Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

A handyman disciple led the way. Though he worked for the chief steward, he was still just a handyman. He looked at Xie Yuan with envy as he spoke:

"Senior Brother Zhang, these courtyards each have one spot left..."

This disciple had, of course, joined the sect many years before Xie Yuan; back then, Xie Yuan would have had to call him senior brother.

But according to Cloud Mountain rules, handyman disciples had to address all Outer Sect disciples as Senior Brother or Senior Sister, regardless of their respective years in the sect.

Xie Yuan knew that the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect had been flourishing and expanding in recent years, and was in the process of building a new Outer Courtyard. In the current Outer Sect, official disciples all shared a room with one other person.

As he listened to the descriptions, he realized that the remaining vacancies were mostly due to the current occupants having strange quirks—

Some were sleepwalkers who would practice their sword forms in their sleep. Others would talk in their sleep, reciting swordsmanship mantras all night long. There was even one who was so good at his Sword Qi Skill that his inner breath was incredibly full, making his snores thunderous...

There was even one person who lived alone not by choice, but because no one dared to live with him, even though he desperately wanted a roommate—

This disciple’s preference for men was an open secret. It didn’t violate the sect’s rules, but the other disciples kept a respectful distance. The male disciples didn’t dare room with him, and it was inappropriate for the female disciples, so he ended up living alone.

Hearing this, Xie Yuan recalled some unpleasantness and quickly skipped over the option.

"...Then there’s this Senior Brother. He hasn’t been here long, but he’s already outlasted three roommates. It’s nothing personal, he just trains with his sword so relentlessly that others can’t take it."

Xie Yuan’s eyebrow rose at this, his interest piqued.

’A master?’

The handyman disciple clearly thought this person would be a good match for Xie Yuan. He whispered,

"This Senior Brother’s name is Lin Cheng. His innate talent isn’t very high, but thanks to his work ethic—he works like a man possessed—he just broke through to the Second Training a few days ago. I heard he’s seeking vengeance for something, which is why he trains so hard..."

"Lin Cheng...?"

Xie Yuan froze, his footsteps halting.

"Alright, I’ll take that courtyard."

"Huh? Alright..."

The handyman disciple took a couple of quick steps to lead the way, muttering to himself,

’Why so decisive all of a sudden?’

Xie Yuan approached a small, out-of-the-way courtyard. Before he even got close, he could hear the sound of a blade slicing through the air from inside.

He stopped at the gate and listened for a moment with his head tilted, then shook his head slightly before knocking on the door.

The sounds of training stopped. With a CREAK, the door opened, revealing Lin Cheng’s gaunt, weary face.

He looked at Xie Yuan, stunned for a moment before asking:

"Junior Brother Zhang? What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for a room, Senior Brother Lin. Looks like we’ll be roommates. I hope I won’t be a bother."

Xie Yuan said with a smile, clasping his hands in a salute.

Lin Cheng noticed the white robe and sword in Xie Yuan’s hands and broke into a smile.

"So you’ve officially joined the Outer Sect, Junior Brother Zhang! Congratulations! Oh, and welcome!"

He stepped aside, letting Xie Yuan carry his belongings into the house.

The layout was simple and clear: a small courtyard, a central main hall, and two bedrooms off to the sides.

Xie Yuan found the empty bedroom, put his things down, and nodded to himself.

’Small, but it has everything one needs. At least I have my own private room now. This will make my training so much more convenient!’

He had only been tidying up for a moment when he heard Lin Cheng knocking at his door.

"Junior Brother Zhang, do you need any help?"

Xie Yuan had already heard his footsteps. He walked over, opened the door, and gave a good-natured smile.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Lin! I don’t have many things; I’ve already finished unpacking."

"Oh, right. Since you just got here, if you’re not familiar with anything or have any questions, feel free to ask!"

Lin Cheng was quite enthusiastic. After a moment, he added:

"If you don’t need anything, I’m going to get back to my sword practice in the courtyard."

Xie Yuan watched Lin Cheng walk into the courtyard and start practicing his sword again, thinking silently,

’He’s so intense...’

He remembered Lin Cheng as a slightly chubby scholar. But having not seen him for some time, he now looked not only extremely gaunt but had also lost all of his scholarly air. It was replaced entirely by the hardened resolve of a martial artist.

Cloud Mountain had abundant Spiritual Qi, and the food was both nutritious and plentiful. Outer Sect disciples even had the Cloud Mountain Sword Qi Skill to aid their training from the start. And yet, Lin Cheng was still growing thinner by the day, which proved he was training far too much.

But despite training so arduously, Lin Cheng had only just reached the Second Training. He had long since been left in the dust by his own younger sister, and among this year’s new Outer Sect disciples, he had barely avoided being last.

He watched Lin Cheng’s stiff, unpracticed swings. He saw the pained but unwavering look on his face, which still bore a faint resemblance to the forthright Landlord Lin.

Xie Yuan sighed and pulled the copy of the *Cloud Mountain Sword Form* from his robes—

This particular manual was of no use to him anymore, but he was extremely interested in the *Cloud Mountain Sword Qi Skill*. After all, body-nourishing arts had their limits, and different methods followed different philosophies. The Cloud Mountain’s Inner Power was clearly better suited for the Sword Dao.

But he could read the *Cloud Mountain Sword Qi Skill* later. For now, Xie Yuan looked down at his copy of the *Cloud Mountain Sword Form* and cleared his throat.

"Senior Brother Lin, there are a few things in this Cloud Mountain Sword Form that I don’t quite understand. Could you take a look and give me your thoughts?"

Hearing this, Lin Cheng relaxed his stance and walked over.

"Junior Brother Zhang, what don’t you understand? Let me see."

"Well, here..."

Xie Yuan casually flipped to a page and pointed at the illustrations and text.

"This move... it’s the advancing straight thrust, right? When I practice it, my hands and feet always feel out of sync. Either my sword moves before my feet, or my feet move before my sword. I can never seem to unify my body and the blade."

Lin Cheng listened, looking thoughtful.

"This problem you’re describing..."

He thought for a moment, then said honestly,

"I’ve never thought about it."

Xie Yuan fell silent for a moment. ’And you’re so shameless about it,’ he thought.

’I could tell from your practice just now that you’ve never given it a moment’s thought!’

But Lin Cheng just rubbed his chin and said with a smile,

"But my thinking is this: a sword must be fast and unpredictable. Naturally, it has to be out in front of the body. The sword leads the man. That’s how you seize the initiative!"

"Oh? But what if the enemy dodges? Then... aren’t we just leaving ourselves wide open for a counter-attack?"