The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun

Page 5

"Our sect has been established in the martial arts world for hundreds of years. Although we may not be the best in the martial arts world, we are not afraid of other sects. However, this is not important."

At this point, Yue Buqun paused deliberately to allow the children time to process what he had just said.

Only then did he continue speaking amidst the children's bewildered gazes.

"Our Huashan Sect was founded two hundred years ago. The founder did not leave his name, only the surname Lu. The founder, surnamed Lu, passed away not long after he founded the Huashan Sect. Before he passed away, he told his disciples that our Huashan Sect is the true orthodox sect of Xuanmen. The true founder was Guangningzi, Hao Datong, one of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen Sect in the past."

Ok?

Jiang Ning, who had already stood up and was standing to the side, raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Is the Huashan Sect in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer a branch of the Quanzhen Sect? He thought the Huashan Sect in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer was different from the historical Huashan Sect.

Yue Buqun had not mentioned this to them before.

Unlike Jiang Ning's surprise, Lu Dayou and the other Huashan disciples had little reaction.

Some of them didn't like reading, some didn't read history, they didn't know about the Quanzhen Sect, and they had no understanding of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen. So even after Yue Buqun said these things, they only regarded them as the history of the sect.

Unlike his usual indifferent demeanor, Yue Buqun's eyes were now faintly shining, and his entire demeanor was different.

Seeing the puzzled expressions on his disciples' faces, he smiled slightly and said, "It's normal for you to have this reaction. After all, the orthodox Quanzhen Sect of the Xuanmen has now disappeared, leaving only a few branches in the world, and my Huashan Sect is one of them."

"The other branches of the Quanzhen School have gradually disappeared over the past few hundred years, and now only the Huashan School remains. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration for us to call ourselves the orthodox lineage of Xuanmen."

Oh~

Lu Dayou, Gao Genming, Liang Fa and other disciples nodded blankly.

Upon seeing this, Yue Buqun's smile froze for a moment.

Talking about sect history with these uncultured disciples is like casting pearls before swine.

"Master, is it the Quanzhen Sect founded at the end of the Song Dynasty? And its founder was Wang Chongyang, who led troops to resist the Jin Dynasty?"

At this moment, a voice suddenly came from among the disciples, which made Yue Buqun, who was already a little angry, light up. When he looked in the direction of the voice, he found that it was Jiang Ning.

"good."

Yue Buqun wore a smile, his eyes filled with satisfaction, and asked, "Ning'er, how did you know?"

Jiang Ning said, "I only saw it by chance in a miscellaneous book."

Despite Jiang Ning's words, Yue Buqun still wore a gratified expression, then looked at his disciples with a look of utter disappointment.

“Look at Ning’er, and then look at yourselves.”

"I often tell you that besides practicing martial arts, you should read more books. I don't expect you to pass the imperial examinations, and we martial arts disciples don't care about those things, but at least it can enrich your character. What about you? You have never listened to a word I said."

“Especially you, Lu Dayou.”

“I always tell you to read more books, but you always complain that the wind makes it hard to open your eyes or that the rain is too loud and distracts you. If I hadn’t forced you to read, you probably wouldn’t know a single word.”

Yue Buqun rebuked Lu Dayou with a look of disappointment and frustration.

The Huashan School typically teaches martial arts techniques orally rather than through books.

On the one hand, he was afraid that if his disciples were out of power, others would seize the Huashan martial arts manuals, causing the Huashan martial arts to be lost. On the other hand, most of Yue Buqun's disciples were illiterate.

It wasn't that Yue Buqun forbade them to learn, but rather that disciples like Lu Dayou simply couldn't keep up. Forcing them to learn was useless, especially Lu Dayou, who had been learning to read for half a month but only knew three characters. This made Yue Buqun so angry that his carefully groomed beard became crooked.

Lu Dayou, who was singled out for criticism, smiled awkwardly and kept moving his feet to hide behind Ying Bailuo, afraid that Yue Buqun would get angry again and punish him.

Fortunately, Yue Buqun only said a few words and did not intend to hold a grudge against him. After mentioning that his disciples were not paying attention to their studies, he continued from where he left off.

“Ning’er is right, my Xuanmen’s founder is indeed Wang Chongyang.”

"Time is long, and many things are buried in the long river of history. Many of the deeds of Master Wang Chongyang are no longer visible in the world. But you should know that the Quanzhen Sect once surpassed Shaolin to become the number one sect in the world."

Oh?

The eyes of Lu Dayou, Gao Genming and other disciples lit up immediately.

If you talk to them about history, they might find it like listening to gibberish, but if you talk to them about this, they won't be sleepy at all.

Yue Buqun rested his arm on the table, his left hand clenched slightly, his eyes bright, and his tone was slightly arrogant.

"More than two hundred years ago, there were five unparalleled masters in the martial arts world. I no longer know their names, but I know that people in the martial arts world at that time called them the Five Masters."

