The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 360 Rejection
"Uncle..." Zhao Ti looked at the person who jumped in through the window with a surprised expression.

Dressed in white brocade robes, with flowers adorning her temples, she had sharp eyebrows, thin lips, and a slightly pale complexion.

"Uncle, what's wrong with you..." Zhao Ti looked puzzled and confused.

The person who came in was none other than Yang Jian, who had been drunk and talking nonsense at dinner and had been helped away by Zhao's father.

"Shh..." Yang Jian raised his hand to make a shushing gesture, then turned around and gently closed the window.

Zhao Ti was puzzled, and then he saw Yang Jian walk to the table, pour himself a cup of cold tea, drink it, and then look around.

"This place for studying is too rudimentary. How can one study well here?" he said, shaking his head.

"The ancients had stories of studying by the light of snow or stealing light by chiseling a hole in the wall; my nephew's is already quite good," Zhao Ti said. "Uncle, it's so late..."

"I need to talk to you about something," Yang Jian said.

Zhao Ti glanced at the window, wanting to ask why he chose to jump out of the window when there was a door, but he held back in the end: "I wonder what business Uncle has with his nephew?"

Yang Jian sat down in a chair, crossed his legs, and said, "I'm asking you if you want to learn martial arts?"

"Learn martial arts?" Zhao Ti was stunned, unsure how to answer.

“It’s all about learning martial arts!” Yang Jian emphasized. “Body health is fundamental, self-defense is the purpose. After mastering it, you can roam the world, fight injustice, eliminate evil and bring peace, and show your prowess to others. At the highest levels, you can even fly through the sky and disappear into the earth, split mountains with a punch, divide rivers with a sword, and boil the sea in one breath.”

“This…” Zhao Ti looked surprised. He knew that martial arts were powerful and had various uses after mastering them, but he did not know that they could be this powerful.

"Is what my uncle said true?"

Yang Jian said unhappily, "How could I possibly deceive a junior like you?"

Zhao Ti remained silent for a long time, his mind filled with countless thoughts, his expression shifting uncertainly.

Yang Jian said, "Nephew, I see that you have extraordinary bones and are a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand. It would be a pity if you did not learn martial arts."

Zhao Ti blurted out, "Uncle, I don't have any money."

Yang Jian was taken aback, then said angrily, "What are you talking about? Do you think I'm here to scam you out of your money?"

Zhao Ti thought for a moment: "When I was a child, I met a beggar on the street who said exactly the same thing my uncle just said. Then he took out a stack of manuals and tried to sell them to me. One of them, the Tathagata Palm, cost me ten taels of silver, but I was penniless at the time, so I didn't buy it..."

"Buddha's Palm? Ten taels of silver?" Yang Jian's temples throbbed. "Although I've never heard of this martial art, no martial art can be bought for ten or eight taels of silver. That... is definitely a scam."

Zhao Ti shrugged and looked at the other person.

Yang Jian took a breath and said, "I don't want your money, what are you worried about? I'm just asking if you want to learn martial arts. You have excellent physical aptitude, it would be a pity if you didn't learn martial arts."

Zhao Ti asked, "Is Uncle very skilled in martial arts?"

Yang Jian revealed a hint of smugness: "If I didn't have extraordinary skills, how could I dare to offer to teach you?"

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment: "My nephew wants to learn, but he can't learn now."

Yang Jian asked, "What do you mean?"

Zhao Ti said, "Right now, I must focus on my studies. I will not dabble in other things until I have finished my studies. I cannot be half-hearted in my work. As the saying goes, 'If you give up halfway, even rotten wood will not break; but if you persevere, you can carve even metal and stone.' I must finish my studies first before considering anything else."

Yang Jian said, "You can practice martial arts in your spare time when you are studying. Why do you have to wait until you finish your studies? As the sage said, 'Life has a limit, but knowledge has no limit.' There is no end to reading."

Zhao Ti said, "What you say is true, Uncle, but you should achieve some success before considering other skills."

Yang Jian shook his head: "Our Great Qian Dynasty does not value literature over martial arts, but rather the two are given equal importance. Many scholars practice martial arts and are skilled in spears and clubs. The civil officials in the court are also proficient in both literature and martial arts. Some great Confucian scholars are also martial arts masters. Does their practice of martial arts interfere with their studies? Nephew, you are thinking too much."

Zhao Ti pondered and said, "Uncle is still right. It's just that I am dull-witted and cannot be as focused as those who are good at studying. So I can only concentrate and try to be a slow bird that flies first, and study one subject diligently."

Yang Jian said, "Although the world is at peace now, that refers to the general situation. It is hard to guarantee that there will be no bandits robbing, thieves plundering, oppressing the good and bullying the innocent, and bullying the local people. Nephew, learning martial arts can not only protect yourself and your family, but also help you fight for justice. Is this useless for studying? Even the sages said that we should punish evil and promote good with swift and decisive measures!"

