28: The dawn of martial arts, the beginning of family harmony

Early the next morning, as the first light of dawn appeared at the Hour of Mao, Qi Xuanfeng woke up right on time.

After a simple wash assisted by his maidservants, he went straight to the martial arts field outside Concubine Su's courtyard.

Taking a deep breath of the air, sweet with the scent of dew, he began to meticulously perform the "Hunyuan Stance" taught by Concubine Su.

His posture was steady, knees slightly bent, and back as straight as a pine tree; though only ten years old, he already possessed a faint air of being as immovable as a mountain.

Concubine Su had told him and his third brother clearly that in Martial Arts cultivation, the focus before the age of ten was on polishing the Foundation and nourishing the blood and Qi.

Standing in a stance was the best method, as there was no need for premature, strenuous external tempering.

As the day to formally Cultivate Martial Arts drew closer, Qi Xuanfeng was naturally filled with anticipation.

However, he did not understand why his mother's temperament seemed to have changed slightly starting three years ago.

She was no longer as concerned about his every move as before, but instead became increasingly involved in the Family's affairs, managing them in an orderly fashion.

Half an hour later, fine beads of sweat had broken out on Qi Xuanfeng's forehead, sliding down his slightly youthful but already well-defined cheeks.

The thin shirt on his back was also soaked by a small patch of sweat, yet his gaze remained firm, and his body did not waver in the slightest.

It was only then that the third brother, Qi Xuanming, rubbed his bleary eyes and dragged his feet to the martial arts field, his small face still wearing a look of confusion and sleepiness.

Seeing that his second brother was already drenched in sweat, he couldn't help but shrink his neck and quickly assumed the posture to begin his stance.

He was, after all, only an eight-year-old child, and his Heart-Nature was far from being as calm as the nearly ten-year-old Qi Xuanfeng.

After standing for barely the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Qi Xuanming felt uncomfortable all over, unable to endure the loneliness.

He stole a glance at his second brother, who was as still as an old monk in meditation, and spoke in a low voice:

"Second Brother, I heard that the sorrel mare at Old Lady Wang's house at the east end of town had a foal last night. It's a pure white little foal, very Divine Qi!"

"Shall we go see it after school?"

Qi Xuanfeng acted as if he hadn't heard, his gaze fixed forward and his breathing long, his entire mind immersed in the rhythm of the stance and the flow of his own blood and Qi.

Seeing that his second brother was ignoring him, Qi Xuanming pouted but had no choice but to patiently continue standing.

Beneath the moon gate at the side of the martial arts field, Su Wantang, dressed in a pale purple gown, had quietly appeared at some point.

Her appearance was already extremely beautiful, and after three years of Cultivation and reaching the Qi Refining Second Layer, she had shed even more of her mundane air.

Her skin was as lustrous as jade, her eyes like black ink, and a clear brilliance flowed between her glances; her temperament became increasingly cold and ethereal.

Every day, she would set aside an hour to personally guide the martial arts Foundations of Qi Xuanfeng and Qi Xuanming.

In her view, since her second and third sons lacked Spiritual Roots and could not embark on the path of immortality, they needed to earn a living in the mortal world.

If a Martial Artist could Cultivate to the Grandmaster Realm, where their blood and Qi reached Perfection and True Qi was generated naturally, they might be able to contend with a cultivator at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining.

Of course, according to her secret inquiries over the past few years, there seemed to be no public record of such high-level martial arts masters within Yunliao Prefecture.

Su Wantang herself had not used any Medicinal Pills for her Cultivation. Having stabilized at the Qi Refining Second Layer over three years and being not far from the third level, she deeply understood the importance of a solid Foundation.

"Your steps are floating, your Qi is sinking into your chest instead of your abdomen, and your mind is scattered... Ming'er, your stance work has regressed."

The cold voice rang out from behind, giving Qi Xuanming, who was secretly twisting his ankle, a start.

He quickly focused his mind, readjusted his posture, and kept his small face taut.

Su Wantang moved gracefully into the field, beginning to meticulously correct their subtle errors and explain the basic knowledge of human Meridians, Acupoints, and the circulation of blood and Qi.

This knowledge seemed simple, but it was the Foundation of martial arts cultivation and shared commonalities with the principles of immortal cultivation.

