Liu Sansheng? Liu Sandao? The Father's Unknown Past

Liu Yunche sat across the table from Elder Lu. The table was laden with dishes, and Elder Lu had even brought out his own Tiger Heart Bone-Strengthening Wine.

He poured Liu Yunche half a cup. "Don't just focus on eating. Try this fine wine I brewed myself. It nourishes the blood, qi, tendons, and bones, and will greatly benefit your body cultivation."

He did not forget to explain, "It isn't that I'm being stingy. With your current physique, half a cup is the most you can drink."

The old man's eyes curved slightly as he glanced at him with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of teasing. He was clearly making fun of Liu Yunche's still-shallow physical foundation, which made it difficult for him to withstand the fierce medicinal power in the wine.

Liu Yunche lightly gripped the cup. The pale red wine was clear and bright, carrying a rich, mellow aroma along with a faint bitterness of herbs. Just smelling it made his blood and qi stir slightly.

He took a small sip. The wine slid down his throat, and a fiery burning sensation instantly erupted before transforming into a gentle warmth that slowly spread through his organs and meridians.

A moment later, Liu Yunche felt a warm, fiery force rise from his dantian, slowly traveling through the meridians of his entire body before finally gathering at his chest without dispersing.

The tendons and bones in his arms, which had been left aching and numb by their earlier exchange, gradually relaxed under the nourishment of that warmth.

The faint bronze gleam unique to the Copper Skin Realm also drifted beneath his skin along with the circulation of his blood and qi, soft yet resilient.

Elder Lu wore a warm smile, his eyes full of an elder's genuine concern for a junior:

"This is good stuff. One sip can save you several days of bitter cultivation."

"If my Bone Tempering Realm had not already reached completion, and my body could no longer benefit from such medicinal power, I would not have brought out this wine to entertain you."

"Sadly, I am already advanced in years. My vitality declines with each passing day, and in this lifetime, I will never glimpse the mysteries of the Blood Exchange Realm."

At this point, he let out a soft sigh. His fingers paused as he filled his cup, then he tipped his head back and drained it in one gulp. A layer of unconcealable loneliness and regret instantly clouded his formerly gentle eyes.

He no longer used the small wine cup, instead casually lifting the wine jar beside him and slowly drinking straight from its mouth.

A little wine spilled down the side of the jar, soaking the brown front of his robe, but he did not notice. His eyes held only the desolation of unfulfilled ambition.

He sighed deeply, his tone both an earnest warning to the junior before him and a wistful lament for his own past.

"A martial artist's blood and qi peak lasts only thirty or forty years. Once one passes one's prime, blood and qi gradually decline, vitality slowly fades, and it becomes impossible to open the gates of the Blood Exchange Realm. One's martial path will end there."

"You are young, talented, and have a solid foundation. You must cultivate diligently while you can, and break through the Blood Exchange bottleneck while your blood and qi are at their peak. Only then can you travel far upon the long road of martial arts."

At that moment, Elder Lu was no longer an elder of the Martial Academy who held great authority. He was simply a kind elder patiently guiding a junior.

Liu Yunche steadily raised his cup with both hands, his expression solemn as he bowed slightly to Elder Lu.

"Elder, I will engrave every word of your heartfelt advice in my heart."

After saying that, he drained the remaining bone-strengthening wine in his cup in a single gulp, showing his deepest respect.

Before long, the wine's powerful medicinal strength erupted completely within his body. Liu Yunche immediately felt his blood and qi churning without end, while unbearable heat swept through his entire body.

He hurriedly sat cross-legged and focused his mind, clearing away stray thoughts as he slowly guided his inner breath through a full cycle, accelerating his absorption and refinement of the Tiger Heart Bone-Strengthening Wine's medicinal power.

Watching from the side, Elder Lu could not help but smile and shake his head. His mischievous, old-child nature surfaced once more as he laughed aloud.

"Young people are young people. No matter how steady your temperament is, you still lack a bit of thorough consideration when matters arise. You were too hasty."

The feast between the two continued for two hours. Only when the sun tilted westward and the horizon was dyed in a brilliant fiery red sunset did Elder Lu nod in satisfaction.

During that time, Elder Lu carefully explained skin polishing and flesh training to Liu Yunche from beginning to end, tying everything together. From cultivation techniques to common pitfalls and taboos, he omitted nothing.

Alone beneath the fiery red sunset that filled the sky, Liu Yunche slowly walked toward the alley west of the Martial Academy.

With his eyes lowered as he walked, Elder Lu's earnest words of guidance echoed repeatedly in his mind, and clarity suddenly dawned within him.

"Skin polishing cultivates the outer skin's defensive power, tempering the skin across the entire body until it transforms. At the initial stage, the skin shines brilliantly. Copper skin, iron skin, and silver skin are all like this."

"Once one reaches greater depths, one must return to simplicity, completely restraining all sharpness and becoming ordinary. That is the Jade Skin Realm. This level can only be encountered by chance."

"Flesh training cultivates the strength of the flesh within, tempering the body's internal channels until they become long-lasting and flexible."

"Only when skin and flesh unite, when inside and outside become one whole, can one resist the slashing of ordinary weapons. At greater depths, one can even withstand the assault of water and fire."

"In ancient times, this realm was called the Water-Fire Immortal Garment."

"Hm? Brother Liu." A gentle, calm voice abruptly pulled Liu Yunche's drifting thoughts back to reality.

