Chen Ping’an wore a suspicious expression, while Ning Yao glared back, pointing at the string of text. “It really says ‘roll’! This fist technique was comprehended during the rain-watching at Dali, its momentum like a rolling, tumbling force. The fist’s energy is like ink-splattered rain, falling upon the mortal realm, then rolling along the Dragon Wall of the Dali Imperial Palace, cascading straight down!”

Chen Ping’an focused his gaze on the series of fist technique diagrams, all completed in one go, crammed onto a single page. Each figure of the punching man was small, and the charcoal drawing was not particularly detailed. Fortunately, Chen Ping’an had good eyesight, and even in the dim light, he could see every detail clearly. After hearing Ning Yao’s somewhat incomprehensible words, the boy murmured, “Sounds like this fist technique is very powerful.”

Ning Yao leaned in slightly, looking at the illustrated manual, nodding. “There’s a fist technique that’s been passed down in the martial world for thousands of years without being lost, and it bears some resemblance to this one.”

Chen Ping’an turned his head, curious. “How so?”

In the dim yellow light, the girl’s long eyebrows curved slightly, like a peach branch bent by the spring breeze.

She suppressed a smile. “There’s a set of fist techniques in the martial world suitable for all ages, called the Wild Fists. Just flail away randomly, and you’re guaranteed to beat even a master to death with your chaotic strikes.”

The boy said helplessly, “You can’t say it like that.”

Chen Ping’an imagined it in his mind. Wasn’t that exactly Gu Can’s specialty and signature move? In his memory, Gu Can’s mother had a less than pleasant dispute many years ago, in front of a cosmetics shop in Apricot Blossom Lane. At that time, Gu Can had just learned to walk. Gu Can’s father, being a foreigner, was rarely at home and had long been forgotten by the neighbors in Mud Bottle Lane. Back then, the women began to worry, worrying that their own men would unconsciously slow their pace when passing by the door of Gu’s widow, that the woman’s clothes hanging on the bamboo pole could easily hook away their souls. Later, Grandma Ma gathered five or six women and went to block Gu’s courtyard gate. Gu suffered a lot in that battle, but Grandma Ma and the others didn’t gain much advantage either, resulting in mutual loss. However, as time went on, Gu was ultimately outnumbered, her two fists unable to fight four hands. Even her clothes were torn, and because they were already thin, she inevitably revealed some skin, which drove those self-conscious women into a frenzy, scratching and biting, using any means necessary, making the men around the alley swallow hard.

Fortunately, Chen Ping’an had just returned to the small town from the Dragon Kiln. Having received Gu’s care for so many years, he went up to help Gu Can’s mother block many insidious moves. From beginning to end, the straw-sandaled boy dared not retaliate, not because Chen Ping’an was afraid of getting into trouble, but because he was afraid that he would kill someone with a single punch.

At that time, under the shouts and curses of Old Man Yao, the boy had already walked through countless mountains and rivers. At only twelve or thirteen years old, he had traveled the distance that many old men in the small town would walk in several lifetimes.

At that moment, the boy and the woman were sitting at the courtyard gate, and Gu Can was always locked inside, probably because she didn’t want her child to see her disheveled appearance.

The boy turned his head and pointed to the corner of the woman’s mouth.

The woman casually pursed her lips, then stuck out her thumb and heavily wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of her mouth.

The child was crying heartrendingly in the courtyard, calling out for his mother.

The woman first smiled at the straw-sandaled boy, and then, with a rush, tears rolled out of her eyes.

The next day, the straw-sandaled boy had an unwilling burden by his side.

Ning Yao’s question interrupted Chen Ping’an’s wandering thoughts. “What are you thinking about?”

Chen Ping’an asked, “You said that Gu Can and his mother left the small town and followed the Intercepting River True Lord to that Scroll Lake. Can they really have a good life?”

Ning Yao retorted, “Do you think they were living badly in Mud Bottle Lane?”

Chen Ping’an thought about it. “That kid Gu Can has no conscience. He’s young and definitely didn’t feel like life was difficult, but Gu Can’s mother… probably didn’t think the small town was a good place, especially the women in Mud Bottle Lane and Apricot Blossom Lane. She didn’t like any of them. And I think Gu Can’s mother, she just wasn’t meant to be in this small town. She always seemed very unwilling. If we’re going by Old Man Yao’s words, it’s because her heart is restless. When a man’s heart is restless, it’s called having lofty ambitions, but when a woman’s heart is restless, it’s called adultery. I don’t think that’s quite right…”

Ning Yao suddenly straightened her back and slammed the table. “What nonsense are you spouting? Do you want to learn the fist manual or not?!”

Chen Ping’an was startled. “Miss Ning, please continue.”

