The following day was New Year's Day. The snow had finally stopped, giving way to brilliant sunshine. In a cradle of martial arts like this, the various sects and schools of the martial circles naturally had to put on a lively display of skill.
From early morning, the crackle of firecrackers filled the air, bursts echoing in waves across the town. Along with them came the clatter and boom of gongs and drums. Wu Jiu had led a troupe of disciples to organize a dragon and lion dance team, making for a tremendously festive scene.
Lian Youming rose early and took Xie Ruomei out to stroll about and take in the spectacle.
Only then did he notice Southern Fist schools among the dragon and lion dancing troupes. Intrigued, he asked around and learned that this was an offshoot carried north when northern and southern martial arts intermingled following the "Five Tigers Down to Jiangnan" era. It practiced orthodox Hong Quan, tracing back to the lineage of Tieqiao San, one of the late Qing's Ten Tigers of Guangdong.
The old Hong Quan master was well over sixty, yet his face glowed with vigor and his spirits were exceptionally bright. Still possessed of a playful streak, he wore the lion head and romped about, delighting a cluster of shrieking children. Meanwhile, his disciples engaged in lion-sparring bouts against teams from other sects in the street. Though they clashed with lion costumes, the true contest lay in basic conditioning—a fine way to stoke their competitive fire.
The streets were bustling, especially around the busy commercial markets, where crowds surged shoulder to shoulder and traffic came to a standstill.
Upon seeing such a grand day, Xie Ruomei's first instinct had actually been to run back inside, grab her box of buttons, and head out to sell them, only for Lian Youming to pull her back.
"Don't spoil the fun. I'm taking you out for a walk."
Noticing the girl's plain, patch-covered clothes, Lian Youming borrowed a bicycle from a Baji Sect disciple, sat Xie Ruomei on it, and rode to the city center, heading straight into the department store.
Under the strange looks of the shop assistants, Lian Youming examined the rack of plain, uniform cotton-padded coats, held them up against Xie Ruomei's frame, and bought four outfits in one go, each a size larger than the last.
The girl looked frail and thin right now, but once martial arts took root in her body, small changes would come every three days and drastic ones every ten. A single change of clothes would never suffice.
Flushing, Xie Ruomei initially gestured with her hands in resistance, but Lian Youming waved away all her protests. In the end, unable to dissuade him, she could only follow closely behind him like an obedient child, clutching the corner of his sleeve.
She had never set foot in a place like this before. Some of the goods she had never even heard of, let alone seen. Her heart thumped with profound timidity and unease.
Lian Youming took note of her discomfort. As they walked and browsed, he pointed at various items, explaining what they were used for and casually picking out things to buy.
Xie Ruomei's home was simply too destitute. Aside from a battered bed and a single quilt, she had only a few scattered odds and ends—the very picture of bare walls.
Along the way, Lian Youming picked up various daily necessities: toilet soap, buckets, washbasins, a thermos, books, fountain pens, and a heap of dried fruit snacks and canned fruit.
When passing the watch counter, Lian Youming walked past, then paused and stepped back. Looking at the wristwatches arranged inside the glass case, he turned to the girl with a smile. "I'll buy you a watch."
Seeing the price tag, Xie Ruomei hastily pulled out her little notebook, but Lian Youming paid her no mind. He simply kept scrutinizing the watches and spoke offhandedly: "You'll need it when you study later on. Reading and learning characters is never wrong. Once medicine advances in the future, maybe you'll even be able to speak again. If buying those earlier things was fulfilling my promise to Xie Laosan, then this is a gift from me personally. Giving you anything else just feels like a disposable consumable..."
Lian Youming did not notice the odd expression on the young girl's face. After browsing back and forth, he picked out an imported women's Tissot watch priced at over two hundred yuan.
He did not feel any pinch. Excluding the two thousand yuan he had given Xie Ruomei, he still had five or six hundred on him—more than enough.
"This is a delicate luxury. Remember to take it off when you practice your gongfu later."
Xie Ruomei had a classic melon-seed face, willow-leaf brows, and narrow eyes. Though a sharp edge hid within her features, her gaze was as soft as spring water. Due to malnutrition, her complexion had a sickly pallor, resembling Lin Daiyu.
Hearing that the watch cost over two hundred yuan, she turned pale with fright and waved her hands frantically. But as she took in Lian Youming's words, her hands somehow stilled.
Beneath the salesclerk's envious gaze, Lian Youming took the watch box and teased, "Don't want it? If you don't want it, I'll just—"
Before he could finish, Xie Ruomei hurried forward, taking the box as though it were the rarest treasure and cradling it tightly in her palms.
Lian Youming chuckled at the sight. When they arrived, she had been clad in thin rags; now, after a single turn around the store, she was outfitted with a padded hat, scarf, and gloves, so warm that sweat began to bead on her brow.
Once out of the department store, Lian Youming carried the massive bundle of goods, unlocked the bicycle, and prepared to head back.
