Strongest Soldier King

Luo Zheng watched the departing captain's retreating figure, filled with gratitude, stood tall and saluted solemnly, his gaze firm and his movements forceful. He then sat down to continue chopping firewood, his eyes clear and his expression resolute, each chop gathering all his energy and spirit. His mind focused solely on the texture of the firewood in his hands, his knife strokes swift like the wind, cutting through the barrier of space with a faint sound of sonic boom, striking with precision.

With a crack, the firewood split into two halves. Luo Zheng stared in amazement at the wood lying on the ground—it had not occurred to him that he could actually achieve this. Overjoyed, he was even more resolved in his training methods. He hastily picked up another piece of wood and, recalling the sensation from before, chopped again, only to find the military dagger stuck in the wood. Undeterred, Luo Zheng pulled out the dagger and continued chopping.

Before he realized it, evening had arrived. It was too dark to see clearly, making it impossible to continue chopping the wood. Luo Zheng's arms were swollen from fatigue, and he could not lift them anymore. He felt as though all his strength had been drained from his body, forcing him to lie down on the bed to rest. Shortly after, Elder Liu came in smiling, holding a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao spray.

After spraying the medicine on Luo Zheng, Elder Liu began to massage him, saying, "You lad, why are you working so hard? If you train yourself to exhaustion, it'll be counterproductive. Everything should have a limit; don't you understand such a simple principle?"

"Thank you, Brother Liu," Luo Zheng said, touched, offering no explanation.

"Alright, no need to be so formal with me, we're practically brothers. I'll give you a massage, and you'll sleep well. When you wake up tomorrow morning, you'll be fine," Elder Liu said with a laugh.

Luo Zheng knew his own condition well, possessing a family heritage of Breathing Skill, ensuring his recovery was not a problem. However, he did not want to refuse Elder Liu's kindness and gratefully smiled, saying, "Thank you for your effort."

"Don't mention it," Elder Liu replied with a smile, massaging Luo Zheng's arms for a while. Seeing the swelling had reduced considerably, he gestured for Luo Zheng to lie down on the bed, and asked, "Are you familiar with the human body structure and acupoints?"

"I know some of the human body structure, but not the acupoints. What about them?" Luo Zheng asked in surprise.

"There are about 52 single acupoints, 300 double acupoints, and 50 extra meridian acupoints in the human body, totalling 720 acupoints. There are 108 vital acupoints, among which 72 are generally non-lethal when struck, while the remaining 36 are lethal acupoints, commonly known as death points. The death points are divided into four types: soft numbness, dizziness, light and severe, each having nine acupoints, making up the 36 lethal acupoints. In life-and-death fights, they are used as Killing Skills," Elder Liu explained slowly.

"Brother Liu, you really know a lot. Tell me about it," Luo Zheng asked curiously.

"Bai Hui falls to the ground, Wei Lu never returns home, Zhang Men is hit, nine out of ten people die, Tai Yang and Ya Men, one will certainly meet King Yan, the spine breaks beyond repair, under the knee brings a swift death," Elder Liu slowly recited what seemed like a mix of a nursery rhyme and a mnemonic. His hands gently moved over Luo Zheng's head, fingers wandering, while saying, "The head has nine acupoints: Bai Hui, Shenting, Tai Yang, Ear Gate, Eye Clarity, Ren Zhong, Ya Men, Feng Chi, and Ren Ying. A strike that doesn't kill will cause unconsciousness."

Luo Zheng instantly memorized the positions of the nine major acupoints on the head based on where Elder Liu's fingers traveled and touched. Combining it with his past combat training, he quickly realized that Elder Liu was teaching him genuine skills. He eagerly perked up, opened his mind, and listened intently to memorize everything.

