Returning to his thatched hut, Tianhui sat at the edge of the rugged cliff and looked down.
The bustling Daoists of the Huashan Sect, followed by an endless line of merchants and martial artists awkwardly trailing behind, stretched on endlessly.
They looked just like a swarm of ants.
The scenery of the Huashan Sect visible below Lianhua Peak was changing day by day.
"It seems the rumors are spreading further."
Just as he was looking with a satisfied expression—
"Martial Uncle!"
Chijian's shout struck his ears.
Chijian, as if in such a hurry for some reason, came running even employing movement techniques.
"Hah, hah. Martial Uncle. A, a guest has arrived."
"A guest? Who?"
"Well..."
At that moment, a light breeze blew, and the Wulian Pavilion Master with a cold, sharp impression appeared.
"Have you returned safely?"
"Xianyang Martial Uncle?"
Tianhui looked at his appearance with an unexpected expression.
'Why did he come all the way here?'
Tianhui's question was natural.
He and the Wulian Pavilion Master maintained a somewhat friendly relationship. They had bumped into each other frequently at the Wanjing Pavilion and exchanged greetings.
However, until now, he had never personally visited his thatched hut.
"What brings you here?"
"I came because there is something I want to ask."
"Something to ask?"
For a moment, Xianqing from this morning came to mind.
"What is it?"
"What kind of training did you exactly make the disciples who left with you do?"
The Wulian Pavilion Master's eyes narrowed.
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen he met today were completely different from before.
To be precise, their martial arts and internal energy were the same, but their mindset—their inner selves—had changed.
The disciples, who were immature just the day before their Jianghu debut, had grown into proper Plum Blossom Swordsmen in just a few days.
As if...
'They had become entirely different people.'
Tianhui stared at the Wulian Pavilion Master, who was lost in thought, and asked with a puzzled expression.
"Did they not tell you what kind of training they received?"
"They did not."
The Wulian Pavilion Master frowned.
He too wanted to hear the answer directly.
However, when he asked the disciples what kind of training they received from Tianhui, their faces turned pale blue, and they trembled silently.
"So, inevitably, to find out what kind of training it was, I came to look for you directly."
The Wulian Pavilion Master's eyes burned.
Having clearly witnessed the growth of the disciples yesterday, he had been constantly plagued with curiosity.
'What kind of training did they receive to achieve such remarkable growth in just a few days? Or did the people themselves change?'
Therefore, knowing it might be a nuisance, he came personally.
"If you don't mind, could you tell me that method as well?"
"I don't mind that much, but..."
Tianhui looked at the Wulian Pavilion Master, whose eyes were sparkling, and moved his lips.
"I used the Bianti Qigong."
"Bianti Qigong...?"
A gasp escaped the Wulian Pavilion Master's mouth.
"It's a type of Yujia Qigong that maximizes the flexibility of the entire body, and it's quite good."
The Wulian Pavilion Master's eyes grew incredibly wide.
Physical flexibility was one of the most important virtues for a martial artist, but it was extremely difficult to attain.
But to maximize that?
Hearing the explanation, he understood why their martial arts skills had become outstanding.
"It must be an external Qigong."
"Well, roughly similar."
'It's a bit different, but since the result is the same, it doesn't matter.'
It had a different nature from that, but Tianhui, finding the explanation bothersome, glossed over it.
"Then, can you show me this Bianti Qigong?"
"I don't mind, but there's a problem in exchange for making the whole body flexible."
"A problem...?"
"It hurts quite a bit."
The Wulian Pavilion Master, who had tensed up thinking it was a serious problem, let out a chuckle.
"Pain is nothing to worry about..."
"P, Pavilion Master!"
Chijian, who was listening to the conversation from the side, called out to the Wulian Pavilion Master in alarm. He carefully opened his mouth with a pale face.
"Y, you shouldn't do that..."
"What are you talking about?"
The Wulian Pavilion Master's gaze sharpened.
