Chapter 0004: Both Teacher and Friend

Liu Xiu nodded, pondered for a moment, and then asked: "How many days will this journey take?"

Long Yuan watched from the side, occasionally stepping forward to correct Liu Xiu's movements

At this moment, Longyuan had already prepared the meal. Upon seeing Liu Xiu enter, he bowed and saluted, saying: "My lord!"

Looking at the bowl of meat soup that the two of them pushed back and forth, Long Yuan's eyes were red and moist. To be honest, he had never been treated with such courtesy throughout his life, not even during his time at the Guo Qi Marquis's residence

A couple of days ago, Liu Xiu was unable to accomplish it, but by the third day, he indeed managed to fell a tree with a diameter of more than one and a half human widths. Although it took him more than three hours and he swung his axe several thousand times, he himself could not recall the exact number.

Liu Xiu indeed possesses a remarkable talent for martial arts. After being corrected by Longyuan a few times, he has begun to perform with a certain degree of skill, albeit at a slow pace

On the surface, Liu Xiu never agreed with his elder brother's statements, but deep down, restoring the Han dynasty had long become his greatest aspiration

Through teaching Liu Xiu martial arts, Long Yuan gained a deeper understanding of him. Liu Xiu possesses a tenacity, an unwillingness to yield, and an unyielding spirit. Once he sets a goal, no matter how difficult or exhausting it may be, he will grit his teeth and see it through to completion

After the two finished their meal, they sat in the wooden cabin discussing martial arts and the current situation until evening, when it was almost dark. Liu Xiucai bid farewell to Longyuan, left the small wooden cabin, and headed back home.

Liu Boji, feeling indignant after being pushed by Liu Xiu, returned to her room in a huff

Long Yuan has recovered quickly; in just over half a month, most of his injuries have healed.

Long Yuan's face flushed with embarrassment as he lowered his head and said, "I am ashamed, my subordinate." If his skills had been truly formidable, Wang Mang's head would already be in his hands.

Liu Xiu was in a good mood, wearing a smile, and casually replied, "I am going to visit a friend"

With a spirit of determination, Longyuan said solemnly: "If the lord wishes to learn, I shall wholeheartedly impart my knowledge." After a brief pause, he tentatively asked: "Has the lord practiced martial arts before?"

Liu Xiu glanced at the millet rice and side dishes that had already been prepared, and he smiled as he asked, "Zhong Bo, why are the meals ready so early today?"

Liu Xiumei furrowed her brows and said with concern, "But your portrait is still out there. This journey is perilous. How about this: I will accompany you, and I can help provide cover for you"

... ...

Longyuan calculated the time in his mind and said, "At most one month, at least half a month"

He left his house and headed straight for the small cabin in the woods

Longyuan smiled and said, "It is evident that the lord does not practice boxing often"

Liu Xiu understood that with his current abilities, being by Long Yuan's side was merely a burden to him. However, he was genuinely uneasy about letting Long Yuan venture alone into Lantian County.

You do not know. Liu Xiu could not tell his sister about the matter of Longyuan; if the young girl were to speak carelessly, it would bring disaster upon the entire family.

Liu Xiu was amused by the words of his younger sister. He walked up to Liu Boji, pushed her into the room, and said: "Go back to your needlework, it is not your concern, do not ask so many questions"

Taking a deep breath, Liu Xiu approached the tree with an axe in hand. Following the method taught to him by Longyuan, he stepped forward and swung the axe.

