Chapter 38: Nine Realms

Chen Pingan looked dubious. Ning Yao glared at him, pointing at the string of words, "Really chant 'Scram!' This fist technique was comprehended from watching the rain in the Great Li Dynasty. The momentum of the fist is like rolling away, the fist's strength like ink-splashed rain, falling upon the world, then rolling away from the dragon wall of the Great Li imperial palace, cascading straight down!"

Chen Pingan concentrated, gazing at the few fist stance diagrams, all completed in one go, crammed onto a single page. Each little figure wielding a fist was small, and the charcoal drawing wasn't particularly refined. Fortunately, Chen Pingan's eyesight was good, and he could see every detail clearly even in the dim light. After hearing Ning Yao's somewhat incomprehensible words, the youth murmured, "Sounds like this fist technique is very powerful."

Ning Yao leaned her head slightly, looking at the illustrated manual, and nodded, saying, "There's a fist technique that's been passed down in the martial world for thousands of years without being lost. It bears some resemblance to this fist manual."

Chen Pingan turned his head, curious, and asked, "How so?"

In the dim lamplight, the girl's long eyebrows curved slightly, like a spring breeze bending a peach branch.

She suppressed a smile and said, "There's a set of fist techniques in the martial world, suitable for young and old alike, called the 'King Eight Fists'. Just a flurry of wild swings, guaranteed to let you defeat a master with random punches."

The youth said helplessly, "Don't put it like that."

Chen Pingan imagined it in his mind. Wasn't that Gu Can's specialty and signature move? In his memory, Gu Can's mother had a less-than-pleasant dispute many years ago, in front of a cosmetics shop in Apricot Blossom Lane. At that time, Gu Can was just learning to walk. Gu Can's father, being a stranger and often away from home, had long been forgotten by the neighbors in Mud Bottle Lane. Back then, the women began to worry, worried that their own men would unconsciously slow down when passing by Gu's widow's house, and the women's clothes drying on the bamboo pole would easily hook away the men's souls. Later, Grandma Ma gathered five or six women and blocked Gu's courtyard gate together. Gu suffered a lot in that battle, but Grandma Ma and the others didn't gain much either, with both sides suffering. However, in the end, Gu was ultimately outnumbered, unable to fight against so many hands. Even her clothes were torn, and since they were thin to begin with, she inevitably exposed some skin, which made the women, ashamed of their own looks, lose their minds, scratching and biting, using any means necessary. The men around the lane were all swallowing their saliva as they watched.

Fortunately, Chen Pingan had just returned to town from the Dragon Kiln. Having been taken care of by Gu for so many years, he stepped forward to help Gu Can's mother block many treacherous moves. From beginning to end, the straw sandal youth didn't dare to fight back. It wasn't that Chen Pingan was afraid of causing trouble, but that he was afraid of killing someone with a single punch.

At that time, the youth, amidst the shouts and curses of Old Yao, had already walked countless mountains and rivers. At just twelve or thirteen years old, he had walked the road of many elders who lived their entire lives in the small town.

At that moment, the youth and the woman were sitting at the courtyard gate, Gu Can was always locked inside the house, presumably she didn't want her son to see her mother's disheveled appearance.

The youth turned to look and pointed to the corner of the woman's mouth.

The woman casually pursed her lips, then extended her thumb and heavily wiped away the bloodstains from the corner of her mouth.

The child cried heart-wrenchingly in the yard, calling out for his mother again and again.

The woman first smiled at the straw sandal youth, and then, with a rush, tears rolled from her eyes.

The next day, a reluctant burden was added to the straw sandal youth's side.

Ning Yao's question interrupted Chen Pingan's melancholy thoughts, "What are you thinking about?"

Chen Pingan asked, "You said that after Gu Can and his mother left the small town, they followed the True Lord of Interception to that Book Scroll Lake. Can they really live a good life?"

Ning Yao retorted, "Do you think they lived badly in Mud Bottle Lane?"

Chen Pingan thought for a while, "That kid Gu Can has no conscience. He's young, so he probably didn't feel like life was hard, but Gu Can's mother... she shouldn't think the small town is a good place, especially the women in Mud Bottle Lane and Apricot Blossom Lane, she doesn't like any of them. And I think Gu Can's mother, she seems like she wasn't born to be in this town. She always seems very unwilling. If we were to follow Old Yao's words, it's because her heart is restless. When a man's heart is restless, it's called ambition to go far, when a woman's heart is restless, it means she’s cheating on her husband. I don't think that's quite right..."

Ning Yao suddenly straightened up and slammed the table, "What nonsense are you spouting? Do you still want to learn the fist manual or not?!"

Chen Pingan was startled, "Miss Ning, please continue."