"Eastern Heretic, Western Poison, Southern Emperor, Northern Beggar, Central Divine."

"In the martial arts world back then, apart from the Five Greats, no one could compare to them."

"Master, is our ancestor Wang Chongyang one of the Five Greats?"

Before Yue Buqun could finish speaking, Lu Dayou asked impatiently, his expression excited.

"good."

Yue Buqun did not rebuke him, but nodded and said, "Master Wang Chongyang is the Central Divine, one of the Five Greats."

Upon hearing Yue Buqun's words, Lu Dayou and his disciples were all excited.

They never imagined that their head coach had such a glorious past.

Yue Buqun smiled and said, "Back then in the martial arts world, the Five Greats were all individuals with unparalleled talent and ability. Although they were collectively known as the Five Greats, none of them were willing to submit to the others. They all wanted to become the best in the world, so they agreed to hold the Mount Hua Sword Tournament at Mount Hua to compete for the title of the best in the world."

At this point, Yue Buqun paused slightly, looked at his disciples, and noticed that they all looked very excited, nervous, and expectant.

They hoped that Yue Buqun's next words would be exactly what they were thinking.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning frowned slightly, then smoothed it out.

He remembered that the Mount Hua Sword Tournament was not only about the Five Greats vying for the title of the best in the world, but also about competing for the unparalleled martial art, the Nine Yin Manual.

However, perhaps due to the passage of time, that period of history has been buried, and Yue Buqun only knows fragments of it.

"During the Mount Hua Sword Tournament, my Grandmaster Wang Chongyang overpowered the Four Great Masters and became the number one martial artist in the world at that time."

Amidst the expectant gazes of his many disciples, Yue Buqun slowly uttered the words they longed to hear.

"Wow~~"

"Our ancestor was truly amazing!"

Disciples such as Gao Genming and Ying Bailuo were very excited, and Lu Dayou clenched his fists tightly, his face flushed.

They had considered the outcome, but they were still incredibly excited when Yue Buqun said it in person.

They originally thought that it was glorious enough that their Huashan Sect was the leader of the Five Sacred Mountains Sword Sects decades ago, but they never expected that their ancestors were even more glorious, actually surpassing the righteous leader Shaolin Temple to become the number one sect in the world, and their founder Wang Chongyang was the number one in the world.

Our ancestors were once wealthy!

At this moment, Lu Dayou wished he could immediately run out and tell everyone he met about the glorious history of their Huashan Sect.

While the female disciples weren't as exaggerated as them, their mouths were still agape in an "O" shape, and their eyes were wide open, making them quite adorable.

However, at this moment, Yue Buqun suddenly sighed to himself.

"Although the Quanzhen School is a major Taoist sect, it dispersed after the death of Patriarch Wang Chongyang. His seven disciples of Quanzhen also left to establish their own Taoist sects. My Huashan School was founded by Patriarch Hao Datong."

"Although the Huashan Sect has not been as glorious as the Quanzhen Sect since its establishment, it is still a famous sect in the martial arts world and the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Sect. However, it is not as good as before. The Huashan Sect has experienced many hardships. Later, the sword and qi sects fought each other. Although the qi sect won the battle, it suffered heavy casualties and its members were reduced. Until now, it has never been as prosperous as it once was."

Chapter 10: Huashan Sect Rules

At this point, Yue Buqun stood up and knelt down before the memorial tablet on the incense table.

“This junior disciple Yue Buqun is unfilial. Before his death, Master entrusted the Huashan Sect to me, but I have failed to carry forward the Huashan Sect. Instead, I am in dire straits. I am ashamed and have no face to face my ancestors.”

Yue Buqun spoke with sincerity and deep sorrow, his face showing increasing guilt.

"Although Mount Hua is the orthodox lineage of the Xuanmen and a descendant of the Quanzhen School, I dare not call myself the orthodox lineage of the Xuanmen when I am away from home, for fear of disgracing the reputation of my Xuanmen and being an unfilial disciple."

Seeing their master like this, the other disciples also knelt down.

When the Huashan Sect fell into Yue Buqun's hands, it was already on the verge of extinction, so it wasn't his fault that it ended up like this.

Jiang Ning thought to himself.

However, he couldn't say that. Yue Buqun regarded the Huashan Sect as his life and wouldn't allow anyone to say anything bad about it. Even now, Yue Buqun still believed it was because of his own lack of ability.

Jiang Ning had already come to understand Yue Buqun's personality over the years.

"Get up, all of you. This is my mistake, it has nothing to do with you."

After standing up, Yue Buqun told his disciples to stand up as well, and then continued, "Although my Huashan Sect is no longer as glorious as it once was, it is still a legitimate sect of the Xuanmen and a prestigious sect. We must not be competitive or aggressive. Those of you who have just joined Huashan should remember my words, and those who have already joined should be even more diligent in consolidating your beliefs."

