Master Ji spoke. Though his face was still somewhat pale, a relieved smile had crept across his features. Turning to Li Yan, he asked, "Do you wish to formally become my disciple?"
Without a moment's hesitation—his mind already made up—Li Yan replied simply, "Yes."
"Very well!" Master Ji declared. "I've never been a man for fuss or elaborate rituals. Simply bow to me three times, and that will suffice for you to enter our fold." With that, he straightened his posture and sat upright behind the table, his expression both solemn and authoritative. Before him, three slender incense sticks rose gracefully from a small cauldron, exuding the unmistakable aura of a headmaster.
Li Yan stood, adjusted his humble coarse garments, and kneeled before the incense table. With utmost respect, he performed three deep bows in deference to the master seated behind the desk.
Master Ji stroked his beard thoughtfully. His once ashen face now carried a gentle blush as his smile widened. "Hehe, that's enough—rise," he said warmly.
As Li Yan rose, joy lit his face. He then inclined himself in another respectful bow before resuming his seat at the table, eager to listen to his master's teachings.
"Now that you are an official disciple of the Mu Ying Sect," Master Ji began, "let me impart to you the introductory method of our ways."
At these words Li Yan paused briefly in surprise—prompting Master Ji to ask, "Do you have any questions?"
After a moment's thought, Li Yan answered, "No, please continue with your instruction, Master."
Master Ji, satisfied with the response, did not press further. Instead, he continued: "Every disciple in our sect must cultivate both martial arts and the art of herbal medicine. But let it be known—martial prowess is the very foundation upon which we survive in the world of martial arts. Many precious herbs and medicinal flowers grow only in remote, unfrequented lands; areas that ordinary folk could scarcely ever reach. Therefore, new disciples typically spend the first few years honing their martial skills until they have made modest progress before venturing into the study of herbs. Moreover, martial arts are divided into two categories: internal cultivation and physical techniques. Internal skills are, in essence, the mother of martial arts. While one might later master fighting techniques to perfection, without a strong foundation in internal cultivation, even the most refined physical moves amount to nothing more than common skirmishes. With powerful internal energy, however, even basic punches can shatter mountains and rend through the mightiest of defenses. It is for this reason that internal martial arts are treasured above all else in every sect."
For several cups of tea's time, Master Ji expounded on the subject. He spoke at length—from categorizing internal styles and surveying the martial arts of various sects to outlining different stages of martial prowess and detailing the body's acupoints and meridians. At one moment, he produced a finely carved wooden figurine: a naked form crisscrossed by red and blue lines, interspersed with countless tiny dots. Each line and dot was annotated in meticulous, minuscule script. Astonishingly, the figurine mapped out the entire network of meridians and acupuncture points within the human body, and Master Ji explained each detail with care.
"Remember," he said, "everything I've told you forms the foundation of your training. You must commit it all to heart with no errors. Now, let's discuss our sect's core internal method. As I mentioned before, internal cultivation is the very mother of martial arts. Our method—called 'Mu Yin Gong'—is divided into ten levels. Its power is astonishing: by absorbing mystic energies condensed from herbs and trees through our secret techniques, it strengthens the body, clears your meridians, and fills you with vibrant qi. Your internal energy will then circulate swiftly throughout your body, gathering into a formidable force within your Dantian. In battle, this manifested strength can grant you overwhelming power—far beyond what ordinary methods could ever hope to achieve. As for me, I've only reached the pinnacle of the third level."
Li Yan was utterly taken aback. His face showed disbelief; after all, his master's martial prowess was already enough to ward off a host of foes. The thought that 'Mu Yin Gong' was only at its third stage left him wondering: if one were to reach the tenth level, would that not be akin to possessing godlike abilities on earth?
Glancing at Li Yan, Master Ji continued slowly, "However, before you embark on cultivating 'Mu Yin Gong', you must first master our sect's 'Qi Guidance Technique.' This art channels the vital essence of heaven and earth to awaken the qi hidden in your Dantian. Only when that qi is fully activated can you truly begin practicing 'Mu Yin Gong'."
At that moment, Master Ji smiled slightly. With a graceful sweep of his dark, flowing sleeves, his slender hands appeared on the table. In his left hand he held a mysterious book—a volume that seemed neither entirely composed of gold nor wholly of jade. Then, with his right hand, he withdrew a sheet of paper slightly larger than a typical page. The paper was covered in dense, freshly drawn characters; it was clear that it wasn't simply a leaf from the book.
As he moved, Li Yan couldn't help but notice the odd material of the book. Although he had read many volumes in his youth, he had never seen a cover of such unusual quality before. Moreover, about one-third of the book bore a color distinctly different from the remainder, as if two separate texts had been fused together. He also recalled that ever since their first meeting yesterday—whether during the needle test or in other small tasks—Master Ji had always used his right hand. It seemed he had been clutching that enigmatic book in his left sleeve all along.
Naturally, Li Yan's curiosity was piqued. What sort of book was so indispensable that its owner could not part with it for even a moment? Yet he knew better than to ask such questions now—after all, he was only a new initiate. Perhaps, as he grew closer to his master over time, he would learn its secrets.
