A faint fragrance of tea drifted through the criminal investigation detachment's reception room.
Cao Yi pushed a celadon teacup in front of Li Qingshan, his fingertips rubbing the rim.
"There's movement on the Chen Group's side."
His tone was grave, and his eyes were bloodshot from staying up all night.
"Headquarters sent an expert over. Apparently, he's some kind of renowned internal martial arts master."
Li Qingshan picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea went down warm and smooth.
"Is he coming for me?"
"Most likely." Cao Yi nodded and took a file from a drawer.
"This is what we found. Take a look."
A yellowed photograph was attached to the file. The middle-aged man in it had a sinister expression.
"His name is Zhou Kun, an inheritor of a branch of the Xingyi School in Jinmen. He's at the peak of Manifest Jin."
Cao Yi tapped the photograph, wariness in his voice.
"He fought in underground matches in Southeast Asia in his early years. He has quite a few lives on his hands."
Li Qingshan scanned the file, his mental power faintly sensing the aged quality of the pages.
"The Xingyi School in Jinmen?" He caught the key detail.
"That's right. Jinmen is a major center of the northern martial arts world."
Cao Yi warmed to the subject, a trace of longing entering his eyes.
"The three great schools of Xingyi, Bagua, and Taiji all have roots there. It's a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."
He had visited Jinmen on an exchange in his younger days and still remembered the bearing of those old martial artists.
"Unfortunately, I injured my back training all those years ago. Otherwise, I'd really like to go back and have another look."
Li Qingshan put down the file, his fingertips tapping the table unconsciously.
"Captain Cao, are you an inheritor of an internal martial art too?"
"I suppose so. I studied under a master from the Xingyi School years ago."
Cao Yi gave a wry smile, stood up, and loosened his back.
"Unfortunately, I quit after reaching Manifest Jin. I can't compare to a Hidden Jin expert like you."
His eyes suddenly lit up, and he walked to the open space in the middle of the reception room.
"Brother Li, how about we exchange a few moves?"
As he spoke, Cao Yi raised his fists and assumed the opening position of the Three-Body Stance.
His feet were shoulder-width apart, his knees slightly bent, and his fists turned inward.
"Captain Cao, why don't you rest a while first?"
Li Qingshan rose with a smile and stepped lightly into position opposite him.
"Hey!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Cao Yi suddenly moved.
He shot forward, his right fist darting like a venomous snake from its hole, straight for Li Qingshan's face.
His punch was astonishingly fast, showing no sign of fatigue.
How sneaky.
Li Qingshan chuckled inwardly and slid into the Bagua Mud-Wading Step.
He shifted half a foot sideways in an instant, slipping neatly around to Cao Yi's flank.
The five fingers of his right hand pressed together like a blade, he struck swiftly, accurately, and viciously at the Zhangmen acupoint beneath Cao Yi's ribs.
This acupoint was linked to the internal organs. A strike there could cause severe pain at best and damage the organs at worst.
Cao Yi's pupils contracted sharply. He had not expected Li Qingshan's footwork to be so nimble.
He hurriedly drew in his waist and abdomen while pushing off the floor with his left foot and turning around.
His right leg swept across like a steel whip, trailing a howl of wind.
Li Qingshan stepped again, circling to Cao Yi's other side.
He bent slightly and struck at the same spot again with his knife hand.
His movement was just as swift as before, and the angle was fiendishly tricky.
Cao Yi turned and punched repeatedly, trying to meet the attack head-on.
But Li Qingshan was like a slippery fish, always managing to seize a position at his side.
After changing positions three or four times in succession, Cao Yi saw nothing but a figure flickering before his eyes.
An old martial arts saying called Bagua "sneaky," and Li Qingshan was demonstrating that sneakiness to the fullest.
The footwork he had honed by practicing stances day and night showed its full power in actual combat.
"Ha!"
Li Qingshan took five quick steps and finally found an opening.
His knife hand struck precisely between Cao Yi's ribs.
"Oof!"
Cao Yi grunted in pain, his face turning pale in an instant.
He staggered through half a turn and landed on his backside on the floor.
"That was exhilarating!" he said, panting heavily, though his face was full of smiles.
"Brother Li, your footwork is incredible."
Li Qingshan reached out to help him up, Hidden Jin stirring faintly at his fingertips.
A gentle force entered Cao Yi's body, easing his pain.
"Your Xingyi Fist is very solid too, Captain Cao."
His praise was sincere. Cao Yi's fist force had indeed been fierce and powerful.
Just then, the door to the reception room opened.
A young man in sportswear hurried in, his face full of anxiety.
