Chapter 4: White Cloud (Please support the new book)
Chapter 4: White Cloud (Please support the new book)
"Masters, please!"
That night, Fang Xi hosted a banquet to entertain Mu Piao Miao and She Lei, the two martial arts instructors.
Dressed in a brocade robe and wearing a jade crown, though his figure was slightly slender, he exuded an ethereal, otherworldly aura, making Mu Piao Miao secretly praise him in her heart. She promptly took a drink.
"Cheers!"
As the cool liquid flowed down her throat, Mu Piao Miao couldn't help but be surprised: "Good wine. . ."
She Lei even let out a sound of pleasant surprise: "Isn't this the 'Autumn Dew White' from Baili Winery? Legend has it that the owner of this winery only brews eighteen jars a year, and each jar must be aged for three years before it's ready, valued at a hundred taels of silver. . ."
"Heh heh, I'm fond of good wine, delicious food, beautiful maidservants, antiques, grand mansions, and ingenious contraptions. . ."
Fang Xi poured himself a cup and sighed with emotion: "I once heard a saying: a man in this world should climb the highest mountains, drink the strongest liquor, wield the fastest sword, ride the best horse, enjoy the most beautiful women, and fight the most ruthless people. . ."
"Hahaha. . . Youth is truly wonderful."
She Lei took a deep gulp of the Autumn Dew White, and suddenly felt a youthful illusion return to him.
He, too, was once a young jianghu wanderer with dreams, until he took a knife to the knee. . .
"Enjoy the most beautiful women. . ."
Mu Piao Miao's face flushed; she unconsciously tugged at her collar, secretly cursing him as a little pervert, yet also feeling a stir in her heart.
After all, she had heard tales of female martial artists who, in the end, fell into poverty and were forced to sell their charms.
And this Young Master Fang was truly young and dashing, rich and gentle; he would certainly make a fine match. . .
"Setting everything else aside, simply this scorching summer day, yet within the hall, there isn't the slightest hint of oppressive heat. . . truly rare, truly rare."
She Lei's gaze shifted; he saw the wooden box in the great hall and chuckled: "This must be one of Young Master Fang's so-called ingenious contraptions, wouldn't you say?"
"Naturally," Fang Xi replied, "this is a rustic air conditioner; it merely keeps the rooms warm in winter and cool in summer, nothing to make a fuss about. . ."
Fang Xi waved his hand; combining cultivation magic and his past life's experience, creating this air conditioner was indeed a source of pride for him.
However, he was too lazy to promote it for profit or anything like that; everything was merely for his own convenience and enjoyment.
Becoming a merchant in a world with supernatural powers? How foolish would that be?
...
The next day.
On the training ground.
Mu Piao Miao was absent; only She Lei was present.
Although martial arts schools taught techniques for a fee, they still had to observe propriety and avoid suspicion.
She Lei's expression had also grown much more serious: "My Red Snake Martial Arts Hall's 'Red Snake Leg' technique focuses on leg work. Initially, one practices footwork, requiring pole training, where a person practices atop wooden poles. . . Later, one must also add weights. . . I shall first demonstrate for Young Master."
On the training ground, several rows of Plum Blossom Poles of varying heights had already been set up.
She Lei leaped lightly onto the wooden poles, moving like lightning: "Body like a pine, legs like a snake; when moving, the body shifts, but the mind remains still. . ."
After demonstrating for a while, he stepped down from the poles and chuckled: "Martial arts practice consumes a great deal of energy; it's best to supplement with medicinal cuisine. . . Initially, one can have a physician prescribe formulas to nourish blood and qi, but once you comprehend the secrets of Blood-Qi, you'll need the martial arts hall's specialized secret medicines."
"Secret medicines?"
Fang Xi's heart stirred; he thought of his second objective: "What exactly are these 'secrets of Blood-Qi'?"
If he proceeded step by step, he would certainly gain access to the martial arts hall's secret medicine channels, so he wasn't particularly anxious.
"The so-called Blood-Qi refers to our classification of martial artists."
She Lei explained: "For example, in my Red Snake Martial Arts Hall, disciples, upon first entering, all practice these 'Eight Serpent Steps'. Once they can grasp Blood-Qi, that is, after undergoing Blood-Qi Transformation, they can become inner disciples. . . A single Blood-Qi Transformation greatly increases leg strength, and the tendons and bones become much more robust; kicking through a wooden pole becomes no problem. With a second Blood-Qi Transformation, one is considered a master even within the martial arts hall. As for a third Blood-Qi Transformation. . . that signifies a true successor."
"So that's how it is."
Fang Xi nodded, stepped onto the wooden poles, and began practicing the 'Eight Serpent Steps'.
Although his physical aptitude wasn't great, a cultivator's sharp senses and clear mind were still present; he could memorize anything after merely reading it aloud a few times.
She Lei was astonished to discover that although this wealthy young master's physical condition seemed ordinary, he understood everything upon being taught once, and it worked flawlessly on the first try.
Though his speed was somewhat slow, he completed the entire set of steps perfectly on his first attempt, and by the third repetition, there were no mistakes or omissions.
'Yuan He Mountain probably misjudged him this time. '
Muttering inwardly, She Lei's expression involuntarily grew much more solemn.
"Master She, how long do you think it will take for me to grasp Blood-Qi and reach the first stage of Blood-Qi Transformation?"
After several repetitions, sweat beaded on Fang Xi's forehead, and a nearby maidservant promptly offered him a towel.
He wiped his sweat while sighing with emotion.
This Blood-Qi Martial Arts was indeed different from other so-called martial arts. He had seen a few mundane martial arts manuals in the South Barrens Cultivation World, but felt they were far inferior to Blood-Qi Martial Arts.
