A man stands before the heavens, his sword emerges from the Emei Mountains.

Fine grass and a gentle breeze line the bank; a lone boat with its mast towering high in the night. Stars hang low over the vast plain; the moon surges in the great river's flow.

The fishing boat bobbed and swayed with the waves.

The voice of Abbess Miejue echoed in the moonlight.

How did you realize that the other person had malicious intentions?

When Abbess Miejue asked this question, Chen Yu knew that she had witnessed the entire process of the three strong men boarding the ship and taking action from the restaurant.

"There is a ferry at the dock, so it is unreasonable for the three of them to go the long way instead of going where it is closest."

"But that doesn't mean the other party has ulterior motives."

"The boy said that escorting guests across the river is stealing the boatmen's livelihood, and the scoundrel said that if the nun can escort them, why can't she escort them?"

"These three have been watching you for a while, planning to lure you onto the water under the pretense of crossing the river, and then secretly attack you."

"That's what I think too."

"At such a young age, all alone, being spied on by thieves—there must be a reason. Who were your ancestors? Tell me in detail."

Abbess Miejue greatly admired Chen Yu's composure and calmness, noting his maturity beyond his years. If he had a clean background and had never formally become a disciple, she wouldn't mind taking the solitary Chen Yu as an outer disciple. Therefore, she pressed him for details.

Without hesitation, Chen Yu decided to seize the opportunity before him. As expected, the three thugs were definitely from the martial arts world and had come for the original owner's grandfather to forge swords. With his identity exposed, his only chance of survival was to seek refuge with the Emei Sect.

"Reporting to Master, my ancestors followed the old ways."

"Chen Gui, the famous general who resisted the Jin dynasty?"

"Um."

Why do these people commit evil?

"My father passed away under suspicious circumstances a month ago, which may be related to this group of villains."

"Killing someone is just a matter of beheading them, but the other party harbors the intention to eliminate them completely, or is an utterly wicked villain, or perhaps you and your father possess top-secret information, and they are considering your ancestors' righteous resistance against the Jin dynasty. Tell the truth. I am the head of the Emei Sect, and I can offer you a clear path."

"The nun saved my life, how could I dare to hide it?" Chen Yu composed his words and said, "Perhaps it has something to do with my grandfather."

"What do you mean?"

"When my father passed away, he said that my grandfather was in Xiangyang, helping the great hero Guo defend the city and forging precious swords with others. It is likely that these people came for this purpose."

Abbess Miejue's pupils contracted sharply, her heart pounding as if struck by lightning. Startled and horrified, she hurriedly asked, "Do you know what kind of knife is this, and what kind of sword is this?"

"Reporting to Master, my father passed away before he could explain in detail."

"Whom did your grandfather forge swords with?"

"I don't know the details either."

The Abbess Miejue observed Chen Yu's bright eyes and open demeanor, which seemed genuine. She was deeply moved and thought to herself that this young man was actually a descendant of the master craftsmen who forged the Dragon-Slaying Saber and the Heaven-Reliant Sword in Xiangyang City back then. Now that he was being hunted down, how could she sit idly by?

"You are all alone. Let me ask you, are you willing to become a disciple of the Emei Sect? You have family martial arts skills. With some guidance, you can easily find out the truth about your father's death and avenge him in the future."

"I want to, but I'm afraid it will bring trouble to the nun."

"Haha, even if a fierce wind rises from the ground, how can it harm my extinction? There's no need to worry. However, your filial piety is quite rare."

"This humble one, Chen Yu, pays his respects to the sect leader." Chen Yu knelt at the bow of the boat and kowtowed repeatedly.

Abbess Miejue was delighted. Putting aside the connection between Chen Yu and his grandfather forging the Dragon-Slaying Saber and the Heaven-Reliant Sword, Chen Yu, a mere child, fought wicked men with decisiveness and meticulousness, which resonated with her own temperament. At such a young age, he already showed empathy and compassion, a truly commendable quality. Abbess Miejue said softly, "Now that you've joined Emei, I will accept the consequences. You can rest assured. From this moment on, you are an Emei disciple; you only need to focus on your martial arts training."

"I will heed the sect leader's teachings."

Get up.

"Thank you, Sect Leader."

"Let me ask you, what martial arts techniques do you know?"

"Please wait a moment, Sect Leader." Chen Yu turned and entered the cabin.

The fishing boat's cabin walls are mottled and full of traces of time. Fishing gear, ropes, and canvas are piled up in the corners of the cabin, along with a bed and a small wooden table.

Chen Yu took a stool from inside the cabin, wiped it clean, and quickly walked out.

"Please have a seat, Sect Leader."

The devil is in the details, and the key to great and difficult matters lies in the actions taken. Chen Yu's actions were even more admirable to Miejue.

She sat down, and Chen Yu said, "This disciple has mastered Bajiquan, Fanziquan, and Hongquan, and also knows some other boxing techniques that I am not yet proficient in."

Abbess Miejue had no doubt that the "Fanziquan" style of boxing was widely circulated, especially in the military. It was created by Zhou Tong, a martial arts master of the previous dynasty. Zhou Tong was a righteous man who resisted the Jin dynasty, and Chen Yu's ancestors were famous generals who resisted the Jin dynasty. It was normal for them to know this style of boxing. She guessed that "Hongquan" and "Bajiquan" were also boxing styles that were passed down from the military.

