Chapter 40 The Circulation of Qi, in This Way (Please Read Further)

"Are demons the same as [treasures]?"

"Or perhaps, the flesh of demons can also be considered a type of [essential treasure]!"

Li Xian was naturally intelligent, and upon seeing this, he immediately guessed the reason for the situation.

When the lady summoned him, it was not out of concern for the deaths and injuries of the guards, but to confirm clues about the "demon".

Afterwards, Pang Long and Li Xian were dispatched to leave the village to collect the lost rent. The "beast-driving bell" that Pang Long carried was probably fake; it should have been a "beast-attracting bell."

However, this snow demon monkey was extremely clever and very sensitive to danger, yet it did not reveal itself.

Presumably... on that trip, the lady was also following behind.

Even now, with the wind and snow being incredibly fierce, the lady sent Li Xian to purchase rouge, once again as bait.

They lured the Snow Demon Monkey to appear.

The strong winds and heavy snow at this time could serve as cover, making it difficult for the Snow Demon Monkey to detect her presence.

As for why it is "Li Xian".

It's likely that the Snow Demon Monkey possesses another trait: "narrow-mindedness." Given another chance, it will definitely make up for any human food it misses.

Feng Huo is an example of this.

Madam Wen already knew this, which is why she used Li Xian as bait.

"So that means..."

"The speed of the Snow Demon Monkey in the snow is so great that even the lady would have difficulty keeping up with it."

"Otherwise, why would there be any need for enticement?"

Li Xian secretly pondered the strength of the lady.

"You're not bad."

"If you don't want to freeze to death, then follow along."

A faint voice drifted over, amidst the howling wind and snow, yet the voice was audible.

Li Xian pulled his thoughts back.

The woman walked a few feet ahead, never once glancing at Li Xian. To avoid losing his way, Li Xian followed closely.

Amidst the wind and snow, a faint fragrance can be detected.

Li Xian kept his head down and hurried on his way, the fire in his heart burning ever brighter. He wanted to become stronger, strong enough to control his own life!

Today he is the bait.

There was nothing they could do.

If possible, he would never want to experience it a second time.

...

...

In Yihezhuang.

"So that's how it is."

Pang Long sighed and brought Li Xian a pot of hot tea.

The stove was burning Xiangyang charcoal, which had a remarkable effect in resisting the cold, and gradually warmed Li Xian's limbs, which had been frozen stiff, and restored their sensation.

After taking another sip of hot tea, I almost fully recovered.

Seeing that the charcoal had burned out, Pang Long added a few more pieces.

He already knew about the ordeal in the snow, and patted Li Xian on the shoulder, saying, "It's a good thing you came back alive this time. Don't think too much about it; someone like Madam..."

I wanted to say something, but then I didn't.

"I understand everything."

Li Xian held the hot tea, her expression calm.

It would be a grave mistake to think of that lady as a compassionate and merciful living bodhisattva.

How could someone who establishes such strict and solemn rules be an ordinary person?

"But Commander Pang, does 'fine food' refer to the flesh and blood of demons?" Li Xian asked, seizing the opportunity. "In that case, demons are not a threat to martial artists, but rather a treasure?"

“Yes…no, not really.” Pang Long frowned. Li Xian was a third-class guard and had no right to inquire about such matters.

But after some consideration, Pang Long said, "It can only be considered 'inferior fine food'."

"The flesh and blood of demons often contain poison. If they are to be consumed as 'refined food,' they need to be cooked over a high flame to remove the poison."

"The world is vast and full of wonders. High-quality [treasures] are born of heaven and earth, but how difficult it is for us to even have a taste of such treasures."

"The taste... is even more indescribable."

"Moreover, demons also feed on humans. Countless martial artists who have undergone a complete transformation have ultimately died at the hands of demons. They kill and eat each other... they are more like natural enemies."

At this point, Pang Long felt a sense of anticipation.

He had the privilege of seeing a real [precious treasure] once.

“Commander Pang, just now, while walking in the wind and snow, you circulated your internal energy through your meridians to resist the cold. The effect was several times better than that of clothing.” Li Xian asked, “If I could circulate my energy throughout my body, wouldn’t I no longer be afraid of the cold?”

“No.” Pang Long shook his head and said, “While circulating Qi throughout the body can indeed improve resistance to severe cold, prolonged exposure to wind and snow is still not a good thing.”

"Moreover, there are many strange climates in the world, such as a deep abyss where the snow never stops for thousands of years and is filled with an extremely cold atmosphere."

"In a place like this, even a martial artist who has undergone a complete transformation would be frozen into an ice sculpture if he entered."

