Chapter 24: Sweeping Black and Counter-Terrorism, Schools and Regimes

「From today on, you are an entry-level disciple of 'Hong Sheng'. 」

Lao Liang's face showed a relieved smile, as if a great wish had been fulfilled and a heavy burden lifted.

「By past rules, we should offer tea and kowtow, issue a hero's invitation, and hold a mountain-opening banquet.

Since Dongxia has established a new calendar, we won't bother with those complicated formalities; let's keep it simple.

Tonight I'll take you before the memorial tablet to add incense and kowtow, and then you'll be considered a disciple. 」

Hong Sheng?

Seems like quite a reputation!

Qin Shi's eyelids twitched. Is this some old martial arts school?

He read many extracurricular miscellaneous books in his daily life, and had an impression of a wild history called "Jianghu Congtan," which mentioned many strange tales of the martial arts world.

For example, schools stood everywhere, the north and south faced off, various lineages branched out, leading to endless grudges and affections...

In short, in those years when old martial arts were flourishing and powerful, everyone valued "status" and "orthodoxy" extremely highly, to the point of drawing swords and shedding blood, and feuding generation after generation.

Therefore, for the various schools, that plaque, the size of those characters, carried great weight.

It was not something just anyone could put up a name and take disciples.

If you had no skill underneath and couldn't show the real thing, the next day someone would come to smash your signboard, and you'd slink out of the territory in disgrace.

「Young but with a heavy mind, thinking a lot. If Hong Sheng were some big school, the Martial Association would have long since absorbed and pacified them, giving them an official post or two. How could they end up in the hands of a cripple like me? 」

Seeing Qin Shi's brain-supplementing appearance of divergent thinking, Lao Liang was rather helpless:

「In the early years, the martial arts world was full of dragons and fish mixed together, good and bad uneven. To establish a foothold and recruit many disciples, they all had to climb up their origins and take on a loud title.

Most were 'Holy Land Daoist Arenas' with long inheritances, nearly mythical, like 'Shaoshi' and 'Zhenwu'.

But just like ordinary people burning incense and worshipping Buddhas, the Buddha Ancestor and Dao Ancestor are too towering; believers feel their prayers may not be answered, and are more willing to go to small temples.

Among the many small temples, 'Hongmen', 'Qingmen', and 'Daomen' were the most prominent.

The so-called Hong Sheng is the 'Sheng' character generation of Hongmen, a rank neither high nor low, with no outstanding talents or heroes. 」

Qin Shi scratched his head, still not giving up:

「Teacher Liang, back when the Martial Association absorbed and pacified the various schools, didn't our Hong Sheng's ancestors make any progress?

At least become a branch chairman, association president, or honorary committee member or something? Let the disciples and descendants share the glory too! 」

Since he was formally apprenticing to learn arts, he naturally hoped to find a thick thigh to hug, saving twenty years of struggle!

「Hmm, you put it that way, and I really do remember something. 」

Lao Liang suddenly slapped his forehead, his tone suddenly becoming high-spirited.

Such a performance made Qin Shi surprised and delighted.

「Teacher Liang, what did you remember? 」

He impatiently rubbed his hands, preparing to rely on a backer.

「Our Hong Sheng indeed has someone in the Martial Association! 」

「Who? Please tell us in detail, Teacher Liang! 」

Lao Liang deliberately dragged it out slowly, grinding for a while before speaking:

「It's me, your teacher! A member of the Hengzhou Martial Association Branch, and I have an honorary certificate. 」

When I get my section rank, I can get one too!

Qin Shi's mouth corner twitched. Lao Liang was teasing him!

「After all this, is Hong Sheng just you, Teacher Liang, this pillar, plus me, this only sapling? 」

「Young people, be down-to-earth and have fewer dreams of ascending to heaven in one step. Hongmen was once a great school, powerful and mighty, at its peak, that's correct.

But no matter how powerful a Martial Artist is, can they compare to a gun?

How do you think the Martial Association was established? And how did they absorb that group of unruly, undisciplined bastards, each breaking through the Hundred Point Threshold?

These lawless scoundrels, in the Old Era they would stab kings and kill emperors, rebel and plot treason. If they didn't get an Iron Fist, how would they be honest! 」

Taking disciples is just great!

Lao Liang laughed heartily. The storytelling impulse he had suppressed for a long time could finally be released all at once.

「Ancient holy lands like Shaoshi and Zhenwu, standing for thousands and tens of thousands of years, were still sensible. They voluntarily admitted that their fields, temples, and monasteries belonged to social public ownership, and handed over some technique inheritances. So they didn't cause much trouble.

As for Hongmen, Qingmen, and Daomen, why no waves? Because those few Faucets didn't sell face at first. As a result, the next day, they were all defined as illegal criminal groups, and Wanted Orders were issued.

That night, war ships flew into the spaceport, and then launched the third largest high-intensity counter-terrorism exercise. 」

Qin Shi's heart trembled slightly.

This was going from sweeping black to counter-terrorism; clearly it was from raiding homes to exterminating nine clans!

Were these Faucet leaders eating pig oil and muddled in the head?

Or had they acted with impunity for too long and truly couldn't distinguish the big and small kings?

How dare they touch the tiger's whiskers of the state's will?

