Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 87

Since killing the three villains of Hongze Lake and "One-Armed Tiger Blade" Lü Yueqing, Yi Yuchen has not shown his face for three months.

Even though the situation on Hongze Lake was chaotic and several water fortresses were attacked one after another, it did not cause the slightest ripple in Mingjian Manor.

Inside the reception room of Mingjian Manor.

After the servants served the tea, they quietly withdrew. Sima Yan and Wen Shijie looked at the old man in the wheelchair, feeling uneasy.

The old man simply sat there, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he might fall asleep at any moment, but he exuded a chilling aura that could make people feel cold from the bottom of their hearts. If he wanted to, he could raise his hand and kill someone at any time.

If they were outside the Famous Sword Manor, they would be cursing those martial arts heroes to the eighteenth generation in their hearts. This is not some old cripple, but a fierce tiger that is resting with its eyes closed, still capable of killing and eating.

“The Mingjian Manor is aware of your intentions. Would you two be willing to serve as martial arts instructors within the manor? We recently received a batch of servants from outside the city who need proper training,” Yi Yun said, squinting his eyes.

As soon as the words left their mouths, Sima Yan and Wen Shijie felt a sense of relief. The ever-present feeling of impending death quickly faded away, and the sunlight outside shone brightly once more.

"Thank you for your appreciation, Elder Master. We will do our utmost," Sima Yan said, rising to her feet.

Yi Yun nodded: "Then I'll have to trouble you two in the future to stand with Mingjian Manor through thick and thin."

After Yi Yunduan saw the guests off with tea, Yi Liang was already waiting outside the door: "Please come with me, gentlemen. There are five instructors in the manor. I'll introduce you to them."

The two exchanged pleasantries and went off to flatter each other.

………………

Inside the quiet room, Yi Yuchen looked at the twelve brown pills in his hand and couldn't help but sigh. Sometimes, even with sufficient strength, one must consider the issue of probability. Despite not making any mistakes, three batches of great medicine had only yielded twelve Great Rejuvenation Pills.

Pushing open the door to the quiet room, I heard a series of "whoosh" sounds. Looking up, I saw Xiao Yi Jifeng practicing his swordplay in the courtyard.

He held a wooden sword in his hand, which looked quite professional, showing a solid foundation. Although he was not yet proficient in the moves, he had already memorized all the sword techniques.

Under the eaves, a silly-looking boy dressed in servant's clothes was watching the dancing figure and grinning foolishly; it was Li Tieniu.

Xiao Yi followed Feng's move with a backflip, his wooden sword descending from the air. He tapped the ground with the wooden sword, used the momentum to turn to the left, and then slashed horizontally with the wooden sword. After finishing the move "Kai Dang Yi Kang", he saw Yi Yuchen standing at the door.

"Big brother, you've emerged from seclusion!" Xiao Yi sheathed his wind-wood sword and ran over with a smile.

The grinning Tie Niu finally realized what was happening, looked behind him, and bowed, saying, "Young Master!"

Yi Yuchen nodded, looked at Xiao Yi Jifeng, and smiled, "Not bad, your swordsmanship has improved. Did your grandfather teach you?"

Xiao Yi Jifeng nodded and said, "Yes, Grandpa taught me all of this. I just learned it!"

Yi Yuchen held his hand, a wisp of true energy probing into his meridians, and said as they walked, "Grandpa is teaching you, so practice well. When you reach a certain level, I'll teach you something else. It's too early to teach you now! You've already practiced the internal energy Grandpa taught you?"

Within Xiao Yi Jifeng's body, a stream of true energy resided in his dantian. Sensing Yi Yuchen's true energy, it immediately activated. The two were compatible in attributes, both belonging to the basic internal energy cultivation method of the Famous Sword Manor.

Xiao Yi Jifeng hummed in agreement and said, "Grandpa said I can already cultivate internal energy, but don't rush it, just take it slow."

