Chapter 21: Buying a Bow to Train Strength

“So it’s like this: if the spirit gets damaged when it exits the shell, it’s very different from being injured when practicing martial arts. If one has medicine and doctors, one can be restored in the case of a physical injury. However, the spirit is incorporeal when it’s harmed, it’s very hard to recover completely. Not to mention that one cannot advance in cultivation during the recovery stage, and one’s cultivation may even be decreased or even destroyed altogether due to the injury.”

After his spirit had recovered, Hong Yi finally understood some of the taboos of exiting the shell. Based on the knowledge Hong Yi recalled from organizing, reading, and taking notes on the ancient books in the valley on that day, he finally had a deeper and more in-depth understanding of cultivating the spirit.

The many ancient scriptures have many different methods and thought processes, but all of them are about training the spirit. They don’t have anything that addresses what happens after the spirit is injured. One needs to visualize the portrait of the buddha to recover.

It’s probably because of this that cultivators are so cautious and don’t dare to exit the shell and wander.

“They don’t dare to get there feet wet, and learn how to swim. How can standing on the shore analyzing methods to swim compare to completely immersing oneself in water? Staying on the shore is incomparable to attempting to enter the water, and trying in person. Fortunately, the Mituo Sutra has this level of efficacy. The Mituo Scripture is an elephant that can truly repress evil spirits and thoughts, and restore the injuries incurred on the spirit through the supreme buddha visualization. With this method, I only need to be a bit careful, and not be panic-stricken. No matter the type of injury, I can recover from them all. This way I can relax and confidently exit the shell and train my spirit.”

After grasping this philosophy, Hong Yi had a deeper understanding of the main and critical points of cultivation.

In the dead of night, Hong Yi once more exited the shell and floated out towards the east manor’s Yun Ting Zhai.

As expected, Hong Xuejiao was, as before, on-site training diligently her foot and fist.

Hai!

“Demonic Tiger Stretch! Demonic Tiger Climbing a Mountain! Demonic Tiger Descending a Mountain! Demonic Tiger Ridge! Demonic Tiger Roar! Demonic Tiger Headbutt! Demonic Tiger Hunting Sheep! Demonic Tiger Jumping Over a Stream!” (TL Note: Please don’t ask why…..It’s like this in the raws…..So yeah……)

Hong Xuejiao stamped out the footwork. As her foot and fist moved back and forth, her tongue pushed against her teeth, her abdomen filled with power. She trained in the eight techniques, increasing the might of her fist technique.

The Tiger Bone Training Fist had a total of 8 forms.

Each form had tens of different types of styles.

He only saw her completely focused. Every fist thrown had her whole body and even her bones trembling. She utilized Qi to strike out with kicks. Hong Yi, who was watching from the side, felt as if Hong Xuejiao’s bones were like knives being sharpened on whetstone, gradually becoming sharper and sharper.

Based on Hong Yi’s spirit’s senses, he was able to perceive that Hong Xuejiao’s punches and kicks were becoming sharper and sharper, possessing a type of deep piercing force.

Training the bones to be like steel! The fist’s piercing might is a well-known characteristic of Martial Warriors becoming Martial Masters.

Once a Martial Warriors has trained their muscle and skin to perfection, they can resist such punches performed by other Martial Warriors, but those same people can definitely not resist a fist thrown by a Martial Master. At this moment, Hong Xuejiao was slowly, step by step, attacking the boundary of Martial Master.

Hong Yi was able to clearly feel Hong Xuejiao’s internal aura getting stronger and stronger by the day even with his spirit’s senses. Sometimes if his spirit got too close, the aura would even cause his spirit to be struck by pain.

But, Hong Yi had the visualization method for restoring his spirit, and thus he was not the least bit afraid.

Hong Yi watched for a couple nights in succession, and he used every opportunity he could to analyze the book.

Because Hong Xuejiao sometimes needed to stop and turn the pages to understand the meanings behind the words, the chances to read was also very long. Contrary to what one may expect, Hong Yi was able to easily sneakily read all of the contents in the book.

Hong Yi noticed that,  in addition to practicing the “Demonic Tiger Fist,” Hong Xuejiao also practiced another set of fist techniques called “Star Plucking Fist.”

This fist technique wasn’t for training the muscle or skin, or for training the bone.

It was only used for fighting, specifically for when one wanted to destroy an enemy. There were a total of twelve forms.

Hong Yi also memorized this technique.

As Hong Xuejiao was training, Hong Yi’s spirit was also training. This wasn’t because he wanted to train his spirit in martial arts, but rather because it was more convenient for trying to memorize the techniques.

