Lu Sheng stared at him, stunned for a heartbeat, before a helpless sigh rose within him.165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlK1Z99wP8l
‘I spent four hours just to sense Qi for the first time… Those born in the Yin hour, Yin month, and Yin year truly walk a different path.’
Steeling his thoughts, Lu Sheng spoke evenly. “That’s the Initiation Qi sense. You must spend at least four hours every day nurturing and stabilizing this thread of Qi. If you neglect it, it will dissipate within days. It’s formed from the energy and essence of what you eat. Without your heart and mind to anchor it, your body will simply convert it into other energies and absorb it.”
Song Zhenguo opened his eyes, excitement brightening his features. “In that case, Teacher Lu, how long does this stabilization period take?”
Lu Sheng judged him carefully. “Your innate talent is quite good. But this inner force skill is high-grade, so it demands more time. You’ll need three years to stabilize the Initiation Qi sense. After that, you may begin cultivating the Level One mantra.”
“THREE YEARS!!!???” Song Zhenguo’s voice cracked, the joy on his face frozen in place.
He had assumed, seeing Lu Sheng’s profound cultivation and astonishing martial prowess at such a young age, that martial arts mastery simply came quickly to the gifted. Never had he imagined that even the earliest step of an inner force skill demanded years of patient grounding.
Lu Sheng continued calmly, “You’re already considered talented. Others may need four or even five years. This is why becoming an inner force expert is much harder than training in outer force. It requires time—far too much time. And the returns aren’t always equal to the effort. Many inner force practitioners spend decades cultivating, only to fall to others because they lack combat skills. It’s a pity.”
During this period, he had absorbed countless tales from the pugilistic world while consulting the old Sect Master about the Ultimate Crimson Mantra. At last, he was no longer the clueless novice he had been in the beginning; his understanding had deepened, and his words carried weight.
“In that case, I can supplement myself with outer force skills?” Song Zhenguo asked once more.
Lu Sheng gave him a steady look. “You’ve decided to join my Crimson Sun Sect, then?”
“I’ve decided!” Song Zhenguo replied, his expression earnest and unwavering.
Lu Sheng’s tone grew solemn. “You understand that once you enter the sect, you must never betray or abandon it. Otherwise, our own people will hunt you, and your life will be claimed without hesitation.”
“I’m certain!” Song Zhenguo nodded hard. “May Master Lu please teach me!” Clasping his hands, he dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, kowtowing before Lu Sheng.
Lu Sheng did not move to stop him. Such was the rule. Friendship had its place, but the rites of master and disciple were another matter entirely. In this world, nothing came without cost, and no one gave away their teachings freely.
Besides, he had once saved Song Zhenguo’s life. Accepting this formal bow was not unreasonable. One man knelt while the other sat in composed silence. After nine firm kowtows, Lu Sheng finally reached out and lifted him up.
“For now, I won’t tell you too much about the Crimson Sun Sect. Your first task is to train diligently. In the future, when the time is right, I will explain more.”
“Yes!” Song Zhenguo answered loudly, blood streaking his forehead—a mark of his fervor and resolve.
For a scholar to have faced the ghost ship Red Decks without hesitation, his courage already surpassed that of many trained men.
Lu Sheng continued, “Remember this formula. The name of this skill is Green Pine One Thought Formula. First, stabilize your Initiation Qi sense. After that, I’ll determine which martial arts suit you best.” Having accepted Song Zhenguo’s nine kowtows, Lu Sheng’s bearing toward him naturally shifted.
He stood and demonstrated several simple movements—stances required by a number of outer force skills.
Song Zhenguo rose and attempted to imitate them. But by the third movement, he faltered, unable to keep pace. His joints were stiff and unyielding, the natural consequence of never having trained in martial arts during childhood.
Estimating the limits of Song Zhenguo’s joints, Lu Sheng could only shake his head. The man had respectable talent, yet his body was clearly ill-suited for outer force training. Too stiff. Too fixed. Too late to mold.
After a brief consideration, he spoke. “Your body is too rigid and stiff… you can only practice some simple, basic outer force skills. I’ll impart you with a single movement.”
