Soldiers come to the world

The style of martial arts in the Han Dynasty originated from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Almost all men in the Han Dynasty carried swords and knives, especially swords, which have been known as "gentleman's military equipment" since ancient times.

As the trend of matching swords becomes more and more popular, there will inevitably be special places for learning swords and practicing martial arts. After the Eastern Han Dynasty, the sword halls that were very prosperous in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods rose again.

It's called the Sword House, and naturally it's mainly about learning the sword, learning the sword for self-cultivation, and learning the sword for strengthening the body, but that's just the beginning. Like wine, after a long time, it does not become mellow, but becomes sour.

In the beginning, the rules of the imperial court were very strict, not everyone could go to the sword hall to learn swordsmanship, only the sons and daughters of public officials and famous scholars could have this qualification, the imperial court also wanted to prevent chivalry from using martial arts to violate the ban, and prevent ordinary people from practicing martial arts to rebel.

But at the end of the Han Dynasty, the world was in chaos and the warlords separatist regimes. In order to recruit brave men, the restrictions on recruiting apprentices in the sword hall were gradually relaxed. Ordinary people can also enter the sword hall to learn martial arts. There are all kinds of weapons.

Especially in troubled times, learning martial arts can protect oneself, and even the scholars who study also learn both civil and martial arts. Ordinary people with a little wealth even send their children to the sword hall to learn art to save their lives. This makes the folk sword hall flourish. In Xiangyang and Fancheng There are quite a few sword gyms, nearly thirty of them.

However, although there are many sword halls, most of them are good and bad. Some have hundreds of apprentices, and some have only four or five.

In Baihuai Lane in the east of the city, there is the largest sword hall in Xiangyang City, covering an area of ​​about [-] mu.

There are about two hundred students in the Sword Trial Hall. Except for forty or so Cai family disciples, the rest are brave youths selected from various places by the Cai family. After ten years of hard training, these youths will grow up to become The backbone of the Cai family, Qubu Jiajiang.

In the afternoon, Liu Cong walked quickly into the sword testing hall. After all, Liu Cong was the son of the lord of Jingzhou, with a high status. He walked through the porch, attracting respectful attitudes from the disciples along the way.

Liu Cong also learned swordsmanship in the sword test hall. He has learned swordsmanship for nearly eight years, but he has also learned a little swordsmanship.

This time his mother forced him to take back the Xuanlin Sword, but he didn't dare to come forward to snatch it for fear of being punished by his father, so he could only ask someone for help.

"Erlang, why are you here?"

A rough voice came from the side, the voice was muffled, like thunder, Liu Cong frowned, and his eyes showed disgust.

He turned around and laughed dryly, "Tiger, why are you in the sword gym today?"

A tall and fat young man rushed over from the side, with a figure of eight feet four, with a huge physique, like a half of a black tower.

This person is also Liu Biao's nephew, but he is his nephew, who is also Liu Biao's uncle's grandson. Compared with Liu Jing's blood relationship, he is a little separated.

His name is Liu Hu. This year, he and his elder brother Liu Qing came to Jingzhou to join his uncle since he was a child. Liu Qing studied literature and he practiced martial arts. , with a smirk on his face.

Liu Hu jumped over like a big frog, hugged Liu Cong, held him in the air like a child, and said with a big laugh, "Erlang, let's practice swords."

The thing Liu Cong hates the most is that every time Liu Hu hugs himself in the air, and then runs all the way to the sword hall, but he is so powerful that he can't break free, and he is laughed at all the way, and he loses face, and has warned him countless times , he just can't remember.

Today Liu Cong had something important to do, he felt anxious and shouted: "Tiger, I have something good to tell you."

"Good thing?"

Liu Hu grinned, and let go of his hand. Liu Cong fell from the air immediately, nearly falling, Liu Hu grabbed his arm, "Quickly, what's the matter?"

Liu Cong's arm was almost broken, he held back the pain and said, "You have a cousin here, have you seen it?"

Liu Hu scratched his head. He seemed to have heard from his elder brother that a cousin had come, but he couldn't remember the name, only a well.

"You mean Liu Jing is here?"

"Yes, it's him, he's looking for people to compete everywhere, you go!"

Liu Hu's favorite is to compete with others, but his strikes are not light or heavy, and no one is willing to compete with him, which makes him feel a little lonely as a master.

Hearing that the new cousin was looking for someone to compete in martial arts, he was immediately elated, 'Ha! ' shouted loudly, turned around and ran to the door.

Seeing him walking away, Liu Cong curled his lips in disdain, turned around and walked towards the main hall.

. . . . . . . . .

In the main hall of the Sword Trial Hall, dozens of students were competing with each other with swordsmanship, there was a lot of shouting, dozens of people sat in a circle, and the two students in the middle were holding blunt swords to compete.

Liu Cong's eyes fell on the leader of a tall young man, named Cai Jin, a nephew of Cai Mao's family, also 16 years old this year, and a leader among the younger generation of the Cai family.

Cai Jin is seven feet six tall, with a big shoulder and round waist, and can wield a long knife weighing thirty catties. Although he is studying in the sword hall, he is actually a student of Wenpin. He participated in the Nanyang Campaign against Cao Jun last year. He can hardly be regarded as a young warrior.

More importantly, Cai Jin is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also has a good mind. He can be regarded as both civil and military, and is highly regarded by the head of the family, Cai Mao.

