Chapter 116

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Chapter 116: Medicinal Herb 

Zhang Xiaohua put down the book and briefly explained the recent situation to his second brother. Naturally, Zhang Xiaohu was most concerned about his right hand. Helplessly, Zhang Xiaohua had to raise his right hand in front of his brother again, bending his fingers a few times. Looking at his younger brother’s somewhat thin right hand and slightly more flexible fingers, Zhang Xiaohu felt a bit relieved and was full of hope that Zhang Xiaohua’s right hand would eventually recover to its original state.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Xiaohua finally asked the main question: “Second Brother, how is your internal martial arts training going?”

Hearing Zhang Xiaohua’s question, Zhang Xiaohu couldn’t hide the excitement in his eyes and said: “Take a guess?”

Seeing his second brother’s expression, Zhang Xiaohua naturally knew and exclaimed in surprise: “Second Brother, you succeeded?”

Zhang Xiaohu replied: “Yes, a few days after I returned from your place, I successfully sensed my qi.”

Zhang Xiaohua asked, “So, does the sensing of qi mean you’ve mastered the internal energy martial technique?”

Zhang Xiaohu shook his head and said: “It’s still early. Sensing qi is just the first step in the process. The road ahead is still long. Being able to sense qi means that I can now start practicing the inner energy cultivation method. With direction, I can start gathering qi in my dantian, which lays the foundation for circulating qi through my body’s meridians later on. If one can’t even sense qi, there’s no way to practice the internal energy cultivation method.”

These words left Zhang Xiaohua completely puzzled. Although he had been reading a lot recently, including martial arts novels, he had never come across anything related to internal energy cultivation techniques. Zhang Xiaohu’s professional terminology left him scratching his head.

So he had to ask: “Second Brother, can you tell me what sense of qi is, what the dantian is, and what gathering and circulating qi mean?”

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s curious expression, Zhang Xiaohu thought for a moment, stood up, went outside to take a quick look, and then closed the door slightly. He then said to Zhang Xiaohua: “Actually, these terms are quite ordinary. Anyone who practices internal energy cultivation techniques must know them, so it’s not really a secret. Although Third Master Qu instructed me not to reveal the content of the internal martial arts technique, I think this kind of basic knowledge doesn’t fall under that restriction.”

Zhang Xiaohua replied, “Second Brother, if you’re really not supposed to talk about it, then forget it. I’ll ask Captain He when I get back.”

Zhang Xiaohu smiled and said: “If I truly couldn’t talk about it, I wouldn’t be telling you. Since I can explain it to you, why bother asking others?”

Zhang Xiaohua jumped up in excitement and said: “I knew Second Brother treats me the best. So hurry up and tell me!”

Zhang Xiaohu organized his thoughts and began to explain slowly: “When it comes to internal energy, we must first talk about the meridians. Meridians are the pathways in our body through which True Qi flows. Through these pathways, True Qi can be sent to different parts of the body, and using True Qi to execute moves results in inner energy. Do you understand, Xiaohua?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded and said: “I get it. When an ordinary person throws a punch, it’s just with their own physical strength. But if True Qi is flowing through the meridians in their fist, then it also involves inner energy, right?”

Zhang Xiaohu nodded approvingly and said: “Exactly. So, cultivating internal energy is essentially a process of accumulating True Qi. The accumulation of True Qi is a process from nothing to something, and this initial stage is called ‘finding the sense of qi’. Once you have the sense of qi, you’ve obtained your first strand of True Qi. True Qi is usually stored in a place called the dantian, which is located below the navel. When you practice and call upon it, it flows out from the dantian and moves along the meridians throughout your body or to the place where you want it to go. Generally speaking, the process of channeling your energy is also the process of gathering qi. The more True Qi you gather, the greater your internal energy will become.”

Zhang Xiaohua pondered for a moment and said: “So when Yu Deyi used that Purple Sand Palm last time, the internal energy he used involved moving True Qi from his dantian to his palm, which is why it had such immense power, right?”

Zhang Xiaohu nodded and said: “Yes, the movement of True Qi is a very precise process. It has to follow a fixed route, and it must not be disturbed. If there’s even a slight disturbance, it can deviate from its original path and go astray, causing the body to lose control at best, or leading to death at worst. This is what’s commonly referred to as ‘going into qi deviation’. In fact, when we used to practice martial arts without using True Qi, there was no risk of going into qi deviation, haha.”

Only now did Zhang Xiaohua understand what ‘going into qi deviation’ really meant.

Zhang Xiaohua then continued to ask: “So how is True Qi generated? Does it come from the soles of your feet? Or does it just appear out of thin air from your fingertips?”

