Dripping Water Force

"Old Ouyang has gone too far with his bullying!"

With a resounding crack.

The square table in the guest room shattered into pieces beneath a single palm strike.

Gu Dongting's face was still pale. His eyes were cold and grim, flashing with a murderous ferocity as he stared fixedly at the second disciple who had come to report. He wanted to curse them all as useless trash, yet did not know where to begin.

"You said Lu Changfeng and his wife joined the troops outside the city and headed south. Did you see whose banner they carried?"

"The Li banner. The commander wore black armor and carried a red spear; he had a long face and no beard. There were roughly three hundred cavalrymen and over a thousand armored infantrymen under him. However, they were also guarding several lavish carriages. More than ten cavalrymen wore black robes patterned with golden lines..."

Tan Zhongjing still looked shaken.

Within the Eastern Sea Sword Sect, he ranked second among the seven personal disciples of the sect master. Known as the Flying Feather Sword, his sword moved like drifting feathers and his body like floating duckweed. He was especially skilled at gathering intelligence. Yet this time, he had nearly lost his life merely by approaching.

Before he had even left the woods, the moment his gaze fell upon that red-spear general, three arrows sent him fleeing in utter panic. As he raised his sword to block them, the shock nearly split the web between his thumb and forefinger.

"Li Feiying? Wasn't he stationed at the Yuanxi Garrison in Xiangzhou? Why had he come to Jiangzhou as well?"

Gu Dongting's hand, stroking his beard, trembled slightly. The Celestial Star Sect had mobilized in such force this time. First Ouyang Zheng had appeared, and now Li Feiying had arrived with troops. What exactly are these two fellow disciples plotting?

Heading south meant they were likely escorting some important personage.

Then, recalling that experts from the Northern Zhou Demonic Sect had moved south, with masters from the Yellow Springs Path and Blood Lotus Sect appearing, Gu Dongting roughly guessed that he might have become entangled in some great event.

He drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the discomfort within his organs, and said in a deep voice, "There is no need to bother with Lu Changfeng and his wife. With Li Feiying escorting them, even if I went myself, I would gain little advantage. Especially those ten-odd knights in black robes with gold patterns you mentioned—they are most likely the imperial Golden Scale Guard..."

"Whoosh!"

Tan Zhongjing shrank his head back slightly.

He sucked in a cold breath.

Never mind whether they could defeat them—even if they could, they would not dare lay a hand on them.

Anyone who dared touch the imperial Golden Scale Guard either had to be certain they could wipe them all out without letting a scrap of news escape, or they had better reincarnate early themselves.

Once people learned they had done such a thing, then no matter how wealthy and powerful the Eastern Sea Sword Sect was, no matter how it could cover the skies with one hand in East Sea Prefecture, its destruction would be only moments away.

The Great Li Dynasty had not weakened to the point where a martial sect could ride on its head and piss.

His eyes turned as he offered, "Master, do not worry. Disciples of the Mad Blade Martial Hall within the city have sent word that although Lu Changfeng and his wife dismissed their household servants and guards before leaving Jiangzhou, their only son, Lu Wu-bing, remained at Ouyang Zheng's side. The only ones traveling with them are Wu Yunchong, the third disciple of the Celestial Star Sect's Gazing Sky Cliff lineage, and the Ouyang family's young lady, Ouyang Lan. I wonder..."

"Keep watch on their movements at all times. Have your clansman lead the bandit stronghold's men to keep a death grip on every major road outside the city... I refuse to believe Old Ouyang can watch over his disciples forever. There will always be a time when one of them is alone."

Gu Dongting was exceedingly confident in this.

The Three Divine Peaks shared branch and breath. This time, masters from every peak had hurried to the area around Tiger Ridge Pass in Jiangzhou. They had certainly not come sightseeing. Linked with the news of the demonic sect's experts heading south in great numbers, he vaguely guessed something.

"When traveling, keep everything simple. There is no need for excessive ceremony."

Ouyang Zheng lifted his teacup and took a light sip, smiling. "Your parents are heading to Xiangzhou. With the Celestial Star Sect protecting them, there is no need to worry. As for you, if you can avoid practicing your family's Six Yang Divine Needles, then do so."

After examining Lu Wu-bing's body, Ouyang Zheng's vast and mighty Vast Ocean True Qi had coursed through every limb and bone of his newly accepted disciple in an instant, thoroughly probing his foundation.

