Bitter Cultivation

Two days later...

The morning mist had yet to disperse completely. Blended with the sunlight, it revealed a hazy, pale-golden gloom.

Inside the room, A Bi was combing the young master's hair into a topknot.

The girl's red lips were lightly pursed, her gaze soft as rippling water. Every movement carried an unusual tenderness. Once she had smoothed his hair, her fingers slipped through the black strands and deftly tied them into a simple crown bun.

Qi Yu let the maid fuss over him while he lowered his head and leafed through the martial arts manual in his hands, his expression focused.

The residence had one Seventh Rank guard, nine Eighth Rank guards, and forty-three Ninth Rank guards. Yet there were only three complete Body-Nourishing Fist manuals that could be compiled. The rest were either martial arts that the halls refused to teach outsiders, or techniques their practitioners had only half-learned and could not describe accurately.

In the path of martial arts, the slightest deviation could lead a thousand miles astray. Even the slightest uncertainty made something impossible to commit to paper.

These three...

One was Five Plum Blossom Fist.

Its stance training was unique. One had to establish the "Five-Stance Post" and diligently practice footwork on the "Plum Blossom Post." The footwork carried a touch of mystique, while its body-nourishing techniques consisted of four major forms: Wings Piercing the Forest, Great Wind Stringing, Small Wind Stringing, and Nothing Left Unbarred.

One was Rooster Fist.

This was provided by Old Gu. Compared with the wandering, sidelong strikes of Spirit Serpent Fist, this fist technique placed greater emphasis on linked attacks. It did nothing when it did not strike, but once it struck, it unleashed a storm of continuous blows—the saying went, "Hands clamp like a rooster's claws; husband advances, wife follows. When techniques go forth, use short hands; when the hands fail, transform into elbow strikes; when the elbows fail, unleash the fists." As for its footwork, it focused on swift advances and retreats.

One was Mystic Tiger Fist.

This was provided by Commander Ding. The technique was rather special. Its requirements differed from other arts from the very beginning, starting with the stance training. Other stances demanded that the body remain straight, but this one required the spine to droop and relax, thereby entering an exceptionally comfortable state. Only when comfortable could strength flow freely. This was called, "The tiger walks as though ill."

Its Body-Nourishing techniques consisted of two moves: Cat Walk and Lifting the Cauldron.

The former used light steps, keeping the body in a state where force could erupt at any moment.

The latter was a method of directing force. The phrase "rise as though lifting a cauldron" meant that lifting a cauldron did not rely on brute strength. Instead, the spine remained centered, power rose from the ground, and passed through each section in succession until reaching the arms—a force surging upward.

Qi Yu pondered inwardly.

Each of these techniques had its own emphasis: Spirit Serpent Fist startled-serpent wandering, Five Plum Blossom Fist lost-trail shadow-stepping, Rooster Fist rapid linked attacks, and Mystic Tiger Fist force surging through the spine.

"As long as I don't use combat techniques to stir my qi and blood or temper my skin, nothing will happen. I'll only cultivate the basic Body-Nourishing techniques and use them to obtain Skill Points."

Qi Yu made up his mind.

In the morning, he would practice the stances and Body-Nourishing techniques of these three arts.

At noon, he would take a short rest before continuing to comprehend Spirit Serpent Skill.

In the afternoon, he would spar with Sun Da Yun, the Eighth Rank guard.

Sun Da Yun was a disciple of Mount Wei City's Azure Bear Martial Hall. His aptitude was merely average, and he felt he had no talent for comprehending Seventh Rank techniques. Then, at a martial performance, a steward from the residence recruited him. After that, he never returned to Azure Bear Martial Hall.

He flipped through the pages, carefully comprehending them.

At the peak of Ninth Rank, he was naturally much faster at comprehending the Body-Nourishing techniques in reverse than before.

Outside the window, meanwhile, the tok-tok of wood being bored into never ceased.

Before dawn, the servants had already been sweating like rain as they set to work, driving thick logs deep into the ground and replacing the ornamental rockery that had originally decorated the courtyard.

At this point, the Five Stance Posts and Plum Blossom Posts stood interlocked, their wooden shadows slanting across the ground. They had already begun to take shape.

"Young master, it's done."

A Bi's voice came from behind him.

Qi Yu rose and glanced at himself in the mirror.

The young man's expression was composed, and his eyes shone.

Seeing that the workers outside were still setting the posts, he strolled to the grand tutor's chair by the window and lazily sank into the snow-weasel fur spread across it. His spine drooped and relaxed as he experienced the sensation described in Mystic Tiger Fist.

