Chapter 7, Practicing Skills

He covered the monk's corpse with wood ash to mask the smell. When dawn arrived, Gu Qing went to the city, where he purchased a pile of miscellaneous goods. Upon returning, he selected the items he wanted from the goods and tinkered for half a day, finally producing some medicinal powder.

Confident that there were no flaws, Gu Qing finally began to rest. The Hunyuan Tongzi skill could certainly not be recited from memory, so Gu Qing recalled it two or three more times to reinforce his memory

Gu Qing truly does not care about these matters; he possesses an abundance of knowledge and is also eager to teach others

On the other hand, Gu Qing now lives by the river, catching some fish and shrimp daily, which helps to replenish part of his energy and vitality consumption

The old man listened with great interest, and finally he sighed in admiration: "So fishing is indeed such a profound subject, encompassing astronomy, geography, and the principles of yin and yang as well as the five elements. Even those who lead troops into battle do not need to learn so much. You are truly impressive"

However, Gu Qing vaguely felt that this Hunyuan Tongzi Gong was not complete. Taoism emphasizes that "lonely yin does not give birth, and lonely yang does not grow," and the Hunyuan Tongzi Gong seems to greatly contradict this principle

He gradually explained to the old man the techniques of fishing, as well as how to discern the effects of celestial phenomena, water currents, and many other factors on fishing

Regarding this incident, Gu Qing's emotions fluctuated only slightly and soon calmed down, after all, he had experienced too many bizarre and strange events

The first level enables an ordinary person to possess thousands of pounds of strength, with hardened skin and robust bones

Moreover, to practice this skill, one must be a virgin; once one loses their virginity, it becomes increasingly difficult to advance in the skill

The second layer inspires one with the strength of nine oxen and two tigers, charging into battle and achieving success in every endeavor

This clearly demonstrates the high level of difficulty in mastering this skill as one progresses further

There have been no gains for about ten days

As for the mental techniques of the fourth layer and beyond of the Hunyuan Tongzi Gong, Gang Xiang has not obtained them; they are secrets that can only be mastered by the leader of the Tianjue Temple. Gang Xiang has been lurking for several decades without finding an opportunity.

Gu Qingdao: "Choosing a good location, along with decent bait, and adding a bit of skill, is sufficient for a bountiful harvest"

Before dealing with the elephant corpse, Gu Qing first wandered around both inside and outside the courtyard, leaving no corner unchecked, until he was certain that he had eliminated all traces left by the monk who had entered the yard. From the monk's last memories, Gu Qing learned that the other party had taken the water route, so the Taoist priests from Tianjue Temple would not be able to investigate this place for the time being. Moreover, even if the other party possessed remarkable tracking skills, the monk would not have been able to escape to Gu Qing's location.

This is another reason why the elephant has escaped from the Tianjue Temple.

Moreover, according to recent observations, the current leader of the Heavenly Absolute View, Ku Mei, has not yet broken through to the sixth level, and it has been twenty years since Ku Mei entered the fifth level

Daily labor can also be considered a form of cultivation

Moreover, the first two levels of the Hunyuan Tongzi Gong are external skills, requiring a significant amount of exercise to expend energy, followed by the use of breathing techniques to transport vital energy and blood. Therefore, Gu Qing simply decided to dig a pond and channel water himself

Previously, he acquired the ability to remember like a monk, which indeed seemed a bit strange. It is uncertain whether he will be successful every time in the future, but Gu Qing did not plan to immediately seek out someone on the verge of death to verify this point. He needed to spend a period of calm time until this turmoil quietly passed.

He dug several pits, removed the monk's garments, placed the monk into one of the pits, and used a knife to make numerous incisions on the monk's corpse. Then, he gradually sprinkled medicinal powder over it, and the corpse was slowly eroded by the powder. Gu Qing then transplanted some plants into each pit

Gu Qing said: "If you want to learn, I will teach you."

Furthermore, a small vegetable garden will be established in the backyard. Although it is not the scene of picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence and leisurely gazing at the southern mountains, it still offers a sense of ease and tranquility

He is well aware of the nutritional benefits of fish and shrimp, which surpass those of livestock meat for the body. Therefore, he goes fishing every day, enjoying the scenery and cultivating his temperament.

The monk's garments were once again cut into strips and burned in the brazier

On the fourth level, the internal energy coalesces like a serpent, opening up the hundred meridians, with the force of the energy flowing according to the heart's intent. At this moment, the internal energy takes on a faint golden hue, capable of enveloping the body surface, impervious to blades and axes. However, the eyes, ears, and lower regions remain vulnerable points. If it were not for the fact that the Elephant had just sustained severe injuries, he would not have dared to exert too much force for fear of exacerbating his wounds, and he underestimated Gu Qing, failing to unleash his full potential without reservation, thus giving Gu Qing no opportunity to counterattack. Moreover, the Elephant could not have anticipated that Gu Qing possessed the divine weapon, the Red Fish; had it been an ordinary dagger, it would not have been able to pierce the Elephant's heart.

The following is a period of tranquility

Therefore, after witnessing Gu Qing's fishing skills, most people merely expressed admiration and had no intention of driving him away. Moreover, Gu Qing also lived nearby, and no one knew his background, so there was no need to create a conflict over a trivial matter

In the following days, Gu Qing purchased some green bamboo and wisteria to plant in the courtyard. He understood horticulture, so he transformed the moderately sized residence into a lush and vibrant space.