"Uncle! Why haven't you come home yet?"
The young man was about twenty, tall and straight-backed, with bright eyes.
He was Cao Yi's nephew, Zhang Hao.
Seeing Cao Yi clutching his ribs, he hurried forward to support him.
"Uncle, what happened? Are you hurt?"
"Everyone at home is getting worried. Cousin Jingjing has asked about you several times."
Zhang Hao spoke rapidly, the urgency clear in his voice.
"It's her fifteenth birthday today. You said you'd get off work early and be there when she blew out her candles."
Cao Yi slapped his forehead and laughed ruefully. "Look at my memory."
He pointed at Li Qingshan and hurriedly introduced him. "This is Brother Li, Li Qingshan, an internal martial arts expert."
"We just sparred, and I lost fair and square."
Zhang Hao's gaze immediately fell on Li Qingshan, his eyes full of surprise.
The young man before him looked a few years younger than he was, yet he was an expert capable of beating his uncle?
But Li Qingshan stood straight as a pine, his breathing steady. He was certainly no ordinary person.
"Hello, Master Li! My name is Zhang Hao."
Zhang Hao hurriedly cupped his fists in greeting, his earlier anxiety easing somewhat.
He had been obsessed with martial arts since childhood and had practiced sanda himself for several years.
Seeing his nephew like this, Cao Yi's eyes shifted, and an idea occurred to him.
He patted Zhang Hao on the shoulder and smiled at Li Qingshan. "Brother Li, this kid Zhang Hao..."
"He founded a martial arts club at the University of Technology and spends every day thinking about training."
"Unfortunately, he hasn't met a good master, so all he's learned is superficial."
Cao Yi paused, his tone becoming somewhat earnest. "Brother Li, I can see your skills are outstanding."
"If you have time, could you visit the martial arts club and give them a few pointers?"
"These young people all love martial arts. They just have no one to guide them."
His words showed Li Qingshan respect while also carrying a subtle intention to pave the way for the younger generation.
Zhang Hao's eyes lit up at once, and he hurriedly followed his uncle's lead. "That's right, Master Li!"
"There are more than twenty of us in the club, and we all really want to learn genuine martial arts."
"We just can't find a decent master. It would be wonderful if you could come!"
As he spoke, he remembered the matter at hand and scratched his head, adding, "Of course, we won't interfere with anything important you have to do!"
"Whenever it's convenient for you, even if you can only come once, that would be fine."
Cao Yi laughed beside him. "You rascal, you were just in a hurry to get me home."
"Now you've met an expert, you've forgotten all about Jingjing's birthday?"
Zhang Hao's face reddened, and he hastily waved his hands. "Of course not! Cousin's birthday is the most important thing!"
"I just think it's a rare opportunity. Master Li, take your time considering it. There's no rush."
Watching the uncle and nephew interact, Li Qingshan's eyes flashed with amusement.
The path of cultivation required a balance between exertion and rest.
He could go and experience the life of the local university students.
"No problem. I'm free tomorrow afternoon."
Li Qingshan nodded in agreement. "I can go and take a look."
Zhang Hao was overjoyed. "Great! I'll notify the club members first thing tomorrow morning!"
Cao Yi also breathed a sigh of relief. His nephew would get to meet a renowned master, and he had done Li Qingshan a favor.
"All right, since Brother Li has agreed, let's go home first."
Cao Yi picked up his coat and said to Zhang Hao, "We shouldn't keep Jingjing waiting."
The following afternoon, the University of Technology's gymnasium was bustling.
More than twenty club members in training clothes were practicing their punches.
Some were practicing Xingyi Fist, some Taijiquan, and others Long Fist.
When Zhang Hao led Li Qingshan inside, they immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Everyone, stop for a moment! This is Master Li Qingshan, an internal martial arts expert!"
Zhang Hao made the introduction loudly, his eyes full of pride.
"I specifically invited him through my uncle to come and instruct us!"
The club members gathered around, whispering among themselves with plenty of doubt.
Li Qingshan looked no older than sixteen or seventeen and did not look the least bit like an "expert."
"A master that young? Could he be here to swindle us out of tuition fees?"
Someone muttered under their breath, just loudly enough for Li Qingshan to catch it.
A tall club member stepped forward. He was 1.9 meters tall, with bulging muscles.
He was Wang Lei, captain of the martial arts club's sanda team and a third-place finisher in a citywide sanda competition.
"Master Li, is it?" Wang Lei looked at Li Qingshan with his arms folded, disbelief in his voice.
"What we practice is real, practical martial arts, not fancy moves for show."
