Chapter 72: Paying Respects To The Stele To Seek Cultivation
“Chen Mou understands.”
Chen Shun’an naturally wouldn’t make things difficult for the gatekeeper. After slightly cupping his hands, he pointed to the Woven Fish Basket Bottle in his hand and said,
“I wonder if I may see Madam Tai Shui. This item is a birthday gift I prepared for her.”
“This…”
The gatekeeper showed a troubled expression.
Chen Shun’an’s brows gradually furrowed.
The Golden Scaled Perch blew bubbles.
At that moment, a hearty laugh came from outside the room.
“Hahaha… Is that Brother Shun’an?”
The voice was like a great bell, echoing in the Quiet Garden without leaking outward. Even the maidservants in the adjacent courtyard were completely unaware, demonstrating the visitor’s exceptional control over his voice.
Chen Shun’an’s expression shifted slightly. He then saw a man with dragon-like brows and phoenix eyes, white teeth and red lips, with hair slightly graying at the roots, turning the corner of the corridor and stepping into the room.
“Eldest Brother Xu Hong?!” Chen Shun’an’s face lit up with joy.
Xu Hong was the martial scholar hired by Zhang Family Village with heavy gold. He excelled in mounted archery and foot archery, responsible for teaching martial arts to the younger generation and children of Zhang Family Village.
However, his official career hit a snag. It seemed he had offended some important figure, and after failing the metropolitan exam, he simply took up this position.
Back when Chen Shun’an first learned Ròufēi Xiān《》, it was under this man’s instruction.
Even techniques like Flying Knife and Gold Coin Dart for long-range hidden weapons were influenced and aided by Xu Hong.
Xu Hong walked into the room, his gaze like lightning, faintly revealing an empty room in white. His gaze pressed down like a tangible force.
The gatekeeper couldn’t bear it directly and immediately collapsed limply.
Chen Shun’an’s heart stirred. He externally manifested some Qi, though his face showed slight discomfort, he advanced and retreated as usual, calm and composed, even having spare energy to cup his hands toward Xu Hong, seemingly not greatly affected by the pressure.
“Eh?”
Seeing this, Xu Hong exclaimed in surprise and dispersed the pressure.
Xu Hong smiled and said, “Brother Shun’an, it’s been many years. You’ve changed greatly and truly impress me!”
From wise brother to old brother, it lost some formality and gained intimacy.
Xu Hong believed that, let alone second-rate early stage, even second-rate mid-to-late stage martial artists rarely performed so well under his pressure.
It involved not only strength but also intent.
Brother Shun’an had truly opened the apertures as rumored?
The current Chen Shun’an was worlds apart from how he looked years ago at Zhang Shi’s funeral.
At that time, Chen Shun’an had frost-dyed white temples, slightly hunched shoulders, always cautious and slick.
Years later, his age had increased, now over fifty.
But now Chen Shun’an was spirited and hale, with a straight back and bright eyes, clearly showing the signs of having practiced cultivation to a certain level.
Seeing this, Xu Hong’s heart stirred.
Brother Shun’an was probably hiding his true ability; his real strength was far beyond the apparent ‘second-rate early stage’.
And this was deliberate on Chen Shun’an’s part.
Letting others notice he was hiding his ability.
After all, he was visiting to seek cultivation and observe the True Cultivation Manual. Being overly humble wouldn’t work.
Moreover, Zhang Mansion was a great household, accustomed to so-called geniuses and talented persons. How could they be easily shocked by someone’s aptitude?
It was best to reveal his strength and aptitude steadily and unhurriedly, in exchange for greater status and interest.
At this moment,
Seeing Xu Hong withdraw the sharp light in his eyes, Chen Shun’an slightly relaxed and quickly helped up the gatekeeper whose legs had gone soft.
The gatekeeper’s face was somewhat ashen, his whole body limp and powerless.
Having suffered this undeserved disaster for no reason, even a clay figure would have some fiery temperament.
After recovering a bit, he stiffened his face, slightly bowed to the two, and quickly left without looking back.
“It’s been many years since seeing Eldest Brother Xu Hong, and your demeanor remains as impressive as ever…”
Chen Shun’an said helplessly, implying something.
