Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 22: Even though I can’t reach a thousand miles, I still can’t stand loneliness

Chu Tianshu slept until late in the afternoon, then yawned and sat down in the restaurant lobby to eat.

Because he was at the mayor's house yesterday at noon, the chickens and ducks originally prepared for him by the restaurant were kept. The cold cuts have a unique flavor, and a pot of hot water can whet one's appetite.

But he had only practiced in the morning yesterday, so he wasn't particularly hungry. He ate slowly, looking at the street scene, his mouth, brain, and eyes not focused on anything.

His mouth was chewing slowly, his eyes were staring blankly, and his mind was thinking about dreams.

"I feel like exercising with them in my dreams is much easier, but when will I be able to actually complete a level?"

There are fewer people on the street than usual. It is estimated that many people are still resting at home. Even those who force themselves to set up stalls look tired because they have not slept for long.

But when they talked about last night's play, a kind of excitement glowed on their tired faces.

Chu Tianshu came back to his senses and looked through the gate. He saw them gesturing and talking. Thinking of last night, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of the same feeling.

It's like reading a boxing manual with music, which makes it easier to find it interesting.

Even if you are not a person who knows much about music appreciation, if you suddenly find that one or two lines of singing are in line with the content and rhythm of the "Boxing Manual", you can't help but remember those two lines and want to hum along.

"Still thinking about yesterday's play?"

Shopkeeper Ma sat across from the table, poured himself half a bowl of hot water, and looked sleepy as if he had just woken up.

He blew on the water, letting the hot steam rise from the bowl and hit his face. He seemed to find it comfortable and spoke slowly.

"A Song Dynasty play, 'Dongjing Menghualu,' records that from the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the play 'Mulian Saves His Mother' was performed until the fifteenth day, and attendance doubled. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, it is said that the imperial family also enjoyed watching such dramas, which were performed for seven consecutive days, with the troupes working around the clock."

"Unfortunately, we don't have that kind of luck. We can't listen to the superb singing skills for seven consecutive days. We were able to listen to it all night yesterday, and it was good enough to hear it a second time on the seventh day."

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "If I have to sing at night for seven consecutive days, I won't be happy with my day and night schedule being reversed."

Shopkeeper Ma teased, "The old man needs maintenance, and you, a young man with great skills, are also so cautious?"

"Exquisite..."

Chu Tianshu thought of what happened yesterday and asked, "Has Adjutant Zhou already found a way to truly reach the state of being possessed by a dragon?"

Shopkeeper Ma hesitated and said, "Looking at the momentum you two used to fighting, he's still able to handle it with ease. It's very likely that he's already possessed by a dragon. However, I'm afraid he has ulterior motives, so you'd better be on your guard."

"I also think there's something wrong with him."

Chu Tianshu's eyes lit up slightly. "But judging from his attitude, since he has some hidden agenda, then I'm just trying to practice with him. He should be able to tolerate it."

Shopkeeper Ma was surprised and asked, "You want to practice with him?"

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "Yeah, I feel like I'm only a little bit away from being haunted by a dragon."

"With him already there, it would definitely be beneficial to have a few more exchanges with him."

Shopkeeper Ma had a subtle look on his face. He took a sip of the hot water and said, "Since you don't want to be easily won over by this kind of person, it's better to avoid provoking him. If you need practice, you can find Lao Zhong."

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "Looking at Master Zhong's physique, I know that he doesn't mainly practice the Dragon Entanglement method. His methods are different, so it's definitely not suitable for us to spar at this stage."

Zhong Jinqiu arrived just at this moment and stepped through the gate.

"If you want to spar, fine."

Zhong Jinqiu held a jar in his arms. "Soon, you'll be able to follow a similar path to mine."

Shopkeeper Ma stood up, looking a little excited: "Here I come."

Zhong Jinqiu patted the jar and said, "It's right here."

"well."

There was no one else in the lobby, but Shopkeeper Ma still stood up and closed the door of the restaurant, whispering, "Xiao Chu, come with us."

He picked up the pot of hot water and turned to walk into the yard.

Chu Tianshu found their behavior a little abnormal and felt puzzled. After thinking about it, he followed them.

Shopkeeper Ma entered the side warehouse, which contained many boxes, steamers, iron pots and other miscellaneous items.

He fumbled around in the corner and lifted up a large piece of thick wood, revealing the cellar underneath.

The two old men walked down the stairs. Chu Tianshu leaned over to take a look and found that it should be a place where wine was stored.

There were tables and barrels, and many wine jars sealed with red cloth and mud were piled up against the walls on all four sides.

When I walked down, I found that the air in the cellar was quite fresh. After removing a few pieces of wood from the wall, I found a light source from somewhere.

"This is connected to the wall of the warehouse above, straight to the roof. It provides ventilation and a hollow channel for placing lenses. The light refracted by several lenses is enough to illuminate the wine cellar."

Shopkeeper Ma explained a few words, reached out and pulled the ring on the wall, and the wooden board above his head was closed.

Zhong Jinqiu placed the jar on the table, opened the lid, and used a pair of bamboo chopsticks to stir it.

Chu Tianshu now realized that it was jar meat.

Fry large pieces of pork in oil. After the fat is fried out, find a jar, put the meat pieces in, and then pour hot oil over it.

Once the oil condenses, it turns as white as jade. The meat is sealed inside and can be stored for a long time. When you want to eat it, you can dig out a piece. There are many ways to cook it, and the aroma is fragrant.

But Zhong Jinqiu dug out an oil paper bag from it, threw it into the pot of hot water, waited until the lard on the surface melted, then picked it out with chopsticks and put it on the table.

