Chapter 44: Half A Year? One Day!
“Watch closely.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Steward Zhao stepped forward several paces, his movement technique flashing left and right in a serpentine form, his palms alternately coiling in reverse, his arms swinging within a mere foot’s distance.
It gave one the sensation of a snake’s tongue flicking in and out, an unease of not knowing when, where, or from whence the strike would come.
“Golden Snake Coiling Silk?”
Chen Shun’an saw this and his eyes lit up.
Of course, in Chen Shun’an’s eyes, this Steward Zhao’s movement technique was nothing special.
It was mainly the cultivation in his hands that was quite profound.
Fingers like pestles, palms pushing flat, wrist strength nimble and abundant.
It could thread a needle, perform delicate and intricate tasks; or be vast and majestic, with palms pushing out like mountains.
Chen Shun’an watched entranced.
His Flying Knife Technique was crude and clumsy, relying entirely on brute force.
If he also cultivated Golden Snake Coiling Silk Hand, the Flying Knife Technique could become divine and wondrous.
Then, with Chen Shun’an’s lightness skill, he could always keep a certain distance from his opponent, like flying a kite.
Able to advance or retreat.
Plus Python Fang Boots…
A complete fighting style based on Chen Shun’an’s strengths, fully unleashing his strength, was gradually taking shape.
The demonstration ended.
Steward Zhao took out a secret manual.
Without regard for whether Chen Shun’an understood or not, he poured out all the third-rate and second-rate cultivation methods of Golden Snake Coiling Silk Hand in the records.
Along with the corresponding qi and blood circulation methods, mental techniques, and various precautions.
“Do you understand?” Steward Zhao asked.
“I get about seventy or eighty percent.” Chen Shun’an said honestly.
“Heh…”
Steward Zhao clearly didn’t believe it, but he didn’t embarrass Chen Shun’an in front of everyone.
Steward Zhao said: “When your Golden Snake Coiling Silk Hand has footwork that complements the palm techniques, moving like a snake, it counts as entering the hall and ascending to the chamber, third-rate perfection.
If you can make your hands as soft as winding around a finger, legs like tempered steel, and strike ‘Golden Snake Peeks Head’, it counts as second-rate.
As for first-rate, come seek cultivation when you need it!”
Shopkeeper Zhao signaled Chen Shun’an and Yi Yan to practice in the courtyard, standing meditation and performing palm techniques.
Moments later, Master Li took the medicinal meal from the maidservant’s hands and drank it down.
Only then did he shakily stand up, say nothing, and head straight into the house.
Shopkeeper Zhao stayed in the courtyard, patrolling a few rounds and pointing out a few mistakes in the two.
Yi Yan lived up to his superior root bone, with unusual hand features.
This Golden Snake Coiling Silk Hand seemed tailored for him, every move spirited and divine, progressing much faster than Chen Shun’an…
At least, it appeared so on the surface.
So even though Yi Yan was drenched in sweat, his lungs heaving like a bellows, his qi and blood visibly surged upward.
At only fifteen or sixteen years old, he was already at third-rate late stage cultivation.
In contrast, Chen Shun’an’s movements were somewhat stiff and rigid, carrying strong traces of Ròufēi Xiān.
Some force exertion techniques even carried habitual experience, making Shopkeeper Zhao frown from time to time.
“Don’t be impatient. With your strength, Old Chen, by analogy, it will take at most half a year to cultivate Golden Snake Coiling Silk Hand to second-rate realm.”
Shopkeeper Zhao comforted him warmly.
Chen Shun’an nodded, saying no more.
Moments later, seeing the two practicing properly, Shopkeeper Zhao crossed his hands behind his back and headed to the back courtyard.
The jade disc gradually rose, the evening clouds like blood.
Yi Yan’s white short jacket was soaked with sweat, his pair of white connected-finger gloves faintly cramping.
He glanced at the back courtyard, saw that Steward Zhao and the others hadn’t noticed this side, suddenly stopped his movements, and said to Chen Shun’an,
“Teacher Chen, I know you.”
His enunciation clear, words precise and rounded.
“Oh?”
“I was once at that person’s residence, saw him singing opera and competing in poetry with several amateur performers, among them a Scholar Ma of exceptional talent, who also praised you.”
“Oh?! How did he praise me? Tell me quickly!”
Chen Shun’an’s expression shook, somewhat surprised and delighted.
If he was praising now, would he write a poem for him in a few days?
Was Chen Mou going to attach himself to these traveling literati and leave his name in history?
Yi Yan’s expression was a bit strange, hesitant and coy, but seeing Chen Shun’an pressing repeatedly, he imitated Scholar Ma’s tone and said helplessly,
“I have a friend named Chen Sheng. Though dull and vulgar, his body emitting a fishy stench, arithmetic poor… yet his courage surpasses others, mind sharp as a hair, chest encompassing myriad things, occasionally uttering world-shocking words, truly a wakeful one of this age.”
