Assassination Attempt Fails (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

At night.

Only the candles along the passageways remained lit in the imperial prison.

Xu Xing hid in the shadows at the corner of his cell and began attempting to cultivate the Rock Heart Method.

"Close your eyes, still your mind, and sit. Clench firm, quiet your thoughts, and guard the spirit..."

"Knock your teeth thirty-six times; hear it through twenty-four rounds..."

He sat in meditation patiently, beginning to sense the qi sensation described in the manual.

According to Chang Ji, martial cultivation in this world was divided into two paths: body tempering and internal cultivation.

The former tempered the physique, strengthened the five viscera and six bowels, trained the organs and cleansed the marrow. What it cultivated was moving practice.

The latter focused primarily on cultivating internal qi.

There was no inherent superiority between the two methods of martial cultivation. It was merely that internal qi techniques were rarely passed down, while external practitioners who trained the body often relied on their hot-blooded courage, delighting in battle and brutality. In doing so, they excessively consumed the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit within their bodies, gradually falling behind internal practitioners...

"Though internal cultivation is divided into the major realms of Qi Sensing, Body Nurturing, True Preservation, Innate, and Grandmaster, once one successfully senses that elusive qi sensation, one can directly enter the Body Nurturing realm..."

"Body Nurturing refines essence and secures the origin..."

"It can replenish the body's primordial qi..."

"That is why Chang Ji has not died after three years. At least ninety percent of the essence and qi from the food he eats can be refined, while even if I feast on fish and meat, I can refine no more than thirty percent."

Xu Xing's mind gradually emptied.

But after roughly two or three hours, both legs had gone numb from sitting.

Still, no qi sensation had arisen within his body.

He opened his eyes and sighed.

"Seeking transcendent power truly isn't easy."

"Martial arts are too difficult."

Xu Xing rubbed his sore, swollen legs and stopped meditating.

"Lord Xu."

"Qi sensation does not arise so easily."

"For ordinary people to practice martial arts, it takes at least half a month before they can develop qi sensation. And that is with guidance from a renowned master. You are not young anymore. From what I can see, your innate foundation is neither good nor bad. You are no genius."

Seeing Clerk Wu, who was keeping watch, beginning to snore, Chang Ji leaned closer and spoke softly.

"I won't beat around the bush with you."

"I passed the Rock Heart Method on to you in repayment for bringing me food, but further guidance will require a price..."

"I am confident I can help you develop qi sensation within seven days."

Chang Ji smiled, his words brimming with confidence.

The Rock Heart Method was merely bait to hook Xu Xing.

Now that Xu Xing knew the Rock Heart Method could extend his lifespan and replenish his deficiencies, how could a man who had found the will to live possibly abandon this final life-saving straw?

"General Chang."

"Though this humble official has suffered an undeserved injustice, my loyal heart can be witnessed by the sun and moon."

Xu Xing froze slightly at the words, then put on a solemn expression.

Sure enough, just as he had expected, Chang Ji had not given him the Rock Heart Method out of good intentions.

If he truly had no way out, being controlled by another would not be impossible.

But he already had a plan in mind.

He would try it first. If... it did not work, it would not be too late to form an alliance with Chang Ji.

With that thought, Xu Xing gave Chang Ji a half-eaten chicken leg and said mildly, "General Chang, thunder and rain alike are Heaven's grace. His Majesty may have been deceived by treacherous ministers, but beneath the bright sky, His Majesty is the true dragon and Son of Heaven. One day, he will surely distinguish right from wrong and restore innocence to you and me..."

"Innocence?"

Chang Ji rolled his eyes at Xu Xing.

He might as well have said outright, "As if I'd believe that nonsense."

Still, after accepting the chicken leg, he did not immediately eat it. Instead, he dropped to his knees, raised his voice, and cried "The Son of Heaven is wise" three times. He kowtowed three times, then finally began gnawing at the chicken leg in huge bites.

