Chapter 5: Refining Viscera Technique

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Refining Viscera Technique

Dressed in a red martial arts outfit with her hair in a bun, the young woman stood with her back to Fang Xu, listening to the instructions of the man in front of her.

The man, in his fifties and dressed in a white shirt, had a fair complexion and a short beard. He appeared somewhat refined yet unsmiling, looking much like the schoolteachers in town.

"Land Master." Li Yushan led Fang Xu forward and bowed respectfully to the middle-aged man. "The kid from the Fang Family wishes to seek Land Master’s guidance."

"Has the money been paid?" Lu Zhiyuan glanced at the two and asked nonchalantly.

Fang Xu quickly bowed. "The fifty taels of silver have already been given to Li."

The young woman in red also turned around at this moment. Her face needed no makeup. Her red lips were pressed tightly together on her pretty, slightly chubby face, and above her exquisitely sculpted nose, her lively eyes scrutinized Fang Xu with a hint of curiosity.

"Yunshan, Qingluo, you may leave first," Lu Zhiyuan said slowly.

After bowing slightly, the young woman in red and Li Yushan left the courtyard. Lu Zhiyuan looked at Fang Xu and said, "You should know the rules of Zhiyuan Hall. I only teach the Refining Viscera Technique, and I cannot guarantee that you will definitely become a Martial Disciple.

"Furthermore, whether or not you succeed in becoming a Martial Disciple, these fifty taels of silver are non-refundable."

Fang Xu nodded slightly and cupped his hands. "I am aware."

This rule was an accepted norm in the trade. The fifty taels of silver acted as an entrance fee; the master led the disciple through the door, but their achievements depended on the individual.

"In that case, step forward," Lu Zhiyuan said slowly, seeing that he had no objections.

Fang Xu took two steps forward and slowly extended his right arm. Lu Zhiyuan reached out, grasped his arm, and closed his eyes.

A moment later.

"You have an abundant supply of qi and blood, and your foundation is very solid. You must have put in a lot of hard work."

When a Martial Artist cultivated, they refined their skin and flesh on the outside, their bones and blood on the inside, and finally refined their internal organs. The so-called talent in the early stages was actually just personal potential. Fang Xu had never specially tested what his talent was like. Over the past twenty-plus years, his grandfather seemed to have the intention of letting him become a Martial Artist. No matter how financially tight their daily life was, he had never been mistreated. Although high-grade Blood Food and Elixirs were not common, relying on his carpentry skills to earn some money meant that he was ultimately never short of nutrition.

"Follow me." After checking Fang Xu’s foundation, Lu Zhiyuan led him into a secret room.

The room was not large, and its interior furnishings were very simple: a table, a chair, and a block of Renshi.

Once Fang Xu stood still, Lu Zhiyuan asked directly, "Do you know what makes a Martial Artist?"

Meeting his gaze, Fang Xu thought for a long time before shaking his head.

The Coiling Dragon Force passed down by the royal family only contained the most basic Body Refining Technique prior to the Bone Refining Realm. It possessed nothing too profound, and naturally, it did not record what constituted a true Martial Artist.

Lu Zhiyuan was not surprised by this. He stated directly, "A person has one hundred and eight acupoints, and these one hundred and eight acupoints are one hundred and eight secret treasures.

"The so-called Martial Artist refers to the group of people who cultivate their bodies internally, unearth their own potential, continuously open the secret treasures within their bodies, and acquire power."

Upon hearing Lu Zhiyuan’s explanation, Fang Xu was enlightened.

But before he could digest this further, Lu Zhiyuan spoke again. "Why do you think a Martial Artist needs to focus on Refining Viscera, and how should Refining Viscera be done?"

Fang Xu was slightly taken aback and shook his head again.

Lu Zhiyuan stood with his hands behind his back and said, "The body is a vessel. The power of the secret treasures is very strong. If you want to release this power and use it for yourself, you must first have a vessel capable of accommodating it."

As he spoke, he slowly reached out his hand and suddenly struck the block of Renshi in front of him with a palm strike.

BOOM!

Under the force of Lu Zhiyuan’s palm, the Renshi, which was harder than ordinary steel, caved in by more than an inch!

Fang Xu was secretly alarmed, realizing that if this palm strike landed on an ordinary person, it could easily pierce right through their body!

A casual strike from a Martial Artist at the Martial Master realm held such destructive power. It seemed that the folk legends about mighty figures of the Martial Dao cleaving mountains with a palm and shattering the earth with a stomp were not false.

"Step forward." After slightly showing off his skills, Lu Zhiyuan called Fang Xu over again and grabbed both of his wrists.

Before Fang Xu could react, he felt an extremely overbearing force begin to travel along his arms. This force surged along his meridians all the way into his internal organs before slowing down slightly.

