Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 186 Teaching Martial Arts

Zhao Yu broke down the incantation and moves of the Heart-Shattering Palm, demonstrating each move to Kou Zhong while explaining the methods of circulating qi.

Kou Zhong practiced the Qi circulation diagram representing "Yang" in the Longevity Manual, and this kind of fierce palm technique was perfect for him.

He then broke down the key points of the two light-body skills one by one and explained them to Xu Ziling.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were both intelligent, and with the foundation laid by the Longevity Manual, their comprehension far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Zhao Yu only demonstrated it two or three times, and the two of them were able to imitate the moves. Although they were still a bit clumsy, they had already grasped some of the essence of the moves.

Seeing this, Zhao Yu couldn't help but sigh, "It truly is a miraculous skill that seizes the essence of heaven and earth. With the Longevity Manual as a foundation, you can learn other martial arts with twice the results with half the effort."

"Of course!" Kou Zhong proudly raised his chin. "Don't even look at who we are. Ling Shao and I are geniuses!"

""

Zhao Yu chuckled upon hearing this and shook his head: "While your aptitudes aren't bad, you can't be called prodigies. If you truly possessed such talent, you wouldn't be stuck in the streets of Yangzhou. There are plenty of martial arts schools in Yangzhou; haven't you tried them out?"

One sentence hit the nail on the head.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling exchanged a glance and both smiled awkwardly.

When they were young, they did visit several martial arts schools to become apprentices, but without exception, they were all turned away, told that they had mediocre talent and were not cut out for martial arts.

If I hadn't accidentally obtained the "Longevity Manual," I probably would have just been a petty hoodlum in this world for the rest of my life.

Zhao Yu clapped his hands, ending the instruction: "Alright, the incantations and techniques have all been taught. How much you can comprehend depends on yourselves. Remember, in martial arts, progress is gradual; never rush things."

"Thank you for passing on your skills, Brother Zhao!" The two bowed deeply in unison, their expressions becoming much more sincere.

Zhao Yu nodded slightly, put the "Longevity Manual" into his pocket, and turned to leave.

"Brother Zhao!"

Kou Zhong suddenly shouted from behind, "You took our Longevity Manual today, but once we brothers have mastered our martial arts, we'll take it back with our own hands! Don't regret it!"

Zhao Yu didn't stop walking. He waved his hand with his back to them, and his voice carried on the wind: "I'll be waiting."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flickered a few times and disappeared at the end of the forest road, never to be seen again.

On the shore, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling gazed in the direction he had left, remaining silent for a long time.

"Young Master Ling, what kind of person is this Zhao Yu?" Kou Zhong stroked his chin and spoke first. "If you say he's a bad guy, he didn't kill us and even taught us martial arts. If you say he's a good guy, he stole our Longevity Manual."

Xu Ziling pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "At least he's much better than my father and Yuwen Huaji. At least he follows the rules and doesn't bully us just because he's skilled in martial arts. It's already quite rare that he'd exchange martial arts skills for us."

"That's true." Kou Zhong nodded, then clenched his fist, his eyes filled with fighting spirit. "However, we can't just let this go! Once we've mastered our martial arts and become stronger, we must take back the Longevity Scripture! We'll let him know that we brothers are not to be trifled with!"

"Yes." Xu Ziling nodded emphatically, his eyes also shining.

As the sun sets, its golden rays spill onto the lake, creating a shimmering effect.

The two boys stood side by side, gazing at the distant sky and earth, their hearts filled with longing and ambition for the future.

The two exchanged a smile, then swung their arms and set off on their journey.

After bidding farewell to the two dragons, Zhao Yu quickly returned to the army.

By this time, the battle had long since ended. After the Jianghuai army fled, Zhou Faming led his men to clean up the battlefield and was waiting on the shore with his men. When he saw Zhao Yu return, he quickly went to greet him.

His eyes were filled with excitement: "General, Du Fuwei's main force has just suffered a defeat, and their morale is low. This is the perfect opportunity to press our advantage! I am willing to lead the navy westward, seize Liyang, and annihilate Du Fuwei in one fell swoop, thus unifying the Jianghuai waterway!"

Zhao Yu shook his head, his tone calm: "No."

Zhou Faming was taken aback, his excitement fading slightly. He said urgently, "Steward, this is a golden opportunity! Du Fuwei has suffered a defeat and won't be able to recover anytime soon. If we don't attack now, when will we?"

"It's easy to take it down, but hard to hold it."

Zhao Yu walked slowly to the shore, gazing at the vast lake: "We haven't openly rebelled against the Sui Dynasty yet, so the court's attention is focused on the rebel armies of Li Mi and Wang Bo in the Central Plains, and they don't have time to pay attention to us. But if we swallow up Du Fuwei and control the waterways of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, do you think Yang Guang, who is currently on an inspection tour in Jiangdu, will still sit idly by?"

"If we really attract the Xiaoguo army, can we stop them with our current strength?"

Zhou Faming's expression changed slightly as he instantly realized what was happening.

"It was my oversight," he quickly bowed. "The general is wise; I was too hasty."

Zhao Yu waved his hand: "Go and make the arrangements. Take advantage of the situation to reclaim all the water fortresses and checkpoints that Du Fuwei previously occupied. Re-establish the tax checkpoints on the waterways and continue collecting taxes from passing merchants as before. There's no need to do anything else. I will deal with Du Fuwei sooner or later, but not now."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Zhou Faming clasped his hands in response without the slightest hesitation.

"I will send someone to oversee the rewarding of the soldiers after I return to Gaoyou. You go ahead and prepare the troops; I'll take my leave first."

After saying this, Zhao Yu mounted his horse and returned to Gaoyou with several personal guards.

Riding at breakneck speed, when they returned to the governor's mansion, Cui Shanwei had already received the news and was waiting for them there.

"General, I've heard the news of the great victory at the front," Cui Shanwei greeted him with a smile. "With this victory, Du Fuwei will not dare to invade the west again for some time."

"Hmm." Zhao Yu sat down and took the tea offered by the maid. "Make the arrangements so that the private salt trade with the Giant Kun Gang continues as usual. Once the waterway is opened, the share can be increased by another 20%. Keep a close eye on this matter and make sure there are no mistakes."

"Understood, sir." Cui Shanwei nodded in agreement.

Zhao Yu tapped his fingertips on the table and continued, "I'll be away for a few days to deal with some trouble. I'll leave the affairs of the manor to you. Keep things stable at home, don't worry about me."

Cui Shanwei immediately understood that Zhao Yu was about to deal with the assassin. Although he did not know Shi Zhixuan's specific identity, he knew that a top expert had been chasing Zhao Yu.

"Rest assured, Steward, I will take good care of the place and ensure nothing goes wrong." Cui Shanwei bowed and accepted the order with a solemn expression.

After finishing his official duties, Zhao Yu thought of Bai Qing'er and casually asked, "Where's Miss Bai? I haven't seen her."

The steward beside him quickly bowed and replied, "Reporting to the head steward, Miss Bai packed her things and moved out the day before yesterday, saying that it was inconvenient to live in the mansion, so she found another house in the city to live in."

Zhao Yu raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, and after getting the address, went to find it on his own.