Chapter 930
: Practicing Martial Arts Is Not as Good as Being an Official
Chapter 930: Practicing Martial Arts Is Not as Good as Being an Official
Inside the marching tent,
Everyone looked around in silence and listened quietly.
The disciples knew what the elder said, but although the uncle was young, he was of a very high generation. When something went wrong during the practice, the headmaster and the elders were very anxious and looked for medicine everywhere.
Zhang Tiansong seemed to be interested in making a move. Although he looked a little embarrassed, he did not hide it. If Luo Yunhou had any intention, he could not hide it.
And he said:
"My Lord, haste makes waste. You know the truth that steel is easily broken if it is too thick. Therefore, all the famous first-rate masters or second-rate masters who have practiced martial arts for many years have spent a lot of effort. Ordinary people practice martial arts for half a lifetime and are only at the level of the mainstream. Most of them are not even at the level. Some people who are too eager for success will damage their bodies and minds, and they will become possessed and there is no hope for them."
Sigh,
It reveals the not-so-secret secret of the martial arts world, which is mostly filled with sorrow and hardship. Many people fight for silver and precious medicines. The changes in sects and tragedies in the martial arts world are all caused by this. This is true for all major sects in the world. Only Taoism and Buddhism are prosperous and have no shortage of money. Other sects do not have these conditions, unless they, like the White Lotus Sect, rebel and raise the banner to rob wealth.
This explanation was simple and clear, and it was like peeling off the veil of the martial arts world. Zhang Jinyu suddenly realized that he understood it. It turned out to be the same as being an official, seeking money and resources, one for promotion and power, the other for martial arts status. Whoever has more money, more good things, and better martial arts will have the upper hand. The essence has not changed, so it is better to be an official. After having money, you can practice martial arts if you want to. If you don’t want to practice, you can still have a beautiful wife and concubines, and delicacies from mountains and seas. People live for enjoyment. It’s stupid to suffer that.
No wonder everyone in the world wants to study. Unless they are desperate, they will practice martial arts and join the army, or enter the underworld. It is better to become an official than to practice martial arts!
As for what the Taoist said about swallowing the essence, as the saying goes, it means eating to replenish the body's consumption. The better the food, the more replenishment, and the greater the progress in martial arts training. Such high-sounding words are just clichés. I think the coaches in the gym in the past life used expensive food and things. The set meal added some high-protein powder, and then some milk. Many people also bought ginseng slices and wolfberries to drink. It turns out to be the same principle.
No wonder I am always hungry after practicing swordplay. I am not good at eating. I eat little and the food is relatively poor in quality. If I had known earlier, I would have taken wild ginseng as a snack. Fortunately, I brought some with me in the carriage. I will try to eat some when I go back tomorrow.
Looking at the Taoist disciples in the tent, I couldn't help but sigh in my heart. They all worked hard in practicing. Fortunately, Taoists could still eat meat and marry wives. Compared with them, those monks were much more miserable. But it was hard to say who was good or bad. Everyone had their own wants.
Thinking about how Zhang Tianshi was eager to exchange for purple ginseng to save people, that little uncle should not have made gradual progress. It was probably because he practiced too hastily that he suffered from his health. The famous sects said nice things and fought for power and profit.
"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Elder. I'll take this thing. The Taoist Qi-nourishing Technique is unique in the world. I'll take a look at it to cultivate my body and mind. I can't take a Taoist bead for nothing. There is only one Taoist bead produced in Longhu Mountain every year. Although it's not extremely rare, it's still rare. I'll pay 10,000 taels of silver to buy it. How do you think?"
Turn around,
When Zhang Tianshi saw that the Marquis was so easy to talk to, he dared not ask for money. The little apprentice sister urgently needed a life-saving medicine and could not delay any longer, so he stood up and bowed;
"My Lord, you are kindhearted. I got the upper hand in this deal. The precious medicine that is 200 years old is very rare. How can I ask for more money? Longhu Mountain owes you a favor. The Three Pure Ones Sutra is the secret of our sect. Please don't pass it on to others. I will give you the beads to play with. We only ask to go to the capital tonight to get the precious medicine."
Seeing how anxious they were, Zhang Jinyu did not stop them. Saving people was the right thing to do, so he ordered;
"In this case, I agree. Ningbian, return the things outside to the Taoist priests and go back now. Two days is enough time to get to the capital. Saving people is the most important thing. If there is a chance, I will definitely visit the headmaster of Longhu Mountain in the future."
The few people were very grateful. Without saying much, Zhang Tiansong stood up and led his disciples to pay great respects.
"Thank you, Lord. I'll take my leave."
After packing up your things and leaving the tent, you will be escorted out of the camp by your personal soldiers!
The wind blew.
