Chapter 216

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At this moment, Zhang Xiaohu’s face immediately shifted to one of delight as he said: “Indeed, I’m eager to return home. Yet, we still need to stay here for a few more days. Thinking about it makes me itch with anticipation.”

Zhang Xiaohua, with a serious expression, responded: “Such impatience isn’t conducive to cultivating internal energy techniques, Second Brother. Didn’t you just mention the principle of ‘haste makes waste’ a moment ago? And now, so soon after, you’ve already succumbed to restlessness?”

Zhang Xiaohu slightly widened his eyes, glanced at Zhang Xiaohua in front of him, and unconsciously revealed a smile at the corners of his mouth. He said: “Understood. The ancients truly said it well: ‘An onlooker sees clearly, while the person involved remains confused.’ Don’t mock me. It just shows we all need more tempering.”

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t argue, nodding as he replied: “Precisely so.”

The two then discussed preparations for their journey home before parting ways.

After leaving Zhang Xiaohu’s small courtyard, Zhang Xiaohua noticed that the Piaomiao Sect had already returned to its usual calm. Perhaps Ou Peng’s orders had taken effect, ensuring smooth governance, or perhaps enough time had passed that the forbidden area ceased causing trouble, leading the disciples to feel less reverent and apprehensive. Whatever the case, the sect now seemed no different from before, with no trace of the prior panic or mystery.

Returning once more to Huanxi Villa, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. Ever since being taken to the Piaomiao Sect to participate in the martial arts competition, he had barely spent any time at Huanxi Villa. Over this period, so many events had occurred, and soon, he would have to make another trip back to Guo Village. It seemed he was destined to part with the villa yet again.

Upon entering the villa, Zhang Xiaohua’s first task was to visit the herb field. As expected, most of the herbs that had been on the verge of withering were now thriving. Additionally, the field had been well-tended, with no weeds in sight. It was clear that He Tianshu and Nie Xiao’er had been diligently caring for it over the past days. Looking up, Zhang Xiaohua noticed that the small straw hut he had painstakingly built was nowhere to be seen—likely taken down for being an eyesore. However, he didn’t mind. After all, with his upcoming absence from the villa, even if he returned in the future, it would be best to avoid any activities that might provoke others.

When Zhang Xiaohua saw the still-barren herb fields where no sprouts had emerged, he no longer felt the same sense of helplessness as before. After all, he already knew the reason these seeds couldn’t germinate—he simply needed to find a way to provide them with sufficient Yuan Qi. However, even the Qi gathered through drawing thunder wasn’t enough to meet the requirement. For the time being, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t think of a better solution.

As he walked back toward his small courtyard, he unexpectedly ran into Ma Jing and Liu Er. Ma Jing was as thin as ever, like a beanpole, while Liu Er had grown even fatter—likely having more than compensated for the losses he suffered when leaving the villa. From a distance, Zhang Xiaohua spotted Ma Jing, smiled, and cupped his fists in greeting. It had been a long time since he had spoken with Ma Jing, given his time spent with He Tianshu and the others. Although he still dreaded Ma Jing’s smelly hands from scratching his feet, talking from afar should be safe enough, right?

But Ma Jing didn’t behave as Zhang Xiaohua expected. Instead of his usual arrogance, Ma Jing broke into a trot from a distance, leaving Liu Er far behind, who couldn’t keep up and was left gasping.

When Ma Jing approached, he was the first to salute and said enthusiastically: “Younger Brother Zhang, it’s been a long time. How have you been?”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua was stunned. He sized Ma Jing up from top to bottom, left to right, was this still Ma Jing? He finally asked doubtfully: “Brother Ma, what’s this all about?”

Ma Jing waved his hands repeatedly and said: “Don’t call me Brother Ma! I’m just a few years older than you. Calling me Ma Jing will do. Brother Zhang, I’ve always known you were a talent. From the moment you moved in, I could tell. Truly, I’ve decided that one day I’ll hang a plaque in my little hut that reads, ‘Zhang Xiaohua Once Slept Here!’ When you’re famous throughout the Jianghu, it’ll be a tourist attraction. One visit, one copper coin—what do you think? Oh, and while we’re at it, why don’t you leave me a piece of calligraphy? I’ve heard you’ve learned to write recently, which is already far better than someone like me, who’s blind to the written word.”

Ma Jing, looking excited, reached out to grab Zhang Xiaohua’s hands. Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua immediately stepped back, unwilling to let him get close. He quickly cupped his fists and said: “Brother Ma, I have matters to attend to. As for what you just mentioned, feel free to handle it as you see fit. I’ll take my leave now.”

With that, he performed his floating technique and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Watching Zhang Xiaohua’s astonishing qinggong, Ma Jing’s admiration grew even stronger. Clicking his tongue in amazement, he muttered: “Tsk, tsk. Truly not an ordinary person. When he first arrived, he was just a clueless country bumpkin. Look at those skills now! No wonder even the old bald donkeys of Dalin Temple can’t match him. Sigh, comparing oneself to others is truly frustrating. Why couldn’t He Tianshu see the martial genius in me?”

As he spoke, Ma Jing absentmindedly brought his fingers to his nose for a sniff, then called out to Liu Er, who had just caught up, and the two left to carry out their tasks with a sense of dejection.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaohua walked along, pondering: “Why has Ma Jing become so courteous? Then again, I wanted to chat with him earlier, but when I opened my mouth, I couldn’t think of anything to say. This guy was so hateful before, always bullying me. Yet now, I don’t even feel like punishing him. How strange.”

