Imperial Heaven again?
An Jing still remembered that Suspended Fate Manor's literacy primer had been the *Scripture of Imperial Heaven*.
This was not surprising in itself. Imperial Heaven was the Lord of Heaven, the embodiment of the Azure Heaven and the will of the heavens, a widespread belief shared across Great Chen and throughout Huaixu. Many of its allegories and scriptural tenets were the very wellspring of Great Chen's culture and laws.
Yet the *Scripture of Imperial Heaven* was quite different from this booklet. Sacrifices to Imperial Heaven were so commonplace that many martial skills and techniques claimed sanction under His name, though all belonged to religious sects.
If all the martial arts in Suspended Fate Manor followed such a naming convention, it suggested that the force behind the manor was likely not a martial sect, but a religious order.
An Jing opened the booklet and read carefully, turning it page by page.
Manor Lord Yao watched him turn the pages, scrutinizing every minute detail of the boy's reaction.
Only after An Jing finished reading the entire manual did he speak up and ask, "Any thoughts?"
"Both ancient and novel."
An Jing pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. "The core concept is ancient, yet the specific cultivation methods are remarkably progressive... Manor Lord, the Abyss-Facing Qi-Nourishing Stance and Armor-Penetrating True Jin we learned previously are parts drawn from this manual, aren't they?"
The old man did not answer, so An Jing continued, "This *Imperial Heaven Spirit-Piercing Primordial Qi-Nourishing Art* is broadly divided into a general outline and four major sections.
"The opening portion serves as the general outline.
"The first section is 'Visualization' of the Azure Heaven—without desire and without self. Imperial Heaven bestows Heaven's Mandate down upon the celestial crown to transform mind and spirit; this ought to be the foundational secret method for those possessing a Destiny Pattern to nourish their spirit.
"The second section is 'Facing the Abyss'—nourishing qi through fearlessness.
"The third section is 'Piercing the Spirit'—penetrating power through unwavering belief.
"The fourth section is 'Mysterious Steps'—treading the path without confusion."
Saying this, An Jing looked up, meeting the gaze of Manor Lord Yao, whose face had finally broken into a smile. "Nourishing qi by facing the abyss and Armor-Penetrating True Jin are precisely the standalone cultivation portions extracted from 'Facing the Abyss Without Fear' and 'Piercing the Spirit Without Doubt.'
"The fundamental essence of this *Imperial Heaven Spirit-Piercing Primordial Qi-Nourishing Art* is 'without doubt or confusion, without fear or self.' And the two words 'Suspended Fate' in Suspended Fate Manor are its direct reflection—'Man is born of the earth, yet hangs his fate upon heaven; when the qi of heaven and earth unite, that is what is called man.'
"'One who can accord with the four seasons has heaven and earth as their father and mother'... Without doubt or confusion, without fear or self, secretly aligning with the four seasons, it uses ancient legends of Imperial Heaven as metaphors to guide one onto the Martial Path, illustrating the new through the old."
Finally, An Jing concluded, "It covers cultivating the spirit, nourishing qi, martial techniques, and footwork. This is a true first-rate orthodox method that can lead straight to the Five Scenes of Inner Vigor, or perhaps even the Hundred-Fold Martial Meridians."
"Very good." Manor Lord Yao smiled broadly now. For the first time since An Jing had entered the pavilion, the old man beamed with genuine, genial warmth like a spring breeze. "With just one reading, you have grasped the entire art thoroughly, and even formed your own insights and reasoning.
"You have likely noticed it already, haven't you? Facing the Abyss, Piercing the Spirit, and the Mysterious Steps can allow you to break through to Inner Breath, all the way to Inner Breath Like Tide. That is the very method our instructors cultivate.
"And should you awaken a Destiny Pattern, you can use the self-effacing spirit-condensing method to break through into Inner Strengthening."
Having said this, Manor Lord Yao felt rather curious. He appraised An Jing and asked with a hint of perplexity, "Yet why... do you think this cultivation method leads straight to the 'Hundred-Fold Martial Meridians'?"
The Hundred-Fold Martial Meridians was the realm beyond the Five Scenes of Inner Vigor. Once divine marvels manifested throughout the entire body, a martial artist would take those divine marvels as a foundation to reforge their physique, opening human martial meridians within that connected upward to the Azure Heaven and downward to the earth, corresponding to the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Such individuals were great martial artists capable of holding sway over multiple cities.