The noisy camp that stretched for dozens of miles was right behind them. Zhang Yunsong led his disciples out of the camp and headed north. Looking back, the army camp was like a giant dragon, lurking in the darkness.
The disciples behind him all had some thoughts in their minds. Tan Liangcai left the camp, sighed quietly, and suddenly asked;
"Uncle Master, there are few such large armies in the world. Luo Yunhou has reached the peak of his energy and spirit. In a short time, as long as he finds the right opportunity, he will be able to break through to the level of a first-class master. However, he knows nothing about the world of martial arts and doesn't even know how to practice martial arts. Could it be that there are really people in the world whose innate energy cannot be dispersed?"
"Yes, Luo Yunhou is so young, even if he has been practicing since his mother's womb, he would not have made such progress. I have been practicing since I was a child, but now I have barely passed the third-rate internal strength, and my external skills are just getting started. It's incredible."
Another disciple followed suit, and judging by his attire, his status was not low either. The leader, Zhang Tianshi, sighed.
"There are all kinds of people in the world. Even if you meet someone who is born with innate talent, don't be surprised. Above the first-class level is the innate level, and after the innate level is the master level. According to his spirit, Luo Yunhou should have broken through to the first-class level long ago. Unfortunately, his kidney water is deficient, and he didn't replenish it properly and cultivate his body and mind, so he was delayed."
There are some things that can be said, and some things that cannot be said. The martial arts cultivation that people in the martial arts world value is impatient, but for a frontier official like Luo Yunhou, whose power influences the world, power is the foundation, so if others don't ask, he will never dare to mention it.
"Uh, Uncle Master, why didn't you remind Marquis Luo Yun in the big tent and establish a good relationship?"
Tan Liangcai asked foolishly, but in his heart he was envious of Luo Yunhou's talent. Now, he has just entered the second-rate realm, and he doesn't know when he can touch the edge of the first-rate realm. Why is there such a big gap between people? He has been practicing martial arts and meditation since he was a child, strengthening his muscles and bones, reading scriptures, practicing and nourishing qi, and has never slacked off for more than ten years. Only then did he gain the reputation of the chief disciple of Longhu Mountain. But compared with Luo Yunhou, he felt ashamed of himself. Alas.
When he was lost in thought, a disciple behind him chuckled and comforted him;
"Brother, you are joking. Everyone in the capital knows that Marquis Luo Yun is greedy for money and lustful. He has recruited beautiful women from all over the world to enter his mansion. His wives and concubines are all stunning beauties. With such behavior, how can he concentrate on practicing Taoism and cultivating his body and mind in a boring way? Brother, don't belittle yourself. We have just entered the mainstream, but you are already a second-rate master. We are far behind."
If they are not from the martial world, they will not value these things. If it were them, they would not be able to practice it. Maybe they would not practice it. It is not bad to enjoy the pleasures of the world.
"Shut up,"
When everyone was still laughing secretly, the uncle turned around and warned everyone,
"You should know that the mouth can cause trouble. There are many experts in the court. All the thousand households in the Imperial City Department are third-rate warriors or above. No matter how many people there are in the martial arts world, they are just a pile of loose sand. Marquis Luo Yun is comparable to the princes and vassal kings. How can he be treated as a martial arts person? His heart is not in it. If he takes good care of his body, everything will go smoothly."
"Yes, uncle."
Although they were not convinced, they did not talk back. They kicked their horses and galloped towards the official road of the capital, hoping to get the precious medicine quickly.
Inside the big tent,
Zhang Jinyu read the Taoist scriptures for a while and gained a little. Anyway, he felt comfortable after sitting for a while, but he was getting hungry. Thinking of what the old Taoist said, he pulled Yue'er over.
"Yue'er, bring me one ginseng."
"Yes, I wonder if you want to make soup, or..."
Lan Yue'er had already made the bed in the room. She took out a wild ginseng from a box and walked over. Zhang Jinyu was not polite and grabbed it in his hand. The ginseng had a long beard, which was full and slender, just like a human shape. The skin was brown with lines. It smelled a bit earthy and medicinal. It was gray and ugly, and didn't look good. However, it was at least fifty years old.
Looking at the wine on the table, I took it and rinsed it, then closed my eyes and put it in my mouth and took a sip. It was like a cup of wax. After a few sips, there was no reaction, so I simply swallowed it all. Then I meditated for a while and felt a warm current flowing into my waist. It was warm and I didn't know if it was too comfortable, but suddenly the Yang energy in my body surged, and my body instantly felt lighter, refreshed, strong in my waist, and my lower body was yang-moving.
Unfortunately, the woman has it, but there are other people in the tent, so I can only bear it.
"My dear, are you feeling better?"
Seeing that her husband's energy and spirit were hidden within his body, Lan Yue'er was delighted. Her husband had broken through to the first-rate realm, his mind had returned to its true nature, and his divine light was restrained.
