Chapter 3: Encountering a Scoundrel Upon First Venturing into the World

Yue Buqun noticed his wife’s sigh and hurriedly said, "Madam, please do not be like this; it will only invite laughter from the disciples. Are you not afraid he will become a fool? Let him go to Hengshan with Chong'er first, and we can follow shortly, shall we?" Ning Zhongze nodded and called out, "Po'er, come here." Yue Po complied and walked over. Ning Zhongze picked up a sword from behind her and said, "As your master, I know you cannot wield a sword. After much thought, I believe it is still necessary for a disciple of Huashan to carry a sword when going out. Please take this." Yue Po nodded, understanding his master's predicament. He feared being ridiculed for being a Huashan disciple without a sword, yet he was also concerned about hurting his own pride. As he drew the sword, a glint of cold light flashed, and on the blade, there was a line of small characters: 'Huashan Ning Clan Yue Po'.

Ning Zhong then rolled his eyes at Yue Po and said, "You and your senior brother together, and he still dares to make you spend money? If he dares to let you spend one or two taels, I will just go to him next time and ask for ten taels." Linghu Chong forced a smile; although he had the most money, he drank heavily. Upon hearing that he was going to leave with his master’s wife, he had already made up his mind, but he did not expect that his master’s wife could see through his intentions so clearly.

Tian Boguang was not originally so unaware, but a surge of desire was stifling him, and coupled with misunderstandings, he had not yet reacted when he fell into the trap. Yue Po leaped forward, seizing Tian Boguang's left hand, pushing and pulling at his arm. Suddenly, a cold light swiftly slashed towards him; in the darkness, it was another quick blade. He felt uncertain about striking the blade directly, so he retreated slightly. He heard a sound of bones cracking, which indicated they had been reset. Another flash of the blade came at him, faster than the last. Yue Po instinctively fell to the ground and rolled forward, executing a pair of leg kicks aimed at the left shoulder, but the force was reduced by seventy percent. The two began to grapple. Tian Boguang's knife was swift, but he was somewhat hindered by the punch he had received to his calf. Yet again, a cold light rushed towards him, and in the darkness, another quick blade appeared. He felt uncertain about striking the blade directly, so he retreated slightly. He heard a sound of bones cracking, which indicated they had been reset. Another flash of the blade came at him, faster than the last. Yue Po instinctively fell to the ground and rolled forward, executing a pair of leg kicks aimed at the left shoulder, but the force was reduced by seventy percent. The two began to grapple. Tian Boguang's knife was swift, but he was somewhat hindered by the punch he had received to his calf, making it difficult to cope with such a reckless style of fighting. Furthermore, upon hearing that it was the Huashan Sect, he remained cautious about when to draw his sword.

Yue Po's tension was palpable as he saw a blade coming down. An image of an eagle's claw striking flashed in his mind, prompting him to instinctively twist his waist to evade the blow. Using the momentum, he darted forward like a snake's head, closing in on Tian Boguang. He activated the Zixia skill, performing the Black Tiger Prowling Heart technique. Tian Boguang, having missed his strike, realized something was amiss and crossed his arms in front of his chest with the blade, producing a sound like metal clashing. The blade was shattered instantly, yet the force remained unabated, striking him in the chest and causing a surge of pent-up blood. In a reflexive motion, he swung the broken blade, hitting something, and took the opportunity to use lightness skill to escape swiftly. Yue Po was filled with regret, questioning why he had turned his long blade into a short one. He had taken a solid hit to the chest, but fortunately, it was not too severe. However, the pain from the blade had disrupted his understanding of the martial arts he was about to grasp.

Suddenly, a sound of a sword breaking echoed, and a woman's voice said, "Don't come over, Tu Shu." "If you don't come over, how can I eat this little lamb of yours?" Then, the sound of clothing tearing was heard. Yue Po, seeing Linghu Chong about to speak, hurriedly said, "Hey, come out from inside." He was afraid that Linghu would engage in a one-on-one fight if nothing happened, as gentlemen often suffer losses in such situations. After a while, no one came out, but the woman's cries could be heard. Yue Po angrily said, "If you don't come out, I'll cut off your JJ." As soon as he finished speaking, a man holding a knife emerged from the cave and shouted, "Who are you? Dare to ruin my master's good deed?"

Mount Hua has its own industries, with tenants at the foot of the mountain either farming or growing fruit trees, contributing a considerable amount of silver each year. Thus, Mount Hua can be considered prosperous. However, Yue Buqun adheres to the principles of a gentleman, exercising control over wealth to prevent his disciples from indulging in pleasure. Any surplus funds are also donated for the management of the Yellow River, which qualifies him as a gentleman. The later transformation is largely due to Linghu Chong's exceptional strength, which instilled in him a sense of inferiority, later compounded by ambition. One might ask, who in the world does not value power? Yet, the gentlemanly aura surrounding him has transformed into that of a hypocrite, pointed at by the masses (PS: It is uncertain whether he will continue to be a gentleman or become a hypocrite in the future). The later transformation is largely due to Linghu Chong's exceptional strength, which instilled in him a sense of inferiority, later compounded by ambition. One might ask, who in the world does not value power? Yet, the gentlemanly aura surrounding him has transformed into that of a hypocrite, pointed at by the masses (PS: It is uncertain whether he will continue to be a gentleman or become a hypocrite in the future)

