A Thousand Gold Buys Horse Bones, Teaching the Internal Cultivation Method

"Kid, well fought!"

Li Cunxiao was startled by the deep voice that reached his ears.

Although he had heard from the elders at the Escort Agency that the Chief Escort was protective of his own, he hadn't expected him to be so direct.

He had just pretended to reprimand him, and now he was praising his fighting skills. Was this a bit...

However, when Li Cunxiao looked up, he was surprised to find that everyone else seemed not to have heard what Zhang Lishi had said. They were all just bowing, looking at Zhang Lishi and a dark-faced man in front of him.

Could it be that only I heard that? Was it a secret transmission of sound?

At this moment, the county magistrate Murong Bai had also arrived. He stood with the dark-faced man and Zhang Lishi, and the atmosphere was tense. Li Cunxiao finally had a chance to observe his own Chief Escort.

Zhang Lishi was seven feet tall, with a swallow-like jaw and tiger whiskers. He was powerfully built, exuding an aura of masculine vigor, like a tiger lying in wait in a snowy forest.

He wore a Five-Ridge Small Golden Crown, and his red round-collared robe was embroidered with fierce tigers in gold thread. It was magnificent and exuded nobility. At first glance, he didn't look like an escort who endured the elements, but rather a powerful general.

"County Governor, this scoundrel openly committed violence at the yamen, attacked officers, and showed utter disregard for the law. He must be apprehended and thrown into prison for a thorough investigation."

The dark-faced man was the County Lieutenant Xie Donglai. He had already examined his nephew's injuries, and the anger in his eyes blazed like a raging fire.

Chuqiu County was a small county, lacking any spiritual medicine for mending broken bones.

Fists relied on legs for power; with his legs broken, his nephew's martial arts were finished.

And that thing in his crotch had already turned into a pulp!

With a man's third leg broken, the Zhao family's lineage was also severed.

Xie Donglai didn't know how he would face his sister in the afterlife a hundred years from now.

Even if this nephew was a beast, he was still his sister's flesh and blood. How could he be crippled by someone for nothing!

"What you say is too harsh, Captain Xie. We are all martial artists. Zhao Xiaoyi and my escort are both young men, full of vigor. How can you say they disregarded the law?"

"Young people don't know any better, and it was a momentary slip. Is it excusable?"

A momentary slip, excusable?

It wasn't your own foundation that was broken!

Zhao Xiaoyi had been holding on by sheer will, waiting for his uncle to stand up for him. However, Zhang Lishi's words enraged him, causing his Blood Qi to surge uncontrollably, and his crotch became even redder.

He could no longer endure it, rolled his eyes, and fainted.

Xie Donglai was greatly alarmed. He quickly picked up his nephew and prepared to leave. However, Zhang Lishi blocked their path with his body, pointed a finger, and said:

"Li Cunxiao, you tell us, what exactly happened?"

"Chief Escort, Magistrate Murong, Captain Xie," Li Cunxiao said respectfully.

"Yesterday, Zhao Xiaoyi found my Elder Brother Gao Cheng and said that Sister-in-law Gao was arrested for involvement with the Mingzun Cult demon cultists. But he couldn't provide any specific charges, only demanding a hefty sum of fifty taels of silver to ransom her."

"Today, I brought Elder Brother Gao to pay the fifty taels of silver, but he said it was short by five fen, demanding another ten taels. When he couldn't get what he wanted, he became enraged and, completely naked, insulted my deceased father."

As he spoke, Li Cunxiao's eyes reddened, his beard and hair bristled, and tears welled up in his fierce eyes:

"As a son, how can I tolerate this?"

"If it weren't for Captain Xie's presence, I would have killed him on the spot to appease my late father's spirit!"

After he finished speaking, regardless of whether Li Cunxiao's tears were real or fake, the yamen runners who had just arrived were momentarily silent. Some even nodded in agreement, while only Xie Donglai's eyes blazed with fury.

He didn't kill him, and you're giving me face?!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lishi's eyes flashed with brilliance, and he raised his voice, saying:

"Oh? If that's the case, why doesn't the County Governor follow the example of Xu Yuanqing's story?"

