"Golden Bell Shield? A secret martial arts manual?"
He sucked at his teeth, fancying himself like the hero of a wuxia novel who had, by sheer chance, stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter.
But once Lian Youming steadied his emotions and quickly scanned the small characters on it, the delight on his face was gone, the astonishment in his eyes had faded, and in its place came a kind of bewilderment.
A long moment passed.
"What kind of damned nonsense is written here?"
Lian Youming stared at the characters—clearly he recognized every single one, yet strung together he could only gawk helplessly. Not only were there words, but also a number of extremely intricate human figures, marked with many of the body's sinews, bones, and meridians, as well as the flow of muscle and sinew—twelve of them in all. Though they looked miraculous and uncanny, in his eyes they were as incomprehensible as a heavenly script.
"Hm?"
As Lian Youming flipped through it, he discovered that the back of the brocade silk also bore a hand-copied passage.
"The Tiger Devours the World; Food Strengthens Qi."
Looking a little closer, he found this passage even stranger—it turned out to be a food-replenishing method. And the things to be eaten were all sorts of oddities: Solomon's seal, fo-ti, reishi, wild ginseng, tiger bone, bear gall, and the like—no fewer than forty or fifty kinds. Some of them, never mind this lifetime, he hadn't even seen in his past life. What's more, some of the things recorded on it were not only hard to find, but even with money you couldn't buy them.
Not only that, these ingredients were each paired in combinations, forming five recipes based on the medicinal properties of the Five Elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
And at the very bottom of the recipes there was another passage.
"A person lives but one lifetime, like the single autumn of the grass and trees; yet the turning of withering and flourishing all changes with the qi. Old age, set beside youth, is qi declining and strength exhausted, so that there is no strength to follow, and only then does the body show the signs of age. My method uses food to replenish it, nourishing the qi of the five organs. When the qi is full, essence and blood are abundant. When essence and blood are abundant, sinews are strong and bones are sound. Further aided by the qi-swallowing method to forge the foundation of the Five Elements, one can eat a tiger and become a tiger, drink a dragon and turn into a dragon, and swallow the world with one's qi."
"Why does this look a bit uncanny?"
The more Lian Youming read, the more he marveled, but at least he'd understood it.
At the very end, there were four inconspicuous characters.
"Left by one surnamed Chen."
"Could it be that this thing was left behind by someone surnamed Chen?"
Just as he was reading, his heart surging, the attendant's shout suddenly rang out beyond the carriage.
"We're almost at Harbin—everyone watch out, don't ride past your stop."
It was time to get off.
Drawing his thoughts back, Lian Youming came to his senses at once. After a moment's consideration, he tucked the brocade silk safely against his body. He wouldn't rush to puzzle it out for now—what was recorded on it was truly too strange, and to work it out completely would take some effort.
Soon, as the train slowly came to a halt, Lian Youming simply stuffed the yellow book, along with the two roast ducks, into his satchel, and only then took his bundle and left the carriage, squeezing into the vast white snow amid the surging crowd.
Outside the station.
A faded red banner flapped noisily in the cold wind, its slogan already blurred. The heavy snow fell thick and fast, yet it could not hide the lively warmth of everyday life beneath.
These days it was no idle saying that the nation's economy rested on the Northeast.
On the streets, it seemed to be around quitting time. Quite a few workers in blue uniforms rode bicycles with long bundles slung over them, ringing their jingling bells as they wove back and forth, braving the wind and snow. The cold wind blew, and from time to time waves of food aromas drifted over from the doorways of the state-run restaurants.
Lian Youming had walked only a few steps and breathed out a couple of times when a layer of frost clung to his brows and lashes; the chill from every direction, carried on the north wind, drilled straight into people's collars and startled him into a shudder.
So cold.
Before he could even get a word out, his nose was already running. The educated youth, too, were all frozen into hunching their heads, and any who dared open their mouths got a mouthful of cold wind. Lian Youming, tall and sturdy, could hold his ground standing there, but a few of the female educated youth beside him, laden with luggage, had run only a couple of steps before a gust of wind knocked them over sideways as if they'd had a stroke, drawing a burst of laughter from those around.
Lian Youming, however, was in no hurry. He took a mask from his pocket, wrapped his scarf snugly, and cinched his cap tight, bundling himself up until only a pair of eyes showed. This was all the experience of one who had been through it before.
In fact, this was not Lian Youming's first time in the Northeast. Years ago, when his father went to visit his old comrades-in-arms, he'd tagged along several times. Those uncles had all come over back when they went to help develop the Great Northern Wilderness, and then settled down here, starting families and building their lives. Otherwise, how could his family have felt at ease letting him come alone to such a distant place to be sent down to the countryside? The place was a bit remote, true, but at least Lian Youming could call those men uncles—surely he wouldn't suffer too badly.
He glanced at the educated youth. There had been four or five hundred at the start, and quite a few had gotten off along the way; now only a few dozen remained.
As soon as they left the station, they saw people waving and calling to them from two Jiefang-brand trucks.
"Over here, all of you come!"