Manor Lord Yao was genuinely curious about the basis of An Jing's deduction.
"It is quite simple." An Jing picked up the booklet and repeated what he had said before. "'One who can accord with the four seasons has heaven and earth as their father and mother... He who comprehends all things is called the Son of Heaven.'
"Heaven and earth possess the four seasons. Since there are four seasons of Imperial Heaven, there naturally are four seasons of Empress Earth as well. While the *Imperial Heaven Spirit-Piercing Primordial Qi-Nourishing Art* focuses on condensing the spirit, nourishing qi, exerting power, and footwork—which is complete in its own right—a true martial scripture ought to have other components.
"Hence, I suspect there is another 'Empress Earth Art,' which most likely focuses on 'body refinement.' It would be divided into aspects such as 'nourishing the spirit,' 'controlling qi,' 'fist and kick,' and 'blades and weapons.'"
Under Manor Lord Yao's stunned and delighted gaze, An Jing turned the thoughts over in his mind before ultimately voicing his true deduction: "All of these combined are, in truth, merely laying the foundation. Imperial Heaven bestows the mandate, building the foundation of mind and spirit. Empress Earth tempers the body, forging a vessel to cross the world.
"Just as 'when the qi of heaven and earth unite, that is what is called man.' That which Imperial Heaven and Empress Earth bring forth is man, and such a man is called the Son of Heaven.
"Only after cultivating both methods of Imperial Heaven and Empress Earth can one shape unique 'divine marvels,' subsequently opening 'martial meridians' and becoming the 'Son of Heaven.'
"That 'Son of Heaven Art' is the true beginning of a first-rate orthodox method."
Manor Lord Yao shot to his feet with a start.
"You... you..."
Raising a hand, he pointed at the boy before him. The wrinkles on the old man's face loosened and tightened in succession. As he stared at An Jing, ripples of eerie green flames danced within his gaze. "You saw through it all!"
Meeting his eyes, An Jing felt as though he were staring into real flames, a stinging heat burning his vision. The invisible heat of toxic fiend-force forced him to shut his eyes to avoid being scalded.
This was one of the many divine marvels that manifested only after the Five Scenes of Inner Vigor: Pupil Flame.
This confirmed An Jing's longstanding suspicion that Manor Lord Yao was indeed in the Inner Strengthening realm. His cultivation was likely quite formidable, though An Jing had no way of knowing what his Destiny Pattern was or how many divine marvels he had forged.
"Splendid..."
Manor Lord Yao took several deep breaths, only managing to suppress the surging joy in his chest with great effort. He sank back into his chair, looking at An Jing with overt delight, his gaze burning bright. "Unsurpassed comprehension... to see straight through to the core of the art at a single glance! I never used to believe such a person existed, yet here one truly is!
"Indeed."
The old man nodded directly, confirming An Jing's deduction. "Imperial Heaven and Empress Earth are in truth one and the same entity. Aside from the *Imperial Heaven Spirit-Piercing Primordial Qi-Nourishing Art*, I also possess an *Empress Earth Spirit-Subduing Primordial Chaos Body-Nourishing Art*.
"'Without doubt or confusion, without fear or self' corresponds upward to Imperial Heaven. 'Without anger or hatred, without desire or attachment' corresponds downward to Empress Earth. Cultivating both constitutes a complete martial meridian-founding art.
"Only those who have awakened a Destiny Pattern and mastered both methods can truly step onto the genuine path of our Dao..."
At this point, Manor Lord Yao raised his brows and looked at An Jing. "With your sharp wit, surely you've already guessed what kind of organization our Suspended Fate Manor is?"
"Rest assured," he continued. "With your talent, awakening a Destiny Pattern will be no difficult feat. Once you are truly initiated, the Northern Circuit Envoy will personally take you to the ancestral mountain to bestow upon you the Empress Earth Body-Nourishing Art."
"Thank you, Manor Lord!"
An Jing said nothing more. Although he was inwardly wondering *Who is the Northern Circuit Envoy?* and *What organization? I haven't guessed at all*, he respectfully bowed his head in thanks. Deputy Envoy Yao rose from his seat and personally placed the manual for the Imperial Heaven Qi-Nourishing Art into An Jing's hands. "There is no need for thanks; these are the manor's rules. If a talent like you could not be granted the orthodox method, that would be my failure."
