Lian Cheng considered Linghu Chong’s unique talent and changed the teaching plan accordingly.
Besides not requiring Linghu Chong to memorize poems, he also changed the lessons from one poem at a time to three poems. After all, Linghu Chong was a fast learner.
The morning passed, and Linghu Chong had temporarily mastered the sword techniques for three poems. He just needed to practice more later, and once he mastered them completely, Lian Cheng would teach him three more poems.
At this time, the two were by the stream grilling fish for a simple lunch.
After the fish was cooked, Linghu Chong looked around furtively, then quietly took out a small jar the size of his palm.
“Heh, Second Brother, you taught me swordsmanship, so I’ll share my good stuff with you. This is a fine wine I had someone buy from Huayin County. It’s delicious! Second Brother, you get the first sip!”
Lian Cheng’s face darkened.
Good grief, this guy was already craving alcohol at such a young age. He was truly a drunkard at heart!
Lian Cheng took the small jar, but hid it behind his back, his expression serious. “Big Brother, you haven’t come of age yet. Drinking so early will damage your body and hinder your martial arts training. So, we should not drink this wine!”
Linghu Chong was dumbfounded.
Wait, I’m sharing good wine with you, and you won’t drink it, and you won’t even let me drink it?
He urged, “Second Brother, it’s just a little wine, it won’t hurt. Besides, you don’t have to drink it. Just give the wine back to me.”
Lian Cheng resolutely shook his head. “Big Brother, your thinking is wrong. This kind of thing is like going to a casino. At first you just say you’re going to take a look, and then you get sucked in. So, it’s best not to start at all. Besides, you don’t want Master and Mistress to be angry, do you?”
At the mention of Master and Mistress, Linghu Chong immediately deflated.
He had been adopted by Master and Mistress since childhood. They were like his parents. He loved them dearly and truly didn't want to make them angry.
However, his personality was too unrestrained and his martial arts training was a bit lazy. He was often sternly reprimanded by Master, and even though Mistress loved him dearly, he was still afraid of Master, especially afraid of disappointing him.
Thinking of this, Linghu Chong no longer had the desire to get his small jar back. He sat aside and sighed in dejection.
“Second Brother, do you think Master is disappointed in me, his eldest disciple?”
Linghu Chong’s voice carried a sense of confusion. “I’ve always been disobedient. I’m not enthusiastic about martial arts, and I often make trouble and make Master angry. Every time, Mistress covers for me. Compared to me, Master values you more. You’re not only sensible, but also talented. At such a young age, you’ve already created such amazing skills as the Lian Cheng Swordsmanship and the Lingbo Weibu. It’s natural for Master to value you more… ”
Upon hearing this, Lian Cheng silently looked at Linghu Chong.
He subconsciously recalled the content of the original story, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of lament.
Yue Buqun and Linghu Chong, this master and disciple pair, were truly a sight for sorrow.
Linghu Chong was very filial. Not only did he consider Yue Buqun as his Master, but also as his father. However, this father was too strict, never seemed to understand his child, and there was clearly a generation gap between them.
Perhaps Yue Buqun thought the same way. After all, Linghu Chong, his eldest disciple, was so talented, why was he so disobedient? Why didn’t he care more about the Huashan Sect, do more for his Master, and share the burden? Even though he learned powerful swordsmanship, he hid it from his Master. Even when he became powerful, he still struck his Master’s face. It was simply disloyal and unfilial!
This kind of mutual misunderstanding naturally led to a strained relationship, ultimately pushing them apart!
Therefore, mutual understanding was crucial!
However, in Lian Cheng's opinion, Linghu Chong was the one at fault. As the eldest disciple, he should have shouldered the responsibility of the sect and eased the pressure on Master Yue Buqun. But Linghu Chong never understood Yue Buqun's difficulties. For the sake of his so-called carefree spirit, he even sided with the Demon Cult. Even after becoming powerful, he never helped the sect rise, leaving it constantly on thin ice.
Imagine, if Yue Buqun hadn’t learned the “Evil Sun Sword Technique,” Zuo Lengchan would have already unified the Five Great Sword Sects. What would have happened to Yue Buqun then?
Fortunately, it was still early. Linghu Chong was young, and it was still far from that situation.
To prevent the future from turning out as bad as in the original story, Lian Cheng felt that Master and disciple needed to understand each other, especially cultivating Linghu Chong’s sense of responsibility for the sect.
As the eldest disciple, you must stand up, not spend your days drinking, fooling around, and chasing girls!
Lian Cheng pondered for a moment, then said seriously, “Big Brother, you’re wrong about Master. He loves all his disciples equally. However, he has to value me more, it’s simply out of necessity.”
Linghu Chong was taken aback, his face filled with confusion. “Second Brother, you say that Master is out of necessity?”
“Yes! Master is under too much pressure!”
Lian Cheng decided to let this kid know the situation of the Huashan Sect. “Big Brother, our Huashan Sect was once the head of the Five Great Sword Sects. Back then, our sect alone could stand against the Demon Cult with no fear. However, after a series of incidents, Huashan Sect’s masters died or left. Only Master and Mistress remained. Can you imagine how difficult it was at that time?”
This...
Linghu Chong was somewhat stunned, because Master and Mistress had never told him about this.
“Master and Mistress never told you, did they? It’s because they love us, their disciples. They don't want us to bear such heavy pressure at such a young age. They silently shoulder this burden and always maintain a loving smile in front of us. Every time I think about this, I can’t help but feel heartache for them.
They shoulder the responsibility of reviving the Huashan Sect, with limited resources in terms of finances, manpower, and mental strength. At the same time, they have to face various powerful enemies, including the Demon Cult, the other four sects, even Shaolin and Wudang. These people don’t want to see the powerful Huashan Sect rise again, so they obstruct them everywhere, and even Master and Mistress, and even us, are constantly in danger of our lives!
Under these circumstances, do you think it’s right for Master to be strict with you?
As the eldest disciple, you should be diligent and work hard, grow up as soon as possible, and ease the burden on Master and Mistress. You should shoulder the responsibility of reviving the Huashan Sect!
Master values you, but you think Master is being harsh on you. You still just know how to play and slack off. Master and Mistress don’t want to force you, they want you to have a happy childhood, so they have to focus on cultivating me, who’s more sensible! You see, Master has no choice, right? Are you still blaming Master for not loving you?”
“Second Brother, I never blamed Master. It’s me who’s not good enough...”
Linghu Chong’s voice lacked confidence, and he was a bit dazed, clearly shocked by Lian Cheng's words.
He had always loved to play and never thought that the situation of the Huashan Sect was so difficult. He, the eldest disciple, couldn’t even stand up and truly failed Master and Mistress!
He was a disgrace!
Linghu Chong's eyes welled up with tears. He quickly grabbed Lian Cheng's wrist, urging, “I was wrong, I was so wrong! Second Brother, what should I do? I don’t want to disappoint Master and Mistress. I also want to be like you and ease the burden on them!”