Chapter 15: Goals and Martial Arts Realms

Lu Sha—or rather, the Hundred-Eyed Demon—had not left after all.

Pressed by the blue radiance and the tolling of the enchanted bell, he attempted to suppress the aura that the Hundred-Eyed Demon exuded.

To his surprise, it actually worked; both the bell and the blue light fell silent, unable to sense his presence any longer.

The same went for the portly Taoist—he, too, failed to notice him.

Yet, enveloped as he was by the power of the formation and magical implements, Lu Sha dared not make any significant moves.

Otherwise, his aura would leak out and alert everyone once more.

After a moment’s thought, he decided to remain hidden and observe the situation within the County Commandant’s residence.

...

Lu Sha had patience in abundance.

Over the next several days, his body remained in the death cell, eating and drinking as usual.

Meanwhile, the Hundred-Eyed Demon lurked within the County Commandant’s manor, watching their every move.

After this period of silent observation, Lu Sha discovered that the Commandant, Zhou Bo, never left his home, remaining indoors at all times.

It seemed he was afraid of something, unwilling to step outside.

Throughout the manor, talismans were pasted on every wall and magical implements dangled from eaves, lending the place an air of strange unease.

But Lu Sha had to admit, it made things rather troublesome for him.

He wondered what Zhou Bo might have experienced to drive him to such extremes.

If he wanted to take action, two major obstacles stood in his way.

The first was the portly Taoist, a true adept of the Three Daoist Realms.

The magical implements and talismans throughout the manor—including that layer of blue light—were all his doing.

This man's skill and cultivation clearly surpassed the withered Taoist whom Lu Sha had slain days earlier.

Besides him, the other tough opponent was the chief instructor of the manor, Lin Yuanhu.

Lin Yuanhu was a formidable martial artist, his body brimming with energy and exuding a menacing aura.

Just as the Taoist had said, ordinary lesser demons and ghosts could not even approach him.

For instance, that broken, vengeful wraith Lu Sha had first acquired in the death cell would have been instantly incinerated by Lin Yuanhu’s aura if it dared draw near!

In a direct confrontation, he was no less a threat than the portly Taoist.

However, after days of observation, Lu Sha decided to make Lin Yuanhu his point of breakthrough.

There were two reasons for this.

First, Lin Yuanhu had never encountered demons or ghosts before, and so did not believe in their existence.

Therefore, he let down his guard.

Second, Zhou Bo and the portly Taoist remained cooped up in the manor at all times, offering little chance to strike.

Only Lin Yuanhu left the manor daily, often wandering about for long periods, and sometimes not returning at night.

Only when someone was alone was it convenient to make a move!

...

Having selected his target, Lu Sha bided his time in secret, waiting for the right opportunity.

One day, Lin Yuanhu was in the courtyard drilling twenty or so household guards.

Each move he made was vigorous and powerful, projecting great force.

...

In the midst of his practice, a young man in fine clothes, his step unsteady and his face pale, approached.

After several days of observing the manor, Lu Sha recognized him.

This was Zhou Bo’s second son, Zhou Ziping.

"Uncle Lin, please teach me martial arts!" Zhou Ziping’s face was full of grief and indignation, as if he had suffered some terrible humiliation.

Lin Yuanhu, a bit surprised, paused and asked, "Martial arts? Why are you suddenly interested in the martial path, Second Young Master?"

Zhou Ziping flushed, struggling to get the words out. "I... I was just with Xiaoqing, and in a matter of breaths, I… I…"

At that, Lin Yuanhu understood and burst into hearty laughter.

Xiaoqing was Zhou Ziping’s favored maid, and the two had long since become intimate. It seemed, however, that their time in bed had not gone as planned.

"Looks like the young master’s body is a bit frail," Lin Yuanhu said, still chuckling.

The guards behind him wanted to laugh as well, but stifled themselves, not daring to make a sound.

For all that this second son appeared weak, his heart was cruel—he had once had a servant’s legs broken and thrown out for a minor slight, leaving the poor soul in a wretched state.