Ning Yao said unhappily, "It's meaningless to talk to you about cultivation, because you are destined to be unable to cultivate. So I can only talk to you about martial arts, about the martial path."

Chen Pingan was about to say something, but the girl continued on her own, "Martial arts are divided into nine realms. Of course, some people also say that there is actually a tenth realm above the ninth, just like how the various dynasties would raise a group of 'Chess Attendants'..."

At this point, the girl's mood improved a lot, and she asked with a smile, "Chen Pingan, do you know what a Chess Attendant is?"

Chen Pingan honestly shook his head, of course.

The girl's face glowed, "A Go master, the ninth dan is the highest rank, which is equivalent to a first-rank official in the court, but some geniuses who appear once in a hundred years will be praised as 'Tenth Dan National Masters'. Then these people will have various fancy exclusive titles. Your Great Li Dynasty's Chess Attendants are particularly embarrassing. It is said that your ninth dan is only equivalent to the seventh dan strength of the Sui Dynasty. The entire Great Li only has one guy nicknamed 'Embroidered Tiger' who is truly regarded as a rival by the Sui Dynasty's Go circle. Oh, by the way, do you know what Go is?"

Chen Pingan nodded and said, "I know. I understand the rules a little bit, but I just don't know how to play myself. Song Jixin and Zhigui have Go boards and pieces at home."

The girl was filled with disappointment, "I see."

The girl had been going around in circles for a long time, and the youth still didn't know what the "nine realms" were.

The girl seemed to realize that she was being a bit unreliable. She coughed and said solemnly, "My mother said that the martial path has nine realms, one step at a time, but even if you reach the top of the ninth realm, the final scene is like being in a mountain, looking up at another mountain in the distance, but only seeing the mountainside."

Chen Pingan seemed thoughtful, "I understand."

Because the youth had personally witnessed this scene.

The girl didn't care whether the youth really understood or not, and said, "The martial path's nine realms are divided into body refining, qi refining, and spirit refining, each with three layers of realms. Step by step, one step cannot be wrong, and even less can you make a mistake. The more solid you walk, the better. Whether you walk fast or slow is not that important. This is quite different from cultivation."The path of body refinement has three realms. The first is the **Clay Embryo Realm**. As the name suggests, it's as crude and unrefined as this Mud Jug Alley where your house stands. But if cultivated to its peak, one becomes like a clay bodhisattva – though molded from mud, it possesses a certain unyielding presence, with Qi settled in the dantian, unmoving as a mountain. This marks the true entrance into the martial dao. The essence of this realm lies in the principles of 'dispersion' and 'settling'. A martial artist's talent, comprehension, and the guidance of their master become immediately apparent at this stage."

"The second is the **Wooden Fetus Realm**, signifying the refinement of your physique from rough to fine. Upon reaching completion, your skin's texture becomes intricate and ordered, as if engraved with talismans. It's like... yes, like this snake-gall stone I picked up from the stream. It appears like any common pebble, but its interior is fundamentally different. The profound meaning of this realm is 'mountain opening' – widening the meridians, transforming a narrow path like a sheep's intestine into a grand avenue passable by carriages. At this stage, a martial artist's innate constitution will be unequivocally revealed."

As she spoke, the black-clothed girl held up the stone the young man had given her.

She gazed at the beautiful stone illuminated by the lamplight, and softly said, "The final realm of body refinement is called **Quicksilver Mirror**. The blood becomes as thick as quicksilver, yet lighter in weight, with Qi and blood united in harmony. Breaking through this barrier requires overcoming a trial known as 'The Clay Bodhisattva Crosses the River'. Whether one can successfully traverse this final hurdle and leap through the dragon gate depends on the martial artist's fortune."

Chen Pingan listened in a daze, staring blankly at the oil lamp, its flickering light causing his mind to sway with it.

The girl yawned, leaned on the table, and said lazily, "That's about it. These three realms of body refinement halt eighty percent of martial artists who enter the ranks, making further progress difficult. Remember the saying 'Poor study letters, rich practice martial arts.' This holds true throughout the world, except for my home. Based on your background and comprehension, I reckon you'll be burning incense if you reach the second realm in this lifetime."

Chen Pingan asked, "How do I practice this fist manual?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "We'll talk about it tomorrow. I'm a bit tired."

Chen Pingan hummed in agreement. "Then I'll go collect stones with my basket and come find Miss Ning again tomorrow."

The girl said, "If you trust me, leave the manual here. I'll check it for any flaws or traps."

Chen Pingan smiled. "Alright, but please be careful, Miss Ning. I have to return this Mountain Shaking Manual to Gu Can exactly as it is."

The girl turned her head and frowned. "How many times do you need to say it before you're satisfied?!"

