Chapter 112 Choosing a Residence, The Day of Passing on Martial Arts
Yihezhuang.
The moon and stars are sparse.
"It turns out that my younger brother received good fortune, which is why I was promoted to commander."
After leaving the inner courtyard, Li Xian finally understood the origin of the matter.
It's a happy occasion overall.
"Commander Li." Ding Hu was waiting in the outer courtyard. Upon seeing Li Xian, he quickly walked over.
"How badly are you injured?" Li Xian looked at his ankle, which was wrapped in white cloth, but blood was still slowly flowing out.
“That Hua Hanying was too heavy-handed. His internal energy clung to the wound, and even though I stuffed herbs into the claw hole, it was difficult to completely stop the bleeding. I might have to sprinkle some wound powder on it,” Ding Hu said resentfully.
Li Xian told him to lift his leg. Ding Hu was puzzled, but he did as he was told. Li Xian put two fingers together and pressed on the acupoints on his leg, channeling his internal energy, and then pushed and rubbed with his hand.
With a "splatter" sound, blood splattered from Ding Hu's wound, turning the white cloth red in an instant. It stung terribly, but he dared not utter a sound.
Li Xian said, "I have helped you expel the internal energy. Apply the medicine as usual, and it should scab over in two days."
Ding Hu was filled with gratitude and knelt on one knee, saying, "I will never forget the great kindness of the Commander."
"What kind of great favor is this?" Li Xian thought to himself. He considered that he had just taken command and needed help with many things. Ding Hu was quite sensible, so he decided to use him.
"By the way, how is Hua Hanying?"
Li Xianxing resides in the outer courtyard. Now, as the commander, he has the final say in all matters, large and small, within the outer courtyard. He can come and go freely, both inside and outside the manor, day and night.
"That's exactly what I was about to tell you."
Ding Hu's expression was strange. "Since Hua Hanying became the commander, he has been ambitious and has failed to win over the troops, which has already aroused their anger. He attacked me first, and I fought back. Unexpectedly, many of my brothers came to my aid."
"The situation got out of control, and in the end... they beat him to death."
"Dead?" Li Xian was stunned.
"Please take charge of the punishment!" Ding Hu knelt on one knee.
Although Li Xian was the commander, he still had to follow the rules. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Hua Hanying started the trouble first, and I saw that you fought back in self-defense. Logically speaking, you shouldn't be blamed for this. But someone died, and someone must be punished."
"I will fine you three months' salary, and after your leg injury heals, I will give you twenty strokes of the cane, and then this matter will be over."
"Thank you for your mercy, Commander!" Ding Hu was overjoyed.
According to the rules of the manor, if someone dies in a fight, the punishment ranges from having their martial arts skills revoked to being beaten to death.
Those who practice martial arts possess vigorous blood and energy, and naturally exude courage and ruthlessness. Peaceful coexistence and mutual affection are absolutely impossible for them. Therefore, the rules of the manor do not prohibit internal fighting, but killing is forbidden.
"Yes, what did you want to say at the beginning?" Li Xian asked.
Ding Hu scratched his head, having forgotten the important matter. "Oh, oh, I remember now. Commander Li, you only returned to the manor today. Now that you are a commander, you naturally cannot stay with the guards."
“Your old dwelling could no longer accommodate such a large Buddha statue as you.”
"But you haven't chosen a room yet, nor have you settled in. In that case, you'll have nowhere to stay. That's why I haven't been able to eat or sleep properly, and I've been waiting for you here. I wanted to ask you, why don't you go to Commander Pang's room tonight and stay for the night?"
"And please inform me of tomorrow's arrangements tonight so I can pass them on in advance."
"You're very thoughtful," Li Xian nodded. "Today, we'll stay in Commander Pang's quarters. As for tomorrow's arrangements..."
"Meet at the manor compound at dawn. I'll make a brief appearance; just be yourself as usual."
"Alright! I'll go and give the order right away." Ding Hu accepted the order and immediately set off.
The village was strictly hierarchical, with each level imposing its own authority. But this also instilled in those in lower positions boundless reverence for those in higher positions, who were treated as deities.
...
...
Pang Longyuan Room.
Weeds grew in the yard, and dust accumulated inside the house.
Since Pang Long disappeared, few people have come here. Hua Hanying took over as commander, but because he was jealous of Pang Long's favoritism towards Li Xian, he never came here either.
Instead, he chose another location as his residence.
The village had many houses and vast land, with more than a dozen patches of useless wasteland and wild forest. There were also rows and rows of abandoned and uninhabited houses.
As a leader, one naturally has no worries about food, lodging, clothing, or transportation... and can choose a good place to go.
"It's a pity about Commander Pang. He was about to 'consume the essence,' but this happened."
"Unfortunately, several months have passed since then, and Hua Hanying has already died. Regardless of whether Commander Pang's disappearance was related to him or not, this matter can no longer be investigated."
Let it go with the wind!
Li Xian sighed softly.
Pang Long's residence was laid out in a three-courtyard layout, with bedrooms, side rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Li Xian had visited several times, but had only stayed in the outer courtyard each time.
Upon entering the room, I realized it was quite large.
"Even the head of the lady's guards can live in such a mansion. If this mansion were moved to Qingning County, its value would be truly immeasurable."
"Speaking of which... in my past and present lives, I don't think I've ever lived in a house like this."
Li Xian was full of energy and strolled around the courtyard.
More than ten kinds of weapons were found in a side room.
Knives, swords, iron weapons, spears, hammers, whips… everything was available. Pang Long practiced martial arts very diligently, not only mastering fist and foot techniques, but also possessing some skill in various weapons.
"Vibration Force?"
Li Xian found a book.
Vibration Force Technique... a basic martial art. Pang Long usually carries a millstone on his shoulder to practice this technique.
