Chapter 52: Moving House

Surviving In A Martial Arts World To Become A Saint

Chen Qing pushed open the door to his home and said, "Mother, the contract is signed. Pack up, let's move."

Lady Han nodded in response, "Mm, I'll pack right now."

Lady Han only brought a few bundles containing changes of clothes and some old items she couldn't bear to throw away.

Neighbor Aunt Gao next door poked her head out upon hearing the commotion, "Sister-in-law Chen, are you really moving?"

Upon hearing this, Lady Han couldn't help but straighten her back a bit, her face spreading with a smile, "Yes, moving near where Ah Qing practices martial arts, it'll be more convenient in the future."

"Ah Qing, this child has really made it!" Aunt Gao's eyes were full of envy.

Among more than ten children in Mute Bay, Chen Qing was the most capable, letting his old mother live a good life.

Lady Han smiled, "Come visit us at the new home when you have time."

Aunt Gao nodded, "That's for sure!"

Mother and son quickly packed everything. Old Third Zhao had someone deliver a plank cart.

The plank cart creaked all the way, passing through the bustling market of Changping Street and turning into deep, quiet alleys.

Pushing open that heavy camphor wood gate, afternoon sunlight filtered through the lush branches of the old locust tree, casting scattered light spots on the blue brick ground.

Lady Han stood in the courtyard, surveying the spacious yard and solid well platform, murmuring, "This place is good..."

Her rough hands carefully touched the cool edge of the well, then felt the heavy door bolt, her heart filled with a sense of security.

Chen Qing silently placed his mother's bundles in the east room. He turned and walked to the well, lowered the wooden bucket, the rope rubbing against the deep rope marks with a creaking sound, drawing up cool well water. He scooped a ladle and handed it to Lady Han, "Mother, have some water."

Lady Han took the water ladle, looking at Chen Qing's upright figure, her face blooming with a relaxed smile.

The days of swaying on the boat had finally settled in this stable corner of the world.

After resting briefly, Lady Han couldn't sit still and began tidying up the courtyard with nimble hands and feet.

Chen Qing returned to his room and took out what he had obtained from Song Hu's body: seventy taels of silver, mostly broken silver; nine Blood Congealing Pills; and a leather scroll.

He unrolled the scroll and read the writing aloud in a low voice, "Internal Strengthening Secret Technique... Toad Fishing Force?"

This scroll recorded a martial arts secret technique: "Toad Fishing Force."

In the way of martial arts, there were many categories, with the distinction between hard skills and internal strengthening being particularly clear.

Hard skills externally trained tendons, bones, and skin, with very simple attack methods, fierce direct strikes using mostly obvious strength, belonging mostly to inferior martial arts.

The most famous were "Iron Shirt" and "Golden Bell Shield" techniques.

Of course, there were also extremely few exquisite and profound hard skill ultimate arts.

Internal strengthening belonged to extremely precious martial arts secret techniques, based on unique breathing methods, specifically attacking the training of the five organs and six bowels.

Therefore, internal strengthening methods generally belonged to superior martial arts.

Chen Qing focused intently on the scroll.

This "Toad Fishing Force" had three realms.

The first realm was "Swallowing Qi to Fill the Belly," using mouth and nose to swallow qi into the abdomen, stirring the stomach and intestines, sounding like frog croaking.

Initially training the organs to resist ordinary punches and kicks.

The second realm was "Internal Organs," sinking breath to shake the dantian, affecting the five organs and six bowels.

Making the internal organs as tough as cowhide, able to withstand heavy strikes from obvious strength masters. Generally, iron fists hitting the abdomen wouldn't cause injury, and it could also dissolve thirty percent of hidden strength's penetrating force.

The third realm "Thunder Sound Marrow Cleansing" used breath to guide bone marrow vibration, producing "buzzing" thunder sounds.

It could cleanse essence and attack marrow, expelling impurities from the body.

Making qi and blood vigorous as a furnace, impervious to cold and heat.

"This is truly a good thing!"

Chen Qing looked at the Toad Fishing Force in his hand, his heart stirring.

Not to mention the third realm's effects of cleansing essence and attacking marrow, even the first two realms had unimaginable benefits.

Making ordinary attacks ineffective and fatal injuries become heavy strikes undoubtedly added a huge layer of protection for oneself.

Chen Qing carefully studied the scroll, and soon a golden light appeared in his mind.

[Toad Fishing Force: Beginner (1/100)]

Chen Qing gripped the scroll in his hand and said to himself, "This Toad Fishing Force can protect the organs. If I can master it, my life-saving methods will increase by several points!"

After all, during combat, the five organs and six bowels were vital points and extremely vulnerable to attack.

However, since this "Toad Fishing Force" was obtained from Song Hu's body, he couldn't practice it at Zhou's courtyard to avoid unnecessary trouble. It was safer to practice at home.

In the afternoon, Chen Qing carefully checked to confirm the Blood Congealing Pills were intact, swallowed one, and then set off for Zhou's courtyard.

It was now midsummer, the weather unbearably hot and dry, the earth like a furnace.

Some disciples in the courtyard gritted their teeth and persisted in practicing boxing, while others hid in the shade gasping and cooling off.

"Senior Brother Chen!"

"Senior Brother Chen!"

Seeing Chen Qing arrive, many disciples stood up to greet him.

After responding to each one, Chen Qing came to his position to prepare for practice.

He stood calmly on the wooden post, feet rooted, shoulders sinking and elbows dropping, arms like an ape extending its limbs, slowly reaching forward, fingertips slightly stretched as if containing infinite tension.

His spine relaxed joint by joint, tailbone tucked in, breath long and sinking into the dantian.

After completing one round of Through-arm Stance Work, his progress improved three times the usual amount.

This was thanks to the medicinal power of the Blood Congealing Pills.

Medicine supplements and food supplements were greatly beneficial to him, rapidly increasing his progress.

Chen Qing practiced Through-arm Boxing two more times, then sat aside to rest.

At this time, he noticed disciples in the courtyard whispering, frequently mentioning "Qin Lie" in their words.

Chen Qing's heart stirred, and he called over Song Yufeng to ask, "What happened?"

"Senior Brother Chen, you don't know yet?"

Song Yufeng glanced around and lowered his voice, "Master spent a fortune to invite Master Sima from Qingnang Hall. He prescribed a secret formula for Senior Brother Qin, and his major tendons... actually began to heal!"

Chen Qing's eyes narrowed slightly, "Oh?"

He wasn't surprised by Zhou Liang's full effort to treat Qin Lie.

After all, Qin Lie was Zhou Liang's final disciple, with a very close relationship that, in some old martial masters' eyes, even surpassed that of ordinary father and son.

Moreover, Qin Lie was injured by Gao Sheng from Pine Breeze Martial Hall. While this didn't rule out his "own" problems, a large part of the reason was also because of Zhou Liang.

However, that ruptured major tendon could actually heal, this news indeed surprised him.

"This Master Sima truly deserves to be called a medical saint..."

Song Yufeng sighed, "I heard Senior Sister Li speculate that if Qin Lie can recover, breaking and then standing again, he might directly reach hidden strength perfection and have hope of attempting the third breakthrough."

Chen Qing nodded slightly, then sought confirmation from Sun Shun.

When discussing this matter, Sun Shun's brow relaxed, his expression showing joy, genuinely happy for Qin Lie.

Looking around again, many disciples had complex and subtle expressions, only Zheng Ziqiao stood alone, brow deeply furrowed, his gaze occasionally sweeping toward the depths of the back courtyard.

"Let's observe quietly first before saying anything."

Chen Qing always felt something was strange about this. Major tendons were severed and now suddenly healed?