Chapter 3 Chapter Two Qingcheng Sword Sect
Walking on the ramp back to Mount Qingcheng, Yan Xiaoliu silently followed behind his brother Zhang Peng.
The cold rain has gradually thinned.The two continued walking.
White smoke was constantly rising from Yan Xiaoliu's shoulders.Zhang Peng saw it, smiled and said nothing.he understands.
Five years ago, he followed his elder brother to find bandits to test his sword, and after that, his blood boiled like this, and he couldn't control himself for a long time.Going down the mountain to fight against outsiders for the first time, and then discovering that I have abilities far surpassing most of the world's people-this is an irrepressible excitement.
Zhang Peng stopped under a big tree.At the bottom of the tree, he took off the bamboo hat, untied the bamboo tube containing clear water from his waist, and handed it to Yan Xiaoliu.
Yan Xiaoliu's mood is still not relaxed, and his mouth is really dry at this moment.He took the bamboo tube from his senior brother and took several sips.
Zhang Peng observed the expression of his younger brother.On that innocent face, there were excitement and tension, but also doubts.
"Xiao Liu, you have something to ask, don't you?" Zhang Peng took back the bamboo tube and took a sip of water.
Yan Xiaoliu looked down at the tree roots on the ground in silence.
"Just ask." Zhang Peng said again. "I won't tell Master."
Yan Xiaoliu thought about it for a long time, and finally summoned up his courage: "Brother... There is something I don't understand... That old man surnamed Zhuang is not a good person. We..."
"You mean to ask: why should we help him?"
Yan Xiaoliu nodded.
"Did you see the big people in front of the 'Wuli Wang Pavilion'? They are about to start a fight. How many people do you think will be killed or injured in this fight? A fight? Now because of us, this fight can’t be done, and many people don’t have to be killed or injured. Isn’t this a good thing? Master doesn’t really care which side to help, but the person surnamed Zhuang came up to the mountain to beg us.”
Zhang Peng patted his junior brother on the shoulder, and said: "Your sword has saved many people there, as well as their families. This is Xingxia. Just look at the results. Don't worry about other superfluous things." Think about it."
Yan Xiaoliu nodded, and continued on the road with Zhang Peng.
But on the way, he kept thinking about what his senior brother said.Then I remembered that ghost knife Chen.
——When we do this, is it actually different from Ghost Saber Chen? ...
However, such a complicated world cannot be understood by a seventeen-year-old boy who has lived in the deep mountains and practiced swords for many years and has never set foot in the rivers and lakes.
So until he reached the mountain gate, Yan Xiaoliu still had no answer.
Mount Qingcheng is the birthplace of Taoism. Legend has it that Emperor Xuanyuan had asked questions here in ancient times. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Taoist Zhang Ling (that is, the first Tianshi Zhang) settled in Mount Qingcheng.Since then, in all dynasties, masters have gone to the mountain to practice Taoism and preach, and built more temples and treasures, and incense has been burning continuously for thousands of years. The Qingcheng school of boxing and sword was originally a Taoist martial art, which was used for strengthening the body and resisting bandits; but later on, it became more and more specialized, and embarked on a pungent and vigorous purely practical combat line, which was not in line with Taoism and health preservation. Practice again, and the lay disciples will continue to study the inheritance.More than a hundred years ago, the Sword Sect and the Taoist Temple officially separated, and no longer practiced swords in the "Shangqing Palace" in the front mountain, and set up a "Xuanmen She" in the back mountain of Qingcheng as the base. Dozens of houses are used for the residence of disciples, family members and servants. Zhang Peng and Yan Xiaoliu walked west along the mountain path, and when they arrived at the memorial archway of the back mountain gate, they saluted the little Taoist priest guarding them, and continued to climb the mountain path. Behind the mountain gate is a small mountain city named Huo.The townspeople have frequent contacts with the Qingcheng swordsmen, and most of the Qingcheng sect's clothing, food and utensils are purchased in this town, and the townspeople are often hired as temporary laborers.But today, Zhang Peng didn't want to attract the attention of the townspeople, so instead of going up the mountain through Weijiang Town, he took Yan Xiaoliu along a forest path to the east and climbed north to the back mountain. The two of them walked up the slippery mountain road quickly with their hands and feet like apes. After a while, they crossed a hillside, and the imposing palace building of "Xuanmenshe" with a blue glazed tile roof suddenly appeared in front of them. When they arrived at the main entrance of Deshe Hall, the two of them followed the etiquette of the teacher's school, untied the swords around their waists, and held the scabbard in both hands before entering the door. Passing the yard and the front porch along the way, several brothers were repairing the exercise equipment.Seeing the two fellow disciples coming back, they were all so excited that they stepped forward to inquire.But the two of them knew the etiquette, they didn't say a word, they didn't stop, they continued to hold their swords and walked towards the main hall. "Guiyuan Hall".The most sacred place of the Qingcheng Sword Sect. This hall is just like the