Makeup (Part 6)

He remembered the things he had forgotten and went to Sushan Hall.

Luo Shun spent most of his time looking at Ke Yuanshan's portrait. At this time, he had already relived the memories of being able to torture himself. Holding a few jars of wine, he began to indulge himself in the main hall.

When he saw Ke Congzhou coming, he didn't change his drinking posture and was too lazy to say a word.

Ke Congzhou had long been accustomed to it, so he called him "Uncle Master" and simply relayed the words of the various hall masters.

Luo Shun leaned back in his chair and said perfunctorily, "Let's talk about it in a few days."

Ke Congzhou replied, "Yes, I'll take my leave."

Luo Shun swallowed a mouthful of wine and looked coldly at Ke Congzhou.

The young man stood tall and straight, his head held high as he walked. His every move resembled the man Luo Shun always cared about. But his face was different. His senior brother was far from being as flamboyant and eye-catching as Ke Congzhou, and his smile was gentle.

No matter when or where, there is no loss of enthusiasm or depression.

-

Ke Congzhou arrived at the Zijin Hall. There were only the old hall master and a young disciple who had just joined the hall.

Sujian Mountain is divided into twelve halls, but even Ke Congzhou couldn't name all twelve. It's said that when the sect was first established, the leader was accompanied by ten close friends who had been through thick and thin together. To make up the number, he included his long-legged dog, making it one of the twelve halls.

Over the years, several hall masters passed away one after another.

Some trained disciples who could succeed them, but others failed. For example, in the Qianji Hall, the art of mechanical engineering was taught alongside the Su Jian Jue in the mountains, but no one had emerged capable of taking on the mantle, leaving the matter unresolved.

The head of Zijin Hall is the oldest elder on the mountain.

This old man had a good temper and was extremely lenient towards his disciples, letting things go regardless of whether they were big or small. Anyway, the affairs of the Purple Gold Hall weren't very important. Besides recording the weapons on the mountain, he would melt down the swords that were no longer useful and forge new ones.

The sound of blacksmithing was a bit loud. Ke Congzhou called out twice, but the old hall master didn't respond.

He walked a little closer and found that the old hall master, who was shirtless and sweating profusely, not only had martial arts skills, but also had a long list of old stories to tell the new disciple.

Ke Congzhou had no way of stopping him, so he had to stand aside and wait for the old master to finish speaking.

"Although our Sujian Mountain is secluded within Daohai City, seemingly a nameless and powerless outcast, our founder is actually descended from a lineage of royalty and generals! Back then, Emperor Ling was insane, and natural disasters were constant across the land, yet he still increased taxes to build palaces. The old leader couldn't stand it anymore, so he took off his purple robe, gathered a large group of ambitious individuals, and stormed the Imperial City to take the tyrant's head!"

This paragraph is a cliché.

The old hall master told the story of the founding of the sect over and over again. Especially for a person like Ke Congzhou, if he was caught by the old hall master, he would listen attentively and ask questions in a flattering manner, and he could repeat it word for word.

Ke Congzhou stood there, recounting the rest of the story in his mind: But there were many foolishly loyal people in the court. The famous Prime Minister Wen Ben was threatening to throw his head to the ground in the hall, his words so eloquent that Emperor Lingdi drew his sword and was about to execute him. The old leader arrived and saved the Prime Minister from the blow. In the court, civil officials, military commanders, and knights of the imperial guards were in chaos. The old leader, standing alone, was about to chop off the tyrant's head. At the critical moment, someone rushed to block the tyrant's way. The old leader was unable to retract his sword in time, and when he looked closely, he saw that he had chopped off half of the Prime Minister's head!

After the Minister of Literature, veteran generals and new ministers, either crawling or trembling, stood before Emperor Ling one after another.

The Purple Gold Hall Master, despite his age, was still strong, his face greying, his strength no less than that of his youth. Sweat streamed down his taut muscles and exposed veins, his hands moving relentlessly, and he spoke like a storyteller, rambling on about this and that.

Ke Congzhou paused for a long time before the old hall master talked about what he was thinking about.

"The old master couldn't move forward with his sword, so he turned around and charged into the inner treasury, seizing a large number of rare treasures, including the sect's guardian sword. The old master left the capital, carrying the sword, and distributed his wealth all the way to Daohai City."