Chen Shun’an heard this, his smile vanished completely, and he fell silent for a long time.
These scholars, their insults so circuitous and sour, turning praise into slander…
Better to thirst him for a few days.
Chen Shun’an said no more and cultivated for a while longer.
He only felt his hands’ muscles and bones, especially the wrists, aching unbearably, like needle pricks, a sign of proper tempering.
Wiping the sweat from his body, standing under the gate tower, Chen Shun’an called out a greeting to Master Li and the others, then strode away.
“Teacher Chen.”
Suddenly, Yi Yan called out to Chen Shun’an.
“What is it?” Chen Shun’an stopped and turned back.
Young and inexperienced, even if Yi Yan tried to act mature, that burdened expression was clear as day in Chen Shun’an’s eyes.
“Oh… oh! If Teacher Chen doesn’t mind, any questions can be asked of me; I know everything without reserve.”
Yi Yan seemed to be recalling, uttering a word somewhat unfamiliar to him,
“After all, we can be considered… fellow disciples?”
Chen Shun’an chuckled lightly and cupped his hands,
“Then Chen Mou will not stand on ceremony.”
With that, Chen Shun’an stepped over the stairs, quickened his pace, and pushed the cart away.
Not long after Chen Shun’an left.
A woman in coarse cloth and hemp clothes, still charming, came from under the gate tower, around to the front courtyard, and stood before Yi Yan.
“Child, did you tell him?”
Yi Yan was silent for a moment, then said: “Mother, I’ll find a chance to tell him.”
The woman’s brows and eyes turned cold, and she scolded,
“Tell him the day after tomorrow! The secret medicine for Golden Snake Coiling Silk Hand is already scarce, needing Master Li to gather it every few days, plus massage and blood circulation…
Now some inexplicable person pops up. If he opens his mouth to ask Master Li for secret medicine, if he gets it, you’ll have less!”
The woman was somewhat aggressive, stepping forward and saying coldly,
“You must compete! You must monopolize the secret medicine! You must make him give up his share! If you don’t compete, don’t seize, don’t be ruthless, will those in the Yi residence let you off? This is your fate!”
The woman was not tall, only reaching Yi Yan’s shoulder.
But Yi Yan felt a suffocating pressure, like a deity looking down, gripping him tightly in its palm, suffocating darkness with no escape.
“Mother only hopes you won’t be like Mother, body not your own… If you don’t tell him, I’ll go tell him! Just a mere water carrier, but you are the son of a Zuoling, with Bai Shan Ren blood flowing in your veins!”
“Mother!”
Yi Yan’s face flushed red, lips trembling, eyes swirling with filial piety, inferiority, anger, and hatred.
In the end, he sighed,
“Child understands.”
……
Twilight deepened, Chen Shun’an returned the water cart and walked home along the alley.
Lanterns sporadically lit along the street, their dim yellow halos casting swaying shadows on the stone slabs.
Passing the wild teahouse, outside the low earthen house, an unknown opera troupe lit oil lamps and performed magic tricks.
Immortal plucking beans, three immortals returning to the cave, clever money transformation, quite lively, crowded with a big pile of people.
Chen Shun’an watched for two glances, joined the crowd briefly, then turned and left.
Gradually veering off, pedestrians sparse.
Suddenly, the night wind blew, and a broken-holed lantern by the street suddenly went out.
In the dimness,
Chen Shun’an stepped forward evenly, legs curling and bending like a snake, yet his hand techniques did not falter in the slightest.
Twisting hand, lifting hand, breaking pushing hand… various foundation finger techniques and palm techniques came effortlessly.
In the end, Chen Shun’an’s movements grew faster and faster, hands soft as winding around a finger, legs like tempered steel.
Puff!
Fingertip scraped the flint, bursting forth a cascade of sparks like a waterfall.
Chen Shun’an flicked his finger, plucking a spark as a flame, like Golden Snake Peeks Head, sending it out.
Whoosh~
The flame streaked several zhang, precisely passing through the lantern’s hole, landing on the already extinguished candle wick.
The lantern reignited, swaying, spilling orange-yellow light.
Chen Shun’an’s Wonderful Sound 303, Leopard Vein, in terms of root bone aptitude, was practically a “water bucket”, mastering all martial arts instantly upon learning.
Half a year to second-rate?
One day suffices.
Stiff and rigid?
Just lack of eyesight.
Moments later, Chen Shun’an left.
The shop door pushed open, the lantern’s owner shouldered a ladder, flint in his pocket, and called two shop assistants to help steady the ladder.
No one in front of the door, yet light spilled down.
He looked up, astonished,
“Eh? How did my lantern light itself? Weird!”