whole "Xuanmen House", the building is simple and unadorned, and it is cleaned spotlessly.Most of the tables and chairs are things that have been used for decades or even more than a hundred years, but they are well maintained, and the whole "Guiyuan Hall" naturally exudes a sense of solemnity. When Zhang Peng and the others arrived at the main gate outside, someone had already reported to the head master.At this moment, he was already sitting on the top seat under the huge "Bashu Wushuang" plaque, with his eyes slightly closed. He Zisheng, the current head of the Qingcheng School.The hair bun and long beard are half silvery white, and the face with closed eyes seems to be in meditation.If it weren't for the tall and strong body, and the dignified sitting posture like a tiger perched on a rock, it would really be a bit like an old Taoist priest who is cultivating in a Taoist temple. Sitting next to He Zisheng was his younger brother Song Zhen.Song Zhenwu has a black beard and a shiny face. She looks about thirty-five or sixteen years old, but she is actually forty-nine years old this year, four years younger than He Zisheng.Although he is not as majestic as a saint, but with a capable face, he seems to be more like a leader of a school than a senior brother.Song Zhen is the head teacher of the current Qingcheng School, responsible for the operation of the whole school. Zhang Peng and Yan Xiaoliu held their swords over the top, first half-kneeled to salute their master and uncle, and then walked to the left side of the hall. Zhang Peng opened a large closet against the wall.Inside are three rows of wooden frames, with more than 30 long swords of similar styles lying horizontally, and the sword guards of various shapes reflect light. The two unwrapped the long sword in their hands, and carefully placed the sword on the two empty positions on the shelf in the cabinet.Zhang Peng gently closed the cabinet door. Both Zhang Peng and Yan Xiaoliu were not qualified to wear the Qingcheng School's sword, and they were only able to borrow it for a while because they were ordered by their master to go down the mountain this time. The two returned to the center of the hall, bowed their heads and stood in front of the master, ready to report the whole story of their descent from the mountain. He Zisheng opened his eyes. He has a pair of tiger eyes, although his form and spirit are intimidating, but the pupils are light gray. He Zisheng looked at Yan Xiaoliu, without saying a word, he just raised his right palm and waved at him, signaling him to leave first. ——The right hand is missing the middle finger. Yan Xiaoliu had already prepared in his heart how to describe the defeat of the enemy to his master, but now he couldn't help feeling disappointed.But he only bit his lips, bowed his fists to salute his master, uncle, and brother, and exited the "Guiyuan Hall" by himself. After Yan Xiaoliu left, He Zisheng spoke to his disciple Zhang Peng. "how?" "The temperament is still a bit raw." Zhang Peng answered immediately with his hands clasped. "But the skills and moves are more than qualified. What's even better is that when facing the enemy for the first time, there is no hesitation in making a move. The aptitude must be higher than mine." "Such arrogant words must never be said in front of the younger generation." Song Zhen next to him reprimanded. Knowing that Zhang Peng made a slip of the tongue, he immediately bowed his hands to his uncle: "My disciple understands. I haven't said these words to him." "Who is the opponent?" He Zisheng asked.The victory and honor of his sect has always been his greatest concern. "A bandit named 'Ghost Saber Chen' is well-known in Sichuan for his sword skills." "You said just now that he didn't hesitate..." He Zisheng asked, "So, this 'Ghost Saber Chen' is dead?" "No... it was the disciple who made a move, which made the path of the junior brother's sword heavy, and only stabbed him—" Then there were three red finger marks on the right side of Zhang Peng's face. He Zisheng left his seat, waved his palms back, and returned to his seat. Zhang Peng's eyes couldn't fully capture the speed of his movements. He just saw a shadow drifting by. ——Even if he could catch it, he didn't dare to hide. "Junior brother is trying the sword, why did you intervene?" He Zisheng's brows showed sullen wrinkles. "Junior Brother Yan is still young, I think—" "The swords of the Qingcheng School are not for carving." He Zisheng glared at Zhang Peng with gray eyes. "If he can't kill someone, he shouldn't hold the sword." Zhang Peng's back was soaked in cold sweat, and now he fell to his knees. "The disciple knows his mistake." "It's not a bad thing." Song Zhen smoothed things over while helping him up. "Keep that man alive, and let him spread the reputation of our sect for the rest of his life." What the younger brother said made He Zisheng feel relieved.He nodded, then paced to the right side of "Guiyuan Hall". A large part of the wall was painted snow-white, on which were hung four rows of nineteen wooden plaques with names written on them, arranged in a formation of small pointed mountains. There is only one nameplate at the top, and the words "He Zisheng" are naturally written on it. The three name tags in the second row are the names of three masters and uncles, including Song Zhen. At the bottom, there are fifteen nameplates, which are arranged in two columns.Among the fifteen different names, Zhang Peng was included. He Zisheng looked at the space left behind the bottom row of nameplates.he laughed. When He Zisheng laughed, he looked even more intimidating than when he was angry just now.
