Chapter 542
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Chapter 542: Enduring
The Chu Kingdom was located in the southern part of the former Yun State, covering the territory of the former Anhua City. The Yuntuo River, now in this section of the Chu Kingdom, is called the South River, so the Chu Kingdom is also known as Nanchu.
Slowly, Lin Jiang and Zhang Baolu arrived at the capital of Chu Kingdom almost a year later.
The Chu State’s Martial Arts Academy received a message and the Director Chu Tiange led the team to personally greet them outside the capital. This was a grand reception, surpassing the receptions for other martial arts academy deans from the past, all because news of Lin Jiang’s easy victory over Qin Wuyang at Huangu Pass had spread to the Chu Kingdom.
With one move, Qin Wuyang lost his will to fight. This display of strength astonished everyone, especially Chu Tiange who didn’t believe he had the ability. Even though he had not fought Qin Wuyang himself, he knew Qin Wuyang couldn’t reach that level.
"Mr. Guigu, welcome to Chu Kingdom."
Chu Tiange saw Lin Jiang and immediately approached to greet him, then introduced himself.
"Dean of Chu, no need to be polite. My family has come to visit your country."
"It’s the Chu Kingdom’s good fortune to have you here, sir. Please get on the carriage first, let’s go to the Martial Arts Academy."
"Haha, Dean of Chu, aren’t you afraid I’ll teach your students at the Martial Arts Academy improperly?"
"Mr. Guigu, I want you to know that in the Chu Kingdom, there are three big rivers: the South River, Teardrop River, and Dragon River, as well as many other rivers. These rivers nurture the people of the Chu Kingdom with a broad mind like the mountain streams of the Western Qin Kingdom."
"Haha, that’s good, that’s good."
Lin Jiang laughed, it seems that the Chu Kingdom and Qin Kingdom don’t get along very well.
Well, that’s true. The Qin Kingdom is located upstream from the former Yuntuo River. If they want to attack Chu, they just need to go downstream. The strategic position is dominant, and the two countries have clashed several times.
Chu Tiange followed the example of the Zhao Kingdom and Qin Kingdom by welcoming Lin Jiang to the Chu Kingdom’s Martial Arts Academy, and also providing him with the Dean of the Martial Arts Academy’s residence.
"Is that the Chu Kingdom palace?"
The Chu State’s Martial Arts Academy and palace are very close. Lin Jiang saw them at a glance.
"Yes, that’s the Chu Kingdom palace. It was built to mimic the Xia Palace. The ancestor of the Zhang family, a prominent family in the Chu Kingdom, was the first prime minister of the Xia Kingdom. He once brought back all the architectural drawings from the Xia Kingdom, but the scale is not as grand as the Xia Palace."
"Zhang family"
Lin Jiang remembered Zhang Ran, wondering how long Zhang Ran lived after he fell asleep. Zhang family became a major family in Chu Kingdom instead of establishing their own kingdom. Lin Jiang gave Zhang Ran a lot of land, enough for him to start his own kingdom.
"Zhang family is a family that has been closely connected with the royal family of Chu Kingdom for generations."
Chu Tiange explained that the founding emperor of Chu Kingdom promised Zhang family to be closely related. Although Zhang family didn’t establish their own kingdom, they were still a powerful tribe next to the original territory of Chu Kingdom.
When Chu Kingdom was founded and needed to expand, their first target was Zhang family. However, Zhang family was strong and not ambitious. They discussed with the head of Zhang family at that time to marry a Zhang family woman into the royal family, promising generations of alliance. Zhang family then submitted to Chu Kingdom and became the first in-laws, contributing greatly to the expansion of Chu Kingdom.
Lin Jiang nodded, realizing that Zhang family was living well in Chu Kingdom.
"Will Mr. Guigu accept disciples at the Martial Arts Academy?"
"What, are people from Chu Kingdom really not afraid of me teaching recklessly?"
"Sir, people from Chu Kingdom are indeed not afraid."
"Okay, it seems like a lot of people are eager to be my students. Let’s limit it to five people, you can arrange it."
"Thank you, sir."
Chu Tiange was immediately delighted. Even though five people were not many, he was still very happy. He had inquired that Lin Jiang taught students at the Martial Arts Academy in Zhao Kingdom and Qin Kingdom. He was open-hearted and dedicated in teaching. He could choose talented individuals and maybe even cultivate a few Martial Saints.
"By the way, don’t forget the necessary etiquette for students."
"Of course, the guidance of the number one Martial Saint in the world is invaluable."
"The number one Martial Saint in the world? Is that my new title?"
"After the incident at Huangu Pass, sir acquired that title. Although I disapprove of Qin Wuyang, I have to admit that his martial arts skills are top-notch."
"Now that the title of the number one in the world is out, will many people want to challenge me? Let me make it clear, I am a person who loves peace the most and dislikes fighting."
"Don’t worry, if someone challenges, they have to pass the Tian Ge test first."
Chu Tiange promised that no one could disturb Lin Jiang, if they wanted to challenge, they had to fight him first.
·······
Two weeks later, Lin Jiang’s five disciples arrived. Two of them were Grand Masters of Martial Arts. These two were typical talents aiming to break through to become Martial Saints. They can be considered as taking advantage of a loophole in the Chu Kingdom. The remaining three were the most outstanding geniuses of the Chu Kingdom, though their skills were not particularly high.
