Chapter 6, Descent from the Mountain
Qiu Chuji pondered and said: "Very well, however, in the next few days, I will teach Zhiping a few skills. Three days later, you will descend the mountain together, allowing him to practice on his own during the journey." Li Zhichang replied: "That sounds good. Just now, my disciple gained quite a few new insights from the master's guidance. Why not start teaching my junior brother right now, and I will return to digest what I have learned."
You carry the burden while I lead the horse
May I ask where the road leads
The road lies beneath one's feet
The four seasons: spring, autumn, winter, and summer
"Sounds good, then senior brother, please sing it again. If you are unwilling to listen, that's fine; senior brother has a new set of sword techniques that he is looking for someone to try out. I have already thought of a name for it, and it will be called 'The Three Immortal Swords of Death's Grasp.' It is definitely much stronger than the few techniques that the master taught you" Li Zhichang said fiercely
Qiu ChujI appeared stern on the outside, yet was kind-hearted within. It had been a long time since he had seen his two disciples, and he felt a sense of joy in his heart, though he did not show it. Li Zhichang's martial arts were on par with his own, and all of their senior brothers were well aware of this, feeling quite proud in their hearts. As for Yin Zhiping, his martial arts were slightly inferior; however, he was honest and eager to learn. His skills were entirely taught by Li Zhichang, who never let him worry about it, which further pleased Qiu ChujI. Yet, reflecting on the years he had owed much to his two disciples, especially to Yin Zhiping, Qiu ChujI had several secret techniques that even Li Zhichang had not mastered. This time, he intended to assess Yin Zhiping's progress to determine whether to pass these techniques on to him. Yin Zhiping entered alongside Li Zhichang, and Qiu ChujI nodded slightly, then suddenly reached out his hand and pushed gently on Yin Zhiping's shoulder.
Leveling the rugged path to create a broad avenue
Qiu ChujI helplessly said: "You little brat just won't have fun, I'm not playing anymore"
You carry the burden while I lead the horse
Li Zhichang said, "By the way, Master, I accidentally got into a fight with the neighbor from the Tomb of the Living Dead today." Qiu Chujin replied, "You didn't hurt him, did you?"
Uh, pleasant
A grand song travels towards the horizon towards the horizon
May I ask where the road leads
La... La...
A series of bittersweet experiences
In the past two years, Li Zhi has made rapid progress in his martial arts skills, and he now has more opponents to spar with. Moreover, it is legitimate for a master to guide his disciple. However, Li Zhi's temperament is rather indifferent; despite possessing excellent skills, he only responds to Qiu Chujis attacks one move at a time. After many such exchanges, Qiu Chuji finds it rather dull, but it is certainly better than the past when he could not find anyone to practice with.
La... La...
Yin Zhiping wiped the cold sweat from his face and said, "Actually, Senior Brother, the song you sang is very nice, I really like it." Yet in his heart, he thought, "You have threatened me to this extent, how could I dare to say it is not good?"
Li Zhi often returned to Chongyang Palace, where he saw Yin Zhiping leaning against the door panel, basking in the sun. He had just had a fight with someone and returned immediately, feeling a bit fatigued. Upon seeing Yin Zhiping lazily enjoying the afterglow of the sunset, he suddenly found everything about him displeasing and said: "Zhiping, have you finished your tasks for today?"
Then, starting from Zhongdu, I will go to the northern desert to deliver letters to a few old friends. As for promoting the teachings of the Quanzhen Sect in Zhongdu, that is only to be expected. Li Zhichang said lightly, "Hmm, understood. However, Master, it has been a long time since Junior Brother Yin has come down from the mountain. How about we go out together this time? It would be nice to have some company."
The road lies beneath one's feet
Qiu Chuji took the initiative and executed the opening move of the Quanzhen sword technique, "Zhang Fan Lifting the Sail." Li Zhichang had previously engaged with a skilled opponent, and now he found himself in combat with Qiu Chuji, feeling quite helpless. He could only casually respond with the move "Xi Zhen Bei Dou," aiming at Qiu Chuji's wrist's Shenmen acupoint. Both of them possessed exceptional martial arts skills, engaging in a back-and-forth exchange within the confines of the room, twisting and turning. Yin Zhiping watched in a daze. The two were thoroughly enjoying themselves; ultimately, Qiu Chuji employed the move "Han Yan Shuai Cao," while Li Zhichang countered with "Gu Guang Zi Zhao" to seal off Qiu Chuji's variations before finally coming to a halt.
