Blade - Unbound

Li Yan was somewhat surprised, though he couldn't help frowning slightly. "Business is this good?"

He didn't care what profession Senior Li practiced. As long as the man possessed genuine skill and was willing to teach, any price would be worth paying. But judging from the situation, the old man seemed extremely busy. Whether he even had time to teach was another matter.

"No, something's happened." Sha Lifei's eyes were sharp, and he immediately spotted the problem. Lowering his voice, he said, "None of the people crowding the entrance are patients. They look more like they're here to watch a show."

The group exchanged glances and quickened their pace. When they pushed through the crowd and looked inside, there was indeed trouble, but not quite the sort they had expected.

Although the Hall of Benevolence was staffed by a Daoist physician, it looked much like an ordinary clinic. Medicine cabinets lined the rear wall of the main hall while a statue of the Medicine King stood on the left. On the right sat a consultation desk for pulse diagnosis.

In the center of the hall, however, stood a wooden frame resembling a horizontal bar. A short and compact man was hanging upside down from it. His black coarse-cloth clothing was covered in dirt. His eyes were shut, his face deathly pale, and he was clearly unconscious. His head hung about three feet above the ground as a lotus-shaped lamp burned beneath him.

Nearby stood two men with gloomy, vicious expressions who were both glaring menacingly toward the right side of the hall. An elderly man was seated behind the consultation table. He was tall, dressed in gray robes, and had a long white beard accompanied by eyebrows that had grown past his eyes.

The old man didn't even raise his head. He calmly flipped through a medical text, completely ignoring the murderous stares directed his way.

Outside, the spectators whispered among themselves.

"Strange. Since when does a clinic roast people alive?"

"What do you know? That's Physician Li. He's one of Chang'an's most famous doctors. He's probably treating a disease."

"I've never heard of treatment like this."

"Keep your voice down. Those two don't look like good people."

The common people didn't understand what was happening, but Sha Lifei was a seasoned veteran of the jianghu. He immediately understood what was happening.

He whispered, "Little Yan, those fellows probably make their living off the dead."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and replied quietly. "Let's watch first."

Naturally, he had already recognized their background as well. Tomb robbers had certain peculiar traits. First and foremost, they could not be too tall. Tunnels were cramped, and every extra foot of width required exponentially more effort to excavate. A shorter body was simply more efficient to carry out their tasks.

Large royal tombs were both dangerous and thoroughly plundered by generations of predecessors. The graves these people robbed were mostly those of officials, wealthy merchants, and local gentry. If they were too tall, they would struggle even to stand upright underground.

As for all that nonsense about Five Deficiencies and Three Shortcomings, it was merely a story used to fool outsiders. The profession was both dangerous and a serious crime. As a result, they chose apprentices with extreme caution, fearful of raising an ungrateful traitor.

Furthermore, years spent around tombs inevitably exposed them to yin energy. As a result, some developed vicious appearances while others became plagued by illness. All in all, they rarely met good ends. However, most revealing of all were their hands. Their knuckles were thick and swollen from specialized grave-robbing techniques. The same fingers used to pry loose tomb bricks and disable mechanisms could also serve as deadly weapons.

What interested Li Yan even more was the unconscious patient. A rotting corpse odor emanated from him, and there was also the scent of blood from claw wounds on his back.

Had he encountered a zombie?

Li Yan immediately became interested.

Turning to Wang Daoxuan, he asked quietly, "Daoist, how does one cure corpse poison?"

Wang Daoxuan chuckled, "I'm not an expert in that field. Lady Hong knows far more than I do."

Only then did Li Yan remember that Red Yaksha specialized not only in hunting demons and monsters, but also in dealing with zombies.

Seeing everyone looking at her, she shook her head. "There are many ways to cure corpse poison. Senior Li simply chose the harshest method. Obviously, he's teaching them a lesson."

So that's it!

Li Yan and Sha Lifei exchanged amused smiles and settled in to watch.

Eventually, one of the tomb robber's companions could no longer remain silent. He cupped his fists and said, "Senior, are you messing with us?"

