NOVEL WEB Chapter 13: She just wants justice
"The cultivation technique is a family legacy of mine, called the 'White Snake Blade.'
The blade has a method for practice and a method for battle. I only have the practice method, not the battle method.
Listen carefully to the practice method..."
Yune and Song Cheng leaned back against each other, separated only by a door.
A gentle voice came through the crack in the door.
"With moves, you temper muscles and bones, removing impurities with herbal supplements. Ribs like fish gills, spine like the tail of a dragon..."
As Yune recited the general outline, she slowly explained it as well.
If Song Cheng did not understand something, he would ask directly.
Yune, in turn, spared no detail in her explanations.
This cultivation technique was originally meant only for her husband, but he died on the battlefield. Now, for revenge, she passed this precious family legacy to a blind boy from a pharmacy who had little connection to her.
It wasn't that she chose this little blind boy; it was that she had no choice.
However, as the explanation continued, a subtle bond began to form between her and the little blind boy.
The practice method of the 'White Snake Blade' does not actually involve a blade; it is for strengthening the body and structuring the skin and flesh to make the body better suited for executing the blade techniques.
The practice method consists of three moves, each with three, four, and six actions. There are no fancy names; they are simply called the 'First Move,' 'Second Move,' and 'Third Move.'
Typically, names are only given to battle methods.
Battle methods usually involve mimicking natural phenomena, and their names are intended to immerse you into the combat style itself.
As for practice methods, there's no need for that.
'With moves, you temper muscles and bones' means, first, expelling some internal impurities, and second, 'fine-tuning the muscles and flesh.' To use a metaphor, your body is like a pile of parts. Tempering bones and flesh through moves is like polishing these parts and reassembling them into a killing machine.
'Removing impurities with herbal supplements' means using certain medicines to nourish the body, all available at the Rejuvenation Hall. It's like oiling the parts and transforming them from 'worn-out parts' into 'better-quality parts.'
'Ribs like fish gills, spine like the tail of a dragon' refers to two care practices during the exercises: one, breathing technique; two, attention to the spine.
While breathing, the ribs should expand and contract sideways like fish gills, which enhances the capacity of the lungs.
The spine is divided into the thoracic spine and lumbar spine.
The thoracic spine is like a dragon and is the source of form. If you want to practice the moves correctly, you must focus on the thoracic spine.
The lumbar spine is like the sea and is the source of power. If you want to explode with energy in your muscles and flesh, you must pay attention to the lumbar spine.
However, the 'White Snake Blade' scarcely involves the lumbar spine and mainly focuses on the flexibility of the thoracic spine...
In short, the areas primarily covered by this cultivation technique are the arms and thoracic spine; the rest is mentioned superficially.
This way, the cultivation technique allows for a flexible upper body and unpredictable punches.
Thus... the fist embodies the blade, and like a snake, the blade moves flexibly and swiftly, akin to a snake hidden in tall grass, a line of thunder, moving swiftly like the wind.
...
They spoke in intervals.
In between, Song Cheng went to the kitchen to fetch coarse grain pancakes and gave them to Yune to eat.
They then continued the discussion.
By evening, Tong Jia mentioned that Granny Shi had slightly awoken but could not be moved, so had to be observed in the medical clinic. So, she laid a bedroll for Yune in a side room, temporarily accommodating mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
After hearing that Yune was teaching the cultivation technique to Song Cheng, Tong Jia cheerfully prepared dinner.
After dinner, she grabbed the herbal prescription written by Yune and prepared to brew the medicine that very night for her husband.
In the moonlight...
Song Cheng practiced moves in the backyard while Yune sat to the side, watching intently, patiently correcting his mistakes.
Song Cheng practiced diligently; it was a hard-won cultivation technique and his first means to secure a livelihood and refuge—crucial for escaping here with Madam Tong.
Escape!
He had to escape!
But the little blind boy's body was frail; he barely managed a few moves before panting.
After a while, sweat, fine as white fur, beaded on his forehead and back.
Slowly, his legs softened, his arms ached, especially his waist and abdomen, as if pounded by a sledgehammer, numbing a large area.
Yet, he glanced at his own status panel and did not see the words 'Uninitiated,' so he gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and continued punching.
