From bone collectors to the supreme ruler of humanity

Chapter 77 What triggered this shock in the general?

Li Chengji slammed the folding tablet on the imperial desk and roared, "Zhao Wenhan, dismiss him from his post and investigate. The position of Vice Minister of War will be temporarily filled by the Left Vice Minister. Court adjourned!"

"His Majesty!"

Zhao Wenhan knelt on the ground, his face pressed against the gold bricks, and said, trembling all over.

Two guards came up and dragged him away.

After the court session ended, Lin Yan walked out of the Golden Palace.

Li Zhengming walked past him, paused for a moment, and glanced at him sideways.

"General Lin," Li Zhengming said, "you've chosen the wrong side."

"Your Highness," Lin Yan said, "I didn't side with anyone."

Li Zhengming glanced at him for a few seconds, sneered, and turned away.

That afternoon, Zhao Wenhan was taken to the Ministry of Justice prison.

The Crown Prince's men interrogated Zhao Wenhan overnight. Unable to withstand the pressure, Zhao confessed to all his shady dealings over the years, including planting people in the Ministry of War, selling military positions, and illegally transferring troops.

Li Zhengxin obtained the confession and presented it to the emperor at the court assembly. The emperor was furious and immediately ordered Zhao Wenhan to be executed.

After Zhao Wenhan's downfall, the Second Prince's influence in the court noticeably diminished, and he became unusually quiet, even skipping the morning court sessions twice due to illness.

The Golden Snake Gang huddled in a few alleys in the southern part of the city, their doors locked, making the place deserted and quiet.

Even the gang thugs who used to swagger around on the streets all changed their arrogant attitude overnight and stopped causing trouble for Xiong Kuo and his gang.

"Has the Second Prince backed down?"

Sun Dayong squatted by the well in the side courtyard of the East Palace, holding a bowl of cold tea in his hand, his tone smug.

"The Second Prince isn't admitting defeat; he's just waiting for this storm to pass." Lin Yan sat at the stone table, with a set of rules for the Imperial Guards' martial arts competition spread out in front of him.

This was copied from the Ministry of War by Manager Feng, and it was written in dense, dozens of pages, with everything from the preliminary rounds to the finals, from the rules to the venue, all clearly marked.

Lin Yan turned a page and began to speak to himself, "Zhao Wenhan is his man, but Zhao Wenhan is just a pawn in his game. Losing only one pawn won't affect the game. The players are still there, and as long as they are still there, the game can continue."

Xiong Kuo was leaning against the door frame wiping his knife when he heard this, and he looked up at Lin Yan.

"Chief, do you think the Second Prince will cause us trouble again?"

"I'm not sure either, but since we're still in the Eastern Palace, we should be safe."

Lin Yan closed the charter and placed it on the table. "But now is not the time to worry about that. The date for the martial arts competition has been set for the seventh day of next month, which is twenty days away."

Xiong Kuo sheathed his knife, stood up, walked to the table, and glanced down at the charter.

"The Imperial Guards' Grand Competition is open to all battalion commanders below the third rank. Although it's called a competition, it's really just a show of force by each faction. The battalion that performs well will have a brighter future for its commander, and will receive more military funding, equipment, and manpower in the following year."

"We'll fight for the Crown Prince. If we win, it's for the Crown Prince; if we lose, it's on our own." Sun Dayong put down his teacup, wiped his mouth, and said, "General, do you think the Crown Prince will really give us the cultivation technique if he wins?"

"Probably."

Lin Yan spoke with certainty, but Xiong Kuo and Sun Dayong both sensed a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

The uncertainty lies not in the promise made to the Crown Prince, but in the uncertainty about the "Transformation Realm Technique" itself.

Lin Yan has thoroughly understood the first and second parts of the incomplete text of the Breathing Exercise.

The first part focuses on body tempering, and the second part on true qi. Together, they only reach the peak of the true qi realm.

Whether the Crown Prince possesses the complete path to the Transformation Realm, how much he has, whether he will give it to the Crown Prince, and whether what he gives is genuine or fake—these are all variables.

But without the remaining cultivation techniques, he could only remain at the True Qi Realm.

True Qi Realm is enough in Zhenbei Pass, but not enough in the capital.

That old man Han, who served in the Ministry of War, was only at the early stage of the Unending Realm, yet he had already pushed Lin Yan to his limit.

If it had been someone at the mid-stage or late-stage of the Unending Realm who came that day, Lin Yan didn't think he could have walked out of the Ministry of War standing up.

Therefore, we must win this competition. We must also obtain the subsequent cultivation techniques.

Without a good cultivation method, one's cultivation path can easily come to an end.

"General."

Steward Feng walked in from outside the courtyard gate, carrying a red lacquered wooden box in his hands. "This was bestowed by His Highness. He said it's for you to take before the martial arts competition to help circulate your true energy."

Lin Yan took the wooden box and opened it.

Inside was a pill the size of a longan, entirely emerald green, with a faint sheen on its surface.

True Qi Nourishing Pill.

He had heard Old Meng mention this pill when he was in Zhenbei City. It was a secret recipe from Taiqing Palace, and it was extremely rare and expensive on the market. One pill could replace half a year of arduous cultivation at the True Qi Realm.

