Chapter Eighty-Seven: Apprenticeship

Yue Qi scratched his head a little awkwardly. “Then I’ll make a fool of myself, I suppose...”

But once it was time to speak of real matters, his expression turned serious at once.

“Just now, when I watched Brother Xin’s movements, they told me that the formation you set up outside was only the most basic kind of illusion array, and that Brother Xin broke it by destroying only eight formation nodes...”

After a moment’s thought, Yue Qi recounted everything he had observed in one breath.

The old man nodded. If one looked carefully, such things were not difficult to understand. But careful observation was itself one of the most important parts of learning formations.

“And earlier, my wife once told me that all formations change through the principles of the five elements and the eight trigrams of heaven and earth. Since there are eight formation nodes here, I wondered whether the array was built according to the arrangement of the eight trigrams...”

He swallowed and continued, “I have studied a little about the eight trigrams. I know that Qian represents heaven, Kun represents earth, Zhen thunder, Xun wind, Kan water, Li fire, Gen mountain, and Dui marsh. These eight symbols are like eight different spaces, and a formation is precisely the fusion of those eight spaces, drawing us into them, which is why it produced that illusion-like effect earlier...”

“Mm. Your foundation is quite good, Ah Qi. Those are the most basic principles in studying formations...” The old man nodded. Though these things were simple enough to understand, few young people nowadays would bother to notice or learn them.

“But I seem to have caught another thread from Brother Xin’s movements. I don’t know whether I’m right, so I wanted to say it and ask for your guidance, sir...”

Yue Qi thought for a moment, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Speaking like this did make him feel a little presumptuous.

“Oh? You have more to say? Go on, then, don’t hold back!” The old man nodded. He had thought Yue Qi’s grasp of the earlier points was already decent, but since he still had more to offer, perhaps he had found another insight.

Hearing that, Yue Qi grew bolder. He took a deep breath and said, “I’ve also read that the eight trigrams are divided into the Earlier Heaven and the Later Heaven arrangements. In the Earlier Heaven sequence, Qian belongs to the south, Kun to the north, Li to the east, Kan to the west, Dui to the southeast, Zhen to the northeast, Xun to the southwest, and Gen to the northwest. In the Later Heaven sequence, Zhen belongs to the east, Dui to the west, Li to the south, Kan to the north, Qian to the northwest, Kun to the southwest, Gen to the northeast, and Xun to the southeast... And from the way Brother Xin moved, it seemed as though he was following those Later Heaven directions—east for a while, west for a while, south for a while, north for a while... So I guessed that breaking the formation might require following a certain order. Otherwise, even if all eight nodes are destroyed, the array still might not be broken!”

The old man was finally moved, and not just a little. He stared at Yue Qi for a long while before saying, “Ah Qi, are you certain this is your first time ever encountering formations? No one told you any of this before?”

“Well... no. Does the mountain-protecting array of our Green River Sword Sect count? But I never studied it carefully. I only heard there was such a thing...” Yue Qi scratched his head. What he had just said truly was all his own reasoning. Since childhood, he had never liked the Four Books and Five Classics. Instead, he was fascinated by strange and marvelous things from all over the world, so he had read a little about the five elements and the eight trigrams, though only the barest skin of it.

“What a genius!” The old man looked as if he had discovered a raw jade, waiting only to be meticulously carved.

“You’re right. Breaking a formation does indeed require following a certain sequence, just like setting one up. If it is done in complete disorder, the array cannot be formed, and likewise it cannot be dismantled...” As he said this, the old man suddenly glanced at Xin Zi and the others, and stopped short.

“Very well. Then Elder, please continue discussing it with Brother Yue. We’ll go see whether any resources have been left elsewhere...” Xin Zi suddenly bowed to the old man and prepared to withdraw.

Bai Lian immediately understood what the old man meant. Everyone had their own secrets; the old man was unwilling to tell them, but was willing to tell Yue Qi instead. That was a considerable stroke of fortune.

Yue Yunsheng had been listening with great interest, but when the two beside him suddenly said they were leaving, he felt awkward staying behind alone. So he pulled Yu Qi along and, following Bai Lian, happily trotted off as well.

Seeing the old man’s behavior, Yue Qi also seemed to realize that the other party had something important to say. He straightened up at once, ready to listen.

Yet the old man did not seem inclined to continue that topic. Instead, he began chatting with Yue Qi about ordinary family matters—how many people there were at home, where he had studied under a master, and so on. Yue Qi answered each question one by one.

Just as Yue Qi was starting to feel puzzled, the old man finally smiled at him and said, “Then, Ah Qi, would you be willing to learn formations?”

The exchange between the two had grown increasingly familiar, and the old man’s direct address of “Ah Qi” only made him seem kinder.

“Of course!” Yue Qi was instantly overjoyed, as though he already knew what the old man was about to say next.

“Then you must first be prepared. Learning formations is no simple matter...” The old man’s expression turned serious. “A formation is a highly exquisite thing. If the one who sets it up does not master it properly, there is always the danger of suffering a backlash.”

“I want to learn!” Yue Qi had already made up his mind. If he ever had the chance to build another camp, with the protection of a formation he would no longer have to fear a zombie surprise attack!

