Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 5: Hidden Strength Begins to Emerge, Turbulence is About to Begin

The smell of gunpowder from firecrackers mingled with the aroma of the New Year's Eve dinner, permeating the streets and alleys of Wufeng County. In the Meng family courtyard, the laughter and chatter gradually subsided.

The Wang family, tipsy and satisfied, took their leave, and Bai carried the already sleeping Meng Yanqing back to the inner room.

Meng Xihong stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the remaining starlight in the night sky, the turmoil in his heart caused by the celestial official had not yet completely subsided.

To live forever, to fly through the air... such splendor is truly captivating.

“Cultivating immortality…fortune, destiny, and innate talent…” he murmured to himself, his fingertips unconsciously tracing patterns in the void, as if trying to grasp that elusive immortal opportunity.

But he quickly regained his composure, and his eyes became firm and pragmatic again.

"One must take things one step at a time." He took a deep breath of the crisp air, feeling the blood and qi within his body surging daily due to his [Martial Arts Root].

"Right now, martial arts are the foundation for my livelihood and for protecting my wife and children!"

After the year-end, life returned to normal. As the seasons changed, the bare branches outside the window had already sprouted new buds and gradually formed dense shade. The cicadas' chirping grew stronger and then quietly disappeared.

Unbeknownst to them, six and a half months had quietly passed since the day the celestial official descended and left a fleeting, breathtaking image in the courtyard.

Meng Xihong still went to the county government office every day to report for duty, but his mindset had changed.

With his "martial arts foundation," his understanding of martial arts progressed rapidly.

The "Long Fist" routine he had practiced for months had been completely transformed in his hands.

Each move is no longer just a routine, but incorporates a profound understanding of the flow of energy.

He devoted more of his energy to studying "hidden strength".

While Wang Hai's experience in extortion allowed him to accumulate some savings and ease the financial burden on his family, he knew that in this world, only his own strength was his true reliance.

Money is just an external thing; might makes right.

However, while money isn't everything, you can't do without it. The future development of the Meng family and my cultivation will both depend on money and resources.

Extortion is not a long-term solution; it seems I need to find another way.

[Daily Divination, Today's Hexagram: Moderately Auspicious. Undercurrents are brewing; it is best to remain calm and observe. Overall fortune is moderate; avoid rash actions and forceful pursuits.]

Upon seeing this somewhat vague prompt, Meng Xihong felt a slight chill in his heart, but remained outwardly calm.

After completing his routine patrol at the yamen, he politely declined his colleagues' invitation to go to the tavern and went straight home.

In the courtyard, he took off his black robe, leaving him in only a single layer of clothing.

His gaze fell on the newly replaced, thicker, and more robust solid hardwood stake in the corner of the yard. This stake was made of ironwood, which was difficult to split open with ordinary knives and axes.

He calmed his mind and cleared his mind of all distractions.

In his mind, the eighteen forms of "Long Fist" were rapidly disassembled and reassembled. The pathways of qi and blood circulation, and the subtle tremors of muscle fibers, were all clearly analyzed and reconstructed under the blessing of "Martial Arts Foundation." More than half a year of arduous training and insights condensed at this moment.

He no longer pursued the outward power of his moves, but instead focused his mind on his body, feeling the deeper and more penetrating power lurking beneath his muscles, bones, and skin.

breathe--

His breathing became long and rhythmic, his chest rising and falling slightly with each breath.

The right fist was slowly raised, not in a posture of charging up a powerful strike, but rather gently pressed onto the surface of the wooden stake as if playing a zither.

Before the fist even landed, an invisible pressure had already caused the texture on the surface of the wooden stake to slightly dent.

Just as the fist was about to make contact with the wooden stake!
Meng Xihong's eyes suddenly narrowed, his waist and hips turned slightly like a millstone, his spine arched like a dragon, and the power of his whole body did not burst out from his arms, but flowed through his feet, through his legs, waist and back, and finally condensed at the point of his fist!
hum!
A deep, almost inaudible thud came from inside the wooden stake!
Meng Xihong's fist landed steadily on the surface of the wooden stake, without leaving even a white mark. However, he slowly withdrew his fist.

