A gentle evening breeze swept over the riverbank, stirring the hem of Li Qingshan's clothes and carrying the damp scent peculiar to the river.
In the distance, the setting sun hung half below the horizon, dyeing the clouds a brilliant orange-red.
Ripples shimmered across the water, reflecting the last rays of sunset.
After half a year of arduous training, Li Qingshan's bearing had changed dramatically.
His once slightly slender frame now stood straight as a pine, and a sharp glint flickered in his eyes as they opened and closed.
He had clearly refined Manifest Jin and Hidden Jin to a seamless level, needing only one final step to enter the realm of Transformation Jin.
Tang Zichen stood quietly on the bank, the sleeves of her plain white clothes fluttering in the wind. At some point, a long, jet-black spear had appeared in her hand.
The spear stood two heads taller than a person, its tip gleaming coldly in the twilight, a curious contrast to her graceful, otherworldly bearing.
"The way of Guoshu is both supremely simple and profoundly deep."
Tang Zichen's clear voice carried through the breeze.
"Taiji is said to be the simplest art under heaven. At its core are just two things:
First, Hidden Jin stance training.
Second, listening to Jin and neutralizing force."
She gave her wrist a light shake, and the spear tip traced a subtle arc through the air.
"This 'listening' is not done with the ears, but with the pores all over the body. Thus, 'not a feather can be added, nor a fly alight.'"
Her tone shifted, and her gaze fell on the spear:
"On battlefields throughout the ages, the spear has been the king of all weapons. Used to charge into battle on horseback, it can take an enemy's head amid ten thousand soldiers.
And in the internal martial arts-Xingyi, Taiji, and Baji alike-shaking the long spear lies at the heart of tempering Jin.
The true teachings of each school are often concealed within its final joint-strike technique."
"In my lineage, the true teaching lies in this one technique, the Dragon-Snake Joint Strike."
Tang Zichen's tone was solemn.
"The dragon is the horse, and the snake is the spear. In ancient times, horses were said to be descendants of dragons. With horse and spear together, dragon and snake rise as one, and their force can cut down a hundred men like grass. Today, I will pass it on to you."
With that, she suddenly leveled the spear, its butt braced against the hollow of her lower back, its power held within rather than exposed.
Her posture had a subtle affinity with the Three-Body Stance, achieving the same effect by different means.
Then her waist and hips rose and fell slightly, her body swaying as though a magnificent steed truly leaped and galloped beneath her.
The spear shaft thrust forward like an arrow loosed straight from a bow, carrying the penetrating intent of Crushing Fist;
Her body rose and fell like a Cannon Fist striking down from the sky, fierce and explosive;
And the spear tip quivered like a venomous snake raising its head and flicking its tongue, capturing the wave-churning essence of Drilling Fist.
A simple spear-holding posture had brought
the "Three-Body Stance,"
the "Horse Stance,"
and "Crushing, Cannon, and Drilling"
together, melding the Jin of all three fists perfectly into one flawless whole.
Li Qingshan fixed his gaze on her, utterly absorbed.
For the past half year, he had practiced with Tang Zichen by the river every morning.
From the most basic stance training to advanced methods of issuing force, Tang Zichen had taught him everything she knew, holding nothing back.
As he watched the Dragon-Snake Joint Strike demonstration, his innate comprehension of martial arts, far beyond that of ordinary people, immediately worked to its fullest.
A bright gleam flowed through his eyes as he etched every shift of Jin and every coordinated movement of the body in this technique deep into his mind.
The Qi and blood in his body naturally surged in response. The accumulation of half a year of arduous training was stirred at that moment, and many bottlenecks seemed to loosen.
Suddenly, Tang Zichen moved! She sprang forward as though riding the momentum of a galloping steed, and thrust her spear!
The spear tip ripped through the air with a piercing whistle, striking precisely at the center of a massive, heavy boulder prepared beside the bank.
"Crack!"
The crisp report sounded like a firecracker going off.
