Swallow Return Secret Steps

Chapter 7: Swallow Return Secret Steps

Zhang Erquan, the master of Swallow Chasing Wind Saber, and Han Ba were of the same age. Though vigorous and with bright eyes, their hair had turned quite gray. At this moment, he was drinking tea in a side courtyard of the Ning Mansion.

Good tea.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps, and then he saw his "last disciple," whom he had taken in out of respect for Elder Ning.

This disciple hasn't come in a long time.

"Master Zhang, I want to continue learning the Swallow Chasing Wind Saber."

Ning Xuan said.

He had previously learned the three stances of the Swallow Chasing Wind Saber but had not continued to learn its core footwork—Swallow Return—only learning the basic footwork.

Why?

Because after seeing Master Zhang demonstrate the core footwork and looking at its training method, he had given up.

The training method was too difficult and too tiring. Even if he succeeded, it wouldn't make him the "peerless master of lightness skills he imagined."

He was Young Master Ning, after all. Why would he go through so much trouble to learn something like this?

But now, he needed to improve himself.

He was too weak, with only 1 point each for spirit and vitality.

Zhang Erquan was somewhat surprised by this.

But he was a man of few words, so he asked nothing, merely saying, "Follow me."

He didn't ask because he already had the answer in his heart.

A young man's mind is easily swayed, and his thoughts change quickly. Young Master Ning might want to train today, but he might find it too arduous in a couple of days and quit.

In fact, he also felt that Young Master Ning didn't need to suffer like this to practice the core footwork of the Swallow Chasing Wind Saber.

After all, what was the point even if he mastered it? Could Young Master Ning truly become a lone wanderer living on the edge of a blade?

When the young master decided to practice martial arts, the Ning Mansion's servants became busy.

By evening, the servants had finally finished their tasks.

Eighty-one plum blossom stakes were erected in the small river behind the Ning Mansion.

The openings of the plum blossom stakes were not large, only wide enough for half a foot.

And along the riverbank were sandbags of various sizes.

Zhang Erquan grabbed a specially made heavy wooden saber and tossed it over.

Ning Xuan caught it.

Zhang Erquan said, "Swallow Perching Steps. You've already practiced your basic footwork. Now you need to ascend the stakes.

Remember, do not get your shoes wet once you are on the stakes.

Once you can stand steadily on a stake for the duration of one incense stick, you will move on to the sandbags, starting at ten pounds and gradually increasing to half your body weight.

After standing still on the stakes, you will practice moving. Three steps forward, three steps back, holding the heavy saber to maintain balance. Once you can move swiftly and nimbly across all eighty-one stakes at a running speed, you can then smear the stakes with tung oil and repeat the training.

When you can carry sandbags and move as smoothly as flowing water across the tung oil-coated plum blossom stakes without getting your shoes wet, you will have completely mastered the most core footwork of the Swallow Chasing Wind Saber.

If you master these Swallow Return Secret Steps and combine them with those three stances, you will have mastered the Swallow Return Three Sabers.

With mastery of these three sabers, in terms of pure technique, you will be quite formidable in frontal combat in this martial world.

However, the martial world is treacherous; who would engage you in a frontal battle?"

Zhang Erquan seemed to recall something, sighed lightly, and then said seriously, "Remember: Knees slightly bent like a swallow perching on a branch, center of gravity flowing with the saber's movement. Form like a solid mountain, spirit soaring far; intention like a light feather skimming the water's surface.

You must stand on the stakes dynamically, not statically!

There will be initial pain and injury, but I have a unique medicinal bath. Since you've started training, I will have someone prepare it for you. You will bathe in it daily."

"Understood, Master Zhang."

Ning Xuan gripped the heavy wooden saber, then stepped forward, carefully placing his foot on the stake closest to the riverbank.

Night.

The bright moon hung high in the sky.

Ning Family's backyard.

Chirp, chirp, flutter.

"Young Master~"

"Young Master~"

"Young Master's left leg is mine; no one else can have it."

"Young Master, hurry and eat my grapes, quick~ hurry up."

"I'll give Young Master a shoulder massage."

Ning Xuan sat in the medicinal bath, his entire body aching. He was only wearing a bath towel around his waist to cover the necessary parts. Beside him, three young maids were attending to him.

The maids' clothes were smooth silk, and they inadvertently revealed swathes of pale flesh.

Who here didn't hope to climb onto the Young Master's bed?

Xiao Jie might be a formidable vixen, but couldn't the Young Master try something new?

The maids' fingertips were not idle.

But Ning Xuan didn't want the hassle.

If he wanted to mess with someone, he could do so as he pleased; he could even take all three at once. However, knowing his mother's personality, after he was done, he would definitely give these maids some "minor status," either as a concubine to serve him personally and share Xiao Jie's burden, or they would be removed from public view and assigned to a relaxed position within the family's businesses.

These maids weren't serving him; they were undergoing promotion assessments.

Ning Xuan touched none of them.

Today, practicing the Swallow Return Secret Steps had left him bruised and sore all over.

