Chapter 8, The Diagram of the True Dragon's Acupoints

Lu Haozhi had persuaded for a long time and was also slightly puzzled. Logically speaking, being able to join any sect of the immortal path should be far superior to being a bandit on Tianma Mountain, and anyone should agree readily. However, Chen Qi was calculating obstacles and was extremely reluctant. Lu Haozhi began to harbor doubts, so he ceased his persuasion and simply instructed his servants to quickly prepare breakfast. After accompanying Chen Qi for the meal, he went to rest.

As the sky brightened, the courtyard suddenly became lively with voices. When Chen Qi stepped outside to take a look, he was surprised to find Lu Haozhi, who had not returned for an entire night, had come back.

However, Lu Haozhi had no confidence in his own qualifications. Despite saying so much, he only wanted to deceive Chen Qi into accompanying him to meet the Grand Elder of the Heshan Sect. No matter how Chen Qi tried to decline, Lu Haozhi was convinced that this was the only way. Both of them had their own reservations, and neither dared to speak openly. They chatted idly for an entire morning, but there was no outcome. Regardless of what Lu Haozhi said, Chen Qi was unwilling to agree to accompany this "Second Brother" to the residence of the governor of Poyang Prefecture.

He noticed that Lu Hao's face was quite excited; although he looked weary, he showed no signs of sleepiness. Upon seeing Chen Qi, this scholar with dual talents took his hand and said with a smile: "Do you know where I have been, brother? I went to the residence of the governor of Poyang Prefecture, and even the magistrate of our county was present at the gathering. But that's not all; I met a remarkable person. Can you guess who it is?"

Lu Haozhi had not slept a wink throughout the night, and his spirit was inevitably somewhat lacking. Although he harbored suspicions about Chen Qi, he had no solid evidence. Upon returning to his room, he fell into a deep sleep. However, after Lu Haozhi returned to his room, Chen Qi immediately made a decision. He thought to himself: "Accompanying the second deputy to meet that old Taoist is an utterly foolish act. If that old Taoist sees through my secret, even if I, Chen Dahe, the head of the library, had ten lives, it would not be enough for him to toy with. But if I return to Tianma Mountain now or flee, what was originally just a slight suspicion would immediately turn into a certainty of guilt. Lu Haozhi is also a cunning individual, well-known for his intelligence in the stronghold, and he might think of something that would be even more disadvantageous to me."

Chen Qi walked not far before he found a rather grand restaurant. He casually chose the most spacious seat and looked at the table, calling for the waiter to come over

He was eating happily when suddenly he heard a voice nearby disdainfully say: "This child seems as if he has never eaten anything good; this terrible dish is akin to pig slop, and it's a wonder he can even stomach it"

Lu Hao stood tall with his chest out, gazing at the horizon, and confidently said: "When the time comes, as long as Second Brother gives you a few points, not to mention the small estate of Tianma Mountain, what do the three major gangs of this county amount to?"

Lu Haozhi spoke to Chen Qi in detail, and it was then that Chen Qi began to understand the clues of this matter

Chen Qi pondered over the matter and felt that there were flaws in Lu Haozhi's words, with many inconsistencies. However, he soon reassured himself, thinking: "These matters were heard from others, passed through so many people, and are likely to have lost their original meaning. Moreover, that esteemed elder from Heshan Dao may not be fully aware of everything; at the very least, he does not know that Xiao Pingnan was gravely injured and has already died at my hands"

Although Chen Qi had long suspected it, he was still taken aback to hear from Lu Haozhi that the grand mansion from last night was actually the residence of the governor of Poyang. Of course, he did not dare to guess, "Did you meet an old Taoist priest who can perform spells from the He Mountain Classic?" Instead, he merely followed the conversation and said, "Could it be that Second Brother met the other two leaders of the Bamboo Branch Gang?"

Lu Haozhi scoffed and said, "What is the Bamboo Branch Gang? Although they have some connections with the governor of this county, they are not worthy of an invitation from the governor's mansion. Let me tell you..." Lu Haozhi lowered his voice, feigning mystery as he continued, "I have encountered a master of the immortal path. This master possesses great magical powers, and it is he who has offered a substantial reward for information on Xiao Pingnan's whereabouts."

I see, no wonder I cannot proceed to the next stage of cultivation. It turns out that in order to continue practicing the Supreme Transformation of the Dragon Technique, I also need to complement it with this diagram of the True Dragon Acupoints.

Lu Haozhi only felt that his brilliant calculations had led to such a wonderful outcome. He pulled Chen Qi along, making several overtures, which made Chen Dazhang uneasy, as he always sensed that something was amiss

Upon making this discovery, Chen Qi was filled with great joy. Although opening a single acupoint is not an achievement that can be accomplished in a day, having grasped the key to it, progress is surely to be anticipated. This is a hundred times more effective than the previous aimless exploration without direction.

It turns out that Xiao Pingnan is a disciple of a highly secretive sect known as the Beast Taming Chamber, which is a rival of the He Mountain Sect. Both sects have their strengths and have been in conflict for decades, suffering losses yet unable to overcome each other. The current head of the Beast Taming Chamber devised a plan to secretly train a disciple, sending him to infiltrate the He Mountain Sect with the intention of stealing a certain scripture related to their cultivation.

Chen Qi was startled and hurriedly asked, "What is the reason for this?"

Although Chen Qi had eaten a little in the morning, he was somewhat preoccupied, so he did not feel full. On Tianma Mountain, although he claimed to be eating heartily, how could there be any good cooks in the bandit’s den? The large chunks of meat boiled in plain water were indeed plentiful, but the taste was quite lacking. The servants at Lu Hao's home had only average skills, far inferior to this restaurant, which was renowned for its exquisite dishes, and the flavors were such that Chen Qi nearly swallowed his tongue.