She sank her waist and shook her arm, the spear tip drawing a circle. A stream of immensely supple, tenacious Jin instantly enveloped the boulder, and she flicked it upward with the motion!
The boulder rose at once, spinning in the air with the spear's movement as though stuck to its tip, yet it never fell.
The spear tip jabbed repeatedly, and the boulder leaped and danced upon it like a pellet, as though it had come to life.
A few seconds later, she drew back the spear and tapped it once more. The boulder settled firmly back into its original place, not a hair's breadth off, as though it had never moved.
"Move Jin in a circle, listen for its center of gravity, use force against force, stick and cling."
Tang Zichen withdrew her spear and stood, her breathing long and steady as ever.
"That is the whole essence of Taiji: no moves or forms, only changes in Jin."
She looked at Li Qingshan:
"How much did you understand?"
Li Qingshan pondered for a moment, his gaze clear and bright.
"Eight or nine parts out of ten. I have a general grasp of the subtleties of circulating Jin, but I still need to study them carefully."
His thoughts raced. Only thanks to Tang Zichen's careful guidance over the past half year had he been able to make such progress.
From stance training and regulating his breathing at the start to issuing force and circulating Jin later on, Tang Zichen had always explained things patiently and demonstrated them herself.
He remembered once being unable to grasp the essentials of Bajiquan's Leaning Against the Mountain.
Tang Zichen had him lean against a large tree to feel the angle at which to issue force, adjusting him repeatedly until he found the perfect point from which to exert it.
He had never been able to turn smoothly enough for Baguazhang's Turning Palm, so Tang Zichen guided the rotation of his waist and hips with her hands, letting him experience that continuous Jin, flowing like water.
Each small lesson made Li Qingshan deeply conscious of the debt he owed Tang Zichen as his teacher.
Now that she had demonstrated the essence of a lifetime's learning, he could not feel at ease if he offered nothing in return.
Moreover, he had keenly noticed a barely perceptible hint of parting in Tang Zichen's expression. She had mentioned needing to return to Nanyang to attend to important matters.
His mind made up, Li Qingshan suddenly spoke, his tone sincere:
"Sister Chen, thanks to your careful instruction these past six months, I, Qingshan, will benefit for the rest of my life.
You taught me the true essence of martial arts. I too have a method that comes from an ancient inheritance.
It has remarkable effects on tempering the mind and purifying one's thoughts, and it may complement your martial arts. Would you be willing to hear it?"
A flash of surprise crossed Tang Zichen's eyes, followed by a trace of appreciation.
She could feel the sincerity in Li Qingshan's words and his desire to repay her, rather than show off.
She nodded slightly.
"Oh? You have such a thought? Let me hear it."
Li Qingshan immediately focused his mind and explained the essentials of the Crystal Visualization Method in detail.
He described how to concentrate and calm the mind by visualizing a transparent crystal,
and how to let the spirit reflect the whole body like a clear mirror, perceiving the circulation of Qi and blood and every subtle change in Jin.
He not only explained the theory, but also drew on his own experience in training to share how the method could improve control over the body,
and how to better focus the mind and will when issuing force.
"At advanced levels of training,"
Li Qingshan continued,
"you can even perceive the trembling of muscle fibers, the flow of Qi and blood through the meridians, and even the resonance of the marrow at a deeper level.
It achieves an effect similar to the 'listening to Jin' skill you spoke of, Sister Chen, but it is more systematic and profound."
At first, Tang Zichen simply listened in silence, but the longer she listened, the more intent her expression became, and her eyes flashed brightly.
She was a great grandmaster of martial arts with extensive knowledge, and she immediately knew this visualization method was no ordinary thing.
It reached straight to the source of the spirit and was immensely beneficial to the mental cultivation needed to break through to Transformation Jin and even higher realms. Perhaps it held the opportunity to break through on the road ahead.
When Li Qingshan finished, Tang Zichen remained silent for a long time before slowly exhaling and sighing softly.
"I never imagined you had encountered such an opportunity and obtained such a profound method.
This method truly is wondrous. Its insights into stillness and calm are unique, and it has given me inspiration as well.
