Canglan Prefecture, western district.
This was a commoners' district, a maze of crisscrossing alleys with a complicated layout. It was a place where all sorts of people mingled.
After leaving Martial Arts Street, Lu Chen hadn't headed straight out of the city.
He knew the gates were surely under tighter guard by now. The Li and Ye Families had deep roots throughout the Prefectural City. The moment he showed himself at a city gate, he'd be surrounded by a large force.
The most dangerous place was often the safest.
Lu Chen wound through the streets and alleys before finally renting an inconspicuous little courtyard in a secluded lane.
The courtyard wasn't large, with only three tiled rooms, but it was quiet. The surrounding residents were all poor laborers, and no one would pay any attention to a young man living alone.
By then, night had fallen.
Lu Chen sat cross-legged inside the house, the Viscera Guidance Technique laid out before him.
The oil lamp's tiny flame stretched his shadow long across the floor.
"Phew—"
Lu Chen let out a long breath, steadying his emotions.
Though his move on Martial Arts Street had been risky, the gains had been enormous.
He opened the book and began studying it carefully.
Though the Viscera Guidance Technique was only Mortal Tier, its core principles were remarkably profound.
It likened the body's five viscera—the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—to the five elements.
The heart belonged to fire and governed the pulse.
The liver belonged to wood and governed the blood.
The spleen belonged to earth and governed the flesh.
The lungs belonged to metal and governed the qi.
The kidneys belonged to water and governed the bones.
Through specific breathing rhythms and guiding movements, the qi of the five viscera formed a closed loop