It was probably because he had preconceived notions. Could there be some other trick behind it?
He let go again and pulled the scroll longer to look. The paper was light and thin, almost transparent. This was probably the origin of the name cicada wing paper.
He looked more carefully at the content on it.
If he had not looked then it would have been fine. But once he looked he instantly became absorbed. He continued to pull the scroll open outwards. Unfortunately his arm length was limited.
It did not matter. Lin Chengdao was a good person. He conveniently took the end of the scroll that had been pulled open. He held it with both hands and stepped back very thoughtfully. He slowly retreated according to the speed at which Yu Qing was reading.
Yu Qing was able to continue reading slowly.
It was not something for old eunuchs to strengthen their bodies. It was indeed a sword manual.
This sword manual was quite different from the sword training methods he had practised since childhood at the Linglong Temple. The general idea was to first train hand techniques, body movements and the like.
The hand technique was the thirty six styles of Dragon Capturing Hand. The body movement was the thirty six styles of Roaming Dragon Art.
The proper sword techniques to use were also thirty six styles.
But what this sword manual emphasised was not how many styles there were. It emphasised simplifying from the complex.
The sword manual was broadly just six moves.
The first move contained all thirty six styles of the sword manual.
When one move was executed, the thirty six styles were released separately. It was not the maximum power. The maximum power was when the thirty six styles combined into one move.
For example when facing an enemy, one出手 would be thirty six swords attacking from all directions.
When the sword manual advanced, the second move would be executed. It would refine eighteen swords to combine and defend against the enemy.
When the sword manual advanced, the third move would be executed. It would refine nine swords to combine and defend against the enemy.
When the sword manual advanced, the fourth move would be executed. It would refine three swords into one to defend against the enemy.
When the fifth move was executed, one sword to defend against the enemy would be enough!
Seeing this, he roughly understood the meaning of the sword manual name Seal Dust. One sword strike and the dust settles. Dust becomes silent. That is why it is called the Seal Dust Sword Manual.
The sixth move was somewhat mysterious. There was no extra description. There were only four words.
When the sixth move is executed, there is nowhere it does not strike like a sword!
The entire sword manual was also divided into three major realms: hand controls the sword, qi controls the sword, heart controls the sword.
Reading this series of sword manual content truly left Yu Qing feeling refreshed and happy in mind. He discovered that sword manuals could actually be cultivated in this way!
After he finished reading and sighed while shaking his head, Lin Chengdao’s voice also came over. “Tanhua Lang, have you finished looking?”
Yu Qing raised his head to look and saw Lin Chengdao rolling up the scroll from the other end and approaching. Only then did he realise that the sky had already darkened. He could not help asking, “What time is it now?”
Lin Chengdao said, “It is already after office hours. No wonder Tanhua Lang. This scroll of calligraphy and painting is indeed a bit long. It is about seventy zhang long.”
Yu Qing was surprised. “This one scroll is actually this long?”
Lin Chengdao smiled and said, “Tanhua Lang was so absorbed in looking that he did not notice at all. It does have that length. But the paper is light and thin, so it does not feel that long. If you do not believe it, we can pull it open again to estimate.”
Yu Qing looked at the sky colour and shook his head to forget it. He also reluctantly let go of his hand. He let Lin Chengdao gather up the remaining part and asked, “This calligraphy and painting has probably been seen by more than just you and me, right?”
Lin Chengdao said, “That is certain. People cannot help but be curious. When bored they cannot help flipping through it. Not to mention before, the other two who were transferred away have also seen it. When I first took over the post of managing the storehouse, I heard that this calligraphy and painting was seventy zhang long and I was a bit unconvinced. I specially opened it with the other two to measure it and found that it really was that long. It shows that the old eunuch was quite idle when he was alive. But it is understandable that no one came and went.”
Yu Qing’s Adam’s apple moved. “You all looked at this thing. Did no one follow it to practise? What if it is a good thing?”
Lin Chengdao laughed. “It was all said to be for eunuchs to train their bodies. Which normal man would try this? Besides, it is too obscure and difficult to understand. Look at this sentence hand combines with dragon capturing intent. What does this mean? Who can understand it? Besides, if it really was a good thing, could it have been placed here for several hundred years with no one asking about it?”
“…” Yu Qing was speechless. It turned out that this group of people were in some sense actually the same as him. They all knew characters, but there were some things they could understand and some things they just could not understand.
Damn it. He cursed in his heart. He finally understood why this thing could be placed here for so many years. It turned out that a group of scholars did not understand this path. They only knew how to weigh the pros and cons. They treated it as something with no value. Therefore the sword manual had been covered in dust for several hundred years.
After Lin Chengdao had completely rolled up the calligraphy and painting, Yu Qing was feeling itchy in his heart. He thought the other party was going to put the thing back into the cabinet. Who knew that something unexpected happened. Lin Chengdao actually came over, indicated the scroll in his hand and asked in a low voice, “Tanhua Lang seems quite interested in this calligraphy and painting.”
“Hehe, it is all right. I am a person with quite broad knowledge and many interests. When I see something I do not understand I like to study it a bit.”
Yu Qing laughed vaguely and spoke ambiguously. In reality his heart was already itching like cat claws scratching.
He had only read this sword manual once and it had already opened up his cognitive scope on sword manuals. It was as if he had suddenly arrived in another world. Just looking at it had already left him dazzled and enchanted.
After only one look he felt he had run into a good thing.
He was not too clear about other things and had not seen other sword manual cultivation methods. The only one he could compare with was the sword manual from Linglong Temple. Comparing the two clearly showed a huge gap. One felt like it was in the sky and the other on the ground.
What the real quality was, whether there would be any defects or problems, or to verify the truth or falsehood, that would require trying to practise it to know.
