Shooting the Eagle: Starting from Iron Palm Peak

Early the next morning, Lin Qi left Lin'an with Qiu Qianren.

This first time he ventured out of the mountains, nothing particularly dramatic or earth-shattering happened.

The main reason is that I feel particularly safe following a great master like Qiu Qianren.

The return journey was faster than the way there. Qiu Qianren seemed to be in a good mood, and even took the initiative to give Lin Qi pointers on martial arts along the way. Since palm techniques couldn't be practiced on horseback, he taught Lin Qi techniques for generating power on horseback.

"Horseback fighting is different from foot fighting." Qiu Qianren pulled on the reins, his body rising and falling with the horse's back. "In foot fighting, your center of gravity is on your feet, while in horseback fighting, your center of gravity is on the horse's back. When you make a move, you should follow the horse's rise and fall, using its momentum to generate power, and you can't just force it."

He told Lynch to test his palm strike on a tree trunk by the roadside. Lynch rode his horse over the tree trunk, struck out with his palm, and his hand grazed the bark, only scraping off a piece of bark.

"Too hasty," Qiu Qianren shook his head. "Wait until the horse is closest before striking. Too early and you won't be able to reach it; too late and you'll miss the opportunity to strike."

Lin Qi tried twice more, and finally succeeded on the third try. A shallow palm print was left on the tree trunk, and a few leaves fell from it. Although the power was far less than striking the ground, the feeling of using momentum to generate force was refreshing.

"Remember this, this is what leveraging strength is all about," Qiu Qianren said. "The essence of Iron Palm Kung Fu is not just one's own strength, but also the ability to leverage—leveraging the terrain, leveraging the opponent's strength, and leveraging everything that can be leveraged."

Lin Qi silently kept it in mind.

Two days later, Iron Palm Peak came into view.

The mountain gate was still the same mountain gate, with the three large characters "Iron Palm Clan" engraved on the blue stone archway in vigorous strokes. The disciples guarding the gate saw Qiu Qianren's cavalry and quickly bowed.

Lin Qi followed Qiu Qianren up the mountain, encountering many disciples along the way. Some cast curious glances at him, some bowed their heads expressionlessly, and some—Lin Qi noticed—looked at him with the kind of look one might give a dead man.

Han Duanyue's men.

The first thing Qiu Qianren did upon returning to Iron Palm Peak was to take Lin Qi to the Stone Building to check his studies over the past few days.

"Has your internal strength declined?"

"This disciple practices his internal energy every day without interruption."

Qiu Qianren placed his hand on Lin Qi's pulse, probing with his inner energy, circulating it throughout Lin Qi's body. After a moment, he released his hand and nodded.

"Your internal strength hasn't declined; in fact, it's improved. It seems you haven't been slacking off in Lin'an."

"This disciple dares not."

Qiu Qianren took out a celadon bottle from the cabinet and handed it to Lin Qi: "This is a newly prepared ointment. Apply it after you have practiced your palms every day. It will accelerate the penetration of the poison and protect your meridians from being damaged too badly by the poison."

Lin Qi took the medicine bottle, opened it, and smelled it. A pungent, acrid odor hit him, and he frowned.

"It's stronger than the medicine we used before," Qiu Qianren said. "Your current constitution should be able to withstand it."

"Thank you, Master."

"There's one more thing." Qiu Qianren sat down and picked up his teacup. "Han Duanyue already knows that you came down the mountain with me this time. He won't openly target you, but he'll certainly make some underhanded moves. Be extra careful when you're working in the gang in the future."

"Disciple understands."

"Understanding isn't enough." Qiu Qianren looked at him. "You need to learn to judge people. The Iron Palm Clan has tens of thousands of members, some loyal, some treacherous, some good, some evil. You need to be able to tell who is genuinely good to you and who is two-faced."

Lynch nodded.

"Go ahead. Come to practice as usual at dawn tomorrow."

The next day at dawn, Lin Qi stood precisely on the open ground in front of the stone building.

Having not practiced for three days, his hands were more sensitive to the medicinal bath. When Qiu Qianren poured the scalding liquid onto his palms, the burning sensation was more intense than before, like countless venomous snakes crawling into his flesh. Lin Qi gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, but he didn't utter a sound.

The process of expelling the poison was also more strenuous than before. The internal energy of the Iron Bone Technique circulated through the meridians in his palms, pushing the toxins out little by little from his pores. Black liquid dripped down between his fingers, making a faint hissing sound as it fell to the ground.

Qiu Qianren watched from the side without saying a word.

Half an hour later, Lin Qi opened his eyes and let out a long breath. His palms had returned to their normal flesh color, slightly reddish, and even more lustrous than before.

"Not bad," Qiu Qianren said. "You forced out 90% of your internal strength this time. Your internal strength has improved since you came down the mountain."