Recalling the sensations of sudden warmth and coldness he had experienced, as well as the way it flowed within his body, Zhang Xiaohua vaguely felt that this was different from what his second brother described as True Qi. Instead, it was more like the warm current he felt when using the sword technique, though it seemed to come out of nowhere from his shoulder rather than from his dantian.

Zhang Xiaohu thought for a moment and said: “I’m not sure if this is the same for every type of internal energy cultivation technique, but when I practice, I sit with my five hearts facing the sky, focusing on my breathing and mind. I press my tongue against the roof of my mouth and imagine a stream of air flowing into my forehead. Then, I swallow the saliva in my mouth, using it to guide this air to my dantian. This process is crucial, and I’ve been working on it for a while. Only recently have I been able to truly gather True Qi in my dantian.”

[TL_Note: “Five hearts facing the sky” refers to a specific meditation posture in traditional Chinese martial arts and qigong. In this posture, the practitioner sits cross-legged with their hands resting on their knees, and palms facing upward, which are considered the “hearts” of the hands. The other “hearts” refer to the soles of the feet, which are also facing upward in this posture, and the heart in the chest. This position is meant to align the body and mind, facilitating the flow of qi (energy) and improving concentration during meditation or internal energy cultivation exercises.]

Zhang Xiaohua was stunned; this process was very different from what he had experienced. However, he wasn’t ready to give up and asked: “Second Brother, does True Qi always have to be stored in the dantian? Is there any way for it to enter the body in one place and exit from another?”

Zhang Xiaohu was taken aback and frowned, saying, “I can’t say for sure, but from what Third Master Qu told me, the dantian is the center of True Qi. Without the dantian, you can’t cultivate internal martial arts. In fact, crippling someone’s martial arts in the martial arts world usually involves damaging their dantian. So, if you don’t have a dantian, it might not work. Moreover, True Qi is supposed to be transported from the dantian when you need to use it. If it just enters from one place and exits from another, how would you even use it? Could it still be called True Qi?”

He then asked: “Xiaohua, why are you asking such strange questions?”

Zhang Xiaohua opened his mouth, initially intending to tell the truth, but remembering the consequences of going into qi deviation that his second brother had just mentioned, he was afraid that saying something might affect his brother’s cultivation. Besides, he couldn’t clearly explain what was happening to him, and saying it might only cause his brother to worry. So, he decided to keep it to himself for now and only share it once he figured it out.

Deciding on his course of action, Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “I’m just curious about internal energy. It’s not every day you find someone who understands it, so shouldn’t I ask a bit more?”

Zhang Xiaohu patted his chest and, with a worried expression, said: “Third Master Qu also mentioned that cultivating True Qi is extremely dangerous. It’s generally done under the guidance of an experienced master, otherwise, it’s easy to fall into qi deviation. Don’t practice recklessly.”

Zhang Xiaohua grinned and said: “I understand, Second Brother. I do want to cultivate, but where would I find an internal energy training method?”

Zhang Xiaohu also smiled and said: “That’s true.”

Soon after, Zhang Xiaohu asked about the Six Harmonies Fist Zhang Xiaohua had learned. When he heard that Zhang Xiaohua only remembered seven moves, he was left speechless, unsure of how to comfort his Zhang Xiaohua.

However, seeing that Zhang Xiaohua himself seemed indifferent to it, Zhang Xiaohu decided not to say much. He was actually quite curious about how well Zhang Xiaohua’s martial arts training was going, but thinking it might not be good news, he feared it would hurt his brother’s feelings and decided to avoid the topic.

As the two brothers chatted casually, time passed quickly. Before they knew it, the day had turned to late afternoon. As it was getting dark, Zhang Xiaohua bid farewell to his second brother and returned to the Huanxi Villa.

Upon returning to the villa, it was already completely dark. Walking along the path with the books on medicinal herb cultivation in his hands, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but find it amusing. He remembered the last time he made a joke about the books to Li Jinfeng, and Li Jinfeng had taken it seriously. How earnest he must be… Wait, thinking about how Li Jinfeng had come to the villa last time, Zhang Xiaohua realized that Li Jinfeng was indeed very sincere and thoughtful. However, thinking about Big Sister Qiu Tong’s kindness, and Li Jinfeng’s honesty and simplicity, Zhang Xiaohua was willing to do something in return. He just didn’t know how Big Sister Qiu Tong felt about Young Master Li, so he decided to wait for a chance to find out in the future.