"Do you think I can't endure even that much pain?"
Chijian gasped and swallowed his breath.
But even so, he didn't give up.
"N, no. But it would be better if you didn't..."
"Quiet."
The Wulian Pavilion Master, who coldly cut off Chijian's words, approached Tianhui and said.
"What on earth is it that causes such a fuss? I need to check the effects of the Bianti Qigong myself as soon as possible."
"Alright. Then you have to sit in the lotus position first."
"The lotus position? Hmm, understood."
The Wulian Pavilion Master, who obediently followed Tianhui's words, took the lotus position, and soon Tianhui's hands struck his acupoints like lightning.
Ta-ta-tat!
Surprise filled the Wulian Pavilion Master's eyes.
'Such a technique...!'
Unaware of Tianhui's martial prowess, the Wulian Pavilion Master was shocked by the hand movements, which were like lightning that even his eyes couldn't follow.
"Did he strike eighteen acupoints and qi meridians in that short moment...?"
But that was not all.
Tianhui's hand movements became even more unpredictable, and the Wulian Pavilion Master's eyes, feeling it, gradually changed as well.
'How can this be! Such a fast technique... It wasn't for nothing that the Sect Master Senior Brother and Xiandao Senior Brother treasured Tianhui.'
Only then did he gradually understand the figures of the senior brothers who had cared for and cherished Tianhui.
'The future of Huashan is bright!'
A smile formed on his face, and warmth seeped into his previously cold impression.
Right then, Tianhui also stopped his hands.
"It's done now."
"Is that so? But I heard it accompanies quite a bit of pain, is it oka—. Ugh!"
At that moment, a scream like a pig being slaughtered erupted from the Wulian Pavilion Master's mouth.
Along with that, his whole body began to twist bizarrely, and veins bulged on his forehead.
Creak!
Clenching his teeth and enduring the pain, he opened his bloodshot eyes wide and muttered.
"S, so this is why they turned pale when asked what kind of training it was..."
Now he understood their feelings.
Meanwhile, Tianhui stared at the Wulian Pavilion Master enduring the pain with a renewed gaze.
'Oh! He's enduring this?'
He also knew how hard it was to endure the pain of Bianti Qigong.
"N, now... it's done."
Tianhui immediately released the Bianti Qigong.
With a cracking sound, the Wulian Pavilion Master's twisted body returned to normal.
"You're the first person to endure the Bianti Qigong for this long, Martial Uncle."
It was a compliment from the bottom of his heart.
"I, is that so?"
The Wulian Pavilion Master, who smiled bitterly, wiped the sweat from his forehead and then moved his body.
"This is truly an amazing result."
The Wulian Pavilion Master moved his body here and there and muttered unconsciously.
A lightened body and soft movements.
The result was clearly felt.
He wanted to use it on all the disciples of the Huashan Sect right now.
However.
'Will the disciples be able to endure this?'
The pain was so great that it completely offset all these advantages.
'I almost fainted.'
Swallowing dry saliva, he looked at Tianhui.
"But when did you learn such a unique Yujia Qigong?"
"At the Wanjing Pavilion."
Tianhui casually lied.
'Who knows if it's in the Wanjing Pavilion or not?'
"At the Wanjing Pavilion... I see."
As expected, the Wulian Pavilion Master accepted it.
He didn't doubt it because it was already a widely known fact in the Huashan Sect that Tianhui visited the Wanjing Pavilion every day.
"But it's amazing. That they would obediently receive the Bianti Qigong..."
The Wulian Pavilion Master paused mid-sentence.
Because at that moment, Chijian was showing a troubled expression.
"No, there's no way they received it obediently."
"Right."
"How did you do it?"
"I made them choose one of two options."
"They chose?"
"They couldn't even swing their swords properly in actual combat. So I made them do a somewhat effective training, but they refused, so I inevitably had to use that."
At Tianhui's words, putting heavy emphasis on 'inevitably', the Wulian Pavilion Master's face turned cold.
