PDLP Chapter 16 Passing on Skills, the Eldest Brother is Like a Father
Chapter 16 Passing on Skills, the Eldest Brother is Like a Father
The banquet lasted for a long time, only ending when the moon was high in the sky.
Feeling sorry for Zhang Kui's arduous journey and knowing that the brothers would surely have private conversations upon their reunion, Zhang Guifang did not linger. She personally escorted Zhang Kui out of the command tent and arranged for him to rest in a clean tent next to Zhangshan's camp.
The handover of provisions and armaments was a complex but orderly process. With the close cooperation of the deputy general and the logistics officers of the left wing, wagons carrying provisions were led into the granary area, and heavy armor-piercing crossbows and boxes of crossbow bolts were carefully moved to the armory. Counting, verifying, signing... the whole process lasted for most of the day.
Seeing the warehouse quickly filled, the soldiers of the Left Army all wore relieved smiles, and their morale was completely stabilized.
By the time everything was settled, it was already past midnight.
Zhang Kui arrived at his younger brother Zhang Shan's camp. As a cavalry captain, Zhang Shan had his own separate barracks.
The night was cold and quiet, but the two brothers were wide awake. Inside the tent, the fire crackled, illuminating two similar yet strikingly different faces.
"Brother, this journey... must have been really dangerous, right?" Zhang Shan poured his brother a bowl of hot water and couldn't help but ask. Zhang Kui had spoken lightly at the banquet, but from the marks on his brother's armor and the eyes of those soldiers who had experienced bloody battles, he could sense the harrowing experience behind it all.
Zhang Kui took the bowl, smiled, and said with admiration, "We did encounter some trouble, but it's all over now. As for you, kid, not bad, you've become a captain now. In Langyan Commandery, you're considered a top-notch soldier."
Zhang Shan scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.
Zhang Kui put down his bowl, stood up, and stretched his wrists: "Talk is cheap. Come on, let's go outside and let me see what the quality of your 'Wolf Smoke Realm' really is."
Zhang Shan had long desired to receive guidance from his elder brother, and immediately replied excitedly, "Alright, please guide me, brother."
The two brothers arrived at the open space in the courtyard. The snow had been swept away, revealing the frozen, hard earth. Moonlight shone down, casting a clear glow across the ground.
The two stood facing each other. Although it was just a friendly spar, the contest between military men carried an inherently fierce aura.
"Brother, be careful." Zhang Shan shouted in a low voice and took the lead.
Suddenly, his blood and qi surged forth, and a faint red mist rose from his back. Although it was thin, it was full of pressure—the mark of the Wolf Smoke Realm, the Wolf Smoke of Qi and Blood.
He pushed off with his foot, his right fist whistling through the air, aiming straight for Zhang Kui's defenses. This punch was powerful and heavy, gathering the full energy and blood of a Wolf Smoke Realm warrior, enough to shatter stone tablets.
Faced with this swift attack, Zhang Kui neither dodged nor evaded, relying solely on his physical strength to withstand it. The instant Zhang Shan's fist arrived, he slightly retreated half a step, turned his body slightly to the side, and seemingly casually extended his right hand forward to deflect the attack.
"Snapped!"
With a soft click, Zhang Kui's palm landed precisely on Zhang Shan's wrist. Zhang Shan felt as if his punch, which had gathered all his strength, had struck empty air; all the force was diverted to the side, and his body involuntarily staggered forward.
"His strength is acceptable, but his application of force is too rigid, and he doesn't know how to vary his movements," Zhang Kui's calm voice rang out.
Zhang Shan steadied himself, and his left leg swept across Zhang Kui's lower body like a steel whip. At the same time, he changed his fist into a claw, grabbing the arm that was drawing away Zhang Kui's right fist, attempting to capture him.
Zhang Kui remained calm, his footwork shifting like a ghost as he effortlessly spun around, dodging the sweeping kick. Simultaneously, a flick of his arm released a burst of skillful force, instantly deflecting Zhang Shan's outstretched fingers.
"The change of tactics was quick enough, but the transition was abrupt, and the intention was too obvious."
As they were talking, Zhang Kui made his first move. He threw a straight punch, leaving only a blur, which struck the opening in Zhang Shan's chest and abdomen exposed by his sweeping kick.
Zhang Shan was shocked. His qi and blood surged wildly as he crossed his arms to block.
"Bang!"
The fist struck the crossed arms with a dull thud. Zhang Shan felt a surge of force penetrate his body, causing his blood to surge and forcing him to stagger back five or six steps before he could barely regain his footing. His arms felt numb and tingling.
"He has defensive awareness, but relies too much on hard blocks and lacks the skills to deflect force," Zhang Kui commented, his figure following closely behind.
From then on, Zhang Kui completely dominated the battle. He used only his physical strength, pushing his speed, reaction, and technique to the extreme. Whether it was a finger, a palm, a fist, or an elbow, each strike precisely hit Zhang Shan when his old strength was exhausted and his new strength had not yet arisen, or at the weak points of his moves.
Zhang Shan felt as if he had been caught in an invisible net, and every struggle he made was easily thwarted by his opponent, which only provoked a more ferocious counterattack.
Finally, under Zhang Kui's seemingly light but actually powerful palm strike, Zhang Shan could no longer maintain his balance and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, drenched in sweat, and his aura became unstable and dissipated.
He shook his head with a wry smile: "Brother, I lost... the gap is too big."
