Courtyard House: Starting with handing over the keys, the state helps me abuse birds.

Yi Zhonghai felt he was about to die.

This isn't a metaphor; I genuinely felt like I was about to die.

He lay sprawled on the bed, his body feeling like it was falling apart. His chest ached, his stomach ached, his back ached, his legs ached—everywhere hurt.

He tried to turn over, but as soon as he moved, he gasped in pain.

"Ouch..."

He gritted his teeth, slowly rolled over, lay on his back, and stared blankly at the mosquito net above his head.

It was already dark outside. He had been lying in bed for four hours since training ended in the afternoon. He couldn't move, he simply couldn't move.

But the physical pain is nothing compared to the mental anguish.

How did he end up like this?

Yi Zhonghai stared at the mosquito net, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

That day, Xie Weihong told him to pretend to be a wise man, and he thought it was a good idea. It could both win back Sha Zhu and preserve his hope for retirement. What a wonderful thing!

At first, things were really good. Sha Zhu would call him "Master, Master" every day, very respectfully, asking him all sorts of questions.

He sat at the door drinking tea, and Sha Zhu came over to pay his respects, acting as if he were an old master.

But after a few days, he realized something was wrong.

Sha Zhu is taking this too seriously.

Seriously, they took it too seriously.

During training every day, Shazhu would keep an eye on him.

He did a push-up, and Sha Zhu counted beside him; he ran a step, and Sha Zhu watched beside him; he did a frog jump, and Sha Zhu asked, "Master, how do you move your true energy?"

He wants to slack off? No way.

He wants to slack off? No way.

Sha Zhu's eyes were like searchlights, staring intently at him.

If he moves even a little slower, Sha Zhu will ask, "Master, are you feeling unwell?" If his posture is even slightly off, Sha Zhu will ask, "Master, what are you demonstrating?"

What could he say?

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it.

Do push-ups until your hands shake; do sit-ups until your stomach cramps; run until your legs are weak; do frog jumps until your knees feel like they're going to break.

But Sha Zhu was still asking all sorts of questions.

"Master, in that posture you just did, did your internal energy flow along the Ren or Du meridian?"

"Master, how do you regulate your breathing when you run?"

"Master, when you land after a frog jump, does your inner energy flow to your feet?"

How could Yi Zhonghai know?

He doesn't even know where the Ren and Du meridians are!

But he couldn't tell the truth.

He can only make things up.

"This... the true energy circulates naturally, there's no need to consciously think about it..."

"Breathe... Breathe long, even breaths..."

"When landing... true energy... true energy must sink..."

He made up such a story that even he felt guilty.

But Sha Zhu believed it.

Not only did they believe it, but they also took out a small notebook to write it down, and while writing it down, they kept saying, "What Master said makes so much sense" and "Master, you are truly a master."

Looking at his serious expression, Yi Zhonghai felt incredibly uneasy.

What's even more unbelievable is that Sha Zhu would turn around and ask him questions.

A few days later, Sha Zhu came over and asked, "Master, you said last time that true qi circulates naturally, but when I tried it, it still didn't feel right. Could you explain it in more detail?"

Yi Zhonghai was stunned.

Can you explain in detail? How can he explain in detail?

"Well..." His mind raced. "Everyone's constitution is different, and their feelings are different too. You'll understand once you practice more."

Sha Zhu nodded and left.

Yi Zhonghai breathed a sigh of relief.

But two days later, Sha Zhu came again.

"Master, you said last time that breathing should be long and even, and I tried it, but it got messed up while running. Do you have any tips or formulas?"

Yi Zhonghai almost choked to death on his own saliva.

Mnemonic?

What kind of formula does he have?

"Well..." He thought for a moment, then forced himself to say, "Breathing...breathing should follow your steps. Take a breath every three steps, and exhale every three steps. That way, you won't get confused."

Sha Zhu's eyes lit up, and he immediately tried it.

"One, two, three, inhale; one, two, three, exhale; one, two, three, inhale; one, two, three, exhale..."

He ran three laps and excitedly ran back.

"Master! It really works! You're amazing!"

Yi Zhonghai chuckled twice.

What's so great about him? He just made it all up.

But Sha Zhu took it seriously.

From then on, Sha Zhu had even more problems.

They ask me every day during training, after training, while eating, and even at night.

Yi Zhonghai was driven crazy by his questions, but he couldn't not answer. If he didn't answer, Sha Zhu would become suspicious; if he became suspicious, his retirement would be over.

He could only keep making things up.

The stories are getting more and more outrageous and fantastical. Things like "true qi flows like water, the mind is like still water," "cultivation is like rowing against the current, if you don't advance, you fall behind," "the dantian is like a furnace, the meridians are like river channels"... He himself doesn't even know what he's talking about.

But Sha Zhu believed it all.

Not only did they believe it, they also regarded it as a guiding principle and practiced it every day.

Looking at his earnestness, Yi Zhonghai felt both uneasy and afraid.

