The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun.

They said this as soon as they saw Yue Buqun.

"Ah."

Yue Buqun smiled and nodded.

The disciples also noticed Jiang Ning standing to the side and all smiled.

They already knew that Jiang Ning had returned to Mount Hua.

"Ning'er is back?"

At this moment, Ning Zhongze came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of food, saw Jiang Ning, and smiled.

Jiang Ning bowed and said with a smile, "Master's wife."

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

Ning Zhongze also smiled broadly: "Let's eat."

Jiang Ning nodded.

Yue Buqun had already sat down.

We'll eat here today.

The other disciples looked surprised.

They used to eat in the cafeteria, while Yue Buqun ate at his residence. Why is it different today?

Ning Zhongze had no objection; it didn't matter where she ate.

Yue Buqun sat in the main seat, with Jiang Ning and Ning Zhongze on either side. The other disciples also sat around the table and began to eat after Yue Buqun started using his chopsticks.

The children who had been with the Huashan Sect for over a year were also invited over by a female disciple and sat down to eat at another table. Every now and then, a few children would turn around and look at Jiang Ning with curiosity in their eyes.

They remembered that this senior brother was the one who recited the sect rules to them that day. However, Jiang Ning went down the mountain to gain experience on the third day after they arrived at Mount Hua. Later, they met this senior brother again in Xiangyang City, but they didn't have much interaction before Jiang Ning left again.

Although they had only met a few times, they were deeply impressed by Jiang Ning. Besides what Jiang Ning did in Xiangyang Prefecture, they often heard their master, Yue Buqun, mention this senior brother's name when they were practicing swordsmanship.

They often heard their master mention Linghu Chong's name, but this senior brother was usually mentioned by Yue Buqun as a negative example, while Jiang Ning's name was used by Yue Buqun as a positive example, so that they would learn from Jiang Ning and not from Linghu Chong.

Besides their master, they also frequently heard Jiang Ning's name from their fellow disciples.

According to their master Yue Buqun, the eldest brother Linghu Chong was lazy, unreliable, and hopeless, showing no enthusiasm for anything other than drinking. Jiang Ning, on the other hand, was humble, polite, and diligent.

However, according to the senior brothers and sisters, the eldest brother Linghu Chong was a carefree and generous person who was unconcerned with trivial matters and had a good sense of humor, while Jiang Ning was serious, solemn, and never smiled. He was the one who resembled their master the most among all the fellow disciples.

These two are the most outstanding disciples of Mount Hua, but their master and fellow disciples have two completely different opinions of them.

Senior Brother Linghu Chong and the others have met many times. Indeed, just as their senior brothers and sisters said, he loves to talk nonsense and sometimes likes to tease them.

Jiang Ning and his friends had only heard about him from their master and senior brothers and sisters, but had never really met him. So they were very curious about Jiang Ning and what kind of person he was.

Chapter 64: He's an idiot

After a brief observation, they found that Jiang Ning was indeed very different from Linghu Chong.

Linghu Chong was quite unruly during meals; he was a chatterbox and would chat and joke with his fellow disciples the whole time, making them laugh.

Jiang Ning, on the other hand, was eating his meal quietly, his every move refined and polite, like a young master from a wealthy family.

"By the way, Wang Yuan from Yunmeng County came looking for you."

Yue Buqun suddenly spoke.

The other Huashan disciples looked up in surprise.

Yue Buqun usually adheres to the principle of not speaking while eating or sleeping, so why is he no longer following this principle?

Jiang Ning also looked surprised: "Wang Yuan? What does he want with me?"

Yue Buqun laughed and said, "He wanted to thank you for seeking justice for him and standing up for him. However, you were no longer on Mount Hua at that time. He has now moved his whole family to Huayin County. In recent days, he has been coming up the mountain every now and then to ask when you will return, and he has also brought some very valuable gifts to express his gratitude."

Jiang Ning chuckled upon hearing this and shook his head, saying, "I don't need him to thank me, nor do I need him to give me gifts."

Yue Buqun nodded and said, "That's what I said too. He said that if it weren't for you, he would have lost his family and his wife and daughters would have been humiliated. To him, you are his benefactor. If he doesn't personally visit you to express his gratitude, he would be no different from a beast."

"I told him to take back the things he gave me, but he still wants to wait for you to return so he can come and thank me in person."

Jiang Ning nodded.

"I see."

After saying this, Yue Buqun did not stop, but continued, "I have something I need you to do."

Jiang Ning was somewhat surprised, but he still put down his chopsticks, straightened his posture, and said, "Master, please give your instructions."

Yue Buqun waved his hand and laughed, "No need to be so serious. What I'm about to tell you is nothing important."

Jiang Ning smiled upon hearing this and relaxed slightly.

"I want you to teach a lesson to your junior brothers."

Yue Buqun spoke up.

"Attend class?"

Jiang Ning looked surprised and turned to look at the children at the other table.

The children, who had been secretly watching Jiang Ning, quickly turned back and sat up straight to eat when Jiang Ning looked over.

Jiang Ning turned around and asked in confusion, "I wonder what Master wants me to teach them?"

Yue Buqun said, "Since they came up the mountain, in addition to teaching them swordsmanship, I have also been teaching them to recognize characters, but I have not yet started teaching them to read. This first lesson in life is of utmost importance. After much thought, I feel that their first lesson should teach them what kind of person they should become in the future."

