The Nine Cauldrons

Book 5 Chapter 3 At The Main Hall

There was still some time until 21st of September arrived.

During this time, Teng Qingshan had been practising the Three Postures in the mornings to appreciate the Realm of Concept. He wanted to create the fourth spear art of the Five Element Spear Art. In the afternoon, Teng Qingshan practised the 《Godly Tiger Form Technique》. After he had eaten the Black Fire Spirit Fruit, with his training, Teng Qingshan’s strength, vision and hearing have been gradually improving.

At night, he studied the consummate skills of the flying knives.

Of course, he spent his lunch and dinner time with his brothers from the Black Armored Army and they chatted while enjoying their wine. Teng Qingshan was not the only one who was diligent. Most of the men in the Black Armored Army were diligent as well. To be able to pass the selections and remain in the Black Armored Army, there were not many who shunned hard work and indulged in leisure.

……

In the blink of an eye, 21st of September had arrived.

In the morning, when the morning sun appeared on the horizon and most of the men from the Black Armored Army had yet to wake up, Teng Qingshan’s quarters was already filled with noise and excitement.

“Cousin, cousin!” Qingyu had been in the courtyard very early in the morning as she jumped around excitedly and shouted, “Get up quickly! We need to go to the main hall now!”

“It is only dawn now.” Teng Qinghu pushed the door to his room open and came out holding a steel spear in his hands. He threw a helpless glance at Qingyu. “Qingyu, take a look at the time now! There is still an hour before breakfast.” Although he had said that, Teng Qinghu still went to the front courtyard and started to practice with his spear.

Qingyu humphed uncaringly. “You’re so lazy! Look at my brother, he was already practising his boxing when I woke up!”

“If I wanted to compare with Qingshan, I should forget about sleeping.” Teng Qinghu stopped his spear and laughed. “Look at your brother, he only sits cross-legged in the backyard as he meditates at night. How can I compare to him? You’re asking me to not sleep and meditate? To take meditation as sleep? I do not have that capability!”

Hu! Hu!

There were occasional whistling sounds coming from the backyard.

Teng Qingshan was in the middle of practising the Three Postures. In his hands, the ordinary Three Postures seemed to have a unique charm to it. If one was to take a closer look, they would realise that Teng Qingshan’s legs were as if they had a hidden bow in them. Both his arms were another bow. His whole body was also a bow!

His whole body contained a strong force!

Slow, then fast!

Retract!

Teng Qingshan’s chest was like a large bellow, as he let out long exhale with a tranquil smile. Everytime he practiced the Three Postures, Teng Qingshan could faintly feel a Realm of Concept with an endless flow and with the balance of Yin and Yang. It was just that the Realm of Concept was too deep and it was hard for him to grasp.

“Cousin, Little Yu, both of you are up early today. Let’s go and have breakfast.” Teng Qingshan headed for the front courtyard.

“Brother, you’ll have to change your clothes. Today is the big day when the Sovereign officially takes you in as his disciple! There will be many people invited to the main hall then, including the Elders, the Protectors.” Qingyu said.

Teng Qingshan looked at his clothes.

There was dust on his clothes. As he had quietly meditated in the courtyard overnight, dust had covered his clothes.

“There’s no hurry. I will clean up after breakfast and have change my clothes.” Teng Qingshan replied.

The three of them left the quarters together.

……

The morning sun rose as sunlight shone across the main hall of the Gui Yuan Sect.

A large number of core disciples of the Gui Yuan Sect stood on the tens of flight of stairs outside the main hall, each of them were coordinated as they all wore white robes, standing upright. Quite a distance away, there were even more core disciples who were gathered in small groups as they looked at the main hall and discussed a low voices.

“What big event is happening in our sect today? My Martial Uncle as well as the disciples of the 27th generation are all waiting outside the main hall!”

“Who knows? The disciples of the 27th generation have the right to stand outside the main hall but we of the 28th generation can only look from afar. Look! Martial Granduncle! Wow, there are the Elders and the Protectors as well!”

Many core disciples saw the group of men from afar.

This group of people were the real superiors in Gui Yuan Sect! At that moment, Teng Qingshan was amongst this group of people.

“All the centurions, two people stand on each step! Take your positions on the steps in order and stand outside the main hall.” Ji Hong who was dressed in a full suit of black armor hollered. The centurions who were following behind the group all respectfully followed the order. In this gathering at the main hall, even the centurions of the Black Armored Army did not have the qualifications to enter the main hall and they could only stay outside.

Each step outside the main hall was occupied by two centurions as well as two core disciples of the 27th generation. Teng Qinghu was one of them.

In the main hall!

There were chairs that were laid out in a row on each side of the hall, forming a straight line all the way to the entrance of the hall. There were eighteen chairs on each side of the hall, with a total of thirty-six chairs altogether!

The four commanders and eleven lieutenants all sat on the right side. There were twelve lieutenants in the Black Armored Army, but it was just that one of them was outside. Other than these fifteen people, there was also the ‘County Governor’ of the Jiangning County as well as the ‘General’ of the city guards. They were seated in front of the four commanders.

With these seventeen people, naturally only the first seat of this row was vacant.

As for the eighteen seats on the left, there were seventeen people seated as well, leaving the first spot vacant!

“From this seating arrangement, one can already tell who is in power in the Gui Yuan Sect.” Teng Qingshan sat on one of the seats further back on the row on the right and he glanced at the group of men opposite him. “The ones on the left should be the Elders and Protectors of the Gui Yuan Sect who manage the core disciples and outer disciples. Our side are those from the Black Armored Army… Oh, those two.”

Teng Qingshan could not recognise the ‘County Governor’ of Jiangning County and the ‘General’ of the City Guards.

