Chapter 14 Lying Dormant (Part 4)

The manual clearly stated:

"This skill can prolong life, energize the body, regulate and smooth the qi of the five viscera, and has the effect of healing internal injuries. The deeper the skill level, the better the results."

"Healing internal injuries?"

Lu Sheng's heart moved.

"Young master? It's time to eat. It's already the middle of zi hour..."

Xiao Qiao's voice came from outside the door.

Lu Sheng stretched his arms and shoulders.

Pushing the door open, he saw Xiao Qiao had brought over a stool and was sitting outside waiting for who knows how long.

The middle of zi hour was midnight.

According to the Song dynasty's timekeeping, each day was divided into 12 two-hour periods, with each period split into the initial and middle hour. The middle of zi hour was from midnight to 1 AM.

"It's this late already?" Lu Sheng looked at the other courtyards. The usually noisy places were all quiet tonight.

In the night wind, he faintly heard the night watchman passing by beating his clapper outside.

"What is there to eat now?"

Lu Sheng headed toward the kitchen.

The Lu manor's kitchen was between the front and rear courtyards. One had to exit the rear courtyard to get there.

"I had the kitchen prepare one portion of every dish, just needs heating." Xiao Qiao said softly, following closely behind Lu Sheng.

The two walked down the corridor out of the rear courtyard and turned left toward the small kitchen courtyard.

The kitchen courtyard had several tables and chairs placed across it, specifically for the kitchen servants to eat at.

As the two entered the small courtyard, they saw someone already sitting at a table heartily eating the meal left out for Lu Sheng.

"Big brother, why are you still not asleep so late?" The person eating raised her head, surprisingly a beautiful and delicate girl's face.

"Qing Qing?" Lu Sheng was surprised to see her. "When did you come back?"

He sat down opposite her, examining his sister who was eating with relish.

This sister born of his second mother was his half-sister, but his second mother treated him like her own. She was often even better to him than to her own daughter.

In Lu Sheng's original memories, his feelings for his second mother and Lu Qing Qing far surpassed those for his other siblings.

"I just got home and was hungry, so rushed over here. I thought this table full of dishes was prepared for me."

Lu Qing Qing had a sword on her back. Clad in blue form-fitting attire, she surely had bindings wrapped around her chest. If not for her exquisite looks, one wouldn't be able to tell she was female.

"You shouldn't have come back..." Lu Sheng sighed.

"Why?"

Lu Qing Qing put down her bowl as her expression suddenly turned grim.

"Elder Cousin Xu died horribly for no reason. What disaster did Uncle Xu's family provoke? All that garbage about monsters and demons, I don't believe it!"

"What do you mean?" Lu Sheng stared at her.

"I came back early this time specifically to uncover cousin Xu's true cause of death and bring his killer to justice!"

Lu Qing Qing said solemnly with a flash of killing intent in her eyes.

Lu Sheng looked at this sister for a long time without speaking.

Lu Qing Qing's expression showed a hint of anger.

"Big brother, cousin Xu died. Don't you even want to find out who the real killer is?!"

"I've investigated but have no clues..." Lu Sheng shook his head. "No traces of any assailant or evidence. Over ten members of the Xu family died in one night without even a hint of noise."

"I don't believe it!"

Lu Qing Qing stood up.

"I'm full. Tomorrow I start investigating. Big brother, good night."

She then strode out of the small courtyard.

"Xiao Qiao, do you want to come over?"

She nodded at Xiao Qiao as she left.

Xiao Qiao shook her head sadly. Clearly the matter of Elder Cousin Xu made her feel down.

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Elder Cousin Xu had always been very good to them and was gentle and courteous. She couldn't understand how such a nice person could suddenly perish.

Lu Qing Qing left.

Lu Sheng sat down and had Xiao Qiao heat up the food again so he could continue eating the leftovers.

"Qing Qing went out for five years to learn martial arts from Revered Master Tie Sang. He's a famous sword master near Purple Cloud City. But from the looks of it now, she doesn't seem to have cultivated internal energy."

According to the Jade Crane manual's record, those with internal energy would have awe-inspiring eyes.

The deeper the internal energy, the more bright and shining the look in their eyes.

But his sister's gaze was dreary without much difference from ordinary people. Clearly she wasn't one who cultivated internal energy.

"That makes sense I guess. If one can have internal energy, how could it be everywhere like cabbage. But this way it seems Duan Mu Wan is extraordinary indeed..."

Lu Sheng pondered for a bit before settling his heart to focus on eating.

The next morning...

Early in the morning, Lu Sheng followed Zhao Bo to visit former chief catcher Zhang Xun's home.

"Though former chief Zhang Xun's Cracking Heart Palm is an external skill, legend says it's on par with the infamous Iron Sand Palm.

Its main penetrating force that can strike cattle from over a mountain and directly hit an enemy's organs makes it extremely fierce."

On their way there, Zhao Bo and Lu Sheng rode together unhurriedly toward Zhang Xun's home.

Zhang Xun lived in Jiu Lian Cheng's blacksmith district near the city walls.

This area mainly housed the poor and craftsmen like blacksmiths and carpenters.

As Lu Sheng traveled there, all he saw were thin and sallow faces of the destitute. Many passersby wore patched up clothing.

"Cracking Heart Palm was famous when I was little, but how could former chief catcher Zhang end up in such dire straits? With his connections and strength, he should be qualified to be an instructor in the yamen at least."