Ning Yao said unhappily, “It’s meaningless to talk to you about cultivation because you’re destined to be unable to cultivate. So I can only talk to you about martial arts, about the martial path.”

Chen Ping’an was about to say something, but the girl continued on her own. “Martial arts in the world are divided into nine realms, although some say that there’s actually a tenth realm above the ninth, just like how every dynasty raises a group of chess masters…”

Speaking of this, the girl’s mood improved a lot, and she asked with a smile, “Chen Ping’an, do you know what a chess master is?”

Chen Ping’an naturally shook his head honestly.

The girl’s face shone with radiance. “A Go master, the ninth dan is the highest rank, which is equivalent to a first-rank official in the court, but there are some once-in-a-century geniuses who are hailed as ‘tenth dan national masters’. Then these people will have various fancy and unique titles. Your Dali Dynasty’s chess masters are particularly embarrassing. It’s said that your ninth dans are only equal to the seventh dan strength of the Sui Dynasty. In the entire Dali, there’s only one guy nicknamed ‘Embroidered Tiger’ who is truly regarded as an opponent by the Sui Dynasty’s Go community. Oh, by the way, do you know what Go is?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “I know. I understand the rules, but I don’t know how to play myself. Song Jixin and Zhigui have Go boards and pieces at home.”

The girl was full of disappointment. “I see.”

The girl went around in circles for a long time, but the boy still didn’t know what the “nine realms” were.

The girl seemed to realize that she was being a bit unreliable, and she coughed before saying solemnly, “My mother said that the nine realms of martial arts are like climbing steps, one step at a time. But even when you reach the peak of the ninth realm, the final scene is like being on a mountain, looking up at another mountain in the distance, but only seeing the halfway point.”

Chen Ping’an was thoughtful. “I understand.”

Because the boy had seen that scene with his own eyes.

The girl didn’t care whether the boy really understood or not and said, “The nine realms of martial arts are divided into body refinement, qi refinement, and spirit refinement, each with three layers. You must reach the peak step by step, and you can’t be off by even a single step, let alone make a mistake. The more solid you walk, the better. The speed of your progress isn’t that important. This is different from cultivation.”

“The three realms of body refinement, the first layer is the Mud Embryo Realm. You know what it means just by hearing the name. It’s rough and crude, just like the Mud Bottle Lane where your house is. But when you cultivate it to the peak of perfection, you’ll be like a clay bodhisattva. Although it’s clay, it still has some extraordinary aura. Qi sinks into the dantian, and you’re as immovable as a mountain. You can be considered to have truly entered the path of martial arts. In short, the essence of this layer lies in the word ‘scatter’ and the word ‘sink’. A martial artist’s talent, understanding, and the guidance of the master can all be seen at a glance.”

“The second layer is the Wooden Fetus Realm, which means that your body begins to go from rough to fine. When you achieve greatness, the texture of your skin will be precise and orderly, like engraved talismans all over your body. It’s like… yes, like this snake gallstone that was found in the stream. It’s actually completely different from ordinary pebbles on the inside. The deeper meaning of this realm is ‘opening mountains’, expanding the meridians, turning a narrow meridian like a sheep intestine path into a Yangguan Avenue that can accommodate carriages. A martial artist’s innate talent will be revealed in this realm.”

While saying these words, the black-clothed girl held up the stone that the boy gave her.

She gazed at the beautiful stone illuminated by the light and said softly, “The last realm of body refinement is called the Mercury Mirror. The blood is as thick as mercury, but the weight is lighter, and the qi and blood are condensed into one. To break through the threshold, you need to pass a trial called ‘The Clay Bodhisattva Crossing the River’. Whether or not you can successfully pass the last threshold and a carp can leap over the dragon gate depends on the martial artist’s luck.”

Chen Ping’an listened in a daze, staring blankly at the oil lamp. The light flickered, and his mind flickered along with it.

The girl yawned, lay down on the table, and said lazily, “That’s about it. The three realms of body refinement have already blocked eight out of ten martial artists. It’s difficult to go any further. You should know the principle that the poor study literature and the rich study martial arts. Other than my hometown, it’s the same everywhere. Based on your family background and your understanding, I estimate that you’ll burn high incense if you can reach the second realm in this lifetime.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Then how do I practice this fist manual?”

The girl raised her eyebrows. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. I’m a little sleepy.”

Chen Ping’an hummed. “Then I’ll go get the basket and pick up stones. I’ll come back to find Miss Ning tomorrow.”

The girl said, “If you don’t mind, leave the fist manual here. I’ll take another look to see if there are any mistakes or if it’s a trap.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Okay, but Miss Ning, remember to be careful. I’ll have to return this Shaking Mountain Manual to Gu Can in its entirety later.”

