Chapter 52: Moving House

Chen Qing pushed open the door to the house and said, "Mother, the contract is signed. Let's pack up and move."

Han responded with a nod, "Mhm, I'll start packing right now."

Han brought only a few bundles, containing change of clothes and a few old items she couldn't bear to throw away.

Hearing the commotion, Auntie Gao from next door poked her head out. "Sister-in-law Chen, are you really moving?"

Upon hearing this, Han straightened her back instinctively, a smile spreading across her face. "Yes, we're moving near the courtyard where Ah Qing practices his martial arts. It'll be more convenient in the future."

"That boy Xiao Qing has truly made something of himself!" Auntie Gao's eyes were full of envy.

Among the dozen or so children in Yazi Bay, Chen Qing was the most capable, allowing his mother to live a good life.

Han smiled and said, "Come sit at our new home when you have time."

Auntie Gao nodded. "That's a certainty!"

The mother and son quickly finished packing, and Zhao the Third sent someone to bring a wooden cart.

The cart creaked all the way as it passed through the bustling markets of Changping Street and turned into a deep, quiet alleyway.

Pushing open the heavy camphor wood gate, the afternoon sunlight filtered through the lush branches of the old locust tree, casting dappled spots of light on the gray brick ground.

Standing in the courtyard, Han surveyed the spacious yard and the sturdy well platform, murmuring, "This place is good..."

Her rough hands carefully brushed against the coolness of the well's edge, and she touched the heavy door bolt, feeling a sense of stability in her heart.

Chen Qing silently placed his mother's bundles into the eastern room. He turned to the well, set down the wooden bucket, and as the rope rubbed against the deep grooves, it made a whirring sound. He drew up some cool well water and scooped a ladle to hand to Han. "Mother, have some water."

Han took the ladle, looking at Chen Qing's tall, upright figure, and a relaxed smile bloomed on her face.

The days of swaying with the waves on the boat had finally settled into this peaceful world.

After a short rest, Han could not stay idle and began tidying the courtyard with nimble hands and feet.

Chen Qing returned to his own room and took out the items he had obtained from Song Hu: seventy taels of silver, mostly in broken pieces; nine Blood Qi Pills; and a leather scroll.

He unfurled the scroll and read the words written upon it in a low voice, "Internal Strengthening Secret Technique... Fishing Toad Strength?"

This leather scroll recorded a martial arts secret technique—the *Fishing Toad Strength*.

The paths of martial arts are diverse, with the distinction between Hard Qi (External) and Internal Strengthening being particularly sharp.

Hard Qi techniques train the muscles, bones, and skin externally. Their methods of attack are extremely simple—fierce and direct—and the force used is mostly *Ming Jin* (Obvious Strength). Most are considered lower-tier martial arts.

The most famous among them are techniques like the *Iron Cloth* and the *Golden Bell Shield*.

Of course, there are a very small number of exquisite and profound Hard Qi masterpieces.

Internal Strengthening, however, belongs to extremely precious martial arts secret techniques. Based on unique breathing methods, they specialize in the tempering of the five viscera and six organs.

Therefore, most Internal Strengthening methods are considered high-tier martial arts.

Chen Qing focused his mind to examine the scroll closely.

This *Fishing Toad Strength* consisted of three realms.

The first realm was 'Swallowing Qi to Bloat the Abdomen,' where one inhales air through the mouth and nose into the abdomen, causing the intestines and stomach to surge with a sound like a frog's croak. This provided preliminary training for the organs to resist ordinary strikes from fists and feet.

The second realm was 'Internal Vibration of the Viscera,' where the breath sinks to vibrate the Dantian, affecting the five viscera and six organs. This made the internal organs as tough as oxhide, allowing one to withstand heavy blows from *Ming Jin* experts. Generally, an iron fist to the abdomen would not cause injury, and it could even neutralize thirty percent of the penetrating force of *An Jin* (Hidden Strength).

