Physical enlightenment begins with Xingyi Quan

The kitchen was still filled with the lingering aroma of meat.

Chen Jianghe squatted in front of the stove, gently waving a tattered palm-leaf fan in his hand, as smoke mixed with fragrance rose up.

Since the night he made the "deal" with Su Derong, Su Derong has brought meat every day for the past ten days. Sometimes it was half a pork rib, sometimes a few pounds of beef brisket, and even twice he brought plump chickens and ducks.

He always had that carefree attitude. He put the things down in front of Chen Jianghe, waved his fan, and laughed, "Today, we'll see what my junior brother's skills are like."

Chen Jianghe also spared no expense in showcasing his skills.

The master butchering technique is fully displayed, with tendons and ligaments removed, fat and lean meat separated, and bone marrow preserved intact.

Meat prepared in this way, simmered over low heat, allows its essence to fully infuse into the broth, resulting in a rich, milky white soup.

"Tsk, this taste—"

The curtain was lifted, and Su Derong strolled in, fanning himself. Today he was wearing an indigo satin long gown, a jade belt around his waist, and his hair was neatly combed. He looked every bit the wealthy young master, a sight to behold.

Chen Jianghe stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Third Senior Brother."

Su Derong waved his hand, leaned closer to the stove, took a deep breath, and squinted his eyes: "Smells good. Ribs today?"

"Yes. It's been simmering for two hours, and the aroma is wonderful!"

"Good, good!" Su Derong nodded in satisfaction. Without being polite, he took a bowl, scooped it full, and squatted down on a small stool next to the stove to slowly drink it.

He downed half a bowl in a few gulps, then, as if suddenly remembering something, tapped Chen Jianghe's shoulder with the rib of his fan: "By the way, your waist and hips were still too stiff when you were practicing the Three-Body Stance yesterday. This stance emphasizes 'dragon waist and bear shoulders.' The waist should be flexible, like a dragon that can coil; the shoulders should be heavy, like a bear that is stable. You only remembered 'heavy,' but forgot 'flexible.' Come on, let me demonstrate for you."

Su Derong put down the bowl and set up his cooking position in the narrow space of the kitchen.

He didn't follow the Three-Body Stance exactly; he just stood there casually, and that relaxed yet profound energy emanated from him. With a slight turn of his waist, it was as if a great dragon was truly winding within his body.

"See? It's not about squatting. The power should originate from the soles of your feet, run down your legs, through your waist, down your back, and finally into your hands. The waist is the pivot point; if the pivot point is blocked, the power is broken." As he spoke, he slowly shifted his center of gravity, demonstrating the subtle rotation of his waist and hips.

Chen Jianghe listened attentively and nodded as he took notes.

For the past ten days, although Su Derong still appeared lazy, he was quite skilled at instructing Chen Jianghe on stance training. Often, a few casual words would pinpoint the crux of Chen Jianghe's puzzling problems.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior brother!" Chen Jianghe said sincerely.

"What's the use of just saying thank you? Hurry up and practice. If you practice well, you'll be more attentive when you make soup for me in the future." Su Derong waved his hand, picked up the bowl again, and leisurely drank his soup.

Over the past ten days, thanks to the nourishment of ample meat, his body has been able to support repeated and effective stance training, and Chen Jianghe's progress in stance training has accelerated to a visible degree.

[Destiny: Diligence is rewarded by Heaven; success is inevitable]

Current skill: Three-Body Stance (beginner level)

Progress: 59%

[Effect: None]

"Given the slaughtering techniques used back then, this destiny can continuously grow stronger with repeated and effective practice," Chen Jianghe murmured to himself.

However, despite the nourishment from meat, without any special tonics, the body still couldn't handle the high-intensity training, and this progress was already at its limit.

Thinking of the exorbitantly expensive Blood Qi Powder and Bone Strengthening Ointment, he could only shake his head inwardly.

As for his master, Li Chengyue, Chen Jianghe had only seen him twice in the past ten days.

One morning, the old man came out of the backyard carrying a gourd of wine, swayed, and saw him practicing standing meditation. He grunted and then swayed out the door.

Another time, late at night, Chen Jianghe returned to his dormitory after extra practice and heard the bamboo reclining chair in the backyard creaking, mixed with the clinking of wine bowls and indistinct humming.

The owner of this Xingyi martial arts school seems to have really spent most of his time drinking.