Pushing the bike alongside him, Xie Ruomei listened to the broadcast music floating from the street loudspeakers, bouncing along like a dancing little bird. Her spirits had finally brightened.
However, upon spotting several elderly men and women clutching aluminum cooking pots on the roadside, Lian Youming suddenly remembered something.
"I almost forgot about Big Head Liu."
With his curiosity piqued, he led Xie Ruomei after them, following them all the way to that park from before.
When they arrived, what a sight greeted them! Banners covered the snow, and a dense crowd of several hundred people had packed together: young and old, men and women, workers and intellectuals alike. Some had come to gawk, while others assumed practice stances—at least four or five hundred people in total.
Laden with bags, Lian Youming and Xie Ruomei could not squeeze inside. They could only stand on tiptoe at the periphery to look over the crowd, spotting several solemn-faced, middle-aged men guiding the people in regulating their breathing.
"Who are they?"
Lian Youming tapped a nearby auntie and asked.
The auntie was also craning her neck, eyes glued ahead, her face flushed with excitement. "Those are Master Liu's disciples! They've received the true transmission! Can't you see they're teaching everyone qigong? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... Ah, I arrived too late today!"
"That guy has already started taking disciples? What kind of stuff is he teaching... wait, that's not right..."
Lian Youming had assumed they were just swindlers, but as he listened to their explanation of the breathing technique, his expression grew increasingly strange. Though this method was rudimentary, a gentle breath in and out genuinely engaged the heart and lungs, strengthening the internal breath.
*Damn, they're actually teaching the real thing!*
Lian Youming was dumbfounded. *Could Big Head Liu really have figured something out on his own? What kind of legendary prodigy would that make him?*
Yet the moment he recalled Big Head Liu's bizarre ritual with burning incense and frantic prayers, he chased the thought from his head and turned back to ask, "Master Liu hasn't arrived in Cangzhou yet?"
The auntie shot him a look, speaking with heartfelt earnestness: "Child, your heart lacks sincerity! Master Liu arrived from Tianjin two days ago. Every day at noon he teaches qigong right here. Otherwise, do you think all these people in the park are just out for a stroll?"
Lian Youming looked over the sea of heads. Leaving aside the uneducated folk who simply joined the clamor, plenty of intellectuals were also standing among them, practicing with solemn decorum.
*This movement is getting out of hand.*
Beyond this group, several other qigong schools waited on the sidelines, holding up banners and glaring with hostile eyes.
"What's this? Are they holding a qigong conference?"
The auntie rolled her eyes at him and pointed to the banner on the ground. Sure enough, six large characters were printed there: Qigong Exchange Convention.
Lian Youming felt a wave of dizziness. He let out a helpless sigh, led Xie Ruomei to sit by a flowerbed, and checked the time. Seeing that noon was approaching, he decided to wait and see what the old fellow was up to.
If the man had truly achieved something on his own, he possessed remarkable talent. At worst, Lian Youming could guide him onto the right path. They were acquaintances, after all, and the man wasn't bad at heart; leading him straight now would save him from landing in prison later.
While waiting, Lian Youming noticed Xie Ruomei eyeing the pile of snacks with curiosity, unsure where to begin. He opened a can of yellow peaches for her.
Such an item was still a novelty in these times, but in truth, it was merely sugar syrup. Lian Youming was not fond of the flavor, but unable to refuse the girl's earnest desire to share, they sat shoulder to shoulder in the snow, each with a can, eating as they waited for this Master Liu.
After forty or fifty minutes, the snow on the pavement had mostly melted under the climbing sun. In the distance, a passenger car drove up and stopped beside the park plaza.
The door swung open, and an old man in his fifties stepped out. Draped in a heavy mink coat and crowned with a dog-fur hat, he was wrapped in fluffy pelt like Mountain Eagle from the mountains.
The moment Lian Youming saw him, the sliver of doubt in his heart vanished completely.
It was indeed Big Head Liu.
*He's already riding in a Volga? In less than half a year, he's changed this much?*
Big Head Liu did not spot Lian Youming. The moment he stepped down, people swarmed around him three layers deep, treating him like a superstar.
The car simply dropped him off, turned around, and drove away.
Lian Youming rolled the sweet syrup around his tongue, his eyes turning dark. It was him, all right. But if the man dared swindle sick people or commit heartless deeds, he would not escape a thrashing.
Big Head Liu strode boldly into the center of the square. With a downward press of his hands, the unruly crowd fell silent at once. Everyone took up their stances, formed orderly ranks, and spread out.
Seeing this, the rival qigong schools on the side also moved closer.
Lian Youming was too far away to hear what he was saying, but in a situation like this, it was nothing more than a contest for dominance—the timeless tale of men dying for wealth as birds die for grain.
He observed the changes in Big Head Liu with keen interest. To be fair, the man's footing was firm and his face was flushed with health; he appeared to have truly attained something.
Yet the more he saw, the more uneasy Lian Youming felt.
When things were abnormal, evil was at play.
His greatest fear was that Big Head Liu was being backed by the White Lotus Sect.