Zhang Peng walked out of "Guiyuan Hall" with three red fingerprints on his face.Yan Xiaoliu was still waiting outside, seeing his brother's face, he couldn't help but feel scared. "Brother, is it because I—" But Zhang Peng shook his head, smiled and said nothing, put his arms on the shoulders of his junior, and left together. Through the robe that was half wet from the rain, Yan Xiaoliu could feel the warmth of his senior brother's arms.
Yan Xiaoliu returned to the student's dormitory, hurriedly took off the uniform of the Qingcheng faction in front of his bed, changed back into the coarse cloth clothes he usually practiced, picked up the blunt iron and wooden swords for practice, and hurried to the "Xuan The teaching field on the east side of the gate house. When he arrived, the lunch class had already finished.There were more than 30 fellow disciples in the open-air training field, and those who finished the last session had put down their wooden swords to rest.Some of them got together in threes and fives to drink water and chat and laugh, some were discussing and reviewing the moves they used in sparring just now, and some of them were stabbed and injured by wooden swords because their fellow disciples failed to stop them, and they were being rubbed with medicinal wine by their seniors. governance. Yan Xiaoliu felt a little uncomfortable.This was the first time he missed school since he entered the Qingcheng Mountain Gate at the age of eleven. He looked at these brothers from the same school who were still gathered in the teaching field despite the light rain and refused to disperse.This is the most wonderful moment of every day.The two hours of practice in the morning and noon each day, the degree of intensity and hard work, makes people feel nervous when they think of it, and every time they go to the teaching field for class, their legs seem to be dragged by shackles; but after class, everyone I would linger and refuse to leave again, and always had to make a fuss for a while before going back to take a shower and eat.That's why the intimacy between the companions is particularly strong after going through hard daily practice together. But today Yan Xiaoliu did not sharpen with everyone.Full of embarrassment, he carried his sword bag and walked over quietly scratching his hair. Seeing him joining, the fellow disciples immediately fell silent.They looked at Yan Xiaoliu silently with different eyes than in the past. "You...what's the matter..." Yan Xiaoliu murmured.In fact, he knew in his heart the reason for the strange eyes of everyone. Because he went down the mountain today. Among the thirty-seven students on the teaching field, including Yan Xiaoliu, the longest period of worship in the Qingcheng School was twelve or three years, and the shortest period was five or six years.Everyone has only one ideal in mind: ——Hang the wooden sign with your name on the white wall of "Guiyuan Hall". And going down the mountain to try the sword is a necessary condition for realizing this ideal. Among the thirty-seven people, Yan Xiaoliu was the first to do it. Yan Xiaoliu stood between the silent classmates, not knowing what to do. The first to break the silence was Mak Dajie, the tallest among them, with a round face and wide mouth. "Xiao Liu, it seems that you are not too tired when you come back from the mountain, and you have come to lunch class! How dare you not even warm up at the foot of the mountain! Come on, come on, I will fight with you!" Mai Dajie said in a hurry Lift the wooden sword. Mai Dajie is four years older than Yan Xiaoliu. In fact, he started school more than a year later than Xiaoliu, but he often treats Xiaoliu as a younger brother.Both of them are "cheap students" who were born in rural areas. Yan Xiaoliu was about to pull out the wooden sword from the sword bag, but was stopped by a voice. "Xiao Liu, have you forgotten the master's order?" The one who spoke was Song Dehai, the fifth brother who taught today's afternoon class.He is a "disciple of Taoism" who has already hung a wooden sign in "Guiyuan Hall", and he is also the son of his uncle Song Zhen. His status is much higher than that of the thirty-seven "training disciples" here. "Anyone who goes down the mountain with a sword is not allowed to practice facing swords on the day of returning to the mountain." Song Dehai continued. "That's because I'm afraid that those who go down the mountain will not let go of their murderous intentions, and they may accidentally injure their fellow disciples with the sword." Yan Xiaoliu put away the sword bag in panic. "I forgot. Sorry." He respected this senior brother who was only thirty years old.Song Dehai was born and raised in Mount Qingcheng, he received court training at a young age, and became a "disciple of Taoism" at the age of 20. He has been taught secret skills by the head of "Guiyuantang" for ten years, and his skills are already very refined.In addition to his tall stature and extraordinary appearance, the sect has long believed that he must be the leader of the Qingcheng sect in the future. Song Dehai looked at Yan Xiaoliu at this moment, his eyes were very stern.When everyone saw it, they all felt that Senior Brother Song didn't like Xiao Liu very much. It's no wonder that Yan Xiaoliu went down to try his sword this time, and it seems that he has a good chance to become a "Taoist disciple" at the age of seventeen. He is younger than Song Dehai back then, and Song Dehai naturally felt unhappy. Most of the fellow sects came from ordinary families, so they couldn't help being a little jealous of Senior Brother Song who was born in Wumen. Seeing his attitude towards Xiao Liu, he felt that Xiao Liu was fighting for their "cheap students". The previous barrier was broken, and they all stepped forward to say hello to Xiao Liu. "What's the