Chapter 1147: A New Teacher Added

"Goodbye, Teacher Lu." After class, students left in small groups, heading home. Each one glanced at the inconspicuous swordsman in black, who sat quietly in the corner by the main entrance.

Once all the students had departed, Xue Shilou finally spoke.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, you seem to be quite enjoying yourself here," Xue Shilou managed to say after a moment of hesitation.

Swordsmen cultivators were generally not eloquent speakers; Silent Daoist and Lu Yang were the two exceptions.

Xue Shilou truly didn't know what to say. Here was Lu Yang teaching a group of students martial arts at a training hall, and it seemed the students were unaware of Lu Yang's true identity; otherwise, their reaction wouldn't have been so subdued.

Why teach them? Teach me! How much is a lesson here? I'll sign up too!

"Just experiencing life," Lu Yang teased. "I hear Fellow Daoist Xue has quite a good reputation in the Far North."

During the Sword Inquiry Ceremony at the Sword Tower, Xue Shilou was only moderately known in the Far North. After a few years, Lu Yang was surprised to find Xue Shilou's fame had grown so immensely there that he was now regarded as the Far North's most talented swordsman.

With a late-stage Soul Transformation cultivation, his talent truly allowed him to move freely in the Far North. Even if he encountered a Great Demon King, he could escape unscathed.

"It's all just public hype; it pales in comparison to Fellow Daoist Lu," Xue Shilou replied, knowing his fame was limited to the Far North. Outside of that region, few would recognize him.

Lu Yang, on the other hand, was different; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say his name was known throughout the land.

Xue Shilou seemed to have finally found a topic and began chatting enthusiastically: "The sword qi on the corpse of the Frost Elephant Demon King is truly awe-inspiring. Even if I cultivated to the Tribulation Transcending stage, I wouldn't have the confidence to unleash a comparable strike."

"I never expected such an extraordinary individual to exist in our Far North. With a single strike, four Great Demon Kings were cleanly dispatched, and the sword qi lingered indefinitely. I heard that a swordsman vice-city lord in Muxue City felt utterly ashamed upon seeing that sword qi, nearly abandoning his sword cultivation."

Xue Shilou stated confidently, "I have a premonition that my opportunity to break through to the Void Refinement stage lies here in Muxue City. Observing this sword qi and comprehending its mysteries will undoubtedly elevate my sword intent to a higher level."

"By the way, why are you in Muxue City, Fellow Daoist Lu? Are you also here to observe that sword qi?"

"Oh, that sword qi was left by me."

"Cough, cough—" Xue Shilou suddenly broke into a violent fit of coughing, his face turning crimson, as if he might cough up his lungs.

"You?!"

Lu Yang was surprised by Xue Shilou's intense reaction. "Don't you know, Fellow Daoist Xue? I'm currently at the Void Refinement stage, undergoing a mortal transformation here."

"You're already at the Void Refinement stage?!"

Xue Shilou coughed even more violently. During the Sword Inquiry Ceremony, he was at the mid-stage of Soul Transformation, while Lu Yang was at the early stage. Later, he was captured by the Lunar Laurel Immortal Palace because his senior brother insisted on taking him to illegally cross the border. With the Immortal Palace's help, he truly awakened his Snow Emperor bloodline, after which he dedicated himself to arduous cultivation in the Far North. Yet, how was it that Lu Yang's cultivation progress was still faster than his own?

"That's not right! Even if you're at the Void Refinement stage, or your realm fluctuates to the Unity stage, you still couldn't unleash that sword strike!"

"Oh, you mean that? Well, it's because when I broke through to the Void Refinement stage and underwent tribulation, I accidentally attracted an unprecedented lightning tribulation. This made my Void Refinement stage different from others; my realm fluctuations range from the Qi Cultivation stage all the way to the Tribulation Transcending stage."

Xue Shilou was utterly numb. He felt he shouldn't have come to Muxue City. Even though he considered his Dao heart firm, he couldn't withstand such repeated blows.

