“Qingshan!” Zhuge Yuanhong rushed into Donghua Garden, his eyes immediately fixing upon the two figures seated by a stone table in the distance—Teng Qingshan and his maternal grandfather, ‘Teng Yunlong.’
“Sect Master Zhuge,” Teng Yunlong rose with a hearty laugh, cupping his hands in greeting.
“Elder Teng,” Zhuge Yuanhong also returned the salute with a smile, then turned to Teng Qingshan, his tone laced with urgency. “Qingshan, I just heard. Your Xingyi Sect will never again contend for dominion over the world? How could you be so muddled? Announcing this to the world means your descendants will be forever confined to those five commanderies!”
“Master,” Teng Qingshan shook his head with a smile. “I have my own considerations.”
“You, ah…” Zhuge Yuanhong sighed, shaking his head. “You told me before that your Xingyi Sect intended to follow a path close to the ‘Wanxiang Sect.’ But you didn't need to announce it to the entire world! Wouldn't that block off your future path?”
Announcing it to the world was no small matter.
It was equivalent to being supervised by all the people under heaven. If the Xingyi Sect ever tried to expand its territory, it would be defying the will of the populace and invite ridicule from everyone. If the Xingyi Sect’s armies marched out to conquer, they would immediately lack the moral high ground. Morale would naturally sink, the internal structure would become unstable, and thus... there would be no chance for expansion at all.
“Master,” Teng Qingshan refuted, “What is the purpose of contending for the world?”
“Whether it was the Qinling Heavenly Emperor or the Yu Emperor, their dominion over the world was ultimately temporary. Once they died, the world inevitably fractured again! During the period of unification, countless lives were lost. And when it split, countless more perished. This cycle of unity and division! It brings no true benefit to the world. Nor does it benefit the sects.”
“Why strive to unify the world?”
Teng Qingshan gazed southward. “Master Shakya was truly insightful. After reaching the realm of the Supreme Expert, he created numerous Buddhist secret canons. Furthermore, he ensured that Buddhism, in the form of religion, spread across Rongzhou and Liangzhou! Earning the absolute loyalty of the people there to the Mani Temple. That, Master, is the way of lasting prosperity!”
Religion had an astonishing influence on people.
“Qingshan, but your Xingyi Sect is not the Mani Temple; it is not a religion,” Zhuge Yuanhong argued, believing that even without seeking world domination, the public declaration was unnecessary—it eliminated any room for maneuver later.
“Enough, let’s not talk about it anymore.” Zhuge Yuanhong knew it was too late for arguments now.
Teng Qingshan smiled, saying no more, merely thinking to himself…
In ten or twenty years, when they saw the state of the Xingyi Sect then, the world would finally understand the uniqueness of the ‘Internal Martial Arts.’
“Elder Teng, what are you writing?” Zhuge Yuanhong moved to stand beside Teng Yunlong.
Teng Yunlong stood before the stone table, pointing to the roster lying there, and chuckled. “The people of my Teng Family Village are also members of the Xingyi Sect. So, I am helping Qingshan integrate the complete roster of the Teng Family Village into the Xingyi Sect’s main roster. It’s mainly to divide the second and third-generation disciples.”
Zhuge Yuanhong nodded. “Good.”
“It’s quite troublesome,” Teng Yunlong sighed. “When Qingshan was young and created the Tiger Form Fist, it became a secret martial art of our Teng Family Village—passed only to males, never to females, and never to outsiders. Most men in the village have practiced it. Now, dividing them into second-generation or third-generation disciples is truly difficult.”
Teng Qingshan also nodded and smiled. “For example, Uncle Yong Lei and others are my elders, while Qinghu is my peer. Then there is the ‘Hong’ generation, who are my juniors. These clearly span three distinct seniority levels… yet we have to fit them into the second and third generations. It is indeed challenging.”
For any sect,
One point was indisputable—the Founding Ancestor was certainly the First Generation.