As soon as he said this, Murong Bai knew that this matter could not be easily resolved for Xie Donglai.

Since the Grand Ancestor Emperor established the dynasty, the nation had prospered for hundreds of years. The people were fierce and the martial arts culture remained strong, with brawls and bloodshed occurring frequently.

During the old Yuanhe era, there was a man named Xu Yuanqing whose father was unjustly killed by his superior. He eventually killed his enemy, surrendered, and confessed, shocking the court. The ministers and even the emperor found it difficult to decide.

A remonstrance official named Chen Boyu argued that murder was a crime punishable by death, but avenging one's father was in accordance with propriety and righteousness, and thus Xu Yuanqing should be executed and a monument erected in his honor.

However, another official named Liu Zihou refuted this viewpoint.

He believed that Xu Yuanqing's father died unjustly in prison, and his act of avenging his father was both in accordance with propriety and righteousness, and also with the law. "Dying for righteousness while in mourning is to reach the truth and understand the Way."

In the end, Xu Yuanqing was spared the death penalty, and the common people rejoiced. Today, Li Cunxiao's situation was remarkably similar.

Zhao Xiaoyi had extorted first and then insulted the deceased father. Regardless of the law or human sentiment, Li Cunxiao was in the right.

If Li Cunxiao were to be convicted forcefully, the matter would escalate and damage the prestige of the county yamen.

If Murong Bai were a transient official, he wouldn't care about a little reputation. But he and his family had been rooted here for over twenty years. Moreover, with chaotic times approaching, Chuqiu was his base of operations, and he couldn't afford to lose face.

Of course, more importantly, Zhao Xiaoyi had Xie Donglai behind him, and Li Cunxiao had Zhang Lishi behind him. When both sides had powerful backers, reason would not prevail. It would come down to strength.

"It's not yet time to fall out with Zhang Lishi."

Murong Bai had made up his mind but did not intend to show weakness.

"Chief Escort Zhang's words have merit. Li Cunxiao might just be an accomplice, but what about the Gao family couple and the Mingzun Cult..."

Li Cunxiao's eyes narrowed upon hearing this, knowing the other party was trying to manipulate him. The Gao couple, who were usually bewildered by the presence of so many important figures they rarely saw, immediately reacted when their safety was at stake.

"Your Excellency, you are mistaken! My wife is an honest person, she was just tempted by a small gain and was deceived into going to the Mingzun Cult to listen to their teachings. She really..."

"Yes, the silver," Sister-in-law Gao, thinking quickly, pointed at Zhao Xiaoyi in Xie Donglai's arms.

"I saw it just now! He hid the fifty taels of silver they extorted from our family in his crotch!"

As soon as she said this, Xie Donglai's face turned even darker. When he actually took out a bag of blood-stained silver from his nephew's inner pocket, Murong Bai immediately wanted to cover his face and leave. Zhang Lishi, however, stepped forward, snatched it, and weighed it.

For a martial artist like him, let alone the weight, he could even control the change in weight of a single strand of hair. He weighed the silver in the bag with a strange expression and said:

"It is indeed short by five fen. Captain Xie, your nephew... is unusual."

Xie Donglai looked at his unconscious nephew. If he weren't afraid of the boy dying, he would have really wanted to arrest this scoundrel and slap him a hundred times.

Decades of reputation, all lost today!

Seeing the subtle expressions of the runners around, Murong Bai knew it was impossible to proceed further and immediately made a decision:

Li Cunxiao's righteous intervention was understandable;

The Gao family couple were deceived by demon cultists and were truly innocent.

Zhao Xiaoyi abused his power, was expelled from the county yamen, and the fifty taels of silver were all returned.

Of course, to save Xie Donglai's face, no further punishment was imposed—this was not unexpected.

After a swift resolution, Xie Donglai could no longer bear to stay in this sorrowful place. With a few leaps, his figure disappeared from the county yamen. The speed of his movement surprised Li Cunxiao, who knew he couldn't completely eliminate the threat for now and could only mark this uncle and nephew pair in his book.

