SGBT Chapter 1: Jeong Yeonsin (1)
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TL: FoodieMonster007 If you see this, you are at the wrong site!
Carrying a huge log on his back, a boy with thick eyebrows did his daily squats. His name was Jeong Yeonsin, and he was the third son of the Henan Jeong Family Patriarch.
"Young Master, it's time for dinner!" a servant called out from the training ground's entrance.
However, the boy did not immediately respond. I need to finish this set first, he thought, doing ten more squats. Only then did he set down the log and haphazardly pick up his discarded shirt.
Although he had only just turned fifteen and his build was average, his muscles were well-defined and clearly visible on his bare-chested frame, making him seem almost a different species compared to other teenagers. Even he found it strange.
The Jeong Family Physical Conditioning Method (鄭家動功)… Finally, it's complete.
Since childhood, he had been able to easily control his qi. Furthermore, his endurance and the elasticity of his meridians were far superior to ordinary people. With this in mind, he had abandoned his family's traditional seated meditation techniques in favor of physical training, even reinventing them to create an entirely new martial art that he called the Jeong Family Physical Conditioning Method.
Excited, he had offered to teach this new technique to his half-siblings, but his sincerity was met with only disdain.
"You created a martial art?"
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"What if practicing it leads to qi deviation? Will you take responsibility if we die?"
"What the hell? Do you think you have the qualities of a grandmaster?"
After being mocked and ridiculed again and again, he eventually gave up. The stinging criticism of his siblings hurt all the more because of how much it rang true.
The qualities of a grandmaster, huh?
In the murim, the term "grandmaster" was reserved only for the creators of major martial arts styles, such as the founders of the Nine Great Sects like Zhang Sanfeng of the Wudang Sect, and Bodhidharma and Dazu Huike of Shaolin.
Jeong Yeonsin had never thought of himself as a grandmaster, nor did he think that the martial art he created was significant. He simply wanted everyone to be healthy.
Perhaps to prove his point to his family, he diligently practiced the Jeong Family Physical Conditioning Method on his own. The benefits were palpable; his inner qi reinforced and compressed the muscles stimulated during sword practice and physical training, strengthening them to an incredible degree and resulting in his current robust physique.
I've achieved complete mastery.
He was certain of it. The martial arts he dubbed the "Jeong Family Physical Conditioning Method" had reached their limit. His body could no longer become stronger through muscle training.
Objectively, he felt that he was one of the few people in Henan with a physique comparable to the legendary monks of Shaolin.
If I'm not just a frog in the well who can only see the Henan sky, that is. Well, not that I harbor any grand ambitions of gaining fame or embarking on heroic adventures in the jianghu.
"Young Master!" the servant nagged him irritably.
"I'm coming," Jeong Yeonsin replied curtly. He knew why the servant was impatient. The Jeong Family Patriarch was austere and conservative, and the third wife, his mother, had died during childbirth. In these superstitious times, especially in such a rural place, no one in the family looked kindly on a child who caused his own mother's death, not even a mere servant.
Whatever. As long as they feed me and keep a roof over my head, I'll be fine.
He walked on, indifferent. Even if his family didn't love him, at least they let him indulge in his martial arts hobby.
As he passed by the guest quarters, he heard the voices of children reciting texts.
"Recite Chapter 1, Verse 4 of the Great Ming Chronicles."
"From the gates of heaven came the long-eared and short-statured kin, and they worked with the first Emperor to eradicate the treacherous Yuan and found the Great Ming."
"Chapter 1, Verse 8."
"A great demon pursued the heavenly kin, but they closed the gates just in time to prevent it from descending."
Recognizing these familiar lines, Jeong Yeonsin smiled.
When he arrived at the dining hall, his eldest half-brother, Jeong Namsan, greeted him, "You're late, you fool."
Hearing the scorn in his brother's voice, Jeong Yeonsin felt his chest tighten. "It's been a while, Hyung-nim," he greeted back.
"Just hurry up and sit down," Jeong Namsan sneered.
