Taiji Toad-Catching Skill

But the strange thing was that although Lian Youming was too stuffed to eat another bite, that terrifying hunger had only eased slightly. It had not vanished completely and was still relentlessly tormenting his nerves, forcing him to keep eating.

It was as though he had eaten no food at all, merely filled his belly with air that did nothing to stave off hunger.

But Lian Youming knew he could not eat any more. Whether or not it satisfied his hunger, his stomach and intestines certainly could not take it. The food was practically up to his throat already. He could hardly eat himself to death.

Ignoring everyone else's horrified looks, he laboriously shuffled back to the dormitory with his bulging belly, returned to bed, and pulled the covers over himself. Amid the torment and pain, he drifted off without realizing it.

The moment he closed his eyes, Lian Youming felt alternately hot and cold. Strange dreams filled his mind, all of them about food.

He had no idea how long he slept.

"Brother Lian, are you all right? Wake up! Hurry, wake up!"

"What? What happened?"

Hearing the calls beside his ear, Lian Youming opened his eyes blankly, his lips smacking twice out of reflex.

Only once his eyes were open did he see the crowd gathered in the dormitory.

Platoon Leader Yang, who had escorted Liu Dabiao down the mountain, had returned too. Everyone was watching him with concern.

Third Brother Xie was also nearby, holding a pipe and taking an occasional puff. An inscrutable gleam shone in his eyes beneath the lamplight before he said casually, "He's fine now. Probably ate something he shouldn't have during the day."

Lian Youming came to his senses and realized that darkness had deepened outside the window. It was already night.

"What happened to me?"

Platoon Leader Yang said irritably, "What happened? You've been asleep for over ten hours! Your belly was swollen like a ball, and we couldn't wake you no matter how hard we tried. I thought you were a goner. Didn't I tell you to stop messing around and get some proper rest? What have you done this time? What on earth did you eat?"

At the mention of his belly, Lian Youming's expression abruptly changed, and he sprang up from the bed.

But Platoon Leader Yang held him by both shoulders and said sternly, "I'm not finished yet. You're going to get some proper rest. You won't have to do any work at the Logging Camp for now. You... what's wrong?"

Everyone saw Lian Youming's face suddenly turn white, then blue, then visibly flush red. They all grew nervous.

Their stint in the countryside had barely begun. Why had there already been so many twists and turns?

Lian Youming's face tightened as he drew a deep breath. "Quick, stop holding me down. Let me out first."

Platoon Leader Yang was a born-and-bred northeasterner, honest and deeply responsible. Seeing Lian Youming still trying to go out in this condition, he sternly pressed him back onto the bed.

"You're not going anywhere. Just stay-"

Torment and a grimace had crept onto Lian Youming's face. "I can't hold it anymore."

Platoon Leader Yang froze. "Can't hold what?"

The next second, an indescribably loud fart erupted from beneath Lian Youming's backside.

Prrrt!

"Aw, hell!"

The crowd that had packed the room shoulder to shoulder instantly surged outside.

Lian Youming swept Platoon Leader Yang's hands aside and, without another word, charged for the latrine with his buttocks clenched.

He had eaten far too much during the day, especially all the things from every corner of the country in the dormitory. But the deadliest of all had been Wu Kui's two bags of roasted soybeans. He had chewed through every last one without thinking, and now his stomach sounded like a drum.

It was sheer torture.

Only after squatting in the latrine for over half an hour did Lian Youming emerge, his face ashen.

Yet instead of being alarmed, he was delighted.

Though it had put him through some trouble, it also proved that his earlier attempt had not been useless. Perhaps his method had been wrong.

According to those martial arts novels, one had to build a foundation before practicing martial arts. Since this breath-swallowing method mobilized the five energies, he naturally had to replenish his own essence and energy first.

But why was I still hungry after eating so much during the day? Did I not eat enough?

Recalling those dietary recipes, he gradually understood.

Perhaps he had eaten the wrong things.

Those recipes called for either meat from various wild beasts or rare medicinal ingredients, whereas everything he had eaten earlier had been coarse grains.

It seemed he would have to find a chance to test it.

Mulling this over, he returned to the dormitory.

Seeing Lian Youming's belly had gone down, Platoon Leader Yang first breathed a sigh of relief, then gave him a few more reminders before leaving.