He then whispered, "My brother made me practice, and I practice every night."

Yi Yuchen had no intention of changing the legacy of the Famous Sword Manor. This foundational internal skill was connected to the internal skill manual of the Eight Styles of Famous Swords, and was no weaker than the peerless manual. Moreover, it allowed for extremely rapid progress.

The only shortcoming is the lack of the Yi Jing (易经) marrow cleansing technique to improve one's physical constitution. Yi Yuchen plans to use the Yi Jing Bone Forging Chapter of the Nine Yin Manual to fill this gap.

Hearing this, he nodded and said, "What your brother taught you is the foundation. It can strengthen your bones and muscles and enhance your potential. You must persist in practicing, and over time, the benefits will naturally come."

The two brothers talked for a while. When it was time for the other classes that Yi Yun had arranged for Xiao Yi Jifeng, Yi Yuchen didn't intend to interfere as he watched his younger brother leave in a hurry.

………………

Just as Xiao Yi Jifeng left, the old steward, who had heard that Yi Yuchen had emerged from seclusion, rushed over again.

In the study of the small courtyard, Yi Yuchen played with the porcelain vase in his hand, listening to the old butler recount the events that had occurred recently...

"Two months ago, the Taihu Twin Heroes, together with the Taizhou Hunyuan Thunderbolt Hand and other heroes from both lakes, overturned several water fortresses in Hongze Lake. Now, only a few small fish and shrimp have escaped from Hongze Lake."

"However, this is only a temporary solution. If the government does not take measures to restrain them, new bandit groups will rise again. Moreover, these bandits may have powerful figures in the imperial court backing them up."

"The two outstanding talents of Taihu Lake came to visit some time ago. Young Master Sun was still in seclusion, so the old master received them. The two presented a pair of jade discs, which are rare and exquisite, and the old master was very pleased with them."

"Upon learning that they wished to come to our manor as guest elders, the old master of the manor has already agreed. These two have now become martial arts instructors in our manor, and the new batch of servants and young boys have already begun their training at our manor."

"In addition, we've kept seventeen promising talents with good potential, temperament, and aptitude. The old master's intention is to await Young Master Sun's arrangements. What do you think..."

Yi Yuchen reached out and picked up a manuscript from the table, pushing it over and saying...

"This internal skill belongs to the Confucian school, it is upright and has great potential, enough to make a person reach the level of a first-class master. Take it and show it to your grandfather, and choose the appropriate one to pass it on to."

"I've included a sword technique in the appendix, which I'll pass on to them as well. In the future, Mingjian Manor can't rely solely on Jifeng and me to fight enemies; that would lower our rank. It wouldn't be worthy of Mingjian Manor's reputation. From now on, if any ordinary forces come to provoke us, we'll rely on them to deal with them."

Yi Liang nodded and said, "I will show it to the old master of the manor."

[You extracted the skills "Kill One Person in Ten Steps" and "Hidden Person and Name" from the martial arts manual "Ode to Gallantry". Seventeen sword servants from the Famous Sword Manor were born, and they would all become top-notch masters of their time.]

Upon seeing the system's narration, Yi Yuchen nodded without saying anything more.

Chapter 176 Discussing Lüliang, Iron Ox Practices Martial Arts

Yi Liang carefully put away the manuscript and continued...

"During the recent siege of Hongze Lake stronghold, many martial arts sects participated. Among them, Lü Yueyang of the Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Saber made a special trip before leaving."

“He represents the Lü family of Shanxi and is willing to share a trade route through the depths of the Lüliang Mountains with Mingjian Mountain Villa. This trade route leads to Shanhaiguan, and we need permission for their goods to be transported from Shanxi to Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi.”

"The old master thinks we need to consider this matter. After all, the Liao people have become increasingly aggressive in raiding our territory in the past year, and it is probably very dangerous. Our trade route from Sichuan to Yunnan and Guizhou, leading to the area beyond the Great Wall, is not lacking in profits."

