Chapter 4, Qingxin Valley

Cheng Wanli smiled and said: "Up ahead is Qingxin Valley. In fact, there is a waterway that is more convenient for entering here from the outside, but in order to avoid disturbing outsiders, we have set up some mechanisms along that route, making it difficult to access."

After Lin Tong greeted everyone one by one, Cheng Wanli asked Su Xing to take him around to familiarize himself with the terrain. Meanwhile, he took his brothers and wife to visit Madam Lin and also to have Su Dingbang personally diagnose her condition.

Throughout the journey, Lin Tang not only engaged in conversations with her mother but also accompanied her two masters in studying literature and practicing martial arts. Occasionally, they would disembark to explore the surrounding scenery. After nearly two months of such stops and starts, they finally arrived in the southwestern region. As they approached, the green mountains ahead obstructed their path, making it impossible for the carriage to proceed. The group had no choice but to disembark, and Ye Qingping sent the carriage back. Lin Tang, carrying her mother, followed her master slowly into the mountains. Along the way, Cheng and Ye shared with Lin Tang and her mother the local customs and culture. It turned out that within these mountains, there were actually many residents, primarily from ethnic minorities such as the Miao and Zhuang, with occasional Han Chinese inhabitants. Despite the isolation, the local people were friendly and easy to get along with, and the beautiful scenery of lush green mountains and clear waters gave one a sense of being in a paradise on earth.

As everyone spoke and quickly walked in, they passed through the sea of flowers, and ahead was the entrance to Qingxin Valley. Just as a few of them arrived at the valley's mouth, they heard the melodious sound of a guqin, graceful and lingering. Ye Qingping laughed heartily and said, "Old Fourth is indulging in self-absorption again"

This is absolutely impossible. Although each of us possesses decent martial skills, and some may even surpass the Four Elders in strength, we are still far from the expected power of this martial art. How should I put it? Once you begin to cultivate it, you will naturally understand the principles involved, but it is truly difficult to articulate them in words.

After listening, Su Xing laughed heartily and said, "It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say we conducted an experiment. However, I must tell you, this experiment is truly fascinating. In our generation, along with the next, there have been no fewer than a dozen people, including some servants and subordinates, who have practiced it. Can you guess the outcome?" He looked at Lin Tang, who was all smiles, and continued, "The result is laughable. Although we all practiced the same martial arts as recorded in the *Tushu Lian*, each person's martial skills turned out to be quite acceptable, yet the pathways of our internal energy were indeed vastly different. Don't you think that's very interesting?"

After gazing for a long time, the man in blue spoke: "With a remarkable bone structure and a restrained sharpness, you truly are a martial arts prodigy"

A few people sat around the kang and had a good lunch, then they tidied up a bit. In fact, there was not much to clean up; there was nothing to begin with. The old lady took a small cloth bag and, with the assistance of a few people, stepped out the door. Lin Tang circled around the thatched cottage where she had lived for eight years, then carefully closed the door before boarding the carriage. The driver cracked the whip, and the carriage slowly made its way toward the southern gate of the city.

Lin Tong lowered his head for a moment, still feeling it was incomprehensible. He asked, "So how do you know that no one has ever succeeded? Perhaps one of you has cultivated the correct method?"

Su Xing smiled slightly at him and said: "This matter is something the four elders will eventually discuss with you, so I will briefly explain it. You may already know that although the four elders share a bond akin to brothers, they do not come from the same background, and naturally, the martial arts they practice are different. Even though my third uncle and father both come from the Sacred Teaching, the martial arts they learned are indeed vastly different. Many years ago, aside from discussing music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, the elders also talked about martial arts. They always aimed to enhance everyone's strengths and mitigate weaknesses to create a more profound martial art. After years of effort, it seemed they had made some progress, but the problem arose that no one could master it. Our generation, starting with Brother Yunpeng, has followed the four elders in training, but while each of us has made progress in our individual skills, we cannot integrate them. Subsequently, we all tried, even the next generation of children attempted, but to no avail. Thus, they believed it was a matter of aptitude and decided to seek someone from outside to bring back, which is the reason for your arrival."

Lin Tong followed her senior brother Su Xing as they circled around the valley. Su Xing was extremely kind and had a cheerful personality, and he took a liking to this new junior disciple. As they walked, he continuously introduced the scenic spots in the valley to Lin Tong, pointing out where the waterfalls were, where there were places to relax, where was suitable for fishing, and where was good for swimming. He also explained the locations of the training grounds and the horse stables, detailing which horses had fiery temperaments and which ones were fast, leaving no detail unaddressed for Lin Tong.