matter? What's interesting about this trip down the mountain?" "Who is the opponent? Is it strong?" "How does it feel to hold a real sword for the first time?" Everyone came forward and asked him. Yan Xiaoliu looked embarrassed, and scratched his hair again. "...It's the guy named 'Ghost Saber Chen'..." "'Ghost Saber Chen'? I've heard of it! He's famous!" "Did you kill him?" "What tricks did you use? How many tricks?" Yan Xiaoliu didn't have time to answer.Seeing such excitement, Song Dehai felt even more unhappy, and said again: "Stop making trouble! Go take a bath." All the juniors agreed with "Yes!", but none of them moved away, they were still asking around Xiao Liu.Song Dehai made fun of himself, and walked away from the training ground. Mai Dajie said loudly again: "In a few days, all of us will call Xiaoliu 'Sixteenth Brother'!" Congratulatory laughter broke out with others.It turns out that there is no strict ranking among these "training disciples". Everyone just calls each other "Senior Brother" and "Junior Brother" before and after the entrance, or just calls each other by their names.But once he becomes a "Tao Chuan Disciple", he has an official ranking in the Qingcheng School, and all the lower-level "training disciples" have to call him "Senior Brother", no longer care about the seniority of the entry. Yan Xiaoliu blushed upon hearing this.Most of the fellow disciples here are apprentices earlier than him, even if they are slightly later than him, because they are much older than him, everyone only calls him "Xiao Liu".He was not used to hearing the phrase "senior brother". The crowd booed for a while.There was only one person among them, who didn't say a word. After hearing what Mai Dajie said, he packed up his practiced swords and left with a cold face. It was Hou Yingzhi.He is only one year older than Yan Xiaoliu, the two started at the same time, and slept in the next bed in the dormitory, the relationship between the two has always been the best.But since hearing that Yan Xiaoliu was going to be sent down the mountain the day before yesterday, he has been silent for the past two days. Yan Xiaoliu noticed.Looking at Hou Yingzhi's back, he didn't smile anymore. Every powerful martial arts sect must have a promotion system for disciples. Elites are gradually selected from a large number of disciples and trained intensively. Only in this way can the inheritance quality of the martial arts of the sect be maintained. Taking the Qingcheng faction as an example, there are three levels under the sect: All beginners are called "Shanmen disciples", and they have the largest number (there are 142 Qingcheng sects), and their backgrounds and entry paths are also complicated.Some are the descendants or relatives of the Qingcheng faction, and those who get started by blood relationship are called "successors"; The majority of them are ordinary peasant children who come to worship on their own from nearby villages and towns. The head of the family personally selects those with strong muscles and bones, and they are called "Liansheng".Occasionally, there are too few students in a certain year, and the head or elders will go down the mountain in person to find qualified rural youths to recruit into Qingcheng Mountain, which is also a kind of "cheap students". Once you enter the mountain gate, you don't care about your past family background, and you will all receive basic training in the mountain for two years.In the first two years of training alone, more than half of those who couldn't bear it and dismissed or played truant went down the mountain; even if they could survive these two years, most of the "disciples of the mountain gate" who failed to study were sent back to their hometowns.Graduates of this level are not regarded as official disciples of the Qingcheng School, and are absolutely not allowed to use the name of the Qingcheng School outside, and of course they are not allowed to set up halls to teach students.But even if they have only studied for two years, most of their attainments are enough to pass the martial arts exam, or to earn a living as a bodyguard, nurse, etc., and the future is already very good. Only a small number of "disciples of the mountain gate" who are recognized as having "innate strength" and who are willing to study martial arts will be promoted to "training disciples" and enter the Dongshou training ground to practice the real Qingcheng swordsmanship.At this level, one can be regarded as an official disciple of the Qingcheng Sect. There is no limit to the level of "training disciple" (some can only stay at this stage if they live in Qingcheng Mountain), and it depends on their aptitude and hard work. Go down the mountain to "test the sword" (the objects of the "test sword" are usually green forest bandits or evil monsters), and after passing it, you can be promoted to the highest level of "Taoist Disciple", and you can hang a nameplate in the "Guiyuan Hall" and move into the hall. Taught by the head of the school, he has the qualifications to practice all the high-level mysteries of the Qingcheng School (so it is also commonly known as "disciple entering the house").This is the dream of every sword holder on Mount Qingcheng. The systems of recruiting and screening disciples of other famous sects are also similar with minor differences.In order to pass on the top martial arts from generation to generation, elites must be continuously selected from a large number of aspirants to train them; if martial artists want to practice actual combat skills, they must also compete with many peers with different aptitudes, physiques, and habits day and night.A secret and superb sect with only a few masters and apprentices - this kind of thing does not exist in reality, and even if it exists, the actual level of martial arts is not very "superior".