Lu Sheng asked casually.

Zhao Bo shook his head. "Why else but because of a past tragedy decades ago? He sought vengeance and though he personally killed his enemy in the end, it left him riddled with hidden wounds. Just the cost of the many nourishment medicines already used up all his family fortune."

As he spoke, the two soon arrived at a run-down small courtyard.

Zhao Bo dismounted and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" A frail-looking youth soon opened the door.

"Zhao Bo?" His expression was delighted to see Zhao Da Hu. "Come in, come in!"

Following inside, the first thing Lu Sheng saw was an old white-haired man sitting in the yard sunning himself.

"Is this not Young Master Lu?"

The old man cut straight to the point in a loud voice.

"Indeed I am." Lu Sheng clasped his fist.

"This old one received your silver. I can teach you Cracking Heart Palm's methods and moves face-to-face, but I still have another request, young one."

The elder was none other than the former ruthless chief Zhang Xun.

"Please speak, Master Zhang."

Lu Sheng's expression didn't change.

"This old one hopes Young Master Lu can pass on this skill to a few more disciples. Don't let my painstaking heart's effort over a lifetime go to waste." Though advanced in years, Zhang Xun's voice still held abundant vigor and heroism.

"Master Zhang, be at ease! I promise!"

Lu Sheng agreed decisively.

"Good! For saber and palm techniques you need the vigor of facing death head on without retreat! Without that spirit, even the strongest saber will only be a farce!"

Zhang Xun's voice abruptly turned severe.

"My Cracking Heart Palm has something in common with saber techniques. Striking out the palm or saber, you have to go all out, imagining yourself in a desperate circumstance. Only then can you erupt with maximum might and speed!

If there's hesitation in the heart there won't be power in the force!"

Lu Sheng's heart shook as he seemed to suddenly comprehend something.

"If spirit, qi, and intention can fully merge and focus on one point, that is the essentials of saber techniques and my Cracking Heart Palm!"

Zhang Xun said harshly.

Lu Sheng closed his eyes, standing with seeming enlightenment, his hand gripping his saber by his waist.

Just by entering the yard, he had received proper guidance from this former number one master of Jiu Lian City.

"With hesitation, no power can be achieved."

This line was like deafening thunder that continued blasting his mind.

He had always felt a hint of sluggishness in his saber techniques because of too much consideration.

Now it occurred to him that he must have been lacking that bit of heart's intention and spirit!

His skill level surpassed Zhao Bo's but he had no confidence that he could defeat Zhao Bo in actual combat. He had thought it was from lack of experience before.

But now it seemed he lacked heart's intention.

Time passed...

Lu Sheng clasped his fist in salute and bowed to Zhang Xun.

"Many thanks, Master Zhang!"

"No problem. Everyone else out now. I will teach you the essentials of Cracking Heart Palm!"

Zhang Xun's voice was loud.

Zhao Bo and the youth both showed helpless smiles as they left the yard.

For the whole day, Lu Sheng stayed at Zhang Xun's place memorizing the essentials and moves of Cracking Heart Palm.

Zhang Xun also unreservedly taught various combat experiences in detail.

Having entered the initial stage of internal skill, Lu Sheng's energy was abundant. He stayed for the entire day with just two short rests in between, continuously learning and training.

By dusk, he had completely memorized the essence of Cracking Heart Palm before leaving.

Returning home, his first action was to sit cross-legged on the bed in his room.

"Navy blue."

The modification interface reemerged after this inward recital.

Pressing the modify button again made the entire box flash violently.

Lu Sheng focused his attention on the Jade Crane Skill from before.

"Shouldn't be an issue this time."

Modifying a martial art was done in phases so it wouldn't be too intense and the body burden would stay low.

"Raise one level!"

Lu Sheng stared fixedly at Jade Crane Skill.

Very quickly, Jade Crane Skill's level jumped directly from Initiated to First Layer.

Lu Sheng instantly felt like all his organs were on fire as his mouth went dry, face red.

He had read the manual and knew this was a sign of too flourishing inner qi disturbing heart fire.

So he swiftly got up and took small sips of prepared jade dou stonecrop tea on his table.

Stonecrop was known as the longevity sage grass with powerful nourishing ability. Iron shell stonecrop was considered the best on Earth, while jade dou stonecrop was the finest here.

It was expensive supplement imported from central China.

The family medicine storage had some stock left that he could use now.

After slowly drinking three cups of the rich stonecrop tea, Lu Sheng finally felt the burning in his chest and abdomen subside.

"According to the manual, Jade Crane Skill only has two layers total. Qi should be felt after one day of cultivation.

But it takes a hundred days to initiate, needing talent as well.

Reaching first layer takes two to three years. The second layer needs five to ten."

He put down the teacup, scooped out stonecrop from the pot to chew and swallow.

"My progress now equals two to three years of bitter cultivation for others. Not bad."

He clearly felt the qi presence in his chest and abdomen was much richer than before.

If it was as fine as a strand of hair previously, now it was as thick as chopsticks.

Lu Sheng looked at the other skill, Cracking Heart Palm.

It showed as Uninitiated. External skills were different from internal skills. Just memorizing the moves and essence could show it in the modifier.

But internal skills had to produce qi sensation first before they could be modified.

Lu Sheng planned to quickly raise Jade Crane Skill first to increase his total spiritual, qi, and health reserves before modifying other external skills. This way, the burden on his body would be much lighter.