Zhao Ti smiled wryly and said, "This nephew has no way to argue with me. It's not that I don't want to learn, but I want to wait until the future. I will only consider these things after the imperial examinations are over."

Yang Jian looked at him and said, "Nephew, you are already sixteen years old. Logically speaking, you have long passed the best age to learn martial arts. But I see that you have excellent talent and physique. It is not too late for you to start learning now. However, if you delay for a few more years, it may be too late. Although you are excellent at poetry and prose, I cannot guarantee that you will pass every exam."

Zhao Ti said, "No one can say they are 100% sure. It's alright for the preliminary examination, but even the most learned scholars in the capital city's imperial examination wouldn't dare to say they're 100% sure of passing."

“That’s it.” Yang Jian sighed. “It goes without saying that he will pass the imperial examination, but if my nephew fails the provincial examination next year… I mean, if he fails the metropolitan examination, then it will be delayed for another three years. By then, he will probably have a hard time learning martial arts. No matter how high his innate physical endowment is, it cannot withstand the ravages of time.”

Zhao Ti said, "There's nothing we can do about it. Physical endowment can't last as long as intellectual endowment. But my nephew has made up his mind. I can only appreciate your good intentions. If he really wants to learn martial arts, he'll have to wait until all the imperial examinations are over."

Yang Jian stood up, walked around the room a few times with his hands behind his back, and said with dissatisfaction, "This is all my brother-in-law's fault. What kind of books did he make you study? Although your poetry and prose are amazing, you will definitely make great progress in martial arts. He always thinks about those old grudges and wants to change schools, but he has ruined you, his nephew."

Zhao Ti asked in bewilderment, “What are you saying, Uncle? I don’t quite understand. How could Father understand whether I should study literature or martial arts? It’s all about my interests. Father can’t see any talent in me for martial arts. Besides, as the saying goes, ‘the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts.’ My family is already struggling to afford literature, so if I were to study martial arts, I’m afraid we would be in dire straits and not know where our next meal will come from.”

Yang Jian frowned upon hearing this: "They've kept it from you so well, is it really worth it just for what happened back then? Not only did they refuse to mention it, but they also changed their allegiance and hid their identities..."

"What is Uncle talking about?" Zhao Ti asked in surprise. "What do you mean by keeping it a secret? What about the past, and your identity?"

Yang Jian waved his hand: "Forget it, you're already so old anyway, there's no point in saying anything."

“How can you speak in half-heartedly, Uncle?” Zhao Ti said, “As the saying goes, a gentleman is always at ease, while a petty person is always anxious. Uncle is a gentleman…”

"Don't flatter me. I'm not exactly a gentleman, and my actions aren't exactly straightforward. Even if your parents hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have been the one to gossip. Just pretend I didn't say anything," Yang Jian scoffed. Zhao Ti was silent for a few moments, then whispered, "I've already said it, how can I pretend I didn't say anything..."

Yang Jian ignored his grumbling and said, "Although they don't care about your martial arts, your uncle still has to help you. Even if you don't want to learn martial arts right away, and your uncle tries to persuade you with good medicine but you won't listen, I still have to leave you something so that you won't be completely clueless and have no idea where to start when you want to learn martial arts."

"Uncle... what items are you leaving for your nephew?" Zhao Ti asked curiously.

Yang Jian then took out two books from his pocket, one golden and one dark blue, and shook them in his hand, saying, "One of them is my Yang family's internal energy manual, called the Four Illuminations Divine Skill. The other is a sword manual I obtained from outside, called the Peach Blossom Sword Technique. You can keep them."

Zhao Ti looked at the two books and licked his lips: "Uncle... these, these must be very valuable, right?"

He knew that martial arts manuals were very expensive, and there were no manuals openly sold on the market. As for the old beggar he met when he was a child, he was definitely a fraud.

Learning martial arts at a gym doesn't guarantee you'll get any secret manuals; it's all taught orally, and they're afraid of leaking them out.

Wealthy families who could afford to learn martial arts would often pay a high price to invite renowned martial arts masters to their homes to teach them. After teaching them the skills, the masters would leave, but they would also specifically instruct them not to write down what they had learned and not to pass it on to others.

Therefore, apart from the simple and common boxing and sword manuals, all secret manuals are extremely rare.

"Valuable?" Yang Jian shook his head: "How can it be described as merely valuable? You know that martial arts are rare in the world and are rarely found in books. This alone is enough to determine its value. Not to mention my Yang family's internal skill, the Four Illuminations Divine Skill, is one of the most powerful skills in the world. It is so rare that it is hard to find even with ten thousand pieces of gold. No amount of money can buy it. Even among the Yang family members, not everyone can master it. It depends on talent and temperament before it can be passed down."

"This..." Zhao Ti felt that Yang Jian had gone a bit too far. Perhaps some profound secret manuals were indeed like that, but the Yang family... was a small and insignificant family. It was already unthinkable for them to have secret manuals, let alone a secret manual that was worth a fortune.