How should he put it? His sinews and bones could only be called healthy, not exceptionally strong.

As for internal force, there was even less to say.

The Lu family's Six Yang Divine Needles sounded quite intimidating, but it was a medical cultivation method. It specialized in the Six Yang Meridians, producing internal qi that was gentle and warm, nourishing the body and spirit.

To put it plainly, this internal qi was only suited for needling and healing illnesses, nurturing the body, and bolstering vitality. It was utterly useless in a fight.

It possessed neither explosive force nor a deep, solid foundation. Its defining trait was simply one word: "soft."

He did not know what the once-renowned Southern Sky Sword had meant by having his descendants cultivate such a method. Could it be that he truly wanted them to leave the martial world behind and become fine physicians who healed the sick and saved the dying?

Too naive.

"Yes. I will leave everything to Master's decision."

In his previous life, Lu Wu-bing had drifted between various companies and experienced all manner of things—"drinking with clients," "working late," "changing jobs," "backstabbing," "layoffs," and "side gigs." His heart had long been forged into an immovable vajra.

He also deeply understood one principle.

Whatever the boss said went; one must never contradict him to his face.

Though he felt that the family's Six Yang Divine Needles were not necessarily impossible to practice, and that he could study them a little if he had the energy, at the very least they would help him recover faster should he ever stumble or suffer an injury.

Just like his father, Lu Changfeng. After the Life-Severing Sword struck him with a palm charged with Surging Wave Force, his heart and lungs had nearly been shattered. Yet after only a few needles and one night's rest, he had recovered seven or eight parts out of ten and could get out of bed and walk.

Had anyone else suffered such grave injuries, they could forget about recovering without several months to half a year.

With that thought, Lu Wu-bing naturally said no more.

He had already seen the deeply concealed trace of disdain in Ouyang Zheng's heart.

Of course. Anyone who had been verbally maneuvered by a younger man into accepting him as a disciple would hardly do so willingly.

Especially since, in Ouyang Zheng's eyes, this disciple's innate constitution and comprehension were likely rather poor.

"Upon joining the Celestial Star Sect, one should ordinarily pay respects to the patriarchs in the Ancestral Hall before being taught sword arts and mental cultivation methods. However, we are currently away on business and cannot return for the moment, so we shall make do for now. I will first teach you Dripping Water Force, the Celestial Star Sect's introductory internal cultivation."

After making that casual remark, Ouyang Zheng cupped his hands toward the south. His expression turned solemn as he continued, "This art is upright and gentle, especially suited for beginners. There is absolutely no danger of qi deviation.

"Do not underestimate Dripping Water Force. Though it is merely the Celestial Star Sect's introductory internal cultivation, its offensive power rivals the finest internal forces of every sect and school beneath heaven. Even the Eastern Sea Sword Sect's Surging Wave Force falls far short when it comes to attack alone... Dripping water pierces stone; utmost softness conquers utmost hardness. When it erupts, shattering gold and severing iron are nothing out of the ordinary."

"Such a miraculous art is only an introductory method?"

Lu Wu-bing's eyes lit up.

If an introductory cultivation method was already so wondrous, then what of the advanced methods, the higher-grade methods, and the sect's supreme divine art?

Ouyang Lan, who had been standing quietly at the side with a smile on her face, suddenly cut in. "Junior Brother, Dripping Water Force is indeed mighty, able to pierce stone drop by drop. But cultivating it is also like water dripping through stone."

"Uh..."

Lu Wu-bing understood.

This cultivation method sounded as if it had nothing but benefits, yet it had one drawback—it cultivated far too slowly.

One had to rely on the passage of years, grinding out bit by bit of internal force.

This?

Ouyang Lan dealt another blow from the side. "Our Celestial Star Sect's rule is to use Dripping Water Force to test one's foundation and temper one's will. Only after opening three meridians may one switch to the Celestial River Orthodox Method, and even then, one must pass a major examination."

Perhaps she had recalled the hardships of the sect's major examination. At the mere mention of those words, Ouyang Lan shrank her neck slightly, her little face wrinkling up like a bitter gourd.

"Are you teaching him, or am I?"

Ouyang Zheng shot his troublemaking daughter a sidelong glance and said irritably.

"You teach, Father. I only brought my ears, not my mouth."

Ouyang Lan stuck out her little tongue. Her lips promptly pressed tightly together, and she truly fell silent.