Yi Yuchen nodded, and when Yi Liang thought he also wanted to refuse, Yi Yuchen said, "Say yes."

"What does Young Master Sun mean..." Yi Liang asked, bowing.

Yi Yuchen held up his finger and said...

"First, this is a gesture of goodwill from the Lü family of Shanxi, and we have no reason to refuse it. Making friends with like-minded people is the proper way to conduct ourselves in society."

"Secondly, Mingjian Manor is the leader of the Southern martial arts world in resisting the Jin people, which is why many people support us. If we can extend our reach into Shanxi and gather information for the army in advance, it would be a good thing."

"Third, it is now the first year of Shaoxing. According to the court gazette, Qin Hui, who advocates peace with the Jin, has been promoted to Vice Chancellor. I am afraid that the future situation will be unfavorable to us. I want to make arrangements in advance in Lüliang Mountain to prevent any unforeseen circumstances."

Yi Liang hesitated and asked, "Does the young master intend to... move to Lüliang Mountain in the future?"

Yi Yuchen smiled and waved his hand, saying...

“The Mingjian Manor’s roots are in the south, so moving to Lüliang is not realistic. Moreover, Qin Hui alone cannot bring down the Mingjian Manor unless he wants to die. After all, if pushed too far, I will kill.”

"What Zhao Gou needed was to restrain the pro-war faction and the generals commanding troops in the field, not to completely eliminate the pro-war faction, otherwise Zhao Gou's position would not be secure."

"Qin Hui is a smart man. He can please Zhao Gou, so he would never do anything irrational. Besides, it's not like I don't have a way to deal with him."

"However, you also mentioned that in recent years, the number of times the Jurchens raided the grasslands has increased significantly, so there must be many villagers hiding in the Lüliang Mountains."

"I want to take this opportunity to strengthen the rebel forces in the Lüliang Mountains, increase their ability to contain the Jin people, and slow down their southward advance. Moreover..."

"In short, I have other considerations. You just have to agree to the Lu family's terms."

Hearing this, Yi Liang knew that he had already considered it, so he nodded in agreement.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Do we need to establish our own power in the Lüliang Mountains to ensure that those rebels don't use our supplies for other purposes?"

Yi Yuchen nodded and said, "That's for sure. But it's too early to think about these things now. Let's cooperate with the Lü family first, and then talk about it after we've established a trade route. Besides, we don't have a suitable candidate yet."

After discussing the direction of cooperation with the Lü family, Yi Liang prepared to take his leave. Just before leaving, he glanced at Li Tieniu, who was standing at the door in a daze, paused for a moment, and then walked out.

"If I remember correctly, Li Tieniu fled from the Lüliang Mountains. Could it be..." Yi Liang thought as he walked.

"Tie Niu, come in here for a moment." After Yi Liang left, Yi Yuchen called out to him.

"Young master, did you call me?" Li Tieniu strode in and asked awkwardly.

Yi Yuchen nodded. Although he was reserved, it was only because it was the first time he had met him. However, his eyes were calm and he was not flustered. He was walking steadily and his actions were somewhat disciplined. He had obviously been well trained.

Yi Yuchen nodded, which saved him a lot of trouble, and asked, "How was it at the farm?"

Li Tieniu smiled and said, "It's great. The managers are very kind to me, and the head steward is also very good. My grandfather is also better, and he asked me to convey his regards to the master and the young master."

Yi Yuchen smiled and said, "In that case, just focus on your work from now on. There's not much to do in my courtyard. You just need to follow my instructions and listen to as little as possible."

Seeing him nod in agreement, I asked, "You haven't learned any internal energy cultivation, have you?"

Li Tieniu shook his head and said, "The guards in the manor only taught me one set of Taizu Long Fist, nothing else. They said that internal skills are profound techniques that not just anyone can learn. Cuilan has been accepted as a disciple by Master Tie, so she can learn his internal skills in the future."

