Chapter 9

Before he knew it, another month had passed, and Niu Youdao increasingly realized that he was under house arrest. As Song Yanqing had said, he could only wander around inside and outside the courtyard and was not allowed to step down the mountain. The so-called rule that new disciples couldn't run around was, in his opinion, just an excuse. If it were merely a rule, would it be necessary to assign someone to guard him in shifts?

He was certain there was something amiss, but he knew too little about the matter to piece together the puzzle and understand what was really going on.

This place was not somewhere a young boy like him could act freely. He could only be patient and take things one step at a time. The only thing he could control was his own cultivation, waiting for the day when this mysterious situation would unravel.

The night sky was dotted with twinkling stars, and no one was sleeping on the bed inside the room. Instead, a person was doing a handstand on the ground beside the bed.

Niu Youdao, bare-chested, held a sword with both hands, using it to support his body in a perfect handstand. His arms were slightly trembling, as if he was struggling to maintain his balance. When one arm could no longer hold, he switched hands in mid-air, his body swaying wildly before he regained control. He was not only training his arm strength but also his dexterity in maintaining balance, coordinating every muscle and part of his body. There were many nuances to this practice.

More importantly, he was training his sword intent, the harmony between his mind and body and the sword, achieving the realm of oneness with the sword. Once he reached this realm, wielding the sword would be effortless, and he could control it with precision.

This method was a special sword training technique from the *Taiyi* manual, known as the 'Chaos Green Lotus Intent.' The handstand caused the blood to rush to his head, and if he held the position for too long, he would feel dazed and confused. The handstand resembled a lotus bud, and when the technique was mastered, it would naturally bloom.

The initial difficulty of this training was evident, but once he could perform it with ease, he would be able to clearly sense the changes in the sword's load-bearing parts, which would greatly benefit his future sword handling.

Being able to perform a handstand with a sword in just over a month might seem insignificant, but it was actually a rapid progress. Niu Youdao had previously spent over a year to reach this level. However, with his previous experience and insights, he knew what to do and how to train, allowing him to skip the trial-and-error phase and achieve more than double the results with half the effort.

After about half an hour, Niu Youdao was drenched in sweat, his face flushed red. Sweat dripped from his head and hands, running down the sword and wetting a large area of the ground.

Finally, his body began to shake violently. Despite his experience, his arm strength had its limits, and he had to bend his waist and put his feet down. He stood still, holding the sword and taking deep breaths to recover his state.

He did not want to make too much noise with the sword, fearing it might alert someone outside, so he gently sheathed it. He wiped the sweat from his body with a towel, put on his clothes, stretched his limbs, and sat cross-legged on the bed, quickly entering a state of deep concentration, forgetting his physical fatigue and practicing his qi cultivation...

As the sky began to lighten and the dawn gradually brightened, Niu Youdao, who had been sitting cross-legged on the bed for over a month, was now breathing more deeply and steadily. His inhalations were like a surging river, filling his organs, and his exhalations were slow and steady, as if filtering something.

As the morning light grew brighter, the sun rose high, casting a golden glow. The awakening of all things also made Niu Youdao feel a bit restless, knowing that the best time for deep concentration had passed. He slowly ended his practice and opened his eyes.

After getting off the bed and stretching his limbs, the fatigue from the previous night's handstand had vanished, leaving him refreshed and invigorated.

It wasn't that he couldn't continue practicing after the best time for deep concentration had passed, but his young body was still growing and was naturally active. His innate tendencies were hard to change, and his blood and qi were easily influenced by the environment. It was enough to seize the best time for practice without being too strict. Additionally, meals were delivered on a schedule, and if he stayed in his room for too long, it might raise suspicion.

Why would a village boy know about cultivation? Given the unclear attitude of the Shangqing Sect towards him, it was better not to reveal too much. He had no self-protection ability at the moment, and it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble until he understood the situation better.

There was a mountain stream flowing through the courtyard. After washing up, Niu Youdao opened the courtyard gate and walked out. Xu Yitian, who had been sitting cross-legged under the peach tree all night, turned around at the sound of the door opening and slowly stood up.

Niu Youdao went over and greeted him. After a brief conversation, Chen Guishuo, carrying a food box, arrived to take over the shift.

Xu Yitian left, and he would return at lunchtime. Chen Guishuo would bring the evening meal, and the two would take turns guarding and delivering meals.

If the Shangqing Sect valued him so much, Niu Youdao would have been a failure in the martial world if he couldn't see through their intentions.

Knowing this, Niu Youdao didn't point it out and quickly ate his breakfast.

He was diligent and washed the bowls and chopsticks, putting them back in the food box and placing it under the peach tree, where Chen Guishuo would take it away later.

