Day Ten’s Worth of Work

Du Ruo stepped into the room. It was clear it had been tidied up that afternoon; the bed was made, with blankets and towels laid out neatly, and even a set of pajamas placed on the bed.

But Du Ruo was in no mood to examine it carefully. He stripped off his clothes, took a shower, and then stood bare-chested in the room to practice the Single-Cross Three-Body Posture.

He hoped the trembling of his body might calm the excess vital essence within him and ease the fiery heat raging in his belly.

Unfortunately, it did no good. His constitution was now far beyond that of ordinary people; holding the stance no longer left him drained after only a minute or two. After five minutes, he still felt energy surging endlessly through him, with no trace of fatigue.

So Du Ruo simply put his clothes back on and went outside. In front of the house, he began to strike his fists, still with the most basic of the Form-Intention Five Element Fist. This time, however, it was different from before: in the past, he had restrained his force while practicing.

Training and fighting were not the same. Training focused on comprehending the connection between force and technique, on understanding the process by which power traveled through the body, from the feet through the hips, up the spine, then from the shoulders and finally out through the hands.

But now Du Ruo was not trying to comprehend anything. He simply released his force, and with every punch and every posture, power surged outward with impressive might.

Even so, when he finished, he still felt unsatisfied. Form-Intention Fist still emphasized striking with seven parts committed and three parts held in reserve; one needed that restraint between movements in order to make offense flow without interruption.

So Du Ruo changed styles. From Form-Intention he shifted to Eight Extremities, and this time the feeling was far more satisfying.

Eight Extremities Fist was all about charging forward with fearless momentum, with each punch driven in a single line, wild and direct, every move revealing even greater ferocity.

Still, Du Ruo knew he was a guest here, so he held back slightly and did not wreak havoc. Otherwise, with the force he now possessed all over his body, one stamping step from Eight Extremities could have shattered several floor tiles.

After venting a little of that force and no longer feeling the fire in his abdomen, Du Ruo finally stopped. He sat cross-legged on the stone tiles outside the room and began meditating, cultivating the Primordial Unity Force.

He had drunk so much tiger-penis wine tonight that it would be a waste to let it go unused. If he did not absorb it, the potency would inevitably dissipate. Tiger-bone wine strengthened sinews and bones, while tiger-penis wine nourished essence and boosted masculine vitality, increasing vigor and replenishing what had been depleted. It did not have any aphrodisiac effect, so there was no need for wild misunderstandings.

Du Ruo meditated in order to merge his essence, energy, and spirit into one circulating whole, aiding the absorption of the medicinal properties and preventing the flames of essence from burning too fiercely and wasting themselves away.

This was the first time he had fully devoted himself to moving the essence, energy, and spirit within his body, allowing them to circulate in unison. Unknowingly, he sat on the stone tiles the entire night, and only then did he finish absorbing the medicinal force in his body, after which no new flames of essence arose.

"Ahhh..."

When the first ray of morning light fell upon Du Ruo, he exhaled a long breath, opened his eyes, and felt clear-minded and refreshed. He could distinctly sense that his essence, energy, and spirit had all grown considerably.

Name: Du Ruo

Age: 31

Essence: 9.80

Energy: 9.80

Spirit: 9.80

Attribute Points: 0.08

Skills: ...

"I never expected that a single night of cultivating the Primordial Unity Force could directly increase my attributes."

Du Ruo looked at the attribute panel before him. Aside from the normal gains, each stat had somehow risen by 0.1 out of nowhere. Under ordinary circumstances, reaching that result would have taken ten days.

But he quickly understood why. Most of it was the effect of the tiger-penis wine. In the past, when Du Ruo used medicinal wine, he applied it externally, mainly to strengthen the bones and sinews and protect the joints, so that long periods of training would not leave hidden injuries.

He rarely consumed such potent medicines directly. Even the bottle of tiger-bone wine he had bought from Xiang Yuanyuan had been diluted first, so it could be used by the family.

The tonics Xiang Yuanyuan had sent before were also milder, meant to replenish what had been lacking in the body.

Only yesterday's tiger-penis wine had such excellent effects on essence, and, combined with Du Ruo's Primordial Unity Force, allowing the medicinal wine to be fully absorbed, it enabled such a great increase in essence, energy, and spirit.

"I wonder how much of this kind of powerful medicinal wine the Xiang family still has. Will the tiger-bone wine soaking here have the same effect?"

Du Ruo was rather pleased at least to have gained so much, and he looked forward to the tiger-bone wine even more.

"Awake already? Go wash up and eat something. We'll load the wine onto the truck in a bit and head back."

A voice sounded beside Du Ruo. It was Xiang Yuanyuan. She glanced him up and down and noticed that his complexion seemed even better than before, which was why she spoke. She did not ask how he had spent the night, after all, she had secretly watched him for a very long time last night.

"That tiger-penis wine worked very well yesterday. Does your family have more of it? How do you sell it?"

As Du Ruo walked back toward the room, he asked Xiang Yuanyuan.

"Of course it works well. That wine has been stored for at least twenty years; it's the finest of the family’s treasured stock. It's far too rare to sell. Wines like tiger-bone wine and tiger-penis wine only become more potent with age.

"But they place very high demands on storage conditions. Ordinary tiger-bone wine will spoil after two or three years. Every year, our family has to put most of our profits into preserving these old wines, which is why good medicinal wine sells for such high prices."