The bamboo chopsticks were like sharp blades in his hands. With one stroke, they tore through four or five layers of oil paper, revealing what lay within. It was a piece of topaz the size of a baby's fist.

Chu Tianshu asked curiously, "What is this?"

Zhong Jinqiu said succinctly: "Lingyang Gallbladder."

Chu Tianshu thought of a treasure recorded in a medical book.

A hundred-year-old wild bear sheds its skin and regenerates, its fur becoming as white as snow. It faces the wind and looks at the sun. Its gallbladder is the gathering place of its yang energy, and is named "Lingyang".

The topaz in front of me, from its name to its appearance, is consistent with what is recorded in medical books, and perhaps its effects are also the same.

Chu Tianshu was moved and asked, "Is this the kind of spiritual yang gall that can keep the old cultivator alive and in good health, and allow him to pass away peacefully?"

As long as one is not extraordinary, no matter whether he is a psychic or a martial artist, he will have a big worry when he is about to die.

In the old days, some people called this "dispersion of power". The process would last from seven days to one month. The patient would suffer from random thoughts or the body would swell and shrink, which was very painful.

It is said that this is because practitioners can more easily touch the essence of life. When they are young and in an awakened state, they interfere too frequently with the vital energy. When they are old and about to die, they cannot maintain that kind of control and problems will arise.

For this purpose, some schools of practice have even developed special methods to sense their own lifespan.

Two or three months in advance, if you realize that you are about to die, you should automatically reduce your spiritual power to the point where you cannot have any attacks, thus avoiding the pain of losing your spiritual power.

Chu Tianshu’s grandfather used this method back then and gave himself acupuncture in advance.

But he had to cut off most of his life's cultivation with his own hands. Even if he avoided the physical pain, he could not help but feel a deep sadness in his heart, with an indelible sense of illness.

But if you have Lingyang Gallbladder and swallow it, it is said that you can live for several more months, and you don't have to dissipate your energy until you die.

"It's the Lingyang Gallbladder."

Shopkeeper Ma sighed, "Back then, there was a village where children were often snatched away by bears. We were passing through and asked to stay overnight. Filled with righteous indignation, we tracked the bear deep into the mountains and killed it. Who knew it was the descendant of a century-old bear?"

"After I killed the younger one, here comes the older one. It was a tough fight, but I finally killed him and got this rare treasure."

Zhong Jinqiu said, "For so many years, this secret has only been known to the two of us. Even my wife and son... My wife has never practiced cultivation, and my son is not ambitious enough to use this, so I didn't mention it to him."

When he said this, there was a melancholy on his face, and a flash of old anger in the sadness.

Shopkeeper Ma quickly changed the subject and said, "Xiao Chu, although you are a miracle doctor, you don't seem to know another use for this Lingyang Gallbladder?"

"In addition to being a great tonic for the frail elderly, it's also a great supplement for boxers who seek to achieve immortality through food."

Shopkeeper Ma stroked the short beard on his chin, feeling a little proud. "You said you were a dragon-ridden person, but you can't hide it from me."

"Judging from your appetite, you must have practiced two types of boxing techniques, and the other one is the way to become an immortal through food!"

"Young people are biting off more than they can chew. Your attainments in food-making are now far behind those of Dragon Haunting, right?"

Although the process is not quite right, the conclusion is not wrong.

The Gluttony and Back-Body Training originally only trained the stomach and intestines, but in terms of muscles, it trained all the limbs. After the second deduction and optimization, the boxing manual added more stances specifically for training muscle strength, and the tempering and development of the internal organs was even worse.

Chu Tianshu had already seen something, but he was still unsure: "Do you two... want to give me the Lingyang Gallbladder?"

"Is it weird?"

Shopkeeper Ma said, "In this world, who can guarantee that they will live to the end of their lives? If we keep this thing, who knows when it will be buried and wasted."

"After all, we fought so hard to get this, how can it just return to dust like this?"

"You are young, ambitious, courageous, and have potential. You have fought alongside me and are worthy of this treasure."

Zhong Jinqiu crossed his arms and said, "I don't care. There aren't many things in this world worth my attention. Since Lao Ma is willing to give this to you, I'm willing to help him."

Shopkeeper Ma laughed again and said, "Let me tell you the truth. Seeing you are making great progress in both your martial arts and your magic, you must be a good person."

"It feels like what we wanted when we were young has been delivered by God to me now that I am old."

"So, if you can become stronger, then become even stronger, even stronger!"

Chu Tianshu suddenly sensed something in the eyes of the shopkeeper Ma.

It doesn't seem like a selfless gift, or even like the care of an elder for a younger one.

That's just... I don't want to be lonely!
The traces of many people's lives are just the dust of the times. The more chaotic the times are, the more they feel as if they have left nothing behind in their lives.

The old horse is in the stable, his spirit has declined, and his ambition cannot run a thousand miles, but he is still unwilling to give up.

My grandfather also had this look in his eyes during the last few days of his life, but he couldn't say the same words as Shopkeeper Ma.

What could he say to a child who had been trapped in nightmares since childhood?

If he saw Chu Tianshu now, he probably wouldn't need so much care and gentleness, and would just give him a hard push.

Go ahead, take more things, and walk forward with big strides. Even if you crash into the muddy waves, you can still create a bigger splash!
Chu Tianshu was silent for a while.

"The reluctance to be lonely is not exclusive to the elderly."

He laughed and said, "Thank you, I won't let you down!"

(End of this chapter)