The Southern Tang Shu Tang Sect

"Master, is this our new junior sister?"

As soon as the three of them saw Meng Yiran, Ning Rongrong, the most outgoing of the three little ones, looked at the new girl with shining eyes.

The comparatively quiet Zhu Zhuqing and Luo Xiaoshi didn't think anything of it and simply greeted her.

Everyone knew Chen An wouldn't refuse to take disciples, especially after he'd just shown off his strength.

After Chen An nodded, Ning Rongrong took the initiative to introduce everyone.

"Hello, eldest senior sister, senior brother, and third senior sister."

Meng Yiran greeted them one by one. Chen An ranked his disciples by when they had joined, not carelessly by age.

"Yiran will team up with you. Work out your 2v2 pairings in a little while. Yiran, come with me to the Technique Pavilion first."

When they reached the Technique Pavilion, Meng Yiran, just like the other disciples, received a cultivation art while still dazed.

Chen An was a little annoyed, though. Why had this girl come around so quickly?

She had spent only half a minute in the state of inheriting the cultivation art, which was as good as gaining nothing. Watching this, Chen An furrowed his brows.

What did that mean? There were only two possibilities: either Meng Yiran's natural talent was weak, or she hadn't received much of an inheritance.

"Disciple, what cultivation arts did you receive?"

When Meng Yiran came out, her face beaming with delight, he asked her.

"The Startling Feather Art, and another set called the Flying Flower Mechanism Record."

The cultivation art seemed somewhat familiar, yet also quite strange. After looking it up, he realized it was from Jian San.

As for the comprehensive record, it was a cultivation method from Tian Dao, documenting the hidden-weapon techniques of the Southern Tang Shu Tang Sect, as well as the puppet mechanisms developed after the Eight Desolations' strife.

"Yikes, how did you end up with something like this? Was it fate?"

Chen An wondered to himself. This set had a ceiling, and it couldn't compare with the cultivation arts of his other three disciples at all.

"Do you want to practice this set of cultivation arts?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the comprehensive record in her hands, then shifted his gaze to her face and continued.

"If you want to switch, I can help you."

As he'd said before, he wouldn't decide his students' paths for them. She could practice the Flying Flower Record, but he really wasn't satisfied with this cultivation art.

The gap was too great. Later on, she might not be able to keep up with her senior brothers and sisters.

"Master, I still want to practice this."

Meng Yiran fell silent for a moment. She more or less understood what her master meant, but the cultivation art in her hands had also hit all the right buttons for her.

After she spoke under pressure, Chen An felt a little dejected. If the child wants to practice it, then let her. At worst, I'll do what I did with Huohuo and pile resources on her. Even if I have to pile them on, I'll make sure she reaches the pinnacle of this world.

But her next words lifted his spirits.

"I'm interested in hidden weapons, and now I'm interested in mechanical puppets too. But when it comes to internal cultivation, your disciple is completely clueless. I ask Master to guide me."

Chen An blinked, feeling somewhat relieved.

So she isn't a stubborn mule after all. Good, good.

External techniques were no problem. Hidden weapons or conventional weapons were both just methods.

Internal cultivation, however, was the most important thing of all.

With a poor internal art, your energy bar would be a notch shorter than your opponent's, putting you at a pure disadvantage in a fight.

"Ahem, the Startling Feather Art falls a notch short for you. It's a cultivation art for an outer disciple. I have a book here that I've thoroughly refined myself, called the Supreme Mystery Scripture. What do you think?"

This Supreme Mystery Scripture was the one from Jin Yong's works.

Chen An had once been bored and revised some cultivation arts. After all, he had a way to determine whether his revisions had made them better or worse.

So he'd casually picked one, and it had been this Supreme Mystery Scripture.

"I'll follow Master's arrangements."

After settling this matter, Chen An found a quiet place and began Meng Yiran's first lesson.

As before, he covered the same set material, then guided her in practicing the Supreme Mystery Scripture.

But before they began, Chen An asked,

"Yiran, what first set you on the path of hidden weapons?"

By then, Meng Yiran had become much more familiar with Chen An, and spoke more naturally.

"Master, at first, since my Martial Soul was a Serpent Cane, I started looking for things that could strengthen me.

"Later, flying daggers caught my interest. A few days ago, during Soul Hunting, I met someone named Tang San and encountered a higher understanding of hidden weapons. That was when I realized how shallow my knowledge had been."

Flying daggers counted as a kind of hidden weapon, so Meng Yiran wasn't wrong.

She hadn't finished speaking, and Chen An didn't interrupt. He let her continue.

"I used to think hidden weapons were just that. But after becoming your disciple, I learned about the Flying Flower Mechanism Record, and came to understand that there's always a heaven beyond the heavens, and a person beyond the person."

According to the Flying Flower Record, mechanisms and hidden weapons alone were enough to bring peace to the world and outshine the heroes.

As he thought about it, Chen An decided that he would teach her more about mechanisms in the future.

Things like concealing hidden weapons inside mechanisms, or setting off cannons from the ground.

"What do you think of the scene in the inheritance?"

Chen An continued asking. On the way there, he'd asked what she had seen, to gauge the situation.

"I yearned for it. The scene was so prosperous."

Anyone who had received a cultivation art and its inheritance would make guesses, then learn that the world contained more than just Douluo.

Chen An hadn't hidden anything. If anyone asked, he answered truthfully.

"Then would you like to know the full background?"

Meng Yiran nodded. Knowing the background could actually help with martial cultivation. It was like memorizing a historical event: understanding its causes and consequences helped you remember and comprehend it.

"Those were two extraordinarily glorious dynasties. One was called Tang, and the other Song..."

Chen An told the story at length, in even greater detail than before, because he felt something special about those things—some nostalgia, too.

Meng Yiran listened intently, but after he finished, she unexpectedly grew worried.

"Master, will the Southern Tang Shu Tang Sect acknowledge me?"

Chen An considered it. It was indeed a good question.

"They will. If you go there, you'll hold a legitimate position."

If they didn't acknowledge her, how could the inheritance within the cultivation art have taken effect? Still, it would depend on who she met. But he believed that if she met the sect leader over there, a proper conversation should be enough. Not everyone was like Tang San.

"Then, Master, I once heard that Tang San say he came from the Tang Sect."

Chen An shook his head. This Tang Sect wasn't that Tang Sect. They were things from two different worlds, similar in name only.

"No. The two of you are bound to fight someday. It's like a struggle between rival orthodoxies, or a dispute over what's genuine and what's false. Unless you give up practicing this martial art or submit to him, you may have to cripple your own cultivation by then."

Chen An spoke honestly, without exaggerating or trying to frighten Meng Yiran. There was no need.

Given Tang San's way of thinking, he would undoubtedly think and act the same way.

"Master, I want to practice it. I may not be weaker than anyone else. And as you said, the cultivation art chose me and acknowledges who I am. So I have to take up that responsibility."

Chen An smiled in satisfaction. He'd thought she might shrink back because of her feelings or some other concern, but he hadn't expected her to be so resolute.

Then he'd have to teach her even more carefully. He was inexplicably eager to see what would happen when the two of them faced off: Tang Sect against Tang Sect. Whoever lost would be the fake; whoever lost would be the copycat.

"I have another martial art that suits you. I'll take you through it before you start practicing internal cultivation."

Chen An pulled out a book. It was titled Little Li Flying Dagger, but in his mind, it had another name.

Little Li Mother Flying Dagger!