Notes:
Mount Qingcheng is the birthplace of Taoism. Legend has it that Emperor Xuanyuan had asked questions here in ancient times. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Taoist Zhang Ling (that is, the first Tianshi Zhang) settled in Mount Qingcheng.Since then, in all dynasties, masters have gone to the mountain to practice Taoism and preach, and built more temples and treasures, and incense has been burning continuously for thousands of years. The Qingcheng school of boxing and sword was originally a Taoist martial art, which was used for strengthening the body and resisting bandits; but later on, it became more and more specialized, and embarked on a pungent and vigorous purely practical combat line, which was not in line with Taoism and health preservation. Practice again, and the lay disciples will continue to study the inheritance.More than a hundred years ago, the Sword Sect and the Taoist Temple officially separated, and no longer practiced swords in the "Shangqing Palace" in the front mountain, and set up a "Xuanmen She" in the back mountain of Qingcheng as the base. Dozens of houses are used for the residence of disciples, family members and servants. Zhang Peng and Yan Xiaoliu walked west along the mountain path, and when they arrived at the memorial archway of the back mountain gate, they saluted the little Taoist priest guarding them, and continued to climb the mountain path. Behind the mountain gate is a small mountain city named Huo.The townspeople have frequent contacts with the Qingcheng swordsmen, and most of the Qingcheng sect's clothing, food and utensils are purchased in this town, and the townspeople are often hired as temporary laborers.But today, Zhang Peng didn't want to attract the attention of the townspeople, so instead of going up the mountain through Weijiang Town, he took Yan Xiaoliu along a forest path to the east and climbed north to the back mountain. The two of them walked up the slippery mountain road quickly with their hands and feet like apes. After a while, they crossed a hillside, and the imposing palace building of "Xuanmenshe" with a blue glazed tile roof suddenly appeared in front of them. When they arrived at the main entrance of Deshe Hall, the two of them followed the etiquette of the teacher's school, untied the swords around their waists, and held the scabbard in both hands before entering the door. Passing the yard and the front porch along the way, several brothers were repairing the exercise equipment.Seeing the two fellow disciples coming back, they were all so excited that they stepped forward to inquire.But the two of them knew the etiquette, they didn't say a word, they didn't stop, they continued to hold their swords and walked towards the main hall. "Guiyuan Hall".The most sacred place of the Qingcheng Sword Sect. This hall is just like the whole "Xuanmen House", the building is simple and unadorned, and it is cleaned spotlessly.Most of the tables and chairs are things that have been used for decades or even more than a hundred years, but they are well maintained, and the whole "Guiyuan Hall" naturally exudes a sense of solemnity. When Zhang Peng and the others arrived at the main gate outside, someone had already reported to the head master.At this moment, he was already sitting on the top seat under the huge "Bashu Wushuang" plaque, with his eyes slightly closed. He Zisheng, the current head of the Qingcheng School.The hair bun and long beard are half silvery white, and the face with closed eyes seems to be in meditation.If it weren't for the tall and strong body, and the dignified sitting posture like a tiger perched on a rock, it would really be a bit like an old Taoist priest who is cultivating in a Taoist temple. Sitting next to He Zisheng was his younger brother Song Zhen.Song Zhenwu has a black beard and a shiny face. She looks about thirty-five or sixteen years old, but she is actually forty-nine years old this year, four years younger than He Zisheng.Although he is not as majestic as a saint, but with a capable face, he seems to be more like a leader of a school than a senior brother.Song Zhen is the head teacher of the current Qingcheng School, responsible for the operation of the whole school. Zhang Peng and Yan Xiaoliu held their swords over the top, first half-kneeled to salute their master and uncle, and then walked to the left side of the hall. Zhang Peng opened a large closet against the wall.Inside are three rows of wooden