As he entered the small courtyard and passed by He Tianshu’s room, he noticed that the light inside was on. Knowing that He Tianshu was probably in the room, Zhang Xiaohua looked at the books in his hands and walked up to the door. Before he could knock, he heard He Tianshu’s slightly hoarse voice from inside: “Who is it? Come in.”

Zhang Xiaohua was surprised. He pushed the door open and entered, curiously asking: “Captain He, I didn’t even knock. How did you know someone was here?”

Seeing that it was Zhang Xiaohua, He Tianshu smiled and said: “Ah, once you practice internal martial arts, you’ll understand. By channeling internal energy to your ears, you can hear movements within a few zhang around you.”

[TL_Note: about 3.3 meters per zhang]

Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed in surprise: “Ah! That’s amazing!”

He Tianshu continued: “It depends on the depth of your internal energy. Some people can even hear things from over ten zhang away.”

Zhang Xiaohua looked up at him with admiration, his eyes practically sparkling with awe.

However, he then recalled that sometimes he also seemed to sense people moving outside, although it seemed more like a vague feeling rather than actual hearing.

Then, He Tianshu asked: “You took a leave today to visit the Lotus Escort Agency, right? How is your brother doing there?”

Zhang Xiaohua happily replied: “Yes, Captain He, I hadn’t seen my second brother for a while, so I went to visit him. He’s doing well and started practicing his inner energy training method.”

“Oh~” He Tianshu was a bit surprised and said: “He’s already developed a sense of qi so quickly?”

Zhang Xiaohua proudly said: “Of course! Didn’t I tell you before? My second brother is a genius.”

He Tianshu gave Zhang Xiaohua a playful flick on the forehead and said: “I was just surprised that your second brother developed a sense of qi so quickly. I never said he was a genius. Generally, people who are distracted or have a lot on their minds find it hard to sense qi, but even so, your brother’s achievement isn’t exactly genius-level. Most disciples in the Piaomiao Sect typically develop a sense of qi within two or three days.”

“Oh, I see.” Zhang Xiaohua replied, his mouth wide open. He had thought of his second brother as an idol, but now couldn’t all the disciples of the Piaomiao sect be his idols?

That makes idols seem too cheap.

Zhang Xiaohua looked at He Tianshu and asked: “Captain He, how long did it take for you to develop a sense of qi?”

He Tianshu scratched his head, pretending to be deep in thought, and said: “I think it was around four days. My talent wasn’t that great, so I got assigned to the Medicine Hall.”

“Sigh,” Zhang Xiaohua sighed and lowered his head. He said: “I guess I’ll be assigned to the kitchen.”

“Come on, it’s not so easy to get into the Piaomiao Sect’s kitchen.” He Tianshu replied bluntly, without any pretense.

That hurt Zhang Xiaohua’s pride, and his face darkened a bit.

However, He Tianshu added: “If you had joined the Piaomiao Sect as a child, you might have been assigned to the Divine Forging Hall.”

Zhang Xiaohua’s face lit up with excitement as he asked: “Divine Forging Hall? That sounds majestic. What do they do?”

He Tianshu explained: “The Divine Forging Hall is responsible for crafting weapons for the Piaomiao Sect. The strength in your hands would be something they’d envy.”

“Ah~ I see.” Zhang Xiaohua finally understood. They weren’t interested in his talent but in his physical strength. But, come to think of it, his strength wasn’t always this great. How did it suddenly become so powerful?

Could it be that well water?

As Zhang Xiaohua pondered this, He Tianshu interrupted his thoughts, asking: “By the way, did you need something?”

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly remembered the reason he had entered the room and asked: “Captain He, I’ve noticed you’ve been looking worried lately. I heard from Nie Xiao’Er that it might be because of those herb seeds that aren’t sprouting.”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s been almost a year now, and I’m a little concerned.” He Tianshu sighed, then continued: “These herbs were planted at the beginning of the year, but for some reason, they just won’t sprout. Actually, it’s okay for me to stay here, but if things continue like this, it could jeopardize important matters for the sect. A lot of medicines depend on these herbs, so…”

He suddenly stopped, realizing that he had revealed too much, and awkwardly added: “Anyway, I just feel a bit guilty about it.”

Zhang Xiaohua raised the books in his hand and said: “Oh, when I went to the escort agency to visit my second brother, Young Master Li Jingfeng gave me a few books on medicinal herbs. I thought you might want to take a look and see if they could be of any help.”

He Tianshu smiled and patted Zhang Xiaohua on the shoulder, saying: “Zhang Xiaohua, thank you. You’re really thoughtful.”

“However,” After flipping through the books briefly, He Tianshu said apologetically: “Although I can read and write, it’s mostly limited to martial arts texts. I can’t really understand this stuff. Besides, the elders in the Medicine Hall have been researching this issue day and night, and they’ve likely already gone through books like these. If there were a solution in them, they would have found it by now.”

