Chapter 157: The Zhenqi Punch
Chapter 157: The Zhenqi Punch
Water fell in streams from the showerhead.
A man in triangular underwear stood dazed under the water.
This obviously wasn’t a case of suddenly opening the Ren and Du Meridians, doubling one’s power, transforming from a dog into a wolf.
This punch, where the fist force cut through the water flow, seemed like a result of accumulated strength finally bursting forth, or perhaps he had accidentally triggered something he didn’t know before.
Li Zian took another deep breath and threw another punch.
His fist plunged into the water flow, but this time, only a few droplets were knocked away by his fist. It was nothing like that awesome punch just now, where the fist force had gathered into the shape of a fist, carrying water droplets flying two meters away to hit the wall.
It wasn’t accumulated strength bursting forth.
If it were accumulated strength bursting forth, this punch should have had the same effect as the previous one.
He must have triggered something.
But what had he triggered?
Li Zian closed his eyes and focused his spirit.
The Great Sluggish Cauldron awoke, faint green smoke curling up, and the symbols and patterns on the cauldron’s body glimmered with a faint green light.
Li Zian couldn’t possibly see the Great Sluggish Cauldron with his eyes, but it was in his mind, every detail clear and vivid.
There were nine symbols and nine patterns in total on the cauldron. The symbols and patterns were arranged in a certain order: one symbol followed by one pattern, both on the front and back, corresponding to each other.
Could it mean Nine Returns to One?
Li Zian let his imagination run wild, like a Celestial Horse galloping across the sky.
But the Celestial Horse flew for a while without any use.
He still couldn’t understand.
He couldn’t understand the symbols, nor the patterns.
Li Zian wasn’t in a hurry. He didn’t open his eyes and maintained a highly focused mental state. After gathering his energy, he clenched his fist and punched out again.
Suddenly, it felt like a strange connection was established between him and the Great Sluggish Cauldron. The sensation was like a screw threading into a nut, spinning rapidly, and then tightening.
This feeling was so weird; he had never experienced it before.
In other words, before this moment, his connection with the Great Sluggish Cauldron wasn’t actually tight. Only now was it tight.
And at the moment it “tightened,” a pattern on the Great Sluggish Cauldron shone brighter, and Zhenqi surged out from the Great Sluggish Cauldron, flowed down his arm, and burst out from his fist.
Splash!
A fist-shaped punch force, wrapped in water droplets, flew two meters and slammed hard against the wall tile.
Crack!
That tile had been hit twice. This time, a crack clearly appeared on it.
Li Zian stood there in shock.
He knew that tile was stuck to the wall with cement mortar, forming a single, hard, smooth surface with the wall. Even a top UFC mixed martial artist, punching that wall tile directly, couldn’t possibly crack it.
But he had done it, and his fist was almost two meters away from that tile.
Although the crack was only a few centimeters long, it was still pretty awesome.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Li Zian recalled the process just now.
He remembered when his focus reached a certain level, when his consciousness and will were concentrated on the act of punching, a strange connection was established between him and the Great Sluggish Cauldron. It felt like a screw threading into a nut. He was the screw, the Great Sluggish Cauldron was the nut. The instant they “tightened,” a symbol on the Great Sluggish Cauldron lit up, and the way the Zhenqi operated became different from before.
Previously, Zhenqi flowed through his body like a small, gentle stream. Even when released, it was just a small stream, not fierce. But just a moment ago, it felt like he had pried open the bottom of the Great Sluggish Cauldron. The Zhenqi stored inside gushed out wildly, like a reservoir opening its floodgates, and then he executed the “Zhenqi Punch.”
Suddenly, he had an idea.
Perhaps Ji Da hadn’t fully understood the Great Sluggish Cauldron. The things his predecessor knew were just the basics, like him. The Great Sluggish Cauldron was a treasure; he had only dug up the shallow items. There were more, even more awesome treasures buried deep in the soil!
Li Zian closed his eyes again and focused his spirit.
The Great Sluggish Cauldron appeared in his mind again, green smoke curling mysteriously.
Li Zian’s consciousness and will gathered again on the act of punching. As his spirit became highly concentrated, that “tightening” connection with the Great Sluggish Cauldron was suddenly established again. Almost at the same moment, a pattern on the cauldron’s body glowed brighter. Immediately after, Zhenqi rushed out as if a reservoir floodgate had opened, flowed down his arm, and burst out from his fist.
Crack!
A crisp sound rang out. The crack on that tile instantly extended, splitting it into two halves.
This time, Li Zian saw it clearly. That pattern looked like many little figures crammed into a square, practicing boxing. Some were hitting a cow through a mountain, some were kicking sideways in mid-air, some were performing Black Tiger Steals the Heart, some were doing White Crane Shows Its Wings, some were doing Old Man Pushes the Cart…
Many, many different poses.
Li Zian felt a stirring in his heart: “Fangshi have four skills: Medicine, Divination, Astrology, Physiognomy. But I was never a traditional Fangshi. I have Zhenqi, something only martial artists possess. So, could this pattern represent martial arts? When my intent and will concentrate on martial arts, it lights up, and the way Zhenqi operates changes too. If I imagine myself as an electric fan, normally, I’m just blowing air at the first speed. When my consciousness and will focus on the martial path, it’s like I’ve pressed the switch for the second speed. I spin faster and blow stronger wind!”
Perhaps…
There was a fifth speed.
That must be an even more awesome state!
After finishing his shower, Li Zian changed into another pair of triangular underwear, lit a stick of sandalwood incense, then lay on his bed continuing to ponder that pattern full of little figures. Unknowingly, he fell asleep.
