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Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Lu Qingshan did not linger in the valley and descended the mountain the next day.

He did not return to the village, but went directly to the factory of Xiushan Industry.

Lin Xiulan had already taken Scarface Liu's capable men to the provincial capital, leaving the huge factory area feeling somewhat empty.

Lu Qingshan locked himself in his office and refused to see anyone.

He didn't handle any official business; he just sat by the window, repeatedly recalling the experiences of the past seven days.

Zou Yuan, that eccentric old man, was like a bottomless ancient well, completely unfathomable to him.

Every word he said and every action he took seemed to contain a deeper truth.

"You're practicing your boxing technique backwards."

"He has a great physique, but he only knows how to punch and kill, and doesn't know how to stop and save people."

These words, like thorns, pierced Lu Qingshan's heart.

Throughout his life, whether in the mountains and forests or in the business world, his unwavering belief has always been in offense, in striking first, and in nipping any threat in the bud.

In his hands, this "White Ape Guarding the Mountain Fist" had long been completely altered, with every move and every stance becoming the most lethal killing technique.

But Zou Yuan said he was wrong.

Over the past five days, he has thought a lot, but the more he thinks, the more confused he becomes.

The fifth day, night.

The moon hangs high in the sky, its silvery light like water, bathing the mountains and forests.

Lu Qingshan appeared on the cliff top at the back of the mountain right on time.

The night wind howled, making his clothes rustle.

Zou Yuan was already waiting there. He sat cross-legged on a protruding rock, his back to the bottomless abyss, his figure blending into the night, as if he were a part of the mountain itself.

"You're here?"

The old man did not turn around.

"They're here."

Lu Qingshan responded.

"Show me your boxing routine again."

Zou Yuan's voice was calm and undisturbed.

Lu Qingshan said no more. He took a deep breath and got into position on the edge of the cliff.

Starting stance: White Ape probes the way.

His body sank slightly, his arms outstretched, and his fists whistled, carrying a sharp force that tore through the air.

Following that, the second move, "The Evil Ape Tears the Tiger," and the third move, "The Mad Ape Destroys the Nest"...

Lu Qingshan performed this set of boxing techniques to the fullest extent.

The fierce killing intent accumulated on the battlefield in his previous life was released without reservation.

Every punch and kick embodies the purest intent to kill.

He was like a drawn blade, each move deadly and unstoppable.

After finishing his punches, Lu Qingshan stood still, his chest rising and falling slightly, his body still shrouded in the lingering murderous aura.

"Old sir."

He awaited Zou Yuan's evaluation.

A long silence fell upon the cliff top.

Only the wind howled as it swept past.

"stop!"

Zou Yuan finally spoke, his voice not loud, but like a sharp shout, which exploded in Lu Qingshan's ears.

He slowly stood up, turned around, and looked at Lu Qingshan with a furrowed brow.

"stupid!"

"fool!"

"Absolutely utterly foolish!"

The old man launched into a scathing tirade, utterly disparaging Lu Qingshan's prized boxing skills as worthless.

"Blindly relying on brute force, knowing only how to attack and not how to retreat! Every move is intended to kill, but have you ever considered what to do next if the enemy is stronger than you and your force misses?"

"This isn't a white ape guarding the mountain; it's a mad monkey running rampant!"

Lu Qingshan was stunned.

"This set of boxing techniques has saved my life many times," he couldn't help but argue.

"That's because you were lucky and didn't encounter any real masters!" Zou Yuan sneered. "Or rather, the enemies you encountered were all too weak!"

"Come."

Zou Yuan beckoned to Lu Qingshan with his finger.

"Use your best move to hit me."

Lu Qingshan hesitated as he looked at the old man's thin and frail body.

"Sir, I..."

"Just hit me! If you keep arguing, get out of here and go down the mountain!" Zou Yuan glared at him.

Lu Qingshan gritted his teeth.

"Then please be careful."

He lowered his waist and stood still, using only 30% of his strength, and threw a straight punch towards Zou Yuan's chest.

The fist whistled through the air, its force heavy and powerful.

However, Zou Yuan only shifted his feet slightly, and his body swayed gently like a leaf blown by the wind.

Lu Qingshan's fist grazed the hem of his clothes and struck him.

All his strength landed on empty air, leaving him feeling a tightness in his chest.

"Again!"

Lu Qingshan felt a chill run down his spine and stopped holding back, increasing his strength to fifty percent.

His attacks were relentless, with punches and kicks coming in quick succession.