"The Son of Heaven is wise."

Xu Xing likewise cupped his hands toward the direction of the imperial city in salute.

"Gentlemen."

"It is late. You should rest early."

Clerk Wu, who had been sleeping sprawled over his desk, had somehow awoken. Seeing Chang Ji and Xu Xing each proclaiming loyalty to the Chongming Emperor, he could not help but smile bitterly. He stepped forward to separate them and said.

After falling asleep.

Xu Xing once again descended into the instance world.

Jingyang County.

A farmhouse in the suburbs.

After reading the Guangtong Gazette at the academy, Xu Xing learned that, following their failed assassination attempt on Governor Fang Yun, Master Ma and the others had brought the hand-copied Rock Heart Method to this temporary Filial Righteousness Hall hideout.

The Guangtong Gazette was a newspaper founded by Censor Song Bolu in the twenty-second year of the Guangxu era.

Censor Song and President Liu of Taste Classics Academy were close friends.

Thus, within Taste Classics Academy, many students did Censor Song a favor by subscribing to the Guangtong Gazette.

Censor Song also came to Taste Classics Academy from time to time to give lectures.

Yesterday's Guangtong Gazette had carried the news of rebels attempting to assassinate Governor Fang Yun.

They had not seen each other for nearly a month.

Xu Xing's bearing had changed greatly.

He looked more like a scholar steeped in books.

The moment he entered, the two Elder Brothers Society men guarding the courtyard raised their blades across his throat.

"I'm Xu Xing—Xing the kid..."

At once, Xu Xing hurriedly pulled out his "membership pass."

A membership pass, also known as a "cloth pass," was an internal credential of the Elder Brothers Society, printed on silk. The words "Elder Brothers" did not appear on it; instead, it bore special patterns and had its own method of identification.

"Xing the kid?"

"How did you... how did you really turn into a scholar?"

The two men at the gate carefully looked Xu Xing over, clicking their tongues in amazement.

"After three days apart, one must look at a man with new eyes."

"I ranked pretty well in the academy exams this time—somewhere in the one-hundred-twenties. Don't look down on that ranking. You should know there are eighty-three xiucai masters in the academy..."

Xu Xing deliberately put on a smug look as he bragged to the two men.

Rites did not extend to commoners; punishments did not rise to great officials.

The beginning of ritual lay in making clear the distinction between noble and lowly.

So if he truly started lecturing these two men on rites and propriety, putting on the airs of a scholar, he would be cutting himself off from the Elder Brothers Society...

On the contrary, this little bit of showing off made it easier for him to blend in with the brothers.

"Haha..."

"You brat, maybe someday you'll become a xiucai master—or even a juren master."

"Master Ma's inside tending to his wounds. Go on in."

The brothers heard Xu Xing open his mouth and immediately felt that he was easy to get along with, not much different from before. Yet they each took his "results" to heart. Beyond their admiration for Xu Xing, they also felt considerably closer to him.

"I bought some frost sugar and pastries."

"They're for Er Lengzi and Shuangou..."

Xu Xing took several oil-paper packets of frost sugar from his robe and stuffed them into the two brothers' hands.

When giving gifts to the brothers, it was better to give them to their children.

"Didn't expect you to still remember them."

The way the two brothers looked at Xu Xing grew a few shades more affectionate.

They now regarded him like a younger nephew.

After the small talk ended.

Xu Xing approached the bedroom beside the main hall.

The moment he entered, an intensely strong smell of medicinal broth hit him.

Master Ma lay half-reclined on the kang, his right shoulder wrapped layer upon layer in cloth strips. Beside the edge of the kang lay the strips that had been changed out. Every one of them was stained with blood. The blood had dried, a horrifying sight to behold.

"No matter how high your martial arts are, they can't beat bullets."

"I was already close to that Mongol Tatar. But sadly... his foreign rifle squad was too accurate."

Upon seeing Xu Xing, Master Ma explained the reason for his injury.