Chapter Twenty-Eight: Divine Skill

The original "Gymnastics Divine Art" had already been grasped at a basic level when Cui Xiu first crossed over and began to nurse his body back to health. Now, upon improving it, the progress was not as dramatic as with Basic Swordsmanship, where two levels could be advanced in one go; nevertheless, it consumed two points of source energy, which naturally surprised Cui Xiu. It wasn't that he was stingy with a single point of source energy, but rather that he realized this discipline was not as simple as he had imagined.

As his gymnastics advanced to the proficient level, Cui Xiu's body underwent another transformation. Unlike the improvement from swordsmanship, this metamorphosis was gentler—his physical strength did not noticeably increase, but he could sense subtle internal changes. After moving around a bit, he noticed a marked improvement in coordination and flexibility, and he felt his reflexes had become sharper as well. The enhancement of gymnastics did not so much strengthen his body as it tuned it to a state of perfection, matching the limits of his current constitution.

Feeling these changes, Cui Xiu did not hesitate to channel more source energy to further elevate his gymnastics. In the blink of an eye, another four points of source energy were consumed, dropping his reserves to 13.65. Cui Xiu did feel a pang of regret, but even more so, he felt anticipation. He could sense that he was in peak condition, as if every inch of his body was under his absolute control. Under such circumstances, Cui Xiu felt certain that training the Ox-Plowing Fist again would yield results.

...

“My intuition was right after all!” Cui Xiu steadied his breathing and, harnessing the optimized body granted by the "Gymnastics Divine Art," began practicing the opening stance of the Ox-Plowing Fist. This time, no obstacles presented themselves; everything flowed with astonishing ease. The Green Ox Stepping Ground—the first move—was executed to perfection! Naturally, his heart filled with joy.

Seizing this optimal state, Cui Xiu wasted no time on idle thoughts, immersing himself in the changes of the Ox-Plowing Fist, progressing steadily from the opening stance onward. Lost in the art of the fist, he unwittingly practiced through the entire night without sleep.

...

A sudden knock at the door startled Cui Xiu from his empty state. “Who is it?” For a brief moment, his mind was slow to catch up; he had forgotten his current situation. Only when he heard the soft, gentle voice of a Wu family maid outside did he truly come to his senses.

“Master Cui, this humble maid, Xiaorou, is here to assist you with your morning wash.”

Xiaorou was a maidservant in the Wu household, a fourteen-year-old girl with delicate features—though still young and a bit frail. She had been specially assigned by Wu Yu to attend to Cui Xiu's daily needs; last night’s dinner had even been delivered by Wu Xiu together with Xiaorou.

Upon hearing her voice, Cui Xiu was momentarily taken aback. Only then did he realize he had spent the entire night immersed in his martial training. The thought brought a wry smile to his lips—it was rather incredible. In his previous life, for various reasons, he had never been one to devote himself to a single pursuit; who would have guessed that, upon living anew, he could train through the night driven by a single martial art? He hardly knew what to make of it.

Shaking his head, Cui Xiu said, “Come in.”

Obediently, Xiaorou entered, carrying a bronze basin filled with clear water and holding a clean cloth. The young girl glanced at Cui Xiu a bit nervously, and upon seeing him barefoot, she paused in surprise. When Cui Xiu looked her way, she hurriedly lowered her gaze and took small steps to place the basin on the stand, then stood respectfully to the side.

Cui Xiu was not bothered by this. After all, he possessed the original host’s memories and was not entirely ignorant of the customs of this world; he knew that idle conversation would only make the girl uneasy. So he said nothing more.

He walked to the basin stand, scooped up a handful of water to wash his face, then took the towel from Xiaorou and dried himself.

“Please wait a moment, Master. I shall bring your breakfast at once,” Xiaorou said as she retrieved the towel, bowing respectfully before carrying the basin out with small, swift steps.

Watching her depart, Cui Xiu returned to his bed and put on his shoes. Turning his attention to the changes in his status panel, he noted that he had consumed a fair amount of source energy to enhance his gymnastics, and after a night of immersion, the panel had changed noticeably.

Cui Xiu—
Martial Arts: Thirteen Stances of Basic Swordsmanship (Perfected · 100%), Ninth Set of National Radio Calisthenics (Perfected · 100%), Ox-Plowing Fist (Initiate · 10%)
Source Energy: 13.65

After a night’s study, he had already entered the introductory level of the Ox-Plowing Fist. This left Cui Xiu rather satisfied, and he felt a sense of accomplishment. Although his progress was aided by the foundation provided by gymnastics, the Ox-Plowing Fist was something he had entered on his own; it could not be said that he relied solely on source energy.

In truth, seeing that he could reach the introductory stage of the Ox-Plowing Fist within a single night—and with a decent improvement in proficiency—Cui Xiu began to form some ideas.

If entry came easily, perhaps he could conserve his source energy. After all, he had yet to find a stable source for it; unless absolutely necessary or unless martial training proved too time-consuming, there was no need to rush. Besides, if he could reach the introductory level on his own, that showed he had some talent. Moreover, as Wu Yu had mentioned, he could also seek guidance from his guard, Wu Qi. With someone’s instruction, he might make further progress even without expending source energy.

With these thoughts, Cui Xiu made up his mind. After accompanying Wu Yu to meet Guan Yuan today, he planned to seek out Wu Qi for some pointers.

...

It wasn't long before Xiaorou brought breakfast to his room. After a hasty meal, Cui Xiu did not rest further but prepared to find Wu Yu directly. Though he had not slept all night, he felt remarkably energetic, not the least bit fatigued, but rather exhilarated—especially at the thought of learning the origins of the short staff from Guan Yuan.

...

“Brother Cui, did you rest well here last night?”

Perhaps alerted by the servants, Wu Yu was already waiting in his courtyard when Cui Xiu arrived. Today, Wu Yu looked different from the previous day—dressed in simple, elegant robes, his hair neatly arranged, his handsome features giving him the air of a refined young gentleman.

Cui Xiu smiled at the sight; Wu Yu finally looked a bit like the prodigy he had seen when they first met, freshly titled as a young scholar.

“Thank you for your concern, Brother Wu. If I were staying at an inn, I wouldn’t have the service of a maid, so I am more than satisfied.”

“Haha, I didn’t expect Brother Cui to have a sense of humor. That’s quite a surprise.”

Wu Yu was genuinely surprised. Since he had dealings with Cui Xiu, he had naturally looked into his background and knew that Cui Xiu used to be a bookish scholar, always buried in his studies. Over the past two days, though their interactions seemed a bit different from what others said, most of their conversations had been rather formal.

Now, in a moment of leisure, seeing this other side of Cui Xiu, Wu Yu couldn’t help but be surprised.

Cui Xiu, unaware of his thoughts, merely assumed Wu Yu was being polite. He didn’t dwell on it or consider the original host’s relationship with Wu Yu.

He simply shook his head with a smile and said, “Forgive my lack of decorum.”

“No matter, no matter. This is even better,” Wu Yu replied with another laugh. “But let’s not talk about that. Please, have a seat, Brother Cui. Let us wait here a while—the Commandant Guan should be arriving soon.”