38: Chapter 38 The Mute Uncle's Gift

When Lu Zhao woke up, the first thing he smelled was the scent of medicinal herbs.

Bitter, astringent, and mixed with a damp, earthy odor, it made his throat itch.

He wanted to lift his hand to rub his nose, but he couldn't Move his arm—his entire body felt like it had been hollowed out, and he couldn't even Move a single finger.

He opened his eyes.

What met his eyes was the domed ceiling of the secret cave, where several glowing stones were embedded in the uneven rock, emitting a dim, yellowish light.

That was the "Fluorescent Stone Array" set up by Shen Qingqiu; it could provide illumination and gather Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, which was helpful for healing.

"Awake?"

The voice came from the side, so hoarse that it was almost unrecognizable as Shen Qingqiu's.

Lu Zhao turned his head.

Shen Qingqiu was sitting to the side, leaning against the cave wall. Her face was as pale as paper, her eye sockets were deeply sunken, and her lips were cracked.

She was holding a broken bowl in her hands, filled with a dark, steaming medicinal soup.

"You…" Lu Zhao began, his voice also frighteningly hoarse, "How long has it been?"

"Three days," Shen Qingqiu said. "You have been unconscious for three days and three nights."

Three days.

Lu Zhao closed his eyes. The final scene flashed through his mind: the surge of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, the mountains collapsing and the earth splitting, twenty-three Foundation Establishment Cultivators falling in a heap… After that, he knew nothing else.

"What about them?" he asked.

"They left," Shen Qingqiu said. "The leader was named Zhou Yuan, a fourth-layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and he is Lin Han's Senior Brother. He took the severely injured Lin Han and the rest of them and fled. Before leaving, he made a threat—"

She paused.

"He said that next time, a Golden Core Cultivator will come."

Lu Zhao was silent.

Golden Core.

Above Foundation Establishment is the Golden Core stage.

A single Golden Core Cultivator could crush a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

If the Xuanshuang Sect really sent a Golden Core Cultivator, what could Yangjiao Ravine use to stop them? Detonate the entire earth vein and perish together?

He struggled to sit up, but was met with excruciating pain throughout his body, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

"Don't Move," Shen Qingqiu said, pressing him down. "Seven of your Meridians are severed, five bones are broken, and your internal organs are displaced. It is a miracle you survived at all. Granny Xue said that if you keep moving around, even the gods couldn't save you."

Lu Zhao lay back down, panting heavily.

"What about the others?"

"They are all alive," Shen Qingqiu said. "He Shan broke three ribs, Yan Meng fractured his left arm, Han Meng suffered internal injuries, and Uncle Ya…"

She fell silent.

Lu Zhao's heart tightened. "What happened to Uncle Ya?"

Shen Qingqiu looked at him, her gaze complex.

"Uncle Ya suppressed the array eye for a full two hours," she said. "He bore the brunt of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi backlash all by himself. We only suffered injuries, but he…"

She didn't finish.

Lu Zhao, finding strength from somewhere, sat up abruptly and rolled out of bed. His legs felt weak, and he nearly fell, but he grabbed the cave wall and stumbled outside.

"Lu Zhao!" Shen Qingqiu called out, chasing after him.

Lu Zhao didn't listen; he just kept walking out.

Outside the cave, the sunlight was blinding.

He squinted and saw a circle of people not far from the cave entrance. He Shan, Yan Meng, Han Meng, Zhong Tiegu, Granny Xue, A-Fei… everyone was there.

They were gathered in a semicircle, with a person lying in the middle.

Uncle Ya.

Lu Zhao walked over.

The crowd silently made way.

Uncle Ya lay on a broken door plank, covered by a tattered animal hide. His eyes were closed, his face ashen, and his breathing was so faint it was barely perceptible. His exposed hands were as withered as old tree bark, with veins bulging and knuckles deformed—the marks of extreme exertion and shattered Meridians.

Lu Zhao knelt down.

He reached out and took Uncle Ya's hand.

That hand was ice-cold, stiff, and lacked even a trace of the warmth of the living.

"Uncle Ya," he called out softly.

Uncle Ya didn't respond.

Granny Xue, standing nearby, sighed. "Sir, Uncle Ya… he is spent. He was already in a frail state; it was Heaven-Defying for him to have lived this long. This time, by bearing the backlash of the earth vein for us, he used up the last of his vitality."