Jeong Yeonsin nodded and took a seat at the far end of the long table, next to his fifth and youngest sister. The patriarch, flanked by his first and second wives, sat at the head of the table. Next were Jeong Namsan, his wife, and their daughter. Then came his other siblings.
Although it was unusual for a third son to be seated after his younger siblings, he had long been relegated to the lowest position in the family.
Things are more convenient like this.
Having lost all rights to family succession or inheritance, he had no duties or obligations, which allowed him to concentrate fully on his training. The meals were also good and nutritious, which made his dedication to martial arts easier to maintain.
They all look so thrilled today.
His father smiled every time he looked at his second brother. No wonder, since this was a farewell banquet for the guy before he left to join the Zhongnan Sect.
As one of the Nine Sects, the most prestigious sects in the world, the Zhongnan Sect often competed with the Mount Hua Sect for the title of the top sect in Shaanxi Province, an area the size of a small country. Naturally, for his brother to become a disciple there was an incredible honor and cause for celebration.
Suddenly, the Patriarch raised his wine cup, and the rest of the family followed suit.
"Ever since my late father, a lay disciple1 of the Zhongnan Sect, founded our family, I have given up my chance to make a name for myself in the world and dedicated my life to supporting our household. Therefore, I am all the more pleased that my son has decided to follow in my father's footsteps and ascend the Zhongnan Mountains," the Patriarch said.
"A joyous occasion indeed."
"Congratulations, Brother."
What a farce, Jeong Yeonsin thought, observing his boasting father and the sycophants. In the murim, it was better to be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon. As the de facto protector and a major landowner in Xinye County,2 the Jeong Family Patriarch wielded power comparable to that of a magistrate. No one here had any reason to envy the Nine Sects.
Do they not know that new disciples of the Zhongnan Sect are only tasked to do chores like cleaning the ancestral tablets?
Jeong Yeonsin secretly chuckled to himself, then focused on his meal, enjoying the food to his heart's content.
"Considering the Zhongnan Sect's recent achievements, wouldn't they rank slightly above the Mount Hua Sect now?"
"Indeed, quite a number of young talents have descended from the Zhongnan Mountains."
"Judging from the results of the Shaanxi Tournament, that seems to be the case. Not long ago, I even heard a rumor that the Cloud Sword Dragon of Zhongnan cut down an unorthodox sect leader in Guanzhong. The Plum Blossom Swordsmen may be strong, but they're no match for Senior Brother Sword Dragon."
Wow, Second Brother is already acting as if he were a Zhongnan disciple, even referring to the sect's prodigy as his Senior Brother, Jeong Yeonsin thought, even as he reached out to grab a fried crepe.3
When he noticed the Patriarch's disapproving gaze, though, he paused.
Maybe I should have joined in on the flattery.
"Yeonsin, I hear you've been spending all your time in the training ground. How is your progress with the Jeong Style Divine Sword (鄭宗神劍)?" the Patriarch asked.
Jeong Yeonsin immediately straightened his posture respectfully and replied, "As much as I am embarrassed to say this, the principles of our family art are too complex, and I am struggling to attain even minor proficiency in it."
The Jeong Style Divine Sword was the Jeong Family's unique martial art. Though it had an impressive name, in reality, it was a crude imitation of the first half of the Zhongnan Sect's thirty-six sword techniques.
Technically, sects like Zhongnan and Mount Hua did not allow lay disciples to establish their own styles based on their martial arts, but realistically, as long as they made regular donations to the main sect, it was overlooked. The main sect received wealth and resources, while the branch sect enjoyed protection under its name. It was a mutually beneficial relationship.
The Jeong Style Divine Sword has so many flaws, trying to learn it while resisting the constant temptation to fix everything is just plain torture. I'd much rather do something completely different.
There was a saying that childhood traumas molded one's character, and Jeong Yeonsin was no exception. Rather than endure more ridicule for ruining the family martial art, he'd rather obsess over his own creation, the Jeong Family Physical Conditioning Method.
