Manual (Seeking Support)

Steward Lin was indeed a man of his word, and before long, he sent over a small package.

Perhaps it was out of guilt, or perhaps these rudimentary introductory Martial Arts were nothing in Steward Lin's eyes, but he sent three books, which came as a small surprise to Fang Yuan.

At this moment, he sat cross-legged on a bluestone, with the Flower Fox Ferret by his side, carefully opening the first page of a manual.

"Black Sand Palm?"

Fang Yuan first looked over the manual as a whole. The book was ancient, its script vigorous and powerful, yet slightly faded. The edges were tattered, clearly showing the wear of countless generations of study. It held an ancient aura, practically an antique.

"He actually sent the original copy. It seems Steward Lin wasn't planning to trick me..."

Seeing this, Fang Yuan nodded inwardly.

With Martial Arts manuals like these, even a small error could lead to vastly different outcomes. How could a newly copied version compare to the original?

Just by touching the ancient book, he knew that the martial artist from back then must have poured a great deal of effort into it.

"That makes sense... Even the most basic martial arts, as long as they can be widely spread, must have their unique merits!"

Looking at the other two books, which were similar, Fang Yuan couldn't help but feel a little ashamed of his own petty thoughts.

He had specifically asked for the most widely circulated ones, naturally, to make verification easier.

After all, he had no intention of practicing any of the manuals he was initially given.

Besides, Martial Arts were not like other things. Knowledge from another world had taught him how terrifying it was to suffer Qi deviation.

"Now it seems... I was a bit too suspicious..."

Fang Yuan pondered for a moment, "Besides, I have medical skills to fall back on. Just studying them without practicing should allow me to spot some issues. Compared to Internal Energy, External Energy-based skills are better. Even if there are traps within them, it's less likely to cause major problems..."

Although this was knowledge from another world, it didn't stop Fang Yuan from making deductions.

With that thought, he put down the manual in his hand and flipped through the other two.

"Eagle Claw Skill? It seems the deacon from the Gui Ling Sect, Cold-faced Iron Eagle, also knows this skill. But what he knows is likely the secret lineage, far better than the common version that's all over the streets..."

Of the three manuals, two were External Energy techniques, and the last one was an unnamed technique that focused on tempering the body and increasing resistance to blows. It also seemed to include some breathing techniques. According to the author, if practiced to mastery, one could hold their breath long enough to withstand ordinary blunt weapon strikes.

Inside the package, there was also a small note detailing the origins of the three manuals.

"Black Sand Palm," authored by the renowned pugilist master Kou Feng of Qinghe Commandery, widely circulated, presented by a retainer.

"Eagle Claw Skill, presented by the estate manager Meng Yuan, this is the most common basic version. To practice it to a profound level, specific Internal Energy cultivation methods are required!"

"The last one is the most rudimentary Qi Skill, no, it's simply a summary of breathing and endurance techniques. The original author didn't even give it a name, hence it's called Hard Qi Skill..."

By the time Fang Yuan reached the end, he confirmed that these three Martial Arts were indeed the most common, run-of-the-mill ones, with no gems among them.

Of course, even the most rudimentary martial arts were still a form of inheritance, refined through countless trials. For an ordinary person to obtain one of them would be enough to barely make a living and support their family, so they were still considered somewhat precious.

Trading a sixty-year-old Red Ginseng for this could only be considered breaking even.

"And... no impurities, damage, or alterations... Steward Lin's sincerity is evident."

Fang Yuan let out a sigh and began to examine each book carefully.

Unknowingly, half a day passed, and the sun began to set, casting an orange glow across the land.

"Giggle!?"

"Giggle?"

The Flower Fox Ferret beside him, seeing Fang Yuan staring intently at the manual, curiously poked its little head over. However, the characters on the page were like an ancient script to it, making its head spin. It finally gave up, lightly hopped into the dense woods, and soon returned dragging a plump wild rabbit. It placed the rabbit at Fang Yuan's feet, staring at him with its black pupils as if they were glowing with hooks.

"Haha... I knew you'd want to eat!"

Fang Yuan closed the Hard Qi Skill manual, immediately seeing the Flower Fox Ferret's expression and couldn't help but laugh heartily.

Night gradually deepened.

Beside the campfire, Fang Yuan skinned and cleaned the wild rabbit, coated it with sauce, and roasted it. He then took a front leg, threw the rest to the impatient Flower Fox Ferret, and quietly pondered the content he had seen in the manuals today.

'The martial arts in this world seem much more profound than in my dream world... and they are systematic and standardized... For example, Black Sand Palm and Eagle Claw Skill are purely External Energy techniques that use medicinal stimulation on the body. Internal Energy focuses on breathing methods and Qi circulation routes. Higher levels even involve spirit concentration and visualization... And regardless of any technique, there are specific and consistent level classifications, which are the Twelve Gates of Golden Lock and Heavy Tower!'

This term was repeatedly mentioned in all three manuals. After careful study, Fang Yuan finally managed to understand its meaning.