"Please thank Your Highness for me."

Manager Feng bowed and withdrew.

Lin Yan closed the wooden box, not in a hurry to take the pill.

He picked up the competition rules and flipped through them again from beginning to end. The preliminary rounds involved drawing lots, dividing the sixteen battalion commanders into eight groups, with each group competing against the other two, the winners advancing. The semi-finals were eight to four, four to two, and finally the final.

The rules seem fair, but the word "lottery" is the most problematic part.

Who drew the lots? How were they drawn? Was there any foul play?

Not a single word was written in these regulations.

Never mind that.

Lin Yan closed the gate to the side courtyard of the East Palace and spent his days practicing martial arts, except for eating and sleeping.

Every day, I would get up before dawn to practice breathing exercises, stand in a static posture until the sun was high in the sky, and then practice swordsmanship, palm techniques, and footwork, without missing a single one.

Sometimes Xiong Kuo would stand on the sidelines and watch, and he felt that this chieftain was even more dedicated than when he was on the mountain.

"Chief, you've been practicing all day, have a bite to eat first." Xiong Kuo brought in dinner and saw Lin Yan still practicing horse stance in the courtyard, his legs seemingly nailed to the ground.

Lin Yan ignored him and stood there for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before stopping.

He took the bowl, squatted on the steps to eat, wiped his mouth after finishing, threw the bowl aside, and stood up to continue practicing.

When Sun Dayong returned from outside and saw the scene, he whispered to Xiong Kuo, "What has triggered this shock in the general?"

"He wasn't traumatized," Xiong Kuo said. "That's just the kind of person he is."

Lin Yan was indeed not affected by anything.

He simply knew that there was no such thing as luck in the arena. A hard fist was hard, and a soft fist was soft. Outside, if he couldn't win, he could run away. There were horses, swords, and terrain to fight. But in the training ground, the circle was only so big. Running away meant admitting defeat. Since he couldn't run away or avoid it, he could only face it head-on.

So he practiced like crazy.

He had thoroughly mastered the second part of the incomplete breathing manual, and the speed at which his true qi circulated in his meridians was more than twice as fast as when he first came to the capital. However, without a cultivation method, he could not overcome the hurdle of moving from the True Qi Realm to the Unceasing Realm by simply relying on hard work.

All he can do now is to master the techniques within his True Qi Realm.

He had tempered his bones and blood, from finger bones to skull, leaving no bone untouched. He had also trained the [Stacked Wave Force] from the third to the fourth level. With a single palm strike, four forces stacked together could crack a stone table.

He modified the "You Shen Bu" (游身步) step repeatedly. The original You Shen Bu involved sliding close to the ground, but he added the agility and nimbleness of martial arts, making the steps more fragmented, denser, and more unpredictable.

He didn't throw away the [Mysterious Blade Technique]. He practiced each of the several blade techniques ten times every morning until he could execute them with his eyes closed.

Qi, the bodyguard, would come to the East Palace every few days to train him.

The old man was over seventy, and his physique wasn't what it used to be, but his eyesight and experience remained. He could spot the flaws in any move Lin Yan made with just a glance.

"Your palm strike has the right force, but the point of application is wrong." Qi the镖师 squatted on the ground and poked Lin Yan's waist and hips with his finger. "The 'Layered Wave Force' starts from the waist, but yours starts from the shoulder. You're missing that little bit, so the force is halved."

Lin Yan tried it, and it worked.

"And your footwork." Master Qi stood up, patted his knee, and said, "The Swift Step is for dodging, not for running. You take too big a step, and your center of gravity shifts. If you encounter a master, one kick can sweep you down. Your steps should be short and close, and your heels should not leave the ground too much."

Lin Yan did as instructed, but changed his steps and became much more steady.

Qi the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) watched his progress, saying nothing but his eyes were full of satisfaction.

"Alright, I'm leaving today." The old man lit his pipe. "Keep practicing. When you can unleash another level of the Overlapping Wave Force, you'll be unmatched within the True Qi Realm."

"Fivefold?"

"As far as I know, the highest level of the Overlapping Wave Force is five levels." Qi the镖师 exhaled a puff of smoke. "But I've never seen anyone reach the fifth level. Three levels are enough, and four levels would be impressive."

After saying that, the old man pushed open the door and went out.

Lin Yan stood still, looking down at his palm.

Three is enough, four is impressive, but what about five?

He went back to the courtyard and slapped the stone table with his palms.

One palm strike, two palm strikes, ten palm strikes, fifty palm strikes.

The numbers on the skill panel kept changing.

【Swimming Body Palm (Mastery) (1278/2000)】

【Swimming Body Palm (Mastery) (1279/2000)】

The stone table remained completely still.

His hands were red from clapping, and his bones ached as if they were about to crack.

Lin Yan stopped, shook his hands, flexed his fingers, and then continued filming.

I practiced like this for about ten days.

I would get up before dawn every day and practice until midnight. When I was hungry, I would squat on the steps and eat a few bites of rice; when I was thirsty, I would scoop up a ladle of well water and drink it down.

