Within the Tianyang Sect, after a night of rest, everyone greeted another morning with their heads held high, feeling refreshed.
After the battle with the East Sea Sect, the newspaper coverage, and word of mouth from the spectators, whatever the Tianyang Sect's actual strength might have been, the impression it gave people now was that it had become number one in Yu Province!
The Lin Lineage Sword Fortress north of Phoenix Cry City: What the hell? Had the Tianyang Sect become this formidable in the blink of an eye?
Even in the twenty-first century, public opinion could turn some talentless pretty boy into a household name, an actor supposedly worthy of a Best Actor award, within a few days.
In this era, with newspapers blanketing the place and publicity coming every three days, it would have been hard not to become famous.
After all, theirs was the only newspaper in all of Yu Province.
Especially with the latest issue reporting the Tianyang Sword Immortal entering the third rank in a single step, it seemed to have raised the Tianyang Sect to a height where it did not belong.
Whatever the case, the Tianyang Sect was famous. Thoroughly famous.
All seven brothers were at the Tianyang Sect. After breakfast, Zhang Qingyuan called them into the main hall.
Once they had taken their seats in order, everyone was eager to try their hand at something, itching to act.
They did not know what they were going to do, but they simply wanted to do something.
Their second senior brother was there too. After more than two months of tempering himself outside, he was now an expert of the upper three ranks. As head of the Tianyang Sect's Security Department, it was time he came home.
In regions where martial cultivation flourished, someone in the third rank realm was merely an ordinary elder, or even an inner disciple.
But in the Eastern Realm, in Yu Province, on this little patch of coastal turf, he could already be used as a nuclear weapon.
A nuclear weapon was something kept at home and enshrined, not something to be unleashed lightly.
Unleashing him once at the East Sea Sect was one thing. Ordinarily, it was best to let him wander around outside as little as possible.
Because if anything happened to him outside, the Tianyang Sect would be finished, sent straight back to square one.
No, it would be worse off than before.
With their second senior brother in the sect, he could ensure its safety, deter petty troublemakers, and serve as a beckoning cat for wealth.
There were now plenty of fanboys and fangirls outside who wanted to follow him.
Everyone chatted as they waited for their junior sect master brother to assign their next tasks.
Before long, Zhang Qingyuan entered the main hall carrying a stack of papers.
The six of them looked at him as though looking at a sage.
Outsiders might not know what was going on, but how could their own people not know?
Wasn't the Tianyang Sect's current fame all thanks to Old Seventh's efforts, step by step? Without him, they would probably have been on the verge of disbanding by now, damn it.
Zhang Qingyuan sat in the sect master's seat and smiled at them.
"Ahem, let me say a few words."
The six brothers instantly sat up straight.
Zhang Qingyuan said, "Through our efforts over the past two months, people in at least five of Yu Province's eight cities have now heard of our Tianyang Sect.
"I said before that we would restore our ancestors' glory, and even surpass the splendor of their era. We're already seeing the first results. We can proudly say that we haven't let down the ancestors of past generations!"
Smiles appeared on everyone's faces. Whatever else might be said, the Tianyang Sect's influence was now at least greater than it had been in their master's and grandmaster's generations.
Their grandmaster had taken five disciples, and two had run off. Their master had taken seven.
Looking back over the past fifty or sixty years, the Tianyang Sect had become a sunset industry, the kind that could close its doors at any moment.
But now? Good grief, who within the newspaper's circulation area did not know the Tianyang Sect?
That was why they were happy, why they were jubilant. Even their second and sixth brothers could not contain their excitement.
"But." Zhang Qingyuan changed tack and continued, "Can we be satisfied with things as they are now?
"No!
"At present, the Tianyang Sect's core members consist of just the seven of us. Besides us, there are the ten teachers Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother recruited, and the swordsmanship teacher Second Brother recruited.
"They've only taken jobs as instruction elders to teach disciples. They aren't truly members of the Tianyang Sect.
"Even counting them, our Tianyang Sect only has eighteen people.
"What does that amount to?
"Our foundations are too shallow!"
Zhang Qingyuan swept his gaze around the room as his senior brothers listened attentively.
"If we want to surpass our ancestors' glory, we definitely need to take in disciples. With our reputation this great now, plenty of people want to join the Tianyang Sect.
"What shows how prosperous a sect is? The number and quality of its disciples.
"The more disciples it has, the more powerful that sect appears."
His senior brothers considered this quietly, nodding in agreement.
A sect was not like other things. The more people it had, the more formidable it seemed.
Apart from secluded sects or Lineage enterprises, the others naturally had to be judged by their numbers.
If you only had three people and claimed to be a powerful sect, who would believe you?
They looked at Zhang Qingyuan, already sensing that Old Seventh intended to recruit disciples.
Sure enough, Zhang Qingyuan said, "Didn't you all wonder how I intended to recruit disciples?
