Under the fist

Chapter 69 The Theory of Boxing, Ferocious Beasts in the Mountains

……

"Ugh!"

In the dead of night, Lian Youming opened his eyes from his sleep, listening to the snoring coming from the next room.

The ones snoring are, of course, Lu Dazhuang and Lu Xiaozhuang.

"Snoring...putt-putt-putt..."

"His snoring is like that of a tractor."

The two brothers took turns singing, their voices perfectly rhythmic.

Lian Youming's posture was somewhat strange at this moment. His legs were intertwined like black dragons, his body was lying on his side, and his right cheek was supported by one arm with his elbow bent. In front of him was the "Sleeping Elixir Kung Fu" book given to him by the ragpicker.

Believe it or not, I was able to fall asleep without even realizing it after just a short practice session.

I thought it had been a whole night when I opened my eyes, but it turned out that less than three hours had passed.

However, Lian Youming did not feel tired; on the contrary, he felt energetic, even better than if he had slept all night.

Moreover, this thing seems to enhance the internal energy of the "Toad Fishing Skill".

Lian Youming originally wanted to practice a little longer, but he couldn't fall asleep after listening to the two brothers snoring. So he simply got dressed, carefully pushed open the door, and went out of the courtyard.

The cold moon hangs high in the sky, its light as clear as water.

All the lights in the houses dimmed. Stepping on the moonlight, Lian Youming moved suddenly, like a mountain ape leaping and bounding, darting out of the streets and alleys, stretching his arms and legs to his heart's content.

He didn't know how long he ran under the moonlight, until he reached the foot of a tower before stopping.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

The pagoda was silent, and the surrounding area was quiet.

Lian Youming stirred his breath slightly, bent his legs slightly, and sat back with his buttocks, like a mountain ape crouching and about to leap. Then, his eyes gleamed, and with a leap, he flashed up and climbed onto the carved gaps of the tower.

He exerted force with both arms, using the "silk-reeling force" in his palms to draw inwards and adhere to the pagoda. His body moved lightly and nimbly, sometimes jumping, sometimes leaping, sometimes flipping and climbing, using both hands and feet. From a distance, he looked just like a monkey leaping, climbing and swinging on the pagoda.

Unfortunately, in the midst of his surging emotions, he made a slight mistake in controlling his strength, and half a tile shattered in his hand. Lian Youming muttered "What a sin!" and hurriedly caught the falling tile. Then, with a quick movement, he leaped up from the eaves and crouched down to land on top of the pagoda.

Suddenly a breeze came, stirring the wind chimes on the four corners of the pagoda eaves. The Buddhist bells rang in the wind, their melodious sounds soothing all the thoughts in people's hearts.

Lian Youming sat cross-legged atop the pagoda, listening to the Buddhist bells and gazing up at the moon.

Whether it was the moon reflecting in his eyes or his eyes reflecting the moon, there seemed to be a strange light flowing in the boy's clear black and white eyes, as if he were connected to the moonlight. The light in his eyes sometimes brightened and sometimes dimmed, sometimes appeared and sometimes disappeared.

As he exhaled lightly, feeling the moonlight falling on him, Lian Youming initially felt nothing, but gradually began to experience a cool sensation.

The key to internal strength, besides the movement of muscles, lies in breathing techniques.

While the method of breathing is especially important, in addition to the rhythm and flow of breathing, the way the breath is inhaled and exhaled is also of paramount importance.

Because the Yin and Yang energies enter the body, the stimulation they have on oneself is vastly different, like day and night, Yang and Yin, hard and soft, hot and cold. At this moment, Lian Youming only felt that his aura was different from the fierceness of the daytime, as still as flowing water, harmonizing the domineering and frenzied energy generated by that murderous heart.

These are all things he gradually came to understand after practicing this eye-refining method, practicing it daily and monthly, harmonizing yin and yang.

The word "fist" should also have a distinction between Yin and Yang. "Attack and defense" are Yin and Yang. The art of attack is outward, which should have the appearance of embracing Yang, while defense is inward, which is the appearance of negative Yin.

All things in heaven and earth carry yin and embrace yang.

Looking at the round moon, a somewhat bizarre thought suddenly popped into Lian Youming's mind.

