6kv Chapter 43 Knocking on the Gate
Chapter 43 Knocking on the Gate
Finally, I reached the threshold of internal strength.
He is about to knock on the door.
Lin Mu, filled with excitement, gritted his teeth, returned to his original position, and continued practicing his boxing.
Add spirals to the straight lines of a through-draft, add penetration to the arcs of willows swaying in the wind, and add rotation to the turning and guarding of willows in a whirlwind.
Each move and technique was honed repeatedly.
Rainwater, sweat, and blood mingled together, forming a dark red stream on the blue bricks beneath his feet.
As dawn broke on the horizon, he threw his final punch, but without much force, and his fist stopped in mid-air.
A warm current surged from the dantian, like spring soil being soaked by the first rain, like a dried-up riverbed finally being filled with water.
Deep within his dantian, the warm current of energy transformed into the first wisp of his own internal energy—extremely fine and weak, like a newly sprouted bud.
His body was a mixture of mental and physical energy, with his mind guiding his actions and his energy moving at his command.
Qi resides in the fascia; one can control Qi with intention.
This is a sign of internal strength.
Lin Mu looked down at his palms, which were damp, and he couldn't tell if it was rainwater or sweat.
He closed his eyes and pulled up the booklet.
[Long Wind Fist: Mastery 1/100]
[Body Tempering Technique: Minor Success 1/100]
It's a hidden strength.
Once the body-strengthening technique is mastered to a minor degree, the power of one's will can attach to the blood and qi, spreading throughout the entire body.
He stood in the rain, the raindrops hitting his face, making it impossible to tell whether it was cold or hot.
He looked at his palm; a subtle, faint energy flowed through his fingertips, extremely fine and weak, yet undeniably present.
From tonight onwards, he will no longer be the martial artist who can only use others' internal force to strike back.
Lin Mu lay down as dawn broke.
But the Wind Chaser Gang was like a knife pressed against his waist, a lump in his throat.
He tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.
......
That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.
Having rested and recuperated, Lin Mu changed into night clothes, put on an eagle-head mask, climbed over the back wall of the courtyard, and silently swept through the streets and alleys of the inner city.
The Wind Chaser Gang's stronghold is located on the east side of the inner city, near the base of the city wall.
It was a large three-courtyard house with black tiles and white walls. Two stone lions stood at the entrance, and two dim lanterns hung under the eaves, their yellowish light swaying in the night wind.
Lin Mu went around to the backyard, climbed over the wall, and landed on the branch of an old locust tree.
The dense foliage completely concealed him.
The backyard was quieter than the front yard, and the lights in several of the side rooms were still on, casting flickering shadows on the window paper.
The night wind blew in from the direction of the city wall, rustling the leaves and just enough to cover his breathing.
He lay motionless on the tree branch, like a scar on the branch.
Eyes fixed on the few lit windows, ears perked up, trying to catch any whispers coming from inside.
First, there was a gruff voice, slurred with alcohol, speaking unclearly:
"The gang leader has returned to Maple Forest Town and won't be back for at least seven or eight days."
"Fortunately, the major hall masters were there to keep things in order, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to stop the Zhao family's counterattack at all."
Another voice, slightly shrill, said with a hint of schadenfreude: "Isn't that perfect? With the gang leader away, we can relax a bit."
"I haven't been to Zuichunlou in ages, who's going tonight?"
"Fuck you! Before the gang leader left, he told us to keep an eye on the headquarters and not to cause any trouble."
"If you dare to sneak out, I'll be the first to kill you." The third voice sounded older and more composed.
A gruff voice chuckled, "Just kidding, don't take it seriously. Come on, let's drink!"
The clinking of glasses was followed by a burst of laughter.
Lin Mu's ears twitched slightly.
Ling Feng is not here.
Fenglin Town is about two days' journey from Heyuan County.
He remained perched in the tree, like a wolf waiting for its prey, patient and restrained.
After a while, the shrill voice lowered its tone, as if whispering, "Do you think the gang leader went back to Maple Forest Town this time because of that matter?"
"What is it?" the gruff voice asked.
"It's Xuan..." The shrill voice went even lower, so low that it was almost inaudible.
Lin Mu, perched in the tree, pressed his ear close to the trunk, barely managing to catch a few words: "I heard that something big seems to have happened at the branch headquarters in various places."
"Shut up."
A steady voice snapped, "What did the gang leader tell you before he left? Don't say what you shouldn't say, and don't ask what you shouldn't ask. Let's drink."
There was a moment of silence over there, with only the clinking of glasses remaining.
After a while, a gruff voice suddenly asked, "Why didn't that kid Chen Kui go with them?"
"They're keeping an eye on things at the Zhao family's place."
"Why does the gang leader value him so much? I don't know what's gotten into him."
A calm voice interrupted them again: "Enough. It's none of your business to gossip about the gang leader's affairs."
"After you finish this pot, go back to sleep."
"We still need to patrol at daybreak tomorrow."
"If you forget, not only the gang leader, but even the hall masters could crush you."
The room quieted down, with only the occasional clinking of wine glasses.
Lin Mu lay on the tree and heard every word of these words.
He lowered his body, poked half his head out from the tree branch, and carefully observed the layout of the courtyard.
The front yard was brightly lit, and several gang members were patrolling, with knives at their waists and walking casually, clearly not taking the night watch seriously.
There were only a few people in the side room in the backyard, and no other movement was heard.
He wanted to sneak into that room to eavesdrop on more, or to figure out their shift change pattern.
However, there was an open area in the middle of the courtyard, without any obstruction, and patrolmen would pass by every now and then, the light of lanterns sweeping across every corner.
Moreover, there are three hall masters in the Wind Riding Gang.
Lin Mu lay on the tree and waited for half an hour, then another half hour.
The patrolling gang members changed shifts twice, but the intervals between each shift were different and there was no discernible pattern.
We cannot force our way in.
But Ling Feng is not here, and time waits for no one.
Lin Mu reached into the groove of the tree branch and felt for a few small pebbles.
It's about the size of a pigeon egg, with sharp edges. It was washed down from the top of the wall during the rain a few days ago and got stuck in a crack in the tree bark.
He twirled the pebble to feel its weight, then threw the first pebble eastward.
"Clatter~"
The sound of tiles shattering was especially crisp in the night.
The light in the east wing was off, but a figure was suddenly seen sitting up in the paper window.
The leader of the Azure Dragon Hall put on his robe, pushed open the door, stood under the porch, glanced at the roof, muttered something under his breath, and strode towards the east courtyard wall to investigate.
Lin Mu did not give him a chance to come back.
The second pebble was thrown westward toward the White Tiger Hall Master's room.
It landed on the roof with the same crisp sound.
The leader of the White Tiger Hall was also alarmed. He pushed open the door, came out, and went west while cursing.
Only the Master of the Vermilion Bird Hall remained in the courtyard.
Lin Mu silently slid down from the tree, using his Wind Step technique to move close to the wall and crept towards the south.
At this moment, the Master of the Vermilion Bird Hall was standing under the corridor, listening intently to the sounds coming from the east and west sides.
Lin Mu waited until he turned around.
He moved like a gust of wind, silently approaching the master of the Vermilion Bird Hall. He raised his right palm, his inner strength condensing into a line, and chopped towards the back of the master's head.