A memory surfaced—an old novel he had once read. In it, a warrior named Ah Fei honed only one sword thrust, drilling it endlessly until that lone strike became terrifying in its precision and force. By pouring everything into that single move, the character had forged a blade sharper than any technique book could promise.
Perhaps, Lu Sheng thought, such a path could work here as well. With Song Zhenguo’s rigid bones and locked joints, refining one motion might be the only viable road.
He continued, “Legend says that if a man trains a move a thousand times, ten thousand times, a hundred thousand times—even a million times—the move becomes frighteningly powerful. I don’t agree entirely. Yes, it can create astonishing force, but it also causes hidden injuries far beyond what ordinary bodies can endure. Most would cripple themselves before reaching that level of mastery.”
Lu Sheng’s gaze settled on Song Zhenguo, who was listening with bright, eager eyes. “Still… it is a shortcut. A way to gain real combat strength faster than the average expert.”
“So it works for me?” Song Zhenguo asked, leaning forward with hope.
Lu Sheng nodded. “You can try it. I’ll design a movement tailored to your body. Practice it every day, and it may become something formidable.” By shaping a motion that avoided every stiff joint and pairing it with a life force inner Qi skill, the risk of hidden injuries would be greatly reduced.
Song Zhenguo’s eyes blazed even brighter.
Time flowed quietly as they concluded their training.
By the time the two stepped out of the forest, the sun stood high at noon. Song Zhenguo, brimming with excitement, bid Lu Sheng farewell with barely contained enthusiasm before rushing off to begin practicing his newly learned inner and outer force techniques.
‘At first, everything feels new. But when you train day after day with no visible progress, you’ll understand how grueling it truly is. To become a cultivator of both inner and outer force—no matter how talented—you won’t reach even the level of a third-class expert without at least five years of work.’ Lu Sheng shook his head lightly as he glanced down at the title deed in his hand.
It was Song Zhenguo’s offering to the sect after receiving his teachings—a disciple’s gift to his master. The deed belonged to a cosmetic shop located on the second most prosperous street in Mountain-Edge City. Land in that district was worth its weight in gold; the shop alone was easily valued at ten thousand taels, a considerable sum even for Song Zhenguo’s family.
Lu Sheng tucked the deed away and clapped his hands.
A few nearby sect disciples immediately rushed over. “External Head!”
Lu Sheng ordered calmly, “Go investigate which man my sister, Lu Yingying, has been spending time with recently.”
“Yes, sir.” The disciples bowed and left swiftly to deliver the command.
With Song Zhenguo’s affairs handled, Lu Sheng made further arrangements. He instructed men to keep watch at the city gates and await word of the Lu family’s arrival. The distance made it inconvenient for him to send an escort, and besides, his family had no idea he had joined the Crimson Whale Sect or risen to prominence. He planned to give his aging father a pleasant surprise when they finally reached the city.
The next day, Lu Sheng headed to the Eastern Mountain Institution to attend the ceremony.
There, he saw Chen Yunxi—someone he had not met in quite some time. She looked noticeably thinner and more pale than before, but the moment her gaze fell upon him, her spirits brightened and a fleeting look of joy crossed her face.
The ceremony itself was unbearably dull. A ceremonial officer recited a long, ancient poem atop a circular stone platform flanked by four great drums, droning on with ritualistic solemnity.
Below the stage, the audience shifted restlessly, stifling yawns.
Lu Sheng and Song Zhenguo stood among those upon the stage, both dressed in white robes trimmed with red and wearing tall, pointed black hats, completing the formal yet uncomfortable ensemble.
Chen Yunxi did not make it onto the roll of honor. Among their old group of friends, only Song Zhenguo and Lu Sheng had succeeded—one ranked sixteenth, the other somewhere in the thirties. The rest could only stare up at the stage with envy in their eyes.
Lu Sheng scanned the sea of faces below. Beside him, Song Zhenguo leaned in and whispered,165Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2bgsKsMen
“Next year, we’ll be eligible to take the Governmental Examinations in the province. Master Lu, will you be going?”
“Governmental Examinations…” Lu Sheng murmured, his expression unmoved. He drew in a quiet breath. With his current status as External Affairs Emissary of the Crimson Whale Sect—wielding authority, overseeing Mountain-Edge City’s underworld, and commanding respect—what meaning was there in taking the exams?
