Chapter 37: Bragging

Chapter 37: Bragging

Nie Shi had been absent for several days, but as soon as he appeared, Meng Yuan naturally didn't want to let him leave, persistently holding him back.

Of course, the main reason was to ask him to teach some more.

"Lately, Nie Shi has been coming less often, and the morale of the students is not high enough," Meng Yuan said.

"What? Should I get some eggs and give them to whoever trains diligently?" Nie Yinian said, laughing at his own words.

Meng Yuan laughed along and asked, "Nie Shi, how's the situation with the Buddhist Demon?"

"We couldn't find anything, so we reported it up. I guess they'll send someone to investigate. Anything related to Bald Donkey is no small matter," Nie Yinian replied casually, continuing to walk without stopping, clearly in a hurry to leave.

Meng Yuan followed closely, asking again, "What other arrangements does Nie Shi have for the Training Ground?"

"Extra practice, more practice, diligent practice, and hard practice!" Nie Yinian's response indicated his apparent lack of interest in the young trainees at the Training Ground.

As the two chatted, a person rushed into the Training Ground from outside, full of enthusiasm and excitement, as if they had struck it rich—it was Ren Debiao.

"Nie Shi, I've entered the Eighth Rank! My Mud Pill has opened!" Ren Debiao exclaimed loudly, his voice echoing. He noticed Meng Yuan by his side and couldn't help but glance at him with a sense of pride.

The group of young trainees, who were originally practicing, heard this and couldn't help but feel envious.

It usually takes three to four years for an ordinary person to advance from the Ninth Rank to the Eighth Rank, but Ren Debiao had achieved it in just over two years. While his talent wasn't exceptional, it was no longer considered mediocre.

"Extra practice, more practice, diligent practice, and hard practice!" Nie Yinian said, waving his hand and continuing on his way out.

Ren Debiao noticed that Nie Yinian seemed to be brushing him off, as if entering the Eighth Rank hadn't impressed him. He quickly followed after him.

After a few steps, Ren Debiao saw that Nie Yinian wasn't paying attention to him but was constantly turning to chat with the Castrator, sometimes threatening to castrate him if he dared to visit brothels, and at other times, instructing the Castrator to help out at the Intoxicating Moon Tower by washing dishes or something similar.

The Castrator, shameless as he was, boasted about his expertise in castration and mentioned that he should be paid for washing dishes.

Ren Debiao followed Nie Yinian out of the Imperial Mansion, trying to strike up a conversation several times, but Nie Yinian didn't seem interested in responding. Instead, the Castrator was an expert at flattering, and he had already helped bring out the horse.

The Castrator acted as if he had a lot of work, constantly mentioning his lack of skills and worrying about damaging Nie Yinian's reputation, clearly angling to learn something.

Ren Debiao watched as Nie Yinian was pestered to the point where he actually agreed to teach the Castrator a set of boxing techniques when he had time.

"Nie Shi, when will you teach me that set of boxing techniques?" Ren Debiao asked.

"Let's talk about it later," Nie Yinian said, patting the horse and leaving.

Ren Debiao watched Nie Yinian's figure gradually fade into the distance, pondering for a moment. He couldn't quite understand why Nie Yinian, who had once shown him support, now seemed less inclined to engage with him.

He turned to look at Meng Yuan, who was holding his waist pouch with one hand, as if it contained some precious treasure.

Ren Debiao carefully observed Meng Yuan and noticed that not only did he have good talent, but his appearance was also quite impressive.

"Castrator, you've only known Nie Shi for a short time, but you've become so close," Ren Debiao asked with a smile.

Meng Yuan had worked with Ren Debiao before and knew that he had a narrow mind and limited capacity. Therefore, he didn't feel like engaging with him further and kept his distance.

"Nie Shi treats everyone at the Training Ground the same," Meng Yuan smiled, adding, "Congratulations, Brother Ren, on entering the Eighth Rank as a Martial Guard."

"The Eighth Rank is nothing. With diligent and hard practice, you'll catch up to me in a year," Ren Debiao finally managed a smile, then asked, "I noticed that Nie Shi treats you differently. Are you planning to become his son-in-law?"

Meng Yuan smiled but didn't answer, only saying, "The Training Ground is busy. I have to get back."

"I'll come with you and teach the younger generation too!" Ren Debiao even referred to himself as a senior.

Meng Yuan smiled but didn't stop him.

Back at the Training Ground, Ren Debiao indeed began to give instructions.

He had already gained fame as an eighth-rank official, so everyone was eager to befriend and consult him.

