Shooting the Eagle: Starting from Iron Palm Peak

Zhou Botong was locked in a cave for fifteen years, and in those fifteen years he hadn't had a proper fight with anyone. Although Guo Jing's martial arts were not weak, he was far inferior to Zhou Botong. Zhou Botong was sent flying with a single palm strike, and Zhou Botong didn't get a satisfying fight.

Lin Qi was different. This young man's internal strength was so profound and his palm techniques so refined that he could withstand more than twenty moves from Lin Qi without showing any signs of defeat. Zhou Botong felt like he had found a treasure and pestered Lin Qi to fight him every day.

Every day at the crack of dawn, Zhou Botong would shout at the top of his lungs, "Little brother, get up, get up, fight me again!" Lin Qi was still half asleep when Zhou Botong's palm was already in front of him.

Lin Qi flipped to his feet, blocking with both palms, and the two began exchanging blows in the cave. Guo Jing sat to the side, watching the two exchange blows, his eyes dazzled.

In the first few days, Lin Qi was defeated every time he lasted until the twenty-third or twenty-fourth move.

Zhou Botong's palm technique was too unpredictable. He brought the "emptiness" of the Empty Fist to its extreme, making his palm force seem almost imperceptible, striking and withdrawing abruptly. Every time, Lin Qi felt he was about to figure out his moves, but each time, around the twenty-fifth move, Zhou Botong would gently press a palm against his chest. It didn't hurt, but that palm strike meant—you've lost.

Zhou Botong wasn't happy even after winning. He scratched his head and muttered, "Another twenty-odd moves? Couldn't you have lasted a few more?"

Lin Qi smiled bitterly. It wasn't that he didn't want to hold on, but that he couldn't. Zhou Botong's martial arts were unfathomable. Every palm strike seemed to be testing his limits, but each time he reached that limit, he would stop pushing.

A few days later, Zhou Botong seemed to have lost interest. He leaned against the stone wall, his hands behind his head, and sighed, "It's boring, so boring. Your martial arts have improved quickly, but you still can't beat me. Fighting you is like hitting a punching bag."

Lin Qi didn't respond. Guo Jing said from the side, "Senior Zhou, Brother Lin has improved a lot. A few days ago he could only last twenty-two moves, but today he lasted twenty-seven."

Zhou Botong sat up abruptly, glaring at him, and said, "What? Senior Zhou? I hate it when people call me 'senior'! It makes me sound old! Call me 'Big Brother'!"

Guo Jing was taken aback, then changed his address to "Brother Zhou".

Zhou Botong was finally satisfied and lay back down, but he still sighed, "What's the difference between twenty-seven moves and twenty-two moves? I still lost. No, I have to think of a way to improve your martial arts. Otherwise, fighting you is too boring."

Lin Qi's heart skipped a beat. He knew that Zhou Botong possessed the first volume of the Nine Yin Manual, one of his goals for coming to Peach Blossom Island. But he couldn't ask for it directly; he had to let Zhou Botong bring it up himself.

That afternoon, Zhou Botong challenged Lin Qi to a duel again. The two exchanged more than a dozen blows in the cave. Suddenly, Lin Qi changed his move, flipping his right palm so that his five fingers resembled claws, and grabbed at Zhou Botong's arm.

This move was fast and ruthless, and it was the starting stance of the "Crushing Divine Claw" from the second volume of the Nine Yin Manual. Although he had never practiced it properly, he had copied the entire second volume and remembered the moves clearly. He deliberately used it now, and the palm wind carried a sharp and fierce aura.

Zhou Botong exclaimed "Eh!" and stepped aside, staring wide-eyed at Lin Qi's palm. "Where did you learn that move? It doesn't look like Iron Palm Kung Fu!"

Lin Qi didn't answer, but followed up with his left palm, using another martial art from the Nine Yin Manual. The palm technique was elusive, and the power was contained within, completely different from the fierce Iron Palm Kung Fu.

Zhou Botong's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and he danced with excitement: "Good! You've been holding back! You have other skills too!" He struck out with both palms, forcing Lin Qi to retreat repeatedly, but Lin Qi used a few moves he had seen in the second volume of the Nine Yin Manual while retreating. Although he was not very skilled, Zhou Botong recognized them at a glance.

"This...this is a martial art from the Nine Yin Manual!" Zhou Botong suddenly withdrew his palm, looked Lin Qi up and down, his voice filled with surprise and delight, "Where did you learn this? How do you know the Nine Yin Manual?"

Lin Qi withdrew his palm, clasped his hands, and said, "Brother Zhou has a good eye. When I was in Zhongdu, I obtained a martial arts manual by chance and learned some basics from it."

"What secret manual? Is it the second volume of the Nine Yin Manual?" Zhou Botong was so anxious that he scratched his head.

"That's right." Lin Qi didn't hide anything.

Zhou Botong slapped his thigh and burst into laughter, the sound shaking the dust off the cave walls.

"Good! Good! Good! The second volume has actually fallen into your hands! Back then, Huang Yaoshi's wife tricked me out of the second volume and caused me to destroy the scriptures in a daze. Later, I went to settle accounts with him, but I couldn't beat him, so he imprisoned me here for fifteen years. Now that you've gotten the second volume from Mei Chaofeng, it can be considered that you've helped me get back at Huang Yaoshi!"

