Chapter Forty-Three: Lu Baichuan Accepts Another Disciple

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The next morning, at dawn.

Li Tianjun woke his three younger cousins early for training; this marked the beginning of their cultivation.

The three cousins admired their elder deeply. Since childhood, they had heard tales of him being chosen by an immortal as a disciple. Not long ago, they had witnessed him returning to the village, chastising intruding bandits and saving their Li Family Village.

Li Family Village was remote; generations had lived by toiling in the fields, honest and simple folk. When confronted by the strong, they could only submit. Thus, the villagers all hoped more strong youths like Li Tianjun would arise among them.

Upon hearing that he would soon depart again, the whole village sent their promising young men for Li Tianjun to choose from. Tianjun, remembering that Yang City was short on hands, decided to bring along trustworthy youths from the village to serve.

In the end, the three of them were fortunate enough to be selected. Their families were overjoyed, hoping they would rise in the world under Li Tianjun’s guidance. Li Tianhu and Li Tianbiao were brothers with strong foundations and great potential for cultivation.

But it was Li Tianxing, the third cousin, who surprised Tianjun most. Thanks to his time at the Wuji Sect, though he did not have access to the best techniques, he had once read some of the sect’s secret histories. Otherwise, had his cousin stood before him, Tianjun might not have recognized his hidden talent.

To Li Tianxing, compared to outsiders, he naturally trusted his elder cousin more. Hearing him describe the realities of sect life, he lost all illusions about it and chose to follow his cousin instead.

The small courtyard was tranquil, with seven or eight rooms—more than enough for Tianjun’s mother and the four youths. Last night, Lan had also brought a servant to tend to Tianjun’s mother, leaving them free to focus on their training.

Li Tianjun addressed his three cousins: “From today, your formal cultivation begins. Besides, I am now chief steward of the Yang family’s guards and often have matters to attend to. Outside of your practice, follow me and observe. I hope you gain experience in dealing with affairs. Our Li Family Village is not as carefree as Wuzhou City. You must mature quickly.”

The three innocent youths, having left their village for the first time and living in such a grand residence, could not hide their excitement. They responded in unison, “Yes, we will follow your arrangements.”

“Young Master says, as long as you work hard in your cultivation, ask him directly for whatever resources you need,” Tianjun added. Seeing their excitement, he continued, “This is your good fortune. I have told you about my time in the Wuji Sect—there was no such treatment there. I hope you do not forget Young Master’s kindness if you achieve success in the future.”

The three replied earnestly, “We shall never forget Young Master’s great kindness.”

As it was still early, Tianjun began teaching them the Wuji Sect’s cultivation method, and the three practiced diligently.

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At that moment, Lu Baichuan and Yang Cheng arrived.

Had Yang Cheng not woken late, Lu Baichuan would have come sooner; he hadn’t slept all night, preoccupied by the matter of the Tyrant Physique.

As soon as Yang Cheng was up, Lu Baichuan pulled him along.

Li Tianjun and the others greeted them respectfully. Lu Baichuan, impatient, asked, “Brother Li, may I examine the bone structure of these three youths?” A man of the martial world, Lu Baichuan was never one for excessive formalities, speaking directly.

Tianjun greatly respected Lu Baichuan, a Golden Core powerhouse and one of Yang Cheng’s trusted men, so he naturally did not refuse: “Senior, please, as you wish.”

Lu Baichuan did not ask which one was Li Tianjun—that would make his intentions too obvious. He began with the youngest, Li Tianbiao, and then checked all three. Among them, the tallest indeed possessed the Tyrant Physique—a fact he had already learned the night before, so he managed to contain his excitement. The other two youths also had fine talent—above average, and, with diligence, could achieve much.

Lu Baichuan mused, “Brother Li, your Li Family Village is remarkable. Young Master tells me that besides these three, there are over a dozen strong men with unusual strength.”

Li Tianjun replied, “Senior flatters us. Our village is remote and humble; there is no known history of extraordinary figures among our ancestors. Many villagers are naturally strong, but we never found it unusual.”

Lu Baichuan nodded, “Perhaps I overthink it.” He glanced again at Li Tianxing, noticing the extraordinary spirit between the brows of this Tyrant Physique youth. Though close in age to his peers, he was much taller and exuded a faint aura of power, even without cultivation.

Seeing the gleam in Lu Baichuan’s eye, Yang Cheng interjected, “Brother Lu, with Tianjun soon overseeing the guards, you’ll have less to do. Since you’re already guiding two disciples, why not teach these three as well?”

Lu Baichuan was speechless—this sounded all too familiar. Was he now the Yang family’s drillmaster, with every promising youth sent his way?

Yet, this was the Tyrant Physique! If the boy matured well, his name would surely resound in the cultivation world. To be his master would be an honor. Including Chen’er and Zhu’er, they could one day be recorded as a trio of prodigies in the annals of cultivation. If he let this chance slip, he’d regret it for life.

The other two, though not as gifted as his godson and disciple, were still quite talented. Had he met them before, he would gladly have taken them as disciples.

But to accept all three at once, effectively taking them from Li Tianjun, seemed improper. Uncertain how to respond, he looked at Tianjun.

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Li Tianjun was overjoyed. He could tell Lu Baichuan might not match the masters of the Wuji Sect’s five great peaks, but he was certainly no weaker than an elder of the sect. With his own cultivation at the Nascent Soul stage, his experience and insights paled in comparison to Lu Baichuan’s. For his three cousins, being taught by Lu Baichuan rather than himself would be a far better start, truly worthy of their talents.

Besides, he could still spare time to guide them as well—it would only broaden their knowledge. Li Tianjun bowed and said, “My cultivation is shallow; I only hope Senior Lu will not disdain my three cousins.”

Lu Baichuan was delighted. “Good! Our gathering here must be fate. Today, I shall accept three more disciples.”

Li Tianjun, seeing his cousins still wooden and unsure, stepped forward and kicked them. “What are you waiting for? Kneel and thank your master!”

The three boys hastily knelt, exclaiming, “Master, your disciple Li Tianxing—”

“Disciple Li Tianhu, Li Tianbiao, pay respects!”

“Good, good, ha ha!” Lu Baichuan was thoroughly pleased, personally stepping forward to help each to their feet, brushing the dust from their knees. The knife scars on his face creased into a beaming smile.

After a few words of idle chat, Lu Baichuan, content, quickly bid farewell to Yang Cheng and Li Tianjun, then led his new disciples to the back mountain.

Watching the four of them depart, Yang Cheng was equally delighted. He took a silk scroll from his robe and handed it to Li Tianjun. “Tianjun, when you have time, cultivate this ‘Wave-Stepping Footwork.’”

Li Tianjun was astonished; he hadn’t expected the Yang family to possess a family technique, nor to be allowed to practice it as an outsider. He offered his thanks to the young master at once.