Third Brother Xie, however, watched Lian Youming with a rather knowing look and said with a smile, "Get some proper rest. I'll come call you tomorrow morning."

The old bastard's gaze gave Lian Youming the creeps, but he answered without letting it show.

Now that he knew what the man really was, he was not afraid.

Once almost everyone had left, Lian Youming asked Wu Kui and the others, "How's Liu Dabiao?"

"Platoon Leader Yang said it's nothing serious. He'll be back after a couple of days' rest."

Wu Kui sat on his bed, soaking his stinking feet and engrossed in an old book of unknown title.

Yu Wen and Yu Wu had set up a chessboard by the window. As they played, they talked about the female educated youths they had met during the day, discussing one girl's single eyelids and another's double eyelids. They even remembered exactly how many moles the girls had on their faces.

Lian Youming was having a rough time. Now that his belly was empty, that hunger had returned, clawing at his insides.

Lying on the bed boards, he simply went back to pondering the contents of the Silk Brocade, then fell into a deep sleep.

Another night passed in the blink of an eye.

Lian Youming was in no hurry to practice with the Mountain-Guarding Old Man. The man was eccentric and mercurial. Who knew whether what he taught was good or bad? If he secretly sabotaged the training and something went wrong, Lian Youming might die without even knowing how.

But staying away was not an option either. Before going, however, he wanted to understand as much of the Silk Brocade as possible to avoid being duped.

After having some thin porridge at the dining hall, Lian Youming took his rifle and wandered into the woods.

Third Brother Xie seemed to have been waiting for him all along.

Looking at the old man's hunched back, Lian Youming fought down the urge to shoot him unawares.

The fact that the man still did not dare make a move showed how cunning he had grown with age. He probably would not expose himself until he had a certain chance of victory.

An idea came to Lian Youming. With his rifle on his back, he climbed an old tree and, while gathering pine nuts, said with an air of mystery, "Uncle Xie, let me ask you something."

Third Brother Xie was dressing a roe deer. At this, he looked over in puzzlement. "What is it?"

Lian Youming lowered his voice. "Is that old man behind the dining hall guarding some treasure?"

Third Brother Xie's expression barely shifted, but at those words, his pupils actually quivered. He seemed about to speak, but realizing he had betrayed himself, he lowered his head again. "Nonsense."

Seeing that the man was still playing dumb, Lian Youming sneered inwardly and put even more effort into his performance. "That man clearly hides his abilities, yet he's been content to stay here for decades. I'd say there's almost certainly treasure buried here. Besides, where are we? This is where the Qing dynasty rose to power. There might even be a buried treasure hoard."

He had thought up these words the night before. Going by the usual conventions of martial arts novels, there was a strong chance someone in this situation was guarding treasure.

Third Brother Xie scoffed. "Bullshit. We've been poor all our lives. We've never heard of any treasure. Don't go spouting nonsense."

Lian Youming shelled a few pine nuts and tossed them into his mouth, saying carelessly, "You're just uninformed, Uncle. Ever heard of tomb robbers? Those grave diggers can tell where a great tomb lies at a glance, using feng shui. As luck would have it, I'm an expert at locating burial sites through feng shui. Look at these mountains, rolling on and on like a coiling dragon. There might well be a tomb hidden here."

The more he talked, the more outlandish and convincing he sounded, spouting nonsense with a perfectly straight face.

But idle words could strike a listener deeply. Third Brother Xie's right hand abruptly stopped carving up the roe deer, as though it had frozen.

There was no way Lian Youming would miss that. His pupils contracted sharply, and towering waves of shock surged through him.

Had my random nonsense actually hit the mark?

Was there a tomb hidden in these mountains, and were these people after the treasures inside?

But what treasure could make these extraordinary people willingly sacrifice their entire lives to stay here?

Just as Third Brother Xie raised his head, Lian Youming unexpectedly changed the subject. "Uncle Xie, do you know martial arts?"

Third Brother Xie's gaze flickered. Only after a long pause did he say, "I learned a few moves from an old hunter in the village years ago."

Lian Youming merely looked intrigued, his expression serious. "I've seen a real master before. When he breathed in and out, it was like he was swallowing a little dragon. Tsk, several inches long. Unbelievably strange."

