The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 175 - 132: The Divine Technique of Offering Sacrifices

Chapter 175: Chapter 132: The Divine Technique of Offering Sacrifices

Snap! Snap! Snap!

In the midst of the snowstorm, Li Yan advanced a step and launched three consecutive chops, like a string of firecrackers, followed by chopping, hanging, slashing, unloading, and shearing, each movement faster than the last.

Though fierce in appearance, the movements intertwined reality with feint.

"Chopping and hanging emphasize speed over slowness."

Under the eaves, Mrs. Li occasionally offered pointers.

"Remember, this speed is not about fighting recklessly. If the attack is high, hang; if low, chop; if sideways, block; if straightforward, shift... You must disrupt the opponent’s stance with each move."

"Chopping and hanging utilize forces such as Windmill Force, Flipping and Pulling Force, Swallowing and Spitting Force, Rolling Bridling Force, and Transparent Force, each of which must be mastered..."

Although Mrs. Li had mastered Force Transformation long ago, she had not walked in the pugilistic world for many years, focusing on her household and, with advancing age, her vitality, strength, and bones were all in decline. Naturally, she could not spar with Li Yan.

However, her understanding of boxing was profoundly deep.

With Li Yan’s decent comprehension, he merely needed verbal guidance to improve his grasp of chopping and hanging boxing, advancing more each day.

Finally, another day of practice ended.

Mrs. Li said with relief, "You have been practicing Red Fist since childhood, skillful at close-quarter tricky strikes and stance-breaking with chopping and hanging. If you can merge the two, at least your punching moves will have no flaws."

"When facing an opponent, it’s about who surpasses the other..."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Li Yan respectfully bowed, then said, "Master, I have roughly mastered the techniques of chopping and hanging boxing. In the coming period, I might not visit daily for lessons."

Mrs. Li was initially stunned by his words, then smiled, "What, you think you can graduate just by learning a little?"

She was not angry.

During their time together, she found this fortuitously met apprentice quite to her liking, and she could tell he was not the type to be complacent.

It might seem like a reprimand, but it was actually an inquiry.

Li Yan hesitated a moment, "There are some matters in the pugilistic world."

"Oh..."

Mrs. Li understood instantly, "You’re afraid of implicating me?"

Li Yan seriously said, "The rules of the pugilistic world are just that, rules. Some people do not hold them in high regard, it’s better to be cautious."

"The pugilistic world, eh..."

After hearing this, Mrs. Li looked into the distant snowflakes, seemingly recalling something, and sighed, "Having lived peacefully for so long, I’ve indeed forgotten what the pugilistic world is like."

"Be very careful in everything. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can always visit me. My little knowledge is indeed meant to be passed on."

"Thank you, Master."

Li Yan bowed respectfully and knelt to kowtow three times.

Throughout his journey, fraught with stumbling and brawling upon entering the pugilistic world, where people were either friends or foes, this was the second elder to show him complete selflessness since his grandfather’s death.

The kung fu she passed on would take seven to eight years to transmit just the key points in the Martial Arts community.

Mrs. Li’s expression remained calm, undisturbed as she received Li Yan’s three bows, then said in a deep voice, "Wait a moment."

She went back inside the house, retrieved an aged boxing manual, and caressed it. Sighing, she said, "Cangzhou is renowned for its martial prowess. My father devoted his life to refining the art of chopping and hanging, always striving to innovate, unfortunately always just short of a breakthrough."

"Being a woman with no brothers or sons in the family, and having withdrawn early from the pugilistic world, I could not fulfill my father’s wishes, which is a regret."

"This manual records my father’s lifelong research and some of his ideas. I hope one day you can accomplish this."

Li Yan respectfully received it, noticing the cover inscribed with the words "Comprehensive Guide to Chopping and Hanging." Each page was filled with densely packed text.

Of course, there was no time for a detailed look now. After bidding farewell once more, Li Yan bowed and turned to leave Mrs. Li’s residence.

Watching his departing figure, Mrs. Li sighed softly, then turned to instruct, "Uncle Li, go ask if the master will be home today."

"In this snowy weather, how many sick people can there be?"

"Don’t tell me he’s snuck off drinking again..."

...

After leaving Lanling Square, Li Yan looked back once more.

Studying at Mrs. Li’s residence had been comforting and simple.

But some things were clear to both him and Mrs. Li.

Although it is often said that wherever there are people, there is pugilistic world, that’s the broader sense of the term, referring to everyday human relations.

Between the court, the pugilistic world, and ordinary people, there has always been a clear divide.

One side adheres to law and order, concerns of daily household needs.

The other side is about the flash of blades, blood, grudges, emotions, and life and death.

Though Li Shiqing was from the Mystical Sect, he did not mingle in the pugilistic world; his family lived a peaceful life.

Deep relationships notwithstanding, it was best to maintain a distance.

Of course, once matters settled and no threats lingered, visits for counsel were occasionally possible.

Thinking this, Li Yan lowered his bamboo hat, braced against the snowstorm, and returned to Fenglai Inn.

...

"Here, got the stuff."

Inside the room, Sha Lifei handed over a yellow-wrapped package, complaining, "This Mystical Sect’s stuff is really expensive, just a bunch of paper and cloth, and they want a hundred silvers."

"This is not just any paper."

Wang Daoxuan smiled wryly, shaking his head, "These are top-quality talisman paper, to be activated in a spiritual acupoint’s altar beneath the earth veins and worshipped with incense for at least five years before they can carry spells."

"And this yellow scroll is equally demanding to produce; materials for these low-level Magic Artifacts are a major source of income for orthodox and Magic Veins."

Sha Lifei’s eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "Dao Xuan, with your current level of Dao being equivalent to a two-story building, why not set up an altar ourselves and make these? Wouldn’t we be just sitting back and collecting money?"

"Nice thought."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head, "The accumulation of thousands of years by orthodox and Magic Veins is not so simple. Incense, Daoist Field, armaments, artisans to do the work... none of these can be amassed in one or two generations."

"I don’t have a grand temple of incense. Even if I set up an Ancestor Master Altar and had the ability to consecrate, it wouldn’t last long before the Incense Fire Divine Astral would dissipate."