoke too loudly, the Evils or barbarians might hear him.
He could not afford to provoke either group.
The Southern Border did not refer to a single country, but to a region located south of Western Chu. Tribes were scattered throughout the area, with complicated beliefs. Occasionally, a powerful tribe would Establish a Nation, but each such nation would have a short reign. The reasons were complicated and could not be explained in just a few words.
Western Chu had once tried to occupy the Southern Border and bring it under its rule. However, because the cost of such a campaign was too high and the disadvantages outweighed the benefits, occupying it was worse than leaving it alone. They might as well let it grow wild.
Although it had never occupied the region, Western Chu had never abandoned its efforts to control the Southern Border. Under the banner of “building roads, conducting trade, and seeking Benefits for our fellow countrymen,” it carried out Infiltration, taking advantage of every opportunity to profit from the troubled waters.
If there were no troubled waters, they would create them!
Thus, Western Chu called the Southern Border barbarians, while the Southern Border called Western Chu bandits. That was how the two countries’ relations were set.
Lu Ming did not want to Say more about the Southern Border, and he did not even mention the Evils within it. After drinking some wine, he turned instead to discussing the First-class powers within Western Chu.
“Our Western Chu Divine Capital is the ancestral land of Shang Zhou. Its Luck stretches far and wide, and Northern Qi and Southern Jin cannot compare with it. The two Great Clans, the Linnan Wu Clan and the Shaoxian Chen Clan, also strictly uphold the established laws and get along harmoniously with the Imperial Family...”
As he continued, Western Chu, which moments ago had seemed capable of unifying the World, suddenly lost its confidence. “Those famous mountains and great sects insist that the imperial court is the imperial court and the Jianghu is the Jianghu, that the imperial court does not meddle in Jianghu affairs, and that the Jianghu does not interfere in imperial court politics. They are full of Reason but even fuller of business interests. If they had not held us back, the entire World would have been conquered by our Western Chu long ago.”
After a bout of muttering in a low voice, he named several of the most disobedient First-class powers.
Peerless Palace, Sword Heart Studio, Heavenly Sword Pavilion, Heavenly Saber Sect, Heavenly Martial Sect...
Sword Heart Studio practiced both Buddhism and Daoism, and most of its members were female disciples. Peerless Palace consisted entirely of female disciples. As long as you did not Provoke them, they would Quietly remain beautiful and well-mannered women. But once you offended them, there would be nowhere Quiet and undisturbed for you to hide, even at the End of the world.
Moreover, they were notorious for protecting their own. If you beat the younger ones, the older ones would come after you as well. Even Demons would take a detour upon seeing them.
“Heavenly Sword, Heavenly Saber, and Heavenly Martial share the Same lineage. They all split off from the ‘Heavenly Sect,’ once the greatest First-class power in the World. Speaking of the Heavenly Sect, we must mention its founder, Yan Xuanhe. Number one under Heaven, undefeated in his era—what astonishing might was displayed when One Sword severed the sky!”
“It is said that the Heavenly Sect of that era occupied several provinces. Though it was a sect, it was no different from a country...”
Lu Ming sighed repeatedly. “Unfortunately, the Latecomers were disappointing. They insisted on fighting among themselves to determine who was superior. The Heavenly Sect only continued its Inheritance for eight thousand years before splitting into three and losing its title as the greatest under Heaven.”
They lacked the ability to be number one under Heaven, yet inherited the temper of those who were. Heavenly Sword was arrogant, Heavenly Saber was domineering, and Heavenly Martial was proud. Though they came from the same Family, they could not stand one another. Every few years, they would hold a martial contest to discuss the Dao, bringing countless Disasters upon Western Chu.
Nine times out of ten when someone caused trouble, it was one of them. Hated by people, despised by dogs, and detested even by Heaven, they made the ghosts wail and the wolves howl in sorrow.
It could be said that if these Three Families behaved themselves, Western Chu would be half-stabilized.
“Forget Sword Villa and White Cloud Villa are not quiet either. One boasts that it has forgotten the sword and does not compete, while the other calls itself Free and unfettered. Their two merchant houses have branches spread across the lands, and no one knows how much wealth they have accumulated.”
If they dared to amass wealth so recklessly today, I could not imagine what they would dare do tomorrow!
Lu Ming did not say that aloud. Instead, he widened his eyes to express his indignation and snorted. “These two merchant houses have many branches. This coach has seen plenty of people Suffer a loss at their hands. You will certainly deal with them in the Future, so keep your Eyes open and do not get deceived.”
