Starting with helping Zhao Kai ascend the throne in the snow

"Hahaha, you little brat, you think you can use the Eastern Yue Sword Pool to deal with me? Dream on!" Gao Liqiu, seeing Shen Qing stumped by Song Nianqing, also laughed loudly.

Seeing this, Song Nianqing coldly looked at the gloating Gao Liqiu and said, "If you continue to be insolent, I don't mind personally sending you on your way. I believe that compared to your life, the value of my Dongyue Sword Pool is greater, and I believe the King of Guangling will make the choice."

"You..." Gao Liqiu's expression changed upon hearing Song Nianqing's words, and he was about to unleash a torrent of curses. But the next second, he felt a blur before his eyes, and Song Nianqing appeared before him like a ghost, her cold gaze devoid of any emotion. For the first time, he felt the threat of death, and he swallowed back the words that were about to come out, instead uttering a weak and insincere statement: "My family is magnanimous and won't stoop to the level of you uncouth and rude people."

Gao Liqiu was very self-aware. He knew that although he was Zhao Yi's confidant, he was still far inferior to Dong Yue Jianchi. Now that Song Nianqing had already lost her temper, if he still stubbornly rushed into it, he would only be courting death.

Song Nianqing suppressed Gao Liqiu's opinion, then turned her gaze to Shen Qing again, and said coldly, "Does Lord Shen have any other conditions?"

Upon hearing Song Nianqing's question, Shen Qing smiled confidently and said casually, "Does Sect Leader Song know about the upcoming martial arts examination in Yuezhou?"

Song Nianqing nodded, then asked in confusion, "I've heard a thing or two about it. What does Lord Shen want to say?"

"The purpose of holding the martial arts examination is to select a group of military officers to build up the military power of Yuezhou. As the saying goes, those who excel in their studies will become officials. If Dongyue Sword Pool is willing to submit, I promise to provide five centurion-level officers every year for ten years as a benefit to Dongyue Sword Pool."

As Shen Qing finished speaking, the scene erupted in uproar. Even Song Nianqing's pupils contracted. Five official positions a year might not seem like much, but Shen Qing promised for ten years. Five a year, that would be fifty in ten years. Song Nianqing believed that in just ten years, Dongyue Sword Pool would be able to establish a vast network of relationships within the Yuezhou army. At that time, Dongyue Sword Pool's influence would be incomparable to what it once was.

Seeing the expressions on the faces of the people from Dongyue Sword Pool, Shen Qing smiled slightly. Since ordinary conditions wouldn't sway them, he decided to pursue a degree of binding cooperation, offering terms that Dongyue Sword Pool couldn't refuse. He refused to believe that simply offering official positions wouldn't tempt them. Of course, directly bestowing official titles upon Dongyue Sword Pool would definitely impact the future military system, but Shen Qing had considered it. Fifty people, while a lot, were still within acceptable limits. Moreover, he was confident that Yuezhou's power would not stop there in ten years; at that time, the Yue King's Mansion would easily crush Dongyue Sword Pool.

"Sect Master..." All the disciples and elders of the Dongyue Sword Pool looked at Song Nianqing with eager eyes, their meaning quite clear.

For aristocratic families, an official position might not mean much, but for commoners and martial artists of ordinary birth, it was a tempting prospect of bringing glory to their ancestors and having their lineage recorded in a separate genealogy. From then on, officials and commoners became two completely different classes, achieving a leap in social status. This is why countless scholars from humble backgrounds were willing to spend ten years or even longer preparing for the imperial examinations—all for the sake of an official position and an improvement in social standing.

Song Nianqing took in the expressions of everyone in the sect and sighed softly in his heart. At this moment, the entire sect was deceived by the bait thrown out by Shen Qing. If he insisted on going his own way, he would be opposed by the entire sect and cause the Dongyue Sword Pool to become disunited.

Then he looked at Shen Qing with a complicated expression. They, who were just ordinary people in the martial arts world, were no match for those who were in the imperial court. The other party had only said a few words, but he had already caused the unity of the Dongyue Sword Pool to crumble from within. Such verbal battles were far more dangerous than the sword fights in the martial arts world.