In his dream, the little figures on the Celestial Diagrams all came to life. One by one, they walked out of the squares and practiced boxing in his mind. They weren’t practicing Branch-Breaking Boxing, but a new kind of boxing.
This boxing style seemed to have many postures, and yet it also seemed like performing many postures was just to deliver a single punch.
He couldn’t really think in the dream either. So, practice it was. Whether it was a boxing style or not, regardless of how many postures it had, or if it was just one punch.
At one point, Li Zian suddenly woke up, standing tall alone.
Woken by the prominence.
Outside the window, the sky was already bright.
“Oh no, I haven’t made breakfast yet.” Li Zian hurriedly climbed out of the blankets. He didn’t have time to shower or wash up. He found a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt, put them on, and walked out the door wearing slippers.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw Yu Meilin setting bowls and chopsticks on the dining table, an apron tied around her waist.
On the table, there was congee, fried egg pancakes, shredded potatoes, greens, warmed milk, and so on.
Yu Meilin looked over, first at his face. A second later, her gaze was pulled downward by something and landed on Li Zian’s shorts.
The cotton shorts were loose, making the state of standing tall alone particularly eye-catching.
Yu Meilin pursed her lips and smiled: “Zian, did you have a dream about doing something naughty?”
Li Zian came to his senses, glanced down, and was immediately embarrassed: “Um… I overslept, forgot to make breakfast.”
A hard change of topic.
Yu Meilin said: “Why be so polite between husband and wife? Whether you make it or I make it, we still eat it. Usually, you get up early to make breakfast. It’s rare for you to sleep in. Why don’t you go back to sleep for a while? I’ll keep the breakfast warm for you. You can eat when you wake up.”
Li Zian felt a warm touch of emotion in his heart, but also awkwardness: “I’ll go back to my room to wash up.”
“Do you need my help?” Yu Meilin said.
How could she help with washing up?
Li Zian was a bit confused but still replied: “No, no, I can manage by myself.”
Yu Meilin smiled, a charming smile.
Li Zian returned to his room, washed up, and when he came out again, Lin Shengnan and Li Xiaomei were already eating at the table.
“Daddy, where were you last night? You didn’t tell me a bedtime story.” Li Xiaomei said in her childish voice.
Li Zian walked over, reached out and patted Li Xiaomei’s head, smiling as he said: “Daddy went to see a client last night. Tonight, Daddy will tell you a bedtime story.”
“Mhm, then later you do magic for me.” What Li Xiaomei really wanted to say was this.
Li Zian felt a bit speechless inside, but he still nodded.
Yu Meilin placed a bowl of congee she had served in front of Li Zian.
Li Zian instinctively wanted to say thank you, but he swallowed the words back.
No need for such politeness between husband and wife.
After eating, Yu Meilin changed her shoes and prepared to go out.
Li Zian walked over and said to her: “I’ll walk you downstairs.”
Yu Meilin was slightly taken aback: “You never walk me downstairs. Why did you think of it today?”
Li Zian said: “That murderer hasn’t been caught yet. It’s safer if I take you to the garage. Also, I want to talk with Kun Li for a moment.”
A smile appeared on Yu Meilin’s lips: “You care about me.”
Li Zian just smiled.
They reached the garage. Kun Li was already standing waiting beside the Bentley car.
Li Zian walked over to Kun Li and handed her a small bundle wrapped in a food bag. Before Kun Li could ask, he got straight to the point: “This food bag contains Movement-Halting Ointment. It can numb a person within seconds and has strong hallucinogenic effects. You take it, smear some on a knife or something.”
Kun Li said, surprised: “Did you get into trouble again?”
Li Zian said: “It’s still that murderer who killed Ma Fuquan. His name is Huang Bo. He’s very skilled, and he has helpers. You need to protect Meilin.”
Kun Li nodded.
Even if Li Zian didn’t remind her, she would protect Yu Meilin. But with the reminder, she would be more alert.
“What are you two talking about?” Yu Meilin asked curiously.
Li Zian said: “Nothing much. I gave Kun Li some medicinal plaster. You get in the car. I should head back too.”
After seeing Yu Meilin off, Li Zian didn’t go home. Instead, he went to the Worry-free Workshop.
Before he even reached the door of the Worry-free Workshop, Li Zian heard the sound of someone tinkering with things.
Tang Qing had stayed overnight at the workshop again last night.
Li Zian walked to the door and knocked.
“Come in,” Tang Qing’s voice came from inside.
Li Zian pushed the door open and entered. At a glance, he saw Tang Qing assembling a silver box on her workbench.
Tang Qing looked up at Li Zian and greeted him with a smile: “Good morning, Brother Zian.”
Li Zian saw her eyes were red and asked with concern: “Did you not sleep last night?”
“I slept for a bit. I wanted to finish the box for you sooner, so I got up early.” Tang Qing said.
Her idea of ‘early’ was probably two or three in the morning.
Li Zian said: “You haven’t had breakfast yet, right?”
“Not yet. I’ll come to your place to grab something later.” Tang Qing said with a smile.
Li Zian felt a bit sorry: “I got up late today. Your Sister Meilin made breakfast. I’ll go back and warm it up for you, fry an egg, and heat up some milk.”
“Don’t go to so much trouble.”
“Necessary, necessary. Breakfast is important.” Li Zian said.
“Then I’ll trouble you. I’ll bring the box up for you in a bit.” Tang Qing said.
“So fast?”
Tang Qing smiled: “Not just fast. It’ll also give you a surprise.”
Li Zian felt happy inside: “Mhm, I’ll take a good look later. I’ll go home now to make you something to eat.”
He had the Mechanism Ring, and now he had the bulletproof box. From now on, he would be an armed Master!