Manor Lord Yao even patted An Jing on the shoulder. Gazing at the boy's calm, resolute face, which showed not the slightest hint of vanity or jubilation, he remarked with deep feeling, "So calm, so composed.
"Were you born this way?"
An Jing gave no answer, offering only a smile. Manor Lord Yao shook his head slightly, gesturing for An Jing to take his leave with a look that mingled amusement and wonder.
Manual in hand, An Jing stepped out of the Medicine Pavilion. It was already dusk. He had spent a considerable amount of time reading through the secret manual, and Manor Lord Yao's willingness to wait for him so patiently was proof enough of how highly the man regarded him.
The manual was neither thin nor particularly thick. It contained numerous cultivation diagrams depicting the human body in meticulous detail, complete with anatomical drawings of muscles and internal organs that elaborated on the nuances of exerting force. Because of this, reading straight through had been remarkably smooth, presenting nothing incomprehensible.
An Jing's true perplexity still lay with Suspended Fate Manor.
*Northern Circuit Envoy, ancestral mountain... This is the sect headquarters of a great religious order. Within the borders of Great Chen, there aren't many such great orders, are there?*
*Shangxuan Shangqing, Astral Venerable Holy Dragon, Heavenly Will True Demon...*
An Jing mulled over various details, trying to recall which great sects existed within Great Chen. However, his knowledge in this area was limited, and in the end, he could reach no definite conclusion.
*Could it be...*
Suddenly, An Jing frowned as an unbelievable possibility crossed his mind. His eyes widened. *No way... Could it be a demonic...*
"Yo, Little An, not heading to dinner?"
Right then, a voice called out from behind him. It was a familiar apothecary, wheeling a handcart loaded with medicinal broth out of the Medicine Pavilion. The broth appeared to be the very kind An Jing and the others drank when eating ferocious beast meat.
Catching sight of the manual in An Jing's hand, he greeted him warmly. "If you go now, you can still catch it hot!"
"Thank you, Master Wu."
An Jing snapped back to his senses. Standing dazed in front of the Medicine Pavilion would do no good, so he walked out along with this apothecary surnamed Wu.
Yet as An Jing made his way toward the dining hall, he noticed that Apothecary Wu was not heading there with him. Instead, the man turned aside, wheeling the cart in a different direction.
An ordinary person wouldn't have thought much of it, but An Jing felt a prickle of doubt.
Once medicinal broth was prepared, it was naturally meant for people to drink. While medicines did not necessarily have to be fresher to be better, the broth they had drunk in the past had always been freshly brewed.
If Apothecary Wu was wheeling a cart full of medicinal broth somewhere other than the dining hall, where was he taking it?
After a brief deliberation, An Jing reined in his presence and followed Apothecary Wu at a distance.
Apothecary Wu was not in the Inner Breath realm, only an ordinary man who possessed some martial training; he did not notice An Jing tailing him in the slightest. According to what he had once said, he too had failed the trial years ago, possessing no martial aptitude whatsoever. However, because of his knack for herbal pharmacology, he had become an apothecary for the manor.
This was precisely why An Jing had always been reluctant to suspect the true nature of Suspended Fate Manor: there were simply too many examples showing that the losers did not meet miserable ends, finding a way forward regardless.
Regardless, Apothecary Wu hummed a little tune the entire way, wheeling the medicinal broth toward the East Mountain Farmstead situated on the eastern side of Suspended Fate Manor.
*Over there, of all places...? The East Mountain Farmstead. Indeed, I've never gone to look around that area.*
Watching from behind as Apothecary Wu set foot onto that secluded path, An Jing finally turned around and headed for the dining hall.
In the dining hall, An Jing was met with another round of cheers and celebration from the crowd. He was truly deserving of the title of Eldest Senior Brother, and not a single soul contested it.
An Jing smiled naturally as he responded to everyone's compliments, eating his portion of ferocious beast meat and medicinal broth just as he always did.
Those impulses, that cold detachment, could now be thoroughly suppressed, without the slightest hint showing on the surface.
Night fell, deepening into darkness.
Once everyone had fallen asleep, An Jing opened his eyes once more.
Chapter 18