The Nine Cauldrons

It was a hazy night.

The candlelight in the study room flickered. Teng Qingshan was sitting at the study table and was casually drawing on paper with a brush. A drawing painted by his teacher, Zhuge Yuanhong, was placed right beside him.

"Qingshan, what are you doing?" With a jacket draped over her shoulder, Li Jun walked over. She smiled and took a glance at the drawing.

"Go to sleep first. I will be done soon."

Teng Qingshan had drawn the moves of the Tiger Form Fist Art on the papers. He then wrote some simple words or some song lyrics beside each drawing, summarizing the important points of each move.

"Eh? Qingshan, what are you doing?" Li Jun was slightly surprised.

"Just compiling the cultivation manuals."

Teng Qingshan smiled and said no more. He continued drawing and describing the Tiger Form Fist Art on paper until he had drawn and described the last move. He then took out the drawings done by his teacher and wrote some words that described the moves. However, this time, the description of the moves was very detailed.

The first cultivation manual described the "Tiger Form Fist Art"with a few sentences of a simple poem. As for the second cultivation manual, there was a very detailed explanatory note beside the drawing of each move. The second version was ten times more detailed than the first version.

"Qingshan, why are these two cultivation manuals written differently when they are both about the same technique? The first one is much more simple." Seeing this, Li Jun was very confused.

Teng Qingshan turned and smiled, but he didn’t say anything.

On 20th of April, in Nanxing County City:

"Young Master Meng, where should we eat?"

"Follow me. Let’s go to the Chunyu Restaurant, which is just ahead."

Three young, hedonistic-looking men were walking on the street pompously with their servants and guards following behind. The young man who led the group looked very handsome. It was obvious that he was born to a very wealthy family. At this moment, the young man even carried a bird cage. In the birdcage was a little bird with greenish blue feathers. Occasionally, the little bird would chirp and chatter.

As the three hedonistic-looking young men walked down the street, no one dared to provoke them. The guards and servants, who emanated a murderous aura, behind the three young men indicated that these three young men weren’t ordinary people.

"Young Master Meng, please come in." The moment the owner of the Chunyu Restaurant saw the three young men, he immediately approached and greeted them. "There is a private room upstairs."

"Yes." Young Master Meng nodded and looked around the first floor. As people from different sects and different places ate on the first floor, the first floor was bustling with noise and excitement. Upon the sight of this, the young man said to the restaurant owner, "Hey, find us tables on the first floor. We are going to sit on the first floor today." He then turned to the other two young men and asked, "Are you guys fine with eating on the first floor?"

"Young Master Meng, you decide."

The other two young men answered with a laugh.

"Manager, serve the same dishes we have always ordered!" Young Master Meng and the others immediately occupied three tables on the first floor. Although such a big group of people had entered, the guests seated on the first floor still laughed and chatted. The people who sat on the first floor came from all over the Land of the Nine Prefectures, and they didn’t give a f*ck about some young master. After all, they had ventured to the south and the north and had encountered many types of people.

"Everyone! Do you guys know how Teng Qingshan, the youngest Emptiness Realm Expert since the creation of the Land of the Nine Prefectures, attained the Emptiness Realm?" A loud voice sounded in the restaurant.

"Eh?" Young Master Meng and the other two hedonistic young masters turned and looked towards the source of the sound.

"Hey, what’s ’Emptiness Realm?’" someone immediately shouted back.

"Haha, you don’t know?"

"Ignorant! The rank above the Postliminary Realm is the Innate Realm. The rank higher than the Innate Realm is the superior Emptiness Realm!" someone immediately answered loudly. Ever since the rise of the God of Heaven Palace, many of the Emptiness Realm Experts in the world had fought in front of the ordinary people.

Therefore, the cultivation level of Emptiness Realm was no longer a secret.

During the peaceful days, many people in the world didn’t know about the Emptiness Realm. However, when chaos ensued in the Land of the Nine Prefectures, many people learned about this cultivation level.

