Blood Like Mercury

Night.

Jia Yanyong's eyes were red and swollen.

After the doctor's treatment, his vision had been saved.

However, his eyes remained swollen and his vision blurry, making it difficult to see things clearly.

"Gang Leader, your subordinate went specifically to invite Lin Zheyu, but he refused to come," Jia Yanyong said.

"What did he say?"

Xu Jingwu took a sip of tea and gave the waist of the woman beside him a squeeze.

He looked to be around forty, well-groomed, and lacked the heavy bandit aura that Jia Yanyong possessed; he even appeared somewhat refined.

"He said he is busy tomorrow morning. If the Gang Leader wants to hear his storytelling, he can go to Bidan Tea House tomorrow afternoon."

Jia Yanyong said, his tone somewhat blunt.

If he had been more devious, he would have badmouthed Lin Zheyu directly.

But Xu Jingwu knew this about Jia Yanyong, which was exactly why he valued, promoted, and groomed him.

"When I sent you to invite him, did you threaten him with force?"

Xu Jingwu glanced at Jia Yanyong.

He knew Jia Yanyong's temperament; he was a brute who would never use his brain if he could solve a problem with his fists.

"No... well, just a small threat."

Jia Yanyong had wanted to refute, but seeing the Gang Leader's sidelong glance, he said sheepishly.

"Forget it, forget it. It was my fault for forgetting to remind you to be polite."

"However, this scholar has some guts. Not only did he refuse your threat, but he even dared to launch a preemptive strike. Interesting."

"I will go to Bidan Tea House in person tomorrow to invite him, listen to the story while I'm at it, and see if this fellow is truly as tough as he claims."

Xu Jingwu chuckled, looked at Jia Yanyong, and said, "Your eyes are injured, so take a good rest for these next few days."

"Luo Tian, take five taels of silver and let Jia Yanyong go see the doctor."

"Thank you, Gang Leader."

Watching Jia Yanyong's departing figure, a look of amusement appeared on Xu Jingwu's face.

"An interesting fellow with some courage. No wonder he can write such a brilliant story as Legend of the Condor Heroes."

He had no interest in love stories between scholars and fox spirits or demons.

As a martial artist, Xu Jingwu preferred stories like Legend of the Condor Heroes that spoke of the passion and blood of the pugilistic world.

The story was told brilliantly. A few days ago, he heard some gang members discussing it, and after inquiring out of curiosity, he had been hooked himself.

It was just that hearing only one chapter a day wasn't enough to satisfy him, which gave him the idea to invite Lin Zheyu to tell the story at his home.

When he returned home, the night was already deep.

Lin Zheyu's entire body ached, and he had several bruises.

Master Liang had been too heavy-handed and hadn't held back at all; Lin Zheyu felt his face burning with pain.

My handsome face is ruined.

Applying medicine to himself in front of a bronze mirror, Lin Zheyu couldn't help but groan in pain.

He washed up.

Exhausted, he climbed into bed.

The few hours of sparring with Master Liang had been a massive drain on his physical strength, energy, and spirit.

Yet, Master Liang seemed completely unaffected, still looking full of vigor when Lin Zheyu left.

Lin Zheyu couldn't help but wonder what level of expert Master Liang truly was.

I'll ask tomorrow morning, and also ask about the subsequent martial arts realms.

Lin Zheyu said to himself, sinking into a deep slumber.

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

Lin Zheyu arrived at Liang Song's home early.

The medicine Master Liang gave him was miraculous; after applying it last night, he felt no pain when he woke up this morning, and the bruises on his face had vanished.

"Master, what realm comes after Organ Refining?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously.

"Very well, I shall tell you."

"On the path of martial arts, Muscle Refining, Bone Forging, and Organ Refining are merely the foundation, meant to build the bedrock of one's martial path. Only after completing Organ Refining can one begin deeper levels of training."

"After Organ Refining comes Blood Energy, Marrow Refining, Force Transformation, Grandmaster, and Innate Martial Dao."

"On the path of martial arts, Organ Refining is a hurdle. Every subsequent realm is a world of its own; a single level of difference in cultivation results in a heaven-and-earth gap in strength."

Liang Song said, his tone tinged with melancholy.

Due to events in his early years, his right foot was left crippled, causing his martial path to stagnate.

"Then Master, what realm are you in now?"

Lin Zheyu was incredibly curious; he felt his master must be extremely formidable.

