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

Currently, the Huashan Sect has virtually no good martial arts techniques or swordplay. The only decent one is the Zixia Skill, which, although not as good as the Shaolin Temple's Yijinjing, is still the Huashan Sect's most prized possession. No one except the sect leader can practice it, and Yue Buqun cherishes it dearly.

Apart from the Zixia Divine Skill, the other Huashan martial arts techniques are much worse and scarce. The sect lacks sufficient foundation, which is why second-generation disciples such as Lu Dayou and Gao Genming are not very strong.

If Jiangning wants to rebuild the Huashan Sect, the first thing to solve is the issue of the sect's foundation.

Jiang Ning pondered this question for a long time. Although he didn't remember much about the world he knew was the Smiling Proud Wanderer, he did know that there was a cave on the Cliff of Contemplation on Jade Maiden Peak of the Huashan Sect, which contained many sword techniques that the Huashan Sect had lost. If he could bring out those sword techniques to enhance the Huashan Sect's foundation, it wouldn't be able to rival Wudang and Shaolin, but it wouldn't be like it is now, with only Yue Buqun and his wife, Linghu Chong, and himself, and no one else in the sect being presentable.

Jiang Ning had considered telling Yue Buqun directly about the sword technique in the cave, but he didn't have a suitable excuse. If Yue Buqun asked him how he knew, he wouldn't be able to answer. Making up an excuse to deceive Yue Buqun was also impossible, as Yue Buqun was a meticulous person who could detect even the slightest flaw in what he said, which would only make things more troublesome.

Besides this, Jiang Ning also knew that there was another person living on the Cliff of Contemplation.

Feng Qingyang of the Sword Sect.

Jiang Ning didn't have a deep impression of this person. He only knew that he was the one who taught Linghu Chong the Dugu Nine Swords, and that Yue Buqun mentioned his name when he talked to them about the battle between the Sword and Qi sects decades ago.

Although this person disappeared after the Sword Sect's defeat, Jiang Ning knew that he had been living on the Cliff of Contemplation. His existence was one of the reasons why Jiang Ning did not choose to make up an excuse to tell Yue Buqun about the sword technique in the cave.

Knowing a secret is not difficult, nor is revealing a secret. The real challenge lies in crafting a flawless excuse to convince a meticulous person without arousing their suspicion, especially when that person knows you very well.

After eliminating the option of making up an excuse to appease Yue Buqun, Jiang Ning also considered going to the Cliff of Repentance on Jade Maiden Peak himself, entering the cave, and then returning to tell Yue Buqun.

But the Jade Maiden Peak is extremely steep, and there is no difference between having a path and not having one. If you are not careful, you will fall down the mountain and be smashed to pieces.

In addition, Yue Buqun had instructed that the Cliff of Contemplation was a place where disciples of the Huashan Sect were imprisoned and punished for violating the sect's rules, and that disciples were not allowed to go there under normal circumstances.

These two reasons led Jiang Ning to delay telling Yue Buqun the secret of the Cliff of Contemplation, intending to wait until his martial arts skills improved and he was no longer afraid of the steep mountain path before going up.

Although he was taken up the mountain by Yue Buqun when he was three years old, he did not start practicing martial arts with Yue Buqun until he was seven years old. Four years ago, his strength reached the level of a third-rate master. With caution, he was able to safely climb Jade Maiden Peak. At that time, he thought of a way to deliberately commit a crime and make Yue Buqun punish him by making him face the wall at the Cliff of Repentance.

Chapter 8: The Back Room

However, Yue Buqun never punished him. Sometimes he would just say a few words to him and then there would be no more severe punishment. Sometimes, when Jiang Ning deliberately had some friction with other disciples, Yue Buqun would think that he was being bullied and would scold and punish the other disciples, but he would speak gently to Jiang Ning.

Perhaps it was Jiang Ning's diligent practice and well-behaved behavior that made Yue Buqun think he wasn't someone who would deliberately cause trouble, which is why he didn't punish him as severely as he did Linghu Chong.

This left Jiang Ning speechless.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Jiang Ning decided to take a roundabout approach.

Although Yue Buqun did not punish him, he was extremely harsh on Linghu Chong, to the point that even a dog would shake its head in disapproval.

Since Linghu Chong grew up, his unruly personality has often led to reprimands from Yue Buqun. He would be reprimanded every three days, and every five days he would be reprimanded severely. In some serious cases, Yue Buqun even made Linghu Chong face the wall in contemplation.

Therefore, Jiang Ning decided to start with Linghu Chong.

Initially, he planned to go to the Cliff of Contemplation under the pretense of delivering food to Linghu Chong, then pretend to be curious and accidentally discover the secret of the stone cave while exploring, and then report it to Yue Buqun, thus solving the problem.

