Yue Qianfeng sat in the corner, smiling as he observed Li Guanyi, saying, "Not bad."
He nimbly leaped down, his clothing still simple, yet in his demeanor, he resembled a soaring dragon. He reached out and patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder, a surge of internal qi flowing within Li Guanyi's body. Since that day he had imparted the cultivation method to Li Guanyi, this was the first time Yue Qianfeng had met him again.
Even though he had previously seen Li Guanyi galloping out and guessed that he had made some progress in martial arts, today, feeling the vibrant life force within him and the forged physique, he couldn't help but feel astonished, sighing, "Truly outrageous."
"To think you really entered the realm and even forged your body."
"If it weren't for me personally teaching you the Breaking Formation Melody and the Eight Blades of the Destroying Army, I wouldn't dare believe that you could cultivate to this level in such a short time."
Li Guanyi replied, "It was due to a fortuitous encounter."
Seeing his expression, Yue Qianfeng laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying, "Hahaha, you don't need to explain anything to me."
"How many people in this world have no secrets or opportunities?"
"I'm friends with you, not because of your opportunities."
"You are that little fellow from the Mountain God Temple, I drink with you; now you are a guest elder of the Xue family, and I still drink with you. Even if one day you become a hero of the world, I will still see you as the Little Apothecary I met in Guan Yi City and will still come to drink with you."
"Because you charged out recklessly that day, I recognized you as my brother."
Yue Qianfeng grinned and said, "However, it truly feels like I've been cursed."
"It's quite troublesome to enter this city. I don't know how, but it seems the city guards knew I was coming today."
Yue Qianfeng tilted his head back to drink, saying, "Guan Yi City has suddenly strengthened its defenses several levels."
"I feel something is off."
"That wooden-headed Lu Youxian, aside from guarding the city like a turtle, can't do anything remarkable, yet he managed to discover my whereabouts? That old turtle's strength is even less than mine; it's truly outrageous."
"And they say they caught Yue Qianfeng's accomplices."
"I originally didn't plan to come see you, but hearing them speak so confidently, saying something about broken legs being dragged back, I had no choice but to come and take a look. Aren't you perfectly fine?"
"Those soldier rascals, not guarding the city properly, gossip more unreliable than the old lady at the village entrance!"
"If I find out who spread the rumors, I'll make sure to beat the crap out of him!"
Li Guanyi observed his nose, his nose observing his heart.
He did not respond.
He only said, "Yue Da Ge, you are here to..."
Yue Qianfeng waved his hand, saying, "What do you mean by Yue Da Ge? Just call me Yue Brother!"
Yue Qianfeng continued, "I came here, and I suspect the tiger of the Xue family knows about it. I just wanted to see if you were safe. Now that I've seen you, I should take my leave." He patted his clothes and stood up to leave. Li Guanyi's Bronze Cauldron's jade liquid remained still; he knew the final accumulation of the Bronze Cauldron required special actions.
Such as passing on techniques, or divine weapons.
So he said, "Yue Brother, please wait."
Yue Qianfeng looked at him.
Li Guanyi said, "Yue Brother has been traveling for a long time, and no one dares to disturb the Xue family to search for people. Why not rest here for a while? At least have a meal and drink before you leave." Yue Qianfeng initially did not plan to agree, but during this time of traveling and fighting, he indeed hadn't had anything good to eat.
Li Guanyi's invitation made him feel a bit hungry.
So Li Guanyi invited Yue Qianfeng to the kitchen. He originally planned to let him stay in the guest room, but Yue Qianfeng, feeling hungry, directly followed him to the kitchen of this courtyard. Li Guanyi simply went to the dining hall where the Xue family's martial artists often went, bringing back large bowls of stewed meat and strong liquor.
Yue Qianfeng didn't even use chopsticks, grabbing several pieces with his hands, tossing them into his mouth. With a bite, the meat was swallowed down.
After eating seven or eight fist-sized pieces of stewed pork, he finally felt relieved.
Yue Qianfeng ate and drank heartily, while Li Guanyi continuously served him dishes.
Finally washing away the dust of this period, he felt a bit embarrassed about eating and drinking so much. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "By the way, I remember saying that if you could enter the realm, you should bring a token to find me, and I could teach you the methods for entering the realm. I didn't expect that old man from the Xue family to be one step ahead of me and already had his eyes on you."
"Hahahaha, the martial arts you are cultivating now are also from the Xue family, right?"
Li Guanyi nodded and informed Yue Qianfeng of the name of his cultivation method.
Yue Qianfeng, feeling a bit tipsy, commented, "Condensing Qi? Heh, the Jade Arm Divine Bow Technique, stronger in explosive power, and the means of forging the body is naturally top-notch, but as for condensing Qi, their martial arts rely on archery and shooting techniques. The refinement and penetration of qi can only be said to be decent, but not top-tier."
Li Guanyi took the opportunity to ask, "I would like to ask Yue Brother for guidance."
Yue Qianfeng pointed at him, laughing heartily, "Thick-skinned enough!"
"Not bad, with this character, you won't suffer losses outside."