Su Derong didn't care at all, and was even happy to enjoy his carefree life. He spent far less time practicing martial arts than listening to music in brothels, but he always liked to drag Chen Jianghe along.

"Jiang He, there's a new singer performing at Cuiying Pavilion today. I hear she sings beautifully. Shall we go and listen?" Su Derong strolled over again just as they finished practicing, his fan waving slowly and deliberately.

Chen Jianghe shook his head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother, but my stance training is still far from perfect. I'd like to practice a little longer."

Su Derong pointed at him with his fan: "You're such a boring kid. Going to these places is a kind of spiritual practice!"

The kitchen was communal, and the rich aroma of meat often attracted other apprentices to peek inside.

The food at the martial arts school was meager, making the food all the more tempting. Whenever this happened, if Su Derong was in a good mood, he would wave, "Come, come, everyone gets a share! Try Jianghe's cooking; it's just as good as Zuichunlou's!"

He was a man of many connections and treated everyone with ease, which allowed several familiar senior brothers to chuckle and sneak a few bowls of soup. As everyone drank the delicious soup, they smiled more at Chen Jianghe, who was diligently tending the fire.

He Shouzhou once witnessed this, observed silently for a moment, and then whispered to Chen Jianghe, "It's your luck that your third senior brother is willing to guide you. That man... he may seem carefree, but he can't tolerate any mistakes. You should practice diligently."

Chen Jianghe nodded emphatically. He knew all too well that this was luck. But ultimately, he had to seize this luck himself.

Before you know it, the shadow of the end of the month is quietly approaching.

That evening, the setting sun, like blood, stained the dilapidated courtyard of the martial arts school with a dark red hue.

Chen Jianghe wondered if Li Gouzi and the others had ever been to Niqiu Bay again. He wondered if his mother had been living in fear and anxiety these past few days, guarding that dilapidated boat alone.

As he was thinking, he took out the notebook from his pocket and crossed out the names of Li Gouzi and the others.

Just as Chen Jianghe was about to begin his stance training, he saw Su Derong swaying in, fanning himself with a leisurely smile on his face.

"Tsk, youth is wonderful. When I was your age, I worked just as hard. Later I realized that in life, you have to be strong when you need to be strong, and you also have to relax when you need to relax." Su Derong gently tapped Chen Jianghe's shoulder with the rib of his fan. "That new girl at Cuiying Pavilion has a voice as melodious as a nightingale's! And she's pretty too. How about going with your senior brother to listen to her? It'll clear your mind, and maybe you'll 'enlighten' faster."

Chen Jianghe took a deep breath, suppressed his agitation, and shook his head: "Thank you, Senior Brother, but I won't go."

He paused, looked up at Su Derong, and said earnestly, "Senior brother, I just wanted to ask you about something."

Chen Jianghe looked around and lowered his voice, "Senior brother has a wide circle of friends, I wonder if... you could help me inquire about a few people?"

"Who?"

"I want to ask about a few people," Chen Jianghe said in an even lower voice. "One of them is from the Black Tiger Gang, named Li Gouzi, who has a scar on his face, and two other henchmen who often hang out with him. I want to know where they usually hang out and what their habits are."

Su Derong did not answer immediately, but instead focused his gaze on Chen Jianghe's face.

After a long pause, Su Derong slowly asked, "Jiang He, why are you asking about them?"

Chen Jianghe had already prepared his explanation: "They're coming to collect the debt at the end of the month. I want to find out what's going on and see if I can find a way to negotiate or pay off the debt early, so they won't disturb my mother at Niqiu Bay."

Su Derong's nonchalant smile faded. He sized up Chen Jianghe, a hint of understanding and scrutiny flashing in his eyes, which always carried a touch of laziness.

He slowly unfolded the folding fan and gently waved it.

Chen Jianghe's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained respectful: "I understand, Senior Brother. I'm just worried about my mother being alone at home; she must be anxious. Finding out some information will help me prepare in advance."

Su Derong looked at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled, the scrutinizing look disappearing as he regained his usual casualness: "Alright, I'll ask around for you tonight. I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

"Thank you, senior brother."

"You're too kind." Su Derong walked to the door, then turned back. "Really not going? That girl's rendition of 'Spring River Night' truly made one forget what day it is."

"Senior brother, you may go ahead. I will stay in the temple to practice my skills."

Su Derong shook his head and said, "Practice, practice, be careful you don't turn into a block of wood!"