Observing Wanfa from the martial arts school servants

Chapter 135 Literary and Martial Arts Cultivation

Lin Mu returned to the guesthouse from the back mountain of Xianzong. He hid his night clothes in a hidden compartment under the bed, changed into clean clothes, and made sure there was no blood on his body before heading to the study.

Morning light streamed through the bamboo blinds onto the desk, and the sound of flowing water drifted from afar. Everything was as usual, except for the old man who was talking loudly.

"Last night, I was kidnapped by more than ten Core Formation demon descendants. Those rats stuffed me into a sack and carried me away."

Liu Zongqing stood in the center of the study, his blue cloth robe still covered with bits of grass he had picked up in the sack yesterday, but his hair was now neatly combed again.

He gestured vigorously with both hands, his voice so loud it seemed he could lift the roof off the temple.

"I remained silent inside the sack, secretly plotting my escape."

"When they passed through a dense forest, I took them by surprise, banged my head against the sack, and rolled out of it!"

"The two Core Formation demon descendants rushed at me as soon as they saw that I was free."

"I remain fearless in the face of danger, my righteous spirit is awe-inspiring, and with just my own righteous aura, they cannot get within three zhang of me—"

Xiaoxiao sat behind the desk, her two short legs swinging back and forth, her eyes wide open.

"Grandpa Liu, what happened next?"

"Later, I fought and retreated until I reached a cliff. The two demon descendants saw that dawn was approaching and were afraid of attracting the Quan family's Golden Winged Kung Fu masters, so they left in a huff."

"Only then did I return to the private school with composure."

Liu Zongqing picked up his teacup to moisten his throat and was about to continue speaking when he caught a glimpse of Lin Mu at the door.

The sound stopped abruptly; his lips moved several times, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The young man who saved him last night appeared at the study door. Although he had covered his face last night and was now wearing new clothes, he still remembered his sharp eyes.

Xiaoxiao turned her head following Liu Zongqing's gaze, and her eyes lit up when she saw Lin Mu.

She slid off the chair, ran over with her short legs, jumped up and hugged his neck, her two short legs swinging back and forth on his waist.

"Big brother, where did you go this morning?"

"Xiaoxiao wants to eat roasted sweet potatoes, she's been looking for you for ages!"

Lin Mu caught her and weighed her in his arms. He felt that she had gained half a pound since yesterday, probably because she had been eating too well lately.

He rubbed Xiaoxiao's head and said she was practicing boxing on the back mountain.

Yan Niang also gracefully walked out from behind the desk.

"Young Master Lin, could you please come out for a moment?"

Her voice was gentle, and she spoke very politely, but Yan Niang had already lifted the bamboo curtain first.

Outside the study, in the bamboo grove, the morning breeze rustled the bamboo leaves. Yan Niang stood with her back to Lin Mu for a moment, then turned around and looked directly into his eyes.

"I looked for you with Xiaoxiao for a long time this morning, but we couldn't find you."

Lin Mu smiled but did not answer. The other party was using a perception technique, and he would be exposed if he was not careful.

However, every adult has secrets, so Yan Niang didn't pry. She simply warned, "Things haven't been peaceful lately."

"Although Young Master Jin Yu mediated the battle between the Quan family and the Xuanmen, if the beast pattern map cannot be found, the outcome is hard to predict."

Be careful.

Lin Mu nodded, his gaze fixed on Yan Niang's gentle face.

The fact that they called him out alone so carefully suggests that it couldn't be as simple as just asking where he went this morning.

Sure enough, Yan Niang paused, carefully considered her words, and then raised her eyes, her gaze now carrying a hint of seriousness.

"There's one more thing."

"Haoran has successfully cultivated both literary and martial arts."

"I want to know if he had any interaction with the person who uttered the 'Book of Ten Thousand People,' 'Righteous Spirit,' and 'Golden Fist' when he was in Heyuan."

