The Nine Realms

Chen Ping'an looked skeptical, and Ning Yao glared at him, pointing at the string of text. "It literally says 'Scram'! This fist technique was inspired by watching the rain in Great Li. Its momentum is like a rolling downpour, its fist aura like splashing ink in a heavy rain, falling to the mortal world, then rolling away to the Dragon Wall of the Great Li Imperial Palace, pouring straight down!"

Chen Ping'an focused on the few strokes of fist technique diagrams, drawn in one go. They were arranged like a military formation, squeezed onto a single page. Thus, the drawings of the small figures punching were not large. Coupled with the fact that the charcoal drawing was not very refined, it was fortunate that Chen Ping'an had good eyesight. Even in the dim light, he could see every detail clearly. After hearing Ning Yao's somewhat incomprehensible words, the young man murmured, "It sounds like this fist technique is very powerful."

Ning Yao leaned her head slightly, looking at the illustrated manual, and nodded. "There's a fist technique that's been passed down in the martial arts world for thousands of years without being lost. It bears some resemblance to this fist manual."

Chen Ping'an turned his head and asked curiously, "How so?"

In the dim lamplight, the young woman's long eyebrows curved slightly, like a spring breeze bending a cluster of peach branches.

She suppressed a smile and said, "There's a set of boxing techniques in the martial arts world that's suitable for all ages, called 'Turtle Fist.' Just flail around wildly, and you're guaranteed to defeat an old master with random punches."

The young man said helplessly, "How can you say that?"

Chen Ping'an imagined it in his mind. Wasn't this Gu Can's specialty and his renowned ultimate skill? In his memory, Gu Can's mother had a rather unpleasant dispute many years ago, in front of a cosmetics shop in Apricot Blossom Alley. Gu Can was just learning to walk back then. Gu Can's father, being an outsider and often away from home, had long been forgotten by the neighbors in Mud Bottle Alley. At that time, the women began to worry. They worried that when their husbands passed by the widow Gu's house, they would involuntarily slow down. Just the women's clothes hanging on the bamboo pole were enough to easily capture the men's souls. Later, Granny Ma gathered five or six women and went together to block the entrance to Madam Gu's courtyard. Madam Gu suffered quite a bit in that confrontation, but Granny Ma and the others didn't gain much either. It was a mutual defeat. However, as it went on, Madam Gu was ultimately outnumbered and weak. Two fists are no match for four hands. Even her clothes were torn. Her clothes were already thin, and at that moment, she couldn't help but expose herself, which drove the women, who felt inferior, into a frenzy. They scratched and bit, sparing no effort. The men around the alley couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

Fortunately, Chen Ping'an happened to return to the small town from the Dragon Kiln at that time. Madam Gu had taken care of him for many years, so he stepped forward to help Gu Can's mother block many insidious moves. Throughout the entire ordeal, the straw-sandaled youth didn't dare to fight back. Chen Ping'an wasn't afraid of causing trouble; he was afraid of killing someone with a single punch.

At that time, the young man, under Old Man Yao's shouts and curses, had already traveled countless mountains and rivers. At only twelve or thirteen years old, he had traveled more than many elders in the small town had in their lifetimes.

Back then, the young man and the woman sat at the courtyard entrance. Gu Can was kept inside the door, presumably because she didn't want her child to see his mother's disheveled state.

The young man turned his head and pointed to the corner of her mouth.

The woman casually pursed her lips, then gave a thumbs-up and rubbed the blood from the corner of her mouth vigorously.

The child cried heartbrokenly in the courtyard, calling for his mother again and again.

The woman first smiled at the straw-sandaled youth, then, with a whoosh, tears rolled down her eyes.

The next day, the straw-sandaled youth found himself with an unwilling tagalong.

Ning Yao's question interrupted Chen Ping'an's wistful thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"

Chen Ping'an asked, "You said that after Gu Can and his mother left the small town and followed the River-Cutting True Lord to Book Scroll Lake, could they really live a good life?"

Ning Yao retorted, "Do you think they weren't living well in Mud Bottle Alley?"

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "That kid Gu Can isn't very sensible, and he's young, so he definitely doesn't feel like life is hard. But Gu Can's mother... probably doesn't think the small town is a good place, especially the women from Mud Bottle Alley and Apricot Blossom Alley. She doesn't like any of them. And I think Gu Can's mother just isn't meant to be in this small town. She always feels very unwilling. If you go by Old Man Yao's words, it's restlessness. A man's restlessness is called having ambitions for the distance. A woman's restlessness means she'll stray. I don't think that saying is quite right..."

Ning Yao suddenly sat up straight and slammed the table. "What are you rambling about? Do you still want to learn the fist manual?!"

Chen Ping'an was startled. "Miss Ning, please continue."