Because Li Guanyi had charged out from life and death, he had already regarded him as family, so he smiled and said, "Since you asked me, I naturally can't refuse to teach you."
"Here with Yue Brother, there are indeed a few methods for condensing Qi. Among them, the one with the strongest destructive power is something I dug up from a grave when I was still a bandit. It seems to be a technique from a Qi Refining Master from a thousand years ago, inhaling the earth's evil qi to condense my true essence."
"It allows one to condense qi within the body and explode it at a critical moment."
"Like carrying a hidden weapon with you."
"However, it's a pity that it's too ruthless and domineering, unlike the righteous path of today."
"As for the others, I have developed a technique called Crimson Dragon Condensing Qi Technique based on my years of cultivation and fighting, which naturally condenses a fierce qi, adept at unleashing fiery energy that scorches the lungs, accumulating fire poison to weaken the opponent for a complete victory."
"Aside from that, there's only one method that can be passed down alongside the Breaking Formation Melody."
The techniques were: "Qi Refining Master's Condensing Qi Technique" and "Crimson Dragon Condensing Qi Technique."
One is domineering, with unique self-defense means.
The other naturally carries fierce qi, which made Li Guanyi somewhat tempted.
Hearing Yue Qianfeng mention the third technique, he curiously asked, "Was it also created by that General Zhou?"
Yue Qianfeng replied, "It's a military family's ultimate skill, but it wasn't created by General Zhou."
"The effect of condensing qi from this technique is not as domineering and fierce as what I obtained from my fortuitous encounter; nor is it as naturally fiery as my own created Crimson Dragon Condensing Qi Technique, which can burn the bones of others. However, it is balanced and harmonious, as if it can accommodate all rivers of the martial world."
"No matter what kind of martial body it is, it can be cultivated."
Li Guanyi pondered.
Yue Qianfeng smiled and explained, "I learned it from Marshal Yue. He said that if one wants to go far, one must seek stability during the foundation stage, balanced and harmonious, like the rivers and seas. Marshal Yue was also taught by the general who led him to battle back then."
"It is the Peace Order."
"This lineage of techniques was created by the Peace Order and is named the 'Peace Book.'"
Li Guanyi recalled the records in the unofficial history and what his aunt had mentioned. His father also wore a mask and fought on the battlefield; he instinctively straightened his posture. At this moment, the other two techniques seemed to lose significance to Li Guanyi. He asked Yue Qianfeng, "The technique of the Peace Order."
Yue Qianfeng said, "Yes, the Peace Order."
"Moreover, the emperor burned the records, erasing his story from history."
"People your age probably don't know about him, right?"
A hint of regret appeared on the rough and bold general's face as he tilted his head back to drink, saying, "After all, he had no powerful family behind him, only coming from a farming household. In the end, the emperor wanted to confer him as a noble, giving him the title of Town North Duke. The Peace Order said, 'If the world is not peaceful, what is there to talk about Town South or Town North?'"
"He took up the sword, abandoning the fields, only hoping for peace in the world."
"When that time comes, he would return to his fields."
"Thus, his title became the Peace Order."
Li Guanyi sat quietly.
Seeing Li Guanyi's expression, Yue Qianfeng was willing to speak more, smiling as he said, "Do you know how the Peace Order became famous? Back then, in the southwest, it hadn't been pacified yet. At that time, the Peace Order was about twenty years old, a third-layer martial artist. Because he had no connections, he led two thousand new recruits to follow the then Prince of Puyang to attack the southwest."
"Then, he was scattered."
"The Peace Order thought about it; if he returned with the defeated soldiers, he would likely face military law. So he gritted his teeth, turned his spear inward, and charged straight in."
"Over seven hundred battles, traversing over a thousand miles, for a full hundred days, there was no news of him. At that time, everyone thought he had died in the southwest. However, the Peace Order carved words on bamboo slips, wrapped them in his battle robe, and threw them into the water, letting the current carry them away, where they were discovered."
"On it was written a line."
"Saying, 'I'm not dead yet, don't burn me paper money.'"
"At that time, everyone thought it was a tall tale."
"Later, he went to subdue the southern barbarians, breaking over thirty tribes and capturing more than twenty thousand men and women to bring back. Originally, he was supposed to take the leader of those barbarians with him, but every time he got to this point, Marshal Yue would stutter. Later, we found out that the Peace Order..."
"Hahahaha, the Peace Order accepted the bribe from the barbarian leader, which was gold and jade, as well as twenty-four small luminous pearls, the national treasure of the barbarians. The Peace Order thought they looked nice and took them, then let the barbarian leader go, returning home and insisting he hadn't caught that brat."
"In the end, this matter was exposed. When the Peace Order was questioned, he stubbornly refused to admit he had embezzled the goods, almost getting himself executed. At that time, the Prince of Puyang was in agony, ultimately having to sell his possessions to fill the hole."
"Then he charged into the imperial court with an iron rod, almost beating the Peace Order to death with his old fists."
"The Peace Order retaliated angrily, and the two of them stayed together in front of the imperial study."
"Hahahaha, how can a famous general of the world be so greedy for wealth!"
