Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 13 Do You Still Have Vital Energy? A Black Smoke Figure Eavesdropping

"Master, shouldn't we start practicing our boxing first?"

Lu Qian asked with some doubt.

"Hey kid, what are you thinking? Don't aim too high!"

Master Yunlong tapped Lü Qian on the head and patiently explained.

"Tai Chi may seem simple, but it is actually a very sophisticated martial art. Although you laid a good foundation when you were in Lüjia Village, you still need to correct a few things."

"Seeking the Way is not just about acquiring the skills of the hands, but also about the true essence within."

As he spoke, Master Yunlong used Tai Chi energy in his hands, the force of hardness and softness constantly evolving between his hands, creating a gentle breeze.

In Lü Qian's eyes, the power in Master Yunlong's hands flowed and intertwined, gradually converging into a flowing force.

The force gradually disappeared under Master Yunlong's kneading, leaving only a gentle breeze flowing around him.

Master Yunlong looked at the mesmerized Lü Qian, stroked his beard smugly, and thought to himself, "Hmph! Little brat, I've been practicing this Tai Chi for over thirty years, and it still can't subdue a little kid like you."

"Please enlighten me, Master."

Lu Qian came to his senses and knelt down with a thud, his forehead hitting the ground with a dull thud.

"Hey! You little brat, I just wanted to broaden your horizons, what are you doing? Get up right now!"

Master Yunlong looked at Lü Qian at his feet in surprise and hurriedly bent down to pull him up from the ground.

"Please enlighten me, Master."

Standing up, Lü Qian ignored the dust and dirt on his Taoist robe and looked intently at Daoist Yunlong, repeating what he had just said.

"I'll teach you, I'll teach you right now! I went there, and what did I do but run into a fanatic like you?"

Master Yunlong looked at Lü Qian with a mixture of helplessness and delight, feeling both helpless and pleased by the other's obsession with cultivation.

"Since you have already attained Qi, you should still start practicing from the beginning. Begin with standing meditation, observe my movements and the rhythm of my breathing, and remember the mantra."

"Although each school has its own methods, the underlying principles are not entirely the same. Pay close attention."

As he spoke, Master Yunlong explained and demonstrated.

Stand naturally with your feet together and toes pointing forward. Relax your whole body and let your arms hang naturally at your sides.

He stood in front of Lü Qian, his body moving in response to his words, quickly striking a natural pose.

Lu Qian was facing Master Yunlong. The two stood opposite each other, and he followed Yunlong's explanation, making the same gesture to relax his muscles and bones.

On the training ground, the master and disciple taught diligently, and the disciple learned diligently. Soon, Master Yunlong explained and demonstrated the stance training.

Lü Qian also stood in the same position once, following his master's instructions.

"good."

Master Yunlong finished his practice and stood up. He glanced at Lü Qian, who was also finishing his practice and adjusting his breathing, and exclaimed in admiration.

"Alright, don't be complacent. Since you learn so quickly, I'll teach you the rest as well."

"Keep your head upright and your chest slightly concave, straighten your back, relax your shoulders and drop your elbows, and press your tongue against the upper palate."

Seeing Lü Qian's calm demeanor and composed expression, Daoist Yunlong nodded solemnly and continued his demonstration.

"The Wuji is the beginning of the Taiji."

He slowly waved his hands, leaving endless traces in the air, as if it were a natural bodily reaction.

"The union of Yin and Yang forms Taiji, which is then divided into Liangyi."

Following Yunlong's slow movements, Lü Qian gradually dissipated the stiffness in his body. His Qi also flowed slowly through his meridians, down his abdomen, and into his Dantian, circulating throughout his entire body.

Inside the training ground, the master and disciple slowly moved their palms, and streams of energy gathered around them, swirling and lingering.

Between their movements, the two men exhaled deeply, revealing an inexhaustible momentum.

As the sun began to set in the west, the originally bright sunlight gradually turned yellow, creating streaks of crimson clouds on the horizon.