You must know, Dongxia New Calendar has a total of nine millennia, among which six millennia were spent launching Great Expeditions and Great Reclamation, expanding territory and borders.

A powerful regime with such abundant martial virtue it was off the charts, almost wanting to unify half the galaxy.

How could a group of society-mixing big shots afford to provoke them?

「In about fourteen hours, with less than one-fifth of the forces deployed, all halls were swept clean. During this time, a few old fellows who were half a step from becoming Martial Gods resisted stubbornly, and were trampled to death alive by two hundred Divine Opportunity Armored Division units. 」

「Of course, Yang Shuai was especially merciful, leaving some middle-ranking backbones who turned from dark to light, giving them seats as Honorary Committee Members of the Martial Arts Association Headquarters, allowing them to keep their signboards and run teaching institutions. 」

Lao Liang lightly described a few words, bringing forth a bloody storm in the martial arts world.

Even from another angle, it could be called a "World-Ending Catastrophe"!

「Being able to hold on for over ten hours does show some ability, no wonder they were so arrogant.

But it still feels like they were hit by a head-lowering spell. On what basis do they think their arms can twist over thighs? 」

Qin Shi silently slandered him; those whose names and deeds were recorded in history textbooks, the Nine Marshals renowned for their brilliant war merits, were all Martial God Realm.

Not to mention the fierce soldiers of the war corps stationed on each Ancient Star, each one ferocious.

Especially since New Martial Arts' technology in human body modification was far ahead; it was said that those above the rank of Colonel could voluntarily undergo one or several "Glory Evolutions," such as transplanting more heart and lung organs.

Such terrifying war machines, whether in Qi Life Force or combat power, completely crushed so-called Martial Artists.

They were not in the same league at all!

"Teacher Liang, our Hong Sheng lineage doesn't harbor some irreconcilable blood feud that demands we oppose Dongxia and restore Hong Men, does it?"

"If so, then before the tea ceremony, this apprenticeship doesn't count."

Qin Shi asked cautiously, and took the opportunity to inquire:

"By the way, is there prize money for reporting?"

He was a law-abiding Dongxia Citizen.

He could not be slapped with the big hats of "Old Martial Arts Remnants" and "Hong Men Survivors."

"If I were a Hong Men villain, could I be a teacher at Zidi Xuexiao? This is an official position that requires dual review by the Education Committee and the Martial Association."

Lao Liang laughed; this kid changed faces faster than flipping a book, and was still thinking of trading him for a banner of merit.

Immediately, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.

It was fine; at least his temperament was stronger than mine, understanding flexibility and ambition.

"I told the students at the tutoring class that there's no class today. Since our teacher-disciple relationship is settled, as a teacher I should bring out some real goods and let you see how formidable Old Martial Arts is."

Lao Liang stood up and limped down the steps.

Seeing this, Qin Shi hurriedly supported him, playing the role of a considerate and filial good disciple.

"Teacher Liang, what peerless divine arts does our Hong Sheng Sect have? Don't keep them hidden."

"Hurry up and present them, so this disciple can study and train hard, and become famous as soon as possible!"

Lao Liang once again corrected his disciple's mistaken cognition, and incidentally popularized knowledge:

"You must understand one thing: so-called divine arts and peerless skills are ineffective for most people; this is also one of the reasons Old Martial Arts was replaced by New Martial Arts."

The plotlines often written in Xiao Ji Yuan Wuxia, such as falling off a cliff and accidentally obtaining treasure, mostly deceive outsiders.

Any path of promotion and transformation must take Qi Life Force as the starting point and core.

Martial God Ning Yuanhai's Ancient and Modern Myriad Worlds True Scripture is placed on the fifth underground floor of the Dijing National Museum; if you make an appointment two months in advance, you have a chance to view the original, of course, direct contact is prohibited.

"But you think Martial God Ning donated all his life's blood and sweat for free, so why has no successor from a later generation appeared to this day?"

Qin Shi was stunned for a moment, feeling that what Lao Liang said made a lot of sense.

This was not the ancient era when great clans, nobles, and wealthy families treated inheritance as their life and cherished their own broken brooms.

Top academies like the Four Great National Universities could even use the manuscripts and secret manuals of the First Generation Ten Greats as teaching materials.

"The reason is very simple: Qi Life Force is the greatest threshold."

Lao Liang walked out of the school; he had no cigarettes in his pocket, so he had Qin Shi buy a pack of Li Min:

"For example, Amateur Level entry is Rank Nine, and the passing line is around nine to twelve points."

"But the higher-level martial arts teaching materials, and even the most outstanding special-grade techniques, have requirements for practitioners far greater than this number."

"In other words, the threshold is extremely high."

Qin Shi was very tactful; as usual he bought a pack of Huazi, and while lighting a cigarette asked:

"How high?"

Lao Liang took two puffs, his eyes full of vicissitudes:

"The entry condition for Ning Yuanhai's Ancient and Modern Myriad Worlds True Scripture is a bone age of twenty, Amateur First Rank, and Qi Life Force breaking the Hundred Point Threshold."

Qin Shi's eyelid twitched; the passing line for Amateur Level First Rank was clearly the baseline of fifty-nine to sixty-four.

Martial God Ning was something else, directly raising it by nearly double; what kind of monster would it take to achieve that?

(Chapter End)