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 wore swords and knives, especially swords. They have been known as gentlemen since ancient times.

As the wind of sword matching grows more and more, there will inevitably be special places for learning sword and practicing martial arts. After the Eastern Han Dynasty, sword halls, which were very prosperous in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, emerged again.

It is called the Sword Hall, so it is naturally mainly about learning swords. Learning swords to cultivate oneself and learning swords to strengthen one's body. However, that's just the beginning. From ancient times to the present, any rule will change as long as it takes, just like poorly stored wine. Over time, it will not become mellow, but will become sour.

At the beginning, the court had very strict rules. Not everyone could learn swords at the sword hall. Only the children of nobles and famous scholars had this qualification. The court also had to prevent chivalrous people from using martial arts to violate the ban and prevent ordinary people from practicing martial arts and rebelling.

However, the world was in chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty and warlords were separatist. In order to recruit brave men, various places gradually relaxed restrictions on recruiting disciples in the sword hall. Ordinary people could also go to the sword hall to learn martial arts, and no longer learn swords, fight and fight, and have all kinds of weapons.

Especially in troubled times, learning martial arts can protect oneself, and even scholars learn both civil and military affairs. Ordinary common people with a little family property even send their children to the sword hall to learn art to save their lives. This has enabled the prosperity of folk sword halls. There are many sword halls in Xiangyang and Fancheng, with nearly thirty schools.

However, although there are many sword halls, most of them are of different quality. The most are hundreds of disciples, the few are only four or five, and some are also scammers with a few pounds of stupid strength. They open the sword hall to cheat money in the name of martial arts.

In Baihuai Lane in the east of the city is the largest sword hall in Xiangyang City, covering an area of ​​about 20 acres. It is called Sword Test Hall. In fact, it is a private sword hall opened by the Cai family, which specializes in cultivating brave men.

There are about 200 disciples in the Sword Test Hall. Except for more than 40 children of the Cai family, the rest are brave teenagers selected by the Cai family from all over the country. After ten years of hard training, these teenagers will become the backbone of the Cai family's music club when they grow up.

In the afternoon, Liu Cong quickly walked into the sword test hall. After all, Liu Cong was the son of the lord of Jingzhou and had a high status. He crossed the porch and attracted a respectful attitude of the students along the way.

Liu Cong was also learning sword in the sword test hall. He has learned a little bit of sword skills for nearly eight years.

This time his mother forced him to retake the Xuanlin Sword, but he did not dare to rob him, for fear of being punished by his father, so he could only ask for help.

"Erlang, why are you here?"

A rough voice came from beside him, the sound was muffled, as if it was thunder. Liu Cong frowned and looked disgusted in his eyes.

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

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

This person is also Liu Biao's nephew, but he is from nephew, who is the grandson of Liu Biao's uncle. Compared to Liu Jing's blood relationship, he is slightly separated.

His name is Liu Hu, and he is 18 years old. He has been to Jingzhou with his brother Liu Qing since he was a child. Liu Qing learned literature and practiced martial arts. Although he was powerful, his mind was very stupid and he didn't understand the worldly ways. He smiled foolishly all day long.

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

What Liu Cong hated the most was that every time Liu Hu hugged himself in the air and ran all the way to the sword hall, but he was extremely powerful and could not break free. He was laughed at all along and was disgraced. He had warned him countless times, but he just couldn't remember it.

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

"Good thing"

Liu Hu grinned and let go of his hand. Liu Cong suddenly fell from the air and almost fell to his head. Liu Hu grabbed his arm, "Tell me quickly, what's the good thing?"

Liu Cong's arm was almost broken, and 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 brother that a cousin came, 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 quickly."

Liu Hu likes to compete with others the most, but his actions are not light or heavy, and no one is willing to compete with him anymore, which makes him feel a little lonely as a master.

When he heard that his new cousin was looking for someone to compete, he was immediately overjoyed, shouted loudly, turned around and ran towards the gate.

When Liu Cong saw him walking away, he curled his lips disdainfully and turned around and walked towards the main hall.

.........

In the main hall of the Sword Test Hall, dozens of students were competing for swordsmanship, with shouts of shouting, and dozens of people sat in a circle, and the two students in the middle fought with blunt swords in their forehands.

Liu Cong's eyes fell on a tall boy in the lead. His name was Cai Jin, a nephew of the Cai Mao clan. He is also sixteen years old this year. He is the best among the younger generation of the Cai family.

Cai Jin is seven feet six, tall, big and round waist, and can use a long sword weighing thirty kilograms. Although he was learning skills in the Sword Hall, he was actually a disciple of Wenpin. He participated in the Nanyang Battle against Cao's army last year and was barely considered a young general.

