Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 116 - 115: Could He Be? (Please Subscribe)

Chapter 116: Chapter 115: Could He Be? (Please Subscribe)

The next morning, Zhang San got up, washed up, and immediately went to check on Old Xu.

Seeing Old Xu in good condition today, he felt relieved.

Then, Zhang San guessed that Fang Cunzai, who had been pursuing him, should also be able to find the Shi Family Villa by now.

He went out, found some rascals and shrewish women in the village, gave them some money, and asked them to help keep watch at the entrance of Shi Family Villa these days.

After completing these tasks, he went to find Master Ma and Pharaoh, scrounged breakfast with them, and then began learning the Earth Fire Forging Method from Master Ma.

Last night, in his dreams, Zhang San dreamt of a muscular old man teaching him the Fierce Flame Forging Technique.

It was only after waking up that Zhang San realized why he dreamt of the Fierce Flame Forging Technique instead of the Earth Fire Forging Method.

Because the Earth Fire Forging Method was an original creation of his teacher Ma, and this unique skill was probably something no one else in the world knew.

In other words, the old man in his dreams could only teach widely known abilities, techniques, unique skills, etc., that were passed down in the world, not automatically mastering everything in the world.

Just like the Eight Techniques of Hidden Ground that Old Wei taught him, Zhang San hadn’t dreamt of these despite dreaming several times.

Zhang San seriously suspected that this technique had probably never been successfully cultivated by many people; therefore, it hadn’t spread at a global level, and it was absent from the expertise contained within his Sun Golden Hand.

But no matter, having practiced the Fierce Flame Forging Technique for eight years, Zhang San now possessed considerable strength and talent in forging.

Whether it was his accumulation in the Forging Technique or his understanding of the Power of Fire Movement, Zhang San found it easy to grasp other techniques once he began learning the Earth Fire Forging Method.

At this moment, Ma Lingyao’s assessment of Zhang San rose another notch.

Yesterday had only been his first encounter with the Earth Fire Forging Method, and today Zhang San was already attempting to forge a Horizontal Blade on his own, exhibiting such skilled technique and even mastering many tricks on his first try, under the guidance of Master Ma.

What is a genius?

This damn guy is a genius!

Soon, Ma Lingyao realized he had little left to teach, and what remained was to let Zhang San refine his mastery over the Earth Fire Forging Method and discover forging and fire control methods more suited to himself through continuous forging.

Meanwhile, as Zhang San forged, he also felt the Power of Yang Fire flow through the large hammer in his hands, infusing into his body and becoming one of the Five Elements’ Powers—Fire Movement—encircling his True Core.

Around Zhang San’s True Core, there were already two strands of Wood Movement and one strand of Fire Movement.

The three distinct Five Elements’ Powers made the location of Zhang San’s True Core even more stable.

More importantly, Zhang San discovered that forging, to his surprise, was also a path of cultivation; it even refined his Qi, albeit just a trace, but this refinement provided Zhang San with a way to enhance his own strength.

Thus, Zhang San, who originally planned to ask Pharaoh what he could learn, was now completely immersed in the joy of forging.

Pharaoh, seeing Zhang San’s tireless joy in forging, started to panic a bit.

Although Pharaoh had initially intended to have Old Ma pass on both of his unique skills to Zhang San and then take Zhang San as his own disciple, effectively reaping the benefits from Old Ma’s teachings,

Now he feared that Zhang San might be swayed by Old Ma!

No, that won’t do!

I must take action!

Hence, Pharaoh approached the forging furnace, observing Zhang San, who was still hammering away at the iron block.

"Zhang San, do you plan to keep forging without learning anything from me?"

"Of course not, I just learned and wanted to practice a bit. Pharaoh, please feel free to say what’s on your mind."

Zhang San knew that Pharaoh’s approach meant he was ready to teach him something.

After all, Pharaoh also wanted to take him as a disciple.

"Well then, I’ll tell you about the cultivation method of the Twelve Layers Tower, you listen first and see if this secret technique suits you."

"The Twelve Layers Tower is a secret technique that transcends the orthodox cultivation system, so it doesn’t rely on Realm. It only requires the consumption of one’s own Qi to activate. Its might is related to the Qi used, and it’s even more related to the characters you usually store in the twelve layers within yourself."

