Chapter 7 Martial Arts Bai Lian indeed possesses a talent for martial arts…
After Bai Lian left that day, Changsun Luo was still unable to recover for a long time. He paced back and forth in the courtyard, sometimes excited and sometimes worried.
They were thrilled to discover their granddaughter's amazing talent, but worried about how to explain it to their daughter and son-in-law. Would they agree to let their precious daughter learn martial arts?
On her way back to the manor, Bai Lian's heart was also filled with turmoil. The tangible sensation of the sword hilt seemed to linger on her fingers, and the image of her sword dance kept replaying in her mind.
She had never experienced this feeling before. With the longsword in her hand, the whole world seemed to quiet down, leaving only the sound of the sword cutting through the air.
The feeling of that power flowing through her body and finally being released through the tip of the sword stirred her emotions.
She suddenly realized that while playing the zither and painting were certainly elegant, they had never made her feel her own existence so vividly. Only when she held the sword did she feel whole.
The discovery of Bai Lian was like a pebble thrown into her peaceful boudoir life, creating ripples.
From that day on, she never forgot her grandfather's swordsmanship, and would often secretly practice the moves she had memorized when no one was around. Although she had no sword in her hand, she found endless enjoyment in practicing them from memory.
She began finding various excuses to visit the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and each time she went, she would pester Changsun Luo to show her his collection of weapons. From longswords to short blades, from spears to crossbows, every weapon fascinated her. What surprised Changsun Luo even more was that Bai Lian was not only interested in the weapons themselves, but would also inquire about their usage, origins, and even the techniques used in their forging.
"Grandpa, why is the spine of this sword designed this way?"
How can the length and weight of a gun be balanced to maximize its power?
How do different types of armor differ in their defensive effectiveness against arrows?
These questions not only demonstrate her keen observation skills, but also reflect the mindset of a military strategist.
The more Changsun Luo taught him, the more surprised and disappointed he became. If this person had been a boy, he would surely have been a great general who guarded a region!
Finally, after Bai Lian watched him intently as he instructed the guards in the manor to practice martial arts, Changsun Luo made up his mind.
He solemnly summoned Bai Lian to his study and asked, "Lian'er, do you truly wish to learn martial arts?"
Bai Lian nodded without hesitation, her eyes shining with determination: "Yes, Grandpa, take the sword. I think that's how I should be."
Changsun Luo sighed deeply, his voice a mixture of relief and worry: "Do you know how much hardship martial arts training is beyond your imagination? We train in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer, and getting cuts and bruises is commonplace. You are our precious daughter, can you really endure this kind of hardship?"
Bai Lian laughed, and said frankly, "While living in luxury is certainly comfortable, Lian'er wants even more the ability to protect herself and her family. Besides," she paused, a sly glint in her eyes, "I find it very interesting, and I don't feel bitter at all."
And so, the grandfather and granddaughter reached a secret agreement. Changsun Luo began to formally teach Bai Lian martial arts, and in order not to disturb Bai Moyuan and Changsun Rao'er, they fixed the location of the martial arts training at the Zhenguo Duke's mansion, and chose the days when Bai Lian "visited her grandfather".
Bai Lian is indeed talented in martial arts, and her progress is remarkably rapid.
On the first day, Changsun Luo taught her the most basic sword-holding posture and stance. What would take an ordinary person several days to master, she could do perfectly in half an hour.
On the seventh day, she was able to fully practice a basic sword technique. Although her strength was insufficient, the transitions between the moves were already smooth and natural.
By the end of the first month, Bai Lian's progress was even more astonishing. She not only mastered the basic sword techniques taught by Changsun Luo, but even began to apply them to other situations, figuring out variations on her own. What shocked Changsun Luo even more was that she seemed to have an innate understanding of how to exert force most effectively and how to use her opponent's strength to counterattack.
"This child..." After a sparring session, Changsun Luo watched Bai Lian nimbly dodge his attacks and murmured to himself, "She's simply born for martial arts."
Bai Lian was also happy to have found a true "martial arts fanatic" master, which led her to further discover her talent in martial arts. This feeling was wonderful, as if a dormant part of her heart had been awakened.
Since then, Bai Lian's life has quietly changed.
On the surface, she remained the elegant and dignified daughter of the Prime Minister, spending her days playing the zither, painting, embroidering, and attending various gatherings of young ladies. But in private, she devoted a great deal of time to practicing martial arts.
She plays the zither one day and practices martial arts the next; she dances one day and practices martial arts the next; she wields her brush one day and practices martial arts the next.
My days are so full that I don't even have time to admire the bamboo and embroidery.
This bamboo was so depressed that for three consecutive nights it stood by the white lotus's bedside, staring intently, in protest.
Bai Lian announced his surrender, and from then on, he had to take her with him wherever he went, ordering her to carry his zither, play chess, serve his books, grind ink, and occasionally carry his sword sheath.
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People who practice martial arts possess a unique aura.
Bai Ziyuan was the first to notice the change in his younger sister. He had always cared about Bai Lian the most and paid close attention to her every move.
At first, he just felt that Bai Lian was in particularly good spirits lately, and the light in her eyes was brighter than before.
