Chapter 74: The Circulation of Qi in the Heavenly Cycle, Weaving People into Sails (Please continue reading)
“Zheng Xuezhang is a remarkable figure, a martial artist who has undergone a complete transformation.”
Pang Long glanced into the distance and slowly said, "Speaking of which, there are some grudges between them and our village."
"You've been a bodyguard for some time now. If you've been observant, you should know that the lady owns many businesses, including agriculture and sericulture."
“Agriculture and sericulture are inseparable from water sources. Madam has a piece of land whose upstream water source was once cut off by Zheng Xuezhang, causing the land to be abandoned for a while.”
"Oh?" Li Xian asked, "If that's the case, why doesn't Madam take action to capture him?"
He was quick-witted. Although he didn't know what kind of power the "Blackwater Gang" was, he knew that his wife was no ordinary person and that dealing with Zheng Xuezhang of the Blackwater Gang should be a piece of cake.
"Who is this lady? How could she be involved in such a dispute?" Pang Long said arrogantly.
In fact, he had similar questions.
After walking for a while, the two had left the mountains and entered Huangyu County. They found a restaurant and ordered two meals.
When it was time for the meal, Pang Long said uncertainly, "Madam rarely interacts with the surrounding forces. I personally guess... there are two reasons."
"Commander Pang, please speak."
Li Xian took the hot tea, filled Pang Long's cup, and presented it with both hands. Pang Long accepted it, sipped the tea to moisten his mouth, savored its delicate fragrance, and said:
"Firstly, they disdain it. Although these gangs are local tyrants, who is Madam? Naturally, they wouldn't bother with her."
"Besides, the lady rarely goes out, so it would be too much of an honor for him to go out specifically for them."
"Secondly... Madam has seen the world, and such things are as light as a feather to her."
"Thirdly... it might be related to the grudges between the ladies in the martial arts world."
Pang Long finished his cup of tea and stopped his wild speculations.
No one can fathom the lady's thoughts.
"This meal is on me."
"It's been so long since I've had braised fish, braised pork belly, and mutton with wine and vinegar. Haha, you're in for a treat."
Pang Long ordered a table full of dishes. This time, he was no longer seen gulping down the soup. Instead, he picked up a piece of tender fish and savored it.
Experience its fresh and delicious flavor.
Li Xian gazed into the distance, worried about her younger brother. But then she suddenly thought, her brother is very clever; he has already picked flowers and has enough money for his journey.
With his intelligence and resourcefulness, it wouldn't be difficult for him to arrive in the prefectural city and successfully enroll in school.
Li Xian drank tea instead of wine, and in one gulp, all his worries vanished, replaced by a sense of carefree joy.
My brother has found a way out.
As the older brother, I also have to find a way to make something of myself!
"It tastes good!"
Li Xian ate heartily, devouring large chunks of meat. Amidst the aroma of cooking, his strength gradually returned.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content.
They headed back to the village.
...
...
[Four Directions Fist]
[Proficiency: 256/10000 Perfect]
Li Xian hadn't deliberately practiced the Four Directions Fist during this period. But after sparring with someone last night, his proficiency in the fist technique had clearly improved, which was a pleasant surprise.
[Qingfeng Leg]
[Proficiency: 319/5000 (Mastery)]
[Azure Palm]
[Proficiency: 169/2000 Mastery]
His martial arts skills have both improved somewhat.
"Commander Pang has mastered two major arts, three minor arts, and five arts, and after ten years of hard work, he has finally managed to circulate his Qi throughout the body."
"I have now mastered one skill, achieved great success in another, and become proficient in yet another, and I am very close to achieving it."
The key to martial arts lies not in quantity but in quality.
While prioritizing quality, more is always better.
Li Xian sat cross-legged in the snow. He once again tested the circulation of Qi, condensing it into a thread that flowed around all the acupoints, breaking through the three hundred major barriers, and approaching the three hundred and fifty…
"Just follow the steps, and you'll be able to complete the Qi circulation in about ten days!"
Li Xian calmed his mind and remained composed, neither anxious nor impatient.
Take it one step at a time, making sure to proceed carefully.
He practiced palm and leg exercises without ceasing, causing the lake to ripple slightly, then to undulate continuously, and finally the lake waves surged.
With each practice session, a trace of internal energy quietly increases.
Qi comes from martial arts, and principles are understood through boxing.
This day.
Suddenly sensing something, he unleashed the seventh move of the "Azure Palm": Azure Waves Slapping Sand. This palm technique emphasizes powerful and surging energy, aiming to defeat the enemy with a single strike. Therefore, it consumes a great deal of internal energy. With each strike, his internal energy surged out of his body, like waves rolling up a cloud of snow.
[Proficiency +2]
He shuddered, and his inner energy condensed even further.
Li Xian chewed on dried meat to replenish his strength. After resting, his internal energy was full, so he immediately sat cross-legged, and his energy threads traveled around all the acupoints, passing through 361 major acupoints.
Finally, perseverance paid off, and the "Qi circulation" was completed.
The moment the Qi threads connected end to end, Li Xian opened his eyes, unable to describe his feelings.
I felt my senses were heightened, and I could vaguely perceive the subtle nuances of my body. A feeling arose within me:
"ah…"
"So this is my body."