"The so-called tower is about visualizing twelve pavilions within the twelve segments of your windpipe below your throat in twelve breath cycles, from bottom to top, which are: Zhonggong Building, Yuegong Building, Tianxian Building, Treasure Building, Shengjing Building, Faqi Building, Miaoyin Building, Shidao Building, Chanding Building, Jingyang Building, Zhonggu Building, and Ersheng Building."

"First visualize the twelve towers, then visualize a character in each of the towers, using the character as a talisman."

"You may not know much about runes, Zhang San, but a single rune can have endless transformations..."

Zhang San was studying next door, and Wei was also curious, so he stealthily peeked a couple times, listening with both ears.

But it was these few words that frightened Wei out of his wits.

Seeing Wei suddenly crouch down with perked ears, Ling couldn’t help but become curious and gave Wei a kick.

"What are you doing?"

Wei, already terrified, looked at Ling and crouched down, then whispered to Ling, "Do you know the identity of the pharaoh next door?"

Ling shook his head, an old man dressed so shabbily, not handsome at all, and even if he was handsome, what would it have to do with a living dead like himself?

"The pharaoh is imparting the Twelve-Fold Tower to Zhang San."

"What is the Twelve-Fold Tower?"

Wei hadn’t expected Ling not to know even this, so he began to explain.

"Although the Twelve Layers Tower is said to be a Taoist secret technique, its actual origin is Legalism, but for some external reasons unknown to the outside world, Legalism passed on this technique to Taoism."

"But those wastes from the seven sects of Taoism, having cultivated for so many years, only managed to reach the Nine-Layer Tower, which is why we have the Nine Words of Taoist True Incantations. In the end, it’s not about the so-called unification of nine into one, it’s just that they really couldn’t cultivate the last three layers!"

Ling actually knew the Nine-character True Words of Taoism, indeed a remarkable method, capable of immobilizing the enemy with a shout in battle, unrivaled in its deterrence.

"It is said that in Legalism, if someone can cultivate to the Eight-Fold Tower, they are the successor to the future leader of Legalism."

"And now, in the next courtyard, the pharaoh is imparting the complete Twelve Layers Tower to Zhang San."

To impart the complete Twelve Layers Tower, one must undoubtedly know the complete Twelve Layers Tower themselves.

And besides, this old man’s surname is Fa.

At this moment, Wei and Ling, looking into each other’s eyes, had already guessed the true identity of the pharaoh next door, who was very likely that important figure who, though outwardly retired from the royal court, was in actuality still steering the helm of Legalism and capable of stirring up trouble throughout the Great Sui.

"If Zhang San is taken as his disciple, will he still stay with us at the Town Martial Office?"

"That’s unclear, but the matter with Bai Yucheng definitely won’t be an issue anymore."

"Officer Bai? It won’t be an issue even if Zhang San killed Principal Officer Sun!"

At this time, unable to resist their curiosity, Wei and Ling both quietly stood up and looked over the wall into the neighboring courtyard.

They saw Zhang San impatiently shouting, "Slow down, slow down, if you’re teaching others, you have to consider if they can remember it. Why are you speaking so fast, what’s the rush?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

The pharaoh by his side quickly bowed his head in acknowledgment and then slowly and more carefully explained to Zhang San the parts he had spoken too quickly before.

At that moment, the expressions on Wei’s and Ling’s faces were priceless.

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[Note 51]Reference Explanation

The Twelve Layers Tower is originally a term from the inner alchemy, cited from Tang Liang Qiu Zi’s "Tai Shang Huang Ting Nei Jing Yu Jing", which mentions the "throat has twelve rings, stacking upon each other in the heart. The heart refers to the Jia Palace, which is likened to towers and pavilions." However, in the setting of our novel, we have extended its meaning further, also referring to the "Real Person Chongyang’s Jin Guan Yu Suo Jue", which says "Sitting internally, one visualizes a great tower, with twelve breaths going up and down, named the Twelve Layers Tower. There is the Zhonggong Building..." combining the twelve breaths with the original twelve rings of the throat.