But just as Jiang Ning was about to take action, he discovered that he couldn't compete with Lu Dayou and Yue Lingshan.

Lu Dayou greatly admired and respected Linghu Chong, wishing he could stick to Linghu Chong every day, even more so than a sycophant.

Yue Lingshan and Linghu Chong were childhood sweethearts and had an extraordinary relationship.

The two of them were vying to bring food to Linghu Chong, and they even started arguing, leaving him no chance to get a word in edgewise.

Sometimes, after arguing with him several times, Linghu Chong would misunderstand that although his junior brother was cold-hearted, he was actually kind-hearted and cared about his senior brother, which moved Linghu Chong to tears.

Unable to compete with Lu Dayou, the sycophant, and Yue Lingshan, the childhood sweetheart, Jiang Ning changed tactics, subtly suggesting to Linghu Chong that he actively seek out the cave entrance.

To Jiang Ning's surprise, Linghu Chong, that simpleton, simply couldn't understand his hints. No matter how Jiang Ning hinted, Linghu Chong acted like an idiot.

On one occasion, he gave the most obvious hint, almost asking Linghu Chong to find the cave in the broken wall. But Linghu Chong, that idiot, said that he had already been punished by his master to face the wall on the Cliff of Contemplation, so he dared not damage the place and anger his master. He was such a coward that no matter how Jiang Ning tried to persuade or provoke him, it was useless. This left Jiang Ning at a loss.

Jiang Ning was determined to make the Huashan Sect stronger, but the foolishness of his fellow disciples made him feel like he wanted to lead everyone to greater heights, but he was surrounded by useless teammates and couldn't carry them.

Seeing that he harbored a secret that could make the sect stronger again, yet couldn't bring himself to speak it, Jiang Ning really didn't know what to do, so he kept putting it off until now.

He didn't know when the official plot of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer would begin, but he also knew that as time went by, it would be even more disadvantageous for the Huashan Sect. Now he decided to stop thinking about it and that he would personally go to the Cliff of Contemplation in a couple of days.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ning stopped thinking, stood up, opened the wardrobe, took out a change of clothes, and prepared to take a shower.

The Huashan School requires its members to bathe and change clothes before worshipping the spirit tablets of their past patriarchs.

……

After washing his clothes, Jiang Ning put them back in the house. Just as he was about to go to the cafeteria, he saw Laudenuo coming from afar.

"Junior Brother Jiang Ning, the food is ready. Master asked me to come and call you."

Laudenau, his back hunched and his hair already gray, looked at Jiang Ning with a smile and said.

"I understand, thank you, Second Senior Brother."

Jiang Ning nodded calmly, then stepped through the door and walked with Laudenuo toward the cafeteria, without exchanging a word along the way.

Laudenau was not surprised; Jiang Ning was just that quiet person.

Walking towards the cafeteria, Jiang Ning kept his eyes straight ahead, his upper body remaining perfectly still. The most noticeable change was when a leaf landed on his shoulder as he passed under a tree. It followed Jiang Ning for a while without falling or even swaying, as if it were still, until a gentle breeze blew it off his shoulder.

Upon witnessing this scene, Laudenau couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

Jiang Ning's martial arts skills have become even more profound.

Previously, Laudenuo felt that although Jiang Ning had reached the level of a second-rate master, his true strength was also at the same level, and if the two really fought, he would definitely win in the end.

But at this moment, Laudenau felt that if he were to fight Jiang Ning again now, the outcome would be uncertain.

Jiang Ning walked with a square gait, his steps large and slow, looking leisurely but not slow at all, and his demeanor was impeccable. If it weren't for the faded blue-white undergarment he was wearing, and if he were dressed in fine silk, Lao Denuo would have thought he was some noble young master.

Looking at Jiang Ning, who was walking beside him with impeccable manners, Lao Denuo looked at his own aged appearance, and a flood of emotions welled up in his heart, but he concealed them, and no one else knew them except him.

Jiang Ning was unaware of what Laudenuo was thinking at that moment; he began to ponder Laudenuo's character.

He remembered that this person seemed to be an inside man.

Let's find an opportunity to kill him later.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ning continued to look straight ahead, but when Laudenuo wasn't paying attention, his eyes turned towards him and then turned back, as if nothing had happened.

When Jiang Ning and Lao Denuo arrived at the canteen, Lu Dayou, Gao Genming, and more than 30 other disciples were already there waiting for them. Inside the canteen, several children were already eating.

These children must be the ones the master brought back to take as his apprentices.

Jiang Ning glanced over there briefly, then stopped paying attention and sat down in his usual spot.

"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting."

