Crimson Flame Copper Body Art

Before Li Haomiao could reply, Xu Yunfan turned and left. He had only made it to the cave entrance when Li Haomiao spoke.

"I can keep you alive in this mine, at least for a while longer. If you work hard enough, you might even be able to escape this place."

Xu Yunfan halted, pondered briefly, and steeled himself.

Though Li Haomiao had fallen to such depths, he had once belonged to the upper strata of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He was bound to know a great deal, and back then, his reputation throughout Jade Capital had been excellent.

No matter how much of a pie in the sky he was painting, at least this pie was visible.

Xu Yunfan remembered how countless daughters of noble families had cast flirtatious glances his way. Every day, messengers at the Yan King Residence would carry armfuls of love letters into the estate. His previous self had even delivered letters for the Jiang Manor's Third Miss.

It was a good opportunity, one worth negotiating over—but he still had to stay on guard. The minds of these upper-class nobles were all unfathomably cunning.

In ancient society, the upper and lower classes were completely reproductively isolated.

Xu Yunfan turned and walked back into the mine. He stopped beside the cave wall five meters from Li Haomiao, leaning against it with an expression that plainly said he was waiting for him to speak.

Li Haomiao was somewhat surprised by this sight, and a trace of approval appeared in his eyes.

"Times have changed, yet you possess such vigilance without harboring any intent to harm others. That is truly rare in this mine."

Xu Yunfan treated the man's praise as wind passing by his ears and asked, "What guidance does the Yan King have for me?"

Seeing Xu Yunfan get straight to the point, Li Haomiao did not beat around the bush.

"Your body may be thin and weak, but your frame is decent. I can teach you martial arts."

Martial arts!

Xu Yunfan's heart stirred at once. The shocking sight of the overseer splitting a man in two with a whip remained vivid in his mind. Those two words seemed to possess a magic that rooted his feet in place.

With martial strength at his side and a robust physique, he would naturally be far more capable of resisting the outside world.

His previous self had always wanted to learn martial arts. The Jiang Family had many estate guards who practiced every day at the Training Ground, but servants like them were forbidden from watching.

Without their master's permission, anyone caught watching would have both eyes gouged out.

How could trash like Jiang Yu possibly have allowed his previous self to watch?

"What do I need to do?"

Li Haomiao was somewhat surprised to see Xu Yunfan remain calm, without the slightest trace of wild excitement upon hearing that he could learn martial arts. His gaze grew ever more approving.

"Food and water. As long as you provide me with food and water every day, I will teach you."

"That's all?"

"Of course that's all. What else can you do in your current state?"

Xu Yunfan nodded. "Fine."

Seeing that Li Haomiao had nothing further to say, Xu Yunfan naturally knew what he wanted. He took a flatbread from his clothes, then brought out some water and tossed them through the air toward Li Haomiao.

Without even blinking, Li Haomiao raised his only remaining left hand, caught them steadily, and began wolfing them down.

Xu Yunfan's eyes narrowed slightly.

That did not seem like something a man whose hand tendons had been severed could do.

Li Haomiao chewed the rock-hard flatbread into pieces in a few bites, washed it down with water, and swallowed it in short order.

Only after finishing the bread and draining more than half the waterskin did Li Haomiao let out a long breath.

"Don't look at me like that. My hand tendons have already been pulled out. I can only control my muscles well enough to barely raise my hand and grasp things like an ordinary person."

Looking at Xu Yunfan standing quietly in the distance, he pondered for a moment. "I remember you. A servant of the Jiang Family, Xu..."

"Xu Yunfan."

Li Haomiao nodded slightly, thought for a moment, then said, "I see that your waist and hips are steady, your eyes sharp and hands swift, and you wield an Iron Pickaxe as smoothly as flowing clouds and running water. You have a real talent for mining. I possess a martial art called the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art. It uses smashing stones to temper the body, making it the most suitable art for you at present—or rather, for this environment."

Xu Yunfan asked, "Does the Yan King have any other martial arts?"

