Chapter 38: A Family of Monsters

Since the Xu family began selecting a location and constructing the Dragon Elephant Martial Hall, Gu Yiping had been residing in the wing room of the western courtyard of the Xu residence.

Every day at the hour of chen, he would spread out rice paper on the desk by the window, recording martial arts secrets and medicinal diet recipes one by one.

The branches and leaves of the old locust tree in the courtyard gradually grew from sparse to dense.

Half a month passed in a flash.

Gu Yiping placed the two martial arts manuals, "Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique" and "Innate Dragon Elephant Formula," along with seven or eight martial technique manuals including "Seven Absolutes Sword," "Wind Treading Step," "Mad Dragon Fist," and "Divine Wind Palm," plus four medicinal diet recipes, into a rosewood box and handed it to Xu Mingwei.

"Many thanks for your efforts, Hall Master Gu."

"This is a mutually agreeable transaction to begin with."

After exchanging glances, Xu Mingwei immediately went to the ancestral hall to store everything safely.

He had briefly looked through each manual.

Three were suitable for martial artists below the innate level, with only one recording an innate medicinal diet that could assist innate martial artists in their cultivation.

Xu Mingwei selected a few that suited him and practiced them in his spare time.

Once he had achieved some proficiency in the martial techniques, he invited Gu Yiping to spar with him once or twice.

The golden crow set in the west, and heaven and earth suddenly took on a golden appearance.

The bluestone bricks of the training ground still retained the warmth from earlier in the day.

Xu Mingwei curled his fingers into a fist, watching Gu Yiping. Before his fist force emerged, it already stirred up the fallen leaves on the ground in a spiral.

Gu Yiping opened his stance with the "Seven Stars Step," his left palm drawing an arc as if embracing the moon, while his right palm, carrying the sound of wind and thunder, struck toward his opponent's chest.

Xu Mingwei neither dodged nor evaded, blocking horizontally with his left arm like iron.

Only a muffled "bang" was heard. Gu Yiping actually felt his palm go numb and had to retreat half a step before stabilizing his form.

His pupils contracted slightly as he thought in surprise, "Such fierce strength, it's no longer like the Postnatal realm."

Rather than retreating, Xu Mingwei advanced, his form drifting like willow catkins. When his toes touched the ground, he had already circled to Gu Yiping's side.

He pushed out his right fist plainly, and though the fist force hadn't arrived, it made the surrounding air faintly tremble.

Gu Yiping hastily used the blocking form of the "Mad Dragon Fist," but felt a mighty force surge toward him. His entire body was shaken until his qi and blood churned, and his tiger's mouth ached faintly.

He hadn't used his innate true qi, yet unexpectedly found himself at a disadvantage.

"First Young Master Xu, you truly keep your abilities well hidden."

"Hall Master has seen through me." Xu Mingwei smiled faintly, knowing before they exchanged blows that he couldn't hide from an innate martial artist but opportunities to exchange pointers with an innate martial artist were rare, so he didn't mind.

"Not yet twenty, yet already at the innate realm."

Gu Yiping sighed deeply with emotion, memories surfacing in his eyes.

In the Dragon Elephant Sect's heyday, only two or three people who hadn't yet reached twenty might be cultivated to the innate realm every ten or twenty years.

Such people could often step into the grandmaster level by thirty-five or thirty-six years of age.

They had hope of reaching grandmaster perfection before the age of sixty.

As for himself, he had only reached the late innate realm at the age of confusion. If he could break through to grandmaster in this life, that would already be quite good.

Unless he had grandmaster medicinal diets to assist him. However, even the Dragon Elephant Sect lacked such precious medicinal diets.

If they had them, those who reached the innate realm before twenty, as long as they didn't perish or suffer major injuries or illnesses, would have a seventy to eighty percent chance of reaching grandmaster perfection.

"Just luck."

"In the path of martial arts, there's no such thing as luck. Even with resources to assist, without sufficient personal talent, one can hardly achieve great heights."

The innate realm was a huge threshold, the beginning of a martial artist's transcendence, where one could contend with immortal cultivators. It wasn't something everyone had the opportunity to enter.

Even with Qi-Drawing Pills from the commandery city, eating ten or twenty of them, some people remained as stubborn as dead wood.

