The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 75 Teaching Kung Fu
Outside the hall.

Pan Jinlian held her breath and pressed herself against the door, straining her ears to hear what was happening inside. First, she heard Yue Niang's soft "Thank you, Master..." followed by Ximen Qing's voice, which reeked of alcohol. Then came Yue Niang's sudden, delicate cry, accompanied by the heavy footsteps and the rustling of clothes as the man went inside.

"Ah! Tonight, I'll be all alone again!" Jinlian felt as if a damp wad of cotton had suddenly been stuffed into her heart, heavy and suffocating, a bitter ache rising within her. She quietly lowered her tiptoes, her cherry lips involuntarily pouting, her rosy cheeks slightly puffed out. "So be it... tonight's fervent hope has completely cooled..."

Unconsciously, her slender fingers twisted the tassels of the bright red handkerchief around her waist, twisting them tighter and tighter, making the bright tassels as crumpled and messy as her heart at that moment.

This pent-up grievance churned within him, finding no outlet, so his gaze involuntarily swept to the side—he saw the newly arrived Xiangling, still standing there like a wooden doll, her hands clasped at her sides, her head bowed and eyes downcast, looking timid and pitiful.

Looking at her slender waist and delicate, budding appearance, Jinlian felt her heart churning with resentment.

Pan Jinlian glanced at Xiangling, her delicate nose twitching slightly, and a soft "humph" escaped from her nostrils. Her eyes swept over Xiangling with a half-smile: "Foolish girl! Still standing here like a clay or wooden statue? The show has already reached the 'red waves' part, the drums and gongs have long since stopped!"

As she spoke, she swayed her hips and went back to her room.

When Xiangling was in the Xue family, although it was a wealthy merchant family, she was surrounded by respectable people. Her previous master was also a salt merchant. The family had strict rules, and the inner chambers were quiet. She had never heard such explicit and unrestrained vulgar language about matters between men and women. Her cheeks burned as if they were on fire, and even her small earlobes and her snow-white neck turned red instantly.

Meanwhile, after getting drunk, Master Ximen found himself unable to sleep.

He got up from beside the sleeping Yue Niang, remembering that he hadn't practiced tonight, so he put on an outer robe and went to the training ground in the backyard.

He took a staff that reached his eyebrows from the weapon rack and began to wield it in the moonlight.

He had paid someone to teach him this staff technique before; the moves were complicated and elaborate, and when he danced it, all that could be seen was the flying shadows of the staff and the whistling of the wind, which was quite a sight to behold.

Just as he was getting into the swing of his dance, he was only halfway through executing a move called "Sweeping Through a Thousand Armies"—

Suddenly, a dark figure, like a ghost, darted out from behind the artificial hill without warning! The figure was so fast that it left only a blur. Ximen Qing didn't even see how the other party moved. He only felt a numbness in his wrist, and an irresistible force came from behind. His five fingers involuntarily loosened, and with a "clang," the staff flew out of his hand and landed steadily in the dark figure's hand!

Upon closer inspection, standing in the moonlight was none other than his nominal master, Zhou Tong!

"Master!" Master Ximen bowed and said, "You're still up so late!"

Zhou Tong's gaze lingered on Ximen Qing's face, which reeked of alcohol, for a moment. He shook his head and laughed, "You're covered in alcohol, yet you still don't forget to practice martial arts. Yesterday you were like this, plus you were covered in makeup. Today you're the same. I don't know whether to praise you or shame you!"

Ximen Da Guanren was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Being swayed by cosmetics and alcohol is beyond one's control, but not forgetting to practice martial arts is how one makes a living!"

"What a fine 'peaceful life'!" Zhou Tong sneered, offering his unkind critique. "Your staff technique is all show and no substance! It's nothing but fancy footwork! It looks impressive when you're dancing, but your footwork is unsteady, your waist and stance are weak, and your breathing is scattered! Against a true master, let alone a few moves, even a casual flick of the wrist would send your staff flying! Your skills might fool some street thugs, but in a real fight, you're nothing but a punching bag!"

"Just you wait and see!"

But when Zhou Tong flicked his staff, the ordinary eyebrow-level staff suddenly seemed to come alive. Its points, thrusts, sweeps, and chops were all accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, and the strong wind was even more powerful than the autumn wind in the middle of the night!

The final move, "Straight to the Yellow Dragon," was unleashed, the tip of the staff striking Ximen Da Guanren's head. It was still ten inches away from his face, and the wind made his face sting!

Zhou Tong put away his stick, tossed it over, and calmly asked, "Did you see it clearly?"

"I saw it clearly, but I've almost forgotten it all!" Master Ximen laughed and reached out to take the hand. "I wonder how many days it will take for me to reach this level of skill?"

