Chapter 16 Serendipity

Last night, instead of letting Anfeng smash trees, Ci instructed him to practice the Shaolin Changquan with only thirty-two stances over and over again, from the glorious starry sky until the golden sun rose, until the mountains awakened from their slumber, to the sound of birds and insects, and the revival of all living things. During this, Ci did not offer any guidance; he merely watched as the youth pondered over how to vary and link the moves.

Although the youth had previously mastered the Shaolin Changquan to near perfection, now he executed the moves unevenly and awkwardly, yet in an incredibly strange manner. In Ci's eyes, this messy fist technique was more praiseworthy than the strictly regulated Shaolin Changquan practiced before. The master and disciple continued practicing until the appointed time, when the mountains of Shaolin crumbled into pieces before Anfeng's eyes, and he found himself back in the side room of the apothecary in Wangxian County.

Collapsing onto the soft bed, the county was still enveloped in darkness, with only the occasional sound of the night watchmen. Yet Anfeng lay there, eyes shining brightly, mind clarity unimpeded. His previously instinctual knowledge of the thirty-two stances had been shaken into disarray, but was now constantly recombining in new ways, as if he had entered a new realm, feeling a joy greater than defeating an opponent, by more than tenfold.

Unable to contain himself, he got out of bed, the room dark. The youth, donning his clothes, paced to the window and gently pushed it open. With a light creaking sound, the faint moonlight flooded the room, dispelling the darkness and revealing a sky filled with stars and a bright moon, highlighting the vastness between heaven and earth.

The scene matched the elation in his heart, his chest expanding with joy. Within his calm mind arose a sense of boldness and openness as he softly recited,

"Stars spread across the wide plains, the moon surges in the great river's flow..."

This was a poem his father had taught him when he was still alive, of which he now only faintly remembered this one line. Looking out the window, though there were neither plains to be seen nor a great river, his heart surged with joy. Everything in the world is born from the heart, with a broad mind one could see the vastness of the plains or feel the ceaseless waves of the great river, even without them in sight.

Standing beside the bed for a while, he still felt no inclination to sleep and decided to sit cross-legged on the bed to meditate and practice his Internal Strength. Anfeng felt that the cultivation of Yi Chan Gong was remarkably smooth that day, as the warm currents flowed through his body like waves, tirelessly circulating time and again, until the cold moonlight turned into the warm light of dawn and he slowly finished cultivating.

The moment he opened his eyes, the morning sun greeted him through the window. Instinctively taking a breath, it seemed that a faint current of warm air entered his nostrils and then dispersed instead of being absorbed, yet it was enough to push the already accumulated and profound Inner Qi of Yi Chan Gong, which had been refined over a hundred days, past the last remaining barrier.

Barriers are indeed grinding, a small checkpoint can trap a martial artist for years, or even decades. Anfeng had been diligently cultivating every day for the past hundred days, taking elixirs, and performing External Kung Fu Body Training to invigorate his Inner Qi. Coupled with the exceptional state of the previous night, his Inner Qi had just reached a major threshold.

He was not yet ready to break through, but the confluence of these factors along with the circulation of that breath in his nostrils acted as the final straw that broke the camel's back. Compared to the past, his now powerful Inner Qi surged like snow rolling off a mountain peak, flowing into all his meridians with unstoppable momentum, swiftly changing course to enter the pathways of the second layer, radiating warm currents into the muscles and meridians throughout his body, preparing for the day when Yi Chan Gong reached its Third Heaven, where the Inner Qi would circulate throughout the body, completely unified.

Anfeng ended his Inner Strength practice and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air that shot out in a straight line for three inches. Clenching his fists, he could feel the surging Inner Qi, thick and robust. Ordinarily, the richness of the Inner Qi would gradually dissipate after cultivation, resembling a stream, but now it not only remained, it continued to rise, bringing even more delight to his heart.

Just then, his aunt called from outside the door, inviting him to eat. He quickly got out of bed, washed up in haste, tidied up the bedding, and left the room. His aunt was waiting for him at the door with a smile. Catching a glimpse of the tidy room through the door crack, her fondness grew for the polite youth. She reached out to neaten Anfeng's hair, smiling as she asked,

"Did you sleep well last night, Feng?"

