Chapter 131

Si Ming's body resonated and emitted sounds continuously. After each of the nine variations, he would produce a new bird song, without interruption. Judging from his training, he clearly intended to produce all thirty-six bird songs without missing a single one.

"... Even I can only produce thirty kinds of bird calls. This child's talent is truly astonishing."

Yan Jinghong sighed deeply. His realm and cultivation far surpassed Si Ming's. He could even kill someone with a single finger. However, some things have nothing to do with your strength, only with talent. Moreover, his thirty kinds of bird songs were developed one by one through years of practice, rather than all of them appearing at once. Si Ming's situation was unheard of. Even the founder of "Hundred Birds Frolics" probably couldn't do such a thing.

"This is bad, he's about to finish his fourth repetition!"

The highest level of "Hundred Birds Frolics" is Hundred Birds Fall Silent, their bodies no longer emitting sound, but only vibrating within their bodies. Yan Jinghong reached this level through more than 20 years of diligent practice.

At that moment, he saw that Si Ming was about to start practicing for the fifth time. He thought that based on the talent that this kid had shown, he might make another breakthrough and reach the realm of "Hundred Birds Fall Silent". So, a trace of panic flashed through his heart for no reason. Without thinking, he jumped off the tree and landed directly in the yard next door.

"Little one, do you want to learn martial arts?"

Yan Jinghong landed in the courtyard and asked the question directly, which made Si Ming flustered and look panicked, like a child who had been caught playing a prank.

"Senior, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to peek, I just couldn't resist my curiosity after hearing the sounds..."

Si Ming's reaction was exactly what Yan Jinghong had expected. If he had known there was a Spirit Transformation expert next door, he definitely would have been tempted to take a look too. So he waved his hand and said, "It's alright, it's just a martial art that can be found anywhere. Tell me, do you want to learn any other martial arts?"

Si Ming's face revealed barely suppressed excitement as he cautiously asked, "Senior, are you willing to teach me?"

"That depends on how much you can learn."

Yan Jinghong reached out and grabbed a clothesline pole, the force swirling around it. With her other hand, she gently squeezed one end of the pole into a sharp spike, then flicked it lightly, sending a burst of energy sweeping out and leaving a wing-shaped mark on the ground.

"Watch closely, this is the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix to the Phoenix Spear Technique. This spear technique was created by an ancient fierce general and is suitable for battlefield conquest. Its power is multiplied when combined with a mount. The first move the Phoenix Comes in Splendor, the second move Phoenix Cries on Mount Qi... and the final move Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!"

After demonstrating the marksmanship from beginning to end, Yan Jinghong was about to ask if the other party had seen it clearly when she noticed that Si Ming was practicing with a stick. His moves were flawless, and because he could observe up close, his learning efficiency was much higher than when he was secretly watching from the side. He practiced it exceptionally well on the first try, which was no less than what an ordinary person would achieve after a year of training.

Having anticipated this situation, Yan Jinghong wasn't surprised. After all, in terms of difficulty, "Hundred Birds Frolics" was superior to "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix to the Phoenix Spear." He simply wanted to verify the breadth of Si Ming's learning talent—was it limited to body-refining techniques, or did he have a particular fondness for bird-themed forms and intentions, or perhaps...?

He threw the clothesline pole aside, grabbed some sand and turned it into stone, then used his True Qi to press it into a knife shape.

"Lift, chop, slash, slice, split, snap, hook, hang—this is the world-renowned Five Tigers Severing the Gate Saber Technique. Its swordplay is powerful, vigorous, agile, and fierce. Although it's a basic set of sword techniques, it best showcases the characteristics of the blade. Nine out of ten sword practitioners in the world have practiced this set of techniques. The first move is 'Hungry Tiger Pounces on Prey Pouncing on Its Prey,' the second is 'Like a Tiger Grown Wings A Roar Raises the Wind,' the fourth is 'Snipping and Pouncing at Will,' the fifth is 'Dominating the Mountains'... and the final move is 'Tiger Severs the Heavenly Gate.'"

Yan Jinghong was not a swordsman, but with his level of skill, it was not difficult for him to master a basic sword technique in both form and spirit, as were spear techniques, grappling, and hidden weapons.

"When plans fail, one can learn from the past to understand the future, and from the visible to the hidden. This is the Non-Aggression Sword Technique, the world's foremost Sword Control Technique. All disciples of the Mohist School must learn this Swordsmanship to comprehend the meaning of non-offense."

"The Flying Dragon Soars Through the Clouds, Hiding in the Clouds, Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune, Using Righteousness to Counter Evil—this is a skill created by a chivalrous thief in the past, called the Flying Dragon Cloud-Probing Hand. Only when combined with a chivalrous heart can its full power be unleashed; if used for selfish purposes, all previous efforts will be in vain."

"Great perfection seems flawed, yet its use is inexhaustible. Great fullness seems empty, yet its use is boundless. Great straightness seems crooked, great skill seems clumsy. No one dares to definitively say what the best boxing style in the world is, but if we're talking about the best beginner boxing style, the world unanimously agrees that it's Wild Ball Fist. This style is easy to learn but difficult to master. When beginners first learn it, it's no better than a child's random dancing, but once it's mastered, its power is no less than that of advanced Cultivation Method. Grandmaster once said, 'Nothing in the world is difficult, except Wild Ball Fist.'"

Swordsmanship, spearmanship, knife skills, fist techniques, leg techniques, grappling, hidden weapons... Yan Jinghong tried all kinds of martial arts and finally confirmed that Si Ming's talent was not limited to a certain field. As long as it did not involve internal energy and met the requirements of physical fitness, he could show an unparalleled learning talent. He could learn any martial art and master it after just one lesson.