Zhou Tong glanced at him: "I started practicing stances at five, learned spear and staff at seven, and only truly mastered the basics at sixteen. At your age, your physique is already set." He shook his head, "Even with diligent practice day and night, it would take at least ten years to achieve any significant progress." Ximen Da Guanren:
ten years
Ha ha!

Ximen Da Guanren decisively changed his approach: "Master, please teach me a quick method, so I can at least defend myself against enemies."

Zhou Tong pondered for a moment: "Your eldest brother, Yu Qilin, has learned all my spear and staff skills, and is also proficient in the essentials of mounted and foot combat. These are all true skills for fighting on the battlefield. In addition to spear and staff, Pengju has also inherited my archery skills. Even at a young age, he can draw a two-stone bow. It is no problem for him to tear silk and startle the clouds, and shoot an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces away. His unpredictable skill surpasses even mine."

"But these skills are all hard skills that require constant dripping and grinding, like water wearing away stone or an iron pestle being ground into a needle. They require nightly, candlelit practice, and there is no way to achieve them quickly!"

“However…” Zhou Tong changed the subject: “I do have something that’s a secret weapon of mine, which can be mastered quite quickly. Those two guys are too busy on the battlefield to care about it. I wonder if you, Master Ximen… would even consider it.”

After speaking, he bent down and casually picked up a sharp, angular pebble from the gravel ground beside the training ground. The pebble was no bigger than a thumb and gleamed with a bluish-black cold light under the moonlight.

With a seemingly casual flick of his wrist, the pebble transformed into a streak of dark light, almost invisible to the naked eye, tearing through the air with a soft "hiss" sound!
"Thump—Pfft!"

A muffled thud followed by a tearing sound! In the distance, next to the weapon rack, the large drum that was covered with thick raw cowhide had a fist-sized hole in the center of its surface!

Ximen Da Guanren looked at the cowhide drum in his own training ground, which ordinary swords and knives might not be able to break, yet a small stone... pierced through it?

Zhou Tong then slowly took something out of his pocket.

By the moonlight, it was revealed to be an exquisitely crafted slingshot. The bow was made of lustrous rosewood, inlaid with polished leather, and the bowstring was made of several strands of unknown animal sinew. He then took out a gold pellet from his pocket and placed it inside his leather pouch.

Zhou Tong raised his hand and pointed to a bunch of ripe purple grapes hanging under the grape trellis in the martial arts arena in the distance, under the moonlight.

"Look."

Before he could finish speaking, a soft, almost inaudible "pop" was heard. Ximen Qing felt a blur before his eyes, and one of the grapes directly below the top of the bunch burst open with a "poof," splattering juice everywhere! The grapes right next to it remained perfectly intact, only wobbling slightly.

The golden ball, though crushing the grapes, did not diminish its power. It also shattered a thick vine behind it and still had the strength to smash the wooden frame into pieces with a loud crash.

"With these two featherless arrows, you only need to practice your wrist strength, eyesight, and mental strength using the methods I teach you. Once you become proficient, you will be able to achieve the same goal. Within a few months, taking someone's eyes or throat within ten steps will not be difficult."

"But if you want to pierce the bull drum with the same kind of sharp, menacing edge as the one you just threw through the air, then you need something with this kind of menacing aura!"

Zhou Tong weighed the exquisite slingshot in his hand: "How about it? These two quick-learned 'featherless arrow' techniques, without you having to practice horse stance, strengthen your muscles and bones, or test your waist and stance skills, can they repay your kindness in getting out of trouble?"

"Brilliant!" Ximen Qing clapped his hands in praise. "Master, why don't you give me your slingshot too! As for those sharp pebbles..." The master took a heavy brocade pouch from his waist and poured out a small pile of snow-white fine silver fragments. "I don't have anything else, but these silver fragments are quite handy. I'll make some sharp edges on them, and use them as pebbles. Wouldn't that be more convenient?"

Zhou Tong was taken aback, then laughed and cried at the same time, shaking his head and sighing, "Fine, fine! This treasure has been with me for most of my life, and I've never been willing to give it to anyone. Today, I've finally found a 'generous' owner. You're lucky!"

After saying that, he glanced sideways at the pile of silver, his tone strange, "I, Zhou Tong, have roamed the martial world for decades, and I've seen people use flying stones, caltrops, and darts. Today, however, I've never seen anyone use gleaming silver as if it were hidden bullets to throw at people! You, Master Ximen, are truly arrogant!" He continued, "That fan of yours can be made of fine iron; playing with it in your hand regularly can also help you practice your wrist and finger skills."

Ximen Da Guanren laughed and said, "Master, you don't know this, but we both started practicing standing meditation at the age of five. You were just beginning to grasp the basics at twenty, while I was already a head instructor of female martial arts at twenty. In terms of wrist and finger strength, I may not be able to compare with you in splitting stone tablets, but my skills are definitely not inferior."

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(End of this chapter)