A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Three poles in the sun.

Inside the room, the instructor's upper body was stripped of his clothes, revealing a patchwork of old and new wounds that resembled fleshy earthworms and centipedes crawling all over his body.

Tian Gongyu had already inserted needles into some important acupoints on the front and back of the chest, with more than one needle in each spot, and the clusters of needles trembling.

Tian Gongyu rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, broke the seal on a black ceramic jar, wiped his palms on a damp towel, rinsed the liquor in a nearby bowl, and then clasped his hands together and inserted them into the ceramic jar.

He had already taken a candle and lit it on the corner of the table. At this moment, his hands, which were covered in strong liquor and medicine powder, were flicked over the candle flame, and both hands caught fire.

Snapped! !

Tian Gongyu's fiery palm slammed directly onto the instructor's body, and it was clear that he used considerable force. The muscles in his forearm were taut, and he repeatedly rubbed and patted the area between the silver needles.

The coach's pale face was covered with beads of sweat the size of soybeans. He clenched his teeth, clearly in great pain. But as the slapping and rubbing continued, dark red blood began to seep from the wound on his right rib and the bruise on his left shoulder and back.

The redness and swelling on his left elbow was the result of his hasty repositioning after the dislocation and subsequent exertion. After Tian Gongyu rubbed it with both palms, it subsided considerably.

The strong medicinal smell wafted out and gradually dissipated.

Tian Gongyu quickly sealed the jar of medicinal powder, then took out some bamboo tubes, all about the thickness of a forearm and four inches high, with a layer of ointment inside. He swirled them over a candle flame and pressed them onto the instructor's body, still glowing in the firelight.

Basically, each silver needle was covered with a bamboo tube.

Unable to bear it any longer, the coach let out a painful groan and coughed twice. To divert attention, he said, "It's been years since I last saw you. Your skill in promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, and unblocking acupoints has become increasingly refined. Impressive!"

"Although the Boxers are gone, I've had people testing me out over the years, so it's impossible for me not to become proficient."

Tian Gongyu put the last bamboo tube on, clapped his hands, shook his head and said, "Your injury is really serious. These external medicines and acupuncture are not enough."

Fortunately, before Guan Luoyang went to Tancheng to deliver firewood, I asked him to pick up some medicine on his way. With internal and external application, and your own recuperation, he should be much better in a little over a month.”

"A little over a month..." the instructor murmured, then chuckled, "That young man is your apprentice. His skills are quite good. Was he trained back then, or did he learn his skills in the last few years and then become an apprentice himself?"

Tian Gongyu blew out the candles, tidied up the medicine powder and strong liquor on the table, and said, "Then you guessed wrong. He was neither trained back then nor did he come to the master with any skills already in his hands."

Six years ago, he rolled off my roof; he was just a clueless little kid. He was practically raised in luxury, and he was quite healthy.

The instructor exclaimed in surprise, "You mean he only spent six years going from knowing nothing to this level?! This…"

Tian Gongyu moved a small bamboo chair over and sat down beside him, a smile unconsciously spreading across his face. He wiped his hands and said, "You can't believe it? I can't believe it either. I never expected that after I was only thinking of retiring from public life, such a disciple would fall from the sky."

"His background is strange enough, and it has always been unclear. But he had a minor injury when he fell and stayed with me. Just by watching my steps when I was carrying water and chopping wood, he actually figured out some of the secrets of stance training. At that time, I thought that maybe God had opened his eyes and wanted me to pass on this skill."

"What a pity, he's also a restless person, I'm afraid one day..."

At this point, Tian Gongyu's smile vanished, and after a moment of silence, he simply sighed.

The instructor asked a few more questions and learned roughly what Guan Luoyang had done over the past three years. He immediately exclaimed with delight, "Excellent! This is what a fine man should do. You've made a good disciple."

The contrast between the exhilaration on his face and the helplessness on Tian Gongyu's face was too stark.

Upon seeing his appearance, Tian Gongyu couldn't help but sigh again.

The instructor frowned and said, "Lei Gong, why are you sighing so often these days? Back in the Boxer Rebellion, you were the most fiery of all..."

Tian Gongyu interrupted him, "Why bring up the past? The Boxers are long gone, Lei Gong is gone, and now there's just an old codger here who wants to enjoy his retirement. As for you, you're almost fifty, why are you still getting involved in all this bloodshed?"

"Where in this world is there no bloodshed and violence? I will not disturb the storm, but the storm will still come and sweep me away into a life of wandering."

When the coach said this, there was a hint of regret in his tone, but more so a firm look in his eyes. "Besides, although the storms of the past were thwarted, a new wind is about to rise."

"After we broke up that year, I was depressed for a while, but by chance, I came into contact with the Qingtian Alliance and learned why we lost back then."

"Firstly, we are, after all, somewhat old and outdated. Secondly, this Qing Dynasty is rotten to the core; we cannot still hold even a sliver of hope for it. If we want to restore China and resist foreign aggression, we must learn from the new and embrace innovation, and first overthrow this dynasty!"

Tian Gongyu remained unmoved and instead asked, "The heavens?"

The coach explained, "Qing is the 'youth' in 'youthful,' and 'tian' is the 'sky' that signifies clearing away the clouds and haze to bring forth a new sky and a new sun."

Tian Gongyu said, "But neither of us are young anymore."

"We used to be."

The coach sighed, "Even though I'm old now, what's wrong with using this old body to help them?"

The instructor paused, looking at the house which showed many signs of life, and then said, "I'm not trying to drag you into this, it's just that I can't stand what you said just now... Hey, don't try to persuade me, and I won't try to persuade you either. We're still brothers. By the way, you said you wanted Luoyang to get the medicine, what kind of medicine did he get? Won't it attract the attention of those with ulterior motives?"

They had been through thick and thin together back then, and since the coach had changed the subject, Tian Gongyu tacitly let bygones be bygones.

"Don't worry, I've had back problems for years and have to take medicine regularly. The medicine he prescribed is not much different from the usual prescriptions. I'll pick out a new combination when I get back, and no one will notice."

Tian Gongyu said, "There are some old men in Tancheng who are still relatively well-off, but have problems with their backs and legs. I have recommended similar prescriptions to them. They have been taking these medicines for years. Even if the people chasing you really trace it there, they will not be able to find anything."

The coach responded, "That's good."

Normally, friends who have been through thick and thin together should have a lot to say when they reunite, but the disagreement they just had has left them at a loss for words.

When Tian Gongyu got up to remove the bamboo tubes and silver needles from the instructor, the instructor finally asked, "What day is it today?"

Tian Gongyu recalled for a moment and said, "Around September 19th."

September 19th.

The coach repeated himself, wiped the sweat from his face, and said, "It seems I'll only be here for three or four days at most."