With a set of fist techniques to compare, on top of Hong Xuejiao’s postures, and on top of that, Hong Yi having the Demonic Bull Strengthening Fist Technique as a foundation, Hong Yi’s understanding of the Demonic Tiger Bone Fist Technique was surprisingly more profound than Hong Xuejiao’s. 
Sometimes, when Hong Xuejiao performed a part incorrectly based on the book, Hong Yi was surprisingly able to spot it.     

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hou! Hou! Hou!

The windows were closed securely, the door was also closed tightly shut. It was gloomy and pitch black. Hong Yi was training in a square space four or five steps in length at one of the back corners of his bed.

The space may have been small and narrow, but to Hong Yi, it was sufficient. The area was small, and the space was completely sealed on all sides. Contrary to what one might have expected, the area had a vigorous aura that wasn’t dissipating–the aura just kept being constrained within the circular area.

Exercising the primary muscles in the body, Hong Yi started to feel his body start to gradually become more and more powerful.

His exhale was explosive. Once two fists pressed down on his abdomen, Hong Yi’s fist Qi exited his body, his waist was stretched out as far as it could go, and his neck was perfectly straight. Soon after, a Demonic Bull Technique Fist, followed by another, was unleashed, causing him to vomit out a “hou” sound like a water buffalo.

The two fists, thrown perfectly, landed on a board about two pointer finger widths thick, causing a “kacha” sound as the board was split into two slabs. This solid piece of wood was something Hong Yi had found to test his strength with.

“I can finally be considered to be strong enough to truss a chicken.”

After Hong Yi’s fists broke the wooden board, he looked at his two hands, and then closed his eyes as he felt delight from the bottom of his heart.

Using this feeling, he started to sense his four limbs, waist, abdomen, chest, back, his two buttocks, and performed twice the Demonic Bull Strengthening Fist Technique for training the flesh as he willed. He noticed that every movement made during the punches all seemingly were able to link up all the major muscle areas of his body!

Each fist thrown could utilize and link up all of the major muscles of the body.

“After training for a little while more, all the muscles in his body will become fully rugged. As his spirit expands, training the mind (TL note: training the mind refers to training the spirit) seems to increase the control over the physical body by a lot.

Hong Yi sensed the changes happening to him, and he perceived that training the spirit also gave great benefits to martial training.

No wonder one needed to dual cultivate: the flesh body is the boat, and the spirit is the person steering it. If the boat was sturdy, the person will be safe, and at the same time, if the person was stable, he could control the boat better. Both sides complemented each other.

Wu Wu Wu, Wu Wu Wu.

A few sounds were released as the brazier below the corner of the bed roasted a stove. Soon after the smell of wine permeated the room.

“Suhexiang Wine has been fully cooked. Although it can’t compare to a tenth of Ziyue’s Qiongjiang Wine’s effect, if it is used to nourish the body, the effect is still very good.”

Hong Yi took out a small bowl and poured the finished cooked wine into the bowl. After taking a few sips, he carefully moistened himself, removed his clothes, and wiped himself off.

This type of wine is called Suhexiang Wine. Before Bai Ziyue left, he had given Hong Yi the methods to cooking it. It could strengthen one’s body and nurse the internal organs. It was a medicine that helped martial cultivators in establishing a foundation.  

So although the Suhexiang Wine would forever be incomparable to the Qiongjiang Wine, the Suhexiang Wine was so much easier to make than the Qiongjiang Wine, and thus, in terms of winemaking, the Qiongjiang Wine would never be able to stack up to the easiness of the Suhexiang Wine. The Suhexiang Wine, in fact, was made by just using ordinary wine as a base and adding on a few extra herbs.

Bai Ziyue was nicknamed wine god; his understanding of making nourishing wine was very profound and deep.

After wiping off his body, he felt his entire body become very warm and comfortable. Hong Yi then dressed back up, grabbed his wallet, left his house, and walked toward the east side of the Jade Capital’s main streets to tour the “Guanshi Hao”(TL Note: Guanshi Hao means Piercing Louse Establishment) shop.

“Guanshi Hao” was the Jade Capital City’s largest manufacturer.

The Da Qian Dynasty’s law forbade crossbows, but not bows. Thus, contrary to what one may expect, bows could be bought.

As a matter of fact, with Hong Yi’s status, he could even walk around with a sword anywhere in the country.

Hong Yi wanted to buy a bow to test his strength. This was because the army’s Martial Hall’s first test was on the art of shooting. Horseback riding and archery were  fundamental parts of the military.

“If I could pull open a 60 catty silk bowstring bow and shoot it in rapid succession, then I would have already reached the Martial Student realm. If I can’t, then I must further train myself. Buying a bow is also an option to help in training. As for those 80 to 220 catty ox tendon bows, I don’t want them for now.”