The Spiritual Pivot of Mortal Cultivation

After returning from that trip to the hall, Bai Xuanxin felt even more at ease.

He had witnessed firsthand the influence of those at the top of the organization. He had a clearer picture in his mind of who could speak up, who could only relay messages, who was the ladder, and who was the wall. He already knew which level to focus his efforts on next.

However, this path cannot be walked solely by fists and feet.

Fists and kicks can make people remember you.

But your medical skills are enough to make people want to keep you here.

The Seven Mysteries Sect is not a street-side martial arts school, nor is it a place where one's future is determined solely by their prowess in the arena. When trouble arises at the border, blood is shed during escorts, or members of the sect need to be called upon, what the sect needs is never a sword that can only cut people down, but someone who can step into the fray, clean up the mess, and find other uses in the chaos.

What Bai Xuanxin wanted was precisely this "usefulness".

Therefore, during the past few days, he spent his days practicing the "Luo Yan Bu" and "Da Qin Na Shou" techniques on the back mountain, while at night he repeatedly reviewed the medicines he always kept on hand for treating injuries, clearing the meridians, and promoting blood circulation. He would adjust the potency of those medicines that were too strong, and add a little more potent herbs to those that were too mild. He didn't care much about whether he could impress others. All he wanted was for others to know that his skills were not just for show when he was truly injured, and that his touch, feel, and adjustment would reveal his true abilities.

On the afternoon of the third day, the wind was strong on the back mountain, but the sky was still relatively clear.

Bai Xuanxin was packing a packet of freshly ground medicine into a paper wrapper when two light knocks came from the door.

"Senior Brother Bai, Instructor Li has something to say."

Bai Xuanxin opened the door, and standing outside was indeed not an ordinary outer sect disciple, but a young servant in blue robes who often ran around delivering messages in front of the hall. Although the man was young, his expression was extremely composed, clearly showing that he knew the meaning of "propriety" much earlier than the other young men in the outer sect.

Bai Xuanxin responded, put the medicine packet into her sleeve, and followed him to the side hall on the front mountain.

The side hall was small, but quieter than any part of the outer gate.

After entering, one passes through a narrow corridor, then lifts a worn bamboo curtain to reveal a small room. A small clay stove sits in the corner, warming medicinal wine. The heat is not heavy, just wisps of steam drifting out. The window is half-open, and a breeze carries a faint aroma of spices mixed with the scent of wine. It's not unpleasant; on the contrary, it instantly refreshes the mind.

Instructor Li sat at the head of the table, with an unopened roster beside him.

Deacon Zhou sat to the side, his right sleeve rolled up, his wrist resting flat on the table. His expression was relatively calm, but there was still a trace of lingering worry between his brows.

Bai Xuanxin entered and bowed first.

"Disciple Bai Xuanxin greets Instructor Li and Deacon Zhou."

Instructor Li glanced at him, then, without beating around the bush, pointed with her finger at Deacon Zhou's right hand resting on the table.

"Don't you know how to treat injuries?" he said casually. "His hand has flared up with an old problem. Go take a look."

Bai Xuanxin responded and moved closer.

He actually already had some impression of it.

During the sparring session the other day, Deacon Zhou's moves were extremely steady, and his boxing stance was very skillful. However, in those few moments of wrist flips and elbow changes, Bai Xuanxin still sensed a very subtle delay. The delay was so small that an outer disciple would naturally not notice it, but since he had been in close combat and had focused his training on the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and knees, he knew that it was not due to slow training, but rather to lingering old injuries.

But impressions are just impressions; when it comes to actually examining the injury, a second look is still necessary.

Bai Xuanxin didn't rush to touch the hand; she simply stood by the table and looked at it for a moment.

Deacon Zhou's right wrist didn't appear swollen on the surface. To an untrained eye, it merely looked like a slightly thicker wrist bone and a stiffer joint, resembling the calluses and signs of age left from years of wielding a knife and fist. But Bai Xuanxin knew immediately that wasn't the case.

The back of his wrist was slightly darker in color, not very dark, but it always looked like it was covered with a layer of old ash that couldn't be washed off. The area from the base of his thumb to the radial side was clearly taut all year round, but it wasn't the kind of swelling that comes with exerting force; instead, it looked like the muscles were shrinking there, afraid to truly relax. Most importantly, when Deacon Zhou placed his hand flat, it seemed stable, but there was always a very slight outward deviation along the wrist bone axis.

This is something that ordinary people cannot see.

But in Bai Xuanxin's eyes, it was like a crack in a door—narrow as it was, yet it still let in some light.

"Sir," Bai Xuan thought, "could you clench your fist first, then flip your wrist?"

Deacon Zhou did as instructed.

Making a fist is fine. But when you flip your wrist halfway through, the stiffness on the outside of your right wrist becomes more apparent, as if something is stuck in the bone first, and then the whole forearm follows.

Bai Xuanxin then raised her hand, first pressing the tiger's mouth (between the thumb and index finger), then the back of the wrist, and then inch by inch along both sides of the radial and ulnar creases. When she touched a spot on the outside of the wrist, Deacon Zhou's brows twitched slightly involuntarily, and although he did not utter a sound, his breathing became disordered for a moment.