The girl turned her head and frowned. “How many times do you have to say it before you’re satisfied?!”

The boy smiled, picked up the basket from the corner, and reminded her as he left the house, “Miss Ning, don’t forget to lock the courtyard gate.”

The girl lay on the table without turning her head, waving her hand weakly and saying, “I know, I know. Why are you more talkative than my father?”

The boy was as light as a swallow, and his figure disappeared into the alley.

After Chen Ping’an had left Mud Bottle Lane, the girl immediately straightened up and stared fiercely at the Shaking Mountain Manual as if it were her enemy. Then, her whole body slumped down again, and she lay on the table with a worried expression, talking to herself, “How am I supposed to teach this thing? I was born with the best sword immortal physique in the world. I don’t need to walk the road at the foot of these mountains. I can’t even remember the names of all 365 acupoints. How the breath naturally flows, I’ve known it since I was in the womb…”

The girl scratched her head with both hands, feeling miserable and indignant.

Suddenly, a timid voice rang out from outside the door. “Miss Ning?”

Ning Yao stiffly turned around slowly and saw an extremely annoying dark face.

She put on a stern face and didn’t speak.

The boy swallowed, apologizing. “I was afraid you’d forget to lock the door, so I came to remind you. Also, if Miss Ning gets hungry at night, I can go to Liu Xianyang’s house to make some supper and bring it over to Miss Ning before going to the stream.”

The girl waved her hand.

The boy immediately ran away.

Along the way, Chen Ping’an’s mind was filled with the first stance of the fist manual.

The fist moves, the person moves, the feet don’t leave the ground, like walking through rotten mud, the momentum like heavy snow reaching the knees, moving slowly.

The boy didn’t even realize that when he tried to practice the fist stance according to the diagrams, he involuntarily changed the speed and length of his breaths each time.

The boy even had the whimsical idea that it would be even better to practice the fist in the stream?

—

Qi Jingchun had two seals in front of him, carved from the highest quality snake gallstone, both small and yet to have their seal characters engraved.

During the day, the young scholar with a gentle and jade-like temperament visited the school. After that, the two of them had a private conversation. The Confucian gentleman who came from afar asked him a question, “Would the teacher like to inherit someone’s dying wish and continue to bring peace to all generations?”

Qi Jingchun replied at the time, “Allow me to consider it.”

This was clearly not a satisfactory answer, but the young gentleman, renowned throughout the continent, did not press him. He chatted with the long-admired Mr. Qi about the local customs of the small town and the changes outside the small town before bidding farewell.

From beginning to end, the young gentleman did not ask how to dispose of the jade plaque.

However, Qi Jingchun knew very well that while this gentleman from the Confucian Academy of the Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent could endure it, the Taoist sect’s golden boy and jade girl, the sutra-protecting masters of the Buddhist temples, the ascetic monk who was famous overseas, and the representatives of the military strategists would likely disregard the reputation of the Cliffside Academy. They certainly wouldn’t listen to Qi Jingchun’s wishes and would undoubtedly take back the artifact that suppressed their respective forces.

However, these were all expected.

Qi Jingchun sat upright, holding the carving knife, unusually troubled, unsure of how to engrave the seal’s inscription. “Sacrifice oneself for righteousness, give up life for morality. For this child, it seems too big, inappropriate, and inauspicious. Be at ease in peace, stand upright in righteousness, is it too insubstantial? But if it’s three quickly carved seals, it seems too insincere?”

Qi Jingchun turned his head to look at the night sky outside the window. In the night sky, stars were scattered like bright pearls suspended on a black curtain.

Qi Jingchun was stunned for a long time before he came back to his senses. He picked up a seal with one hand and began to carve.

In the end, he carved out four simple characters: “Tranquil Mind, Ease of Intention”, especially the first character, “Tranquil”, was the most spiritually full, encompassing all things.

Qi Jingchun gently put down the seal, with the bottom facing up.

Qi Jingchun was relieved.

The Confucian scholar, with his temples frosted with white, moved his heart slightly, and then he casually waved his sleeve. He saw “wind and water rising” on the table, mountains and rivers rising and falling, unfolding in order.

Finally, Qi Jingchun concentrated and looked to see the boy and girl sitting side by side in the dilapidated ancestral home in the small town’s humble alley, talking about the overview of the nine realms of martial arts.

Above the nine realms of martial arts, there is the tenth realm.

Qi Jingchun had long since read tens of thousands of books and was no stranger to the imperial court and the martial world, so he naturally knew about martial arts.

A smile appeared on Qi Jingchun’s nearly rigid face.

So the Confucian saint, who sat in charge of a world, made a harmless joke.

He engraved three characters on the second private seal.

Chen Eleven.