Cultivating for Immorality: I Evolved Martial Arts into the Immortal Path – Chapter 130

Chapter 130: Taking a Master

It was already afternoon.

Martial Alliance, Merit Hall.

Chu Liang and Qi Xiuliang sat on one side of the main hall.

There were many other people in the main hall, such as Luo Hong, Li Ren, Qi Hong, and other important figures in the county.

After the events at the martial arts grounds, Chu Liang had intended to return with the other martial arts hall disciples to cultivate, but he was stopped by Li Ren, who asked him to come to the main hall with Qi Xiuliang.

Luo Hong and the others had questions for him.

Chu Liang thought for a moment and guessed that they probably wanted to ask about the origin of the 《Pine and Bamboo Sword Technique》.

Sure enough, after everyone was seated, Luo Hong spoke.

“Qi Xiuliang, was this sword technique you displayed today taught to you by Chu Liang?” Luo Hong asked Qi Xiuliang first.

“Precisely,” Qi Xiuliang replied.

“Is it a third-rate martial skill?” Luo Hong asked again.

“Yes.”

Qi Xiuliang did not deny it.

Hearing this, the others looked at each other.

It was indeed a third-rate martial skill, a precious technique that was not available in the entire county.

Luo Hong asked him, “Does this sword technique have a name?”

“Yes, it’s called the 《Pine and Bamboo Sword Technique》.”

“Hmm, the towering pine, the resilient bamboo, a good name, it suits the sword technique,” Luo Hong praised.

Then, he shifted his gaze to Chu Liang.

The gazes of the others also fell on Chu Liang, with a hint of inquiry.

Chu Liang himself had many mysteries, such as his actual strength. And why did he dare to venture deep into the mountains alone?

Of course, none of that mattered now. Everyone just wanted to know about the 《Pine and Bamboo Sword Technique》.

“Chu Liang, this is your personal matter. If you don’t want to reveal it, we understand,” Luo Hong said to Chu Liang.

“With everyone putting on such a serious display, if I don’t speak, I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave this hall today,” Chu Liang said with a relaxed expression and a smile.

“You brat, you’re the genius that the Alliance Leader values. How dare we lay a hand on you?” Ye Long pursed his lips.

“Just kidding, don’t take it to heart.”

Chu Liang smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

The others understood and did not rush him, waiting for him to finish his tea.

Everyone present was intelligent. Even Ye Long, who was known for his boorishness, was quite astute.

They were well aware that since Chu Liang was willing to teach this sword technique to Qi Xiuliang and allow him to display it in public, it meant that the origin of this sword technique was legitimate and there was nothing he couldn’t say.

After finishing his tea, Chu Liang began to explain, “I used to be a hunter, as you all should know…”

His voice was calm and unhurried as he recounted the story of 【finding the book in the ape’s belly】.

After speaking, he took another sip of tea.

“That’s the story, just a fortuitous encounter,” Chu Liang said casually.

“Just a fortuitous encounter? You brat, how many fortuitous encounters have you had?” Ye Long couldn’t help but say.

“Not many.”

Chu Liang shrugged, looking calm.

Luo Hong smiled and said, “You’re such a genius, favored by heaven and earth. It’s normal for you to have many fortuitous encounters.”

“That’s right. According to the records, those with excellent talent also have luck far beyond ordinary people, and they can often easily obtain treasures that ordinary people cannot,” said Guardian Hall Master Yan Gong.

The others nodded in agreement.

Finding a book in the belly of an ape sounded incredible, but compared to the fortuitous encounters recorded in books, it was actually nothing special.

Some people had fortuitous encounters as soon as they were born. A flying bird delivered a book, and upon opening it, it turned out to be a treasure map leading directly to the ruins of a Grandmaster.

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Others were dragged into the deep mountains by wild beasts when they were young, but instead of dying, they were rescued by a peerless expert living in seclusion and eventually learned a powerful set of skills.

Of course, those fortuitous encounters were too rare, which is why they were recorded.

In comparison, Chu Liang’s 《Pine and Bamboo Sword Technique》 was real and right in front of everyone.

Many of those present did not practice sword techniques, but they were still tempted and wanted to see its contents.

“Ranked martial skills are truly hard to come by.”

Hall Master Li Ren sighed, “A few years ago, when I was training in Jinhua Prefectural City, I was favored by the hall master of a large martial arts hall. At that time, he asked me to take an oath. As long as I was willing to serve as a guard for his martial arts hall for fifteen years, he would let me choose any third-rate martial skill in his hall. But I valued my freedom, so I ultimately gave up.”

“That’s right. The Great Liang has been established for more than two hundred years. Ranked martial skills have long been controlled by the major powers and have become their capital for recruiting guards, thugs, and private soldiers.”

Luo Hong sighed. He had a similar experience.

Ranked martial skills, even the most common third-rate ones, were very difficult to obtain.

There were many more martial arts halls in the prefectural city than in the county town, and some large martial arts halls had third-rate or even second-rate martial skills.

However, to learn those martial skills, one had to sign a contract with the martial arts hall and become a guard of the hall.

In addition to martial arts halls, other major powers in the prefectural city had similar rules. A contract was like a shackle. If you wanted to learn a ranked martial skill, you had to put on the shackles.

As for unranked martial skills, you could learn them with money, just like the rules here in the county. Apprentices were free to come and go as they pleased.

The people in the county town were unwilling to put on shackles, so they could only hope that the imperial court would distribute martial skills to the martial alliances in various places.

Although Anping County Town was small, there was still some hope of obtaining a third-rate martial skill.

“Why not join the prefectural city’s Martial Alliance?” Chu Liang asked. The prefectural city’s Martial Alliance definitely had third-rate martial skills.

“We would like to, but we are not registered residents of the prefectural city. If we want to join the prefectural city’s Martial Alliance, we must serve in this county’s Martial Alliance for at least fifteen years,” Luo Hong explained.

“I see.”

Chu Liang was suddenly enlightened. He didn’t expect that the matter of household registration would have such a great impact on martial artists.

Luo Hong asked, “Chu Liang, are you willing to sell this martial skill to the Martial Alliance?”

“Hall Master Luo, I have already given this martial skill to Brother Qi. You should ask him,” Chu Liang said with a smile.

“Me?”

Qi Xiuliang was stunned.

He quickly realized that Chu Liang was giving him all the possible benefits.

Before he could refuse, Chu Liang said, “Brother Qi, your talent is actually not bad, but your resources are too few. If you had enough resources, breaking through to the Skin Tempering Realm in the future would not be difficult.”

“Brother Chu, you only taught me the martial skill, you never gave it to me!”

Qi Xiuliang immediately refused. He understood the value of a ranked martial skill.

This value could save him at least ten years of hard work!

The two of them went back and forth, neither willing to accept this benefit, which surprised the others in the hall.

At this moment, a hoarse voice suddenly came from outside the hall.

“Alright, stop arguing!”

Hearing this voice, everyone in the hall was startled and stood up.

The local Martial Alliance Leader had arrived!

Soon, a thin old man walked into the hall. It was the person who had stopped Luo Hong and Liang Han that night.

“Qi Xiuliang, are you willing to become my disciple?”

The old man’s words surprised everyone.

He was actually going to take a disciple!

Before this, this Alliance Leader had never had any disciples.

If Qi Xiuliang agreed, he would become the old man’s only disciple!