Who was the first person in the world to create kung fu?

No.

Perhaps it's not human.

It must be some ape that has not yet become human.

Humans are born stiff and clumsy. Over the long course of life, from taking their first steps and crawling on their stomachs, to learning to walk on their own two feet, then running, jumping, and tumbling, and then learning to imitate the movements of animals, observing the rotation of the sun and moon, and comprehending all the wisdom and changes in the world, they finally understand the ability to transform clumsiness into skill.

And that first ape that tried to stand up may have been the beginning of all the ideas, the starting point of all martial arts.

The movements of beasts, their hunting and biting, became external techniques, while humans, through their exploration of the mysteries of heaven and earth, came to understand the changes of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, which became the inner force that governs themselves. Over the long course of time, the two gradually merged, refined and polished each other, interacted and intertwined, and finally found a balance between animality and divinity.

That is human nature.

Human nature is the heart, and it is also the foundation of a warrior's thoughts, influencing the yin and yang, the hard and the soft, the good and the evil within the body.

Excessive rigidity leads to breakage, while skillful gentleness ensures invincibility.

Lian Youming sat cross-legged on the pagoda, sitting quietly. The moonlight refreshed his eyes, but his mind had already flown far away, as if he were wandering in the heavens. He completely let go of his imagination and fully conceived his understanding of kung fu, which was a boxing theory that belonged only to him.

Gong Wuer's sincerity leans towards divinity; although he has not abandoned the world, he has a desire to renounce worldly desires.

What about Xue Hen? He leaned towards bestiality, followed his instincts, deviated from the norm, and went on a killing spree.

But Li Da, this man, upheld his humanity.

"Everyone's path is different, yet they manage to find their own balance... There are countless heroes in the world, it's truly amazing."

Lian Youming suddenly smiled. The deeper one's skill, the deeper one's feelings. Now, he felt a great joy, not the superficial feeling that comes from material enjoyment, but a touch from the depths of his heart, a pure feeling that lasts and may continue indefinitely.

The more you explore this mysterious world, the more vast and boundless it seems, like a treasure trove that can never be fully explored.

Looking at the moon, Lian Youming tilted his head back and inhaled deeply, breathing in and out his inner energy. The sounds of toads chirping and Buddhist bells created a series of strange rhythms.

Only when the moon had set did the boy close his eyes, hold his breath, clear his mind of all the wild imaginings, and then climb down the pagoda and return along the same path.

Along the way, we could already hear roosters crowing and dogs barking; it was almost dawn.

When I got home, the lights were already on in my parents' room, and steam was rising from the kitchen.

Seeing that his parents hadn't noticed him going out for a stroll, Lian Youming pretended to be jogging in the morning and trotted into the yard.

Zhao Lanxiang was rolling out dough in the kitchen when she saw her son come back from outside. She peeked at him and said, "You silly child, you've only been back for a few days. If you have nothing to do, get some more sleep."

Lian's father, who was mixing the filling, chimed in, "Why sleep? More exercise won't hurt. We've all grown up like this."

Yesterday, Zhao Lanxiang bought some meat and planned to make steamed buns. She chopped up a little over a pound of meat and mixed it with seven or eight pounds of vegetables, making two large basins of filling. With the weather getting colder, she could eat it for breakfast for almost half a month.

"Did the ragpicker say what he's going to Zhongnan Mountain for? This old man is so old, why does he still want to go to the mountains?" Zhao Lanxiang complained, but then turned around and said, "Bring some more steamed buns later, it'll take four or five hours to go back and forth."

Lu Dazhuang and Lu Xiaozhuang also got up. When they learned that the bottles and jars wouldn't sell for much money, they became quiet and went to the yard to sweep and chop firewood. They also had to go back with Lian Youming and the others later.

Lian Youming's plan was to hunt some game after entering the mountains, and then have his two brothers return to the village to hitch up a cart and pick him up at the foot of the mountain.

After working for about half an hour, the sky was beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Lian Youming slung a satchel over his shoulder, filled with seven steamed buns, and led Dazhuang and Xiaozhuang out after they finished eating.

The junk collector stood limping at the intersection, waiting for him.