The young man chuckled as he picked up his basket from the corner. As he left the house, he reminded, "Miss Ning, don't forget to lock the courtyard gate."

The girl leaned on the table, not turning around, and waved her hand weakly. "I know, I know. You nag more than my father."

The young man moved with the lightness of a swallow, his figure disappearing into the alley.

Once Chen Pingan had seemingly left Mud Jug Alley, the girl immediately sat up straight. She glared at the Mountain Shaking Manual as if it were her sworn enemy, then instantly slumped down again, resting her face on the table, her brow furrowed in worry. "How am I supposed to teach this? I was born with the finest sword immortal physique in the world. I never needed to walk this path. I can't even remember all three hundred and sixty-five acupoints. How to naturally circulate Qi? I knew it from the womb..."

The girl scratched her head with both hands, utterly distraught.

Suddenly, a timid voice sounded from outside the door, "Miss Ning?"

Ning Yao stiffened and slowly turned around, seeing an extremely annoying tanned face.

She put on a stern expression and said nothing.

The young man swallowed hard and said apologetically, "I was afraid you'd forget to lock the door, so I came to remind you. Also, if Miss Ning gets hungry tonight, I can go to Liu Xianyang's house and make some midnight snacks for you before going to the stream."

The girl waved her hand dismissively.

The young man immediately fled.

Along the way, the image of the first stance in the fist manual filled Chen Pingan's mind.

*The fist moves with the person, the feet never leaving the ground, like trudging through mud, with the momentum of snow reaching the knees, slowly advancing.*

Without even realizing it, as he tried to practice the stance according to the diagram, the young man unconsciously altered the pace and length of his breaths.

The young man even fantasized about practicing the fist techniques in the stream – wouldn't that be even better?

Qi Jingchun had two seals placed before him, carved from the finest snake-gall stone, neither large, and both yet to be engraved with inscriptions.

During the day, the young scholar with a temperament as gentle as jade had visited the school. Afterward, the two had a private conversation. The Confucian gentleman from afar had asked him a question: "Would the master be willing to inherit someone's legacy and continue to strive for an era of peace and prosperity?"

Qi Jingchun had replied at the time, "Allow me to consider it."

This was obviously not a satisfactory answer, but the young gentleman, renowned throughout the continent, had not pressed him. He had chatted with the long-admired Master Qi about the local customs of the town and the changes beyond the town, and then had taken his leave.

From beginning to end, the young gentleman had not inquired about the disposition of the jade tablet.

But Qi Jingchun knew full well that while this gentleman from the Confucian academy of Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent could be patient, the Taoist sect's golden boy and jade girl, the sutra-guarding monks of the Buddhist monasteries, that famed ascetic monk from overseas, and the representatives of the military strategists – these three forces were unlikely to give consideration to the reputation of Cliffside Academy. They would certainly not heed Qi Jingchun's wishes and would undoubtedly reclaim the suppressing treasures belonging to their respective factions.

However, these were all expected developments.

Qi Jingchun sat upright, holding a carving knife, unusually hesitant, unsure how to inscribe the seal's inscription. "Sacrifice oneself for righteousness, abandon life for justice. For this child, it seems too grand, inappropriate, and inauspicious. Peaceful in mind, upright in character, is it too insubstantial? But if it's just a hastily carved seal, it seems too lacking in sincerity."

Qi Jingchun turned to look at the night sky outside the window. In the darkness, stars dotted the sky like luminous pearls suspended on a black curtain.

Qi Jingchun was lost in thought, and after a long while, he returned to his senses. He picked up a seal in one hand and began to carve.

In the end, he carved four simple characters in ancient seal script: **"Serene Mind Finds Contentment"**, especially the first character, "Serene", being most filled with spirit and meaning, encompassing all things.

Qi Jingchun gently placed the seal down, its base facing upwards.

Qi Jingchun felt relieved.The scholar, temples dusted with frost, subtly shifted his thoughts, and with a casual wave of his sleeve, the tabletop stirred with life. Mountains rose and rivers flowed, an unfolding panorama of existence.

Finally, Qi Jingchun focused his gaze, spotting the dilapidated ancestral home within a humble town alley. There, the boy and girl sat side-by-side, discussing the generalities of the Nine Realms of Martial Cultivation.

Above the Nine Realms of Martial Cultivation existed a Tenth Realm.

Qi Jingchun, having read ten thousand scrolls and intimately familiar with both the imperial court and the martial world, naturally understood matters of the martial path.

A hint of a smile graced Qi Jingchun's usually stern face.

Thus, this Confucian Sage, a master of one corner of the heavens and earth, indulged in a harmless jest.

Upon the second of his personal seals, he engraved three words.

Chen Eleven.