"Here are some insights from my practice. You two can take a look, then find a place to practice on your own. At this point, there’s not much more I can teach you."
Faced with the two Grand Masters of Martial Arts, Lin Jiang directly handed them a manual on martial arts insights. If these two had high comprehension, they might be able to become Martial Saints in less than half a year.
The two disciples quickly expressed their gratitude, then obediently sat aside. Even though Grand Masters of Martial Arts were considered top figures in the kingdom, they dared not be presumptuous in front of Lin Jiang, behaving as docile as primary school students.
"Your lessons will be held every three days. Half the time will be spent on teaching martial arts practice, and the other half will be spent chatting about other topics."
"Sir, what would we chat about? We came here to learn martial arts from you, not to chat."
"In martial arts, understanding is key. Simply practicing without understanding brings more harm than good. Do you know the saying ‘one method comprehended leads to understanding all methods’? Emperor Xia, who once taught disciples at the Xia Martial Arts Academy, required his disciples to excel in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."
"Are you comparing yourself to Emperor Xia, sir?"
"Little one, you are quite stubborn."
Lin Jiang was asked back and laughed, it seemed that the disciples from Chu Kingdom were not very convinced by him.
"Sir, Emperor Xia…"
"Don’t speak, I understand what you mean, Emperor Xia is very noble, I know."
"I am Zhang Baolin, a descendant of the Zhang family, I cannot tolerate anyone insulting Emperor Xia. Sir, even though your martial arts are exceptional, you cannot compare to Emperor Xia."
The person said coldly, the Zhang family are devoted fans of Emperor Xia, the ancestor of the Zhang family, Zhang Ran, wrote about his collaboration with Emperor Xia in his later years, which is a must-read for Zhang family disciples.
"Haha, I will compete, what can you do to me, can you beat me?"
"You…"
"If you can’t beat me, then you have to obey and be good."
Lin Jiang laughed heartily, he really liked the little guy, and he decided to give him some special attention in the future to make him happy.
Lin Jiang was already familiar with teaching disciples, so three days later, he officially started teaching, and Chu Tiange also came to listen in, and Lin Jiang didn’t mind him staying.
"I already know your martial arts skills. In the next class, I will give you special training. Today, let’s chat a bit. Let’s talk about Emperor Xia. Zhang Baolin admires Emperor Xia so much. Can you tell me why he admires him so much?"
"Sir, Emperor Xia…"
Zhang Baolin immediately started talking enthusiastically about Emperor Xia’s various achievements.
"Well said. Now, let me ask you, do you remember any other important figures from Emperor Xia’s time?"
"My Zhang family ancestors, and…"
Zhang Baolin mentioned several other important figures, including ancestors from Chu Kingdom, who were significant during the Xia Kingdom era.
"You are quite knowledgeable, little one. Now, let me ask you this: why was Emperor Xia so powerful, yet Xia Kingdom has declined to this state today? No one follows Xia Emperor’s decrees anymore, and even the annual ceremonies are no longer attended by other countries."
"This…"
Lin Jiang’s question immediately confused everyone. Was the first class really going to be this sharp? Although other countries don’t listen to Xia Kingdom, they still dare not openly replace Xia Kingdom.
"If you can’t answer, or maybe you are afraid to answer, it’s okay. We can talk slowly in the future. Let’s change the wording today. If a closed country conquered all other closed countries, replacing Xia Kingdom, would Xia Kingdom be destroyed?"
"Of course it would be destroyed. Without Xia Kingdom, how could it not be destroyed?"
"Then, after hundreds or thousands of years, will people still remember Xia Kingdom, remember Emperor Xia?"
"Of course they will remember. The achievements of Emperor Xia are enough to be remembered for generations. I can’t speak for others, but as long as there are members of my Zhang family, there will be people who remember Xia Kingdom."
"So, according to what you’re saying, Xia Kingdom hasn’t perished, right? It’s the Xia Kingdom of the capital that perished, not the Xia Kingdom in everyone’s hearts."
"Um…"
Suddenly, everyone’s train of thought couldn’t keep up with Lin Jiang’s thinking. What’s going on here?
"A certain person traveled to different countries and once heard someone say that death has three meanings. The first level of death is when your body dies, which is what we usually think of as death. The second level is when you are buried, and your loved ones come to mourn and say goodbye to you, believing that you have died in this world. The third level of death is when people remember you, and when the people who knew you also pass away, it’s as if you never existed in this world.
If we understand it this way, as long as someone remembers Emperor Xia, does it mean that Emperor Xia will always be remembered and exist in our hearts?
Lin Jiang continued, explaining to a few people the significance of leaving a lasting reputation in history, which he also mentioned to the king of Chu Kingdom and other kings of various vassal states.
Since the time of Xia Kingdom, there have been many kings, and there will be more in the future. If you want to be remembered for generations, then strive to become an outstanding emperor for eternity. That way, you will always live on in the hearts of others, which is also known as leaving a legacy.
Don’t underestimate the power of leaving a legacy. The influence of leaving a legacy is very significant, especially for ordinary people. Without immortality, wealth, and glory, what else is worth pursuing?
