Chapter 31

The transmission of the civil and martial methods is a feature of folk Daoist sects, as mentioned before; the civil method refers to techniques such as exorcising evil and avoiding disaster, summoning ghosts and appointing generals, opening light and circular light, drawing talismans and commanding troops, etc. While the martial method refers to point strike, profound strike, transfer strike, reverse secret strike, staff-avoiding, and other secret arts.

The so-called point strike consists of drawing a flower character in the palm and lightly tapping it on another person's body, which immediately deprives the opponent of the ability to attack and resist. Light cases result in injury; severe cases result in death. The profound strike builds upon point strike, allowing control over when the injury manifests; only those with deep skill can accomplish it.

Transfer strike is an introductory martial-method practice, similar to hard qigong. After the master transmits the skill, diligent practice makes one impervious to pain even when beaten by many fists and kicks. It once passed into the hands of jianghu practitioners as a street performance. Different sects have different ways of transfer strike. For example, the Mao Shan sect's transfer strike: gazing at the blue sky with eyes open, the master before one's eyes, is to invoke the sect's ancestral masters for protection—thousand blows feel no pain, ten thousand blows feel no pain. The Mei Shan sect master's transfer strike, however, consists of depositing all the force of another's blow onto stones.

Reverse secret strike follows the same principle as Taiji, doubling the force of an opponent's strike that lands on oneself and reflecting it back. The final staff-avoiding method does not mean avoiding staff strikes; rather, one draws a seven-star flower character on the staff, holds the staff to clash with weapons, causing all weapons to break, thereby shocking the opponent.

I believe many have heard such stories from their ancestors' mouths; perhaps this story is like the wicked persons in spirit temples that you have also witnessed firsthand.

In the story, a certain person, while walking, is inadvertently patted on the shoulder; upon returning home they become bedridden, and not long after they vomit blood and die; after death, a red or bluish-purple palm print appears on their shoulder.

This is the profound strike of martial method, which can control the timing of injury manifestation. In Jiangxi folk circles, a similar technique is also called 'Five Hundred Coins'; frankly, it achieves the same effect as the Daoist Sect's 'no method'.

In the early period of reform and opening-up, there were still recluses in the mountains and wilderness who were masters of martial method. However, with the passage of time, many martial methods have nearly been lost. Even though some transmission remains in various sects today, it is no longer as flourishing as before; some disciples, upon entering the door, learn only the civil method and never come into contact with the martial method.

First, because during the Cultural Revolution superstition was attacked and the Four Olds destroyed, many Daoist Sect masters were forced to hide their names and retreat to mountain villages; as they passed away, many profound martial methods were lost.

Second, because martial method is overly fierce, once transmitted to those with corrupt intentions it will bring great calamity. After all, Daoists possess the five flaws and three deficiencies; if a momentary anger moves them, they can take a life. To pass martial method to such disciples would be to create karma; therefore many disciples initially study only the talisman-drawing civil method, requiring a long period of observation to see whether the disciple's conduct and virtue are adequate before deciding whether to transmit martial method.

Third, the transmission of folk magical teachings differs from Daoist Sect. To transmit the same technique, the master merely needs to open the golden mouth and transmit the skill; after the disciple practices diligently for forty-nine days, they can employ it. If the disciple continues to train diligently afterward, the technique will become ever more flexible. Consequently, high demands are placed on the master's skill; if the master's ability is not especially high, the transmitted technique's effect will deteriorate—of course, the disciple can compensate through diligent practice, but that also takes time.

Therefore, although martial method is also transmitted in the Lü Shan sect, Mei Shan sect master's teaching, Mao Shan, Hua Guang, etc., due to the overly stringent conditions for practicing martial method, not every disciple can come into contact with it. Even if they have the opportunity, most are only half-understood dabblers who cannot exert the martial method's proper power. Moreover, there is a master's instruction for studying martial method: at non-life-or-death critical moments, one must not reveal martial method to harm others, only use it for self-protection. That is to say, even if you are besieged by eight or ten burly men, as long as they do not kill you, you can at most use transfer strike for self-defense and must not employ point strike to injure people. This is also why many laypeople do not know that their household possesses martial method; even if they occasionally witness martial method manifesting, they assume it is a technique from the civil method and cannot distinguish it at all.

