Chapter 81: Sword Technique Manual
Chapter 81: Sword Technique Manual
When Chen Chuan returned by car, he always had the feeling that the arrest operation seemed rather frivolous and that there might be something hidden behind it. However, this was something he couldn't resolve at the moment, so he didn't dwell on it too much.
Back at the school, he continued his training.
Although the mission had been interrupted, he believed that no matter how the situation developed, he needed to have the ability to handle it when the time came.
Currently, his understanding of techniques was deepening, but he had also entered a plateau. Therefore, he allocated some time to strengthen his sword technique training.
After the rest day in mid-November, Cheng Zitong examined him and found that the altered tissue in his body had not shown any signs of accelerated growth.
He believed that they could observe for another ten days or so, and by the end of the month or mid-December, they would have a clearer understanding of the subsequent changes.
Cheng Zitong was temporarily relieved. Sitting in the living room, he took a sip of tea from his thermos and said to Chen Chuan, "I've noticed you've been practicing your sword techniques diligently these past few days?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Yes, Teacher. I have a question to ask. I feel that this sword is quite unique and seems to require special techniques to fully unleash its true power."
Cheng Zitong looked at him with some surprise and asked, "You felt this on your own?"
He then chuckled, "My question was redundant. As a member of the Insight Sect, it's very normal for you to have this feeling. However, even for someone in the Insight Sect, if you haven't reached a certain level, it's impossible to come up with the application methods on your own. Don't worry, I'll find you a suitable practice method."
He pondered this matter and, after leaving Chen Chuan, drove to the teachers' residential area of the school. About ten minutes later, he arrived at a certain villa and parked his car. The doorman recognized him and said courteously, "It's Manager Cheng. Please come in."
After entering, Cheng Zitong casually asked, "Where is Senior Brother Qiao?"
"He's in the back courtyard teaching a new disciple."
Cheng Zitong shook his head and said, "My student at least shows up in class occasionally, but his disciple hasn't been seen outside since the first day of school. It's just a nominal arrangement."
As he spoke, he walked through the front hall and followed a path of pebbles through an archway. Ahead, a large lotus pond came into view. Although it was autumn, a few lotus flowers still stood tall.
On the other side of the pond, a spacious water pavilion was visible. Inside, an elderly man wearing a traditional Mandarin collar robe was instructing a disciple. The disciple, a handsome young man around sixteen or seventeen, was dressed in the training uniform of Wu Yi Academy.
Cheng Zitong walked around the corridor by the pond and entered a flower hall. After a short walk, he reached the entrance of the water pavilion and said, "Senior Brother Qiao, I've come to visit you."
Qiao Linhu ignored him and continued to focus on teaching his disciple a posture. Cheng Zitong watched for a moment and waited on the side.
After a while, Qiao Linhu let his disciple practice on his own and walked to the flower hall, instructing his attendant to brew tea. He then sat in the main seat and said, "Sit down. You wouldn't come here for nothing. I won't beat around the bush. What's the matter?"
Cheng Zitong also didn't mince words and sat in the guest seat, saying, "My student is now practicing with a sword but lacks suitable techniques. I remembered that you have a family-inherited sword technique manual, so I came to you for help."
Qiao Linhu glanced at him and said, "This is your student, not your disciple. Why are you so concerned? And if he needs sword techniques, the academy has plenty. What's so special about my outdated stuff?"
Cheng Zitong said, "If it were just ordinary sword techniques, I could teach them myself. It wouldn't trouble you. But didn't Old Lady Ni recently give my student a sword? I thought only your sword technique manual could help him use it properly."
Qiao Linhu raised his thick, graying eyebrows and said, "A forbidden weapon?"
Cheng Zitong replied, "What era are we in? Who cares about forbidden weapons anymore?"