"Among the disciples of Mount Hua, you are the most intelligent, and it is most suitable for you to teach them."

If we were to say who in the Huashan Sect is most similar to Yue Buqun, it would be Jiang Ning.

But Yue Buqun knew that Jiang Ning was different from him. He had realized that Jiang Ning's current actions and thoughts destined him to walk a lonely path in the future, without any companions.

Martial arts practitioners often prioritize chivalry, and Yue Buqun was no exception.

But he discovered that Jiang Ning was out of place in this martial arts world, and the justice he saw was different from the justice of the martial arts world.

He was like a fool, stubbornly upholding the justice in his heart, firmly believing that evil must be eradicated completely, and he would not turn back even if he was beaten to a pulp.

Therefore, Yue Buqun wanted Jiang Ning to personally teach these junior brothers while they were still young and had not yet been indoctrinated with certain ideas or formed fixed concepts. This was the age when they were most malleable, so that they could receive Jiang Ning's teachings from a young age, inherit Jiang Ning's will, and follow in Jiang Ning's footsteps, so that Jiang Ning would not be so lonely in the future.

Ning Zhongze also looked at Jiang Ning with a smile, clearly indicating that Yue Buqun had spoken to her about it before, and she had agreed.

Jiang Ning thought for a moment and nodded.

"it is good."

There was no reason to refuse, nor was there any need to refuse. Teaching his junior brother was to lead the future of the Huashan Sect, and Jiang Ning would not refuse.

Yue Buqun was very satisfied with his attitude and nodded with a smile: "You have just returned to Mount Hua and are tired from your journey. Take a good rest these few days. Let the first lesson begin in five days."

Jiang Ning nodded, having no objection.

After the meal, Yue Buqun told Jiang Ning to go back and rest, and started teaching him swordsmanship early the next morning.

Returning to the room that I hadn't lived in for a year, I found it wasn't dusty as I had imagined; instead, it was clean and bright, clearly indicating that someone cleaned it regularly.

Pushing open the window, a gentle breeze rushed in, and familiar scenery returned to her eyes. Jiang Ning looked down and saw that the ivy outside the window had grown another inch.

I haven't been back for a year, but the scenery is still vaguely similar to last year.

Jiang Ning placed the package by the bedside and went outside. Maodou was outside, listlessly shaking his head, the bell around his neck ringing incessantly.

Jiang Ning untied its rope and said to it, "Now that we're back, Mount Hua is your home. You can play wherever you want on Mount Hua, but remember not to go too far, or you might get caught and made into donkey meat sandwiches."

Whether or not he understood Jiang Ning's words, Maodou rolled his eyes at Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning smiled and patted its head.

"Go have fun, come back soon."

There's no need to feed it anything special. It's not very interested in concentrated feed, and it seems to only eat what it's given. Instead, it prefers to eat the grass on the ground. In just a short while, it had nibbled up a whole patch of grass outside Jiangning's house.

Upon hearing Jiang Ning's words, Maodou brayed twice, then spun away with its tail twirling, looking quite pleased with itself.

Watching Maodou's retreating figure, Jiang Ning shook his head, went back to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began practicing the Innate Skill.

Early the next morning.

Yesterday I practiced the Innate Skill until evening in Jiangning before resting, and didn't wake up until dawn.

Even with his innate skill, he didn't just practice it relentlessly; he also emphasized the importance of balancing work and rest. He believed that excessive practice could have the opposite effect.

After washing up, Jiang Ning glanced at the sky and realized it was almost time, so he headed to Yue Buqun's residence. When he arrived, he found Yue Buqun already waiting for him with his hands behind his back and his sword in the open space in front of the You Suo Bu Wei Pavilion.

At this moment, Yue Buqun was dressed in a white robe, with a calm and breezy smile on his face. A gentle breeze blew, lifting the corner of his robe, giving him the air of a sage with an otherworldly and refined demeanor.

"I've kept Master waiting."

Jiang Ning stopped in front of Yue Buqun.

"Hehe, I'm just starting out myself."

Yue Buqun smiled and then turned and walked in another direction.

"Follow me, Master."

Chapter 65: Sword Dance in the Bamboo Forest

Jiang Ning followed Yue Buqun to a bamboo forest.

Mount Hua has a high altitude and a large temperature difference between day and night. Overnight, a thin layer of frost covered the bamboo in this bamboo forest, and a few drops of morning dew clung to the bamboo leaves.

Upon arriving at the bamboo forest, Yue Buqun turned to look at Jiang Ning and said with a smile, "This move of mine is called 'Boundless Falling Leaves,' so watch it carefully."

Jiang Ning nodded seriously.

Yue Buqun took out his sword, placed the scabbard aside, and then began to practice his swordsmanship after making a starting stance.

Jiang Ning carefully observed Yue Buqun's swordsmanship, while simultaneously recalling the moves of the sword technique "Boundless Falling Leaves".

Yue Buqun's movements were initially slow, and the sword in his hand seemed to have no power. But as Yue Buqun shook his wrist, the sword momentum suddenly changed and began to gradually speed up. Yue Buqun's movements became faster and faster, and the sword in his hand gradually became unclear, only dancing in the air with countless sword shadows.