Shooting the Eagle: Starting from Iron Palm Peak

Hong Qigong has been teaching Guo Jing martial arts for several days now.

Every day at dawn, before the sky was fully light, Guo Jing would stand on the hillside waiting. Hong Qigong would always arrive a moment later, carrying his wine gourd, yawning, and muttering, "What are you doing up so early, you silly boy?" before beginning to teach him the palm techniques.

Guo Jing practiced the first move, "The Dragon Regrets," for five whole days before he could barely keep the pine tree from breaking. When Hong Qigong saw that he had finally mastered it, he cursed him as "incredibly stupid," but then nodded and began to teach him the second move, "The Flying Dragon in the Sky."

This palm strike differed from the first; it involved leaping up and striking downwards, requiring precise footwork. Guo Jing practiced it dozens of times, but either he jumped too high, causing the palm strike to dissipate, or he jumped too low, missing his target. Hong Qigong, however, remained unperturbed, sitting under the shade of a tree drinking, occasionally shouting, "Lower your waist further!" or "Straighten your arms!"

Huang Rong squatted to the side, holding a handful of melon seeds, eating them as she watched. Seeing Guo Jing practicing until he was drenched in sweat, she felt a pang of heartache, but dared not disturb him. Mu Nianci sat not far away, holding her iron spear, also practicing the "Free and Easy Wandering" technique taught by Hong Qigong. Her movements were far more agile than Guo Jing's; her "Begging for Alms at Doors" move was light and graceful, prompting Huang Rong to clap and cheer in admiration.

Lin Qi leaned against a large tree, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, he was pondering the power generation techniques of the Iron Palm Kung Fu. These past few days, he had watched Hong Qigong teach Guo Jing the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. Although the moves were different, the principles of power generation shared many similarities. Hong Qigong said, "Power originates from the ground, passes through the waist and back, and is transmitted to the arms," ​​which is exactly the same principle as the Iron Palm Kung Fu's "power precedes the palm." He silently channeled his internal energy, adjusting his power generation method according to this idea, and struck the tree trunk with his palm. The trunk trembled slightly, leaving a shallow palm print—slightly deeper than before.

He was secretly delighted, but he didn't say anything.

"Young man."

Hong Qigong appeared beside him at some point. Lin Qi opened his eyes and saw Hong Qigong staring at him with a scrutinizing gaze.

"What kind of kung fu do you practice?" Hong Qigong asked.

Lin Qi's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface: "This junior practices a family-inherited palm technique."

Hong Qigong said "Oh," without asking further, but his gaze lingered on Lin Qi's hands for a moment. Lin Qi's palms had rough skin, large knuckles, and thick calluses on the base of his thumb—clearly the result of practicing palm techniques. Hong Qigong nodded, then turned and left.

Lin Qi breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that Hong Qigong might have figured something out, but since he hadn't pressed for an explanation, he wouldn't offer one either.

In the afternoon, Huang Rong made a "Good Match Soup," stewed with pigeon meat, cherries, and bamboo shoots. The broth was clear and fragrant. Hong Qigong took a sip, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed repeatedly, "Delicious soup! Delicious soup! What's this soup called?"

Huang Rong smiled and said, "This is called 'Good Match Soup,' taken from the saying 'A fair maiden is sought after by a gentleman.'" Hong Qigong laughed heartily, "You little rascal, you've got so many tricks up your sleeve."

Guo Jing stood to the side, smiling憨厚ly. He took a sip of the soup and thought it was delicious, but couldn't quite put his finger on why. Mu Nianci held her bowl, sipping the soup slowly, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Lin Qi took a sip and secretly admired Huang Rong's cooking skills. This girl was not only extremely intelligent, but also had superb culinary skills. No wonder she could tame this old glutton, Hong Qigong.

After the meal, Hong Qigong leaned against a tree and dozed off, snoring like thunder. Guo Jing went to practice his palm techniques again, with Huang Rong accompanying him. Mu Nianci sat under the tree, holding the iron spear in her hand, gently wiping the tip.

Lin Qi walked over and sat down next to her.

"Miss Mu, how's your practice of the Free and Unfettered Wanderer skill coming along?"

Mu Nianci raised her head and smiled slightly: "Senior Hong said that my movement technique is okay, but my internal strength is insufficient, so I can't unleash the full power of some of my moves."

Lin Qi nodded. Mu Nianci's martial arts foundation was already quite good, but her internal strength was indeed her biggest weakness. She mainly learned the moves from Yang Tiexin, and had almost no foundation in internal strength. When Hong Qigong taught her the Free and Easy Wandering Technique, he only taught her the moves and body techniques, but did not pass on the internal strength cultivation method to her.

"Take your time with internal energy," Lin Qi said. "Practice your moves first, and your internal energy will gradually increase."

Mu Nianci nodded, then lowered her head to wipe the gun.

Lin Qi looked at her, and an idea suddenly came to him. He hesitated for a moment, but still spoke.

"Miss Mu, I have an internal energy cultivation method that I can teach you."

Mu Nianci raised her head, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"However," Lin Qi lowered his voice, "you can't tell anyone about this, including Chief Hong and Miss Huang."

Mu Nianci looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and nodded seriously: "Brother Lin, I believe you."