Meanwhile, in a nearby side room, Qi Xuanqing and Qi Xuanlin, who were sleeping soundly, were awakened by the faint shouts and instructions from outside.

These twins, who shared a deep bond, stubbornly continued to sleep in the same room even though they were nearly eight years old.

Su Wantang had originally objected to this, believing that children should have separate rooms as they grew older, but Qi Yuan felt it was harmless and was instead happy to see their brotherly affection, so she reluctantly agreed.

"Ugh... what's that noise outside?"

Qi Xuanqing sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes.

Qi Xuanlin was also awake; his mind was quick, and he tilted his head to listen:

"It's Mother instructing Second Brother and Third Brother in martial arts."

Upon hearing this, Qi Xuanqing threw off the covers, jumped out of bed, and crept to the window, peeking out through a crack.

In the morning light, he saw his second brother, Qi Xuanfeng, with a steady posture, his gaze firm despite his sweat-soaked back; his third brother, Qi Xuanming, was struggling but trying his best to persevere; and his mother, Su Wantang, dressed in purple, looked graceful as she patiently explained things.

As he watched, a flicker of hard-to-detect envy and restlessness flashed in Qi Xuanqing's eyes.

As he grew older, he increasingly felt that he had no talent for studying; those words were like a heavenly script to him, and he was far from being as quick-witted as his Sixth Brother, Qi Xuanlin.

The pressure from this comparison made him wonder if practicing martial arts might be a more suitable path for him.

He had mentioned wanting to practice martial arts to his parents before, but his mother had not agreed.

The two brothers were no longer as chubby as they were in their early childhood, though their builds were slightly robust.

Qi Xuanlin looked at his Fifth Brother's back as he leaned against the window and immediately guessed his thoughts, leaning in to whisper:

"Fifth Brother, you shouldn't have such thoughts."

"How can practicing martial arts be as comfortable as studying?"

"Rising at the crack of dawn every day, suffering through stance work, and getting all sweaty—it's so much work!"

"Studying is great; you just have to use your brain."

He was very satisfied with his current leisurely life and had no desire to endure that kind of hardship.

Qi Xuanqing had his own considerations, and he said sullenly:

"Sixth Brother, I know you're smart."

"But you... should still go to class b. Staying in class c with me all the time isn't a long-term solution."

How could he not know that his Sixth Brother stayed in class c mostly to keep him company?

But he knew in his heart that the two brothers were different after all.

Upon hearing this, the usual lazy expression on Qi Xuanlin's face faded slightly. He was silent for a moment, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable firmness:

"Fifth Brother, I said class c is fine."

"class b... is boring."

Before Qi Xuanlin could finish his sentence, a burst of childish babbling and the gentle coaxing of a maidservant came from the courtyard.

A toddler wearing a small red padded jacket and a tiger-head hat was being led by the hand by a maidservant, wobbling as he stepped over the threshold and came out.

It was the Eighth Brother, Qi Xuantong, who had just turned three.

The little one had round cheeks and large, dark, curious eyes as he looked around the courtyard in the morning light, seeing his brothers and mother on the martial arts field.

He immediately split his little mouth, which hadn't grown all its teeth yet, into a toothless smile and called out unclearly:

"Ma... Bro... ther..."

The child's adorable appearance instantly dissipated the somewhat heavy atmosphere on the martial arts field.

Before the two brothers inside could continue their topic, Su Wantang's voice, carrying a hint of irritation, clearly reached them:

"Qing'er, Liner! Even Tonger is up. What are you two older brothers still dawdling in your room for?"

"The Hour of Chen is almost over. Do you still want to go to the academy?"

It was now the fourth quarter of the Hour of Chen, with less than an hour left before the Hour of Si when the private school started.

Su Wantang looked at the closed door of the brothers' room, her heart filled with even more helplessness.

Fortunately, Qing'er was sensible and wouldn't actually stay in bed until he missed the time, and Liner's usual troublemaking was mostly minor and hadn't caused any real disasters.

Otherwise, even with her husband's previous persuasion, she would never have agreed to let these two boys sleep in one room and encourage each other's laziness.

Inside the window, Qi Xuanqing and Qi Xuanlin both froze upon hearing their mother's voice, which contained a hint of anger.

Qi Xuanqing immediately pulled his head back and began to scramble into his clothes.