Starting from a peasant family, he mastered the profound art of martial arts.

Chapter 40 Guidance

As dawn broke, a rooster crowed.

The east gate of Qingshui County was finally opened wide, and a large crowd had already gathered in front of the gate.

These people either went into the city early to do small business, or they set up stalls in the market outside the city gate.

Meng Chen didn't wear a straw hat; he simply stepped into Qingshui County like an ordinary farmer's son.

It was still early, before dawn, and there were few pedestrians on the road. Meng Chen arrived at his residence in the West Garden in just a quarter of an hour.

Seeing that no one was around, he opened the door and went inside.

This was a small house, with only the main house and two side rooms. Meng Chen went into the main house and checked Xi Yuanlin's room. Sure enough, she wasn't there. He touched the quilt, which was completely cold, indicating that west Yuanlin still hadn't come back to spend the night and was sleeping at the widow's house.

Following his routine of the past few days, Meng Chen first practiced a set of boxing in the courtyard, then drew water, took soap pods, and washed his body and hair.

It was already broad daylight. Meng Chen stuffed the silver notes into the soles of his shoes, crushed and threw away the pill bottle, wrapped the pills in hemp paper, and then went out.

He first drank a bowl of mutton soup and ate three flatbreads before heading to the Di family's cloth shop.

When they arrived, they found that although the cloth shop was open, Wang Dingtian and his scoundrels had not come.

After waiting for another half hour, Meng Chen saw that no one had come, so he stopped waiting and turned to find Madam Di.

Upon arrival, the maidservant went to the backyard to announce their arrival, and it took quite a while before Madam Di and Xiyuan Garden came out.

Could it be that they actually slept together? Don't they take Yan Long seriously? Meng Chen didn't know what to say. Anyway, one of them was unmarried and the other was widowed. It was a matter of mutual consent, so there was no need to interfere.

"Brother, are you saying that Wang Dingtian and the others didn't come to cause trouble today? Do you know why?" west Yuanlin was very puzzled after hearing Meng Chen's words.

Meng Chen naturally said he didn't know, nor did he mention that Yan Zhao was behind the malicious act.

With Gao Yuan just dead, things must be tense these days, so Meng Chen thought he would wait a while before reporting to the Di family.

At this moment, west Yuanlin and Madam Di discussed for a long time, but the two of them, a weak scholar and a woman who never went out, could not come up with any conclusions.

"It's just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it, my worthy brother." Perhaps because he had won the heart of his beloved, west Yuanlin had seized control of the Di family's finances. He took out a wad of silver and said, "You must be exhausted these past few days, my worthy brother. Why don't you take a good rest?"

That's such a virtuous thing to do! Meng Chen quickly declined politely and said a few polite words.

Lady Di's eyes reddened. "None of my late father's or husband's old friends offered any help, only you, my dear brother, did. This is our heartfelt wish, please accept it."

Having no other choice, Meng Chen put the silver into his pocket and said earnestly, "If they come again, Brother Xiyuan and his wife can just send someone to look for me."

After exchanging a few more words, Meng Chen took his leave, and west Yuanlin came out to see him off.

"Brother, please leave this room and don't talk about my cousin and me outside," west Yuanlin said in a low voice.

"Of course!" Meng Chen immediately agreed.

When we returned to the Du Family Martial Arts School, it was already past noon.

Having been away from the martial arts school for several days, Meng Chen felt a strong sense of familiarity upon his return.

"Is everything done?" Du Ren asked.

"It's not that easy." Meng Chen smiled helplessly and then repeated what he had said to Madam Di.

"That's right!" Du Ren was clearly very knowledgeable. "The longer you delay, the longer you can eat. If you get things done quickly, people won't be willing to pay more."

These are invaluable words of advice, and Meng Chen has learned a great deal.

"Come on, my father wants to see you." Du Ren pulled Meng Chen into the main hall.

Du Zhong was sitting idly drinking tea when he looked at Meng Chen with a smile and asked, "I heard from Ren'er that you were handling things outside. I wonder if it went smoothly?"

"It didn't go very smoothly," Meng Chen said honestly.

"That's alright. No one is born knowing how to do things or being able to do things. It's something that's learned through experience." Du Zhong put down his teacup and added, "However, running around outside is different from being in a martial arts school. I remember you came to the martial arts school on June 11th, and the methods you learned were all about breaking through barriers and overcoming obstacles."

Du Zhong stroked his beard and asked, "Would you like to learn some self-defense techniques?"

"Please give me some pointers, Master Du!" Meng Chen was eager to learn. Last night, he fought Gao Yuan with knives. Although both of them were at the second level of the martial arts realm, Gao Yuan still managed to overpower him.

The root cause was that he didn't understand sword techniques and routines, so he relied on brute force and agility to avoid being defeated quickly.

Since Du Zhong wanted to pass on his martial arts skills, Meng Chen was naturally more than willing.