Lin Mu raised an eyebrow slightly.

Has Wen Haoran successfully cultivated both literary and martial arts?

He only saw him throw one punch in Heyuan and asked him a few questions, and he understood the path of cultivating both literature and martial arts.

This guy's talent for learning by stealing techniques is even stronger than his.

"Isn't this a good thing?" Lin Mu asked back.

Yan Niang's gaze lingered on his face for a moment before she finally sighed, "Cultivating both literary and martial arts is forbidden."

"From the highest immortal sects to the lowest imperial court, it is explicitly forbidden."

"In that case, Haoran's path is destined to be difficult."

A hint of worry flashed across her eyes, but it was quickly masked by her usual composure.

"I don't know if it's easy to travel, but he did talk to that person in Heyuan."

The two stared at each other for a moment.

Yan Niang's eyes reflected the bamboo shadows and the morning light, as well as Lin Mu's face.

Lin Mu's eyes reflected Yan Niang and the bamboo forest behind her swaying in the morning breeze.

Both of them were using their keen observation skills to capture every subtle change in each other's faces, like two chess players playing a silent game.

"I guess you could call this a question-and-answer game."

"Now it's my turn to ask."

"What exactly is the cultivation of both literary and martial arts?"

Lin Mu suddenly asked.

Yan Niang withdrew her gaze, staring at the pale golden halo above the waterfall, and remained silent for a long while before speaking.

"The cultivation of both literature and martial arts is the method of the Martial Saint Zeng Wu."

"Before condensing the elixir, one should form a literary Dao heart. By condensing the elixir with a literary Dao heart, the punch will possess both the power of the literary Dao and the might of the martial Dao."

"It is different from cultivating both literary and martial arts."

"Cultivating both literary and martial arts means having the Way of Literature on the left and the Way of Martial Arts on the right. Literature is literature and martial arts are martial arts, clearly distinct."

"The cultivation of both literature and martial arts involves integrating the spirit of literature into the intent of martial arts, making the two one and inseparable."

Lin Mu recalled the final punch he delivered on the city wall of Heyuan.

When the dark red light of the Book of Ten Thousand People, the pure white light of the Righteous Qi, the dark gold patterns of the Candle Dragon Nine Infants, and the golden power of the fist were twisted into one, it felt like every acupoint in the body was burning.

What Yan Niang said was probably true.

In that case, shouldn't he first cultivate the Dao Heart of Literature and then pursue both literary and martial arts cultivation?

Whether something is taboo or not, it's best to keep it well hidden.

Use only when absolutely necessary.

What exactly is the Dao Heart of the Daoist?

Just as Lin Mu was about to speak, Yan Niang turned around, her slender waist swaying slightly in the morning light, and then left.

She probably has no more questions to ask.

But he still has some.

Lin Mu had no choice but to turn his attention away and set his sights on Liu Zongqing.

Liu Zongqing continued to talk eloquently to Xiaoxiao.

Lin Mu walked over, picked up Xiaoxiao, and whispered a few words in her ear.

Xiaoxiao's eyes darted around, then she slid off his lap, ran to Liu Zongqing, tilted her head back, and called out in a clear, crisp voice, "Mr. Liu!"

"Um?

"

"Mr. Liu is truly amazing. Even with so many Core Formation cultivators in the Xuanzong Sect, they couldn't do anything to you."

Liu Zongqing stroked his beard, nodded slightly, and a hint of smugness appeared on his face.

"Mr. Liu must be a master of literature and scholarship, right?"

"My mother said that those who are highly accomplished in literature and Taoism all have a Taoist heart."

"What is your Daoist heart?"

"Could we take a look?"

"Ahem~," Liu Zongqing paused mid-air while stroking his beard, "Of course not."

"The Dao heart is the secret of every person who studies the Dao."

,

"It may be a potted asparagus fern, or an orchid, but for most people, the Daoist heart is a book."

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