Chapter 113

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Chapter 113: Overlooked

The next day was a rainy one. With the autumn rain came the chill, and the weather had turned cold.

There was not much to do in the medicinal herb field on a rainy day. He Tianshu led Nie Xiaor and the others for a brief tour around the fields before returning.

Zhang Xiaohua, who was preoccupied with his martial technique, couldn’t wait for He Tianshu to return. As soon as he did, Zhang Xiaohua eagerly inquired about the location of Elder Yu’s residence. With an umbrella in hand, he headed towards the back courtyard.

Elder Yu’s residence was quite a distance from Zhang Xiaohua’s small courtyard but very close to the dining hall. Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but think with a hint of malice. Was it because Elder Yu, due to his old age and difficulty walking, is afraid of being delayed at mealtime, which is why his residence is situated so conveniently?

Even though Elder Yu was skilled in martial arts, he hadn’t reached the level of strolling in the rain without getting wet. Therefore, he stayed indoors and did not venture outside. Zhang Xiaohua knocked on the door and entered.

The interior of Elder Yu’s house was very simple and even tidier than Zhang Xiaohua’s own small room. It only had a few more cabinets. When Zhang Xiaohua entered, Elder Yu was sitting cross-legged on a kang, meditating. Upon seeing Zhang Xiaohua, Elder Yu slowly got off the kang and, looking at Zhang Xiaohua’s rain-drenched shoulders, said: “Zhang Xiaohua, with such heavy rain, why aren’t you staying indoors to ponder over that sword technique? Why come all the way here? Have you made progress after just one night’s effort?”

Zhang Xiaohua gave a wry smile and said: “Elder Yu, do you think I’m a genius who only appears once in fifty years? Even with the sixteen variations I’ve learned, I could spend a lifetime studying them and still not master them perfectly, let alone the other three variations. Look at my hand.”

As he spoke, he raised his right hand in front of Elder Yu and flexed his fingers a few times.

Then he continued: “Perhaps I’ll only truly understand the essence of the remaining three variations once my right hand can fully make a fist.”

At this, Elder Yu tried to comfort Zhang Xiaohua, saying: “There’s no need to give up. When heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility on a person, it first grinds their will and tests their spirit. This might be a test from the heavens.”

Zhang Xiaohua was noncommittal and said: “I’ve read that line in a book before. Perhaps.”

Then he frowned and said: “Elder Yu, don’t digress. I came here today to borrow the martial arts manual. You promised me you would lend it.”

Elder Yu slapped his forehead with one hand and said: “Look at my memory, I’m getting old and almost forgot. However, if you want to learn the fist technique…”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Elder Yu, are you going to try to persuade me again?”

Elder Yu fell silent.

Zhang Xiaohua continued: “In life, one must have some pursuits. Before I came to Pingyang City, I intended to learn martial arts. If I were to give up just because of an arm injury, wouldn’t that be too hasty? Moreover, my injury is not severe. Elder Yu don’t you only have one right arm? Yet you are still a master in the Jianghu.”

Elder Yu smiled bitterly and said: “I knew you’d bring this up. Actually, there’s something you don’t know. Not to mention that my martial skills were only second-rate in the martial world before I was injured. Now that I’ve lost my left arm, my abilities have been reduced even more, to about sixty percent of their peak. Furthermore, I was injured after my skills had already reached a high level. Although the injury affects my abilities, it’s not as severe as your condition. You, on the other hand, had such a serious issue with your hand before you even started practicing martial arts. To be honest, it will be very difficult for you to achieve great mastery in any martial art. It’s like a person whose family falls into poverty before they come of age. If you ask them to revive their family business, they will face a thousand difficulties. However, if they have succeeded in business before and then face a decline, starting a new venture would naturally be much easier than before, and it could even lead to a more glorious success.”

Zhang Xiaohua’s face was as gloomy as the sky outside after hearing Elder Yu’s words. After a moment, he said: “But I’m still unwilling to give up.”

Elder Yu sighed and said: “Seeing how passionately you practice martial arts, I know you’re reluctant to let go. That’s why I taught you the sword technique. Haha, do as you wish. The martial arts manuals are on that bookshelf over there, I haven’t looked at it for a long time.”

Following Elder Yu’s instructions, Zhang Xiaohua walked over to a bookshelf. Indeed, there were many books on the shelf. Upon closer inspection, he found both fist and sword manuals, and the collection was quite extensive. However, after flipping through the dozen or so fist manuals, Zhang Xiaohua realized that these were all familiar to him from his time at the Lotus Escort Agency and included some of the more common martial arts techniques in the world.

