Transmitting the Dao

"Why open acupoints? It is to nourish True Qi."

"What are the wonders of True Qi? And how should it correspond with saber techniques, sword techniques, and fist and palm techniques?"

"Eight words: Qi and Strength Unite, Intent and Qi Unite."

"The former means that True Qi can quickly and accurately reach a certain acupoint, and when combined with moves, the power is even greater. The Gale Wind Saber Technique requires the arms and waist to exert force, the lower body must be stable yet agile, which requires True Qi as assistance."

"The latter means that when the heart is moved, True Qi and strength can immediately complement each other. The two must be subtle, so that they can be both rigid and soft, lift heavy things as if they were light, and be perfectly integrated."

"The reason you were able to defeat those two stupid sheep is that you roughly knew this principle in your heart, but you knew the 'what' but not the 'why', and in the end, you won by strategy."

"Therefore, among us Martial Warriors, even at the same rank and grade, the difference can be huge. This lies in the principle of Qi and Strength Unite, Intent and Qi Unite, which some people can never grasp or understand in their entire lives. This is Daoism, saber technique is technique, one is an internal change, the other is an external manifestation. If there is only technique, it is just a fancy display. Only by using Daoism to control technique, combining the two, and complementing Daoism and technique, can the power be doubled!"

Nie Yannian talked while drinking, and Meng Yuan felt as if listening to his words was better than studying for ten years.

"I said before that people who haven't entered the ranks can also use the Gale Wind Saber Technique, but it's one change for a Ninth Rank Martial Warrior, and another change for an Eighth Rank. This is because between the middle and lower thirty-three heavens, the movement of True Qi is combined with the method of wielding the saber, making the strikes faster and more powerful." Nie Yannian smiled and clapped his hands. The young waiter removed the hot dishes and served fruits and candied preserves.

Meng Yuan was completely engrossed in listening and didn't care about the food bill. He asked for advice on the secrets of True Qi movement for a Ninth Rank Martial Warrior using the Gale Wind Saber Technique.

Nie Yannian didn't hide anything and immediately explained the method.

After an hour, the two had almost finished four jars of wine. Only then did Nie Yannian finish talking. Even though Meng Yuan was dizzy and his eyes were blurry, he forced himself to remember everything, feeling a sense of sudden enlightenment.

If he could practice the Daoism and technique of the Gale Wind Saber Technique proficiently, and then face Black Mian and White Mian's chaotic staff techniques, he would surely win easily.

However, Meng Yuan found that drinking could also nourish Essence Flame, but it was not as effective as meat.

"Your bowl of water is still shallow, kid!" Nie Yannian burped, got up, and walked out. "I'm going to pee first, you think about it carefully!"

"Master Nie, I'll help you!" Meng Yuan respected the old and loved the young, and immediately helped him, thinking to himself, I'm going to watch you run away this time.

"I'm not old yet!" Nie Yannian pushed Meng Yuan away and left quickly.

Seeing this, Meng Yuan didn't insist on seeing him off. He had no appetite for the table full of food and no interest in the fine wine. He just tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, pondering Master Nie's words.

After a long time, he had thought about it enough and memorized everything. Just as he was thinking of asking for another fierce saber technique, he saw that Master Nie hadn't returned.

"Did he run away or fall into the toilet?"

Meng Yuan went out to look and found out after asking that Master Nie had already left!

With the previous lesson learned, Meng Yuan remained calm.

Money didn't matter! Since he had learned something real, spending some money was fine! The minimum was three hundred taels, could he spend it all?

Money was just external!

"Sister Qingqing." Downstairs, Meng Yuan smiled and bowed to the beautiful proprietress.

"How do you know my name?" the beautiful woman asked with a smile.

How could I not know! You and your father are working together to cheat me out of my money, do I have no memory?

"Master Nie told me." Meng Yuan had actually heard it from Zhang Guinian.

"So that's how it is." Nie Qingqing was of medium height, with a face like a peach blossom and a charming demeanor, completely unlike Nie Yannian.

She was slightly plump, and her loose robe couldn't hide her curves. Meng Yuan felt he could wash his face by putting it in.

The moonlight was thin at night, and she looked even more charming under the bright candlelight.

Meng Yuan's mind was only on the saber technique incantations, and he paid no attention to her beauty. He just said, "Sister Qingqing, I'm here to settle the bill."

Nie Qingqing clasped her hands and smiled, "Four jars of Dream Lake Spring, several dishes, dried fruits, and candied preserves, totaling three hundred and twenty taels."

This is unreasonable. I only have three hundred and thirty taels on me. Isn't this price too high?

Sister Xiang Ling and her mother only collected a month's worth of eggs in advance, and they didn't dare to say that Great Tail Venerable owed them money, but you, the wine-touting father and daughter, want to squeeze me dry?

"Sister Qingqing, this time it should be three hundred taels." Meng Yuan's budget was at most three hundred taels.

Nie Qingqing smiled sweetly and said, "This time it's really three hundred and twenty taels."

"This time it can be three hundred taels," Meng Yuan said.

"This time it's really three hundred and twenty taels."