In truth, the situation was quite simple. Although Zhang Xiaohua and Ma Jing still lived in the same small courtyard, they now belonged to entirely different worlds and shared no common topics of conversation. Zhang Xiaohua, with his current skills, could deal with Ma Jing effortlessly, but he wasn’t one to seek petty revenge. Why waste time troubling himself over Ma Jing’s past misdeeds? Moreover, Zhang Xiaohua’s display of dominance during the martial arts competition wasn’t something the Piaomiao Sect would widely advertise, but it wasn’t exactly a secret either. Word would inevitably spread through the Jianghu. Given how close Huanxi Villa was, it was only natural that the news had reached even the lowest servants.

For Jianghu elites, such competitions among low-level disciples might be trivial. But for someone like Ma Jing, it was monumental. He couldn’t forget how he and the others had bullied Zhang Xiaohua when he first arrived at the villa. Now, all the servants were terrified. If Zhang Xiaohua decided to settle old scores, how could they be his opponent?

So, when Ma Jing saw Zhang Xiaohua, he immediately approached him, hoping to use their past acquaintance to get closer and latch onto a future rising star. At the same time, he wanted to ease Zhang Xiaohua’s anger and ensure that the latter wouldn’t hold grudges over past misdeeds.

As Zhang Xiaohua walked on, he gradually grasped Ma Jing’s intentions and couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. Now I interact directly with the likes of Sect Master Ou and Senior Brother Zhang, the chief disciple. How could I possibly concern myself with petty matters involving mere servants like Ma Jing?

While lost in thought, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly noticed the arched gate ahead and was startled. How did I get here so quickly today?

It was only then that Zhang Xiaohua realized he had unconsciously used the floating technique, employing it for the entire journey.

Feeling a surge of joy, Zhang Xiaohua thought back. Before drawing lightning, he could only barely manage to float. He hadn’t practiced his Qinggong techniques over the past few days, yet his progress had been significant. It seemed the floating technique was indeed closely tied to his internal energy.

With the hour still early, Zhang Xiaohua decided against entering the courtyard. Instead, he turned around and used his Qinggong to dash toward the small grove nearby.

Entering the forest, Zhang Xiaohua did not immediately continue practicing his qinggong. Instead, he sat cross-legged to examine the flow of True Qi within his meridians. Once he had a clear understanding, he began silently reciting the floating technique of the Piaomiao Steps, guiding the True Qi to circulate through his meridians. Gradually, his body started to lift off the ground. Afterward, Zhang Xiaohua followed the body techniques described in the Piaomiao Steps, combined with the Qinggong methods taught by He Tianshu. He leaped up and down, darting through the forest like an arrow, moving swiftly and nimbly.

After practicing for a while, Zhang Xiaohua felt incredibly pleased. Although his Qinggong was still in its early stages, and his leaps were limited in height and range, he could now perform the technique. No longer would he have to measure every step when traveling. As his internal energy improved, he felt confident that soaring freely in the air was just a matter of time.

Once his excitement had subsided, Zhang Xiaohua sat cross-legged again to inspect his True Qi. To his dismay, he discovered that the previously thread-thin strand of true qi had shrunk noticeably. Heartbroken, Zhang Xiaohua lamented. I worked so hard to absorb even a little bit of Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth, and in just a short while of leaping around, so much of it was wasted. How can I dare to use my techniques so freely in the future?

This Qinggong is also a waste of inner energy.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaohua decided not to get up immediately. Instead, he began silently running the Heart Sutra’s internal energy technique, allowing his True Qi to circulate through a full cycle in his meridians. After carefully examining his condition again, Zhang Xiaohua sighed in relief. The previously diminished True Qi had replenished slightly. Fortunately, even without absorbing the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth, simply circulating his True Qi could restore it. Otherwise, Zhang Xiaohua truly wouldn’t dare to use Qinggong recklessly.

Afterward, Zhang Xiaohua resumed practicing in the grove. Gradually, he discovered that if he only floated briefly and then used the lightness techniques of the Piaomiao Steps for forward movement, the consumption of True Qi was minimal. However, if he floated for an extended period without using lightness techniques or leveraging external forces, the depletion of True Qi was significant.

The most energy-intensive activity, he realized, was prolonged floating at a higher altitude while simply relying on True Qi to move forward without employing the techniques of the Piaomiao Steps or external aids. This left Zhang Xiaohua wondering whether such techniques could still be considered Qinggong at all!

After completing his practice, Zhang Xiaohua sat cross-legged in the grove to meditate and regulate his breathing for a long time before finally returning to the courtyard.

The small courtyard looked the same as when Zhang Xiaohua first arrived.

Entering his room, Zhang Xiaohua decided to thoroughly tidy it up. He had only managed to clean half of it before heading to the medicine fields last time. The next day, after washing up, he had been preoccupied with thoughts of the fields and had completely forgotten about tidying up. Better finish it this time—who knows when I’ll get another chance? he thought.

Once everything was neatly arranged, Zhang Xiaohua pushed open his door and walked to He Tianshu’s room.

He knocked gently and He Tianshu’s familiar voice called out from inside: “Who is it? Come in.”

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua enter, He Tianshu smiled and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, you’ve finally shown your face. Sigh, you’re like a dragon—your head appears, but your tail is nowhere to be seen.”

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled awkwardly. “Captain He, you jest. It’s just that the Sect Master had some matters for me to attend to. Once that was done, I came straight back. Where else could I possibly go?”

He Tianshu shook his head. “Being able to meet the Sect Master frequently and carry out tasks for him—that’s the dream of every disciple of our Piaomiao Sect. And yet, here you are, not even a disciple, already receiving the Great Sect Master’s favor. It’s enough to make us all envious.”

“Envious?” Zhang Xiaohua forced a bitter smile.