The blade’s wind howled and sobbed, sounding like the continuous buzzing of bees through the air!
"Good, you can stop now!" Shang Yunfang spoke out loudly.
Chen Ku heard the command, halted with his blade in place, and turned to look at the several masters and Shopkeepers.
He saw that Shang Yunfang’s eyes were already red-rimd with excitent. "Good, good, good! In just two or three months, you have achieved great accomplishnt in a form of bladesmanship, albeit only at the Force Transforming Realm. But with such a talent for learning the blade, I am sure you can also learn my Black Tiger Butcher Knife, and even surpass the original by far!"
What he had sought all his life was soone with greater talent than his own. And now, he had found him! Right before his eyes! The talent and Root Bone of this apprentice were shattering everyone’s expectations one after another.
"No way!" Yang Luochen stepped forward and said, "This is the heaven-sent successor I’ve carefully selected, waiting for my entire life. He must learn my Furious Ape Mighty Staff."
Shang Yunfang replied indifferently, "Elder Yang, you saw it with your own eyes. The child is not only suitable for the staff, but his talent for the blade is even stronger. He has achieved great accomplishnt in a bladesmanship form in three months, while your Skyward Strike is still at Minor Achievent."
"Bullshit, Shang the Dwarf! Can you really compare your ordinary bone-chopping butcher blade at great accomplishnt with my Ultimate Skill Level Furious Ape Mighty Staff at Minor Achievent?"
Yang Luochen once again showed his temper, cursing aloud, "He must go to Jinshi Academy, where I will personally teach him the Stick Technique."
In the training yard, the apprentices and helpers were dumbfounded. Especially those who had lived in the sa room as Chen Ku looked at the young man in the long gown in shock. Although Chen Ku had told them once during the monthly exam that the gap between people was vast, they never imagined it could be this huge.
Zhang Erniu murmured dazedly, "To have two masters from dicine King Hall competing fiercely just to take him as an apprentice... this achievent... this is what it ans to be a genius!"
He felt he had really broadened his horizons. This was the first ti he knew being a genius could also an this.
But it wasn’t just Zhang Erniu. Even the three Shopkeepers looked at each other in astonishnt.
It had indeed been the first ti for dicine King Hall, established over a hundred years ago and a century-old famous institution, to witness two masters fighting over an apprentice to take in as a disciple. Of course, this was inseparable from Chen Ku’s display of Root Bone Divine Power and his talent for bladesmanship.
"Don’t forget, the child also has a talent for pharmacology," Cao Shouxiong said to Chai Bao. "Won’t you fight for him?"
Chai Bao shook his head. "How can I compete? Both the masters, Master Yang and Elder Shang, have reasons to argue – one for his Root Bone Divine Power and the other for his talent for bladesmanship. If I were to get involved as well, they would probably turn on first."
Although he also yearned for a genius like Chen Ku—who wouldn’t like a genius? But Chen Ku had never practiced archery. On what grounds could he compete?
He could only watch as Yang Luochen and Shang Yunfang argued, until Yang Luochen delivered a heavy blow, "Shang the Dwarf, have you forgotten who took a knife for you when you were transporting dicine herbs? And you’ve also forgotten... if it weren’t for a few days ago, you wouldn’t have survived. Fighting with for a disciple? You ungrateful old man!"
Shang Yunfang’s expression stiffened.
Seeing this, Yang Luochen beca even more smug, stroking his beard. "Nothing to say now, huh?"
Shang Yunfang sighed inwardly, then looked at Chen Ku. In the end, perhaps having figured sothing out, he said, "Fine, I’ll compromise. After all, the boy himself made it clear just now that he wants to learn both, and indeed, he has the qualifications to do so. Let’s both take him as a disciple at the sa ti."
Shang Yunfang didn’t notice. When he said this, the Store Manager and the Second Shopkeeper at the edge of the martial training ground both showed a change in expression.
As the Third Shopkeeper, Cao Shouxiong, right beside them, was very clear about their thoughts. He mused internally, "Are they afraid that soone sent by the Owner in the future won’t be able to control those who have risen from the lower ranks? Am I such an example?"
