Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

The midday sun was scorching, yet it didn't reach them under the shade of the trees.

Little Nianba sat under the tree, holding an iron sword and repeatedly sharpening it on a whetstone to make it even sharper, as it was their means of survival.

Su Yan practiced with the wooden sword over and over again, her peripheral vision catching the increasing proficiency level, which fueled her even more enthusiasm.

As the sun began to set, Su Yan, having finished his practice, sheathed his sword and stood there. A sudden flash of inspiration struck him, and the parts he hadn't been able to understand before suddenly became clear. Although it was late summer, and the evenings were somewhat cool, the midday heat still lingered. Yet, at this time, one could see white vapor rising from the boy's body, like billowing smoke.

As he resumed his sword stance, accompanied by rhythmic breathing from his chest and abdomen, the feeling of shortness of breath he used to experience while practicing swordsmanship vanished.

As he executed the sword technique, his blood and qi surged, and the originally fierce but sluggish sword moves suddenly became smooth and fluid. He lowered his waist and fell off his horse, his iron sword swirling in a ten-foot-long arc. Amidst the whistling wind, wisps of white smoke rose from his body, like a light veil, mingling with the dust and mud of the courtyard, rising upwards.

His muscles bulged and rolled, as if iron beads were hidden under brocade, and his veins coiled like dragons. With each sword move, his muscles contracted and expanded, becoming several times more solid than before.

His shoulders and back gleamed with a bronze sheen, contrasting with the rolling muscles that exuded a raw, powerful strength. The muscles in his waist twisted like wheels, propelling his longsword in slashing, thrusting, parrying, and blocking movements, each one thirty percent faster than before.

The sluggishness in his previous moves was completely gone. When he unleashed the "Armor-Splitting Thrust," the tip of his sword trembled and even produced a buzzing sound. The overturned dye vat in the corner of the courtyard was also shaken slightly by the wind from the sword.

With each step, the bluestone slabs creaked, and the dust beneath their feet, carried by their vital energy, rose and fell with the white smoke. The sword blade swept across the wooden stake in the center of the courtyard, sending wood chips flying like a waterfall. The stake, previously covered in sword marks, was now perfectly cleaved in two, the cut as smooth as if it had been sliced.

This is the power of the Su family sword technique at its peak, surpassing internal force even without it, relying entirely on the circulation of qi and blood and the tempering of muscles and bones.

Before the white mist on his body had completely dissipated, a piercing hunger surged up from his stomach like a tidal wave, instantly overwhelming the lingering soreness in his muscles.

It seemed that hunger had drained most of his strength. The hand that had been able to grip the iron sword firmly just moments before was now so weak that he could barely lift it to wipe away the sweat.

The iron sword clattered against the bluestone slab, barely managing to support his swaying body. His stomach rumbled loudly, as if countless tiny hands were scratching and churning inside. It felt both empty and bloated, and the pain made him instinctively bend over, a layer of cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead.

This isn't the usual emptiness of being hungry; it's the kind of hunger that seeps into your bones and hollows you out.

"Yan-ge'er!"

Little Nianba heard the noise and ran out of the house.

Su Yan, clutching her stomach, squatted on the ground, her face pale, and said to the little wilted boy supporting her...

"Quick...quick, go get some dry rations!"

Xiao Nianba hurriedly ran into the house, took out the freshly cooked multigrain pancakes and multigrain steamed buns from the bamboo basket, and before Su Yan could react, ran to the kitchen to fetch water.

Before Su Yan could even put the bamboo basket down completely, he reached into it, grabbed one in each hand, and began to wolf down the fist-sized multigrain steamed buns and pancakes. He finished one in just a few bites.

By the time Xiao Nianba brought out the water, Su Yan had already swallowed three or four steamed buns whole, then grabbed the gourd ladle from the bucket and gulped down two large mouthfuls of water.

After eating about six or seven more, I finally recovered.

Little Nianba patted Su Yan's back worriedly, afraid that he would choke if he ate too fast.

Su Yan couldn't wait to check the panel.

Host: Su Yan

Age: 16

Skill: Rank E - Su Family Sword Technique (Mastery, 1/400) [Stamina/Inner Force Consumption -25%, Armor Penetration Increase +25%, Skill Pressure +30%]

Realm: Third-rate martial artist

Su Yan rubbed his stomach, feeling a wave of fear. He had only felt a slight hunger when he had mastered the sword technique, but he never expected that mastering the sword technique would almost drain him dry.

However, Su Yan also noticed that the realm column had changed to third-rate martial artist. According to his second uncle's teachings in his memory, third-rate martial artists are generally those who have cultivated internal energy.

With the enhancement of internal energy, the power of swordsmanship, knife skills, and fist techniques will be greatly increased.

"I'm fine now, you can go ahead and get busy. Try to finish the rest of the mixed grains as soon as possible."

Su Yan stroked Xiao'er's withered, straw-like hair and said...

Seeing that Su Yan's complexion had indeed recovered and was no longer as pale as before, Xiao Nianba was relieved and returned to the kitchen to continue making dry rations. She also took the bamboo basket back with her.

Su Yan then sat cross-legged on the ground to carefully experience the area three inches below his navel. When he broke through, he clearly felt a surge of heat coursing through his body as he practiced swordsmanship, finally settling in this spot.

This place is what is commonly referred to as the dantian.

Su Yan felt a tiny warm current lingering here, about the size of a hair. Although it was small, it was definitely noticeable.

I can also control this warm current, directing its flow through my palms, and I can clearly feel that my strength has increased whether I'm punching or striking with my palm.

"So this is internal energy? It's truly amazing."

For third-rate martial artists, safety along the way is now much better.

