Wasn't that how it should have been?
How had things been turned completely on their head?
Wen Xingtian also turned around and asked with a smile, "Old Zhang, how was it? All good?"
Zhang Wencheng's face flushed red. He coughed and said, "Very good! This student has already crossed the threshold into true mastery of the sword, and has even formed a sword heart that outside forces can hardly shake. Whether his techniques, habits, execution, or transitions... everything is utterly orthodox and flawless."
"And the styles of his swordplay... are very..."
He looked at Wen Xingtian and gave him a meaningful glance, then continued, "In short, as far as the details of his swordplay go, I have nothing left to teach him. There are only a handful of pointers I can offer. What he needs to do is wait until his cultivation increases again, then integrate his mastery of swordplay with his rapidly rising cultivation, fitting the two together thread by thread. Only then will his true skill show."
He smiled sheepishly and said, "You know how people who practice the sword always have little faults of one kind or another. Some like to look cool, some like to look dashing, some like to look graceful, and some like to look ethereal... in short, everyone has a few bad habits. And the very reason we teachers exist is to correct those faults."
"But Zuo Xiaoduo has none of them. His swordplay can be summed up in one word: practical! What's more, over ninety percent of his sword moves aim to take a life..."
"His previous sword teacher truly deserves admiration!"
Zhang Wencheng said sincerely, "To give an example, if he were a sapling, his previous teacher would have already pruned away every branch and twig that might hinder his growth.