"According to the martial philosophy of this world, the human body is a treasure trove of infinite potential, but there are many gates that restrict the release of power. The path of martial arts, from the beginning, is to break through these gates one by one, continuously unlocking one's own potential!"

The manuals stated that there were twelve such gates within the human body, collectively known as the Twelve Gates of Golden Lock and Heavy Tower.

With each gate broken, a martial artist's strength would increase to varying degrees, becoming more terrifying in the later stages.

And after breaking through all twelve gates, one would reach the realm of 'Martial Ancestor'!

Such individuals, even within the Gui Ling Sect, were only one.

"The twelve internal gates... this sounds somewhat similar to the descriptions of the Twelve Meridians and Eight Extraordinary Meridians in medical arts. Is the initial cultivation of martial arts actually a process of opening the meridians?"

"The twelve gates are twelve realms. Only by breaking through them one by one can one achieve the realm of Martial Ancestor! Does that girl Lei Yue possess such extraordinary talent?"

Slightly understanding the difficulty, Fang Yuan suddenly felt a sense of doubt.

In his impression, was that girl's martial talent that terrifying?

"But I couldn't tell at the time. My master must have noticed something. This marriage was arranged rather strangely..."

As he thought of the Heart-Questioning Hermit, Fang Yuan couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

The old man had been truly good to him, considering everything for him, but he had passed away too soon.

If he were alive now, seeing Steward Lin's face, what kind of expression would he have?

At this thought, the rich aroma of the roasted rabbit meat in his mouth suddenly vanished.

Fang Yuan got up listlessly, tidied himself up, and began to brew tea under the moonlight.

It was his unique way of remembering the Heart-Questioning Hermit, through this Sitting-Forgetting Tea Ceremony.

"Hiss hiss!?"

The Flower Fox Ferret beside him watched, as if it understood or not, but it seemed to sense the sorrow in Fang Yuan's heart and didn't frolic as usual.

The valley was deep, and time passed without notice in the mountains. One morning.

Fang Yuan woke up early as usual, and after drinking his morning tea, he went to the fields to work.

In the Red Jade Rice fields, the rice seedlings had grown to his waist, and even the tips bore heavy ears of rice, causing the seedlings to bend over.

Fang Yuan dissolved the Spiritual Fertilizer and mixed it into the Spring Water, then poured it into the rice field. Instantly, the water shimmered, carrying a fragrant aroma.

"Cluck cluck!"

"Cluck cluck!"

Beside him, the Flower Fox Ferret leaped and darted about, appearing very excited.

Although it disdained the newly grown seedlings, the nearly mature Red Jade Rice made it extremely excited.

"Remember, no stealing!"

For this reason, Fang Yuan had to solemnly warn it. He then repeatedly promised to increase the amount of tea each day before he could barely appease it.

"There weren't many rice seeds before. It would be good to harvest a few dozen catties this time, but after this, the seeds can continue to be planted, and the planting scale can be expanded next time..."

Fang Yuan was very pleased.

In fact, the growth of this batch of Red Jade Rice had exceeded his expectations, and its growth cycle was astonishingly short.

The first credit for this undoubtedly went to the Spiritual Fertilizer brought by the Flower Fox Ferret, and the second was due to the bonus from his own Planting Skill, which had created such an incredible miracle.

"Flower Fox Ferret, don't worry. After the harvest, I'll definitely let you eat your fill! After all, you played a part in this!"

Fang Yuan stroked the Flower Fox Ferret's fluffy head and comforted it, "And the spiritual tea, the second harvest of leaves is also coming soon..."

A smile graced his face, and his heart was filled with the joy of harvest.

After his daily routine of inspection, Fang Yuan returned to the study and looked at the manuals placed side by side on the desk.

"I've memorized these three cultivation techniques backwards and forwards, and I've cross-referenced them with my own medical knowledge and dream memories. There seem to be no issues... Should I practice them?"

A flicker of eagerness flashed in Fang Yuan's eyes, but he quickly shook his head. "No! It's not safe enough! It seems I'm really a coward. The only way forward is to go to the county town again, pay the price, and buy one to examine, or perhaps have someone practice it..."

Martial Arts manuals were not ordinary things, and Fang Yuan didn't have much confidence in actually practicing them.

"The little thief is inside!"

"Surround him, don't let him escape!"

"Quick, go!"

Suddenly, a commotion from outside the valley reached him, causing Fang Yuan to frown.

"What's going on?"

He opened the courtyard gate and saw a group of people aggressively entering from the valley entrance. Leading them was none other than that arrogant young lady, Zhou Wenxin.

"You little thief!"

Upon seeing Fang Yuan, Zhou Wenxin's old and new grudges surged, and her voice became sharp. "You wronged me first and then used fake medicine to harm my father. I can't let you off today. Attack!"

With a wave of her hand, several Rich Servants aggressively stepped forward, surrounding Fang Yuan.