Physician Li glanced indifferently at him. "What do you mean?"

The man shouted angrily, "Let's stop speaking in riddles. We respect you as a senior of the jianghu, but don't force us to abandon courtesy–"

Before he could finish, a change occurred in the patient. Although the hanging man remained unconscious, the heat from the lamp had caused sweat to form on his forehead. Drops of sweat began falling onto the flame. Soon, more and more sweat emerged.

Within moments, the sweat turned dark gray as a powerful foul stench spread throughout the clinic.

"What is that smell?"

"It's disgusting!"

"I've smelled that before... corpse rot!"

"Did they kill him?"

"Idiot. They're grave robbers."

Previously, only Li Yan had been able to smell the corpse odor. Now it had spread throughout the room. Everyone could tell these men were involved in something shady. A few quick-thinking spectators immediately turned and ran to report the matter to the authorities.

"You old bastard, you're courting death!"

The two accomplices finally realized what was happening. Their eyes filled with murderous intent as they drew daggers from their waists and closed in on Physician Li.

Before they could get close, the young assistant grinding medicine nearby let out a shout. "Insolence!"

He leaped forward. His shoulders sank, his elbows fell, his chest hollowed, and his back lengthened as he thrust out with his right palm.

Bang! Bang!

The sound resembled firecrackers exploding.

Before the two tomb robbers could react, each received a vicious slap. Their bodies spun through the air as they flew out the front entrance. Both landed unconscious, faces covered in blood.

Li Yan couldn't help applauding. "Excellent!"

The assistant had just demonstrated the Pigua Palm. Though his strikes had looked like simple slaps, even if the tomb robbers had tried to dodge, they would have been unable to escape.

He had already reached mastery. If he was merely an attendant, Senior Li was undoubtedly a true expert. The assistant paid no attention to the praise. Instead, he crouched beside the hanging patient.

After smelling the sweat and examining the man's eyes, he rose and cupped his fists. "Master, the timing is about right."

Physician Li nodded. "Good. Apply the needles."

Without hesitation, the assistant retrieved a triangular needle. He punctured several acupuncture points including Fengchi, Baihui, Yongquan, and Zusanli, releasing blood from each. The blood that flowed out was black and foul-smelling, but gradually, it became bright red.

The hanging man's complexion also began to improve. His eyelids twitched, and a faint groan escaped his lips. It seemed he would awaken at any moment.

"Make way! Make way!"

The sound of hurried footsteps accompanied a series of shouted commands. Several constables rushed in carrying iron chains. They first bound the two unconscious tomb robbers, then they entered the clinic and respectfully bowed.

One of them spoke, "Physician Li, regarding this man..."

The old doctor nodded. "The corpse poison has been neutralized. Take him away."

The constables grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you, Sir!"

A major tomb near the ancient Zhou capital of Haojing had recently been robbed. The perpetrators had even used explosives. The authorities were under pressure to make arrests. Now they had practically stumbled upon merit without effort. How could they not be delighted?

The spectators immediately erupted in praise.

With the excitement over, the crowd began dispersing. Only genuine patients remained, filing back into the clinic. Li Yan's group entered as well.

The old physician seemed to have noticed them long ago, since the first thing he did was smile at Red Yaksha. "Lady Luo. It has been some time."

Red Yaksha respectfully cupped her fists. "Thanks to your blessings, Senior."

Just as she was about to introduce Li Yan and the others, Physician Li waved a hand to stop her. Looking directly at Li Yan, he stroked his beard and smiled. "If this old man isn't mistaken, you must be Li Yan."

Li Yan blinked. "Senior knows me?"

The old physician sighed. "Daoist Chenyuan of the Medicine King Temple at the foot of Mount Zhongnan is an old friend of mine. One could even say we belong to the same lineage. Not long ago, I heard he had been injured, so I rushed there overnight.

"Only then did I learn that he had misjudged someone's character, fallen victim to betrayal, and been rescued by a wandering hero. Earlier, I heard the roar of a divine tiger outside the door. I assume you have already recovered the Divine Tiger Token?"

So that's it...

