6kv Chapter 6 Sudden Enlightenment
Chapter 6 Sudden Enlightenment
Early morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Inside the backyard, a sword light flickered erratically, accompanied by bursts of thunder, its power truly formidable.
Mo Zheng was practicing his sword.
"Second Brother, stop practicing, it's time to eat!" Mo Xiaotian called out from the edge of the courtyard.
The sword light then subsided, revealing the figure of a handsome young man with delicate features, red lips, and white teeth.
"Xiao Tian".
Mo Zheng sheathed his longsword, wiped the sweat from his face, and a smile appeared on his face.
Two months have passed since the incident with the Black Horned Leopard, and the storm has subsided.
It was a joint effort by martial arts masters from Liangzhou and Jinqing Prefecture. I heard that they stayed on the mountain for more than twenty days before finally killing all the black leopards.
As news of the demonic beasts gradually spread, Mo Zheng's knowledge of them also increased considerably.
This beast is not a monster, but a being with power beyond that of ordinary people, just like a martial artist.
In the remote mountains, forests, lakes, rivers and other places in the Great Yan Kingdom, there are a large number of monsters living there, and the same is true in other countries.
Even the Qi and Blood Pill that Mo Zheng ate was made primarily from the flesh and blood of demonic beasts, combined with other medicinal herbs.
The Great Yan's high regard for martial arts is inextricably linked to these scattered demonic beasts.
As for Wang Qing'er's matter, Mo Danian and Wang Yumei never mentioned it again from that day on. Without guessing, Mo Zheng knew that something must have gone wrong, which dashed his hopes of sacrificing his own body.
That's good. We martial artists should rely on our swords to carve out our future.
Living off a woman? Pshaw, who would respect someone who lives off a woman?
In the past two months, he has consumed a total of three Qi and Blood Pills and diligently practiced swordsmanship. His Qi and Blood and swordsmanship have both increased extremely rapidly. At this rate, he will be able to master both skills in half a year. At that time, passing the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall assessment will be a sure thing.
There's only one problem: lack of money.
After scavenging the money from Zhang and the other man, plus his own savings, he only had thirty taels left. After deducting the two Qi and Blood Pills awarded by the martial arts school, he only had enough silver left to buy two more, which would be enough for his training this month at most.
We still need to make money...
After the family finished breakfast, Mo Zheng headed towards the martial arts school.
The martial arts school wasn't far from his home, just two streets away.
It was during class time, so you could see groups of young men and women carrying weapons walking towards the martial arts school everywhere on the street.
"Mo Er, wait for me!"
Behind him, a loud, boisterous voice came. Mo Zheng stopped in his tracks, and soon a chubby little boy ran up to him.
"Phew, phew... I'm exhausted..."
The chubby boy took a few deep breaths and said, "This lousy martial arts school starts class so early, I can't even get up."
"Chen San, you'll get used to it eventually," Mo Zheng said with a smile.
This month, the martial arts examination at the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall was held. Shangyin County had lost two elite disciples, Senior Brother Li Fei and Zhang Huaiyu. In addition, due to the heavy losses incurred previously, the martial arts school recruited a lot of ordinary disciples. This chubby Chen Wu is one of the new students who joined the school this month.
His family started as salt smugglers, but although they've retired from the business, they're still quite wealthy. Chen Wu is the third child in his family, and he's kind and gentle. He doesn't discriminate against Mo Zheng, his brother-in-law, because of his status, and the two gradually become acquainted.
Much of what Chen Wu said about the demonic beasts was what Mo Zheng heard.
The two traveled together and soon arrived at the martial arts school.
However, upon entering, they found the place quite lively. The people who usually practiced martial arts were gathered together, surrounding a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, chatting and laughing, trying to please him.
Mo Zheng didn't recognize this person; his name was Luo Yiyi, and he was an elite disciple highly regarded by the previous headmaster, Du Feng.
"These guys are already starting to suck up so early," Chen San said with a sneer.
"This is……"
Mo Zheng was puzzled and asked subconsciously.
"Hey, wasn't the position of senior disciple at the martial arts school still undecided? There have been rumors circulating in the school these past few days that the headmaster favors Luo Yiyi and should announce it today. That's why these guys are all scrambling to curry favor with him in advance, hoping he'll take care of them later." Chen San gestured with his chin.
"I see."
Mo Zheng nodded, a look of realization crossing his face.
Being the senior disciple of a martial arts school is a great job. Not only do they have the authority to teach other disciples, but they are also rewarded with a Qi and Blood Pill every two months. And every senior disciple of Shangyin Martial Arts School has passed the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall exam. No wonder these people are surrounding them so closely; they probably hope that Luo Yiyi will give them more guidance in the future.
It's understandable; people tend to be opportunistic and sycophantic.
"Hey, Mo Er, aren't you going to say hello? After all, he's the senior brother. He'll take better care of you during practice, and you might improve even faster," Chen Wu teased.
Mo Zheng shook his head and said, "Forget it. Given my status, if I were to approach him, Senior Brother Luo would inevitably be unhappy."