Bai Xuanxin stopped, having already understood about 70-80% of what was going on.

"It's not a new injury," he said slowly. "It's from a severe earthquake last year. My joints were dislocated at the time, and although they were put back in place, they weren't truly set in the right position."

Deacon Zhou's expression changed slightly.

"You have a good eye." He glanced at Bai Xuanxin. "Three years ago, during a transport mission, we were robbed. I used my knife to block a hammer blow, and my wrist went numb on the spot. The situation was tense then, and I couldn't think of anything else. I just wrapped it tightly with a strip of cloth, and I still used the knife the next day. Later, I had a doctor set my bones and applied medicine, and the swelling subsided on the surface. But over the years, whenever it's rainy or cold, or when I fight someone a little hard, my wrist becomes stiff and astringent again. Over time, even when I turn my wrist, it feels like something is biting inside."

Instructor Li sat at the head of the table, saying nothing, only looking at Bai Xuanxin.

Bai Xuanxin nodded slightly.

That matches up.

If it's a common muscle injury, if left untreated for too long, it will mostly cause pain, soreness, and weakness.

But for Steward Zhou's injury, the pain is only superficial; the real problem is the astringency.

Traditional Chinese medicine states that "old injuries penetrate the collaterals, and over time, qi and blood fail to circulate properly, leading to muscle and tendon stiffness." "Penetrating the collaterals" simply means that the injury doesn't stop at the skin and flesh, but rather reaches the junctions of tendons and bones, the finest points where qi and blood circulate. Over time, cold, dampness, and old blood stasis accumulate, appearing on the surface as a tendon injury, but at its root, the bone joints and fascia have regrown and died along that misaligned area.

If we were to adopt the perspective that Bai Xuanxin had learned before her transmigration, this would be even more straightforward.

That severe shock likely damaged the thinnest pivot point between his wrist bones. Although someone else took over the procedure, even a slight deviation in angle, coupled with subsequent exertion while injured, would cause a long-term imbalance in the stress distribution between the radius and ulna and the wrist bones. There might be no swelling or cracks on the surface, but the underlying pivot point remained misaligned. Over time, the surrounding ligaments, fascia, and even superficial nerve pathways would become stiff and constricted.

Therefore, it's not noticeable on ordinary days.

It flares up all at once when exerting oneself, encountering cold, or being exposed to dampness.

Bai Xuanxin pondered for a moment before saying, "If you trust me, I'll try it for you first. I can't say I can eradicate it immediately, but at least I can loosen the knot inside. If it can be loosened, there's still room for nurturing; if it can't be loosened, then we'll have to do something else."

Deacon Zhou did not answer immediately, but only glanced at Instructor Li.

Instructor Li said calmly, "Let him try."

Bai Xuanxin then said no more.

He first took out a small paper packet from his sleeve, poured some brown powder into a small dish, and then asked the servant to bring a cup of hot water. He mixed the powder into a slightly thick paste. Then he carefully applied the paste to the back and radial side of Deacon Zhou's wrist, not thickly, just a thin layer. When the paste was slightly warm, he gently rubbed it along the joints of the wrist with his thumb.

Seeing this, Instructor Li finally spoke up and asked:

"You carry this with you at all times?"

"I usually treat the outer disciples' injuries and have some on hand," Bai Xuanxin replied calmly. "This medicine is not expensive, but its advantage is that it can circulate through the meridians. Use it with hot water to first disperse the surface cold stagnation, otherwise the knots inside will not be untied."

Instructor Li nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Bai Xuanxin's hand remained steady throughout.

Unlike quack doctors who start by rubbing and pressing hard, or some healers who only recognize acupoints and press them too hard, he simply followed the joints of the bones, tendons, and the stiff pivot on the back of the wrist, sometimes lightly, sometimes heavily, as if touching the mechanism of an old lock.

At first, Deacon Zhou didn't notice anything amiss. He only felt the layer of medicinal mud was warm and gentle, seeping into the back of his wrist little by little. The heat wasn't overpowering, but rather subtle, like warm water flowing into a crack. However, after a while, the heat no longer stayed on the surface. Instead, it climbed up along the web of his hand, the back of his wrist, and his forearm, slowly loosening the yin energy that had been tightly coiled inside.

Bai Xuanxin saw that the time was almost right before she actually started cooking.

He held Zhou's forearm steady with his left hand, gently pressed his right thumb on the radial side of the bone suture, and flicked and pulled along the ulnar side with his index and middle fingers. The movements were slow and even restrained.

"Butler, please bear with it."

"Click."

The sound was very soft.

But after that, Deacon Zhou's entire right arm involuntarily trembled slightly, followed by a sudden burst of tingling numbness from deep within his wrist, rushing all the way to his elbow. His expression immediately changed, and a vein throbbed on his forehead, but his lips remained tightly pressed together, and he didn't utter a sound.

Bai Xuanxin immediately withdrew his force, no longer pushing hard inwards, but instead pressed on Yangchi, Yangxi, and Lieque points, and then stroked upwards along the meridians of his forearm.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this step is called "unblocking the meridians".

