From street beggar to high-ranking official

The matter of Xiao Douzi did not cause a great stir. Like a pebble falling into a deep pool, it initially made a splash, but then disappeared. Even when it was mentioned occasionally, it was met with unrestrained ridicule.

You dare to break the rules that Eunuch Chen made clear early on? If you don't die, who will?

After this incident, Xiao Fengzi and his friends became the focus of attention in the martial arts school. Xiao Jizi entrusted them with important tasks, and they did a great job even if it was just maintaining order and taking attendance.

Not to mention that the responsibility of correcting errors and omissions was also taken on by Xiaofengzi and others.

Having a comprehensive view of the situation, Xiao Jizi added many rules to the martial arts academy to maintain order. After Eunuch Ji finished reading and left, the entire martial arts academy became Xiao Jizi's personal fiefdom!

At first, it was just dictation, but then they were required to recite it from memory, and those who failed were kept in class.

Xiao Jizi enjoys the power of being a godson and looks forward to the day when someone else becomes her godson.

After dinner at 5 PM, I walked along the path back to my room.

As Lu Li walked in the middle of the road, he encountered many eunuchs who greeted him.

"Eunuch Lu looks radiant today! We've prepared well water long ago, just waiting for you to draw some," said a fawning eunuch.

"Eunuch Lu, may I ask what this technique means by 'like water seeping into sand, penetrating everywhere'?" asked a young eunuch named Xiao Fuzi.

Lu Li naturally gained Xiao Ji Zi's attention and was able to go with Xiao Ji Zi to listen to Eunuch Ji's lectures. In his spare time, eunuchs would take the initiative to flatter him and even ask him for advice on martial arts techniques.

The former is nothing more than the same old flattery, while the latter is a novel approach.

Seemingly seeking advice, she proactively shared her own insights. Without waiting for Lu Li to say anything, she simply nodded, and Xiao Fuzi seemed to have suddenly realized the truth, expressing her gratitude to Eunuch Lu for guiding her through the confusion.

Lu Li became increasingly fond of enjoying life. The chores of fetching water and sweeping the floor that used to be done were now taken over by him. Whenever he returned to his room, it was always spotless, and even the bedding was neatly made.

Some eunuchs even offered two handwritten copies, with neat handwriting just like the originals, bound together with cotton rope to prevent the pages from scattering when turned.

The martial arts academy prohibits the bringing of books outside, but there is no restriction on copying and binding books outside.

So Lu Li abandoned his crookedly handwritten draft paper.

Enjoying the pleasures is one thing, but the lesson of Xiao Douzi must be heeded. The "Guarding the Center" mental technique of the "Inner Landscape of the Netherworld" must not be forgotten. Lu Li checked every word in the handwritten copy one by one, in order to prevent Xiao Douzi's incident from happening to him.

No one is as trustworthy as oneself. Lu Li had heard of, seen, and even done the scheming and backstabbing among eunuchs, but at least he still had a bottom line and would not betray his benefactor, even though Lu Li had no benefactor to this day!

Lu Li even doubted whether there was any genuine affection or gratitude among the palace eunuchs.

Because he often did things for Xiao Jizi, Lu Li learned a skill called "choose the good and follow it, and correct the bad".

He observed that the way he acted when he first learned from Xiao Fengzi and Xiao Yuzi was similar to that of the eunuchs who kowtowed to Chen Gonggong.

Even with a minor official like Xiao Douzi, Lu Li could still figure out the key to his eventual expulsion from the palace.

Xiao Douzi was ultimately too impatient. His lack of talent made him impatient, and because of this impatience, he took the initiative to ask Lu Li to guide him in his cultivation techniques.

If Xiao Douzi had learned the "Shuowen Jiezi" first, and if he had kept in mind the "You Ting Nei Jing Jue" mental technique of "cutting off external influences and guarding the center", Lu Li secretly wondered that our family might not have succeeded so easily.

After figuring out the key point, Lu Li even slowed down his cultivation speed and instead focused on studying the technique itself, taking advantage of Xiao Jizi's convenience. He believed that the ingenuity of this technique was definitely not superficial.

Sunrise and sunset, May 23rd, Minor Heat.

Half a year of instruction had passed, but Eunuch Ji still ignored everything and continued to recite the texts as usual, while Eunuch Chen made the young eunuchs stand in the sun every day.