As he spoke, he suddenly turned sideways and assumed a fighting stance. "How about we spar?"
"Let us see what an 'expert' like you can do."
Zhang Hao's expression changed, and he hurried forward to stop him. "Wang Lei! Don't fool around!"
But Li Qingshan raised a hand to stop Zhang Hao and looked calmly at Wang Lei.
"There's no need to let a spar spoil the mood. I'll just take one move from you."
He stood where he was without moving, not even assuming a stance.
Wang Lei pushed off the floor with sudden force.
His right fist whistled through the air, heading straight for Li Qingshan's chest.
He put seventy percent of his strength into the punch. It was his signature move, Straight Punch to the Heart.
He was afraid that if Li Qingshan failed to react, he would still need to pull back in time.
The surrounding club members all held their breath. Some even closed their eyes.
They all thought the young master was in for it.
Just as the fist was about to strike his chest, Li Qingshan moved.
His right hand seemed slow but was actually fast, his fingertips lightly resting on the front of Wang Lei's fist.
There was no earth-shaking collision, only a faint smack.
Wang Lei felt the force in his fist suddenly drain away.
His body involuntarily staggered two steps forward, and he nearly fell.
After steadying himself, he stared at Li Qingshan in shock.
"You... what did you do?"
"Your fist force stays on the surface, and your shoulder and elbow stiffen when you exert force."
Li Qingshan withdrew his hand and pointed out the problem in an even tone.
"Force rises from the ground, with the waist as the central axis. Your punch failed to channel the strength of your whole body."
Wang Lei stood there, stunned.
In his five years of practicing sanda, no one had ever neutralized the force of his punch so easily.
Still less had anyone seen the fundamental problem with how he exerted force at a glance.
The whispers around them vanished instantly, and everyone stared, dumbstruck.
"What technique was that? Incredible!"
"I couldn't even see how Master Li moved!"
Zhang Hao breathed a sigh of relief, a proud smile spreading across his face.
Li Qingshan paid no attention to their exclamations and swept his gaze over the club members practicing their martial arts.
"Now, let me see how you practice."
He walked up to a male student practicing the Three-Body Stance, and the student immediately straightened up.
"Your stance work is wrong. Your center of gravity is too far forward."
Li Qingshan spoke calmly, reaching out to press lightly on the student's shoulder.
"Your rear leg is unsteady, and your Qi and blood can't sink. Standing like that for too long will hurt your knees."
The student quickly adjusted his posture, lowering his heels slightly.
As soon as he settled into the stance, he felt the weight distributed much more evenly across his legs, and the soreness in his knees eased.
"Really! Standing like this is much more comfortable!" the student exclaimed in delight.
Li Qingshan then walked over to a female student practicing Baguazhang.
She was practicing the Single Palm Change, but her footwork was a little stiff.
"Your breathing and footwork are out of sync. When you strike with your palm, sink your shoulders and drop your elbows."
As Li Qingshan spoke, he tapped her left knee lightly with a fingertip.
"You have an old injury in your left knee. You twisted it practicing the Mud-Wading Step, didn't you?"
The student stared at him in shock, instinctively covering her left knee.
"How did you know? I've never told anyone!"
"Your Qi and blood aren't circulating smoothly. You can see subtle traces of it on the surface of your body."
In just over ten minutes, Li Qingshan pointed out everyone's problems.
From their power delivery and posture to their breathing rhythms, hidden ailments, and old injuries, he was right about every one.
The club members' initial skepticism turned to awe as they looked at him.
"Master Li, could you demonstrate how to deliver power for us?"
Zhang Hao couldn't help speaking up, voicing what everyone was thinking.
Li Qingshan nodded, his gaze falling on a basketball in the corner.
A club member hurriedly handed him the basketball. It was fully inflated.
Li Qingshan reached out with his right hand and pressed it gently against the surface of the ball.
His palm touched the ball without using the slightest bit of brute force, not even leaving a dent.
The club members all held their breath, staring curiously at the basketball.
Suddenly, a faint crackling came from inside the ball.
The sound was soft, yet it exploded like thunder in everyone's ears.
A few seconds later, Li Qingshan withdrew his hand.
The basketball was still perfectly round, without so much as a fingerprint on its surface.
"Th-there's no change, is there?"
One club member spoke up in confusion, reaching out to touch the basketball.
Li Qingshan offered no explanation and simply motioned for Zhang Hao to cut it open.
Zhang Hao found a fruit knife and carefully sliced through the cover.
The moment the cover was peeled away, everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.
The basketball's inner bladder had shattered into countless tiny fragments, evenly distributed.