The truth is, everything he said was a lie. What if Sha Zhu discovers something's wrong one day?

The scary thing is, he's already in a bind. It's too late to back down now.

Sha Zhu has already decided that he is a master. If he suddenly says he's not pretending anymore, what will Sha Zhu think? Will Sha Zhu let him go?

The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became, and the less he dared to tell the truth.

But if he doesn't tell the truth, he'll have to keep pretending.

If you keep pretending, you'll have to keep training with Sha Zhu.

If he continues training, he will have to continue suffering.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the bed, tears welling up in his eyes.

When will this ever end?

---

The next morning, just as the sun was rising, there was a knock on Yi Zhonghai's door.

"Master! Are you up yet?"

Sha Zhu's voice came from outside the door, full of energy and enthusiasm.

Yi Zhonghai lay in bed, feeling like he wanted to die.

Before he could move, the door was pushed open. Sha Zhu poked half his head in, saw that he was still lying there, and paused for a moment.

"Master, you're not up yet? Training is about to start today."

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand weakly: "I...I'm not feeling well today..."

Sha Zhu walked in, stood by the bed, and looked down at him.

"Not feeling well? Aren't you a reclusive master? How could you be feeling unwell?"

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Sha Zhu frowned and stared at him for several seconds.

That look in his eyes sent chills down Yi Zhonghai's spine.

"Master," Sha Zhu began, his voice somewhat deep, "Are you... hiding something from me?"

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat.

"No...no..."

"real?"

"Really, really!"

Sha Zhu stared at him for a few more seconds, then suddenly laughed.

"I knew it! Master wouldn't lie to me. You must be sealing your cultivation, right? That's why you felt uncomfortable."

Yi Zhonghai paused for a moment, then quickly nodded: "Yes, yes, yes! I've sealed my cultivation! That's why I feel tired."

Sha Zhu nodded and reached out to help him up.

"Are you still under lockdown today? Should we remove it? Or maybe you shouldn't train today. I feel bad seeing you like this."

Yi Zhonghai was overjoyed and was about to nod when he suddenly saw Sha Zhu's eyes.

There was something in those eyes that he couldn't understand.

It's like anticipation, but also like... testing the waters?

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat.

No, I can't agree to that.

Sha Zhu was testing him.

If he doesn't train today, will Shazhu think he's just faking it? Will he think he's not some kind of expert at all?

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and stood up.

"No need, I'll keep it sealed off. This amount of training is nothing to me."

Sha Zhu's eyes lit up.

"Really? Master, you're amazing! Let's go quickly!"

He helped Yi Zhonghai walk outside.

With every step Yi Zhonghai took, his body ached as if cut by a knife. But he dared not show it, and could only grit his teeth and force himself to keep going.

Inside the central courtyard, the others had already arrived.

Liu Haizhong leaned on a cane, his face sallow; Xu Damao's eyes were swollen, and he was still sniffling; Jia Zhangshi stood in the line, her fat jiggling; Bang Geng lowered his head, lost in thought.

Xie Weihong stood under the moon gate, her hands in her pockets, her face expressionless.

Seeing Yi Zhonghai being helped over by Sha Zhu, the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.

The curve was very small, almost invisible. But Yi Zhonghai saw it, and his heart pounded with panic.

"Let's begin," Xie Weihong said.

The first exercise: push-ups.

Six people lay down.

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and did one.

pain.

The pain made his vision go black.

He took a breath and then did the second one.

It hurts even more now.

He stole a glance at Sha Zhu beside him. The man was working incredibly fast, one after another, his movements were unbelievably precise. He kept turning his head to look at him as he worked.

"Master, please take your time today, so I can see clearly."

Yi Zhonghai was deeply distressed.

He wants to slow down? He can't go fast at all!

He gritted his teeth and endured it one by one.

By the time he got to the tenth one, his hands started to tremble.

When he reached the fifteenth one, his arms went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Master?" Sha Zhu leaned closer. "What's wrong?"

Yi Zhonghai was panting and unable to speak.

Sha Zhu looked at him, and doubt resurfaced in his eyes.

"Master, are you... really feeling unwell?"

Yi Zhonghai's heart tightened.

"N-nothing...it's nothing..." he said, panting. "I was just...just demonstrating...demonstrating slow practice..."

"Oh." Sha Zhu nodded. "Then you continue demonstrating, I'll start."

He turned back and continued doing push-ups.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, feeling like he was going to die.

He slowly got up and continued working.

One, two, three...

With each task he completed, he mentally berated himself.

Serves you right for pretending! Serves you right for pretending! Now look what you've done! You've got yourself caught in your own trap!

After finally getting through push-ups, it's time for sit-ups.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, holding his head in his hands, gritting his teeth as he did one.

My belly was shaking, and my waist felt like it was about to break.

He took a breath and then did the second one.

It hurts even more now.

Sha Zhu watched him from the side, asking as he did so, "Master, when you do sit-ups, where does your internal energy go?"

