Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Her kung fu philosophy is also particularly inspiring: as long as I live long enough and outlive all the kung fu masters of my time, I will be a kung fu master!

The Jade Breath Technique doesn't offer any combat skills; its main focus is on "longevity." Senior Sister Crane is working tirelessly to live to the next hundred years.

That being said, her mastery of the Jade Breath Technique did not mean she was incapable of fighting, and Zhang Renfeng had never underestimated this petite senior sister.

Because... so far, despite his and his senior brother's attacks from both sides, they haven't been able to encounter her even once.

……

"Mmm~~~Delicious, delicious! Osmanthus cake tastes best when it's made with glutinous rice." After taking a bite, Senior Sister He showed an expression of immense happiness. Her soft and chubby face looked exactly like the cake, as if she was about to melt.

"You brought some snacks for your senior sister, and she was very happy, um... very happy..."

She sucked all her fingers clean and laughed, "And then? Do you need to see Master?"

"Is he there?" Zhang Renfeng tiptoed and glanced into the depths of the bamboo forest, somewhat embarrassed. "I have something to ask you..."

"Go in," Senior Sister He waved her slender hand. "Just be careful not to wake him up."

"Is he taking a nap?"

"No." Senior Sister He picked up another pastry and started eating it heartily, rolling her eyes as she did so. "He's just lying there like a corpse."

----

"Waaaaah—! Master..."

"Master, how could you leave us like this! What will we do now that you're gone?!"

……

Deep in the bamboo forest, there was a dilapidated coffin. Several newly recruited disciples gathered around it, dressed in mourning clothes, wailing and lamenting.

There were no suonas or similar instruments here, otherwise they would have been playing loudly. But martial artists generally have strong breath control, and the sound of several people crying and shouting together was not quiet. Zhang Renfeng heard it from a distance, but he couldn't believe it. He hurried over and saw the coffin, and then he was dumbfounded.

"Senior Brother? Senior Brother Zhang, it's you, everyone! Senior Brother Zhang is back!" A disciple wiped away his tears and said sobbing, "Senior Brother, come and offer incense to Master."

"Wait a minute, what's going on?" Zhang Renfeng's first reaction was still disbelief. "What kind of mess is Master... up to now?!"

“He died last night.” Another girl with a wind chime tied to her braid said in a sobbing voice, “We specially invited a doctor from outside to diagnose him. His life had stopped. The doctor said… Fortunately, my master’s lifespan had come to an end, and he died of old age.”

Die of old age...

Die of old age?!

Looking at it this way, I don't even know how old my master is. He must be older than Senior Sister He! It's not surprising that such a centenarian would suddenly die of old age.

He walked up to the coffin, still feeling incredulous. Subconsciously, he felt that his master shouldn't have left like this.

"Thump—!!"

With a quick snap of his fingers, Zhang Renfeng lifted the coffin lid and tossed it aside.

"Ah! Senior Brother Zhang, what are you doing?"

"I don't believe it... I don't believe my master is gone just like that."

Lying in the coffin was indeed the little old man he knew: thin and frail, almost like a human skin hanging on a skeleton. His eyes were closed peacefully, and the wrinkles on his face were so dense as to be repulsive, as if he had transcended the species of "human" and was covered in dragon scales.

First, check for breath; there is no response.

I checked for a heartbeat, but there was no response.

Finally, I took his pulse, but there was no response.

……

"How could this happen?" Zhang Renfeng was utterly despondent. He knelt down on the ground with a thud, about to burst into tears, but then he heard a faint heartbeat through the coffin lid.

"?!"

----

"Um...ah..."

The master slowly opened his eyes and uttered a muttering that was difficult to understand. Without using his hands for support, he relied solely on the strength of his waist to slowly sit up from inside the coffin.

"Zombies!!!" the young apprentices screamed in terror.

"Screw your legs, it's me!" Master stretched his shoulders and neck, making a cracking sound.

“But Master, didn’t you say that everything should be done as if you were dead?” the disciple said somewhat dissatisfied. “We’re all dressed up, and the funeral troupe has been hired…”

"The plan has changed." The old man waved his hand. "I won't die today."

Chapter 216: All things in nature have their own inherent nature (Part 73)

Seeing that their master was no longer dead, the disciples stripped off all their gear and left to practice their skills.

Zhang Renfeng was left alone, bewildered in the wind, watching his eccentric master calmly climb out of the coffin, dust himself off, take off the decent-looking burial clothes, fold them neatly, and change into a laborer's short shirt.

In terms of daily life, Master had almost no need for material things. At least from his appearance, you couldn't tell he was some kind of unparalleled master. Even this burial shroud was bought many years ago and kept as a reserve, but it was never used.

