Time flowed on, and Li Dingxun began his childhood. Over five years, three more children were born into the family: the second was a younger brother, the third a younger sister, and the fourth yet another younger brother.
Li Piguang and his wife were very satisfied with their four children. Although their eldest son was a bit dull, he was honest. Their second son was very intelligent, lively, and active. The third and fourth children were also quite clever from a young age. Compared to the eldest, they had more potential to contend for the position of Lion King in the future.
Consequently, more care and higher expectations were lavished upon the three younger siblings.
For their eldest son, Li Dingxun, the couple only wished for him to live a peaceful life.
As for the talk of a 'Pojun Star descending to the mortal realm,' that was merely a festive joke.
...
Li Dingxun was practicing his stance in the courtyard.
The Lion Appearance Sect is known for its external martial arts, mostly robust, hard-training techniques that are highly stimulating to the body. Children cannot practice them, as it might affect their development, so young disciples of the sect all rely on stance training to build their foundation.
The stance Li Dingxun was currently practicing was called the Thirty-Six Methods of the Lion Appearance, also known as the Mighty Lion Stance. It is actually the 入門 for the ninth-tier 絕技 Lion's Visage Iron Head Skill. Upon mastering it, one's body becomes like a fierce lion, agile and powerful. It greatly benefits the subsequent practice of Lion Appearance Sect martial arts and is considered a crucial foundation for martial arts.
Although it's called 'Lion Appearance,' the name makes it sound like a form of Xingyi martial arts, but it actually incorporates more of 'Divine Striking.'
The Xingyi part involves mimicking every movement of a lion in nature, including walking, sleeping, hunting, and fighting. The first thirty methods are all Xingyi.
The Divine Striking part is concentrated in the last six methods. These six methods include mystical content such as visualization, prayer, worship, talisman drawing, and inviting deities to possess one's body. The purpose is to stimulate a mental will and aura, belonging to the higher principles of martial arts. In fact, it already exceeds the scope of building a foundation; not learning it is harmless, and one can always return to build the foundation later once they have broader experience and knowledge.
However, if a disciple can learn these six Divine Striking methods upon first entering martial arts, they will surely be highly regarded by the high-ranking members of the Lion Appearance Sect.
It's pretty much a dividing line for a genius.
So, was Li Dingxun a genius? According to his father, absolutely not.
He hadn't even grasped the essence of the preceding Xingyi stance techniques, and his posture wasn't very standard. Repeated corrections had no effect. If his mother, Li Meizheng, hadn't intervened, this boy's backside would probably be in pain every day.
Li Piguang also realized that his eldest son wasn't unable to hold his stance properly due to naughtiness; he simply didn't understand. He didn't understand everything he was supposed to do. For such situations, his father, the late former Sect Master, had a method: beat him. Beat him until it hurt, then he would know his mistakes, and knowing his mistakes would lead him to learn properly. Otherwise, he would remain that way his entire life.
However, Li Meizheng loved her eldest son the most and couldn't bear to see him suffer or be tired. She was even happy that Li Dingxun lacked martial arts talent. In her view, since her child couldn't be first, he might as well take a different path.
Not practicing martial arts, but learning some poetry and literature, or playing the flute and xiao, would also be good. Even learning opera or performing Nuo dances would be acceptable.
"Why aren't you eating! My son just needs to be happy in the future!"
"Aren't you afraid he'll get caught up in the conflicts of the martial world?"
"Who dares?" Li Meizheng flared up in anger, and in a trance, a lion-faced, human-bodied deity let out a fierce roar. The Great Sect Master Li shrank his head and said in a low voice, "I wouldn't dare... No, no one would dare..." As he spoke, he secretly glanced outside, no one was passing by.
So from that day on, Li Dingxun's practice time was shortened, and an old scholar was brought in to teach him reading every day.
...
Childhood was boring.
Li Dingxun didn't have many daily tasks. Besides physiological activities like meals and ablutions, he practiced martial arts and studied. Finally, before bed, he was ordered to recite "Namo Luyuan Bodhisattva" a hundred times.
His range of activity was pitifully small, confined only to the courtyard.
Fortunately, the scenery in the courtyard was pleasant. Southern gardens are always keen to fill as much as possible into small spaces, and for a child, this was no less than an entire world.
Ponds, rockeries, groves of trees, and narrow bluestone paths covered in moss. When Li Dingxun stepped out of his wing room, he looked up to see large expanses of tree shade, verdant and bright. The gloomy sky was always squeezed into small, fragmented pieces, like blank spaces on a canvas.
Passing through the rain-flower stone ground scattered with fallen leaves, he arrived at the small pond. Stones were piled along the pond's edge, serving as a railing, and Li Dingxun often sat on these stones in his free time.
He actually guessed that he didn't have to do anything, and his parents wouldn't demand it, but he still maintained a routine. Stance training wasn't interesting, and reciting with a swaying head was still not interesting, but Li Dingxun never felt bored. In fact, he looked at everything with a feeling of neither liking nor disliking.
For now, his naive heart hadn't encountered anything that made it flutter or clench.
Duckweed in the pond, tiny insects on the water's surface, cicadas in the trees, mosquitoes in the shadows, centipedes under the stones... A child's world is also microscopic. Li Dingxun often noticed that in this courtyard, besides the maids and servants, besides himself, and besides his parents who occasionally visited, the most numerous inhabitants were actually insects and plants.
So he often thought of himself as a guest.
The old scholar taught him etiquette, so Li Dingxun was very well-behaved. He was always very well-behaved in his own courtyard, because the masters here were the insects and the plants.
Fortunately, the hosts were very tolerant and generous, allowing Li Dingxun to carefully observe their forms, as long as both sides maintained a not-too-far, not-too-close distance.
He had many questions in his heart, but struggled with words and couldn't express them, so he simply didn't speak.
The old man who taught him said that Li Dingxun was a dull boy. When his parents asked how he was dull, he said he couldn't extrapolate from one example and was a mediocre person.
When the adults were talking, Li Dingxun stood by. He could feel the emotions of those around him. The old scholar was indifferent, his father was disappointed, his mother was still as gentle, and the maids showed a feeling called pity, which Li Dingxun didn't understand.
Children, whose height didn't reach their waists, often had to look up to see the adults' faces. Tall, their features blurred by the ambient light, their lips moved, throats swallowed, chests rose and fell. Sounds and auras blended into a hazy, grayish-yellow. Many strange birds flew out of this chaos. Simon chased them, his gaze shifting to the window, over the treetops, hovering for a moment in the cloudy sky, then sweeping past the pot-ear walls, through the moon gate, flying over the low parapet, continuing to weave among the stilt houses, watchtowers, and scattered dwellings. All these passing sights were brought by the birds' eyes, while Li Dingxun just stared blankly at the wall.
Li Piguang courteously escorted the old scholar out, told his disciple to take the teacher to rest, and turned back into the house. He saw his eldest son lost in thought, and his wife, his good junior sister Li Meizheng, watching her son daydream with such doting affection. The faint light in the room suppressed all colors, while the natural light from outside only illuminated the small topknot on his son's head, and his wife's dress. The golden cloud-pattern embroidery on the hem of her skirt shimmered, like a small, setting sun touching the ground.
The Sect Master's heart suddenly relaxed.
So what if the child is dull? Being happy is what matters most.
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