"Senior Brother Chen, could you get me a reclining chair?" Niu Youdao made a request. Since his visit to the Shangqing Palace and his refusal of 'excessive' demands, Song Yanqing's attitude had improved, and he had encouraged Niu Youdao to ask for anything he needed, promising to fulfill reasonable requests.

Chen Guishuo, who was sniffing a peach blossom, turned around and laughed, "What do you need a reclining chair for at your age? You're not lazy, are you?"

Niu Youdao pointed to the peach tree, "I'll put it here. It feels uncomfortable for the senior brothers to sit on the ground."

Chen Guishuo understood and patted Niu Youdao on the shoulder, praising him, "That's thoughtful. Alright, I'll get it for you."

Niu Youdao gave him a bright smile and looked around at the beautiful mountain scenery, "Senior Brother, this is a great place. I bet the Shangqing Sect is one of the most prestigious sects in the cultivation world, right?"

He only asked these questions when Chen Guishuo was around, as he had noticed that the Shangqing Sect seemed to be hiding something from him.

Song Yanqing rarely visited and was unpredictable, making him hard to deal with. Xu Yitian was tight-lipped and wouldn't say anything, while Chen Guishuo couldn't keep his mouth shut and had already revealed quite a bit, though mostly trivial matters. Whenever the conversation touched on anything related to Niu Youdao, Chen Guishuo would quickly change the subject.

"Ha ha!" Chen Guishuo chuckled, but after a moment's thought, he shook his head, "Alright, I'll tell you. The Shangqing Sect was once very prestigious, the largest sect in the Yan Kingdom. Our founding ancestor was the imperial advisor of the Yan Kingdom..."

In a rambling self-praise, he explained that after the Wu Kingdom unified the world and then collapsed, the world became a battleground of warlords. The descendants of the once-mighty Shang Dynasty, after many trials, established the Yan Kingdom. The founding ancestor of the Shangqing Sect was a great contributor and was appointed as the imperial advisor. This was the most prosperous period for the Shangqing Sect, with over ten thousand disciples. However, due to various reasons, the sect gradually declined, and now it has only a few hundred disciples.

As for the current status of the Shangqing Sect in the cultivation world, Chen Guishuo avoided the topic, seemingly unwilling to discuss it. Niu Youdao understood that it might be embarrassing to mention.

Seeing that he didn't want to talk about it, Niu Youdao changed the subject, "Song Senior Brother usually visits every few days, but I haven't seen him in a while. I miss him."

Chen Guishuo laughed, "Tang Senior Sister is known as the most beautiful woman in Ziyun County, and her wedding is approaching. Song Senior Brother has to be attentive..."

Realizing what he had said, he spat and waved his hand dismissively, "Why am I telling you this, a little kid? You wouldn't understand anyway."

Niu Youdao blinked and feigned displeasure, "Why wouldn't I understand? Is Song Senior Brother going to marry Tang Senior Sister?"

"Wow, you're a smart kid!" Chen Guishuo laughed and patted his shoulder, "If everything goes well, Tang Senior Sister will be the next sect leader. Get ready for the wedding."

Niu Youdao was curious about Song Yanqing, as he noticed that Chen Guishuo and Xu Yitian treated him with a deference that went beyond the respect for a senior brother. He probed, "Is it because Song Senior Brother will be the husband of the sect leader that you fear him?"

Chen Guishuo glared at him, "Little brat, what are you talking about?"

Niu Youdao, "Am I wrong? Is it because he's an inner disciple, and you and Senior Brother Xu are not? I've been wondering, you and Senior Brother Xu seem just as capable as Song Senior Brother. Why is he an inner disciple, and you two are not?"

At this, Chen Guishuo seemed a bit melancholic and sat down on the roots of the peach tree, "Little junior, sometimes it's not just about ability. Background is also important..."

His words revealed a hint of disappointment, hinting at Song Yanqing's background. Song Yanqing's father, Song Shu, was a direct disciple of Elder Tang Susu. More importantly, Song Yanqing's grandfather, Song Jiuming, was a close confidant of Grand Minister Tong Mo, holding the position of Tingwei, one of the nine high officials in the imperial court. After leaving the Shangqing Sect, Song Shu had served as a mage escort to Song Jiuming, a common practice for court officials to have mages for protection.

Of course, the Tingwei had more than one son and more than one grandson, and Song Shu was not the only mage escort. However, having his own son as his protector was more trustworthy. In the current state of the Shangqing Sect's decline, it relied on the Song family's power for protection and resources. Without the Song family's support, the Shangqing Sect would have been destroyed by other sects long ago. In such a situation, would it be a problem for Song Yanqing to become an inner disciple, even if his talent was lacking?

Niu Youdao understood. The Grand Minister was essentially the prime minister, and Song Yanqing's grandfather was the prime minister's confidant, holding the position of Tingwei, which controlled the country's judicial power. No wonder.

"Ah, you wouldn't understand these things," Chen Guishuo waved his hand, slightly self-mocking.