Few people in the martial arts school respected him, let alone an outstanding disciple like Luo Yiyi. Even though he made some breakthroughs in martial arts, his situation didn't change much.
Moreover, with the aid of his mental power, he didn't need Luo Yiyi's guidance at all; he could find the shortcomings in his martial arts cultivation on his own. Besides, the other party wouldn't give him Qi and Blood Pills, so he couldn't be bothered to join in such a commotion.
"You seem to understand things quite well. My family used to say, 'The master leads you through the door, but the practice is up to you.' Martial arts are about perseverance and diligent practice. No one can become a martial arts master by simply being guided by others," Chen Wu said with a smile.
The way they spoke was quite jarring amidst the atmosphere of flattering Luo Yiyi.
Luo Yiyi was still young at heart, and he was naturally unhappy, especially since the people who were talking about him were his son-in-law's younger brother and a newly enrolled disciple.
He is now the senior disciple and will be a disciple of the Martial Arts Hall in the future. He will be an official when he comes out. Even the elite disciples of the past give him some respect now. How could he stand Mo Zheng and Chen Wu's tone?
He stepped out of the crowd, his displeasure hidden on his face, and smiled, saying, "You two junior brothers are wrong. We're all from the same martial arts school, and I'm happy for anyone to ask me for guidance. How about I give you two some pointers now?"
While they called it giving pointers, anyone with eyes could see that they were about to teach him a lesson.
Chen Wu, being the eldest son at home, couldn't stand such provocation and immediately accepted the challenge.
Seeing this, Mo Zheng immediately stopped him. This kind of argument, whether he won or lost, would not bring any benefit. He said, "Senior Brother Luo, please don't take offense. Chen Wu and I were just joking. Senior Brother Luo will be an official in the Martial Arts Hall in the future, so please don't hold it against us."
Seeing that the two had given in, Luo Yiyi showed a satisfied expression and said, "If you two junior brothers want to ask me for guidance, I'm always ready to help."
After saying that, he started talking to other people and ignored the two of them.
If he passes the martial arts hall's assessment, he can become an inbound martial artist and obtain an official position. He and Mo Zheng are from completely different worlds. Since the other party has yielded, he doesn't need to bother with such a trivial matter.
As for the other disciples in the martial arts school, they secretly laughed when they saw Mo Zheng and Luo Yiyi's interaction. In particular, those who had been in the school for a while and knew that Mo Zheng was the younger brother of his son-in-law were even more disdainful. If they didn't build a good relationship with Luo Yiyi now, once he soared to the top and truly entered the martial arts hall, why would he bother with them?
Everyone has their own ambitions. Choosing to curry favor with those who are self-willed, or choosing to rely solely on oneself, is neither right nor wrong; they are simply two paths leading to a higher level.
This little incident was quickly forgotten as the martial arts class began.
However, today's class was noticeably different from usual.
The museum owner, Du Feng, arrived, followed by a man in his thirties.
Inside the martial arts school, there was an immediate and complete silence.
The authority of the head of Shangyin Martial Arts School is beyond question. He is an official of the eighth rank, and only martial artists who have entered the country can hold this position.
Mo Zheng didn't know what an "entry-level martial artist" was, and the martial arts school had never explained it, but it should be another level after the Qi and Blood Realm had been fully cultivated.
At the very least, they possess the formidable strength to deal with those black-horned leopards.
Du Feng can expel martial arts school disciples at any time if he wants, and even if he finds fault and accidentally kills them, there's no way to hold him accountable.
There are countless people outside who want to enter the martial arts school to learn martial arts, simply because to enter the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall, or even the Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall, one must be a disciple of the martial arts school.
However, at this moment, the owner of the museum looked very unwell, and he hadn't even shaved his beard, giving off a depressed and dejected feeling.
In contrast, the middle-aged man who came with him had bright, piercing eyes and a smug look on his face, creating a stark contrast.
"We're skipping practice today. I need to talk to you about something."
Du Feng shouted loudly, "From today onwards, I am no longer your master. Jinqing Prefecture has ordered that Lord Zhao Feng take over as master. You must practice diligently and not slack off."
Upon hearing this, the disciples below were in an uproar; Du Feng suddenly wanted to step down.
Especially Luo Yiyi, who was just smug and about to become the senior disciple.
He had gone to great lengths to please Du Feng in order to secure this position as the senior disciple, only to have the other party leave without warning.
Ignoring the commotion below, the old curator Du Feng turned and left after saying those words.
However, judging from his expression, he didn't seem very happy.
"Quiet down, everyone be quiet."
Zhao Feng said with a smile, but his voice was so loud that each word was like a thunderclap, making everyone's ears ring. The entire martial arts hall immediately fell silent.
Clearly, this newly arrived Master Zhao Feng is no ordinary person either.
But then he said, "In the battle against the Black Horned Leopard, eighty-six disciples of the martial arts school were killed or wounded. The higher-ups are very angry and have already exiled Du Feng to the East China Sea to serve. You don't need to think about him anymore."
"This has nothing to do with you. Focus on your training and don't let your mind wander!"
"The position of Senior Brother of the Martial Arts School is vacant. Starting today, there will be one day off every seven days, and a competition once a month. The person who wins the championship for three consecutive months can become the Senior Brother. The top three will all receive Qi and Blood Pills as a reward!"