As the sect leader, he saw further than others. While others only saw the benefits of the next ten years, Song Nianqing could foresee the crisis ten years later. Even if the Eastern Yue Sword Pool enjoyed boundless glory for the next ten years, if it became too powerful and was purged by the Yue Prince's Mansion, its fate would definitely not be good. Therefore, after much deliberation, Song Nianqing made a decision: even if it meant bearing the infamy of the entire sect, he was not prepared to agree to Shen Qing's conditions.

Just then, as if sensing his intention, Shen Qing suddenly said again, "Sect Leader Song, shall we speak privately?"

Seeing this, Song Nianqing frowned slightly, wondering what Shen Qing was up to. However, she did not object and walked to the side with Shen Qing. Apart from Li Chungang following behind Shen Qing, the rest of the group could only watch helplessly. They walked for fifty meters before stopping.

“I guess Sect Leader Song still intends to object, right?” Shen Qinggang said with a confident expression as soon as he stood still.

Shen Qing's sudden opening remarks startled Song Nianqing, but he quickly recovered and did not refute her, using silence to represent his acquiescence.

"I guess the Song Clan leader is worried about the saying 'When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked.' After all, such things have happened too many times. To say nothing of the distant past, Xun Ping, the legal expert of the Li Yang Dynasty, and Shence, the earth-level expert, are living examples."

Song Nianqing remained silent.

"Song Zongzhu's concerns are not without merit, but what I want to say is that the Yue Prince's Mansion is not the Li Yang royal family, and Zhao Kai is not comparable to Zhao Dun. The Yue Prince's Mansion has never had any ill intentions towards Dongyue Sword Pool, so you can rest assured."

Faced with Shen Qing's words, Song Nianqing remained silent. After all, anyone can say nice things, and these words alone cannot guarantee anything.

Seeing that Song Nianqing remained silent, Shen Qing was not in a hurry. Instead, he slowly played his trump card and said, "The official school."

"Lord Shen, may I speak plainly?" Song Nianqing's eyes flickered upon hearing this, and she finally broke the silence.

Shen Qing stared straight at Song Nianqing and said, word by word, "If the Dongyue Sword Pool submits to the Yue King's Mansion, I will make a promise on behalf of the Yue King that the Dongyue Sword Pool will be listed as one of the official schools of Yuezhou in the future."

Shen Qing, having said this, looked past Song Nianqing and towards the distant sky, "Sect Leader Song may not fully understand official academies, so let me put it simply. In the future, countless government-run academies will be built in Yuezhou. These academies will break away from the traditional teaching model and adopt a method that emphasizes both literature and martial arts. After all, some people are good at literature, while others are good at martial arts. At that time, they will teach according to aptitude, not only teaching the classics of various schools of thought, but also various martial arts."

"Six months after enrollment, students will be divided into academic tracks. Those who excel in literature will study humanities, and those who excel in martial arts will study martial arts. Regardless of their background, they will all become pillars of Yuezhou. I plan to divide the school into three levels: the lowest level for children under twelve, the middle level for teenagers under sixteen, and the highest level for those over sixteen. Upon completion of their studies, students will be awarded graduation certificates. The top ten students in each subject at the highest level will receive official positions as rewards."

“Once the Dongyue Sword Pool obtains official status, all the schools built throughout Yuezhou will incorporate its swordsmanship into their martial arts curriculum. I wonder if such a condition will sway Sect Leader Song?” Shen Qing finished speaking, looking at Song Nianqing with confidence.

For a martial arts sect like Dongyue Sword Pool, what is most important? It is the inheritance of martial arts. And what is needed to maintain this inheritance? It needs a constant stream of fresh blood and a succession of disciples.

This is why sects all over the world like to make a name for themselves and expand their reputation. Only when their reputation is big enough will disciples keep coming to join them. And only with disciples can the sect's heritage be passed down for generations.