Seeing the questioning look in Yi Yuchen's eyes, Tie Niu scratched his head and said...

"Oh, Cuilan is the daughter of the Qian family from the farm, and she's also been transferred to the manor. She said I've become the young master's trusted servant, and he'll teach me internal martial arts in the future."

"Master Tie is the head of the guards in the manor and is responsible for teaching us martial arts. However, he only accepted Cuilan as his disciple. Master Tie said that accepting disciples depends on fate, and he did not accept anyone else."

[Li Tieniu's grandfather was persuaded by Qian Cuilan's grandfather to agree to a marriage.]

[Tie Zhi, the leader of the farm guards, wanted to take this opportunity to establish a relationship with Li Tieniu. He took Qian Cuilan as his adopted son and taught her the internal energy technique of the Snake Breathing Technique and the Snake Whip.]

Seeing the narration, Yi Yuchen didn't ask any further questions, but directly asked, "Do you recognize the basic meridians and acupoints?"

Li Tieniu nodded and said, "Yes, Master Tie taught me, saying that I would need it in the future, and I remember it all."

Yi Yuchen pulled a booklet from the table and tossed it to him, saying, "This is a Taoist internal cultivation manual that emphasizes gradual progress. You are naturally calm and composed, so it's quite suitable for you. Take it and see if you can understand it."

Tie Niu hurriedly took the booklet, but frowned after just one glance. He couldn't recognize all the words in the book, and the meaning of them when put together was completely incomprehensible.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Yi Yuchen knew what was going on and said helplessly, "I'm too busy to teach you. Go find my younger brother, Yi Jifeng, and he'll teach you to recognize and interpret the characters when he has some free time. Once you can recite them, you can ask me if you don't understand anything."

[You taught Li Tieniu the "Song of the Great Dao of Complete Perfection." Although he lacked aptitude and was naturally dull, he was extremely tenacious and focused, which aligned with the Daoist ideal of single-minded concentration.]

[After one month, he could recite the entire "Song of the Great Dao of Quanzhen"; after eight months, he could begin to understand internal energy cultivation; after two years, he had made some progress in internal energy cultivation; after five years, his internal energy cultivation was profound and no less than that of the best in the world.]

[Within one year, his Taizu Changquan made no progress; after two years, with the help of internal energy, he achieved minor mastery of Taizu Changquan; after five years, he could achieve major mastery; after six years, he had become proficient, and his learning speed of fist and palm techniques increased by 1.]

Upon seeing the narration, Yi Yuchen paused, abandoning his plan to have him learn other martial arts for the time being, and said, "You should focus on cultivating your internal energy. As for martial arts, one set of Taizu Long Fist is enough for now. There's no need to be greedy for more."

Li Tieniu nodded and said, "Yes, Master Tie said I'm not good enough, so I should just practice simple and straightforward martial arts and not be greedy."

Yi Yuchen waved his hand, indicating that he should go find Xiao Yi Jifeng himself.

Chapter 177 Changing the Foundation, Teaching the Successor

Side dining hall.

Xiao Yijifeng stared blankly at the porcelain vase and letter on the table, but seeing that his older brother and grandfather were not saying anything, he followed his brother's example and sat quietly to the side.

After completing his alchemy retreat yesterday, Yi Yuchen hesitated for a moment before deciding to give half of the Great Rejuvenation Pill to Yi Yun. After all, the medicinal herbs were provided by the Famous Sword Manor, and Yi Yun was also the grandfather of this body. No matter what, he couldn't bypass him.

Moreover, considering the previous actions of the Buddhist sect, Yi Yuchen suddenly felt a bit mischievous about handing the pill formula over to Yi Yun. He wondered if the holy monk, who was on par with Yi Yun, would be so angry that he would vomit blood if he suddenly discovered that Mingjian Villa had not only not declined but had become even more prosperous.