Qiao Linhu thought for a moment and said, "I can give you the Sword Technique Manual..." He raised his hand to signal Cheng Zitong to wait, adding, "But I can't just give it to you." He pointed to the water pavilion outside with two fingers and continued, "I want your student to work under my apprentice for three years."
Cheng Zitong immediately became unhappy. "Senior Brother, this isn't the old days. Why are you still doing this kind of personal dependency? What? Is my student inferior to your apprentice?"
Qiao Linhu shook his head. "We still need to follow the rules. The old Master set these rules, and I can't break them. Besides, everything needs to be done according to the degrees of closeness. Only by following my apprentice can I give him things."
Cheng Zitong said, "What you're saying, all this about apprentices and students, the old man's ways should have been discarded long ago."
Qiao Linhu said slowly, "Go and talk to the Master. If he says it's fine to discard them, I'll do it without a second thought. Otherwise, we have to follow the rules."
Cheng Zitong said, "I mean, this is your family's Sword Technique Manual, not the old man's. Why keep those outdated rules? Your apprentice is probably preparing to practice the Power Posture, right? He needs a lot of good medicine, and I can help him get them at a discount."
Qiao Linhu said, "I still have some savings. Teaching an apprentice is more than enough. The Sword Technique Manual is indeed mine, but the rules are passed down from generation to generation. The Master followed them, I follow them, and in the future, my apprentice will continue to follow them. They absolutely cannot be broken."
Cheng Zitong knew he couldn't persuade him and said, "Fine, I came for nothing. But..." He turned back and said, "Senior Brother, don't say I didn't warn you."
Qiao Linhu said, "Are you saying your student is better than mine? We'll see. But I'll tell you this, no matter how good he is, my rules won't be broken."
Cheng Zitong grabbed his briefcase. "Alright, I'm leaving."
Qiao Linhu said, "Junior Brother, why not stay for dinner?"
"I'm already full of anger."
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
Cheng Zitong walked outside, took a deep breath, and looked at the tall buildings. He suddenly felt much lighter. He turned back and said, "Old rules? Ha, my student was right. They're all stuck in the past. If I can't find it here, I'll find it elsewhere."
By evening, Cheng Zitong returned to Chen Chuan's dormitory. He took out a yellowed, old Sword Technique Manual from his briefcase and said, "Take a look."
Chen Chuan picked it up and saw it was a hand-copied book with vertical script, looking like it was from eighty or ninety years ago.
Cheng Zitong said, "An old Sword Technique Manual. When I found it, it had been buried under a box for forty or fifty years. If I hadn't mentioned their ancestors having such a thing, they would have forgotten about it."
Chen Chuan asked, "Teacher, is this valuable?"
Cheng Zitong said, "Fifteen yuan per book, good value for money. Cash on delivery, and it saves me a favor. Only those old guys who stick to the rules still treat these things as treasures."
He indicated with his chin, "The sword techniques inside aren't important. The main thing is the Technique for using the sword. You can try practicing it. If it's not suitable, I can look again. If you're not satisfied, I can find another."
Chen Chuan said, "Can you find similar ones, Teacher?"
Cheng Zitong said, "If you think so little of your teacher, in this era, a Sword Technique Manual can't be eaten. If I were willing to collect them, I could gather seven or eight in half a day just by putting out the word."
He continued, "Back in the day, these Techniques were unique and closely guarded. The more they were hidden, the fewer people learned them. Many lineages have been lost. Some impoverished descendants would rather sell these things for money than keep them. People are practical, unlike some who cling to old rules."
From the tone of his words, it seemed like Cheng Zitong had asked someone for a Sword Technique Manual and was refused, leading to his frustration. However, since he could find these Sword Technique Manuals, why ask someone else? Perhaps that person's identity was not simple?
He didn't think too much about it, just flipped through the Sword Technique Manual. Because the cover was damaged, he had to flip to the inside to find a plain and unadorned name for a Technique: "Heavy Strike Blade Power?"
...
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(End of Chapter)
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