“Good! Confidence is a fine thing!” The old man laughed once, then went on, “Then what are you standing there for, you fool?”

“Huh?” Yue Qi looked at him in confusion, not knowing what to do, and sat there helplessly.

“Apprentice bow, you idiot!” Qin Luo said somewhat resentfully, clearly displeased with the fact that this lifesaver of hers was reacting so slowly.

“Oh, oh!” Yue Qi snapped to attention at once, dropped to both knees, and bowed deeply before the old man. “Master above, please accept this disciple’s bow!”

The old man also stood before Yue Qi and accepted the bow. Turning solemnly toward the east, he suddenly made a deep bow of his own and recited, “I, Qin Master, today shall pass all of my life’s learning to my disciple Yue Qi. I ask not that he bring it to great renown, only that he use it on the proper path. Should he stray from righteousness, let heaven and earth join in his punishment, let gods and men alike cast him out! Yue Qi, do you accept?”

That final sentence was addressed to Yue Qi.

“This disciple is willing. Should I stray from the true path, let heaven and earth join in my punishment, let gods and men alike cast me out!”

Yue Qi bowed once more to the old man.

“Good.” The old man smiled and helped Yue Qi up from the ground. “Very well. From this day onward, you may count as my disciple. And this one—though Qin Luo is younger than you, she entered the school before you, so she may be considered your half senior sister.”

“Grandpa, what do you mean half senior sister? She’s clearly a senior sister. Good junior brother, come on, call me Senior Sister and let me hear it...” Qin Luo giggled and spoke to Yue Qi with unmistakably mischievous intent.

“All right, stop teasing Ah Qi. And Ah Qi, don’t be fooled by Qin Luo’s young age—her talent may not be much inferior to yours.” The old man rescued Yue Qi from the awkwardness, then shook his head at his impish granddaughter.

“Oh?” This time it was Yue Qi’s turn to be startled. This little girl, who looked even younger than him by a year or two, was actually that formidable?

“Ah Qi, I imagine you know that entering the path of formations requires very strong spiritual power, what we usually call perception. Qin Luo may not be a cultivator, but her spiritual power far exceeds that of ordinary cultivators.” The old man paused, then, seeing Yue Qi’s unconvinced look, continued, “Don’t be unconvinced. Though you are at the Foundation Establishment stage and have already awakened spiritual power, which is quite a good talent, Qin Luo’s spiritual power has already reached the realm of controlling objects. Tell me, how could that be inferior?”

“Controlling objects?” Yue Qi was astonished again. He didn’t know exactly what that meant, but flying on a sword—he had heard of that! It was something he had long dreamed of doing.

“Exactly.” The old man did not notice Yue Qi’s reaction and continued, “However, although Qin Luo’s talent is excellent, she has not worked hard at learning formations, so to this day she can only set up a few simple arrays. As for you, you have decent talent and a solid foundation. Perhaps before long you’ll surpass her!”

“Grandpa! How can you say that? At the very least I’m your granddaughter, and besides, this stuff is just so obscure and difficult—it makes my head feel huge!” Qin Luo linked her arm with the old man’s and complained coquettishly.

“Heh, all right, all right. If you don’t want to study it, then don’t. In any case, with your junior brother here, I no longer fear this inheritance will be lost...” The old man was clearly quite susceptible to Qin Luo’s spoiled manner, and he spoke with a warm laugh.

In truth, the old man had wrestled with the decision to teach Yue Qi the ways of formations for a very long time. Yue Qi had risked his life to save him earlier, and had treated the grandfather and granddaughter pair with due respect. The old man had already made up his mind: he could pass his legacy on to him.

A pity... He glanced at Qin Luo beside him. His granddaughter’s talent was actually even greater, but she simply had no mind for this kind of learning...

“Very well, Ah Qi. Take this first...” As he spoke, the old man took from his robes something like a book and handed it to Yue Qi. “This contains the insights of my entire life, and within it are many formations that you will find useful.”

Then the old man added, “Learning formations still depends on oneself. The master leads you through the door; cultivation depends on the individual. With your foundation, you should be able to understand what is inside very quickly. After that, so long as you practice diligently, you will surely become proficient...”

“Yes, Master!” Yue Qi bowed to the old man once more and answered solemnly.

“Sigh, there’s no need to be so formal. Compared with that, I’d rather you keep calling me old man. It sounds much warmer. I’ve lost my sons and daughters early in life, and all that remains is this granddaughter...” As he spoke, the old man’s tone gradually turned sorrowful.

“Then, Old Master, don’t be sad. From now on, I count as half your grandson too...” Yue Qi was sweet-tongued as well, and he smiled at the old man.

“Mm! Mm!” The old man nodded, looking deeply moved.

“If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask me. Formations are not simple, but neither are they impossibly difficult. In the end, they are all borrowed from the achievements of our predecessors. People like us are at best imitators. If, Ah Qi, you have the talent to create a new formation, then you would truly have entered the hall and stepped through the gate.”

These past two days there have been five recommendation votes again! I’m really touched. Though there are still readers adding comments asking for mindless writing, which is honestly a little heartbreaking. Please don’t just follow the trend... Haha. By the way, we won our first basketball game, but as the starting point guard, I somehow didn’t score a single point... So depressing!