Click…click…

A fine, cracking sound, like ice breaking, emanated continuously from inside the wooden stake!

Under Meng Xihong's gaze, the incredibly hard ironwood stake, centered on the fist imprint, instantly became covered with spiderweb-like cracks in its internal structure, as if it had been repeatedly hammered by an invisible giant hammer!
Immediately afterwards, the entire wooden stake seemed to lose all support, and with a "crash," it collapsed and shattered from the inside, turning into a pile of finger-sized pieces of wood!
"Hiss..." Bai Shi, who was holding Meng Yanqing and watching from the side, gasped, her beautiful eyes wide open, staring incredulously at the mess on the ground.

Although she didn't understand martial arts, she knew that this was something no ordinary constable could do!

The one-and-a-half-year-old Meng Yanqing in her arms seemed to sense her mother's surprise, waving her little hands and making cooing noises.

Meng Xihong slowly exhaled a long breath of white air, his eyes gleaming, and a carefree and confident smile finally appeared on his face.

Hidden strength! True hidden strength!

The force penetrates the body, destroying objects through them!
This is not just about cracking the surface of the wooden stake, but about completely destroying it from the inside!
This signifies that his mastery of internal energy has reached a high level, truly placing him among the ranks of second-rate martial artists!

Looking across the entire Wufeng County government office, apart from the magistrate Wang Hai, no one else could possibly reach this threshold!
"Husband...you..." Madam Bai approached, carrying the child, her voice filled with unbelievable surprise and a hint of awe at the unknown power.

Meng Xihong calmed his breathing, regained his composure, and smiled as he took his son from Bai Shi's arms, nuzzling the little guy's soft cheek with his chin: "It's nothing, just a small breakthrough in my training. Did I scare you?"

Bai shook her head, her eyes filled with pride: "I knew my husband was no ordinary man."

The joy of breaking through his limits and the support of his family filled Meng Xihong's heart with warmth.

The next morning, Meng Xihong, as usual, cast a divination for himself, but this divination made him frown slightly:

[Daily Divination, Today's Hexagram: Minor Misfortune. Bloodshed is foreshadowed, and there is malevolent energy in the southeast. It is advisable to act by leveraging existing forces and uniting with others for peace and prosperity; avoid venturing into danger alone.]

"Southeast...bloodshed?"

The southeast direction is the main road leading from Wufeng County to neighboring counties and Yunzhou Prefecture, and it is also a route frequently used by caravans and escort agencies in the county.

Suppressing his doubts, Meng Xihong went to the county government office to begin his work for the day.

However, as soon as Meng Xihong stepped into the county government office, he sensed that something was wrong.

Colleagues who used to be so relaxed and joking were now gathered together with serious expressions, whispering among themselves.

Chief Wang Hai's face was ashen, veins throbbing on his forehead, as he growled in a low voice at the constables.

"Useless! All of you are useless! So many people, and you couldn't even catch a glimpse of them? And you even broke Old Zhao's arm!"

“Officer… that guy is too tough! He’s fast as a ghost, and he’s ruthless and vicious. Before the brothers could even see what was happening, Old Zhao was already…” A constable said with a bitter face, his arm still bearing bloodstains.

"Yes, sir, that guy is definitely a fugitive from the martial arts world who ran away after committing a crime! His martial arts skills are probably at least second-rate! We..."

"Second-rate?" Wang Hai slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups jump around.

"So what if he's second-rate? This is Wufeng County! This is our territory! If he dares to run wild here, killing and robbing, he's slapping the face of all our brothers! He's slapping the face of our county magistrate!"

Meng Xihong's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stepped forward: "Officer, what happened?"

When Wang Hai saw Meng Xihong, his anger subsided slightly, but his face was still grim: "Xihong, you've come at the right time! Last night, something happened again at Black Wind Pass, thirty miles south of the city!"

"Black Wind Pass?" Meng Xihong's heart skipped a beat. It was a place with high mountains and dense forests, a dangerous location, and a regular haunt of bandits.

He recalled the divination he had received that day—"There is evil in the southeast" and "Blood is about to be seen."

(End of this chapter)