Chapter 167: The Second Realm of Martial Arts, also known as Taisu (Please Submit)
It was already September, and the rain was drizzling, making the world feel damp and chilly.
Inside Yihe Manor. The lady, with a thin veil draped over her shoulders, gazed at Li Xian through a landscape screen, her beautiful eyes cold.
Outside the screen, Li Xian clasped his hands and bowed.
"How dare you!" Madam Wen said calmly. "You secretly dispatched guards to do what you did. Li Xian, you've really grown up. Do you know that since I established this manor, you are the only one who has dared to act like this?"
“Li Xian was reckless; please punish him, Madam,” Li Xian said.
"Does punishing you make up for this loss?" Madam Wen said coldly.
"I will leave it to you, Madam," Li Xian said.
"The losses at the manor today amount to three thousand taels of silver," Madam Wen said. "You must repay it within a month. Otherwise... I have my own ways of dealing with you."
Li Xian thought to himself, "I'm afraid I still owe a lot of money. Where am I going to get three thousand taels?" But being able to appease the lady and only provide money was already the best outcome: "Yes."
“This is just repayment,” Madam Wen said. “I still have to punish you.”
“You have acted recklessly and disregarded the rules of the manor. You deserve to be punished by the thorny old man. However, I doubt that the guard will actually dare to hit you. From this day forward, come before me every day at dawn, and I will personally scrape your palm with my sword.”
Upon hearing this, Li Xian felt a sharp pain in his palm. His wife had already slashed his palm with her sword several times, and the pain was indeed excruciating. But he had no choice but to agree.
Madam Wen softened her tone: "Come here now."
Li Xian walked around the screen and came to stand before Madam Wen. Madam Wen looked Li Xian over with satisfaction, secretly praising him, and then had him massage her shoulders.
At that moment, the window was slightly ajar, and a light rain drifted in, accompanied by a gentle breeze. Madam Wen thought to herself, "The mere Cao family is nothing to me. Whether those guards are dead or injured is none of my concern."
"Today I will use ruthlessness. Li Xian will surely fear me and provoke the Cao family, cutting off Li Xian's path to the city. This boy is isolated and helpless, and I am the only one he can rely on. Even so, he is still completely mine."
"It's about time to upgrade the second level of the Yin-Yang Immortal Couple Sword."
Madam Wen was extremely adept at weighing interests, but her ruthless style often offended people. She could not trust others and could only rely on them through calculating conditions and interests, making them depend on her regardless of whether it was from the perspective of "interests" or otherwise.
Only in this way could she trust Li Xian.
The Yin-Yang Immortal Couple Sword Technique is a superior sword technique. It is divided into several levels, each progressively more advanced. Once one masters the previous level, one can learn the next. Judging by his aptitude and skill in swordsmanship, Immortal Li is already qualified. Madam Wen is also a lover of swords and has coveted the Yin-Yang Immortal Couple Sword Technique for over a decade.
The reason why it has been delayed in being passed on, and why it has been passed on but not revised, is entirely because the interests involved are not deeply enough. Since a long time ago, Madam Wen has been cultivating Li Xian, which has nothing to do with the ethereal destiny of "Li Xiaofan".
But today… without a word, they wanted to sever Cao Yuan's limbs and force him to wear thorn armor. Besides their calculating interests and ruthless methods, she was genuinely annoyed.
"Who do you think you are to lay a finger on my things? Do you have a death wish?" For a fleeting moment, these thoughts crossed Madam Wen's mind.
Madam Wen said softly, "The medicinal bath is ready in the autumn moonlight. You are covered in blood, so please wash yourself clean first before going to the bathing room to see me."
The bathroom was filled with steam.
The second level of the Yin-Yang Immortal Couple Sword requires a medicinal bath as a foundation. It requires more than ten kinds of medicinal materials, such as Yin-Yang Grass, Boundary Root, Separated Water, Dry Water, and Nether Stone Powder, which must first be cooked in a medicinal furnace.
Finally, filter out the dregs and dilute them with high-quality "clear water" to make a soup.
What constitutes the finest clear water? It comes from places with famous mountains and great rivers, where nature has endowed the landscape with unique character and energy. Such water is considered excellent "clear water."