"The five internal organs are also known as the body’s five deities, each with its own temperament. The heart is like an ape, mischievous and restless; it must be disciplined. The liver is like fire, quick-tempered; it must be soothed..."

Lu Zhiyuan explained in a deep voice while guiding that force to wander through Fang Xu’s internal organs.

Combining his words with the sensation of the force shifting at varying speeds across his organs, Fang Xu understood that this was the true Refining Viscera Technique.

He did not dare to be negligent. He focused his mind, calming himself to listen carefully and feel everything happening within his body. Gradually, Fang Xu felt as if his consciousness had sunk into his chest cavity. The fiery, volatile liver, the giant ape-like heart... The five viscera and six bowels presented themselves before him one by one.

Meanwhile, the force controlled by Lu Zhiyuan manifested into different forms. Sometimes it acted like a long whip, lashing the giant heart-ape, while at other times it was like a gentle breeze and fine rain, soothing the fiery temper of the liver.

Immersed in this wondrous sensation, Fang Xu completely forgot the passage of time.

When he opened his eyes again, he found Lu Zhiyuan standing not far away, quietly watching him.

"Land Master." Fang Xu quickly cupped his hands in a bow.

Lu Zhiyuan showed a rare smile on his face. He nodded and said, "Your talent is quite good. It’s a pity..."

Fang Xu was puzzled and was about to ask when Lu Zhiyuan waved his hand. "Go now. I have imparted the Refining Viscera Technique to you. If there is anything you do not understand, come back and ask.

"Remember one thing. Refining Viscera is a delicate, time-consuming process that cannot be rushed. Going too far is as bad as falling short. When you feel pain in your internal organs, you must know when to stop. Otherwise, you will undoubtedly suffer severe injuries."

Sobered, Fang Xu immediately bowed to Lu Zhiyuan again. "Thank you, Land Master."

By the time he came out of the secret room, the sun had already slanted towards the southwest. Looking at the gates of Zhiyuan Hall behind him, Fang Xu paused slightly before turning and leaving.

He had initially grasped the Refining Viscera Technique. What he needed to do next was to cultivate diligently and strive to enter the ranks of a Martial Disciple as soon as possible. However, before that, he still needed to buy some Blood Food and Qi Blood Pills.

Not far from Zhiyuan Hall was the only place in town that sold Elixirs. The Wu Family held a monopoly on this business, while the Blood Food trade in Fenglin Town was controlled by the Zhang Family.

These two Noble Families had Martial Masters holding the fort. Having been entrenched in Fenglin Town for over a century, they both possessed inextricably linked relationships with those major factions in the State Mansion.

The Wu Family’s Elixir Shop was named Qinxiang House.

Not only did they sell precious Elixirs suitable for Cultivators, such as Qi Blood Pills and Replenishing Essence Pills, but they also sold a large amount of Medicinal Powders, ointments for treating external injuries, and common herbs.

When Wang Ergou’s father was still alive, he was a Registered Disciple of the old Patriarch of the Wu Family. Relying on this status, he had been able to resell herbs in Fenglin Town, earning enough money to cultivate Wang Erhu into a Martial Disciple.

It was just that Wang Ergou’s father had poor aptitude. He never managed to become a true disciple of the Wu Family’s old Patriarch, nor did he manage to learn any Alchemy skills.

When Fang Xu arrived at the entrance of Qinxiang House, the elderly man at the door recognized him.

"Fang, here to buy Medicinal Powder again?"

The Medicinal Powder the old man spoke of was actually the herbal dregs left over from refining Qi Blood Pills. Its efficacy was far inferior to that of a true Qi Blood Pill, but its advantage was its cheap price. Fang Xu had previously been relying on this type of Medicinal Powder to cultivate.

"Elder Li, I’m here to buy Qi Blood Pills this time," Fang Xu said boldly, patting the bundle on his back.

Hearing this, the elderly man looked at him in slight astonishment.

A single Qi Blood Pill was worth ten taels of silver, while a portion of Medicinal Powder only cost fifty copper coins.

Fang Xu was now asking to buy Qi Blood Pills, which truly surprised the old man quite a bit. He immediately and respectfully invited him into the shop, saying, "Fang... Young Master Fang, how many Qi Blood Pills do you need?"

Fang Xu thought for a moment before saying, "Let’s start with five."

He only had seventy-four taels of silver left on him now. He still needed to buy Blood Food next, as well as cover his daily living expenses, so he couldn’t spend it all on Elixirs at once.

"Wu, how many Qi Blood Pills are left in Qinxiang House? This young master wants them all!"

Just then, a rather arrogant voice rang out from the entrance of Qinxiang House.