Xu Hong was utterly unceremonious. Seeing the table full of wine and dishes, he placed one foot on a stool, wielded his chopsticks like flying, ate a few bites, drank a pot, and then laughed,
“That gatekeeper is Master Zhang’s trusted aide. If I didn’t do that, he wouldn’t leave…”
Chen Shun’an’s brow twitched, finally understanding Xu Hong’s intent.
“Eldest Brother Xu Hong, may you take me to see Old Lady Zhang?”
Xu Hong shook his head and said, “I know what you want. I’m afraid it’s not possible. Old Lady Zhang’s birthday has her place crowded with gentry and elders, seven aunts and eight uncles.”
“However…”
Before Chen Shun’an could feel disappointed, Xu Hong smiled ambiguously,
“Old Lady Zhang has already instructed that if you’re willing to visit and celebrate her birthday, she would have me secretly teach you the Ròufēi Xiān《》 True Cultivation Manual.”
“So, come with me. I’ll take you to… seek cultivation on your body!”
……
An academy named Yin Bing.
Backed by the Stone Forest, covering several acres, with three dwellings and one training ground.
There were two trees in front of the academy.
A jujube tree on the left, and a jujube tree on the right.
At this time, Chen Shun’an stood outside the moon gate, watching the chattering young students in the academy, his mouth twitching.
Contrary to his expectation that the Ròufēi Xiān《》 True Cultivation Manual would be strictly guarded in a hidden place.
Instead, the True Cultivation Manual was boldly placed in the Stone Forest behind the academy by the Zhang family.
Any Zhang family disciple could observe and seek cultivation anytime, anywhere!
Demonstrating the magnanimity of a scholarly family.
In other words, Chen Shun’an had to secretly ‘audit the class’ and seek cultivation under the eyes of this group of young martial students.
These martial students ranged from as young as seven or eight to just over twenty, probably thirty or forty in total.
Especially these two days with Old Lady Zhang’s birthday, the village had many complicated affairs, so some Zhang family members simply left their children ‘in care’ here to avoid trouble.
Thus, young martial artists from Zhang family branches and relatives occasionally came here to stay temporarily and observe the True Cultivation Manual.
Xu Hong served as both instructor and patriarch.
Fortunately, secretly teaching the True Cultivation Manual to Chen Shun’an shouldn’t be widely proclaimed.
Xu Hong entered the academy and called all the martial students practicing on the training ground into the dwelling.
He closed the windows and distributed stacks of martial strategy exam papers, each stack as thick as a finger.
He also called the young martial artists observing the True Cultivation Manual and practicing martial arts and circulating Qi and Blood in the Stone Forest to the side.
Creating an opportunity for Chen Shun’an to seek cultivation.
“Follow me. Time is limited; we must hurry.”
Xu Hong glanced around and pulled Chen Shun’an along a shaded path beside the dwelling, around to the Stone Forest.
Chen Shun’an vaguely heard tender sighs from the dwelling.
Chen Shun’an’s expression was odd, and the absurd phrase ‘Fist beating the South Mountain nursing home, foot kicking the North Sea kindergarten’ suddenly flashed in his mind.
In the Stone Forest, there were strange peaks and jagged rocks in a thousand shapes.
Some like lions or tigers lying on cliffs, others like halberds or spears piercing the blue sky.
The two didn’t look much and went straight to the depths.
There, six man-high stone tablets stood silently on a flat clearing.
Each stone tablet bore different inscriptions and patterns.
On the ground was a smooth granite slab covered with deep and shallow finger marks, totaling over forty, named the ‘Flying Immortal Tablet’.
Presumably left by generations of martial artists who observed the True Cultivation Manual and gained comprehension, their Forceful Finger marks containing their insights.
Chen Shun’an’s gaze swept over the six stone tablets.
They all seemed like inexplicable scribbles, crooked and disorganized. Looking too long even caused nausea and dizziness.
Faintly, sounds of fists and feet clashing and circulating Qi and Blood came from afar.
Those young martial artists were farther away, and with Xu Hong’s orders, they wouldn’t come this way for now.
“Go seek cultivation. Each tablet observation requires burning one incense stick. Pick any one; comprehend as much as you can… Perhaps this is your only chance to observe the True Cultivation Manual.”
Xu Hong seemed to think of something, his voice turning solemn as he handed Chen Shun’an a bundle of incense sticks.