Elder Yu watched Zhang Xiaohua flipping through the books with some curiosity and asked: “If you want to see a specific manual, just take it. Remember to return it to me.”

Zhang Xiaohua turned and asked: “Elder Yu, are there any other fist manuals? These all seem to be quite common martial arts techniques in the world.”

Elder Yu smiled and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, although these fist techniques are quite common in the martial world, they are not easy for just anyone to find. Choose one to study first, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me. As for the sect-specific techniques, I don’t have them here, so there’s no need to search through the books. If I could teach them to you, I would have already told you.”

Zhang Xiaohua asked curiously: “Can you tell me what martial techniques are taught in the sect?”

Elder Yu thought for a moment, then shook his head and said: “Such matters are something you’ll learn about in due time if fate allows. If not, there’s no use in telling you, it would only cause unnecessary worry.”

He then pointed to the fist manuals and said: “Don’t underestimate these manuals. Although they are the most ordinary, they are also the most practical. They have been tested by many people over the years. If you can master them, it will be quite an achievement.”

Zhang Xiaohua’s face reddened as he said: “Elder Yu, you know my aptitude. I always forget the moves. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Elder Yu blinked and said: “That’s exactly why you should study one manual thoroughly. It will help you remember better.”

Zhang Xiaohua replied: “It’s not that simple, Elder Yu. Sigh, never mind, I’ll just take this one.”

Unable to argue with Elder Yu, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t explain further. He casually pulled out a fist manual from the shelf without checking its title, tucked it under his arm, and said goodbye to Elder Yu before leaving with little enthusiasm.

Watching Zhang Xiaohua’s thin back leave, Elder Yu shook his head with a sigh and murmured: “This child, sigh, he’s really quite stubborn.”

With his mood affected, Elder Yu decided not to meditate. He got off the kang and walked over to the bookshelf Zhang Xiaohua had been looking at. Seeing the dust-covered shelf, Elder Yu felt a pang of regret. He realized he hadn’t looked at these books in a long time. Since his injury, he had lost much of his ambition and drive, unlike Zhang Xiaohua. Perhaps he should do something more?

After Elder Yu sighed, he turned around and suddenly noticed a book wedged between the gaps between the bookshelves. He carefully used a stick to extract it, it was also a fist manual, though he didn’t know when it had fallen in.

Elder Yu blew the dust off the book and placed it back on the shelf.

Zhang Xiaohua, clutching the fist manual and holding an umbrella, trudged back slowly. He was feeling quite dejected. To be honest, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. He had hoped to find a few new fist manuals at Elder Yu’s place to supplement his martial technique, but in the end, he came away empty-handed. This outcome was something he had never anticipated.

Upon reflection, however, this was quite normal. The Lotus Escort Agency’s martial arts hall was dedicated to teaching and had a vast collection of boxing manuals. Elder Yu’s collection was more of a personal hobby, not an extensive repository. Having already seen all the manuals from the martial arts hall, it would be unusual to find something new at Elder Yu’s. The expectation that he would discover something new there was unrealistic.

He had been too eager.

With this realization, Zhang Xiaohua’s disappointment eased considerably, leaving him with the remaining concern of where to find new boxing manuals.

Should he go to the Piaomiao Sect to search for them?

That seemed too unrealistic.

Before long, Zhang Xiaohua arrived back at the small courtyard.

As soon as he entered, he noticed from a distance that the door to his small room was open.

Zhang Xiaohua was puzzled. Had he forgotten to close the door when he left? No, he was sure he had closed it before leaving.

As Zhang Xiaohua got closer, he heard familiar voices coming from inside the room. Though the sound was somewhat muffled by the rain, he quickened his pace, ran a few steps, and called out from the doorway: “Second Brother, is that you?”

Sure enough, Zhang Xiaohu’s voice came from inside: “Xiaohua, you’re back?”

When Zhang Xiaohua entered the room, he saw that besides Zhang Xiaohu, He Tianshu and Li Jinfeng were also there.

Zhang Xiaohu walked to the door, took the umbrella from Zhang Xiaohua’s hand, and carefully folded it, just as he would have done back in his room at the escort agency, showing his usual attentiveness.

He Tianshu stood in the middle of the room. Seeing Zhang Xiaohua return, he said to Zhang Xiaohu and Li Jinfeng: “Now that Zhang Xiaohua is back, I’ll leave you to it. You’re always welcome to visit in the future.”