But that's not all. Between heaven and earth, there is "heavenly water" suspended 30,000 miles in the sky, "river water" flowing endlessly in rivers, and "dew" with its unique fragrance attached to flowers, trees, grasses and leaves.
All of them are top-quality seafood.
It requires human labor to move and collect... The creation of heaven and earth can only be moved by the hands of countless living beings.
In the bath.
The medicine's effects seeped into her very being. Madam Wen's beautiful eyes darted about, her hands clenched tightly. Her breathing became slightly uneven. Although she was practicing swordsmanship, her mind was not on swordsmanship at this moment.
This medicinal bath method shapes the body and has mysterious effects. One person cannot absorb it, nor can two women or two men. Only when a man and a woman grasp it with both hands will it flow into the body.
It nourishes the body, promotes beauty and longevity, strengthens internal energy, and soothes the mind.
[This is your first Yin-Yang medicinal bath.]
[Sunset Blood Sword - Level 2, Proficiency +359]
[Digestion speed increased, Food Essence Realm, Proficiency +1]
...
...
On the other hand...
Cao Yuan, who prided himself on his strength, bullied the weak and poor in the county, but unexpectedly ended up with all four limbs broken and wearing thorn armor. He was so badly injured and furious that he fainted on the spot.
He woke up again at noon the next day, the jolting of the carriage jolting him awake.
"Uh..." Cao Yuan tried to speak, but his throat had been removed. The dignified eighth elder of the Cao family, reduced to such a miserable state, was beyond words. Thinking of this, he was filled with bitterness and anger, and then he heard the Cao soldiers accompanying him talking:
"Elder Cao is probably finished this time."
"There are truly people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens. This matter should not be said, but... but I truly feel that the woman yesterday was so... indescribable, haunting my dreams. If I could cleanse her of her beauty in this life, even if I... even if I... end up like the old man of the Eight Clans, I would be extremely happy."
"To be honest, I feel the same way. It's no wonder that military officer has achieved so much at such a young age. With such a woman supporting him, he must be quite remarkable."
"Alas, in my opinion, that military officer is exceptionally handsome, and that woman is incomparably beautiful. I'm afraid that the military officer is the woman's lover. I absolutely do not believe that the two of them have no connection."
...
Upon hearing this, Cao Yuan's anger simmered. He had already entered the second realm of martial arts, [Bone Shaping and Turbid Clothes], also known as [Tai Su]. Martial artists who reach this realm possess many mysteries.
Losing all limbs does not necessarily mean becoming useless.
However… a martial artist's abilities and methods vary greatly depending on their own martial arts proficiency, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and unique characteristics. Realm level is inanimate; a person is a living being. Realms are not inherently different, but people are worlds apart.
Cao Yuan was skilled in hand techniques, especially his throwing and striking skills, which he considered among the best in the prefecture. His martial arts relied heavily on his hands and feet. Now, with both hands and feet severed, all his previous strength had been lost.
He possessed martial arts skills but was unable to use them. He was practically useless. Hearing Cao Bing's mockery, which struck a nerve, he felt a surge of anger that he couldn't express.
He banged his head on the ground, making a "thump, thump" sound. Cao Bing heard the noise and immediately rushed into the carriage to check.
"Oh dear, Elder Ba, you're finally awake."
"We've applied some herbal medicine to you and are on our way to the Cao family. Don't worry, once we get back to the Cao family, they'll definitely have a way to cure you."
The soldier from Cao Cao entered the carriage. Seeing Cao Yuan bleeding from his throat, unable to speak, and without limbs, like a cripple, a sense of satisfaction flashed through his mind.
Cao Yuan's eyes were icy cold; he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly. The Cao soldier asked, "Elder Eight, would you like some water?"
Cao Yuan nodded hurriedly. Cao family soldiers took down a water bag, lifted Cao Yuan's head, and fed him water. Cao Yuan drank but didn't swallow, holding the water in his mouth. Suddenly, he vomited…
A drop of water flew out of his mouth and hit Cao's soldier with a loud "boom". The soldier was sent flying backward and crashed to the ground, completely disoriented.
Cao Yuan was furious. He had just used his tongue instead of his hands to unleash a throwing technique. He was filled with rage and had intended to kill with this strike. However, his hand skills were superior to his verbal skills.