"Swords, fists, palms—which do you want to learn?" Du Zhong asked with a smile.

"I am a novice and would appreciate guidance from Master Du," Meng Chen said.

Du Zhong smiled with satisfaction and said, "As the saying goes, 'An inch longer, an inch stronger; an inch shorter, an inch more dangerous.' For martial artists of our level, if we are to venture out into the world, it is best to rely on the advantage of weapons."

"When it comes to weapons, the most common ones are swords and sabers. Swords are the weapon of gentlemen, and they are difficult to learn and master. People who roam the world with swords are either all talk and no action, or they have extremely high skills."

"The sword is different; it's easy to learn and master. As long as you're willing to put in the hard work, you're sure to succeed. I'll teach you a sword technique."

Du Zhong got up and walked towards the inner courtyard. "Come with me."

Meng Chen immediately followed.

There were no weapon racks in the front yard, but there were archery targets and weapon racks in the back yard.

Du Zhong took a steel knife, drew it from its sheath, and its cold edge shone even brighter in the sunlight.

"Watch closely." Du Zhong immediately lowered his waist and began to practice with his sword.

He wielded the knife extremely slowly, so that Meng Chen could see it clearly. This sword technique consisted of seventeen moves in total, but it didn't seem to have any particular power.

After Du Zhong finished rehearsing one set of moves, he performed it again, but this time it was faster and more urgent. In an instant, the blades flashed and even stirred up the fallen leaves on the ground.

After finishing his work, Du Zhong sheathed his sword and said with a smile, "This sword technique is impervious to water and wind, and when used, it's like flying sand and stones. It's called the Gale Sword Technique, also known as the Seventeen Forms of Gale. The power originates from the ground, the force is generated in the waist, and it's as easy as using your own arms and fingers. The sword light is endless!"

After speaking, Du Zhong performed it slowly again, and Meng Chen followed suit.

After studying it five or six times, Du Zhong explained all the key points in detail, and then asked Meng Chen to use a fast knife.

"A single skill is enough to conquer the world. If you master this sword technique, you can still use it when you reach the second realm." After Meng Chen had memorized all seventeen moves, Du Zhong instructed him again: "The essence of this Gale Sword Technique is speed, so fast that your opponent can't see it, so fast that you don't need to think, but rather the sword strikes and changes in motion naturally. This will also benefit your progress in breaking through the levels. From now on, practice this sword technique here. The technique must not be passed on to outsiders, and you cannot take the sword out with you."

"Yes," Meng Chen replied immediately.

Seeing Meng Chen's obedience, Du Zhong continued, "The most important thing in swordsmanship is lower body strength. Your waist and legs must be stable, and your eyes must be sharp! You should practice this Gale Swordsmanship in the backyard. Once you've mastered it, within the same realm, as long as you seize the initiative, taking on two or three people will be a piece of cake. If you reach the second realm and practice until you're as fast as lightning and as swift as the wind, and then combine that with lightness skills, you'll be even more formidable."

"Master Du, what should we do if we encounter actual combat?" Meng Chen asked for advice.

"Martial artists in the first realm, no matter how many levels they have broken through, are actually not that different. Even in a fair fight, one person breaking through one level has the chance to kill three. This is because it depends on their reaction on the spot, their experience in combat, and their strengths and weaknesses. When martial artists fight, it's not like brothers exchanging moves and countering each other. It's more like street shrewish women tearing each other apart. It's about who is more ruthless and who can better exploit the other's weaknesses."

Du Zhong nodded slightly and smiled, "Remember this: no matter what kind of opponent you encounter in the future, you must remain calm, be ruthless, and be courageous!"

Perhaps because Du Zhong had truly seen much, he seemed to sense something and added, "Of course, young people shouldn't lose their courage, but they also shouldn't be recklessly aggressive. Some things in this world aren't just about who has the higher their martial arts skills. Sometimes, even if you're of a higher cultivation level than someone else, you might not be able to suppress them. If you encounter someone far stronger than yourself and can't escape, there's nothing shameful about begging for mercy; you can always fight back one day."

He gently patted Meng Chen's shoulder and said, "It is certainly exhilarating for a young man to draw his sword in anger, but if he can endure the pain in the moment without losing his ambition, then he can go further."

Du Zhong gave many detailed instructions, all of which were his insights over the years, without holding anything back.

Meng Chen knew that Master Du was giving him a hint, advising him not to confront Gao Yuan directly. Even if he did confront him, it wouldn't be shameful to kowtow and admit his mistakes. As long as he accumulated strength, he could regain face in the future.

These are wise words from an experienced teacher. Teaching boxing and sword techniques is a teacher's duty, while instructing on the principles of advance and retreat is a matter of courtesy.

"This disciple has learned much." Meng Chen bowed respectfully.

Seeing Meng Chen's serious expression, Du Zhong knew that his disciple had understood. He smiled with satisfaction and gently patted Meng Chen's shoulder.