Certainly, what Gu Qing values most about the Hunyuan Tongzi skill is that practitioners can prolong their lives; this practice has various remarkable benefits.

Fortunately, he received the two thousand taels of silver from Lu Li; otherwise, the daily expenses would have compelled him to seek another means of livelihood. He certainly has the ability to earn money, but he prefers to earn it while lying down

If it were not for the absence of such freight docks nearby, Gu Qing would be interested in working as a laborer, and could also earn some money in the process

At last, this step has begun, and Gu Qing unexpectedly felt a rare sense of eagerness, perhaps due to a curiosity about the mysterious, which remains an instinct that all living beings cannot abandon and will not be eroded by the passage of time

Only Gu Qing possesses exceptional fishing skills, and each time he selects a spot and prepares bait that is remarkably unique. As a result, whenever he goes fishing, those who are not far from him often find it difficult to catch anything throughout the day, unless they choose the same location as Gu Qing

In a while, he plans to dig another pond and fill it with lotus flowers

They even renovated the entire yard

People living in this vicinity do not lack those few fish; fishing is more about cultivating the mind and nurturing one's character.

The beginning is merely the first step of a journey of a thousand miles, and Gu Qing restrained his brief joy after success. He reflected on the gains of the day and began to organize his thoughts

Although it has been discovered that the swordsman's enemy was killed several years ago, the descendants of that enemy still exist. If it were not for the relentless pursuit of Tianjue Temple, Gang Xiang would have already gone to eliminate the descendants of that swordsman and rebuild the Diamond Temple

After the miscellaneous matters were arranged properly, Gu Qing began to practice the Hunyuan Tongzi skill

He then smiled and said, "How about this: you fish here today, and I will go to another place."

It was only upon entering the city that he recalled this matter; otherwise, he would have almost forgotten it. Of course, this was also the reason he deliberately sought to spend a period of tranquil time.

He said: "I am not stingy, I just think your fishing skills are too impressive, and I am a bit curious"

Although Gu Qing had a profound understanding of human anatomy, and combined with the experience gained from the elephant, it still took him a whole day to get started

In the following days, the two of them went fishing together. Gu Qing generously explained things, and the old man became increasingly familiar with Gu Qing. Gu Qing probably also guessed that the other party was a retired official, but he did not take it to heart

Moreover, the elephant has a great vendetta to settle, so it will certainly not remain steadfast at the Heavenly Absolute View.

Of course, provided that it does not cause him any trouble

The old man was even more surprised. Throughout his life, he had encountered many individuals who possessed a particular skill, yet they all kept it hidden, fearing that outsiders would find out. How rare it was to find someone like Gu Qing.

However, this is his first time learning martial arts, so it is not easy to make a judgment. Moreover, the teachings of Taoism may not necessarily apply to his current situation

In fact, Gu Qing understands what he is saying, but learning it is still quite difficult, and only those with plenty of leisure time would spend so much effort on the skills of fishing

"Young man, how did you manage to catch so many fish?" the old man asked impatiently

On this day, an old man who had been in a standoff with Gu Qing for over ten days finally lost his patience and approached Gu Qing.

It turns out that others had long chosen different river sections after witnessing Gu Qing's fishing skills, but this old man was particularly stubborn and insisted on competing with Gu Qing.

Gu Qingjing sat for a while, the memories obtained from the elephant slowly sinking like sand into the sea of his heart, just like many times in the past. As long as he did not deliberately recall or touch upon some clues that triggered memories, these memories would not resurface. Without this special ability, Gu Qing would have long been driven to madness by the chaotic memories.

On that day, the old man invited Gu Qing to his home as a guest, and Gu Qing did not decline. However, he thought that he only had two sets of clothes, which were quite old, so he planned to go into the city to buy a new set of clothes and, by the way, check out East Street to see if he could encounter the so-called itinerant Taoist priests.

One could say that the fourth level of the Hunyuan Tongzi skill is sufficient to dominate a region, to disdain the laws of the king, and it is also the source of confidence akin to that of a fierce elephant descending the mountain

The Hunyuan Tongzi skill seems particularly suitable for Gu Qing. Although he has just begun, with each practice session, he can observe progress, and his physical qualities are gradually surpassing those of ordinary people. Of course, the amount of food he consumes daily is also considerable

The old man was somewhat surprised; although he was a bit angry about not catching any fish, he did not intend to drive Gu Qing away. Seeing Gu Qing take the initiative to give way, he felt rather embarrassed instead

At the third level, the skill transitions from the external to the internal, generating an internal strength that nourishes the organs. This level is also the most critical, as the first two levels of the Hunyuan Tongzi Gong are external skills. After training, it is inevitable that there will be some hidden injuries in the body. Once the internal strength is developed at the third level, it can warm and nourish the organs, achieving the effects of health preservation and longevity. Moreover, this allows for the reduction of many concerns, enabling the practitioner to unleash some extremely powerful lethal techniques.

He has become more curious about Gu Qing

The Hunyuan Tongzi Skill consists of seven levels. It takes several decades of practice to reach the fourth level, which already qualifies one as a formidable expert. However, according to Gang Xiang's memory, those who have practiced this martial art to the seventh level have, at the very least, devoted over a hundred years to it since ancient times