As dusk settled, Yuan Chen sat on a stone bench in the temple's front courtyard, caressing his needle pouch. The corn cakes Wang Shěn had sent were still warm, but he had no appetite for them.
The mountain breeze had brought not only the scent of corn but also a faint, almost imperceptible, musky odor, which, mixed with the clean smell of grass and trees, was particularly jarring.
"It seems I won't be sleeping peacefully tonight."
His fingertip lightly traced the spiral pattern of a Muscle-Binding Needle, and a surge of inner energy permeated it, causing the needle to vibrate imperceptibly.
He stood up, changed into a set of indigo-blue short-sleeved clothes, tightened the pouch containing silver needles and a short dagger around his waist, and with a light step, the Taiji You Dou Step carried him a good ten feet forward.
The tree shadows on both sides of the mountain path rapidly receded, yet Yuan Chen moved with extreme steadiness. Inner energy flowed gently from his Yongquan acupoint along his leg fascia chain, like water over pebbles; each step landed firmly without making the slightest sound.
Although his night vision could only discern objects within three zhang (about 10 meters), the bioelectrical fluctuations within five meters had long been captured by his Turtle Breath Embryonic Respiration technique.
The thumping heartbeats of three wild boars came like muffled drums, deep within the cornfield ahead.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the corn leaves, weaving a mottled net on the ground.
Three black-maned wild boars were rooting around, one of them with exposed tusks, as large as a small calf. The cornstalks it knocked over crunched under its hooves, and the splashing mud carried a hint of raw, brute force.
Yuan Chen didn't hide; instead, he strode into the cornfield. His foot crushed a broken cornstalk, making a soft "crunch."
The three wild boars suddenly raised their heads, their crimson eyes fixed on him. The sturdy leader let out a low growl, pawing the ground and raising dust. Its three-hundred-plus-pound body charged forward with a foul wind, its tusks gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
"Good timing," Yuan Chen said, not retreating but advancing. His left foot stepped forward halfway into a "Xuantan Step," his center of gravity sinking like an old pine tree with deep roots.
Inner energy circulated along the "Three Pure Ones Returning to Origin Qi" trajectory of the Primordial Taiji Energy Scripture, and a faint aura instantly appeared around his body—this wasn't for defense, but to make the upcoming counterattack smoother.
Just as the boar's tusks were a foot away from his body, he suddenly twisted.
His right hand shot out like a nimble snake, index and middle fingers together, inner energy coiling towards the thin fascia behind the boar's ear.
This was a variation of the "Shattering Delusion Palm"; before his fingertips even touched the skin, the spiraling inner energy had already penetrated, like an invisible needle, precisely striking the boar's "Startle Gate Acupoint."
"Owoo—"
The boar's massive body suddenly froze, its forward momentum brought to a dead halt. It shook its head, the fierce glint in its eyes fading somewhat, clearly disoriented by the inner energy.
Yuan Chen wouldn't give it a chance to recover.
His left fist followed through, the inner energy of the "Primordial Embrace Hammer" condensing on his knuckles. Seemingly slow, in reality, his fascia chain tightened like a twisted rope, erupting the moment it contacted the boar's neck.
This punch carried no brute force; the inner energy seeped into the gaps of the boar's cervical vertebrae like water flowing through cracks in a rock, yet it sent its three-hundred-pound body flying sideways, crashing into a pile of cornstalks with a thunderous thud.
Seeing this, the other two wild boars attacked, one from the front, one from the back. The one on the left lowered its head, ramming its mane into Yuan Chen's waist, while the one on the right raised its front hooves, striking at his face with a whoosh.
Yuan Chen executed an arc with his Taiji You Dou Step, his figure spinning like a top. The inner energy field around his body suddenly tightened, like an invisible armor.
This was the middle-layer defense of the "Three Pure Ones Returning to Origin Qi," cushioning the impact of the mane like cotton wadding, while his right palm flipped out, the inner energy of the "Primordial Covering Palm" spreading out like a blanket, landing precisely on the right boar's hoof.
With a crisp "thwack," the boar's front hoof was bent outwards, making it squeal in pain.
Yuan Chen used the momentum to spin, changing his left fist to a palm, and with the spiraling force of the "Muscle-Binding and Channel-Stirring Method," he lifted upwards along the boar's abdominal fascia.
This technique was originally for massage and muscle relaxation, but now it became a brilliant way to deflect force. The inner energy coiled around the boar's soft underbelly like water, actually flipping it onto its back.
