Why do I have so many masters?

Wang Anfeng had perfected the Yi Chan Gong martial arts within him, and with the external pressure applied, he had entered the threshold of the Golden Bell Shield. Therefore, in just half an hour, he had already memorized the operational method of the first level of the Golden Bell Shield.

The originally tranquil and balanced Inner Strength of the Yi Chan Gong had transformed entirely into a fierce, vast, and unbreakable Golden Bell Shield Inner Qi.

His eyes slightly opened, and a flash of light seemed to pass through his clear pupils, which then became even cleaner and purer.

Yuan Ci looked at him with a smile and said,

"Not bad."

"Anfeng, you have entered the first level of the Golden Bell Shield. What remains is for you to diligently practice every day, with the aim of accumulating your Inner Strength to its peak, breaking through the acupoints, and entering the second level."

The young man stood up, feeling the power within his body, and joy sprang forth in his heart, inevitably bringing a smile to his face:

"Mmmhmm."

"Understood, Master."

Wu Changqing, standing to the side with a light chuckle and stroking his beard, stepped forward and handed the long whip in his hand to Wang Anfeng,"Anfeng, since the chains around your body have already been broken, you can no longer use the Spirit Snake Seeking Gap Whip Technique."

"Here is a long whip, take it and use it."

The young man's eyes lit up as he took the long whip and said,

"Thank you, Second Master."

Seeing the joy on the young man's face, the elder felt a bit embarrassed, stroking his beard and saying,

"No, this is not..."

A sharp sword cry came from the horizon, and the thick clouds in the vault of the sky immediately shattered.

A cold voice, accompanied by the seemingly sudden split of the heavens, rang in Wang Anfeng's ears:

"Come to the peak quickly."

The young man was startled, recognizing it as Mr. Ying's voice. Yuan Ci raised his hand to stroke the young man's hair and smiled, "Since he rarely initiates a call for you, it must be something important."

"Go on."

Wang Anfeng nodded, flicked his wrist, and the section of the long whip instantly retracted, winding around the young man's right arm like a spirit snake. He bowed to Yuan Ci and Wu Changqing, saying:

"Then, Master, Second Master, I'll go ahead first."

"Go ahead."

Yuan Ci smiled and nodded, watching the young man turn around and take off with his movement technique. At this moment, Wang Anfeng's cultivation had already made minor achievements, and in just a moment, he disappeared from sight. Wu Changqing stroked his beard and smiled:

"Mr. Ying's temperament is still as awkward as ever."

"However, it's curious why he would take the initiative to call Anfeng over."

Yuan Ci looked toward the solitary peak reaching into the sky and said:

"It should be because of the Thunder Vigor within Anfeng..."

"Although I don't know why, he seems to have changed his view of Anfeng, and he would certainly not let that Thunder Vigor pass by."

Upon hearing this, Wu Changqing seemed to remember something, and his bearded palm paused slightly, his expression turning somewhat serious as he said:

"Could it be...Zixiao Palace?"

Yuan Ci nodded and said,

"Among all the unparalleled martial arts techniques in Jianghu, the preeminent one for defense is our Shaolin's Golden Bell Shield, and the supreme offensive martial art comes from the Taoist Sect's Zixiao Palace swordsmanship."

"Wielding the thunder on the sword, embodying Heaven and Earth within oneself, using the three-foot Qingfeng as the pivot, controlling thunder and commanding lightning."

Wu Changqing couldn't help but draw in a breath of cold air, as the image of that sword light, as fierce and domineering as a thunderbolt from the heavens, returned to his mind:

"The Nine Heavens Jade Clear Sword?!"

Yuan Ci said, "Exactly."

"This formidable swordsmanship has extremely strict requirements for both Thunder Vigor and swordsmanship. Since Thunder Vigor was passed down to Anfeng by his Benefactor Li, he must be planning to teach Anfeng swordsmanship..."

...............

Since Mr. Ying mentioned the peak, Wang Anfeng naturally thought of the solitary peak he often visited.

With the Vigorous Step Technique in motion, a single step would span several meters. In only a moment, he had reached the summit of the solitary peak, and sure enough, he saw the man in green, standing with his hands behind him, gazing at the rolling clouds below.

Unconsciously slowing down his steps and his breath, Wang Anfeng approached to three steps behind the Scholar and saluted with a fist, saying:

"I have seen the Scholar."

Mr. Ying nodded slightly, without turning around, still looking down at the clouds, and said indifferently:

"I have granted your previous request."

