C5 The 5th Chapter

Xuan Kong was captivated, lost in thought for a while. "Kid, with such good wine, you have to let me try some!" He paused, then added, "But then I'd owe you a favor. My mentor always said, you can owe anything, just not a favor."

"If you really don't want to owe me, I have an idea," Su Luo said with a sly smile. "I noticed that skill you used earlier was impressive. You appeared right in front of me in the blink of an eye."

"That's called Lightness Skill. Do you want to learn it?" Xuan Kong was more interested in food than anything else. "My Lightness Skill is unmatched in the world." He cleared his throat and asked Su Luo to let him check her bone structure. After examining her, he was both pleased and troubled. Pleased because Su Luo had excellent potential for martial arts; troubled because she had no internal energy. Even with all his skills, he couldn't teach her quickly. It was like a magnificent building with no foundation, ready to collapse at the first storm.

Su Luo said, "That's exactly why I want to learn some self-defense skills! Otherwise, if I run into trouble tomorrow, who will make good wine for you?"

Xuan Kong pondered for a while, pacing back and forth. "I do have a set of skills that don't require internal energy. As long as you master the movements and footwork, most people won't be able to catch you."

Su Luo caught on quickly. "Oh, is it the Fuxi Eight Trigram Steps?"

Xuan Kong nodded. "Smart girl, you're close." He gathered his robe sleeves and stepped back a few paces. "I'll demonstrate once, watch carefully."

Under the gentle glow of the moon, Xuan Kong moved with a grace that seemed to defy gravity, his steps tracing intricate patterns as if he were dancing on air. Sometimes he moved like a falcon skimming the water, other times like an eagle soaring through the sky. Su Luo watched, utterly captivated.

In the time it takes for incense to burn, Xuan Kong had completed a full cycle of his intricate footwork. Seeing Su Luo silently observing, he assumed she hadn't caught all the details. "I'll go through it again," he offered. "Make sure you watch closely this time."

Su Luo shook her head. "I've already got it," she replied. With that, she began to mimic his movements.

Initially, Xuan Kong thought Su Luo was just a young person eager to prove herself. But as he watched, his surprise grew. She replicated his technique flawlessly. While his movements were powerful and intense, Su Luo's were light and ethereal, like a spirit dancing on air. Her feet barely touched the ground, and as she picked up speed, her dress fluttered around her as if she were dancing on the moon.

This technique was meant to be light and carefree, and she had captured its essence perfectly.

Xuan Kong nodded repeatedly, considering taking her as a student.

When Su Luo finished, he said, "Kid, how about you become my apprentice? I've got plenty of skills to teach you, anything you want to learn."

Su Luo, intrigued, replied, "You want to be my teacher? You'd better have the real skills to back it up!"

Xuan Kong chuckled, "Swords, spears, staffs, and halberds; internal skills, external skills, agility, and palm techniques. Whatever you choose to learn, if you put your heart into it, I'll teach you with all my heart. In ten years, you'll be among the best."

Su Luo sighed, "Ten years is such a long time!"

Xuan Kong looked down at her, "Young one, don't be ungrateful. It took me several decades to reach my current level of skill!"

Su Luo thought for a moment, "Alright, I'll become your disciple. Do I need to bow, or should I pay respects to the founder of our school?" After a brief pause, she tugged on Xuan Kong's robe, "Master, I still don't know the name of our school. What should I say if someone asks during a fight?"

Xuan Kong nodded, "It's time you learned about our origins. Our founder was a humble monk known for his persistence. When others encountered difficult passages in the scriptures, they would ponder for a while and then give up if they couldn't find the answer. But not our founder. He would ask every monk in the temple, and if no one knew, he would meditate on it himself. Over time, he developed superior martial arts skills. The strangest part is, he wasn't even aware of it, but others were."

Su Luo pondered this and said, "Having a treasure can be a curse. The founder must have been expelled from the temple."

Xuan Kong remarked, "Oh, you figured it out before I even said anything. Yes, back then, the library was set ablaze, and most of the books were lost. The monks were convinced it was the master's doing. Otherwise, how could he have silently mastered such extraordinary martial arts? And how coincidental that the library burned down at the same time. They were sure he was in cahoots with the thieves, causing chaos in the temple." He couldn't help but sneer, "Those bald-headed monks, they lack talent themselves, and when someone finally masters a unique skill, they can't stand not being the center of attention. They just can't bear to see someone smarter than them."

Su Luo struggled to suppress her laughter as her master insulted the monks, thinking, isn't he a bald monk himself? "So, what happened next?" she asked.

"I was just a kid back then, and I don't remember much. I only recall the master pulling me and my senior brother along as we fled for our lives from the temple. The path seemed endless, and behind us, there were torches as far as the eye could see, flickering in the night. The master tied us to him with a rope and fought the eighteen monks to a standstill with his bare hands."

With just a few words, one could imagine how perilous the situation was. Su Luo couldn't help but ask, "And then what happened?"

Xuan Kong was lost in thought for a moment before he slowly continued, "They had the numbers, and even though the master was incredibly skilled, he couldn't withstand the relentless attacks. He was left with just a breath of energy. The abbot then said that if the three of us retreated to the mountains for ten years of seclusion, they wouldn't pursue the matter of the stolen texts." He let out a cold laugh, "But everyone knew that once you entered the mountains, you'd never see the light of day again. The three of us could have turned to dust, and no one would have known. The master gave a bitter smile and, carrying us, leaped off the cliff."

Su Luo exclaimed in surprise, "Then how did you survive?" She quickly laughed, "I guess I got a little flustered. Since Master is safe, the Grandmaster and Senior Brother must be fine too."

Xuan Kong smiled and patted her shoulder. "After that, the three of us parted ways with the Shaolin Temple. We founded our own school, the Song Gate. It signifies freedom, like a dream, and the joy of traveling together."

Su Luo repeated the name to herself and smiled, "Song Gate, what a wonderful name. From now on, I, Su Luo, am a disciple of the Song Gate."

Xuan Kong turned serious, "Kneel and bow three times."

Su Luo solemnly knelt down and performed the ritual.