Chapter 237: Just Breathe
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Are the three of you finding the dishes too simple?” The village chief saw that Lu Zhichun and the others didn’t move, and his smile became even brighter. However, this kind of brightness sent shivers down people’s spines.
“We ate on the way, so we’re not hungry for now.”
Lu Zhichun furrowed his brows slightly, glanced around, and said, “It’s getting late, and we have some business to attend to. We won’t disturb you all here.”
As Lu Zhichun spoke, he glanced at Hua Daohong, and both of them turned and walked toward the village’s outskirts.
Chen Fei didn’t say a word and walked in a different direction. Normally, he would have followed Lu Zhichun and the others as fellow outsiders, at least for some support.
This Mi Village, though it appeared normal, had many peculiarities. Continuing to stay here might lead to trouble.
However, Chen Fei looked at Lu Zhichun and felt a strong aversion deep in his heart. He couldn’t shake the feeling that if he followed him, he might encounter even greater trouble.
This inexplicable gut feeling, accompanied by a throbbing headache, left Chen Fei puzzled, but he couldn’t think of a better solution.
The village chief watched the backs of Chen Fei and the others with an increasingly broad smile. By the end, the corners of his mouth had stretched below his ears, revealing crimson gums.
As Chen Fei was trying to find the way out of the village, he suddenly felt a dizzy spell. He was startled and stopped in his tracks. After a moment, the dizziness gradually subsided, but his abdomen began to swell.
With a puzzled look, Chen Fei glanced at his belly and suddenly realized that he was holding a pair of chopsticks in his right hand. When he looked up, he saw himself sitting in a chair, with Lu Zhichun and the others beside him.
The plates on the table were already empty, and all the dishes from earlier had somehow ended up in their stomachs.
Chen Fei was shocked. When did he come back, and when did they finish all these dishes?
He had only felt dizzy for a moment, and yet all of this had happened. Strangely, Chen Fei had no recollection of any of it.
Just like how he had no idea why he had come here in the first place, or what had caused all of this. Everything had vanished from his mind.
“Have you all eaten enough? If not, I can have more dishes prepared for you.”
The village chief stood nearby, smiling at Chen Fei and the others, but the warmth in his smile had completely disappeared, leaving behind a chilling undertone.
Lu Zhichun and Hua Daohong wore gloomy expressions as the food they had ingested in their stomachs made them feel uncomfortable. However, when they tried to vomit, the food seemed to stick, unmoving.
A chill emanated from their stomachs, spreading throughout their bodies. The few remaining memories in their minds began to blur gradually.
As the coldness spread, their guard against Mi Village started to diminish. Slowly, they began to accept this village as if it were a true paradise.
Chen Fei sensed the chill in his abdomen but instinctively activated his Dragon Suppressing Formation, absorbing and dispelling the coldness. Besides that, he felt nothing unusual.
The only thing that puzzled Chen Fei was the occasional surge of power within his body. What kind of martial art was this, and when had he learned it?
“Look, all three of you seem to have practiced martial arts. Can you share some with us? The villagers of Mi Village have learned some from outsiders, too. Let’s exchange experiences, shall we?”
The village chief extended an invitation to Chen Fei and the others. The onlookers, who had been observing silently, now fixed their gaze squarely on the three.
Martial arts?
Hearing the village chief’s words, Lu Zhichun and the others suddenly realized that they were indeed knowledgeable in martial arts. Their memories related to this had been unconsciously ignored until the village chief reminded them.
Lu Zhichun instinctively wanted to refuse. After all, his martial knowledge had been hard-earned, and he couldn’t easily share it with others.
But then, Lu Zhichun remembered that he had just eaten the food prepared by these people, and refusing would seem ungrateful and too decisive.
“When I first started learning martial arts, the first set of techniques I learned was the ‘Kaoshan Fist.’ Take a look.”
After thinking for a moment, Lu Zhichun decided to teach the very basic set of martial arts he had learned. It was just a simple form, and teaching it wouldn’t hurt much.
“Dear friend, you are generous. On behalf of the villagers of Mi Village, I thank you!”
The village chief wore a peculiar smile on his face as the surrounding villagers made space for Lu Zhichun to demonstrate the Kaoshan Fist.
Lu Zhichun took a few steps forward, his hands hanging naturally by his sides. His posture was initially relaxed, but at this moment, an imposing aura reminiscent of towering mountains emanated from him.
The “Kaoshan Fist” was indeed a very basic martial art, and in cities larger than Xingfen City, even most county towns with martial schools taught forms no less advanced than this.
However, the effectiveness of a martial art depended on the practitioner.
At this moment, even though Lu Zhichun hadn’t made a move yet, his presence was continually rising, as if a real mountain were emerging on flat ground.
“This fist style emphasizes power, not form. It consists of just five simple moves, but when practiced well, even an ordinary person can reach the Skin Strengthening or Muscle Strengthening level, which is a significant achievement. Watch closely!”
As Lu Zhichun spoke, he took a step forward with his left foot and threw a punch with his right hand.
It was as if thunder roared on a clear day, mountains crumbled, and what should have been a simple punch made people feel as though there was no escape, as if the world were on the brink of destruction.