At this point, Yue Buqun's expression changed, and he looked at them coldly, saying in a chilling tone, "If you violate the rules of the sect and damage the reputation of my Huashan Sect, I will personally clean up your mess."

The usually gentle and approachable Yue Buqun became like a different person at this moment. The coldness in his words was like a steel knife scraping against the bones of everyone present, causing disciples such as Lu Dayou, Gao Genming, Shi Daizi, Liang Fa, and Ying Bailuo to shiver and hurriedly bow in greeting.

"Yes, disciple will keep Master's teachings in mind."

"Ah."

Yue Buqun nodded, his expression finally improving. He then looked at the group of children and his disciples, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"Ning'er, recite the sect rules so that your fellow disciples will know them."

After performing the apprenticeship ceremony, these children were already considered disciples of Mount Hua, and Jiang Ning's junior brothers.

Originally, Yue Buqun planned to have other disciples recite the text. Normally, it would be recited by the eldest disciple of the sect. However, since Linghu Chong was not at Mount Hua, it was Lao Denuo who should fulfill the responsibility of the eldest disciple. But Yue Buqun did not want to use him. Instead, he suggested that Liang Fashi, Dai Zilu, and others take over.

After thinking about it, Yue Buqun worried that the other disciples might not be able to recite it, or might recite it haltingly, or might get stuck halfway through, leaving the new junior brothers with an unprofessional impression, which would be a slap in the face to the Huashan Sect.

To avoid embarrassing himself and the Huashan Sect, Yue Buqun still had Jiang Ning take on the responsibility.

Although Jiang Ning is young and ranks last among his fellow disciples, he has spent a considerable amount of time at Mount Hua. He has practiced his skills diligently, loves reading, is knowledgeable and reasonable, is low-key, respects his senior brothers and sisters, and has good martial arts skills. He is the most suitable person to be employed.

Upon hearing Yue Buqun's words, a hint of surprise flashed in Laudenuo's eyes.

This task should have been done by the senior brother when he wasn't around.

However, Laudenuo did not feel anything was wrong, perhaps because Yue Buqun liked Jiang Ning very much because of his previous actions.

"Yes."

Jiang Ning nodded, stepped forward, and looked at his junior brothers, whose highest members only reached his waist.

"Junior brothers, listen up, these are the rules of our sect."

"First, do not betray your master and ancestors; second, do not bully the weak; third, do not be greedy and lustful; fourth, do not kill your fellow disciples; fifth, do not forget righteousness for profit; sixth, do not be arrogant and complacent; seventh, do not associate with evil."

"These are the Seven Precepts, which are the rules of our Huashan Sect. Fellow disciples, please remember them."

Jiang Ning spoke slowly and clearly, so the children could hear him clearly. After listening, they were all confused and said in their childish voices.

"Thank you, senior brother."

"Ah."

Jiang Ning nodded, then retreated back into the group of Huashan disciples.

However, after he finished speaking, Lu Dayou and the other Huashan disciples all looked bewildered.

Is it really that simple? This is different from the rules they memorized before.

It's so simple, they could do it too! Why didn't Master let them come? They want to show off in front of their fellow disciples too!

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze both looked surprised.

Their rules are not so simple. The original rules were complicated and lengthy, not only very difficult to memorize, but also very difficult to understand.

This is normal. The Huashan Sect was originally passed down by Hao Datong. The Quanzhen Sect is the orthodox sect of Xuanmen. Although its rules are obscure and difficult to understand, its disciples are highly educated and of high quality. Unlike the current Huashan disciples, even though Yue Buqun tried to simplify and make them easier to understand in order to accommodate their level of understanding, they are not as concise as they used to be. Lu Dayou often complained that the rules were giving him a headache.

However, Yue Buqun secretly nodded in approval at the seven precepts that Jiang Ning mentioned, as they were much more accessible and concise than his own.

He wrote it down; these would be what he would say to his new apprentices when he took on new ones in the future.

"All right."

Yue Buqun stood up, put his hands behind his back, and addressed his disciples.

"The apprenticeship ceremony is over. There's nothing urgent in the sect for now. Go down and practice your skills or do your work."

"Yes."

Jiang Ning and the other Huashan disciples bowed and withdrew. The newly initiated junior brothers were taken away by Ning Zhongze's two female disciples named Yueyin and Qiaojun, who were to take their body measurements so that Huashan sect robes could be made for them, the same robe Jiang Ning was wearing.

After leaving the back hall, Jiang Ning bid farewell to Lu Dayou and the others, then returned to his room and took the clothes he had changed earlier to the river to wash them.

The disciples of Mount Hua wash their own clothes; this is a rule set by Yue Buqun.

The Huashan Sect has no servants. Apart from Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze, all the others are Huashan disciples. Although there are female disciples in Huashan, Yue Buqun did not have those female disciples take charge of washing all the disciples' clothes.