But Zhang Xiaohua wasn’t deterred and said: “Books are written by people, and different readers might gain different insights. As the old saying goes, ‘Two heads are better than one’. It’s worth a try.”

He Tianshu was left speechless. He didn’t have the experience of discovering a powerful technique like “Big Dipper Divine Fist” from ordinary martial arts manuals, so he was naturally skeptical. However, after a moment of thought, he said: “Alright, Zhang Xiaohua, among us, you’re the only one with a remarkable talent for literature (though your talent in martial arts is rather abysmal). I’ll leave this task to you. Go through these books first, and if you need more, I’ll borrow some additional ones from the Medicine Hall. What do you think?”

Zhang Xiaohua was stunned. What kind of situation was this? He had merely suggested a possible solution, and now the entire responsibility was thrust upon him. How could he ever speak up again? Every time he offered a reasonable suggestion, the response would be, “Great idea, you handle it”. Who could bear that? It felt like pure bureaucratic nonsense.

However, Zhang Xiaohua was powerless to refuse He Tianshu’s order, so he reluctantly agreed. Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s helpless expression, He Tianshu also felt a twinge of guilt. Passing such a burden onto a young boy wasn’t ideal, but he didn’t want to dampen Zhang Xiaohua’s enthusiasm either. It was nothing else but ‘treating a dead horse as a live one’, if Zhang Xiaohua found a solution, great; if not, it wouldn’t matter much. Either way, all he’d be doing is reading a few more books. Still, He Tianshu could already predict the outcome with his heels.

With his head hanging low, Zhang Xiaohua carried the books back to his small room. He lit the oil lamp but didn’t immediately start reading. Instead, he grabbed a lantern, went outside, and headed to the woods to practice his martial arts and swordsmanship.

Swordsmanship was a life-saving skill, so naturally, the more proficient he became, the better. After many days of practice, the warm current from his left-handed sword technique, which flowed from his shoulder to his fingertips, seemed to move faster. His left-hand sword movements also seemed quicker, with more unpredictable angles. Zhang Xiaohua could barely understand how his left-hand swordsmanship was evolving. Could it be that this technique was progressing and adapting to his practice?

His right-hand sword technique, however, remained the same. There was no noticeable change accompanying the left-hand sword technique’s progress, but he did feel his right-hand fingers becoming more agile, with his injury healing as expected.

What excited Zhang Xiaohua the most, though, was his self-created Big Dipper Divine Fist. The 108 moves hadn’t changed as his left-hand swordsmanship had, they remained as he had originally pieced them together. Although they differed from what was taught or recorded in the manuals, they had become fixed in form. The flowing sensation still appeared after nine consecutive practices, but the only difference was that the flow seemed slightly stronger.

Still, Zhang Xiaohua felt a bit disheartened. How great would it be if that flow could remain within his body? Then he could actually use it. But this sensation appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly, what good was that? Was it just touring his body? He couldn’t figure it out, no matter how much he thought about it.

Zhang Xiaohua returned to his room after his daily practice and picked up the book he had already started reading earlier that morning. He immersed himself in its content, finding great pleasure in the process. Anyway, he already finished all the books in his room and had no other reading materials available. Zhang Xiaohua had developed a strong habit of reading daily. Without a book in hand, he felt something was missing, so he treated these specialized texts as his leisure reading.

Therefore, with this new habit, Zhang Xiaohua’s daily routine now consisted of three main activities, practicing his martial arts three times a day—morning, noon, and night—and reading whenever he had free time. Besides working in the medicinal fields, he was always seen with a book in hand.

Zhang Xiaohua wasn’t just passively reading, though. He frequently cross-referenced the content of the books with practical experience, trying to merge theory with practice. However, the medicinal fields managed by He Tianshu and the others were limited in size and variety, and many of the herbs mentioned in the books were not found there. This forced Zhang Xiaohua to often visit the medicinal fields managed by Tian Chongxi and his team to seek out examples.

Tian Chongxi, as a responsible steward, was patient with Zhang Xiaohua’s constant questions and admired his dedication to learning. However, Ma Jing and the other young servants in blue robes were not as understanding. Perhaps they were jealous of Zhang Xiaohua’s access to first-rate meals, or perhaps they envied his literacy. They never missed an opportunity to mock him with sarcastic remarks. How could Zhang Xiaohua pay attention to them? He treated their taunts like mere background noise as if they were the barking of dogs.

The days passed one by one amid the constant barking of dogs and chicken feathers everywhere.