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Li Wei Feng placed the handwritten manuals of Wuxiang Gong and One Yang Finger, along with a box of mooncakes, into the Porcelain Jar. Watching several items disappear, he sighed. Due to the unusual happenings with the Porcelain Jar during the festival, he was unable to video call Hanno, leaving him feeling quite unhappy.
“Big Brother, are you ready? Brother Zixia is waiting for you outside,” Li Yishu's lively voice called from outside the storage room.
“Coming,” Elder Brother Li replied as he stepped out of the house. He saw Wen Zixia whispering with his sister and cleared his throat, startling the couple into quickly separating.
Elder Brother Li found it amusing but said nothing more, simply tossing out a “Let’s go” before leading the way, with Wen Zixia hurriedly following. They were headed to the Mid-Autumn Festival moon-viewing banquet prepared by the Magistrate. The Appointment Document had already been issued, and after the festival, he would be taking up his position as Prefect in the Provincial Capital. This banquet served as a farewell party for him, attended by many scholars and wealthy families from Jingyang County. Wen Zixia was on the guest list but had initially not wanted to go; it was only after Elder Brother Li emphasized the importance of networking that Wen Zixia decided to accompany him.
Li Zhoule invited Wen Ziyu and Wen Zixue to her home, where the four of them gathered to worship the moon and enjoy mooncakes together. The fragrance of osmanthus wafted through the air, causing Li Zhoule's thoughts to drift. She remembered this time last year when they had also celebrated with the Wen Family Brothers, but there were no mooncakes then—just a bowl of Wild Vegetable Porridge each, leaving their stomachs empty and devoid of hope for a better life. Who would have thought that within just a year, life could become so beautiful? Soon, she would be marrying the one she loved… Li Zhoule felt her cheeks flush.
Li Yishu leaned closer to Wen Ziyu and whispered, “I bet my sister is thinking about Brother Zixia.”
Wen Ziyu rolled his eyes; only a fool would take such a guaranteed losing bet. “How’s your practice of the techniques Brother Li taught us going? Have you developed any energy sensation yet?”
Hearing this question made Li Yishu's smile droop. “No. Have you managed to?”
Wen Ziyu grinned proudly. “I just managed to do it this morning.”
“Wow!” Li Yishu exclaimed (don’t ask why ancient people use modern expressions; remember how deeply influenced they are by Elder Brother Li). He jumped up from his seat, stuffed a mooncake into his mouth, and dashed toward his room. Li Zhoule hurriedly called after him.
“Li Yishu, what are you doing in your room? Aren’t you going to enjoy the moon?”
“Not anymore,” came his muffled reply from inside. “I need to practice diligently; I must develop my energy sensation.”
Wen Ziyu sat at the table chuckling as he divided Li Yishu's mooncake into two pieces—one for Wen Zixue and one for himself—before picking up the plate. “Zhou Le Jie, Zi Jue and I are heading home now.”
"Alright, take care on your way." Li Zhoule did not keep the two behind; after all, her brother and Wen Zixia were not present, and it wouldn't be good for her to be alone with the two uncles.
After sending them off, Li Zhoule returned to the courtyard, quietly admiring the moon while waiting for her brother and fiancé to come home.
………………
Who had obtained a few items belonging to Elder Brother Li?
In the world of martial arts, atop Wudang Mountain, a boy around eleven or twelve years old was kicking and punching a large tree. "Damn it! Father never talks to me properly but is so gentle with Zhang Wuyou. And Grandmaster and the other Shishus always revolve around Zhang Wuyou. What’s so great about him? Why does everyone pay so much attention to him?"
The more the boy thought about it, the more indignant he became. He kicked the tree hard, but instead of breaking it, he was sent flying two meters back by the tree's rebound, landing heavily on his back.
"Even my father doesn't care for me?" the boy shouted in frustration.
Suddenly, three objects hit him squarely in the face, causing his nose to bleed. In pain and anger, he cried out, "I really am an unwanted child; even my father hits me."
The boy was genuinely heartbroken. Unfortunately, everyone on Wudang Mountain was focused on Zhang Wuyou, who had been injured by the Mysterious Dark Palm. No one came to comfort the boy, who felt neglected and jealous of his companion's affection from their father and elders.
After crying for a long time, he finally stopped when he realized it was getting late and decided to head down the mountain to rest. As he got up, he suddenly noticed something on the ground that had fallen on him. He looked down and picked up three items.
"Things dropped by a celestial being? They must be extraordinary." The boy first opened the oil paper package that had caused his nosebleed; there was still some of his blood on it.
Inside the paper package were several flat round pastries that looked like small moons and smelled incredibly sweet. Unable to resist, he took a bite of one. If he were an adult, he would know better than to eat something picked up from the ground; it might be poisonous. But being young and inexperienced in the ways of the world, he had already convinced himself that these pastries were dropped by celestial beings—how could they possibly be toxic?