The third realm was 'Thunderous Sound Marrow Cleansing,' where the breath leads the bone marrow to vibrate, emitting a 'buzzing' thunderous sound. This could cleanse the essence and marrow, expelling impurities from the body, making the blood and qi as vigorous as a furnace and impervious to cold and heat.

"This is truly a good thing!"

Looking at the *Fishing Toad Strength* in his hand, Chen Qing's heart stirred.

Setting aside the efficacy of the third realm's marrow cleansing, the first two realms offered unimaginable benefits. Making ordinary attacks ineffective and turning fatal wounds into mere heavy blows undoubtedly provided a massive layer of protection for himself.

Chen Qing picked up the scroll to study it carefully. Before long, a golden light appeared in his mind.

【Fishing Toad Strength (Beginner) (1/100)】

Chen Qing gripped the scroll tightly and muttered to himself, "This Fishing Toad Strength can protect my organs. If I can master it, I'll have even more means to save my life!"

After all, during a life-and-death struggle, the internal organs are vital points and are extremely easy to attack.

However, since this *Fishing Toad Strength* was obtained from Song Hu, he could not practice it at the Zhou Academy to avoid unnecessary trouble; it was safer to practice at home.

In the afternoon, after carefully checking that the Blood Qi Pills were intact, Chen Qing swallowed one and set off for the Zhou Academy.

It was now midsummer, and the weather was unbearably hot, the earth feeling like a furnace.

In the courtyard, some disciples were gritting their teeth to persist in their boxing practice, while others hid under the shade of trees to catch their breath and cool down.

"Senior Brother Chen!"

"Senior Brother Chen!"

Seeing Chen Qing arrive, many disciples stood up to greet him.

After responding to everyone, Chen Qing went to his usual spot to prepare for training.

He stood calmly on a wooden stake, his feet rooted, shoulders dropped, and elbows lowered. His arms stretched forward like those of an ape, fingertips slightly extended as if holding infinite tension. His spine settled segment by segment, his tailbone tucked in, and his breath flowed long and deep into his Dantian.

After completing one round of the *Tongbi Stance*, his progress increased by three times the usual rate.

This was thanks to the medicinal power of the Blood Qi Pill.

Medicinal supplements and dietary supplements were both highly beneficial to him, allowing him to increase his progress extremely quickly.

Chen Qing practiced the *Tongbi Fist* two more times before sitting aside to rest.

At that moment, he noticed the disciples in the courtyard whispering, with the name "Qin Lie" appearing frequently in their conversation.

Intrigued, Chen Qing called over Song Yufeng and asked, "What happened?"

"Senior Brother Chen, you don't know yet?"

Song Yufeng glanced around and lowered his voice. "Master spent a fortune to invite Mr. Sima from the Qingnang Hall. He gave Senior Brother Qin a secret prescription, and his tendons... they've actually started to heal!"

Chen Qing narrowed his eyes. "Oh?"

He was not surprised that Zhou Liang was doing everything possible to treat Qin Lie. After all, Qin Lie was Zhou Liang's closed-door disciple, and their relationship was very close—in the eyes of some old martial artists, it even transcended a typical father-son bond.

Furthermore, Qin Lie had been injured by Gao Sheng of the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall. While it wasn't impossible that there were issues with his own body, a large part of the reason was due to Zhou Liang.

However, the news that the severed tendons could actually heal was indeed surprising to him.

"This Mr. Sima truly lives up to his reputation as a master of medicine..."

Song Yufeng remarked with emotion, "I heard Senior Sister Li speculate that if Qin Lie can recover and rebuild himself, he might directly reach the perfection of *An Jin* and have a chance to attempt the three breakthroughs."

Chen Qing nodded slightly, then sought confirmation from Sun Shun.

When the matter was mentioned, Sun Shun's brow relaxed, and his face carried a look of joy; he was indeed sincerely happy for Qin Lie.

Looking around, many disciples had complex and subtle expressions, with only Zheng Ziqiao standing alone, his brow deeply furrowed, his gaze occasionally sweeping toward the depths of the back courtyard.

"I'll wait and see how things develop first."

Chen Qing felt that something was a bit strange. Could severed tendons really heal just like that?