Zhang Xiaohu and Li Jinfeng quickly responded: “Thank you, Captain He. We look forward to more exchanges in the future.”

He Tianshu nodded at Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Take good care of your brother and friend.”

With that, he left the room and headed back to his quarters.

Zhang Xiaohua watched He Tianshu leave, then turned back excitedly and asked: “Second Brother, what brings you here today all of a sudden? And Young Master Li, are you free as well?”

Li Jinfeng stepped forward with a smile and said: “You rascal, you sure ran off quickly. Last time, I planned to escort you back to the villa, but when I thought you’d be ready, I went to the escort agency and found out you and your second brother were both gone. After asking around, I learned you had already come back, and your brother had also left. It was a wasted trip for me. Today, I had the day off and was bored at the academy, so I decided to come out and see you. Not knowing where to find you, I dragged your second brother along.”

Zhang Xiaohua then asked: “Second Brother, when did you return? Was your trip successful?”

Zhang Xiaohu replied with a smile: “I’ve been back for a few days. Didn’t I tell you we were just around Pingyang City? It’s not far, after all. This area is under the Piaomiao Sect’s influence, so we just went out to gain some experience. It’s no big deal.”

Then, looking at Zhang Xiaohua’s right hand, Zhang Xiaohu said: “I’ve been wanting to come and see you. I wasn’t sure how your hand was recovering. Today, since it’s raining heavily and there’s nothing to do at the escort agency, I was staying indoors when Young Master Li came over. Hehe, so, we decided to come and visit you together.”

Zhang Xiaohua knew that his second brother and Li Jinfeng were concerned about him, so he extended his right hand and made a few forceful grasping motions in the air. He said: “Look, it’s already fine. Captain He said that as long as I keep practicing diligently, there’s a good chance it will fully recover.”

Zhang Xiaohu didn’t press the issue and simply said: “That’s great! Just keep practicing slowly and steadily.”

Li Jinfeng was also pleased and said: “That’s wonderful! I’ll soon be able to watch you practice your martial arts. By the way, I noticed that your bed and table are covered with books. It seems you’ve been studying hard in your spare time, how impressive, you’re truly cultivating both martial and literary skills.”

Zhang Xiaohua felt a bit embarrassed and said: “I’m not as good as Young Master Li says. I just read randomly when I have nothing else to do.”

Afterward, Zhang Xiaohua brought up some questions he had encountered while reading, and he discussed them with Li Jinfeng. There were quite a few questions, but after Li Jinfeng answered each one, he couldn’t help but look at Zhang Xiaohua with newfound respect. He said: “Zhang Xiaohua, you’re really something. If you weren’t delving deep into these books, you wouldn’t have such profound insights. I’m impressed, really impressed.”

Hearing Li Jinfeng praise his younger brother, Zhang Xiaohu felt very proud. After the two finished their discussion, Zhang Xiaohu finally interjected and asked: “Xiaohua, are you still practicing your fist techniques?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled wryly and said: “Yes, I’m still practicing, but there hasn’t been much progress.”

Zhang Xiaohu misunderstood, thinking that Zhang Xiaohua was still struggling with forgetfulness in his practice, not knowing the full extent of his situation. He laughed and said: “It’s okay, just keep practicing slowly. One day, you’ll get it.”

Zhang Xiaohua replied: “I know, Second Brother. I haven’t given up, I’m still working hard. By the way, how’s your internal energy training coming along?”

Seeing the hopeful look on Zhang Xiaohua’s face, Zhang Xiaohu also smiled wryly and said: “Sigh, don’t be too envious. This internal energy cultivation method isn’t as mysterious as it seems. You’ll understand once you start practicing it. Right now, I can barely sense my inner energy. While I’ve been out escorting, I haven’t had much time to practice. During my free time, I just practice my Six Harmonies Fist. But, I did take your advice and occasionally practice the Nan Zhi Fist as well. After all, stones from another mountain can be used to refine jade, and I’ve gained some insights.”

Zhang Xiaohua listened to his brother’s words with great joy, happy for his second brother’s progress. Suddenly, it seemed like he had grasped something important, but when he tried to think it through, he couldn’t quite understand it. So, he grabbed Zhang Xiaohu’s arm with his left hand and urgently asked: “Second Brother, what did you just say? Can you say it again?”

Zhang Xiaohu’s face contorted in pain as he gasped: “Xiaohua, let go quickly! Be gentle, why are you using so much strength?”

