Chapter 30: Trouble Breaks Out
The Kingdom of Qian was culturally open-minded and not as conservative as the feudal dynasties described in history books. In fact, it resembled the flourishing Tang dynasty[1] in some ways. Things like sisters sharing the same husband were not unheard of.
But Fang Qinglan was shy, reserved, and had a cold nature. Even though she liked Li Yanchu, she simply couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud, let alone act as boldly as her sister had. And so, in the end, her sister had taken the lead.
“I was clearly the one who came first…” Fang Qinglan took a deep breath and headed to the yamen to review old case files. She wanted to see if there were any unresolved or suspicious cases still on record.
Turning her sorrow into strength, she threw herself wholeheartedly into her work, and the wanted criminals and outlaws of Wei City were about to suffer the consequences.
***
Each day, aside from cultivating Daoist arts, Li Yanchu practiced martial techniques without fail. To him, romance and women were not that important. If he liked someone, he’d be with them, but intimacy was never the core of his life.
Slash!
With one swing of his saber, the air rippled with an invisible wave, and a sharp slash cut through the silence.
Li Yanchu felt a surge of searing power rise from his lower back, coursing through his arms and legs, flowing through his entire body.
His kidneys were especially powerful now, as most of the potent medicinal tonics he took were focused on replenishing kidney qi, enriching the blood, and strengthening the body.
Li Yanchu drank century-old restorative tonics as casually as tea or water every day. With such constant nourishment, his physical strength, particularly his kidneys, had grown extraordinarily robust.
In Daoist teachings, the kidneys were considered central among the five internal organs. With strong kidney qi, the entire body flourished, and the heart, liver, spleen, and lungs would all function more smoothly.
Many Daoist techniques placed great emphasis on kidney qi.
Although Li Yanchu didn’t understand the methods of dual cultivation or bedroom arts, his physique was as fierce and powerful as a wolf or tiger, and his kidney qi was abundant. His blood and essence now carried immense medicinal power.
These days, even though the innkeeper could barely lift a finger after their time together, her complexion had improved significantly. Her face almost seemed to glow with radiance, and she looked so beautiful it was beyond words. And that was, in no small part, thanks to Li Yanchu.
Part of the power of the century-old tonics he consumed was absorbed by his body for martial cultivation, while a small portion lingered deep within him.
It was just like in The Legend of the Condor Heroes[2], when Guo Jing killed a giant snake and absorbed its blood, gaining immunity to all poisons.
The power lay in the blood itself.
Now, Li Yanchu’s blood brimmed with blazing yang qi. Not only could it nourish others, it could even repel evil. In a way, his blood was even more effective than rooster blood for repelling evil.
Now that he was cultivating martial arts, he no longer had to worry about exhausting his qi or blood. Those century-old tonics were like everyday food to him, and his progress was astonishingly fast.
However, Li Yanchu couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Last time, he had used up all his accumulated merit to enhance the Five-Lightning Talisman. Once the enhanced tonics ran out, his cultivation speed would surely slow down.
I still need to earn more merit, Li Yanchu thought to himself.
After completing a round of practice with the Six Yang Saber Art, he began training in the hard qigong body-hardening techniques in The Thirty-Six Divine Astral Hands.
This martial art was fiercely aggressive and domineering. Once fully mastered, it truly made one as fierce as a wolf or tiger. With one hand alone, Li Yanchu could exert close to a thousand jin of force, capable of shattering stone and breaking stele with ease.
Boom!
He took a step forward, and the searing Six Yang Force burst from his fist, creating a sharp sonic boom in the air.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
His mastery over the techniques in The Thirty-Six Divine Astral Hands had reached an exceptional level. With repeated real-world combat experience, he had also developed a deeper understanding of close-quarters fighting techniques.
***
The next day, while Li Yanchu was having lunch at the Taiping Inn, the innkeeper suddenly came running out in a rush to look for him.
“What’s wrong?” Li Yanchu asked.
