Chapter 53 Master-Disciple Assembly
Lotus Path in the west of the city, the backyard of the mansion.
With the month-long sword training period drawing to a close, during a break, Xiang Fengyun approached mysteriously. Seeing his suspicious expression, Yi Sha extended her long whip, stopping him in his tracks.
"Tell me, what mischief are you up to this time?"
Xiang Fengyun bent down and slapped his knee, angrily saying, "How could you think of me like that? What about all the years of friendship we've shared!"
Yi Sha returned a calm look.
"Ahem..." He dropped his coy act and whispered, "Xiao Jiang has practiced his swordsmanship to the forty-point mark this month. It would be such a waste if he suddenly stopped practicing!"
Although she understood what he meant, Yi Sha still pointed out, "I only intend to let Xiao Jiang understand the swordsmanship, not to teach him anything more advanced."
That was precisely why she wanted to come to Xiangfei in the first place.
"But I heard that Xiao Jiang originally wanted to learn how to use a knife, but you tricked him into learning how to use a whip instead?"
This was a major thorn in Yi Sha's side, and she threatened him inwardly, "You old man, just say what you have to say, while I can still talk to you properly..."
Xiang Fengyun coughed twice, rubbed his hands together, and asked, "Do you think Xiao Jiang needs a master with superb swordsmanship?"
"What do you think of me? You know my reputation in the martial arts world."
Yi Sha: "Didn't you say you were just coming to Yangzhou to visit an old friend and then leaving?"
"Aren't you one too?"
The two exchanged a glance, remained silent for a moment, and then looked away from each other.
"Isn't Old Man Huo planning to start a new martial arts tournament in Yangzhou? I can stay a little longer."
That was a year later.
Bring on whatever tricks you have up your sleeve. With years of fighting and the bond they've built, they can see right through each other at a glance.
The two men, both over fifty, stared at each other, their offense and defense switching seamlessly.
Finally, after much back and forth, Xiang Fengyun bluntly stated, "I don't care anymore, I want to be Xiao Jiang's second master!"
Yi Sha smiled and waved his hand: "Second Master is already taken. You'll have to wait your turn. Besides, it's not like you can just become a master whenever you want."
He too must experience the hardships and dangers she went through to become Xiao Jiang's master!
"Anyone who wants to become my disciple's third master needs to pass a resolution by multiple people."
Actually, it's not wrong for Xiang Fengyun to say that he left Yangzhou after seeing his old friend, but he didn't expect to encounter the unexpected Jiangxi trip.
A natural-born martial arts prodigy.
Although he said Jiang Xi had learned 40% of the Xiang family's knife technique, this was only the result of one month's work.
Given more time, not only could he master the technique, but he might even be able to integrate it and create a new sword technique that would become famous throughout the martial arts world.
Xiang Fengyun had seen many geniuses before; he himself was one of them. The title of one of the Four Elders of the Martial World relied not only on seniority but also on their own talent.
But Jiang Xiqu has transcended the realm of ordinary geniuses; he is an unprecedented and unparalleled martial arts prodigy.
Xiang Fengyun was certain that if Jiang Xi were to think about it, not only would it cause a bloodbath in the present, but history would also record a significant chapter in his life.
Teaching such a prodigy is extremely challenging; it's a test beyond martial arts.
It has to be said, it makes one eager to try it.
"Whose consent do we need? You tell me!"
He Xiang Fengyun is here to accept the challenge!
"So this is... the reason for holding the 'Master-Apprentice Application Conference'?"
The five people sat around a round table in the hall.
Xiang Fengyun sat upright and had a serious attitude.
Yi Sha leaned against the back of the stool with his arms wrapped around himself.
Huigu sat to one side, seemingly unconcerned.
Jiang Xi, not understanding what was going on, obediently sat down.
Shang Yuji looked puzzled and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"This is a major matter! It requires everyone's approval." Yi Sha tapped the table, setting the tone for Xiang Fengyun's self-recommendation as his third master.
Yi Sha: "Tell me what you're good at."
Xiang Fengyun confidently declared, "I excel at wielding a broadsword, slaying villains, and drinking strong liquor!"
"What can you bring to Xiao Jiang by becoming his third master?"
“Teach him to practice swordsmanship, lead him to punish evil and uphold justice, and then let him taste all the finest wines in the world!” After saying this, Xiang Fengyun glanced at Shang Yuji and added in a soft voice, “Of course, the new wine from Miss Shang’s residence is the strongest and best.”
Yi Sha listened, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
It's rare to see that even the stubborn old man Xiang has learned to flatter, and importantly, he flattered the right people.
After all, Shang Yatou's words are worth ten or a hundred of the others' words.
But she still wanted to pick on Xiang Fengyun's words: "Are you sincerely trying to be Xiao Jiang's master? What master would put their disciple in danger of being hunted down and become a drunkard who can't live without alcohol?"
Xiang Fengyun realized that this old woman Yi was deliberately picking a fight with him. With his fiery temper, he couldn't tolerate it and immediately slammed his fist on the table and stood up.
"Heaven is my witness, if Xiao Jiang is unwilling, I will not have him do it!"
Sigh, for my apprentice's sake, I can still endure it.
Fortunately, Shang Yuji stopped them in time, preventing Elder Yi and Elder Xiang from starting a big fight on the spot.
Shang Yuji covered her face: "Mr. Xiang, you should ask Hai Tian yourself if he agrees."
Upon receiving the message, Xiang Fengyun spoke kindly: "Little Jiang, I've been teaching you with all my heart these past few days, and you know it all too well..."
Yi Sha looked at Xiang Fengyun, who was trying to appeal to his emotions, and couldn't help but rub his arms with a shiver.