Yet the tough thread winding, the carcass, and the outer cover remained intact, without even a scratch.
"H-how did you do that?"
Wang Lei was so stunned he could barely speak. He pinched a fragment between his fingers, his face full of disbelief.
"This is Hidden Jin."
Li Qingshan spoke slowly, his tone calm and unruffled.
"The force doesn't act on the surface. Instead, it penetrates inside and is precisely controlled."
"The essence of internal martial arts isn't how many hard objects you can smash."
"It's control over your own strength."
This was the essence of Hidden Jin and also the foundation of Transformation Jin.
The club members were completely awestruck, breaking into applause and cheers.
The applause thundered on for a long time.
"Master Li, stay and be our coach!"
"Yes, Master Li, we'll pay you the highest salary!"
Several club members gathered around him, their eyes full of anticipation.
Li Qingshan smiled and shook his head, looking out the window toward the north.
"What I just taught you is enough to keep you fit and healthy."
"It wasn't easy to find the time to come and give you a little guidance today."
"As for you, study hard and make progress every day."
"Soon, I intend to head north to Jinmen, meet the heroes under heaven, and put what I've learned to the test. I'm afraid I won't be able to come back anytime soon."
Zhang Hao and the club members were reluctant to see him go, but they also knew they couldn't make him stay.
They understood that the stage for this young master standing before them was not this little martial arts club.
"Master Li, if you run into trouble in Jinmen, give me a call!"
Zhang Hao hurriedly pulled a pen and paper from his pocket and wrote down his phone number.
"My uncle has an old comrade-in-arms at the Jinmen Public Security Bureau. He can help you!"
Li Qingshan accepted the slip of paper.
"Many thanks."
He gave everyone a slight nod in farewell.
He turned and walked out of the gymnasium. Sunlight spilled over him, casting a long shadow.
After leaving the University of Science and Technology, Li Qingshan did not return directly to his lodgings.
He came to the lakeside where he had first been.
The sun was setting in the west, its golden afterglow spilling across the rippling lake.
In the distance, birds returning home swept across the sky, their clear cries trailing behind them.
Li Qingshan found a flat rock and sat down cross-legged.
He closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and pressed the tip of his tongue lightly against the roof of his mouth.
The Crystal Visualization Method slowly circulated in his sea of consciousness, his mental power gathering like trickling streams.
The clamor around him gradually receded, leaving only the murmur of the flowing lake water.
His breathing grew calmer and calmer, each inhalation carrying the fresh fragrance of plants.
As he breathed out, it was as though he could expel the turbid Qi from his body.
Without his noticing, the rhythm of his breathing gradually aligned with the waves on the lake.
Each breath was in tune with nature.
His mind sank into a state of empty clarity.
There were no distracting thoughts, no thoughts at all, only pure perception.
This was the state of Entering Stillness that martial artists dreamed of attaining.
His mental power condensed until it was almost tangible, traveling throughout his body.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Qingshan's perception quietly spread outward.
It passed over the reeds by the lake and stretched farther into the distance.
On the surface of the lake, a dewdrop slid from a lotus leaf.
The path of its fall and the ripples it raised were clearly imprinted on his senses.
He could even "hear" the faint sound of the drop touching the lake's surface.
On a distant branch, a sparrow spread its wings and took flight.
He could precisely perceive both the frequency of its wingbeats and the changes in the flow of air.
More remarkably, he could sense the emotional fluctuations of the people around him.
The elderly people walking by the lake had a peaceful air, bearing the tranquility of age.
The young people hurrying along in the distance walked with quick steps, revealing the anxieties of life.
From the nearby campus came the cheerful voices and laughter of students, full of youthful vitality.
This perception was more delicate than ever before.
Li Qingshan slowly opened his eyes, a brilliant light flashing in them.
Entering Stillness had not only greatly enhanced his perception.
It had also deepened his understanding of "force" by another level.
"Jinmen."
Li Qingshan murmured to himself.
He turned and left the lakeside, his steps as light as a breeze.
The sunset's afterglow stretched his shadow long, reaching all the way toward the north.
The thought of heading north to Jinmen grew ever clearer and stronger in his heart.
Back at the house he rented, Li Qingshan began packing.
He put his usual medicines, simple surgical instruments, and survival knife into a canvas bag, one by one.
There were also several books on Jinmen's martial arts history that he had borrowed from the library.
Record of the Jinmen Xingyi School, Study of the Origins and Development of Baguazhang, and Biographies of Northern Martial Artists.
Everything was ready; all that remained was to set out the next day.
The night deepened, and a bright moon rose high in the sky.