Qin Mu's face flushed slightly, knowing the Sword Hall Master was talking about him.
The Sword Hall Master must have learned from that defeat, diligently honing his fundamentals. His strength had grown immensely, likely on the verge of another leap. Defeating him with a single sword stroke again would be nearly impossible.
The Sword Hall Master was teaching the most basic sword techniques to the scholars. Qin Mu nodded to himself; the Sword Hall Master had grasped the essence of sword fundamentals over these years. Though there were still minor shortcomings, his improvement was vast compared to before.
As class ended and Qin Mu was about to leave Hanguang Hall, the Sword Hall Master suddenly spoke: "Qin Mu, stay behind."
Shen Wanyun, Yue Qinghong, and Yun Que felt a chill, exchanged glances, and walked out of Hanguang Hall. Ling Yuxiu had intended to approach Qin Mu but had to give up when she saw the situation, being dragged away by several princes and princesses.
After the scholars in Hanguang Hall had left, only Qin Mu and the Sword Hall Master remained.
"Young Cult Master, what do you think of my swordplay?" The Sword Hall Master stood, asking solemnly.
Qin Mu said: "You've improved greatly."
The Sword Hall Master's eyes burned with intensity: "Compared to you?"
Qin Mu thought for a moment, shook his head: "You're still a bit short. Your foundation isn't as stable as mine. Even if your foundation were as solid as mine, you wouldn't be my match. At the same realm, my cultivation is far stronger, and my techniques are far superior. You focus too much on the sword and neglect the rest; at the same realm, you're still not my match. However, your improvement is already significant."
The Sword Hall Master bowed in the manner of a disciple, his expression solemn: "So I humbly ask the Young Cult Master to stay and offer some guidance. I just taught them, now I beg the Young Cult Master to teach me!"
Qin Mu sat down calmly: "Very well. After all, you are the Cult's Hall Master; there's no harm in guiding you. Swordplay is not just swordplay; movement techniques, cultivation methods, fist arts, spiritual embryo, and intent are equally important. When you taught them sword practice just now, you failed to unify them."
The Sword Hall Master asked: "How to unify them?"
Qin Mu taught him the Thusting Sword Style the Village Chief had passed on. The Sword Hall Master suddenly understood, murmuring: "So that's how the force is applied... Wrong, wrong, so I've been practicing wrong for a hundred years... Thank you for your guidance, Young Cult Master!"
Outside Hanguang Hall, Shen Wanyun and the others looked grave. Yue Qinghong said indignantly: "The National Academy is biased, giving him special tutoring and staying behind to teach him swordplay! His swordplay was already strong; if the National Academy cultivates him deliberately, how can we ever surpass him?"
Shen Wanyun said calmly: "No need to worry. No matter what exquisite swordplay the National Academy teaches him, he cannot be my opponent. As long as I seize the flaw in his cultivation method, I can defeat him!"
"That may be true, but we must be cautious," Yun Que reminded.
Shen Wanyun nodded: "Rest assured, he is progressing, but so am I. These past few days, suppressing my realm, I feel I am nearing the edge of the Six Harmonies realm. With my peak Five Planets realm combat power, how could I fail to defeat him? His receiving the National Academy's guidance will only exhaust him in cultivating new swordplay, leaving no time for cultivation! Defeating him at the Five Planets realm is my wish; otherwise, even if I become one who has attained Divine Transport, I would harbor regrets."
The three never expected that inside Hanguang Hall, things were entirely different from what they imagined. The Sword Hall Master was like a student, while Qin Mu was the teacher, guiding the Sword Hall Master in sword practice!
If the three had witnessed this scene, their eyes would have popped out!
The Sword Hall Master memorized the concept of unification. Qin Mu suddenly remembered something: "Though my foundation is solid, I lack much in swordplay and still need the Hall Master's guidance. Earlier, the Hall Master mentioned the Three Swords of the Son of Heaven, but only spoke of the first sword, Hanguang. What are the other two swords?"
The Sword Hall Master replied: "One sword Hanguang, two swords Chengying, three swords Xiaolian—these are actually the three realms of the Dao Sword. These words are from Sword Theory written by the State Preceptor of Yankang, praised by the Emperor as the Three Swords of the Son of Heaven. You ask me to guide your swordplay; I hardly dare. Teaching swordplay depends on the master. I can teach them, but teaching you is another matter."
Qin Mu understood his meaning. Teaching cultivation methods is best done by a renowned master. For example, the monk Mingxin of the Great Thunderclap Monastery; his master had not fully mastered the Eight Thunderclap Forms, so the Eight Thunderclap Forms he passed to Mingxin contained flaws.
By the same logic, if the Sword Hall Master had not thoroughly grasped a certain technique, passing it to Qin Mu would mean Qin Mu would inherit his flaws.
Therefore, to learn profound techniques, one must have a good master!
Qin Mu's expression shifted slightly: "Where can I find Sword Theory?"
