Shooting the Eagle: Starting from Iron Palm Peak

In the courtyard of the inn, Guo Jing finished practicing his palm strikes, stopped, and sat back down at the stone table, his forehead covered in sweat. Huang Rong handed him a handkerchief, which he used to wipe his face before taking a sip of tea.

"Brother Lin, where are you planning to go next?" Guo Jing suddenly asked.

Lin Qi, holding his teacup, hadn't spoken yet when Guo Jing continued, "Rong'er and I plan to go to Peach Blossom Island. While at Guiyun Manor, I promised Island Master Huang that I would visit him."

He spoke calmly, but Lin Qi knew what the agreement was—Guo Jing had killed Chen Xuanfeng, and Huang Yaoshi wanted him to go to Peach Blossom Island to face his death. Guo Jing was a man of deep loyalty and righteousness, and he would not go back on his promise.

Huang Rong, who was shelling peanuts nearby, looked up at Lin Qi with bright, sparkling eyes. "Brother Lin, why don't you come with us? My father may have a bad temper, but Peach Blossom Island is beautiful. You and Sister Mu haven't been there before, have you? It'll be a good opportunity to visit."

Lin Qi's heart skipped a beat. Peach Blossom Island—Zhou Botong had been trapped on the island for fifteen years, and the first volume of the Nine Yin Manual was in his hands. He had been looking for an opportunity to go to Peach Blossom Island, but Huang Yaoshi's martial arts were too high, and he dared not go there rashly.

Now that Huang Rong has personally extended the invitation, it's perfectly legitimate, and Huang Yaoshi has no objection. Moreover, with Huang Rong leading the way, there's no need to worry about the island's traps and terrain.

"Okay," Lin Qi said, then paused and added, "Nianci will go too."

Mu Nianci was sitting on the stone steps nearby mending clothes. Upon hearing this, her fingers paused, the needle hovering in mid-air. She looked up at Lin Qi, nodded, and then lowered her head to continue mending, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Huang Rong clapped her hands happily, swept the peanut shells off the table, and started making arrangements on her fingers. "That's great! We'll set sail from Hangzhou, with favorable winds and currents, and arrive in a few days. Brother Lin, don't wander around once you get to the island. My family's Peach Blossom Formation is no joke; once you go in, you won't come out. Just stick with me."

Guo Jing smiled憨厚ly, picked up his teacup, and took another sip. Lin Qi knew what he was thinking—going to Peach Blossom Island was like going to his death for him, but Huang Rong was going with him, and now Lin Qi and Mu Nianci were also going, so he couldn't persuade him anymore.

Lin Qi didn't continue sitting and chatting. He made an excuse to get some water, walked to the well in the corner of the yard, drew a bucket of water, scooped up a ladleful and drank it slowly, but his mind was never still.

Going to Peach Blossom Island wasn't like strolling through a market; he needed to further improve his martial arts skills before setting off.

After all, this time he will not only be facing the Eastern Heretic, but also the Western Poison.

According to the original timeline, Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison, will also go to Peach Blossom Island to propose marriage for Ouyang Ke.

His situation won't be good then.

He has mastered the Iron Palm Technique and all thirteen of its ultimate moves. He has also laid a solid foundation in the Tendon-Changing and Bone-Forging Chapter of the Nine Yin Manual, and his internal energy is much stronger than it was a year ago.

But compared to Ouyang Ke, or even the Eastern Heretic and Western Poison, he's still far inferior.

He's still quite a distance from the level of the Five Greats in martial arts. He has to go all out to deal with even a casual move from Hong Qigong. How much better could the Eastern Heretic and Western Poison, who are on par with Hong Qigong, be?

Lin Qi put the water ladle back on the edge of the water vat, his mind racing with various martial arts manuals. Iron Palm Technique, Nine Yin Manual, Hong Qigong's... Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.

Zhou Botong.

Zhou Botong, the Old Urchin, was Wang Chongyang's junior brother. His martial arts skills were unfathomable, and he created his own style of "Empty Fist." In the original novel, he taught the secrets of the Empty Fist to Guo Jing on Peach Blossom Island.

The principle of Kongmingquan is "using emptiness to control fullness," emphasizing the word "emptiness," combining hardness and softness, and striking the solid with the void. Lin Qi recalled the mantras from the original work—"Empty and hazy, loose and pine-like; wind flows through dreams; rushing through the void; children play with bows and holes."

Each of these sixteen characters represents a change in force. "Empty" signifies emptiness, "vague" signifies indistinctness, "penetrating" signifies clarity, and "relaxed" signifies looseness...

When I first read these words, I found them mysterious. Now, after practicing martial arts for so long, looking back, I suddenly realize that every word is precious.

This is not a technique, but a principle. It is the highest level of internal energy exertion. The thirteen ultimate moves of Iron Palm Kung Fu are all real killing moves, emphasizing sharpness, ruthlessness, and a single, fatal strike.

