Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 38 A Whole Family of Freaks (Part 2)

Since the Xu family chose the site to build the Dragon Elephant Martial Arts School, Gu Yiping has lived in the west wing of the Xu family's courtyard.

Every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), he would spread out Xuan paper on his desk by the window and write down the essentials of martial arts and the secret recipes for medicinal cuisine.

The branches and leaves of the old locust tree in the courtyard have become denser.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Gu Yiping put the two martial arts, "Little Dragon Elephant Skill" and "Innate Dragon Elephant Technique", as well as seven or eight other martial arts manuals, including "Seven Absolute Sword", "Wind-Treading Step", "Mad Dragon Fist", and "Divine Wind Palm", along with four medicinal diet recipes, into a sandalwood box and handed it to Xu Mingwei.

"Thank you for your help, Master Gu."

"It was a transaction based on mutual consent."

After recognizing each other and exchanging glances, Xu Mingwei immediately went to the ancestral hall and carefully put everything away.

He skimmed through each book.

The key is the four medicinal diet recipes.

The three are applicable to martial artists below the Innate level, but only one record of Innate medicinal diets can assist Innate martial artists in their cultivation.

Xu Mingwei selected a few subjects that suited him and practiced them whenever he had free time.

Having mastered some martial arts skills, he invited Gu Yiping to spar with him.

As the sun sets in the west, the heavens and earth suddenly take on a golden hue.

The bluestone bricks of the training ground still retain the warmth of the day.

Xu Mingwei clenched his fist, staring intently at Gu Yiping. Before the fist even struck, it had already stirred up fallen leaves that swirled around.

Gu Yiping stepped out with the "Seven Star Steps," his left palm arcing like embracing the moon, while his right palm struck the opponent's chest with the sound of wind and thunder.

Xu Mingwei neither dodged nor avoided, his left arm held horizontally like iron.

With a muffled thud, Gu Yiping felt a numbness in his palm and took a half step back to steady himself.

His pupils contracted slightly, and he thought in surprise, "Such fierce strength, it's beyond what one would expect from a child."

Instead of retreating, Xu Mingwei advanced, his figure drifting like willow catkins, and he had already circled around to Gu Yiping's side when his toes touched the ground.

He thrust out his right fist flat, and even before the wind from the punch arrived, it caused the surrounding air to tremble slightly.

Gu Yiping hurriedly used the "Mad Dragon Fist" blocking stance, but felt a surge of immense force, which made his blood and qi surge and his tiger's mouth ache slightly.

He didn't use his innate true energy, but unexpectedly found himself at a disadvantage.

"Young Master Xu, you really are a man of great talent."

"The master saw through it." Xu Mingwei smiled faintly, knowing before the fight that he couldn't hide it from a Xiantian martial artist.

However, since communication with innate martial artists was rare, he didn't pay much attention to it.

"Before reaching adulthood, one has already attained the innate potential."

Gu Yiping sighed deeply, a few memories surfacing in his eyes.

In the heyday of the Dragon Elephant Sect, it would only produce two or three innate talents before they reached adulthood every ten or twenty years.

Such people often reach the level of a grandmaster in their mid-thirties.

It is hoped that he will reach the Grandmaster level before the age of 60.

As for himself, he only reached the late stage of the Innate Realm at the age of forty, and it would be good enough if he could break through to the Grandmaster level in this lifetime.

Unless aided by a master's medicinal cuisine.

However, even the Dragon Elephant Sect does not possess such precious medicinal cuisine.

If so, those innate talents who are not yet twenty years old, as long as they do not perish or suffer major injuries or illnesses, have a 70-80% chance of reaching the Grandmaster level.

"It's just a fluke."

"In the path of martial arts, there is no room for luck. Even with the help of resources, if one's own talent is insufficient, it is difficult to achieve great things."

The innate level is a huge threshold, the beginning of a martial artist's transcendence, enabling them to compete with cultivators. It is not something that just anyone has the opportunity to cross.

Even if there were Qi-inducing pills in the city, and someone ate ten or twenty of them, there would still be people who wouldn't recover.

"Young Master Xu, let's end our sparring here. If you have any questions about cultivating the 'Innate Dragon Elephant Technique,' feel free to ask me."

"Thank you, Master Gu."