"Practicing boxing without internal training is a waste of time in old age. You should practice standing meditation."

"Okay."

Chen Yu knew the Emei Sect of the martial arts world inside and out. They had both male and female disciples, but the male disciples were all nominal disciples and not highly regarded. He wanted to compete for the status of a direct disciple, so when Miejue asked about the martial arts lineage, Chen Yu only gave half the answer, leaving room for maneuver. Now that the other party was testing his stance, he was going all out.

Chen Yu slumped his shoulders and dropped his elbows, took a step with his left foot, pushed forward with his right palm and pressed down with his left palm, opening his hands as if supporting heaven and earth, and stood firmly with his feet, his body relaxed.

Chen Yu was standing in the Three Talents Stance, which combines the essence of Tai Chi, Bagua, and Xingyi. He had never missed practicing this stance when he was a stunt double, and now he was performing it on this body with both spirit and form.

"Hands are like two doors, feet are like a single root—excellent stance training!" Abbess Miejue's eyes shone brightly as she praised, "Truly, your spirit and energy are complete, your strength, skill, form, and power are all perfectly balanced. You must have practiced diligently since childhood."

"Indeed, Sect Leader. My father always taught men to 'burn the midnight oil and crow at dawn.'"

"Well said, 'A man who does not aspire to great heights is wasting his life.'"

"This disciple will remember the sect leader's words and will set lofty goals." Chen Yu spoke with a pearl in his mouth, moving forward and backward with ease.

Abbess Miejue was even more impressed, saying, "Show me any set of boxing techniques."

"Alright."

Chen Yu was using the "Flipping Fist" that the original owner was good at. This fist technique is called "Eight Flash Flipping". It emphasizes that the punches are "crisp as cutting nails and iron, fast as arrows piercing leather, hard as a heavy hammer striking stone, and elastic as a full moon of a strong bow".

Chen Yu adopted a boxing stance, his body propelling him forward with his footwork. Although his punches lacked power, they were swift and his movements were quick. His boxing techniques combined with his body movements and footwork were quite skillful.

Abbess Miejue nodded to herself. "This is a widely circulated boxing style, and many people practice it. But for someone so young to be able to display such spirit and energy is something that cannot be achieved without talent. This child's movements are as smooth and natural as flowing clouds and water. This is talent. There are many disciples in our Emei Sect, but in terms of talent, he is undoubtedly the best. Since he has a connection with Emei, we should examine him further. If he is truly a person of exceptional talent, we can make an exception and accept him as our personal disciple."

As the saying goes, hard work pays off. Chen Yu had only been in contact with Abbess Miejue for half an hour, but he had already aroused her interest in testing his character and taking him on as a personal disciple.

Chen Yu finished his stance, and Miejue commented: "The moves are continuous, like a surging river. The technique is swift, truly impressive. Martial arts are about moves, skill is about internal energy; strong internal strength is the essence of superior martial arts. Once you have cultivated your internal strength and reached a certain level of proficiency, you will see the power of your fist techniques."

Abbess Miejue's words were like a wake-up call for Chen Yu, making him feel as if he had been enlightened. Martial arts are about moves, and skill is about energy. In this sense, the many boxing styles he was good at had great potential.

"Thank you for your earnest instruction, Sect Leader."

"Let me ask you, do you know about meridians and acupoints?"

"I only know a little," Chen Yu said honestly. The original owner practiced external martial arts to hone his muscles, bones and skin, and knew only about a dozen or so acupoints on the human body.

"Hmm." Chen Yu's answer was exactly what Abbess Miejue had expected. She said, "'Cultivate your inner energy, train your muscles and skin externally.' Martial arts require the internal and external to complement and combine. Internal strength needs to be guided through the meridians over a long period of time, with each joint connected, and the energy sinking to the dantian. The twelve meridians run deep between the muscles, so deep that they are not visible. I will first teach you how to identify the meridians and acupoints, and then teach you the method of cultivating internal energy. When you return to the sect, you can gradually practice the sect's techniques."

"Thank you, Sect Leader."

"Listen carefully, let's start with the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian."

Chen Yu instantly focused his gaze on his nose and his mind, keeping his spirit focused.

"The Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian is one of the twelve regular meridians. It begins at the Shangyang acupoint on the radial side of the index finger and ends at the Yingxiang acupoint beside the nasal wing on the opposite side. It contains a total of twenty acupoints. There is a poem that says, 'Shangyang has two or three thatched huts, Hegu and Yangxi are at which bend. The clouds are faint by the Nine-Bend Pool, and the stars in the sky are bathed in the waves...'"

The waves surge, the clouds drift; the moon shines faintly, the boat glides leisurely.

Abbess Miejue spoke freely and without reservation, and Chen Yu listened attentively without any distractions. Before he knew it, the moon was high in the sky, and he had memorized many acupoints on the six main meridians of the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian. His near-photographic memory made Abbess Miejue very happy.

The extinction was carried out gradually, without forcing it, allowing Chen Yu to rest his fishing boat at the shore.

The moon sets, crows cry, frost fills the sky; the midnight bell tolls to the passenger boat.

With a skilled person by his side, Chen Yu slept soundly.