It seems!
The sutra given by the old Taoist is real. I was just worrying whether I should send a pigeon to tell the young lady about this. There are many top sutras in the sect. My husband has never liked these since he was a child. He only has one top swordsmanship of the White Lotus Sect that he likes to practice. He is very talented and has already surpassed the second-rate level. Why didn't the young lady let the Marquis learn it later?
"Well, it feels good, and I feel relaxed all over. The old Taoist didn't lie. I'll have more of this stuff in the future. Also, I'll need to wash it clean. The fishy smell of dirt in my mouth is hard to swallow!"
Still feeling uncomfortable in his mouth, he picked up the wine jug, took a sip, rinsed his mouth, and spit it out. Only then did he feel much better.
"I understand, sir. However, self-cultivation is about cultivating the body and mind. Although martial arts training is good, it is exhausting and harmful to the body. You must not indulge in it and harm your body. Progressing gradually is the right way."
Lan Yue'er was still worried and reminded her that she would discuss her husband's martial arts training with the young lady after returning.
"Well, I know. You can't overwork yourself, or you'll easily die. It's getting late, so let's go to bed first. We still need to travel tomorrow."
He moved and returned to the west bed. He pulled Lan Yue to the bed and covered her with a quilt. In an instant, the two of them disappeared from the bed. They huddled in the quilt and kept moving and tossing.
King Zhou Ding of Jin, who was behind the curtain on the east side, heard no more noise from the west, and then he undressed and lay down. He heard clearly what Luo Yunhou and the Taoist said just now. All the martial arts were minor skills. He practiced occasionally, but he was very depressed and exhausted. He fished for three days and dried the net for two days. In addition, he had to study the books of sages, the way of governing a country, and the tactics of war. How could he finish so many courses? He just gave up martial arts and ignored it. Besides, we are all mortals, and we cannot stop the advantage of weapons and armor. Even famous masters cannot defend against bows and crossbows. The right thing to do is to ensure the safety of the court. Why did Zhou Huaijin from Uncle Wang's family contact Longhushan, the leader of the Taoist sect? It's not that they have never been involved in the affairs of the court. Zhou Huaijin really did it just for the sake of the true scripture.
It was unlikely. The collection in the palace was more than that in Longhu Mountain. The rubbings of the secret books of various sects were hidden in the Heavenly Book Pavilion of the Imperial City Department. Could it be that they were using this as an excuse to recruit disciples from the martial arts world? Thinking of the people kept by Uncle Wang's house, Zhou Ding was very unhappy and fell asleep in a daze. He only vaguely heard bursts of suppressed breathing not far away.
A night of silence,
The sun rises and the stars are white, the light on the horizon pierces the sea of clouds and jumps out of the sky.
In front of the South City Gate,
When the city gates opened,
A group of cavalry rushed into the city gate in a panic, causing many soldiers guarding the city to want to stop them, but General Han, who had woken up early, stopped his men from rushing forward.
"Let them in. He is the second son of Prince Zhongshun's palace. Why is he entering the city at this time?"
Han Ling was somewhat puzzled. The reason why he came early today was because he had received a reward from the Marquis that day. With the money, he took a young lady from a merchant's house that he had taken a fancy to and brought her to his house as a concubine. He enjoyed himself for a few days. Although he felt happy, his body was not feeling well. That was why he got up early to guard the city tower for a few days to take a break.
Unexpectedly, I ran into the second young master early in the morning. I didn't even have a conversation with him. He asked curiously,
The captain of the city gate shouted for the people to disperse, then came to the general and smiled;
"General, I don't know. It was strange last night. When I was inspecting the city wall last night, I saw two fires in the distance outside the city overnight. They were very dazzling. Something must have happened."
Han Ling's face changed after thinking about it. There were two fires in one night. Someone must have set the fire. It was not far from the capital. So there must be a thief spying.
"We won't care about anything outside the city, but we will strictly check the city gates. I will send more than a thousand soldiers to guard the city gates. Please be careful and check them thoroughly."
"General, rest assured. I have never made a mistake with these two eyes of mine. If there is any problem, I am willing to accept the punishment."
The captain patted his chest and made the promise. He couldn't guarantee anything else, but he had been guarding the city gate for more than ten years. He could tell at a glance that the common people, the Chamber of Commerce people, and the martial arts heroes entering the city gate were of that temperament. It was strange to say that during this period of time, there were quite a few people from the martial arts world coming in and out. If you paid close attention, most of them were the followers of Prince Zhongshun's Mansion. He didn't know what the prince was planning to do.
inside the city,
After entering the city, the second son Zhou Huaijin, despite being exhausted, turned a corner at the Nancheng Town Square and headed straight to the Imperial City Sinan Pacification Office. He also sent General Sun back to inform his father,
When he was near the government office, he dismounted and rushed into the government office. The imperial guards standing guard at the door wanted to stop him, but were stopped by the soldiers brought by the second son. Just as he was about to sound the alarm,
Zhou Huaijin rushed into the main hall.
