As usual, Li Qing brought food to Master Gu. Outside the tent, he heard a series of urgent coughs.
"Cough cough cough!"
Lifting the curtain, he saw Master Gu lying on the bed, the deathly aura around him growing even denser, and it seemed that there were a few more age spots on his face.
This was a sign of a dying person.
Seeing this scene, Li Qing sighed inwardly.
Reaching the end of life was indeed a tragic affair, especially when plagued by lung disease; one could hardly leave in peace.
"Master Gu, it's time to eat," Li Qing said as he placed the food basin in front of Master Gu, a hint of sorrow flashing in his eyes.
Whether it was out of gratitude for the teachings or for the care he received during his time in the army, Li Qing had to admit that without Master Gu, he could not have lived so comfortably at the border.
It seemed that Master Gu sensed Li Qing's feelings. He looked at Li Qing and said, "Er Niu, my time is short. There is something I wish to entrust to you."
Was this about his last wishes?
Li Qing pondered for a moment and then leaned over the bedside, gazing sincerely into Master Gu's eyes as he spoke, "Master Gu, whatever it is, please tell me. I cannot repay your kindness in teaching, but I will do my utmost."
"Do you wish to leave the border?" Master Gu stared intently at Li Qing, as if trying to see through him.
Wasn't this a given? With war imminent, who wouldn't want to leave this place of turmoil as soon as possible?
Of course, Li Qing could not voice this thought. Even if Master Gu was on the brink of death, he could not fully trust him.
"Leaving the border army without permission is a serious crime," Li Qing feigned shock, looking quite foolish.
With his appearance as a cowherd, he indeed had a somewhat honest and simple demeanor.
"Cough cough cough! I am from Qingzhou, residing in Chongning County. Years ago, due to some matters, I lost my temper and offended the local county magistrate, which led to my exile to the border army as a blacksmith."
While coughing, Master Gu continued, "Chongning still has my descendants. If there is a chance in the future, I hope you can return the Ancient Hammer Technique to the Gu family. It would be a shame for our ancestral legacy to end with me."
Li Qing fell silent. After a moment of thought, he replied, "Master Gu, if I ever retire from the army, I will certainly return the Ancient Hammer Technique to the Gu family!"
"Good, with your words, I can rest easy. Cough cough cough!" Master Gu coughed again and then said, "While I am still alive, let me guide you in this technique. From the looks of it, you must have practiced quite a bit last night."
Having practiced the Ancient Hammer Technique for many years, Master Gu could easily see the unusual stance in Li Qing's legs; it was a posture that only appeared during the initial standing practice.
"Thank you, Master Gu!" Li Qing quickly expressed his gratitude.
"Enough chatter, show me your stance," Master Gu waved his hand, urging him.
Li Qing immediately complied, standing in the posture recorded in the technique.
Once he was in position, he closed his eyes and began to silently recite the accompanying mental method of the hammer technique.
Seeing Li Qing's proficiency, Master Gu's murky eyes brightened slightly.
Having just given him the Ancient Hammer Technique last night, to see such progress in such a short time was indeed a sign of a good martial arts talent.
Master Gu nodded inwardly, slightly admiring Li Qing's innate potential, but he did not say much.
With his life experience, he had seen all kinds of people. The talent Li Qing displayed could only be considered decent; it was far from being extraordinary.
"Not bad, you should be able to maintain the stance for nearly half an hour now. However, there is another important aspect to the standing practice of this hammer technique, which is the breathing," Master Gu began to instruct.
"Breathe out into the dantian, calm your mind, and feel carefully."
Li Qing, standing with his eyes closed, listened attentively to Master Gu's teachings.
Under Master Gu's guidance, his efficiency in standing practice this time was surprisingly high. He quickly entered a warm state where his qi and blood felt revitalized.
"Ha!"
Half an hour later, Li Qing exhaled, and his honest face was now marked with traces of sweat.
"Unfortunately, you started practicing martial arts too late. If you had begun as a child, perhaps you could have achieved something on the path of martial arts," Master Gu said with a look of regret as he gazed at Li Qing.
The path of martial arts was best started young, while the bones were still malleable.
The human body has its limits; after reaching forty, qi and blood decline, and the body begins to age. Progress becomes nearly impossible.
Li Qing, now just sixteen, was still stuck at the foundational standing practice. In Master Gu's view, it was indeed a bit too late.
Such a gap could not be bridged by mere talent.
"Master Gu, I never expected to achieve great heights in martial arts. If I can gain a bit more strength to forge iron, I would be satisfied," Li Qing scratched the back of his head and said earnestly.
Master Gu chuckled softly. He struggled to rise from the bed and said, "In the army, those hundred-man leaders are nothing special, but there is a thousand-man leader named Yuan. If you have any dealings with him, be very cautious of this person."
"Additionally, there is a female thousand-man leader named Qian. Her background is mysterious, and you must not offend her!"
Li Qing blinked at these words, nodding his head like a chick pecking at grains.
"I'm just a humble blacksmith; I definitely won't have the chance to interact with those important figures. You can rest easy, Master."
"Hahaha, alright, off you go. To take on a disciple at the brink of death is a fortunate thing," Master Gu waved his hand, urging Li Qing out of the tent.
After leaving the tent, Li Qing quickly washed the food basin and returned to his own tent.
He stoked the fire, began melting the iron ingots, and prepared to forge the farming tools and sickles that the Yan family needed.
The conditions for forging iron in the army were much better than those in the Eternal Night World. Here, melting iron ingots and forging items were more efficient.
In the Eternal Night World, time flowed at three times the speed of this world, so Li Qing planned to focus on martial arts training there in the future.
This way, he could maximize the advantages of both worlds.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As the iron ingots melted, Li Qing began to hammer away, one strike after another.
Soon, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he was now wielding the hammer with greater ease, and his strength had increased significantly.
"It must be the effect of the Ancient Hammer Technique; my efficiency in forging iron will improve a lot!" Li Qing exclaimed in delight.
Just practicing the foundational stance had yielded such results, further solidifying his determination to master the Ancient Hammer Technique to perfection.
(End of Chapter)