Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

Chapter 73 Generous Gift

The study door was ajar, and a sliver of dim oil lamp light shone through the crack, casting long, thin shadows on the bluestone floor.

Jiang Lan pushed open the wooden door. Liu Changqing was sitting behind his desk, with a yellowed old martial arts manual spread out in front of him, but the pages had not been turned.

His knuckles tapped lightly on the cover, the force gradually increasing, revealing a deep-seated melancholy that was difficult to dispel.

"They're here."

"Hmm." Jiang Lan responded and walked to the desk.

Liu Changqing raised his chin, gesturing for him to sit on the wooden chair opposite him.

Jiang Lan took her seat.

"Today at the Qinglin Gathering arena, you crippled Tu Gang and severely injured Luo Lie, restoring face for Guangchang Martial Arts School and bringing Guangchang back into the spotlight of the county's martial arts circles after years of silence."

Liu Changqing finally stopped tapping his fingers, looked up at Jiang Lan, and said in a calm tone, "But you must remember, behind the glamour lies disaster."

Jiang Lan lowered her eyes, her fingertips resting lightly on her knees, and listened quietly without saying a word.

"Shi Yunshan, the master of Cangsong Martial Arts School, is notorious in Gaolin for being vindictive and narrow-minded. You have ruined two of his personal disciples in succession, which is tantamount to slapping him in the face in public and damaging the reputation of his martial arts school. He will never let this go."

Liu Changqing's tone became a bit more serious. "Shi Yunshan himself is a master who has achieved the Nine Acupoints Great Perfection. His cultivation is unfathomable. Cangsong Martial Arts School has been rooted in Gaolin for many years. Its connections and foundation are far beyond what Guangchang can compare to now."

He paused, his gaze fixed on Jiang Lan, and instructed her slowly and deliberately: "For the foreseeable future, you must keep a low profile. If there is nothing to do, stay at the martial arts school and train diligently. Do not go out alone. Even if you do go out, be sure to carry a weapon, be careful at every step, and always be on guard against being attacked from the shadows. Cangsong's men are definitely watching you from the shadows."

"Disciple understands and will certainly keep Master's instructions in mind." Jiang Lan replied in a deep voice, his expression remaining calm and composed, without the slightest hint of arrogance.

Looking at his calm demeanor, Liu Changqing nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, which was then covered by worry.

After a few breaths of silence, he changed the subject, his voice extremely low, almost a whisper: "You have now entered the Nine Acupoints Realm, with a solid foundation. Do you know what realm lies beyond the Nine Acupoints?"

Jiang Lan slowly raised his eyes, a barely perceptible hint of emotion flashing in them, and shook his head. He had relied mostly on his own exploration in his cultivation, and the scrolls on the parchment were obscure and difficult to understand; no one had ever systematically informed him of the higher realms of martial arts.

"The Nine Acupoints Body Refinement is ultimately an external skill. Even if you master it to the extreme, it will only result in a strong physical body. Above the Nine Acupoints is the Realm of Condensing Strength." Liu Changqing's voice grew lower and lower, as if afraid that the wind outside the window would blow it away even a little bit. "The so-called Condensing Strength is to gather all the strength that is dissipated from the body surface into the internal organs and cultivate a trace of internal strength that belongs to oneself in the dantian."

"This trace of internal energy is incredibly powerful."

A hint of longing flickered in Liu Changqing's eyes, but then dimmed again.

"With internal strength, one can injure people by plucking flowers and leaves, walk on water as lightly as a swallow, and use internal energy to heal injuries and remove toxins, strengthen the body and cultivate vitality, allowing the physical body to undergo a fundamental transformation. The difference in strength compared to the Nine Acupoints is like heaven and earth."

Jiang Lan's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly recalled the record of "Thunderous Sound Cleansing Marrow" on the parchment scroll. Those obscure and difficult words seemed to vaguely match the state of Qi Condensation, but he could never figure out the threshold of it and could not enter the door.

"But stepping into the realm of Condensing Strength is as difficult as ascending to heaven; it is a hurdle that countless martial artists cannot overcome in their entire lives." Liu Changqing held up two fingers, his tone solemn. "To condense strength, firstly, one must hone one's main martial arts to a state of perfect harmony—not just mastering the moves, but achieving complete unity of intention, qi, and strength, with the body's power flowing seamlessly. Only in this way can a seed of strength be nurtured within the dantian; this is the rudimentary form of internal strength."

"Secondly, one must have an internal cultivation method." Liu Changqing's tone was filled with bitterness. "The method is the foundation for igniting the energy seed and guiding the circulation of internal energy. It is a closely guarded secret of major sects and top families, never to be passed on to outsiders. Without an authentic method, even if an energy seed is conceived, it is just a dead seed. It either cannot be ignited, or if it is forcibly activated, the energy will go out of control. At best, the meridians will be completely destroyed, turning one into a cripple; at worst, one will explode and die a miserable death."