They were unable to kill him.
"Eight clan elders".
Upon hearing the commotion, Cao Cao's soldiers stopped their carriages and rushed over to investigate.
Cao Yuan was unable to speak, and wanting to return to his residence, he needed everyone to look after him. So he opened his mouth and spat out again, a stream of water shooting out and piercing through a tree trunk in the distance. Having adapted to the attack, this time the power was significantly increased.
After the intimidation, he glanced at the crowd, turned his head to look into the distance, and signaled to hurry back to the mansion.
The soldiers looked at each other, filled with fear. They lowered their heads and hurried on their way, no longer daring to chat.
That night, Cao Yuan was pondering the future. His limbs were all broken; what should he do? Could he ever avenge this grudge in this lifetime? His thoughts drifted, and suddenly his brow furrowed as he felt an intense itch all over his body.
He rammed his head against the carriage wall, and Cao soldiers immediately approached. Cao Yuan gestured with his eyes, but the soldiers were confused. One of them, quick-witted, said, "That's it! That military officer put thorn armor on the Cao clan elder, and now the armor is causing him unbearable itching!"
Cao Yuan nodded, making a strange sound as if to say, "Quickly relieve my itch!" But this itch was no ordinary itch; it was an intense itch that came from deep within, as if thorns were penetrating the flesh and scratching the muscles.
Only the Cao family's secret medicine can provide temporary relief. But no one brought it with them. What should we do?
The group came up with a solution: scratching. They frantically scratched through the thorn armor. Some of Cao Cao's soldiers who had made mistakes and were wearing the thorn armor suffered from the effects of the scratching and could not obtain the secret medicine, so this method provided relief.
However, scratching an itch through a boot is hardly satisfying. Let alone scratching flesh through a nail, which, while having a minor effect, is negligible.
Cao Yuan, the instigator, finally tasted the bitterness of it all. He banged his head wildly, unable to relieve the itch, and burst into laughter and tears. Snot, tears, and saliva mingled together. His hair was disheveled, a far cry from his initial imposing manner.
"Fight, fight..." Cao Yuan mumbled.
A soldier from Cao's army understood and struck Cao Yuan's armor with a palm strike. Cao Yuan felt the pain, but the physical pain outweighed the itching, and it did provide some relief.
Seeing that their efforts were effective, the soldiers of Cao Yuan used all their martial arts skills to strike Cao Yuan's body.
They couldn't stop for a moment. Thus, on the way back to the prefectural city, Cao's soldiers took turns guarding and slapping Cao Yuan. Cao Yuan was delirious; in his dazed state, he was slapped several times, the number of times uncounted.
The journey is long.
Seven days later, they finally returned to the prefectural city and went back to the Cao residence.
The entire Cao family mansion was in an uproar...
Although the Cao family had already taken swift and decisive action to suppress the matter, all the Cao soldiers involved were executed.
But it was still exposed; the words "A grand gift from the Cao family, respectfully presented by Li Xian" on the faces of the eight clan elders were extremely conspicuous. The news spread throughout the prefectural city.
Before Li Xianren even arrived in the prefectural city, his fame had already spread far and wide.
"This small Qingning is so terrifying that even the Eight Elders have met such an end?"
"We have suffered repeated defeats here, so it is not advisable to go there again. Behind that military officer, there is another powerful figure, a local tyrant."
"Going to Qingning again would likely only lead to further losses. If we can find a way to bring him to the prefectural city and deal with them then, we'll have a chance."
"Yes... that Young Heroes' Banquet is coming soon. All the young talents of the city will be there then, and if then..."
Inside the Cao clan's residence, the elders of each clan discussed the matter at length.
...
...
Yihezhuang.
Li Xian's palms faced the sky, his body radiating light, and pure energy swirling around him.
[Eating Essence]
[Proficiency: 21/100]
"Nine transformations from consuming essence... According to some martial artists, Li Xian has already reached the second transformation."
[The Fallen Sun and Bloodstained Sword - Level Two]
[Proficiency: 136/1600 Mastery]
[Description: You have refined your understanding of Yin and Yang, gradually glimpsing their mysteries. You have grasped the essence of "tracing the origins of Yin and Yang."]
(End of this chapter)
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