Making a Move

Han Che didn't bother with pleasantries. He was surprised by Feng Xiu's progress, but quickly composed himself.

In less than half a month, Feng Xiu had already reached this level. The Feng Clan had been backing him, and he'd consumed a great many resources.

Even a fool could be fed into a top-notch expert under those circumstances.

Before he could finish speaking, a familiar, hearty laugh came from the doorway. "Looks like I got back just in time."

Zhou Gang pushed open the door and strode inside. His gaze swept over Feng Xiu like lightning, and a hint of approval appeared on his face.

"Your blood and qi are brimming, your essence is contained within, and your gaze is steady and sharp. Wen Zheng, in just a few days, you've laid such a solid foundation. That's truly rare."

He stepped closer and patted Feng Xiu on the shoulder.

The muscles beneath his hand felt firm and well-built, and the blood and qi were taut and vigorous. He couldn't help feeling even more satisfied.

"Uncle Zhou, you're back." Feng Xiu immediately gave him the formal salute of a disciple and asked with a smile.

Over the past few days, aside from teaching Feng Xiu some basic pointers on daily cultivation, Zhou Gang had left him to work things out on his own.

As the head of the escort company, Zhou Gang had plenty of mundane affairs to attend to.

Finding a base was only one of them. If they wanted to establish themselves in Green Rock City, having the Feng Clan's support alone was far from enough.

They needed to pay visits in advance to all the gray-market powers, large and small, along with the gangs and factions.

Otherwise, a powerful outsider barging in like a river-crossing dragon could easily provoke hostility.

As a man of the jianghu, Zhou Gang naturally knew the rules of the game.

"Xiao Han, what do you think?"

Zhou Gang didn't ask Feng Xiu, but instead turned to Han Che. When he had just pushed the door open, the two men's sparring had already been drawing to a close.

Feng Xiu's breath was now full and strong, and his eyesight had begun to take on the keen sharpness of a hawk or jackal. But Zhou Gang would need to assess him carefully to know exactly where he stood.

"Young Master Feng has just begun Body Refining. His strength is astonishing, but he still lacks flexibility," Han Che said with a nod after thinking it over.

In truth, Han Che had reminded Feng Xiu many times that he needed to hold some strength in reserve when attacking, so he'd be ready to change moves afterward.

Feng Xiu often didn't seem to realize how reckless he could be.

"Brother Han, it's not that I don't understand what you mean. But isn't that asking a bit too much?" Feng Xiu said helplessly.

What Han Che meant by flexibility was using his mind for two things at once.

No—many things at once.

To give a simple example: his hands couldn't keep up with his eyes, and his eyes couldn't keep up with the pace of changing moves.

Changing moves in a sequence of techniques was one thing; adapting in the midst of a fight to the death was something else entirely.

Han Che's breathing had grown hurried, so his next strike would probably be heavy. His left hand was beginning to move into position—he's going for the eyes. No, no, he's going for the throat!

In many cases, every move and feint a martial artist made was preparation for the final blow.

And you had to figure out which move was real and which was fake.

Feng Xiu felt helpless too. In theory, an increase in mental strength should've had some effect on his martial arts.

But that wasn't how it worked at all. His thoughts spread too widely, and he thought about too many things, leaving him unable to make a sound judgment.

"Ah, it's fine. Keep sparring, and you'll understand in time," Zhou Gang said, waving a hand. He was very pleased with Feng Xiu.

Then his expression turned serious. "Your foundation is firm now, and your breathing has a good rhythm. Today, I'll teach you the Five-Strength Internal Breath Method—the true technique for using internal breath to circulate blood and qi!"

Feng Xiu's expression shifted, and he was overjoyed.

Blood and qi stored strength; blood and qi nurtured the spirit. This was the very foundation of this path of extraordinary power!

His method of circulating blood and qi was still far too weak. All he could do was forcibly alter the rhythm of his breathing.

It was like how a person was never conscious of their own heartbeat. The martial path worked the same way.

The Five-Strength Breathing Method forcibly changed the rhythm of nasal breathing. Feng Xiu had felt the blood and qi in his body speed up as he breathed several times, but he hadn't grasped the knack.

Zhou Gang motioned for Feng Xiu to sit cross-legged, then slowly explained, "The Five-Strength Internal Breath Method uses the rhythm of your breathing and visualization to open up finer channels for qi to circulate through your body."

"You refine the sensation of blood and qi through your training, then turn it into a method for gathering them.

"The fist is the furnace, blood and qi are the fuel. Where the mind goes, qi follows; blood and qi flow together. You sense the flow of qi through the meridians."

Zhou Gang paused, then decided to abandon his one-sided, flowery explanation. "Put simply, the Internal Breath Method teaches you to use your breathing to command your blood and qi."

From the sixteen forms of the Five Force Fist to the resonance of the five organs, and the coordination between internal breath and techniques, Zhou Gang explained it all.

Feng Xiu listened intently, not daring to miss a single word.

Half an hour later, once Zhou Gang had finished explaining, he nodded and asked, "Wen Zheng, is there anything you still don't understand?"

Feng Xiu shook his head. "Give me a little more time to digest it."

The advanced martial arts terminology involving meridians, acupoints, and the circulation of internal breath through the Lesser Celestial Circuit was still difficult to understand.

"Wen Zheng, give it a try. I'll stand guard for you."

Seeing that Feng Xiu seemed eager to try, Zhou Gang immediately promised to watch over him.