But one point he was clear about. Usually inherited cultivation methods would not be passed on externally. To run into it like this was really luck.
Just like the Guanyin cultivation method of their Linglong Temple, it was a secret not to be passed on externally.
And although their Linglong Temple had unique skills, what it happened to lack was good methods in the area of fighting and killing. The fighting and killing methods of the sect were more suitable for cultivating the sound character art. This was also the reason why most of the time those who practised the sound character art walked the jianghu while those who practised the view character art stayed behind to guard.
He also wondered how an old eunuch who died here could write such profound things. If one really cultivated the skills from the sword manual, where could one not go? Why would one have to stay here suffering?
He spoke vaguely. But Lin Chengdao was a straightforward person. He pulled Yu Qing’s hand over, slapped the scroll of calligraphy and painting into Yu Qing’s hand and said in a low voice, “Since Tanhua Lang likes it then quietly take it away. But when you go out do not hold it in your hand. It is best to hide it in your sleeve. That Yin Jizhen who just arrived outside still cannot wrap his head around things. It would not be good if he sees it.”
“Uh…” Yu Qing was speechless. He had just been pondering what method to use to get this thing into his hands. In the end the fellow in front of him actually treated it like something from his own family and said he would give it to him just like that. This was really too unreasonable. He immediately pretended and said, “This… this is something from the Censorate archive. Is it not appropriate for me to quietly take it away?”
Lin Chengdao said quietly, “It is fine. It is not any important thing. Later I will put a broken scroll here and say that after a long time it rotted for some unknown reason just like those clothes. Who could pursue me over this matter? This thing has been placed here for several hundred years. Whether it is here or not no one cares at all. Tanhua Lang can rest assured and take it.”
Yu Qing immediately gripped the scroll tightly. But his mouth sighed and said, “I am afraid it is not very appropriate. How can I feel at ease about it.”
Since the words had reached this point, Lin Chengdao was no longer polite. “It is not any good thing. It is rare that Tanhua Lang likes it. Later as long as Tanhua Lang can find the opportunity to put in more good words for Lin in front of the Censor in Chief, Lin will be endlessly grateful. Such a small effort of raising a hand is not worth mentioning.”
Yu Qing gave a sound of understanding. Now he understood why this person was so good to him. He immediately stopped being polite either. He promptly stuffed the scroll into his own sleeve and said, “Lord Lin rest assured. I will definitely say good things about you in front of the Censor in Chief every few days.”
“Aiya!” Lin Chengdao immediately rubbed his hands in joy. He looked at the sky colour and said, “Brother Shiheng, look the sky colour is not early anymore. How about we get off work? Brother Shiheng has just arrived. Give your brother here a chance to welcome you?”
Yu Qing was also in a good mood. He had not expected that as soon as he came to the Censorate he could have such a harvest. But he still did not give this face. He was still rushing back for something. “Lord Lin, today I have just been granted the official post. There is still a group of people waiting at home. It is really inconvenient. Another day I will invite you.”
“Oh, I understand, I understand. That is fine then. Another day. But there are no lords here. If you think highly of Lin just call me Brother Lin.”
The two of them chatted like this as they went out.
After closing the storehouse door and arriving at the outer room, Yin Jizhen was still waiting there obediently. Even though it was already past office hours he had not dared to leave. He had also come today to familiarise himself with the situation. In fact there was no need to do this.
Once Yu Qing and the other came out, it was naturally time to get off work.
Lin Chengdao still had to instruct Yin Jizhen on what to do when getting off work here. So Yu Qing left first. The thing he took away was naturally not registered. Lin Chengdao personally sent him to the door.
Yin Jizhen watched speechlessly, not knowing how these two had started calling each other brothers.
As soon as he exited the Censorate, the carriage sent by the Zhong family was waiting outside. This bit of pomp the Zhong family could still afford. In the Zhong family’s own view this was their duty.
As soon as Yu Qing got on the carriage, the carriage immediately whipped away.
The road from the Censorate to the Zhong residence was neither long nor short. The carriage trotted at a steady speed and arrived within half an hour.
When the carriage arrived at the alley outside the Zhong residence, the sky had already turned black. The most crucial thing was that the usually quiet alley had suddenly become lively. There were actually so many people that they were queuing.
Yu Qing lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and took a look, not knowing what it meant.
When the carriage stopped at the Zhong residence entrance and he, wearing his official robe,钻 out from inside the carriage and jumped down, he immediately saw a row of smiling faces under the lanterns. They were all nodding and bowing towards him.
“Lord A.”
“Lord A is well.”
“Lord A has returned.”
Yu Qing raised his hand to scratch the corner of his mouth. He could not figure out where these people came from. He conveniently hugged the thing in his other sleeve, afraid that someone would see something. He quickly strode into the Zhong residence. The smiling face given to him by the Zhong residence gatekeeper seemed even more intense.
He suddenly felt it was strange. He happened to meet Steward Li who had already been waiting for him. As soon as he saw him he asked, “Uncle Li, why are there so many people queuing outside? What is going on?”
Steward Li, who had already received instructions, quickly said, “You have not eaten yet, right? Quickly go back first to wash. The food will be sent to you right away. You do not need to worry about the people outside. The residence will handle it.” At the same time he waved for a lantern and wanted someone to come help light the way to the east courtyard.
“It is fine. I can see.” Yu Qing waved his hand to refuse. His eyesight was very good. He strode away.
What he did not know was that the people queuing outside were all there to get to know him. Naturally they would not come empty handed. They were all there to give gifts.
Some things really had no secrets for some people. Besides it was not any secret to begin with. The news that Tanhua Lang had been personally requested by the Censor in Chief to be by his side had already spread in certain circles in the capital.