Chapter 22 Intercepting the Pulse

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He had lunch at noon and took a short nap.

Even with the Heavenly Yuan Technique, which keeps his spirit continually vigorous, he maintained the habit of an afternoon rest to give his body and mind, as well as his internal organs, a chance to rest and rejuvenate.

Even though he is now only an Innate Master, Grandmasters, and even Great Grandmasters, are still made of flesh and blood and must adhere to the principles of nurturing life.

The innate power of the body is, after all, the power of the heavens and the earth, and its nourishing effect on the body is stronger than True Qi, needing to be utilized well.

Among Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters, some have long lifespans while others have short ones, with innate factors accounting for eight parts and postnatal nurturing two.

After a short rest, as he was about to head to the Tongtian Pavilion, Zou Fang brought an invitation, which turned out to be from the Eighteenth Prince, Chu Mingxuan.

Chu Zhiyuan glanced at it and nodded.

He spent an afternoon in Tongtian Pavilion flipping through books on ancient scripts, imprinting all the ancient characters into his mind.

Although the imprint is like engraving into a hard drive, fully digesting and integrating them requires a process of reflective thinking.

This process can be handed over to the subconscious to work on during sleep, requiring time to process.

...

In the evening, he left Tongtian Pavilion amidst the afterglow of the sunset, first returning to the Prince Mansion, and when the city lights started to illuminate, he arrived at the Eighteenth Prince Mansion under the protection of Zou Fang, Feng Xi, and Guo Chi.

He was welcomed by Chu Mingxuan into the front yard and saw Chu Zhitian and Chu Zhichuan sparring in the open space in front of the hall.

Chu Zhitian was fierce and domineering, as aggressive as fire, while Chu Zhichuan was graceful and nimble, advancing and retreating like the wind, and for the moment, it was hard to determine who had the upper hand.

As soon as Chu Zhiyuan appeared, Chu Zhitian, while making a vigorous attack, laughed, "Fourth Brother, let's have a round!"

Chu Mingxuan laughed, "Yes, we haven't seen your fist and leg skills, Fourth Brother, you mustn't bully us with True Qi."

"Is it alright?"

Chu Mingxuan laughed, "They're unwilling to concede!"

"Alright, be careful!"

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, darting between the two, his palms gently striking their chests.

His movements were lightning fast, and his palms were gentle.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Both fell onto their backs, flying three zhang away, crashing into a plum tree.

"Sss..."

Both rubbed their chests, their faces flushed red, trying hard to breathe but only making a "ss ss" sound and unable to inhale.

Chu Zhiyuan watched with a smile, not stepping forward to help.

Chu Mingxuan watched them curiously as well.

Their faces turned purple, producing a "ss ss" sound from their throats, and appeared unable to catch their breath, struggling strenuously.

Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile, "Handstand."

They quickly kicked their feet towards the sky, supporting themselves with their hands.

"Hoo—!"

As soon as their bodies sagged, they exhaled a breath, then flipped over and stood firm, looking at Chu Zhiyuan with lingering fear.

Their breathing had returned to normal.

"Fourth Brother, what hand skill was that?" Chu Zhitian touched his chest, feeling no pain, as if what just happened was an illusion.

Evidently, it was a clever technique, that was so exquisitely precise, striking at an exact point that prevented them from breathing, no matter how much Inner Qi flowed, it was peculiar indeed.

Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile, "Vein-cutting Hand."

"Vein-cutting Hand..."

They thought for a moment and then nodded, recalling that this martial arts was indeed on the martial arts manual shelf in the west side hall.

They hadn't practiced this Vein-cutting Hand, seeing no value in it.

The Vein-cutting Hand had great limitations in its execution, needing accurate strikes on acupoints; without precise hits, it couldn't exert its power.

Acupoints exist in every person's body, but the positions vary from person to person, with no exact replica locations.

This slight variation can render the Vein-cutting Hand powerless.

Thus, very few practice it.

Chu Zhiyuan practiced this martial arts technique because of the presence of Super Sense, enabling him to precisely locate opponents' acupoints, thus achieving victory through skill over strength.

Chu Mingxuan marveled, "Is the Vein-cutting Hand so powerful?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Eighteenth Uncle, any martial art we have collected in the Mingwu Hall is top-notch, those placed in the lower levels simply have flaws, not that their power is weak."

Chu Mingxuan shook his head and said, "We still mainly focus on the Little Ziyang Technique, we cannot afford to delay our cultivation of the Little Ziyang Technique."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

To other princes and heirs, the Little Ziyang Technique is the foundation, spending more effort to practice martial skills would be putting the cart before the horse for the princes and heirs, as they have guards who are Grandmasters.

He, however, possesses Super Sense, with extreme lack of security, coupled with extraordinary talent, enabling him to divert attention to learning some self-defense techniques.

The four entered the front hall, and soon, delicacies filled the table, accompanied by a jar of fine wine.

This time, the wine was also Bone Wine soaked with Demon Beast, though far inferior to the last time.

They drank wine while chatting idly.