"Heh, I am currently at the Blood Energy realm. But because of my advanced age and declining health, my martial cultivation has slipped somewhat." Liang Song shook his head, full of regret.

"Grandmaster, Innate Martial Dao..."

Lin Zheyu murmured, his heart filled with yearning.

The strength of an Innate Martial Dao expert must be unfathomable, perhaps even god-like, right?

Liang Song looked at Lin Zheyu and, seeing his expression of longing, couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Don't aim too high; you must keep your feet on the ground."

"The path of martial arts is incredibly difficult. Even the Organ Refining realm is considered quite capable in Songyi City," Liang Song said.

"Yes, Master."

Lin Zheyu snapped back to reality.

He took off his coat, put on a tight-fitting vest, and went to the center of the courtyard to begin practicing his fist techniques.

After practicing for half an hour, Liang Song watched carefully and nodded with satisfaction.

"That will do."

"Next, I will teach you another technique."

"Bull Fist is only a third-rate technique; even if you master it to the peak, you will only reach the Organ Refining realm."

"The technique I am about to teach you is considered second-rate. If you can fully grasp it and train it to the limit, your strength can reach the peak of Blood Energy!"

Liang Song said, his tone extremely serious.

In his view, only techniques of the second rate or higher could be considered true martial arts.

Third-rate martial arts like Bull Fist were barely worth mentioning.

He had only taught third-rate martial arts to others in the past.

Upon seeing Lin Zheyu's astonishing comprehension and aptitude, Liang Song developed a fondness for his talent and decided to teach him a different technique.

"Master, is the gap in strength between Organ Refining and Blood Energy very large?"

Lin Zheyu asked curiously.

Bull Fist could be cultivated to the peak of Organ Refining, yet in Liang Song's tone, it was looked down upon.

However, when speaking of a technique that could lead directly to the peak of Blood Energy, his tone was extremely serious.

"That goes without saying."

"Muscle Refining, Bone Forging, and Organ Refining are merely the foundation-building process, laying the groundwork for the martial path. Reaching the peak of Organ Refining means your physique has reached the limit of an ordinary person."

"Once you reach the Blood Energy realm, your strength will see a massive, leap-like improvement."

"What is the most important thing for a martial artist?"

Liang Song did not wait for Lin Zheyu to answer and continued: "It is blood energy!"

"Blood energy is the root of the body and the foundation of the martial path."

"Whether you want to step onto the path of a Grandmaster or even break through to the Innate Martial Dao, blood energy is of vital importance."

"Please, Master, enlighten me."

Lin Zheyu asked respectfully, pouring a cup of tea for his master.

Liang Song took the teacup with satisfaction and took a sip.

He continued: "Blood energy is extremely important to the martial path. Our predecessors conducted in-depth research and divided the Blood Energy realm into nine small levels."

"These nine levels are known as the Nine Transformations of Blood Energy."

"If one can complete the Nine Transformations of Blood Energy while in the Blood Energy realm, achieving Blood Like Mercury and condensing the Blood Energy Beacon, then there is a high probability of stepping into the Grandmaster realm!"

Liang Song explained, his tone filled with yearning.

He shook his head: "However, wanting to complete the Nine Transformations of Blood Energy is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Most martial artists can only reach the first transformation."

"At the peak of my condition, I only managed to cultivate my blood energy to the third transformation."

Liang Song said.

He took off his outer robe, wearing only his vest and training gear, and walked to the center of the courtyard.

"What I am about to teach you next is the technique I primarily practice, called the Golden Goose Technique."

"The Golden Goose Technique focuses on legwork and is a specialized art for offensive leg techniques."

"The strength in our legs is the greatest and most explosive of any part of the body."

"The Golden Goose Technique focuses on the legs, excelling in speed and agility, allowing one to advance to attack or retreat to defend."

"However, it has a drawback: limited by the fact that legs are not as nimble as arms, while its explosive power in attacks is strong, it lacks the dexterity of fists and palms."

"..."

Liang Song spoke slowly.

After introducing the Golden Goose Technique, he began to explain it to Lin Zheyu, move by move.

Lin Zheyu studied with extreme focus and possessed good comprehension.

Liang Song was truly mediocre when it came to teaching disciples, but fortunately, Lin Zheyu's aptitude and comprehension were good, allowing him to quickly grasp what Liang Song meant.

The more Liang Song taught, the more satisfied he became.

Encountering a disciple with such good comprehension gave him an excellent teaching experience, creating the illusion that he was also exceptionally gifted in the way of mentoring.