Chapter 67: Dragon Chasing the Sun, Illuminating the Green Mountains

Chapter 67: The Dragon Chases the Sun, Lighting the Green Mountains

Chen Yi, unaware of Xiao Jinghong’s intentions, would have surely rejected her with stern words.

A few days after the banquet, he returned to his usual leisurely ways.

He had always assumed that his offhand remark about “high walls and abundant grain” would prompt Xiao Jinghong to appear.

Yet in reality, Xiao Jinghong remained busier than ever, her feet barely touching the ground.

Pei Menglou had mentioned that she had been preparing a joint market with the mountain tribe—selecting locations, measuring, calculating, and negotiating contracts, as if ready to break ground at a moment’s notice.

Chen Yi had given it little thought, but a few casual remarks led him to surmise that Xiao Jinghong was moving with the utmost caution, as if detecting some anomaly and seeking a way to save herself.

This explained why she had not allowed him to elaborate further on the matter of “high walls and abundant grain.”

These thoughts, Chen Yi kept to himself, never voiced, content to live his quiet life.

For now, he remained a frail scholar, powerless as a bird in a cage.

Of course, he could fool others, but not Pei Menglou.

That night, while Xiao Jinghong was away, Chen Yi ventured into the Purple Bamboo Grove once more.

He stretched his limbs, practiced his stances, honed his martial techniques, while listening to Pei Menglou’s endless chatter.

“Brother, just help me out.”

“Persuade Jinghong Sister to come back; I don’t even want to return to the mountain tribe anymore.”

“Brother, please…”

Seeing the pitiable sight of the young woman, Chen Yi asked, “You’ve been gone so long, sister. Don’t you miss home?”

Pei Menglou shook her head vigorously, her silver bells jingling. “Not at all. Home is no place for fun.”

“After I return, Ama and Ah Gong will only make me practice all day.”

“The others in the tribe don’t play with me either—they’re always busy arranging my marriage. I can’t stand it!”

Chen Yi casually inquired, “What about your parents?”

To his surprise, Pei Menglou furrowed her smooth brow. “They… they haven’t returned in a long time.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. Ama said they left when I was young, saying they’d go north for some great task.”

Chen Yi mused, “They’ve never contacted you?”

Pei Menglou shrugged, her lips parted. “I don’t know. Maybe they have urgent matters.”

“Still, Ama keeps their connection orb. They must still be alive.”

Chen Yi nodded, then said, “I’ll try after the Lady returns tomorrow.”

“Though she might not agree.”

Pei Menglou paid no heed to such concerns, her face lighting up. “I knew you’d understand, brother. You don’t want me to leave either.”

“….”

What he meant, no one would guess.

Yet Chen Yi would never speak such words aloud.

In the days that followed, he diligently practiced the Falling Mountain Fist, the Dragon Dancing with Phoenix Body Method, and other techniques.

He had not abandoned the Dragon Dancing with Phoenix Body Method, despite focusing on the Starry Butterfly Step. Not only to keep Pei Menglou in the dark, but also because he had discovered the former held merit.

Whereas the Starry Butterfly Step was nimble and erratic, the Falling Mountain Fist paired with its footwork was direct and forceful, while the Dragon Dancing with Phoenix Body Method leaned toward close-quarters combat.

At that moment, as Pei Menglou again urged him to spar and test his recent training—

The instant Pei Menglou stepped forward in the Starry Butterfly Step, her palm striking out—Chen Yi twisted aside using the Dragon Dancing with Phoenix Body Method, landing behind her.

A single strike of the Falling Mountain Fist to her ribs sent her stumbling, her hand flying to the pain.

“Ah—Brother, I’ve nearly broken through to the eighth grade, yet I still can’t defeat you!”

Chen Yi glanced at her pained expression, saying nothing of his true motive.

But he pointed out, “Your footwork is swift and flexible, but you’re too impatient. Who do you know who fights with full force every time?”

Pei Menglou blinked. “Then how should I do?”

“When fighting, use only seven parts of your strength, keeping three in reserve for adjustments. Anyone at your level can manage with this.”

This was an insight Chen Yi had recently grasped—simple and practical, sufficient for his solid foundation in martial arts.

Pei Menglou pondered, then began circling in the bamboo grove, her feet in the Starry Butterfly Step, her palms executing the Hundred Flowers Technique, demonstrating the “seven parts, three parts” method.

Chen Yi watched for a moment, then set down a bamboo pole of suitable length and height.

He weighed it carefully, then straightened his posture, gripping the bamboo at the base, recalling the Falling Dragon Spear technique.

In the next instant, he drew his bow, the bamboo pole thrust forward like a spear.