Zhang Kui stepped forward, reached out and helped him up, his eyes filled with satisfaction: "Don't be discouraged. Your foundation is quite solid, but you lack guidance from a master and the tempering of life and death. Military martial arts emphasize killing, but you are lacking in subtle variations and techniques of exertion."
He patted his younger brother on the shoulder, his tone becoming serious: "Shanzi, your strength is already among the best of your peers, but you must remember that there are many strong people in this world, and even more Qi cultivators roam among them."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shan felt both warm and heavy-hearted: "Brother, I will continue to work hard."
Zhang Kui pondered for a moment, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Ordinary cultivation is far too slow. I see your blood and energy are abundant, and perhaps you also possess a similar bloodline of the Witch Clan within you. Today, I will lend you a hand, help you unleash your potential, and teach you a true method of self-defense."
"The bloodline of the Witch Clan?" Zhang Shan asked, puzzled.
"Close your eyes and concentrate, guard your mind! No matter what happens, it cannot be resisted." Zhang Kui said solemnly in a low voice.
Zhang Shan immediately did as instructed and sat cross-legged.
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Kui mobilized the vast and powerful blood energy of the Wu Clan within his body. He extended his right index finger, and a drop of blood essence, as red as a gemstone yet as heavy as mercury, condensed at the tip, exuding a primordial aura. As soon as this drop of blood essence appeared, the surrounding air seemed to freeze, and faint sounds of dragon roars and tiger howls echoed.
"Use essence and blood as a guide to open the meridians." Zhang Kui pointed a finger at the ancestral aperture between Zhang Shan's eyebrows.
"Buzz!"
Zhang Shan trembled violently, feeling an intensely hot yet boundless torrent of life surge into him from between his brows, instantly engulfing his limbs and bones. His own blood seemed to be ignited, boiling over. An ancient power, hidden deep within his body and never before perceived, was forcibly awakened by this foreign, shared blood energy.
The intense pain caused the veins on Zhang Shan's forehead to bulge, his skin to turn bright red, and his blood and qi to surge wildly and uncontrollably. The originally light red blood and qi smoke suddenly became as thick as blood, and faintly condensed into some blurry, yet strangely ancient patterns.
Zhang Kui's eyes flashed like lightning. He formed hand seals and continuously channeled his own blood and qi, along with the intent of subduing dragons and tigers, into Zhang Shan's body to help him regulate and guide the rampaging bloodline power.
As time passed, the strange phenomena on Zhang Shan's body gradually subsided, and his skin returned to normal. However, the aura and smoke from his blood and qi were several times more condensed than before, and faintly revealed the roars of dragons and tigers.
Finally, Zhang Kui withdrew his finger, his face slightly pale, but his eyes were full of joy: "Success! You do indeed have the bloodline of the Witch Clan hidden within you."
Zhang Shan slowly opened his eyes, feeling the transformative changes within his body. He stared at his hands in disbelief: "Brother, this... this is the power of the Witch Clan bloodline?"
"This is just the beginning," Zhang Kui said in a deep voice. "Bloodline power needs to be combined with corresponding cultivation techniques to unleash its true power. I will now teach you a basic body-refining method from the ancient Wu clan called the 'Blood Refining Method'."
Zhang Kui used divine thought to imprint the secrets of the Blood Refining Method into Zhang Shan's mind.
"This method is extraordinary; it is the foundation of the Witch Clan. It allows one to refine the essence of all things to temper oneself. Blood, the spirits of demonic beasts, mineral deposits, and even spiritual treasures of heaven and earth can all be transformed into resources for growth. But remember, you must proceed step by step and not be impatient for quick results. Furthermore, you must not indiscriminately kill innocent people to absorb their blood and energy, otherwise you will suffer a backlash," Zhang Kui warned in an extremely serious tone.
Zhang Shan nodded solemnly: "Brother, don't worry. I will definitely stay true to my principles and will never abuse this method."
"Okay." Zhang Kui smiled with relief.
The two brothers talked for a long time, with Zhang Kui carefully answering Zhang Shan's questions about the "Blood Refining Method" until the sky began to lighten.
At dawn, Zhang Kui's soldiers were already fully equipped and ready to go. Their mission was complete, and they needed to return to their posts as soon as possible to report back.
Zhang Kui came to the main tent to bid farewell to Zhang Guifang.
"General Zhang, the provisions and military equipment have been delivered, and my mission is complete. I must return immediately to report to the Grand Tutor," Zhang Kui said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
Zhang Guifang personally escorted Zhang Kui out of the tent, firmly grasping his hand: "General Zhang, this trip has been a great kindness to our army. Enough with the formalities; I will do my utmost to assist you in the future. Please give my regards to Grand Tutor Wen. Take care!"
"General, please wait and take care." Zhang Kui mounted the unicorn-like beast.
Zhang Shan stood to the side, his eyes slightly red, and clasped his hands tightly in a fist salute: "Brother, have a safe journey."
Zhang Kui nodded: "Take care of yourself."
After saying that, he turned his horse around and pointed his long sword forward.
"Set off!"
With thunderous hoofbeats, the black-clad column, just as it had arrived, set off on its return journey, bathed in the rising sun. Only now, having come with a heavy responsibility and a perilous road ahead, it was returning with a sense of accomplishment, leaving behind a bond thicker than blood.
Zhang Shan stood there, gazing at his brother's departing figure for a long time, until the group disappeared on the horizon. He clenched his fists tightly, feeling the surging new energy within him, his eyes filled with an unprecedented determination.