Miscellaneous Records of the Bai Sea

Hong Yuan was easygoing by nature and did not dwell in sorrow over Yang Lie and Wu Duxiong's departure.

The morning flew by as he practiced the Tiger-Subduing Stance, trained his guiding exercises, and drilled the Seven Waves-Breaking Slashes.

His root bone was exceptional, and his comprehension was high. With every practice session, he could feel himself improving little by little. A single gain might not be obvious, but small gains amassed into plenty, grains of sand piled into a tower, and eventually they would bear sweet, abundant fruit.

What was more, Hong Yuan's diligent training would, in turn, improve his root bone and comprehension.

He was practically stepping on his right foot with his left and spiraling into the heavens.

Although Hong Yuan had told the apprentices they could come to him with any difficulties, they could not shake their fear of him so soon, and none came to disturb him.

Of the three whom Hong Yuan had given some "instruction," the young man with protruding ears and the short, stocky fellow woke up, only to find the others' mocking gazes unbearable. They timidly asked Hong Yuan for two days off, then slunk out of the Martial Arts Hall.

Only Meng Yue managed to keep his composure. After applying medicine to his injuries, he trained even harder.

Before long, the sun tilted westward, and afternoon arrived.

In the rear courtyard of the Martial Arts Hall, Yang Erhu stood with his hands behind his back and looked at Hong Yuan. "Yesterday, I taught you stance training and guiding exercises. Today, I'll teach you the Tiger-Subduing Fist and the Tiger Roar Breathing Method!"

"First, the Tiger-Subduing Fist!"

Yang Erhu assumed the Tiger-Subduing Stance and slowly spread into his fighting posture, like a fierce tiger perched high upon a mountain crag. Suddenly, he lunged to kill, stirring a savage gust as his fists whipped through the air.

"Though the Tiger-Subduing Fist is called a fist art, it can use fists, palms, claws, or even weapons!"

"Hungry Tiger Pounces on Prey!"

"Black Tiger Scoops the Heart!"

"Fierce Tiger Clips the Tail!"

"Tiger Claw Probes the Clouds!"

Yang Erhu darted, leaped, and shifted with incredible speed, as though he had truly transformed himself into a great tiger. His fists, palms, and claws whistled through the air, every move fierce and ruthless, carrying howling gusts of force.

At last, like a tiger leaping a mountain ravine, he sprang more than twenty feet to the weapon rack. With a slap and a lift of his palm, a long spear flew into his hand.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The spear seemed to come alive in Yang Erhu's hand, swift as a raging storm and moving like a dancing flood dragon. Amid the thick killing intent, silver light flashed like lightning, piercing straight through a jujube-wood post as thick as a thigh and burying the spearhead within it.

The jujube-wood post trembled violently.

Yang Erhu had already finished his movements. He exhaled a stream of white vapor and looked at Hong Yuan. "Well?"

"I've memorized the general outline!"

"Excellent!" Having already witnessed Hong Yuan's outrageous speed at learning martial arts, Yang Erhu was not surprised. Still, he could not help marveling inwardly at how wonderful it was to have a disciple of extraordinary talent. Had he taken in someone dull, it might have taken ten days or half a month just to grasp the basics of stance training.

He took an old booklet from inside his robe. Its black hemp-cloth cover had been worn pale. Solemnly, he handed it to Hong Yuan.

"This booklet contains the Tiger-Subduing Fist and the Tiger Roar Breathing Method. They are our school's secret teachings. You must not pass them on without permission."

Hong Yuan nodded, then asked in surprise, "Master, you actually carry this booklet around with you? What if you lose it?"

"I only brought it today because I was going to teach you. Normally, I have somewhere to keep it." Yang Erhu waved a hand, then pointed at his head. "Besides, I already know its contents inside out. Losing it wouldn't matter much."

"Heh heh!" A mischievous smile appeared on Yang Erhu's face. "If someone picked this booklet up, or killed me and seized it, then thought they could learn anything from it, they'd be sorely mistaken. Open it and have a look!"

Hong Yuan opened it as instructed. The illustrations of the Tiger-Subduing Fist's moves at the front seemed ordinary enough, but when he turned to the breathing method at the back, his brows repeatedly knitted.

What the hell was all this?

"Three taels and seven mace of sesame," "half a catty of tiger bone," "three pulls of the bellows," "seven poundings of the mortar," and so on left him lost in a fog.

"These are coded phrases. 'Three pulls of the bellows' means three quick inhalations followed by three slow exhalations. Any martial school with a little heritage uses plenty of obscure, difficult codes in its secret teachings. Those tales where someone picks up a martial arts manual and immediately becomes an expert are nothing but the ravings of pedantic scholars."