"Now that the time is ripe, I'll explain my plan to you."
Everyone straightened their backs.
Was the answer finally going to be revealed?
Old Fourth and Old Fifth exchanged a glance. Those two looked particularly bewildered.
They had kept their heads down and worked hard, yet afterward still did not know the purpose behind it, which left them anxious.
Old Fourth had been anxious enough to ask, while Old Fifth had kept it bottled up.
Zhang Qingyuan stood and said, "First of all, my plan is not to use the traditional method of taking disciples."
Everyone wore an expression that said they had expected as much. They had sensed it. They could not guess the truth, but they had all known it would be unusual.
Seeing their expressions, Zhang Qingyuan continued, "The traditional method of taking disciples involves a sect announcing to the public that it's recruiting, and anyone interested should hurry over.
"Once the children arrive, the sect selects them one by one.
"Those with good talent stay. Those with poor talent leave.
"Then they start as outer disciples. After cultivating in the sect for a while, the elders identify those with better talent and take them in as inner disciples, teaching them better cultivation techniques. Then they become personal disciples and learn the sect's core martial arts.
"After that comes teaching on their master's behalf, managing the sect, and so on.
"Besides this recruitment method, there's also going down the mountain to find orphans, or even talented farmers' children, and bringing them up the mountain to learn, raising them from childhood.
"Like the seven of us. Apart from Brother Xuan, Master picked us all up that way."
The six exchanged smiles.
"But that method brings in few people, and teaching them is troublesome. So my method is..."
He picked up the stack of papers and handed one to each senior brother. Zhang Qingyuan's plan was written on them.
As they read, Zhang Qingyuan explained, "First, when recruiting disciples, we'll tell them clearly that we charge money.
"However!
"The first year will be a trial year, with no fees whatsoever.
"After one year, anyone who wants to continue cultivating in the Tianyang Sect will have to pay tuition. It won't be expensive, ten taels of silver a year, basically covering food, drink, and daily necessities. This will help share the sect's expenses."
At this, Zhao Guangqi frowned slightly. An honest man, he was not particularly comfortable with this approach.
But he would not oppose it. He only wanted his doubts cleared up, so he asked, "Qingyuan, wouldn't doing this shut out a large number of children who have no money?
"Other sects don't charge when recruiting disciples, either. If we charge, how are we different from the martial arts schools among the common people?
"If we do this, other sects might use it as a pretext to attack us."
Zhang Qingyuan smiled. He understood his senior brother's feelings very well.
He answered, "I understand how you feel, Eldest Senior Brother. What I'm going to explain next is precisely how we'll solve that problem."
He said, "First, we have the free trial year.
"Besides that,
"We'll also have full tuition waivers for outstanding disciples, and a scholarship system!"
This was something they did not understand, and they looked at him in confusion.
Zhang Qingyuan said, "And there's one more crucial point!
"We aren't recruiting disciples. We're recruiting students."
Old Fourth did not understand. Didn't disciples and students mean the same thing?
"What's the difference?"
Zhang Qingyuan said, "The difference is that our Tianyang Sect won't force disciples to stay.
"Once they've cultivated enough, our sect will have them graduate of its own accord, to venture into the martial world and make their own living."
"Huh?" Everyone was startled.
"Wouldn't that mean all our work was for nothing?" Old Fifth asked.
"Of course not," Zhang Qingyuan said. "Do you remember those elementary and university students we talked about before?"
"We do," Old Fourth and Old Fifth said together.
When they had first gone out to recruit teachers, Zhang Qingyuan had told them something about the first, second, and third years belonging to elementary school, and the fourth and fifth years belonging to university.
"That's the heart of what I want to discuss." Zhang Qingyuan walked behind his chair, pulled out a blackboard, and picked up some white chalk. As he wrote, he said, "In the future, we'll divide students into elementary school, with the first, second, and third years corresponding to the lower three ranks: ninth, eighth, and seventh rank.
"The first and second years of university will correspond to the middle three ranks. University's first year will cover sixth and fifth rank. The second year, fourth rank.
"After finishing elementary school, those without much talent will reach seventh rank at best, with no hope of entering the middle three ranks. They can graduate and go out to make their own living.
"Those who enter the middle three ranks and attend university will be the core.
"These disciples who enter university can also choose to leave the Tianyang Sect. As for those with high talent, we'll need to switch to the traditional method of taking disciples.
"That means you and I will all need to take personal disciples when the time comes, so they can carry on our legacies.
"This way, we'll set aside those disciples without much talent, but unlike other sects, we won't deny them even the chance to come through the door and learn."
"Hiss..." Their third brother raised a question. "But all you've done is rename the traditional method of taking disciples.
"Look, elementary school means outer disciples. University means inner disciples, followed by personal disciples and so on. It's the same.
"You've only added the option for inner disciples to leave the mountain without being bound to the sect, along with the benefit of teaching everyone without discrimination."