Ning Yao said irritably, "There's no point in talking to you about cultivation, because you're destined not to be able to cultivate. So I can only talk to you about martial arts, about the martial path."

Just as Chen Ping'an was about to say something, the young woman continued on her own. "All martial arts in the world are divided into nine realms. Of course, some people say there's a tenth realm above the nine realms, just like how various dynasties keep a group of Imperial Chess Players..."

Speaking of this, the young woman's mood improved considerably. She asked with a smile, "Chen Ping'an, do you know what an Imperial Chess Player is?"

Chen Ping'an, of course, shook his head honestly.

The young woman's face was radiant. "Masters of Go, the ninth dan is the highest rank, equivalent to a first-rank official in the bureaucracy. But some geniuses who appear once in a century are hailed as 'National Masters of the Tenth Dan.' Then these people will have various fancy, unique titles. Your Great Li Dynasty's Imperial Chess Players are particularly disgraceful. It's said that your ninth dan is only equivalent to a seventh dan in the Sui Dynasty. In the entire Great Li, there's only one person nicknamed 'Embroidered Tiger' who is truly considered an opponent by the chess world of the Sui Dynasty. Oh, right, do you know what Go is?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "I know, and I understand some of the rules, but I can't play myself. Song Jixin and Zhi Gui have chessboards and pieces at home."

The young woman looked very disappointed. "Is that so."

After the young woman had gone on for a long time, the young man still didn't understand what the "nine realms" actually were.

The young woman seemed to realize she was being a bit unreliable. She coughed and said solemnly, "My mother said that the nine realms of the martial path are like steps, one after another. But even when you reach the ninth realm, the final scene is like being on one mountain, looking up at another mountain in the distance, but only seeing halfway up."

Chen Ping'an pondered, "I understand."

Because the young man had personally witnessed this scene.

The young woman didn't care if the young man truly understood. She said, "The nine realms of the martial path are divided into Body Refinement, Qi Refinement, and Spirit Refinement, each with three levels. Ascending step by step, not a single step can be missed, nor can a mistake be made. The more solid your steps, the better. How fast you walk is not as important. This is quite different from cultivation."

"The three realms of Body Refinement. The first level is the Mud Embryo Realm. As the name suggests, it's as rough as Mud Bottle Alley where your house is located. However, when one reaches the peak of perfection, their body is like a Mud Bodhisattva. Although it's made of mud, it possesses a certain extraordinary aura. Qi sinks into the dantian, and one is as unmoving as a mountain. This is considered a true entry into the martial path. In short, the essence of this level lies in the words 'scatter' and 'sink.' The high or low talent of a martial artist, their comprehension, and their guiding master can be seen at a glance."

"The second level is the Wood Embryo Realm, implying that your physique begins to transition from rough to fine. Upon reaching great accomplishment, the skin's texture becomes intricate and orderly, as if inscribed with talismans all over. It's like... yes, like this Snake Gallstone I found in the stream. It's fundamentally different from an ordinary pebble on the inside. The deeper meaning of this realm is 'mountain opening,' widening the meridians. It transforms a narrow, sheep-path-like meridian into a grand avenue wide enough for a carriage to pass. The good or bad root bone of a martial artist will be clearly distinguished in this realm."

While saying these words, the black-clothed girl held up the stone the young man had given her.

She gazed at the beautiful stone illuminated by the lamplight and said softly, "The last realm of Body Refinement is called the Quicksilver Mirror Realm. The blood becomes as thick as quicksilver, yet its weight is lighter. Blood Essence condenses into one. To break through the threshold, one needs to overcome a tribulation called 'Mud Bodhisattva Crossing the River.' Whether one can successfully cross the final threshold, like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, depends on the martial artist's luck."

Chen Ping'an listened, somewhat confused and dazed, staring at the oil lamp. The flickering flame swayed, and his mind swayed with it.

The girl yawned, rested her head on the table, and said lazily, "That's about it for now. The three realms of Body Refinement have already stopped eighty percent of the ranked martial artists, making it difficult to advance further. You know the saying that the poor study literature and the rich study martial arts; this is true everywhere except my hometown. Given your background and your comprehension, I estimate that reaching the second realm in this lifetime would be a stroke of great luck."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Then how do I practice this fist manual?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "We'll talk about it tomorrow. I'm a bit sleepy."

Chen Ping'an grunted. "Then I'll go pick up stones with my basket. I'll come find Miss Ning again tomorrow."

The girl said, "If you don't mind, leave the fist manual with me. I'll see if there are any flaws or if it's some kind of trap."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Okay, but Miss Ning, please be careful. I still need to return this Mountain Shaking Manual to Gu Can intact later."

The girl turned and frowned. "How many times do you need me to say it before you're satisfied?!"

