In the late-night borderland, the howling winds seemed to be ready to fall asleep, finally ceasing their tumultuous movements, gradually coming to a halt.
Under the night sky, where a bright moon hung high, Li Qing returned to his tent after washing his meal bowl. He held a thick tome under his arm and, once inside the tent, carefully took a cloth to wipe away the dust from its surface, revealing the four characters on the cover.
"Ancient Hammer Technique!"
Ancient Hammer?
Li Qing furrowed his brow slightly. Wasn't Master Gu's name Gu Tianxing? Why was this hammer technique named after Ancient Hammer?
"Never mind, I’ll go to the Eternal Night World to comprehend and practice. After what happened this afternoon, no one should come looking for me tonight."
Li Qing muttered to himself, then closed his eyes, holding the Ancient Hammer Technique in both hands.
After a considerable amount of time, Li Qing's figure gradually became ethereal within the tent, and then he completely vanished from sight.
Sensing the change in temperature around him, Li Qing finally opened his eyes, his face showing signs of fatigue.
Not only had the temperature changed, but so had the surrounding environment, transforming from the sandy borderland into a quaint little town with peculiar customs.
"Ha!"
"It's even more exhausting than forging a few large blades!"
In a tastefully decorated classical room, Li Qing let out a sigh of relief.
This place was called the Eternal Night World, a name Li Qing had given it himself. Ever since he turned ten and could see his own lifespan, he discovered that he could enter this world of eternal night through sheer will during the quiet of night.
However, this physical traversal was incredibly tiring, consuming a great deal of stamina each time.
When he first crossed over at the age of ten, he nearly collapsed from exhaustion, but this situation had gradually improved over the past few years.
Now at seventeen, he had become much stronger, but carrying physical objects during the traversal still posed a significant burden.
After multiple crossings, Li Qing had noticed some unusual aspects of the Eternal Night World.
For instance, the flow of time here was different from that of his original world; three days in the Eternal Night World equated to just one day in his original location.
This was also why his blacksmithing skills had progressed so rapidly, all thanks to honing and practicing in this world.
"I have nearly a whole day to comprehend the Ancient Hammer Technique."
Li Qing cherished the time he had. Without taking a moment to catch his breath, he opened the Ancient Hammer Technique given to him by Master Gu.
The first sentence of the text dispelled his inner doubts.
"This hammer technique is inherited from my ancestor, Ancient Hammer. It is a martial art that focuses on both tempering the body and hammer techniques. Later, I, Gu Tianxing, became a blacksmith and modified this hammer technique, incorporating iron forging methods. While being a blacksmith, one can also strengthen the body, which is quite good."
Seeing this first paragraph, Li Qing couldn't help but show an expression of excitement.
Indeed!
His master and those exceptionally strong soldiers in the army had indeed practiced martial arts!
Otherwise, the kind of strength that left others in the dust was simply beyond common reasoning.
Li Qing clearly remembered once witnessing a centurion in the army demonstrating martial arts, lifting a giant cauldron several dozen centimeters off the ground!
At that moment, he was utterly shocked, while the other soldiers applauded in admiration.
And now, he finally obtained a martial arts secret manual!
Thank nature—no, thank Master Gu for his gift!
With an excited heart, Li Qing began to read this hammer technique that had been passed down for countless generations.
Contrary to his expectations, this martial art began by teaching the stance, known as Zhuang Gong!
"If a person leaves the ground, they are like a rootless duckweed. At the moment of exertion, both feet must be firmly planted on the ground."
It must be said that this hammer technique elaborated on the principles of exertion and leverage in great detail, making it very suitable for a novice like Li Qing.
After spending about two hours, Li Qing firmly recorded the basics of this hammer technique.
Then he stepped out of the room, casually draping a cotton coat over himself, and entered the independent courtyard outside, bathing in the moonlight cast down by the crimson moon above, beginning to practice his stance.
The air around him was cold, not because it was winter, but because it was always this cold in the Eternal Night World.
During his first attempt at standing, Li Qing could only last about fifteen minutes before his legs trembled as if he had run several kilometers at full speed.
Bang!
"Hiss! Combining the heart method from the hammer technique with the stance is so exhausting," Li Qing exclaimed, wiping the sweat from his forehead, astonished by the difficulty of the entry-level practice.
"Well, martial arts like this are best practiced from a young age. At my age, I can only slowly endure it over time."
Fortunately, he was not short on time.
After resting for a while, Li Qing got back up and began a new round of standing.
In his second attempt, he lasted nearly twenty minutes before collapsing.
