Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

When exactly did the concept of internal strength emerge?

Lu Chen carefully recalled the gossip he had read online before he transmigrated.

Martial arts sects with internal energy cultivation techniques passed down through generations only appeared in new martial arts novels during the Republican era.

During this period, there were already complete theories about cultivating internal strength and increasing internal power. There were even quantitative standards for internal power, such as how many years of cultivation it took.

However, the concepts of internal strength and internal power did not originate in this period.

The earliest known historical figure mentioned as having mastered internal energy cultivation and being able to injure enemies with his internal force is Gan Fengchi, a famous hero during the Yongzheng era.

This indicates that, at least during the Yongzheng reign, the concept of internal strength and internal power was already widely circulated among the people.

The Yijinjing, attributed to Bodhidharma, appeared as early as the late Ming Dynasty and began to be copied and circulated.

This is the earliest known book to date that clearly records the methods of internal energy cultivation.

The earliest literary works that survived to this day, which describe things like "meditation and internal energy cultivation" and "internal force penetrating and causing death" during fights, appeared in the early years of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.

Although the literary works of the early Kangxi period were still very rudimentary, the concepts of internal strength and internal power did indeed appear.

Most of these authors were born in the late Ming Dynasty. Although their works were written in the early Kangxi period, they probably had already come into contact with the concepts of internal strength and internal power when they were young.

During the chaotic period at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, a large number of books were likely lost.

The internal martial arts techniques in this world have clearly not yet formed the system found in martial arts novels of the Republican era, but they already include meditation to cultivate internal strength, using it in battle to enhance destructive power, and even projecting it outwards to injure others.

Could it be that the plane I am in now is actually a parallel plane based on a classical novel from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties?

The more Lu Chen thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

In classical novels of this period, internal martial arts techniques and internal strength had already appeared, but the system was still very incomplete.

However, it also fully preserves the external martial arts techniques found in earlier classical novels such as "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Water Margin".

It perfectly matches my current understanding of this plane!

Could it be that I've actually transmigrated into a book?

That's quite possible!

The descriptions of social background by literati in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties were very close to the realities of the Ming dynasty.

Based on this parallel universe of classic novels, apart from the content deliberately added by the author, everything else should be almost exactly the same as the parallel universe based on real history!

If he hadn't discovered two martial arts systems that shouldn't exist in real history, he, as a transmigrator, wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between this world and the real historical world.

Which novel could it be?

Since it's a transmigration story, there will be a main plot, and the main characters will mostly have extraordinary abilities, or even be the chosen ones of this world.

Lu Chen thought for a moment and couldn't help but shake his head.

As a modern person, my understanding of classical novels mostly comes from the Four Great Classical Novels, with perhaps the Water Margin fan fiction that was replaced by Dream of the Red Chamber.

However, internal martial arts techniques have not yet appeared in these novels, so it is clearly not true.

There are numerous novels and storybooks from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and regardless of whether they have been lost, it is highly unlikely that modern people have read them.

Well, although I don't know which classical novel I've transmigrated into, judging from the appearance of masters with both internal and external martial arts skills, it should be a popular novel with martial arts elements.

It just doesn't have to be mythological or supernatural tales like Journey to the West or Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio!

Now that he is a Prince Regent, holding a high position and great power, he doesn't care about being the protagonist or the chosen one.

Could they possibly threaten me?!

. . .

Yangzhou.

"Miss Wang, this is the indenture for 'Red Silk'."

Inside a private room at the teahouse, a middle-aged woman with heavy makeup placed a document on the table.

"That bitch escaped from my yard last month and has not been caught yet."

"Let me make this clear from the start: once you've bought this contract, whether you find that slut or not, you can't back out later!"

"Don't worry, now that I've bought her indenture, whether I can find her or not is my problem, and it has nothing to do with you anymore."

Wang Cuiqiao pushed a ten-tael silver ingot in front of the middle-aged woman.

"The transaction is settled once the money is exchanged, and there is no going back on it."

"Miss, why would you redeem a dead person?"

After the middle-aged woman left, Tinglan approached Wang Cuiqiao and asked her a question.

Ma Qiao'er, who had changed her name to "Wan Yun", still stood to one side.

Although she had been redeemed by her new master, who shared the exact same name as her, and had traveled south from Linzi to Yangzhou, she remained rather reserved, adhering to the duties of a maid, and was far less casual in front of her mistress than Tinglan.

"It would certainly be useful to redeem her from her servitude."

Wang Cuiqiao picked up the indenture on the table.

"Yes, that 'Red Silk' girl was not lying after all; her real name really is 'Su Ling'."

At least we avenged her and buried her body.

Her identity is our reward.

"Wanyun, come here and take a look. Does the description of your physical appearance on this contract match you?"

"Miss, the description on this contract is almost 90% similar to my own."

Wan Yun took the contract and read it carefully.

"Miss, you wouldn't be thinking of..."

Ting Lan also came closer and looked at the contract.

"Let Wanyun use the identity of 'Su Ling'!"

"That's right. Although Wanyun changed her name, her indenture still lists her original name as Wang Cuiqiao, sharing the same name as Miss. That's too presumptuous."

"Miss, from this day forward, my name will be 'Su Ling'."

Wan Yun immediately expressed her opinion,

"The name Wang Cuiqiao belongs only to Miss, and has nothing to do with me anymore."

Upon hearing this, Wan Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Coming from a wealthy family, she knew very well that it was a big taboo for masters and servants to have the same name, as it could easily disrupt the hierarchy and displease the young lady.

Being able to completely eliminate this hidden danger would be a good thing for me.

Tinglan was very casual in front of the young lady; in her opinion, she could even be described as having no manners.

But the lady with the same name as her was very tolerant of her and didn't take it to heart at all.

In his opinion, the young lady's behavior was so outrageous and unconventional that it was almost absurd.

When they first met, she took Tinglan, disguised as a man, to visit a brothel.

Following her southwards, I learned that she did not have a husband and that she ran a sizable business.

Although she looked relatively young, having spent half a year in the brothel, he could tell at a glance that she was actually quite old, at least over twenty-five, and possibly even approaching thirty.

At this age, the woman still doesn't think about finding a good man to entrust her life to.

What's even more outrageous is that during the time I followed her south, she never mentioned this matter at all.

It seems that Lan, that girl, has also been influenced by her mistress and doesn't care about this at all.

Who exactly are they?