FMT 62

Extra 2 Learning Martial Arts

After they returned from the trip, Shuangruo always joked and called Liandan “Hero Chen,” saying that Liandan was now a well-known figure in the martial world.

Whenever that happened, Liandan would put on the posture of a hero to make Shuangruo laugh.

He actually knew that the stage contest was held for two days, and only in the second day’s second half did true experts appear. On the first day’s first half, those who went on stage were people with no reputation. Many had only studied martial arts for a few days and were impatient to test themselves.

He only fought once and did not stay because of this. Later, there might be even stronger experts going up.

But after this experience, Liandan became more eager to learn martial arts. He also wanted to properly study qinggong, because Shuangruo had said that he was a good seedling for learning it.

When Liu Shuqi heard his thought, he nodded and said, “You really are suited for it.”

Liandan looked at Chen Shuangning. Chen Shuangning understood and smiled as he said, “Then I will trouble Senior Brother to teach Liandan some qinggong.”

Liu Shuqi had just come back from gathering herbs outside and planned to rest for a period, so he was free. He saw that Liandan had rare bone structure and high comprehension, and he also had the same idea, so he agreed, “That is no problem. But qinggong requires bitter training to achieve anything. You will need to endure a lot of hardship.”

Liandan quickly said, “Senior Brother Liu, don’t worry, I can endure any hardship.”

Liu Shuqi nodded with satisfaction and said, “Then we start tomorrow morning.”

The next morning, when the sky was just getting light, Liandan got up from the bed.

Chen Shuangning caught his hand, pulled him back into his arms, and with his morning voice still hoarse said, “It’s still early. Liu Shuqi probably hasn’t gotten up yet.”

Liandan touched his cheek to comfort him and said, “No, on the first day I must leave a good impression on Senior Brother Liu. I cannot be later than him.”

Chen Shuangning had no way to stop him, so he let go of his hand and let him go.

Liandan got out of bed, quickly put on his clothes, washed his face clean, and returned fresh to the bedside. He lifted the bed curtain and looked inside.

In the hazy morning light, the young man in a white inner robe lay on the bed. His collar was slightly loose, showing part of his beautiful collarbone. His black smooth long hair spread on the pillow. His closed eyes had long thick lashes, his nose was straight, his lips moist. He was beautiful beyond measure.

Inside the bed canopy was the body fragrance of this man that Liandan was already very familiar with. The more he looked, the more he could not hold back. He leaned lightly on the bed edge, lowered his head, and kissed his lips.

The beauty on the bed was not deeply asleep. He quickly raised his hand to wrap around his waist, parted his lips, and their tongues tangled together.

After a while, Liandan hurriedly said, “No, no, it will really be late!” He panted and pulled back, and he also pulled out the hand that had slipped into his clothes by holding the wrist.

Chen Shuangning laughed, turned his wrist to break free, pressed the back of his neck with his hand, pushed him down, kissed him again for a while, then released him.

Liandan was panting. He tidied his clothes, cooled his hot face with cold water, fussed about for a while before leaving. Before going out, he turned back and saw the man on the bed propped on his cheek, looking at him, and he almost could not hold himself from going back to bed.

When he went out, the rooster was crowing. Normally by this time Liu Shuqi was already outside practicing.

Liandan thought over and over in his heart, beauty truly causes trouble.

Liu Shuqi was used to teaching martial arts. Shuangruo had grown up outside, and she learned excellent medical skill from Feng Xingzhou, but her martial arts were not good. Later when she came back to the sect, Liu Shuqi and other senior brothers taught her bit by bit.

Among these children, Liu Shuqi was the oldest. The younger ones, including Chen Shuangning, had their martial arts enlightenment from the older ones teaching the younger ones. Most of them had been taught by Liu Shuqi.

Before, Chen Shuangning had already told Liandan that Liu Shuqi usually looked easygoing, but when teaching martial arts he was always very strict, so Liandan should be prepared.

Liandan had never thought himself delicate. He believed he could endure any hardship. But after Liu Shuqi taught him for a few days, he truly felt it was hard to bear.

On the first morning, he tied sandbags to his arms and legs and ran lap after lap at the foot of the mountain behind the town, exhausted.

Before he had recovered from the first day’s fatigue, on the second day the sandbags were made heavier. Not only running laps, but also climbing the mountain.

The load increased day by day. Later, when Liandan went to the apothecary, even holding the account book, the pages trembled and rustled because of his shaking hands.

After training like this for seven or eight days, Liandan finally felt adapted. But Liu Shuqi increased the load again. Besides the morning, he had to practice another time in the afternoon.

This time, Liandan truly could not take it.

After two more days like this, his calves trembled when walking. At night when he lay on the bed, when Chen Shuangning massaged him, just the lightest touch of his fingers made Liandan cry out in pain.

Chen Shuangning wanted to speak for him, but Liandan could not bring himself to ask. After all, he had already boasted before.

After two more days, Chen Shuangning was behind the counter in the apothecary writing prescriptions when Liandan suddenly ran in hurriedly from the backyard. When he saw him, his eyes lit up, and he quickly slipped under the counter and squatted at Chen Shuangning’s legs.

Chen Shuangning looked down, raised his eyebrows. Liandan whispered, “Say someone came looking for me, and I went out.”

Chen Shuangning immediately understood. He smiled and gave a soft “mm,” and continued writing.

But he clearly was not as focused as before. Liandan hugged his calf, opened his mouth nervously, and his hot breath went through the pants and brushed warmly against his leg.

At that moment Liu Shuqi came in from the backyard, holding Xiaodan’s hand. He looked around after entering and asked Chen Shuangning, “Have you seen Liandan? It is time to practice.”