At this moment, the Sovereign had not arrived yet, and laughter had filled the main hall as everyone was at ease.

“Old Yan, who are the two at the front of our row? To think that they are able to be seated in front of the four commanders.” Teng Qingshan lowered his voice and asked.

Yan Ge who was beside him, was also one of the lieutenants under the First Commander.

“Qingshan, those two are the ‘County Governor’ of Jiangning County and the ‘General’ of the City Guards. The two of them controls the eighty thousand men in the ‘City Guards’.” Yan Ge replied softly. “Although the City Guards were kicked out of our Black Armored Army, they are large in numbers. They are also the army that protects the base of our Gui Yuan Sect.

“It’s them!”

Teng Qingshan’s heart skipped a beat.

The Black Armored Army was always kept at a number of six thousand men and there were many who wished to enter. While there were many who were capable, they were still kicked out! Therefore, the Gui Yuan Sect took those men into the City Guards! The City Guards of the Jiangning County totalled a strength of eighty thousand men! It was the biggest army in the whole Jiangning County.

Of course, if they were to have an outright battle on the plains, the six thousand men of the Black Armored Army would be able to eliminate the eighty thousand men of the City Guards!

However, if the eighty thousand City Guards were to defend the great city walls of the Jiangning County, it would be hard for them to push through even with the all of the six thousand men of the Black Armored Army.

“This is the Gui Yuan Sect!” Teng Qingshan sighed. An elite team of six thousand men in the Black Armored Army, eighty thousand well-trained City Guards, close to ten thousand core disciples and countless numbers of outer disciples. This was the Gui Yuan Sect, the supporting force which dominates the whole Jiangning County!

At that moment —

Three figures entered the main hall, with Zhuge Yuanhong in the lead. He was wearing a long white robe that was like the moon and his long hair was let down. Behind him was a white-haired old man in plain cloth robes and a middle-aged man whose gaze was like electricity and had a fierce presence.

“Martial Uncle, Martial Granduncle, please be seated.” Zhuge Yuanhong had a faint smile.

The two of them bowed slightly and headed for the respective two front seats on each row.

“The two of them!” Teng Qingshan immediately guessed who they were. “Could it be that these two men are the legendary ‘Law Enforcing Elders’?” In his days spent in the Black Armored Army, Teng Qingshan had also heard of the ‘Law Enforcing Elders’. Their statuses were extremely high, and were only slightly below that of the Sovereign.

In comparison, the other commanders, County Governors, Protectors, and lieutenants were all much lower in status.……

In the main hall, only after Zhuge Yuanhong had taken his seat, did the rest follow.

“Qingshan!” Zhuge Yuanhong gave a faint smile as he spoke.

Teng Qingshan immediately stood up, bowing, “Sovereign!” In public, as he had not officially been appointed as the sovereign’s disciple, Teng Qingshan still had to address him as ‘Sovereign’.

“Teng Qingshan had lived in the mountains since young, with the nature as his master as he created his spear arts! At his young age, he even killed the ‘Blood Moon Blade’ Meng Tian. At the Blazing Mountain, he was far from being disadvantaged even when he was up against the Black and White elders of the Xiao Yao Palace together! Haha, Teng Qingshan is an unpolished jade with huge potential. Today, I, Zhuge Yuanhong will officially take Qingshan as my disciple, with all of you as witnesses!” Zhuge Yuanhong laughed as he said this.

Teng Qingshan immediately stepped up and picked the tea cup off the tray of the maid at the side.

He held on to the tea cup while kneeling down on one of his knees!

“Master, please have the tea!” Teng Qingshan said respectfully.

Zhuge Yuanhong smiled as he received the cup, took two sips and placed it aside. He smiled, nodding as he said, “From today onwards, Qingshan, you are now the disciple of the 27th generation of our Gui Yuan Sect! In the future, you will need to work even harder and quickly enter the innate realm.” The process of taking in a disciple was actually very simple. After drinking the tea, it would be complete.

“Yes, master.” Teng Qingshan said respectfully.

“You may get up.” Zhuge Yuanhong replied with a faint smile.

From this day onwards, Teng Qingshan had become the direct disciple of the Sovereign! This was not an ordinary identity. There were some who were eventually appointed as the Sovereign and they were usually the most outstanding disciple. And when the Sovereign chooses his disciple, he always chose from the best! Based on tradition, in the absence of any unforeseen circumstances, the next Sovereign would be chosen from the direct disciples of the Sovereign!

People like Zang Feng and Guan Lu were appointed as commanders at their young age.

Other that their abilities, it was also because of their identity as the ‘direct disciples of the Sovereign’.

“Congratulations to the Sovereign!” The group of men in the main hall cupped their hands and shouted.

“Haha… today, taking in Qingshan as my disciple is a small issue! There is a more important issue.” Zhuge Yuanhong said as he looked at Ji Hong and there was silence in the main hall. Everyone was aware… The important moment was here!

The process of taking in a disciple was very simple. There was rarely such a big showcase for this in the past.

To be gathering so many people this time around, everyone was aware that they would probably be picking a new commander! The position of commander was one that holds great authority. Furthermore… Ji Hong’s position was that of First Commander! By the hierarchy, the other three commanders would have to be under his command!

“Everyone.” Ji Hong stood up and said in a clear voice. “I have been the First Commander for over fifty years! Now, I feel that I am not able to accomplish much as well as I wish to. Thus, I have decided to step down from this position.” He then looked at the Sovereign, Zhuge Yuanhong. “I plead for the Sovereign to pick the new commander.”

Everyone held their breath and looked at the Sovereign, ‘Zhuge Yuanhong’!