The whole crowd rushed over in a flurry. Only when they drew near did they see the trucks were loaded with a great deal of timber, leaving little room, so the group could only sit on the logs braving the wind and snow, shivering with cold, yet all gritting their teeth and enduring it. Then the fifty-odd educated youth were split into two groups according to where each was being sent down; those students had no time to bid their companions farewell before they parted ways, drifting ever farther apart amid sobs.
Lian Youming sat alone to one side; he did not find it hard at all. The true suffering had long since been borne by others on their behalf—this was merely a snowstorm; what did it amount to? And after the hurried parting came bewilderment and helplessness. Staring at the vast white expanse, gazing at the city gradually receding, watching the dense forests and slopes pass by one after another along the way, everyone seemed filled with uncertainty about the future.
Amid the howling wind and snow, someone suddenly tilted his head back and shouted at the top of his voice, "Unity is strength—ready, sing!!!"
"Unity is strength; this strength is iron, this strength is steel..."
The educated youth, who had been silent and dejected, one after another raised their heads, threw out their chests, mustered their strength, and sang out. Lian Youming was among them, for the one leading the shout was him. There was no other reason for it; by his father's way of putting it, at a time like this you should build up the momentum and lift everyone's spirits.
"Huh?"
Lian Youming's gaze suddenly fixed on one of them—a female educated youth in a Lei Feng cap, her little face all smudged black, a runny nose, and a ring of charred ash on her cheeks as if she'd licked the bottom of a pot. In one hand she clutched half a roasted ear of corn, in the other a roasted sweet potato, both still warm—he had no idea where she'd gotten them.
She had been singing along for a line or two, but perhaps noticing Lian Youming's gaze, she first froze, then her cheeks reddened and her eyes darted away, and she slowly edged backward. Only after shrinking behind a rather sturdy female educated youth did she turn her back again and go on eating.
What a steady disposition.
Seeing how fierce the wind and snow were, Lian Youming thought a moment, then took a pack of fruit candy from his bundle, opened it, and handed a few pieces to everyone. They all thanked him again and again.
But just as the candy was about to run out, a slender right hand covered in charred ash suddenly reached out. Lian Youming looked up and saw it was actually that female educated youth who'd been sneaking bites of corn. She had a scarf wrapped around her face like a thief, yet a pair of big, dark, darting eyes were fixed intently on the few remaining pieces of fruit candy.
Lian Youming smiled, took one for himself, and handed out all the rest. The female educated youth took the candy and instantly beamed, saying indistinctly through a full mouth, "M goi!"
So she still had food stuffed in her mouth.
But no sooner had the words left her than she seemed to realize something, hurriedly corrected herself, and with a southern accent, somewhat awkwardly, said, "Thank you!"
Her voice was as tiny as a mosquito's whine.
As time wore on, the truck stopped at several farms and villages, and most of the educated youth aboard had gotten off. But unexpectedly, midway the driver suddenly realized he'd been carrying one extra person, and after asking around, they found the extra one was Lian Youming.
Lian Youming was dumbfounded as well. So it turned out he'd gotten off at the wrong stop. The place he was headed was Tahe, and he'd gotten off too early. Fortunately, the driver said this truck would pass through Tahe, though it would be a bit late—he guessed it would already be dark by the time they got there.
"Damn my rotten luck."
Watching the educated youth get off one after another, Lian Youming could not help but heave a long sigh. The wind and snow had unknowingly stopped. On the truck, aside from Lian Youming, only four educated youth remained: one man and three women. He heard it clearly—these people were actually from Guangdong and Guangxi. There had originally been a dozen or so of them, but they'd split up earlier, and now only four were left heading to the same place. As luck would have it, the female educated youth who'd asked for candy was among them too.
But they were southerners after all; in this world of ice and snow, they had been lively just moments ago, and now every one of them was frozen limp, shivering, hands and feet trembling, their spirit and vitality seemingly drained away. Fortunately, the driver poured them some hot water, and after drinking it they revived a little.
Lian Youming sat to one side, idle and bored, his mind turning over the things recorded on that piece of brocade silk. That food-replenishing method had nothing abstruse about it—it was plain and easy to understand; the hard part was those so-called heavenly materials and earthly treasures.
As for the qi-swallowing method on it...
After thinking a moment, with his back to the others, Lian Youming took out the brocade silk again and quickly scanned it over.
Nothing.
It didn't record the qi-swallowing method at all.
"Or was it that he simply couldn't understand that method?"
Lian Youming looked thoughtful, so he put the brocade silk away, but then turned and took out the yellow book. This old book's cover was made of two boards, one in front and one behind; the front one had hidden that piece of brocade silk—could the back one also have something hidden in it? At that thought, he did not hesitate. He worked his fingertip into the seam of the cover, and to his surprise it actually pried open.
Inside, sure enough, another piece of brocade silk was hidden.
Looking closely—just as expected.
"Three Yin Earth Fiend Force."
"Internal martial arts come down to just two words: 'attack' and 'defense.' The path of attack lies in the qi. The heart and lungs thrive because of qi; the blood surges because of qi; the hands and feet come alive because of qi. Thus qi is the very foundation of controlling the body—without qi there is no force, and without qi nothing lives."