Among the many folk Daoist sects, the martial method of the Daoist Sect's Hua Guang faction is renowned, even supreme under heaven in extreme yang. Even Daoists of other sects will seek a Hua Guang teacher to study martial method. However, martial method imposes especially strict requirements on the disciple's disposition, so it is generally not transmitted lightly. Even if there is a deep blood relationship, if the son is a lawless troublemaker, the father would rather take the martial method to the grave than pass it on to the son to cause harm.

The sole exception is my master and me; shortly after entering the door, my master transmitted to me the Yin Shan sect's Yin Thunder point strike. However, because the Yin Shan sect has undergone several upheavals, the relatively complete transmission that remains is only the Ghost King civil method; even Li Feng, a pure and orthodox inheritor of the Yin Shan sect, has mastered only a fragment of the Pangu martial method.

However, exceptions like me and Master Li Feng are rare. For instance, QingSongShu, although father to Pangzi, transmitted only martial arts, not martial method, which shows how stringent the requirements are for disciples of martial method.

Nowadays, the very first business upon opening the door is that someone has been wounded by the martial method's profound strike; how could I not be startled? Because the profound strike, once activated, injures life and can control the timing of injury manifestation; moreover, after a profound strike merely injures without killing, the skill involved cannot be considered shallow.

At that moment I also did not dare to hesitate; I hastily summoned Pangzi to come together and examine Li Xun's injury.

After Pangzi examined carefully, he told me to fetch a bowl of rice-washing water plus two coins.

After bringing them, Pangzi tossed the coins into the water to soak for ten minutes. Then, taking the coins, he scraped hard against Li Xun's chest.

Being scraped by Pangzi in that way, Li Xun immediately cried out in agony; finally we two managed to hold down his hands and feet, allowing Pangzi to continue scraping.

Not long after, Pangzi scraped a bowl-sized palm print onto Li Xun's chest. At that moment Pangzi turned around, nodded toward me, and confirmed: 'Indeed he is afflicted by martial method, and hearing him say it only manifested after he returned home, there is no doubt it is the martial method's profound strike.'

However, at this point Pangzi and I were also puzzled. Logically, someone able to employ martial method to such an extreme should be quite old, with a disposition far more tranquil than the average Daoist; how could they for no reason just use point strike to injure someone?

I asked Li Xun, 'When did this happen? Before that, had anyone slapped your chest with a palm?'

Upon my question, Li Xun stared blankly for a moment, then stammered, 'Indeed there was such a thing?'

Li Xun said, 'This morning an old man shoved me; shortly after returning home I felt a tightness in my chest, then my whole body ached, as if the pain penetrated to the bones, making it hard even to lift an arm.'

Li Xun's words made us even more certain that he had been struck by the martial method's profound strike. However, listening to his hesitant tone and observing his expression, it seemed he was concealing something unspeakable.

The matter certainly involves another hidden agenda. This is the conclusion I drew after hearing Li Xun's words. First, that old man definitely did not intend to harm Li Xun. If the old man were a greedy villain who took people's money to harm Li Xun, Li Xun would not be alive today. Since he is not an evil master, only one possibility remains: Li Xun must have done something heinous that provoked the other party, prompting them to administer point strike as punishment.

'If you do not tell us the truth, you may die from blocked meridians, at which point no one could save you.' I spoke the truth, but also added an element of intimidation.

'No…… both masters, you must certainly save me. I will say, I will say everything,' Li Xun said with a terrified expression, deeply fearing we would abandon him.

Under our somewhat exaggerated intimidation, Li Xun finally related the truth.

As it turned out, Li Xun was a street swindler who sold jade stones to cheat people. Initially he showed genuine jade to others, but when packing he immediately swapped in a fake piece via the 'steal the dragon, replace the phoenix' trick.

But this veteran con artist never expected that his long-smooth swindling career would finally encounter a tough obstacle today—naturally that old man. According to Li Xun, the old man intended to buy a jade pendant as a birthday gift for his granddaughter.

Li Xun certainly would not let such a gullible customer walk away; following his usual routine, after agreeing on a price he performed the 'steal the dragon, replace the phoenix' maneuver, substituting a inferior product for the customer.