Immediately, the crowd shouted, "Tell us! How did the great Teng Qingshan attain Emptiness Realm at such a young age? What did he eat?"

"Listen to me."

The person who started this topic was an elder with a goatee. He said proudly, "In the Land of the Nine Prefectures, Emperor Yu created the branch of Daoist Cultivation! And so, many sects followed the Daoist cultivation system! However... Shiga, the Martial Ancestor of Mani Temple, was also extremely talented. He created a different cultivation system, the Buddhist cultivation method."

"We all know the branch of Daoist cultivation and the branch of Buddhist cultivation. We don’t want to hear these useless things. Tell us how Master Teng Qingshan attained the Emptiness Realm." Someone in the crowd interrupted.

"In the Land of the Nine Prefectures, there is the Daoist branch and the Buddhist branch." The elder with a goatee continued, "And now, Master Teng Qingshan has created the third branch—the Branch of Internal Martial Art!"

"Internal Martial Art?"

"There are only the Daoist branch and the Buddhist branch. How could there be a branch of Internal Martial Art?" Many people doubted the old man’s words. "Old man, stop lying," someone immediately shouted.

The elder with the goatee glared at the person who shouted and replied, "I am not lying! Nanxing County is not far from Jiangning County. The well-informed ones all know that Gui Yuan Sect has recruited a large amount of boys, and Teng Qingshan himself taught those boys. Most of the boys were kicked out of the sect after three months, but a small number still follow Master Teng Qingshan! My nephew’s son joined the sect during that time, and he told me that the fist art is called Internal Martial Art!"

"I know about that. Last year, the Gui Yuan Sect recruited a big group of boys for Master Teng Qingshan. During that time, everyone thought that Master Teng Qingshan was Senior Jing Yi. When I found out about the recruitment and sent my child over to the sect, the Gui Yuan Sect told me that all the spaces were taken." Someone in the restaurant immediately supported the old man’s statement.

"Yes, something like this did happen." Many people agreed.

The elder with a goatee grinned proudly and said, " Internal Martial Art is not like any other cultivation method. You don’t have to sit cross-legged for a long time as you cultivate inner strength. It is really a different cultivation method! If you are able to master Internal Martial Art, your improvement speed will be extremely fast. Master Teng Qingshan has a disciple called Teng Shou. According to the book published by the Wan Xiang Sect, Teng Shou is a young man who has attained the Innate Realm. He became an Innate Expert by practicing Internal Martial Art."

"Is Internal Martial Art really this powerful?"

"Of course! Since the creation of the Land of the Nine Prefectures, have you ever heard of another 21-year-old reaching the Emptiness Realm? Even Emperor Yu and the Heavenly Emperor of the Qin Mountains weren’t able to do what Teng Qingshan did."

"He’s only 21! How old was he when he took in the first disciple? How long has his disciple practiced Internal Martial Art? Think about it! With the practice of Internal Martial Art, his disciple reached the Innate Realm within a few years. Internal Martial Art is really powerful."

Voices of admiration sounded in the restaurant.

Since the great name of Teng Qingshan became famous in the entire Land of the Nine Prefectures, many people wondered how he had become so powerful. In the Land of the Nine Prefectures, there were talented people. But how had Teng Qingshan become so powerful? Could it be that he was just blessed by the heavens?

"So it is Internal Martial Art." Many people clicked their tongues and remarked emotionally.

"However, the cultivation of Internal Martial Art has extremely high requirements," the elder with the goatee said emotionally. "Back then, many boys joined, but almost all of them were sent back home. Indeed, only a very small number of people can successfully practice Internal Martial Art."

Immediately, someone shouted, "Internal Martial Art is an amazing cultivation method. It’s no wonder it has such high requirements."

"Hm. Since Internal Martial Art is this powerful, I must send my grandchild there and let him give it a try."