Even though he had fought back and forth with the Mountain Crashing Bear demon in his nightmares, and climbed like a nimble ape in a hanging basket on steep cliffs, that was after he had absorbed a considerable amount of the Mountain Crashing Bear demon's power.

That wasn't the strength of his own true form.

The Heavenly Demon Scroll was powerful, but he himself had to be strong enough to wield it.

Only then could he maintain his current comfortable life.

After bathing and changing, Ning Xuan got into bed.

He wanted to sleep and wake early; he still had to practice stances tomorrow.

Suddenly, the bedding bulged, and the little sprite emerged from within as if by magic.

Her small body didn't feel heavy.

She propped her elbows on Ning Xuan's chest, her waist twisting slightly, intentionally or unintentionally provoking him to attack.

"Why are you allowing other maids to bathe me today?" Ning Xuan asked casually.

Xiao Jie giggled, "I'll have to go far away one day, so I must let the Young Master get used to other maids sooner."

Her smile slowly faded, and she tilted her head slightly, appearing sad and lost in the candlelight, needing affection and care.

Ning Xuan said, "Are you afraid I'll get tired of you? That's why you've deliberately allowed maids who can't compete with you to approach me."

Xiao Jie, her thoughts exposed, wasn't flustered. Instead, she leaned onto Ning Xuan's chest and said softly in a tone of "whatever you say is right," "The Young Master understands everything, you're so amazing."

She had a plan.

As long as the Young Master didn't promote her "concubine" to "official concubine," she would threaten to leave every few days.

She really wanted to become Young Master Ning's official concubine.

Ning Xuan practiced his stances for three consecutive days.

He was so exhausted he felt like his soul had left his body.

And on this day, he finally received the letter of safety from the Ning Family Manor.

Ning Xuan asked, "Why did it take so long to arrive?"

The guard delivering the letter replied, "The boss had us training, so it was two days late. Anyway, the manor is safe. The surroundings have been cleared, and there aren't any carnivorous beasts within a twenty-mile radius."

Ning Xuan asked curiously, "The boss?"

The guard explained, "It's Old Han. We follow him in the martial world, so we call him boss."

Ning Xuan asked, "Boss of where?"

The guard stammered, "Just... just of the Jianghu mountain sects. We're all decent people; we only call him boss because we're close. Um. Young Master, the safety letter has been delivered, I'll be going now."

Ning Xuan waved his hand.

The guard immediately ran off.

Ning Xuan leaned back in his chair, Xiao Jie sitting on his left leg.

The petite girl seemed to know some kind of magic; even though she was on Ning Xuan's left leg, she was as light as a bird on a beam, not making his leg feel like it was bearing a heavy sandbag.

On this point alone, no other maid could compete with her.

When Ning Xuan looked at Xiao Jie, she giggled and then said in a soft, sweet voice, "Well said, 'we're all decent people.'"

Ning Xuan also smiled.

You couldn't have two different kinds of people emerge from the same nest.

Xiao Jie was a fox spirit.

He was too.

But he was curious why nothing had happened at the manor.

He glanced at his status panel again.

[Heavenly Demon Scroll: Perceive the imminent arrival of the Heavenly Demon, observe the root of its life, forcefully refine the scroll. Failure results in death and dissipation, success allows it to be used for oneself.]

"Perceive the imminent arrival of the Heavenly Demon" meant the Heavenly Demon wasn't here yet, but was close.

He had originally thought it would arrive that very night, but five days had passed, and nothing had happened.

He needed to figure it out.

Just then, Xiao Jie suddenly leaned close to his ear, breathed softly, and then said, "The ladies from the Floating Fragrance Pavilion in Prefecture City came here to gather inspiration last night and won't be leaving for the next few days. Shall I find them to bathe Young Master tonight?"

The Floating Fragrance Pavilion was a brothel, but it was a high-end one.

The courtesans inside had to be skilled in the arts.

"Gathering inspiration" was a gimmick.

Outsiders didn't know, but Ning Xuan understood.

It was called "gathering inspiration" because the brothel's madam had already bought new music. Now, she had the courtesans go out to gather inspiration, and then play the music for them, making it seem like their own creation.

With such talent, their value naturally increased.

With increased value, the madam naturally got rich.

The air suddenly grew quiet.

Xiao Jie was very curious about what Young Master was thinking now.

After a long while

Ning Xuan finally spoke.

"Go tell Master Zhang I'm not training today. Martial arts training requires balance; I need to rest. Since the Floating Fragrance Pavilion has gone to gather inspiration, I should go gather inspiration too."

He wanted to try a different method of training martial arts.

"Swallow Return" was very difficult to practice.

But if he acquired the Heavenly Demon Scroll first to improve his physique before practicing, would it be better? Would it feel like "having already become the greatest under heaven, and now re-cultivating a certain technique"?

That way, his cultivation speed would naturally increase significantly.

However, the Heavenly Demon Scroll was his biggest secret, and he wouldn't tell anyone.

Xiao Jie said "Oh," then moved her hips and prepared to set out.

A voice suddenly came from behind her.

"You don't need to go today either. I'll go wander around by myself."

"Yes."

Xiao Jie replied.

She never asked why for the decisions Young Master made.