Lin Qi looked down at his hands and clenched his fists. He felt that his hands were more flexible than before, and his fingers had a resilience that he hadn't felt before when he moved them.

"Master, when will I be able to learn the fourth stance of Iron Palm Kung Fu?"

"What's the rush?" Qiu Qianren glanced at him. "You haven't even mastered the first three stances yet. Iron Palm Kung Fu isn't about who learns the most, it's about who uses it most effectively. How many variations of the 'Pushing Mountain Stance' can you use in actual combat?"

Lynch thought for a moment and said, "Three kinds."

"Three?" Qiu Qianren shook his head. "There are at least nine variations of the 'Pushing Mountain Stance.' You've only learned three, and you want to learn the fourth?"

Lin Qi lowered his head in shame.

"The worst thing you can do in martial arts is to try to do too much at once and not master it." Qiu Qianren stood up. "You won't learn any new moves today. Practice the first three postures a hundred times. Each time, think about whether there are any other variations of this palm strike."

"Yes."

Lin Qi began practicing his palm strikes. Once, twice, three times… Every move of the Iron Palm technique required precise force and subtle angles. He practiced repeatedly, trying to find different variations in each strike.

When he practiced it fifty times, he suddenly realized that one of the changes of direction in the "pushing the mountain" posture could be changed to a backhand horizontal slice. He had never noticed this change before.

He stopped and thought about it, then practiced it a few more times to confirm that the change was feasible.

"Master," he called to Qiu Qianren, "I have discovered the third change of direction in the 'Pushing Mountain Stance'. If the wrist is turned an inch more, it can be transformed into a reverse horizontal cut."

Qiu Qianren walked over and looked at the actions he was demonstrating. After a moment of silence, he nodded.

"I didn't teach you this variation, but you've found it." There was a hint of approval in his tone. "That's the beauty of Iron Palm Kung Fu—it's not static, it's dynamic. Every move can generate countless variations, as long as you're willing to use your brain."

Lin Qi was overjoyed.

"But don't get arrogant because of that." Qiu Qianren changed the subject. "Finding the variations is one thing, using them in actual combat is another. With your current skill level, you'd be lucky to be able to use all five variations of the 'Pushing Mountain' technique in a real fight."

"Disciple understands."

In the days that followed, Lynch's days became extremely regular.

Every day at dawn, Lin Qi would practice in front of the stone tower—standing meditation, strengthening his palms, expelling poison, and practicing palm techniques. After noon, Qiu Qianren would explain martial arts principles and share his experiences in the martial world with him. In the evening, Lin Qi would practice his internal energy and techniques on his own, sometimes until late at night.

His martial arts skills were improving rapidly. The internal energy of the Iron Bone Technique was becoming increasingly profound, and the internal energy in his dantian had transformed from a thin layer into a full, abundant mass. He had mastered the first three forms of the Iron Palm Technique, and had learned at least five variations of each move. After repeated treatments with poison and the process of expelling the poison from his hands, his skin had become hard and resilient, and his fingers possessed an elasticity he had never had before.

At the same time, he was also keeping an eye on the gang's movements.

Han Duanyue didn't openly cause trouble, but Lin Qi clearly felt that he was being watched. Every time he went to the Stone Tower, someone would follow him in the shadows; when he practiced, someone would "happen" to pass by and peek at him; even the firewood in the side courtyard had been tampered with, with a few rotten pieces mixed in with the chopped firewood, which would produce thick smoke when burned.

Lynch kept quiet. He kept all of this in mind and was extra careful.

Days passed by, and another month went by in the blink of an eye.

That morning, Lin Qi was practicing his palm techniques in the open space when Qiu Qianren came out of the stone building, holding a letter in his hand.

"There's something I need you to do." Qiu Qianren handed him the letter. "Deliver it to Jinghu Altar and give it to Altar Master Zhao Tieshan. This letter is very important; you must hand it to him personally."

Lin Qi took the letter and put it in his pocket.

"Jinghu Altar is northeast of Iron Palm Peak, a day's journey on horseback," Qiu Qianren said. "Be careful on the road, you'll be going alone."

Lin Qi's heart skipped a beat. This was the first time his master had sent him out on a mission alone.

"I will certainly do my best."

"Also," Qiu Qianren glanced at him, "if you encounter Han Duanyue's men on the road, don't fight them head-on; avoid them if you can."

"Disciple understands."

Lin Qi returned to the side courtyard to pack his things, changed into clean clothes, and went to the stable to fetch a horse. The disciple guarding the gate checked his waist token and let him out of the mountain gate.

The horses' hooves clattered crisply on the bluestone path. Lin Qi glanced back at Iron Palm Peak, its peak appearing and disappearing in the morning mist.

This was the first time he had descended the mountain alone since his rebirth.

He didn't know what he would encounter along the way, but he had a vague premonition that this trip would not be peaceful.

He pulled on the reins and urged the horse forward.