Shouted loudly;
"Commander Ma, this young master wants to see you. Please send troops out of the city immediately. The hunting palace in the Anyang Mountains has been captured by the Taiping Religious bandit army."
Commander Shi Ma Mengquan, who was sitting in the inner hall, was reading the secret report carefully. The noise outside reached his ears. He frowned and looked at a figure who broke into the hall. He was a little flustered and tired. He frowned. Why would the second son of Prince Zhou come here? The hunting palace was near the mountains south of Anhu Lake, which was a half-day journey away.
Where did the bandits come from, and how did they get there? Confused, he stood up and bowed;
"So it was the Second Young Master who was present. I wonder if what the Second Young Master said is true?"
This can also be considered a merit. As long as the number of people is not large, his Southern Pacification Office can handle it. Now he owes a lot of favors to the royal palace and recruits many clean-handed martial arts masters to join his army. It is not reasonable to ignore it.
Zhou Huaijin stopped to take a breath, and seeing that it was Commander Ma Shi who was in the hall, he didn't dare to waste time and blurted out;
"Greetings, Commander Shi. Last night, I was attacked in the hunting palace and led my army to fight to the death. The Taiping sect bandits numbered about 4,000. They seemed to have been lying in ambush for a long time. They attacked fiercely and coordinated in battle formations. They did not seem to be scattered and guerrillas."
When we were trying to break out last night, if it weren't for Master Jiang's superb martial arts skills, he would have cut a path to escape, and we would have been entangled by those thieves and would have been unable to escape.
It was because of this incident that I changed my views on the people in the martial arts world. I remembered that my elder brother looked down on them. Maybe my father was right. No matter what, my life was saved by those people in the martial arts world.
"They don't look like guerrillas, they are the elite of the Taiping Sect."
Ma Mengquan quickly searched for the secret letter on the table, but did not find any useful information. However, he did not dare to delay and shouted,
"Li Zhenfushi, immediately gather 2,000 guards from the Imperial City Department, bring dry food, and prepare to leave the city, all on horseback."
"Yes, my lord."
The pacification envoy Li Yun clasped his fists outside the palace, and then ordered the centurion Yu Daying to blow the horn to gather the troops. Now, most of the guards trained by the Southern Pacification Office have followed the three princes to the east, and the remaining people added up to only more than 2,000 people, and there are no more soldiers to be mobilized, unless they are borrowed.
Seeing the Imperial City Division mobilizing troops, the Second Young Master's expression eased a little, but he felt that the commander was a little too arrogant. Two thousand people were chasing four thousand people. The enemy was outnumbered and we were at a disadvantage. Besides, there were many masters among the enemy. How could these few people do it?
"Commander Shi, the other side has a lot of people and there are some martial arts masters mixed in. I don't know if two thousand people are enough."
A friendly reminder, don't let anything go wrong, we can't afford it.
Unexpectedly,
Ma Mengquan smiled contemptuously, stretched out his hand to help the second young master up, and comforted him;
"Don't worry, Second Young Master. The Southern Pacification Division has been completely transformed and is now fully armed. Thanks to your father, it has recruited many clean-handed martial arts masters. This commander will borrow a few thousand-household masters from the Northern Pacification Division. Even if the other party has a thorough plan, with two thousand soldiers, do they dare to come out?"
The ruthless and confident words also reassured the second son Zhou Huaijin, so he simply stopped asking questions.
"In that case, Commander, speed is of the essence. Perhaps we can find some clues."
"Okay, sir, please."
The two men stopped talking and mounted their horses with their men. Then, Li Yun blew the horn, and a large number of cavalrymen rushed out of the South Pacification Office and headed straight for the South City Gate, shocking many people and causing them to look sideways.
Around the corner from the tavern,
There were many diners around.
Looking at the Imperial City Guards speeding past at the street entrance, the two people at a table in the corner looked solemn. Luo Fei, the head of the Taiping Church, lowered his voice and asked;
"Wan Sheng, is there something wrong outside the city?"
"Brother, most of our spies have evacuated and we haven't been able to gather intelligence in time. We need to send people out to find out the details. However, the people from the Imperial City Division are so anxious and panicked. I suspect that the changes outside the city may be a hidden trick left by Sect Leader Chu."
I feel something in my heart. Now the people in the capital are in panic. The battle in southern Beijing shocked the world, rumors are spreading in the martial arts world, and the White Lotus Sect is taking advantage of the situation. What should I do?
(End of this chapter)