frames, with more than 30 long swords of similar styles lying horizontally, and the sword guards of various shapes reflect light. The two unwrapped the long sword in their hands, and carefully placed the sword on the two empty positions on the shelf in the cabinet.Zhang Peng gently closed the cabinet door. Both Zhang Peng and Yan Xiaoliu were not qualified to wear the Qingcheng School's sword, and they were only able to borrow it for a while because they were ordered by their master to go down the mountain this time. The two returned to the center of the hall, bowed their heads and stood in front of the master, ready to report the whole story of their descent from the mountain. He Zisheng opened his eyes. He has a pair of tiger eyes, although his form and spirit are intimidating, but the pupils are light gray. He Zisheng looked at Yan Xiaoliu, without saying a word, he just raised his right palm and waved at him, signaling him to leave first. ——The right hand is missing the middle finger. Yan Xiaoliu had already prepared in his heart how to describe the defeat of the enemy to his master, but now he couldn't help feeling disappointed.But he only bit his lips, bowed his fists to salute his master, uncle, and brother, and exited the "Guiyuan Hall" by himself. After Yan Xiaoliu left, He Zisheng spoke to his disciple Zhang Peng. "how?" "The temperament is still a bit raw." Zhang Peng answered immediately with his hands clasped. "But the skills and moves are more than qualified. What's even better is that when facing the enemy for the first time, there is no hesitation in making a move. The aptitude must be higher than mine." "Such arrogant words must never be said in front of the younger generation." Song Zhen next to him reprimanded. Knowing that Zhang Peng made a slip of the tongue, he immediately bowed his hands to his uncle: "My disciple understands. I haven't said these words to him." "Who is the opponent?" He Zisheng asked.The victory and honor of his sect has always been his greatest concern. "A bandit named 'Ghost Saber Chen' is well-known in Sichuan for his sword skills." "You said just now that he didn't hesitate..." He Zisheng asked, "So, this 'Ghost Saber Chen' is dead?" "No... it was the disciple who made a move, which made the path of the junior brother's sword heavy, and only stabbed him—" Then there were three red finger marks on the right side of Zhang Peng's face. He Zisheng left his seat, waved his palms back, and returned to his seat. Zhang Peng's eyes couldn't fully capture the speed of his movements. He just saw a shadow drifting by. ——Even if he could catch it, he didn't dare to hide. "Junior brother is trying the sword, why did you intervene?" He Zisheng's brows showed sullen wrinkles. "Junior Brother Yan is still young, I think—" "The swords of the Qingcheng School are not for carving." He Zisheng glared at Zhang Peng with gray eyes. "If he can't kill someone, he shouldn't hold the sword." Zhang Peng's back was soaked in cold sweat, and now he fell to his knees. "The disciple knows his mistake." "It's not a bad thing." Song Zhen smoothed things over while helping him up. "Keep that man alive, and let him spread the reputation of our sect for the rest of his life." What the younger brother said made He Zisheng feel relieved.He nodded, then paced to the right side of "Guiyuan Hall". A large part of the wall was painted snow-white, on which were hung four rows of nineteen wooden plaques with names written on them, arranged in a formation of small pointed mountains. There is only one nameplate at the top, and the words "He Zisheng" are naturally written on it. The three name tags in the second row are the names of three masters and uncles, including Song Zhen. At the bottom, there are fifteen nameplates, which are arranged in two columns.Among the fifteen different names, Zhang Peng was included. He Zisheng looked at the space left behind the bottom row of nameplates.he laughed. When He Zisheng laughed, he looked even more intimidating than when he was angry just now.
Zhang Peng walked out of "Guiyuan Hall" with three red fingerprints on his face.Yan Xiaoliu was still waiting outside, seeing his brother's face, he couldn't help but feel scared. "Brother, is it because I—" But Zhang Peng shook his head, smiled and said nothing, put his arms on the shoulders of his junior, and left together. Through the robe that was half wet from the rain, Yan Xiaoliu could feel the warmth of his senior brother's arms.