After practicing the sword technique again, he felt that the increase in his internal energy was negligible, less than one-tenth the size of a hair.

Su Yan gave up. He had heard his second uncle say that for martial artists like them, the third-rate level of external martial arts was the limit. Without internal energy cultivation methods or higher-level external martial arts, the growth of internal strength would be negligible.

However, even third-rate martial artists are respected by ordinary people in this world.

Compared to third-rate martial artists who achieve success through rudimentary internal energy cultivation techniques, external martial artists develop more refined internal energy, resulting in a greater increase in power.

Of course, it still can't compare to high-level internal energy cultivation techniques.

However, that's enough for now. The internal energy cultivation techniques can be obtained from the Quanzhen Sect later.

Now that I've broken through, it's time to set off. Before that, I need to go to the Quanzhen Sect's informant.

I looked up and saw that it wasn't completely dark yet.

Su Yan wiped the sweat off his body, changed into a clean set of coarse linen clothes, told Xiao Nian'erba to close the door, and then climbed over the corner of the backyard wall.

He was afraid that the vagrants from the streets and alleys would break in while he was away. Little Nianba was home alone, and even a slightly older adult couldn't withstand that.

After passing through the still relatively intact streets and alleys, one is met with a scene of devastation. The wind carries dust, stench, and a faint, pungent smell of burning, which makes one's nose sting.

Walking close to the base of the broken wall, the bluestone slabs underfoot were uneven, mixed with gravel, withered leaves, and sticky stains, making them slippery. The torchlight swept across the houses beside them; most of them had collapsed in half, the blue bricks piled crookedly by the roadside, and the thatched roofs had been stripped bare, leaving only a few charred wooden beams sticking out.

Those are traces left by the Mongol soldiers when they demolished houses to build cities and looted.

In the shadows of the corner, seven or eight emaciated figures huddled together—refugees fleeing famine.

The old and the young, all wrapped in tattered cloths whose original color was no longer discernible, huddled together tightly. A child's weak cry managed to escape, trembling with sobs.

"Mom, I'm hungry."

The only response he received was a suppressed sigh. An old woman's withered hand emerged from the tattered cloth, clutching half a piece of dry, hard bark, and stuffed it into the child's mouth. The child bit it twice, then spat and cried. The old woman simply stroked the child's head repeatedly, her eyes as blank as a stone.

Not far away, a woman sat motionless on the ground, holding a swaddled baby. Passersby walked past her without even looking up. Su Yan could see clearly that the baby had long since stopped moving, and it seemed that the child had starved to death, yet she still refused to let go.

Su Yan was quickening his pace along the broken wall when a series of harsh shouts and the sound of breaking objects suddenly came from the alleyway ahead, abruptly stopping him in his tracks.

He quickly shrank behind the wall and peeked out. He saw three men with open short jackets carrying a bag of mixed grain cakes walking out of a fairly intact courtyard. An old man rushed out from inside the gate and grabbed one of the men's trouser legs, pleading with him.

The men all had crooked black tiger stripes tattooed on their chests, their trouser legs were tied with thick hemp ropes, and they carried jujube wood sticks in their hands. They were the henchmen of the Black Tiger Gang, whom everyone in the Taiyuan Road General Administration City hated to the bone.

The Black Tiger Gang henchman was carrying the old man's entire family's food rations; in this chaotic world, it was the lifeline of his entire family.

Seeing this, another henchman began to curse.

"Old man, you dare to haggle with me? Everyone living around here has to pay protection money to the Black Tiger Gang. If you dare to hold back, you're just asking for a beating!"

He cursed and raised the stick to strike the old man's back.

Su Yan clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, a surge of anger rising within him. He knew all too well the Black Tiger Gang's background in the Taiyuan Road General Administration Office. These people were neither righteous heroes offering aid nor legitimate Jianghu gangs; they were simply a group of local bullies taking advantage of the chaos. Their gang leader had long ago defected to the Mongol army, becoming a lackey and henchman of the Mongol soldiers, acting as an "accomplice" in the city.

The Mongol soldiers occupied the Taiyuan Road General Administration Office and were too lazy to argue with the people to extort money from them, so they used the Black Tiger Gang. The Black Tiger Gang was familiar with the streets and alleys of the city and the people's assets, so they went door to door to collect protection money. They collected protection money from stall owners, shopkeepers, and even people living nearby.

Anyone who wanted to survive and make a living had to pay grain and money; if they were short even a penny, they would be beaten and kicked. They also helped the Mongol soldiers search for runaways. Whenever they saw a strong young man, they would tie him up without asking any questions and send him to the Jin camp in exchange for some wine, meat, and money. By betraying the Han people, they gained the protection of the Mongol soldiers and acted like tyrants in the city.

The evil of human nature was on full display at this moment.

He knew he couldn't make a move right now. First, he had to go to Changchun Hall to make contact, and he couldn't risk exposing his identity for a small gain. Second, he couldn't fight against an entire gang on his own. Although the Black Tiger Gang only had one leader who was a third-rate martial artist, it did have hundreds of henchmen.

Getting entangled with these people won't get you anywhere.

However, before leaving tonight, we can do one of our jobs. The Black Tiger Gang has five or six branches, large and small, scattered throughout the Taiyuan Road General Administration Office, but the main branch is located in the bustling city center.

The nearest gang was neither too big nor too small, with only about twenty people in total. At night, only four or five people were on duty, making it the perfect time to strike.

Su Yan gritted his teeth, turned around, and continued walking along the wall. The shouts and curses of the henchmen, the sobs of the old man, and the silence of the people who dared not speak out made him feel a tightness in his chest.

After circling around to the alley where Changchun Hall was located, he looked around to make sure no one was there before walking to the gate of the courtyard that Su's father had mentioned.