Martial Arts Longevity Begins with the Equipment Slot

Chapter 6 Blood Tempering and Body Refinement, 5 Major Barriers

child time.

The Song family mansion had its black lacquered gate tightly shut.

Night had fallen, and the lanterns under the eaves were lit.

The faint candlelight flickered back and forth on the vermilion "福" (fortune) character.

The sound of a wooden clapper came from inside the wall.

"Tap—tap—", coming from afar.

The squad leader, Gao Youde, was leading his men on night patrol.

Gao Youde was about forty years old and had a knife scar on his left cheek, running diagonally from the corner of his eyebrow to his ear.

Originally a scholar, he was literate and skilled in martial arts. After his family was destroyed, he sought refuge in the Song family and became the head of the guards.

He was dressed in a short black jacket, with a worn-out black robe over it, and a leather belt around his waist from which hung items such as the Song family's patrol sign, a cow horn whistle, and a copper keychain.

Two henchmen followed behind him.

The newcomer Chen Yu was in charge of holding the lantern, while the more senior Wang Ping'an was in charge of striking the clapper.

Upon reaching the main gate of the East Courtyard, Gao Youde took a copper key from the board strap and inserted it into a hidden hole on the side of the door.

This is a "night patrol door" used exclusively by night patrolmen, leading directly to the side room of the gatehouse, without making too much noise to disturb the owner.

The gate creaked open a crack, and the old gatekeeper was already waiting.

The two did not exchange a single word, but used the light from their lanterns as a signal to confirm each other's identities.

"Are there guests in the east wing tonight?"

Gao Youde noticed that there were two teacups on the doorman's table.

"He arrived at Shenshi (3-5 PM) and was a salt merchant from Huaizhou. He brought two concubines and stayed at Meixiang Courtyard."

The old servant lowered his voice: "The master ordered that we must not disturb him before dawn."

Gao Youde nodded and marked the character "客" (guest) on the night patrol log.

After leaving the gatehouse, the five people walked along the base of the east wall.

The wall was sixteen feet high, and its top was covered with broken porcelain shards, which shimmered like silver scales in the moonlight.

Gao Youde suddenly stopped.

He leaned closer to examine a spot at the base of the wall. There were fresh footprints on the moss, and the patterns on the soles of the shoes were clear, resembling the round-toed cloth shoes worn by servants in the mansion.

"Shoot it higher."

Upon receiving the order, Chen Yu quickly raised the lantern in his hand.

As the light moved upwards, a section of broken porcelain on the wall showed signs of detachment, revealing fresh mortar underneath.

Gao Youde measured the height with his hand.

It's about seven feet tall, too big for an ordinary thief to climb, but a master of light footwork or someone with an inside help...

"Note: On the east wall at the Geng position, where there are broken porcelain shards, there are suspected traces of human activity. Please report this to the steward."

Passing through a hanging flower gate, you enter the inner courtyard.

Gao Youde gestured for them to walk quietly.

"You're new here, so you might not know the rules," he said to Chen Yu in a low voice. "Just patrol the outer perimeter of the inner courtyard for a week, and don't go too far in."

"If you accidentally disturb the young lady's sweet dreams, then you can just wait to die. No one can save you, not even the master!"

As he spoke, Gao Youde made a throat-slitting gesture.

Chen Yu nodded emphatically in agreement.

"And the backyard, which is never allowed to be patrolled."

"The backyard is where the master refines pills. No one is allowed to enter without his permission. Remember that!"

Gao Youde added another sentence.

After completing their patrol, the three returned to the night watch room in the west wing.

A small hut, less than ten feet square, containing a wooden couch, a brazier, and a desk.

Wang Ping'an was baking sesame cakes over the brazier, while Chen Yu was wiping the lantern's gauze cover.

"Boss, those footprints on the east wall..." Wang Ping'an mumbled, munching on a pancake.

"Tomorrow, the housekeeper will send a bricklayer to repair the tiles."

Gao Youde put the patrol card into his pocket.

"If it were truly a thief, they wouldn't have only stepped on it once. It's most likely a servant from the inner courtyard sneaking in and out to meet his lover."

He paused, then added, "But rules are rules. Any suspicious activity must be reported. Reporting is our responsibility; whether or not to investigate is the steward's. If anything goes wrong because we didn't report it, we'll be the ones punished."

Wang Ping'an nodded firmly.