Later, he noticed a subtle change in Bai Lian's walking posture; her steps became more steady, her back more upright, and she exuded an indescribable sense of power.
These subtle changes could not escape the notice of Bai Ziyuan, who had practiced martial arts since childhood.
On one occasion, he secretly followed Bai Lian out of the house. As soon as she entered the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, he followed her in and thus stumbled upon this "unspeakable secret".
Bai Lian stood in the center of the training ground, holding a practice sword, sparring with Changsun Luo.
Her movements were swift and precise, and although her swordsmanship was still somewhat immature, it already possessed its own style. What shocked Bai Ziyuan the most was the calmness and judgment Bai Lian displayed when dealing with Changsun Luo's attacks; she was completely unlike a novice who had only recently begun practicing martial arts.
"Lian'er!" Bai Ziyuan couldn't help but call out, striding into the training ground.
Bai Lian and Changsun Luo were both startled. Upon recognizing Bai Ziyuan, Bai Lian instinctively hid her sword behind her back, like a child who had done something wrong.
"Nonsense!" Bai Ziyuan rarely put on a stern face when talking to his sister. "What are you doing learning all this fighting and killing stuff as a young lady? What if you hurt yourself?"
Changsun Luo objected: "What do you mean by fighting and killing? This is the tradition of my Changsun family! Lian'er is talented, much better than you were back then!"
Bai Ziyuan dared not talk back to his grandfather, but walked straight to Bai Lian and held out his hand, saying, "Give me the sword."
Bai Lian bit her lip, not only refusing to hand over the sword, but gripping it even tighter: "Brother, I like this."
"You like it? Do you know how dangerous martial arts are? What if your parents find out..."
"So we can't let them know!" Bai Lian said urgently, her eyes full of pleading.
Bai Ziyuan looked at the burning light in his sister's eyes, a light he had never seen before when she played the zither or painted, and he fell silent.
In the end, Bai Ziyuan was completely reduced to being Bai Lian's sparring partner.
However, Bai Ziyuan felt that he was doing this partly to supervise her and ensure her safety, and partly because he was attracted by Bai Lian's amazing progress in martial arts and wanted to witness firsthand how far his younger sister could go.
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Bai Lian is indeed talented in martial arts, and her progress is particularly rapid.
In just six months, he was already able to exchange several moves with Ziyuan, who had been practicing martial arts since childhood.
But Bai Ziyuan always complained that her sword style was too fierce and her killing intent too heavy, so he would grumble: "It's not like we're really going to fight on the battlefield. It's enough for a young lady to learn a set of beautiful flower swords."
At this moment, their maternal grandfather would jump out, his face red with anger, and roar at him: "Don't you dare to insult the future female general of my Changsun family!"
With the old man backing her up, Bai Lian became increasingly unscrupulous in studying shrewish techniques.
Finally, one day, Bai Ziyuan couldn't stand it anymore.
Taking advantage of the quiet moment when Bai Lian and Cui Zhu were embroidering, he walked around to sit next to his younger sister, who had the air of a well-bred lady, and casually asked, "Lian'er, you are so diligent in practicing martial arts. Do you really want to join your brother in fighting alongside us in the future?"
Bai Lian seemed uninterested in the question, not even looking up, and continued to patiently continue her needlework.
Bai Ziyuan is a serious person with a persistent nature, always determined to get to the bottom of things.
He decided to press on: "Look at how well you wielded your sword today, showing no mercy even to your own brother. Come, tell your elder brother why you attacked so ruthlessly, so that if anything happens to him in the future, he won't die with regrets."
After saying that, he waited patiently for his sister to give him an explanation, but Bai Lian seemed to finally realize that if she didn't answer, her brother would continue to bother her.
She held up the embroidered pattern and compared it to the design, realizing that the question didn't need much explanation, so she casually replied, "It's straightforward!"
Bai Ziyuan blinked for a long time before finally connecting the "brother asked: Why are you so ruthless?" with the "sister answered: Resolutely".
Suddenly, a chill ran through me, and with a melancholy expression, I silently departed in the March sunshine...
"Miss, why does the young master look like a dog that's fallen into the water from behind?"
"Vulgar! You can't even use proper vocabulary, that's called 'loneliness'!"
Bai Lian put down her embroidery and looked in the direction her brother had left, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
She was well aware of her brother's worries, but she couldn't explain to him the feeling she had when she held the sword in her hand. It wasn't the desire to kill, but an ultimate sense of freedom and control.
In the world of swords, there are no formalities, no boudoir constraints, only the purest clash of power and skill.
Every strike is a true expression of one's inner self; every parry is a transcendence of oneself.
This feeling is indeed very "refreshing".
As her martial arts skills improved, Bai Lian found that she also gained a deeper understanding of other skills.
Her piano playing now carries a powerful, resounding quality, her paintings possess a commanding and strategic air, and even her everyday gait naturally exudes confidence and composure.
Between martial arts and her identity as a refined young lady, Bai Lian felt that she was gradually finding her own path.
Although Cuizhu often complained that her mistress spent less time with her, she also keenly noticed the changes in Bailian.
She said to Qingmei in private, "Miss seems to be glowing now, not with that soft beauty she used to have, but... well, like a sword drawn from its sheath, dazzlingly bright!"
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