Four people crossed three mountain ridges, and before them lay a valley, where flowers bloomed profusely, filling the air with their fragrance. Beneath the flowering trees, lush grass grew, and various small animals wandered about, carefree and at ease. Lin Tong gazed at the beautiful scenery before him, feeling as if he were in a painting. The fatigue from the journey was momentarily forgotten; had he not been carrying his mother, he would have already dashed over to roll around on the grass.

Lin Tong, after listening, smiled wryly and said: "Is love just an experiment for me?"

Su Dingbang glanced at him and smiled, saying: "The weather in the south is warm year-round, and very few people build houses with bricks and stones; most are constructed with bamboo and wood. Some ethnic groups even use bamboo houses, and there are those who directly build lofts amidst the lush bamboo groves, which are quite beautiful." As he spoke, he looked at his wife and said: "Sister, please feel at ease and stay here. If you need anything, just let me know. I didn't expect you to return today. My elder brother's wives have taken the children to the front to enjoy the Zui Xin Pavilion. I will arrange for two maidservants to come over shortly; you can communicate with them about anything you need."

At this moment, the front courtyard had already been cleaned thoroughly by the servants, with an incense altar placed in the center. In the middle, four grand master's chairs were arranged, and the four brothers of Cheng Wanli were sitting upright. On either side of them sat four ladies, while many young men and women, along with some children, stood behind them, presumably their private offspring and grandchildren. Lin Tang, seeing this situation, did not dare to be negligent. He quickly adjusted his attire and walked briskly to the four men, respectfully kneeling down on both knees, bowing his head nine times, and loudly calling out "Master." The four men of Cheng Wanli, upon seeing him, quickly stood up to help him rise and then introduced him to the four ladies and the family members in the middle.

Lin Tong laughed and said: "In fact, I do not care much about the achievements. As long as I put in more hard work and effort, I will receive more in return. As for the outcome, I will leave it to fate."

The man in white also looked surprised as he surrounded Lin Tang, glancing left and right. "With such a tall stature and handsome appearance, he truly is a dragon among men. I say, Liang He, where did you find such a child?"

Lin Tong and her mother expressed their heartfelt gratitude as they bid farewell to Su Dingbang. Lin Tong placed her mother on the large bamboo bed by the window to rest, and then she went to her own room to freshen up before lying down to sleep. After carrying her mother over several mountain ridges, she was indeed exhausted. When she awoke, it was already dawn on the second day. She hurriedly got up to wash and found that the maid had prepared breakfast. After a quick meal with her mother, a steward guided her to the front courtyard.

Cheng Wanli chuckled and said, "I won't say much for now; let me introduce everyone first." After saying this, he introduced Lin Tang and her mother to the two younger brothers. It turned out that the man in blue was the third master, Liu Chengfeng, and naturally, the man in white was the fourth, Su Dingbang. Lin Tang greeted the two but, due to carrying her mother, she found it inappropriate to bow and pay her respects. Seeing that Lin Tang had walked such a long distance while carrying her mother, Cheng Wanli led everyone into the valley.

In Qingxin Valley, in addition to the four friends, there are also their families and several servants, totaling dozens of people. Although Cheng Wanli and Ye Qingping come from different traditions—one from Zen Buddhism and the other from Taoism—they are both lay disciples, and thus are not restricted by marital customs. The four families all reside in the valley. Originally, Lin Tong intended to settle her mother and then come to greet a few of the matrons and senior brothers and sisters. However, Cheng Wanli suggested that there was no need for excessive formalities among family members. Since they had just arrived and had endured a long journey, he asked Su Dingbang to take them to their own small courtyard to rest, stating that other matters could be discussed the following morning.

The place where the Four Friends of Tian Nan reside is located in the Shiyun Mountain at the southern end of the Tianyuan Continent, approximately two thousand miles from Suzhou. Additionally, due to the elderly lady's poor health, she is unable to travel for extended periods, so the group moves very slowly, covering only half a day's journey in a day, with the remaining time spent resting. During this period, Cheng Wanli and Ye Qingping begin to teach Lin Tang the basic internal martial arts techniques and some common knowledge of the martial world.

Lin Tong chuckled and said, "Now that you mention it, I really want to see what kind of results I can achieve myself."

Suxing laughed heartily and said: "You also think it's impossible, right? But the result is just like this. We people have racked our brains and still cannot find the reason."