"You may learn martial arts from your Benefactor Li, but at the same time, for the time originally intended for punishment, you will learn swordsmanship with me."

"Swordsmanship?"

The young man was momentarily taken aback, and the Scholar's right sleeve flicked, revealing a wooden sword beside him. The sheathed sword shot up into the sky and then fell straight down in front of Wang Anfeng. Although it was a wooden sword, it concealed sharpness within, quivering incessantly.

As the wooden sword landed, it raised a wave of air that swept across all directions, stirring the young man's clothes.

"Draw it out."

The cold voice rang in his ear, and Wang Anfeng nodded. He reached out to grasp the hilt and slowly drew the sword. The sword within the sheath was octagonal, less ethereal than ordinary swords but gained much more dignity and substance, like a Confucian Scholar of the Confucian School walking among states, upright and imposing.

The blade curved twice before extending, sheathed it appeared unremarkable, but unsheathed one could see the sharpness.

Wang Anfeng liked it at first sight and deeply bowed to the Scholar, who had his back to him, and said:

"Thank you for the sword, Scholar."

The Scholar nodded, pointing to a green stone beside him, and said:

"Come here."

Wang Anfeng nodded, walked over with the sword, and the Scholar beside him didn't look at him but continued to watch the clouds indifferently, and said:

"Do you know the sword?"

Wang Anfeng cautiously replied:

"I do not..."

The Scholar let out a derisive laugh and said:

"As expected, still dull."

"Stand here and watch the changes in the distant clouds, then report back to me."

"Also, from this moment, you must never part with this wooden sword. During your daily cultivation, lay the sword across your knees. When you go out, carry it on your back, and when you sleep, hold it in your embrace."

Wang Anfeng nodded in agreement, and then, following Mr. Ying's directives, he sat on the green stone, watching the changes in the distant clouds. However, the clouds were tumultuous and far away, how could he see them clearly?

After a day passed, he only ended up with sore eyes. The Scholar glanced at him, scoffed, and said:

"You need not speak, your appearance says it all, you've learned nothing."

The Scholar's sleeve brushed over the stone table, and three porcelain bottles appeared, saying:

"After you go back, apply the medicine on the acupoints above both eyes."

"Continue tomorrow."

"...Yes."

Today, Wang Anfeng returned once to Great Liang Village and then brought back the forgotten herbal ingredients to Shaolin Temple, handing them to Wu Changqing, before he went home.

Lying on the bed, his eyes felt increasingly swollen and painful. After applying the ointment, a sensation of coolness and burning took turns tormenting him. He tossed and turned on the bed for a long time before finally falling into a deep sleep. The next day, his eyes were swollen and red, which gave Li Bo quite a scare.

In the following days, Wang Anfeng spent a lot of time staring into distant mists. The burning in his eyes did not subside. Occasionally, Mr. Ying would inform him about how to maneuver his inner strength in order to protect his ocular power somewhat.

After several days, the unbearable burning intensified, and having shed his constraints, he had already been defeated by several opponents in Copper Man Lane.

Yet, Mr. Ying still did not impart his swordsmanship to him.

Li Bo, on the other hand, had holed up in his own room and hadn't been seen in days.

Time gradually passed.

Greater Cold is the peak of coldness, manifesting after Lesser Cold, hence the term "great." It is the extreme reverse of cold energy, therefore called Greater Cold.

The last climatic term of the year had finally arrived. Although it's called Greater Cold, the temperature had actually started to warm up, not as harsh as during Lesser Cold. Only about ten days were left until the festival, and the festive air had already spread to the small locale of Great Liang Village, with smiles becoming more frequent on people's faces.

The burning sensation in Wang Anfeng's eyes became increasingly severe.

It was so uncomfortable that he hardly wanted to go out during the day, with only the darkness bringing a slight relief to his eyes.

And on this afternoon of the Greater Cold, several healthy horses charged straight into Great Liang Village. Leading them was a young man in a white shirt with delicate features. After entering the village, he headed straight for Wang Anfeng's home as if he knew the way well, leaving two attendants to guard the door. Qin Fei dismounted his horse, straightened his clothes, and called out loudly:

"Qin Fei pays a sudden visit. Is Brother Wang at home?"

After a few moments of silence, a slightly tired young voice came from inside:

"It's Brother Qin, please wait..."

The wooden door creaked open gently, and Wang Anfeng appeared in Qin Fei's line of sight, looking normal with a gentle demeanor, but with his eyes closed, he softly laughed and said:

"Brother Qin, please come inside to talk..."

