Chapter 50: Muscle Tendon Refining and Bone Marrow Washing

"You, you big fellow, you're already this old and still have no sense—could it be that you weren't pinched hard enough back then and you want to try it again?"

Hearing senior sister's words, Niu Dingtian seemed to recall something, his expression becoming a bit dazed, and he didn't try to dodge.

Senior sister Bao saw this, she couldn't actually grab him, but blushed, her beautiful eyes giving Niu Zhaizhu a reproachful sideways glance.

"Senior sister, thank you for looking after me back then."

Regaining his senses, Niu Dingtian looked at senior sister Bao and suddenly whispered a line. Having said it, he ignored her slightly stunned expression, turned to laugh boisterously and brag, saying:

"Hahaha—let's go, senior sister, I'll take you to see the mountain stronghold I, as a junior brother, have taken down!"

Pfft

Those words made the person in front of him let out a pfft laugh.

After the two arrived outside the building, Niu Zhaizhu, from afar, saw his two henchmen flattering Yang Kang with eager attentions.

Yang Kang, that fellow, was self‑taught, having long shed his delicate airs, grinning coarsely as he mingled with the two.

Sss~

This cheap big nephew—could he be born to be a bandit?

Seeing this scene, Niu Zhaizhu couldn't help but think.

He cast a vague glance at senior sister Bao beside him, seeing her delicate brows briefly furrow.

Senior sister has an objection? Niu Zhaizhu weighed in his mind, wondering whether to restrain a bit.

Bao Xiruo didn't actually have an objection; she just found her son's sudden change—so drastic—somewhat hard to adjust to.

In the distance, Yang Kang, who was windblown, saw Niu Dingtian and Bao Xiruo emerge and hurriedly dropped the two and ran over.

"Mother! Senior uncle! Since when did you start teaching me martial arts?"

Before getting close, he shouted; once close, he affectionately grabbed the hand of Niu Zhaizhu.

Niu Zhaizhu's eyes flickered, a bit unsettled—was this still the brat who feared his mother being taken?

"Kang'er, you must not be disrespectful to senior uncle!"

Before Niu Dingtian could speak, senior sister Bao pulled a cute face and began scolding her son.

"Child knows his mistake, Mother."

Seeing his mother about to lose it, Yang Kang immediately behaved properly, lowering his hand and standing obediently aside, though his eyes still stared eagerly at his incredibly awesome senior uncle.

"Big brother, Kang'er, senior uncle intends to first help you with Muscle Tendon Refining and Bone Marrow Washing; it will be a bit painful—can you endure it?"

Niu Zhaizhu stopped being formal; when he opened his mouth he had intended to keep calling him big nephew, but since he seemed only six or seven years older, he switched to another address.

But since he planned to teach him, Niu Dingtian didn't want Yang Kang to lose face later; after all, he was the one who taught him, and if someone slapped him and injured him, he couldn't afford to lose that person.

After pondering, he decided to give him a solid foundation; the Nine Yang Divine Skill's Muscle Tendon Refining and Bone Marrow Washing happens to have that capability.

"Senior uncle, rest assured! Kang'er isn't afraid of pain!"

Upon hearing that, Yang Kang's small face immediately hardened, and he crisply assured the impressive senior uncle.

"Alright! After lunch I'll perform Muscle Tendon Refining and Bone Marrow Washing for you, then begin passing on your martial arts!"

Tendons are the things that connect the body's form within.

Marrow is the region within that channels spiritual clarity.

Muscle Tendon Refining requires that no tendon within the body remains unchanged; Bone Marrow Washing demands that no fragment of spiritual marrow is left unwashed. Therefore, anyone undergoing Muscle Tendon Refining and Bone Marrow Washing must endure intense internal pain.

Thinking of this, Niu Zhaizhu gave a somewhat unscrupulous grin, hoping the kid could hold out.

An hour later,

Niu Dingtian led Yang Kang to a room, with senior sister Bao following step by step behind.

"Senior sister, no matter what wretched cries Kang'er makes later, you must not make any sound outside the room, or all progress will be wasted!"

Before entering, Niu Dingtian solemnly reminded senior sister Bao, truly fearing she might lose composure later. Yet he didn't notice his own wording.

"Junior brother, rest assured!"

Senior sister Bao, seeing Niu Zhaizhu's solemn expression, felt a pang in her heart, and upon hearing the words 'wretched cries', she anxiously promised.

"Senior uncle! May we begin?"

When the door closed and they reached the bedside, Yang Kang still wore an excited face, completely unaware that misfortune was about to arrive.

"Hmm, sit cross‑legged on the bed; if you can't hold on later, just tell me, senior uncle won't force you."

Glancing at his small face, not knowing what Niu Dingtian was thinking, he calmly opened his mouth and said softly.

"Senior uncle! I won't give up!"

Yang Kang, hearing this, stubbornly assured.

"Alright! Sit down."

Niu Dingtian felt somewhat relieved.

He didn't want the one he chose to be a failure; in his view, anyone who chooses the path of martial practice who can't even endure bodily pain is a waste.

Though unspoken, if this big nephew truly gave up halfway, he would be most disappointed.

After Yang Kang settled and pressed the acupoints, he also sat cross‑legged on the bed, circulating Nine Yang True Qi, slowly directing it toward the other's back.

There is a saying that achievements are divided into refined and coarse, irrespective of sequence, and effects into great and small, irrespective of depth.

Since Ancestor Da Mo Laozu created the Muscle Tendon Classic and the Bone Marrow Washing Classic, they have become Shaolin Temple's treasured hallmarks. The Muscle Tendon Classic has the effect of refining tendons and strengthening bones; the Bone Marrow Washing Classic, however, has the effect of removing impurities and washing the marrow.

However, solely practicing the Muscle Tendon Classic only increases strength, resulting in external robustness; solely practicing the Bone Marrow Washing Classic only cultivates the mind, leading to a bitter meditation.

The Nine Yang True Scripture differs; it can intertwine yin and yang, have the eight trigrams sway, with movement and stillness serving as each other's root, yin and yang merging into the Dao, simultaneously applying the intertwined changes of both Muscle Tendon Refining and Bone Marrow Washing.

Niu Dingtian's twin palms emitted Nine Yang True Qi, which slowly flowed into Yang Kang's body.

At first, he only felt a gradual sting throughout his body, as if ants were biting.

That's it? That's all!

But gradually, the internal sting intensified, and cold sweat began to break out all over his body.

Still can endure!

As the true qi input gradually increased, the feeling of myriad ants gnawing at the heart began to appear, his immature face began to twist, but he still strained to clench his teeth, unwilling to shout.

Damn it, you with the surname Niu! Is this just a little painful?

At this moment, Yang Kang, while still conscious, couldn't help cursing in his heart at his damn awesome martial uncle.

Ah! Ah!!!

Finally, his body was no longer under conscious control, his distorted face let out a loud shout, his body strained to struggle but he couldn't move at all, only able to roar, releasing the intense pain throughout his body.

In his hazy consciousness, the words of that damn martial uncle suddenly surfaced; Yang Kang was about to shout 'give up', but recalling that awesome palm strike on the mountain, his spirit gate instantly cleared, yet he stubbornly continued to endure, roaring.

Outside the door, Bao Xiruo heard her son's anguished cries, her heart torn apart, unable to weep aloud, yet she forced herself to stay silent, not daring to make a sound, also gritting her teeth and persisting.

Because she believed in her junior martial brother.

No one knew how long had passed.

"All right, senior martial sister,"

Suddenly, the cries inside the house stopped abruptly, and immediately after, a sound like a released burden came from within.

(End of chapter)