"Zhenwu Mountain, inheriting the legacy of the Great Emperor Zhenwu and founded by Perfected Master Xuan Yi, has stood for one thousand one hundred years since its establishment, the true orthodox school of the mystic arts in this world..."
"Leo Young of Hongzhou, who admires the mystic school, has traveled a thousand li to join the Zhenwu Sect. Today, he is officially accepted into our ranks to be taught the Great Dao."
"Once you have entered the Zhenwu Sect, you must abide by its rules."
"The twelve prohibitions and precepts are listed below to punish evil and rectify wrongdoing. Should any dare to transgress these rules with arrogance, the precepts will be enforced impartially. The regulations and precepts are now set forth."
"First: Any who commit licentious, wicked, or depraved acts among the common folk shall be beaten to death with a staff."
"Second: Any who slander with malicious words or conspire to harm the innocent shall be beaten with a staff and expelled."
"Third: Any who embezzle public funds for private gain or steal shall be beaten with a staff and expelled."
"Fourth: Any who instigate disputes..."
Su He stood with his back ramrod straight, his voice crisp and his enunciation clear as he recited the sect rules word for word. Finally, he called for Leo Young to come forward, and the latter performed three resounding kowtows.
"Disciple Leo Young pays his respects to Master."
Su Tianqing nodded slightly. "Now that you are my disciple, you should focus on your cultivation, promoting good and eliminating evil. You may rise."
After Leo Young stood up, Su Tianqing added, "My duties are numerous, and I cannot teach you martial arts from the very beginning. This is your Third Senior Brother, Su He. Although he is untalented, he has practiced for many years and has a rough understanding of martial arts. For the time being, he will be the one to instruct you. If there is anything you do not understand about daily life, you may also ask him."
Leo Young smiled. "This disciple understands."
Su Tianqing nodded slightly. "Good... Su He, for today, take your junior brother to familiarize himself with the various places on Zhenwu Mountain."
Su He said, "This disciple accepts the command."
With that, the two exited Zhenwu Hall... As for Xu He, this matter had nothing to do with him, and he had long since departed.
Su He looked at Leo Young, a genuinely unsettling feeling creeping into his heart. He couldn't comprehend how this was the state of someone who had lost his entire family... He had just said not long ago that 'it wouldn't be strange for his temperament to change after such a disaster,' but he never thought his own words would come back to bite him so quickly.
Suppressing the thoughts in his heart, Su He smiled. "Well then, Junior Brother Leo, let me first give you a general introduction to Zhenwu Mountain."
Leo Young smiled faintly. "I'll have to trouble Senior Brother."
Su He began, "Let's start with Zhenwu Hall... As you can see, Junior Brother, Zhenwu Hall is at the summit of Zhenwu Mountain. Master usually handles his affairs here. If there are important sect matters, the Senior Uncles will also come here to discuss countermeasures. If you have any major issue you wish to report, this is the place to come."
Leo Young chuckled. "From the sound of it, being the Sect Master of Zhenwu Mountain is quite a thankless job. To possess peerless skills, yet be trapped on this lonely mountaintop with only this Zhenwu stone statue for company."
Su He couldn't help but laugh. Leo Young's words were absolutely right. This was exactly Perfected Master Zhou's intention—to temper Su Tianqing's character. Everyone on Zhenwu Mountain, and even people from other sects, knew this. It was something Su He would say as well.
But... for Leo Young to have just finished kowtowing and then immediately step outside to offer such a sharp critique of his own Sect Master... that was really something... The last person like this was Fang Ying.
If Leo Young's entire family hadn't just been murdered, Su He would have been delighted. Like Fang Ying, he was one of Zhenwu Mountain's famous troublemakers. Now, however, Su He only felt a certain inexplicable dread.
In this era, there was no word for someone whose devotion twists into something dangerous and obsessive, and Leo Young was not such a person, yet the fear he inspired was of a similar nature.
["Is he insane, or is his perspective on life and death like that of the ancient sage Mencius, different from ordinary people...?"]
Su He's mind was racing. He cleared his throat and forced a smile in response. "Junior Brother Leo is quite carefree. Countless people in the martial world yearn for the position of Sect Master of Zhenwu Mountain. How is it that in your words, it becomes a thankless job?"
Leo Young gave a casual smile. "Just because everyone wants something, does that make it good? And even if something is good, does that mean it's suitable for oneself?"
Su He was taken aback for a moment. He pondered this carefully, then slowly nodded. "What Junior Brother says is absolutely right..."
As the two conversed, they walked down the mountain. Su He pointed towards a spot on the mountainside and said, "That's the dining area. Meals are available from early morning until late evening. If you want to eat something, just point it out to the aunties serving the food... Of course, it's not free."
Zhenwu Mountain wasn't a small sect with only a handful of members, so naturally, there were no unified meal times. Moreover, martial artists have large appetites, get hungry quickly from exercise, and with Zhenwu Mountain's terrifying number of personnel, the cafeteria was open almost all day.
Leo Young smiled. "In that case, can Zhenwu Mountain disciples borrow the kitchen?"
"Of course, they can," Su He said. "What, does Junior Brother Leo also want to cook for himself?"
Leo Young said nonchalantly, "Just asking. I'm Utterly Clueless when it comes to cooking."
...At least for now.
Next, Su He led Leo Young on a stroll around Zhenwu Mountain.
"This is the Hall of Rules and Regulations. Senior Uncle Bai is responsible for overseeing the conduct of our sect's disciples. If you violate any precepts, you come here to be punished."
"Hehe, this should be the place all disciples are interested in... the Scripture Pavilion. Our Zhenwu Mountain has been established for eleven hundred years, and most of our accumulated knowledge is in here. It includes not only the ultimate martial arts of Zhenwu Mountain but also some demonic sect techniques that were confiscated. The elders selected some of the safer ones and stored them inside... Ordinary disciples can only browse the first and second floors. Since you are a disciple of the Sect Master, you can go directly to the third and fourth floors. As for the fifth floor, you can only enter with the Sect Master's permission."
"This is the Drum and Music Loft, a place to cultivate one's temperament. If you are interested, Junior Brother, you can practice the Four Arts here—zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting... Some martial arts are even related to your proficiency in the Four Arts."
"Ha, we're here. Your stamina is really poor, Junior Brother, getting out of breath after just a few steps... This is the Hall of Stewards. All sorts of miscellaneous affairs of the sect are handled here: accepting commissions, collecting daily necessities, getting reimbursed for expenses during sect missions, and so on... Come on, let's get you an identification plaque first."
"That over there is the Martial Arts Field. It needs no explanation. If you want to exchange pointers with fellow disciples, it's best to do it there. Otherwise, it might be considered a private duel..."
"Past the Martial Arts Field, to the left is the Merciful Ferry Hut. If you're injured or have any physical ailments, you can go there for treatment. To the right is the bathhouse. If you return to the dormitory covered in stinky sweat, you'll be disliked by the other disciples... Also, don't go to the women's bathhouse. If you get caught, it will be, truly, miserable."
"Further on are the disciple dormitories. Yesterday you were still a guest staying in the guest rooms, but today you'll have to move in here. The rooms are for two people... As it happens, I'm still living alone. Since Master has entrusted you to me, you can room with me."
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