But if you break it down, it's actually quite simple. That gentle adjustment just now was merely loosening the misaligned axis by a fraction; the subsequent pressing, stroking, kneading, and pushing are what truly restore the surrounding fascia, blood and energy pathways that had long been twisted back to their proper positions.

After a short while, Bai Xuanxin finally stopped.

"Give it a try, butler."

Deacon Zhou raised his right hand, first slowly clenching his fist, then flipping his wrist, then turning his palm over, and finally picking up the roll of names on the table and shaking it gently.

In just one moment, his eyes changed completely.

Compared to the previous stiffness that always felt like there was a layer between us, this hand, while not completely relaxed yet, is noticeably smoother. Especially when flipping the wrist, the feeling of being stuck has actually been pried open a little.

"Does it still hurt?" Bai Xuanxin asked.

After a moment of silence, Deacon Zhou said in a low voice, "It is somewhat sour. But that stubborn, lingering tension inside... has loosened."

Bai Xuanxin nodded.

"That's right," he said. "Your injury isn't just a simple tendon injury, nor is it bone damage. It's because the impact back then was too severe, and the joint axis was already off-center. Then you used force while injured, compounding the problem. Over time, the tendons and ligaments all died along that misaligned area. Today, I'm just gently opening up the old knots. If you're willing to follow the method and heal slowly, you can recover about 70-80% of the old injury; but if you continue to force it like before, it will come back after some time."

Only then did Instructor Li ask, "How do we raise it?"

Bai Xuanxin said, "For the next three days, put aside heavy blows and punches. Apply hot compresses at night and wrap your wrist with a cloth to stabilize this pivot point. If you need to fight during the day, avoid large wrist flips and hard smashes. In a few days, I will prepare another packet of medicine for you, specifically for the back of your wrist and forearm. First, disperse the old bruises, then nourish your tendons and bones. Don't rush it."

This statement is neither superficial nor dissatisfying.

To Instructor Li, these words were far more pleasing than any empty promises of a cure. Having observed people for many years, he knew best that truly capable individuals knew what they could and could not do, and would never utter empty boasts just to gain praise.

Deacon Zhou slowly lowered his sleeves, stood up, and formally clasped his hands in a fist salute to Bai Xuanxin.

"I will remember this lesson."

This sentence is not repeated, but it carries enough weight.

Bai Xuanxin returned the greeting, her expression remaining unchanged.

Instructor Li and Deacon Zhou both understood the situation clearly.

This young man not only has the skills to navigate the terrain, but he also has keen insight into how to make a living.

Physical combat can lead to victory, while medical knowledge can provide emergency relief.

Such a person is far more important than an ordinary outer disciple when the sect needs someone.

Instructor Li didn't say anything more, only saying calmly, "If there are any old injuries or ailments in the hall in the future, come and take a look when you have time."

This was said casually, as if it were just something mentioned offhand.

But Bai Xuanxin knew that once he said those words, he would have officially been half-listed in the organization.

He bowed his head and replied, "Disciple understands."

This trial of injuries in the side hall has now come to an end.

When Bai Xuanxin stepped outside, the sky had already darkened slightly, and the mountain breeze was cooler than when he had arrived. On his way back to the back mountain, he felt more at ease than before he entered.

Making a name for oneself through martial arts is the first level.

The first step, testing one's skills in front of the hall, is the second level.

Now that the medical skills are proven, the word "usable" can be truly established.

After that, all that was missing was a real opportunity to draw blood.

And this opportunity is probably not far off.

When Bai Xuanxin arrived at the house on the back mountain, it was already close to dusk. Just as she pushed open the door and hadn't even had time to put down her medicine bag, she heard very light footsteps outside.

The person who came was almost silent the whole way. But when he took the last two steps under the eaves, he still left a trace. It wasn't that his lightness skill was lacking, but that he still had old injuries in his body. He could control his breath and restrain his strength, but the slight hesitation in the twists and turns of his muscles and bones could not be hidden from Bai Xuanxin.

His eyes flickered slightly.

The next moment, the person outside the door had stopped under the eaves.

He did not knock on the door immediately, but remained silent for a moment before lightly tapping it with his fingers.

"Come in," Bai Xuanxin said.

The door opened.

Li Feiyu stood outside, the pre-rain sky pressing down on his shoulders, making his already cold face appear even thinner. His complexion was much better than the previous times I had seen him, and the barely suppressed agitation between his brows had faded. Clearly, Bai Xuanxin's suppression technique from a few days ago had indeed eased the backlash within him.

But his expression this time was completely different from the one he had last night.

There was no cold, menacing undercurrent of probing, nor the barely concealed urgency when inquiring about injuries. Instead, it was as if he had sorted something out in his mind and was deliberately asking a question he should have asked long ago.

Bai Xuanxin glanced at him and knew he wasn't there to inquire about his old ailment.

As expected, Li Feiyu didn't mention his injuries upon entering, nor did he sit down. He simply stood by the door, his gaze fixed on Bai Xuanxin's face, and his first words were:

"Your movement technique last time—"

He paused, his voice still cold, but the previous aloofness was gone.

"Which member of the sect passed this on?"