"And this sword manual." Yang Jian looked at the blue booklet and said, "I found this while exploring an ancient ruin. Although the name is a bit ordinary, the moves recorded inside are very exquisite. They are top-notch sword techniques in the martial arts world. Unfortunately, I don't use a sword and haven't practiced them, so I'll give them to you, my nephew."

Zhao Ti took the two manuals, his mind filled with doubt as to why the other party spoke of such power. He asked, "Uncle, are they really that..."

Yang Jian said, "Don't be skeptical. The Yang family's Four Illuminations Divine Skill is one of the most powerful martial arts techniques in the world. Once mastered, it can form four pillars of light to protect the body, making it immune to all poisons and difficult to be injured by external forces. Its internal strength is unparalleled, and there are almost no martial arts moves that it cannot activate."

Zhao Ti was surprised to hear this. Seeing that Yang Jian didn't seem to be joking, he became even more suspicious. How could the Yang family, a small and humble family, possess such powerful martial arts? This was really too strange.

“That Peach Blossom Sword Technique is equally rare. Its sword style is different from the popular ones today, but its sharpness is no less than any powerful sword technique in the world. You will know when you practice it.” Yang Jian said, “When you have mastered the divine skill, you will know that what your uncle said is true.”

Zhao Ti asked, "Can you split a mountain with a single punch and traverse the sea with a single sword?"

Yang Jian said, "If you want to reach the pinnacle of skill, with your talent, you might be able to achieve it if you start now, but if you start too late, I'm afraid... alas."

As he spoke, he turned and walked towards the window.

Zhao Ti hurriedly asked, "Where is Uncle going?"

Yang Jian opened the window: "Go back to sleep."

Zhao Ti said, "Uncle, don't go. I still have some questions to ask you."

Yang Jian waved his hand behind him, then jumped out of the window, which closed without any wind.

Zhao Ti opened his mouth, but the other party came and went in a hurry, saying a lot of incomprehensible things, leaving behind two secret manuals before leaving.

Is he still drunk? But he doesn't seem so; he didn't say anything drunk, and there wasn't a trace of alcohol on him.

He couldn't help but look at the two martial arts manuals in his hands. It is true that when martial arts are practiced to a high level, there will be some earth-shattering phenomena that exceed the scope of human power. This is recorded in some idle books and often mentioned by storytellers in teahouses on the street. However, he did not expect that what his uncle described was even more amazing. But those masters are like dragons that are rarely seen in the world. They are legendary figures.

If my talent is truly as high as my uncle claims, will I also be able to reach that level? At that time, I will be able to travel across thousands of mountains, roar proudly among the clouds, and become a terrestrial immortal.

This was indeed very appealing, and Zhao Ti, holding two books in his hands, couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Practicing martial arts in your spare time is fine; it doesn't take up study time. It shouldn't interfere with anything.

Moreover, only those who are both literate and martial are truly dashing. Dressed in white, carrying books and a sword, traversing the world, it's an image that inspires longing.

If one could truly reach the level of breaking mountains with fists and traversing seas with swords, it would seem more pleasant and comfortable than studying. One's personal abilities would be greater, and many things could be accomplished without relying on others. Learning martial arts seems more useful than studying.

No! Zhao Ti broke out in a cold sweat as soon as he thought of this. How could he let his determination to study waver?
Studying and practicing martial arts are two different things; they cannot be equated.

Having already studied for half my life, yet having never practiced martial arts, how could I possibly suddenly start learning martial arts at this crucial juncture?
No, no, this secret manual is distracting me from my studies!
Zhao Ti hurriedly turned around and went to the corner of the room, where there were several boxes. He found one with profound secrets, opened it, and then stuffed the two secret manuals at the bottom of the box. He weighed it down with other books and slammed the lid down.

But he still felt uneasy, so he took the lock and locked the large box, only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Just as he returned to his desk, tidying up the items on it and preparing to rest, he suddenly felt a jolt, and his vision began to blur...

Hmm? Have you overcome the tribulation of your inner demons? Zhao Ti slowly opened his eyes as he sat on the couch.

The room was dimly lit, a large mansion in Xingzhou.

Last time, the Spirit Pill Wind Evil Tribulation on the fourth floor of the Twelve-Story Tower was scattered by the Illusory Yin True Qi and was not fully experienced. Unexpectedly, it has returned this time during cultivation. Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes, his face full of thought.

It seems this calamity must be broken. However, the illusion within this calamity is quite interesting. It is actually continuous and seems to be real, as if it were a huge world.

The Tribulation of Spiritual Elixir and Fire represents a breakthrough to the limit. During this tribulation, one can adhere to one's original aspirations, focus on studying, and not be tempted by external things. This indicates that one's state of mind has reached a new level.

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment, then withdrew all his magical power and began practicing his internal energy.

Previously, due to insufficient magical power when visualizing the Treasure Elephant King, he had poured all his internal energy into it, except for the Illusionary Yin Scripture and the Cold Ice Skill. Now he had to relearn it.

(End of this chapter)