"Very well. He's only a minor pawn, after all, nothing that matters much. But if you want him to stay in the Mount Hua Sect, he'll have to offer a pledge of allegiance."
Yue Buqun did not object. In his eyes, Lao Denuo was a grasshopper trapped in a bowl; however much he hopped about, it made no difference.
Their Mount Hua Sect no longer feared the Mount Song Sect.
Besides, Tian Hao's gratitude and willingness to repay kindness were good things for the Mount Hua Sect. Such fine character absolutely had to be nurtured.
"Thank you for your mercy, Master. I'll have Second Senior Brother hand over the head of one of the Thirteen Guardians. We can also take advantage of his identity to feed false intelligence to Zuo Lengchan and mislead him, avoiding some unnecessary trouble."
Seeing Old Yue agree, Tian Hao's face lit up with delight.
Once he cleared the hurdle of Old Yue, nothing else would be a problem.
Moreover, Lao Denuo's identity as a spy had considerable value. Zuo Lengchan surely wanted accurate intelligence on the Mount Hua Sect right now.
Once they turned Lao Denuo, wouldn't everything else be theirs to dictate?
"I'll leave this matter to you. Read the manuals first. Once you've finished, I'll explain the heart method sections to you."
Deeply tempted by Tian Hao's proposal, Yue Buqun also felt that turning Lao Denuo would be more advantageous than killing him and putting Zuo Lengchan on guard.
But that was all for later. Their immediate priority as master and disciple was to develop a rapid training method for Embrace Origin Force as soon as possible.
Tian Hao said no more and quickly leafed through the manuals in his hands.
Ever since adding his master's wife's innate attribute to his own, his memory had improved again, reaching the point where he never forgot anything he read.
He memorized the two thick manuals, totaling over twenty thousand characters, within a quarter of an hour, without missing a single character.
"Master, what exactly is the connection between our martial artists' heart methods and the visualization methods of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism?"
Closing his eyes and reviewing the heart method sections of both manuals, Tian Hao asked in puzzlement.
"A heart method, as its name suggests, is a method for training the mind. The mind-training methods of ordinary martial artists like us were all modeled on the visualization methods of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Unfortunately, we acquired only the surface, not the essence.
"Moreover, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism place tremendous importance on passing down their visualization methods. For hundreds and thousands of years, these methods have never been shared with outsiders. Even within each generation, few are qualified to practice them.
"Our martial heart methods can only refine and strengthen our mental focus to a limited degree. Those with peerless talent can use that foundation to comprehend martial will.
"I have no hope of touching that legendary martial will in this lifetime, but you can, Hao. With your comprehension, you can absolutely cultivate martial will upon the foundation of a heart method."
Growing more excited as he spoke, Yue Buqun placed great hopes in the disciple before him. This would be the key to leading their Mount Hua Sect toward revival, and even beyond its former peak.
"A method for training the mind!"
Thoughtful, Tian Hao gained some understanding. Yue Buqun then began explaining the insights he had gained from studying the heart method of the Violet Mist Divine Skill.
His explanation lasted several hours. Only when their stomachs began rumbling did the two leave the Quiet Chamber, still hungry for more discussion.
After eating medicinal cuisine, master and disciple entered the secret chamber again to exchange ideas. In the end, even Ning Zhongze, who had come to watch, joined in.
Over the past few months, Yue Buqun and his wife had both studied the Self-Hypnosis Method Tian Hao had developed. Combining it with the heart methods of their own martial arts had brought them substantial gains.
Indeed, that Self-Hypnosis Method could itself be considered a martial heart method, though its underlying ideas were quite novel.
With the assistance of two Houtian Realm experts, Tian Hao's further refinement of the Self-Hypnosis Method accelerated greatly. After a month, he finally perfected it enough to let practitioners enter a state of extreme concentration-the Embrace Origin Guarding the One of Embrace Origin Force.
Meanwhile, after receiving Li Buli's letter, the groups disguised as merchant caravans purchasing medicinal ingredients and prescriptions throughout the Southern Ming Kingdom all quickened their pace. Sometimes they no longer even haggled, spending every bit of silver they had brought and returning to the Mount Hua Sect one after another with enormous quantities of precious medicinal ingredients.
"Wonderful! Wonderful!"
