Chapter 18: The True Meaning of Swordsmanship

  The Qin family uses the Vermilion Bird as its family crest, which is not without reason. Most of the martial artists among the Qin family members possess fire-attributed martial veins, and over the past thousand years, a complete set of fire-based martial arts has been formed.

  Like Qin Yun's Chi Yan Xin Kui, it is one of the basic heart methods that Qin family children must practice. Although it is the lowest level of Gong Fa, it is the most suitable for fire-based martial artists.

  After mastering the Chi Yan Xin Kui to lay the foundation, one can further learn the advanced Gong Fa Lie Chi Xin Fa, which is often paired with Lie Huo Jian Fa and is a common choice among Qin's disciples.

  Qin Yang had already told Qin Yun this, but unfortunately he hadn't had time to pass on the Lie Chi Heart Method to Qin Yun, leaving behind only a copy of the Lie Huo Sword Manual.

  Like most of his peers, Qin Yun also took a copy of the Blazing Heart Technique.

  However, for his second choice of manual, Qin Yun did not go to pick a sword manual, but instead stopped in front of a bookshelf with miscellaneous items with great interest.

  Most of the miscellaneous books are the experiences, feelings and insights recorded by some senior masters in their cultivation process, and some record the strange stories and customs of various places in the nine states.

  These books are fine for passing the time, but trying to gain any insight from them is extremely difficult; you might even get misled and become obsessed.

  Because these casually written insights and epiphanies are not rigorous and unparalleled in their skill and art, many of them are just flashes of brilliance from certain strong individuals that have not undergone a thousand refinements and verifications.

  It is precisely because of this that miscellaneous books are basically ignored, and newcomers also disdain them.

  If they want to read miscellaneous books, they also have them at home.

  Qin Yun flipped through several miscellaneous notes and gains, with his shallow eyesight, he could also see that these books were not suitable for himself, and it was not worth wasting an opportunity to choose a kung fu method.

  Just as he was about to go to the bookshelf of sword manuals to pick another one for himself, a book on the innermost side of the bookshelf suddenly caught his attention.

  This book didn't have anything special about it, except that when people arranged and placed it, they didn't put it upright, so the edges stuck out, and a few strokes of writing on the cover were exposed.

  It was this stroke of calligraphy that made Qin Yun's heart skip a beat.

  This stroke is as sharp as a sword out of its scabbard, and even if it's just the tip of an iceberg, it has the power to capture people's hearts!

  Qin Yun involuntarily stretched out his hand and took it in his own hand.

  This book is no different from other books, the indigo-blue cover is soft and hard in the right place, holding it in your hand feels great, the thickness is just one finger, and the binding is quite exquisite.

  In the middle of the page, a two-inch wide margin was left blank, on which four large characters were written in a flying dragon and dancing phoenix style: "The True Explanation of Swordsmanship".

  The bold and free strokes of the black ink are full of a majestic and desolate atmosphere, but between the horizontal and vertical hooks and dots, there is a sharp energy hidden, giving people a shocking feeling at first glance.

  In the lower left corner of the big character, there are also a few small characters written in fly-head fine script. Upon closer inspection, they are the four small characters "Yan Chi Xiao Liu".

  Yan Chixia was a name Qin Yun had never heard of before, and he felt a slight sense of curiosity in his heart.

  The Yan clan is a great imperial family of Yan, how can the books written by people in the Yan clan be placed in the library of a single hall of the Qin clan?

  Judging from the title of the book, it doesn't seem like a copied work, and it's likely to be an original manuscript.

  With a hint of doubt, Qin Yun opened the book.

  The way of the sword, preserve heavenly reason, destroy human nature!

  The nine characters on the first page caught his eye, and Qin Yun was suddenly frightened. Preserving heavenly reason is still acceptable, but destroying human nature is terrifying.

  He had never heard of practicing swordsmanship to the point of annihilating human nature. Isn't that the same as being an evil demon lord?

  Qin Yun felt that someone who could write such a magnificent title was unlikely to be an evil cult leader, so he calmed his mind and prepared to continue reading.

  "Is it almost time? Have you guys made your selection?"

  At this moment, Sun's voice sounded in everyone's ears, and the obvious impatience in her tone made everyone swallow their saliva.

  This is a person who doesn't even put the master of the hall in his eyes, and he's also in charge of the outer hall library. Which new young man dares to speak out and refute that half an hour's time is still early?

  Fortunately, most people have already chosen a suitable method for themselves, and they went one by one to register in front of the person in charge.

  Qin Yun didn't continue reading "The True Meaning of Swordsmanship" and instead thought for a moment before holding it in his hand to queue up.

  It was a sudden impulse from the ghost, but Qin Yun already had the fierce fire sword spectrum, and now he didn't have to worry about not having a suitable sword technique to cultivate.

  Sun Aunt leaned on her cane beside the manager, supervising. If the young masters chose to practice fierce and intense internal skills, she wouldn't even glance at them.

  And if she chose some other relatively obscure sword techniques, she would flip through them briefly and make a few comments.

  This makes everyone feel that although Sun's exterior is cold, her heart isn't bad.

  When it was Qin Yun's turn to register, Sun Auntie looked at the Sword Dao Zhen Jie on the table and frowned.