Curious, yet bound by politeness not to inquire, Qin Fei nodded slightly and followed Wang Anfeng into the house. However, he couldn't help but laugh curiously upon finding the room pitch black because the windows and doors were sealed tight without any lighting:

"Brother Wang, were you resting just now...?"

Wang Anfeng paused slightly, then realizing the situation, his face showed an apologetic expression:

"My apologies... It was my oversight."

"Let me get the lamp."

As he spoke, he felt around for the candle through the familiarity of his memory. Unfortunately, the candle had burned out. He frowned and was compelled to open his eyes.

It seemed as though two flashes of cold light flickered abruptly in the dark room.

Qin Fei's pupils contracted sharply, a chill surged in his heart and lingered for several breaths before dissipating. He stared intently at Wang Anfeng, who had opened his eyes to search for the candle. Even in the darkness, those eyes still gave off a dazzling glare, like two unsheathed swords.

They hadn't looked straight at him yet, but the brilliance within those eyes was enough to shake his heart to its core.

"Ah, I found it... Brother Qin, please forgive me, I haven't been using it for a long time."

Finally finding the candle, Wang Anfeng breathed a sigh of relief and turned to beckon Qin Fei. Suddenly, it was as if two swords cleaved through the air, heading straight for the forehead and chest. Qin Fei's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back.

It was not until later that Qin Fei realized his impoliteness.

By this time, Wang Anfeng had already closed his burning eyes again. Under the candlelight, the young man in the blue shirt appeared calm and gentle, smiling warmly:

"That caused you to laugh, Brother Qin. May I know the purpose of your visit this time?"

Qin Fei suppressed the turmoil in his heart, exhaled, and slowly recounted the matter of the End of Year Festival, extending an invitation to go together.

.....................

After accepting the calling card Qin Fei had brought, Wang Anfeng escorted Qin Fei out of the room, then returned to extinguish the burning candle. Because his eyes felt a burning sensation, he could only counter that uncomfortable feeling by meditating in a sitting position until dusk, before finally returning to Shaolin Temple.

In the Shaolin Temple, before the usual sightseeing of distant mountain mists, Mr. Ying stopped Wang Anfeng again.

"Come here now, and watch closely."

"I will demonstrate it only once."

Mr. Ying raised his right hand and slowed down his movement, making twenty-eight postures similar to a fist technique. Wang Anfeng was momentarily stunned, and by the time he refocused, the scholar was already watching him with his hands clasped behind his back, saying succinctly:

"Practice."

But this time, Wang Anfeng did not obediently follow instructions as he usually did. After a moment of silence, he clasped his hands together and said:

"Teacher said you would... teach me swordsmanship?"

The scholar gave him a glance and scoffed:

"Impatient, are you?"

The young man braced himself and said:

"...I just don't understand, what kind of swordsmanship requires training of the eyes and also learning fist techniques?"

Mr. Ying snickered coldly and said:

"Fist technique?"

"Indeed a fool, ha, with such comprehension... you have a long way to go before you're ready to learn sword styles."

The scholar, with hands still clasped behind his back and not looking at him, his facial expression extremely cold and indifferent, said:

"Do you think sword techniques are that simple?"

"It's only now that we start accumulating ocular power. If you wish to learn swordsmanship with me, your eyes must master twenty-eight types, until the sharpness is not visible, perfect as the full moon, and unseeing in their regular motions."

"Thirty-six steps as Jade Steps for movement, twenty-eight layers of pupils for sword vigor, twenty-eight methods of Spiritual Qi and Blood Technique, Qi threading through the Zhou Tian, the intricacies of the Twelve Linked Fortresses Technique, the essence of directness, three verticals and six reveals; you must master them all thoroughly.

Only then will you be qualified to wield a sword in battle."

"To use the power of the sword, you must combine spirit, Qi, and essence. Only when hardness and softness become one, Yin and Yang complement each other, are you ready to graduate."

After hearing an array of concepts, Wang Anfeng was somewhat bewildered and asked:

"What... what is this sword technique?"

The scholar frowned and said, "This is swordsmanship."

The boy, still bewildered: "'Just is,' swordsmanship?"

Mr. Ying seemed slightly impatient and said coldly:

"I said what I'm teaching you is swordsmanship, call it whatever you like."

"Will you learn or not?"

After a moment of silence, Wang Anfeng touched his burning eyes and bit down hard on his teeth.

"... I will learn!"

The corners of the scholar's mouth twitched upward ever so slightly, then vanished immediately, his demeanor as cold and stern as ever.

The Grand Duke's hook is baitless; it wishes only the willing to come into its net.