Oblivious to the glimmer of curiosity in Li Yan's eyes, Master Ji then handed him the paper filled with inscriptions. "This," he said, "is our sect's 'Qi Guidance Technique.' I now impart it to you. Study it carefully on your own afterwards and, if doubts arise, I shall clarify them for you. Know that this technique distinguishes between innate qi and acquired qi. A baby in the womb relies on innate qi, breathing effortlessly without the need for lips or nostrils; but after birth, when one must breathe with mouth and nose, that original qi is lost…"
This explanation went on for a full fifteen minutes. When Master Ji finally finished speaking, he fell silent. He watched as Li Yan, head bowed in thought, occasionally picked up the wooden figure and reviewed the 'Qi Guidance Technique' paper meticulously. Then, with his hands folded together, Master Ji tucked them back into his flowing sleeves, placed them over his abdomen, closed his eyes, and began meditating.
Li Yan meditated on these teachings for a long while, ensuring in his mind that he had firmly committed every crucial detail of the technique and the key meridian pathways to memory. Earlier, he had been anxious—fearing that a subject as deep as internal cultivation might leave him floundering in front of his master—but now, confident in his grasp of the basics, he felt reassured. He silently mused, "Perhaps this is just the introductory phase."
Lifting his eyes to meet his master's, Li Yan spoke rather hesitantly, "Master… I feel that I have at least begun to grasp the fundamentals of this method."
Master Ji opened his eyes and smiled at him. After asking a few key questions and noting Li Yan's smooth replies, his face lit up with satisfaction. "Then from today on, you shall begin your cultivation of this method. I estimate it will take you no less than three to five days—at most around ten days to a fortnight—before you can fully activate the qi in your Dantian. As for the paper on the technique that you now have memorized, hand it over to me to destroy. Not that I mistrust you—the practice is common among all the martial sects. Besides the original manuals, all teachings are passed on orally and by heart. Any scraps of technique that remain must be destroyed immediately, lest they be lost or fall into the hands of the wicked. Even the original texts are generally reserved solely for the sect leader."
Li Yan heard this without objection. Considering it from the master's perspective, he understood that such crucial secrets—upon which one's very survival depended—could never be casually left on paper. Otherwise, every sect's secrets would be laid bare.
So, with deference, Li Yan returned the 'Qi Guidance Technique' paper to his teacher. Master Ji smiled as he tucked it safely away into his sleeve. There was no need to ask further about its fate.
Then Master Ji pointed to the intricately carved wooden figure depicting the body's meridian pathways. "Take this with you," he said. "You must, over time, internalize its details and commit them to memory."
Obediently, Li Yan picked up the wooden figurine from the table. He guessed that such objects were standard fare in every martial sect—they served as tangible aids to explain the invisible, untouchable networks of meridians and acupoints far better than mere words ever could.
Soon after, he bowed his farewell to Master Ji and departed from the stone chamber.
After watching Li Yan leave, Master Ji's eyes narrowed as he gazed toward the gate. After a moment, he sighed softly and murmured to himself, "His aptitude is much poorer than the last one. Who knows how long it will take him to reach even the first level's peak, while my own time grows ever shorter. This poison—the curse that oppresses me—is becoming harder to suppress. Alas!"
With that, he swept his right sleeve toward the distant gate, which, as if by magic, closed silently before his eyes. Such a move—so graceful and unhurried even from several yards away—if witnessed by Marshal Hong Yuan, would surely have sent his very soul reeling. Only the most exalted masters are capable of such deft displays, and even then the distance is much shorter. To channel one's internal energy so powerfully from the Dantian that it effortlessly moves an object like that would almost shatter the door into pieces.
After these events, Master Ji extended his left hand from within his flowing sleeve. The mysterious book—half golden, half jade—and the 'Qi Guidance Technique' paper now lay on the table. With practiced ease, he flipped the book to about one-third of its length—the spot marked by a colored dividing line—and laid it flat. Resting both hands gently on the open portion, he silently channeled his mysterious energy into it. For a long while nothing happened. Then he rotated the book, trying it from different angles—horizontal, vertical—and even struck it lightly with internal force, yet the book remained inert. Finally, he did something most peculiar: he lifted the book and pressed roughly two-thirds of its back against his forehead, as if a scholar placing a volume upon his head in contemplation. He remained motionless in that posture until, after what felt like an eternity, he exhaled a quiet sigh, "It still won't open… After all these years and myriad attempts, I still cannot unlock its secret. I wonder—at which level must I reach before fortune grants me this opportunity? If this book holds the cure for the flame poison plaguing my body… then… alas." With another heavy sigh, he picked up the 'Qi Guidance Technique' paper with his right hand. Without any further conscious motion, the paper suddenly burst into flames and, in an instant, was reduced to ashes. "Qi Transmutation"—a feat spoken of only in martial legends. Even the most consummate masters can at best shatter objects into fragments or dust, but to create fire from nothing was a power no one in the martial world had ever achieved.