Romance of Dragons and Snakes

Chapter 188: Golden Elixir or Calculus

“Was everyone able to see it? An outstanding soldier must maintain constant vigilance. You must be like the fierce tiger that awaits its prey in the hidden thickets of the jungle and strike at a moment’s notice like when the wind blows onto the grass. Be nimble and quick like a speeding bullet to subdue and attack your foes. This demonstration between instructor Yong and I is a classical example of this.”

Calm and collected, Wang Chao spoke out to the thousand students in attendance.

It had only taken two to three seconds for Yong Xiaolong start his surprise assault onto Wang Chao and to be repelled by Wang Chao. With the usage of his expertise in the crocodile stance and the imitation of how a python twists its body, Wang Chao was able to evade danger and then demonstrate the Rising Wave of Dragon and Snake to beat down Yong Xiaolong. But in a flash, Yong Xiaolong had been able to escape with his life by making use of his knowledge with hidden weaponry. And in those two to three seconds, this intense exchange had been started and finished.

But the hidden danger within this exchange was something that only a select few experts amongst the students could make out.

Wang Chao’s attack had missed and even allowed his opponent to regain his breath. Since he didn’t kill his opponent and drew back to give an explanation to the students, it really did look as if the two instructors were putting on a demonstration for the students rather than a fight to the death.

The truth was that this exchange was a highly dangerous one. As fast as a spark would be created upon two flint stones striking each other, if one opponent made a mistake, only blood would be shed and a life would be extinguished.

“This man is as dangerous as a mountain or river. His way of thinking is a hard one, and his martial arts is all the more impressive. Even when unleashing a killing move, he was silent but efficient. It’s no wonder the army holds him in high regards as a progenitor of his own school.”

In the instantaneous exchange between the two, Yong Xiaolong had been so intimidated by Wang Chao that cold sweat had started to form.

Had he not made use of his skill with the art of hidden weaponry at the very last moment to regain his breath, Yong Xiaolong was very sure that there was a seventy percent chance that he would have been killed or crippled by Wang Chao.

What surprised him the most was when Wang Chao spoke calmly, he was calm, but when he fought, he fought with the ferocity of a lightning storm. He was like the calm waves of the ocean while a terrifying maelstrom was going on beneath the surfaces. But even in his moment of tranquility, he fought with the intent to kill. Yong Xiaolong had felt no premonition at all that Wang Chao was ready at a moment’s notice to kill him.

It wasn’t until later that Yong Xiaolong would realize that Wang Chao was the most terrifying killer he had ever seen to invoke even his own desire to kill.

A killer that would do so without batting an eyelid.

If one strike failed to land, the only choice left was to disappear without a trace.

In the short stories of the Tang and Song Dynasties, this was said to be how the legendary sword hero had managed to form the elixir of immortality by use of his flying sword jumping pill.

“Hide the sharpness of the spear within the modesty of the heart and keep it pointed inwards until the last moment. His killing intent was hidden so well even I was completely unaware of it This….this is the sign of the highest pinnacle of martial arts one could achieve!”

When Wang Chao fought against Duan Guochao in Shanghai, even Duan Guochao had one single impression of him, “This person is dauntless but also a threat!”

And now, Wang Chao gave Yong Xiaolong his own impression. “This person can hide his killing intent and keep it hidden until the very last moment. It’s almost as if the three energies, essence, Qi, spirit are all mastered, and his mind, intent, and form are perfectly formed into one perfect sphere. A sphere that is glossy and lustrous that can be smoothed over no more. Not a single imperfection can be seen.”

The sensitivity of an expert was as natural as the world. Even if the wind was gentle enough to only affect a single blade, the hairs of their body would be able to feel it.

This held especially true of an expert of the Transforming Jin. Even if there was someone hidden a kilometer away in the grass with a sniper rifle aimed at them, the expert would be sensitive to their intent.

Even in their sleep, the expert could feel the intent of any enemy that would even look at them. An expert of the Transforming Jin could snap awake in an instant and evade danger.

In the case of two people facing one another. As long as the intent to kill or anger was felt, an expert of Transforming Jin could feel it.

At the moment of movement, the only way an expert of Transforming Jin could not sense any killing intent was if the other expert had completely condensed and concentrated their heart, intent, form, essence, Qi, and spirit into a perfect sphere with no imperfection.

To use the terminology of Daoist alchemy, this was the realm in which the great Golden Elixir was formed.

It was picking from the best characteristics of both the sun and the moon. The Golden Elixir of Daoism did not really mean that the human body was really forming some sort of bead inside the core. It was really the formation of the spirit and Qi and refining it into perfection. This was symbolized by a sphere without imperfection. To put this into societal characteristics, this was having the perfect mannerisms and movements in one’s conduct. From their actions, perfection could be seen. Perfection could be had. Like butcher Ting as he handled the clever with ease, one must strive to have the same state of mind as he.

This frame of mind was to have the temperament at their highest and nothing more.

To have this frame of mind would be to naturally gain the benefit of a longer life.

If a bead did form inside the human body, that was not the Golden Elixir. It was calculus.

