Chapter 41 - 40: Hard Qi Skill

Chapter 41: Chapter 40: Hard Qi Skill

"Squad Leader Zheng!

"Why did you come to this unlucky place! Are you here to interrogate a prisoner? You could have just sent a message; there was no need to make the trip yourself."

"..."

In the dim and gloomy prison, the two Black Officials guarding the cells saw Zheng Jun arrive and hurriedly stood up to greet him.

Zheng Jun held his saber. Standing in the cell area, he could faintly smell a thick, putrid stench.

Behind the iron bars of each cell huddled the shadows of prisoners, occasionally letting out groans.

"I’m not here for an official dispatch. I just came to take a look. I have some questions for Tian Zhenyuan." Zheng Jun shook his head and asked the two Black Officials guarding the prison, "Where is Tian Zhenyuan locked up?"

"The County Magistrate?"

Hearing Zheng Jun’s words, the two Black Officials didn’t dare to delay and hurriedly said, "Squad Leader, Tian Zhenyuan is Black Mountain County’s number one rebel. He’s locked up in the deepest part. The ones out here are just ordinary criminals!"

Zheng Jun nodded and ordered one of the Black Officials to lead the way to see Tian Zhenyuan.

The Black Official immediately led Zheng Jun deeper into the prison.

The prison never saw the light of day. Its environment was dim and gloomy, making it hard to tell day from night. Although it was called a grand prison, it wasn’t actually that large. Zheng Jun walked for less than a minute before arriving at Tian Zhenyuan’s cell.

From a distance, Zheng Jun could see Tian Zhenyuan hanging from the ceiling beam. His feet were bound with iron chains, and his shoulder blades were pierced straight through by thick iron needles. His face was covered in bloodstains, and his lips were pale.

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Seeing Tian Zhenyuan like this, the Black Official coldly snorted. He opened the cell door, uncoiled the whip tied to his waist, and viciously lashed out at Tian Zhenyuan.

"CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!"

The whip struck ruthlessly, yet there were no bloody welts on Tian Zhenyuan’s body. There wasn’t even a red mark, only faint white indentations. Rather than a lashing, the whip acted more like an alarm clock, waking Tian Zhenyuan up.

"Hmm?"

Tian Zhenyuan slightly raised his head and saw the tall and straight Zheng Jun standing before him with a saber at his waist. He smacked his lips and spoke in a hoarse voice, "What are you here for? Is the Qingshui Gang... gone?"

Tian Zhenyuan’s capture had only happened that morning. Now, it was only the afternoon. Seeing Zheng Jun, Tian Zhenyuan immediately asked out of concern.

Zheng Jun answered Tian Zhenyuan’s question with utmost calmness, "Mu Feng was shot to death at the Qingshui Gang’s hall. Zhang Qingyu was surrounded and killed. Ke Zhijian disguised himself as an ordinary gang member to escape, but Captain Du of the cavalry saw through him and trampled him to death with a horse.

"In just one morning, the Qingshui Gang was wiped out. Qingshui Gang hall masters have been thrown into this prison all day today. Did you really not know?"

Hearing Zheng Jun’s words, Tian Zhenyuan fell into absolute despair.

He looked at Zheng Jun and gnashed his teeth. "Then what are you doing here today? Are you deliberately here to humiliate me?!"

"I have no interest in such things.

"County Magistrate Tian went from a mountain hunter to a Qi Storage Martial Artist. You must have many Martial Arts at your disposal. I have only been exposed to Martial Arts for a short time. Why doesn’t County Magistrate Tian pass his Martial Arts on to me, lest they be buried with you?" Zheng Jun said calmly.

"Pass them on to you?"

Hearing this, Tian Zhenyuan almost laughed out loud, but the thick iron needles in his shoulder blades sent a piercing pain through him at any intense movement. "You little brat, unless you can let me out, don’t even think about it!"

"Letting the County Magistrate out is impossible. You are one of the main culprits in the Qingshui Gang’s rebellion case. Before long, you will be escorted to Pingzhang City for the Slash.

"If I let you go, you wouldn’t be able to escape the eight-hundred-li Black Mountain County anyway. When it comes time to face the executioner’s blade for the Slash, my head would simply be added to the chopping block," Zheng Jun said.

"Then get lost!

"Are you here to amuse yourself at my expense? Boy, don’t think that just because you landed a punch on me this morning, you’re a big shot now!" Tian Zhenyuan roared in a lowered voice.

After being imprisoned, Tian Zhenyuan had clearly lost his former demeanor as an official, adopting more of a Jianghu temperament instead.

"Although I can’t let the County Magistrate leave, I can make sure you suffer less in the coming days. You won’t have to face daily torture, and your meals can be more palatable.

"Otherwise, with this day and night whipping and iron branding, even if the County Magistrate’s Horizontal Training has reached Great Success, you won’t be able to endure it, right? Besides, you’re used to eating lavish feasts; I’m afraid you won’t be able to stomach the chaff and wild vegetables in this prison," Zheng Jun continued.

