Night's Nomenclature
Chapter 314: Not Everyone Can Be My Student

Return Countdown 127:00:00.

Evening.

The moment of approaching night.

The weather is clear, and in the sky above Ban Shan Mountain Estate, the setting sun reflects the fiery clouds stretching from afar.

Li Ke, while clearing the dishes from the table, said, "Sir, tonight my father will bring the others to formally acknowledge you as their teacher."

Qing Chen lay on the recliner, using the mysterious world of "Conquer with Virtue' to recuperate. He simply hummed in response, without elaborating.

Ever since he discovered that the secret of the tunnel had been leaked, he hadn't had a moment of peace, fearing that some monster might crawl out and instantly kill him.

If Li Ke hadn't come to cook, he would probably still be sitting on the steps at the entrance of the tunnel.

Seeing that his teacher didn't care about this matter, Li Ke didn't say much.

At this moment, a large group of people from Ban Shan Mountain Estate was heading towards Autumn Leaf Manor in a mighty procession.

The one leading the way was none other than Li Ke's father, who was in charge of the Secretariat.

Li Yunshou.

Curious onlookers noticed that several key advisors from the Secretariat were also in the procession.

In the procession, servants carried red apprenticeship letters and tea sets.

Those watching were stunned; these were the items used for formal apprenticeship ceremonies according to the old rules of the Li Clan.

Seeing the procession heading towards Autumn Leaf Manor, could it be that the rising stars of the Li Clan were about to formally become disciples?

This was extraordinary. If Li Shu and the others became disciples, then the Instructor's seniority would be on par with the second generation of the Li Clan, giving him the right to participate in family meetings!

However, when Li Shu and the others returned earlier, they immediately went to the Secretariat to sign confidentiality agreements.

Why were they now making such a grand gesture of seeking apprenticeship?

Some people were puzzled. What was going on?

Those leaders who had previously indulged their children in sleeping in were now filled with regret.

Some people, taking advantage of the fact that the procession hadn't yet reached Autumn Leaf Manor and the matter wasn't yet settled, hurried to the front of the procession and whispered to Li Yunshou, "Brother, I was confused before and allowed the child to sleep in. Why don't you punish me? But you must include your nephew in the apprenticeship letter."

Li Yunshou glanced at the person and said, "I gave you two days, but if your attitude of admitting your mistake had been even slightly more sincere, you wouldn't be here pleading with me. You still don't understand. The protagonist of this matter is the teacher in Autumn Leaf Manor, not me."

The person pleading wore a bitter Face^[-] and said, "Brother, does Old Master know that you are so unbrotherly?"

Li Yunshou stopped, and the procession behind him also halted.

This important figure from the Li Clan Intelligence Agency stared at his half-sibling in front of him: "I was planning to tell you tomorrow, Old Master wants you all to go to Baopu Building to receive lashes. If I bend the rules today, I'll have to receive lashes tomorrow as well."

Receiving lashes was a form of family discipline, but the old man hadn't used this rule for over a decade, to the point that everyone had gradually forgotten about it.

The person pleading turned pale. He was now also a person of authority in the Li Clan. Although not as prominent as Li Yunshou and Li Changqing, he was still a person who cared about his reputation.

If he had to kneel in front of Baopu Building to receive lashes tomorrow, how would he Face^[-] people in the future?

However, he knew very well that he couldn't escape.

……

……

The next moment, the procession had arrived in front of Autumn Leaf Manor.

Li Yunshou gently knocked on the door: "Li Yunshou brings the Li Clan disciples to present the apprenticeship letters."

"Please come in."

Qing Chen's clear voice came from Autumn Leaf Manor.

Li Yunshou took the lead and walked inside. This was the first time he had seen Qing Chen. For some reason, he felt that the other person possessed an inexplicable aura.

Even with such a grand apprenticeship ceremony from the Li Clan, the young man's expression remained unchanged.

Qing Chen also sized up the middle-aged man. He saw a pair of sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, with streaks of white at the temples. Those eyes seemed capable of seeing through people in an instant.

The way the other person walked was vigorous, so he must have trained in the Federation military.

Li Shu and the others also entered Autumn Leaf Manor, but these military elites suddenly froze when they saw the young man on the recliner.

They knew that they had returned to become disciples and learn orthodox Cultivation methods, but they didn't expect that the master they were about to acknowledge would be so young!