This is also the rule for night patrols: it is better to report ten incorrectly than to miss one.

"Xiao Chen, how was your first night patrol today?" Gao Youde said in a caring tone towards his subordinate. "Learn from Lao Wang and prepare some midnight snacks so you can eat if you get hungry during the patrol."

"Our night patrol rule is that we work three days on duty and rest one day. In our spare time, we can go to the training academy to learn martial arts."

"Hey, are you sure the teachers over there in the study room are really willing to teach us?"

Chen Yu asked cautiously.

Gao Youde glanced at him and grinned.

"Why wouldn't they? The martial arts instructors in the training room receive a monthly salary from the manor, which is for them to teach martial arts to the people in the manor."

"However, your question is not without merit; the specific situation depends on the individual."

"Some martial arts masters are honest and straightforward, like Zhao Dashan, Zhang Tietou, and Li Sandao. They are serious and responsible in their work. If you ask them for advice, they will definitely share their knowledge without reservation."

Wang Ping'an chimed in: "People like Wu Laoqi and Liu Changshun are no good. You can't expect them to teach you real skills unless you give them some benefits."

"Alright, that's enough."

Gao Youde interrupted him.

"Meet at 9 PM tomorrow night, don't be late."

……

Three days later, it's a day off.

The courtyard of the teaching building.

The compound is surrounded by a wall made of blue bricks and gray tiles, and the interior is quite spacious.

On the compacted loess soil, there are wooden stakes, stone locks, sandbags and other martial arts props.

The weapon racks were arranged against the wall, with all eighteen kinds of weapons in their proper places.

Chen Yu's arrival was quite timely; it just so happened that Zhao Dashan was on duty today.

"Master Zhao, I would like to learn kung fu from you. Would you be so kind as to offer me some guidance?"

Chen Yu bowed respectfully and asked sincerely.

Zhao Dashan was lying on the armchair with his eyes closed, resting. Hearing this, he slightly opened his eyes and said, "Practice a set of Spirit Deer Stance first, let me see."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yu immediately assumed a fighting stance and began practicing. His moves were already highly refined.

As Zhao Dashan looked at the exercise, he said, "The Spirit Deer Stance Exercise is a method for tempering qi and blood."

"Those with excellent physical constitution can reach the tenth level in just three to five days of practice, unleash their potential and enter the Blood Refining Realm."

"Your natural talent is average. If you can steadily and diligently practice for a month and reach the tenth level, that is a commendable achievement."

After Chen Yu finished his demonstration, Zhao Dashan stood up and began to explain.

"To learn martial arts, one must first understand the principles. The first step in martial arts is body training, which requires breaking through the five major barriers."

"The first stage is the Blood Refining Realm, where one's blood and qi must be pure and true blood must be condensed to support the body's cultivation."

"The second stage is the Skin Refining Realm, which requires tempering and hammering the skin with secret medicine until it is as hard as cowhide. Once mastered, punches and kicks will feel like tickling, and ordinary swords and knives will hardly hurt you."

"The third stage is the Flesh Refining Realm. When it is refined to a high level, the muscles become bulging and knotted. With every move, one can have the strength of a thousand catties, capable of tearing tigers and leopards apart and pulling bulls backward."

"The fourth stage is the Tendon Refining Realm. When the tendons are refined to the point that they are like a bowstring, as soft as cotton when relaxed and as strong as steel when tense, a punch can unleash the power of the entire body's tendons like an arrow released from a bow, greatly enhancing explosive power."

"The fifth level is the Bone Refining Realm, where bones are as white as jade and as hard as refined iron. Even if bones are broken, they can heal themselves quickly."

"Legend has it that in ancient times there were powerful individuals who had mastered the art of bone refining, and even if their physical bodies decayed, their bones would remain intact for a thousand years."

Zhao Dashan paused, straightened his sleeves, and gestured for Chen Yu to keep a close eye on things.

"I will now teach you the advanced technique for refining blood—the Five Tiger Fist Technique."

This set of boxing techniques is divided into ten levels and has thirty-eight moves. It is easy to learn and practice, internally strengthening one's qi and blood, and externally providing self-defense and defense.

"After reaching the pinnacle of cultivation, one's blood and qi will surge like a torrent, and true blood will condense like clouds. This is considered the pinnacle of blood refining, at which point one can begin refining the skin."