When Wang Chao fought against Duan Guochao, he had been poignant and threatening with his powerful ability. When he moved this time against Yong Xiaolong, he had been unintimidating until the very last moment. The differences between the two states had been apparent to see.

The general expert could resemble a regular human being in the most common situations. But in the chance a fight broke out, the expert could flare with killing intent and completely cow the other person without them being able to move.

But then for an expert of martial arts that has achieved the state of a grandmaster could resemble the aura of that a regular person in his actions. Even if the other person died, they would not know that they were fighting a grandmaster.

Many novels had said that when an evil spirit took on the form of a human, they would still have that monstrous aura to them. Any superior Daoist would be able to see through them at ease.

But for the more superior evil spirits, they could hide their aura. Then when they were about to devour their victim would they show their true form and unleash their aura.

And the greatest monsters could eat at person still without showing their monstrous aura. This was not unsimilar to the monkey who had reached enlightenment. And in this one moment, the monster became the Buddha, and the Buddha became the monster.

“Master, I have a question.”

After Wang Chao spoke, Huo Ling’er stood forward to look at Yong Xiaolong and then at his arms where several streaks of blood could be seen.

“What’s your question?” Wang Chao nodded at her.

“I’ve heard once that Shaolin martial arts tempered the hands into being as hard as steel and could crush stone. So why was it when instructor Yong and you fought, his arm was injured? I’ve heard that in the old customs of the Jianghu, the usage of hidden weaponry was despised upon. So when instructor Yong used coins as a weapon, wouldn’t that be a shameless action?

When Huo Ling’er spoke, a commotion was immediately brought into uproar.

Practically everyone then looked to the arms of Yong Xiaolong.

In an instant when Yong Xiaolong was scratched by Wang Chao’s fingernails, several bloody streaks were formed. But when Yong Xiaolong retreated backwards, the wound had already cloted and had the remaining blood wiped away by his clothes. Almost everybody had missed the fact that his arms were scratched however.

Wang Chao had known about that, but he wasn’t willing to squabble over such a minor thing. He was after all planning on either killing or crippling Yong Xiaolong.

He wasn’t willing to split hairs over such a minor issue.

For a grandmaster like him, there was no reason to do so.

Huo Ling’er’s eyes had been like the eyes of an eagle a thousand meters in the sky. From her perch, she could see the hidden hare down below and pay attention to such an insignificant detail.

This woman was not only a woman focused on martial arts. Even her wits were sharp and would not allow this chance to slip away, so she immediately raised the issue with everyone.

“You’re playing with fire!” When he heard Huo Ling’er, he became furious immediately! In the moment after Huo Ling’er spoke, his eyes flew to glare viciously at Huo Ling’er.

In Yong Xiaolong’s eyes, a look of naked killing intent could be seen.

When Yong Xiaolong had looked at him, Huo Ling’er’s hair had immediately stood on its end. It was almost as if the hair on her body had been struck by lightning.

But Huo Ling’er had shown no signs of weakness and instead smiled coldly at him.

“This master and apprentice–they won’t be an easy pair to deal with.” Yong Xiaolong had thought to himself as he shifted his glance towards Wang Chao.

But Wang Chao had looked as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened as if he hadn’t noticed the fact that Yong Xiaolong had been glaring spitefully. He had offered up no complaint either.

It had only served to warrant even more caution in regards to dealing with Yong Xiaolong.

Yong Xiaolong knew that the reason why Wang Chao had offered no complaint nor killing intent was because there was no need.

When an expert lost all sense of feeling, it would be a dangerous time for them.

When the thousand students heard what Huo Ling’er had said, they had all concentrated their gazes to Yong Xiaolong. The young monk had not been embarrassed at all. Instead, he coughed once to clear his throat and explained, “When a practitioner of internal martial arts expel Jin, their hair stands on its end, their tongue sharpens, their fingernail scratches out, and their teeth can bite away at the flesh. When the four extremities of the bodies expel Jin in unison, the fingernails gains the property to dent even iron. Instructor Wang Chao is a man capable of strengthening his fingernails to reinforce it to be sharp even to draw blood. Thus, it would not be strange at all. But to use the fingernails to scratch at the opponent in a match of martial arts is a conduct similar to how a shrew might fight. Thus, we of Shaolin martial arts do not use the fingernails to fight.”

Wang Chao could only smile. “Everyone must take heed that when fighting with a person on the battlefield, it becomes a fight where only one person will walk away alive. If something can kill a person, use that thing by all means. In the case of hidden weaponry, even a paper could kill a person if used correctly. Just then, instructor Yong had ambushed me and used the coins in his hands as a weapon expertly. Everyone should take heed and study from this.

These words had been spoken in contrast to how Yong Xiaolong spoke.

“Ah, so Shaolin martial arts in its essence is the use of ambush tactics and hidden weaponry! I understand now, we’ll make sure to study and learn well from it!”

“Hidden weapons and sneak attacks, and yet they still get injured? How unbelievable Shaolin is.”

“He attacks out of nowhere and uses hidden weapons and still has the nerve to say that fighting with fingernails is how a shrew or prostitute fights? The army doesn’t need an instructor like that. Leave already, or we’ll get the institute to deal with you!”

After one or two students, the rest of the students had started to jeer at him.