Starting from Tianlong, Wudu Tianxia

Chapter 117 The Lamp of the Heart Does Not Lend Fire to Others

Tao Qingxuan was also a little flustered.

She believed that her master wouldn't lie, nor was he truly disrespectful to Gao Yuan.

just.

I inexplicably felt a desire to witness my master's martial arts skills firsthand.

After all, we were on the long street yesterday.

The three of them witnessed the duel between their master and the gray-robed man.

It wasn't as mysterious as Master had described.

Looking up, Tao Qingxuan and the boy's eyes met.

Sensing the aura emanating from the boy, her heart skipped a beat.

Tao Qingxuan suddenly had the illusion that she was asking her master for advice.

"You know swordsmanship too?"

Xu Ziyi and Abi are holding zithers, while Tao Qingxuan stands with a sword in hand, indicating that the three have different skills.

"What this disciple has learned is to integrate the sounds of the zither into swordsmanship!"

"The sound of the zither enters the sword? What level have you reached in your practice?"

Gao Yuan spoke to Kang Guangling's eldest disciple, who was quite dashing and stood out from the crowd, before turning around and stepping back into the courtyard.

The Qin Yin Sword Technique is rare, but not too unusual; it has been described in the Lingjiu Palace's records.

Its core lies in incorporating rhythm into the sword, using melody as "momentum" and swordsmanship as "form." Although it also uses internal energy to control the sword, it places even greater emphasis on mental state.

Tao Qingxuan breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said, "The twelve musical notes—Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zhi, and Yu—are all known to disciples. The sword technique they practice is one of fierce wind and thunder, capable of startling young birds into flight."

"It is indeed 'Childhood Morning Flight'."

Gao Yuan nodded slightly and simply said, "Draw your sword."

Tao Qingxuan was able to forge his own path with his sword because he was extremely solid in both music and swordsmanship, making him the most skilled in martial arts among the three.

Gao Yuan promised.

Tao Qingxuan bowed respectfully, then immediately charged forward with his sword, without any hesitation.

With a half-horse stance, he drew his sword from the palace, shifted his body with a footwork, followed by a whirlwind of plum blossoms, the sword humming, the five-tone rhythm trembling, and then he swung and flicked the sword twice towards Gao Yuan!

The music and swordsmanship complement each other, creating a dynamic interplay of illusion and reality, swift yet sharp.

The speed of this sword was naturally extremely fast in the eyes of Xu Ziyi and Abi.

however.

Fast and slow are relative terms.

With a crisp "clang," the two swords aimed at Gao Yuan were deflected!

The next instant.

Then, a sharp clang rang out from the sword!

As Gao Yuan drew his sword, a blur of sword shadows suddenly appeared before Tao Qingxuan's eyes!

The sword shadow suddenly appeared.

Like a boulder falling into a lake, my mind was thrown into a panic, and I could no longer see the sword's edge!

She stood frozen, as if several sword gusts of wind brushed past her ears!

When I regained my composure, I realized that my master had already sheathed his sword sometime earlier.

"The sword is hidden in the music, and the sword is sung with the sound of the zither. The meaning of the music is good, but the sword moves are too slow and the internal energy cannot be fully matched with the music. It is easy for people to see through it at a glance."

"The three must be in harmony: qi, sword, and music. One cannot be distracted by any of them. The courage to wield a sword and the heart to play music are not easy skills to cultivate."

"But you don't need to be discouraged. For your age, being able to achieve harmony between the zither and the sword is quite impressive."

"Anyway, just practice more." Gao Yuan smiled and walked out of the courtyard.

Tao Qingxuan was still in shock when she turned her head and saw a small tuft of hair that had fallen onto her shoulder.

She hurriedly bowed to Gao Yuan again.

"Yesterday on the long street, my master was indeed teasing the gray-robed man. I couldn't see how he made his move at all."

"Especially after hearing my master say that my grandmaster seems to be a master of the three arts: fist, palm, and sword, it's truly astonishing!"

"Yes, if Senior Sister Qingxuan were an enemy, she would have already been killed by a single sword strike."

Upon hearing Abi speak, Tao Qingxuan touched her throat, and it seemed as if the blood in her neck had turned slightly cold.

"Abi, who said yesterday that Young Master Murong's swordsmanship is better than Grandmaster's?"

"Our grandmaster is even younger than that Murong brat! Tsk tsk tsk! Next time, we'll see if the Murong family dares to look down on us again!"

Xu Ziyi grinned mischievously.

"Oh dear! Who said that... Of course... Of course, the Grandmaster's swordsmanship is better."

One was their own young master, and the other was their sect's grandmaster.

Abi was naturally torn between two choices, but facts speak louder than words; her master's martial arts were indeed superior.

Tao Qingxuan shook her head: "Junior brother, why are you bringing up Young Master Murong again? Abi, let's ignore him."

"Hey, Junior Brother is just telling the truth. The Murong family is no match for us!"

'

Xu Ziyi's thoughts wandered, and he suddenly pointed to the strand of hair Tao Qingxuan was holding: "Senior Sister, the first time our Grandmaster instructed you was of great significance. Could you give your junior brother a strand of hair as a memento?"