Yan Xiaoliu returned to the student's dormitory, hurriedly took off the uniform of the Qingcheng faction in front of his bed, changed back into the coarse cloth clothes he usually practiced, picked up the blunt iron and wooden swords for practice, and hurried to the "Xuan The teaching field on the east side of the gate house. When he arrived, the lunch class had already finished.There were more than 30 fellow disciples in the open-air training field, and those who finished the last session had put down their wooden swords to rest.Some of them got together in threes and fives to drink water and chat and laugh, some were discussing and reviewing the moves they used in sparring just now, and some of them were stabbed and injured by wooden swords because their fellow disciples failed to stop them, and they were being rubbed with medicinal wine by their seniors. governance. Yan Xiaoliu felt a little uncomfortable.This was the first time he missed school since he entered the Qingcheng Mountain Gate at the age of eleven. He looked at these brothers from the same school who were still gathered in the teaching field despite the light rain and refused to disperse.This is the most wonderful moment of every day.The two hours of practice in the morning and noon each day, the degree of intensity and hard work, makes people feel nervous when they think of it, and every time they go to the teaching field for class, their legs seem to be dragged by shackles; but after class, everyone I would linger and refuse to leave again, and always had to make a fuss for a while before going back to take a shower and eat.That's why the intimacy between the companions is particularly strong after going through hard daily practice together. But today Yan Xiaoliu did not sharpen with everyone.Full of embarrassment, he carried his sword bag and walked over quietly scratching his hair. Seeing him joining, the fellow disciples immediately fell silent.They looked at Yan Xiaoliu silently with different eyes than in the past. "You...what's the matter..." Yan Xiaoliu murmured.In fact, he knew in his heart the reason for the strange eyes of everyone. Because he went down the mountain today. Among the thirty-seven students on the teaching field, including Yan Xiaoliu, the longest period of worship in the Qingcheng School was twelve or three years, and the shortest period was five or six years.Everyone has only one ideal in mind: ——Hang the wooden sign with your name on the white wall of "Guiyuan Hall". And going down the mountain to try the sword is a necessary condition for realizing this ideal. Among the thirty-seven people, Yan Xiaoliu was the first to do it. Yan Xiaoliu stood between the silent classmates, not knowing what to do. The first to break the silence was Mak Dajie, the tallest among them, with a round face and wide mouth. "Xiao Liu, it seems that you are not too tired when you come back from the mountain, and you have come to lunch class! How dare you not even warm up at the foot of the mountain! Come on, come on, I will fight with you!" Mai Dajie said in a hurry Lift the wooden sword. Mai Dajie is four years older than Yan Xiaoliu. In fact, he started school more than a year later than Xiaoliu, but he often treats Xiaoliu as a younger brother.Both of them are "cheap students" who were born in rural areas. Yan Xiaoliu was about to pull out the wooden sword from the sword bag, but was stopped by a voice. "Xiao Liu, have you forgotten the master's order?" The one who spoke was Song Dehai, the fifth brother who taught today's afternoon class.He is a "disciple of Taoism" who has already hung a wooden sign in "Guiyuan Hall", and he is also the son of his uncle Song Zhen. His status is much higher than that of the thirty-seven "training disciples" here. "Anyone who goes down the mountain with a sword is not allowed to practice facing swords on the day of returning to the mountain." Song Dehai continued. "That's because I'm afraid that those who go down the mountain will not let go of their murderous intentions, and they may accidentally injure their fellow disciples with the sword." Yan Xiaoliu put away the sword bag in panic. "I forgot. Sorry." He respected this senior brother who was only thirty years old.Song Dehai was born and raised in Mount Qingcheng, he received court training at a young age, and became a "disciple of Taoism" at the age of 20. He has been taught secret skills by the head of "Guiyuantang" for ten years, and his skills are already very refined.In addition to his tall stature and extraordinary appearance, the sect has long believed that he must be the leader of the Qingcheng sect in the future. Song Dehai looked at Yan Xiaoliu at this moment, his eyes were very stern.When everyone saw it, they all felt that Senior Brother Song didn't like Xiao Liu very much. It's no wonder that Yan Xiaoliu went down to try his sword this time, and it seems that he has a good chance to become a "Taoist disciple" at the age of seventeen. He is younger than Song Dehai back then, and Song Dehai naturally felt unhappy. Most of the fellow sects came from ordinary families, so they couldn't help being a little jealous of Senior Brother Song who was born in Wumen. Seeing his attitude towards Xiao Liu, he felt that Xiao Liu was fighting for their "cheap students". The previous barrier was broken, and they all stepped forward to say hello to Xiao Liu. "What's the matter? What's interesting about this trip down the mountain?" "Who is the opponent? Is it strong?" "How does it feel to hold a real sword for the first time?" Everyone came forward and asked him. Yan Xiaoliu looked embarrassed, and scratched his hair