The Gao family couple finally escaped. They thanked Chief Escort Zhang profusely and urged Li Cunxiao to come to their home for a meal later before supporting each other as they left.

Li Cunxiao naturally returned to the Escort Agency with Zhang Lishi and his group.

"Li Cunxiao, Li Nezha, Li Sanlang."

In the main hall of the Escort Agency, Zhang Lishi sat at the head of the table, with the Cui brothers, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, sitting like guardian deities on either side. Even Zhang Yuelu stood to the side, holding Zhang Que'er.

Zhang Lishi rubbed the rim of the celadon teacup, appearing to ponder:

"To be honest, I think that kid is good. His control over Blood Qi is skillful, and his Tiger Form Fist has reached Samadhi. Should I teach him the Internal Cultivation Method in advance, considering he could fight one against five at the county yamen?"

One against five?

The Cui brothers were somewhat surprised to hear this. Cui Wei was surprised that the other party dared to act in the county yamen, while Cui Yao was surprised that Li Cunxiao had only gone out on one escort mission and hadn't even been seen fighting anyone.

Fighting someone for the first time and being able to fight one against five?

He has talent.

But this Internal Cultivation Method...

Whether to teach it or not is up to you, Chief Escort.

Cui Da pondered this, while Cui Er was a bit confused. In the silence, Zhang Yuelu unexpectedly spoke.

"Father, I believe we can teach Li Cunxiao the Internal Cultivation Method in advance."

"Oh?"

Zhang Lishi's expression immediately became serious, and the Cui brothers on both sides also looked as if they were all ears.

Zhang Yuelu recalled what Zhang Que'er had told her and slowly said:

"Firstly, that ruffian Zhao Xiaoyi behaved disgracefully and insulted my deceased father. Li Cunxiao acted in righteous anger, which shows filial piety."

"And despite his financial difficulties, he still raised his younger brother and taught him to be educated and courteous, which shows fraternal affection."

"Secondly, Gao Cheng and Li Cunxiao met when they were both insignificant. Within a month, the latter went from being a shop assistant to an escort. If an ordinary person had such a change, they might become conceited."

"However, Li Cunxiao still remembers his old friends and went out of his way for his friend's wife, which shows loyalty and righteousness."

"Thirdly, Li Cunxiao came from a humble background, without famous teachers or spiritual medicine, yet in less than a month, he broke through two minor stages of the Blood Qi Realm. His speed is comparable to the disciples of the great families in the inner city, and today he could fight one against five and win, which shows talent and courage."

"Such a person, who is filial and fraternal, loyal and righteous, brave and strong, should be presented as a role model for the people in the Escort Agency in these turbulent times—of course, Magistrate Murong will definitely cover up this scandal, so we cannot publicize it for now."

Zhang Lishi was greatly pleased by this.

His asking these questions was not only to find a reason to teach Li Cunxiao the Internal Cultivation Method in advance but also to test his daughter, and Zhang Yuelu's answer was undoubtedly very satisfactory to him.

Filial piety, fraternal affection, loyalty, righteousness, courage, and strength—all hit the mark, not just for Li Cunxiao himself, but for the qualities needed by the people in the Escort Agency in the current situation.

Chaotic times were coming.

This was something that not only the elders but even the laborers at the docks could glimpse from the gradually decreasing work.

If the world fell into chaos and heroes rose everywhere, it could be said to be an opportunity, but at the same time, in the brutal struggle for survival, human nature and morality would inevitably hit rock bottom.

Zhang Lishi was, of course, a renowned expert like Murong Bai, and his martial prowess was top-notch in Chuqiu County. But the problem was, what about his wife and daughter?

Murong Bai was also a respected figure in Chuqiu County and the head of his clan. Why did he also have to be concerned about the reputation of the county yamen and not dare to convict Li Cunxiao arbitrarily?

There might be a power in the world that could suppress everything, but it was certainly not in Song Prefecture, nor in Chuqiu County.

In a head-on confrontation, Zhang Lishi might be able to fight one against a thousand, but could he foresee the hidden arrows from behind?

The more chaotic the times, the more important the role of human hearts and cohesion within a force becomes. And Li Cunxiao happened to be such a role model, a typical example of a poor boy who met a benefactor and achieved success.

