parentshiftbook Chapter 25 Tiger Bone Piercing Marrow, Spear Silent
Chapter 25 Tiger Bone Piercing Marrow, Spear Silent
The 18th day of the twelfth lunar month is the Great Cold.
The snow was falling heavily in Beiping, turning the world into a vast expanse of white.
The calligraphy and painting shops in Liulichang had closed early, but the vendor selling "Xinli Mei" radishes was hunched over in the wind and snow, shouting his wares. A puff of white breath he exhaled dissipated instantly.
In the courtyard of Qingyun Class, it was so quiet that only the sound of falling snow could be heard.
Inside the house, the charcoal brazier was burning brightly, occasionally sputtering out a spark or two.
Lu Cheng sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), holding the third Tiger Bone Pill in his hand.
The pill was entirely crimson, like a drop of congealed blood, and emitted a pungent, acrid odor that made people feel hot and irritated.
"Glug."
He tilted his head back and swallowed it.
This time, there was no excruciating pain, like swallowing a burning coal, like last time.
After the previous baptism, coupled with the relentless "Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound" training over the past two weeks, his internal organs have become as tough as leather.
The medicinal properties dissipated, like a small, crimson snake, traveling along the Ren and Du meridians.
heat.
The scalding heat did not flow to the muscles of the limbs, but penetrated straight to the bone marrow.
Lu Cheng could feel his spine heating up, as if a red-hot iron bar was stuck in his back.
That's blood production!
As people age, their legs weaken first; as strength wanes, blood is depleted first.
When martial arts are practiced to a high level, what one cultivates is this very spirit and vitality.
When one's blood and energy are abundant, one's physical strength is like that of a galloping horse; when one's blood and energy are weak, one's fists are no match for the young and strong.
"Buzz..."
Lu Cheng closed his eyes, his chest trembling slightly.
This time, the thunder was no longer a muffled rumble, but rather became more delicate and lingering.
It's like a silkworm spinning silk, or like the lingering sound of a morning bell in an ancient temple deep in the mountains.
This is getting to the point of being subtle.
Click! Click!
A series of popping sounds, like popping beans, came from inside my body.
Lu Cheng suddenly opened his eyes, and the empty room was filled with light.
He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, which lingered and shot straight out three feet away, hitting the window paper with a soft "whoosh".
His breath was like an arrow!
This is the mark of Mingjin Xiaocheng.
Once the muscles, bones, skin, and flesh are fully developed, one can generate a single breath that travels directly from the dantian to the fingertips without leaking a drop.
Lu Cheng got off the kang (heated brick bed) and felt so light that it was almost unreal, as if he could fly away with just a touch of his toes.
But he knew it was just an illusion, an discomfort caused by the sudden surge in power.
He pushed open the door and entered the courtyard.
The snow was knee-deep.
Lu Cheng walked to the weapon rack and picked up the white wax spear.
For the past two weeks, he has been "raising guns".
He had repeatedly polished the spear with tung oil, and now it was so shiny it looked almost black, with a metallic sheen.
"Gao Chong chooses the chariot..."
Lu Cheng whispered.
When I watched this play before, I was drawn to its excitement and its tragic intensity.
Now that I've practiced martial arts and entered this profession, I understand the deadly intent in every move.
Gao Chong did not use brute force.
The sled comes down from a great height, carrying the force of gravity and hundreds of kilograms of impact. If you tried to withstand it head-on, your arm would have broken long ago.
We must use "neutralizing force" and "collapsing force".
The moment the spear tip touches the slide, you should "dissipate" the force like in Tai Chi push hands, and then use that force to flick it.
Using minimal force to achieve maximum effect!
Lu Cheng made a move.
This time, he didn't unleash a flurry of spear flashes, nor did he produce that air-tearing explosion.
slow.
Extremely slow.
He moved slowly through the snow, the large gun in his hand moving as if stirring water, heavy and sluggish.
Beneath his feet was the "mud-walking step" of Xingyi Quan.
With soles of their feet gripping the ground and toes clenched, each step was silent, yet the snow beneath their feet melted instantly into water, only to be stomped into ice.
This force penetrated to the soles of my feet!
"rise!"
Suddenly, Lu Cheng's wrist twitched slightly.
The spear was thrust upwards.
No sound.
But the pile of snow in front of him, which was half a person high, seemed to be lifted up by an invisible hand and flew neatly into the air.
then.
"Bang!"
It exploded in the air, turning into a shower of snow powder.
To lift heavy objects with ease, and to achieve the greatest sound with the least effort!