It was still half a day until reaching Hengshan, but the sky had already darkened. The two were preparing to find some firewood for the night when they discovered a cave a short distance away from the roadside. They exchanged smiles and nodded as they made their way over, only to hear a man's voice say, "Little nun, you are so beautiful; it is a pity for you to become a nun. Put down your sword, and I can help you break your vows and return to the secular world, how about that?" A heavenly voice responded, "Go away, I do not wish to harm you." "Why do you not want to harm me?" "Although you are a bad person, you have not done anything to me. Just leave; I do not want to harm you."

Yue Buqun observed and said, "Junior sister, be cautious; Po'er's skills in both fists and feet are not weak. Why add the name Ning?" Ning Zhongze replied, "This is my intention. Since marrying you, I have ventured less into the martial world. Now that I have a good disciple, I naturally want to show him off. Do not be deceived by Po'er’s young age; he is steady and experienced. My only concern is that he is too experienced. Look, his eyes are wandering again." When Po'er was mentioned, he asked, "What are you thinking?" Yue Po covered his ears and said, "Master, please be gentle. I was thinking that every month, my senior brothers receive their allowances. Have you been saving mine for me?" Ning Zhongze released his ears and said, "Did you see that? However, being too practical cannot solely rely on a single martial arts manual to achieve your current skills. Little rascal, pay attention. Master will give you two taels; this is the same monthly standard allowance as your senior sister." Yue Po, feeling embarrassed, casually replied, "Then please keep a record of the previous amounts, calculating at the bank's lowest interest rate... but Master, I didn't mean it that way, hehe"

After Yue Po shouted, he immediately crouched down and crawled forward, only to see Linghu Chong standing there in a daze. Linghu Chong, realizing that he and the book were in this situation, couldn't help but bitterly smile, thinking: "This master’s wife’s disciple always has a bit of a woman’s cunning. " He then said, "I am Hua Shan's Lao De Nuo, who are you?" The person replied, "I am Tian Bo Guang... No, it wasn't you who just spoke, ah! You little thief dare to plot against me"

Stop! Yet Yue Buqun understood clearly that if this continued, Linghu Chong would surely be defeated. The two stood firm, and Yue Buqun said, "Chong'er, you are being overly complacent. Your aggressive approach is a waste; allowing someone to restrain your sword with their left hand means you should retreat while attacking. If you incorporate feints into your strikes, at least you can secure a draw. My junior sister has truly taught well, having defeated my own disciple." Although he said this, he did not appear angry, but rather somewhat pleased. Ning Zhongze then stood up and said, "It is not that I have taught well; in the following years, it has been all up to that rascal's own understanding. We both cannot teach him barehanded techniques. My disciple spends his days playing after only three hours of practice, while that rascal spends all his time practicing martial arts, almost turning into a martial arts fool."

Ning Zhong was indeed amusing the two of them, casually handing a few gold leaves to Yue Po, who accepted them with thanks but did not mention it further. After tidying up, the two descended the mountain and headed south along the water route in Yu Xi. Yue Po did not expect that his drinking capacity from his previous life had come along as well; the position of business manager was cultivated through countless drinks. The two enjoyed drinking along the way, finding much to talk about as they hit it off. Ling Hu Chong shared with Yue Po about the ways of the martial world, various petty criminals, and different sects. Ling Hu Chong often ventured out and got into trouble; recently, he had taught a lesson to two disciples of the Qing Cheng Sect, having just received thirty strikes. Thus, these experiences were forged from blood and tears, far more credible than what was portrayed on television. Yue Po found this extremely interesting. What puzzled Ling Hu Chong was that this junior brother usually spoke and acted with composure and maturity, yet after a few drinks, he insisted on getting a discount when settling the bill, being quite pleased even to save a single copper coin. Little did he know this was a matter of face from his previous life; no matter how expensive something was in a shop, as long as he could enjoy something that others could not, it gave him a sense of superiority. A professional habit! Little did he know this was a matter of face from his previous life; no matter how expensive something was in a shop, as long as he could enjoy something that others could not, it gave him a sense of superiority. A professional habit!

Linghu Chong approached, and Yue Po could not help but ask, "Why doesn't the senior brother take action?" Linghu Chong replied apologetically, "We are from a reputable sect; how can we take advantage of numbers against the few? I saw that you alone could handle it, so I did not step forward. I did not expect that you would be injured in your victory." Yue Po was taken aback; he had spoken out precisely to prevent Linghu Chong from fighting alone, yet Linghu Chong had been so considerate... He then said, "It's just a minor injury; shall we go in and check on that young lady?" Linghu Chong replied, "No, it is inappropriate for us young men to enter, especially since the young lady's clothing is torn..." Yue Po felt a headache coming on. Linghu Chong was good at everything, but he had been somewhat influenced by Yue Buqun's rigidity. What if someone inside was injured and bleeding? Ignoring him, he walked in by himself.