The Huashan Sect currently has over thirty disciples, including six female disciples. Including Yue Lingshan, there are seven in total. She is Ning Zhongze's disciple. The remaining male disciples are Yue Buqun's disciples.

"It's alright, it's alright. We haven't been waiting long anyway. We wouldn't dare to start eating if our second senior brother hadn't arrived."

Lu Dayou said with a smile.

The Huashan Sect has very strict rules, with a clear hierarchy of seniority. Other junior disciples cannot start eating before their senior brothers have even picked up their chopsticks.

Aside from that, everything else was fine. As long as they didn't break the sect rules, they could make their own decisions about the rest of the time after their master, Yue Buqun, finished teaching them their daily lessons.

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze were not seen in the canteen. They usually did not eat in the canteen. The dishes were brought to the Suoyoubuwei Pavilion by the disciples. Only the disciples and Yue Lingshan would eat there.

One should not speak while eating or sleeping.

These were the words Yue Buqun taught them, but Lu Dayou and the others always couldn't help but chat while eating. However, this time was different. They had just been severely reprimanded by Yue Buqun, so they were not in the mood. In addition, there were several young children eating in the cafeteria, so it was not convenient for them to chat. The meal was quite quiet.

After finishing the meal in silence, Laudenau led everyone to the back room.

The words "Controlling Swords with Qi" are written on the beam in the back hall. Long swords hang on both sides, and an incense table is placed in the middle, filled with rows of memorial tablets.

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze were already waiting for them in the back hall.

Chapter 9: Our ancestors were once wealthy too.

"Disciple Yue Buqun has accepted seven children as disciples today. May the spirits of our ancestors in heaven bless our Huashan disciples to study diligently, maintain their integrity, uphold the righteous path, abide by the rules of our sect, and not tarnish the reputation of our Huashan sect."

Holding incense and candles, Yue Buqun respectfully kowtowed four times to the incense table. Jiang Ning and the other Huashan disciples also knelt down and kowtowed to the memorial tablets of the Huashan sect leaders of the past. The few children standing in front looked at the kneeling crowd with a somewhat bewildered expression, but they also knelt down.

Yue Buqun stood up and looked at his disciples, then sat down with Ning Zhongze in the main seat and looked at the children in front of them.

After thinking for a while, he slowly spoke.

"Now that you have joined my Huashan Sect, you must abide by the sect rules. Any violation will be severely punished, and serious offenses will result in immediate execution!"

"Our sect has been established in the martial arts world for hundreds of years. Although we may not be the best in the martial arts world, we are not afraid of other sects. However, this is not the important thing."

At this point, Yue Buqun paused deliberately to allow the children time to process what he had just said.

Only then did he continue speaking amidst the children's bewildered gazes.

"Our Huashan Sect was founded two hundred years ago. The founder did not leave his name, only the surname Lu. The founder, surnamed Lu, passed away not long after he founded the Huashan Sect. Before he passed away, he told his disciples that our Huashan Sect is the true orthodox sect of Xuanmen. The true founder was Guangningzi, Hao Datong, one of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen Sect in the past."

Ok?

Jiang Ning, who had already stood up and was standing to the side, raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Is the Huashan Sect in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer a branch of the Quanzhen Sect? He thought the Huashan Sect in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer was different from the historical Huashan Sect.

Yue Buqun had not mentioned this to them before.

Unlike Jiang Ning's surprise, Lu Dayou and the other Huashan disciples had little reaction.

Some of them didn't like reading, some didn't read history, they didn't know about the Quanzhen Sect, and they had no understanding of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen. So even after Yue Buqun said these things, they only regarded them as the history of the sect.

Unlike his usual indifferent demeanor, Yue Buqun's eyes were now faintly shining, and his entire demeanor was different.

Seeing the puzzled expressions on his disciples' faces, he smiled slightly and said, "It's normal for you to have this reaction. After all, the orthodox Quanzhen Sect of the Xuanmen has now disappeared, leaving only a few branches in the world, and my Huashan Sect is one of them."

"The other branches of the Quanzhen School have gradually disappeared over the past few hundred years, and now only the Huashan School remains. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration for us to call ourselves the orthodox lineage of Xuanmen."

Oh~~

Lu Dayou, Gao Genming, Liang Fa and other disciples nodded blankly.

Upon seeing this, Yue Buqun's smile froze for a moment.

Talking about sect history with these uncultured disciples is like casting pearls before swine.

"Master, is it the Quanzhen Sect founded at the end of the Song Dynasty? And its founder was Wang Chongyang, who led troops to resist the Jin Dynasty?"

At this moment, a voice suddenly came from among the disciples, which made Yue Buqun, who was already a little angry, light up. When he looked in the direction of the voice, he found that it was Jiang Ning.

"good."