Chapter 52: So-Called Genius

A robe of ink-black cloud-patterned silk, cinched at the waist with a Bai Yu belt, which set off his upright figure all the more.

Shen Yi stepped slowly out of the room.

The old woman beamed and said, "Oh, far more handsome than Heng-er. Come, sit down."

Fang Heng carried the table out into the courtyard, brought over a few plates of light side dishes, and only at the end let his gaze fall on the cloud pattern at Shen Yi's cuff.

Without a word, he picked up the ladle and silently ladled out three bowls of thick porridge.

He helped the old woman to sit: "It's only Grandmother and me here, nothing but simple food. If you don't mind, just make do with a couple of bites."

"Thank you for the hospitality."

Shen Yi had been eating dry rations for two days, so he didn't put on any false reserve; he went straight to the table and began swallowing down a bite of side dish and a mouthful of porridge in turn.

Seeing how heartily he ate, the old woman's smile deepened: "You came from Bai Yun County? Bai Wei wrote about you in her letter — said you're a good child. Are you married yet? How about I introduce someone to you?"

At her words, Shen Yi choked on his porridge: "…"

Fang Heng, who seemed quite used to this, silently buried himself in his food.

Only when his big bowl was empty did he set down his chopsticks: "Master won't be back for at least another two months. Until then, you'll stay here."

As he spoke, Fang Heng went back inside and brought out a book two fingers thick, placing it on the table.

"In his youth, Master made his name Outside Qingzhou with five signature arts."

"Mastering any one of them is enough to crush demons and monsters of the same realm. He passed them down to us separately. These aren't Zhen Mo Si martial arts, so teaching them to you wouldn't be breaking the rules."

"But you're not one of our lineage, so you may learn them — you may not pass them on."

After all the days Shen Yi had spent chatting with Butcher Zhang, he was no longer the clueless novice he had once been.

Whether it was Zhen Mo Si or the sects of the jianghu, leaking martial arts without permission brought heavy punishment not only on the one who taught but on the learner as well — at the lightest, severed limbs or shattered meridians, literally reclaiming the martial art; at the worst, losing one's life.

No wonder, even after things had gone so badly for her, Lin Baiwei was still making up martial arts on the spot, trying to bluff her way through.

The Four Harmony True Gang she finally transcribed was genuinely the only thing she could actually teach out.

"The art I was taught is called Vein-Severing Dragon-Catch. It is a profound martial art of the Jade Liquid Realm, a fist-and-palm discipline."

"I'll be on rest for a month. I'll practice it three times a day — morning, noon, and evening. If there's anything you don't understand, come ask me."

Fang Heng rose unhurriedly and said coolly: "Until you've learned it, you may not leave the courtyard, and you're not allowed to go gallivanting with that crowd of dandies like Li Xinhan. That cloud pattern on your cuff wasn't earned by clinging to connections."

At his words, Shen Yi lifted his eyes slightly, his expression giving away nothing.

He had once thought Lin Baiwei was too calculating, hard to get along with.

He hadn't expected that after one trip Outside Qingzhou, whether it was Li Xinhan or the Fang Heng before him — not exactly overbearing, but the trace of imperious pride woven into their words was as if cut from the very same mold.

That air of imperious command hidden beneath a calm face was, admittedly, a little hard to get used to.

"…"

The more she listened, the more the old woman's face twisted. She suddenly picked up a stick from the ground and gave Fang Heng's calf a light swack: "You've learned to frighten people now, have you? The boy can't even finish a meal in peace — can't you wait until he's done eating? A child Bai Wei couldn't stop praising — how could he possibly be the sort you describe?"

Fang Heng lowered his eyes and stood still, taking the blows in silence: "I spoke out of turn."

Once the old woman's anger had passed.

He walked over to a small tree as thick as a rice bowl. The muscles across his body trembled faintly, then his fists and palms shot out like arrows, striking the trunk in what looked like a casual manner.

The trunk, which Shen Yi could snap with one hand, did not so much as quiver under Fang Heng's successive blows.

"All things have meridians and channels. Find the channel, and sever it."

Fang Heng slowly withdrew his palm and looked back: "Right — did you receive a bottle of Meridian-Opening Pills?"

Shen Yi took out the medicine bottle: "This?"