Chen Shuangning did not even blink and said, “The shopkeeper next door had business with him, he just went out.”

Xiaodan squatted on the ground and peeked through the gap under the counter. He saw his dad’s feet. Then he tilted his head and looked to the side. He saw his dad’s face changing color, and he also saw him anxiously gesturing with his hands.

Chen Shuangning raised his hand into a fist, coughed lightly, and covered his smile.

Xiaodan giggled, and when he realized he had made a sound, he quickly covered his mouth.

Liu Shuqi found it strange and looked at the child, but did not think much of it. Mainly he never thought Chen Shuangning would lie to him about such a thing, so he nodded and said, “Alright, I will wait in the backyard. When he comes back, call him to find me.”

He let go of the child’s hand, and Xiaodan ran toward the counter. Luckily he only called “Father,” and he knew to keep the secret for his dad.

After Liu Shuqi left, Xiaodan threw himself into Liandan’s arms and shouted, “Dad, I want to play hide-and-seek too.”

Liandan was knocked back on his bottom and sat on Chen Shuangning’s feet. Chen Shuangning bent down, wrapped his arm around his waist, and lifted both big and small together.

Liandan sat on the chair nearby and coaxed Xiaodan to play.

Chen Shuangning asked, “Are you still going to practice qinggong?”

Liandan gritted his teeth, “Yes!”

He sighed. “I understand, a strict teacher makes good disciples. I will hide for a while, later I will go find Senior Brother Liu.”

Liandan kept his word. After playing with the child for a while, he handed Xiaodan to Chen Shuangning and went to the backyard to find him.

He practiced martial arts not only for prestige or fun. If it was only for that, he would never be able to persist.

Liandan still remembered what Leng Shan had said that night in the ruined temple.

He also knew that although they seemed to have left the martial world here and lived peacefully and leisurely, Chen Shuangning and the others had still been born from it. They could not completely cut ties.

In the future, there might be some involvement. The remnants who escaped from the sect might come looking for them at any time.

Even if Liandan could not fight much, he hoped at least not to drag them down, to be able to protect himself, and to protect the two children.

After training in the afternoon, by evening Liandan even ate dinner lying in bed, unable to get up.

Changle tugged his hair on the inside of the bed. Even when it hurt, he only hummed twice and did not have the strength to raise his hand to pull his hair back. It was Chen Shuangning who gently opened Changle’s hand and saved that lock of hair.

Xiaodan was older and already quite sensible. He lay by the bedside and said to his younger brother, “Dad works so hard. He has to earn money and also practice martial arts. Younger brother, don’t tire dad. Let’s go play in the courtyard with grandma.”

The old woman came in, carried one and led the other, and took them to play in the courtyard.

Chen Shuangning lowered the bed curtain and used a hot towel to warm Liandan’s body.

Liandan hummed in comfort and fell asleep.

When he woke, it was already completely dark. The oil lamp still burned in the room, and he did not know what time it was.

As soon as he moved, the young man lying sideways next to him also moved and quickly opened his eyes.

Their faces were very close, looking at each other.

Liandan blinked. He felt Chen Shuangning’s lashes almost touched his eyelids.

Chen Shuangning’s voice was hoarse. He asked, “Awake? Do you still want to sleep, or do you want to stay up late?”

Liandan looked at his open collar and the broad expanse of fair chest. His cheeks reddened and he said, “But Xiaodan has been sleeping in the small room next door these past two nights, so… we have to keep quiet.”

Chen Shuangning suddenly laughed and said, “What are you thinking? I meant, do you want me to give you a private lesson and secretly teach you some tricks?”

Liandan’s eyes widened, his face flushed red, and he felt extremely embarrassed.

Chen Shuangning’s hand resting on his lower back rubbed lightly with some intent. He lowered his voice and said, “Or, we don’t practice now. Let’s first do the thing you have in your head?”

Liandan’s face turned so red it looked like it would bleed. He raised his hand and hit Chen Shuangning’s shoulder lightly, which made him laugh quietly without stopping.

Liandan rolled over and pressed the young man beneath him, buried his face in his neck, and muttered, “Alright, alright, I beg you, teach me the tricks.”

Chen Shuangning answered good-naturedly. The two played around on the bed for a while before they got up, dressed, and went out.

At such a late night, only the main busy street had two rows of lanterns hanging.

But the moon was bright tonight, so it was not too dark.

Liandan had sandbags tied to his hands and feet, the same ones used for training. Chen Shuangning held his waist and had him stand on the rooftop.

Chen Shuangning spoke softly. “Close your eyes. Don’t think about the weights on your body. Forget them. Just feel the wind brushing your face and the smells passing by around you.”

Liandan closed his eyes as told. The next moment he felt his body lighten, held tightly, and they jumped down from the roof.

Before he could scream, his feet already touched something like a branch, and then they jumped again, rushing into the sky.

The wind brushed past his face quickly from the front and above. He smelled the spiciness of chili drying in someone’s yard, smelled the green scent of leaves on branches, and also smelled the fragrance of unknown flowers.

That night, with his eyes closed, led by Chen Shuangning, he went through countless places and smelled countless scents.

Only when it was late at night did the two hold hands and stroll back home slowly in the pleasant night breeze.

The next morning, Liu Shuqi noticed that his little disciple, who always wore a bitter face, finally did not look bitter.

When climbing the mountain with weight, he was still struggling, but he looked at flowers and grass along the way, closed his eyes to feel the wind, and was clearly in a much better state.

Liu Shuqi nodded with satisfaction. Liandan’s foundation in qinggong had finally been set.