Li Haomiao frowned. "Chewing more than you can swallow leaves you half-baked at ten things; better to master one. Not to mention that food is already scarce here, and you still need to mine. There is simply no way to support anything else. This martial art is the most suitable for this place."

He gave Xu Yunfan a careful look.

"Your aptitude is not particularly high. You must have handled mining tools often before to possess such skill. I have many supreme arts, but with your aptitude..."

Li Haomiao did not finish, but his meaning was obvious.

Your aptitude is ordinary. Even if divine arts and peerless techniques were laid before you, you would not be able to master them.

But I have an Attribute Panel!

Xu Yunfan shouted inwardly and cupped his fists. "Please teach me, Yan King."

Li Haoming gathered his thoughts slightly before speaking. "The martial path is vast and varied, but no matter the method of cultivation, its essence remains unchanged amid a thousand transformations. Externally, one trains Tendons, Bones, and Skin; internally, one trains a breath of qi. From this arise the four realms of Golden Skin Jade Veins, Mercury Blood Silver Marrow, Yin-Yang Treasure Garment, and Heavenly Cycle Qi Circulation. Though their names sound impressive, they are merely the traits produced when one trains tendons, bones, and skin; flesh, blood, and marrow; and the organs and qi to their utmost limits.

"All martial arts begin with Tendons, Bones, and Skin. None of the three ranks above another; they merely emphasize different aspects. Beyond that come the External Three Harmonies, which connect the body within. From the outer to the inner, one gathers Heavenly Cycle Perfection.

"Some achieve Tendon Training Great Accomplishment and seek to advance further, pursuing ultimate perfection. They may temper their body's great tendons until they resemble dragon tendons, possessing the luster of jade-white brilliance. This is called the Jade Vein Manifestation, the ultimate hallmark of the four realms—yet those who achieve it are few and far between.

"The Crimson Flame Copper Body Art I will impart to you is a superior art among skin-training techniques."

Li Haomiao had spoken at great length in one breath. He took out his waterskin and drank a mouthful to moisten his throat before continuing.

"Listen carefully to the mnemonic.

"Crimson copper hides its spirit in the depths of a shadowed abyss; flame breath enters the veins, strength returns to its source.

"Essence and soul guard the aperture, refining true firmness; the whole body seems cast in metal, warding off a thousand fists..."

Two hours later, Xu Yunfan held his Iron Pickaxe and continued mining. After digging for a while, he turned to look at Li Haomiao, who was lying at ease nearby.

"Are you sure this martial art only requires mining to temper the body? That's not what the mnemonic says."

Li Haomiao replied leisurely, "To practice martial arts, you must train strength. To train strength, you must train your stance. Only after nourishing your body until it is strong can you withstand those martial movements and techniques. I have already taught you the stance of this art. Once you enter the door, everything else will fall into place as naturally as water flowing into a channel."

Xu Yunfan said nothing more. Following the posture Li Haomiao had adjusted for him, he began mining in an extremely awkward manner.

Every time he swung the Iron Pickaxe down, he could feel most of the muscles in his body being pulled taut. Before long, his shoulders ached and his legs hurt.

'Your eyes lit up. You slightly shortened the distance of your pickaxe swings and instantly realized that each strike could shatter the ore more precisely. Your feel for mining improved further. Mining proficiency increased.'

'Inspiration surged through you. While mining, you consciously controlled the difference in height with each swing of the pickaxe, creating a staggered rhythm. You soon discovered that your mining speed had increased. Mining proficiency successfully increased.'

'You...'

'You faintly gained some insight into the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art. It seemed as though you had grasped something, yet in the end, you gained nothing.'

'...'

As mining proficiency notifications continuously appeared in his vision, interspersed with several proficiency notifications for the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art, the Attribute Panel displayed a skill prompt for the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art: not yet initiated.

That immediately filled him with vigor. Once the Attribute Panel had recorded it, entering the door was only a matter of time. Xu Yunfan gradually became immersed in it, even selectively ignoring the aches throughout his body.