Upon hearing this, the martial arts school disciples immediately erupted in excitement, and Du Feng was quickly forgotten.
A monthly competition is held, and the top three all receive Qi and Blood Pills as a reward. Who can resist such a temptation?
Those elite disciples who were just one step away from achieving mastery of Qi and Blood were especially enraged.
Luo Yiyi gritted his teeth in resentment. Although he believed that few in the Shangyin Martial Arts School could rival him, there were still a few who were evenly matched with him. Only by winning the championship for three consecutive months could he secure his position as the senior disciple. He had no confidence.
Mo Zheng, however, had some different thoughts. If he could be in the top three every month, wouldn't he save a lot of money?
This new owner, Mr. Zhao, is certainly willing to spend a lot of money.
"Alright, let's begin your martial arts practice. Let me see your skill level."
Zhao Feng clapped his hands, and the more than one hundred disciples of the martial arts school immediately began to practice diligently, including the elite disciples who usually received special training.
Swords, clubs, fists, and kicks filled the entire martial arts hall with shouts and cries.
"The Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall assessment doesn't have very strict requirements for external martial arts, but you still need to reach a minor level of mastery. None of you can slack off. Once you become entry-level martial artists, external martial arts will be even more important than qi and blood cultivation!"
Zhao Feng strolled leisurely around the martial arts hall, observing the skill levels of the participants.
Those who hadn't even begun to grasp the basic techniques were glanced at and moved on, while those who had already mastered them simply nodded. Only when they saw disciples who had reached a minor level of proficiency did they take a second look.
However, most of the martial arts school disciples focused on stance training and neglected external martial arts training. Not many of them reached the minor level of mastery. So, he quickly walked to Mo Zheng's side.
"Not bad, at such a young age, you've already mastered the Thunderclap Sword Technique quite well. Your strength and cultivation of qi and blood are also very solid."
Zhao Feng had a very sharp eye; he could determine Mo Zheng's level of martial arts cultivation simply by looking and listening.
Although he couldn't compare to those elite disciples whose Qi and blood were almost at the peak of their cultivation, his swordsmanship was in no way inferior. The key point was that those disciples were almost eighteen years old, while he looked much younger.
"The seventh move uses a feint, with the waist and stance as one, and the strength is solidified. The eighth move then unleashes full power."
After watching for a while, Zhao Feng suddenly offered some pointers.
Mo Zheng subconsciously did as he was told. He withdrew most of his power from the seventh sword strike, preparing to unleash it. When he struck the eighth sword strike, a thunderous sound rang out. The force of the strike far surpassed what Mo Zheng had used before, giving him a strange sense of exhilaration.
"The Thunderclap Sword Technique should not be purely forceful; it must combine feints and real attacks, and secretly accumulate strength in order to unleash its full power."
Zhao Feng gave another instruction, and Mo Zheng sheathed his sword and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Master."
At this moment, the other disciples involuntarily stopped and looked at the two of them.
"You little brat, what are you looking at? Practice your skills properly. I'll give you all the pointers you need. Hurry up and practice!" Zhao Feng scolded.
After being scolded, the disciples silently continued practicing. However, Mo Zheng noticed that every now and then, some jealous and disdainful glances fell on him, making him feel uncomfortable.
"A few words of advice, and people are jealous?"
Mo Zheng smiled inwardly. "Only mediocre people are not envied. I should just focus on practicing my skills and not care what others do."
Luo Yiyi took that step because he didn't want to cause trouble, but he wasn't afraid of trouble either.
If a fight really breaks out, with the help of his mental power, he can beat even a disciple at the Great Perfection of Qi and Blood to the point that they can't take care of themselves!
"However, the master's combination of illusion and reality is indeed skillful. My swordsmanship is much stronger than before."
Mo Zheng began to practice according to Zhao Feng's instructions. He originally pursued fierce sword moves, some of which were illusory and some were real. Suddenly, he felt that the power of his sword strikes had increased a lot, and his whole body felt more and more relaxed.
Originally, he always felt that he couldn't fully exert his strength when he drew his sword. He used to think that it was because he hadn't practiced his swordsmanship enough, but now it seems that this is not the reason.
Sword after sword, Mo Zheng gradually became intoxicated by the comfortable feeling, forgetting everything else.
No one noticed that the thunderous sound accompanying the swords had become much quieter, and some swords even made no sound at all.
Only Zhao Feng noticed this commotion.
The newly appointed Master Zhao was watching another disciple who had mastered some swordsmanship practice when he suddenly heard a change in the sound of thunder behind him and instinctively turned his head to look.
When he saw Mo Zheng's sword light flickering, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, sometimes real and sometimes illusory, a look of surprise immediately appeared on his face.
He took two steps closer to examine Mo Zheng closely, and seeing Mo Zheng's calm yet bewildered expression, he hurriedly took two steps back, moving stealthily as if afraid of disturbing Mo Zheng!
A sudden realization! It was actually a sudden realization!
The Shangyin Martial Arts School actually has such a talented young man!
……