The two Daoists couldn't help but wear odd expressions as they looked at the children outside the courtyard, sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed, looking utterly serious.
'How should I describe this feeling?'
It was like discovering a pile of priceless treasures in a cesspit!
Calling it a cesspit might have been a bit much, but it was hardly an exaggeration.
Ever since the northern Jurchen Barbarians swept through the previous dynasty five hundred years ago, conquering the Central Plains and establishing the Yaoqing, the Central Plains People had lived lives worse than pigs and dogs.
To maintain the stability of their rule, the Yaoqing Dynasty had established all sorts of restrictions and regulations targeting the Central Plains People.
Even if a Central Plains scholar, proficient in both literary and martial pursuits and of vast learning, was willing to bow their head and pass a gauntlet of trials to enter the heart of the Yaoqing Imperial Court, they were still required to address members of the Demon Qing Royal Court as "Master." In certain grand public ceremonies, they even had to refer to themselves as "your humble servant."
It was nothing short of farcical.
Among the many decrees issued, the one most strictly enforced—and the one that provoked the most severe backlash—was an edict from three hundred years ago. It was proposed by the Yaoqing's Emperor Yongzheng and was named 'Store the Blades, and Pasture the Warhorses.'
At that time, the Yaoqing Imperial Court was at its zenith.
Meanwhile, the civilization of the Central Plains grew weaker and weaker under its relentless pressure.
The decree's promulgation was perfectly timed, a confluence of favorable conditions for the Yaoqing. It was an iron-fisted measure by Emperor Yongzheng to purge the many so-called "unstable elements" from the Central Plains Martial World.
Before anyone could react, the Yaoqing court suddenly dispatched tens of thousands of elite troops and gathered dozens of top-tier Grandmasters who answered directly to the Demon Qing Royal Court.
For a time, the entire Central Plains was plunged into war and devastation.
The Yaoqing Imperial Court frantically confiscated and destroyed the Martial Arts Techniques and Secret Manuals of various sects, dealing a devastating blow to the martial civilization of the Central Plains!
The defiant sects that refused to submit were almost completely annihilated. Those that did submit were collared like dogs, with even the number of disciples they could recruit each year being strictly limited.
The devastating impact of this decree has lasted to this day.
Now, aside from a handful of top-tier Central Plains sects with deep-seated foundations that managed to eke out an existence hidden deep in the mountains and enjoy a few token privileges from the Imperial Court...
...the entire Central Plains Martial World was in a state of irreversible decline.
In contrast, after the Yaoqing Imperial Court amassed countless Martial Arts Secret Manuals and one-of-a-kind Cultivation Technique manuscripts, the scions of the Royal Court flourished, and the number of their experts multiplied.
As one side waned and the other waxed, the situation was truly one that bred despair.
Of course, that wasn't the important part.
The important thing was, as far as they knew, besides their own Xuan Yang Temple, the only other Central Plains establishments near Sanhuang County with a complete martial heritage were a few martial arts schools, right?
So, that raised a question.
How had these children before them embarked on the path of the Martial Dao?
'Could they have learned a Cultivation Method at a martial arts school and then spread it around?'
'Teaching martial arts without a license is a crime punishable by beheading!'
A thousand thoughts raced through the two Daoists' minds, their expressions flickering uncertainly.
After a moment, the old Daoist came to his senses. He took a deep breath, walked up to a child who looked a bit older, and asked, "Child, what are you all doing?"
Interrupted in his cultivation, the child didn't seem very happy.
However, upon seeing that he was being questioned by an unfamiliar old man in Daoist robes, the child's expression turned cautious. He said in a quiet voice, "We're practicing Supreme Martial Arts. Once we master them, we'll be invincible!"
Hearing the child's answer, the Daoist glanced at his apprentice. For a moment, they both just stared at each other, speechless.
After a long pause, the old Daoist asked, "Can you tell me who taught you these Supreme Martial Arts?"
It wasn't that he intended to report them to the Imperial Court.
He was just curious as to where a Martial Artist could have come from in this godforsaken mountain village.
At this question, the child's brow furrowed, and his expression grew wary. "Why are you asking? Can't we have figured it out ourselves?"
The old Daoist knew he'd likely been misunderstood but couldn't be bothered to explain himself to a small child.
He stood up, glancing first at the Li Family's main gate, then at Li Chang'an at the top of the steps. He walked straight over and asked, "Young man, are your parents home?"
Li Chang'an had noticed the two Daoists long ago and had simply been observing them from the shadows. Seeing them approach now without any apparent hostility, he smiled. "My parents aren't home. Did you need to see them for something, Daoist?"
The old Daoist was rather surprised by how clear and articulate the boy was. He pressed on, "This 'Divine Skill' you're cultivating—did your parents teach it to you?"
Li Chang'an shook his head and replied calmly, "I learned the method for Breathing Qi Force from you, Daoist. The Cultivation Technique I am now teaching was something I created afterward, based on the principles of how Qi Force flows."
The old Daoist: "..."
His expression darkened. He felt like the child was making a fool of him.
Three hundred years ago, during the golden age of the Central Plains Martial Dao, creating one's own Cultivation Technique might not have been just a madman's dream.
But now, the very roots of the Central Plains' Martial Arts Techniques had been all but severed by the Yaoqing Imperial Court. Forget creating a new technique; it was an achievement for any of the major sects to even possess a single, complete Cultivation Technique.
'Creating a technique under these circumstances?'
'You wouldn't dare make such a boast even in your dreams!'
Even in the one-in-a-million chance that such a heaven-defying genius did exist, it couldn't possibly be a boy who hadn't even grown all his hair yet!
The old Daoist had a million sarcastic remarks he wanted to make, but when he opened his mouth, he didn't know where to start. After a long silence, he let out a snort of laughter. "You're an interesting kid, not afraid to spin a tall tale. Remember to tell your parents that these are troubled times. They shouldn't be making such a big scene!"
As he spoke, he glanced back at the children of all sizes, their young faces full of vigor in the morning light. A thought seemed to cross his mind, and he let out a heavy sigh.
The old Daoist seemed to be in low spirits. He hadn't taken Li Chang'an's words seriously in the slightest.
This was hardly surprising.
Any normal person would have dismissed a child's wild claims.
Li Chang'an pursed his lips and continued, "Daoist, I saw you three years ago!"
At these words, the old Daoist's faint smile vanished, his face suddenly turning grim. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he stared at Li Chang'an. "Young man, what else do you know?"
The Daoist's frame wasn't imposing; in fact, he looked somewhat frail. Yet the aura he exuded at that moment was suffocating, making Li Chang'an feel as if he were facing the wrath of heaven itself.
'So this is a true master of the Martial Dao?'
'It's a completely different feeling from when I faced the Han Brothers!'
"Please, don't misunderstand!" Suppressing the excitement rising in his chest, Li Chang'an took a deep breath. Enduring the pressure, he repeated, "Three years ago, you passed by my family's gate. I caught a glimpse of your back from a distance, and in that instant, I had an epiphany. Through trial and error, I eventually figured out this Cultivation Method!"
"I see. You have a good memory, young man..." The old Daoist was still subconsciously dismissing the boy's wilder claims. Then, after a long moment, his eyes shot wide open in disbelief. "Wait. What did you just say?"