Xiang Yuanyuan glanced at the bed and secretly smiled to herself, though her expression remained unchanged as she explained.

"So that means the tiger-bone wine I have still can't be drunk yet?"

Du Ruo paused in the middle of brushing his teeth and asked.

"Mm. At least half a year is needed before the beneficial compounds in the tiger bone can combine with the alcohol and begin to take effect. But don't worry, it's been sealed properly. Just keep it in a cool, well-ventilated place when you get home. If that doesn't work, you can leave it with me."

"Oh, I see. All right then."

After washing up, Du Ruo felt a little disappointed. In his view, even if tiger-bone wine was not as effective as yesterday's tiger-penis wine, it would still be nice if it had even a tenth of that effect. After all, quantity could make up for quality. But now it seemed he had better just keep training honestly.

When they arrived in the dining room, Xiang Yuanzhang and Xiang's mother were already waiting by the table. For some reason, though, Xiang's father was nowhere to be seen. Breakfast was quick, and they finished in no time.

"Yuanyuan, you're leaving today? Not staying a few more days? Xiao Du can stay a little longer and even visit Shaolin Temple."

At the table, Xiang Yuanzhang asked casually. He was reluctant to part with his granddaughter, and it was rare for him to meet someone he could talk to so readily.

"No, Grandfather Xiang. I only just returned from out of town a few days ago, and then hurried over here as soon as I got home. It really isn't suitable for me to stay long. I'll come specially another time to pay a proper visit."

Xiang Yuanyuan said nothing and looked at Du Ruo. Seeing this, Du Ruo took the hint and answered for her. Truthfully, Xiang's mother had been far too warm and attentive here, and he was a little embarrassed. If he and Xiang Yuanyuan had something more between them, that would be one thing, but their relationship was only a little better than friendship. It was really hard for him to keep eating and drinking here without feeling awkward.

"All right, then I'll see you off."

Xiang Yuanzhang rose and walked outside.

"Xiao Du, our family has records. According to them, one of my ancestors once met Grandmaster Yang Luchen. It is said that after the age of forty, Grandmaster Yang no longer practiced Tai Chi, yet his fighting ability did not decline at all. In fact, his skill only grew deeper. Why was that? Isn't training supposed to require persistence? Or did Grandmaster Yang have some special method of cultivation?"

Suddenly, Xiang Yuanzhang spoke. As he did, he fixed Du Ruo with a burning gaze.

"Whether that's true or not, I can't say. But if such a story was passed down, there should be some related clues."

Du Ruo did not understand why Xiang Yuanzhang had suddenly asked this. After thinking it over, he replied, "It should have something to do with the Tai Chi he practiced. Tai Chi is different from other styles. Its main emphasis is on force and the use of force, rather than on form. By the time he was forty, Grandmaster Yang was surely already a master of Tai Chi. In terms of postures and frame, there would have been no need for much more practice. He only needed to merge his boxing into daily life, letting force circulate endlessly within him, until every gesture and movement became Tai Chi.

"So it wasn't that he stopped practicing after forty; rather, he entered a higher realm. Only Tai Chi could do this. Other styles can also be integrated into daily life, but not with such naturalness, and they cannot temper a person in such a comprehensive way."

"I see. I thought it would be like in the stories, with meditating and cultivating internal power."

Xiang Yuanzhang withdrew his gaze, looking somewhat regretful.

"Heh. Grandfather Xiang, your family has a long and well-documented tradition, and you often deal with martial artists. Whether such things exist or not, aren't you already quite clear in your heart? As far as I know, cultivation of internal power exists in both Buddhist and Daoist traditions, but its core is regulation—regulating the mind, the breath, and the body. What is regulated is the essence, energy, and spirit within. Once the essence, energy, and spirit are properly harmonized, they can be used more effectively."

When Du Ruo saw Xiang Yuanzhang's expression, he immediately understood. The old man must have discovered that he had been meditating outside all night, which had led to a misunderstanding.

But he did not mind and casually offered an explanation.

"So that is how it is."

Xiang Yuanzhang sighed as if pondering something. After walking a while, and just as they were nearly at the place where Du Ruo had parked his car, he suddenly said again:

"Actually, I asked because I do know. But not entirely. There are some records at home. Have you ever heard of Xie Ziran from Sichuan in the Tang dynasty? That is the true source of my curiosity."

"All right, the wine has already been taken out of the cellar. Load it onto the car. Be careful on the road. Yuanyuan, come back and visit often. Once you've had your fill of traveling outside, come home."

Xiang Yuanzhang did not give Du Ruo a chance to speak. He said a few words to Xiang Yuanyuan, then turned and went back inside.

"Xie Ziran? Was that person real? Could the old man have seen related records?"

After hearing Xiang Yuanzhang's words, Du Ruo could not help but ponder silently. Yet this was not something he could reason through. He could only keep it in his heart, wondering whether some supreme cultivation method might one day appear in the system, allowing him to reach the same level as Xie Ziran.

After loading the wine and saying goodbye to Xiang's mother, Du Ruo drove Xiang Yuanyuan toward Mount Huang.

Yet in his heart, he still could not forget Xiang Yuanzhang's words.

After all, according to historical records, Xie Ziran ascended to immortality in broad daylight before the eyes of thousands. This is recorded in official histories, unofficial accounts, local gazetteers, and Daoist texts.