"Third Brother, teaching everyone without discrimination already makes us far better than other sects," Old Fifth said.
Zhang Qingyuan smiled at him and corrected another mistake. "No, they won't just leave the mountain whenever they please. They'll graduate when their time is up."
"What's the difference?"
"The difference is that we're people-friendly."
"Huh?"
Zhang Qingyuan smiled. "We guarantee job placements upon graduation!"
Old Fourth's eyes instantly lit up. He finally understood, feeling as though the tangled brush in his mind had been cleared away, everything suddenly making sense. He pointed at Zhang Qingyuan, too excited to speak.
Their third brother looked at Old Fourth, then turned a puzzled gaze toward Zhang Qingyuan.
Zhang Qingyuan said, "Why do you think most people practice martial arts?"
"Uh..."
They all had different ideas.
Zhang Qingyuan said, "For most people, it's to have something to eat!"
Everyone pondered those words. Though they found them rather crass, on closer consideration, it really was true.
It was like someone asking, "Why do you study?"
Everyone would say, "To become a scientist and benefit the people," "To become a doctor and benefit the people," "To become a police officer and benefit the people..."
But really, wasn't it just to get a good job and earn money?
"What are martial arts?" Zhang Qingyuan asked.
Then he answered his own question. "In my view, martial arts are a trade.
"Of course, some people practice martial arts to explore the martial path.
"But that ambition only appears in a small number of geniuses. For most people, isn't practicing martial arts simply a way to earn money?
"So many people in the martial world look glamorous, but aren't they really all rushing about for a mouthful of food?
"They lick blood from the edges of blades, spending today's earnings today.
"Those people who 'finish their training and leave the mountain' in other sects, do they really want to leave?
"No. Their talent has reached its limit, or some other reason means they can no longer stay in the sect with their food and drink assured.
"After leaving the mountain, they become bodyguards, killers, bounty hunters, work for rich people, join some organization, become assassins, or enter the imperial court's service.
"Some even murder, commit arson, and plunder homes.
"The glamour of the martial world, those beautiful legends, belong only to a small handful of great heroes.
"Don't most people live like dogs?"
Everyone fell silent. Though they did not want to admit it, they all knew it was true.
For a few scraps of silver, for soup with their three meals.
Even those personal disciples needed money to revitalize their sects.
Looking at the silent group, Zhang Qingyuan said, "We, however, will arrange jobs for graduating disciples. That's what guaranteed job placement upon graduation means!
"They won't need to run around on their own like disciples leaving other sects. We'll give them stable work.
"We've already reached agreements with more than ten powers. When the time comes, they'll come to our Tianyang Sect to recruit people.
"Outstanding disciples will always go to the highest bidder.
"The other disciples won't go hungry, either.
"I've already discussed it with Fourth Brother. As our minister of publicity and foreign affairs, he'll continue approaching wealthy people and various powers to discuss cooperation, and we'll supply more disciples.
"Of course, meeting the graduation requirements means reaching at least the seventh-rank realm.
"What about those who can't reach seventh rank?
"No scholarships, no waivers, and if they want to keep studying, they'll still have to pay tuition. Hmm... they'll graduate on their own.
"Those people won't be covered by guaranteed job placement."
Everyone began to think. Here in Yu Province, someone in the eighth-grade realm could find a decent job.
Someone in the seventh-rank realm was already a damn expert.
And anyone in the middle three ranks would be an honored guest wherever they went!
Do not think that the middle three ranks were the bottom rung, or that third and second rank were the norm.
It was like thinking every household at the bottom of society had half a million, earned at least ten thousand a month, and drove something decent-a BMW or an Audi.
That way of thinking came from impressions. It was because all anyone ever talked about in the martial world were great heroes who soared high and swooped low, with their grudges, loyalties, loves, and hatreds.
Rarely did anyone talk about what went on below those great heroes.
It was like reading wuxia novels: the people readers saw were always the protagonist and those around him.
Qiao Feng, Duan Yu, Li Xunhuan...
But ninety percent of people were Extra A at some escort agency, Extra B in the Six Doors, Bodyguard C in the crowd surrounding a wealthy merchant's son, or Assassin D killed by a great hero.
What Zhang Qingyuan was running was not a sect, but a vocational school.
The elite would naturally stay, but those other people needed a way forward too.
Zhang Qingyuan was giving them a better opportunity than other sects offered, and of course they would seize it.
Zhang Qingyuan said, "Tomorrow, the Tianyang Daily will run an enrollment notice and advertisements.
"And Old Fourth!"
"Here!"
"In a little while, go with Third Brother to photocopy these flyers, along with banners and advertisements. I want every city in Yu Province to know that we'll begin enrollment in half a month!"
"Understood!"
What was Zhang Qingyuan trying to do?
Supply society with skilled workers!