"Good marksmanship."
A sound of admiration came from behind.
Blind Abing, holding his erhu, was leaning against the door frame, seemingly out of nowhere.
He can't see, but his ears are sharper than anyone else's.
"Master Lu, your gun has lost its firepower and gained an aura of dominance."
Ah Bing walked over, stepping on the snow, and a few snowflakes landed on his old erhu.
"With that flick just now, I think you could have overturned even a thousand-pound gate."
Lu Cheng holstered his gun and stood there, his breathing calm and steady.
"Ah Bing, is the piece revised yet?"
"It's fixed."
Ah Bing grinned, revealing a set of broken, yellow teeth, a smile that carried the arrogance he had cultivated over the past two weeks.
"I guarantee that the men at Guanghelou that day will get goosebumps from hearing this."
"That's good."
Lu Cheng looked at the gloomy sky.
"The snowstorm is getting heavier, it's our turn to step in."
……
Xidan, Bicai Hutong.
This place is inhabited by high-ranking officials and nobles; stone lions squat at the entrance, and soldiers with guns stand guard.
Inside a large, three-courtyard house, the heating was on full blast, and thick Persian carpets covered the floor.
Inside the main room, a woman dressed in a gold-embroidered cheongsam, with permed hair and still exuding charm, was languidly leaning against a chaise lounge, holding a cup of coffee that was extremely rare these days.
This is Bai Feng, the infamous "warlord's concubine".
Her man is Commander Zhang, currently stationed at the Fengtai camp. He commands a large army and is a figure whose every move in Beiping City is enough to cause tremors.
"So, that actor surnamed Lu didn't respond to our question?"
Bai Feng took a sip of coffee, her brows furrowed slightly, and her tone revealed a hint of impatience.
At her feet, Manager Liu of Qinghe Class was kneeling on the ground, along with Xiao Shengyun, whose face still had plasters on it.
"Madam, that boy is too arrogant!"
With a mournful face, Xiao Shengyun embellished her story.
"We took your invitation card to invite him, but he didn't even glance at it and had it thrown into the slop bucket."
"He also said... that in Beijing, you earn your living by your own ability. Even division commanders and brigade commanders have to buy tickets to watch plays when they get to the theater."
"presumptuous!"
Bai Feng suddenly slammed the coffee cup to the ground.
The brown liquid splattered on the pure white wool carpet, appearing particularly glaring.
"Has some low-class actor gotten himself into this mess?"
"What about Fatty Jin? Is he really protecting him like this?"
Manager Liu quickly kowtowed.
"Master Jin is determined to protect him. The other day I went to sound him out, and Master Jin said that anyone who dares to touch Lu Cheng is slapping him in the face."
"Fatty Jin..."
Bai Feng sneered, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes.
Master Jin has powerful backers, including local tyrants who control both the legitimate and criminal worlds in Nancheng. Even if her husband is a division commander, she can't afford to completely break ties with Master Jin for the sake of an actress.
But she couldn't swallow this insult.
Xiao Shengyun is her latest favorite; her voice and figure make her happy.
Now that she's been trampled underfoot by someone with no connections, isn't this a slap in the face?
"Since Fatty Kim wants to protect him, then let's follow the rules."
Bai Feng sat up from the couch, his eyes filled with malice.
"Weren't we supposed to sing 'Picking the Chariot'?"
"Lieutenant Zhang!"
Outside the door, an adjutant in military uniform with a Browning pistol tucked into his waistband strode in.
"lady."
"Go, call the engineer battalion."
Bai Feng casually looked at her nails, which were painted with red nail polish.
"Have them get a few 'specially made' sleds."
"It should look as light as paper on the outside, but inside... fill it with lead and add a few steel plates."
"Make sure it's sturdy and that no one can tell it's there."
Zhang, the adjutant, was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening, and a cruel smile appeared on his lips.
"Don't worry, Madam. The engineers' skills are top-notch. I guarantee that the pulley will be so heavy that even a mule couldn't pull it."
Manager Liu and Xiao Shengyun were both excited and scared as they listened, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Lead-filled steel plate?
This vehicle must weigh over 150 pounds.
That was a real iron pulley.
The impact of rushing down from a three-meter-high stage... let alone a person, even a tiger would be smashed into mincemeat.
This is tantamount to murder on the spot!
"Lu Cheng, Lu Cheng, you've asked for death."
Bai Feng stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the wind and snow outside.
"If an accident happens on the stage and someone dies, it's because he's not skilled enough. Even Master Jin wouldn't be able to say a word against it."