He laughed so hard he almost fell over, the chains rattled, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Guo Jing felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing the name "Mei Chaofeng." He had heard his seven masters mention that Mei Chaofeng was a discarded disciple of Peach Blossom Island who practiced the Nine Yin White Bone Claw and harmed countless people.

I never imagined that her harmful martial arts skills had such an origin.

Zhou Botong, having finished laughing, turned to Lin Qi, his eyes gleaming: "You've practiced the second volume? How much have you practiced? Show me!"

Lin Qi shook his head: "Brother Zhou, the martial arts in the second volume of the Nine Yin Manual are profound and extensive. I only practiced some methods to enhance my strength, and I didn't dare to practice the others. Moreover, my internal strength is insufficient, so I'm afraid I can't demonstrate their subtleties."

Zhou Botong stamped his feet in frustration: "Your internal energy isn't enough, but I can teach you! I have the first volume, which is an internal energy cultivation method! Once you've practiced the first volume, your internal energy will greatly increase! Then you can show me the martial arts from the second volume!"

He pulled a thin booklet from his pocket, waved it in his hand, but instead of handing it to Lin Qi, he opened it and began to read: "The way of Heaven is to take from those who have more than enough and give to those who have less than enough..." He read very slowly, word by word, with a strong voice.

Guo Jing asked in astonishment, "Brother Zhou, what's going on...?"

Zhou Botong waved his hand, interrupting him: "This scripture was entrusted to me by my senior brother, so I can't just show it to anyone. But I can read it aloud, right? You listen, memorize it, and practice it yourselves. That way, it won't be me showing it to outsiders, and you'll learn kung fu and demonstrate it to me. It's a win-win situation!" He shook his head smugly and continued reading.

Lin Qi chuckled inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. Zhou Botong's ostrich-like behavior suited him perfectly. He pricked up his ears, memorizing every word Zhou Botong uttered.

Guo Jing was initially resistant, frowning. He had heard his masters say that the Nine Yin Manual had killed many people, and instinctively didn't want to learn it. Zhou Botong seemed to see through his thoughts, stopped, and sighed.

"Silly boy, do you think this scripture is some kind of heretical or evil doctrine?"

Guo Jing honestly said, "I heard from my masters that this scripture has killed many people. Senior Wang Chongyang, Brother Zhou's senior brother, was also killed because of this scripture..." He stopped halfway through his sentence, not daring to finish.

Zhou Botong waved his hand: "My senior brother wasn't killed by the scriptures. His old injuries flared up, and his time was up. Scriptures are inanimate, but people are alive. If you use them for good, they are good. If you use them for evil, they are bad. Your Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, when used on bad people, are used to punish evil and promote good; when used on good people, they are used to commit evil. So, tell me, are the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms a good skill or a bad skill?"

Guo Jing was taken aback, thinking that what he said made sense.

Lin Qi casually chimed in, "Brother Guo, the martial arts in the scriptures are in line with the internal energy cultivation of the Quanzhen Sect; they are both orthodox Xuanmen techniques."

Zhou Botong nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! Your friend is right! Come, come, don't overthink it, just listen." He cleared his throat and continued reading.

Guo Jing remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded, no longer resisting, and listened attentively. He was slow-witted, and Zhou Botong had to repeat each sentence many times before he could remember it, which often made Zhou Botong lose his temper.

Lin Qi had a much better memory, because he could remember every single word Guo Jing said.

In the days that followed, Zhou Botong would spend two hours each day reciting the first volume of the Nine Yin Manual from beginning to end, and have Lin Qi and Guo Jing memorize it.

Lin Qi already had experience practicing the Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian (易筋锻骨篇), and the internal energy cultivation method in the first volume was similar to some parts of the Jiu Yin Zhen Jing (九阴真经) he had previously learned, so he understood many parts very quickly.

As he memorized the text, he mentally compared it with the contents of the second volume, and many things that he couldn't understand before suddenly became clear.

Although Guo Jing was not particularly gifted, with the aid of the first volume of the internal energy cultivation method, the power of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms was subtly enhanced. His internal strength foundation became more solid, and his palm strikes became more powerful.

As night fell, Zhou Botong slept soundly, while Lin Qi and Guo Jing each meditated and circulated their internal energy. Moonlight streamed in through the cave entrance, illuminating the tranquil interior. Lin Qi carefully reviewed the scriptures he had memorized that day, and tried to integrate the methods of circulating internal energy into his Iron Palm technique. Gradually, he felt that his internal energy flowed more smoothly than before, and his palm power became increasingly concentrated.

Time passed quickly in the cave. Every morning, Lin Qi and Guo Jing would meditate and practice their martial arts. After lunch, Zhou Botong would pester Lin Qi to spar. Lin Qi went from holding out for twenty or so moves to thirty, and then from thirty to forty. Although he lost each time, Zhou Botong became increasingly happy because Lin Qi's martial arts were improving faster and faster.

That night, Lin Qi sat on the dry grass, silently circulating the internal energy cultivation method from the first volume of the Nine Yin Manual, his inner strength flowing through his meridians like spring water. Zhou Botong's snoring echoed in the cave, while Guo Jing leaned against the stone wall, fast asleep.

He had memorized the entire text of the first volume of the Nine Yin Manual. The second volume was in his hands, and the first volume was in his mind. He now knew both volumes of the Nine Yin Manual completely.

Lin Qi opened his eyes, gently exhaled a breath of stale air, and looked out of the cave. Moonlight, like water, spilled across the peach grove.