Li Yan smiled. "Yes. Fortunately, I did not fail the task."

The old man was both a Daoist physician and a practitioner. He had likely awakened some form of hearing divine ability.

Li Yan hadn't expected it to be the rare ability to hear the voices of spirits and gods.

Physician Li continued, "And the traitor?"

Li Yan nodded sharply. "He's already been executed."

"Good!" The old physician burst into hearty laughter before shaking his head. "Daoist Chenyuan is too kindhearted. Sometimes I can barely stand watching him be taken advantage of again and again. Now that the villain has met his end, I ought to celebrate with a great cup of wine today!"

The apprentice who had been grinding medicine suddenly looked up.

He said calmly, "Master, when you first heard the news, you said exactly the same thing. Madam specifically told me not to let you celebrate."

"Rebellious disciple, be silent!" Physician Li's face instantly changed. "Wine is the essence of the five grains. A thousand cups can ease sorrow! Not allowing me even a single drink... Doesn't she know that blocked emotions lead to illness?

"This is outrageous!"

His words sounded fierce, yet he made no further mention of drinking.

Red Yaksha smiled and cupped her fists. "Since there is already a connection, I'll stop speaking indirectly. Brother Yan wishes to further refine his martial arts by learning the Pigua Palm.

"That is why I recommended Senior Li."

"You wish to learn?" Physician Li pondered briefly before nodding. "Since he saved Chenyuan, teaching him some boxing is hardly an issue. However, this old man only knows how to fight. I don't know how to teach. I can, however, recommend the person who taught me."

Li Yan's eyes lit up. "May I ask who this expert is?"

Physician Li sighed, "That teacher is none other than my wife. Her surname is Ma and she comes from Cangzhou."

***

Three days later, within a large residence in Lanling Street.

"Pi means to split. Gua means to hang."

An elderly woman sat under the eaves of the main hall. As she sipped tea, she explained the principles of the art.

"Most people think Pigua Palm relies solely on momentum. They fail to realize it is even more focused on calculation. When two people clash, one must first close the Five Elements..."

As she spoke, her palm suddenly chopped downward.

"Splitting belongs to Metal. It descends from above like bamboo being cleaved apart!"

As she spoke, her palm reversed its course and swept upward.

"Rising strike belongs to Fire. It surges upward like flames, breaking the splitting strike!

"Intercepting belongs to Water. It uses horizontal force to overcome vertical force.

"Horizontal impact belongs to Earth. It crushes and redirects forward force.

"These are the Five Element applications. Three connected lines form the Heavens while the six broken lines form the Earth. The Thunder resembles an upturned bowl while the Mountain resembles an overturned bowl.

"These become the transformations of the Eight Trigrams. The internal manifests externally, beginning with Heaven and ending with Earth."

The elderly woman had a kind face and dignified bearing. Although half her hair had already turned white, it remained meticulously arranged. She looked every bit the pampered matron of a wealthy household.

Yet whenever she spoke of martial arts, she seemed to become an entirely different person. Her aura turned imposing as every movement of her palms generated a sharp whistling sound.

Li Yan stood in the courtyard wearing short training clothes. Snow drifted around him, but he never blinked as he listened intently.

The apprenticeship process had gone smoothly.

This elderly woman possessed an impressive background; she had once been the daughter of a famous escort agency in Cangzhou. Raised by renowned martial masters, she had been destined for fame within the jianghu. Yet she fell in love at first sight with the wandering physician Li Shiqing during a caravan escort mission. From that day onward, the jianghu lost a heroic martial heroine while Chang'an gained a virtuous Madam Li.

After finishing her explanation, she once again became a kindly old woman. "You entered the Dark Jin Realm at a young age and have excellent talent. However, you've trained in the Red Fist since childhood. Your methods of generating power have already become habitual.

"You must first master the Black Dragon Coiling Strike. Begin."

At her command, Li Yan cupped his fists. He spread his legs and alternated between left and right bow stances while rotating his arms in large circles. To an observer, it looked somewhat like a windmill.

Having trained martial arts since childhood, his control over his body was extraordinary. Soon, wind whistled around his arms and even the surrounding snow began spiraling with his movements.