While he was changing clothes, Zhang Renfeng could clearly see his body—a lean body covered with muscles that had been trained to the point of being stretched into strands, like the melted maltose when blowing sugar figures, with a strange, sticky sheen.

"Phoenix." The master draped a short shirt over his body, climbed out of the coffin, pulled over a chair, and lay down leisurely with his eyes slightly closed.

"Master, you..." Having witnessed his master's many amazing abilities, Zhang Renfeng thought he was no longer so curious, but what he saw today still broadened his horizons. Curiosity momentarily overwhelmed him, so much so that he forgot about the important matter he was supposed to discuss.

“I just checked your breathing, heartbeat, and pulse, and I can say with absolute certainty that all three have stopped! In other words, you really did die just now, and I’m not kidding!” Zhang Renfeng murmured, “How did you do that?”

……

"Phoenix," Master said slowly, "let me ask you, "who is the most formidable opponent you have ever faced?"

Zhang Renfeng remained silent for a moment, thinking for a long time, but he couldn't think of anyone else besides his master.

"No need to ask, I know it's definitely me." A smug look appeared on Master's face as he rolled over in the recliner. "Then do you know who my strongest opponent has ever been?"

"It's time."

"Time flows like a river, never ceasing day or night. Before the tide of time, no matter how powerful you are, even if you can split mountains and seas with a single punch, what does it matter? In the end, you'll just be a desolate tomb, overgrown with weeds. Compared to time, even western Zhejiang is insignificant... Only by conquering time can one achieve the ultimate martial art."

He clenched his fists and murmured, "What just happened signifies that I have absolute control over my own body. Even death cannot stop me from continuing my cultivation. Phoenix, my Lesser Formless Skill is about to come to an end, and I am about to move on to the next unknown realm."

……

Hearing these words, Zhang Renfeng felt extremely shocked, as if his worldview was being subtly shaken.

What are the limits of human beings and the limits of martial arts?

This topic is still too far removed from my own experience.

"What do you want with me?"

“It’s like this, Master…” After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Renfeng finally spoke, “My mother passed away a few months ago.”

"Hmm." The master nodded, his expression neither sad nor happy. To him, who had seen through life and death, death was perhaps just another form of departure.

“After she left, I thought a lot about how to live my life. Before that, I had been living a muddled life, fighting in the streets, signing countless death contracts, but I was always spending my family’s money. I also made my wives worry…” He lowered his head and looked at his calloused hands. “I am twenty-five years old this year, but I don’t even have the ability to make a living. I’m always spending my family’s money.”

"These days are about to come to an end."

"Why?" Master asked with a grin, "Your family's money is more than enough to support you until you die."

"Huh?" Zhang Renfeng was somewhat surprised. "But..."

“I understand what you mean. You're saying that you don't know anything besides martial arts, but you don't want to perform on the streets. You want to use your martial arts skills to find a clean, respectable, and decent job. Ideally, one that will make you look good, the kind that will earn you a thumbs up from all your relatives, right?”

While picking his ear, the master asked casually, "What's wrong? At your mother's funeral, were any relatives gossiping about you?"

"..." Zhang Renfeng was amazed by his master's insight. Only at times like this could he truly realize that he was facing an ancient fossil of unknown age.

"Are you going to change your lifestyle because of a few idle words from others?"

“Master, I’m twenty-five years old this year. Logically speaking, I should be at the age to become a father.” Zhang Renfeng’s tone was very stubborn. “Before, I found it interesting to be on the fighting stage, but recently, it’s just fighting for the sake of fighting.”

"In the future, when my children are born and ask them what their father does, I want to give them an answer they can proudly say!"

----

"If you've made up your mind, go find your senior brother; he can help you to some extent."

Senior brother?

Zhang Renfeng was taken aback. "But, Senior Brother must be very busy right now, right? I heard he's preparing for the magic tricks he'll be performing at the young emperor's birthday banquet..."

He will make time for you.

These words were like a passport to freedom. Zhang Renfeng's doubts vanished instantly. After expressing his gratitude, he put down the gift he had brought and turned to leave.

“Feng, have I ever told you that I have a friend who lives a long life…”

Before leaving, the master suddenly spoke and told a story he had never told before.

"He lived to be 150 years old, still sharp-minded and able to run and jump, with a very clear head. Five generations lived together, enjoying the bliss of family life."

"This guy has a hobby: he loves eating fermented tofu... and not just any fermented tofu, but the literal kind—it's really moldy, so moldy it's covered in hair. Most people would frown at the sight of it, but he loves it. With fermented tofu, he can easily eat two or three bowls of rice. It's such a delicious treat!"