"Aside from those who come out of medicinal baths, every Zhen Mo Si Captain receives three upon entry."

"Chew and swallow them dry, refine the medicinal power, and they will soothe the meridians and expand the orifices. Take one every three months. Once all are fully refined, the twelve great orifices within the body can be widened by ninety percent. From then on, whether you're tempering Qi or storing it, you can improve by nearly double."

Fang Heng gave a brief explanation.

Shen Yi lowered his gaze to the bottle in his hand. Once he had fully grasped the other's meaning, he still felt a touch of astonishment.

Doubling the efficiency of refining Qi — for a martial artist at the initial realm, a single day of hard training could equal two days before, the equivalent of a complete transformation of one's aptitude.

The other effect was even more wondrous.

The amount of Qi stored in the great orifices was fixed — this was a conclusion Shen Yi had reached only after spending an enormous amount of demon-and-monster lifespan. Even with decades of idle time, one could only slowly condense the Qi into Jade Liquid.

If the orifices were widened by ninety percent, then in a fight wouldn't it be the equivalent of having nearly double the stamina of anyone else?

And yet a treasure-pill like this was given to everyone.

"Are these pills very common?"

At the question, Fang Heng withdrew his gaze: "They were once the exclusive treasure-pill of the great Qingzhou sect Pine Crane Gate, called the Meridian-Transforming Acupoint Pill, supplied only to a handful of inner disciples. Later, Pine Crane Gate colluded with demons and was wiped out by Zhen Mo Si, which is how the formula was brought back. Other sects have pills of similar effect, but the strongest is only fifty percent."

He went on: "Zhen Mo Si's salary isn't high, but the treatment is decent… though, on the condition that you survive."

With that, Fang Heng turned and went back inside.

Revealing the small tree that had not moved a hair.

Shen Yi stared in silence. The tree was still that same tree, but whether its emerald leaves or its upright trunk, all had now lost their vitality, taking on a shade of "Tianyan Siji" — an utterly eerie sight.

Though he didn't fully grasp the subtleties, a martial art that could stand shoulder to shoulder with Four Harmony True Gang couldn't be anything but excellent.

He reached out and, seemingly absent-mindedly, began flipping through the book on the table.

A moment later, a new line of text appeared on the panel.

【Jade Liquid · Vein-Severing Dragon-Catch (Not Yet Initiated)】

"Child, who flips through a book like that? Have you eaten your fill? Does it suit your taste? If you're full, take it back to your room and read it slowly."

The old woman pushed him up, urging him inside.

"It's fine — there's plenty of time."

Shen Yi looked at the little old lady with a touch of helplessness, a few more degrees of warmth in his eyes.

He closed the book and bent down to help clear the table.

Although it was quite handy to boss around Chen Ji and Lin Baiwei, getting a lonely old woman with no family to work for him — his face wasn't quite thick enough for that yet.

Besides, having seen far too many so-called geniuses lately, Shen Yi, who in his past life had dreaded the endless nagging of aunts and great-aunts, now actually found… that he was still more comfortable getting along with the latter.

Even being asked about his partner or his salary was more pleasant than having some random label slapped on him.

"…"

Fang Heng stood inside the room, looked at his grandmother's cheerful appearance, then looked at Shen Yi, his expression turning cold and indifferent.

First, taking advantage of Jiang Shijie Lin's misfortune, he had the nerve to demand two Jade Liquid Realm martial arts manuals — and rare ones at that, the Four Harmony True Gang and the Vein-Snatching Dragon Capture.

Even with the talent of the senior brothers and sisters, they had only chosen to study one of the two.

The other party, with merely Initial Realm cultivation, had the audacity to covet both techniques.

Having just joined the Zhen Mo Si, he was already looking quite familiar with that group of rich young masters under Li Xinhan, and on his very first day had managed to get his hands on a cloud-patterned robe.

Even his grandmother, who had no background whatsoever and only came to stay here because she needed someone to look after her, was not spared his attentions — he probably thought himself clever, secretly guessing what reclusive master she might be.

Greedy and stupid — truly irritating.

Wanting to use this chance to stay here and soar to the heavens in one bound — that was only human nature.

But he couldn't even be bothered to put up the slightest pretense.

If that wasn't currying favor with the powerful and being insatiably greedy, then what was it?

(End of Chapter)