Chapter 13: Talent
Chen Yuan and his companion turned around, only to see that Li Yue had somehow already arrived at the entrance.
The old man stood with his hands behind his back, his slightly squinted eyes wrinkling in a frown as he observed them.
"Master!"
The two hurriedly saluted him.
Before the old man could ask any questions, Zhao He stepped forward. "Master, I have something urgent to report."
Li Yue gave him a surprised look. "Something urgent?"
Without hesitation, Zhao He pulled Chen Yuan closer and recounted in detail how he had performed while learning martial arts.
Li Yue's expression turned slightly serious. The old man's squinted eyes opened wide for the first time, his gaze sharp and glimmering as it landed on Chen Yuan.
He then instructed, "Show me the Little Swallow Wing Fist."
Naturally, Chen Yuan did not refuse. He immediately found an open space nearby and began demonstrating the moves of the Xiao Yan Wing Fist.
Last night, he had studied the Little Swallow Wing Fist extensively with the help of the jade book.
Today, after practicing the martial arts routine with Zhao He, his technique felt smooth and ready.
Starting his stance, he proceeded to fluently display all 36 forms of the Little Swallow Wing Fist.
"Good!"
Li Yue let out a low exclamation, the delight in his tone unmistakable.
"Though you are somewhat older in age, your comprehension is remarkable. With such talent, even if your foundation was built late, you might still achieve something notable in the future."
"It's all thanks to Senior Brother Zhao's attentive teaching," Chen Yuan said, knowing that barring unforeseen circumstances, he was now very likely to officially become a disciple.
He then began praising Zhao He's guidance.
Zhao He, standing by the side, couldn't help but smile.
Chen Yuan's attitude pleased him greatly.
Li Yue nodded ever so slightly, barely perceptible.
When accepting disciples, talent was important, but knowing how to conduct oneself was equally indispensable.
The world was already chaotic, and Cloud Mountain City was no utopia. A martial arts school teaching martial skills was inherently part of the martial world.
Formal disciples and personal disciples were deeply intertwined with the school.
Accepting a disciple who was inept at social interactions or prone to causing trouble would bring him no benefit, no matter how talented they were.
"I, Li Yue, have always tailored my teachings to my disciples' talents. Since you have this aptitude, you won't need to endure slow and arduous training like others. However, becoming a formal disciple requires certain ceremonies, and it's also important for your senior brothers to meet you. There's no rush for the formal initiation just yet."
After a moment of contemplation, Li Yue added, "Here's what we'll do: I happen to have some free time in the coming days. You'll train with me for now. Once we select an auspicious day, we'll hold the formal initiation ceremony. How does that sound?"
While formal disciples of the school weren't on par with personal disciples and didn't need a grand public ceremony, certain traditions still had to be observed.
Li Yue's arrangement wasn't due to any doubts about Chen Yuan's performance.
Chen Yuan, of course, had no objections. He immediately bowed and said, "I shall follow your arrangements, Master!"
"Congratulations, junior brother."
Zhao He, standing by, offered his congratulations.
He then turned to Li Yue, bowed, and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Master, on taking such an outstanding disciple."
A faint smile appeared on Li Yue's face as well.
He waved his hand. "Xiao He, you can return to teaching. Ah Yuan, follow me."
Zhao He, understanding the situation, promptly excused himself without interfering.
Chen Yuan obediently followed Li Yue into the main hall.
After passing through the inner hall, they arrived at a small courtyard behind the house.
As Chen Yuan entered, he noticed that compared to the large courtyard outside, this area was equipped with more specialized training tools, such as wooden dummies and sandbags.
However, the courtyard was empty, with no one in sight.
"The martial arts practiced by formal disciples are secret techniques from the Martial Arts School's Fist Manual and are different from the Little Swallow Wing Fist. This is the place where I usually guide your senior brothers and sisters in their training. Once you officially begin training at the Martial Arts School, you'll come here directly. That way, as a formal disciple, you won't have to train in the outer courtyard with the other apprentices, avoiding unnecessary jealousy and trouble."
Li Yue gestured toward the spacious courtyard. "Your senior brothers and sisters have achieved some success in their martial training. Most of them are pursuing their careers outside now and only return to the school once every three days to review their progress and consult me about any difficulties they encounter in their practice."
"It so happens that today is one of those days. They should be back soon. You can take the time to get acquainted with them."
"Yes, Master," Chen Yuan responded earnestly with a nod.
Seeing Chen Yuan so composed and unaffected by the direct promise of becoming a formal disciple, Li Yue grew even more satisfied.