"Generally speaking, ordinary disciples can sense Blood-Qi within three months. . ."
After all, this was just the introductory stage. She Lei chuckled: "Young Master, your talent is not bad; perhaps it will be even shorter."
"Three months, then?"
Fang Xi nodded and continued onto the wooden poles to practice his footwork.
By afternoon, the instructor had changed to Mu Piao Miao, dressed in a white robe.
"My White Cloud Martial Arts Hall's secret 'White Cloud Palm' has three levels: White Cloud, Dark Cloud, and Black Cloud!"
Mu Piao Miao faced a wooden pole and gently pressed out a palm strike.
Thwack!
On the wooden pole, a deep palm print immediately appeared, and at the edges of the palm print, clear black traces could even be seen.
Fang Xi's nose twitched; he actually smelled a pungent, foul odor, and his expression changed: "Poison?"
"Correct, you reacted quickly."
Mu Piao Miao smiled: "The White Cloud Palm is inherently a poison technique! In its later stages, one must refine poison into the palm force; with a single strike, both humans and beasts will perish! Of course, you won't need that at first. You only need to strike wooden poles to practice your palm strength. I'll demonstrate it for you."
The introductory practice for the White Cloud Palm technique involves striking one's palms daily, preferably in conjunction with the White Cloud Martial Arts Hall's secret medicinal sandbags.
In this regard, Fang Xi was never stingy; he immediately bought ten high-quality medicinal bags and continuously practiced his palm strength.
And he could feel that as he continuously struck his palms against the medicinal bags, his skin was growing tougher and tougher, and the strength in his palms was gradually increasing. . .
Time, unnoticed, slowly slipped by.
...
Green Bamboo Mountain.
Fang Xi opened his door, gazing at the swirling snow and the sparse furnishings within his humble dwelling. He couldn't help but exhale a large cloud of white breath: "It feels like a lifetime ago. . ."
In the Da Liang world, he was Young Master Fang, a man of immense wealth, possessing a grand mansion and beautiful maidservants in Black Stone City. Though he occasionally suffered setbacks, he could accomplish ninety-nine percent of things with silver.
But in the South Barrens Cultivation World, he was merely a small fry.
Stuck at the very bottom of the cultivation world, struggling just to make ends meet.
How utterly miserable!
'I still need to tend to the Jade Green Bamboo Forest. Even though being a Spirit Farmer on Green Bamboo Mountain is miserable, it's still better than being a Rogue Cultivator, and I can still make use of the market's channels. . . '
Fang Xi touched his chest and found that the demonic insect, the Skink, was still there.
'The top priority is to first deal with that matter, then buy some Talismans, and ideally acquire a low-grade Artifact for self-defense! '
He had never forgotten what his true reliance was!
Da Liang was by no means a paradise.
Without sufficient power, he wouldn't be able to enjoy himself!
However, relying on a cultivator's sharp senses and clear mind, and a few life-saving Talismans hidden away, he felt confident he could even turn the tables on She Lei and Mu Piao Miao.
Moreover, by occasionally disappearing for a period, he could better keep his covetous rivals guessing about his true strength, thus allowing him to maintain the facade of the Fang manor.
But Fang Xi also knew that such good days wouldn't last forever.
The hyenas and vultures lurking in the shadows would eventually be unable to restrain themselves.
Therefore, he still needed to increase his power!
For cultivators, the most convenient way to increase power was naturally to break through to a higher realm.
Beyond that, the methods of enhancing one's strength using external items were far more numerous than in Da Liang.
For instance, powerful Talismans, puppets, spirit beasts. . . and even Artifacts!
"With my current magical power, I can at most control one low-grade Artifact, but that would be enough. . . After all, most of Da Liang's martial artists can't even dodge crossbow bolts, and they still have to fear Da Liang's government."
Artifacts!
These were the standard equipment for Qi Refinement cultivators, divided into four tiers: low, mid, superior, and finally, peak.
Even the lowest-grade low-tier Artifacts were often worth around ten Spirit Stones.
As for true peak-tier Artifacts, they were the standard equipment for cultivators at Qi Refinement Perfected and some at early Foundation Establishment.
It was rumored that above Artifacts, there were even higher-grade Spirit Artifacts, and even the fabled Treasures. . . but those were beyond Fang Xi's current aspirations.
He put on his cotton-padded jacket, donned a straw cape over it, and stepped into the heavy snow.
It wasn't that he couldn't use magic spells to keep warm, but a small Qi Refinement cultivator's magical power was limited and needed to be conserved. . .
As he was walking, a person came walking from the opposite direction; it was Old Mai Tou.
"Little Brother Fang. . ."
His face was flushed, and he offered a greeting.
"Oh, Old Mai Tou, your face is glowing red; you must have some good news," Fang Xi said with a slight smile, knowing where the other man had been these past few days.
"Ah, merely boredom in winter, boiling tea by the stove, seeking a little amusement. . . " Old Mai Tou replied, rather pretentiously.
But Fang Xi saw his legs faintly trembling, a picture of qi deficiency, like a dying flicker, and secretly rolled his eyes.
Although most cultivators had long and steady qi meridians, over-exertion could still lead to problems. . .
However, it wasn't his place to say anything.
From the looks of it, those alluring techniques of the 'Secret Pleasure House' were indeed quite effective.
"On the other hand, Little Brother Fang, I haven't seen you in a few days, and your complexion looks even better. . ."
Old Mai Tou felt that Fang Xi today carried a hint of vibrant yang energy, unlike his usual cautious and reserved demeanor, and couldn't help but ask with a chuckle.
"I merely cultivated in seclusion for a few days and gained a slight understanding."
Fang Xi cupped his hands in greeting and replied, then walked towards the market town.
Comments