At the same time, his figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
“Such fast Lightness Skill… No, not Lightness Skill, but Force! Forceful and heavy, pure explosive power!”
Chen Shun’an’s eyes showed admiration.
Xu Hong was a martial scholar, a veteran first-rate martial artist with formidable strength. In all of Wuqing County, few could surpass him.
After a few breaths, Xu Hong returned, now holding a small package.
Chen Shun’an said in surprise, “This is…”
Xu Hong handed over the package and said,
“Old Lady Zhang’s instructions. She has long resided in the village, eating vegetarian and chanting Buddha, unwilling to go out. No chance to celebrate your breakthrough to second-rate and being valued by your landlord in person…
This is some martial arts practice supplies she prepared for you, even including Spirit Nurturing Great Medicine and Disrupting Spirit powder formula for first-rate realm. Hopefully, you’ll find them useful someday…”
Hearing this, Chen Shun’an’s gaze softened, a certain part of his heart suddenly turning tender.
It had to be said that Old Lady Zhang treated Chen Shun’an extremely well, almost like half a son.
Chen Shun’an owed her greatly.
“Of course, the supplies aren’t too many, just enough for a while. After all, Old Lady Zhang has many descendants under her knee and no longer manages village affairs; it’s all from her years of savings, her coffin money… Hmm? Someone’s coming; I’ll hold them off for you!”
Xu Hong was explaining when he suddenly turned his head, his gaze sharp, as if piercing through dense foliage and dwelling walls to see outside the academy.
He extended and grasped with five fingers, stuffing the package over, then took the Woven Fish Basket Bottle from Chen Shun’an’s hand, and blinked away from the spot.
“I’ll pass on the birthday gift… Hurry! Don’t be greedy; remember just one diagram, enough for you to step into first-rate realm someday!”
The voice echoed, and the vast Stone Forest instantly fell silent.
Empty mountains with no one, only the sound of flipping exam papers from the dwelling, adding a touch of serenity.
“Time is limited…”
Chen Shun’an exhaled deeply. He actually had no confidence in whether he could observe the True Cultivation Manual or how much he could comprehend.
“Do my best and leave it to fate!”
Chen Shun’an took an incense stick, selected briefly, and quickly went before the Myriad Blazing True Cultivation Manual corresponding to ‘Body Thief’.
Burn incense, bow to the tablet!
……
Zhang Village, Buddhist Hall.
In the scorching summer, under green willow shade, sunlight like fish scales sprinkled from tree top gaps into the Buddhist Hall inside and out.
The usually serene and quiet Buddhist Hall was somewhat noisy today.
Many people came and went, mostly in splendid clothes and jewelry, vying to pay respects and kowtow to Old Lady Zhang.
Old Lady Zhang was much younger than Master Zhang and was eighty this year.
Her silver hair like snow, skin wrinkled yet glowing like jade, showing no decrepitude but rather dignified elegance and maternal kindness of a noble family matriarch.
“You child, how could you send such a valuable gift. Thoughtful, thoughtful.”
“Ah! You little sly one, grown so tall in the blink of an eye…”
“Sending gifts again! Don’t come next time if you do!”
Old Lady Zhang sat upright on the grand tutor’s chair in the hall, greeting and seeing off guests, sharp-tongued, knowing every guest’s background and name by heart.
Suddenly, Old Lady Zhang saw Xu Hong’s familiar figure entering the Buddhist Hall with several people.
Xu Hong walked and talked with them, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
Presumably dragged over by these people to see Old Lady Zhang together.
Old Lady Zhang’s expression shifted slightly. After exchanging pleasantries with them, she excused herself feeling slightly tired and needing a short nap, retreating to the inner room of the Buddhist Hall.
In the inner room were various large and small altars and shrines everywhere.
Fortune, Prosperity, Longevity Three Stars, Eight Immortals, Zhong Kui, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Fire God, Heavenly Queen, Wei Tuo, Spirit Official Wang…
Every deity idol available on the market was there, crammed densely, even on beams and ceilings.
Emphasizing broad faith, even distribution.
Xu Hong entered the hall, reining in his roguish air, and respectfully said,
“Old Lady Zhang, Son-in-law Chen has gone to the Stone Forest to seek cultivation.”
Old Lady Zhang nodded and said, “That’s good. It’s hard on the child. He must know Old Master doesn’t favor him, yet he came specially. Thoughtful, thoughtful.”