"Delicious! So tasty!" The boy finished one mooncake in one go and licked his lips, wanting more. However, seeing that there were only four or five mooncakes left, he decided to save them for later enjoyment.
The young boy carefully rewrapped the mooncakes in oil paper and tucked them into his chest before turning his attention to the other two items: "One Yang Finger" and "Wuxiang Gong."
Though still young, the boy had a solid foundation in martial arts and a keen eye for knowledge. Upon seeing the methods of these two martial arts, he realized they were two forms of profound techniques that surpassed even the current martial arts of Wudang.
He felt a surge of joy. "So it turns out that the elder does care for me after all!"
Otherwise, he wouldn't have given him delicious treats along with advanced Martial Arts Manuals. It was as if he wanted him to practice diligently and eventually surpass his father, Shishu, and even the Grandmaster, proving that he was indeed the best among Wudang's third generation.
Deity, Song Qingyun understood your intentions. I will not let you down; I will work hard to practice martial arts, surpass my father and the Grandmaster, and become the next top figure, earning everyone's admiration while making my father and the Grandmaster proud instead of being overlooked as I am now!
At that moment, the boy's worldview was reshaped.
In the past, upon receiving two profound Martial Arts Manuals, he would have immediately handed them over to his father. However, due to his father's neglect, he felt angered and resolved not to share these treasures with his elders. Instead, he decided to practice them secretly and wait for an opportune moment to astonish everyone.
Thus, he began to train in both martial arts in secret. Normally, his father and Shishu would have noticed something was off with him, but now they were entirely focused on another child and overlooked him. It wasn't until three years later when Zhang Wuyou followed Zhang Sanfeng down the mountain seeking medical help that his father finally had time to pay attention to him. By then, however, the boy had already mastered both techniques without revealing his progress; his father remained oblivious to any changes in him.
Wuxiang Gong was a supreme skill of the Xiao Yao Sect, known for its immense power. Its main characteristic was its formlessness; it left no trace behind. As long as one possessed this skill and knew other martial arts techniques, they could rely on its unmatched power to mimic even the most extraordinary skills of others or surpass their originals. Those who had never learned this skill found it difficult to discern its effects. It was a divine art that represented the essence of Taoist martial arts. Since Wudang Sect belonged to Taoism and many martial arts originated from Taoist lore, Song Manlou had never suspected that his son was practicing techniques from another sect; he merely thought his son had made great progress through hard work and happily taught him many advanced skills.
Since pledging allegiance to Deity, Song Qingyun devoted himself entirely to training. All his thoughts were focused on learning. Besides practicing martial arts and studying Taoist knowledge with other disciples, he spent his remaining time at the mountaintop where he initially found the Martial Arts Manuals. Therefore, when Zhou Yaoqin came to Wudang, Song Qingyun not only did not interact with him but didn't even see him—there was no question of falling in love at first sight. Years later, when the Six Major Sects of Jianghu attacked the Demon Cult, Song Qingyun refused to descend from the mountain to participate in this event because he was just one step away from achieving great perfection in his training. Although Song Manlou was angry, he could not blame his son since it was for martial arts practice; he could only leave with a few disciples in disappointment.
Not long after Song Manlou and the others departed, Song Qingyun successfully mastered Wuxiang Gong. As long as he continued to accumulate internal energy, he would be able to break through the barrier between post- and pre-conditions. The distinction between post- and pre-conditions represented a vast chasm. Post-condition practitioners relied on their accumulated internal energy during battles while pre-condition practitioners communicated with nature itself and borrowed its power for combat. The pre-condition also offered benefits such as rejuvenation and extended lifespan. However, since the Tang Dynasty, very few practitioners had achieved this state. In the world of The Eight Dragons, only two individuals had reached this level: one was Shaolin Sweeper and the other was Xiao Yao Zi from Xiao Yao Sect—perhaps they were even one and the same person. All martial arts of Xiao Yao Sect were passed down from Xiao Yao Zi and aimed directly at achieving pre-condition status.
Originally Wu Xingyun, Wuyazi, and Li Qiushui could have all reached this state if they focused solely on martial arts; however, they were entangled by emotions. Wu Xingyun fell victim to Li Qiushui's schemes during training and became obsessed with his practice; Li Qiushui retaliated against Wu Xingyun while being involved in numerous affairs that distracted him from training; as for Wuyazi, he became crippled due to Ding Chunqiu's machinations which severed his path toward achieving pre-condition status.
After them, Xiao Feng, Duanyu, and Xu Zhu also had potential but faced their own misfortunes: Xiao Feng committed suicide; Duanyu practiced an incomplete version of Northern Darkness Divine Skill while becoming an emperor with no interest left in martial arts; Xu Zhu received all his abilities from Wuyazi's trio without ever training himself—his foundation was unstable so naturally he could not reach pre-condition status either.
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