Chapter 410: Unsealing the Acupoints

As long as it has a direct connection to the Immortal Dao, things become much easier.

Who is Zhang Xiaohua? He is a cultivator of the Immortal Dao. Although the first few manuals on acupoint pressing were rather superficial, they were, after all, explained from the perspective of martial arts. In Zhang Xiaohua’s eyes, they were somewhat a case of knowing the form but not the reason behind it. Yet, this true secret manual—so incomparably obscure in the eyes of martial artists—was, to Zhang Xiaohua, as sweet as nectar.

The more he read, the happier he became, and the more shocked he was. If he truly mastered this “Bewitching Soul Finger”, it would indeed be a great help to him. This Bewitching Soul Finger could not only seal acupoints, but truly bewitch the soul. After sealing your acupoints, whatever I tell you to do, you will do; it is truly an indispensable weapon for harming others.

Unconsciously, night had already deepened.

Under the lamp, Zhang Xiaohua studied earnestly, his right hand even practicing some gestures in the air—his diligence truly needed no further praise.

The next day, when Nie Qianyu woke up, the first thing she did was check if Little Orange on the kang beside her had sat up. But she was sorely disappointed. She walked to the kang and took her pulse; the vitality in that pulse was even weaker than before.

Nie Qianyu became a bit flustered and hurriedly went out, praying in her heart: “Perhaps Brother Ren has already invited his elders, and is just afraid of disturbing us.”

However, when she arrived in the courtyard, she saw Zhang Xiaohua calmly practicing his boxing, and could not help but feel a surge of irritation. She waited impatiently for Zhang Xiaohua to finish, then went up and asked: “Brother Ren, when are you going to invite your elders? I just checked Little Orange’s pulse, and it’s really not looking good—she might not make it through today.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Little Fish, don’t worry. In a while, Little Orange’s savior will surely arrive.”

“Really?” Nie Qianyu was extremely skeptical. “Did you go to find someone early this morning?”

“Yes, didn’t you see me just come back?” Zhang Xiaohua shrugged.

“But… I just woke up, how could I have seen you?” Nie Qianyu was at a loss for words.

Zhang Xiaohua sent Nie Qianyu back inside, then returned to his own room. Looking at the “Bewitching Soul Finger” manual on the table, his mind was filled with thoughts.

In fact, after reading the first six simple manuals last night, he had almost lost hope of saving Little Orange. But it was precisely the last and most difficult-to-practice “Bewitching Soul Finger” that pointed the way for him.

The most important—and also the most difficult part of the Bewitching Soul Finger technique—was how to simulate the True Qi of the Immortal Dao using the internal power of martial arts, thereby achieving the effects of True Qi. It involved using the methods of True Qi manipulation to seal and unseal acupoints. In reality, the actual techniques and methods for sealing and unsealing acupoints were only a very small part of the whole.

Of course, the use of True Qi was obscure and difficult to understand for martial artists, or very hard to master. But for Zhang Xiaohua, a cultivator of the Immortal Dao, that was simply no problem at all. Therefore, in the end, he focused mainly on learning and practicing the hand techniques and skills for sealing and unsealing acupoints. Moreover, these techniques also simulated some characteristics of cultivation incantations—ah, that was even better, and naturally, Zhang Xiaohua’s strong suit.

So, before midnight last night, Zhang Xiaohua had already mastered this extremely difficult Bewitching Soul Finger technique known in the martial world!

Furthermore, from the Bewitching Soul Finger manual, he also read this sentence: “Once this Bewitching Soul Finger technique is mastered, and the method of internal power circulation is applied, all acupoint sealing techniques in the martial world can be broken.”

This statement was indeed somewhat boastful, but Zhang Xiaohua felt a deep resonance. The martial arts internal power method of sealing acupoints borrowed from the Immortal Dao’s True Qi circulation—the Bewitching Soul Finger’s simulation of True Qi circulation—naturally could break through myriad acupoint sealing techniques. Upon reading this, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a bit absurd. For himself, the most useful part of this Bewitching Soul Finger was just this one sentence.

The energy circulating in his meridians was genuine True Qi, refined from authentic Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi—real and honest, no deception. If this pseudo-True Qi could break through all kinds of acupoint seals, then wouldn’t he be even more capable?

Moreover, wouldn’t the acupoints he sealed be impossible for anyone in the martial world to unseal?

Almost in frustration, Zhang Xiaohua nearly threw the book to the ground. “Why didn’t you put this sentence right at the front!”

However, after his anger subsided, Zhang Xiaohua began to understand. Knowing that True Qi can unseal acupoints was one thing; knowing exactly how to use True Qi to do so was quite another. Although he had only learned the Bewitching Soul Finger to unseal Little Orange’s acupoints, hadn’t he already mastered it? And he had already learned both sealing and unsealing techniques. In the future, if he encountered such situations in the martial world, wouldn’t he no longer have to beg anyone for help?

Most importantly, he had learned a martial arts technique. Although it was a case of “selling sheep’s head while selling dog meat”, it was still an acupoint sealing method—enough to conceal his identity as an Immortal Dao cultivator. This, it seemed, was the true fruit of his hard work last night.

In his mind, Zhang Xiaohua carefully recalled once more the acupoint-unsealing techniques described in the Bewitching Soul Finger. Only then did he gather all those manuals on acupoint manipulation and tuck them into his money pouch.