"Uncle Lin, please don’t make fun of me," Zhou Ziping pleaded, mortified. "I’ve seen you with women far more often than myself, yet you’re still as vigorous as ever. Please, help me!"

Though deeply embarrassed, his desire to solve his particular problem was even greater.

At this, Lin Yuanhu’s face grew solemn and he replied earnestly, "I am a martial artist of the Bone Tempering stage—entertaining two women is nothing to me."

"But you, Second Young Master, have no foundation, and your vitality is even weaker than most. If you want to train in the martial path, I’m afraid it won’t be easy."

Martial arts were Lin Yuanhu’s means of survival in troubled times, and he took the matter seriously.

"Bone Tempering? What realm is that? Is it high?" Zhou Ziping asked curiously.

"To true masters of the martial path, this is nothing much. But in Wuling County, those stronger than I can be counted on one hand."

"A martial artist must first refine their essence into energy, filling their body with vital force, and then use this energy to nourish the body. That is the first major realm, commonly called Body Refinement."

"Body Refinement is divided into five minor stages: Skin Tempering, Muscle Tempering, Bone Tempering, Organ Tempering, and Blood Tempering."

"From the outside in, each stage strengthens the body."

"A martial artist at the Bone Tempering stage is considered a third-rate expert even throughout the Zhou Dynasty," Lin Yuanhu said, not without a hint of pride.

But Zhou Ziping seemed a bit disappointed.

"What? Uncle Lin, you’re only third-rate? What about the realms beyond that?"

...

Hearing this, Lin Yuanhu ground his teeth in frustration.

To think he would look down on his third-rate strength! Did he think there were no capable men in the Zhou Dynasty?

Were it not for the fact that Zhou Ziping was Zhou Bo’s own son, Lin Yuanhu would have given him a slap, just to teach him the power of a third-rate martial artist!

But reality had to be respected, so Lin Yuanhu held back and continued explaining the martial realms to this good-for-nothing son of the County Commandant.

"Beyond Body Refinement is the Opening of the Channels."

"The human body has twelve major meridians, linking the entire body. Each meridian contains nine energy nodes, for a total of one hundred and eight."

"At the Channel Opening stage, one must strengthen all twelve meridians and activate the one hundred and eight energy nodes, so that the vital force circulates throughout the body."

"Once this is achieved, one has perfected the Channel Opening stage!"

At this, Lin Yuanhu’s eyes gleamed with longing.

Such a realm was likely beyond his reach in this lifetime.

Zhou Ziping listened with great interest and asked, "So, if you perfect the Channel Opening stage, does that make you a second-rate expert?"

Lin Yuanhu was growing more exasperated.

"Once Body Refinement is perfected, one becomes second-rate. At this level, a martial artist’s vital force surges like a great river, the body is robust and incredibly strong—ordinary people cannot so much as scratch him!"

"Face-to-face, he could fight a hundred armored soldiers!"

"In the Zhou Dynasty, one who achieves even Skin Tempering is considered an elite soldier, and that is the standard I use."

"As for the Channel Opening stage, the gap in strength is vast. There are few who have perfected this stage in the entire Zhou Dynasty—what level do you think that is?"

Zhou Ziping’s face flushed with excitement as he pressed on, "What about beyond that? What comes after the Channel Opening stage?"

"I heard there’s an Immortal Warrior in the imperial family who’s lived two hundred years—what realm is that?"

Lin Yuanhu’s head ached from the barrage of questions, and he waved his hand dismissively. "I don’t know, I don’t know! Do you still want to train or not?"

"Of course I do!" Zhou Ziping shouted, then hesitated and asked in a lower voice, "Uncle Lin, if I reach the peak of Body Refinement, could I last an hour in that matter?"

Lin Yuanhu: ...

Lin Yuanhu swore that if Zhou Ziping were his own son, he’d slap this worthless brat to death!

Who in the world pursues martial arts just for that trivial matter in bed?

With such motivation, it would be a miracle if Zhou Ziping even got started.

His inability to last more than a few breaths was obviously due to a congenital lack of vital force.

Negative talent, more like!