Book 1 Chapter 7 | Ink East

B1C7: Master selection

Not far from the hot spring in the west garden there is a training ground. By this time, quite a few people have gathered on it.

‘Uncle Lian, any of these 8 great external experts this time is tiptop. 4 of them are from the army. The other 4 are extraordinarily formidable external experts of the 3 Eastern region counties. You see, that silver-haired old man is the Eagle Claw King. Furthermore…’ The leader of the group this time, Vice-Manager Li of the Prince’s Mansion, briefs Lian Yan on the experts in a somewhat flattering manner.

Lian Yan inattentively nods and casts a glance at the 8 great external experts. His eyes do not stop on such few people as that so-called Eagle Claw King for so long as a second.

In practicing external techniques, whether it is about the fingers, the claws, the legs, or the feet, whichever part that is trained will be different from that of an ordinary person. For example, the fingers of the people who practice claw techniques are fairly thick, as well as having quite a few corns. These few people do not fit Uncle Lian’s ideas in the least.

‘Oh?’ Uncle Lian’s eyes suddenly brighten and stare at the last of the 8 people -- a black-clad cold man.

This man cannot be considered muscular. His muscles are also not developed so much as those of the other people, his hands have no corns whatsoever, etc. Judging by appearances, he basically does not look like an external expert. But Uncle Lian’s eyes are fixed on this black-clad man for as much as 3 seconds.

That black-clad cold man suddenly turns his head and looks Uncle Lian in the eye. A lightning bolt seems to suddenly issue from his eyes.

‘Zhao Yunxing! So it’s you, General Zhao. Who could’ve thought His Highness would be willing to invite you to come? If Xiao Yu can have you as his master, it won’t be difficult for him to become an expert later,’ says Uncle Lian with a smile. He knows Zhao Yunxing very well.

With the same cold expression, Zhao Yunxing says: ‘His Highness said Third Prince can choose whoever he wants to be his master. This depends on Third Prince’s vision. Senior Lian had better not advise him in secret. Otherwise … even if he chooses me, I won’t accept him as my disciple.’

‘I know this, of course. Everything will depend on Xiao Yu’s own selection,’ says Lian Yan laughingly while nodding.

These 8 great external experts are all extremely formidable. Anyone who has practiced external techniques to the level of these 8 people can also be considered an external great-master. Whoever Qin Yu chooses, it will be pretty good nonetheless. But Lian Yan secretly has some expectations in his mind. He hopes that Qin Yu will choose Zhao Yunxing because he knows Zhao Yunxing’s capabilities.

In a short time, footsteps can be heard from the outside. Qin Yu, with a hint of excitement on his face, suddenly arrives in a rush. As soon as he sees the 8 great experts before him, his eyes glitter.

‘Xiao Yu, you can choose 1 of these 8 great external experts to be your master,’ says Lian Yan laughingly.

Qin Yu looks carefully at every one of them. Among the 8 great experts, the one who stands out the most is that man who looks like a bear. That large man’s arms are thick enough to be comparable to Qin Yu’s waist. If he throws a punch, Qin Yu has absolutely no doubt about its power.

Immediately, Qin Yu becomes even more excited.

‘Choose just one? Why can’t I choose all 8?’ Qin Yu turns to Lian Yan and asks doubtfully. His little brow wrinkles.

Lian Yan is astounded. The 8 great experts including that cold man Zhao Yunxing also raise their eyebrows. The corners of their mouths cannot help curving upwards into a faint smile.

‘Ahem,’ coughs Lian Yan. After that he says to Qin Yu earnestly: ‘Xiao Yu, practicing is unlike studying. In studying you can have several teachers. But you can’t learn martial arts like that. For example, if you learned several internal techniques at the same time, you’d become demented and lose your rationality.’

‘But aren’t I going to learn external techniques?’ Qin Yu asks in reply.

‘It would be worse with external techniques. External techniques are about training the body, forcing it to break through its limits unceasingly. Every external expert has his own set of methods, which have been put into practice by countless people and therefore can guarantee that you won’t collapse training your body. But … if you learn from several masters at the same time, those methods will get mixed up. That…’ says Lian Yan with a sigh while shaking his head. It is very obvious what he means.