This was the first meeting between master and disciples. Before this, the Li Clan disciples who had returned from the military had signed confidentiality agreements. They hadn't privately visited Autumn Leaf Manor to see the teacher, nor had they inquired about him with others, silently awaiting the upcoming surprise.

But unexpectedly, what awaited them was astonishment.

Li Shu was twenty-six years old this year, and the youngest of this group of military elites were all twenty-four.

And Qing Chen? They could tell at a glance that this teacher was probably not even twenty years old.

Moreover, why did this teacher look so tired? Was he really a Cultivation practitioner?

Li Shu realized that his expression seemed a bit off, and he also saw the doubts and questions in the eyes of others, but he quickly reminded them with his eyes that they would have to acknowledge him as their teacher sooner or later. They were already here, so there was no need to question anything.

Receiving Li Shu's reminder, everyone suppressed their expressions.

At this moment, as soon as Li Yunshou entered Autumn Leaf Manor, he saw his son washing dishes and wiping the stove in the kitchen.

The courtyard was already filled with many people, but Li Ke acted as if he didn't see them, washing another plate of winter peaches and bringing them to the stone table.

The 14-year-old boy was still calculating in his heart that yesterday he had washed six winter peaches, and the teacher had eaten them all, which meant that the teacher liked to eat them.

Should he bring some more to the teacher and supply them every day, making sure the supply never ran out?

Also, should the tree that was going to be replaced next to Autumn Leaf Manor be directly replaced with a winter peach variety of peach tree, so that the flowers would be beautiful in the spring…

But would it bring any unwanted attention to the teacher?

Li Ke didn't care at all what others would think when they saw this scene. He was just doing what he wanted to do and should do, without any distractions.

But this scene was a bit different for Li Shu and the others. They knew that Old Master loved Li Ke, and last year Li Ke even represented the main branch in the ancestral hall.

Such a Li Clan prodigy was actually serving tea and water to someone else.

Li Shu and the others calmed down a bit. They knew that there must be a reason for this.

At this time, Li Yunshou took a deep look at his son, then turned back and glanced at the crowd of people behind him: "Everyone disperse. Those who should come in come in, and those who should go out go out. Close the door."

As soon as these words were spoken, only the twenty-two who were going to become disciples and Li Yunshou himself were left in Autumn Leaf Manor.

Li Yunshou looked at Qing Chen: "Although I am older than you, after they become disciples, you and I will be of the same generation. I won't be too polite with you. Please sit down."

Qing Chen glanced at the recliner next to him.

At this time, Li Ke actually came out of the kitchen with a rag and carefully wiped the recliner.

Then he stood aside: "Master, please sit down."

Li Yunshou looked at this scene, wondering what he was thinking. After a moment, he said, "According to the Li Clan's apprenticeship rules, from now on, you will be invited to participate in all family meetings, and you can offer your own suggestions, which the Secretariat will seriously consider. In addition, according to the old rules, all disciples must perform the three kowtows and nine bows to you and offer tea to acknowledge you as their teacher."

When the three kowtows and nine bows were mentioned, Li Ke's classmates didn't feel anything, but Li Shu and the others silently exchanged glances again.

Nangeng Chen was hiding in the back. He thought to himself that he had been completely stunned by Brother Chen's super-seniority combo. If everyone was kneeling, wouldn't he have to kneel too…

But the most unacceptable person in the crowd was Qing Yi…

Qing Yi didn't want to cultivate at all from the bottom of his heart, because he knew that one of the ancestors of the Qing Family had unparalleled intelligence and disdained to become an Awakened One.

In the end, as an ordinary person, he participated in the rise and fall of the second civilization era of mankind and made great contributions.

He admired that ancestor named "Qing Zhen' very much, so he wanted to emulate him.

But the problem was that after he came to Ban Shan Mountain Estate, he was first forced to learn fighting, and now he had to be forced to kowtow and acknowledge a teacher.

Of course, he could choose not to, but when Qing Yi thought of the increase in martial strength that Li Ke would have after cultivating, he felt a wave of worry about his future.

However, at this time, Qing Chen said with a smile, "Don't kneel yet. Actually, I know that some of you are not convinced. It's okay, I can teach you first, and then we can talk about apprenticeship after you are convinced."

