Chapter 278: The dragon in the well raises its head, who took away his inheritance!

【"These three passes are also called the Small Three Passes, followed by the Fetal Refining, Spring Thunder, and Winding Finger realms, also known as the Middle Three Realms."】

【"The Small Three Realms of martial arts are the three majestic passes that martial arts practitioners first encounter. Once the Muscle Refining realm is crossed, the practitioner can proceed to temper their own internal organs, making them increasingly tough, and their bones will also advance accordingly."】

【"At that time, draw the heaven and earth origin qi into the body, like a great sun hanging high, using the vast origin qi to nourish and temper the physical blood qi."】

【"Subsequently, cast the Qian and Kun acupoints of the brain and heart; these two acupoints are the pivot of the human body. Once refined, it marks the completion of the Fetal Refining realm."】

【"The body can emit the sound of 'tiger roar and leopard howl', driving away evil and subduing demons; this is the 'Spring Thunder' realm."】

【Sima Ting says with a smile: "Cultivating to the Spring Thunder realm is enough to guard a place of evil temples."】

【His tone is full of admiration: "In the past, your father, relying only on the Spring Thunder realm, actually scared an adult blood demon until its soul flew away and its liver and gallbladder cracked and died. Among the peers who practiced martial arts in the Nine Great Surnames, no one could compare to his style."】

【You listen with eyes as calm as water!】

【"Above Spring Thunder is the Winding Finger realm, just as the ancient saying goes: 'Hundred-refined steel turns into winding softness'; people in this realm, the strength in their palms, can easily knead steel, and can also open various divine wonders, which you will understand in the future."】

【Hearing Sima Ting mention the Small Three Passes and Middle Three Realms of martial arts, your eyes become brighter and brighter.】

【To break the cage of the Xie manor, practicing martial arts is one way.】

【"Those who can step into the Middle Three Realms of martial arts are already rare in the Nine Great Surnames, and if they reach the Upper Three Realms, they are even more the heaven-favored children of martial arts."】

【You recall your father; he is already at the peak of the ninth realm of martial arts—the Xuan Dan realm, known by the world as the human martial god.】

【Your gaze involuntarily turns to Sima Ting's personal guards; they are as cold as frost, their eyes sharp, expressionless like the statues enshrined in temples.】

【However, the momentum they emit is "first to strike," making people look on with awe, as if they were man-eating tigers.】

【Seeing this, Sima Ting laughs: "Although these personal guards are martial artists, they are different; they are like humans and like puppets; this is the mystery of the seventh realm of martial arts."】

【What is the relationship between the seventh realm of martial arts and these personal guards?】

【You don't ask any more; this military governor of a continent must already be a powerhouse in the Upper Three Realms of martial arts.】

【Sima Ting continues: "The Upper Three Realms are still out of reach for you, and there are very few people in the Great Qi who can reach this realm."】

【"The two paths of primordial spirit and martial arts, the Great Qi should be the first in the world, but in recent years, the Great Sui has risen, and it is already on par with the Great Qi in martial arts."】

【"But in the path of soul cultivators, it is still weaker than the Great Qi, for no other reason than the academy is in the Great Qi."】

【"The Great Sui country, with Daoism as the honor, although it also advocates Confucianism, its foundation is the Three Truths Sect as the leader of the hundred schools."】

【Hearing this, you cannot help but be slightly stunned: "Three Truths Sect?"】

【"Exactly, that Three Truths Sect, which originated from Mount Zhongnan, with Lu Chen as the founder, has been passed down for thousands of years."】

【Sima Ting looks at the boy in front of him, and a deep sigh cannot help but surge in his heart.】

【These common sense of the situation, in the great clans, are almost known to everyone, but for Xie Guan, it is like a blank sheet, completely ignorant.】

【Sima Ting comes from the eldest branch, with a noble status, and his biological mother is one of the Nine Great Surnames, enjoying extreme favor. However, fate seems unfair to him; when he was four years old, he encountered a demon incident and had been bedridden ever since. Another cold and fever that would not subside actually caused his legs to be unable to walk; he searched for famous doctors and practitioners, but could not cure it.】

【From then on, he became self-abased, gave up on himself, had a violent temper, and was unwilling to communicate with others.】

【Until one day, he accidentally opened "Four Kingdoms Zuo Zhuan" and read the Lu Chen Biography; the Junior Guardian recorded in the book had great ups and downs in his life, and when he was young, his talent was not as good as the average person, but he was able to temper himself in the bitter cold of the mountain for ten years, finally shaking the world, but was suspected by others.】

【Even so, Lu Chen never had a time of being disheartened.】

【Lu Chen wrote when he was young: "When a young person has a heart, he should reach the clouds; who cares about your lonely cold sitting and sighing."】

【Young people should have lofty aspirations; who will pity you for being trapped and alone, sighing?】

【Sima Ting read this and shed tears; his life had just begun; a man should have lofty aspirations, and compete for style in the vast sky!】