Leafing through the secret manual of the Self-Hypnosis Method, Li Buli and the others were ecstatic, praising it again and again.
A heart method was the core foundation of an internal power art, determining the limits of its potential. This Self-Hypnosis Method was more systematic than the heart method portion of the Mount Hua Heart Method, and all of them gained a great deal from reading it.
If they could truly attain the mental state of Embrace Origin Guarding the One, then, looking down from that lofty vantage point, rapidly mastering Embrace Origin Force would indeed be possible.
Each of them had practiced the Mount Hua Heart Method for decades. Their mental focus had long been tempered and accumulated sufficiently, making them well suited to the requirements.
Leaving aside Old Yue and the others' study of the Self-Hypnosis Method manual, Tian Hao was sent down the mountain for an outing by Old Yue and his wife, who said he needed to balance work with rest and relax.
Tian Hao had been unwilling. After all, he would not be going down the mountain alone; he would have a burden tagging along.
He kept feeling that his master's wife had sent him down the mountain to accompany his junior senior sister. As a new-era youth with the four virtues, he understood very well just how terrifying shopping with a woman could be.
Unfortunately, he could not prevail against his master and his master's wife, so he could only accompany her down the mountain.
"Go into town first. I have something to discuss with Second Senior Brother."
Standing not far from the town gate, Tian Hao motioned for Yue Lingshan, Linghu Chong, and the others to enter first. He had decided to lay his cards on the table with Lao Denuo here.
"Then hurry up and catch us."
Yue Lingshan gave it no thought. Excited as a husky that had slipped its leash, she dragged Eldest Senior Brother Linghu Chong into town.
Linghu Chong and Lu Dayou did give Tian Hao and Lao Denuo a puzzled glance, but said nothing and entered town with their fellow disciples.
They had spent all this time holed up on the mountain training hard, until their mouths were so starved for flavor that birds could hatch in them. Linghu Chong, who loved wine as dearly as his own life, was practically drooling.
"Did you forget to bring money, Junior Brother?"
Lao Denuo likewise thought nothing of it and asked with a smile. But Tian Hao's next words froze that smile on his face.
"There are two roads here. The one behind us leads to the Mount Hua Sect, and the one to the east leads to the Mount Song Sect. Second Senior Brother, it's time to choose which road to take.
"You showed me kindness, and I don't want to kill you. I've already pleaded with Master on your behalf, and he agreed to spare you. The road you take from now on is entirely your choice.
"Our Mount Hua Sect has now established ties with the Imperial Tutor and Mount Hua Academy. Our future is boundless. Whether you stay in the Mount Hua Sect as our second senior brother or go to the Mount Song Sect as Zuo Lengchan's disciple, choose for yourself."
With that, Tian Hao strode away.
He had never intended to play games of scheming and intrigue with Lao Denuo. As a true man, he had to act boldly and magnanimously. The courtesy name his revered teacher Ru Zhigang had given him had not been chosen for nothing.
Besides, he knew perfectly well that Lao Denuo was an intelligent man and would certainly know which choice benefited him most.
Lao Denuo stood rooted to the spot, his expression shifting uncertainly.
He had truly been frightened. He had never imagined that Yue Buqun had long since seen through his identity, and he did not even know when it had happened.
That meant he had spent all these years wandering before the gates of death. The thought alone drenched him in cold sweat.
After a long silence, Lao Denuo finally gritted his teeth and set off, catching up with Tian Hao, who had already entered town.
He was no fool. Tian Hao had already given him a chance; failing to seize it would mean he had a hole in his head.
Perhaps the Mount Hua Sect had not amounted to much before, but now it had established ties with that Imperial Tutor, who had even taken Junior Brother Tian Hao as his disciple. Their future was boundless.
Even if he did not make his way in the Jianghu, he could become a high-ranking official at court. His prospects were bright as brocade. Following this junior brother held far more promise than going to the Mount Song Sect.
Besides, he did not believe Yue Buqun would truly let him leave. For all he knew, Yue Buqun was watching from the shadows right now. The instant he actually headed toward the Mount Song Sect, Yue Buqun would surely leap out and slit his throat.
So this was not a multiple-choice question at all, but a question that handed him the points-because there was no choice!
Before you continue