"It's been a long ti since I've visited Qingyun City. I wonder how much it has changed over the years."
...
The next morning.
"Let's go to the market first."
"Yes, sir."
Qinghe tightened her coat, jogged to open the wooden gate of the courtyard, and then pushed the wheelchair out of the courtyard.
"Shopkeeper, six jars of good wine, please."
"Alright."
The shopkeeper turned around to get the wine. A boy of eleven or twelve watching the shop curiously observed the two outside: one was handso and extraordinary, but unfortunately young and already wheelchair-bound.
The other seed younger than himself, dressed in a bulging outfit. It was his first ti seeing such an odd combination.
Feeling the odd gaze from the boy at the wine shop, Su Mu didn't mind, but Qinghe glared back defiantly. The two youngsters locked eyes.
Soon, the shopkeeper had prepared the six jars of wine, and Qinghe pushed the wheelchair toward the east of the town.
Su Mu, holding the six jars of wine on the wheelchair, closed his eyes slightly and inferred the Five Animals Qigong. The path up Bailu Mountain was not easy, and Su Mu's physique was different due to his exceptional weight.
But Qinghe was determined, biting her lips with effort as her small hands tightly gripped the wheelchair, struggling step by step uphill, panting heavily.
"A strong-willed character indeed."
Su Mu nodded silently, seeing everything but remaining silent until Qinghe stumbled and fell, at which point Su Mu placed a hand on the wheel and handed over the wine.
"Don't spill it."
"Sir, I, I can still..."
"Keep up."
Su Mu spoke little, rely pushing the wheelchair up the mountain himself, while Qinghe, biting her lip, lifted three jars of wine in each hand to keep up with Su Mu.
Above the midsection of Bailu Mountain, Su Mu waited for Qinghe to catch up before proceeding. Master Zhou and others were not from Qinghe Town; this mountain was the ancestral mountain of Qinghe Town, so they could not be buried at the peak but at the second peak of the midsection.
"Hand the wine."
Hearing this, Qinghe hurriedly handed over the wine, and Su Mu stood up shakily from the wheelchair. Seeing Qinghe about to assist him, he shook his head lightly, "I'm not at that stage yet."
Watching Su Mu walk toward the tombstone, Qinghe seed to recall sothing, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes, then quietly walked away to give Su Mu so space.
"Uncle Zhou, masters, this young one has co to see you."
In front of the tombstone, Su Mu poured out more than half of the wine, took a sip himself, and drowsily leaned against the tombstone.
Ti flowed unawares, and Qinghe, seeing her drunken master, was quite worried. The sky was dimming, and she tried to wake Su Mu but couldn't, so she tried to drag him onto the wheelchair, which was impossible.
Howl!
Just then, a faint wolf howl echoed from the distant mountains, causing Qinghe to hesitate and leave trembling.
The sky darkened further.
In the darkness, a figure clutching firewood appeared, none other than Qinghe who had returned, having not left but gone to gather firewood.
Then Qinghe took two pieces of flint from her pocket, striking them hard. But the mountain's firewood, soaked with snow, was not easy to ignite.
The darker it got, the more anxious Qinghe beca, hearing the roars of wild beasts in the mountains, when suddenly a green glow stread beside her.
Qinghe shuddered, turning to see her drunk master with jade-like radiance around him.
Then ca a mighty tiger's roar.
"Roar!"
Following the tiger's roar, the mountain animals suddenly fell silent.
"The master is definitely not an ordinary person!"
Realizing this, Qinghe displayed disbelief on her face and felt even more determined to stay by Su Mu's side. She continued striking the flint.
Finally, after much effort, Qinghe managed to light a fire, wiping sweat from her forehead despite the winter chill.
Sizzle.
The woodpile occasionally crackled with bursts, and amidst the flickering flas, Qinghe's head tilted countless tis before she fell asleep.
"Good character... indeed."
At dawn, Qinghe awoke with a start.
Opening her eyes, Qinghe saw, not far away in the morning glow, a figure practicing so martial arts. The figure moved exceptionally slowly but elegantly, shifting from a fierce tiger to a deer, an ape, a bird, and a crane, each form vivid and lifelike, leaving her srized.
Returning to her senses, it was almost noon.
Qinghe trembled, the desire in her eyes unmistakable despite trying to hide it. Her mouth opened and closed, but she quickly buried this longing deep in her heart.
"Let's head down the mountain."
"Okay."
Ti passed, and the residents of Spring Rain Street soon got used to this odd duo. Daily, Su Mu would have Qinghe push him around the town.
Once, while Su Mu was transcribing dical books, seeing Qinghe deeply absorbed, he casually asked, "Do you want to learn?"
"Yes!"
Qinghe blurted out, then felt a bit fearful afterward.
Subsequently, when Su Mu had free ti, he began teaching Qinghe to read. Qinghe's comprehension was high; she learned almost every character with one teaching and could rember sentences and articles after a few readings. Although not with perfect recall, it was nearly so.
That evening, after Su Mu's candle went out, a figure quietly slipped out from the side room after about half an hour, then began practicing under the locust tree.
Each move looked authentic, exactly in the style of the Five Animals Qigong.
"To be able to steal such skills just by watching... such high aptitude, truly a person with destiny."
Ti flowed on, and days in the small town passed calmly and leisurely, one after another. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
The dragon at Su Mu's brow rolled and boiled, a burning spiritual light flashed in his mind, and with his terrifying comprehension now at a high of one hundred and seven points, after more than a month of continuous inference, Su Mu finally glimpsed the entry-level path of the Five Animals Qigong.
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