"By the way, I have a younger brother and sister who also practice the 'Little Dragon Elephant Kung Fu.' I wonder if I could offer them some guidance?"

"I would like to go and take a look."

“No need to trouble you, Master.” Xu Mingwei smiled and immediately ordered a servant, “Go and fetch my fourth sister and fifth brother here.”

"Yes, eldest son."

After bowing respectfully, the servant left immediately.

A moment.

Xu Mingshu rode a white tiger to this courtyard, while Xu Mingxian stood to the side.

"Brother, why did you call us here?"

"With your father away, I'm afraid you two will slack off, so I've asked a renowned teacher to guide you. You must make the most of this opportunity."

"Fourth Sister is slacking off, but I'm not," Xu Mingxian retorted with a haughty air, raising her small face.

"These are my fourth sister, Xu Mingshu, and my fifth brother, Xu Mingxian," Xu Mingwei introduced with a smile.
Gu Yiping sized up the two of them; they were indeed young ladies and gentlemen from prestigious families.

Despite his young age, he has already shown extraordinary talent.

"Let's practice the twelve forms of 'Little Dragon Elephant Kung Fu' three times first."

Xu Mingshu obediently dismounted from the tiger's back, patted the white tiger, and the white tiger walked to the corner and lay down.

Gu Yiping was very surprised.

How could they tame a white tiger of a different species to this extent? Could they even understand what a child is saying?

Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian stood side by side, about a dozen steps apart.

Then they all moved in unison.

With each move, Gu Yiping would recite the essence of its incantation.

"When the young dragon awakens its spine, it raises its head to absorb purple energy, and its tail hangs down to the ground to suppress the eight directions."

"The elephant's trunk rolls up water, and the trunk rolls up the Milky Way for three thousand miles. The breath sinks to the dantian and transforms into thunderous sound."

"The fire dragon swings its tail, sweeping away evil and filth with immense force, and treads on the ground to refine true fire."

"When the dragon and the elephant unite, the dragon rises and the elephant descends, and the universe is settled; a single thread connects the Baihui and Yongquan acupoints."

He kept nodding.

Judging from their movements and techniques, it's clear that both of them have put in a lot of hard work, practicing day and night for at least several years.

The fist wind howled.

To be able to generate such power, one must definitely have reached the level of a third-rate martial artist.

"What a skillful and agile man! To have such skill at such a young age, the Xu family has indeed put a lot of effort into cultivating their children."

Xu Mingwei smiled faintly but remained silent.

"The martial arts school is not yet completed. I am staying at the Xu residence for free, so it is only right that I instruct the younger generation."

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Master Gu." Xu Mingwei nodded slightly.

"Big brother."

Finally, I have a few days of peace and quiet.

Xu Mingshu ran up to Xu Mingwei, her almond-shaped eyes curving into crescents, as if pleading.

Xu Mingwei looked down at her, the hem of his dark robe fluttering in the breeze.

His stern expression was so imposing that even a white tiger would tuck its tail between its legs and run away.

At this moment, Xu Mingwei frowned slightly, and Xu Mingshu could only swallow back her words of coquetry.

Compared to the rest of the Xu family, she was a bit willful, but she knew how to handle different situations and what to do and what not to do.

Xu Mingwei is now the acting head of the family.

With Xu Chuan absent, his words are commands, and everyone in the Xu family must obey.

When no one is around, she can be a little temperamental, but when outsiders are present, she must never undermine the head of the family's authority.

"Fourth sister, don't think you can relax just because Father doesn't care about you."

"Smelly brother!"

"Next time, if you're so capable, don't take the pastries I bring!"

Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian often bicker, a scene that Xu Mingwei has become accustomed to.

Gu Yiping watched silently for a moment before speaking:

"The breathing method of 'Little Dragon Elephant Kung Fu' is the key. Only by coordinating with the Dragon Elephant breathing can you bring the twelve forms to their limit. This is also the key to feeling the power of heaven and earth and breaking through to the innate level." "Now continue to practice with the breathing. Your family has received the corresponding medicinal diet recipes I provided. With the help of these recipes, you can accelerate the opening of acupoints."

"How fast can it be?" Xu Mingshu's interest was immediately piqued, her eyes seemingly about to burst forth with light.