Following the voice, Liu Yunche raised his eyes and saw Li Xuansheng standing at the entrance of the alley. He wore moon-white and blue robes, with gentle features and a humble expression.

A middle-aged man stood beside him, tall and upright, his features seventy percent similar to Li Xuansheng's.

The man carried an added air of stern authority born from long holding a high position. The martial aura faintly emanating from him was steady and heavy.

Li Xuansheng turned slightly sideways and lowered his voice as he reported softly to the middle-aged man beside him, "Father, this is Liu Yunche, whom I mentioned to you before."

"The one from the eastern part of the city?" The middle-aged man's voice was deep and carried unquestionable authority. His gaze swept indifferently across Liu Yunche, naturally bringing a sense of pressure.

Li Xuansheng nodded lightly, his tone certain. "Yes."

The middle-aged man named Li Qinwu stepped closer. His tall body blocked out the evening glow behind him.

A vast shadow immediately fell over Liu Yunche. The restrained martial pressure around Li Qinwu slowly spread out. Though he did not deliberately make trouble, even the air around them seemed to congeal.

His sharp, blade-like gaze fell directly upon Liu Yunche as he asked in a deep voice, "Are you Liu Sansheng's son?"

Liu Yunche's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Though his face remained calm, waves of confusion rose in his heart.

The father who had raised him since childhood had always been called Liu Wangzhou. He had never heard the name Liu Sansheng before, and for a moment, he did not know how to answer.

Just as he fell silent in thought, a calm and steady voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Liu Sansheng is your father's name."

Liu Yunche abruptly turned around and saw Elder Lu strolling toward them at an unhurried pace.

His aura was peaceful, yet he possessed an innate bearing. He happened to stop at Liu Yunche's side, quietly blocking more than half of that pressure.

Elder Lu's gaze swept lightly over Li Qinwu before turning to Liu Yunche. He continued in an even tone.

"Besides that, your father has another name in the martial world: Liu Sandao. It means that when facing an enemy, he only needs three strikes of his blade to secure victory and end the battle."

For a moment, the narrow alley fell inexplicably silent. Only the evening wind swept past, stirring small specks of dust.

Liu Yunche's expression remained calm and composed, without the slightest loss of bearing, but turbulent currents had long been surging in his heart. His father's unfamiliar past had stirred wave after wave within him.

Seeing this, Li Qinwu's expression grew somewhat bored. He gave Elder Lu a slight nod in greeting, then turned and gestured to Li Xuansheng. The two of them left together.

As he passed Liu Yunche, Li Xuansheng still wore his gentle smile. He cupped his hands and bowed to him, every movement humble and polite.

Liu Yunche also composed himself, raising his hand to return the gesture with calm and impeccable courtesy.

After leaving the alley, Li Qinwu instructed his son, "In the future, when dealing with that boy from the Liu Household, remember to keep an extra eye open."

"Father, why is that?" Li Xuansheng asked, quite puzzled.

Looking at Li Xuansheng's gentle, refined, and courteous appearance, Li Qinwu could not help but sigh.

"I should never have listened to your uncle and let you study literature while practicing martial arts."

"You do not look like a martial artist at all now."

At that moment, Li Qinwu was no longer a powerful elder of the Martial Academy, but merely an endlessly worried old father.

"Father, studying literature can enlighten the mind and enrich the spirit. This child feels that I have become much wiser than before," Li Xuansheng argued confidently.

Seeing him like this, Li Qinwu's anger flared as he shouted, "The world is growing increasingly chaotic. Without sufficient martial strength, how will you protect yourself? With the principles you learned from books?"

"You study diligently and revere the sages, but when you encounter danger, will those sages save your life?"

"Great Qian's preference for martial arts over literature is already old news. Look at the Literary Academy. It is said to stand alongside the Martial Academy, but how many children of Aristocratic Clans attend it? Mostly people from the lower classes and those without talent for martial arts."

Li Xuansheng fell silent. Seeing this, Li Qinwu said nothing further.

The two continued down the road. After quite some time, Li Xuansheng finally spoke. "Father, you still have not explained why I should be wary of Liu Yunche."

Li Qinwu snorted. He had not wanted to explain, but the words rose to his lips before he swallowed them back down, sighing inwardly.

"Do you know why his father was called Liu Sansheng?"

Li Xuansheng pondered for a moment before slowly replying.

"Was it because one examines oneself three times a day?"

Li Qinwu could not stand the occasional scholarly phrases that popped out of his son's mouth. A vein on his forehead twitched almost imperceptibly.

"It was because he is overly cautious. Before doing anything, he always asks himself three questions."

"Are my trump cards sufficient?"

"If I fail, have I prepared a way out?"

"Can I hide in the shadows and have someone else do it for me?"

After hearing those few sentences, Li Xuansheng remained speechless for a long while. "There is actually... such a person in this world?"

Li Qinwu warned him again, "Since Liu Yunche is Liu Sansheng's son, you must keep an extra eye open in everything you do."

As he said this, his gaze sharpened, as though he had suffered at Liu Sansheng's hands before. He said in a low voice, "Liu Sansheng has now revealed that he is at the completed Bone Tempering Realm. Hmph... I'm the first one who doesn't believe it. That old bastard is definitely fishing again."

"That man is sinister and cunning. You should stay away from him in the future." He paused, then added earnestly, "Read fewer of those useless books and put more thought into martial arts."

"Father, this child understands." Li Xuansheng cupped his hands in acknowledgment, every movement humble and courteous, like a true gentleman.