Moreover, Zhang Lishi had personally witnessed most of the three points Zhang Yuelu mentioned and knew they were not false.

Furthermore, he had a younger brother in his residence. If they could win him over with care, he would surely be loyal and supportive of the Zhang family in the future.

As for the Internal Cultivation Method, at best, one could only cultivate to Blood Qi Perfection. Without entering the Muscle realm, one remained an ordinary person. So, if it was given, it was given.

With this thought, Zhang Lishi gave an order, and someone summoned Li Cunxiao from outside the door.

"When I took you in a month ago, I never expected you to accomplish such a great deed."

Li Cunxiao heard this and felt the gazes of several people. Although he didn't know if the words were blame or a joke, he still cupped his hands respectfully and replied:

"Compared to Chief Escort and the two Escort Cui brothers who pioneered and established the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, dealing with a mere thug is hardly a major accomplishment."

Zhang Lishi and the Cui brothers all laughed.

"Good lad, I thought you were just a brute with a fiery temper, but I didn't expect you to be so tactful."

"But that's good. Too much rigidity leads to breakage. Sometimes, a bit more tact is needed to avoid getting stuck in a rut."

Zhang Lishi sized up the young man before him, looking at him carefully for the first time.

Admittedly, Zhang Que'er found him ugly, but his imposing appearance perfectly matched Zhang Lishi's aesthetic. Without further ado, he said:

"Li Cunxiao, since joining the Escort Agency, you've been diligent in your work. In less than a month of cultivating martial arts, you've broken through two major stages. After discussing with the two Chief Escorts, we've decided to grant you the Internal Cultivation Method ahead of schedule."

"After obtaining the method, you must remain humble, avoid arrogance, advance bravely, and be loyal in your duties. Do you understand?"

I'm getting the Internal Cultivation Method just like that?!

Although Li Cunxiao knew that today's events had left a good impression on Zhang Lishi, he hadn't expected him to hand over the Internal Cultivation Method so directly. His face lit up with joy, and he didn't bother to hide it. He cupped his hands in thanks:

"Thank you, Chief Escort! Thank you, two Chief Escorts!"

Zhang Lishi shook his head and pointed at his own daughter:

"I do appreciate talent, but if my Third Lady hadn't spoken of your filial piety, loyalty, and righteousness, you wouldn't be seeing this Internal Cultivation Method today, at least not yet."

Zhang Yuelu?

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao didn't hesitate. He walked in front of Zhang Yuelu and cupped his hands in thanks:

"Thank you, Third Lady, for your appreciation. I also thank Madam and all the ladies in the mansion for taking care of my younger brother."

His words conveyed gratitude, but in his heart, there was no thought of "a beauty's favor must mean she's interested in me."

Zhang Yuelu was equally satisfied with his composed demeanor.

After all, she was an unmarried daughter. Even though the Dynasty's customs were open and women appearing in public was commonplace, if Li Cunxiao had been overly enthusiastic towards her or said something foolish that spread, it would still have harmed her reputation.

"No need for thanks. The Escort Agency operates on clear rewards and punishments. Besides assessing merits and demerits in escort missions, we also judge personal matters and resolve disputes."

"Li Sanlang, strive for more in the future and do not let today's opportunity go to waste."

After hearing this, Li Cunxiao's evaluation of Zhang Yuelu rose another notch.

"Besides assessing merits and demerits in escort missions, we also judge personal matters and resolve disputes." This meant that even the county yamen couldn't judge the escort agency's merits or demerits; rewards and punishments were decided solely by the agency itself!

These words were both encouragement and a reminder.

You, Li Cunxiao, are part of our escort agency. Don't forget the kindness the agency has shown you!

She's truly a remarkable woman.

Zhang Lishi felt the same, but besides joy, there was also a hint of regret in his heart.

If only Yue'er were a son, why would the Zhang family worry about its future?

What a pity...

Zhang Lishi suppressed his inner emotions and looked at Li Cunxiao, who was about to take his leave with the Cui brothers. He suddenly spoke:

"There's something you need to know about that Zhao Xiaoyi."