But the more this was the case, the more he wanted to help Chen Ku, who was in a similar situation to himself. Before the two Shopkeepers had a chance to speak, he said, "I think Elder Shang’s proposal is very good. After all, it is better to pass on our techniques to one person than two. I also want to see how far soone who can learn both the Furious Ape Mighty Staff and the Black Tiger Butcher Knife can go on this path."
Yang Luochen looked at the Third Shopkeeper, then at Shang Yunfang, and then at Chen Ku. Slowly coming to terms with the fact that a genius disciple couldn’t be monopolized by one person, he couldn’t help but sigh and said, "Fine, let’s do it. But I’m old and must naturally be the Chief Master."
Shang Yunfang rolled his eyes. "You are already older than . Why would I fight with you over this?"
"Then what about the teaching arrangents?"
"One day each."
The Store Manager and the Second Shopkeeper watched as Cao Shouxiong and the two masters settled the matter with just a few words. They had to acquiesce. Expressing any opposition at this mont, especially with Yang Luochen—the hall’s current Guardian Deity—involved, would make managing such a large organization difficult.
Before long, Chen Ku watched as the two masters seated themselves on Taishi Chairs while Ke Yansheng brought over tea, pouring two cups.
The discipleship ritual!
Chen Ku approached respectfully, serving tea to each in turn, saying, "Chief Master, Second Master, your Disciple Chen Ku offers tea."
Yang Luochen and Shang Yunfang both accepted the tea with satisfaction. After taking a sip each, Shang Yunfang said, "From today on, you are no longer an outsider in our dicine King Hall; you are completely one of our own. Especially as a disciple of both of us, you have the status to see eye to eye with ordinary masters... In a while, soone will take your asurents, and then you will be given an embroidered robe as a symbol of your identity."
Upon hearing about the robe, Chen Ku couldn’t help but recall seeing Huang Gun teaching for the first ti. Back then, he had held great awe for Huang Gun’s robe, not just because of its craftsmanship and price, but more importantly, because of the status and identity it signified. In the dicine King Hall, those who wore such a robe had truly entered the upper class.
"Disciple thanks both Masters." Chen Ku bowed deeply.
Shang Yunfang said, "Alright, today I won’t dispute with Elder Yang. You go to Jinshi Academy first to get acquainted, and co to Butcher Court tomorrow. I will teach you the Black Tiger Butcher Knife."
Yang Luochen was very satisfied with Shang Yunfang’s cooperativeness. He was already eager to train his new disciple.
So he took Chen Ku to Jinshi Academy first.
"This is your Senior Brother Yang Shaoqi, who is now in the late stage of Inner Qi," Yang Luochen said, pointing to his eldest disciple as he introduced him to Chen Ku.
Chen Ku imdiately paid his respects. "Greetings, Senior Brother."
Yang Shaoqi sighed. "With you here, Junior Brother, I’ll no longer be the favorite. I’m afraid Master will now invest all his care in you, and I..."
Chen Ku was taken aback.
But before Yang Shaoqi could finish, Yang Luochen shot him a glare. "Then let ’dote’ on you in front of your Junior Brother right now."
Seeing his master’s look, Yang Shaoqi imdiately dropped into a Fierce Tiger prostration, his head thudding resoundingly against the ground. "Master! There’s no need! To be honest, I’ve always hoped for soone to share Master’s ’affection’!"
Watching his Senior Brother kneel so instinctively, Chen Ku felt a shiver down his spine, wondering if this new master’s teaching thod was particularly violent.
Yang Luochen, satisfied with Yang Shaoqi’s quick admission of error, nodded. He then turned to Chen Ku and said, "You’re at the Unity of Intent and Force stage now, right? Then you should be preparing for the breakthrough to Inner Qi. As it happens, today I will impart to you our dicine King Hall’s fundantal Qigong Mind Technique, the Qigong Section of the Everlasting Youth Classic, and the first four forms of the Furious Ape Mighty Staff."
Chen Ku’s emotions began to stir.
Qigong! The secrets of Inner Qi. They were finally about to be revealed to him!
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