It was as if their world would collapse in the next moment.
Lu Zhichun, who was in the Aperture Tempering ream, had already elevated the Kaoshan Fist, an ordinary technique, to another level.
Perhaps worried that the villagers might not understand, Lu Zhichun not only demonstrated the technique but also meticulously explained each aspect of it, from how to apply power to the finer points of cultivating the martial art.
He even shared how he had comprehended the martial art’s aura and how he had practiced it repeatedly to gain a deeper understanding of its essence.
Remarkably, Lu Zhichun held nothing back and shared everything. As he spoke, his enthusiasm grew, and his execution of the martial art became even more profound and clear.
Revisiting this technique seemed to have boosted Lu Zhichun’s insight. It was so captivating that one couldn’t help but immerse themselves in it, wanting to continuously demonstrate the art.
After fifteen minutes, Lu Zhichun stopped because he had thoroughly explained the Kaoshan Fist in all its aspects, down to the tiniest details.
“There you have it, the Kaoshan Fist,” Lu Zhichun said with unquenched enthusiasm.
“Thank you for sharing your technique!” The villagers chorused, but their tone was devoid of joy, and an icy coldness permeated the air.
Lu Zhichun nodded and stepped aside. However, as he stood there, he couldn’t help but furrow his brows slightly. What had he just taught them?
The Kaoshan Fist?
But how did one cultivate it? Had he truly practiced the Kaoshan Fist? Where had he learned it? These questions swirled in Lu Zhichun’s mind, and he found no answers.
Lu Zhichun suddenly felt his memories become muddled. Memories related to the Kaoshan Fist were suddenly erased, leaving no trace in his mind.
Frowning, Lu Zhichun tried to recall but couldn’t remember anything.
As the coldness in his abdomen gradually spread, Lu Zhichun’s tightly knitted brows eased slightly. It seemed that the Kaoshan Fist wasn’t an important technique, so there was no need to worry about it.
However, neither Hua Daohong nor Chen Fei noticed that Lu Zhichun’s aura had slightly diminished, as if a portion of his cultivation had been mysteriously extracted from him.
Even Lu Zhichun himself remained unaware of this. There was a force at work, influencing all three of them.
I’ve practiced the first set of techniques, a leg technique. The power of legs is greater than that of hands, and by mastering leg techniques, not only do you gain an advantage in combat, but your agility also surpasses that of ordinary people.”
Hua Daohong took a few steps forward and began to demonstrate the first set of leg techniques he had practiced.
It was still a very ordinary leg technique, decent for ordinary people, but might be considered lacking for those with some martial arts exposure.
However, when demonstrated by Hua Daohong, it had a different feeling altogether. Hua Daohong had injected something new into this leg technique.
Similar to how Lu Zhichun had elevated the Kaoshan Fist, Hua Daohong had done something similar with this leg technique.
The result of practicing a martial art could vary greatly depending on the practitioner. When individuals with different levels of cultivation practiced the same technique, the outcomes could be vastly different because their understanding of martial arts was on different planes.
Hua Daohong initially explained it in a casual manner, but as he continued to delve into the subtleties of the leg technique, he felt his spirit rising, making him unable to stop sharing every detail.
However, what Hua Daohong didn’t notice was that as he explained the leg technique, his memory of it gradually disappeared. Not only his memory, but even his comprehension of the technique itself weakened as it dissipated.
Although Hua Daohong seemed to be in high spirits, continuously uncovering the nuances of the leg technique, in reality, it was more like a last burst of light before fading away completely.
The villagers of Mi Village listened quietly to Hua Daohong’s explanation. Gradually, threads of something began to flow into their bodies, enhancing their spiritual awareness.
Fifteen minutes later, when Hua Daohong stopped speaking, he, like Lu Zhichun earlier, felt somewhat unsatisfied.
As Hua Daohong returned to his original position, he realized that he had no recollection of the leg technique he had just taught. His level of cultivation had subtly decreased by a small fraction, yet he remained completely unaware, as if something was suppressing his perception.
“Thank you for sharing your technique!” The villagers of Mi Village shouted in unison, then turned their gaze to Chen Fei. Without delay, Chen Fei stepped forward.
“The first set of techniques I practice is the Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique.’ It uses a special breathing technique to activate the body and strengthen it…”
Chen Fei looked at the surrounding villagers. Although their gazes were cold, he still felt a sense of excitement, as if he were imparting knowledge and wisdom.
“When I first obtained this breathing method, 1 couldn’t practice it well, and 1 couldn’t even get started. Later, 1 spent a couple of silver coins and found that this method is actually quite easy to practice. All you need to do is this.”
Chen Fei relaxed his body and began to breathe normally. To emphasize the importance of breathing, he even added a noticeable nasal sound to his breath.
“That’s it, as long as you breathe normally, you can start practicing the technique!”
Chen Fei deliberately took a few deep breaths and shared his most crucial insights and the innermost secrets of practicing the Extreme Mountain Breathing Technique. He then looked at the villagers with a beaming smile.
Chen Fei was exhilarated because he held nothing back; he shared everything.
All the villagers turned their gaze toward Chen Fei, and the scene fell silent..