Then, Elder Liu slowly placed his hand on the fourth thoracic vertebra of Luo Zheng's back and softly said, "There are vital acupoints on the chest and abdomen, number 14, and on the back and waist, number 13. For example, 1.5 inches next to the spinous process of the fourth thoracic vertebra is the Feiyu acupoint, which belongs to the foot's sun bladder meridian. Striking it impacts the heart and lungs, disrupts the qi mechanism, and can easily cause death. There are also five vital acupoints on the upper and lower limbs. Remembering the 36 lethal acupoints is greatly beneficial to you. Of course, other acupoints shouldn't be ignored as they have their ingenious uses. So, what do you think, do you want to learn this skill from me?"

"I do, I really do, please teach me, Brother Liu," Luo Zheng said with excitement.

"Hmm, from now on, you'll chop wood and learn the way of the sword during the day, and at night you'll learn the acupoint striking Killing Skill from me," Elder Liu said seriously.

"Yes," Luo Zheng responded eagerly. Up until then, Luo Zheng's systematic martial arts training had been limited to the third set of military boxing, apart from the rudimentary hunting skills he had practiced as a child. A technique like acupoint striking Killing Skill, which was true kung fu, was hard to come by. Naturally, Luo Zheng wouldn't decline, although he didn't know why Elder Liu decided to teach him true kung fu. Now was not the time to ask, so he spirited himself up.

"Hmm, today I'll start by teaching you the nine vital points on the head," Elder Liu said as he got up and walked outside. Luo Zheng watched Elder Liu leave in surprise, unclear about his intentions. It wasn't long before he saw Elder Liu return, holding a human skeleton model. He placed it beside him, gestured for Luo Zheng to get up, and pointing at the Bai Hui Acupoint, he explained, "The Bai Hui Acupoint is located at the intersection of the midline at the top of the head and a line connecting the tips of the ears, part of the Governing Vessel, and meets the hand and foot triple yang and the Governing Vessel. If struck, it can cause the person to faint and fall, and a sharp object hitting it can result in instant death, such as a military dagger or military spike."

The somber words sent a shiver down Luo Zheng's spine, and an image of someone fatally struck in the Bai Hui Acupoint by a military dagger flashed in his mind. Soon, Luo Zheng became excited, this was a real Killing Skill. He leaned in to carefully memorize the exact location of the Bai Hui Acupoint.

"The Shenting acupoint is five points inside the hairline in the frontal area of the head, part of the Governing Vessel and meeting point of the Governing Vessel and the bladder meridian of foot's sun. Striking it causes dizziness and brain swelling," continued Elder Liu earnestly.

"—" Elder Liu taught diligently, and Luo Zheng learned attentively. As time slipped by unknowingly, Luo Zheng had mastered the specific locations of the nine lethal acupoints on the head. After Elder Liu had Luo Zheng identify the points on his own head to ensure there was no mistake, seeing that there was still time left as Luo Zheng was a quick learner, Elder Liu joyfully began to teach the 14 vital points on the chest and abdomen. In less than an hour, Elder Liu realized he had underestimated Luo Zheng's learning ability, and decided to teach him the effects of the 36 lethal acupoints and various striking techniques all at once.

By the time Luo Zheng had noted them all down, it was around 1 a.m. Elder Liu checked the time, worried that Luo Zheng wouldn't get enough rest, which could affect his health, and advised him to rest before leaving. Luo Zheng gratefully walked Elder Liu to the door, then lay down in bed to rest. He practiced the family's Breathing Skill to recover from physical depletion while recalling the locations of the 36 lethal acupoints.

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Elder Liu got up and found Luo Zheng already splitting wood in the yard, his expression focused and spirited, showing no signs of fatigue. Elder Liu was momentarily surprised but then reassured, did not disturb him, and walked towards the squadron leader's office.

Upon opening the squadron leader's office door, the squadron leader warmly welcomed Elder Liu, personally poured him a glass of water, invited him to sit, and respectfully asked, "Sergeant, have you come about Zhengzi? If he behaves foolishly and doesn't learn properly from you, I'll whip him myself."