Chen Qi secretly practiced the Supreme Transformation Dragon Technique, slowly circulating according to the true dragon acupoints illustrated on this page of the golden scripture. Indeed, the true qi in his dantian flowed continuously into the perineum acupoint, condensing into a small mass within the perineum acupoint, which was entirely different from the previous state where the true qi could flow smoothly through the meridians but could not be stored in other acupoints.

Chen Qi only glanced for a moment, but suddenly this thought sprang to mind. However, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this idea was indeed correct

The waiter at the restaurant, seeing that he was young yet dressed elegantly, did not dare to underestimate him and hurried over. It was not mealtime, and there were few guests, so the waiter was particularly attentive. Chen Qi casually ordered a dozen dishes, which made the waiter frown, thinking to himself: "How much can this young master eat? Even four or five strong men would find this amount sufficient. Could he be a spendthrift from some wealthy family, wasting his parents' money?" However, he also thought: "I am just a worker; why should I concern myself with the affairs of the guests? If his parents are wealthy, what does it have to do with me?" He then reported all these dishes to the kitchen. The head chef worked diligently, and in just a moment, all the dishes that Chen Qi had ordered were ready.

Chen Qi carefully put away this page of the golden scripture. While it was still dark, he practiced the Supreme Transformation Dragon Technique to cultivate the True Dragon Energy. After obtaining the True Dragon Acupoint, he found that when he continued to practice this technique, it became much smoother. With one cycle of energy, not only did the true qi in his dantian strengthen slightly, but even the newly opened Huiyin acupoint began to gather true qi into a mass.

However, unbeknownst to them, although Xiao Pingnan had successfully obtained the item, he revealed his whereabouts while escaping. Shortly thereafter, news spread that within the scriptures of He Mountain Dao, there was actually a celestial text belonging to the ancient ancestor of the Heavenly River, which immediately stirred many reclusive sects of the immortal path. He Mountain Dao was originally the rightful owner, yet they were unaware that such an important item was hidden within their own sect's treasured scriptures. In a hurry, they took measures to inform a senior elder of their sect who served in the court, urging him to come nearby to capture Xiao Pingnan, lest he be seized by another sect first. He Mountain Dao was originally the rightful owner, yet they were unaware that such an important item was hidden within their own sect's treasured scriptures. In a hurry, they took measures to inform a senior elder of their sect who served in the court, urging him to come nearby to capture Xiao Pingnan, lest he be seized by another sect first

In a moment of thought, Chen Qiyi had already come up with seven or eight ideas, though none were entirely certain. However, he was a person of great discernment; after a brief consideration, he chose what seemed to be the best option and stepped out with a smile.

Lu Haozhi steadied himself and called for the servants to bring tea, leading Chen Qi to the main reception hall of his home. Only then did he speak slowly, saying: "Seventh brother, you have no idea about the ins and outs of this matter. Fortunately, I went to gather information today and happened to encounter the third leader, who took me to this evening banquet, allowing me to learn some of the truth."

Hearing these stories, Chen Qi couldn't help but marvel inwardly, pondering: "Xiao Pingnan is indeed a remarkable person, able to steal such important matters from the rival sect. However... the things said by Lu Hao's second-in-command are likely to have errors and omissions. At the very least, I know that Xiao Pingnan is completely unaware that the three pages of golden scripture are hidden within the He Mountain Classic. If he were aware of this secret, he would have long since dismantled the He Mountain Classic; how could it possibly fall into my hands?"

Lu Hao's temperament is usually gloomy, but today he seems somewhat excited, even speaking with a certain fervor. He does not pay attention to Chen Qi's expression and continues to say: "The one from Heshan Dao and the Supreme Master of the Tu Shu has shown me considerable favor. I have already decided to spare no effort to become a disciple of this esteemed figure. As long as I learn even one-tenth of his skills, won't the world be at my command?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qi still did not quite understand why Lu Haozhi cared for him so much. However, Lu Haozhi was well aware of the situation and was not blinded by excitement. In his heart, he thought: "My aptitude is lacking, so I did not learn any profound martial arts during my time at the Yinshan Sect. This Grand Elder of the Heshan Dao probably would not think highly of me either. Yet, Chen Qi's talent is extraordinary; at such a young age, he has managed to cultivate the Iron Bone Technique, an external skill, to the point where he can generate true energy. That Grand Elder will surely take notice of him at first glance. By leveraging Chen Qi's strength, I have a seventy to eighty percent chance of becoming his disciple. However, I cannot let this kid know about my intentions; I must ensure he helps me out. It is indeed my good fortune; if I had not discerned his background and tested him multiple times, adapting as needed, how could I have created such a great opportunity for myself?"

During the day, Poyang Prefecture is a hundred times more lively than at night. The main streets in the city are bustling with trade, filled with countless pedestrians

This is the location of the acupoints on this golden dragon and the pathway for transporting true energy

Chen Qi did not wish to meet that old Taoist again, and he had no interest whatsoever in Lu Haozhi's proposal. Although the spells of the Heshan School were formidable, he possessed the complete Heshan Scriptures, so there was no need for him to seek a master. Moreover, the three pages of the golden script were of great significance; Chen Qi did not believe that simply returning the items would resolve everything, as there could indeed be dire consequences.

As for who conspired against Xiao Pingnan, resulting in his severe injuries and eventual collapse before Chen Qi, the obstacles in understanding this matter are not only beyond the reach of Lu Haozhi, but even that of the Grand Elder of Heshan Dao.