The Empty Fist, on the contrary, emphasizes "emptiness." Force doesn't need to be solid, the palm doesn't need to be forceful; the power thrown out can be withdrawn at any time, and then thrown out again at any moment. Isn't this the ultimate expression of "leaving room for maneuver," as Hong Qigong described it?

Iron Palm Kung Fu has reached its peak in terms of sharpness; the only thing that can be improved is the flexibility of its power generation.

The principles of Kongmingquan perfectly fill this gap.

It's not about learning the moves of the Empty Fist, but about borrowing its principles and integrating them into Iron Palm Kung Fu. When striking with a palm, one no longer uses all one's strength, but leaves three or even five parts of the force as room for maneuver, allowing oneself to change moves at any time.

The ruthlessness and sharpness of the Iron Palm Kung Fu have not been lost, but a layer of ethereal change has been added behind the sharpness.

Lin Qi stood by the well for half an hour, going over the mantra of the Empty Fist in his mind several times, and then practicing the Thirteen Postures of Iron Palm Kung Fu from beginning to end in his mind, trying to gradually incorporate the newly understood method of channeling energy.

He tested his palm against the bluestone at the wellhead—not with his full strength, but only with 60% of his power.

Where the palm strike passed, no palm print was left on the bluestone, but the stone surface was slightly dented, and the surrounding moss remained motionless. The force was concentrated, but no longer released outwards, remaining contained and unrevealed.

A thought struck him, and he struck again. This time he used seventy percent of his power, the force still contained, but a hair-thin crack appeared on the bluestone. The sharpness remained, but it was more refined than before.

He struck again, this time using the "emptiness" technique he had just grasped. Just before his palm touched the bluestone, he suddenly withdrew 30% of his power, leaving 40% to penetrate the stone's surface. The crack did not lengthen, but a slight cracking sound came from beneath the stone.

The force penetrated and seeped in.

Lin Qi withdrew his hand, secretly delighted.

The moves of Iron Palm Kung Fu haven't changed, but the way the power is applied has.

In the past, steel knives were used to chop firewood, penetrating three inches into the flesh; now, thin blades are used to cut through water, and the water moves aside before the blade even touches the surface.

The trajectory of his palm strikes became more elusive, and the force of his palm strikes even more unpredictable. He repeatedly experimented with the new method of channeling energy, becoming more and more adept at it.

After practicing for another half an hour, Lin Qi returned from the well. Mu Nianci had already finished picking the vegetables and was sitting on the stone steps waiting for him, without any needle or thread in her hands, just sitting quietly.

Moonlight filtered through the leaves of the osmanthus tree, falling on her shoulders like scattered silver.

"Brother Lin, you've been practicing for so long." She stood up and patted the dust off her skirt.

"I've figured some things out." Lin Qi sat down next to her.

"Is it related to going to Peach Blossom Island?"

Lin Qi nodded. Mu Nianci lowered her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly said softly, "Brother Lin, don't worry. I won't cause you any trouble."

Lin Qi glanced at her, wanting to say, "You're just making things worse," but the words seemed too sentimental, so he just hummed in response.

Mu Nianci's lips curled slightly as she stood up and walked towards the kitchen. After a few steps, she suddenly stopped and turned back. In the moonlight, her eyes shone brightly, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but then remained silent. She smiled, turned, and went into the kitchen. The dishes clinked softly a few times, then fell silent again.

Lin Qi sat on the stone steps and silently pondered the few techniques he had learned by the well that day.

He only adopted a portion of the principles of the Empty Fist, specifically the part most suitable for Iron Palm Kung Fu. That's enough. Don't bite off more than you can chew.

This skill should give him a better chance on Peach Blossom Island. He's still no match for a top master like the Eastern Heretic, but at least he won't be as helpless as before.

If they really start fighting, they might be able to hold out for a little longer.

The moon rose to the center of the sky, and the shadow of the osmanthus tree in the courtyard shrank into a ball.

Lin Qi stood up, took the teacups from the stone bench, and went to the kitchen to wash them. The kettle on the stove was still warm. Mu Nianci stood by the stove, holding a twig, drawing circles on the ground. Circles upon circles, one inside the other, densely packed.

"Aren't you going to sleep yet?" Lin Qi put the washed dishes back in the cupboard.

Mu Nianci threw down the branch, clapped her hands, glanced at him, and said, "Brother Lin, is Peach Blossom Island very dangerous?"

"A little. But I can't not go."

Mu Nianci didn't press further and nodded. "Then I'll go with you."

"I know," Lynch said.

Mu Nianci turned around, took two steps towards the door, then suddenly stopped and glanced at him sideways. "Brother Lin, is it really true that we can't get out of the Peach Blossom Array on Peach Blossom Island?"

"What Miss Huang said should be true."

"Then let's stick close to her."

Lin Qi hummed in agreement. Mu Nianci left the kitchen and went upstairs with light footsteps. Lin Qi stood in front of the stove, shaking the water off his hands, but his mind was on the old man who had been imprisoned on Peach Blossom Island for fifteen years.