"Phew~"

Master Yunlong finished his practice and stood up, a smile spreading across his face as he looked at Lü Qian, who had finished his practice at almost the same time.

"He's truly a good candidate for cultivation."

More than an hour has passed since the apprenticeship ceremony ended in the afternoon and Lü Qian was settled in. Lü Qian has already mastered the breathing technique in just one go.

In other words, Lü Qian not only learned breathing techniques from him, but also practiced them single-mindedly for more than an hour.

There is no such thing as "should" or "shouldn't" in cultivation. Yunlong is very pleased with his disciple Lü Qian, who is talented and hardworking.

Thinking of his worthless disciples who only spent their time grinding in the game, Yunlong felt both gratified and angry.

"Those little brats, don't even think about slacking off anymore."

He gritted his teeth and decided to increase the intensity of his training for his disciples.

After making the arrangements in his mind, Yunlong looked at Lü Qian with a smile and asked,

"Well? Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

"have!"

Lu Qian closed his eyes, feeling the Qi flowing through his body according to a special circulation pattern, and nodded.

"This combination of breathing techniques and fist techniques is like constantly testing one's life force. Although it is slow, one's cultivation does accumulate in small ways."

"Oh, you figured it out already?"

Yunlong looked at Lü Qian with some surprise. Although he had deduced from Lü Qian's talent that it was only a matter of time before he figured it out, he did not expect that he would discover it after only one practice session.

"That's right, do you know what the key points of Tai Chi energy are?"

"Form and meaning are in harmony, meaning and energy are in harmony, energy and spirit are in harmony."

"That's right."

Yunlong nodded and pointed to Lü Qian's three dantian (upper, middle, and lower).

"In this process, a person's three treasures—essence, energy, and spirit—are guided and gathered, flowing through the body's internal organs and meridians like dough being kneaded, thus being tempered."

"Alright, any other questions?"

That's all for now.

"Alright, it's getting late. You should come with me to the dining hall for lunch, and then join Deqing and the others for evening prayers. After all, you've already entered the Xuanmen (Taoist sect), and your cultivation should begin now; you can't slack off!"

Yunlong turned around and led Lü Qian toward the dining hall.

"Go back to your room after this is over. I will teach you Wudang martial arts later."

"Da~"

"Oh, right!"

As if remembering something, Daoist Yunlong paused on the stone steps, turned around and looked at Lü Qian with a serious expression.

"Um... I have a question for you, it's just... it's just..."

Looking at the twelve-year-old Lü Qianyun, Daoist Master Yunlong was at a loss for words. He trembled and could not speak for a long time.

"Master, please ask away."

"Well, speaking of which, you should still have some yang energy left... right?"

Looking at Lü Qian's clear face, Daoist Yunlong gritted his teeth and spoke hesitantly.

True Yang?

Having barely read any proper Daoist texts, Lü Qian had never heard of this obscure term before, and he stood there dumbfounded. After his mind cleared and he spun around a few times, he immediately realized what it meant.

True Yang?

Isn't this the Yuan Yang?

Virgin?

Master Yunlong was asking himself if he was a virgin.

"Of course! I'm not twelve years old yet, just by the traditional Chinese age reckoning. Master, what kind of person do you take me for?"

"Even if... even if I had that thought, bah! I don't even have that thought! I came to Wudang to sincerely seek the Dao!"

Lu Qian couldn't help but shout at Yunlong.

In the mountains and forests, Lü Qian's voice echoed on the empty and quiet mountain path.

After he shouted, he glanced around nervously. Luckily, there was hardly anyone there, and no one heard him.

But in the shadows deep in the woods, a black, smoky figure lit up two eyes. Those round eyes shone with a deep blue hue, yet one could always sense a mocking intent within them.

The dark shadow darted silently toward the two in the woods, climbed a tree trunk, and discreetly peered at them through the gaps in the leaves.