Only after the servants came to report that "the posts have been firmly set; please test the steps" did Qi Yu stretch like a cat and spring to his feet.

He strode into the courtyard, carefully swept his gaze over the footwork diagrams of Five Plum Blossom Fist, then vaulted onto the wooden posts.

One step, one pause, his robes fluttering...

After a long while, sweat quietly slid down his body and gradually soaked his close-fitting martial clothes. He neither noticed nor cared. His gaze remained firm as he concentrated his entire mind on the tiny measures beneath his feet and the precision of his strength.

Several days later...

A silk painting was presented before Qi Yu.

In the painting, a young girl wore flowers in her cloudlike coiffure. She smiled prettily, her bearing revealing the reserved grace of a young lady from a refined household.

Madam Liu said, "She is the daughter of Second Madam Qian. Her maiden name is Fu. The woman who came to look around outside the residence a few days ago was her mother."

Qi Yu's gaze lingered briefly on the painting before he suddenly asked, "Mother doesn't like Miss Song?"

Madam Liu shook her head. "Miss Song Xue is too competitive. Being with her, Yu'er... you would be very tired."

Qi Yu laughed. "Mother is afraid your son won't be able to rein in that rouge-colored fiery mare?"

Madam Liu's palm trembled slightly.

Her son had actually understood her meaning in an instant.

Previously, she had not wanted to hurt her son's pride, so she had not said it outright.

Song Xue was a pure martial artist. To become her man... the first requirement was to be stronger than her.

Of course, a woman like Song Xue still valued loyalty and affection. She and Yu'er had grown up together and truly did have feelings for each other. So, if her son continued practicing like this, the chances of the two of them getting together were still fairly good.

It was just that... getting together was one thing.

After they married, her son's life would probably be very difficult.

Marriage was not a matter between two people, but between two families and two powers.

Her son could not suppress Song Xue.

Third Master Qi's residence and Spirit Serpent Martial Hall probably could not get along either...

It had been one thing when Hall Master Song had no heir. But now... she had heard that he had gained a genius disciple. Naturally, the situation was no longer the same.

She recalled her husband's words—"You know what our son is really like, don't you?"—and her heart grew increasingly despondent.

Her son had advanced by leaps and bounds through secret medicines. In the end, it was merely a flower reflected in a mirror and the moon's reflection in water.

For now, she only hoped he could obtain the title of Martial Scholar. How could she still dare dream of anything more?

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind...

Madam Liu said gently, "Of course Mother trusts you. It's just that... marriage ultimately requires matching family status. Miss Song comes from a martial household, while you, Yu'er..."

She paused, but in the end could not bring herself to say, you do not.

She gathered her emotions, put on a warm smile again, and pushed the painting a little closer to Qi Yu. "Naturally, this is only for you to take a look at Miss Qian's appearance first. If you find her pleasing to the eye, Mother will have someone investigate her character carefully. If she is a learned, reasonable, gentle, and virtuous girl, then we will discuss it in greater depth."

Qi Yu wanted to refuse outright.

It was not as though he was utterly infatuated with Song Xue, unable to extricate himself.

It was simply that, in his view, Spirit Serpent Martial Hall could help him far more than the Qian Family could.

The Qian Family could give him what the Qi Family could as well, but Spirit Serpent Martial Hall was different.

Uncle Song was powerful.

Others could not see it, but he could.

Uncle Song was not only powerful, but low-key as well.

Even without a weapon, his combat power had already reached "55~110," while his own residence's guard commander, also Seventh Rank, only reached "47~72" with a blade in hand.

To others, Song Qinghong and Ding Yi were both Seventh Rank. There might be a difference between them, but no one would know without seeing them fight.

Yet in Qi Yu's eyes, the magnitude of that difference was crystal clear.

In such a dangerous world, he could not possibly give up such a powerful father-in-law as Uncle Song.

But when he looked up and saw the worry between Madam Liu's brows, he could not bear to defy her directly. He rolled up the painting, walked around behind his mother, and gently kneaded her shoulders as he smiled. "Mother, rest assured. Your son will certainly prove himself and not disappoint your expectations. As for Miss Qian... how about you investigate her first, and we take our time discussing it? Would that be all right?"

Feeling her son's closeness and the tactfulness in his tone, Madam Liu's heart warmed. She smiled and said, "Good, good, good. My Yu'er has truly grown up."