"Tianlu Pavilion."
The Sword Hall Master said: "Young Cult Master, the book token is the pass to enter Tianlu Pavilion. With it, you can borrow the collections within."
Qin Mu was greatly encouraged. He had not yet visited Tianlu Pavilion, which housed the texts of every sect and school in the empire. How could he not go?
"Has the Young Cult Master not had lunch yet?"
The rare smile appeared on the Sword Hall Master's face as he invited: "I also need lunch. Why not come to my humble home? I still have some questions to ask the Young Cult Master, and we can talk while eating."
Qin Mu hesitated: "There's a little fox at my home..."
"Bring her along."
Qin Mu left Hanguang Hall with him and returned to the Scholar's Residence. Hu Ling'er was cultivating the Creation Spirit Art; hearing about going to eat, she immediately ran out excitedly: "Is there wine?"
"There is," the Sword Hall Master said.
Hu Ling'er cheered and followed on her demon wind. The two humans and one fox arrived at the Sword Hall Master's residence. His home was simple—a two-entry courtyard with not a single servant.
Qin Mu looked around; there was no one else. The Sword Hall Master himself cooked, stir-frying and preparing rice with great skill, clearly not his first time cooking at home.
"Sword Hall Master, do you have no wife?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
"Wife?"
The Sword Hall Master moved quickly, using true fire to cook; how could he be slow?
The middle-aged man soon served the dishes, then filled a bowl of rice, saying: "What do I need a wife for? It's troublesome."
Hu Ling'er tasted his cooking and exclaimed: "It's delicious! Sword Hall Master, your cooking is so good—better than many chefs in the capital. Why not find a wife?"
"I used to. When I was young, I was with a woman in the Cult. We were both young and didn't know any better."
The Sword Hall Master recalled the past, shaking his head: "Later I realized, swords bring me more happiness than a girl ever could. So I thought, why bother? So we split. Young Cult Master, women are trouble. Never seek women. They demand you accompany them carefully, coax them, and they throw tantrums, scratch you. We must focus on cultivation; swordplay brings us the happiness women cannot. So absolutely no women."
Hu Ling'er was stunned, arguing: "Sword Hall Master, that's not right. What's wrong with women?"
The Sword Hall Master's vital energy rang like countless swords clashing, and he said indifferently: "The happiness swordplay brings, you cannot understand. It's useless to tell you."
Qin Mu blinked; the Sword Hall Master's realm was too high for him to grasp at this stage.
The two humans and one fox finished lunch. The Sword Hall Master asked Qin Mu a few more questions, then pondered deeply, silent for a long while. Qin Mu was about to take his leave when the Sword Hall Master came to his senses, stood, and said: "Young Cult Master, I won't see you out."
Qin Mu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, waving his hand.
"The Sword Hall Master's temperament is truly strange," he muttered.
He shook his head, wondering who the woman he once loved was, perhaps she could be matched with him again. But with such a strange temperament, they would likely split even if reunited.
He returned to the Scholar's Residence and suddenly saw many scholars heading down the mountain. Not only scholars from the Scholar's Residence, but also scholars from the neighboring Prince's Court and Divine Ability Residence were emerging and heading down.
Qin Mu was puzzled when a voice called: "Brother Qin, over here!"
Qin Mu looked and saw Wei Yong among the crowd, so he approached. Hu Ling'er asked: "Fatty Wei, what's happened?"
Wei Yong laughed: "Don't you know? I heard a Daoist priest came from the mountain, claiming to be from the Dao Sect. He brought a disciple and is sitting right at our Grand Academy's mountain gate, blocking the way."
Qin Mu was surprised: "This is blocking the gate!"
Wei Yong nodded: "Exactly! The Dao Sect is the foremost orthodox sect. The Daoist blocking the gate calls himself Danyang Zi, and the youth beside him is called Dao Child. Just now a National Academy member went to inquire, and Danyang Zi said they weren't looking for trouble but for exchange. He said he'd long heard the Grand Academy is the foremost sanctuary under heaven, gathering talented scholars, so he brought the Dao Sect's Dao Child to visit and verify the Dao arts and divine abilities between the Dao Sect and the Grand Academy."
Qin Mu's heart trembled slightly. He exhaled a long breath, saying slowly: "Good methods."
Wei Yong didn't understand.
"This is attacking morale," Qin Mu's eyes flashed.
"A rebellion rages outside the capital under the banner of the State Preceptor, but inside the capital, things remain calm. The people's loyalties are clear. The State Preceptor reformed the sects, established Elementary School, University, and Grand Academy, gathering all talented scholars to become disciples of the Son of Heaven, so all scholars serve the Emperor. I heard that the Yankang State is actually a sect wearing the guise of a nation. If the Dao Sect's Dao Child blocks the gate and no scholar of the Grand Academy can match him, what use is the State Preceptor's reform?"
Wei Yong was stunned, murmuring: "This isn't just attacking morale—it's crushing hearts..."