Yin Zhiping said softly: "Senior brother, the scenery outside is much worse than that of Zhongnan Mountain"
The road lies beneath one's feet
May I ask where the road leads
The two individuals arrived at the quiet chamber where Qiu Chuji resided and saw him sitting cross-legged on the couch, practicing his skills. They stood respectfully at the sides of the door. After a short while, Qiu Chuji completed his practice, stood up, and said: "You two may come in."
Li Zhichang rolled his eyes and said, "Their martial arts are much higher than yours. If the other party were to use lethal force, I don't know if I would be able to return safely today." Then Li Zhichang recounted the entire sequence of events. Qiu Chuji said, "Since you are fine, that is good. However, you are not allowed to go to the ancient tomb area casually in the future."
The four seasons: spring, autumn, winter, and summer
Although Yin Zhiping was informed of new martial arts to learn, he felt disheartened. However, as it was difficult to defy the master's orders, he could only watch dejectedly as Li Zhichang left, waiting on the side. Three days later, Li Zhichang and Yin Zhiping descended the mountain together
Qiu Chuji waved his hand dismissively and said, "Get lost, you little brat"
Li Zhi often shrugged his shoulders, meaning "it's up to you." Qiu Chuji paused for a moment to catch his breath, and said, "The reason I called you here this time is to send you on a long journey. I haven't assessed your martial arts skills for several months, so I want you to first go to Dadu and evaluate the progress of your junior brother Yang Kang. Then, based on your assessment, impart to him more advanced martial arts techniques, and make sure he does not become complacent.
The road lies beneath one's feet
Of course, Li Zhichang would not be foolish enough to carry a sword on his back. Yin Zhiping had no choice but to obediently act as the sword bearer for him. Li Zhichang led the horse while Yin Zhiping carried the sword, and the two of them descended the mountain and took to the main road, heading northwest. As they walked along the main road, Li Zhichang felt quite cheerful and suddenly recalled a song from his past life, singing it aloud:
"Zhiping, is this song nice?" Li Zhi suddenly said after finishing singing.
After overcoming hardships, we set off once again
Qiu Chuji has recently cultivated both internally and externally, achieving considerable depth in his skills. His push, light yet forceful, was perfectly timed; however, he felt Yin Zhiping slightly shift his shoulder, and an internal force spontaneously emerged, managing to deflect a portion of his push. Although Yin Zhiping staggered back a few steps, he remarkably did not fall.
May I ask where the road leads
If it were usual, Yin Zhiping would certainly be unable to withstand this push, but at that time, he could naturally use his other hand to steady himself, and moreover, Li Zhichang was standing behind Yin Zhiping, so there was no fear of his disciple making a fool of himself. At this moment, seeing Yin Zhiping's significant progress, Qiu Chuji was also very pleased.
Crossing mountains and rivers, my shoulders bear the frost flowers
A series of bittersweet experiences
Seeing Li Zhichang again made him somewhat eager to engage, "Come, come, Zhichang, let us have a friendly match." He was highly skilled in martial arts at Chongyang, and among his several senior brothers, most had a calm disposition, with the only one he could spar with being his junior brother Wang Chuyi. However, after several encounters, Wang Chuyi also began to keep his distance from him. Thus, he grew impatient staying in Chongyang Palace and preferred to roam in the Jianghu.
The winds and clouds, thunder and lightning, are at my command
Li Zhichang said: "Disciple, you truly live up to your background as a scion of a prominent family, understanding musical tones! So, tell me, what is good about this song?"
Yin Zhiping, fearing that Li Zhichang would trouble him again, quickly added: "The master has returned. He said that when he sees you, he will take you to meet him"
Having been in this world for so long, Li Zhi has never left the boundaries of Zhongnan Mountain. This time, if he feels inclined to enjoy himself, he plans to play for a year or two. Upon descending the mountain, Qiu Chuji also returned his Impermanence Sword to him, believing that having a suitable weapon by his side would be beneficial for someone just stepping into the world.
I couldn't help but feel very pleased, and I smiled, saying: "Zhiping, it seems that you haven't been slacking off lately; your skills have improved significantly compared to last year."
Welcoming the sunrise and bidding farewell to the evening glow
Upon hearing this, Yin Zhiping immediately wanted to object, believing that the master could not agree to this; being with the senior brother was too terrifying. Li Zhichang glanced at him, and Yin Zhiping had no choice but to swallow his words, silently praying that the master would not agree.