“The Qingxu Sect is a good Taoist Temple. Everyone within it is a Quanzhen practitioner and worships Daojun Qingxu. Other than Subdue Demons and Eliminate Devils, its Disciples rarely travel outside...”
Xiang Yuan had been listening intently when he suddenly sensed that something was wrong. He knew the title Daojun Qingxu. It belonged to a character from the gods-and-demons novel Investiture of the Gods, one of the twelve Esteemed Immortals of the Chan Sect. He possessed many Magic Treasures, the most famous being the Five-Fire Seven-Poultry Fan and the Heart-Piercing Nail.
But Daojun Qingxu was a fictional character from a novel. Even if one took the most generous interpretation, he was merely a fictional Immortal. Where could his Daoist Inheritance have come from?
Perhaps such an Immortal really had existed and simply happened to share the same name.
Xiang Yuan was For a moment unable to understand. He came up with an explanation to fill the gap and continued listening to Lu Ming describe Western Chu’s First-class powers.
“Last is Great Awakening Temple, where this coach apprenticed himself to study martial arts. Speaking of Great Awakening Temple, it truly is extraordinary. It inherited thirty-six Absolute Skills, every one of them a First-class form of Martial arts in the present age. Once cultivated to the pinnacle, its peerless Divine Skills are comparable to an earthly Buddha!”
Lu Ming came from Great Awakening Temple. Although he was a lay disciple, he thought day and night of the kindness of his teachers. Therefore, whenever he mentioned Great Awakening Temple, he never spared his praise.
In his mouth, Great Awakening Temple was the foremost of the Four Buddhist Families, far surpassing Shaolin Temple, Yan Kong Temple, and Treasure Mirror Temple.
After two more mouthfuls of wine, even the domineering and arrogant founder of the Heavenly Sect, Yan Xuanhe, would have an incomparably clear gaze upon encountering the Abbot.
Shaolin Temple?
This World had a Shaolin Temple too?
That made sense. Shaolin was Spread throughout the Myriad Worlds. Wherever there was a Monk, there would be a Shaolin Temple. It was not strange.
Xiang Yuan complained inwardly and slowly raised his hand, wanting to ask whether the local Shaolin Temple also possessed the Seventy-Two Absolute Skills.
At that moment, the young man in front of him raised his hand again, successfully blocking him once more.
“Coach, I heard that Shaolin has the Seventy-Two Absolute Skills, while Great Awakening Temple only has thirty-six. That is half as many. Would Great Awakening Temple lose in a fight?”
Good lad, it’s you again!
That was a very good question. Do not ask it next time.
Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes and lowered his hand. Having someone else step forward was certainly convenient and spared him from saying too much and making a mistake, but being beaten to the question twice in a row left him somewhat uncomfortable.
“Pah!”
Lu Ming spat out a mouthful of saliva, startling the young men into dodging. He shouted angrily, “Who told you that seventy-two is necessarily more powerful than thirty-six? How can Shaolin’s seventy-two minor skills compare with Great Awakening Temple’s thirty-six major skills? The thirty-six Heavenly Dipper techniques come before the seventy-two Earthly Fiend techniques. Do you really need me to explain such a simple Reason?”
As he spoke, he launched into a tirade of Cursing and grumbling.
Shaolin was located in Northern Qi, so Lu Ming was not afraid of speaking loudly. What he feared more was speaking too quietly and failing to let the Abbot of Great Awakening Temple hear him.
The young man had provoked Lu Ming’s Bad luck. He sat down dejectedly, no longer daring to ask who was stronger.
“You. Today, you will add one Shichen of extra training. After finishing, go find the Senior Brother at the Martial arts school for an assessment match. If you lose, add another Shichen of extra training!”
“Ah...”
The young man’s face filled with bitterness. He collapsed into his seat in helpless dejection, As if his entire person had turned gray.
Lu Ming forcefully strengthened Great Awakening Temple’s unchallengeable prestige in the hearts of the young men. He waved his hand and said, “I’m a little drunk. That is all for today. Go back and rest. After eating, come see me one by one according to your ranking in the Martial arts school.”
Having said that, he left behind several empty wine jars and got up to leave.
The wine was truly good, and he truly could drink.
..
After dinner, Xiang Yuan was the first to go see Lu Ming.
His ranking had originally been near the top. He had few opponents among the young men, and since those with better appearances had already been taken away, the remaining youths ranked below him. Thus, he was first in line.
The Martial arts school had been built by Lu Ming. He ate, lived, and worked in the Backyard, alone and by himself. Xiang Yuan had never heard him mention parents or children.