Lin Qi took out a copy of the Nine Yin Manual from his pocket, turned to the page on "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" (Muscle/Tendon Changing and Bone Strengthening Chapter), and handed it to her. "This internal skill is called Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian. I obtained it when I was in Zhongdu. It doesn't show off; it only regulates muscles and bones and enhances internal strength. Others won't be able to see anything. When you practice it, find a secluded place and don't let anyone see you."

Mu Nianci took the copy, glanced at it, and then handed it back to him: "Brother Lin, please read it to me. I... I'm not very literate."

Lin Qi was taken aback, then remembered that Mu Nianci had followed Yang Tiexin through many hardships since childhood and indeed hadn't received much education. He took the copy, lowered his voice, and read it to her sentence by sentence. Mu Nianci listened attentively, closing her eyes and silently memorizing each sentence after it was finished.

After reading it aloud, Mu Nianci opened her eyes, her eyes filled with gratitude: "Brother Lin, thank you."

Lin Qi smiled and said, "You're welcome. Practice hard, and feel free to contact me if you need anything."

Mu Nianci nodded, returned the copy to Lin Qi, stood up, walked to the other side of the hillside, found a secluded spot, and began to practice her internal energy. Lin Qi watched her retreating figure, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

In the days that followed, Guo Jing continued to diligently practice the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. Hong Qigong taught him move by move, and Guo Jing learned move by move, slowly but thoroughly. Huang Rong prepared a variety of delicious meals every day, keeping Hong Qigong beaming with joy. Mu Nianci practiced the Free and Easy Wandering Technique during the day and the Yi Jin Jing and Bone Strengthening Technique at night, making rapid progress in her martial arts. Lin Qi, on the other hand, used this time to hone his Iron Palm Skill while simultaneously cultivating the Nine Yin Manual, his internal energy deepening day by day.

One evening, Guo Jing was practicing his palm techniques on a hillside when Hong Qigong suddenly called out to him.

"Silly boy, come here."

Guo Jing quickly went over. Hong Qigong looked him up and down and nodded: "Your palm strikes are not bad. Although you still have a long way to go in terms of skill, the approach is right."

Guo Jing smiled憨厚ly and scratched his head.

Hong Qigong then asked, "What is the background of your friend, Lin Qi?"

Guo Jing was taken aback, then thought for a moment and said, "Brother Lin is a friend I made in Zhongdu. He is highly skilled in martial arts, righteous, and has helped me a lot."

Hong Qigong said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions.

Guo Jing hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Seventh Master, do you think there's something wrong with Brother Lin?"

Hong Qigong shook his head: "It's nothing. The old beggar was just asking casually. Go practice your palm techniques."

Guo Jing asked no more questions and continued practicing his palm techniques.

Lin Qi sat under a tree not far away, having overheard the entire conversation between Hong Qigong and Guo Jing. He knew Hong Qigong was suspicious of his origins, but since Hong Qigong hadn't asked him directly, he wouldn't offer an explanation.

It was late at night, and everyone was asleep.

Lin Qi walked alone to the top of the hillside, the moonlight casting a long shadow on him. He assumed a stance and began to circulate his internal energy. He had been practicing the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing and Bone Strengthening) chapter of the Nine Yin Manual for half a month, and his internal strength was noticeably more profound than before, his muscles and bones stronger. He tried to integrate this internal energy into his Iron Palm technique, striking out with a powerful palm strike that swept a deep mark into the ground.

"Brother Lin."

Mu Nianci's voice came from behind him. Lin Qi stopped his practice and turned around. He saw Mu Nianci standing not far away, wearing an outer robe. The moonlight shone on her face, and her eyes were very bright.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Lin Qi asked.

"I can't sleep." Mu Nianci walked over and sat down next to him. "I came out for a walk and saw you practicing your martial arts here."

Lin Qi remained silent. Mu Nianci looked at him, remained silent for a while, and then suddenly said, "Brother Lin, thank you for teaching me internal energy. I've been practicing these past few days, and I feel much lighter. Before, when I practiced the Free and Easy Wandering Technique, there were some moves I couldn't do properly, but now I can do them all."

Lin Qi smiled and said, "That's because you studied hard."

Mu Nianci lowered her head, her voice soft: "Brother Lin, why are you so good to me?"

Lin Qi thought for a moment and said, "Because Uncle Yang entrusted you to me, I can't let him down. Besides, you're a good person, and good people should be rewarded."

Mu Nianci looked up, the moonlight illuminating her face, her eyes slightly red. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but in the end only whispered, "Thank you."

The two sat for a long time in silence. A few intermittent chirps of insects drifted from afar, as if telling a story. A night breeze carried the scent of earth and grass.

Lin Qi gazed at the moon, lost in thought. With the Nine Yin Manual in hand, his Iron Palm skill improving, and Mu Nianci by his side, everything was progressing well. But he knew the road ahead was long, and many dangers awaited him.

He took a deep breath and stood up.

"It's getting late, go back to sleep."

Mu Nianci nodded, stood up, and turned to walk back. After a few steps, she suddenly stopped, turned back, and said softly, "Goodnight, Brother Lin."

"Good night."

Mu Nianci went into the tent. Lin Qi stood on the hillside, looking at the moon in the sky, and practiced his internal energy for a while before returning to his tent to rest.

Under the moonlight, the hillside returned to silence.