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, wanting to say he didn't know, but he swallowed the words back.

"True Qi... True Qi is flowing downwards..."

"Go down?" Sha Zhu paused for a moment. "Shouldn't we go up? I just felt a rush of heat to my head."

Yi Zhonghai's mind raced.

"What you feel is correct, but that's just an appearance. True energy flows downwards. What you're feeling is heat, not true energy."

Sha Zhu nodded thoughtfully.

"I see! Master is brilliant!"

Yi Zhonghai breathed a sigh of relief.

But Sha Zhu's next words made him anxious again.

"Could you let me feel your true energy? Just for a moment?"

Yi Zhonghai almost fainted.

Feel the true energy?

What kind of true energy does he have?

"Well..." He coughed twice, "Not now. Your cultivation level isn't high enough; forcing yourself to sense it will damage your meridians. Once you practice more, you'll naturally be able to sense it."

Sha Zhu nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Yi Zhonghai continued doing sit-ups.

One, two, three...

When he reached the fifteenth one, he lay on the ground and couldn't get up.

"Master?" Sha Zhu came closer again.

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand, unable to speak.

Sha Zhu looked at him, remained silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly asked, "Master, are you really sealing your cultivation?"

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat.

"Of course..."

"But I feel..." Sha Zhu frowned, "You seem really tired. Not pretending, you're genuinely tired."

Yi Zhonghai's mind raced.

"That's because... because I sealed it too tightly. I sealed ninety percent of my cultivation, leaving only one tenth. That one tenth of cultivation is only slightly stronger than an ordinary person. That's why I feel tired."

Sha Zhu was stunned.

"Ninety percent? You sealed off ninety percent?"

"That's right." Yi Zhonghai spoke with increasing ease, "Only in this way can I truly understand your feelings and comprehend the hardships of cultivation. If I use all my strength and treat these training sessions like play, how can I possibly understand your experiences?"

Sha Zhu's eyes lit up.

"So that's how it is! Master, you are so great! For our sake, you were willing to seal away ninety percent of your cultivation and suffer like an ordinary person!"

Yi Zhonghai nodded, secretly relieved.

Sha Zhu stood up and bowed to him.

"Master, don't worry, I will definitely practice hard and live up to your expectations!"

After saying that, he turned back and continued doing sit-ups.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, watching his back, and let out a long breath.

We've passed this hurdle.

---

The training that followed was nothing short of hell for Yi Zhonghai.

Run.

Sha Zhu followed beside him, asking as they ran, "Master, how do you circulate your inner energy when you run?"

Yi Zhonghai was panting heavily, unable to speak.

"Master, you're running so slowly! Is it because 90% of the area is sealed off?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded.

"Master, could you teach me some mantras? Like the ones you chant while running?"

Yi Zhonghai thought for a moment and then made up another one.

"Take three steps, inhale; take three steps, exhale. Silently recite, 'The spiritual energy of heaven and earth enters my dantian.'"

Sha Zhu read it aloud, ran a few laps, and excitedly ran back.

"Master! It really works! I feel much easier running now!"

Yi Zhonghai chuckled twice.

leapfrog.

Sha Zhu squatted down next to him, jumping up and down as he asked, "Master, when you do frog jumps, does your inner energy flow up your legs?"

Yi Zhonghai jumped up and took a breath.

"Let's go... let's go..."

"Where are we?"

"Under...under knee..."

"Knees? Shouldn't it go down to the feet?"

Yi Zhonghai's mind raced.

"That's the ultimate goal. You're just getting started, so start by getting to your knees. With practice, you'll naturally get to your feet."

Sha Zhu nodded and continued jumping.

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and jumped along.

With each jump, my knees felt like they were about to shatter.

On his tenth jump, his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground.

Sha Zhu quickly helped him up.

"Master, are you alright?"

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand, unable to utter a single word.

He lay on the ground, feeling pain all over his body. His chest hurt, his stomach hurt, his back hurt, his legs hurt, his knees hurt, everything hurt.

Looking at the energetic and silly Zhu next to him, he felt a pang of regret.

---

After finally enduring the training session, Yi Zhonghai collapsed on the ground, looking like a pile of mud.

Sha Zhu walked over and squatted down next to him.

"Master, you've worked hard today."

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand weakly.

Sha Zhu looked at him and suddenly said, "Master, you taught me so many things today. The way to move the Qi during push-ups, the way to move the Qi during sit-ups, the running mantra, the way to move the Qi during frog jumps... I've memorized them all."

He took out a small notebook from his pocket and showed it to Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai glanced at it and almost fainted.

It was filled with dense notes, all of which were the things he had made up in the past few days.

"Master, I have remembered every word you said. Once I have mastered the skill, I will definitely thank you properly."

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't say anything.

Sha Zhu stood up and bowed to him.

"Master, please rest well. I'm going back to continue my cultivation!"

After saying that, he turned and ran away.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, watching his retreating figure, tears welling up in his eyes.