"Qingshan, thank you."
Her thanks came from the heart as well.
As a grandmaster who had already reached the level where "through the way of utmost sincerity, one can know what lies ahead," she could immediately grasp the value of this visualization method and even draw inferences from it to offer deeper insights.
Li Qingshan shook his head. "Compared with what you taught me, Sister Chen, it is insignificant."
The appreciation in Tang Zichen's eyes grew stronger. Moved by the moment, she added, "In that case, let me show you one more technique. Perhaps it will help you bring everything together."
She led Li Qingshan to an abandoned fishing stone beside the bank, exhaled with a shout, and drove the spear beneath the boulder like a venomous snake darting from its hole.
The shaft bent like a bow under the tremendous force. Then she sank her waist, exerted her strength, and flicked it upward!
Whoosh! The heavy boulder was lifted clear off the ground by the spear. It tumbled twice through the air, then descended as lightly as a feather, without making a sound.
In that single lift, peerlessly fierce explosive force combined perfectly with the soft, neutralizing force that made a heavy weight seem light.
It was a manifestation of the Transformation Jin level, displaying extraordinarily subtle control over Jin.
"In ancient times, Gao Chong lifted iron carts with his spear. When my Dragon-Snake Joint Strike is trained to its utmost, it is much the same."
Tang Zichen cast the spear to the ground. Its shaft stuck in the earth, trembling slightly.
"The essence of my martial arts is contained in those two spear movements. How much you can grasp depends entirely on you."
For more than ten days afterward, Li Qingshan immersed himself completely in training
the "Dragon-Snake Joint Strike."
Every morning, he came to the riverbank and studied the technique with his spear leveled, feeling out the intent of the dragon-horse galloping and the unpredictable, snakelike killing potential of the spear.
He used the visualization method to purify his mind and perceive the subtlest changes in the flow of Jin, while practicing the method of issuing force that united hardness and softness.
Tang Zichen occasionally passed by, offering only brief pointers and correcting deviations in his circulation of Jin.
In just a short time, not only had his mental realm stabilized completely just before the threshold of Entering Stillness,
his Guoshu cultivation had also progressed naturally, his circulation of Jin becoming seamless and flawless, the changes between hardness and softness governed by a single thought.
He had truly touched the edge of Transformation Jin! Tang Zichen understood that it was only a matter of time before he broke through to Transformation Jin.
The day of parting eventually arrived.
At dusk that day, Tang Zichen called out to Li Qingshan, who was still by the river studying Jin, his presence seamless and unified. She paused, then said:
"There are some urgent matters in Nanyang that I must attend to. I need to leave at once. About half a year from now; there is no set date for my return."
Li Qingshan withdrew from his stance and stood, the surging Qi and blood within him instantly settling. His eyes were clear and deep.
He had known this parting was coming. He nodded and said:
"I understand. Sister Chen, have a safe journey."
The two walked along the long embankment, the setting sun stretching their shadows far behind them.
The bond of teacher and disciple, the affection of sister and brother, and the inspiration they had given each other on the martial path over the past half year-all remained unspoken.
The river breeze brushed past, willow branches swayed, and the cries of returning birds carried from afar, adding a touch of melancholy to the scene of parting.
"Transformation Jin is already within your reach,"
Tang Zichen said suddenly.
"Remember, Transformation Jin lies in controlling Qi, blood, and intent, like spring rain nourishing all things, fine and silent.
Feel this kind of Jin more often, and work it into every move and every form."
"I'll remember."
Li Qingshan answered solemnly.
Tang Zichen stopped and looked out over the shimmering river.
"The martial path is long and endless. Your road is still a long one."
She turned to him, a rare softness in her eyes.
"When I return, I hope you will have consolidated your realm and climbed another level."
Li Qingshan bowed deeply. "I won't disappoint you, Sister Chen."
Tang Zichen nodded slightly. Without another word, she turned and drifted away.
In just a few leaps, she vanished into the twilight, her movements as swift as a ghost or phantom.