Headless Immortal

Chapter 69 See You Later
When I woke up and came to my senses, it was already the next morning.

Cheng Yan got up, stretched lazily, and yawned repeatedly, still sleepy-eyed.

He thought last night was all a dream and had forgotten how he was brought back.

He felt refreshed all over, and a faint warm current flowed through his dantian, spreading to his limbs and bones as his blood and qi surged. Cheng Yan was so startled that he jumped.

I quickly and carefully confirmed it.

"True Qi?!"

This warm current is different from blood and qi; it is so faint it cannot be fainter.

Idioms can be clearly mobilized.

Overwhelmed with excitement, he jumped up and, suppressing his excitement, ran straight to the cat's bed.

The three-legged old cat was still fast asleep, while Grey was lying on its belly, covered by its tail.

Cheng Yan grabbed the gray treasure and tossed it happily, but dared not speak loudly, so he could only open his mouth wide and laugh silently.

Lu Xun the black cat opened his eyes and yawned widely.

Cheng Yan and Lü He got drunk late last night, and he carried them back to their dorm.

"Uncle Cat, I have true energy now!"

Cheng Yan lay down in front of the cat's bed and whispered something to it.

He couldn't contain his excitement.

Having true qi is a sign of ability; in the future, whether you join the army or work in a government office, you can become a minor official.

He studied the Sword Manual for ten years, and his strong blood and profound skills will help him rapidly strengthen his true energy, which can be considered a result of his accumulated knowledge and skills.

Lü He was also awakened by Cheng Yan's actions. Seeing Cheng Yan's ecstatic expression, he was stunned and exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that Brother Cheng...?"

"Logically speaking, I shouldn't have broken through so quickly. I heard that Uncle Zhao has practiced the 'Essentials of Military Preparedness' for twenty years and is a solid master of the third level. How could my ten years of sword practice be faster than Uncle Zhao's?"

"Perhaps it's because Brother Cheng is highly talented."

"You haven't seen my Uncle Zhao. He's truly gifted. He can beat someone with true qi even without it. I would be defeated in three to five moves if I sparred with him."

"That is……"

Lu He was suddenly shaken and exclaimed, "I think I can control something I don't know."

Cheng Yan asked firmly, "Magic power?"

"It's those two green fruits!"

It dawned on them.

It's utterly unbelievable that a single fruit could grant someone magical power.

Lu Xun's eyelids drooped; he hadn't been getting enough rest lately.

"You mean that black jade seal again..."

Lu He was about to press for more information when Cheng Yan said with a serious expression, "Don't say it."

It's best not to be curious about the affairs of important people; if you're trying to benefit from them, you should know to keep quiet.

Lü He nodded, and they tacitly refrained from mentioning it again.

He stood up, walked to the cat's bed, and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you so much, Uncle Cat, for saving me!"

Cheng Yan also bowed in greeting, showing no surprise in his eyes.

No one who grows up unharmed is an idiot.

Uncle Cat studied with them, and Lü He had long known of the old cat's extraordinary abilities.

The black cat waved its paws.

He had promised Lao Cheng that he would take care of Xiao Cheng.

What are you all arguing about?

Zhou Changcai, still half asleep and sporting dark circles under his eyes, finally got up from his dormitory bunk.

Wu Agui, who was standing nearby, pulled the blanket over his head and fell fast asleep.

Cheng Yan and Lü He looked at each other, neither of them explaining the reason. If they had known it was a matter of fate, they would have definitely taken the two of them with them.

Now that the banquet is over, telling Zhou Changcai and Wu Agui that they have obtained magical powers will not only make them regret it, but may also cause unnecessary trouble.

Sometimes, it's these small differences that can lead people astray.

Cheng Yan changed the subject: "When will you be back?"

Zhou Changcai recalled, "It was around five o'clock."

"Hey!" Wu Agui muttered impatiently.

Neither of them spoke anymore.

Zhou Changcai went straight back to bed for a nap.

Unable to contain himself, Cheng Yan went to the courtyard to practice martial arts, while Lü He, carrying the books issued by the academy, searched for information about magical powers.

Having it isn't enough; you have to be able to use it, know how to use it, and continue to grow it.

That's how you make the most of this opportunity.

……

In the morning, students learned to read and write in the classroom; in the afternoon, they studied music, etiquette, horsemanship, archery, calligraphy, painting, and divination.

Lu Xun learned a lot of etiquette from the ancient world.

At least now he won't perform that awkward fist-and-palm salute anymore.

There are many different etiquettes. Bowing with hands clasped is quite common, while crossing hands is more widely used.

Many prayers have been simplified because they were too complicated.

Thanks to hard work, I have learned over a thousand characters.