Yet after watching for a while, Madam Li frowned. "Stop. Go work the well windlass and study the move carefully."

Li Yan respectfully bowed. "Yes, Master."

He walked over to the well. Lowering the bucket, he filled it completely. After cranking the bucket upward, he suddenly released the handle.

Rattle, rattle, rattle!

The windlass spun wildly as the bucket crashed downward. Then, he pulled it back up and repeated the process, carefully observing the wheel's motion.

Black Dragon Coiling Strike, also known as the Windlass Turn.

Pigua Palm generated force in a similar manner, revolving around a central axis. Power did not come from brute strength, but rather from leverage, rotation, and counter-pulling force.

That was the essence of Black Dragon Coiling Strike.

Watching from her chair, Madam Li shook her head. "No one can avoid this stage of training. The windlass, bucket, and rope in the Li residence are specially made. If an ordinary person gets struck by the recoil, the lightest outcome would be broken arms and unconsciousness. In severe cases, death is possible.

"When I was learning, one of my senior brothers tried to rush ahead and accidentally crippled himself. Don't be impatient. Training is something that lasts a lifetime."

As she spoke, an elderly servant entered from the front courtyard. "Madam, Lady Liu has arrived with her son."

"Hmph!" The kindly old woman instantly became furious. "That worthless son of hers spends all day in pleasure houses! So what if he's rich? He wants to marry my Tan'er? He doesn't even know his own worth!"

Standing up, she said, "Yan'er, continue practicing. I'll send them away. Oh, and stay for lunch."

Li Yan bowed respectfully. "Yes, Master."

As soon as she left, Li Yan immediately formed a Yang Seal and took a deep breath. After confirming no one was nearby, he spun the windlass again.

Then, as it rotated, he reached out and touched it.

Rattle, rattle, rattle!

Crack!

His wrist snapped instantly as his bone twisted to a grotesque angle. Gritting his teeth, Li Yan forced the bones back into place, allowing the fracture to rapidly heal.

After shaking his hand a few times, it was completely restored.

He murmured, "So that's how it works..."

A hint of realization appeared in his eyes. What was a broken bone? In the future, if cultivating the lightning arts required it, he wouldn't hesitate to draw lightning onto himself just to understand it.

That had always been his habit. Using the Great Luo Dharma Body to accelerate training was far preferable to being crippled or killed during an actual fight. Of course, he also needed to find heavenly treasures as soon as possible.

Now that he understood the principle, his progress accelerated dramatically. When Madam Li returned later, she found Li Yan's arms moving like the wind. Each swing produced a sharp tearing sound.

At first she looked surprised, then a pleased smile appeared. "Not bad. You're almost catching up to how talented I was back then."

***

The Li family's lunch was simple yet refined. They had three meat dishes and three vegetable dishes. It was nothing extravagant, but each dish was perfectly cooked. The knife work and craftsmanship rivaled that of high-end restaurants.

Li Shiqing remained busy at the clinic, thus his meal was delivered by servants. But another man was seated at the table. His appearance somewhat resembled Li Shiqing's, though he possessed a more scholarly air.

Li Shiqing had two sons. The eldest was Li Yunie, a Daoist physician who inherited the family medical tradition, and operated a clinic among the nobles of the Eastern Market. The granddaughter whom someone had just come to propose marriage to was Li Yunie's daughter, and Madam Li's beloved granddaughter.

The man sitting at the table before them was the second son, Li Kongqing. He had never awakened a divine ability, and did not practice martial arts. Instead, he had entered the Confucian path, earned the title of a scholar, and served as a study companion within the Prince of Chang'an's residence.

Yunie and Kongqing were both names derived from medicinal herbs.

After half a day of training, Li Yan was starving. He buried himself in the food, his chopsticks moving so quickly they were almost a blur. Across from him, however, Li Kongqing seemed absent-minded and troubled.

Madam Li frowned. "Kongqing, is something wrong?"

Li Kongqing set down his chopsticks and sighed. "Mother... I truly can't continue working as a study companion any longer..."