Cai Jin is actually half-master and half-apprentice in the Jianjian Hall. On the one hand, he practices martial arts with his juniors, and on the other hand, he is also responsible for teaching the young Cai family disciples.

The two blunt swords collided in the air, sparks flew everywhere, Cai Jin shouted loudly, twisted the long sword, and the other boy's sword flew out of his hand, frightened the group of teenagers watching the battle screamed, and got up to dodge in the air The falling sword.

"How did I tell you that you should be as fierce as Meng Ben and as swift as Qingji. Look at you, all of you are soft and soft. How can you look like Meng Ben Qingji?"

Cai Jin glared at the crowd, waved his long sword, and shouted sharply: "Next!"

No one dared to go forward for a long time. At this time, Cai Jin saw Liu Cong at the door and snorted heavily, "Practice by yourself, and I will come to check again in an hour. If you dare to be lazy, I will punish you severely!"

He dropped his sword and walked towards Liu Cong quickly, his expression turned into a smiling face, "Erlang, is the good thing over?"

He was referring to the matter of the Xuanlin sword. He had a very good relationship with Liu Cong, and he knew Liu Cong's thoughts very well.

Liu Cong sighed, and said harshly: "I won't exchange a knife for him, and I won't let him come to the sword hall. It seems that the only way is to be tough..."

Before Liu Cong could finish speaking, Cai Jin waved his hand and interrupted him, "This is not a place to talk, Erlang, follow me."

Cai Jin led Liu Cong to a room in the backyard. This was his sword training room. He had obtained the true biography of Wenpin, and he also knew that the profoundness of martial arts needs to be experienced with heart. Cai Jin was in this room. Experience the subtleties of swordsmanship.

The two sat down, and Cai Jin asked, "Why doesn't he come to the sword hall?"

In fact, Cai Jin did not agree with Liu Cong's idea of ​​exchanging a sword for a sword. After all, it was a sword bestowed by the state shepherd, so how could Liu Jing easily exchange it for Liu Cong.

It was Cai Jin's idea to ask Liu Jing to come to the sword hall, because there has been an unwritten sword competition rule since a hundred years ago, when both sides compete with swords, the loser needs to present his sword as a defeat gift to the winner.

As long as Liu Jing comes to the sword hall, his sword will definitely be kept, but if he refuses to come, Cai Jin has no choice, he can't come to deliver the sword book!

It's not that Cai Jin has never done this traditional practice since the early Han Dynasty to ask people to compete with swords and deliver books at their door, it's just that. ． ． ．Is it appropriate to give a book to a rookie who hasn't practiced martial arts much?

It's not because he is worried about bullying the weak, nor because Liu Jing is Liu Biao's nephew, but because he is afraid of ruining his own reputation. Cai Jin has been known as the number one master of Jingxiang teenagers since he was 12 years old. Fight against people.

This is like being a leader in later generations. The first priority of being a leader is not to understand business, but to learn to put on airs.

Cai Jin valued his reputation very much, he already disdained to compete with young men in sword competitions, if he were to compete with Liu Jing for a sword, it would ruin his reputation.

It's just that Liu Cong can't offend him, he thought for a while and said: "In this way, I will let Cai Hong compete with him. Cai Hong is also a master of the sword hall, so he can also win the Xuanlin sword for you. What do you think?"

Liu Cong shook his head, "Liu Jing's martial arts skills are not low. I saw him chop a tree trunk as thick as a bowl with one knife, and it was just an ordinary knife. Think about it!"

Cai Jin frowned, does Liu Jing have such great power?The contempt in his heart suddenly went away, and he pondered for a while and said, "Okay! Let me think about this matter again."

The reason why Cai Jin was more cautious was because this sword competition was related to the ownership of the Xuanlin Sword and also involved Liu Biao's nephew. He did not dare to act recklessly and had to ask the Patriarch for instructions.

. . . . . . . . . .

In the study, Cai Hao couldn't help but sneer after hearing Cai Jin's report. This Liu Cong would not hesitate to let outsiders deal with his brother for a Xuanlin sword. If this kind of person is the master of Jingxiang, he must be a widow .

"Patriarch, I don't know whether my nephew should agree to Liu Cong, please let me know clearly."

Cai Mao pondered for a moment, stood up and said, "Come with me!"

He took Cai Jin to the backyard until he came to the courtyard where the old owner Cai Xun practiced. Outside the courtyard wall, he could see Cai Xun loosening the soil in a vegetable field in the corner of the courtyard.

Cai Mao asked Cai Jin to wait outside the yard. He entered the yard, knelt down and saluted, "Second Uncle, my nephew has something to bother Grandfather."

Cai Xun glanced at him and asked slowly, "What's the matter?"

Cai Mao recounted what his sister said one by one, and said: "My nephew has also considered it. If the Cai family bets on Liu Cong, it will be more in the family's interest. My nephew also wants to betroth Shaoyu to Liu Cong."

After a while, Cai Xun said slowly: "I said last time, as long as it is the son of Liu Biao, it doesn't matter how old or young. Since you are the head of the family, you can decide for yourself whether it is Liu Qi or Liu Cong! But you also have to respect Madam Zhou Mu. Opinion, she is a key figure in our Cai family."

"Yes! My nephew understands."

Cai Mao understood what his uncle meant, that he could choose to support Liu Cong. After a pause, he said, "There is one more thing, I have to ask my uncle for instructions."

. . . . . . . .