Feng Xiu began guiding his breath according to the method Zhou Gang had taught him.

He nodded and tried several times, but his mind couldn't precisely grasp the complex routes of the qi channels. His breathing and the flow of internal breath kept falling out of sync, and he failed again and again.

Feng Xiu's thoughts gradually settled. After trying more than twenty times, he finally caught a faint, subtle rhythm.

He successfully completed one Lesser Celestial Circuit.

In an instant, the qi in his dantian suddenly contracted. Then his blood and qi surged even faster, refined to a greater purity by his internal breath.

A soothing sensation, cool and warm at once, flowed through his whole body. It felt as though every limb and bone had been washed clean, and his sense of strength became clearer and more focused.

It was now as easy to command as his own arm. With the faintest thought, he could quickly gather his strength in one spot.

"The Five Force Fist is the skin, and the Internal Breath Method is the bones. So that's how it works!"

Feng Xiu's face lit up. He stood and eagerly performed the Five Force Fist again, and it truly felt completely different.

His fists flew like the wind. His feet struck the ground with a muffled thud, and his body turned with smooth, effortless ease.

With every move, his muscles and bones rang together, accompanied by the faint, low rumble of vibrating air.

"Not bad. Your internal breath and fist techniques have only just begun to merge, yet you're already showing such promise. If you train hard like this, you'll be able to dominate the Body Refining Realm!" Zhou Gang said with a laugh, his eyes full of approval.

"However, Wen Zheng, your internal breath has only just taken shape, and your blood and qi are flowing faster. Remember to take it one step at a time. Use medicinal baths and nourishing meals to steadily build yourself up. Don't rush for quick results, or you could damage those newly formed meridians."

Zhou Gang gave him one last reminder.

Feng Xiu slowly ended his training. Heat steamed from his body, and his blood and qi felt exceptionally invigorated. He stood where he was, savoring the feeling for quite some time.

[Life: 11]

[Spirit: 5]

[Strength: 6]

[Agility: 2]

[Technique Record: Eight Sections Vajra Skill (Mastery: Life +2, Spirit +2) Cannot be improved]

[Five Force Fist (Hall-Entering Realm: Strength +3, Life +1, Spirit +2)]

[Synthesis: Cannot be obtained before Mastery]

Just as expected, after learning and mastering the Internal Breath Method, Feng Xiu's strength had surged once again.

The Five Force Fist had reached the Hall-Entering Realm, and he immediately felt a burst of clarity.

The scene of his fight with Han Che flashed through his mind frame by frame. Those dizzying moves had left him unable to adapt, his hands unable to keep up with his eyes, and his eyes unable to keep up with his mind.

Now that feeling had vanished without a trace. His thoughts flowed freely, smooth and unimpeded. He could even recall the flaw in every move Han Che had made.

"Thank you for teaching me, Uncle Zhou." Feng Xiu cupped his fists.

After gathering his thoughts, Feng Xiu took the opportunity to tell Zhou Gang that he'd asked Fan Ling to find a suitable base for the escort company.

Fan Ling had sent word on the afternoon of the day the three of them had met.

The place was in the western part of the city: a standard three-courtyard residence, with a fairly reasonable price.

At this, Zhou Gang first froze, then a hint of emotion passed over his face. He looked Feng Xiu in the eye.

His large hand landed heavily on Feng Xiu's shoulder. "Wen Zheng, you've put a lot of thought into this."

Feng Xiu lacked neither ability nor means.

The Sweet Dew Grand Festival was now causing a huge commotion in Green Rock City. The Feng, Fan, and Lin families had stepped forward, and there was no doubt Feng Xiu was behind it all.

Even so, he'd still found time to think of these little things. "Brother Feng, you've certainly raised your son well."

"Uncle Zhou, I didn't do this for free. There's one more thing I'd like to ask you to handle."

Feng Xiu spoke with another smile. Thinking of Su Wantang, he directly shared his suspicions.

"Master Black has gone to Yulin Prefecture, and I'm short on people who can handle jianghu affairs. As for that matter involving my second brother, I suspect it's not just some simple love affair. It may be a carefully planned case of Thousand Gates Plucking the Gourd. If you have time, could you look into it for me?"

"Thousand Gates Plucking the Gourd?" Zhou Gang paused at that, a flicker of interest in his tiger-like eyes.

Zhou Gang smiled, his expression tinged with nostalgia. "When I was young, I passed through Qing Province and saw it happen once. Those people targeted the richest man in a small county. They spent half a year setting up the scheme, and in the end they even won his ancestral home from him."

"The methods in your brother's case are very similar. This should be interesting." Zhou Gang grinned. "It's been a long time since I've come across such a refined scheme."

"Fine. I'll take some men to look at the place first. Then I'll bring a few sharp brothers along and help you figure out which divine trickster set this game up."

His words carried the fierce swagger unique to men of the jianghu.

The Eight Generals of the Thousand Gates were a dime a dozen in the jianghu. Zhou Gang had traveled far and wide, so naturally he'd seen plenty.

"Don't worry. If they really are fat sheep, I might even help you turn the tables and fleece them instead. You take seventy percent, I'll take thirty."

"In that case, thank you, Uncle Zhou." Feng Xiu smiled faintly. Now everything was settled.

I don't care whether you're one of the Eight Generals of the Thousand Gates or one of the ten generals.

If I don't twist Su Wantang's head off, I'll take her surname!