Lu Zhao kept his head lowered, saying nothing.

The crowd was silent.

A mountain breeze blew by, carrying the chill of early winter. In the distance, a few crows flew past, their cries shrill and mournful.

After a long while, Uncle Ya suddenly moved his fingers.

Lu Zhao looked up.

Uncle Ya opened his eyes. His cloudy pupils shifted and settled on Lu Zhao's face. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but he could make no sound.

Lu Zhao leaned in close.

Uncle Ya raised his other hand, trembling as he reached into his robe. He fumbled for a long time before pulling out something.

It was a piece of animal hide.

It was the size of a palm, with edges worn white, clearly having been kept close to his body for many years. The hide was densely covered in characters, the handwriting crooked, as if carved bit by bit with the tip of a blade.

Uncle Ya stuffed the animal hide into Lu Zhao's hand.

He gripped Lu Zhao's hand and squeezed it hard.

Then, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a very faint smile.

That smile was like that of an old man who had finally passed on his most precious possession to someone worthy of trust.

Then, he closed his eyes.

His hand fell limp.

Lu Zhao clutched the piece of animal hide, kneeling on the ground, unmoving.

He Shan turned his head away, his shoulders trembling slightly. Han Meng squatted on the ground, burying his head in his hands, silent. A-Fei covered his face, tears seeping out between his fingers. Granny Xue closed her eyes, murmuring something, perhaps a prayer or a farewell.

Yan Meng stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and pressed his right fist against his chest—this was the military salute of the War Martial Hall, given to the person one respected the most.

Zhong Tiegu, Qin Wan, Master Wen, Tian Dali, Song Shouren… one by one, they knelt on one knee.

Shen Qingqiu stood to the side, silently bowing her head.

The wind howled, causing the withered grass at the cave entrance to tremble.

Lu Zhao finally lifted his head.

He looked at Uncle Ya's ashen face, where that faint smile still lingered. He suddenly remembered the scene of when he first met Uncle Ya—that day, returning from Maple Leaf Town, on the mountain path, a ragged man had stopped him and handed him a wooden plaque, his gaze as clear as water.

"My master invites Mr. Lu to meet. It concerns… the path of martial arts."

That was the message Uncle Ya had sent someone to deliver.

Later, he realized that the so-called master was Uncle Ya himself. Unable to speak, he used wooden plaques to send messages, wrote on the ground with branches, and used hand gestures. He taught those incomplete martial arts legacies, bit by bit, to Lu Zhao, to He Shan, to everyone who was willing to learn.

He never spoke, but everyone understood him.

He never claimed credit, but everyone respected him.

He was the guardian of Yangjiao Ravine, the spark of the martial arts Legacy.

Now, the spark was extinguished.

Lu Zhao tightened his grip on the animal hide and slowly stood up.

He faced Uncle Ya and bowed deeply.

Then, he turned around and looked at the crowd.

"Give him a proper burial," he said. "Record his name on the Legacy Stele. The first line."

The crowd nodded silently.

That night, Uncle Ya was buried on the back mountain.

The grave was very simple: just a mound of earth and a wooden tombstone. Carved on the wooden tombstone were three characters: Grave of Uncle Ya. No surname, no place of origin, no dates of birth or death.

Lu Zhao stood before the grave for a long time.

The night wind blew, causing his clothes to flutter. His injuries were still painful, but he didn't Move; he just stood there.

Shen Qingqiu walked over and stood beside him.

"What is that piece of animal hide?" she asked softly.

Lu Zhao took the animal hide from his robe and handed it to her.

Shen Qingqiu took it and held it up to the moonlight to examine it closely.

The handwriting on the animal hide was dense, and in some places, it was already blurred, but the content could generally be discerned. She looked at it for a moment, and her expression gradually grew solemn.

"This is…"

"Uncle Ya's Legacy," Lu Zhao said. "His life's work."

Recorded on the animal hide was a complete martial arts Cultivation Technique—the "Hun Yuan Stance."

It was not a technique for slaughter, nor a set of Moves, but the most fundamental stance training. Stance training is the Foundation of martial arts. If the stance is unstable, every punch thrown will be airy; if the stance is stable, the Qi and blood can settle, the muscles and bones can develop, and power can rise from the ground.

This "Hun Yuan Stance" was divided into nine levels.