"First Young Master Xu, let's stop the sparring here. If you have any doubts while cultivating the 'Innate Dragon Elephant Formula,' feel free to ask me."

"Many thanks, Hall Master Gu."

"By the way, I have a younger brother and sister who are also cultivating the 'Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique.' I wonder if you could instruct them a bit?"

"I would be happy to observe."

"No need to trouble Hall Master yourself." Xu Mingwei smiled and immediately instructed a servant, "Go call my fourth sister and fifth brother here."

"Yes, First Young Master."

After the servant respectfully saluted, he immediately departed.

In a moment's time, Xu Mingshu arrived at this courtyard riding a white tiger, with Xu Mingxian standing to the side.

"Elder brother, why did you summon us here?"

"Father isn't here. I'm afraid you two might slack off, so I've invited a renowned teacher to instruct you. You must grasp this opportunity well."

"Fourth sister is the one slacking off, not me." Xu Mingxian lifted his small face, refuting quite coldly.

"This is my fourth sister, Xu Mingshu, and my fifth brother, Xu Mingxian." Xu Mingwei introduced them with a smile.

Gu Yiping sized up the two. Truly worthy of being the young lady and young master of an aristocratic family.

Though young, they already displayed exceptional talent.

"First perform the twelve forms of the 'Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique' three times for me to see."

Xu Mingshu obediently dismounted from the tiger's back and patted the white tiger. The white tiger actively walked to a corner and lay down.

Gu Yiping was quite astonished.

To be able to train a variant white tiger to such a degree, it could even understand what the children said?

Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian stood side by side, separated by more than ten steps then they moved in unison.

With each form they performed, Gu Yiping would recite its essential principles.

"Young Dragon Awakens Spine, when the dragon raises its head it draws in purple qi, the tailbone hangs to earth to suppress all directions."

"Elephant Trunk Rolls Water, the trunk rolls the Heavenly River for three thousand li, qi sinks to the dantian transforming into thunder sound."

"Fire Dragon Swings Tail, the tail sweeps away a thousand jun burning away evil filth, feet tread the li position refining true fire."

"Dragon Elephant in Harmony, dragon ascends elephant descends fixing heaven and earth, baihui and yongquan connected in one line."

He nodded continuously.

From their movements and forms, he could tell both had worked hard, practicing diligently day and night for several years at least.

Their fist wind howled.

To be able to form such power, they had definitely reached the level of third-rate martial artists.

"What graceful and spirited techniques! At such a young age to have such skill, the Xu family truly cultivates its children with painstaking effort."

Xu Mingwei's lips held a faint smile as he remained silent.

"The martial hall hasn't been completed yet, and I've been eating and staying at the Xu residence for free. I should naturally instruct the younger generation."

"If that's the case, then I'll trouble Hall Master Gu." Xu Mingwei nodded slightly.

"Elder brother."

With great difficulty having a few days of comfortable life, Xu Mingshu ran before Xu Mingwei, her almond eyes curving into crescents, seemingly imploring him.

Xu Mingwei looked down at her, a corner of his ink-colored robe hem lifted by the draft.

When he put on a stern face, his authority was so deep that even the white tiger would tuck its tail when seeing him.

At this moment, Xu Mingwei's brow furrowed slightly. Even though Xu Mingshu had a belly full of coquettish words, she could only swallow them back.

Compared to others in the Xu family, she was somewhat willful, but she also knew what occasions called for what behavior, understanding when to do what and when not to.

Xu Mingwei was now the acting family head.

When Xu Chuan wasn't present, his words were orders that everyone in the Xu family had to follow.

When no one else was around, she could throw a little tantrum, but with outsiders present, she absolutely couldn't undermine him and lower the family head's authority.

"Fourth sister, don't think that just because Father isn't watching over you, you can take it easy."

"Annoying little brother!"

"Next time, don't you dare take the pastries I bring!"

Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian often bickered. Xu Mingwei was already accustomed to this scene.

Gu Yiping watched silently, and only after a moment did he speak, "The breathing method of the 'Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique' is the key point. Only by coordinating with the dragon-elephant breathing can you bring the twelve forms to their limits. This is also the key to sensing the power of heaven and earth and breaking through to the innate realm."

"Now continue practicing while coordinating your breathing. Your family has obtained the corresponding medicinal diet recipes I provided. With their assistance, you can accelerate the opening of acupoints and apertures."