No matter how he attacked, Zou Yuan remained within that three-foot square area, moving his feet lightly and turning his body slightly.

Every punch and kick from Lu Qingshan felt like hitting a ball of cotton; he had no way to use his strength.

He could no longer even touch the hem of Zou Yuan's clothes.

"impossible!"

"My speed, my strength, how could this be..."

Lu Qingshan was shocked and completely unable to understand.

He was sweating profusely and panting heavily, but Zou Yuan didn't even dabble in breathing.

"Did you understand?"

Zou Yuan's voice lingered in his ears.

"Your punches are too hard, too direct, too full."

"You only think about using your power to destroy your opponent, but you never think about what to do when your power is insufficient to destroy them."

Lu Qingshan stopped, panting heavily, his face filled with frustration and confusion.

"Then... what should we do?"

Zou Yuan did not answer directly. He pointed to the cliff at his feet and then to the rolling mountains in the distance.

"The Mountain Guardian Fist protects the mountain, not people."

"Look at this mountain. It endures wind, rain, lightning, and snow; has it ever attacked anyone on its own initiative?"

Its strength lies in "bearing" and "standing tall".

The old man's voice, under the cool moonlight, carried a strange penetrating power.

"When the wind comes, it lets the wind pass; when the rain comes, it lets the rain flow away. It carries everything and also resolves everything. This is the true meaning of 'guarding'."

"Defense is not about passively taking a beating, but about neutralizing and absorbing the opponent's power, letting them fend for themselves and seek their own demise."

Lu Qingshan listened blankly. Every word Zou Yuan said was like a lightning bolt, shattering his preconceived notions.

"So...that's how it is..."

He muttered to himself.

"Forget about your murderous techniques."

Zou Yuan walked up to him and began to break down his moves, one by one, starting from the first one.

"This move isn't about tearing someone's heart out, but about sensing changes in the flow of energy; it's about 'listening to the energy.'"

"This move isn't about smashing someone's skull, but about lowering your center of gravity and connecting with the earth; it's about 'rooting' yourself."

Finally, Zou Yuan told him to forget all the moves and just practice one move.

A simple stance exercise with feet shoulder-width apart and hands clasped in front of the body as if holding an invisible balloon.

"Hold Park Shouichi."

"Don't think about anything, just stand here. Feel the wind, feel the moonlight, feel this mountain beneath your feet."

Lu Qingshan began with extreme discomfort.

His muscle memory makes him want to exert force as soon as he stands in a stance, and want to attack as soon as he breathes.

But he forced himself to relax and try to experience the feeling Zou Yuan was talking about.

The process was painful and lengthy.

His body seemed to be torn apart and reassembled, with old habits resisting and new ideas sprouting.

Just then, an owl let out a sharp cry and swooped down from the sky, its target a nest of newly hatched cubs on the mountainside.

"I've got my eye on it."

Zou Yuan's voice suddenly rang out.

"Punch it."

Lu Qingshan subconsciously raised his hand and, following his newly comprehended understanding of the fist technique, slowly threw a punch.

This punch had no wind.

There was not a sound.

But the ferocious night owl seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall when it was still several meters away from the cliff.

It let out a startled cry, its feathers fluttering as it tumbled awkwardly in the air before fleeing hastily into the night sky.

It wasn't injured, but it was terrified by that invisible force.

Lu Qingshan stared blankly at his fist.

He could feel that when he threw that punch, the blood and qi in his body did not rush violently to the fist as usual, but formed a steady and heavy circulation, creating a barrier in front of him.

Protect, not attack.

He suddenly felt enlightened.

He resumed his stance and performed the "White Ape Guarding the Mountain Fist" from beginning to end once again.

This time, there was no fierce killing intent, no whistling wind from the punches.

Every move he made, every stance, became steady and profound.

Every move he made carried an unshakeable aura, like a mountain.

If he was once a sharp and ruthless blade, now he is a silent and all-encompassing mountain.

"Hmm, this is starting to get interesting."

Zou Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

"The form is there, the meaning is there, but the most crucial element, the 'spirit,' is still missing."

"To bring this mountain back to life, you also need the 'Mountain Guardian Technique'."

As the old man spoke, he took out a yellowed scroll wrapped tightly in oilcloth from his bosom.

He handed the scroll to Lu Qingshan.

"This is the mental cultivation method of the 'Mountain Guardian Technique,' and it is also a secret diagram of herb gathering that has been passed down in my lineage for hundreds of years."

"I'll send it to you all tonight."