During the day, they attend academic classes, and at night they practice martial arts in the ancient pine forest.

This is probably Lu Xun's favorite subject.

To be literate, one must know how to read.

To be honest, he wasn't very interested in the Six Arts of a Gentleman, but he was very enthusiastic about learning martial arts.

After the monkey fist technique was upgraded to magic, Lu Xun's understanding of the ape-shaped fist reached a new level.

So and so.

I had a few fulfilling days.

Cheng Yan regained his cheerful demeanor and stopped obsessing over whether to go to the southeast. Instead, he practiced martial arts even more diligently, for reasons unknown.

Lü He remained the same scholarly figure, spending even more time in the library. He was practically engrossed in reading.

Those two fellow villagers are still the same as before.

They sleep in the classroom during the day and enjoy themselves in the mountains behind the academy at night.

The only major event these days is selecting students.

A, B, C, D; Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao.

The five courtyards comprise sixteen halls in total.

Lu Xun didn't know exactly how many people were selected, and he didn't care about these things.

……

That night.

Ancient pine on the back mountain.

Toothless lowered its head, grabbed a dried crucian carp, tilted its head back, and ate it. Gray Baby hugged a dried tofu and gnawed on it with relish.

The ape-like monster held a paper package containing roasted dried fruit. Five kinds of dried fruit were laid out on the stone table. Sun Shen, sitting opposite him, raised his gourd, and with a clink, the two gourds collided. Sun Shen then tilted his head back and drank deeply.

Wiping the wine stains from his beard, Sun Shen said, "I'll leave this morning."

Lu Xun paused for a moment, then understood what he meant.

"This is the advanced refining method I compiled for you."

Sun Shen took out a thin booklet from his pocket and handed it to Lu Xun.

Lu Xun opened it and saw that the illustrations in the booklet were incredibly lifelike.

"If you really want to teach someone, you still have to let them observe and learn on their own."

Sun Shen drank again, then slowly stood up and said, "If I ever come to the Southeast, I'll treat you to a drink."

"Drink good wine!"

Lu Xun said, "Perhaps."

"Take care of yourself!"

The gesture of bowing with hands clasped was now proper and respectful, a far cry from the previous sloppy manner.

"I've learned it."

Sun Shen laughed and returned the gesture with a cupped hand: "Take care."

Turn around,

They went into the darkness.

Wutong Lu Xun watched quietly, then touched Toothless and Gray Treasure.

"Squeak."

"Di."

Toothless stood on Lu Xun's shoulder, and Gray Treasure stopped being greedy and put down the freeze-dried food. The two monsters seemed to have noticed that Wutong Mountain Lord was in low spirits.

"Practice."

Lu Xun flipped over and performed a set of ape-style fist techniques.

You need to master the horse stance, practice stance training, and learn calligraphy.

A few more days.

After all, the truth will come out.

Zhou Changcai and Wu Agui learned that Cheng Yan had cultivated true qi.

This is something that can't be kept secret.

Those with magical powers have eyes as bright as frost stars; one can certainly see it if one observes carefully. Only those who gradually become familiar with them and learn to conceal their abilities will be able to hide their extraordinary phenomena.

At first, the two of them did not suspect anything.

Cheng Yan had been practicing martial arts for quite some time, and his grandfather was a retired soldier who had become a jailer. At most, his ability to cultivate true qi was something that would amaze people. The family's tradition was quite good.

Only after seeing that Lü He also possessed magical powers did he inquire about the details.

A poor family could not possibly have the resources to practice martial arts.

Unable to keep it a secret any longer, Cheng Yan told the two of them.

"This will cause problems!"

The two men beat their chests and stamped their feet, regretting that they had left first.

If we stayed a little longer, we could also attend Mr. Sanshan's banquet.

Cheng Yan comforted him, saying, "As long as you can afford the money, an experienced master can use their magic to regulate your meridians and generate true qi."

"That's true."

Zhou Changcai nodded, still feeling it was a pity.

Wu Agui was devastated, having heard that true energy could make the body stronger.

His body, weakened by wine and women, desperately needs vital energy.

into the night.

The two left the school building arm in arm.

This time, however, they did not head straight for the brothels and gambling dens, but instead followed the legends told by Cheng Yan to find the empty hall behind the Zen temple.

as predicted.

There is a huge mural on the wall.

A tear appeared in the middle of the perfectly good mural, but something must have ripped it open.

It was deep and secluded, with a light mist drifting out.

"Can we get in or not?"

Zhou Changcai wasn't that brave; he stopped in his tracks, gazing at the cold, deep abyss.

"Go in."

"Otherwise, why would we be here?"

"If you're not going, I'll go myself."

"Don't regret it."

Wu Agui did not wait any longer.

(End of this chapter)