Meng Yuan didn't care; he only took the key given by Master Nie and went to the storage room to find a five-stone bow.

After some initial practice, he adjusted the bowstring according to Master Nie's teachings and began shooting arrow after arrow.

After shooting more than twenty arrows, his right arm felt slightly sore and swollen. Meng Yuan calmed his mind and slowly inhaled, infusing true energy into the acupoints of his right arm before shooting again.

The bowstring sounded like thunder, and although his accuracy was slightly off, the power of the five-stone bow far exceeded that of a two-stone bow.

Meng Yuan thought to himself that even among officials of the same rank, if one were to open all the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens and be shot in a vital spot within a hundred steps, it would still be disastrous.

"Low rank is still low rank; it hasn't transcended the realm of 'human.' I should ask Master Nie for a horizontal training method; even if I'm cut or slashed by a sword, it won't be fatal."

Meng Yuan muttered to himself for a moment, then became envious of Master Nie's Spring Thunder Burst.

That Spring Thunder Burst was truly extraordinary; when the blade was drawn, thunder rumbled, and it seemed to embody the spring thunder of mountains and rivers. He wondered how one could cultivate such a skill.

Meng Yuan guessed that it might still be related to the circulation of true energy in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Heavens, as this was the foundation of martial cultivation.

"Living between heaven and earth, how can one remain in the realm of 'human' for long? Master Nie only has one daughter; I wonder if he lacks someone to support him in his old age..."

After shooting for a while, Meng Yuan switched to using his left hand, continuing until both arms were so sore and swollen that he had to stop.

Aside from the method of opening acupoints taught by Master Nie, which involved the path of relaxation and tension, there were other techniques as well.

For the acupoints on the chest, abdomen, and back, one should use breathing techniques in conjunction with Horse Stance Punching. For the limbs, it was simpler; one could practice by pulling the bow, lifting stone locks, kicking sandbags, and more.

After putting away the bow and arrows, Meng Yuan stretched his arms and tied heavy sandbags to his legs before practicing on the Plum Blossom Stakes.

Over there, Ren Debiao had already given individual instructions and gained a few followers.

"Did Master Nie send him? Why does he teach a little and show off a lot?" Hu Qian jumped onto the Plum Blossom Stake and asked Meng Yuan.

"Shouldn't we let him show off a bit after entering the eighth rank?" Meng Yuan smiled.

Hu Qian nodded in understanding and said, "Pride comes before a fall. Martial arts aren't meant for showing off. You've fallen into the lower path."

Hearing Hu Qian mention the Daoist scripture, Meng Yuan smiled and asked, "Sister Qian, you're so skilled in the Gale Blade Technique, it seems you've trained in martial arts since childhood. Why are you only thinking about the martial path now?"

"I've practiced some sword techniques and breath cultivation since I was young. I've been on the Taoist path, but it hasn't been smooth." Hu Qian shook her head, feeling helpless. "The Empress Consort suggested I try the martial path, so I'm learning from Master Nie."

So you were a Taoist nun!

Meng Yuan had only seen the skills of those on the martial and Buddhist paths, and he was curious about the Confucian and Taoist paths. "I've only seen the skills of the martial and Buddhist paths. I'm curious about the Confucian and Taoist paths. What are they like?"

"Taoist teachings are the most widespread, with various sects and diverse cultivation methods. But at the lower ranks, there isn't much difference." Hu Qian seemed to have some understanding. "Taoism emphasizes cultivating both life and spirit, so they nourish their spirit with breath. The deeper aspects are beyond my understanding."

At this point, seeing Meng Yuan's sincere interest, Hu Qian blinked and said, "If you're interested, you can ask Sister Mei for some Taoist classics to read."

This made sense to Meng Yuan, who had already skimmed through historical books and understood the general context. He planned to use his free time to read some Confucian and Taoist classics, broadening his knowledge.

Learning more knowledge is never a bad thing. Master Nie said the Empress Consort loves reading. If I match with her and can't answer her questions, wouldn't I lose the reputation of a great scholar?

The two chatted casually for a while, then Hu Qian went back to her diligent practice, while Meng Yuan practiced the Staking Post Cultivation Technique.

Afterward, he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and visualized the power of a great river, manipulating true energy, nine shallow and one deep, nine slow and one swift, as he began to impact the acupoints of his left arm.

Meng Yuan, now free from financial worries and external distractions, planned to open the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens as soon as possible, so he could attend to the Empress Consort.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end