Stealing Martial Arts from the Cui Family

After entering the Cui Family, Chen Ye quickly settled in.

For the first few days, Cui Xijun did not assign him any tasks, only having him follow Cheng Defu daily to familiarize himself with the layout of the mansion.

Chen Ye was not in a hurry; he did not bring up the subject of martial arts again, patiently waiting for an opportunity.

Five days drifted by in this manner.

On this morning, as soon as the hour of the rabbit arrived, Chen Ye woke up right on cue with his internal clock.

In the darkness, he felt for the clothes at his bedside, put them on, tied them up, rinsed his mouth with a willow twig, and stood guard outside the back courtyard as usual.

By the time the sky grew brighter, Cui Xijun had already dressed neatly and emerged, leading her two maids, including Hong Ling.

The clothes she wore today were rather androgynous—a cross-collared, long-sleeved, straight-cut robe worn open, which perfectly outlined the lines of her figure.

"We are going to the private school today to teach the clan's children their introductory lessons. Let's go."

Chen Ye nodded in agreement, asked no further questions, and simply followed behind.

Following the rules of the mansion, he kept his gaze fixed on the ground, not staring at anyone in a way that would be considered rude.

Chen Ye followed her through two corridors of the inner courtyard of the Cui Family, heading toward the western side courtyard.

Soon, the group arrived at the private school within the Cui Mansion.

As a second-tier noble family, the Cui Family had many clan members active in the Capital City, so the mansion had a dedicated private school built for the education of the clan's youth.

Chen Ye had originally assumed this school would be a single room similar to a study, but upon arrival, he discovered that the school within the Cui Mansion was actually an independent two-story building.

The Cui Family governed their household with great strictness.

As soon as Cui Xijun entered the door, the few boys and girls who had been whispering to each other immediately fell silent and sat back down in their seats in an orderly fashion.

This was a world of difference from what Chen Ye had seen at the Gao Family.

He swept a glance over the room; there were a dozen or so low desks arranged in the classroom, fully equipped with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. The students sitting there were clan members ranging from seven or eight to twelve or thirteen years old, with more girls than boys.

Cui Kan sat in the middle of the front row, his back snapping straight the moment he saw Cui Xijun enter.

He then caught a glimpse of Chen Ye following behind her out of the corner of his eye, his serious expression tinged with a hint of curiosity.

He stole a few glances at Chen Ye, not daring to make a sound, and tried his best to maintain a posture of attentive listening.

At this moment, the morning sun was just rising, and the sky was fully bright.

Cui Xijun sat at the teaching desk and, without any unnecessary pleasantries, opened her book directly.

"Today we will discuss the 'Ren' chapter of the Analects of the Sage."

"The Sage says: 'Those who are not benevolent cannot long endure in poverty, nor can they long reside in joy. The benevolent find peace in benevolence; the wise utilize benevolence.'"

"The meaning of this passage is that those who lack benevolence cannot remain steadfast in hardship, nor can they properly conduct themselves in times of ease."

"Those with benevolence are at peace with it; those with wisdom know how to utilize it."

"This is the same principle as practicing martial arts. Those without a foundation become restless when successful and collapse when they suffer setbacks. Only when one has true substance within can one remain calm in the face of change."

She spoke very plainly, not showing off her learning by citing classics, but instead breaking down every sentence so that even the youngest children could understand.

When speaking of "the benevolent find peace in benevolence," she asked a few of the older children to provide examples.

When she reached "the wise utilize benevolence," she shifted her tone and took the initiative to explain with emphasis: "What does it mean to 'utilize benevolence'? It does not mean using benevolence to take advantage of others, but knowing what is right and having the means to ensure that right things are accomplished."

"When you walk out into the world in the future, having a good heart is not enough. You must also have methods, discernment, and decisiveness."

"Otherwise, your benevolence will only be seen by others as weakness."

Chen Ye stood in the corner and listened quietly.

Perhaps it was because he had lived two lifetimes, but his memory was excellent.

He was able to memorize these teachings in their entirety very quickly.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the classroom grew increasingly quiet; in the entire Mind-Clearing Hall, there was only the sound of the wind outside and the voice of Cui Xijun explaining the scriptures.

After lecturing for an hour, Cui Xijun closed her book and began to test their lessons one by one.

When she called on Cui Kan, the little fellow stood up and recited fluently, but he hit a wall when asked to explain "utilize benevolence."

He stammered for a long time, unable to squeeze out a single word.

Cui Xijun did not scold him, only saying: "Copy it three times and hand it in tomorrow."

Cui Kan responded, dejected.

"Take a break for the time of an incense stick, then we will go to the martial arts field."

The students in the classroom looked as if they had been granted amnesty; Cui Kan, in particular, jumped up directly from behind his low desk and ran out, tugging on the sleeve of a companion.

"Third Sister, I'm heading over first, or Second Sister will be waiting impatiently."

Cui Xijun was accustomed to this, and after a while, she led Chen Ye and the others toward the Cui Family martial arts field.

The martial arts field of the Cui Family was located behind the Mind-Clearing Hall—an open-air area paved with bluestone slabs.

Weapon racks, stone locks, sandbags, wooden stakes, and other equipment were arranged on both sides, fully stocked.