Yang Erhu gave a scornful chuckle.

"The Tiger-Subduing Fist itself isn't much. The breathing method is what matters. Without it, the Tiger-Subduing Fist is merely a bit of punching and kicking. Only by using the breathing method to direct the Tiger-Subduing Fist can you cultivate Tiger-Subduing Force!" Yang Erhu added.

Next, Yang Erhu explained each coded phrase to Hong Yuan. Once he was certain Hong Yuan had memorized them all, he retired to his reclining chair and leisurely watched him practice the fist art and breathing method.

A little over an hour passed before an apprentice suddenly called out, "Hall Master, a gentleman surnamed Qin has come to visit. He says he needs to see you."

The apprentice did not dare enter the inner courtyard and only called loudly from the corridor.

"Surnamed Qin... Master Qin?!"

Yang Erhu sprang to his feet and darted into the corridor. A short while later, Hong Yuan caught sight of Master Qin.

Compared with when he had first emerged from the Jade Wutong Immortal Realm, he looked even older. Wrinkles stood out on his face, streaks of white filled his hair, and even his figure seemed somewhat stooped.

Perhaps he had already had a premonition of Qin Ziyue's fate when Qin Ziyue disappeared, but he had still harbored a few unrealistic hopes.

Now those hopes had shattered, and the last of his spirit had drained away—died!

When the heart died, the spirit perished.

Looking at Master Qin now, the words "walking corpse" surfaced unbidden in Hong Yuan's mind.

Yang Erhu brought Master Qin into the main room to talk. Master Qin seemed utterly numb, following him inside like a marionette.

Hong Yuan practiced the breathing method, his mind and spirit united, and did not eavesdrop on their conversation.

Only a short while later, Master Qin emerged from the room. Declining Yang Erhu's offer to see him off, he shuffled out of the Martial Arts Hall one slow step at a time.

Afraid something might happen to him, Yang Erhu sent an apprentice after him with instructions to watch him safely home. Then he returned to the rear courtyard, sighing heavily.

He held an oilcloth bundle in his right hand. Before Hong Yuan could ask, he spoke first. "Master Qin came to say goodbye. He said he was returning to his hometown to build a cenotaph for Zi Yue beside his wife's grave. He won't be coming back."

Yang Erhu and Master Qin had known each other for twenty years. Sending Wu Duxiong and Yang Lie off that morning had stirred no sorrow at parting, but now he could not help feeling melancholy.

Hong Yuan could not share his feelings, so he changed the subject, pointing at the oilcloth bundle. "Master, what's that?"

"I don't know either. Master Qin gave it to me before he left." Yang Erhu shook his head and weighed it lightly in his hand. "Some sort of book, perhaps? Doesn't Master Qin know that reading gives this old Yang a headache?"

The edges of the oilcloth were filthy and badly worn, clearly showing its age. Despite his troubled expression, Yang Erhu carefully unfolded it, beckoning to Hong Yuan. "Come over and have a look too!"

Soon, the oilcloth was opened. Inside was indeed a thread-bound book. Its pages had yellowed, and some corners even bore traces of insect damage. The cover was badly worn, with only a few blurred ink characters faintly visible.

Yang Erhu stared wide-eyed for a long time but still could not make out the characters. He could only toss the book to Hong Yuan. "Your eyes are good. See what that says."

Hong Yuan accepted it without ceremony. Focusing his gaze slightly, he read, "Bai Sea... Miscellaneous Records of the Bai Sea?"

Miscellaneous records?!

A collection of supernatural tales and strange accounts?

But why would Master Qin give Yang Erhu a book like this?

Hong Yuan felt there was more to it. He immediately opened the book and found that the writing inside was untidy, with many hastily scrawled passages. It was actually a handwritten manuscript.

Many pages were damaged or incomplete, but some text remained legible. Hong Yuan spotted a passage recording a strange incident in a place called Yonghe County.

"Over a hundred county residents suddenly contracted withered blood disease, their faces like dead wood, coughing up flakes like sawdust... Rumor attributed it to a Fox Immortal claiming lives, or ghostly soldiers passing through and feeding upon human vital essence."

It really was a record of supernatural tales?!

Frowning, Hong Yuan turned the pages one by one. When he reached the final few pages, his fingers suddenly stopped.

"Blood Pact Talisman: the bearer of this talisman can sense the whereabouts of blood relatives within a radius of over two hundred feet! Its method of creation is as follows... Choose an elm at least ten years old, using the inner bark from its sun-facing side or thin sheepskin parchment as the talisman base... Take fresh blood from a deer's heart, a little powdered cinnabar, and one tael of rootless water..."