She clasped her hands in her sleeves and said with a smile, "A pot of Dream Lake Spring is ten taels, a jar is seven pots, totaling seventy taels. You ordered four jars in total, which is two hundred and eighty taels. There are also dishes, fruits, and the singer."

So I really overspent this time? Is the wine that expensive? You really don't cheat the poor!

"I'll owe twenty taels first." Meng Yuan didn't bargain and immediately took out the three hundred taels silver note and handed it over all at once, without feeling any heartache.

He had obtained these three hundred taels thanks to Master Nie's help, so giving it all was fine.

Moreover, he had truly seen the world and learned something on this trip.

In Meng Yuan's opinion, the value of the Gale Wind Saber Technique and the method of complementing it with True Qi alone was more than three hundred taels.

And he had also obtained the eight-character true words of Qi and Strength Unite, Intent and Qi Unite, which would benefit him for a lifetime.

Money was important, but at the moment, it wasn't that important.

He still had thirty taels of cash in hand, which was his advance monthly salary, and he still owed Master Nie ten taels and Nie Qingqing twenty taels, but Meng Yuan was no longer as flustered as before. Instead, he felt very at ease.

"Young Master Meng is joking, three hundred taels is three hundred taels, let's forget about the other twenty taels." Nie Qingqing accepted the silver note and rounded down the amount. Seeing that Meng Yuan was no longer as pained as last time, she said, "Young Master Meng is as bright as the moon and wind, extraordinarily generous. You should come often in the future."

"I can't come," Meng Yuan spread his hands. "I have no money."

Nie Qingqing saw that the young man's face was clearly red from drinking, yet he was sincere and helpless, looking like someone who had been swindled out of all their family wealth by unscrupulous con artists. She couldn't help but laugh. She held her forehead, waved her hand, and pointed with a smile, "Ask my father for it. The fact that he brought you here shows he's willing to lend you money."

Meng Yuan thought the same. He had learned the True Qi circulation method of the Gale Wind Saber Technique and had handed over the money, but that didn't stop him from borrowing it back.

Being a little thick-skinned always had its benefits.

"If I can't get it, can I come here to eat with you, Sister?" Meng Yuan asked sincerely.

Nie Qingqing smiled, her face radiant, "Of course you can."

Not daring to tease any further, Meng Yuan returned to the training field. The students were still practicing at night.

Meng Yuan didn't disturb them. He first washed his face with cold water, then washed his inner clothes, and finally took out his saber to practice the Gale Wind Saber Technique.

It was the same saber technique, but after experiencing a real battle and receiving guidance from Nie Yannian, Meng Yuan had gained different insights.

Following Master Nie's advice, when using the Gale Wind Saber Technique, supplementing it with the method of True Qi circulation could achieve twice the result with half the effort.

However, circulating True Qi required the cooperation of the acupoints in the limbs and the body. Since Meng Yuan had not yet opened the acupoints in his limbs, he still couldn't fully grasp the true power of the Gale Wind Saber Technique.

After practicing the saber technique twice, the young men also finished their training. Meng Yuan called Tie Niu over, and Wu Changsheng and Hu Qian also came forward.

Nie Yannian had ordered Meng Yuan to manage the young men, and since Meng Yuan didn't want to bother with too much, he let Wu Changsheng and Hu Qian manage the male and female students respectively.

Having left the training field early yesterday morning and only returning today, Meng Yuan briefly asked Wu Changsheng and Hu Qian. Knowing that everything was fine at the training field, he felt relieved.

"Tomorrow I need to go to Pasture Manor to pick up my family. From now on, I'm afraid I'll be quite distracted. I'll have to trouble Brother Wu and Sister Qian with the matters at the training field." Meng Yuan smiled very sincerely and said, "After I pick them up tomorrow, let's have dinner together in the evening."

Tie Niu was simple and honest and didn't realize that Meng Yuan had achieved merit. Hu Qian and Wu Changsheng, however, were sharp. The two immediately guessed that Meng Yuan had gained something, and the smell of alcohol on him probably meant he had attended a celebration banquet.

Without saying much more, after a few words, they dispersed.

Meng Yuan returned to his solitary room. He first sat in meditation for a while to clear the alcohol, then emptied his mind and contemplated the flowing water of a great river.

With a thought, the True Qi in his Dantian surged, filling all the opened acupoints, and then slowly gathered towards his right arm.

By midnight, after multiple attempts, the loosened acupoint finally opened.

From then on, the first acupoint in his limbs was opened. In the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens, only fifteen acupoints remained unopened.

Meng Yuan slightly tested his strength, regulated his breathing, and then fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke up the next morning, after practicing his morning exercises, Meng Yuan didn't eat in the cafeteria. Instead, he indulged in a bit of luxury and ate a bowl of hot tofu outside, plus seven large steamed buns.

However, as soon as he ate the hot tofu, Meng Yuan remembered the woman named Sister Hua from the hidden door he had met when he first arrived in Songhe Prefecture.

The gift of a night and the kindness of a bing (a type of flatbread), Meng Yuan still remembered them.

Of course, perhaps she had long forgotten the young man in the snow, but he couldn't forget. This was the principle of being a person.

"After I finish this busy period, I'll borrow some more money from Master Nie and at least repay the kindness." Meng Yuan made up his mind.