again. "...It's the guy named 'Ghost Saber Chen'..." "'Ghost Saber Chen'? I've heard of it! He's famous!" "Did you kill him?" "What tricks did you use? How many tricks?" Yan Xiaoliu didn't have time to answer.Seeing such excitement, Song Dehai felt even more unhappy, and said again: "Stop making trouble! Go take a bath." All the juniors agreed with "Yes!", but none of them moved away, they were still asking around Xiao Liu.Song Dehai made fun of himself, and walked away from the training ground. Mai Dajie said loudly again: "In a few days, all of us will call Xiaoliu 'Sixteenth Brother'!" Congratulatory laughter broke out with others.It turns out that there is no strict ranking among these "training disciples". Everyone just calls each other "Senior Brother" and "Junior Brother" before and after the entrance, or just calls each other by their names.But once he becomes a "Tao Chuan Disciple", he has an official ranking in the Qingcheng School, and all the lower-level "training disciples" have to call him "Senior Brother", no longer care about the seniority of the entry. Yan Xiaoliu blushed upon hearing this.Most of the fellow disciples here are apprentices earlier than him, even if they are slightly later than him, because they are much older than him, everyone only calls him "Xiao Liu".He was not used to hearing the phrase "senior brother". The crowd booed for a while.There was only one person among them, who didn't say a word. After hearing what Mai Dajie said, he packed up his practiced swords and left with a cold face. It was Hou Yingzhi.He is only one year older than Yan Xiaoliu, the two started at the same time, and slept in the next bed in the dormitory, the relationship between the two has always been the best.But since hearing that Yan Xiaoliu was going to be sent down the mountain the day before yesterday, he has been silent for the past two days. Yan Xiaoliu noticed.Looking at Hou Yingzhi's back, he didn't smile anymore. Every powerful martial arts sect must have a promotion system for disciples. Elites are gradually selected from a large number of disciples and trained intensively. Only in this way can the inheritance quality of the martial arts of the sect be maintained. Taking the Qingcheng faction as an example, there are three levels under the sect: All beginners are called "Shanmen disciples", and they have the largest number (there are 142 Qingcheng sects), and their backgrounds and entry paths are also complicated.Some are the descendants or relatives of the Qingcheng faction, and those who get started by blood relationship are called "successors"; The majority of them are ordinary peasant children who come to worship on their own from nearby villages and towns. The head of the family personally selects those with strong muscles and bones, and they are called "Liansheng".Occasionally, there are too few students in a certain year, and the head or elders will go down the mountain in person to find qualified rural youths to recruit into Qingcheng Mountain, which is also a kind of "cheap students". Once you enter the mountain gate, you don't care about your past family background, and you will all receive basic training in the mountain for two years.In the first two years of training alone, more than half of those who couldn't bear it and dismissed or played truant went down the mountain; even if they could survive these two years, most of the "disciples of the mountain gate" who failed to study were sent back to their hometowns.Graduates of this level are not regarded as official disciples of the Qingcheng School, and are absolutely not allowed to use the name of the Qingcheng School outside, and of course they are not allowed to set up halls to teach students.But even if they have only studied for two years, most of their attainments are enough to pass the martial arts exam, or to earn a living as a bodyguard, nurse, etc., and the future is already very good. Only a small number of "disciples of the mountain gate" who are recognized as having "innate strength" and who are willing to study martial arts will be promoted to "training disciples" and enter the Dongshou training ground to practice the real Qingcheng swordsmanship.At this level, one can be regarded as an official disciple of the Qingcheng Sect. There is no limit to the level of "training disciple" (some can only stay at this stage if they live in Qingcheng Mountain), and it depends on their aptitude and hard work. Go down the mountain to "test the sword" (the objects of the "test sword" are usually green forest bandits or evil monsters), and after passing it, you can be promoted to the highest level of "Taoist Disciple", and you can hang a nameplate in the "Guiyuan Hall" and move into the hall. Taught by the head of the school, he has the qualifications to practice all the high-level mysteries of the Qingcheng School (so it is also commonly known as "disciple entering the house").This is the dream of every sword holder on Mount Qingcheng. The systems of recruiting and screening disciples of other famous sects are also similar with minor differences.In order to pass on the top martial arts from generation to generation, elites must be continuously selected from a large number of aspirants to train them; if martial artists want to practice actual combat skills, they must also compete with many peers with different aptitudes, physiques, and habits day and night.A secret and superb sect with only a few masters and apprentices - this kind of thing does not exist in reality, and even if it exists, the actual level of martial arts is not very "superior".
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