As usual, Li Qing brought Master Gu his meal. Outside the camp tent, he heard another bout of hurried, violent coughing.
Cough, cough, cough!
Lifting the tent flap, he saw Master Gu lying on the bed. The deathly aura around him had grown even heavier, and there seemed to be several more age spots on his face.
These were the signs of a man nearing death.
Seeing this scene, Li Qing sighed softly within.
For a life to reach its end was truly a tragic thing. Especially with a lung ailment tormenting him—he probably would not even pass peacefully.
"Master Gu, it's time to eat." Li Qing set the food basin before Master Gu, a trace of sorrow flashing through his eyes.
Whether it was for the favor of passing down his craft or for the care Master Gu had shown him during his time in the army, Li Qing had to admit that without Master Gu, he could never have lived so comfortably at the Border Fortress.
Master Gu seemed to catch that feeling in Li Qing's heart. Looking at him, he said, "Er Niu, my days are numbered. There is something I wish to entrust to you."
So he was arranging his final affairs?
Li Qing muttered to himself inwardly, then leaned beside the bed and met Master Gu's gaze with sincerity. "Master Gu, whatever it is, just say it. I can never repay the kindness of your teachings, but I will certainly do my utmost."
"Do you want to leave the Border Fortress?" Master Gu stared steadily at Li Qing, as though he wanted to see straight through him.
Wasn't that obvious? War was about to break out. Who wouldn't want to leave this place of trouble and strife as quickly as possible?
Naturally, Li Qing could not say such words aloud. Even though Master Gu was close to death, he would not trust him completely.
"Leaving the Border Army without permission is a grave crime." Li Qing put on an expression of utter shock, looking exceptionally simple and foolish.
Combined with his cowherd-like face, he truly carried a somewhat honest and guileless air.
Cough, cough, cough! "This old man is from Qingzhou. My home is in Chongning County. Back then, because of certain matters, rage clouded my head, and I offended the local county magistrate. So I was exiled to the Border Army as a blacksmith."
Coughing as he spoke, Master Gu continued, "I still have descendants in Chongning. If you ever have the chance, I hope you can pass the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique back to the Gu family. It would not do for something handed down by our ancestors to end with me."
Li Qing fell silent. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Master Gu, if I ever retreated from the army, I will certainly return the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique to the Gu family!"
"Good. With these words from you, kid, I can rest easy. Cough, cough, cough!" Master Gu coughed, then continued, "While I am still alive, I will give you some guidance on this Stance Training of yours. From the look of you, you must have practiced quite a bit last night."
Having practiced the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique for so many years, Master Gu naturally spotted the unusual state of Li Qing's legs at a glance. This was the posture that only appeared when someone had first begun stance training.
"Thank you, Master Gu!" Li Qing quickly said.
"Enough nonsense. Take a stance now and let me see." Master Gu waved his hand and urged him on.
Li Qing immediately complied, assuming the stance recorded in the hammer technique.
Once he was properly positioned, he closed his eyes and began silently reciting the accompanying mental method of the hammer technique.
Seeing Li Qing's proficiency, Master Gu's clouded eyes brightened slightly.
He had only given Li Qing the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique last night, yet Li Qing had already practiced it to this extent in so little time. He truly was a promising seedling for martial arts.
Master Gu nodded inwardly, quietly praising Li Qing's talent and natural physique, but he did not say much.
With his lifetime of experience, what sort of people had he not seen? The bit of talent Li Qing displayed could only barely be called decent. It was still far from the gift of one blessed by heaven.
"Not bad. You should be able to hold your stance for nearly half an hour now. But there is another crucial point in the foundation of this hammer technique's stance training: exhaling and inhaling." Master Gu began to instruct him leisurely.
"Let your breath sink into your dantian. Calm your heart and settle your qi. Feel it carefully."
Li Qing stood with his eyes closed, listening attentively to Master Gu's teachings.
Under Master Gu's guidance, his stance training this time was astonishingly efficient. Before long, he entered that state where his whole body felt warm and comfortable, as though his qi and blood had come alive.
"Hah!"
Half an hour later, Li Qing let out a long breath. A sheen of sweat had appeared on his honest, guileless face.
"What a pity. You began practicing martial arts too late. If you had started in childhood, perhaps you truly might have achieved something on the path of martial arts." Master Gu looked at Li Qing with regret.
The path of martial arts was best begun in childhood, while the bones had yet to fully take shape.
The human body had its limits. Once one passed forty, qi and blood declined, and the flesh began to age gradually. Further progress then became almost impossible.
As for Li Qing, he had only started at sixteen and was still circling around basic stance training. In Master Gu's eyes, it was truly a little too late.
Such a gap could not be erased by a mere bit of talent.
"Master Gu, I never expected to achieve anything lofty on the path of martial arts. As long as I can gain a little more strength in the future to forge iron more easily, I will be satisfied." Li Qing scratched the back of his head and spoke with an honest air.
Master Gu laughed wordlessly. Struggling up from the bed, he said, "In the army, those Centurions are nothing much. But there is a commander of a thousand surnamed Yuan. If you ever have dealings with him, you must be careful of this person."
"Also, there is a female commander of a thousand surnamed Qian. Her origins are mysterious. Under no circumstances must you offend her!"
Hearing this, Li Qing blinked, then nodded his head like a chick pecking at rice.
"I'm just a lowly blacksmith. I surely will not have any chance to cross paths with those lords. Master, rest assured."
"Hahaha, enough. Go on now. To take in a disciple at the brink of death can be counted as a blessing." Master Gu waved his hand and drove Li Qing out of the camp tent.
After leaving the camp tent, Li Qing washed the food basin clean as quickly as possible, then returned to his own tent.
He stoked the furnace fire and began smelting iron ingots, preparing to forge the farm tool sickles the Yan family had ordered.
The conditions for ironworking in the army were far better than those in the Eternal Night World. Smelting iron ingots and hammering out goods here was much more efficient.
As for the Eternal Night World, time flowed three times faster there than in this world, so Li Qing planned to practice martial arts there exclusively in the future.
This would make the greatest use of the advantages of both worlds.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Once the iron ingots had melted, Li Qing began hammering them blow by blow.
Very quickly, he discovered to his delight that wielding the hammer now felt much more natural, and he had gained considerably more strength as well.
"It should be the effect of the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique. This way, my ironworking efficiency will improve a great deal too!" Li Qing muttered joyfully.
Merely practicing the basic Stance Training had already brought such results, making Li Qing even more determined to cultivate the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique to great mastery.
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