Anyone could see that the little blind boy had reached his limit, yet he persisted stubbornly.
Yune's gaze towards him softened, as if she recalled some memories, perhaps overlapping the image of her husband practicing boxing with this little blind boy at some moment.
Song Cheng could see Yune's affection rising, from 80 gradually increasing to 85.
Finally, he only felt as if his entire body were no longer his own, stumbling and falling onto the yellow clay ground.
Yune's affection suddenly increased to 87.
On her face, which had turned somewhat grim from pain, appeared a hint of a smile.
She closed her eyes tightly, raised her head, and two streams of tears flowed uncontrollably down her cheeks, smearing her face.
...
Inside, Tong Jia, having brewed the medicine, hurriedly poured it into a bowl. As she carried it out, she saw Song Cheng lying on the ground, hurriedly set the bowl down, and while calling "Brother Cheng, Brother Cheng," she went to support him.
She helped him up, brushed the dust off him, and wiped his face with a warm towel, grumbling, "Don't be too exhausted for tomorrow!"
The young couple exchanged words.
Yune buried her head in her knees, crying silently.
It seemed... not long ago, she and her husband were like that too.
Yes, not long.
As if it were yesterday.
As if he hadn't left.
As if he were still present.
She wiped her tears and said, "Let's stop here today," before returning to the room to look after Granny Shi.
She was always a filial and kind daughter-in-law, never treating her mother-in-law poorly; otherwise, Granny Shi wouldn't have been persuaded by Tong Jia to believe in Yune yesterday.
...
The next day.
Song Cheng took the medicine and continued to train, gritting his teeth.
But Granny Shi grew increasingly weak... The elderly couldn't withstand much emotional turmoil; the intense anger several times had already shown signs of being too much.
Luckily, by evening, Granny Shi seemed to recover a bit, became more talkative, and could even eat some porridge.
Only then did Yune feel at peace enough to sleep.
Song Cheng and the young mistress returned to their main quarters to sleep.
"Cultivation techniques are not practiced this way; take it slow," the young mistress said from the bedside, then comforted, "Haven't you gained some experience as a common disciple of that faction? You can definitely master it, don't rush."
Song Cheng forced a smile.
These two days, his body was extremely fatigued, unable to achieve an out-of-body divine soul state.
The young mistress reached out her tender hand and probed with her small feet, gently massaging.
"Ah, lighter."
"Ah!!"
The little blind boy shouted.
The young mistress chuckled, "Who's the little demon now?"
Then she said, "Bear it; it's for your own good."
Due to practicing martial arts, their evenings were somewhat different.
For a long time, the sounds gradually quieted.
The two embraced and fell asleep.
...
Early the next morning, Tong Jia got up to cook breakfast, and Song Cheng practiced boxing in the yard.
He could feel he was probably mere moments away from the 'Uninitiated' stage, and he had already accumulated 20 points.
Suddenly, a hysterical scream from Yune burst from the side room.
Tong Jia paused, hurriedly running over.
Neighbors also heard the commotion and gradually gathered.
Everyone saw Granny Shi... was already gone!!!
The air stilled.
Immediately, a villager dashed off urgently to find the Village Chief.
Granny Shi's death, already spreading, becoming a burning topic, and some women screamed angrily, "The place where those dishonest lovers were punished, the place where those dishonest lovers were punished!"
Yune, hair disheveled, was distraught and panicked.
Tong Jia was also in disarray, just realizing that Granny Shi's apparent recovery yesterday was merely a flash of lucidity before death.
In the courtyard, the blind boy seemed to be in a separate reality from the noisy crowd, turning his head slightly, he glanced at the crowded plain white lines, and Yune, confined and encircled by them.
A blood-red firefly that hovered on Yune's shoulder was becoming more glaring and fearsome.
Song Cheng continued his movements without pause.
He needed to anchor the 'White Snake Blade' on his panel, so he could allocate points.
Getting stronger was the only way to change things.
Since words were now powerless, he would use this blade... to make a difference.
Recalling the soft weeping he overheard yesterday and Yune's tireless, earnest instruction, the boy felt a serene flame kindle deep in his veins.