The old man actually changed his clothes, and it seems he even took a bath. Lian Youming teased, "Oh, which young lady has taken a fancy to? You've even changed your attire?"

The junk collector glanced at it and said, "Can't you talk? Clothing often reflects one's thoughts. I've been like a withered tree for so many years, my heart is ashen, I'm tired of living, so what difference does it make what I wear?"

"So how do you change your clothes now?"

As Lian Youming was speaking, he was about to bend down and carry the old man on his back, but the old man pressed him down again.

"Let's talk about it once we're out of the city. I can still walk a bit further."

The ragpicker followed Lian Youming and said softly, "I'm changing now because I've seen some different things and want to live a little longer."

Seeing the old man struggling to walk, Lian Youming didn't waste any words. He grabbed the old man and put him on his back, saying slowly, "What nonsense are you talking about? My parents said they want me to take care of you in your old age. Who knows, you might even get to hold my son."

When the old man saw that the boy disregarded his thoughts, his white eyebrows furrowed as he was about to start scolding him, but upon hearing what the boy said next, his expression gradually relaxed, and his face softened considerably.

"Your parents are good children, it's just that you're a bit of a troublemaker, but it's good for boys to be a little mischievous."

The group entered through the north gate.

"Brother, drive carefully on the road."

The brothers Lu Dazhuang and Lu Xiaozhuang chose a small path back to the village, while Lian Youming and the others took the ancient Qin-Chu road. They agreed to meet up in the village in the afternoon.

As soon as he left the city, Lian Youming quickened his pace.

Although Xijing City is located at the foot of the Qinling Mountains, this statement is too general. It's like looking at a mountain and then running yourself ragged; it would take one or two hours to drive there.

Lian Youming climbed the mountain, enjoying the waterfalls and streams along the way, and taking in the mountain scenery. He felt very happy.

It has already snowed on the Qinling Mountains.

Ice flowers freeze, branches are covered in snow, and walking deeper in feels like stepping into a fantastic and magnificent icy world.

But as they walked, the ice and snow disappeared, and all that could be seen were majestic mountains and towering peaks.

Once inside the Zhongnan Mountains, following the directions given by the ragpicker, Lian Youming indeed found a secluded mountain path, completely hidden from view.

As you traveled further in, the place became increasingly remote, until eventually the road disappeared altogether. Yet, even in this desolate wilderness, you could still see dilapidated Taoist temples, all of which had collapsed and fallen into disrepair, becoming habitats for wild animals, with excrement everywhere and a foul stench.

"There's a Taoist temple behind that ravine ahead. It seems there's a nest of old Solomon's seal inside. See if it's there."

Lian Youming was turning left and right, parting vines and winding around trees, when he heard this he couldn't help but ask, "Is it old? How old? I don't care about those that are ten years old."

He was just saying it casually, but the old man behind him said, "Ten years? Who are you trying to embarrass? This nest is at least five hundred years old."

"Huh?" Lian Youming stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. "Five hundred years?"

The ragpicker ate the steamed buns he had brought and mumbled, "You're making a fuss over nothing. Do you know how many Taoist masters have cultivated in this mountain throughout history? Once they achieved success in their cultivation, they basically stopped eating grains and instead ate the rare and exotic herbs found in the mountains. This Solomon's Seal is also called Immortal's Leftovers. Some of it may have been naturally grown, while some may have been planted by those Taoist masters themselves. This nest belongs to the latter."

Lian Youming understood and his eyes lit up. "It's not bad that it was planted by humans. It's a five-hundred-year-old Huangjing."

He suddenly thought of Yan Lingyun's old club-shaped plant with eight leaves, and asked as he walked into the ravine, "Which is better, an old club-shaped plant or an old Solomon's seal?"

The ragpicker pondered for a moment, then said calmly, "It's hard to say. If they're both over a thousand years old, Polygonatum is better. Ginseng can save lives in critical situations, but it's too potent and needs various auxiliary medicines to harmonize it to exert its medicinal properties. Polygonatum, on the other hand, has a purer medicinal property, and after a thousand years of accumulation, it's comparable to a miraculous elixir. However, the younger the age, the more the medicinal properties of the two change."