Even if he passed and became an Academic Nominee, then advanced to Tribute Scholar, and eventually to Advanced Scholar… what did any of that matter in the world he now walked? His gaze drifted forward, distant. “Let’s wait and see.” Truthfully, he no longer cared for the examinations at all.
Song Zhenguo spoke again. “Why doesn’t Master Lu take a martial degree instead? With your skills, it would be effortless.”
Lu Sheng replied calmly, “So what if I become an official?”
Song Zhenguo opened his mouth, then faltered. “If you become an official… if you become an official…” But the more he tried to justify it, the more hollow it sounded. Eventually, even he lost conviction.
“…Yeah… so what if you become an official…” he muttered, shoulders slumping.
A booming voice from the ceremonial officer cut through the moment. “Pay respects to the Holy Man!”
Everyone on the roll of honor bowed toward the bronze statue standing upon the elevated platform.
The statue depicted Zhao Mu—the Holy Man, Master Zhao—revered as the founder of the Confucian imperial examination system. Though later honored with the title of “Holy Man,” he had been, in life, nothing more than a mortal who contributed greatly to the empire’s education and governance.
Lu Sheng stared at the bronze statue of the old sage, his expression unreadable as he bowed along with the others.
‘In the future… will I also have to bow like this? Bow to superiors, to the Emperor, to anyone placed above me?’ The thought flickered through his mind like a spark.
As he lowered himself in the formal salute, a quiet thread of resolve tightened within him.
‘Since when has the strong ever been required to bow to the weak?’ Listening to the ceremonial officer drone on with his lengthy proclamations, Lu Sheng felt his heart grow calm, steady.
‘Become an official? Forget it.’
…………
In the quiet mountains between Nine Links City and Mountain-Edge City, a long caravan wound its way along a dusty road, moving slowly like a merchant convoy passing through wilderness. Lush greenery surrounded them on all sides, and tall black flags fluttered from the carts—each one embroidered with a single, bold character: “Lu.”
More than ten horses and oxen pulled several massive carriages. Around forty men and women traveled with them, along with over a dozen soldiers acting as escorts. The rest were core members or relatives of the Lu Family. Thick gray cloth draped over the wagons to shield their belongings. At the front rode Lu Quanan, seated firmly on horseback, flanked by Uncle Zhao and a few martial experts hired for protection.
Dusk began to settle over the hills. Uncle Zhao narrowed his eyes at their surroundings. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. We should’ve rested for the night in Jia Rong Town earlier.”
Lu Quanan shook his head. “There’s no point. We’re right in the middle of the journey. Our pace is too slow. Even if we stayed another day, we still wouldn’t make it on time.”
He glanced back at an ox carriage behind them, its wheel showing clear signs of recent repair. “Ai… if that cart hadn’t fallen into a pit earlier, we wouldn’t be this delayed. Four days already, and we’re only halfway. I wonder how Sheng’er and Yingying are doing in Mountain-Edge.”
Uncle Zhao offered a reassuring smile. “Relax, old Master. Young Master Sheng is well-trained. He won’t be at a disadvantage.” Just mentioning Lu Sheng filled him with admiration. In his opinion, even in Mountain-Edge City, few youths could match Lu Sheng in reaching Intent Proficiency at such a young age.
But Lu Quanan still sighed. “I’m just afraid he’ll get into trouble…”
Get into trouble? Uncle Zhao hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Eventually, he asked, “Since your mind is unsettled, why did you allow Young Master Sheng to head to Mountain-Edge City alone?”
Lu Quanan shook his head slowly. “Because I don’t want to limit him. Sheng’er belongs to a different world than ours. He’s still young, and no one can say what heights he’ll reach in the future.”
Uncle Zhao understood and fell silent. After a moment, he shifted the conversation to another topic.
“It’s getting late. We’d better find a place to rest. Spending the night out here in the freezing wilderness is no joke.”
“Mm. Uncle Zhao, is that a village over there?” Lu Quanan suddenly pointed toward the right.
Uncle Zhao followed his gaze. Nestled beside the main path, between two moss-green cliffs, stood a small cluster of mud-walled houses. The settlement looked old, weathered, and barely holding together—more a forgotten hamlet than a proper village.
“Let’s go take a look and see if we can buy a night’s stay.”
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