Hearing Zheng Jun’s words, Tian Zhenyuan fell quite silent.

About three to five breaths later, as if his soul had been sucked out of his body, Tian Zhenyuan said dejectedly, "What good Martial Arts could I possibly know? I merely cultivate the Court’s Eagle-Hawk Force, as well as the Hard Qi Skill and Continuous Legs passed down by my master. Back in the Commandery City, I also learned the Liangyi Sword.

"What do you want to learn?"

Tian Zhenyuan had nothing to hide. The things he had learned were not some precious, peerless arts. The Eagle-Hawk Force was given by the Court, while the Hard Qi Skill and Continuous Legs could be learned from his junior brother for a mere eight taels of silver. As for the Liangyi Sword, it was a common, run-of-the-mill technique learned at a Martial Arts Hall in the Commandery City.

If they were some world-shaking supreme arts, Tian Zhenyuan would have gritted his teeth and held out, absolutely refusing to casually reveal them. But for these things that could be studied for a month for eight taels of silver, it wasn’t worth the suffering.

Hearing Tian Zhenyuan’s words, Zheng Jun couldn’t help but feel delighted.

He thought, "Oh? An unexpected harvest?"

However, just by hearing their names, he knew they were trash. But to draw on the strengths of many schools, Zheng Jun immediately said, "I’ll learn them all. Let’s start with the Hard Qi Skill."

"I only have three or four days left. In that time, you won’t even be able to learn one of them, let alone all of them."

Tian Zhenyuan sneered, then sighed and said, "Listen well.

"Force uses softness to overcome hardness, Qi becomes solid through circulation, force emerges from Qi, and when Qi is hidden, force becomes manifest..."

Tian Zhenyuan’s voice echoed in Zheng Jun’s ears. Upon hearing it, Zheng Jun immediately listened closely and took serious mental notes.

Tian Zhenyuan explained everything clearly, from the mnemonic chants to the points of force generation, down to how to practice it daily. According to Tian Zhenyuan, this Hard Qi Skill was a Horizontal Training technique. Its entry level was the easiest. After mastering the chants, one only needed to be beaten with clubs and whips day and night to cultivate it successfully. After all, it was a Horizontal Training technique. Unless one was born with thick, rough skin, anyone would have to put in hard work to practice it.

Because the Hard Qi Skill was quite simple, a line of small ink-wash characters soon appeared before Zheng Jun’s eyes.

[Newly Added Advanceable Martial Arts: Hard Qi Skill.]

[Advance ’Hard Qi Skill (Great Success)’? Because this borrows the Fruit of the Future, after demonstrating the Martial Arts, you must endure being struck one hundred times before it can be fully assimilated as your own.]

Seeing these small ink-wash characters, Zheng Jun couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy in his heart.

He thought, "I can repay it just by taking a beating? There’s actually such a good deal?"

Thus, Zheng Jun called out in a low voice in his heart, "Advance!"

[Advance Complete. Current Repayment Progress: 0/2500.]

Soon, the small ink-wash characters in front of Zheng Jun shifted. The next second, Zheng Jun felt his body grow heavy. A sensation akin to being bitten by ants immediately emerged all over his body, instantly making Zheng Jun feel that something was wrong.

He thought, "Why is this completely different from when I advanced the Pile Skill and other Martial Arts?!"

Fortunately, the sensation of being bitten by ants lasted for less than ten breaths of time. After the feeling receded, cold sweat seeped from Zheng Jun’s forehead.

He wiped away the cold sweat and suddenly felt refreshed and clear-headed.

His body felt rock-hard.

Zheng Jun was about to step into a stance and execute the Hard Qi Skill to see just how hard it was, but remembering that Tian Zhenyuan was right in front of him, he decided against it. Still in high spirits, he immediately said to Tian Zhenyuan, "Many thanks, County Magistrate Tian. I’ll come again tomorrow."

After saying that, Zheng Jun looked at the Black Official standing to the side. "He Er, did you hear what I just said?"

"I heard you, I heard you," He Er immediately smiled and said upon hearing this. "Please rest assured, Squad Leader. During these coming days, we definitely won’t short County Magistrate Tian on food, and we absolutely won’t neglect him!"

"Mm."

Zheng Jun nodded. Digging into his pocket, he casually pulled out two taels of silver and tossed it to He Er. Then, he swiftly walked out the door, not wanting to stay in this grand prison for a moment longer.

Watching Zheng Jun’s departing back, Tian Zhenyuan’s lips trembled.

He felt that Zheng Jun was somehow different from when he first arrived. Yet he couldn’t put his finger on what exactly had changed. But soon, he let out a self-deprecating smile.

He thought, "I’m a dying man, why be so sensitive?

"It couldn’t be that this Zheng brat had an overnight epiphany and instantly comprehended it, right?

"How is that possible? A Demon like that couldn’t possibly exist in this world!"