By this time, the sun had already risen in the east, heralding the start of a new day. The crowing of roosters and barking of dogs made for a lively scene.

Seeing that Nie Qianyu’s door was open, Zhang Xiaohua did not stand on ceremony and pushed the door open to enter.

Nie Qianyu was delighted to see Zhang Xiaohua and asked: “Brother Ren, have your elders arrived?”

But when she saw that there was no one else behind him, she couldn’t help but frown.

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “I said Little Orange’s savior would arrive, but I never said it would be my elders.”

“You—” Nie Qianyu was at a loss for words. At a time like this, he was still joking around. Did he really think he was a bookworm who had studied the Three Character Classic for three months?

However, Nie Qianyu’s eyes suddenly lit up and she said: “Could it be… Brother Ren, the savior you spoke of is yourself?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded with a smile.

“But Brother Ren, didn’t you say yesterday that you didn’t know how to seal or unseal acupoints? How is it that after just one day and night, you’ve learned it?”

Zhang Xiaohua put on a mysterious expression and whispered: “This is my little secret. Now that I’m telling you, you must promise to keep it for me—absolutely, absolutely don’t tell anyone else.”

Seeing how serious he looked, Nie Qianyu quickly replied: “Don’t worry, Brother Ren. I’m known in the martial world as ‘Iron Mouth Nie, the Sealed Lips.’ Whatever you say, I’ll bury this secret deep in my heart.”

“Mm, now that you’ve said that, I’m relieved. Come, lean in closer.”

Then, Zhang Xiaohua whispered into Nie Qianyu’s ear: “Last night, I had a dream. An old man with a white beard told me, ‘Little Orange is a good child, blessed with great fortune, and should not die.’ So, he taught me the method to unseal acupoints. When I woke up this morning, I could do it!”

“Ah!!?” Nie Qianyu was dumbfounded.

She exclaimed angrily: “Brother Ren, you… how can you joke about Little Orange’s life like this?”

Seeing that Nie Qianyu was angry, Zhang Xiaohua hurriedly said: “Little Fish, don’t be mad. Of course I was joking with you. But I really can help Little Orange unseal her acupoints now. If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you right now!”

How could Nie Qianyu possibly believe him? With a hint of tears in her voice, she said: “Brother Ren, we’ve traveled together all this way, yet you still don’t take Little Orange’s life seriously. Yesterday you clearly didn’t know how to do this—how can you suddenly know today? If you really could do it, why didn’t you unseal her acupoints yesterday?”

“This…” Zhang Xiaohua didn’t know how to explain for a moment.

But right then, Nie Qianyu herself offered a very reasonable explanation.

“I understand now, Brother Ren. You must have gone to seek your elders yesterday, but they didn’t dare to take on this trouble themselves, so they simply taught you the method to forcibly unseal the acupoints and let you do it yourself, right? But Brother Ren, if you don’t have a unique method for unsealing acupoints, and this is your first time trying it, isn’t it possible… isn’t it possible that it could backfire and cause Little Orange to lose her life right away?”

Taking the “pillow” Nie Qianyu handed him, Zhang Xiaohua said: “Sigh, you really guessed it, Little Fish. You’re so smart. Honestly, I thought about it all night too. If I don’t do it myself, Little Orange probably won’t survive the night. But if I do it myself, I really don’t have much confidence either. Didn’t you say it yourself? Very few people would meddle in others’ grudges without reason. Since we can’t find anyone else to help, what choice do I have?”

Nie Qianyu’s eyes were misty with tears as she nodded: “Brother Ren, I really wronged you. I thought…”

Zhang Xiaohua broke out in a cold sweat and quickly waved his hand: “Enough, Little Fish, I’ve already decided. I’ll unseal Little Orange’s acupoints right now. Her life or death—I’ll take responsibility!”

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s upright and heroic demeanor, Nie Qianyu’s image of him instantly grew even taller in her heart. This—this was truly a man who dared to take responsibility!!!

Nie Qianyu wiped her tears and said: “Then, Brother Ren, I’ll leave Little Orange’s life in your hands. I know you’ll do your utmost. Little Orange and I grew up together—we’re as close as sisters. I’ll thank you on her behalf. Please, just do what you must. Little Orange would never blame you for any accidents.”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded, put away his smile, and sat solemnly at the edge of the kang. He reached out and placed his fingers on Little Orange’s wrist, channeling a wisp of True Qi into her meridians. Then, following the teachings of the Bewitching Soul Finger, he began to slowly examine the acupoints that had been sealed.

Nie Qianyu stood to the side, not daring to make a sound, watching carefully for fear of disturbing Zhang Xiaohua.

After a while, Zhang Xiaohua opened his eyes, a smile at the corner of his lips.

Nie Qianyu was overjoyed and asked: “Brother Ren, how is it? Can you unseal them?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded: “Luckily, one of the techniques my elders taught me yesterday happens to be able to unseal Little Orange’s acupoints.”

Zhang Xiaohua’s words were not exaggerated. The Bewitching Soul Finger recorded many methods for sealing and unsealing acupoints, and the symptoms of Little Orange’s qi and blood blockage matched one of them exactly. The manual had a ready-made method to use, so Zhang Xiaohua didn’t even need to improvise.

Seeing this, Nie Qianyu’s joy grew even greater, and she said: “Then what are you waiting for, Brother Ren?”

Then, her eyes shifted as she asked slyly: “Or does Brother Ren need to remove Little Orange’s clothing?”