“By the way, has Shun’an really broken through to second-rate realm? I heard their well has had quite a few incidents lately.”
Xu Hong said, “I saw it with my own eyes, absolutely true. Son-in-law Chen shows signs of being a late bloomer.”
Xu Hong told a small lie.
After all, Old Lady Zhang didn’t understand the martial path and the importance of age and Root Bone in martial arts.
Even if Chen Shun’an had a blessing in disguise and opened the apertures to break through, he was far from ‘late bloomer’.
“That’s good, that’s good. Shun’an has had a hard life, orphaned young without father or mother…”
Old Lady Zhang sighed a few times and noticed the Woven Fish Basket Bottle in Xu Hong’s hand.
Xu Hong quickly placed it on the tall stand and said,
“This is Son-in-law Chen’s birthday gift. Seems like a… Eh? Golden Scaled Perch!”
Xu Hong’s surprised voice rang out.
In his haste coming over, and needing to delay several uninvited guests, he hadn’t examined this fish.
Who would have thought it was the extremely rare Golden Scaled Perch!
Chen Shun’an’s gift this time was quite generous.
Old Lady Zhang stepped forward a few paces and saw the plump Golden Scaled Perch with a golden flower on its head inside, her face immediately lighting up with smiles,
“What a prosperous golden fish, and a Dragon Seed at that!”
The Golden Scaled Perch stared with its upturned fish eyes, dazedly looking at these two unfamiliar faces, then sank to the bottle bottom pretending to be dead, hypnotizing itself,
“Can’t see me, can’t see me…”
The two naturally didn’t know the Golden Scaled Perch’s thoughts.
Old Lady Zhang was extremely pleased.
She received many birthday gifts, including some worth thousands of gold, rarer than this Golden Scaled Perch.
But Old Lady Zhang still favored this little golden fish uniquely.
Not just because it was from Chen Shun’an, but because her daughter, who died young, loved raising fish since childhood.
The pond by the pavilion held colorful goldfish of all kinds, very beautiful.
Unfortunately, everything had changed.
“Tie Bao, go check where Shun’an got this Golden Scaled Perch.”
Old Lady Zhang seemed to think of something, her smile fading, voice gaining authority.
A middle-aged man in plain long robe emerged silently from behind a pillar, slightly cupped his hands, and with a whoosh, vanished.
Soon, the plain-robed man returned to the Buddhist Hall with news,
“Wan Ji River Goods Shop at Banye Ferry Crossing had a Golden Scaled Perch yesterday, but no one caught it. Son-in-law Chen happened to appear there… Son-in-law Chen may have another method for fishing.”
The plain-robed man quickly reported, even knowing clearly Chen Shun’an’s recent visits to gold shops and rouge stores, and inquiries through brokers.
Another method for fishing?
Old Lady Zhang shook her head and said,
“Shun’an was somewhat reckless to please me. Perhaps he thinks with his current strength and being valued by their landlord, it’s enough to deter petty thieves, unafraid of news of gifting me the Golden Scaled Perch spreading.
But he doesn’t know how important this Golden Scaled Perch, with its spirituality for turning luck and protecting family safety, is to great households and noble families.”
The Golden Scaled Perch was full of spirituality and always hard to catch.
Past catches all had various twists of fate.
If this fish was truly caught by Chen Shun’an, many would covet his fishing technique.
“Return this golden fish to Shun’an. Hmm, Shun’an is sensitive-minded, to avoid hurting his filial piety, say this year this old body is keeping vegetarian precepts, suitable for releasing life to pray for blessings…”
“Alright, I’ll go now.”
Xu Hong grabbed the Fish Basket and quickly left the Buddhist Hall.
Whether it was Xu Hong’s illusion or not, he felt this Golden Scaled Perch seemed to understand their conversation. Upon hearing it would be returned to Chen Shun’an,
It immediately perked up, swimming happily in the water, blowing bubbles.
“The old master is deeply obsessed with returning to the ancestral line. If this exam really goes wrong… Sigh, myriad deities, ten directions’ true responses, where should our Zhang family go?”
Old Lady Zhang stood at the door, gazing at the clear boundless sky, her gaze trembling.
She could only clasp her hands, praying one by one to the hundreds and thousands of deity names in her heart.
Hoping one would respond.
