“Qingshan, you needed me?” Teng Qinghu had been riding high recently, taking first place in the competition among the fifty Wuzhang and earning the rank of Baihu (Centurion). Naturally, he was quite proud.
Teng Qingshan’s face was grim. “Look at yourself. Have you forgotten that June is when the new recruits arrive again? At that time, the Black Armored Army will select the eight weakest Baihu commanders. Those eight will then have to fight the newly arrived first-rate martial artists for their positions.”
Teng Qinghu startled, then scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly. “We’ll deal with whatever happens when it happens!”
“Take this,” Teng Qingshan pulled a book from his robes and tossed it over.
“What is this?” Teng Qinghu caught it. It was clearly a collection of assembled drafts, not a printed volume. Four large characters were inscribed on the white paper cover: Fierce Fire Five Forms!
Teng Qinghu flipped through it in astonishment.
“Qingshan, this, this…” Teng Qinghu’s eyes lit up as he looked at Teng Qingshan with pleasant surprise. “Qingshan, this is the secret technique for spear mastery that pairs with Neijin (Internal Energy)! Where did you get this? Ah, if my Neijin matches this spear technique, the power will increase immensely. But it looks quite complicated.”
Suddenly, Teng Qinghu froze, staring blankly at Teng Qingshan. “Qingshan, this, this must be a manual from the Guiyuan Sect, right? The sect strictly forbids passing on manuals they grant to others! Doing so is a violation of sect rules! I can’t learn this!” He immediately threw the book back to Teng Qingshan.
“Relax, do I look like someone who doesn’t understand the gravity of things?” Teng Qingshan smiled and tossed it back. “This manual, Fierce Fire Five Forms, is my own creation. It’s fine for you to learn it.”
“You created it?” Teng Qinghu’s eyes widened.
Teng Qingshan retrieved another book from his robes, Blazing Flame Spear Art. “This one, Blazing Flame Spear Art, is what the sect actually bestowed upon me. In truth, it would be better if you mastered the Blazing Flame Spear Art first before learning the Fierce Fire Five Forms. However, I cannot violate sect regulations. Furthermore, there is too little time before the next round of recruit selection. If I made you learn the Blazing Flame Spear Art first, you would have absolutely no time to master the Fierce Fire Five Forms.”
The rules of the Guiyuan Sect were severe.
If a manual was bestowed upon one person, and that person spread it across the world, what secrets would the Guiyuan Sect have left? Therefore, only the recipient could learn the manual; passing it to an outsider incurred grave consequences.
For lesser offenses, one might expect imprisonment for six months to a year to reflect on their mistakes.
For severe offenses—such as leaking extremely vital sect secrets—the penalties could include having one's martial arts crippled or even execution.
However, for self-created techniques like the Fierce Fire Five Forms, the Guiyuan Sect did not forbid it. On the contrary, once the sect became aware of it, they would be delighted and eager to archive the manual, offering rewards of varying levels to the creator based on the power of the new technique.
“Learning the Fierce Fire Five Forms directly will be harder! But I will teach you personally, so it shouldn't be a big issue,” Teng Qingshan said with confidence. “Your ability to perceive force is already very good. In a few more years, you might even reach the stage of unity between man and spear.” When Teng Qingshan was young, he reached man-spear unity with ease.
This was because Teng Qingshan had been a Grandmaster in his previous life.
For Teng Qinghu to achieve man-spear unity, practicing the ‘Great Spear Stance’ required a long time.
“Okay, Qingshan, I’ll listen to you.” Teng Qinghu sounded hopeful.
“Starting today, you will train for an hour and a half every morning and another hour and a half every evening to learn this spear technique,” Teng Qingshan instructed.
“Yes, Cousin-Master!” Teng Qinghu joked playfully.
Whether it was Boundless Journey, Fierce Fire Five Forms, or Tiger Fist, Teng Qingshan had taught him everything. Though they were cousins, their relationship had the dynamic of master and apprentice. In the way of martial arts, age was irrelevant; the capable was the teacher.
