Chapter 236
A sudden voice pierced through the quiet crowd, and Shen Xuepei glanced at Ye Tian standing beside her, giving a slight shake of her head. It wasn’t that she was dissatisfied with Ye Tian, but rather a habitual shake at the impetuosity of youth.
Young mouths that speak prematurely lead to unreliable actions. Elders tend to habitually glance at or guide the younger generation’s trivial actions. This is not a bad thing.
The master, who had been waiting for applause with his eyes closed, heard this remark and opened his eyes calmly. Upon seeing the speaker was just a callow youth, he felt an instant contempt but still maintained a composed master’s demeanor. He shifted his body slightly, flicking a leaf from his hand that flew parallel for a good distance, drawing more astonishment from the crowd. Ye Tian curled his lips; these were all petty tricks, after all. Anyone present could do the same with the right finger movements, and even more flamboyantly than the master.
"This young friend, it seems you have a limited understanding of our Huaxia swordsmanship. What you see on TV is merely to satisfy visual thrills. Real Soft Sword is an integrated art and knowledge, meant for cultivating one’s vitality and spirit, not for showing off in public to catch people’s eyes. That’s not swordsmanship; the ones performing are no different from monkey show performers."
The surrounding crowd nodded in agreement, not understanding the master’s words, but feeling they must be right precisely because they did not understand.
Ye Tian nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, I see, I have learned something new." Though his words were of learning, the smirk revealed at the corner of his mouth showed that the young man had no intention of admitting any fault, as if he was still mocking the master.
Having seen many like Ye Tian, the master did not show any particular emotion. Just then, a person in a white practice outfit came over—a boy of about fifteen or sixteen, with a sword slung diagonally across his back. He approached the master, bowed respectfully, and said, "Master, Grandmaster sent a message that we must return to Wutai Mountain before today ends, or else we will face severe punishment."
As the master stroked his beard in thought, someone with small eyes stepped out of the crowd and asked, "Master, what will we do if you leave? I’ve always wanted to learn the way of swordsmanship from you. You can’t just leave like this."