It was much more spacious and brighter than the courtyards of most noble families.

At this moment, a stern reprimand rang out from the center of the training grounds.

"Straighten your waist! Sink lower!"

"The sages speak of the sovereign's path, for the root of life lies in the true breath!"

"Remember this: the foundation of cultivation lies in the true point of stillness, the very connection between this breath and the next!"

Chen Ye looked over at the sound, seeing a woman dressed in a black short-sleeved tunic with a tightly cinched belt. She moved like a lithe leopard, her features bearing a striking resemblance to Cui Xijun.

He recognized her; this must be the Second Miss of the Cui Family.

Cui Yingtang stood in the center of the grounds, holding a bamboo rod, correcting the postures of the disciples one by one.

Standing on her own turf, she carried herself like a general on the battlefield, issuing commands and dispensing rewards and punishments with equal measure.

When one disciple's stance faltered, she walked over and struck him directly with the bamboo rod, causing the boy to wince and grimace in pain.

Chen Ye suddenly realized this was the Cui Family's martial arts training ground, a place for family techniques.

As an outsider, his presence seemed inappropriate, and he prepared to withdraw.

However, seeing that Cui Xijun remained unbothered by his and the maid Hong Ling's presence, he grew suspicious.

Since Cui Yingtang did not avoid him, it meant this was not a major secret, so there was no need for him to make a fuss.

Thus, he boldly stood to the side, listening and memorizing with focus.

Chen Ye's gaze swept calmly over the stances of the Cui Family disciples.

He did not stare fixedly at any one person, but used his peripheral vision to observe their forms bit by bit.

He watched their stances and their methods of breathing.

Cui Yingtang finished her instructions, turned, and walked over. She sized him up for a moment and asked, "You are the one who saved Third Sister, aren't you?"

Chen Ye quickly gathered his thoughts and replied respectfully, "This one is Chen Ye, greetings to the Second Miss."

Cui Yingtang said with interest, "Spar with me another day."

Cui Xijun, knowing her sister's combative nature, intervened at the right moment: "Second Sister, he has other matters to attend to with me; he has no time to spar with you. Besides, you are a Dragon Elephant martial artist, and your reputation is known throughout the Capital City. Why bully a servant?"

Cui Yingtang smiled and did not press the issue further.

"Second Sister, we're here."

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Cui Kan finally arrived with a group of Cui Family disciples.

Seeing Cui Xijun already at the training grounds, he froze in place, stunned.

"Third Sister, you haven't left yet?" Cui Kan shrank his neck and asked cautiously.

Seeing Cui Xijun staring at him with a half-smile made his skin crawl.

"Get to your training, now!"

Cui Kan hurried over to report to Cui Yingtang.

Once he reached the training grounds, he immediately put on a well-behaved facade, a stark contrast to his sluggish demeanor at the academy.

Cui Xijun shouted at Cui Kan, "Go practice your stance! You only stood for half an hour yesterday before complaining about leg pain; make up for it today."

"Oh!"

Caught red-handed, Cui Kan obediently stood before his usual bluestone slab, set his stance, and wore a look of utter despair.

Cui Yingtang walked over to correct his posture, then turned to all the disciples on the field: "The Return to Origin Art I taught you days ago is for building your foundation. It is balanced and peaceful, without flashy tricks, and serves to nourish the flesh. Once mastered, learning the family's other martial arts will be much easier. Study it diligently."

Cui Xijun watched for a while longer, and seeing that Cui Kan was no longer slacking, she left the training grounds.

The day's busyness began.

The matter regarding the Liu Family still required a great deal of effort to sort out.

Chen Ye stayed by Cui Xijun's side, working until dusk, and after finishing his duties, he returned to his quarters.

Now, there was no one around.

Chen Ye closed his eyes in the courtyard, recalling the scene and attempting to relax his body. He spread his feet to shoulder-width, bent his knees slightly, sank his center of gravity, and mimicked the posture of the Cui Family disciples.

In his mind, he pieced together a rough method of cultivation from Cui Yingtang's scattered words.

At first, it felt stiff, but as his breathing gradually leveled out, he felt a faint warmth rise from his lower abdomen, slowly traveling up his spine.

As he practiced, Chen Ye compared it to the Foundation Cultivation Technique he had painstakingly trained in before.

He was astonished to find that the circulation path of this Cui Family martial art was more complete than that of the Foundation Cultivation Technique.

The Foundation Cultivation Technique only focused on pouring energy into the dantian, where it would hit a dead end and stagnate, requiring the body to slowly refine it on its own.

However, this Cui Family martial art started from the dantian, traveled up the spine, branched out into the eight extraordinary meridians, and finally returned to the dantian in a continuous cycle, possessing a complete system for circulating internal energy.

It was as marvelous as the Dragon King bringing rain, with all rivers returning to the sea.

Chen Ye focused all his attention, trying repeatedly.

A moment later, the Pawn System panel abruptly appeared in his vision.

[Name: Chen Ye]
[Current Martial Arts: Foundation Cultivation Technique (Perfected), Return to Origin Art (Not yet initiated)]

Chen Ye's expression froze.

Had he successfully stolen the technique?