And the First Generation was exclusively reserved for the Founding Ancestor. Otherwise, why call him the Founding Ancestor?
Therefore—
Even those in the Teng Family Village whose seniority surpassed Teng Qingshan’s, if they had achieved success in practicing Internal Martial Arts, they could at most be counted as Second Generation disciples. Many others were classified as Third Generation.
“Qinghu is a Second Generation disciple?” Zhuge Yuanhong looked at the list in surprise.
“Yes, Qinghu was among the very first batch to learn the Tiger Form Fist and cultivate inner strength,” Teng Yunlong said cheerfully. He still remembered the scene of a group of grown men following the young Teng Qingshan to learn the fist technique. Back then, who would have thought that a boy from a small village would become the founder of a new sect?
“Master,” Teng Qingshan looked apologetically at Zhuge Yuanhong. “About having Qinghu and the others leave the Black Armor Army…”
“Why say such formal things between master and disciple? Qingshan, you have done too much for my Guiyuan Sect. If not for you, Qinghu Island would have long since wiped out my Guiyuan Sect. Now, it’s just asking those dozen or so from the Teng Family Village to withdraw from the sect and join the Xingyi Sect,” Zhuge Yuanhong smiled, though inwardly, he felt deeply indebted to Teng Qingshan.
In terms of gratitude…
He himself hadn’t really taught Teng Qingshan much. The Internal Martial Arts were uniquely Teng Qingshan’s creation.
On the contrary, the Guiyuan Sect owed Teng Qingshan a great deal. The last time Teng Qingshan intended to establish his own sect, many elders were furious, which only made Zhuge Yuanhong feel more ashamed—as the Sect Master of Guiyuan Sect, he had to consider his own sect’s interests. But he also knew Teng Qingshan had done more than enough for the Guiyuan Sect.
“Master.”
Teng Qingshan smiled. “The Guiyuan Sect is also gradually preparing to relocate to ‘Yongan Commandery’ in the west. By then, the Guiyuan Sect will be in Yongan Commandery, and my Xingyi Sect will be near Dayan Mountain. The distance will be vast, and I won’t be able to perpetually oversee Yongan Commandery. But Master, do not worry—I will arrange everything concerning this matter.”
**
Although he was the Sect Master of the Xingyi Sect, Teng Qingshan entrusted most internal matters to his second disciple, ‘Yang Dong.’ As for himself, he spent his time either cultivating or accompanying his wife, Li Jun.
…
“According to the doctor, Xiao Jun, you absolutely must not go out for the next couple of days. The child could be born at any moment,” Teng Qingshan held Li Jun’s hand as they strolled within Donghua Garden.
“It’s fine.”
Li Jun smiled dismissively. “By the way, Qingshan. Since our Xingyi Sect won’t vie for world domination, will the Heavenly Palace, the Ying Clan, the Mani Temple, and the others finally be at ease? Based on what you’ve explained, I’ve figured it out. As Internal Martial Arts practitioners continue to develop like this, they will become terrifying in the future. Will the Heavenly Palace and the others just stand by and watch us grow stronger?”
“Naturally not,”
Teng Qingshan shook his head. “However, right now, the Heavenly Palace, the Mani Temple, and the others only have a vague understanding of the Internal Martial Arts. They don't know that even a minor achievement in Internal Martial Arts, when combined with secret manuals on cultivating inner strength, will certainly qualify one to reach the level of a Second-Rate martial artist. If someone achieves a higher level, they can touch the threshold of a First-Rate martial artist. And some elites might even be qualified to rival those currently on the ‘Earth Ranking.’”
“Because they don't know, that’s why they are content.”
“When they discover the terrifying nature of Internal Martial Arts, they will certainly make a move,” Teng Qingshan understood this point clearly. “But by the time they discover this, many Internal Martial Arts practitioners will have achieved some level of minor success. That will likely be several years from now! The most rapid period of growth for our Xingyi Sect is precisely these next few years.”
