*Clap, clap, clap—*
"Good, very good," Liang Song said, clapping in approval.
"However, there are a few places you need to watch."
"The training methods for Bone Tempering and Flesh Tempering are slightly different. Do not train with the same mindset you had during the Flesh Tempering stage."
"First, when tempering your bones, you need to focus here, here, and here..."
Liang Song began offering pointers, identifying areas where Lin Zheyu needed to improve upon the punches he had just thrown.
Without an instructor, figuring out these subtle nuances and cautions on one's own would require an immense amount of painstaking trial and error.
As Lin Zheyu listened to Master Liang's explanations, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
If not for Liang Song's guidance today, Lin Zheyu might have needed to wait until he entered that special state again, followed by a protracted period of practice, before gradually unraveling it all on his own.
"All right, run through it again," Liang Song said.
"Yes, Master," Lin Zheyu replied respectfully.
He walked to the center of the courtyard, silently recalling Master Liang's instruction and comparing it against his own past experience. His comprehension of the Wild Bull Fist deepened by another measure.
*Bang!*
*Thud, thud!*
*Crack-snap!*
The courtyard filled with the sounds of Lin Zheyu's punches, accompanied by the increasingly dense crackling resonance of his bones and sinews.
This was the noise produced during Bone Tempering when sinew and bone collided in resonance.
When the sound grew denser still, reaching a state where the sinews and bones throughout the entire body chimed in unison, that would mark the sign of Bone Tempering mastery.
"Good, very good..."
Liang Song nodded repeatedly, looking upon Lin Zheyu with ever-growing satisfaction.
He watched Lin Zheyu train, offering occasional pointers to correct improper movements.
Before long, more than two hours had passed.
"Take a rest," Liang Song called out.
Lin Zheyu stopped, panting for breath. He sat down beside Master Liang, picked up the cup of tea his master had brewed, and drained it in a single gulp.
"Your Wild Bull Fist has developed some decent polish. Next, I'll talk to you about real combat,"
Liang Song said as he slowly refilled Lin Zheyu's empty cup.
"Martial arts are a skill for killing; practicing martial arts serves only to kill."
"When facing an opponent, having a higher martial realm or greater strength does not guarantee victory."
"In true combat, many factors decide victory or defeat: martial will, lethal techniques, tactical wit, and so forth—the list goes on."
"To put it simply, real combat is about using strength to strike weakness."
"How quickly you spot the enemy's weaknesses and steer the situation to your own advantage, creating a scenario where your strength hits their vulnerability—that is what combat is about."
"Redirecting force, assassination, ambushes, poisons, and the like are all means of turning the tide so that your strength strikes weakness. True combat is extraordinarily brutal."
"When facing an enemy, you must never show the slightest mercy or hesitation, for you can never know whether what they display is merely an illusion to bait you into a trap."
Liang Song spoke in a calm, measured voice.
...
Liang Song imparted the combat insights he had accumulated over the better part of a lifetime to Lin Zheyu piece by piece.
Without concerning himself with whether Lin Zheyu could absorb it all, he poured it out in a steady stream, stuffing it straight into Lin Zheyu's head.
This included dozens of classic combat experiences and analytical breakdowns of over a hundred battles.
"Master, please, slow down a bit,"
Lin Zheyu could not help speaking up.
Liang Song let out a wry laugh at those words, realizing he had acted with undue haste.
Seeing Lin Zheyu's extraordinary aptitude had simply made Liang Song eager to impart everything he knew in one go.
"We'll leave it here for today. Go back, think it over carefully, and come back tonight. I will teach you how to face enemies in actual combat,"
Liang Song said.
"Master, are you planning to leave Songyi City?"
Lin Zheyu hesitated for a moment before voicing the question weighing on his mind.
Liang Song's behavior today was somewhat unusual—almost as if he worried he was running out of time, desperate to pour all his knowledge into Lin Zheyu at once.
"You noticed?"
Liang Song was not surprised. "In a few days, I will be leaving to settle a few matters. It will take a long time before I return, or perhaps I may not return at all."
"Is it dangerous?"
Lin Zheyu felt a knot of worry in his chest.
Master Liang was arguably the person who had treated him best since he arrived in this world.
Even though Liang Song had never formally accepted him as an apprentice, Lin Zheyu still consistently addressed him as Master.
"Don't worry, there's no real danger."
"I'm just getting old, and I want to see a few old friends and settle some old grievances," Liang Song said with an easy laugh.
"All right, off you go. Remember to close the door on your way out."
Liang Song waved his hand, picked up Lin Zheyu's manuscript, and began flipping through the pages.
"'The greatest heroes serve their country and their people.' The stories this kid writes are truly entertaining."
Liang Song chuckled as he sipped his tea and read.
...
In the afternoon.
Inside Bidan Teahouse.
Today was far livelier than usual, with many unfamiliar faces in the crowd.
"Manager Wu, who are those fellows over there? They look unfamiliar. I haven't seen them before,"
Lin Zheyu asked curiously.
Over the course of more than a month, Bidan Teahouse's audience had largely settled into a regular crowd.
It was almost always the same group of patrons coming and going, nearly all of whom Lin Zheyu recognized. Yet today, more than a dozen unfamiliar faces had appeared.
"A passing merchant caravan,"
Manager Wu said. "Songyi City has grown considerably busier lately. Caught in the ripples of the war, many caravans have fled the peripheral cities, passing through Songyi City in the hope of reaching the central regions."
The flames of war seemed to be spreading, and even Songyi City was feeling the effects.
Gradually, people were becoming far more cautious with their coin, and the daily tips Lin Zheyu received had dwindled noticeably.
"No wonder they look so unfamiliar."
Lin Zheyu nodded and stepped up onto the storytelling stage.
*Smack!*
The gavel struck down, and the tale began to flow.
As the story unfolded, the plot grew increasingly captivating.
Master Liang sat by the window, listening with utter concentration, though occasionally his gaze drifted into the distance, lost in thoughts of his own.
Chapter 19