Tao Qingxuan's face flushed slightly, and she blurted out, "If you're so capable, come and get it yourself!"

"Haha, oh dear, junior brother was just joking, senior sister, don't take it seriously..."

A burst of laughter and commotion came from the courtyard; it was Tao Qingxuan beating Xu Ziyi, who was running around wildly.

The atmosphere in the sect was warm and cozy. Watching her senior brothers and sisters chasing each other, Abi smiled with her bright eyes, quickly hugged her zither, and hid under the pavilion.

After agreeing on the return date with Kang Guangling, Gao Yuan went directly back to the West Courtyard.

Later, after staying in the house for a while, Abi went to Gao Yuan's courtyard and crouched down to peek through the stone window of the next courtyard.

At this moment, Gao Yuan was fiddling with something under the ginkgo tree in the courtyard.

"Are you worried about your young master?"

Having been discovered, Abi simply went through the door to stand in front of Gao Yuan.

Tea sets and food boxes were placed on a small table under the tree.

On the small red clay stove, in the copper teapot, boiling water was bubbling away.

"Yes! Grandmaster, the young master treats Abi very well."

Abi first bowed, then lowered her head.

After all, her master's seniority was too high, and she was a little uneasy.

Gao Yuan sighed helplessly.

To be honest, Abi's loyalty to the Murong family is not the fault of the little girl; the blame lies entirely with Old Kang.

Imagine an eight or nine-year-old child who was entrusted to the Murong family from a young age.

In an unfamiliar environment, if she suddenly encounters a kind master and young master, how could she not be loyal?

Fortunately, Abi has only been in the Murong family for a short time and has not fully accepted her status as a maid, so her dependency mentality is not too serious.

If I hadn't come, and Lao Kang had run away, we would have lost contact for seven or eight years.

Having been destitute for a long time, and given that Murong Fu was both handsome and skilled in martial arts, he was bound to fall into the same fate as in the original story: "the young master is supreme" and "serving him for life".

It will be difficult to change things then!

Gao Yuan patted the fallen leaves off his robes and his gaze fell on her face.

Then, he took out snacks such as cheese, osmanthus, and almonds from the small table and put them into the tea in the small stove.

"The Murong family is excellent, with a long and distinguished family tradition. Their fame has spread throughout the martial arts world over the centuries. Young Master Murong is exceptionally handsome and skilled in martial arts, and he is also gentle and polite to his subordinates."

"But Abi, what exactly do you mean by 'good'?"

"A master's good intentions towards his disciple are to hope that you can stand on your own, which is a good thing for passing on the tradition and supporting you upwards."

"The kindness that masters show to their maids is mostly bestowed, limited to the hierarchy of rank and subservience, without any independent thought or equality whatsoever."

Abi paused, blinking her bright eyes. She was naturally intelligent and understood what her master meant.

They stood there in stunned silence for a moment.

"Don't overthink it. Once this matter is over, you won't need to stay in the Murong family any longer."

"Your safety will be protected by your sect. Remember, you are a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect, not a maidservant whom the Murong family can order around at will."

Abi's eyes reddened slightly; her master had told her the bitter truth of being unable to control her own destiny last night.

Just as our master said.

Fearing something might happen and facing difficulties for the sect, the little girl had no choice but to rely on the Murong family.

Having been exposed to this for a long time, she didn't know when she developed the idea that serving the young master for the rest of her life and helping the Murong family share their burdens would be a blessing.

The master's words were like a pebble thrown into a river, creating ripples.

"Grandmaster..."

'

"We will remember the kindness shown to you by the Murong family, and our sect will help you repay them in the future."

He pointed to the ginkgo tree above his head: "The ginkgo tree sprouts leaves in spring and sheds them in autumn. It never goes against the seasons for anyone. You should be like this tree, first be a good friend of your sect, and then remember the favor of the Murong family."

"Little Abi, remember this: the lamp of your heart does not borrow from others; it illuminates the world itself, making every step clear!"

The phrase "a lamp in one's heart does not borrow the light of another's" made Abi clench her teeth.

She nodded, feeling a little lighter, yet also a little heavier.

Grandmaster Chao stole a glance.

At this moment, he was facing the small stove sideways, his expression focused, with an indescribable calmness.

Gao Yuan took out the sugar frosting and continued to pour in the tea.

The icing melted, turning from a crystal-clear white to an enticing amber color, and tiny caramel bubbles rose to the surface.

A rich, sweet caramel aroma mingled with almond notes wafted out, blending with the tea.

He took out a clean small covered cup and poured the liquid into it.

"Try it. In the entire Song Dynasty, only my master could make it."

The aroma was so tempting, and with a touch of curiosity, Abi gently blew on it and tentatively took a small sip.

An indescribable warmth and sweetness spread from the tip of the tongue.

Gao Yuan ruffled Abi's hair: "It tastes good, doesn't it? Your grandmaster will teach you how to make it, so little Abi can make it herself from now on."

"real?"

"Um!"

Gao Yuan pinched her cheek, and seeing that her grandmaster's face was more handsome than the young master's, Abi's cheeks flushed pink.

Grandmaster...

So gentle!

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