Amidst the clatter of ironwork, besides the old hall master's words, Ke Congzhou could faintly hear another voice. He glanced at the new disciple helping out, then listened carefully. Sure enough, it was the new disciple mumbling.

The new disciple added, "If you can't win, just run away. It's better to be a thief and show off everywhere."

Ke Cong pursed his lips on Monday and suppressed his laughter.

Looking at the old hall master again, he was still very devoted. "After establishing the sect here, the old master created a set of Su Jian Jue based on the Su Jian. With this three-foot green blade, he has never met an opponent! In just a few years, Su Jian Mountain has become famous. Now in the hands of the current master of Zhongyi Hall, it has reached a new level, and people are constantly seeking to learn from it!"

Ke Congzhou went to see the new disciple again.

The new disciple hadn't noticed his complaints were being heard. He threw several broken blades into the furnace, saying expressionlessly, "There's no such thing as a sword technique. A divine weapon is a divine weapon."

Hearing the old hall master's last words, he pressed his stomach and said, "I came to ask for a meal."

Ke Congzhou couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth again and took out the candy from his arms.

The old hall master sighed, "It's just that there are many limitations to learning the Su Jian Jue. Currently, there are not many disciples in the sect who can master it thoroughly."

The new disciple curled his lips and said, "Yes, it's passed down to boys but not girls—that's against the rules. A dog can be the hall master, but girls can't practice sword techniques. People don't look down on dogs, but they look down on people. How strange."

Ke Congzhou's eyes moved.

Over here, the old hall master was speaking enthusiastically, and finally turned the conversation to the audience: "Awu, I see that you have strong muscles and bones, and a smart mind. There is not much practice here in Zijin Hall. Zhongyi Hall selects disciples from other halls every month. I think you can give it a try."

He paused, wiped the sweat from his eyelashes, and dipped the newly forged sword into cold water.

"After all, I've entered the mountains and eaten, so I have to learn something."

Ah Wuyi put away the gloom on his face, stood up straight, and glanced at the old hall master with a guilty look. He knew that the old hall master had heard his complaints, so he said very politely: "Yes, disciple knows. Thank you for your guidance."

The old hall master grinned and patted him on the shoulder a few times.

Ke Congzhou watched as the new disciple remained steady, unwavering, taking the hammer from the old master's hand. He understood that the old master's words about "good bones and muscles" were not just a random comment. Seeing that the old master had finished his work, he stepped forward and said, "Master Ruan, Senior Brother Hai has found the goods you requested from the foot of the mountain. I've brought them to you. Please take a look and see if there's anything wrong with them."

The old hall master’s surname is Ruan and his name is Kangxing.

Ruan Kangxing then noticed someone coming into the hall. He walked to the well in the courtyard, threw down the wooden bucket with one hand, and without caring whether it was full or not, he lifted the bucket up by the rope. Ah Wu followed him and quickly handed him a broken bowl, and he drank several bowls of water in this way.

Then he pulled out a response: "It's from Zhou. A whetstone is enough, and nothing else will matter."

Upon hearing this, Ke Congzhou immediately wanted to move it and asked him, "Where should we put it?"

Ruan Kangxing glanced around the courtyard and said, "It's on the weapons rack. Be careful not to hurt your back. Ah Wu, give me a hand."

A Wu was imitating him to drink water, nodding a few times and putting the bowl down before swallowing the water.

Ke Congzhou smiled at A Wu: "Hello, Junior Brother, your name is A Wu, right?"

Ah Wu was blinded by his laughter, and when he came to his senses, he hurriedly clasped his fists and said, "Hello, Senior Brother Ke."

Ke Congzhou easily lifted the whetstone with one hand. "I'll do it." He took a few steps without even taking a breath, and even took out the bag of candy from his arms and handed it to A Wu. "This is the candy that Senior Brother Hai brought back. Do you want to try it?"

Ah Wu had never eaten candy before, so he took a bite. The candy had melted a little, and before the sweetness reached him, he tasted the sugar residue, which scraped from the tip of his tongue into his throat. He found it difficult to swallow, but the sweetness was a novelty that stimulated his salivation, so he swallowed it whole and took another bite.

He raised his head and saw Ke Congzhou smiling with his eyes curved. A rare feeling of shyness filled his heart, but he had never learned what it meant to be reserved and polite when it came to food, so he could only thank him with red ears.