Jiang Lan remained silent.

He was from the bottom of society and knew the cruelty of the world. The internal cultivation method was such a treasure that it was priceless and unavailable not only in Gaolin County, but also in the entire prefecture. Ordinary martial artists did not even have the right to see it, let alone own it.

"When I was young, I also had a dream of martial arts. I went to the outer sect of a major sect to learn martial arts and stayed there for seven years."

Liu Changqing looked at the old booklet on the table, his eyes filled with sighs.

"In the past seven years, I have tried my best, but I have only learned some mediocre external martial arts to lay a solid foundation. I have never even seen a trace of the internal cultivation method. The inner sect only accepts geniuses who have entered the nine acupoints and nurtured their internal energy before the age of twenty-five, or relatives of the sect and affiliated families. Outer disciples like me, who have no roots or roots, have no chance at all."

"I barely managed to enter the ninth level of acupoints at the age of thirty, having already missed the best opportunity. I have no hope of condensing my inner strength in this lifetime."

Liu Changqing withdrew his gaze and looked at Jiang Lan, his eyes filled with a rare expectation.

"You are only nineteen years old, still young, yet your temperament far surpasses that of your peers. You are resilient, calm, and willing to endure hardship. If you can seize the opportunity of the martial arts examination in the future, and enter a sect after passing the examination, you will be taught superior mental techniques, ignite your inner strength, and step into the stage of condensing inner strength. Perhaps you can truly forge a different path and climb to a new peak in martial arts."

The study fell completely silent, save for the faint crackling of the oil lamp. Suddenly, the flame leaped, the wick wick spun, and the room dimmed slightly.

"It's getting late. You must have exhausted yourself in the arena today. Go back and rest to recover. There's no need to stay here any longer." Liu Changqing waved his hand, unwilling to say anything more, his tone tinged with fatigue.

Jiang Lan stood up and respectfully clasped his hands in a fist salute to Liu Changqing, saying, "This disciple takes his leave."

After saying that, he turned and left the study, gently closing the door behind him.

Meanwhile, in the study of the Zhao family's inner courtyard, a different undercurrent was brewing.

Zhao Chongyuan sat upright in the grand master's chair, holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads in his hand. The beads, which were originally spinning at a steady speed, gradually slowed down as the steward in front of him reported, and finally came to a complete stop in his palm.

The steward bowed deeply and recounted in detail the events that had transpired at the Qinglin Gathering: Zhou Liang's cultivation was crippled by Jiang Lan, Luo Lie suffered a broken sternum and was critically injured, and Jiang Lan, with his nine-point cultivation, defeated two great masters from Cangsong, shocking the entire audience.

Zhao Chongyuan's expression remained calm and composed, showing no sign of anger. Only his fingers, which were holding the prayer beads, were slightly white at the knuckles, revealing a hint of suppressed rage.

"Is this true?" After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice calm and even.

"Reporting to Second Master, it is absolutely true. Thousands of people on the reviewing stand witnessed it with their own eyes. There is no falsehood. When Luo Lie was carried back to the clinic, his chest had completely collapsed. The doctor had already issued a critical condition notice, and it seems he will not survive." The steward bowed and replied, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent in his tone.

The study fell into a deathly silence. Zhao Chongyuan stood up, walked slowly to the window, and pushed it open halfway.

The night outside the window was thick and dark, and the lanterns in the Zhao family compound had not yet been lit. The courtyard was dark and gloomy, exuding a sense of oppression.

"Zhou Liang is gone, Luo Lie is gone too. What a Jiang Lan, what a Guangchang Martial Arts School." He muttered to himself, his voice soft but carrying a chilling aura.

The steward, standing to the side, tentatively suggested, "Second Master, should we prepare a small gift and send it to the Guangchang Martial Arts School to try and win them over?"

Zhao Chongyuan slowly turned around, his gaze falling on a brocade box on the desk.

He stepped forward, opened the brocade box, and inside lay a thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum, its entire body silvery-white, its roots intact, gleaming faintly under the light—a rare and precious tonic. He glanced at it, then slowly closed the box.

"A simple gift is too insignificant and unworthy of a young talent like Jiang." Zhao Chongyuan put the brocade box back in the drawer. "No need to rush. When the time is right, I will personally prepare a generous gift that he will never forget."

The steward felt a chill run down his spine and instantly realized that this so-called generous gift was by no means well-intentioned. He dared not ask any more questions, bowed respectfully, and quietly withdrew from the study.