“Be serious. Don’t end up as one of the eight weakest Baihu commanders. It would reflect poorly on my reputation if that happened,” Teng Qingshan warned.
“Don't worry, Qingshan, I won't shame you,” Teng Qinghu replied.
...
In the following days, Teng Qingshan taught with meticulous care. Knowing his cousin’s aptitudes well, he taught according to the student’s capacity, and Teng Qinghu’s progress was entirely within Teng Qingshan’s expectations.
Teng Qinghu achieved minor mastery over two moves in the Fierce Fire Five Forms: ‘Pouring Oil on Fire’ and ‘Plucking Chestnuts from the Fire.’
As for ‘Fiery Trees, Silver Flowers’ and ‘Beacon Fires Spread Across the Plains,’ their difficulty was too high, and Teng Qinghu could only barely touch the edges of understanding. As for the most powerful move, ‘Fire Extinguished, Tinder Passed On’—even Teng Qingshan, who understood the State of Desolation in his past life, had spent a considerable time devising it. Teng Qinghu was completely clueless about this technique.
He had no grasp of the artistic concept of ‘placing oneself in a desperate situation to find a path to survival.’
There was no help for it...
Teng Qinghu still had a significant gap in his overall comprehension.
“‘Pouring Oil on Fire’ is the most ferocious of the five moves, while ‘Plucking Chestnuts from the Fire’ is the most insidious. With these two alone, Cousin should rank above average among the Baihu commanders,” Teng Qingshan was certain. “When we return, we’ll see how Cousin performs in the internal Black Armored Army competition!”
...
Soon, the three months stationed at the mine were completed.
One evening, the City Lord of Huafeng, Gui Qing, said with a smile, “Brother Qingshan, haha... My younger brother and I both told you that your future was boundless. Look how short a time it has been! You are already a Dutong (Commander)! If you don't mind, just call me brother!” Teng Qingshan held a very favorable impression of City Lord Gui Qing; at least the man showed no arrogance.
He had treated Qingshan very well previously.
“Brother Gui, it was merely luck,” Teng Qingshan replied with a smile.
“Purple Gold Theft—Brother, you’ve turned misfortune into fortune,” Gui Qing said mysteriously. “Did you find out the identity of the culprit who crippled Bai Qi?”
“Oh? Who?” Teng Qingshan was puzzled; he hadn’t deeply investigated that perpetrator.
“A fierce bandit led by a young man named Dong Yan,” Gui Qing lamented. “Dong Yan doesn’t have much fame among ordinary citizens in our Huafeng City, but among wealthy merchants and gang circles, everyone knows him. He is a ruthless boy; anyone who fights him, even if they win, does so at a terrible cost.”
Teng Qingshan remembered that young man. Back then, when his companion was killed, that young man had attacked Bai Qi with a look of madness, only to suddenly throw hidden weapons.
“I only met Dong Yan once,” Teng Qingshan praised, “but he is treacherous! His apparent madness is just a disguise. Moreover, having several first-rate martial artists under his command, and his hidden weapons are quite toxic. He is indeed not someone to be easily provoked.”
“He’s not easy to provoke. When he was twelve, this kid dared to poison an entire wealthy merchant family, leaving no guards alive. His methods are utterly wicked. I just received news—that Dong Yan has fled to Xuyang Prefecture! He has even joined a major gang there,” Gui Qing shared. “I have a feeling… this Dong Yan, just watch him, in ten years he will certainly be a prominent figure in Yangzhou!”
Teng Qingshan was inwardly startled. Poisoning an entire wealthy merchant family at the age of twelve was certainly viciously cruel.
“Commander!” A Black Armored Army soldier on guard duty ran up. “The other battalion stationed here should be arriving at the foot of the mountain soon.”
“Let’s go down and welcome them,” Teng Qingshan said immediately.
Immediately, Commander Teng Qingshan and Huafeng City Lord Gui Qing descended the mountain together.