Changing the subject, Li Yue asked, "You've just joined the martial arts school. Do you have any understanding of the basics of martial arts training?"
Chen Yuan replied honestly, "Senior Brother Zhao has already told me a bit. I now have some understanding of the basics of martial arts cultivation and the related stages."
"In that case, I won't waste words. Since I have time now, let me guide you on the training methods for the Little Swallow Wing Fist."
Li Yue's expression grew serious as he began explaining the principles of practicing martial arts. "The Little Swallow Wing Fist, though the most basic technique for channeling and cultivating strength, is taught to every student upon joining the school. But that doesn't mean this fist technique is insignificant."
"This technique forms the foundation of the Swallow Wing Fist Manual. Only by mastering this technique thoroughly can one hope to cultivate the power techniques in the manual and eventually achieve mastery of it."
"That's why, even though the introductory stage of martial arts training focuses heavily on physical conditioning, with fist techniques as supplementary, they must still be taken seriously."
"Now, show me the starting stance of the Little Swallow Wing Fist."
Chen Yuan understood that Li Yue intended to help him refine the technique.
Without delay, he assumed the starting stance of the fist technique.
Ordinary apprentices typically received instruction from Zhao He and other senior students, but Chen Yuan was fortunate to receive direct guidance from Li Yue himself.
Even though Chen Yuan possessed the Yellow Court Jade Manual and could slowly correct his stances and perfect his technique on his own, having the head of the school personally instruct him was undoubtedly an opportunity to speed up his mastery and improve his efficiency.
However, as soon as Chen Yuan assumed his stance, Li Yue frowned slightly.
He didn't say much but stepped forward and began adjusting Chen Yuan's posture.
As he adjusted, Li Yue commented, "Your stance is smooth enough, but there are too many errors."
Yet, as Chen Yuan felt Li Yue correcting his posture, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
The adjustments Li Yue made were, if not completely opposite to the information from the Yellow Court Jade Manual, at least significantly different.
When Li Yue finished correcting Chen Yuan's posture, nodded with satisfaction, and stepped back, Chen Yuan couldn't help but frown slightly.
[Posture deformation: 25%.]
Sensing the information transmitted by the Yellow Court Jade Manual and observing the satisfied expression on Li Yue's face, Chen Yuan found himself conflicted.
For a moment, Chen Yuan didn't know what to say.
The standard stance in Li Yue's eyes and the one deduced by the Yellow Court Jade Manual seemed to be at odds.
As his thoughts churned, a faint sense of unease arose in Chen Yuan.
While he couldn't definitively determine whether the manual's version of the Little Swallow Wing Fist or Li Yue's teaching was the more "correct," he could clearly discern which one felt more natural and effective for him.
The fist routine honed with the manual's assistance was undeniably more suited to his body.
This, however, meant that Li Yue's guidance was essentially of no use to him.
If it were merely a matter of differing opinions, it wouldn't be much of an issue.
The problem lay in the fact that his impressive grasp of the technique thus far was entirely thanks to the manual. His supposed innate talent and comprehension were derived from this secret aid.
Yet, Li Yue regarded the manual's approach as incorrect.
Without the manual's assistance, Chen Yuan knew that, with his own limited talent, he wouldn't be able to memorize or execute Li Yue's so-called "standard" stances with the ease expected of someone with genuine aptitude.
Over time, it wasn't hard to predict what might happen.
And the most pressing issue? He wasn't even an official disciple yet.
With these thoughts weighing on his mind, Chen Yuan's mood sank.
Li Yue, oblivious to Chen Yuan's inner turmoil, continued, "Next move. I'll adjust all thirty-six movements of the Little Swallow Wing Fist for you, giving you a rough framework. You'll need to polish them on your own later."
"Your aptitude is indeed impressive, but as a beginner in martial arts, the better your comprehension, the more crucial proper guidance becomes. Without it, you're more likely to go astray."
"It's fortunate that Xiao He reported to me promptly and brought you to see me. This way, we can correct your path early on. Otherwise, if you'd continued on your own and mastered an incorrect version of the Little Swallow Wing Fist, it would have been too late to fix it later."
"..."
Chen Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
He sighed inwardly: 'Forget it. Let things take their course. At worst, I'll be labeled a "misunderstanding" and lose my chance to become a formal disciple. With the manual in hand, I can still make progress without a master's guidance.'
Still, this meant he'd miss out on the benefits of being a formal disciple, at least for the time being.
Resolving to set aside his distracting thoughts, Chen Yuan continued practicing the Little Swallow Wing Fist according to Li Yue's instructions.