  She stretched out her thin hand and flipped through it casually, with a displeased look in her eyes: "What are you doing reading this nonsense at such a young age? Why don't you choose a sword manual instead?"

  Before Qin Yun could respond, a low snicker came from the crowd waiting behind: "Even if you learn, it's useless, at most two moves and you'll be defeated."

  Upon hearing such vicious ridicule, the newcomers beside them couldn't help but reveal a smile, mostly mocking and gloating.

  Qin Yun was defeated by a single sword on the wooden stage, which is absolutely a big joke in today's return to the sect selection, and this also makes him very "famous" among the new disciples.

  The old lady turned her head towards where the sound came from, her eyes extremely sharp and her displeasure growing thicker.

  The young man who was swept by her gaze suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and respectfully lowered his head.

  The young men beside him felt the same way and were all silent as cicadas in winter.

  "Thank you for your kindness, but I still want this book."

  Qin Yun had always been strong-willed at heart, he knew the other person was being kind, but he didn't want to change his decision because of this.

  The old lady shook her head, seemingly sighing at his lack of contention: "This book is a rare edition, and according to the library's rules, it shouldn't be lent out."

  "But it's not a rare book either, you can take it away, just remember to copy it yourself and then return the original to the library."

  "Yes!"

  Qin Yun bowed respectfully to Sun Auntie, and he could feel the tolerance hidden behind her strict demeanor.

  Since arriving at Guiyang County and entering the Qin family, this thin old woman in front of her is undoubtedly the person who makes Qin Yun feel the best.

  After selecting the kung fu routines, the manager also reminded the new apprentices of some things to pay attention to, and then let everyone disperse and engage in their own activities.

  As they walked out of the solemn general hall, the young people's mood relaxed.

  They gathered in twos and threes, chatting loudly, with some self-proclaimed heroes calling out to their friends to go to nearby wine houses and restaurants for a drink and dinner, small groups emerging one after another.

  Once you enter the noble's gate, it's like entering the deep sea. The Qin family is not just an ordinary aristocratic family, and to stand out among them, one needs a combination of luck, capability, and connections.

  Those young people with ideas and ambitions often start to show their talents at this time, preparing themselves in all aspects ahead of time.

  But these have nothing to do with Qin Yun.

  No one greeted Qin Yun, those who knew his background didn't want to get close, and those who didn't know looked down on him even more, making it impossible for them to take the initiative to pull him in.

  So he returned alone to his residence in the manor's cottage and opened the newly acquired Blazing Heart Technique.

  ………

  Time has passed silently and quietly, and it's already mid-October.

  In half a month's time, Qin Yun's life in the outer hall of Moyang Dao was very simple.

  The injuries on his back and shoulders had long since healed, he went out early every day, after breakfast, he would go to the Foreign Affairs Hall to punch in once, then use his black iron token to attend an early class at the Embracing Moon Building.

  The Embracing Moon Building is a place where the Foreign Affairs Hall specially teaches the oral skills of the various martial arts, and each floor has a master from the General Hall sitting in town.

  The new disciples of Wai Si Tong in the first floor of Lam Yuet Lau learned the basics of internal energy and swordplay.

  Not everyone comes here because for many young people from scholarly families, what the teacher says is already familiar to their ears and it makes no difference whether they listen or not.

  These juniors mostly come over to ask for advice when they encounter obstacles during their cultivation.

  In general, masters will give detailed answers to the questions their disciples encounter, but for problems that are even more profound than advanced gongfa and sword techniques, they will all keep their mouths shut.

  This is because the new disciples are not their direct apprentices, they have no obligation to pass on their unique experiences and insights unless the new disciples offer something of equal value in exchange.

  For example, family honors, such as precious Lingyu.

  Learning basic-level and above sword techniques relies solely on a mind-method sword manual is far from enough.

  The Xīn Fǎ Jiàn Fǎ Cè (Heart Method Sword Technique Manual) records the training methods and sword techniques for circulating Qi and practicing Gong, but it cannot thoroughly and accurately describe the problems encountered during practice. Many of the skills and experiences are passed down orally and not written down, and are only transmitted to direct disciples or family members, never outsiders.

  This way of inheritance ensures that the secret skills of the sect and the big family will not be easily leaked out. Otherwise, if anyone can practice the ultimate martial arts by holding a copy of the secret book, then the sect would have no existence significance.

  Holding the gong fa manual to practice is not impossible, but if you can't deeply understand the meaning of each mouthful represented by the key, you won't be able to grasp its essence and may even go astray forever.

  Perhaps there are only a few extremely lucky people who can achieve great things just by relying on secret recipes, but they are very rare and mostly exist in legends and rumors.

  But for the current Qin Yun, the basic knowledge taught by his mentors is exactly what he needs. The problems encountered in cultivating the Lihuo Heart Method and the Lihuo Sword Method are all within the scope of the mentor's responsibility to dispel doubts.

  So every day, he comes to the Moon Embracing Building without fail, sits quietly in a corner, and carefully listens to every word of the instructors, deeply engraving their every move and style into his mind.

  After returning home, Qin Yun would recall his memories and steadily cultivate the Lianzhu Heart Method, gradually increasing his strength.

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