【Since then, he began to practice walking day after day, and miraculously stood up. Afterward, he practiced martial arts, and whenever he had the intention to retreat, he would reread the Lu Chen Biography. Just like this, he stood firm in the Sima family step by step, and finally became one of the second-generation power-holders of this generation of the Sima family.】

【Thinking of this, his attitude toward this boy who also likes "Junior Guardian Lu" becomes more gentle and has more patience.】

【"Let's talk about this Three Truths Sect; among the cultivation sects in the world, it is second only to Confucianism, and its sect leader is honored as the Lu Lu Tian Shi, passing down the Lu surname as the orthodoxy for generations."】

【"The Great Sui can reach its current status, and the support of the Three Truths Sect has contributed greatly. It is said that this generation's Lu Lu Tian Shi is a woman, who has already led the two branches of Daoism at a young age, and is known as the Dao Child, truly an extraordinary figure."】

【Hearing this, you think silently in your heart; the Great Sui can make the Great Qi have a headache today, and its strength naturally cannot be underestimated. If you really want to remove the academy, I fear the two countries are already on par, hard to distinguish between high and low.】

【Just as you are deep in thought, Sima Ting suddenly stands up, and his figure instantly disappears.】

【Your heart tightens, and before you can react, his hand has already lightly rested on your shoulder.】

【"Eh!"】

【"It is truly full of spiritual perception, discovering my position when I moved. This is the ability of the Small Three Passes of martial artists, moving like a ghost."】

【Sima Ting steps lightly!】

【"Look?"】

【You lower your head slowly to look, only to see a shallow footprint left on the bluestone slab, while the slab is still intact, without any cracks.】

【"Breaking through the three passes of martial arts, you are no longer a thing in the pool, and can be called a martial artist. In our Great Qi, martial artists, apart from reading, do not kneel when seeing officials, and have a noble status. The Great Qi even gives them the honor of re-registering."】

【"That is the Martial Register."】

【Hearing this, you cannot help but feel a wave of shock in your heart; this is the power of martial arts.】

【"Of course, it is also to restrain and manage martial artists; if these hot-blooded men are allowed to run rampant, I fear there will be no lack of loss of life."】

【Seeing your excited expression, Sima Ting thinks slightly and says in a calm tone: "The Sima family, although a great surname, naturally does not lack secret manuals for martial arts and primordial spirit cultivation methods of muscle refining and sensing. However, primordial spirit cultivation is profound and requires guidance, otherwise, practicing by yourself may cause accidents, and if you are not careful, you will become foolish. Martial arts are the same, but the classics passed down today are mostly methods of being upright and peaceful, with few crooked paths."】

【"Since you have the ambition of martial arts, I will order someone to send a few martial arts muscle-refining techniques that almost everyone in the Great Qi knows to you tomorrow. Although these techniques are not peerless secret manuals, they are upright and peaceful, easy to enter, and will definitely be beneficial to your future cultivation."】

【"Choose one to practice; even if you fail to learn martial arts, you can still strengthen your body."】

【"Only by truly breaking through the Small Three Passes can you be considered a martial artist, and you will face the human limit of ninety years of life; you can rest assured."】

【Hearing this, Xie Ying cannot help but show a trace of worry on her face: "However, practicing martial arts privately without the mistress's permission seems somewhat inappropriate... I fear Younger Brother Guan will be punished because of this."】

【Sima Ting laughs lightly, waves his hand and says: "Don't worry, this is just the muscle-refining method that is rotten on the streets of the Great Qi, and can be seen everywhere, so there will be no hindrance. If anyone in the manor asks, you just tell them that this was sent by me, Sima Ting, and Lady Yuan will naturally not say much."】

【Xie Ying is secretly surprised; she did not expect that a Xie family concubine's son she just met would be so valued by Brother Ting.】

【You must know that in Bianjing city, even martial arts methods are not something everyone has the opportunity to encounter.】

【Moreover, Sima Ting also took the initiative to help the boy bear the possible responsibility, which makes her feel even more surprised and grateful.】

【You have already stood up and said sincerely: "Thank you, General Sima!"】

【You did not mention repaying the favor later, just kept it in your heart.】

【Sima Ting nods slightly and sighs: "The path of martial arts indeed requires tempering from a young age; I observe the young masters in the Xie manor, many of whom have extraordinary bones, and I fear they have had great medicine to nourish them since birth, whether practicing martial arts or learning soul cultivation, they have unique advantages."】

【Sima Ting looks at you deeply, his eyes carrying a bit of concern and reminder: "Your body is weak; if you want to choose martial arts, I fear you will have to pay more hard work than others, spend more time, and cannot have the slightest slack. The path of a martial artist is originally a bitter job full of thorns."】

【You lower your head and laugh lightly: "If I can get rid of the cage in the future, even eating coptis will feel sweet."】

【Your words make Xie Ying, who is on the side, feel deeply. She has imagined countless times escaping the Xie manor; even if she were just an ordinary maid in the future, as long as she could leave this place that binds her, it would be fine.】