As he spoke, Longyuan untied the cloth band wrapped around his head and took it off. Liu Xiu focused his gaze and his eyes immediately widened in astonishment

In the midst of speaking, he stepped beside the tree and swung his blade, striking precisely at the mark he had just made. Immediately after, he took another step, and the dagger was swung again, once more hitting that circular mark

Are you certain that Longzhun and Longbo are definitely in Lantian County

Long Yuan slowly shook his head and said, "I cannot be certain, but even if the two of them are not present, I will leave a mark at the agreed location for them to come to Caiyang County to find me"

He has studied a little, but only has a superficial understanding. Liu Xiu learned some martial arts from his elder brother Liu Yan, but due to a lack of practice, he cannot be considered very proficient

Liu Xiu looked intently and nodded towards Longyuan. Longyuan took a few steps back and said, "My lord, you give it a try"

When Liu Xiu assisted him to the small wooden cabin in the mountains, he could sense that despite Liu Xiu's tall and slender figure, which seemed to be frail and delicate, he possessed great strength and his muscles were quite solid

Absolutely not! Long Yuan was taken aback, and he hurriedly waved his hand and said: "I am but one person, unencumbered and unrestrained. Even when facing an enemy, I am confident that I can come and go as I please"

If Liu Xiu were to accompany me to Lantian County, in the event of encountering government pursuit, he would have to divert his attention to take care of Liu Xiu, and at that time, neither of us would be able to escape

The next day, Liu Xiu woke up earlier than usual. In addition to the farming tools for plowing the fields, he also brought an extra axe. After pondering for a while, he went down to the cellar and took out a basket of millet and two pieces of cured meat

Liu Boji curled her lips and suddenly asked, "Has Third Brother taken a liking to some girl from a family and secretly gone to meet her tonight?"

Liu Xiu's progress in martial arts was equally rapid, leaving Longyuan astonished.

In less than a month, Liu Xiu has remarkably mastered the footwork and striking techniques he was taught to the point of being thoroughly proficient

Long Yuan originally thought he would have to wait two to three months before he could ask Liu Xiu to complete fifty turns and three hundred fifty strikes within the time of a single incense stick. However, now, in less than a month, Liu Xiu has already accomplished it

"You need it more than I do now," Liu Xiu said as he pushed the meat stew back in front of Long Yuan again

Longyuan instructed him to practice all the martial arts he had learned

Two individuals entered the forest, and at a gentle slope, Longyuan stopped, patted a tree with a trunk as thick as half an adult's waist, feeling it quite sturdy. He first used a dagger to carve a circle of marks on the trunk, then reminded Liu Xiu, "Pay attention to my footwork and hand techniques!"

Long Yuan found a stone nearby, sat down, and while watching Liu Xiu practice, he explained: "Only training arm strength without training leg strength can only be considered half a disability. Similarly, only training leg strength without training arm strength is also half a disability. When fighting against others, the body is mostly in high-speed motion, which requires us to strike both quickly and accurately during high-speed movement. If an attack fails to hit the enemy's vital point, even a slight difference of a few millimeters could result in our own demise."

Long Yuan pledged allegiance to Liu Xiu, and the relationship between the two became much closer in an intangible way. Long Yuan asked, "My lord, what are your plans for the future?"

The lord has just begun practicing and should not be required to focus on speed at this time; rather, the emphasis should be on the correctness of the movements. After a period, within the time of a single incense stick, the lord will need to complete fifty turns and three hundred fifty strikes

Seeing Liu Xiu's embarrassment, Long Yuan continued, "This is fine, as it allows me to assist my lord in establishing a solid foundation."

On that morning, Liu Xiu arrived at the small wooden cabin early, just as he usually did

In fact, Longyuan is being too modest. Wang Mang is not an ordinary person, but the current emperor, surrounded by countless guards. One must ask, who in the world can approach Wang Mang's side?

Liu Xiu was taken aback upon hearing this and asked, "Zhong Bo, are you leaving?"

Long Yuan smiled and said, "My lord, rest assured, I have already made preparations."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiu's face revealed a look of joy. He walked closer to Longyuan, sat cross-legged, and while taking out the food from the bamboo basket, he said: "Let us eat and chat at the same time"

He silently vowed to himself that in this lifetime, he would follow Lord Liu Xiu unwaveringly

Liu Boji is three years younger than Liu Xiu, possessing a graceful and delicate appearance. She has long eyelashes that flutter like small fans, and her dark, glistening eyes resemble obsidian.

