"Ahem..." Huang Shizhen withdrew his hand from their contact and coughed heavily twice, spitting out a glob of thick, blood-streaked phlegm.
"Daoist Huang, are you all right?" Chen Jue naturally noticed something was wrong and hurried forward to support Huang Shizhen as his body went limp.
Just then, Liu Shiqing returned to the courtyard after going out to close the gate. He saw that Huang Shizhen, who had been so full of vigor moments before, now had a face as yellow as ceremonial gold paper. Both his feet had sunk ankle-deep into the courtyard's rammed yellow earth.
Although this sort of rammed yellow earth was not as hard as proper floor tiles, it was made using a special traditional technique. Rain did not turn it muddy, and a hammer left no mark. Pressing a hand against it felt much like pressing against stone.
This kind of flooring could be found in old rural houses during childhood, but it had now all but disappeared. Perhaps it could still be seen in some old homes deep in the mountains.
Yet Huang Shizhen had actually compressed this rammed yellow earth beneath his feet, leaving two footprints three inches deep. That alone showed how terrifying the force unleashed during their hand contact had been.
"Martial Uncle!" Liu Shiqing rushed forward anxiously, calling out with concern, thinking Huang Shizhen had disrupted his breathing while practicing.
"Ahem... I'm fine... Shiqing, go get that jar of Toad Jade Ointment from the first row of cabinets, and bring a bottle of medicinal liniment..." Huang Shizhen coughed twice more before Chen Jue helped him settle heavily into a grand armchair in the courtyard.
Although he had suffered internal injuries, his eyes remained exceptionally bright as he looked at Chen Jue and murmured, "Hear the Dao in the morning, and