A wonderful feeling.
"With mortal bodies, no matter how hard one trains, there will inevitably be deviations in the movements."
"The most noticeable feeling after circulating Qi throughout the body is that I have stronger control over my body. And with Qi enveloping my whole body, I feel lighter and more agile."
The clay figures in the mortal world are rough, unrefined objects that leak air and water, unable to hold the essence of heaven and earth or retain vital energy.
Therefore, it leaks away constantly.
The circulation of Qi throughout the body initially locks in the flow of Qi and blood.
Only at this moment can one truly take the first step into the path of martial arts.
Li Xian suddenly heard birds chirping softly from the treetops. He leaped up, much higher than usual, about ten feet off the ground, and with lightning speed, grabbed them.
The bird was already in my hand.
"Haha, good bird, go on."
Li Xian gently stroked the bird's head and waved it away. He still wanted to find something to test his martial arts skills.
He grabbed a handful of snow from the ground, circulated his qi, and pinched it into ice crystals. He then tossed the snow into the sky, where it flew more than ten feet away.
The improvements across all aspects were quite even.
"Among the many guards, those who can circulate their Qi throughout their body are probably very few, right?"
So far, among the guards, only Hua Hanying has clearly achieved "Qi circulation throughout the body".
"Not enough, not enough!"
Li Xian clenched his fist.
The next step is to "fix the blood and close the orifice"!
...
...
The truth could not be hidden forever; on the third day after Zheng Caiqi's death, it finally reached Zheng Xuezhang's ears.
"My son!"
Zheng Xuezhang was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. He ordered the arrest of Yang Cheng, who was originally one of the thirteen flag bearers of the Blackwater Gang, and the investigation to find out what had happened.
The Blackwater Gang is called the "Blackwater Gang".
It's because there's a blackwater river near the gang.
This river flows through several places and irrigates many areas. The Blackwater Gang acts tyrannically and has taken over the river for themselves.
Mountain Wind Village was also affected, and they had a lot of opinions about the Blackwater Gang, and could even be said to have a long-standing grudge. There were many conflicts and frictions between them because of the water source.
Yang Cheng thought to himself, all the power, reputation, and status he had accumulated over half his life were here. If he fled to a distant place, he would have to start all over again, and if he delayed, he might as well have reached the end of his martial arts career.
Weighing the pros and cons, it's better to go to Shanfeng Village instead.
But little did he know that his luck was against him. Under normal circumstances, the chieftain, Ma Daozi, would have been happy to oblige. But now was a very important time for the village, and he was unwilling to clash with the Blackwater Gang.
So they outwardly agreed, but in reality, they tied him up on the spot that very day.
Used as leverage in negotiations with the Blackwater Gang.
It is said that Yang Cheng was too clever for his own good. If he had fled elsewhere, he might not have been caught in the vast sea of people.
He was just being petty and cunning, and he was still greedy for his position. It was too late for him to regret it.
After several days of negotiations, Yang Cheng was bound hand and foot and sent back to the Blackwater Gang.
His knees were shattered, and he knelt before the Blackwater Gang.
Gang leader Zheng Xuezhang, with his broadsword and stubble-covered face, coldly stared at Yang Cheng, "Yang Flag Bearer, I have treated you well, why did you kill my son!"
"Master, I didn't kill Seventh Young Master, but... but a young man!" Yang Cheng was terrified, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Who!" Zheng Xuezhang exclaimed.
"I...I don't know either...Ah! I know, it's...it's Li Xiaofan's brother."
Yang Cheng's mind raced, desperately wanting to reveal the murderer to appease the gang leader's anger. He didn't know who Li Xian was, but he knew Li Xiaofan, the flower-picking scholar, and the boy who saved Li Xiaofan was a few years older than him.
Therefore, he made up a bunch of nonsense, claiming that it was his brother.
Little did they know that this was exactly what they had said.
"Who is Li Xiaofan?" Zheng Xuezhang asked.
“Yes…yes, it’s a student from Qingning County who picks flowers,” Yang Cheng said.
"A student who picks flowers?" Zheng Xuezhang was surprised, then sneered, "Don't even mention picking flowers. Before you obtain the profound fortune, if you offend me, you'll still regret it!"
"Go and find out if Li Xiaofan has an older brother."
"As for you... Yang Cheng, you failed to protect your master and even dared to try to join the Mountain Wind Stronghold. According to the gang rules, your hands and feet should be cut off and hung on the sails of the ships as a warning."
Yang Cheng turned pale with fright and kowtowed, saying, "Master, spare my life! Master, spare my life!"
"Spare me?" Zheng Xuezhang said, "Hehe." As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly drew his sword and slashed several times, cutting off Yang Cheng's hands and feet.
The speed of the knife work...
Yang Cheng's limbs were all severed, yet he still felt no pain. After three breaths, he finally let out a violent scream.
Three more breaths passed, and the force of the knife wound dissipated, allowing blood to begin gushing out.
Several people came out of the hall, took some kind of iron skewer, stuck it into Yang Cheng's bones, lifted him up, and carried him out.
All that could be seen was the Blackwater River.
On the Blackwater Gang's large ship, hanging from the sails were figures of people without hands or feet.
They were woven into human "sails," wailing in agony—a horrifying sight.
(End of this chapter)
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