“These next few years, we can rapidly recruit people.”
“When they finally discover it and try to suppress us, the foundation of the Xingyi Sect will already be laid,” Teng Qingshan chuckled. “What can they possibly do to us? After all, they were the ones who all agreed to it initially.”
Teng Qingshan was exploiting the fact that other sects knew little about Internal Martial Arts.
“The current problem is that there are too few masters who can teach the disciples,” Teng Qingshan sighed helplessly. “Fortunately, within my Teng Family Village, there are quite a few proficient in the Tiger Form Fist. In a few more years, the current young Third Generation disciples will also have experience. They can then teach the newly enrolled disciples in the capacity of senior brothers.”
If his Master Zhuge Yuanhong hadn’t brought up the matter of establishing a sect, Teng Qingshan hadn’t planned to rush things.
This current situation was actually for the best.
Although the initial rapid expansion would require a lot of effort, the Xingyi Sect would become strong even sooner.
“Ah,” Li Jun suddenly clutched her abdomen.
“What is it, Xiao Jun?” Seeing Li Jun’s expression, Teng Qingshan immediately guessed the issue.
“It might, it might be time to give birth,” Li Jun said, sweat beading on her forehead.
“Hold on for a moment, I’ll call people immediately.”
Teng Qingshan instantly sent a spiritual transmission to the doctors and midwives who had been prepared in advance. With that single transmission, the group of people residing in the lower courtyard of Donghua Garden immediately gathered their various tools and rushed over.
…
Moments later.
Outside the door of the side chamber in Donghua Garden, a crowd had assembled. Teng Yongfan, Yuan Lan, and Qingyu, who had been staying there these past few days, all rushed over. More than ten people gathered outside.
“Quick! Quick!”
“The hot water, bring it quickly!”
A female disciple carrying a wooden basin of hot water, possessing martial arts skill herself, moved as lightly as a swallow, speeding toward the side chamber.
Meanwhile, Teng Qingshan paced back and forth incessantly outside the door of the side chamber, muttering something under his breath.
“Haha, Qingshan, stop pacing. You are the Sect Master now; be steady, sit down,” Teng Yongfan laughed heartily.
Teng Qingshan glanced at his father. Steady?
The state of mind honed through years of walking the razor’s edge of life and death could not be settled at this moment.
“Yongfan, stop nagging Qingshan,” Teng Yunlong chuckled. “Back when Alan was giving birth to Qingshan, you were even more frantic than Qingshan is now.”
“I, I’m different from him,” Teng Yongfan smiled. “I’m just a blacksmith. Qingshan is the Sect Master.”
“When facing this situation, Sect Master or Blacksmith, there’s no difference,” Teng Yunlong laughed.
Just as laughter erupted outside the side chamber,
“Boom-crack!”
On that muggy midsummer day, a clap of thunder echoed out of nowhere, causing Teng Qingshan’s heart to skip a beat. He couldn't help but look up at the sky, seeing only that it had turned murky gray. In just a short while, rain drops the size of beans began to lash down overwhelmingly. This downpour arrived suddenly, causing the group gathered outside the chamber to immediately rush for the shelter of the corridor.
“This rain came fast.”
“It didn't rain earlier, and it chose to rain now that the baby is about to be born,” Teng Yunlong and the others tilted their heads up, gazing at the sky. The world outside was already shrouded in a curtain of rain, the downpour striking every surface with a loud pata-pata sound.
“I think Qingshan’s child will be extraordinary. Raining at a time like this,”
Teng Yongfan and the others discussed cheerfully.
Teng Qingshan, however, grew even more anxious and restless.
Pat! Pat! Pat! The rain continued relentlessly.
“Rumble~~” Faint sounds of muffled thunder could be heard emanating from the clouds, and the rain intensified.
“Waaaa~~~”
A high, piercing cry of an infant suddenly broke the silence.
“Hm?” Teng Qingshan stopped pacing abruptly, staring intently at the door of the side chamber.