On top of that, he had established some "Youming Sect." That was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
When the mud hit the fan, Lian Youming wouldn't be able to clear his name even with ten mouths.
He did not rush to show himself, quietly watching the band of eccentrics standing under the sun with aluminum pots perched on their heads to practice qigong.
Xie Ruomei stared in stunned disbelief as well.
Time slipped by. The two watched Big Head Liu ramble on with glib eloquence, babbling about celestial constellations, yin-yang, the Five Elements, and cosmic spiritual energy, bamboozling the crowd into wide-eyed reverence.
Finally, the time came for the demonstration.
Lian Youming's eyes suddenly flashed. Big Head Liu sank his center of gravity, rolled his throat and tongue, and the fabric across his chest and belly instantly surged outward. Though the motion was modest and his foundation shallow, to discerning insiders, it was extraordinary.
*What he's practicing is actually internal alchemy gong!*
Not only Lian Youming noticed; from among the onlookers, one or two faint gasps rippled out.
"Internal alchemy gong!"
*Hmm?*
Hearing the sound, Lian Youming shifted his gaze toward several figures in the crowd.
Three people.
An old man, a young man, and a woman.
Plain-looking and dressed in ordinary worker's clothing, they walked with steady steps and possessed long, measured breaths. Their hands were thick with hard calluses.
All three stared hungrily at Big Head Liu, as if eyeing a prime cut of fresh meat.
*Heh, interesting. They're after that breathing technique?*
Lian Youming remained seated with interest. His Toad Fishing Skill was a form of internal alchemy gong, so he naturally recognized the mechanics at a single glance.
It seemed Big Head Liu had stumbled upon a rare encounter.
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Big Head Liu began radiating heat. He shed his mink coat, performed a stone-shattering demonstration across his chest, and then smashed a solid brick against his own forehead. As the brick crumbled to pieces, the onlookers grew even more ecstatic.
Lian Youming watched in silence. *I've got to hand it to him—channeling vital essence just to pull off street-performer stunts.*
The rival qigong schools had never witnessed such a raw display. They had intended to challenge him, but seeing Big Head Liu relentlessly bashing bricks against his skull with reckless abandon, they turned ashen with terror.
"Holy crap, this guy is ruthless! Everyone run, don't let him pin any injuries on us!"
Covered in dust and grime, Big Head Liu stared out with wide eyes, stopping only after shattering a whole stack of bricks.
Taking advantage of the rival schools' hasty retreat, Big Head Liu resumed the air of a grand master. After issuing a few instructions to his disciples, he briskly headed toward a nearby public restroom. Perhaps from smashing too many bricks, his footsteps floated slightly, as if he were drunk.
The moment he moved, the three figures hurried after him.
Seeing this, Lian Youming patted off the dust and rose to his feet. After whispering a few words to Xie Ruomei, he strolled unhurriedly in their wake.
"The sun sets behind the western hills, red clouds fly..."
Big Head Liu was still humming a tune, clearly basking in the glory of today's limelight. But just as the restroom came into view, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. A hand clamped down, and before he could make a sound, his collarbone was gripped tightly. Excruciating pain tore through him, nearly knocking the wind out of his lungs.
"Come with us. Say one word and we'll end you."
Hearing the vicious whisper in his ear, Big Head Liu went stark white. His limbs refused to obey as he was steered into a flanking alley.
*I'm done for.*
He tried to gather a breath of internal qi, but the moment his mouth closed, the soft flesh of his flank was pinched viciously. The agony was so sharp he could not even scream; blood vessels burst across his eyes as he sucked in cold air with an open mouth.
"Where did you get that internal alchemy gong?"
Only after being dragged deep into the alley did Big Head Liu get a good look at the three people before him. "I got it f-from... from, from..."
He had always stammered, and now, gripped by panic, he could barely get a word out.
"Damn it, you acting like a jammed tape cassette here?"
The elderly man in worker's garb raised his hand and delivered a stinging slap.
Half of Big Head Liu's face swelled up visibly. On the verge of tears, he stammered, "I... I didn't..."
The old man glared. "Fuck your mother, you're jamming again, aren't you?"
Just as Big Head Liu was about to weep and beg for mercy, a sudden burst of laughter rang out from the alley entrance, rocking back and forth with mirth.
"Hahaha! That's what you get for being dishonest! Learned your lesson now, haven't you?"
Big Head Liu recognized the familiar voice. Turning his head, he nearly wailed aloud, "Wah! I... I'm not jammed!"
The old man, evidently the leader, narrowed his eyes and glared fiercely over. "Boy, mind your own business and get the hell out of here!"
Lian Youming's smile widened. "I'll give you a chance too. Put him down obediently, then haul ass out of here, and I'll spare your lives."
Feeling the chilling aura rolling off the boy, the old man grew uncertain. "And who might you be?"
Lian Youming took a step forward. The alley seemed to plunge into darkness.
"Heard of the Eagle Claw Sect? I dealt with them."
The three exchanged glances, their pupils contracting in horror.
"The Taiji Demon?"
Chapter 84