Anfeng scratched his head, displaying a touch of youthful demeanor, and laughed, "With the bed being so comfortable, I slept very soundly."

"That's good to hear. You've been away in the mountains for so long, now you should try your aunt's cooking and see if it suits your taste."

The kindly woman smiled, and in just a few steps, they reached the main hall, where a large redwood round table was set with various dishes. Li Kangsheng sat at the head of the table, his cultured face showing a flash of awkwardness. He cleared his throat and said, "Nephew, come join us at the table. Your aunt's stir-fried shredded dough has a unique flavor, and the noodles from the Ol' Gu's are also quite tasty."

Wang Anfeng nodded and sat at the table, only to be greeted by the savory aroma of the meal, which made him think, "So even a simple meal has so many intricacies? By this account, it seems what I've been eating before can hardly be called food." His gaze then fell upon the table, as Li Kangsheng said with a smile:

"My worthy nephew, you should try this. This scalded shredded bean curd is a specialty from my wife's hometown. They finely slice dried tofu, rinse and scald it repeatedly to remove the bean flavor, and then pour over it a refined savory sauce and sesame oil from a small mill, complementing it with shredded ginger and dried shrimps, creating an outstanding flavor that you can't find elsewhere." Wang Anfeng heard on the surface that he was introducing the dish, but covertly it was clear he was flattering his aunt in hope of appeasement. Anfeng couldn't help but smile inwardly, though he maintained proper etiquette without any misstep.

After finishing the meal, Anfeng offered to help clean up but was politely declined by his aunt. He felt rather idle and thought to himself, "Cultivating Inner Strength requires diligence, but one must not overdo it. Why not find an open space and practice some fist techniques?" Once he made up his mind, he prepared to inform Li Kangsheng. The latter had nothing against it and merely reminded him to return for lunch, then busied himself with his own matters.

However, just as he was about to leave, the woman stopped him. Anfeng, curious, turned to her, and she took out some silver coins from within her clothes and offered them to him, saying, "You incurred expenses for us yesterday. Here are ten silver coins; keep them well."

Wang Anfeng stepped back and did not reach for the coins, thinking it would be hard to convince her if he directly refused. So, he asked with a smile, "I heard from the neighbors yesterday that my uncle and aunt often treat the poor without charging them?"

The woman first nodded, then shook her head, saying:

"We simply do what is within our means; this is not a reason for us to appropriate your silver."

Wang Anfeng waved his hands repeatedly and said, "My dear aunt, I didn't mean that. It's just that the current prime minister, Mr. Lu, once said, 'Those who do good will enjoy blessings; those who accumulate moral deeds will see their progeny prosper.' These ten silver coins could help my uncle and aunt save more lives. In sharing a small part of that virtue, I would also earn some for myself. After all, I am currently the only descendant in my family..."

The woman paused, feeling a special affection as a woman and a mother towards the idea of descendants. Hearing that Anfeng was the only one in his family, she grew sympathetic. After considering, she put away the silver coins and reassured him gently:

"Then your aunt will keep it safe for you. Be at ease, Anfeng. You are handsome and knowledgeable in etiquette; surely many young women will fall for you, ensuring your offspring will prosper. Why not let your aunt introduce you to a couple of good girls?"

Wang Anfeng, his facial expression unchanged, responded warmly with a clasped fist, "Currently, I have no such intentions, and besides, I would need to consult my Master and Uncle Li before I could make such a decision."

"Indeed... One who is a teacher for a day is a father for life. Uncle Li is generous and unrestrained, but I wonder what your Master..."

Wang Anfeng responded with a smile, "My Master is a very, very good person."

But as for getting married, dear aunt, that is something you will never be able to convince him of.

PS: Why doesn't the APP have a cover yet..._(:з」∠)_

And then, as for some poetry and literature, let's just assume this world has it too... mainly because I can't write it (ノ=Д=)ノ┻━┻