Ah? Longyuan looked at Liu Xiu in confusion, unable to comprehend the situation

"My lord, please eat." Longyuan pushed the bowl of meat soup in front of Liu Xiu

He noticed that in recent days, the blisters on Liu Xiu's palms had multiplied. He usually bites the blisters, squeezes out the pus, and then continues to practice swinging the axe as if nothing had happened

He had never said these words to anyone before. In his family, the one who most often shouted "Eliminate the usurpers, restore the Han dynasty" was his elder brother Liu Yan.

Currently, Liu Xiu is residing at his uncle Liu Liang's house. He did not enter through the front door, but rather through the back door. He and his younger sister Liu Boji are also living in the backyard

Through this point, Longyuan became even more certain that Liu Xiu was indeed someone capable of achieving great things, which further strengthened his resolve to follow Liu Xiu

Liu Xiu and Long Yuan first prepared breakfast, and then Long Yuan guided Liu Xiu in martial arts training

No, my lord, I am going to Lantian County to find Long Zhun and Long Bo

Long Yuan said solemnly: "My lord, my injuries have now healed, and I plan to visit Lantian County."

Long Yuan's face flushed with embarrassment as he苦笑道: "Your Majesty may not be aware, but we seized the opportunity to make our move while Wang Mang was inspecting Lantian County." This is fundamentally incomparable to Jing Ke's assassination attempt deep within the Qin King's palace.

In the following period, apart from continuing to work in the fields as usual, Liu Xiu would spend any available time practicing martial arts in the woods with Long Yuan

Jing Ke died in battle at the palace of the Qin king, yet you successfully escaped!

When an older brother has someone he loves, the younger sister usually feels quite unhappy at first, thinking that her brother is going to be taken away by someone else. Liu Boji is currently at this age.

He circled the trees three times with the same steps and knife techniques, then finally stopped, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and breathlessly asked: "Did the lord take note of everything?"

Liu Boji inquired: "Which friend? Do I know them?"

Longyuan responded, "Alright!" Just as he was about to get the millet porridge, Liu Xiu stuffed a bowl of meat soup into his hands and said, "You have an injury, eating meat soup will aid in your recovery."

He circled the tree once, taking exactly seven steps, while simultaneously striking with his knife seven times. Not a single strike deviated from the mark on the trunk.

Liu Xiu did not respond immediately; after a moment of silence, he said softly: "If there is an opportunity, I will eliminate the bandits and restore the Han dynasty"

As soon as he entered the courtyard, the door of the wing room opened, and Liu Boji stepped out, looking at Liu Xiu with suspicion, and asked: "Third brother, why have you only just returned? Where have you been so late?"

Every morning, they first go out to practice for a while, and then return to cook and eat.

"It is quite impressive that you managed to escape successfully!" Liu Xiu asked eagerly, "Zhong Bo, once your injury has healed, will you teach me martial arts?"

Longyuan, upon hearing this, displayed a joyful expression and said emphatically: "With such great ambitions, my lord, I, Zhongbo, will vow to follow you to the death, steadfastly by your side, never to part!"

The cabin contains cooking utensils left by the hunter, making it easy to start a fire and cook inside. There is also a small stream nearby, providing convenient access to water

Such perseverance and patience are not qualities possessed by everyone

This is the exercise he practices most frequently in his daily routine, making about 180 laps without any issues. However, now that he is injured, he has only managed to complete four laps and is already exhausted, drenched in sweat

A month later, Longyuan no longer required Liu Xiu to focus on speed, but instead emphasized the importance of strength, stipulating that within a single day, he must fell a tree using a spiraling walking technique.

Liu Xiu patted Long Yuan's arm and praised, "I see you are even more formidable than Jing Ke"

Another half month had passed, and Longyuan's injuries had completely healed

Liu Xiu was not pretentious; in the small wooden cabin, he vigorously practiced the set of martial arts taught to him by Liu Yan

Liu Xiu smiled, and after a moment, he asked with bright eyes: "Zhong Bo, do you dare to assassinate Wang Mang? Your martial arts must be quite impressive, right?"