"Why have I never heard of such a genius before...?"

Yan Jinghong watched Si Ming practicing various martial arts with great enthusiasm in the courtyard and couldn't help but feel puzzled. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her, and she remembered the information she had seen when she was collecting intelligence on the Si Clan.

"The Si Clan reveres women and treats the men in the clan like livestock, strictly forbidding them from practicing martial arts. It seems this news is true... That makes sense. Aristocratic Clan value rules above all else. Once a man in the clan rises to prominence, he will definitely want to break the rules. At that time, internal strife will inevitably occur in the Si Clan. Therefore, the more talented a boy is, the more careful we must be."

As a disciple of the Mohist School, Yan Jinghong scoffed at such Aristocratic Clan rules, but he couldn't help but feel fortunate. Otherwise, how could he have gotten the chance to "pick up the bargain"? With the talent that Si Ming had shown, he would have been sought after even in those martial arts holy lands.

"Such a genius is completely wasted in the Si Clan. If we can bring him back to the motherland, we might have another Grandmaster in the future. But how should we do it? The men in the Si Clan have low status and are not valued. If we forcibly take him away, the Si Clan is unlikely to turn against us for him, but it will easily damage the reputation of the Mohist School..." Yan Jinghong thought about a reasonable way to poach him.

With the strength of the Mohist School, they indeed don't need to care about the Si Clan's attitude. However, a nation has its own dignity. If a nation seizes everything it sees, no one will want to form an alliance with such a nation. It's like a war between two nations. The side that starts the war will always find a righteous reason, no matter how noble the reason may seem. But that's the rule of war, and all players must abide by it, or they will be ostracized by the other players.

"Forget it, let's leave this troublesome matter to the people of Great Yi Institute. While we're at it, let them gather information about this kid as well."

Among the various organizations under the Mohist School, the Mohist Knight Guard is responsible for apprehending criminals with extraordinary martial arts skills and is a violent organization, Great Yi Institute is responsible for collecting intelligence and devising strategies, and is similar to a think tank.

Yan Jinghong had made up her mind and planned to contact Great Yi Institute using Secret Method later. Before leaving, she instructed Si Ming, "Don't tell anyone about the martial arts I taught you, and don't show them to others. If I'm not around, don't practice martial arts secretly, otherwise some people might find out and stop me from teaching you anymore."

Si Ming nodded vigorously and said, "Senior, rest assured, I will never leak this out!"

Yan Jinghong left satisfied. He didn't expect a child to keep a secret forever, but as long as he could get through this period, that would be enough.

He wasn't worried about the fact that he was privately teaching martial arts being discovered, but rather that Si Ming's talent would be found out. If that happened, the Si Clan would definitely take measures, perhaps even imprisoning him, making it a hundred times more difficult for him to poach him from the family.

However, what Yan Jinghong didn't know was that Si Ming was even more worried about "being exposed." Even without his warning, Si Ming would have been extremely cautious and dared not be careless in the slightest.

Once Yan Jinghong's figure disappeared over the wall, Si Ming let out a long sigh of relief, then clenched his fist in delight.

The first step of the "escape" plan has been achieved!

That's right, he deliberately showed off his talent to attract the attention of this Mohist School expert and actively lured him to poach his talent. To do this, he made an excuse early in the morning to send away the maid and old woman, and then staged the scene of "being caught peeping at martial arts practice".

Fortunately, Yan Jinghong was practicing martial arts to strengthen her body; if she had been meditating to cultivate Internal Cultivation, Si Ming would have been at a loss.

"Now that I've successfully piqued his interest, he'll likely investigate me and discover that I have a blocked meridian that prevents me from cultivating Internal Cultivation. While this might diminish my value, it would also explain why the Si Clan hasn't discovered my martial arts talent."

Although the Si Clan strictly forbids the men of their clan from practicing martial Internal Cultivation. A person who only has Internal Cultivation but does not understand martial arts is like a big ox. Even if he has great strength, it does not change the fact that he is a herbivore and is not worth being wary of.

Si Ming was neither allowed to cultivate Internal Cultivation nor practice martial arts, he naturally had no opportunity to showcase his martial arts talent. It was only natural that the Si Clan would not discover it. This was the information Si Ming wanted Yan Jinghong to obtain. It was easier to believe the answer he found himself than to be told by someone else.

Of course, Si Ming's plan was still somewhat dangerous. If this Mohist School expert was not impressed by his talent, or if this Mohist School expert had a deep relationship with the Si Clan, his plan might fail, and it might even expose the secret he had been deliberately hiding. It was easy to imagine that once the old hag found out about his martial arts talent, she would definitely send more people to imprison him, guard him closely, and never let him have another chance to practice martial arts. He would only be able to live as a domestic animal for the rest of his life.

Even if risks exist, what is without risk?

Si Ming didn't consider himself a genius, and this was the best plan he could come up with. He had no strength, no intelligence, no allies, and all he could do was gamble. Since he had already taken the first step, even if there were mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, he could only grit his teeth and forge ahead.

"The first step is to pique their interest, the second is to deepen the communication, and the third is to casually reveal my desire to explore the world and see the outside world. As long as the other party has even the slightest thought of poaching me, they will inevitably take this opportunity to persuade me to leave with them. The whole plan will take three to five days, which should be enough considering the preliminary preparations for searching for the fugitive."

Si Ming reviewed the escape plan from beginning to end, and only after confirming that there were no obvious flaws did he come to his senses. Looking around, he found the courtyard in a mess and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"It has to be tidied up before Fang Qin returns, otherwise the traces will be too obvious. A dignified Nascent Spirit Transformation expert didn't even remind her. It seems that being good at martial arts doesn't necessarily mean being quick-witted."