The innkeeper said anxiously, “This is bad, Qinglan’s in trouble!”
Li Yanchu’s expression instantly darkened. He asked in a low voice, “What happened?”
Just then, a yamen officer with a saber on his waist stepped forward and said anxiously, “Earlier, Miss Qinglan led us to search a residence on Jinhua Street. According to the nearby residents, suspicious individuals had been spotted there.
“But we didn’t expect two burly men to suddenly charge out, armed and ready to kill. Several of our men were injured. Miss Qinglan fought them off with her sword and forced them back.
“Those two men didn’t seem interested in a prolonged fight,and they fled straight toward the outskirts of the city. Miss Qinglan went after them alone.
“I returned to the yamen to report, but Head Constable Wang had gone to a neighboring county on official business three days ago. The squad leader led some men to give chase, but there’s been no sign of Miss Qinglan.
“From what I could see, those two were highly skilled in martial arts. But they didn’t seem intent on killing. It was as if their only target was Miss Qinglan herself.”
Everyone knew about Li Yanchu of Qingyun Temple, who had personally captured the vicious criminal Liang Qi with formidable martial skill. That was why this officer had rushed to inform him. He’d gone to the temple first, but finding no one there, he came to the Taiping Inn, knowing that Fang Qinglan was the innkeeper’s younger sister. He hadn’t expected to find Li Yanchu here, in the middle of lunch.
“What should we do? Do you think something’s happened to Qinglan?” the innkeeper asked, panic rising in her voice.
Li Yanchu gestured for her to calm down and asked, “How long has it been? And which direction did they head?”
The officer replied, “It’s been half an hour. They fled out of the city toward Pingkang Street.”
Half an hour… Li Yanchu gave a firm nod and said in a deep voice, “I’ll go check it out.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he moved. His body shot forward like a gust of wind, sprinting out of the inn with powerful strides. He moved so fast, his figure blurred from sight. This was an emergency, and he couldn’t afford to hold back.
At this time, Li Yanchu sped down the street, following the direction toward Pingkang Street at full speed. Before long, he arrived at the city gates. After questioning the guards, he confirmed that they had indeed seen Fang Qinglan and the two burly men rush out of the city.
Li Yanchu frowned, then turned. Without hesitation, he snatched a horse from a young swordsman standing nearby.
“Apologies!” he called out, and leapt onto the horse before charging out through the gates.
Though his body brimmed with powerful qi and blood, it wasn’t something he could squander at will. Since they were now outside the city, using a horse would save vital energy.
The young swordsman was stunned. One moment he was proudly holding the reins of his fine steed, and the next, a young Daoist had mounted it and ridden off in a blur.
“My horse!” the youth cried out in anguish.
He had begged his father for three months to be allowed to buy that good horse so he could travel to Wei City for the Qingyi Festival, only to have it stolen the moment he arrived.
Meanwhile, Li Yanchu rode swiftly into the distance. Not far outside the city stood a wooded grove. As he approached on horseback, his sharp gaze caught sight of several sword marks and axe gashes on the trees. They were clear signs of a recent fight, and many thick branches had been cleanly hacked off.
Seeing this, Li Yanchu’s heart sank. On the ground lay a patch of bloodstains, though it was unclear whether they belonged to Fang Qinglan or one of the two rogue fighters.
As the horse galloped past, a sudden impulse struck Li Yanchu, and he activated the Qi Sight.
This technique allowed him to observe one’s qi. For example, those with many killings to their name often exuded a dense, murderous qi. In addition, those in the midst of violent conflict or danger would radiate red qi, representing bloodshed and misfortune.
Now that he had reached the Qi Cultivation stage, the range and clarity of his observation had increased considerably.
After watching closely for a moment, Li Yanchu reached a conclusion. Without hesitation, he urged the horse forward and charged in pursuit.
1. The Tang dynasty or the Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. ☜
2. The Legend of the Condor Heroes is a wuxia novel by Chinese writer Jin Yong (Louis Cha). ☜
Comments
Top