"Did you just say they refused training?"
"Yes."
In an instant, he raised his eyebrows with eyes like ice and clenched his teeth.
"What kind of training did they refuse?"
"Swinging the Sancai Sword Technique ten thousand times."
"Just the Sancai Sword Technique... ten thousand times?"
The Wulian Pavilion Master let out a bewildered exclamation.
He thought it was an extraordinary training, but swinging the Sancai Sword Technique ten thousand times?
It was terrible just thinking about it.
"I, is that true?"
"Yes."
The Wulian Pavilion Master covered his forehead.
It was definitely a difficult training.
However.
"Even so, to refuse training. Sigh, have I been training them too comfortably all this time?"
Sighing, he shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I should have put them through harsh training, but you did it instead... I have received help from you."
The Wulian Pavilion Master smiled bitterly.
'Since his body is weak, I hoped he wouldn't get involved in our sect's affairs as much as possible...'
The Tianhui he knew was a weak child.
Weak in both body and mind.
But not anymore.
'To have the skill to become a Plum Blossom Swordsman at any time, and the heart to volunteer for the villain role for the sake of the disciples' growth, even if it means taking insults.'
He was more than just a Daoist. He could truly be called a Daoist of the Huashan Sect.
'Kang left a treasure behind.'
A smile hung on the Wulian Pavilion Master's lips.
"Ah, more importantly than that..."
He trailed off and approached Tianhui, whispering in his ear.
"Can you teach me that?"
"The Bianti Qigong?"
The Wulian Pavilion Master nodded.
"But as you can see, the pain is severe, so the disciples won't like receiving it. Are you sure that's okay?"
"Hahaha. If so, wouldn't it be fine to do exactly the same as you did? Whether to swing the Sancai Sword Technique ten thousand times a day, or to receive this Bianti Qigong. The decision is up to the disciples, isn't it?"
In an instant, the corners of Tianhui's mouth curled up, and the look in his eyes as he watched him changed.
'Oho. He's saying he'll use it on his disciples even after experiencing that pain? Nice.'
Tianhui's eyes curved into a smile.
"Teaching you is easy enough."
"Then, I ask of you."
"First, the qi and blood..."
Tianhui recited the incantation of the Bianti Qigong.
"And then stimulate the acupoints and qi meridians... So that's how you loosen the muscles?"
The Wulian Pavilion Master, who was listening to that, constantly let out exclamations of admiration in between.
"You've memorized it all, right?"
"I've memorized it all."
The Wulian Pavilion Master, who had memorized the entire incantation of the Bianti Qigong at once, nodded.
"Thank you."
The Wulian Pavilion Master, who once again gave his thanks, met his eyes with a relieved expression.
"If you ever need my help, come find me anytime... No, just come find me anytime if you're bored."
"I will if there's a reason to go."
"Yes, make sure to come."
The Wulian Pavilion Master, who heard Tianhui's answer, left Lianhua Peak with a satisfied face.
Meanwhile, Chijian looked at the retreating Wulian Pavilion Master and apologized to his fellow disciples inwardly.
'I'm sorry I couldn't stop him.'
A feeling of pity arose naturally.
He tried somehow to stop the Bianti Qigong from being passed on, but it was useless.
The Wulian Pavilion Master was that determined.
"Amitabha."
Just as he was about to mourn with a pitying expression, recalling the figures of the disciples who would soon be subjected to the Bianti Qigong by the Wulian Pavilion Master.
'He was quite a decent guy.'
Tianhui smiled with satisfaction.
Whether the disciples writhed in pain due to the Bianti Qigong or not, he didn't care.
He just liked the Wulian Pavilion Master, who accepted the Bianti Qigong that other Daoists of the Xian generation would have made a fuss about and refused.
'I should teach him something else next time we meet.'
Who could have known.
That this brief meeting between the two would become the cause of screams running rampant throughout the Huashan Sect in the future.