The young man smiled and went to the corner to pick up his basket. As he left the room, he couldn't forget to remind her, "Miss Ning, don't forget to lock the courtyard gate."

The girl rested her head on the table, without turning around, and waved her hand weakly. "I know, I know. Why are you more talkative than my father?"

The young man, light as a swallow, disappeared into the alley.

Once Chen Ping'an was estimated to have left Mud Bottle Alley, the girl immediately sat up straight and stared fiercely at the Mountain Shaking Manual with eyes as if it were a mortal enemy. Then, her whole body slumped, and she rested her head on the table again, with a troubled expression. She muttered to herself, "How am I supposed to teach this? I was born with the world's foremost Sword Immortal physique. Why would I need to go through these foot-of-the-mountain journeys? I can't even remember the names of all three hundred and sixty-five acupoints. I've known how to circulate my Qi naturally since I was in the womb..."

The young woman scratched her head with both hands, grief-stricken.

Suddenly, a timid voice sounded from outside the door, "Miss Ning?"

Ning Yao's body stiffened as she slowly turned around, seeing an extremely punchable dark face.

She put on a stern face and said nothing.

The young man swallowed, "I was afraid you'd forgotten to lock the door, so I came to remind you. Also, if Miss Ning gets hungry at night, I can go to Liu Xianyang's house first to make some supper and bring it to you, then go to the stream afterwards."

The young woman waved her hand.

The young man immediately ran off.

All the way, Chen Ping'an's mind was filled with the illustration of the first stance of the fist manual.

The fist moves with the body, the feet never leave the ground, like wading through mud, as if walking slowly through knee-deep snow.

The young man didn't even realize it himself, but as he tried to practice the stance according to the manual, his breathing rhythm, speed, and length unconsciously changed.

The young man even had a wild idea: wouldn't it be better to practice boxing in the stream?

In front of Qi Jingchun were two seals, carved from the finest Snake Gallstones. Neither was large, and neither had any seal script carved on them yet.

During the day, the young scholar with a gentle and jade-like demeanor had visited the schoolhouse. Afterwards, they had a private conversation, and the Confucian gentleman who had traveled from afar asked him a question: "Sir, do you wish to carry on someone's dying wish and continue to bring peace to all generations?"

Qi Jingchun had replied at the time, "Allow me to consider it."

This was clearly not a satisfactory answer, but the young gentleman, renowned across half the continent, did not press the issue. He chatted with the long-admired Mr. Qi about the local customs of the small town and the changing tides outside it, and then took his leave.

From beginning to end, the young gentleman did not ask about the disposition of the jade token.

However, Qi Jingchun knew very well that this gentleman from the Confucian Academy on East Treasure Bottle Continent could afford to wait. The golden boy and jade girl from the Taoist sect, the scripture protectors from the various Buddhist temples, the ascetic monk famous overseas, and the representative figure of the School of Military – these three forces were unlikely to show any regard for the Cliff Academy's reputation. They certainly wouldn't heed his wishes, and would undoubtedly retrieve the Suppression Charms belonging to their respective factions without hesitation.

But these were all expected matters.

Qi Jingchun sat up straight, holding a carving knife, and for the first time, felt a bit of difficulty. He didn't know how to carve the seal script. "To kill oneself and achieve benevolence, to give up one's life for righteousness. For this child, it seems a bit too grand, inappropriate, and inauspicious. 'Calm heart, content spirit,' is that too vague? But if they were just three hastily carved seals, wouldn't it seem insincere?"

Qi Jingchun turned his head to look at the night sky outside the window. The night was dotted with stars, like luminous pearls hanging on a black curtain.

Qi Jingchun stared blankly for a long time before coming to his senses. He picked up a seal and began to carve.

He finally carved the four ancient seal characters "Calm Heart, Content Spirit," with the first character "Calm" appearing particularly full of spirit and encompassing everything.

Qi Jingchun gently put down the seal, with the bottom facing upwards.

Qi Jingchun felt a sense of relief.

The Confucian scholar, whose temples were streaked with white, had a slight thought and casually waved his sleeve. On the tabletop, "Prosperity and Progress" quickly appeared, with mountains and rivers unfolding in sequence.

Finally, Qi Jingchun focused his gaze and saw the young man and young woman sitting side-by-side in the dilapidated ancestral home in the poor alley of the small town, discussing the general overview of the Nine Realms of Martial Arts.

Above the Nine Realms of Martial Arts, there was a tenth realm.

Qi Jingchun had read countless books and was no stranger to the world of martial arts.

A hint of a smile appeared on Qi Jingchun's almost rigid face.

And so, this Confucian Sage, who held sway over a region, played a harmless joke.

He carved three characters on the second personal seal.

Chen Shiyi.