Chapter 11: Ginseng Guest from Liaodong, Red-Bellied Treasure Snake
The sunset vanished, and night descended.
Dotted lights extended from the surroundings of the white walls and blue tiles. Dim lamplight flickered within the courtyard. Zhou Yan sat on a stone stool, opening a thread-bound book in his hand.
He moved the lamp on the stone table closer to himself, his gaze falling upon the characters written with the force of a **dagger** and the flow of a drawing.
After the dramatic scene at the escort agency that afternoon, Zhang Wangyue handed this Taizu Long Fist to Zhou Yan.
He was already proficient in this set of fist techniques and had guessed that his cultivation technique had been abridged. The fist manual given by the escort head confirmed his inference.
Beside the stone stool stood a large, ancient tree with dense foliage. The night breeze gently caressed it, causing it to sway softly. Zhou Yan read word by word.
“A punch should occupy a defensive position, with advances and retreats, extensions and contractions, and a combination of floating and sinking, known as: ‘Floating like clouds emerging from a scroll, sinking like stones cast into a river.’ Offense primarily uses ‘cloud-pulling, realm-entanglement, mist-casting, and lifting,’ ‘Five Peaks,’ and ‘Six Elbows.’ Defense excels in ‘swallowing posts,’ ‘circular blocks,’ and ‘sweeping strikes.’ Defend the upper and lower sections, seize the center line, and attack left and right. Every move is either offense or defense; every action is either a grapple or a hold.”
“No fist technique is effective without proper footwork. As the saying goes, ‘Punching is easy, footwork is hard,’ and ‘If the steps are unstable, the punches will be chaotic; if the steps are slow, the punches will be slow.’ The feet should occupy the center, guarding both sides. The footwork primarily uses the willow leaf stance. The rear foot is tight, the front foot is loose; neither fully splayed nor parallel is the true method. Advancing quickly, the stance is stable.”
“When Qi is abundant, strength is full. Guide Qi with intent, lead the form with Qi, and propel strength with Qi. Actions are combined with inhalation and exhalation between fullness and emptiness. Inhale Qi and store it in the Dantian; Qi should be full, ready to be unleashed. Exhale with sound…”
“If one only pursues external strength and neglects internal conditioning, it is a case of putting the cart before the horse, achieving half the result with twice the effort. Only by proceeding from the inside out can one achieve abundant Inner Qi, a majestic physique, agile movements, and solid, powerful strikes, thereby reaching a state of internal and external unity, where the mind moves and the form follows, and the movement ends while the Qi continues.”
“The method of circulating and replenishing Qi is such that when the Qi in the twelve channels is in surplus, it is stored in the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. When the Qi and Blood in the twelve channels are insufficient, it is replenished by the overflow from the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. As Qi accumulates, strength naturally accumulates; as Qi fills, strength naturally circulates…”
“Marvelous!”
Zhou Yan exclaimed with joy. The Qi-guiding methods that were abridged in the Taizu Long Fist practiced by the original owner were now fully supplemented.
The fist manual given by Zhang Wangyue not only contained the path of Internal Energy cultivation and the Qi-guiding method but also included stances and diagrams of the human meridians and acupoints. This would not only allow Zhou Yan to elevate the Taizu Long Fist to the realm of both hardness and softness, as Hong Qigong had described, in a very short time but also assist him in practicing the Xiaoyao Fist and Yanqing Fist.
After the surprise, Zhou Yan became puzzled. According to popular accounts, this set of fist techniques first circulated in the military camps and later spread among the populace. Could it be that what Zhang Wangyue gave him was the original military version of the Taizu Long Fist? But he was merely an escort from the Dragon Gate Escort Agency; how could he possess such a technique?
Perhaps he was from a military background, or a descendant of a general’s family who lived in seclusion among the common people.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Zhou Yan. Zhang Wangyue, Wangyue (looking at Yue), Lin’an, Yue Family Army—could it be that Zhang Wangyue was from the Yue Family Army?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Yue Fei was framed, and the Yue Family Army was disbanded. Many of its members became scattered among the populace. If Zhang Wangyue were a descendant of the Yue Family Army, it would make sense.
He let out a slight sigh, recalling what Huyan Lei had said about Head Escort Zhang having once escorted a personal safety escort.
“If Zhang Wangyue is a descendant of the Yue Family Army, then the identity of the infant girl who was sent somewhere must have been either noble or wealthy,” Zhou Yan stated with certainty. However, none of this had anything to do with him.
Returning to his senses, he became engrossed in the new world of the Taizu Long Fist as if possessed.