Yi Yun squinted at the porcelain bottle on the table, then looked at his silent grandson. Although he had some questions about his grandson taking out the Great Rejuvenation Pill, he didn't intend to ask any more questions. After all, everyone has some secrets.

With a flick of his sleeve, he slid across the table, and the porcelain vase and letter vanished. Yi Yun said, "Let's eat!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yijifeng suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if the air in the canteen had begun to circulate and the stuffiness had disappeared. He wondered if this was what aura was.

After the meal, Yi Jifeng stayed behind to continue learning from Yi Yun, while Yi Yuchen returned to the quiet room in the courtyard.

………………

[You will use six Great Rejuvenation Pills as the main medicine, refine the medicine into Qi, refine the Qi into spirit, and then replenish the body's essence to restore the Three Treasures to their origin. This will take three years and seven months.]

Following the system's narration, Yi Yuchen stopped thinking about anything else. Without strength, thinking too much was pointless. His primary task now was to restore his strength.

Focusing his mind, Yi Yuchen swallowed the Great Rejuvenation Pill. His heart became both calm and lively, and his primordial spirit gradually began to refine the medicinal power, transforming it into the internal energy circulation diagram of the Great Dao Azure Lotus Chapter.

As the mental cultivation method was activated, the continuous medicinal properties were ground by the primordial spirit, circulated through the meridians, and transformed into wisps of true qi that appeared in the center of the dantian.

Sensing the other true energy, the true energy from the entrance of the Famous Sword Manor, which had been lingering in the dantian, immediately rushed up, and a true energy carrying a sharp aura completely surrounded the newly cultivated Great Dao Azure Lotus true energy.

Yi Yuchen remained unmoved, continuously refining the medicinal power to fuel his true qi. Time passed second by second. Although his original true qi kept testing, it had no way to deal with the Great Dao Azure Lotus true qi. Instead, it watched as the other party continued to solidify.

After an unknown amount of time, the Azure Lotus True Qi within the dantian collapsed inward, transforming into a seed of true qi with a tangible substance. The original True Qi of the Famous Sword collided with it once more, as if an iron sword had struck an ancient divine mountain, shattering into fragments in silence.

Yi Yuchen frowned, enduring a sharp pain, and watched as the Great Dao Azure Lotus True Qi surged forward, devouring the original True Qi, as if he were an observer. The Great Dao Azure Lotus True Qi flashed with a sharpness before returning to its ancient and unchanging state.

"Hoo..." Yi Yuchen opened his eyes. The first step of the foundational transformation was quite perfect. In the next few days, he would let the newly generated true qi nourish his dantian, leaving no hidden dangers. After that, he could begin the second step of expanding the meridians, acupoints, and dantian to completely complete the transformation of true qi.

Thinking of this, Yi Yuchen couldn't help but shake his head. One Great Rejuvenation Pill, after deducting the wasted portion, could provide about fifty years' worth of true energy.

His true qi circulation route involves 365 acupoints throughout his body and countless meridians. In addition, after cleansing his body, the total amount of true qi he can refine is less than ten years' worth.

In the later stages of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, the need for powerful martial arts spirit is even more inexhaustible. Considering the replenishment of essence and strengthening of the body, it is already considered a blessing if six Great Rejuvenation Pills can provide one with the true energy for thirty or forty years.

Feeling the continuous medicinal power being refined by his true qi, Yi Yuchen felt a warm and invigorating sensation in his dantian, and ended his cultivation for the day, getting up and leaving the meditation room.

Stepping outside, the sun was already setting in the west; a day had passed in the blink of an eye. Tie Niu and Xiao Yi Jifeng sat on the steps outside the quiet room, each holding a booklet. Xiao Yi Jifeng was teaching Tie Niu how to read.

Hearing the sound, the two turned around at the same time and saw Yi Yuchen already standing at the door...

"Big brother!"