Ruan Kangxing watched Ah Wu's actions and smiled. He picked up his coat and put it on, preparing to go to his room to wash up. He hadn't taken two steps when a figure passed by his side.

His eyes became serious, and he walked around the house. He saw a skinny boy throwing a rusty sword to the other side of the wall, and then he climbed over the wall and left in a cool manner, supporting himself with the long-abandoned water tank.

Thinking of the Su Jian that Lao Hu brought to Sushan Hall that day, Ruan Kangxing frowned and sighed.

Ke Congzhou and A Wu noticed his movements and came over to check: "Master, what happened?"

Ruan Kangxing tugged at his belt and tied up his loose collar.

"Nothing, a bird flew by."

-

Lao Ju discovered that something was wrong with Meng Shizhuang.

For several days in a row, he woke up at night and found Meng Shizhuang was nowhere to be found in the room. When he went outside, he saw only a stove with sparks burning and warm water inside.

Tonight was no different. Old Ju walked to the stove and peered out the window. Meng Shizhuang was practicing his swordplay with a rusty sword. Under the moonlight, the young man, barely longer than the sword he held, danced with an indescribable fluidity.

Lao Ju had been ill for many years, but his eyesight remained the same. He caught a few of the sharp edges of the swords, and naturally drew a silver line from one point. The silver line slowly twisted into a wave and flew forward. When the sword tips did not penetrate the ground, Lao Ju could faintly hear the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.

Surprise rose in his heart, accompanied by a strong sense of uneasiness.

He and Meng Shizhuang spend every day together, and no one knows better than him what kind of child he has raised.

He did not teach Meng Shizhuang martial arts.

At first, it was out of fear of being caught. During the years when Meng Shizhuang could only remember things, Luo Shun's hatred was at its most rampant. Keju was like a prison cell where he could vent his anger, and the weeds in the yard were so overwhelmed by the influx that they dared not even grow.

He spent several years protecting Meng Shizhuang in fear.

Until Keju calmed down, Luo Shun came to talk to him with a smile, and he had no choice but to watch Meng Shizhuang holding the sword on the mountain every day. Then Meng Shizhuang came back with wounds all over his body.

Only then did he consider whether to teach Meng Shizhuang martial arts. Although he couldn't fight back in the mountains, it would at least strengthen his muscles and bones. Or, when he finally came down from the mountain, he could use it to defend himself in the chaotic surroundings.

Before he could figure out how to teach Meng Shizhuang, Lao Hu had already quietly become her unofficial master. Lao Hu hadn't changed, and he didn't understand Luo Shun's hints. He simply grew tired of Meng Shizhuang constantly dragging her sword. Occasionally, he could hear Lao Hu berating Meng Shizhuang.

Lao Hu was in the yard, holding Meng Shizhuang to practice martial arts. Separated by a wall, he could only stare at the words and the two swords in silence.

Meng Shizhuang was still a child, and was often led by his emotions. After being wronged on the mountain, he became resentful towards Lao Hu and Su Jian, and rarely took the initiative to practice sword skills.

Old Hu was afraid of using the Su Jian, as past events had left him like a frightened bird. He refused to allow Meng Shizhuang to use the Su Jian, and even found other techniques to teach Meng Shizhuang, repeatedly telling her that "the Su Jian Jue is nothing special; the sword and the heart that wields it are the most important."

But Lao Ju could see clearly that although Lao Hu said no, the shadow of Su Jian Jue was still visible in his every move.

There is no way not to learn Meng Shizhuang.

Therefore, the road to martial arts training was extremely bumpy for Meng Shizhuang. He was reluctant to hide his identity, and Lao Hu, as his master, was also uncomfortable, and Lao Ju was of little help.

Lao Ju had forgotten what level Meng Shizhuang had reached the last time he practiced swordsmanship, but he was certain it was nowhere near the level he was at today. His thoughts were in a state of disarray, and he could only rely on his intuition and his understanding of Meng Shizhuang.

After Meng Shizhuang finished practicing, she realized that Lao Ju was standing by the window in a daze.

Through the window, he asked, "Would you like some water?" Then he casually placed his sword against the wall and prepared to go into the house.

Lao Ju called him and faced him.

There was a cloud in the sky floating very fast, covering the moon and then revealing it again.

Lao Ju said nothing extra: "Ah, are you hiding something from me?"