The people from the Li Clan who were going to become disciples looked at each other, and Li Shu was the first to say, "Teacher, we don't mean anything else. The apprenticeship ceremony is what we should do."

As he spoke, Li Shu took the apprenticeship letter from the side and walked forward.

Li Yunshou explained from the side, "If you accept their apprenticeship letters and their three kowtows and nine bows, you must teach them real skills, and they must treat you like their own father. If one day they violate this, the Secretariat will punish them. This is the foundation of the Li Clan's internal order, so you don't need to worry."

Qing Chen smiled: "Li Ke, take the apprenticeship letters and burn them too. I am also here to impart knowledge and resolve doubts at someone's request. There's no need to use any rules to bind everyone. As I said, if one day you feel that I am qualified to be your teacher, it won't be too late to acknowledge me then."

Qing Chen knew very well that these young people had all come to him seeking something. However, he was really too young, so young that it was difficult to convince everyone.

Li Shu and the others were very well-mannered and smart, and the Li Clan also promised that these students would avoid him on the battlefield in the future.

But Qing Chen didn't think that an apprenticeship letter and the title of teacher and disciple could really protect anything.

The last person who said "avoid him by three she' on the battlefield was Duke Wen of Jin.

When facing the Chu state, this Duke Wen of Jin retreated three she, but before long he crippled the Chu state, eating the Chu state's grain, killing the Chu state's people, and seizing the Chu state's land…

Therefore, there is no real retreating three she on the battlefield. If the positions are different, then victory and defeat and life and death should be determined.

Qing Chen didn't care about these things. In his view, the old man gave him the Cultivation method, and he helped the old man teach some of the Li Clan's own orthodox Cultivation practitioners. The matter was that simple.

This was a transaction.

"Moreover," Qing Chen added again, "not just anyone can be my disciple."

This time, Li Shu and the others looked at each other again. Now it wasn't a question of whether they wanted to acknowledge him as their teacher, but that the other person didn't want to accept them!

They had to know that they were the rising stars of the Li Clan. Probably no one in the entire Federation would say such a thing.

The last person who said such a thing in the Li Clan and refused countless rising stars from acknowledging him as their teacher seemed to be their seventh uncle, Li Shutong.

He wondered what kind of confidence this young man in front of them had?

Li Yunshou carefully sized up Qing Chen.

Twelve Li Clan military elites, plus the top students from the Li Clan school, all acknowledging him as their teacher. What did this mean? In another twenty years, Qing Chen would not only have a very high reputation within the Li Clan, but even in the Federation, as long as he didn't become an enemy of the Li Clan, he could definitely walk sideways.

If anything happened to him, Li Shu and the others would definitely help, whether out of gratitude for the Cultivation method or out of the title of teacher and disciple.

However, this young man in front of him didn't seem to care about this.

A person must have enough confidence to refuse a big enough temptation, so where did this young man's confidence come from?

Or was it because he was too young and arrogant, and hadn't understood the stakes?

But Li Yunshou wasn't an ordinary person either. He chose to believe that this young man had enough confidence.

Although he didn't know what that confidence was.

Old Master hadn't explained it clearly either.

Li Yunshou pondered for a moment and said, "How about this, we will still publicly claim that the apprenticeship ceremony has been held, so that it will be more convenient for you within the Li Clan. As for whether these young people will sincerely acknowledge you as their teacher in the future, it depends on their own choices?"

"Okay," Qing Chen said with a smile.

What made him relatively satisfied tonight was that although Li Shu and the others were surprised by his age, they still chose to respectfully hand over the apprenticeship letters. Although Li Yunshou didn't understand his choices, he didn't see him as a fool.

At this moment, there were no fools in Autumn Leaf Manor, so teaching them should be very easy.

The happiest person in this matter was Qing Yi, he didn't have to kowtow…

Qing Chen looked at Li Yunshou: "If there's nothing else, please go back. The others stay here to start cultivating."

"Start today?" Li Yunshou was really surprised this time.

"Yes, start today," Qing Chen smiled: "Time is precious."

Li Yunshou pondered for a moment and said goodbye, "Okay, I'll take people back now. In the future, no one will disturb Mr. Qing's peace except for the people in front of you."

"By the way," Qing Chen said: "I hope that the matter of accepting disciples will not be spread out of Ban Shan Mountain Estate for the time being."