The palace was already sweltering, and the bluestone tiles on the training ground were burning hot in the afternoon. Yet, Eunuch Chen still made everyone stand properly under the sun. Sweat poured down their robes, and even though large beads of sweat dripped down their noses and their cheeks itched unbearably, not a single eunuch dared to move an inch.

After learning etiquette and titles, students will learn walking techniques, intonation, and how to carry plates and lamps.

The young eunuchs dared not use their inner energy to cheat or slack off. They lined up in a circle and spun around in place, showing themselves off to Eunuch Chen one by one. At first, they walked awkwardly while carrying lanterns and balancing bowls on their heads.

This gait is not an ordinary one. When a petty person sees the ruler, he walks with him. This is a walking gait, which is still, stable, and the body remains motionless.

In the Great Qian Dynasty, the left is considered superior. Therefore, servants can only step forward with their right foot first, whether advancing or retreating. When walking, the candle in their hand must not flicker, and the water in the bowl must not ripple. This is the way of balancing Yin and Yang, and it applies to advancing, retreating, walking, and stopping.

Eunuch Chen would occasionally toss pebbles to the ground, and the pebbles seemed to arrive in advance, ensuring that anyone who walked by would step on one.

If a junior eunuch tried to advance or retreat, at best the candle would flicker and the water would slosh, at worst the formation would fall apart, but in any case, without exception, those who made the mistake were all hit with stones.

With such skill, even if Eunuch Chen were not serving in the palace, he would still be a renowned hero in the martial arts world.

"Walking around is not something a servant can enjoy. If a nobleman saw it, he would only think it shows a lack of manners." Eunuch Chen's voice came faintly from the shadows.

Lu Li walked steadily with his head down, keeping his eyes, nose, mouth, and mind at ease, while his ears listened to the sounds around him, noticing who was walking at an off-beat pace or whose bowl had spilled water.

In the past, Lu Li only felt that his extraordinary hearing was a source of trouble, making it difficult for him to sleep day and night. But things are different now. If we focus on this, we may gain extraordinary benefits.

"Don't blame me for being ruthless. In the past, which eunuch hasn't been punished? Through wind and rain, through cold and heat, kneeling for three to five days was commonplace." Eunuch Chen sat in a shady spot in a grand chair, seemingly instructing, or perhaps reminiscing.

The godchild on duty beside him was waving a feather fan, and the gentle breeze made Eunuch Chen's robes sway.

Beside the armchair was a small table with fruits and tea, a scene of idyllic comfort that would make anyone envious.

Only after the scorching sun subsided did Eunuch Chen dismiss the crowd, ending the session earlier than usual.

With Xiao Jizi as an example, there were those who wanted to become Eunuch Chen's godfather. However, Eunuch Chen's temperament was different from that of Eunuch Ji. Eunuch Chen seemed to only like watching people kowtow, but no matter how loudly you kowtowed, it was useless.

Lu Li never thought of having a godfather. Xiao Fengzi was right; one had to be useful to be effective.

Eunuch Chen has no shortage of capable adopted sons around him, but to truly master them, simply knowing how to kowtow is not enough.

......

As another day drew to a close, Eunuch Chen finished his shift at Shenshi (3-5 PM). The kitchen had not yet prepared a meal, so the idle eunuchs either fetched water to wash themselves or read and practiced their skills. Lu Li, of course, did not have to bother with such trivial matters. When he returned to his room, a bucket of clear well water had already been prepared.

After drinking the well water and simply wiping himself clean, Lu Li stayed in the main room to study the martial arts techniques.

"This technique is different from what we thought. The 'Netherworld Inner Landscape Technique' is simply a technique for cultivating true qi, and has no other effects."

When Lu Li was wandering, he had seen the stage, where colorful generals performed with exaggerated singing, and he had also heard storytellers in teahouses and taverns eloquently telling their stories.

In an instant, he could kill three or five bandits with a single palm strike; in the blink of an eye, he could move seven or eight zhang away; there is also the wonderful legend of an ancient Buddhist monk crossing the river on a reed.

"It seems we'll have to wait until the training is over before heading to the Martial Arts Pavilion to choose our training methods," Lu Li thought to himself.

There were only two ways for palace eunuchs to study and learn martial arts: one was to go to the Martial Arts Pavilion when they were on duty, where they could choose one manual per year; the other was to be rewarded by a nobleman, who would grant them permission to go to the library or the Martial Arts Pavilion by imperial decree.

The palace did not prohibit eunuchs from teaching and exchanging knowledge and martial arts, but this was extremely rare, with the only exception being Eunuch Ji of the Martial Arts Academy.