"How much faster?" Xu Mingshu immediately became interested, her eyes seeming ready to burst with light.

Gu Yiping smiled faintly, looking at this adorable, mischievous girl before him, and said, "Becoming a first-rate martial artist by seventeen or eighteen won't be a problem. If you have good innate talent and are willing to cultivate diligently, reaching the peak of the Postnatal realm before twenty won't be a problem."

"If it's truly that fast, wouldn't I be able to catch up to elder brother's breakthrough speed?"

"Little girl, how can ordinary medicinal diets compare to the secret medicinal diets researched through hundreds of years of my Dragon Elephant Sect's inheritance?"

"Alright then, I'll practice!"

Gu Yiping stood to the side with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the two of them circulate the breathing method of the "Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique" while coordinating it with the twelve Dragon Elephant forms as they struck out.

This was similar to doing two things at once. Those without exceptional comprehension would find it very difficult to master perfectly.

This was also why many people in the Dragon Elephant Sect in the past couldn't step into the innate realm.

Observing Xu Mingshu, her palms formed a hollow circle, her breathing long and continuous like a spring silkworm spinning silk. With each breath she took in, her clothing rippled as if blown by a gentle breeze.

Though her momentum was steady, she always hesitated slightly at the juncture where "Dragon Leaps from Abyss" transitioned to "Elephant Treads on Mountain," as if held back by invisible threads.

Xu Mingxian presented a different picture.

He sat cross-legged like a bell, his spine penetrating through joint by joint. Following Gu Yiping's guidance of "inhale like a dragon diving deep, exhale like an elephant calling," he actually found the qi mechanism on his third breath.

His heavenly spirit acupoint faintly revealed blue qi, and when he exhaled, his throat rolled with the sound of a dragon's roar.

Gu Yiping's eyes burst with brilliant light. He stroked his beard and looked toward Xu Mingwei, saying, "Fourth Young Lady and Fifth Young Master are both exceptionally talented."

"Thanks to Hall Master's instruction." Xu Mingwei said blandly, "When my Xu family first obtained this 'Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique,' we had no one to guide us and stumbled at first."

"And in the world today, who better understands the subtle essence of the 'Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique' than Hall Master?"

"First Young Master, you flatter me." Gu Yiping raised his hand with a smile.

"However, though Fourth Young Lady has extraordinary comprehension, Fifth Young Master's talent in the breathing method is even superior. Though I provided guidance, being able to achieve this in an instant is also rare in the world."

"My father also said that fifth brother's talent is the greatest among us all. His future achievements will definitely surpass mine."

Gu Yiping was secretly surprised, becoming more and more curious about the Xu family head they spoke of.

In the twilight, Xu Mingxian had already glimpsed the mystery of transitioning between the breathing method and forms.

A flash of brilliant light appeared in Gu Yiping's eyes as he nodded repeatedly, murmuring in a low voice, "Truly an excellent seedling."

He even had the thought of taking him as a disciple to inherit the Dragon Elephant Sect but then he thought of the Xu family's regard for Xu Mingxian and figured they would definitely not agree.

He could only temporarily extinguish this notion.

Time passed bit by bit.

Looking at where the red sun set in the west, it seemed to make a dying struggle.

First it burst forth with three zhang of vermillion flame, burning the clouds into red-golden gauze curtains, then shrank to a cherry-sized golden pill, teetering on the edge of the blue-black mountain ridge.

At this moment, a flock of crows flew across the sky. When their wingtips swept through spots of light, they seemed to carry away some of the golden radiance.

When the last ray of sunset swept across the martial training ground, Xu Mingxian suddenly rose to his full height. His left palm drew an arc like a dragon swinging its tail, his right foot stamped the ground like an elephant shaking a mountain. Fallen leaves within three feet around him spiraled without wind, clearly demonstrating he had obtained the true transmission of "unity of form and intent."

"Excellent!"

Gu Yiping applauded in praise, his eyes full of appreciation.

"Annoying little brother, you've taken the lead again."

Gu Yiping's praise stirred up Xu Mingshu's competitive spirit.

"Let's spar. In the past, our win-loss record was fifty-fifty. Let's see who's superior today."

"Fourth sister, you want to get beaten again." Xu Mingxian also didn't spare his words.

Blazing torches had already been lit around the training ground, illuminating the entire field brightly.

