Chapter 27: The Hidden Ox

After listening to Wu Yu’s explanation, Cui Xiu gained a bit more insight into Liu Family Village, though the specifics still remained unclear. The main reason was that Wu Yu himself didn’t know much—after all, he hadn’t stayed long in Liu Family Village. Some matters he had either heard from the village head or picked up by chance, so his knowledge was far from comprehensive.

Cui Xiu felt a tinge of regret about this, but he didn’t press further. Right now, the affairs of Liu Family Village were of little use to him; whether he needed to dig deeper would depend on whether he could uncover the origin of the short cudgel from Guan Yuan tomorrow.

So, after Wu Yu had finished explaining, Cui Xiu asked no more and prepared to take his leave. Now that the short cudgel had been entrusted to Guan Yuan, it was time for him to study the two manuals he had received from Wu Yu.

“In that case, Brother Wu, I’ll take my leave for now. I’ll visit again tomorrow,” Cui Xiu said, rising to depart.

“Wait, Brother Cui!” Wu Yu hurriedly raised his hand to stop him.

Cui Xiu turned at his words, and Wu Yu continued, “Since you’re already here, why not stay at my home for the night, if you don’t mind?”

So that was his intention.

Hearing this, Cui Xiu smiled slightly, ready to decline; he didn’t know much about the Wu family and it wouldn’t be appropriate to stay the night. But as soon as he began to refuse, Wu Yu sighed, “Is it that you still care about my father’s attitude, Brother Cui?”

Faced with this, Cui Xiu didn’t know how to respond. He could only nod and accept Wu Yu’s invitation to stay at the Wu household.

…

That night, a servant brought Cui Xiu his dinner. Wu Yu had matters to discuss with his father, so he couldn’t keep Cui Xiu company and had specially sent Wu Xiu to explain.

Cui Xiu didn’t mind in the least; in fact, it suited him well. He preferred not to be disturbed while studying those two manuals.

After Wu Xiu left, Cui Xiu closed the door, sat down on the bed, and took the two manuals from his bundle.

Bull Subduing Fist.

Blazing Sun Saber.

Gazing at the somewhat hastily scrawled titles on the covers, Cui Xiu felt a surge of excitement and gently brushed his hand across the books. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he finally calmed down and opened the Bull Subduing Fist first.

As for the saber technique, he had no blade at hand for now.

“Bull Subduing focuses on tempering the skin and flesh, strengthening the blood and qi, and increasing physical power…”

The opening summary made clear the direction of the fist technique—it was a path of externally refining the muscles and bones. But for Cui Xiu, there was little distinction; apart from basic swordsmanship, he had not been exposed to other martial arts—calisthenics didn’t count. Given his status, it would have been difficult to acquire any secret manuals on his own.

Now, by a stroke of serendipity, he was able to gain something through Wu Yu’s means, and that was rare indeed. He naturally didn’t care whether the technique focused on external or internal cultivation. For him, internal cultivation would be preferable; after all, recalling memories of his previous life, perhaps the path of internal energy could lead to the extraordinary.

Still, lacking an internal technique and only having this external one, he didn’t mind. Possessing source energy, he didn’t need to toil over study like others; as long as he grasped the basics, he could rely on his special abilities to advance. To him, the more martial manuals, the better.

Of course, he also understood that advancing in this fashion carried hidden dangers, but for now, he had no other choice.

He had already skimmed through these two manuals on his way to Gaoyun that day, so he was somewhat familiar with the text and illustrations. Now, studying them closely, he spent about an hour committing their contents to memory.

This was thanks to the original owner’s abilities. As a scholar accustomed to classical texts, the material in these manuals was far simpler than the writings of the sages. Moreover, in his previous life, Cui Xiu had frequented a martial arts school—not that he learned much beyond a set of calisthenics and basic swordsmanship, but in his efforts to impress girls, he had studied traditional martial arts extensively and was well-versed in discussions of the human meridians.

With these combined advantages, understanding an entry-level fist manual was a natural progression.

Setting the manual aside, Cui Xiu closed his eyes to contemplate, reviewing the key points in his mind. Satisfied that he had memorized the essentials, he gently leapt from the bed, barefoot, and moved to the largest open space in the guest room.

The Wu family, as befit a wealthy clan of Anyuan County, had guest rooms that far surpassed ordinary households; few people could boast a chamber spacious enough for martial drills.

Opening stance!

The Green Bull Stamps the Earth!

He stepped out, body steady as an old ox, feet rooted, waist firm!

Though the movement was not dramatic, Cui Xiu stumbled slightly, not quite used to it. He quickly realized the problem and made adjustments. Thanks to his fully mastered basic swordsmanship, his coordination had improved greatly; otherwise, with the original host’s frail body, even noticing the mistake wouldn’t have helped—he might not have managed even the opening stance.

Undeterred by his initial failure, Cui Xiu continued to practice.

Immersed in the fist technique, half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

His opening stance was beginning to take shape, but despite having memorized the manual thoroughly, Cui Xiu could sense that his movements were still lacking, which made him frown involuntarily. After repeated attempts, he realized that his current level wasn’t enough to truly grasp the basics, and he felt a little discouraged.

However, after some thought, a new idea occurred to him.

He silently summoned the gray mist panel and focused on the martial arts section.

The Ninth Set of National Calisthenics.

This was a “skill” he’d previously been reluctant to invest source energy in, but now he reconsidered. Although its style seemed off, it had been developed by the power of an entire nation in his previous life, and was surely beneficial to the body.

Cui Xiu realized he had been too prejudiced before, dismissing the calisthenics as unnecessary to improve, but now he saw that perhaps he should rely on it for help.

Basic swordsmanship had ultimately only given him some experience with the sword; his body was a bit stronger, but as for strengthening his blood, joints, and sinews, its effect was limited. Thus, even with his study of the Bull Subduing Fist, his body would not allow him to make swift progress through adjustments alone—unless he was willing to spend time patiently grinding away.

But that didn’t align with his inner expectations.

Therefore…

Cui Xiu focused his thoughts on the Ninth Set of National Calisthenics already present on his panel.

Upgrade!

He silently recited the command, directing his concentration to the calisthenics entry amid the swirling gray mist.

Soon, as the mist flickered, the panel’s contents changed.

Cui Xiu—

Martial Arts: Thirteen Styles of Basic Swordsmanship (Perfected · 100%), Ninth Set of National Calisthenics (Proficient · 0.8%)

Source Energy: 17.65

The calisthenics had advanced to Proficient, as he had intended, but what shocked him was that reaching the Proficient level had consumed two points of source energy! Before giving up the short cudgel, his source energy had stood at 19.65!