The three inquired about his situation in the Ministry of Rites, shaking their heads repeatedly after hearing Chu Zhiyuan's account, feeling it was a waste of talent.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed without rebuttal, turning the topic to the matter of Prince Ying's arrival in the capital.

"The entire Ministry of Rites is busy with this matter, aiming to ensure that Tenth Uncle's occasion is grand and splendid, showcasing the Court's justice and respect for honor, and also demonstrating that our Chu Family has capable successors, to win people's hearts."

Chu Zhitian couldn't help but curl his lips, unable to conceal his pride.

Chu Zhichuan and Chu Mingxuan also inevitably felt a sense of longing and aspiration.

Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile, "Eighteenth Uncle, with Tenth Uncle as the benchmark, no one else can outshine."

"...Alas, indeed." Chu Mingxuan helplessly said, "Who can match Tenth Brother's divine prowess and extraordinary courage?"

Being a prince, unlike the heirs, he was closer to the imperial throne, even just a step away, within arm's reach.

Thus, he couldn't purely focus on meritorious achievements like the heirs, and besides gaining merits, he had to also cultivate prestige and foster reputation in the military.

Although the prerequisite for succession is being a Great Grandmaster, if all are Great Grandmasters, then it will depend on each candidate's prestige, yet of course, ultimately, it lies in the Emperor's choice.

"Eighteenth Uncle, then join the Military Suppression Department." Chu Zhichuan said, "The three of us can join forces to control the Military Suppression Department!"

Chu Mingxuan showed signs of hesitation.

Truly entering the Military Suppression Department meant almost giving up on the imperial throne.

Although, due to his young age, he was far from the throne, but what if, the world is unpredictable, perhaps he could truly attain the realm of a Great Grandmaster.

As long as he steps into a Great Grandmaster, he could hope to succeed the throne.

If several elder brothers could not become Great Grandmasters, then he might succeed the throne.

Chu Zhitian quickly nodded, "Eighteenth Uncle, you be our superior, we can work together wholeheartedly to make achievements!"

"...Let me think about it." Chu Mingxuan was ultimately hesitant, unable to make up his mind.

Chu Zhiyuan switched the topic, discussing the envoy from Da Zhen who accompanied Prince Ying back this time.

Chu Zhichuan's face tensed, and he snorted, "Do we truly need to form an alliance by marriage with Da Zhen?"

Chu Zhitian frowned.

Chu Mingxuan sighed without speaking.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "To speak of an alliance by marriage now is still premature, it's merely an intention and will require many negotiations."

Many things are involved here, with interests at stake, and naturally, it will undergo multiple negotiations, not achievable in one swoop.

He chatted with colleagues from the Ministry of Rites, and from their words, it might even drag on for a year or two before a final outcome.

Chu Zhichuan frowned, "If an alliance by marriage, will we send a bride or take one?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "It's hard to say, it will depend on the world's changes, if it goes to war with Da Meng without winning, perhaps a princess will be sent over."

"Frustrating!" Chu Zhichuan gritted his teeth.

Chu Zhitian nodded forcefully.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "If we can defeat Da Meng, then we can take a princess, … Ultimately, everything depends on strength."

In this world where martial arts prevail, strength is esteemed, the strong prey on the weak, principles remain important for individuals, while between countries, it's purely about interests and power.

The blame lies in Da Jing not having the prowess to contend against two foes at once and sweep through all sides, which is almost impossible.

Unless reform occurs, otherwise, it's impossible to change a nation's power in a short time.

As it stands, neither Da Jing nor Da Zhen has it, rather Da Meng's new emperor ascended to the throne, full of vigor, it's hard to say if they will implement reforms to rapidly enhance national power.

He belonged to the Sect Martial Department and had no access to such high-level intelligence and information, all he saw were intelligence and information regarding various sects in the Martial Arts of Da Jing.

Chu Mingxuan waved his hand, "Forget it, such national affairs aren't for us to worry about, practicing martial arts diligently is key."

"Indeed, it's not our worry," Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile, "Eighteenth Uncle, is there anything else in the cave mansion of this sword?"

He patted the longsword by his waist.

"...Seems to be a shattered jade piece, which shattered upon touch, did you discover the sword's mysteries?"

"I wish to refer to it, to see if I can find clues."

"Alright."

Chu Mingxuan turned around to fetch a delicate black rosewood small case and handed it to Chu Zhiyuan, just palm-sized, engraved with chi patterns, exquisite and intricate.

Chu Zhiyuan received it, opened it, and inside lay a pile of broken jade pieces on cotton padding.

Emerald green, already tainted with blood.

"Thank you, Eighteenth Uncle," Chu Zhiyuan closed the black rosewood case, patting the sword scabbard by his waist, "This sword is indeed excellent, I want to find out whose great figure it belongs to."

"Fourth Brother, don't waste your time on it, after all, it's just a sword, practice well, don't let us catch up!"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded with a smile, setting the black rosewood case aside.

This is not merely about a sword, if handled well, it is a special set of power systems; even if it cannot be used, it greatly contributes to understanding the mysteries of the world and the essence of martial arts, aiding in comprehending the path to the Grandmaster's door.

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