……
The night was as cool as water, winding around the carved railings.
After the midnight drum sounded along the long street, a faint mist floated in the air.
Zhou Yan rose and went into the courtyard. He stretched his body and began practicing the Taizu Long Fist again. As he punched, his footwork, body, and breathing coordinated, and his power was unleashed. The grandeur, hardness and softness, and continuity of the fist technique were evident.
Suddenly, his stance sank and rose like a dragon. As he punched, he guided Qi with intent, and his strength reached its peak. With a “whoosh,” he struck out. The move “Charge the Formation and Cut the Generals” was both elegant and imposing, and the Strength was both hard and soft, and soft and hard. He had gained a preliminary glimpse into the true meaning of this fist technique.
……
The building leans against the frosted trees, the mirrored sky without a single speck. The southern mountains and the autumn colors, their momentum equally high.
With the dawn light faintly visible, the mountains and fields on the outskirts of Daxing Prefecture were shattered by the sound of hooves. The falling dawn light outlined Zhou Yan’s robust figure and the spirited posture of the Qingcong horse beneath him.
He had cultivated the fist techniques all night. Thanks to the Jade Guanyin’s effect of dispelling fatigue and relaxing muscles and activating collaterals, he was full of vigor.
Proficient in archery, he did not need to buy poultry in the market to nourish his Qi and Blood. He left early, went to the escort agency, took the Qingcong horse, and galloped to this hunting ground in the Yan Mountains.
As the sun began to rise, it was precisely the time when wild animals in the mountains and fields were most active.
He let the fine horse graze on its own, and Zhou Yan tucked a dagger into his leg binding and entered the mountain forest with his bow.
The bowstring twanged like thunder. In less than half an hour, he had bagged four pheasants and two wild rabbits.
Having gone hunting, he was unwilling to return after such a small haul and continued his search.
As the beasts emerged, the forest stirred. Moving forward, Zhou Yan saw the leaves shaking ahead. His heart leaped with joy, “Could it be a wild boar scratching itself?”
He moved stealthily, like a civet cat walking through the forest.
After dozens of meters, in the dense forest, a truly enormous wild boar suddenly appeared in his sight.
“What a beast, enough for the escort agency’s familiar escorts to have a feast.”
The wild boar in front of Zhou Yan’s eyes weighed at least three hundred catties.
The wild boar and the man discovered each other simultaneously. The wild boar, its bristles standing up like steel needles, let out a roar and turned, disappearing into the bushes. Zhou Yan moved rapidly through the trees. He nocked an arrow and drew his bow. The iron bow was taut like a full moon. In the dim light, a wild aura permeated the air.
“Bang,” “Bang.”
The arrows flew like meteors. Two long arrows, one after the other, pushed through the air and whistled into the wild boar’s legs and neck.
With a shrill beastly cry, the wild boar charged blindly, fleeing in panic.
Zhou Yan calmly followed the blood trail.
……
The Yan Mountains extend from the east to Shanhaiguan Pass and connect to the northern plateau.
Along the mountain path extending from the direction of Shanhaiguan Pass, dozens of people advanced in a winding procession.
They were a group of old and young, most of them carrying large bamboo baskets on their backs, their faces weathered, resembling merchants of medicinal herbs or ginseng guests.
The wind rustled through the trees, and voices arose.
“Eldest Senior Brother, what kind of treatment do you think Master will receive when he takes up the position at the Zhao Wang Manor?”
“With Master’s divine abilities, he will naturally be above others.”
“I wonder what the manor will be like?”
The Eldest Senior Brother said, “White jade for the halls and gold for the horses. I’m telling you, don’t look around carelessly or touch things when we get there, lest we be looked down upon. Especially when you see a beautiful woman, just think about it in your heart.”
“That is naturally understood.”
“I wonder if Master has arrived yet?”
The Eldest Senior Brother said calmly, “If Master isn’t here, I am.”
“Eldest Senior Brother is right, we will follow your lead.”
Emerging from the wilderness before them, Zhongdu came into view. The group’s excitement was palpable, and they couldn’t help but quicken their pace.
A faint, almost imperceptible scent of blood began to waft from the forest at this moment.
Suddenly, a large bamboo basket on the back of a man in the middle of the group began to shake. With a sudden “hiss,” a large snake, as red as blood, pushed open the bamboo lid.
The snake was as thick as a bowl, entirely vermilion. Its head flickered in and out, and its forked tongue darted out, following the scent of blood into the grass by the roadside.
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