"Forget it. Master Teng Qingshan has taken in a group of disciples, but he has decided not to take in any more disciples. Do you think just anyone can learn Internal Martial Art?"

...

Hearing this discussion, Young Master Meng, who sat by the corner, muttered to himself, "Master Teng Qingshan? His disciple is also an Innate Expert? Internal Martial Art?" He was deep in thought as he mumbled.

"Second-Eldest and Third-Eldest, we shall end our meeting now. I am going back." Young Master Meng didn’t even eat much before he stood up and left with his servants and guards.

"Young Master Meng."

The other two hedonistic-looking young men exchanged glances and appeared very confused.

The news about the branch of Internal Martial Art spread throughout all of Yangzhou at the speed of wind. The people who wondered how Teng Qingshan cultivated at such a fast speed and wondered what Teng Qingshan had been doing during the four years he had been missing finally understood.

The talented Teng Qingshan had actually created a third branch of cultivation—Internal Martial Art. This was a branch of cultivation totally different from the Daoist and Buddhist cultivations.

They also found out that the branch of Internal Martial Art was extremely magical. Teng Qingshan’s disciples were all Innate Experts. This cultivation method had even made Teng Qingshan the youngest Emptiness Realm Expert since the beginning of history!

Immediately, many people wanted to be Teng Qingshan’s disciples! Many people wanted to learn the magical cultivation method of Internal Martial Art.

However—

Teng Jia Village politely rejected any visitors. Teng Qingshan himself refused to take in any more disciples.

...

Not only did the legendary stories of Internal Martial Art spread throughout all of Yangzhou, it also spread across the other prefectures. After all, this was the Land of the Nine Prefectures, the world where the powerful ones were revered and admired. Therefore, an expert who had cultivated even faster than Emperor Yu, Heavenly Emperor Qin Ling, and Martial Ancestor Shiga naturally caught everyone’s attention.

The branch of Internal Martial Art was different from the Daoist and Buddhist Sects. Thus, people were naturally surprised and curious.

In the Meng residence located in Nanxing County City:

"These are the Three Postures?" Young Master Meng stood in the courtyard and continued practicing the moves of the Three Postures. "That’s too simple. Just retract the fist, prepare, and punch. Repeat again and again. What’s the point of doing these moves?"

Young Master Meng practiced for a long time before he eventually gave up.

The discussion about Teng Qingshan and Internal Martial Art in the restaurant had really influenced the young master of the Meng Family, Meng Lutong. After listening to the discussion, he became muddleheaded for the rest of the day. Actually, he had already gotten tired of living the life of a hedonistic young master. In fact, he also wished to have a passionate dream! He desired to be the heroic guy who drank and ate violently!

And this time, he finally realized!

He threw away the birdcage and left his gang of scoundrels. He then told his father solemnly, "Father! I want to learn Internal Martial Art! I want to be an expert as well!" Some of the 800 plus boys Teng Qingshan had dismissed back then had accidentally taught the Three Postures to outsiders.

After all, the moves of the Three Postures were too simple. The Three Postures were easily publicized. And so, Lutong also obtained a book that taught the Three Postures. However, the book only taught the moves of the Three Postures and did not include the breathing method.

"Lutong! Lutong!" Suddenly, a voice sounded.

Meng Lutong turned and saw a middle-aged man that was so fat, he looked like a ball of meat coming towards him. As the chubby middle-aged man ran over, he was waving a book and shouting, "Lutong, look! Look what I, your father, have bought for you."

"What?" Meng Lutong glanced over in shock.

"I bought this cultivation manual with 1,000 silver taels. This is the secret cultivation manual—Tiger Form Fist Art—from Teng Jia Village!" The chubby middle-aged man with drops of perspiration on his face rushed over and gave him the book as though he was presenting a very rare treasure.

Meng Lutong looked closely at the book and saw that there were four words on this thread-bound book—Tiger Form Fist Art!