"Yet the force this technique cultivates is not the force of sinews and bones; it seeks a single breath of internal force. When ordinary people eat and drink—whether heavenly materials and earthly treasures or delicacies from mountain and sea—they can never fully draw out the essence within, for the qi of the five organs is hard to master, often lacking or damaged, and mostly insufficient. But this qi-swallowing method can harness the Five Qi into force. Once one's cultivation meets with some success, not only can it make the food-replenishing method yield twice the result for half the effort, but as the Five Qi circulates, it can, in an extremely short time, convert all the food consumed into essence and qi to replenish the body."
Lian Youming's brows knitted slightly as he silently pondered. According to what was recorded here, it meant that ordinary people, no matter what they ate, could never fully absorb the nutrients within—some was always lost. But if one practiced this technique, it could greatly enhance one's digestive power and speed, so as to absorb the nutrients in food to the greatest extent and make up for the body's needs.
"But what exactly is this Five Qi? And this swallowing qi into force..."
He unconsciously let out a soft breath, and into his mind suddenly came the strange scene from earlier in the carriage, when that man had been breathing in and out.
"Could it be that man was swallowing qi?"
Lian Youming shifted his gaze back to the brocade silk, his eyes moving down, and at once a formula came into view: "Tongue against the upper palate, both cheeks bulging and surging, holding saliva and drawing in fluid, qi entering the throat and tongue, spirit roaming the three yin..."
He was only unconsciously thinking of trying it once, but no sooner had he drawn a breath than he felt the cold wind enter his throat like a blade, and a mouthful of saliva caught in his throat, nearly choking him.
"Cough, cough..."
In an instant, amid his violent coughing, every thought in Lian Youming's mind was snuffed out.
"Classmate, are you all right?"
A concerned voice came from behind him. Hearing it, Lian Youming hurriedly put the brocade silk away and answered, "I'm fine."
He swallowed another mouthful of saliva, and this time there was an added note of fishy sweetness.
There was actually blood.
The rest of the way passed in silence. Lian Youming had completely settled down, not daring to indulge in the slightest wild speculation. Until the truck drove into a county town, and those four educated youth also got off. Watching the four leave, Lian Youming took the chance to buy some food at a state-run restaurant, meaning to fill his belly and, while at it, bring a portion for the driver as well.
The difference was that just now he'd been in the back braving the cold wind, but now he sat in the passenger seat. After the two finished eating and rested briefly, they set off once more.
Lian Youming let out a breath and was just about to doze off for a while when, the very instant the truck turned a corner, he caught sight from the corner of his eye of a somewhat familiar figure on the street.
"Hm?"
In an instant, the drowsiness in Lian Youming's eyes vanished without a trace. At the far end of his gaze actually stood a sallow-faced young man in a Zhongshan suit.
It was actually him. That traitor of the Xingyi Sect.
Lian Youming was full of shock and doubt. "How is this possible?" He remembered the man had vanished partway along—whether he'd jumped from the train or not—yet he himself had changed trains and then ridden a truck for several hundred kilometers, and still they had run into each other. Truly bizarre.
Afraid he'd been mistaken, Lian Youming looked again carefully—it really was that sallow-faced young man. Even the way he ate was exactly the same as before, the sinews in his face pulled taut, as if he were a starving ghost reborn, drawing constant sidelong glances from those around.
Lian Youming's brows knitted slightly. He'd thought he would never run into the man again in this lifetime, never expecting to bump into him again after just a single day. And in his heart there was also an inexplicable sense of danger. An extraordinary person like that turning up here was by no means a good thing.
But the next second, Lian Youming gave a shudder, looked away, and quickly ducked down—for that man had actually turned to look his way.
Good heavens, this was a good hundred or two hundred meters away. Was this even human?
Fortunately, the truck started up quickly; in the rearview mirror, the man grew farther and farther away.
On the street, watching the departing truck, the young man's brows knitted slightly as he went on chewing—he was eating steamed buns, one at a time, chewing hard and swallowing hard. But a figure that had no business there suddenly blocked his line of sight.
The newcomer looked like a farmhand driving a cart—a bearded face with thick brows, a felt hat on his head, a whip tucked into the collar at the nape of his neck, a pipe tucked at his waist, his sheepskin coat so filthy it was flaking in patches, his eyes dark and brooding as water. He was a middle-aged man, thirty or forty years old.
"Kid, seeing as you're surnamed Xue, I'll give you a chance today: turn right around and go back, or I'll cripple you."
The young man's expression seemed dull and wooden, yet a sharp light flickered in his eyes, and even his sallow, coarse-featured face seemed to glow faintly at that moment. "A successor of the Twelve Great True Forms of the Xingyi Sect—which one are you?"
The middle-aged man's brows shot up. "Tiger!"
The young man slowly swallowed the food in his mouth and sauntered closer. "The world has changed, and true inheritors are few and far between. Seeing as your skill was hard-won, I'll leave your corpse whole."
As he spoke, the man clasped his hands in a fist-palm salute and grinned wildly.
"I, Xue Hen, would like to taste your superior skills!"
Chapter 3