The first level: Standing Stance. Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, center of gravity lowered, feeling the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi rising. It seemed simple, but it was actually the hardest—many martial artists practiced for a lifetime without even touching the threshold of the first level.

The second level: Rooting Stance. Qi and blood sink into the Yongquan point, like a tree taking root, connecting with the earth. Once you reach this stage, standing there is like a tree rooted in the ground; three or five people wouldn't be able to push you over.

The third level: Embracing Origin Stance. Qi and blood rise, merging with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, uniting the internal and external. Upon reaching this stage, one can sense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi; although one cannot absorb it directly, one can borrow its momentum to strengthen one's power.

From the fourth level to the ninth level, each is deeper and more profound than the last. At the ninth level, according to records, one can "unite the body with the earth, and connect the mind with the heavens"; stance training becomes cultivation, and standing becomes Dao enlightenment.

After reading it, Shen Qingqiu remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, she looked up at Lu Zhao.

"This stance training… if it is spread, anyone can practice it, and anyone can succeed. It doesn't require a Spiritual Root or high Aptitude; it only requires perseverance and Comprehension Ability."

Lu Zhao nodded.

"What Uncle Ya left us is not just a Cultivation Technique," he said. "It is a path."

He looked at the simple grave.

"He wants us to walk this path."

Seven days later.

In the secret cave, before the Legacy Stele.

Twenty-three people sat cross-legged, including those who had just recovered from their injuries. Lu Zhao stood before the stele, holding the piece of animal hide in his hand.

"Today, I am passing on a set of stance training to you," he said. "It is called the 'Hun Yuan Stance.' It was left to us by Uncle Ya before he passed away."

The crowd listened silently.

"This stance training does not teach you how to hit people, nor does it teach you how to kill. It only teaches one thing—how to stand."

He paused.

"But once you stand properly, every punch you throw will be thirty percent heavier than it is now; every blade you strike with will be thirty percent faster; and the beatings you take will be thirty percent lighter."

He looked at the crowd.

"From today on, every morning, we will practice stance training for one hour. Rain or shine."

He Shan was the first to stand up.

He walked to the center of the cave and, following Lu Zhao's instructions, spread his feet, slightly bent his knees, and held his hands over his Dantian. He closed his eyes, trying hard to feel the warm Qi rising from the soles of his feet.

Yan Meng was the second.

Han Meng was the third.

Zhong Tiegu, Qin Wan, Master Wen, Tian Dali, Song Shouren, A-Fei…

One by one, the twenty-three people stood in a row inside the cave.

Lu Zhao watched them and suddenly remembered a saying.

"The peach and the plum do not speak, yet a path forms beneath them."

Uncle Ya never spoke a word in his life, yet here, he had planted twenty-three sparks.

In the afternoon.

Lu Zhao sat alone under the old locust tree at the village entrance, the animal hide spread across his knees, silently pondering the key points of the "Hun Yuan Stance."

Shen Qingqiu walked over and sat down beside him.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about the stance training," Lu Zhao said. "The first level, the Standing Stance, is simple to talk about but hard to execute. He Shan and the others have been practicing for three days, and less than half can stand steadily."

Shen Qingqiu nodded. "Entering the path of martial arts is difficult to begin with, especially since they lack a Foundation. Take it slow."

Lu Zhao looked at her. "What about you? Are your injuries healed?"

"Seventy percent healed," Shen Qingqiu said. "I went to check on the earth vein. After the detonation, that Earth-element earth vein is nearly exhausted and will need at least three years to recover. The Concealment Array is also ruined and needs to be re-laid."

Lu Zhao was silent.

The earth vein was exhausted, the Concealment Array was ruined, and Uncle Ya was gone. Yangjiao Ravine's trump cards were almost all used up.

"As for the Xuanshuang Sect…" Shen Qingqiu began.

"I know," Lu Zhao said. "It won't be long."

He looked at the distant mountain path.

"Next time they come, it will be a Golden Core."

Shen Qingqiu didn't speak.

The two sat there, watching the setting sun sink bit by bit.

In the distance, A-Fei's voice called out: "Sir! Sir! Someone has come to the town!"

Lu Zhao stood up.

A-Fei ran over, panting: "It's… it's Manager Xu from last time! He says he has an urgent matter and needs to see you!"

Lu Zhao and Shen Qingqiu exchanged a look.

"Let him come over."