Li Guanyi grinned.
The heroes who fought against each other in the historical records seemed to come alive.
Yue Qianfeng took a sip of wine and said softly, "Later, we learned that the Peace Order distributed the gold to the common people affected by the army; the jade was sold to exchange for meat and wine to share with his comrades. At that time, his reputation reached its peak."
"Because he spared the barbarian leader, the southwest was pacified, without harming the common people or letting down his comrades. He himself pacified the southwest, took the luminous pearls, and rode a qilin for three thousand miles."
"It is said he went to Jiangnan to propose to a girl."
Yue Qianfeng praised, "The famous general who conquered the world rejected the princess's favor, using the treasures of a nation to win the heart of the girl he liked in his youth."
"It is said that when the Peace Order took off his mask and rode the qilin into Jiangnan, countless girls scattered petals from the second-floor flower pavilion, and the petals fell on the bluestone slabs, flowing into the creek, continuously spreading downstream."
"I really don't know what kind of demeanor that young and ambitious famous general had back then..."
"However, the children of Jiangnan are still playing with those smooth little stones."
Yue Qianfeng gestured, recalling when Li Guanyi and Xue Shuangtao went out and saw the boys treating the stone beads as treasures. Yue Qianfeng smiled slightly, saying, "Boys especially like these."
"These are the stories that spread from the Peace Order."
"The general who changed the era, even if the nobles want to erase his existence, it is absolutely impossible."
Li Guanyi listened to this story and asked, "Did she agree?"
Yue Qianfeng said softly, "She agreed. Marshal Yue said that the girl happily accepted, and everyone around blessed them. But actually, he only needed the stones he used to skip when he was young to win her over. Those pearls were eventually exchanged for gold and silver during the wedding, given to the injured comrades."
"However, I heard that there was a little girl who was only eleven or twelve years old at that time, so angry that she had a headache, secretly took a zither and fiercely hit the Peace Order's battle robe."
"Saying to let go, let go!"
Li Guanyi lowered his gaze; perhaps he knew who his parents were.
Listening to these stories, he felt a warmth in his heart.
Yue Qianfeng raised his eyes, "But in the end, both she and the Peace Order died ten years ago. At that time, Marshal Yue was guarding the border. When he learned of the news and rushed to aid, all he saw were the burning palaces. Perhaps from that day on, Marshal Yue was no longer tolerated by the current emperor."
"The 'Peace Book' he created, I will teach you today."
"I will demonstrate it first. If you have any questions, I will demonstrate it again."
Yue Qianfeng stood up, the Crimson Dragon coiling around, imparting the method of condensing internal qi to Li Guanyi.
The Bronze Cauldron calmly completed the final accumulation of jade liquid.
Then—
It was poured out!
Li Guanyi's vision was filled with a blurry image, within which was the wind of Jiangnan, the silhouette of a general riding a qilin entering Jiangnan, and then the image shattered. This time, the technique seemed to come naturally to Li Guanyi, the method of condensing qi influenced by the aura of the Bronze Cauldron, completed at a visible speed.
"Peace Book," entry-level!
"Peace Book," proficient!
"Peace Book," great achievement!
Just at this moment, Li Guanyi heard the roar of dragons and tigers, the form of the Crimson Dragon rising and soaring, appearing beside him alongside the White Tiger's form. Within him, the White Tiger's form and the Crimson Dragon's form reached a similar level.
One represented the forging of the fierce tiger.
The other represented the condensing of the crimson dragon.
At this moment, gold and fire surged, confronting each other, gold and fire clashed, and within Li Guanyi's body, they began to stir violently. Li Guanyi's expression froze, pain appearing on his face. Yue Qianfeng, who was happily eating meat and drinking, noticed Li Guanyi's expression slightly falter and immediately reacted.
"What happened!"
Yue Qianfeng instantly appeared beside Li Guanyi.
His large hand pressed down.
He forcefully controlled the turbulent qi within Li Guanyi's body, but in that instant, the blazing fire and the cold metal qi surged and erupted within Li Guanyi, the internal qi swirling, the sounds of dragon roars and tiger howls echoing, causing Li Guanyi's internal qi to surge violently.
The jade liquid slowly pushed forward.
With someone helping to protect his internal organs, it seemed the dragon and tiger forms began to battle within the young man's body. The clash of gold and fire was like cold water splashing into a hot oil pan, causing the internal qi to surge; yet, being suppressed by Yue Qianfeng, it could not harm the internal organs, like a river solidifying its banks, naturally leaving only one path to take.
The internal qi surged madly toward the meridians.
As the starlight shone, the fierce power of the White Tiger's form rendered the stagnation of the meridians insignificant.
The originally stagnant meridians, under such circumstances,
Broke open directly!
A surge of qi exploded from Li Guanyi's shoulder, pushing Yue Qianfeng's hand away.
"!!!"
"What is this—"
Yue Qianfeng was stunned by this scene, his pupils constricting as he recognized Li Guanyi's current state.
This was not condensing qi.
This was—
Connecting the meridians!
(End of Chapter)