**
At dawn, under the watchful eyes of the commander of the other battalion and the City Lord of Huafeng, Teng Qingshan led his five hundred Black Armored Army soldiers, mounted on warhorses, and departed in a grand procession from Iron Chain Mountain, heading toward Jiangning Prefecture!
When they arrived, Teng Qingshan was a Baihu, and Teng Qinghu was a Wuzhang.
When they returned, Teng Qingshan was a Dutong, and Teng Qinghu was a Baihu. The vicissitudes of life are truly marvelous.
...
The Black Armored Army warhorses galloped swiftly along the official road.
Dust billowed. On the road, be it wealthy merchants, travelers, commoners, or even horse bandits and robbers, everyone retreated to the roadside, careful not to disturb the formidable Black Armored Army.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The horses thundered onward. They set off at dawn, and by the time the sun shone fiercely, Teng Qingshan and his men had already left the Huafeng City region and entered Yicheng territory.
“Halt!” Teng Qingshan commanded.
Neighing~~~
The highly trained Black Armored Army soldiers stopped instantly and in perfect order. The other five Baihu commanders immediately rushed to Teng Qingshan’s side.
“Commander...” Tian Dan and the others looked at Teng Qingshan.
“Brother Tian, this is where I will temporarily part ways with you all. Qinghu and I need to return home first! As for you, proceed directly to Yicheng for food and rest. I imagine the City Lord of Yicheng has prepared wine and dishes! By the afternoon, Qinghu and I will catch up to you in Yicheng, and then we will all depart for Jiangning together,” Teng Qingshan explained.
Tian Dan and the others nodded.
When they came, Teng Qingshan couldn't go home because Commander Bai Qi was above him. Now that Teng Qingshan was the Dutong, the highest leader of this contingent, he could decide matters as he saw fit.
“Finally, I can go home,” Teng Qinghu exclaimed happily.
“When we return, Old Du, Brother Tian, you four lead the men well,” Teng Qingshan entrusted them.
“Commander, rest assured,” the four smiled.
Teng Qingshan nodded slightly, then looked at Teng Qinghu: “Qinghu, let’s go!” In front of so many soldiers, Teng Qingshan had to maintain his dignity as Dutong; he had to call him ‘Qinghu’ instead of Cousin.
“Giddyup!” “Giddyup!”
Teng Qingshan and Teng Qinghu spurred their horses and vanished quickly from the sight of the Black Armored Army.
“Let’s go as well,” Tian Dan said.
Du Hong nodded, then called out loudly, “Move out!”
The Black Armored Army immediately set off again in a mighty column toward Yicheng. After riding for another half Shichen (one hour), the Black Armored Army finally arrived in Yicheng.
...
Along the main thoroughfare of Yicheng, the massive Black Armored Army advanced. Peddlers, merchants, and passersby retreated to the sides, afraid to provoke the formidable soldiers. In the section of the road where inns were most numerous, the City Lord of Yicheng, Yang Ke, led a group of subordinates to greet the arriving Black Armored Army.
“City Lord!” A man with a scar across his face, dressed in fine robes, chuckled. “This new Commander Teng Qingshan is one of ours from Yicheng, and we have a very good relationship!”
This man was Third Master Liu of the White Horse Gang. As the chief leader of the White Horse Gang, Third Master Liu carried an air of cultivated elegance. But anyone who knew of Third Master Liu’s deeds knew how ruthless he was.
“Haha, is it because Teng Qingshan’s strength is so great that you, Liu San, sought to ally with him?” a middle-aged man in a white robe laughed. “But you are truly lucky. Teng Qingshan only recently joined the Black Armored Army and has already become a Dutong! He was personally appointed by the Sect Master. The Sect Master favors him greatly... He is so young, his future is certainly limitless. You certainly have good judgment in making such a friend.”
Third Master Liu smiled broadly.
“Oh, the Black Armored Army is here. Come, you should go and meet your friend Teng Qingshan,” City Lord Yang Ke of Yicheng said with a smile. Immediately, Third Master Liu went with him to extend the welcome.