"Keep yourselves quiet in front of the guests! I presented this precious sword to add luster to the Wardance, not to hear you arguing amongst yourselves, which would damage our alliance."
"Although neither of you is confident of losing to the other, in a contest, there's always a winner and a loser, which inevitably leads to friction. I have an idea—"
"Although the winner has not yet been revealed, and it may not be the two of you, if you want this prize, I want you to work together to train an apprentice and have him participate in the Wardance, at least winning one match."
Upon hearing Huaiyan's words, Yanqing and Yunli both shook their heads, indicating that such a statement was utterly unreasonable.
Although they knew General Huaiyan's intention was to ease tensions between the two sides, neither of them had any experience in mentoring apprentices...
"In my humble opinion, it is certainly gratifying that the Cloud Knights stand out at the pinnacle of victory; but it is even more valuable that they can pass on their skills, allowing them to flourish and benefit others."
"Listen to that, that's the vision of General Xianzhou." March 7th sincerely admired Huaiyan.
"If this person can represent the train in the martial arts ceremony using the Cloud Knights Sword Wardance and display his skills, I will be greatly pleased!"
" Elder Yan's idea is truly interesting. Passing on skills and knowledge to apprentices demonstrates the spirit of cooperation. In this way, the winners will gain something, and the losers won't go home empty-handed."
"But which one should they take as their disciple?"
Jing Yuan looked at Xing and March 7th with great interest and said.
Xing reacted quickly, decisively taking a step back, and even manually 'introduced' March 7th.
"Huh?" March 7th, still not quite understanding, scratched his head. "Who? Me? Me?"
" March 7th, congratulations! You've won the lottery!"
"... Huh? Hey! The old general isn't serious, is he?"
On March 7th, it dawned on me belatedly that I'd gotten myself involved in this whole mess.
"How did I suddenly get dragged into this? I've never practiced swordsmanship before! I'm a complete beginner! Can I even learn it?! I hope I won't end up being shamefully expelled from the sect!"
March 7th, who primarily uses a bow and arrow, has already imagined countless terrible outcomes. Judging from this situation... it seems she's about to switch to becoming Luofu swordsman?
"I protest, why wasn't I elected?"
Xing thought this was a good opportunity. He diligently studied swordsmanship, and if he encountered any unexpected events, he might attract the attention of [ The Hunt ] Lan and embark on another Path.
"This child's physique is... quite unique. Are you also interested in swordsmanship?"
Xing nodded and transformed the mimicry baseball bat into a longsword.
"However, based on my years of experience judging people, you have no need to hone your swordsmanship to enhance your strength... and I'm afraid there's no one in this world who can guide you on your path."
"Alright." Xing turned to look at March 7th. " March 7th, this is a great opportunity. I remember you mentioned you wanted to learn a certain sword technique?"
"Um... it seems like that's true, but this is all so sudden!"
"Haha~ Miss March 7th, on the other hand, is still a rough gem, uncut and uncarved."
"I thank General Huaiyan for his kindness. Yunli and Yanqing originally intended to have a duel, but now they want to turn around and teach me swordsmanship. Wouldn't that be taking up too much of their time for practicing and preparing for the battle?"
"Besides, I've heard that swordsmen each have their own special moves. If I accidentally reveal them while teaching them, and everyone knows everything about them, wouldn't it be impossible to break their moves in a fight?"
Just as March 7th was about to politely decline, Yunli thoughtfully answered her questions:
" March 7th, you're quite considerate. Don't worry, you won't be able to teach me the ultimate technique without ten years of diligent practice."
"Don't be afraid. With Zhuming's formidable swordsmanship, just learn a few moves from me, and you'll benefit immensely."
"R-Really?"
Dan Heng and Xing exchanged a glance. "It seems March 7th is completely smitten."
"Hehe, that's exactly what we need – to know them inside and out. Defeating someone in one move on the training stage is so boring!" Huaiyan stroked his beard. "Besides, what determines a swordsman's life or death isn't some [ultimate move], but solid fundamental skills."
"Of course, if you really feel it's not working... I can also ask a coaching assistant to come and give you some pointers, and you can even get free milk tea after practice."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yunli realized that everyone's eyes were focused on her.
"Huh? Why are you all staring at me like that?" Yunli blinked.
"Making Ye Yan a teaching assistant... a path never before considered."
"Putting everything else aside, at least the milk tea is unlimited."
Xing and Dan Heng said at the same time, "Please ask the [ Eternity ] Aeon to assist March 7th. Even those [ History Fictionologists ] wouldn't dare to make up such a story."
"So, Miss Yunli has agreed. Yanqing, what do you think?"
"General... Yanqing has not yet completed his apprenticeship; how can he be qualified to teach others swordsmanship?"
Yanqing admitted his own inadequacy, after all, he still hadn't fully grasped Ye Yan's [ Milk Tea Sword Technique ] that descended from the sky.
"So you're admitting defeat? Fine, since you don't even have the confidence to teach, how about I defend the Luofu Arena for you?"
" Yanqing, the process of passing on skills is also a process of examining one's own learning and deepening one's understanding of the craft."
"You've been a disciple for many years, it's time to broaden your horizons," Jing Yuan suggested from the side.
After hearing Yanqing, Yanqing's eyes gradually hardened. "I understand. I agree to do as the general says!"
"Since Yanqing has agreed, all that's left is for Miss March 7th to nod in agreement."
All eyes turned back to March 7th.
" In March 7th, ultimately, this is a decision you must make yourself."
" In March 7th, let's become the number one swordsman on the Astral Express! That way, I won't have to worry about you shooting my butt every time."
"You don't need to say that last sentence..." March 7th's expression fell. "Also, this girl is always a very accurate shooter!"
"If Teacher Ye Yan (Milk Tea) is available as a teaching assistant... then it's settled! General Huaiyan!"
Huaiyan nodded in satisfaction. "Good! Starting tomorrow, Yanqing and Yunli will teach you the basic principles of Cloud Knights Swordsmanship every day."
"Next, Yunli and I will go ahead to get some sword-training gear for Miss March 7th, as a token of our acceptance into her apprenticeship."
March 7th was somewhat surprised to hear this, as it was the first time he had ever heard of a master giving a ceremony to his apprentice before becoming an apprentice... Is this how the old generals of the Xianzhou behaved?
Huaiyan smiled without saying a word, and then left the Seat of Divine Foresight with Yunli.
"Ah... General Huaiyan is gone just like that. I feel like something was off about our conversation just now!"
I feel like the discussion on March 7th has gone off-topic. How did things turn out like this? And where is Teacher Ye Yan?
"Yes, I brought you all to the Seat of Divine Foresight because the General had important matters to discuss. How could... how could Yunli and I have become Miss March 7th's swordsmanship instructors in the blink of an eye?"
Yanqing was also stunned; things had happened so suddenly...
"Because... Mr. Huaiyan hopes we will stay on the Xianzhou Luofu for a while."