In the afternoon, I helped the butcher with some odd jobs. By evening, I returned to Notting Academy.
I got a Silver Spirit Coin from Wang Sheng and the others for cleaning the academy that day, then went to eat.
After a long, tiring day, everyone wanted to turn in early.
Qin Qi lay down on his bed and entered the Study Space. He told Tang Jiaren about what had happened that day.
"Slaughtering pigs is a fine craft. It trains your eyes, your hands, and your state of mind. Most importantly, it makes money."
Tang Jiaren burst out laughing when he heard this. He looked at the Pig-Slaughtering Knife Qin Qi had brought in, reached out, took it, and casually flourished it in a quick, spinning flourish.
"When it comes to pig-slaughtering knife techniques, Uncle Ying is the one to learn from. He's one of the few knife experts in our Tang Sect."
"His knife work is so masterful, it's like magic."
Uncle Ying, whom Tang Jiaren mentioned, was an elder of the Tang Sect. He was different from the other members of the sect.
He specialized in knife techniques, and when he was young, he'd made a name for himself out in the world with nothing but a knife.
Uncle Ying was also one of the few people in the Tang Sect at the time with such a senior rank.
"Granduncle, seeing the way you handle that knife, do you know knife techniques too?"
Qin Qi watched the Pig-Slaughtering Knife flashing in Tang Jiaren's hand and tentatively asked.
"I'm no good. When I was young, I learned a little about slaughtering pigs and chickens."
"You can't really call that knife technique."
Tang Jiaren replied.
"Granduncle, I want to learn this!"
Qin Qi looked at Tang Jiaren. He knew that when the other man said he'd learned a little, it probably hadn't been as simple as that.
"Hmm... all right."
Tang Jiaren looked at Qin Qi, a thoughtful expression on his face. Qin Qi had already learned quite a lot.
In just a few days, he'd learned the Five Treasures Body Protection Method, Qi Poison, and Poison Miasma. Tang Jiaren worried that Qin Qi might not have enough energy for more.
But after thinking it over, he agreed.
"There aren't any pigs for you to slaughter here, but I can teach you some formulas and insights first."
"What do you think is the most important thing about slaughtering a pig?"
Tang Jiaren looked at Qin Qi and asked.
"The most important thing is... I honestly don't know."
Qin Qi froze for a moment. He'd watched people slaughter pigs, but he'd never actually done it himself.
"Some people would say it's ruthlessness. You have to be able to bring yourself to do it, and kill the pig with a single stroke."
"Some would say it's accuracy. You have to strike true so you can divide up the meat properly."
"Others would say it's speed. A fast knife is sharp, and a sharp knife can slice through flesh with ease."
"All three are right. But beyond those, the most important thing is familiarity—familiarity with the pig's anatomy."
As Tang Jiaren spoke, he began swinging the Pig-Slaughtering Knife. As he worked, he explained the different parts of a pig to Qin Qi.
He described exactly how to distinguish each part, where to cut, and what method to use.
Watching Tang Jiaren's movements, Qin Qi suddenly seemed to see a pig beneath his knife.
The pig was expertly butchered. As Qin Qi watched, a phrase suddenly sprang to mind.
"Like Cook Ding carving an ox?"
Qin Qi asked.
"Exactly. Whether it's a pig, a chicken, or even a person, if you want to kill it, you first have to know how."
"You know the story of the Old Man Who Sold Oil, right? It's the same with killing: 'Nothing but practice makes perfect.'"
In no time at all, Tang Jiaren had finished butchering the pig. He handed the Pig-Slaughtering Knife to Qin Qi.
"You try."
Tang Jiaren said.
"Let me try..."
Qin Qi looked around the empty Study Space and gave a wry smile. "Granduncle, don't tease me. I can't do it."
"You know every step of slaughtering a pig, and you know its anatomy inside and out. I don't know anything, so I wouldn't even know where to begin."
"Mm. I know you can't do it. I just wanted to see whether you could recognize that."
"Once you know you can't do something, you can learn it. The thing people fear most isn't not knowing how; it's not knowing how and not realizing it."
Tang Jiaren looked at Qin Qi, nodded, and spoke.
"Observation Method means looking. You don't just look outward—you look inward, too."
"Every sect has its own way of observing. In our Tang Sect, outer observation and inner observation go hand in hand."
Tang Jiaren sensed the moment was right and began formally explaining the technique he intended to teach Qin Qi.
[Ding, gained insights from Tang Jianguan, Credits +10]
Qin Qi listened attentively. Observation had no combat power of its own, but it was the best technique for supporting combat.
"Outer Observation lets you observe people, objects, and hearts. Once you've learned it, you'll instantly understand anyone's physical structure when you see them."
"When fighting someone, it'll be like Cook Ding carving an ox. You'll know their every move inside and out."
"Observation of Objects lets you know the trajectories of any hidden weapon or object as clearly as if they were written in front of you. When you strike, you won't need to think. You'll instinctively aim for the enemy's vital weaknesses."
"Observation of Heart lets you see through the other person's thoughts and find the flaws in their reasoning."
Tang Jiaren continued.
"Observation... it's not really about looking with your eyes, is it?"
Qin Qi suddenly asked.
"You've got a fine talent. You noticed that just from listening to me once."
"Observation means seeing, but not with your eyes. It's a sense. Even with my eyes closed, I can see everything around me."
"I can even 'see' things my eyes can't."
Hearing Qin Qi's question, Tang Jiaren nodded in approval. Qin Qi had grasped the essence of Observation.
Many people thought Observation simply meant looking, so when they studied it, they focused too much on their eyes.
But in truth, it was a kind of sense.
"I understand Outer Observation. What about Inner Observation?"
Qin Qi asked.
"Inner Observation means looking at your own body and thoughts. As an assassin of the Tang Sect, you have to completely conceal your presence and emotions when carrying out an assassination."
"There are special methods for hiding your presence, but I won't explain those yet. I'll teach you how to conceal your emotions."
"As long as you're alive, thoughts will arise. Thoughts lead to ideas, and ideas make your emotions fluctuate."
"It's impossible to suppress them. The Tang Sect's method of concealment is to transcend all thoughts."
"Let them pass through your heart without engaging with them, and act from a detached state."
As Tang Jiaren spoke, his aura began to change. Qin Qi noticed at once that something was different.
"Your feeling changed!"
Qin Qi looked at Tang Jiaren. At that moment, he felt as if the person before him were a withered tree or a weathered stone.
"Some protective treasures made by artificers can detect hostility and activate in response."
"But if they encounter an assassin from our Tang Sect, those protective treasures are useless, because when we kill, there's no hostility or killing intent."
Tang Jiaren emerged from that state and spoke.
"Granduncle, I want to learn this!"
Qin Qi could feel the difference now. Qi Poison and Poison Miasma could still be considered techniques for dealing with enemies.
But this Observation Method was steeped in killing intent. At its very core, it was meant to make killing faster!
"Easy now. I'll teach you to slaughter pigs first. As you do that, you can slowly learn Observation."
Tang Jiaren smiled and continued teaching Qin Qi how to slaughter pigs. Cultivation didn't always have to be profound.
You could learn Observation while slaughtering pigs. That was one of the characteristics of Chinese sects: they stayed close to everyday life.
It was like the reason temples didn't eat meat back then. There was no special reason—they were simply poor and couldn't afford it.