This time, Third Brother Xie's expression truly changed. His two unkempt eyebrows knitted together. "Where did you see that?"

Lian Youming nodded. "On the train when I was coming out here. He seemed to be coming to the northeast too."

He had decided to reveal this precisely to provoke the man a little.

None of them were any good anyway. Naturally, the muddier he made the waters, the better.

Sure enough, Third Brother Xie's expression shifted uncertainly, but in the end, he suppressed his reaction and walked off in another direction without a word.

For five straight days, Lian Youming ran into Third Brother Xie whenever he went hunting in the mountains during the day. Besides getting some meat for the educated youths at the Logging Camp, he kept finding ways to draw information out of him, especially about things he did not understand in his training. At night, he studied the Silk Brocade on his own. Going back and forth like this, he made some gains.

On the sixth night, after the dormitory lights had been put out, Lian Youming had just closed his eyes to the sound of the others snoring when he suddenly felt cold, followed by a tightening at his collar. By the time he reacted, he had already been hauled out from under his covers.

Wind whistled past his ears. Overhead, the moon shone bright among sparse stars, its pale light falling through the woods like a coating of cold frost.

The howling north wind struck his face, making it impossible to keep his eyes open.

Beneath the moon, a gaunt figure raced along with soundless steps, carrying someone in his hand.

By the time they stopped, Lian Youming had been pressed onto a thick tree stump.

The Mountain-Guarding Old Man stared at him darkly. "Boy, if there's one thing I've hated all my life, it's two-faced scum."

Lian Youming was lightly dressed in a sweater and padded trousers. The cold wind left him shivering, his teeth chattering. "Wh-who's two-faced? I've been feeling weak these past couple of days. Can't I recover first?"

The Mountain-Guarding Old Man wore black, his cheeks sunken and his eyes slightly bulging. With his white hair flying about, he looked like an old ghost from a grave beneath the moonlight, making Lian Youming's scalp prickle.

Old and young stared into each other's eyes. After a long silence, the Mountain-Guarding Old Man said hoarsely, "I sense an invisible murderous intent gathering at the foot of the mountain. Once the heavy snow seals the mountain off, those people will probably make their move."

Lian Youming huddled up, his face blue. "You can even sense that? You think you're an immortal?"

The Mountain-Guarding Old Man said nothing more. He merely pressed his hands to his knees and tilted his head toward the moon. His mouth and tongue opened and curled, and as his chest and abdomen rose and fell, several exceptionally clear Toad Croaks actually rang out from his throat.

Those Toad Croaks seemed to possess a miraculous penetrating power, soothing Lian Youming's agitated thoughts. Even the chill in his body seemed to recede considerably.

Lian Youming stared, wide-eyed and stunned. "What sort of technique is that?"

But the Mountain-Guarding Old Man's expression suddenly changed for no apparent reason. His white eyebrows rose, his eyes full of surprise. "It's only been a few days. How have you ended up so depleted of essence and energy? Have you been playing with yourself in secret?"

Lian Youming rolled his eyes. "I'm still a virgin. I don't concern myself with that stuff. A peerless genius like me is destined to become the greatest in the world. Why would I let romance hold me back?"

The Mountain-Guarding Old Man seemed to have figured out the carefree temperament of the youth before him. Narrowing his eyes, he mocked, "You've barely learned to throw a punch and caught your first glimpse of the Martial Way. You're like a mayfly gazing up at the blue heavens, yet you dare prattle about being the greatest in the world."

Lian Youming was freezing and had no interest in arguing. He urged impatiently, "Are you going to teach me a couple of your special techniques? Then hurry up."

The Mountain-Guarding Old Man's face twitched twice. Suddenly, he held out a hand. "Take hold."

Lian Youming wasted no words and did as instructed.

Yet the instant he gripped the old man's right hand, he felt a strange force sweep over him. For a moment, he seemed trapped in a swirling mire. He lost his balance at once and pitched onto the ground like a drunk.

Lian Youming landed hard and was about to curse, but sensing the ingenuity behind it, his eyes lit up. "Hey, that's pretty interesting."

The old man called to him, "Get up. What did you feel?"

Lian Youming climbed to his feet and answered without thinking, "Force."