Zhang Xiaohua quickly realized his mistake and released his grip, grinning sheepishly. “Hehe, sorry, Second Brother. I got a bit carried away. Something you said reminded me of something, but I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please don’t mind, say it again quickly.”

Zhang Xiaohu, a bit confused, replied: “I just mentioned that I took your advice and started practicing Nan Zhi Fist, trying to integrate it with my previous fist technique.”

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No, that’s not it. Isn’t there something else?”

Zhang Xiaohu frowned, thinking back, and then said: “Well, I also said that the internal energy techniques aren’t as mysterious as you might think. I’ve only just started to sense my qi. That’s about it.”

Zhang Xiaohua continued to ponder but still shook his head.

Zhang Xiaohu, at a loss, said: “That’s really all I said. When running escort missions, it’s hard to find the time to practice internal energy techniques properly, so I mainly focused on fist techniques. Other than the Six Harmonies Fist and Nan Zhi Fist, I didn’t practice much else.”

The mention of the “Six Harmonies Fist” sparked a flash of insight in Zhang Xiaohua’s mind. Hehe, that’s it! The Six Harmonies Fist! No wonder he felt so strongly when his second brother mentioned this earlier. Despite learning over a hundred types of fist techniques, he had never learned the Six Harmonies Fist. Sigh, what does it mean to overlook something? This is the situation we’re talking about.

It was indeed a curious coincidence. When He Tianshu was teaching Zhang Xiaohua fist techniques, Zhang Xiaohua had mentioned seeing others practice the Six Harmonies Fist but never managing to learn even a single move. The Six Harmonies Fist is notoriously complex, so when He Tianshu saw Zhang Xiaohua’s terrifying memory, he might have subconsciously decided not to teach him this particular technique, possibly forgetting it on purpose.

During Zhang Xiaohua’s time at the Lotus Escort Agency, the Six Harmonies Fist manual was indeed available, but because Zhang Xiaohu was well-known for practicing it, many others borrowed the manual from the library to study it further, hoping to learn something from it. As a result, the manual was often borrowed out of the library, and Zhang Xiaohua never got a chance to read it.

Moreover, during the time when Zhang Xiaohu was practicing the Six Harmonies Fist at the agency, Zhang Xiaohua was absorbed in studying other martial arts manuals. He never thought to learn his second brother’s signature martial art. Even just now, the manual that had fallen between the shelves in Elder Yu’s room earlier, may have been the Six Harmonies Fist manual.

In any case, through a series of coincidences and opportunities, Zhang Xiaohua only remembered at the very end that there was still a set of fist techniques he was most familiar with, the first fist technique he had ever seen, the Six Harmonies Fist, which he had not yet learned!

Alas, fate plays tricks on people.

However, since he had discovered another fist technique he hadn’t yet mastered, Zhang Xiaohua was still feeling mixed emotions. Maybe he could learn the entire set of Six Harmonies Fist, or maybe he couldn’t. In any case, he couldn’t get his hopes up too high this time. He just hoped to learn something from it. At least a move or two.

And the person who could teach him this fist technique was none other than his own second brother. So, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t hold back and immediately asked Zhang Xiaohu to start demonstrating the moves for him on the spot.

Zhang Xiaohu, however, was utterly confused. After having just been talking for a while, his little brother suddenly insisted on him teaching the Six Harmonies Fist. Although Zhang Xiaohu didn’t mind, he glanced at Li Jinfeng, who was standing beside them, and then at the somewhat cramped little room they were in. He hesitated.

Li Jinfeng seemed to notice Zhang Xiaohu’s hesitation and quickly said: “Brother Zhang, don’t worry about me. I know Xiaohua’s personality well. Besides, he’s my first student, so seeing his progress makes me very happy.”

It was only then that Zhang Xiaohua realized his rudeness and said: “I’m sorry, Young Master Li. I’ll talk to you once I finish learning this fist technique.”

Zhang Xiaohu then said: “Xiaohua, isn’t this room a bit small? You might not be able to practice properly here. The rooms at the escort agency are bigger, and I could demonstrate there.”

Zhang Xiaohua rubbed his chin and said: “It’s okay, Second Brother. Just demonstrate it slowly and teach me, that’s all. Besides, I’ll probably forget the moves anyway.”

Li Jinfeng was taken aback by what he heard. What kind of thing was this? You’re being taught a fist technique, but you’re already saying you’ll forget it. Then why even bother learning it?

But Zhang Xiaohu understood what he meant. After thinking it over for a moment, he said: “Alright, since that’s the case, I’ll start teaching you now.”