Manager Xu arrived quickly.

He was still wearing that dusty Taoist robe, with seven or eight cloth bags hanging from his waist. As soon as he saw Lu Zhao, he cupped his hands and smiled, "Mr. Lu, I've long heard of your reputation."

Lu Zhao looked at him. "Manager Xu, do you have business with me?"

Manager Xu looked left and right, then lowered his voice. "Could we speak in private?"

Lu Zhao nodded and led him under the old locust tree.

Manager Xu reached into his robe, pulled out a Jade Slip, and handed it over.

"Someone entrusted me to give this to you."

Lu Zhao took it and probed it with his Divine Thought.

There was only one sentence in the Jade Slip:

"Half a month from now, in Maple Leaf Town of the Qinglan Sect, someone wishes to see you. It concerns the matter of the Xuanshuang Sect."

No signature, no origin.

Lu Zhao looked up at Manager Xu.

"Who entrusted you with this?"

Manager Xu shook his head. "I cannot say. That person said, if you go, you will naturally know; if you do not go, then consider this matter as never having happened."

Lu Zhao pondered.

Shen Qingqiu leaned in and whispered, "Could it be a trap?"

"It's possible," Lu Zhao said. "But it could also be an opportunity."

He looked at Manager Xu.

"Thank you, Manager Xu, for making this trip."

Manager Xu waved his hand. "I was entrusted with a task, and I am fulfilling it. The message has been delivered; I am leaving."

He turned and walked away, but after a few steps, he suddenly turned back.

"Mr. Lu, there is something I don't know if I should say."

"Please, speak."

Manager Xu looked at him, his gaze deep.

"On the side of the Xuanshuang Sect, someone has already proposed requesting a Golden Core Elder to come out. Within a month at most, someone will definitely come."

He paused.

"If you want to survive, you had best find a backer within this month."

Having said that, he strode away.

In the secret cave, Lu Zhao and Shen Qingqiu sat facing each other.

"Are we going?" Shen Qingqiu asked.

Lu Zhao didn't answer; he just looked at the Jade Slip in his hand.

Half a month later, Maple Leaf Town.

That was the territory of the Qinglan Sect. If it really was someone from the Qinglan Sect who wanted to see him, it might be a turning point. But if it wasn't…

"I will go," he finally said.

Shen Qingqiu looked at him.

"What if it's a trap?"

Lu Zhao looked up.

"Even if it is a trap, I must go," he said. "Uncle Ya is dead, the earth vein is exhausted, and we have no time left. If we cannot find a backer within this month, once the Golden Core Cultivator arrives, everyone will die."

He paused.

"I will go alone. You stay here and guard the village."

Shen Qingqiu wanted to say something, but in the end, she only nodded.

Half a month later.

Maple Leaf Town.

Lu Zhao stood at the entrance of the town, looking up at the dilapidated plaque. People came and went in the town, mostly Loose Cultivators and Mortal merchants. Occasionally, a few low-level Disciples wearing Qinglan Sect clothing passed by, eyes fixed straight ahead.

Following the map Manager Xu had given him, he walked through two streets and arrived in front of a teahouse.

The teahouse was not large, two stories high, with a faded sign hanging at the entrance: Yunlai Teahouse.

He pushed the door open and went in.

A waiter came up to greet him: "How many guests, sir?"

"Looking for someone."

"Please go upstairs."

Lu Zhao went upstairs.

At a table by the window on the second floor, a person was sitting.

That person was about forty years old, with a refined appearance, wearing a blue long robe. He held a cup of tea in his hand and was gazing out the window.

Lu Zhao walked over and sat down opposite him.

The man turned his head, looked at him, and smiled slightly.

"Mr. Lu, I've long heard of your reputation."

Lu Zhao stared at him.

"Who are you?"

The man put down his teacup.

"Qinglan Sect, Inner Sect Elder, Lu Wenyuan."

He paused.

"And also your clansman."

Lu Zhao felt a slight shock in his heart.

An Inner Sect Elder of the Qinglan Sect held a status far above Zhao Yuankun and Li Baichuan. Why would such a person want to see him?

Lu Wenyuan seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled slightly.

"Don't be nervous. I'm not looking for you because of that trivial matter with the Xuanshuang Sect."

He paused, his gaze landing on Lu Zhao's face.

"I am here for that thing you possess—the Martial Stele Fragment."