In the blink of an eye, two wild boars lay on the ground, wailing. Only the sturdy leader struggled to get up, the ferocity in its eyes even stronger, clearly enraged.
It stood on its hind legs again, its three-hundred-plus-pound body tracing a clumsy arc in the air, its front hooves coming down towards Yuan Chen's head with a foul wind, the tips even stirring up tiny wind blades.
Yuan Chen stood still. Only when the shadow of the hooves was directly overhead did he suddenly lower his stance, inner energy exploding from his Dantian. The masculine force of "Taiji Generates Two Poles" gathered in his right fist, which he launched towards the boar's belly.
This punch was so fast it left only an afterimage.
The moment his fist connected with the boar's belly, the inner energy was like iron striking a mountain, spiraling upwards along the boar's fascia chain.
It wasn't a brutal tearing, but a precise transmission, like a red-hot needle, instantly disrupting the flow of blood and qi within its body.
"Oww—"
The boar let out a tragic shriek, its massive body actually sent flying backward by this single punch, arcing several feet through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
It struggled twice, its hooves twitching, but it could no longer stand up.
Yuan Chen stood with his fist retracted, inner energy flowing back to his Dantian like a receding tide. He walked over to the sturdy wild boar and crouched down to examine it. The moment his fingertip touched the boar's body, it suddenly lifted its head, its tusks snapping with a final surge of ferocity.
He simply flicked a finger.
Inner energy shot from his fingertip like an invisible pebble, precisely striking the boar's incisors.
With a soft "crack," the two three-inch-long tusks broke off at the root, falling to the ground with a crisp clatter. The fierce glint in the boar's eyes completely extinguished; it hung its head, unable to even whimper.
"I had intended to spare your lives, but you insisted on seeking death."
Yuan Chen stood up, dusting off his hands. Moonlight illuminated his face, his brow like distant mountains in silhouette, and in the shallow shadows cast by his eyelashes, the purple light in his irises was reflected brightly, like a pool holding stars.
He turned to look at the ravaged cornfield. More than half the cornstalks were broken, and golden corn kernels were scattered everywhere, a heartbreaking sight.
Inner energy emanated from his palm, the energy wave of the "Primordial Covering Palm" slowly spreading out, like a thin layer of snow covering the broken stalks.
This wasn't for healing, but merely to use inner energy to stimulate some vitality, perhaps to salvage a small portion of the harvest.
After dealing with the scene, he didn't immediately go down the mountain.
Instead, he walked to the mountain spring behind the temple and washed his face with cold water. Droplets rolled from his jawline, dampening his indigo-blue short-sleeved clothes, yet leaving no trace of disarray.
He gazed at his reflection in the water; the person in the mirror had shoulders and back as expansive as a pine tree, the fascia in his waist and abdomen gently rising and falling with his breath. The combat aura had long since subsided, as if he had merely taken a stroll.
On his way back, he picked some wild fruits. Inner energy coiled around his fingertips, making even the act of picking seem graceful.
With a gentle pinch of his thumb and forefinger, a ripe wild fruit would fall into his palm, its skin perfectly intact, even the stem still fresh and juicy.
By the time he reached the village entrance, the sky was already faintly light.
Wang Shěn, who was up early, was standing under the old locust tree, looking out. When she saw the wild fruits Yuan Chen was carrying and then the two injured wild boars (left for the village to improve their diet) being "herded" by his inner energy behind him, she immediately understood.
"Daoist Xiao Chen, what is this...?"
"The beasts in the back mountain have been dealt with."
Yuan Chen handed the wild fruits to Wang Shěn, his tone as calm as if he were commenting on the good weather. "I checked the cornfield; it can still be replanted. I'll get some seeds later, and we can plant them together."
Wang Shěn looked at the grass clippings on his clothes, then at the two dejected wild boars, her lips moved, but ultimately, only one sentence emerged:
"You, child..."
Yuan Chen smiled, saying no more.
The morning light spread over the mountaintops, stretching his silhouette long. His indigo-blue short-sleeved clothes shimmered in the rising sun, and the needle pouch at his waist swayed gently with his steps. The Muscle-Binding Needles inside occasionally clinked, making a faint, fragmented sound, as if accompanying the victory of the previous night.
He walked unhurriedly, yet each step was firm. Inner energy flowed slowly through his fascia chain, like a stream Stone, unhurried and calm.
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