Xiong Kuo and Sun Dayong saw this, but neither of them tried to persuade them otherwise.

They knew that persuasion was useless.

Steward Feng came to check twice and then went back to tell the Crown Prince, "General Lin hasn't gone anywhere these days; he's just been practicing his martial arts in the courtyard."

Li Zhengxin was looking at folded paper in the study, not even looking up: "What are you practicing?"

"Practice palm techniques, sword techniques, and footwork. Master Qi comes every other day to train him in sparring."

Li Zhengxin put down the folding book and thought for a while.

"Are you asleep?"

"Going to sleep. Sleeping for two hours every day, then waking up and continuing to practice."

Li Zhengxin didn't ask any more questions and picked up the folding book again.

Steward Feng stood to the side, unable to fathom what the Crown Prince was thinking.

On the fifteenth day of practice, Lin Yan's Layered Wave Force reached the fourth and a half level.

Why is it four and a half layers? Because only half of the fifth layer's force can be released; it dissipates by the time it reaches the palm, and when it hits the stone table, it only makes a dull thud, without the effect of stacking force.

After seeing his palm strike, Master Qi remained silent for a long time.

"You really reached level four and a half?"

"Four and a half levels," Lin Yan said. "Only half of the fifth level can emerge."

Qi the镖师 put his pipe in his mouth and circled Lin Yan twice.

"I practiced the Overlapping Wave Force when I was young. There are quite a few people who practice this skill in the major escort agencies in the capital, but not many can reach the third level. In my more than seventy years of life, I have only seen two people at the fourth level: one is the chief escort, and the other is you."

"Has the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) reached level five?"

"No," Qi the镖师 shook his head. "He stopped practicing after only reaching the fourth level, saying that the fifth level wasn't for anyone to practice."

Lin Yan didn't reply, and turned around to pat the stone table again.

Qi the镖师 watched his retreating figure, sighed, and said nothing more.

That night, Lin Yan pulled out the old boxing manual that Cao Yan had given him in Zhenbei City.

The moves are few, but the way this boxing style generates power is unlike any other martial art he has ever learned. Each move is not a wide, sweeping attack, but rather targets the joint gaps. It doesn't require a lot of force; once the position is right, a light strike can break up the opponent's moves.

Lin Yan felt that this was somewhat similar to the way the fourth level of the Overlapping Wave Force was exerted, but it was more ingenious and more ruthless.

Lin Yan left the side courtyard and made his way to the alleyway at the back wall of the East Palace.

The moonlight doesn't reach here, making it pitch black, perfect for practicing martial arts.

He followed the diagrams in the boxing manual, mimicking each move one by one.

After practicing for half an hour, my whole body felt awkward.

This is completely different from the sword techniques he is used to practicing.

The sword technique is about head-on collisions, while the Black Tiger Fist technique is about using minimal force to overcome great strength.

It wasn't until the fifth night that Lin Yan finally found his footing.

The punch is no longer about smashing with the fist, but about cutting with the heel of the palm, hooking with the fingers, and thrusting with the elbow.

New text appeared on the skill panel.

[Skill Advancement: Black Tiger Fist Technique (Beginner) - Black Tiger Fist Technique (Beginner) (1/100)]

Become!

Lin Yan practiced a few more times, and his punches became smoother. He then put the boxing manual back in his pocket and quietly returned to the courtyard.

Nobody knew he had practiced this set of boxing techniques.

Xiong Kuo also thought he was asleep, and when Qi the镖师 (bodyguard) came, he didn't mention it at all.

……

For the first three days of the competition, Lin Yan did not practice his skills.

He sat in the courtyard, took out the knife, and carefully wiped it, from the tip to the handle, leaving no inch untouched.

Xiong Kuo squatted by the well, watching him, and couldn't help but ask, "Chief, what are you doing?"

"Sharpen the knife," Lin Yan said.

"The knife isn't dull."

"If you're unsure, sharpen your knife and calm your mind."

Xiong Kuo fell silent.

Sun Dayong bought wine and meat from outside, set up a table in the yard, and the three of them sat around it and ate a meal.

No one was talking about the martial arts competition. Xiong Kuo talked about things on the mountain, saying that back in Jiming Village, he would go down the mountain every autumn to hunt for autumn produce, and he could tell you clearly which shop had the best roast chicken and which restaurant had the most authentic Daughter's Red wine.

Sun Dayong talked about Zhenbeiguan, saying that the first time he went out of the city to scout, he was almost shot to death by a Tartar scout's arrow. Another scout pulled him off his horse, and the two of them rolled into a ditch to escape.

Lin Yan listened, occasionally chiming in, but mostly just kept her head down and ate.

After finishing his meal, he pushed the bowl away and stood up.

"I'll be drawing lots tomorrow, so I'd better go to bed early."

Xiong Kuo and Sun Dayong exchanged a glance but neither moved.

Lin Yan went back to her room, lay down on the bed, and closed her eyes.

The moves went through my mind over and over again: breathing techniques, the Black Tiger Fist, the Swimming Step, and the Mysterious Blade Technique. They went through them like a revolving lantern.

In the end, my mind was completely blank except for one thought.

You must win the duel.