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

Cai Jin is actually half-master and half-apprentice in the Sword Test Hall. On the one hand, he practices martial arts with his junior brothers, and on the other hand, he is also responsible for teaching the young Cai family's children.

Two dull swords collided in the air, sparks flew everywhere, Cai Jin shouted loudly, and the sword tweaked, and the sword of another boy suddenly flew out of his hand, scaring the group of boys watching the battle around him exclaimed, and they all stood up to dodge the sword falling in the air.

"How can I tell you? Be as fierce as Meng Ben and as fierce as Qingji. Look at you, they are soft and soft, and there is no such thing as Meng Ben and Qingji."

Cai Jin glared at everyone, waved his sword and shouted loudly: "Next"

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

He dropped his sword and walked towards Liu Cong quickly, his expression also turned into a smile, "Erlang, has the good thing been done?"

He was referring to the Xuanlin Sword. He had a very good relationship with Liu Cong and knew Liu Cong's thoughts very well.

Liu Cong sighed and said fiercely: "I refuse to use a knife to replace him, and I refuse to come to the sword hall. It seems that I can only be tough..."

Before Liu Cong finished speaking, Cai Jin waved his hand and interrupted him, "This is not a place to speak, Erlang comes with me."

Cai Jin led Liu Cong to a room in the backyard, which was his sword training room. He received the true teachings of Wenpin and knew that the profoundness of martial arts was to experience it with his heart. Cai Jin experienced the subtlety of swordsmanship in this room.

The two sat down and Cai Jin asked, "Why did he refuse to come to the Sword Hall?"

In fact, Cai Jin did not agree with Liu Cong's idea of ​​replacing a sword with a sword. After all, it was a sword given by the provincial governor. How could Liu Jing easily exchange it for Liu Cong?

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

As long as Liu Jing comes to the sword hall, his sword will definitely be left behind, but he refuses to come, and Cai Jin has no choice but to come. He can't come to deliver the sword book.

Cai Jin has made a call to someone to compete in swords and deliver books to the door. This is a traditional practice since the beginning of the Han Dynasty. It is just... Is it appropriate to send books to a newcomer who has not 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 reputation. Cai Jin has been hailed as the number one master in Jingxiang since he was twelve years old. Since he is a master, how can he compete with others at will?

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

Cai Jin attaches great importance to his reputation. He is no longer willing to compete with the young man. If he wants him to compete with Liu Jing for a sword, it will ruin his reputation.

But Liu Cong couldn't offend him. He thought for a while and said, "In this way, I'll let Cai Hong compete with him in swords. Cai Hong is also a master in the sword hall. He can also seize 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 breaking the trunk of a big bowl with one knife, and that was just an ordinary knife, think about it."

Cai Jin frowned. Is Liu Jing so powerful? The contempt in his heart suddenly faded a little, and he pondered for a while and said, "Okay, let me consider this matter again."

The reason why Cai Jin was more cautious was that 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 rashly and had to ask the head of the family for instructions.

............

In the study, after hearing Cai Jin's report, Cai Mao couldn't help but sneer. For the sake of Xuanlin sword, Liu Cong did not hesitate to let outsiders deal with his clan brothers. If such a person is the lord of Jing Xiang, he must be alone.

"The head of the family, my nephew didn't know whether he should agree to Liu Cong, so I asked the head of the family to make a clear statement."

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

He took Cai Jin to the backyard and walked to the yard where his hometown owner Cai Xun practiced. Outside the wall, you could see Cai Xun loosening the soil in a vegetable field at the corner of the yard.

Cai Mao asked Cai Jin to wait outside the yard. He entered the yard and knelt forward to salute, "Second uncle, my nephew has something to bother my grandfather."

Cai Xun glanced at him and asked slowly: "What's wrong?"

Cai Mao then recounted what his sister said one by one and said, "My nephew has also considered that if the Cai family bet on Liu Cong, it would be more in line with the interests of the family, and his nephew also wanted to grant Shaoyu to Liu Cong."

After a while, Cai Xun slowly said: "I said last time that as long as you are the son of Liu Biao, it's okay to have a young age. Since you are the head of the family, whether it is Liu Qi or Liu Cong, you can decide for yourself, but you must also respect the opinions of Mrs. Zhou Mu. She is a key figure in our Cai family."

"It's my nephew who understands it."

Cai Mao understood what his uncle meant. His uncle meant that he could choose to support Liu Cong. He paused for a moment and said, "There is another thing, and I also want to ask my uncle for advice."
Chapter completed!