Chapter 5: Chapter 3: Health Cultivation Technique
Wei Hong’s unspoken meaning.
Wei Tu understood.
His second aunt meant that he should be careful what he asked for. She would help with small matters, but not with anything significant.
"I came here this time, Second Aunt, hoping to ask a favor. I’d like to learn some Martial Arts from the Huang Mansion’s guards to improve my health."
Wei Tu said after a moment of contemplation.
"Practice Martial Arts? There’s an old saying: the poor study literature, the rich practice martial arts. You’re already too old; there’s no future for you in it." Wei Hong frowned.
She had actually hoped her nephew would ask for help in securing a good position at the Huang Mansion. But then she remembered that Wei Tu had already been sold into servitude to the Li Mansion, so she kept that thought to herself.
As a woman married into another family, having support from her maiden family would give her more standing. Unfortunately, the Wei Family was hopeless and couldn’t help her in the slightest.
"Even learning a Health Cultivation Technique to strengthen my body would be good."
Wei Tu conceded slightly.
Compared to exclusive Martial Arts, Health Cultivation Techniques were a dime a dozen among Martial Artists and not considered precious.
"Since you insist, I’ll speak with Martial Artist Ruan and have him teach you a few things." Seeing Wei Tu’s persistence, Wei Hong sighed and agreed.
After saying this, Wei Hong had no intention of making small talk with Wei Tu in the side room. She glanced sideways at her maidservant, casually made an excuse, and got up to leave.
"Second Aunt, the gift..."
Wei Tu quickly reminded her as he saw her about to turn and walk out the door.
"Qinghe, take the gift." Wei Hong didn’t look back. After giving the order to her maidservant, she continued toward the long corridor.
A moment later, Wei Tu, still in the side room, finally understood. By not taking the gift herself when she left, Wei Hong was subtly telling him not to come looking for his second aunt again.
The bond between them was now severed.
"The Second Mistress has already spoken with Martial Artist Ruan. Brother Wei, please come this way."
In the afternoon, a maidservant named Cuiliu came to the side room and led Wei Tu to another courtyard in the front of the mansion.
Upon entering the courtyard gate, Wei Tu saw a burly man with a saber at his waist, teaching two young, silk-clad masters in a spacious area within.
One of the young masters was thirteen or fourteen, while the other was only seven or eight.
He thought to himself, ’This burly man must be the Martial Artist Ruan that Wei Hong mentioned.’
"You’re Wei Tu?" Martial Artist Ruan glanced at him, a flash of contempt in his eyes, though his tone didn’t betray it.
"Yes, Martial Artist Ruan."
Wei Tu cupped his fist in his other hand and bowed.
Martial Master guards were honored guests in great households, not mere Servants.
"The Second Mistress asked me to teach you a Health Cultivation Technique. As it happens, I have a copy of the Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique that I acquired in my youth. Take it."
Martial Artist Ruan pulled a yellowed pictorial manual from his sleeve and tossed it to Wei Tu.
"Memorize the stances of this Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique. In seven days, give it to the gatekeeper to return to me..."
he said.
After speaking, Martial Artist Ruan waved his hand, dismissing Wei Tu.
He had no intention of actually teaching him whatsoever.
Seeing the disdainful looks from Martial Artist Ruan and the two young masters of the Huang Family, Wei Tu didn’t get angry. He simply said his thanks and left.
Just then, he heard the two silk-clad young masters talking behind him.
"Yuan Shan, was that your cousin? Why didn’t you say hello?"
"He’s not my cousin. My mother has never even let me meet him..."
The voices faded. By the time the burning sensation on Wei Tu’s face subsided and he lifted his head to look straight ahead, he realized he had already been outside the Huang Mansion for some time.
’Is it because of this golden finger that I’ve found some courage and self-respect? I’m not numb anymore...’
Wei Tu laughed at himself.
As early as last night, when he was planning to visit his second aunt, Wei Hong, at the Huang Mansion, he had already anticipated that today’s scene might unfold.
But he had no choice. Other than the Huang Family where Wei Hong lived, there was nowhere else he could possibly get access to a Health Cultivation Technique, let alone actual Martial Arts.
Health Cultivation Techniques being a dime a dozen was only true for the sons of wealthy families and Martial Artists.
Even if he could find access elsewhere, the price he’d have to pay would be far greater than enduring a few scornful remarks.
’One step at a time.’
’With this Health Cultivation Technique, if I persevere, sooner or later I can become someone who stands above others.’
Wei Tu clutched the pictorial manual to his chest and quickened his pace, heading for the Li Mansion.
He couldn’t wait to start his Cultivation of this Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique.
Although a Health Cultivation Technique was not as deadly as regular Martial Arts, it didn’t mean it lacked any combat capability at all.
A strong and healthy body was, at the very least, superior to that of an ordinary person.
Furthermore, if one achieved proficiency in a Health Cultivation Technique, learning other Martial Arts afterward would be twice as effective with half the effort.
「Returning to the Li Mansion.」
After adding feed for the half-grown black horse, Wei Tu lit the stable’s oil lamp and slipped into the side room where he slept. He began to study the copy of the *Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique* that Martial Artist Ruan had given him.
This Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique was not complicated. It consisted of only seven Pile Skills, illustrated in a total of thirty-two drawings.
A few hours later, Wei Tu began to practice, following the drawings in the Health Cultivation Technique to perform the standing stances.
He spread his feet apart, first pulling in his chest and straightening his back, sinking his shoulders and dropping his elbows. Then, he tensed his abdomen and tucked his hips, controlling his every breath.
His movements were stiff, and he was completely unable to achieve the principles of the Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique’s Pile Skill: "empty above, solid below," "body empty, stance solid," and "emptiness and solidness generating each other."
Fortunately, the Pile Skill was not complex. With each repetition, his movements became more and more familiar.
Once.
Twice.
On the thirty-second time.
Something flickered before Wei Tu’s eyes. A line of text appeared on his Golden Purple Destiny Chart, as if carved into it.
"Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique (1/100): Nine practices a day, achieve success in five years."
’Five years. That’s too long. It will take me five years just to cultivate this one Health Cultivation Technique to the Great Success stage...’
Forgetting his excitement at discovering this application of his Destiny Chart, Wei Tu’s expression turned grim. Although he had long suspected his own aptitude was poor, the thought of spending five years to master a basic Health Cultivation Technique still left him feeling resentful.
An ordinary person would become proficient in a Health Cultivation Technique in a few months.
It should never take five whole years.
’Wait, "achieve success in five years"... The key isn’t the five years, but the words "achieve success"...’
Wei Tu opened the manual and saw a sentence in the preface of the *Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique*.
[When the Qi Cultivation Technique is mastered, Qi will rise from the meridians, and one may enter the Qi Sensing Realm.]
Combined with his [Late Bloomer] Destiny Chart, this meant that while it would take him longer than others to practice the *Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique*, he was guaranteed to achieve mastery and develop Qi Sensitivity.
In other words, his practice wasn’t necessarily worse than others’. It was just that others might seem proficient, but they never truly reached the stage of Great Success.
’I just don’t know what kind of Realm this Qi Sensing Realm is within the path of Martial Arts...’
Wei Tu sighed.
Limited by his background, he knew far too little about this world.
He had only picked up bits of information through hearsay.
However, he guessed that this Realm must be extraordinary. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been mentioned so prominently in the preface of the *Turtle Breath Qi Cultivation Technique*.
’Five years isn’t that long. After five years, it will be perfectly clear whether this golden finger and my guesses are correct.’
Wei Tu had the patience to wait.
He was currently only seventeen years old. In five more years, he would still only be twenty-two.