"Will Fellow Daoist Lu be staying in Muxue City indefinitely?"

"Since my realm fluctuates constantly, it might be quite dangerous to go anywhere else, so I'll be staying at this martial arts hall for now." "Is the martial arts hall hiring? Can I stay here too?" Xue Shilou asked excitedly.

He had originally planned to stay in Muxue City for a while to study the sword qi on the Frost Elephant Demon King's corpse. But now that Lu Yang was here, why would he bother with the Frost Elephant Demon King?

"For that, you'll have to ask Elder Murong. Oh, Elder Murong is the sect leader of the Tiger Roar Sect."

Lu Yang understood Xue Shilou's intention but didn't mind. After all, teaching one person wasn't much different from teaching another.

Xue Shilou straightened his clothes, preparing to visit the Tiger Roar Sect's sect leader.

He wasn't worried about Murong You recognizing him. Although he was famous, very few people in the Far North had seen his true face. Before, he had only been accidentally recognized once, and that person's excited shout led to a crowd chasing after him.

Of course, the most important reason was that he didn't know how to use disguise techniques.

Swordsmen cultivators acted honorably; how could they engage in secretive or deceptive behavior?

Elder Murong's dwelling was in the deepest part of the martial arts hall's backyard. Lu Yang led Xue Shilou there. "Elder Murong, are you in?"

"Enter." Lu Yang and Xue Shilou stepped inside. "Young Lu, who is this?"

"Greetings, Sect Leader Murong. My surname is Xue, and I am Teacher Lu's friend. I would like to teach classes at your martial arts hall."

Murong You was taken aback. "You're Young Lu's friend? Young Lu, have you regained your memory?"

"...Partially."

Murong You, old and shrewd, instantly understood the situation. Young Lu had partially recovered his memory and couldn't be overstimulated; his recovery needed to be gradual. To look after Young Lu, his friend decided to stay at the martial arts hall for a while.

"Teacher Xue, what is your cultivation level, and what do you wish to teach?" "Soul... Foundation Establishment stage, early. I have some understanding of sword techniques and can teach them."

"Sword techniques won't work," Elder Murong shook his head. "Swords are inherently expensive items. Most of my students come from families with little money and can't even afford a sword. If you teach sword techniques, they won't be able to use them."

Xue Shilou turned to Lu Yang for help. He didn't know anything else! Was he supposed to teach students how to maintain their composure in battle and prevent blood from splattering on their clothes?

Lu Yang stepped forward and spoke up for Xue Shilou: "He can teach rake techniques and shovel techniques."

"Rake techniques and shovel techniques? That works!" Murong You's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected Young Lu's friend to know so many things.

Rakes and shovels were agricultural tools, but in critical moments, they could also be used as weapons. However, such weapon techniques were quite uncommon; hardly anyone in all of Muxue City knew them.

*Do I know rake techniques and shovel techniques?*

Xue Shilou pondered it and realized he did. As the saying goes, the three thousand Great Daos all lead to the same destination. Being devoted to the sword and having cultivated to the Soul Transformation stage, he had a broad understanding of how to use other weapons; teaching a group of students would be more than enough.

"As for monthly pay, how about five spirit stones a month?"

"That works." Xue Shilou wasn't concerned with how much money he earned.

"Then you can live next door to Young Lu."

By officially becoming a teacher, Xue Shilou would have a legitimate reason to stay at the martial arts hall and seek guidance on sword techniques from Lu Yang.

"Fellow Daoist Lu Yang, I have some questions about sword techniques..."

Lu Yang rolled his eyes at Xue Shilou. "What sword techniques? Do you know rake techniques or shovel techniques? Go practice them yourself first, otherwise, how will you teach the students tomorrow?"

"Oh."

On his first day at the Tiger Roar Martial Arts Hall, Xue Shilou began learning how to use a rake and a shovel.