"If you trust me, then you can leave the fist technique here first. I'll have another look at it and see if there's anything missing or if there are any traps.”
Chen Ping'an smiled and replied, "Sure thing. However, remember to be careful with the book. After all, I still have to return it to Gu Can in the future."
Ning Yao frowned and muttered, "How many times do you have to repeat this?!"
Chen Ping’an smiled as he went to the corner to pick up his bamboo basket. When he left, he didn't forget to say, "Ning Yao, don't forget to lock the door."
The young girl was resting on the table, so she didn't turn around and instead simply waved her hand, saying in a listless manner, "I know, I know... How are you even more talkative than my father..."
The young boy was as quick and nimble as a swallow as he disappeared down the alley.
When Ning Yao estimated that Chen Ping'an had probably left the alley, she immediately stood up and angrily glared at the Mountain Shaking Guide as if she were glaring at a mortal enemy. However, her intense aura quickly deflated, and she sat down and sprawled herself across the table again, a troubled expression on her face. "How in the world am I going to teach this?" she murmured to herself. "I was born with a first-rate sword physique, so I naturally didn't need to traverse such a path myself. In fact, I can't even remember the names of the 365 acupoints. In terms of how to circulate one's breath and aura, I already knew how to do this in my mother's womb..."
Ning Yao scratched her head in grief.
A timid voice suddenly sounded at the door at this moment, saying, "Ning Yao?"
Ning Yao's body was stiff as she slowly turned around to face that familiar figure that was asking for a beating.
She remained silent, and her expression was stern.
Chen Ping’an gulped and said apologetically, "I was afraid that you would forget to lock the door, so I came back to remind you again. Also, if you get hungry at night, I can go to Liu Xianyang's place and make some snacks for you first. I can bring them to you and then go to the creek."
Ning Yao waved her hand in a sweeping motion.
Chen Ping’an immediately ran away.
As Chen Ping'an ran to the creek, the only thing on his mind was the first stance of the fist technique.
The moving fist would lead one's movements, their feet never leaving the ground. As if wading through mud, and as if advancing through snow knee-deep, one would move forward in a slow and steady manner.
The young boy didn't realize it, but when he attempted to practice the first stance of the fist technique, even the pattern of his breathing was involuntarily changed.
The young boy had a wild thought at this moment — if he practiced these stances in the creek, wouldn't the effect be even better?
————
There were two seals sitting before Qi Jingchun, both of which had been carved from the finest snake gall pebbles. They weren't large, nor had characters been engraved onto them yet.
During the day, a young scholar with a gentle temperament had visited the school and had a private conversation with him. The Confucian scholar from far away had asked him, "Mr. Qi, do you want to inherit that person's dying wish? Do you want to bring peace and fortune to the world?"
At the time, Qi Jingchun had answered, "Allow me to think over this."
This clearly wasn't a very satisfactory answer. However, the renowned young Confucian scholar hadn't tried to pressure Qi Jingchun into giving him an answer. Instead, he had chatted about the small town's customs and the events outside the small town with Mr. Qi, someone whom he had admired for a long time. He had then bade farewell.
From the beginning to the end, the young Confucian scholar had never once asked about how to deal with the jade tablet.
However, Qi Jingchun knew that it was only this Confucian scholar from Eastern Treasured Vial Continent's academy who would be able to tolerate such an answer. Meanwhile, the Golden Boy and Jade Girl from the Daoist Sect, the Dharmapala from the Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist Sects, and the representative from the School of Military Thought world all wouldn't give Mountain Cliff Academy any face. They more so wouldn't listen to Qi Jingchun's desire. Thus, they would definitely retrieve their treasures without a shred of hesitation.
However, he had already anticipated all of this.
Qi Jingchun sat upright, with a carving knife in his hand. He was surprisingly conflicted at this moment, and he wasn't sure what characters to engrave on the seals. "Die for a noble cause; choose righteousness over life" seemed like too grand a principle for the young boy. It wasn't suitable, nor was it a good omen. However, the phrase "Be peaceful of the mind; be upright of conscience" also seemed... to be a little too elusive? However, if he carved other random phrases, would that appear too insincere?
Qi Jingchun turned around to glance at the night sky. Like bright pearls adorning a dark curtain, stars dotted the dark sky.
Qi Jingchun became lost in thought. He finally came to his senses after a long time, and he grabbed a seal and started to engrave it.
In the end, he carved the characters "Tranquil Mind Begets Enlightenment". The word "tranquil" was especially powerful and lively, and it was as if it were all-encompassing.
Qi Jingchun lightly placed the seal down, with the engraved side facing up.
Qi Jingchun felt extremely relieved.
Something tugged at his mind, and he casually flicked his sleeve, causing his desk to quickly transform into mountains and waters.
Qi Jingchun focused his gaze, and what he saw was a young boy and a young girl sitting side-by-side in a rundown house as they discussed the nine tiers of martial arts.
Above the nine tiers of martial arts, there existed a 10th Tier.
Qi Jingchun had already finished reading 10,000 books long ago, so he was naturally very familiar with the cultivation world and the martial arts world.
Qi Jingchun always wore a stern expression, yet at this moment, the hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
The Confucian Sage who was overlooking this world decided to play a small and harmless joke.
He carved three characters on the second seal.
Chen Shiyi[1].
1. "Shiyi" literally means eleven and is written using two characters. ☜