The bamboo shaft twisted and writhed, rising and soaring like a living dragon.

—The first form of the Falling Dragon Spear: The Dragon Chases the Sun!

Then the second: Illuminating the Green Mountains.

The third: Severing the River and Sea.

The fourth: Binding the Dragon with Rope.

And so on, until the eighth form: Reversing the Heavens and Earth.

Each form surpassed the last, each strike more powerful than the previous.

Even as a novice, Chen Yi’s bamboo pole erupted with a faint aura of might, stirring the air like a gale sweeping through clouds.

The martial artist Pei Menglou, absorbed in her own cultivation, was startled, her eyes widening into perfect circles.

“Brother, what… what technique is this? Where did you learn it?”

Chen Yi offered no answer. After completing the forms, he felt his inner energy surging like a torrent, then gradually subsiding.

His dantian, once full of qi, now felt drained, as if a punctured balloon had deflated.

[Successfully cultivated the Falling Dragon Spear (Ground Level). Grade: Initial Understanding.]

[Martial Arts – Spear: Uninitiated 0/1 (Can allocate points).]

He couldn’t afford to check, but felt the emptiness in his core, gesturing weakly. “Go fetch me some food.”

Pei Menglou snapped back to herself, rushing to bring provisions.

“Strange… I only used a fraction of my strength.”

Chen Yi propped himself against the ground with a purple bamboo pole, simultaneously employing the Xuanwu Contraction and Dissipation Technique to restore his internal energy while advancing his "Wu Dao·Spear" skills.

[Wu Dao·Spear: Entry Level 0/10 (Can allocate points)]

As a profound revelation seeped into his mind, Chen Yi rummaged through his thoughts for a moment, suddenly comprehending the cause of his depleted internal energy.

To unleash the full power of the Falling Dragon Spear Technique, one must at least reach the seventh rank of cultivation; only then can internal energy transform into true qi, allowing it to be projected outward.

Attempting to practice or employ it forcefully, as he currently did, would deplete his qi sea.

"How can the same 'Meteor Flower Step' be possible for someone of the same ground level?"

Chen Yi pondered for a moment, shaking his head in understanding—how troublesome.

Each movement in the Falling Dragon Spear Technique intricately intertwined with the very essence of heaven and earth.

He glanced at the remaining opportunities, then continued elevating his spear techniques to the minor achievement stage.

As countless spear technique secrets and mysteries unfolded, he roughly estimated their depth equaled the combined total of Wu Dao Step, Wu Dao Body, and Wu Dao Fist.

The sheer volume of spear technique knowledge surpassed even that of the Medical Dao.

"No wonder people say, 'A year to master the blade, three years for the sword, a lifetime for the spear.'"

"This spear technique is easy to learn but hard to perfect; the simple thrusts are straightforward, but to wield them effectively is difficult."

Pei Wenlu arrived shortly, and after Chen Yi ate something, they returned to the wooden pavilion to rest.

Throughout the journey, the tiger cub kept pressing for answers, but with his limited energy, Chen Yi could only offer a couple of casual remarks.

Pei Wenlu ceased her inquiries, deeming it sufficient, and felt as though she had uncovered a new secret about her brother-in-law.

"Brother, don’t forget to tell Sister Jinghong tomorrow."

Chen Yi replied, "Understood," and made his way directly back to his chambers, collapsing onto his bed.

Though the Falling Dragon Spear Technique was powerful, he lacked the means to unleash its true potential in the short term, so he abandoned practice…

After some contemplation, he murmured, "It’s not impossible to practice. I’ll try the Xuanwu Contraction and Dissipation Technique tomorrow."

The technique could seal the pores around the body, preventing the leakage of even a single thread of internal energy—after all, it was a method worth attempting.

Otherwise, how long would it take to elevate his daily practice of the Falling Dragon Spear to proficiency?

Thinking this, Chen Yi rose once more, assuming the posture for the Xuanwu Contraction and Dissipation Technique and resumed his cultivation.

Since his foundation was insufficient, he would simply spend more time practicing.

Until the wee hours of the morning—

[Daily Intelligence·Yellow Grade Good: At noon, the residence of Duke Ming, the best garden, Xiao Wanzhen gave instructions to the manager of the pharmacy. A small amount of opportunity can be obtained.]

Chen Yi’s eyelids flickered, and he plunged once again into the posture cultivation.

Xiao Wanzhen’s instructions?

What might she be like when angry… he imagined, probably something like this… he couldn’t quite picture it.

His thoughts, as a proper son-in-law, could only conjure the image of his wife—right?

(Chapter Complete)