The two brothers chatted as they slowly made their way to the villa

Lin Tong did not dare to say much and bid farewell to the three masters before going to settle his mother. Upon arriving at the small courtyard prepared for them with the fourth master, Lin Tong's eyes brightened. Although it was a separate courtyard, compared to the low thatched house of his own home, it was simply like a palace. The spacious four-room house was constructed of wood and bamboo, rarely seen in brick and stone. While it did not appear luxurious, it possessed a certain charm of mountains and waters, as if it were integrated into the surrounding green mountains and clear waters.

Su Dingbang smiled and said: "Starting tomorrow, Yiqing will officially take us four as teachers. It seems we will be quite busy in the future. I heard from Er Ge about your condition. Although I have not seen it personally, I believe it should be a lung issue. This kind of illness can vary in severity, and the key lies in proper care. Please rest assured and stay here today; tomorrow I will help you with a pulse diagnosis. We will gradually adjust your treatment, and it will surely get better."

On the second day, as dawn broke, Lin Tong got up early to fetch water and help her mother wash her face. After the two of them had dinner, they began to wait for Cheng Wanli and his companion. By the time the sun was high in the sky, the two finally arrived slowly. When the four met, there were no excessive formalities; Cheng Wanli directly said to Lin Tong: "You and the second brother go to the city to prepare some things. We will have dinner at noon and then set off again."

As soon as the voice fell, a clear voice rang out: "Second brother, you are always so unkind, speaking ill of others behind their backs. I think if you can't find a good successor, you should be punished to copy music scores for me for ten days, right?" Following the voice, two elderly men emerged from the valley. Both were around fifty years old, dressed in similar long gowns, one blue and the other white. Upon reaching the mouth of the valley, they first greeted Cheng Wanli and the others, then fixed their gaze intently on Lin Tang.

As he walked, he smiled and said: "Regardless of how your cultivation ultimately turns out, with your talent, as long as you practice diligently, your achievements will undoubtedly be extraordinary. The only regret is that you lack a foundation in cultivation, and starting at your current age is somewhat late. In the martial world, many scions of prominent families begin their training as early as seven years old. As for the cultivation of internal energy, the latest starters do not exceed the age of eight. However, I have heard that my father once found some special methods in an ancient tome; I wonder if they will be of any use to you."

Ye Qingping took Lin Tang and after more than an hour, they returned with a large bundle. It turned out that Ye Qingping first took him to a ready-made clothing shop to buy several sets of changeable clothes for him and his wife. Then, at the mule and horse market, he hired two spacious carriages and arranged for them to be picked up after lunch. After that, he bought a lot of food and drinks, and the two of them carried it home.

Madam Lin quickly waved her hand and said: "Fourth Master, you are being too polite. We are used to hardship at home and can manage on our own. As for the maidservants, I think we can forgo that."

Lin Tong, after listening, opened his mouth in astonishment and looked at Su Xing in surprise, saying: "Senior brother, you are not joking, are you? Cultivating the same internal skill, all taught by four masters, yet the final results are different. How can this be possible?"

Lin Tong first bowed to all the senior female disciples. Then, due to the greetings from the senior male and female disciples, he felt most embarrassed when the younger generation came up to bow and greet him. Among them, Cheng Wanli's grandson, Cheng Kui, who is already fifteen years old, kept bowing and calling him "uncle," leaving him at a loss for words, causing everyone to burst into laughter. It turns out that Cheng Wanli and his wife, Xu, have two sons and one daughter, all of whom are married. Their eldest son, Cheng Tianpeng, is 36 years old, and his son is 15. Cheng Tianxiang, the second son, is 28 years old, and their daughter is four years old. Their daughter, Cheng Xinyuan, has married outside and is not present here. The second master, Ye Qingping, and his wife, Zhao, have one son and two daughters. Their son, Ye Jinsheng, is 31 years old and has an 11-year-old daughter. The eldest daughter, Ye Xinping, is 24 years old and has married Liu Chengfeng's son, Liu Mingshun, with whom she has a 7-year-old son. The second daughter, Ye Xinjia, is 18 years old and unmarried. The third master, Liu Chengfeng, has one son and one daughter. His son, Liu Mingshun, is 27 years old, and his daughter, Liu Mingmin, is 21 years old and has married Su Dingbang's only son, Su Xing, who is 23 years old, and they have a 3-year-old daughter.

When the two of them finished their round and were on their way back, Lin Tang could no longer hold back and asked: "Senior Brother Su, I have a question that I have always been puzzled about. Since all four masters have children, why did they have to look outside for me to be their successor? Can't they pass it on to their own children?"