"You two don't need to spar with each other. Your levels are still low, so you wouldn't learn much. Why don't the two of you join forces? If either of you can gain even the slightest advantage from me, I'll count it as your victory."

"How about it?"

Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian exchanged glances and said in unison, "Agreed!"

The two positioned themselves to Gu Yiping's left and right. Three figures cast winding dragon shapes on the bluestone slabs.

Suddenly, Xu Mingshu's toes touched the ground like a dragonfly skimming water. Her form suddenly moved in a serpentine pattern, each step she took bringing up three inches of dust waves.

When Gu Yiping pointed toward her jianjing acupoint, she suddenly raised her knee and swung her arm. When her knee strike met his finger, there was actually a hidden sound of metal clashing.

A flash of brilliant light appeared in Xu Mingxian's eyes. He suddenly sank his waist and released his force, causing spiderweb cracks to appear in the blue bricks with a "crack."

When he pushed out his right palm, his throat rolled with a dragon's roar. His left palm drew an arc like an elephant's trunk rolling up the heavens. The two forces actually caused the torches three zhang away to uniformly tilt to one side.

Gu Yiping smiled faintly as he raised his other hand to meet it.

Bang~

The siblings' eyes met, and they suddenly crossed positions and switched places.

Xu Mingshu's sword fingers were like a dragon exploring the depths, directly targeting the center palace. Xu Mingxian's palm wind was like an elephant's trunk shaking a tree, blocking the retreat.

Amid the chaotic dance of light and shadow, Mingxian's right palm turned red as a branding iron, leaving scorch marks on Gu Yiping's lapel. Mingshu's sword fingers were blocked by Gu Yiping, also using sword fingers.

The surrounding torches made crackling and popping sounds.

After this exchange, Gu Yiping was quite surprised. Both were third-rate martial artists in terms of strength. According to the depth of their internal force, Xu Mingxian was slightly superior.

Though Xu Mingshu seemed mischievous and clever, her martial arts forms were methodical and proper. Of course, this was also due to her young age. However, Xu Mingxian, at the same age, appeared cold and aloof on the surface but didn't follow conventional patterns.

If he hadn't changed his move at the last moment to attack the hem of his robe, catching him off guard, it likely would have been easily blocked by Gu Yiping as well.

"Both are grandmaster seeds."

"In the past, without the Dragon Elephant Sect's secret medicinal diets to assist them, they already progressed this far. From now on, they might advance a thousand li in one leap."

Gu Yiping sighed with emotion that at such a young age, they already knew how to hide their true abilities and had such cunning.

Like Xu Mingwei, merely looking at the surface, one couldn't observe anything. Only through actual combat would one know.

He didn't know where they learned such tactics.

Second Young Master Xu was also tactful and quick-witted, with meticulous thinking.

When discussing martial hall details with him earlier, he basically followed his train of thought throughout and everywhere, certain points were seized upon, leaving no room for criticism.

This girl had keen spiritual awareness and excellent comprehension.

The Xu family were all monsters!

Come to think of it, only that Third Young Master, Xu Mingxuan, seemed rather ordinary. However, that was just compared to his siblings.

Compared to the family disciples of other county aristocratic families, he would probably be more than qualified as a family heir.

Gu Yiping had wandered for more than ten years, traveling through dozens of counties, and his knowledge was not shallow.

"This Xu family, among the county's aristocratic families, definitely belongs to the upper echelon."

"To be able to teach such descendants, I'm actually quite curious to meet this father they speak of."

…

After Xu Mingyuan obtained the Dragon Elephant Sect's medicinal diet recipes, he began purchasing large quantities of these medicinal materials, each one at least ten years old or more.

One dose cost about ten taels.

The medicinal diet recipe for assisting innate martial artists was even more precious.

Xu Mingwei said not to worry about him for now, so only after several days did Xu Mingyuan gather all the martial artist medicinal diets.

Besides this, the Xu family also began planting these medicinal materials in their medicine fields.

If they wanted to open a medicine shop, they ultimately needed to have their own source of medicinal materials, in addition to purchasing from some mountain folk.

These days, Xu Mingyuan had been so busy he was dizzy.

Recruiting personnel, establishing blacksmith shops, carpenter shops, medicine shops, schools, and so on.

He didn't require immediate results.

Rather, he was first laying the groundwork.