After swapping in the fake jade, Li Xun did not linger; he hurriedly prepared to shift his stall. However, just as he had finished packing his goods, the old man discovered it was fake jade, turned back on his original route, and demanded an explanation from Li Xun.

How could the duck that had reached his mouth be allowed to fly away? Li Xun naturally refused; he immediately turned into a ruffian, engaging in vulgarity and even bringing along some shills to harass the old man, greeting his granddaughter as well. In anger, the old man slapped Li Xun's chest—a light tap with no force at all. Yet after Li Xun returned home, he instantly became as we see him now.

'What did you say when you greeted his granddaughter? What words did you curse?' I asked curiously.

Li Xun lowered his head, ashamed, and said, 'I was in a hurry and cursed his granddaughter as a prostitute.'

I…… damn it, if it were me, I wouldn't just use profound strike on you; I'd kick you to death.

I turned my eyes toward Pangzi and asked what should be done.

Pangzi rested his chin, pondered a moment, then turned and asked Li Xun: 'What does that old man look like? Describe him for me.'

'Hooked nose, thick eyebrows…' Li Xun said while gesturing a few times.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this Pangzi's expression changed: 'It's actually him!'

'Which him? Who is he?' I curiously prodded Pangzi.

Pangzi shook his head and evaded: 'No, no one.'

I suspected Pangzi certainly had something concealed, but now was not the time to ask about it. Seeing Li Xun's condition worsening, if we did not rescue him, he would likely die from blocked meridians.

I slapped Pangzi's shoulder: 'Hey hey, don't just sit there thinking—quickly think of a way to save him!'

Unexpectedly, Pangzi stared at me in astonishment: 'How to save?'

'Damn, you've been asking all day and still don't know how to save?' I swore loudly.

'I haven't been asking; it's been you asking all along?'

I…… it seems I really have been the one asking all along.

I waved my hand, annoyed, and said, 'Can we stop discussing this? Now think— is there any way to save him?'

Pangzi shook his head and said, 'Although I have always followed my father and know some martial method, it seems martial method requires a special means to resolve; I don't know how, unless…' Pangzi paused.

I pressed: 'Unless what?'

'Unless my father is present; given his attainment in martial method, he would certainly be able to break it.'

I…… Pangzi, can you stop speaking nonsense?

The most pitiable is Li Xun; having received too great a shock, as our conversation proceeded his hope flared up instantly, only to plunge into an abyss moments later. But it wasn't over—Pangzi immediately gave him another stimulus.

'There is another method, unless one can find that old man.'

This rekindled hope in Li Xun's heart.

I stared at Pangzi in astonishment and asked, 'How should we go about finding that old man?'

Pangzi pointed at Li Xun and said, 'Naturally we ask him.'

Then we asked Li Sun, where did he swindle this old man? After all, the place where Li Sun swindles is very likely where the old man often frequents.

Li Sun told us everything in detail, down to which street and which spot.

After we figured it out, we arranged for Li Sun to rest a while in the house, and then we rushed non-stop to that place.

There's no way around it—although the two of us have followed QingSongShu around the martial world for several years and have seen plenty, our understanding of martial arts is still limited. First, there are few people nowadays who are truly proficient in martial arts. Second, because martial arts are too fierce, even if one possesses them, others do not display them.

Before leaving, I took several thousand dollars from Li Sun; this money was what Li Sun had swindled from the old man. Now the only plan is to return the money to him, beg him to be lenient, and forgive Li Sun. If it were just an ordinary unfamiliar person, I wouldn't have much confidence in this endeavor. But hearing the tone of Pangzi's words just now, it seems he has some undisclosed secret with this martial arts expert.

"Hey... Hai Sheng, where are you and Qiang Ge going? I have something to look for you." Just as I stepped out the door, I ran into a classmate.

"How strange, why would he come here?" This classmate's name is Yuan Qiu; he doesn't have much interaction with me and Pangzi. The three of us aren't that close, and seeing him suddenly show up at the door, I am indeed quite surprised.

However, Pangzi and I are now in a hurry to find someone, so we can't attend to him for the time being. Let Yuan Qiu play around in the house for a bit; if anything comes up, we'll talk about it after Pangzi and I return..