The world is truly going to the dogs.
Even old man Xiang has started to speak softly despite his age.
Jiang Xi looked left and right, and finally fixed her gaze on Shang Yuji, blinking her eyes with a firm determination to relinquish decision-making power.
"You've been learning swordsmanship for almost a month now. How do you feel? Do you want to continue learning?" Shang Yuji changed her questioning style, telling him to think it over himself.
Xiang Fengyun had a sudden inspiration and said at the right time, "Practicing the sword can protect those around you, or even safeguard all living beings under heaven."
“I do!” Jiang Xi replied quickly.
He must protect Aji, and learn swordsmanship, whip skills, and even the art of poison...
He was willing to do anything to protect Ah Ji.
Yi Sha sighed in frustration: Old Man Xiang had somehow stumbled upon the right way to use his little apprentice!
Judging from Xiang Fengyun's surprised expression, he probably knew the "how" but not the "why," having stumbled upon the key point by chance, but unaware of the core of the matter.
He was lucky.
For Xiang Fengyun, he had just tried to use righteous words to stir up Jiang Xi's passion.
Unexpectedly, before he could finish his thought, Jiang Xi hurriedly agreed.
Unfortunately, he was too busy being happy to notice Yi Sha's somewhat strange expression.
The "master-disciple application" was approved, but what followed was a debate among the three masters about how to plan Jiang Xi's martial arts training schedule.
The two elders, renowned throughout the martial arts world, and the elder-level Gu master from Wuming Village in the Southern Frontier, were arguing heatedly over who would get more instruction time.
Before the three could unleash their full power and start fighting, Shang Yuji quickly called for a stop.
Taking into account the opinions of all parties, she decided that the four of them would share the martial arts training time equally.
Besides her three masters, she also gave Jiang Xi time to rest.
With the business leader in charge, all parties could only "talk very happily and unanimously pass a decision," thus bringing the master-disciple conference to a perfect close.
Before leaving the meeting, Hui Gu handed the completed witchcraft and sorcery instruction book to Jiang Xi: "Your knowledge of Southern Xinjiang characters and insects is almost complete. This book contains the basics of witchcraft and the cultivation of sorcery insects. Since it is cold today and there are few insects, we will find insects to raise when spring arrives and flowers bloom. You can look at the witchcraft section first, and I will explain it to you in detail when we start teaching."
The reason she argued with the other two masters about the timing of Jiangxi's visit was because she had been staying in her room for many days, and had finished writing her teaching materials, so she could officially begin teaching.
After leaving the conference, Xiang Fengyun, brimming with victory, found Xiang Fei and excitedly patted him on the arm: "Disciple, your master has found you a junior brother!"
Despite being knocked off balance by the blow, Xiang Fei didn't forget to congratulate him, saying, "Congratulations, Master, on accepting your junior brother."
Due to the unexpected start of the conference halfway through, today's martial arts training was also interrupted.
Shang Yuji felt that it had been a while since she had gone out with Jiang Xi, so she took this opportunity to go out shopping with him.
I stopped by Nuan Anju on the way, and seeing that nothing had happened, I was about to leave.
A little girl with two small pigtails resembling flower buds and slightly chubby cheeks called out to them:
"My lords, please wait a moment!"
The two looked back and saw a number of children, both boys and girls, standing around the girl.
Among the children were those who looked hesitant, timid, fearful, and uneasy...
Even the little girl, seeing the two men stop and look at her, spoke with a hint of nervousness in her voice: "This is, this is, a New Year's gift that we all wanted to give to you two adults. Please accept it..."
On those outstretched little hands were two brightly colored bracelets. The tightness of the braids varied at the joints, but they looked quite beautiful overall.
They knew that the reason they now had this shelter from the wind and rain, which meant they no longer had to endure the hardships of the past, hungry and destitute, was because of the kindness of this merchant.
Led by the girl, everyone wanted to do something to give back. The children's ideas were innocent and sincere. They used the copper coins they had saved by being frugal to buy some colorful ropes from the cloth shop.
What the children didn't know was that the copper coins they had weren't enough to buy the colorful ropes they preferred. It was the adults in their neighborhood who had spoken with the cloth shop owner and agreed to pay for the children's purchases.
The shopkeeper understood that the cloth was intended for a merchant girl in the west of the city, so he sold it to them at a low price.
The shopkeeper was willing to give face to the young woman from the west of the city, a great philanthropist in Yangzhou, and since most of the people at Nuan An Ju were penniless refugees.
Through the interaction of various parties, two colorful bracelets were made.
The girl wanted to ask Manager Wang of Nuan Anju to give the bracelet to Lord Shang, but unexpectedly she ran into Lord Shang passing by on patrol today.
Seeing that the two were about to leave, he worried that he would no longer have the chance to give them the bracelets, so he called out to them in his haste.
Only after she shouted did she realize what she had said. Fearing that Lord Shang would think they were ill-mannered children, she felt flustered and uneasy, but she forced herself to speak.
As a result, Master Shang smiled gently, thanked him, and accepted the bracelet.
Seeing the children staring at them expectantly, Shang Yuji took out one of the children and asked Jiang Xi to extend her right hand.
Jiang Xiqu extended her wrist, the wrist bone turning smoothly. She put a bracelet on Jiang Xiqu, the colorful bracelet just barely fitting at the wrist bone, with a knot hanging down.
Shang Yuji handed him another bracelet: "Please put this on for me."
He copied the way she had tied her up and carefully tied her up for her.
“Thank you, we love this gift,” she said, shaking the colorful string on her wrist.
After saying that, she ruffled the girl's hair.
The little girl smiled shyly, her face flushed.
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