Li Xian said, "I've heard you talk about the circulation of Qi throughout the body... but I don't know what the circulation of Qi is. Commander Pang, could you explain it to me?"

Outside, snow is swirling in the wind.

Having narrowly escaped death, Li Xian was even more eager for strength and naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to learn from Pang Long once again.

Ask the questions that have been building up in your mind.

These questions seem like common sense, but they are often difficult to understand and depend on circumstances and the mood of those in power.

Even Pang Long was very stingy in this regard. Whenever asked about such matters, he would always keep it to himself, and even if he did reveal something, it would only be a few bits and pieces showing through his fingernails.

After all, he had painstakingly gathered these things from other people's fingernails, and then compiled and organized them.

"The so-called circulation of Qi throughout the body..."

Pang Long stood up. Seeing that Li Xian had rendered meritorious service to his wife, he intended to impart his knowledge as a form of compensation.

He shuddered slightly, and a thin white film appeared on his skin. It disappeared in an instant, and he said, "There are 361 acupoints in the human body."

“Starting from the dantian, the internal qi flows like silk around the acupoints. The internal qi is continuous, does not disperse, does not sink, and is not empty. When it forms a circle, it belongs to ‘Qi circulation throughout the body’.”

"Ordinary martial artists, once they reach this level, can already lock in their qi and blood. The rate at which their qi and blood decline is greatly slowed down."

"The lifespan of a martial artist... is thus extended."

"Men are at the peak of their blood and energy when they are 27 or 28 years old, and women are at the peak of their blood and energy when they are 31 or 32 years old. Before that, they cannot reach the realm of 'circulating Qi throughout the body'."

"My blood and energy are depleted year by year. If I don't have any more extraordinary encounters on the path of martial arts, then I've come to an end."

These all fall under the category of the initial stage of martial arts, the "clay body realm".

"I am twenty-nine years old and have barely achieved the circulation of Qi throughout the body."

"So... keep practicing martial arts diligently. You have good talent. If you persevere, you might be able to achieve what I have."

Pang Long laughed.

"Circulation of Qi throughout the body... When you reach this level of mastery, although you are still just a 'clay body,' your energy, blood and qi, and recovery ability will be far superior to others."

Li Xian listened intently, forgetting to drink his tea. "How can one achieve mastery? Is it possible to do so simply by practicing martial arts and accumulating internal energy?"

"Yes and no..." Pang Long's rugged eyebrows furrowed slightly. After a moment's thought, he said again:

"It's hard to say. Take the scions of some aristocratic families, for example. They have abundant resources. With a month of training, they can achieve what we do in a year of hard work."

“People like this… only need to master three or five basic martial arts to a minor degree to achieve the circulation of Qi throughout the body.”

"Or perhaps some are born martial arts masters. We, on the other hand, are born as clay figures. But they are not; they are born of bronze, silver, gold, jade, phoenix, or dragon... How can we compare to them?"

At this point, Pang Long drank the tea like it was wine in one gulp and sighed, "Sometimes, the difference between people is greater than the difference between people and pigs."

Pang Long looked at Li Xian and said, "Just talking about you. You're a guy who's got the makings of something big."

"Look at you, so calm in both life-or-death situations. If you were born into a better family, you might just become a dragon."

"But if you're unlucky, who can you blame?"

"But it's not bad now either. It's steady and solid, and it's a top-notch material."

Li Xian didn't take it seriously and asked, "Commander Pang, based on your experience, how long does it take to circulate Qi throughout the body?"

Pang Long glanced at it and said, "The worst thing a martial artist can do is to be overly ambitious."

"Leaving aside other examples, let's take myself as an example. Before circulating Qi throughout the body, all I practiced were basic martial arts."

"I have mastered two major skills, three minor skills, and five skills, roughly ten martial arts techniques. The internal energy I have accumulated is just enough to circulate throughout my body."

"Ten martial arts... The first martial art, which I spent three years mastering, is a fist technique."

"After that, I learned by analogy and made rapid progress in learning basic boxing techniques. Within a year, I mastered one boxing technique to a minor level and another to a high level."

"After that, he worked diligently and tirelessly. By the ninth year, he had mastered one skill, four skills, and five skills. However, he still had not been able to circulate his Qi throughout his body. So he took a risk and practiced martial arts in a self-harming manner."

"Finally, I mastered another martial art and reached the pinnacle of its skill. Only then could I circulate my Qi throughout my body and lock in my blood and Qi."

...

"So that's how it is..." Li Xian nodded to himself, "I see."

(End of this chapter)