"Okay," Li Yunshou nodded: "I can guarantee that. In fact, Ban Shan Mountain Estate will be under martial law after tonight."

At this time, the external defense of Ban Shan Mountain Estate was changed again. The direct troops under Li Yunshou, the 081 Garrison Brigade of the Federation's First Group Army, had completely taken over the defense work of the entire Ban Shan Mountain Estate.

From this moment on, except for a few people who could still enter and leave the manor, others were almost under house arrest within the manor.

Moreover, the 081 Garrison Brigade had also brought in more than a dozen "strategic information vehicles'. From this moment on, all messages sent out from Ban Shan Mountain Estate and all calls made were under full-time surveillance.

This time, the level of martial law was higher than ever before.

The dignitaries of the upper three districts all smelled an unusual atmosphere.

……

……

After Li Yunshou left, Qing Chen looked at Li Shu and the others and said, "Sit cross-legged on the ground, let's start teaching you the Cultivation method."

Li Shu and the others were stunned. This was too direct.

Shouldn't the teacher say something first, such as five major points and three minor points?

"Teacher, why don't you say something else, otherwise we feel a little strange," Li Shu said.

Qing Chen thought for a while: "Before I approve, don't say you are my students outside."

Li Shu and the others almost vomited blood. They came to acknowledge him as their teacher and found that the teacher was too young, but they didn't say anything. As a result, now Qing Chen was disliking them.

But he didn't know why, the more Qing Chen was like this, the more curious they became about what Qing Chen was going to teach and how capable he was.

The age that everyone questioned earlier didn't seem to be a problem anymore.

On the contrary, the younger Qing Chen was, the more they felt that Qing Chen might be a monstrous figure.

Qing Chen didn't say any more nonsense, and directly used the Breathing Technique to bring everyone into a meditative state one by one.

Easy and convenient.

Someone had just entered a meditative state and woke up again: "Teacher, I feel the existence of Qi!"

Qing Chen didn't blame him, just brought the other person into a meditative state again, and then said, "Don't be surprised, seriously use the Qi to impact the Shenting acupoint."

Li Shu looked at his companions entering a meditative state one by one, and murmured in his heart, is Cultivation so simple?

They had heard of orthodox Cultivation methods, which supposedly required several years of hard cultivation of useless things before they could start real cultivation, and then wait another half a year before they could feel the existence of Qi.

However, this Cultivation method of their teacher seemed to have skipped many steps and went straight to the Great Way.

Li Shu watched Qing Chen bend down to take their pulse, and one student immediately entered a meditative state. Then Qing Chen stood up and changed to the next pulse, and the next student was immediately brought into a meditative state.

The sacred orthodox Cultivation method was forcibly turned into an assembly line operation by their teacher, like a administrator in a breeding farm checking whether the piglets were sick.

It was too informal…

"Teacher," Li Shu asked, suppressing the surprise in his heart, "Can you directly cultivate Qi?"

Qing Chen thought for a while and asked, "Otherwise?"

"But many Cultivation organizations require their disciples to temper their bodies first…"

"That's deceiving people," Qing Chen patiently explained: "They just want to use tempering your body as a means to increase your awe and sense of identity with the organization. In fact, there's no need to do those messy things."

If he had to teach like other Cultivation organizations, Qing Chen would have to spend several years in the Li Clan to see results. Where would he have so much time?

His time was very precious!

Soon, Li Shu was also brought into a meditative state, feeling the "Qi' and the inner joy.

Qing Yi looked at Qing Chen coming to him and suddenly asked suspiciously, "Are you willing to teach me this orthodox Cultivation method?"

"You are also my student, why wouldn't I teach you?" Qing Chen said, placing his slender fingers on Qing Yi's pulse.

Qing Yi only felt that his breathing frequency changed abruptly, and he involuntarily closed his eyes.

But he couldn't figure it out. Could it be that Li Ke beating him really wasn't instructed by this Instructor?

Otherwise, how could the other person be so kind as to teach him the orthodox Cultivation method?

This was the orthodox Cultivation method!

While he was daydreaming, Qing Yi actually fell out of the meditative state.

He saw Qing Chen gently bringing him back into the meditative state and patiently instructing him, "Don't daydream."

For a time, Qing Yi's mood became complicated.

……