"Now that I am the commander, I can freely choose to learn any of the basic martial arts techniques in the manor."
"But... we must not lose sight of the bigger picture. If there are more advanced martial arts, we should prioritize those. Basic martial arts can only be used for leisure and accumulation."
I took a walk around the entire courtyard.
After calming himself down, Li Xian found a spacious place and began to practice martial arts.
[Proficiency +1]
[Proficiency +1]
[Azure Palm]
[Proficiency: 20015/24000 Perfect]
They practiced until late at night before finding a clean side room to rest for the night.
The next day.
The second quarter of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).
Inside the manor compound, the guards had gathered early, with Ding Hu at the front, ordering everyone to line up neatly and remain quiet.
Li Xian had changed his clothes and was now wearing a commander's uniform, looking clean, sharp, and radiant. Although he was only sixteen, he was already tall and had a straight back.
At this moment, he carried a narrow sword at his left waist and strode towards us.
Her appearance and demeanor are exceptionally outstanding.
It is said that clothes make the man and a saddle makes the horse. Li Xian was handsome, and his commander's uniform, which resembled a "flying fish robe," further accentuated his dashing and imposing appearance.
"This old man is the real leader."
"Oh my, those Pang Long and Hua Hanying are nothing compared to this guy."
"As they say, outstanding individuals shine wherever they go. Commander Li is so young, yet he has already risen to the position of commander. From now on, all of us hundreds of people will be under his command."
"Not only that, but the villages and tenant farmers below, the total number is even greater, so Commander Li's words carry weight."
...
The crowd chattered excitedly, each trying to find a way to praise Li Xian.
Zhao Han and the others had mixed feelings, and they echoed the many flattering and sycophantic words, doing their best to praise him.
"These people are praising me to the skies, saying I'm the best in the world. But really, I'm just lucky."
Li Xian was clear-headed and did not take the flattery seriously.
He has always been decisive and efficient in his actions.
After gathering everyone, he simply informed them of the situation, letting them know that the new leader had changed his face and that they should not mistake him for someone else.
He also gave some instructions and emphasized some of the rules of the village.
He then dismissed everyone, allowing those who needed to study to study and those who needed to practice martial arts to practice.
"Ding Hu, stay here for a moment," Li Xian called out to Ding Hu.
"Commander Li, just give your orders." Ding Hu left Chen Xun's group.
Li Xian said, "Come with me to choose a hospital."
Ding Hu patted his chest and said happily, "Good, good, I, Ding Hu, am more than happy to serve Commander Li."
In the village, the guards, regardless of rank, were adept at saying auspicious things.
"Once you've chosen, I'll send someone to clean it immediately. It'll be spotless and habitable within an hour!" Ding Hu patted his chest confidently.
Li Xian nodded, "I already have a place I like, it won't be long."
When he was patrolling the village earlier, he saw several abandoned houses to the west, which looked quite nice.
They then selected from the west.
The western side is less populated, and patrol routes within the village rarely pass through this area. As a result, the surrounding greenery is lush, creating a beautiful natural landscape.
"Ever since he became a bodyguard, this gentleman has been eccentric, and indeed, the residence he chooses always leans towards quiet and secluded places."
“That’s even better. Living in a more remote location makes it harder for other guards to come. This way, I can get closer to the commander.”
Ding Hu's eyes darted around, and although he had a rugged appearance, he was quite shrewd and had his own little schemes.
"What do you think of this place?" Li Xian pointed to a courtyard.
The house remains abandoned, as if no one has ever lived there since it was built. The walls are covered with vines and moss, and the weeds are taller than a person, having already climbed over the walls.
"This gentleman certainly knows how to pick a location." Ding Hu's lips twitched, and he thought to himself, "This kind of person truly has a discerning eye."
But upon closer inspection, it has many merits as well.
To the east lies a tranquil lake, a peaceful and serene environment. Looking up, you can see the "Tranquility Tower," whose unique atmosphere seems to permeate the entire space.
It gives people a sense of tranquility and concentration.
It seems that staying here helps me concentrate better.
"Commander, are you sure?" Ding Hu asked to confirm.
“That’s right.” Li Xian nodded.
"Done!" Ding Hu quickly left.
Before long, his urging voice came, "Hurry up, all of you hurry up! If the Commander has nowhere to stay tonight and blames you, I'll chop you all to pieces!"
Amid the commotion, dozens of servants, along with seven or eight guards, hurried over.
After meeting Li Xian, without saying a word, he went into the house to pull weeds, sweep dust, arrange decorations, and cut vines.
The house, both inside and out, looked brand new, with everything arranged thoughtfully and completely.
One hour later...
Li Xian's first mansion has finally been completed!
After strolling around the house, I found the scenery beautiful and was very satisfied.
"When Commander Pang was still alive, what were the main responsibilities of the position of commander?" Li Xian asked casually.
"I don't know either," Ding Hu recalled. "Mainly, we followed the orders of the madam and coordinated with her. When there was nothing to do, we patrolled the manor as usual. If the madam had any orders, she would also select us to carry out a mission somewhere."
“Okay, I understand.” Li Xian nodded.
Although he had been in the village for half a year, he had only spent two months there. I dare not say I know him well, for fear of overlooking anything, so I asked him a few more questions.
With nothing else to do, Li Xian spent the rest of the day practicing martial arts in the courtyard.
[Azure Palm] is one step closer to reaching the pinnacle.
"I wonder what kind of martial arts Madam taught me."
"Speaking of which, will the lady really treat me so well? Commander Pang has been loyal for ten years, but he has never heard of the fact that he has been fortunate enough to learn superior martial arts."
...
...
Before we knew it, the day of passing on the martial arts arrived.
(End of this chapter)
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