【Now, meeting Sima Ting, she seems to see hope.】

【Sima Ting seems to feel Xie Ying's emotional fluctuations; he holds the woman's hand silently, giving her silent comfort.】

【Afterward, Sima Ting turns to you, his eyes carrying a bit of inquiry: "Could it be that Young Master Guan also feels that this Xie manor is like a cage?"】

【He knows that in this great courtyard, the mistress does not need to use all means, just the two words "avoid suspicion," and the people in the great courtyard will act upon hearing the wind, and pairs of indifferent eyes are enough to bend the boy's sharpness and force the boy into a corner where it is difficult to stand.】

【You are silent for a moment, not answering directly.】

【Seeing this, Sima Ting does not pursue the question.】

【You look at the lakeside of Hongjing Yuan, your gaze passing through the playing young masters and ladies and the smiling ladies, but your thoughts drift far away.】

【Your mother seems not to have come here once since giving birth to you!】

【In the Xie manor, no one has ever looked up to you and your mother.】

【Your father was high and mighty and never looked at your mother once, and war broke out in the west, but your mother prayed for him day and night.】

【Your mother would not even go to see a doctor when she was sick, because she knew the family had little money and had to save it, all worrying about you having no money for medical treatment when you were young, because in this manor, apart from your mother, no one cared about your life or death.】

【Even in this Xie manor, no one knows your mother's name.】

【Your mother's name is Feng Rou, a woman with an extremely gentle personality who never quarreled with anyone.】

【When your mother knelt in front of that man to ask for your schooling, you have never forgotten it for so many years, and at that time, there were pairs of cold eyes standing there.】

【When the son scolds the mother!】

【The winter when your mother passed away was unusually cold; on the night she passed away, everything returned to normal; this is a skill only soul cultivators have.】

【Your mother clearly knew, even when she was about to leave the world, she never mentioned this matter, because when she asked for your schooling that year, she was already harboring a heart of death.】

【View the Xie manor as a cage?】

【You have never thought of any cage.】

【You want that man to no longer be high and mighty!】

【You want the whole Great Qi to know your mother's name.】

【You want the whole Xie manor to apologize to your mother in the mourning hall!】

【A gentleman repays grievances with virtue, how to repay virtue!】

【The boy's emotions returned to calm in an instant, and he returned to the Xie Guan who was originally calm and composed.】

【Sima Ting, however, noticed the meaning in Xie Guan's heart.】

【The gentle and calm boy has a vicious dragon locked in his heart.】

【Just like "the dragon in the well raises its head!"】

【At this time!】

【At this time, a large boat much more noble than Xie Guan's just now sails slowly in the lake; there is no boatman shaking the oar, but it crosses the water surface, attracting everyone in the courtyard to look sideways.】

【The middle-aged man standing at the front of the boat has a clear and thin figure, wearing a long gown and cloth shoes; it is Xie Hong, the second master of the Xie manor.】

【Old Matriarch Xie is supported to welcome him personally on the shore, her eyes excited and tearful.】

【The expression of Lady Yuan beside the Old Matriarch is somewhat uncertain, as if she has complex feelings about Xie Hong's return.】

【Standing behind Xie Hong is a white-veiled woman who covers her face with a bamboo hat, making it impossible for people to see her true face.】

【What is even more eye-catching is that there is also a black donkey standing with its head held high on the boat, appearing quite peculiar.】

【Seeing this, Old Matriarch Xie secretly feels strange in her heart; could it be that Hong'er has found another woman?】

【Behind the veiled woman are Lady Zhao and Xie Renfeng; Lady Zhao's brows are tightly locked, and Xie Renfeng's expression is respectful.】

【Beside Xie Hong are the fourth young lady of the second courtyard, Xie Qiyue, and Zhang Yuzhi, whom Xie Guan just met.】

【Xie Qiyue is full of happiness, and Zhang Yuzhi seems to be looking around the shore on the boat, searching for something!】

【The servants by the lake are all bowing slightly!】

【Sima Ting and Xie Ying also stand up to show their respect for this Xie Master.】

【You do not dare to act big, and also stand on the shore looking at this legendary second master of the Xie family.】

【Looking from a distance, he is just an ordinary person, but you know from Sima Ting's attitude that this Xie Hong, who was famous in Bianjing in those years, is absolutely a person of profound cultivation.】

【You collect your thoughts, standing on the shore, your gaze occasionally sweeping over Xie Renfeng beside Lady Zhao, secretly pondering in your heart.】

【However, the boat stops suddenly when it reaches the center of the lake!】

【Everyone is puzzled.】

【You raise your eyes to look, only to see Xie Hong looking down at the leisurely lake water!】

【Your eyes are calm, and you are deep in thought in your heart.】

Xie Hong suddenly stopped the boat.】

Looking at the water in the lake.】

A look of disbelief appears in his eyes, and he mutters to himself somewhat:

"Who could take away his inheritance!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 279 =====