The Patriarch clicked his tongue. "Your elder brothers have almost mastered it, and yet you… Sigh, I won't question your efforts further, but you should reflect on whether you're truly giving your all in the training ground."
"I will take your advice to heart," Jeong Yeonsin replied, clasping his hands respectfully and waiting until the Patriarch directed his attention to another person. He didn't care how his siblings looked at him.
Their attention only brings me pain.
Turning back to the banquet, he bit into a perfectly fried chicken wing while listening in on the conversations around him.
"Hmm, the situation with the unorthodox sects in Guanzhong is troubling. Chamberlain."
"Yes, Patriarch."
"Have you established a good network of informants? We don't expect it to rival the Beggars' Gang or the Rogues' Guild, but at least keep pace with the minor sects."
"At least in Xinye, we should manage."
"Good, good."
Suddenly, the gatekeeper's voice rang out, "The masters from Zhongnan Sect have arrived!"
The dining hall erupted into chaos. They had expected a visitor, but not this soon.
"Quick, guide them in! No, wait, I'll go myself!" the Patriarch shouted, abandoning his usual dignified demeanor.
Everyone else did the same.
I'm curious, Jeong Yeonsin thought. Normally, he'd slip away to the training ground to avoid the fuss, but this was a rare opportunity to see a martial master from the Nine Sects.
"Who could it be?"
"The Cloud Sword Dragon? Or perhaps an elder?"
For once, his conceited siblings acted like excited children. Jeong Yeonsin blended into the crowd, following them to the front gate. The Patriarch had already run ahead and was bowing deeply to three figures.
"I am Jeong Daemyung, the patriarch of this humble family. We are honored by your visit."
The three guests returned the greeting. The leader, a woman with golden hair like melted sunlight and long, leaf-like ears, was strikingly beautiful, almost otherworldly.
"An elf…!" Jeong Namsan whispered in awe, staring openly.
Jeong Yeonsin shook his head inwardly. So elves really do look as they are described in books. Fascinating.
Although Xinye County was once a trade and transportation hub, it had declined into a small village after the terrain changed during the war against strange beings at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. As a result, elves, who were said to have descended from the heavens to help the first emperor found the Great Ming, were rarely seen here. Instead, they were a common sight in Beijing, the military, the Nine Sects, and prominent families.
I heard that an elf physician visited me when I was born, Jeong Yeonsin mused, though he knew few details about the event. He couldn't very well ask his father about it, and the servants who knew what had happened shunned him.
"We are deeply honored by your hospitality. I am Yeo Ilsin, an elder of the Zhongnan Sect," the elf woman said with a smile. Her beauty was so striking that it seemed to refresh the eyes, but no one with any common sense dared to smile back at her.
An elf elder of the Nine Sects? That makes her a founding hero of the Ming Empire.
According to popular belief, elves were immortal. If Yeo Ilsin held such an important position, then she probably played a major role alongside the founder of the Zhongnan Sect in overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty.
"M-My deepest apologies for failing to recognize Your Holiness!" the Patriarch exclaimed.
The Patriarch wasn't alone in his awe. The Jeong family members, guests, and onlookers from the village all bowed deeply, with some even prostrating themselves.
That's a bit much, Jeong Yeonsin thought, bowing moderately to blend in.
When he looked up, however, his eyes met Yeo Ilsin's.
She was staring at him with a curious look on her face.
Footnotes:
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Lay disciple: A term for disciples of Buddhist or Taoist schools who are not monks, nuns, priests, or priestesses. In novels, they are usually only allowed to learn the lowest level martial arts of each sect, but in exchange, unlike actual disciples, they are not required to follow religious practices like abstaining from meat and marriage. ↩
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Xinye County (新野): One of the counties of Nanyang that lies in the southwest of Henan province, China. To the south of Xinye lies the prefecture-level city of Xiangyang in Hubei province. ↩
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Fried crepe: Jianbing is a traditional Chinese street food similar to savory crepes that is usually eaten for breakfast. ↩
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