Moreover, in addition to this reason, there is another reason that is even more important.

‘Among the 8 of us, perhaps no one is willing to share the same disciple with another,’ says a muscular bald man laughingly. The other people also nod with a smile.

These 8 people are all great-master level external experts. Any of them is very aloof and proud. How can they be willing to share one disciple? But even after hearing Qin Yu say that, none of them minds. After all he is still 8 year old.

‘I understand,’ nods Qin Yu repeatedly.

Suddenly, a hint of craftiness flashes in his eyes. Lian Yan’s heart immediately skips a beat. He knows that even though Qin Yu is kind-hearted, he also likes to play pranks. And quite a few of those bodyguards and servants at Misty Villa became the victims of his practical jokes.

‘Uncles, I heard from Grandpa Lian that the 8 of you are external experts and I can choose my master from you. But shouldn’t each of you give me a demonstration right now, so that I’ll make a good choice?’ Qin Yu winks at the 8 great external experts with his big eyes.

Is this not only right? Without seeing their demonstrations, how can he choose?

‘Ha-ha, you’re right. I’ll give a demonstration at once. What should I show you? I, Man Dong, have many special skills.’ That muscular man walks out, who has the largest build among 8 people and looks like a bear. He is holding a one-legged copper man in his hand. Man Dong thinks for a while and laughs: ‘All right, I’ll show you my strength.’

Man Dong puts the one-legged copper man on the ground. In a glance, he takes a fancy to the huge blue rock that is used to decorate the west garden. That blue rock is approximately waist-high and about 1000 jin in weight. Man Dong walks up to it and grabs its 2 sides with his hands.

‘Hum!’

Man Dong utters coldly. Qin Yu can see a visible breath come out of his nose. The muscles on Man Dong’s arms stick out. Various muscle tissues, which look like earthworms, twist together. Those muscles and tissues resemble those of a rock sculpture and contain in them a fantastic, terrifying strength.

‘Up!’

Man Dong shouts loudly. That huge blue rock really flies up in a single throw of his hands.

Qin Yu is stupefied. Lifting a 1000 jin huge rock is already shockingly difficult. But this man named Man Dong threw such a rock up. The strength in his hands is absolutely greater than 1000 jin. The rock flies 2 meters up in the air then falls down heavily.

Man Dong takes a horse stance stably, reaches out his hands and stops the blue rock in a single grab.

Because the blue rock is falling down, the force of impact it has on Man Dong’s hands is greater than its own weight, but he still stops it as firmly as before. This shows clearly how great his strength is.

‘So awesome,’ says Qin Yu with his eyes popping.

Man Dong laughs and says unconcernedly: ‘Each of my hands has 800 jin of strength. With both hands, lifting over 1000 jin is just like child’s play.’ Man Dong was born with great natural strength. He is one of the 3 great external experts of the Fierce Tiger Corps and is nicknamed Macho Bear.

‘Awesome, awesome. Who’s next?’ Qin Yu gets excited at the moment. Having seen such a demonstration, how can he not be excited? As soon as he thinks that he will have such strength later, he becomes even more excited. But Qin Yu does not know that Man Dong is an innately strong man. If Qin Yu wants to reach that level, it will be difficult.

A very thin man with a hooked nose which looks like a hawk’s walks out and says: ‘I practice the Iron Sand Palm.’ Qin Yu takes a look at his palms. They are really different from those of ordinary people -- they are very rough and even have a blue color. As that hook-nosed man is saying, he walks to the side of the blue rock and suddenly throws a palm strike.

The blue rock suddenly shakes once then starts to shatter into pieces with a loud sound. In the end, there are several tens chunks. Such palm force is just extremely astonishing.

Qin Yu’s little jaw drops. He looks at that grim, hook-nosed man in shock. If such palm force hits people’s bodies, who will be able to withstand it?

End of b1c7

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