Gu Yiping smiled faintly at the cute and mischievous girl in front of him and said, "Becoming a first-class martial artist at seventeen or eighteen is not a problem. If you have good talent and are willing to practice diligently, reaching the peak of the Acquired Realm before twenty is not a problem."

"If it's really that fast, then wouldn't I be able to catch up with my brother's breakthrough speed?"

“Little girl, how can ordinary medicinal cuisine compare to the secret medicinal cuisine that my Dragon Elephant Sect has been researching and developing for hundreds of years?”

"Okay, I'll practice!"

Gu Yiping stood to the side with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the two of them practice the breathing method of the "Little Dragon Elephant Skill" and coordinate it with the punches of the Twelve Forms of Dragon Elephant.

Similar to multitasking, it is difficult for those without exceptional comprehension to master perfectly.

This is also why many people in the Dragon Elephant Sect were unable to reach the Innate Realm.

Xu Mingshu held her hands in a rounded shape, her breath long and deep like a silkworm spinning silk. With each breath, her clothes billowed as if in a gentle breeze.

Although its momentum is stable, it always lingers slightly at the joints where it transitions from "dragon leaping over the abyss" to "elephant treading the mountain," as if there are invisible threads holding it back.

Xu Mingxian, however, presented a completely different picture.

He sat cross-legged like a bell, his spine flowing smoothly from one end to the other. With Gu Yiping's guidance of "inhaling like a dragon diving and exhaling like an elephant roaring," he found the vital energy on his third breath.

A faint blue aura emanated from his Tianling acupoint, and a dragon's roar echoed in his throat with each breath.

Gu Yiping's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he stroked his beard and looked at Xu Mingwei, saying, "Both the Fourth Miss and the Fifth Young Master are exceptionally talented."

"Thanks to the master's guidance," Xu Mingwei said calmly. "Back when my Xu family obtained this 'Little Dragon Elephant Skill,' we had no one to guide us, and we stumbled along the way at first."

"And in the world today, who has grasped the essence of the Little Dragon Elephant Kung Fu better than the Master?"

"Young Master, you flatter me," Gu Yiping said with a smile, raising his hand.

"However, although the Fourth Miss is exceptionally perceptive, the Fifth Young Master is even more talented in breathing techniques. Even with my guidance, it is rare in the world for someone to be able to do it in an instant."

“My father also said that my fifth brother’s talent is the greatest among us, and his future achievements will definitely surpass mine.”

Gu Yiping was secretly surprised and became increasingly curious about the head of the Xu family.

In the twilight.

Xu Mingxian had already grasped the secrets of breathing techniques and the transformation of moves.

A glint flashed in Gu Yiping's eyes, and he nodded repeatedly, muttering in a low voice, "Truly a promising talent."

He even considered taking him as a disciple to carry on the legacy of the Dragon Elephant School.

But then he thought of how much the Xu family valued Xu Mingxian, and realized they would definitely not agree.

We can only temporarily suppress this thought.

Time slips away bit by bit.

But then, as the crimson sun began to set in the west, it suddenly began to struggle in its death throes.

First, it burst forth with three-zhang-long crimson flames, burning the clouds into a red-gold gauze curtain. Then, it shrank to the size of a cherry-sized golden pellet, teetering precariously on the dark green mountain ridge.

At that moment, a flock of crows flew across the sky, their wingtips brushing against the spots of light, seemingly carrying away some of the golden glow.

As the last rays of the setting sun swept across the training ground.

Xu Mingxian suddenly stood up, his left palm drawing an arc like a dragon's tail, his right foot stomping the ground like an elephant shaking a mountain, and the fallen leaves within three feet of him spun around without wind, clearly having received the true essence of "the unity of form and intention".

"it is good!"

Gu Yiping clapped his hands in praise, his eyes full of admiration.

"You little brat, you've gotten ahead of me again."

Gu Yiping's praise ignited Xu Mingshu's competitive spirit.

"Let's have a friendly competition. We've had a 50/50 record in the past, so let's see who comes out on top today."

"Fourth Sister, you want to get beaten again?" Xu Mingxian retorted sharply.

Torches were lit around the training ground, illuminating the entire area.

"You two don't need to bother. Your levels are too low, and you can learn very little. Why don't you two join forces? Whoever can gain the slightest advantage over me will be the winner."

"how?"

Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Okay!"

The two men stood to the left and right of Gu Yiping, and the three figures stretched out a winding dragon shape on the bluestone slab.

Suddenly.

Xu Mingshu touched the ground with her toes like a dragonfly skimming the water, her body suddenly moving in an "S" shape, each step leaving a three-inch dust wave.

When Gu Yiping pressed on her Jianjing acupoint, she suddenly raised her knee and swung her arm, and the impact between her knee and her fingers produced a faint metallic clang.

A glint flashed in Xu Mingxian's eyes, and he suddenly lowered his waist and exerted force, causing the blue bricks to crack open with a spiderweb-like pattern.

As the right palm was pushed out, a dragon's roar rolled in his throat, while the left palm drew an arc like an elephant's trunk curling up to the sky. The two forces blew the torches three zhang away off course.

With a faint smile, Gu Yiping raised his other hand to meet him.

bang~
The siblings looked into each other's eyes, then suddenly switched places.

Xu Mingshu's sword pointed like a dragon probing the abyss, aiming straight for the central palace; Xu Mingxian's palm struck like an elephant's trunk shaking a tree, blocking any escape route.

Amidst the chaotic dance of light and shadow, Mingxian's right palm, as red as a branding iron, left a scorch mark on Gu Yiping's clothes, while Gu Yiping also blocked Mingshu's sword finger with his own sword finger.

The surrounding torches crackled and popped.

Gu Yiping was quite surprised after their exchange. Both of them were third-rate martial artists, but Xu Mingxian was slightly better in terms of the depth of his internal energy.

Xu Mingshu may seem quirky and clever, but her martial arts moves are quite methodical, partly due to her young age. Xu Mingxian, on the other hand, is the same age, but while she appears aloof, she doesn't follow any set rules.

If he hadn't changed his tactics at the last minute, attacking the hem of his clothes to catch him off guard, Gu Yiping would probably have easily stopped him.

"Both of them are potential grandmasters."

"Even without the secret medicinal diet of the Dragon Elephant Sect, we have made such progress. In the future, we may be able to make leaps and bounds."

Gu Yiping was impressed that such a young child could hide his talents and had such a shrewd mind.

Like Xu Mingwei, you can't tell just by looking at the surface; you can only know by actually fighting him.

I don't know where they learned those tricks.

The Second Young Master Xu is also very shrewd and thoughtful.

Previously, when discussing the details of the martial arts school with him, I basically followed his line of thinking.

They can always find a way to manipulate them, and no one can find fault with them.

This girl, on the other hand, has a keen sense of perception and excellent comprehension.

The Xu family are all freaks!

By the way, it seems that the third young master, Xu Mingxuan, is rather ordinary.

However, this is only in comparison to his brothers.

Compared to the scions of prominent families in other county towns, he is probably qualified to be the family heir.

Gu Yiping had been wandering for more than a decade, traveling through dozens of counties and gaining considerable experience.

"Among the prominent families in the county, the Xu family definitely belongs to the upper class."

"Since they've raised such children, I'm actually quite eager to meet the father they've been talking about."

After obtaining the medicinal cuisine recipes from the Dragon Elephant Sect, Xu Mingyuan began purchasing large quantities of these medicinal herbs, each one being a ten-year-old or longer supply.

One set costs about ten taels.

The medicinal diet formulas that assist in training innate martial artists are even more precious.

Xu Mingwei told him not to worry about him for now, and Xu Mingyuan had already collected all the martial arts medicinal cuisine in just a few days.

Except this.

The Xu family also began planting these medicinal herbs in their medicinal fields.

To open a pharmacy, one must ultimately have one's own source of medicinal herbs, in addition to purchasing them from local people in the mountains and fields.

These days, Xu Mingyuan is also extremely busy.

They recruited people and opened blacksmith shops, carpentry shops, medicine shops, and schools.

We don't expect immediate results.

Instead, we should first lay out the plan.

I'm eager to continue reading this series. Fellow readers, please lend a hand if you can!

Especially Monday and Tuesday!!!

Recommendations, comments, monthly passes, and tips are all greatly appreciated!
May all my fellow Daoists live as long as Peng Zu, and may all their descendants be outstanding talents, bringing glory to your family and enjoying eternal peace and tranquility.

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(End of this chapter)