The Backyard was quite Spacious. Every day, the Martial arts school’s disciples swept it clean, making it look fresh and tidy.
Xiang Yuan entered the courtyard and saw that the door to the room was open. He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door, respectfully addressing him as coach.
His voice carried a trace of hoarseness, as though he had just recovered from a serious illness.
“Come in.”
Lu Ming set down the book in his hand. When Xiang Yuan approached, he looked him up and down twice, gestured for him to sit, and continued, “Xiang Yuan, among all these people, you have been the most diligent in learning Martial arts, and your Talent is not bad either. Originally, I thought you would be selected by the Six Doors. But after one serious illness, all your hard work came to nothing.”
The Six Doors bore important responsibilities far beyond those of Ordinary institutions. They imparted superior Martial arts, and in time, one could enjoy Glory and Riches. It would not be an exaggeration to call it a Great opportunity.
Xiang Yuan lowered his head and remained silent, expressing his helplessness through silence.
“The day you fell unconscious, I put in a few good words for you, but it was of no use.”
“Thank you for speaking on my behalf, Coach. Everyone has their own fate. I... I no longer think about it,” Xiang Yuan said gloomily.
“It is good if you truly do not want it. What I fear is that you will dwell on it constantly, become unable to think things through, and take the wrong path.”
Lu Ming shook his head and glanced toward the Open Main Gate. In a low voice, he said, “Xiang Yuan, you have studied Martial arts under me for two years and grasped the essence of my Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber. Your physique and Footwork have both reached Minor success. You are a piece of gold; sooner or later, you will shine.”
The Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber sounded like a martial art meant for an anonymous extra!
Xiang Yuan looked up at Lu Ming and said sincerely, “Coach, we can talk about the Future when it comes. Right now, I only want to recover my health and cultivate my Martial arts again. It is unfortunate, but after suffering a serious illness, my mind has been Muddled and Confused, and I cannot remember many of the Moves clearly.”
The Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber was a mature Saber technique consisting of Eighty-eight, sixty-four forms, along with a corresponding form of Footwork. Practiced constantly, it would always feel new. Xiang Yuan had only fused a few Memory Fragments, so he had indeed Forgot most of it.
If they really fought, any young man near the bottom of the rankings could easily defeat him.
This was the main reason for Xiang Yuan’s anxiety. Forgetting about failing to enter the Six Doors, being sent to the Wilderness to watch over graves would be unbearably tragic.
He was not even thirty—no, he was only fifteen. He was still a child.
“Martial arts are carved into your bones. Once learned, they will never be forgotten for an entire lifetime. Your mind may have forgotten, but your body will remember.”
Lu Ming did Not take it seriously. He took a wooden box from the bookshelf and opened it. Inside were several thin sheets of paper. “I will Say more no further. I pity how difficult things have been for you, so I will impart the True Transmission. Study Martial arts well. Once you achieve something in the Future, the Six Doors will naturally come recruiting.”
Xiang Yuan opened his eyes wide and stared at Lu Ming in disbelief. His anxious and uneasy heart settled, and he could not help feeling a trace of warmth.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I am not giving it away for nothing. I am old and have no one to rely on. I only seek to plant a good cause and reap a good result. Once you become successful, do not Forget today.”
Lu Ming laughed heartily, pretending to be at ease. “Do not Delay. You only have The time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If you take too long, the others will certainly Suspect that I am secretly imparting my special skills to you.”
“When I rise to prominence one day, I will never Forget the Coach’s kindness in imparting the Dao and teaching me!”
Xiang Yuan nodded heavily, quickly picked up the five sheets of paper, and memorized them within One Stick of Incense.
It was good to be young. Unlike in his previous life, when he had exhausted himself working, he would Forget things from time to time.
Lu Ming closed the wooden box and instructed him, “Giving is kindness; withholding is enmity. Favoritism most easily breeds resentment. You must remember this: do not let anyone else know about this matter, or it may bring you a Disaster that costs you your life. I might be able to shield you, but you would be in trouble.”
It was better to worry about unequal distribution than scarcity. Xiang Yuan Understood this Reason. After thanking him again, he Left the Backyard.
A moment later, a young man entered and gently knocked on the door.
“Ma Jie, you have studied Martial arts under me for two years and grasped the essence of my ‘Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber’...”
“I know your Talent. You are a fine piece of material who will mature late. You are a piece of gold; sooner or later, you will shine!”
“I pity how difficult things have been for you, so I will impart the True Transmission...”
“You must remember this: do not let anyone else know about this matter...”
“Coach~~”