In his third attempt, he lasted almost thirty minutes.
In his fourth attempt, he could only hold on for five minutes. Too exhausting!
Soaked in sweat, Li Qing removed the cotton robe and clothing he had draped over himself, sitting bare-chested in the courtyard to rest.
His muscles were well-defined, and sweat dripped continuously onto the ground.
Although the temperature around him was cold, he felt warm all over, with steam rising from his body.
Just as he was about to resume his practice after a good rest, a clattering sound suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
"Damn it, Old Man An, don't push your luck!"
"You arrogant fool, get out of here! Tell the Yan family that my granddaughter will never marry into the Yan family!" An angry, elderly voice rang out.
"Then you and your grandson can wait to starve! Offending the Yan family, just see how you survive in Obsidian City. You won't even get a single black rye mushroom in the future!" This sharp and sarcastic voice shouted again.
Li Qing had no intention of getting involved or meddling in other people's affairs. He continued to squint his eyes, regulating his breath according to the Ancient Hammer Technique.
The Eternal Night World was not a peaceful place; in fact, it was much more chaotic than the Maple Kingdom.
Due to the perpetual darkness and lack of food, the population was sparse, with ten houses often having nine empty.
Laws and regulations were mere talk; everyone was doing their utmost to avoid starvation, and no one would willingly expend even a bit of energy on others' matters.
Take the independent courtyard where Li Qing currently resided, for example; this courtyard wasn't even his. It was simply that there were hardly any residents on this street.
He naturally moved in, and others wouldn't pay him any mind.
Because of this situation, Li Qing often disappeared for long periods, and no one would notice.
Knock, knock, knock!
Soon, a knocking sound came from outside the door. Originally planning to ignore it, Li Qing's brow furrowed slightly.
In the end, he decided to open the door.
Creak~
As the courtyard door opened, he saw a small, thin man with a somewhat shifty appearance standing outside.
"Yo! Is Master Li home? I've knocked several times these past few days and finally caught you!"
This man was Yan San, one of the Yan family's lackeys. He originally did not have the surname Yan, but after gaining the Yan family's favor, he changed his surname to show loyalty.
"Yan San, if you have something to say, just say it directly. No need to beat around the bush," Li Qing replied indifferently.
At this moment, Yan San finally noticed Li Qing's state—bare-chested, with steam rising from his body, and his muscles looking exceptionally strong.
A hint of apprehension flashed in his eyes before he switched to a flattering tone, saying, "Master Li, the Yan family needs to forge a batch of new farming tools for harvesting black rye mushrooms. Can you see if it's convenient for you? The reward is the same as before—forge three sickles for half a jin of black rye mushrooms!"
Black rye mushrooms were a specialty product of the Eternal Night World, and the common folk primarily relied on them for sustenance.
Li Qing had no interest in these mushrooms that tasted like moldy flour.
After pondering for a moment, he replied, "I heard that several Martial Halls in Obsidian City have closed down. The Yan family collected their martial arts techniques with just a bit of food. I don't want the black rye mushrooms; can you ask the Yan family if I can borrow some of those martial arts secret manuals?"
Upon hearing this, Yan San was momentarily stunned, then a glimmer of joy appeared in his eyes.
In this day and age, who still practiced martial arts? It couldn't even be eaten.
Those martial arts manuals gathering dust in the corners were already worthless.
Martial artists had large appetites, and even the Yan family was reluctant to spend resources to support so many thugs. Nowadays, no one practiced martial arts techniques anymore.
"Master Li is actually interested in these martial arts techniques! Leave this to me; I guarantee I’ll help you get them!" Yan San said with delight.
Now, there were few blacksmiths in the city, and with the low yield of black rye mushrooms, being able to exchange some useless items for payment was the best outcome!
Immediately, Yan San left the street in high spirits.
As Li Qing watched Yan San depart, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Sigh, I wasn't cautious enough in this matter. I should have used a more clever and subtle method to negotiate."
"However, with war looming at the border, there’s no other choice. Urgency dictates compromise."
Back in the courtyard, Li Qing engaged in deep self-reflection, continuously summarizing what could be improved from his interaction with Yan San.
As a blacksmith in the city, he had little to worry about in terms of scrutiny.
Yet in this era, for someone to refuse black rye mushrooms in favor of martial arts manuals that no one practiced would inevitably raise some eyebrows.
While it wouldn't lead to anyone guessing his secret of traversing two worlds, it was still a bit reckless.
New book seeking collections and follows! Seeking recommendation votes!
(End of Chapter)