The old man nodded. "Correct. Force is the key to advancing, retreating, attacking, and defending in internal martial arts. Your Eagle Claw Kung Fu may bear some superficial resemblance, but you understand nothing of the internal workings of releasing force. It's nothing but child's play."

Lian Youming's eyes shone as he held the old man's right hand and felt that peculiar force.

The circulation of this force also contained a certain rhythm. It seemed to coil like winding silk or whirl like a rapid vortex. Once caught by it, he was set spinning like a top.

Watching the youth's face fill with wonder and delight, his sincerity and eagerness as he became almost immersed in the mysteries of force, the old man's eyes could not help showing a trace of reminiscence. "Do you know what produces this Inner Strength?"

Previously, Lian Youming probably could not have answered that question. Now, however, how could he not know?

But aloud, he said, "No."

The old man continued, "A breathing method."

The Mountain-Guarding Old Man slowly raised his head, gazing at the bright moon above. Despite all the changes in the world, despite seas becoming fields, it had remained unchanged through the ages. His voice grew distant. "The human body harbors countless secrets, and every breath manifests those secrets. It is also the foundation of martial arts. It encompasses the principles of yin and yang, the workings of creation, the transformations of the five elements, and the mysteries of life and death. On the road to discovering the truth of the Martial Way, countless extraordinary geniuses have already fallen, and countless people's grand ambitions and lofty aspirations have been buried."

As Lian Youming listened to that low voice before him, the old man's right hand suddenly tightened, locking around his wrist. Then an indescribable aura spilled from that withered, aged body, like water and fire, like sudden thunder and swift lightning, like raging thunderbolts. It surged over him in an instant.

Lian Youming immediately felt his limbs flail, as though he were sinking into a mire. He was about to struggle when the Mountain-Guarding Old Man continued, "Focus. Calm your mind."

As the words left his mouth, the old man lifted his hand and swept it aside. Lian Youming's body, over six feet tall, was instantly carried into the air as though it weighed nothing, his limbs flailing like a spinning top.

Startled as he was, Lian Youming hurriedly steadied his mind.

That aged voice sounded beside his ear again. "Remember the length of each inhalation and exhalation. This is the Taiji Toad-Catching Skill."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lian Youming felt a strange rhythm pass through the point where their hands met. As though resonating with it, the muscles throughout his body began tightening and trembling, starting from his left arm and slowly spreading through every limb and bone, as if twisting everything into a single whole.

Even his bones made a series of crisp, strange sounds under that peculiar, miraculous rhythm.

"Gather your mind. Listen to my breathing."

The Mountain-Guarding Old Man stopped speaking, and his breathing quietly lengthened, now long, now short, rising and falling. His cheeks swelled incessantly as though he were a golden toad calling, and his belly bulged slightly. In an instant, a string of clear Toad Croaks rang out beneath the moon.

Listening to those Toad Croaks, Lian Youming felt his temples throb uncontrollably, his muscles trembling along with them.

Discomfort.

Pain.

But as he adjusted his breathing to match the Mountain-Guarding Old Man's rhythm, the pain of his twisting muscles gradually faded. It was as though he had gone from passive to active. Without needing the other man's guidance, every inhalation and exhalation could now produce changes within his body.

Once their breathing overlapped and their muscles trembled at the same frequency, Lian Youming discovered in surprise that he seemed much warmer.

The breath drawn through his mouth and throat had initially been cool, but after several cycles, it grew warm. Once it entered his belly, it seemed like a round pill, remaining condensed and releasing a trace of warmth that spread throughout his body, dispelling the cold.

"This Toad-Fishing Skill is a method for nighttime practice. From now on, remember to come practice late every night. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

At these words, Lian Youming put on a delighted expression, but a trace of coldness rose in his eyes.

This old ghost has no good intentions either.

Previously, Lian Youming might have believed him. Fortunately, he had figured out a great deal over the past few days. Though this breathing method was precious, it ultimately mobilized one's own essence and energy. For someone with no foundation whatsoever, it was lethal. There might be no signs at first, but over time, it would consume the body's vitality.

"Say, won't Third Brother Xie discover us doing this?"

The Mountain-Guarding Old Man snorted. "With me holding this mountain, he's the one who should be afraid. You think I'm a pushover?"

(End of chapter)