Lian Youming kept it firmly in mind and walked quickly. After rounding the mountain pass, there was no Taoist temple in sight.

But all that remained was a corner of broken wall amidst the withered vines and decaying leaves, with scattered bricks on the ground and a few charred logs peeking out from among the dry grass, as if a devastating fire had raged here many years ago, burning everything to ashes.

Lian Youming exclaimed in surprise, "Where is the Taoist temple?"

The ragpicker said calmly, "It's burned to ashes... Go check if the Polygonatum is still there, turn to the southwest corner."

Lian Youming put the old man down and strode into the ruins, brushing aside the decaying leaves and weeds. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He pushed aside a half-collapsed earthen wall and discovered a large, rusty cauldron, about half a person's height, covered with withered vines and old creepers, clearly abandoned for countless years.

There are still things inside the cauldron.

Seeing Lian Youming's curiosity, the ragpicker explained, "These are medicine dregs."

Lian Youming picked up a pinch and smelled it. It had a medicinal smell, but it also seemed to have a slightly foul odor.

Seeing that he had no luck, he turned his gaze to the other side and moved the few charred logs aside. Only then did he see a large patch of withered yellow grass, more than a meter tall, sprouting out.

Good heavens, it's all Polygonatum sibiricum!

His eyes lit up with surprise. After clearing away all the clutter around him, he saw that a patch of open ground was almost entirely covered with what he called the "leftover food of the immortals."

"Wow, it really is a nest... Hmm, some parts look like they've been dug up. Never mind, let's dig them up first."

Lian Youming untied the cloth bag he had brought and was happily digging when he suddenly noticed a commotion in the woods beside him. A terrifying black shadow, accompanied by a foul stench, rushed straight down from the mountain.

I don't know what this thing is, it came so fast and fiercely, as fast as a ghost.

In the blink of an eye, a hideous face with protruding fangs, a white face and red eyes pounced in front of him, and opened its mouth to bite.

It was biting the neck.

Lian Youming narrowed his eyes and dodged to the side, only to see a sharp claw flash through the air and snatch the yellow essence he had just broken off from his hand.

Once the other party steadied itself and squatted on the large cauldron, it became clear that the dark figure was actually an astonishingly large black-haired monkey with a long face, red nose, and a prominent skull. While chewing on yellow essence, it bared its teeth and howled at Lian Youming, revealing its ferocious nature, with red eyes.

"This is... a mandrill?"

What made Lian Youming's face even uglier was that the beast stuck out its red buttocks and actually pooped a lump of poop into the cauldron.

"Ok?"

Moreover, the mandrill was holding a living creature in its arms.

Upon closer inspection, Lian Youming realized that it was actually a small, fluffy, round, black-and-white beast.

It turned out to be a panda.

The little animal seemed to be injured, trapped by sharp claws, curled up in a ball, whimpering incessantly.

What was even more unexpected was that as soon as the mandrill leaped out, another dark shadow rushed out of the forest, its body enormous and astonishing. Trees fell to the side as it passed by, its roar like that of a wolf or a tiger, and it also carried a hint of mourning.

What a huge panda! When it stands upright, its paws can rest on Lian Youming's shoulders.

Seeing the mother bear chasing after it, the mandrill grinned and bared its teeth like a human, letting out two sinister chuckles. Then it opened its mouth, tilted its throat back, and lifted the little creature in its hand into the air, as if it were about to swallow it whole.

"call out!"

However, a pebble suddenly flew through the air and struck the mandrill's raised right claw.

Lian Youming, holding a slingshot, hit the target with a single shot. He quickly moved closer, and just as the mountain demon withdrew its claws in pain, he rubbed his palm and slapped it into the air, pressing it against the demon's chest. With his other hand, he caught the falling bear.

The mandrill landed upside down, yet showed no signs of injury. Instead, it seemed to have been enraged, roaring furiously at Lian Youming as if it wanted to devour him alive. In its rage, its sharp claws scratched wildly at its own body as if venting its fury, leaving it covered in blood and looking even more terrifying.

"Ow!"

After putting down the bear cub, Lian Youming looked at the mountain demon in front of him with surprise in his eyes, "This beast has such a tough body."

(End of this chapter)