"Then one day, he fell ill, not with anything serious, just a minor cold. A doctor came to our house and, upon seeing the fermented tofu, exclaimed, 'Oh no! It's so moldy, no one can eat it! Throw it all away immediately!' The family listened to the doctor's advice and never let the old man touch the fermented tofu again."

"And then what?" Zhang Renfeng asked, engrossed in the conversation.

“There was no later.” The smile on the master’s face suddenly vanished. “He died soon after.”

……

"If we let him keep eating fermented tofu, he could live for another few decades, I don't think there would be any problem. It's a pity they didn't understand one thing..."

"All things in nature have their own inherent nature, and one cannot act recklessly or arbitrarily."

“Feng, this is a momentous event that will determine your entire life... Treat it with utmost care.”

Chapter 217: The Martial Arts Champion (Part 74)

"You've gone to so much trouble, you've gone to so much trouble. Master Jia said these are just a small token of our appreciation, please accept them carefully, consider it a small gesture of respect to the Jia family..."

"Boss Zhu, this is the gift from last year's birthday celebration! Now, the Emperor's birthday banquet is just around the corner. You'll have this opportunity to rise to prominence in the future, so please don't forget your poor relatives like us."

"It's just a small trinket. Before he left, Lord Wang repeatedly instructed us to make sure that this box was delivered to you."

……

People came and went in an endless stream, almost wearing down the threshold. Zhu Kuilong maintained his usual manner of greeting people: warm and polite, but clueless about everything. High-ranking officials and dignitaries, all with smiles on their faces, came in wave after wave. Many boxes were piled up in the courtyard. Zhang Renfeng didn't even need to look at them; just by their weight, he could tell that they contained rare treasures.

After he saw everyone off, he flicked his sleeve and conjured a priceless white jade cup out of thin air, then poured a cup of hot tea into it.

"Senior Brother, weren't you picked up by Master?" Zhang Renfeng looked at the departing figures of the guests. "Where did all these relatives come from?"

“It’s all conjured up. Every time I perform a magic trick in the palace, my number of relatives increases significantly,” Zhu Kuilong said with a straight face, spouting nonsense. “I heard from Master that you’ve finally figured it out and decided to support yourself instead of relying on your family. That’s great. In fact, it should have been done a long time ago.”

"Mountains crumble, people leave, only yourself is truly reliable. Although your personality is a bit rotten, at least your skills are decent. If you can rely on that to earn a government job... it might not be a bad thing."

"Imperial stipend?" Zhang Renfeng was taken aback. At this time, he didn't have a general idea of ​​what it meant to become an official in the imperial court. "Is it the same as my senior brother's?"

The ultimate goal in the world is to take the civil service exam; this hasn't changed for thousands of years. In Zhu Kuilong's understanding, the best job he can think of is a government job.

"I'm just a magician." Zhu Kuilong shook his head. "When I get old, my hands slow down, or the emperor loses interest in magic, this path will be pretty much over. You see all these mountains of gold and silver, it seems like I have so much power... But when that day really comes, this place will become deserted, there won't be a single person left."

"However, becoming an official is different. Once you enter the court and become an official, it's like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, and your descendants will benefit from your influence and enjoy endless wealth."

"While I still have some energy left, I'll help you accomplish this."

Zhang Renfeng still had some doubts. Obtaining an official position in the court was no easy feat. For commoners, the only way was to pass the imperial examinations, a path fraught with fierce competition. And this path had essentially been proven unfeasible by the time he was six years old.

"But, Senior Brother, what are you going to do..."

Zhu Kuilong waved his hand, meaning not that he refused, but that he didn't need to say anything more.

"How to do it is my concern, you don't need to worry about it." He stared into Zhang Renfeng's eyes and said in a deep voice, "When the opportunity comes, just seize it!"

----

"A bucket of ginger!"

……

After conjuring up a series of magic tricks—a large bowl of water splashing, scooping the moon's reflection from the water, and a dazzling display of lights—Zhu Kuilong completed his final act: a bucket of ginger. He covered the ground with a cloud-patterned blanket, and suddenly, a finely carved bucket of ginger appeared on the smooth ground, once again winning thunderous applause. The four-year-old emperor stared, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. Such near-divine magic was unbelievable even to adults; stripped of his imperial robes, he was just a four-year-old child, naturally filled with wonder.

He clapped his hands repeatedly, beaming with joy, and kept praising it.

Zhu Kuilong breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked down to see that his hands were trembling slightly.

To be honest, the psychological pressure of performing magic tricks for the royal family is unparalleled in any other situation.