6
Manifold Provocation
The sun set behind the mountain peaks, and darkness quietly swept across the sky. After Qian Dao Xuan left, Qian Lingyan locked himself in his room, devoting all his attention to the Beast-Form Fist. For dinner, he only hastily ate a few pieces of orchid-scented cake.
Unknowingly, the deep night arrived. Qian Lingyan’s mind was filled with thoughts of the fist techniques, his head growing heavy and muddled until he finally slumped over the desk and fell asleep. As the saying goes, what one thinks about during the day, one dreams of at night. Sure enough, the Duke of Zhou paid a visit, and in his dream, Qian Lingyan practiced the fist techniques. However, the dream was hazy and illogical, and the sequence of the techniques did not follow the manual but flowed freely, executed with seamless unity.
Qian Lingyan woke up—more accurately, he was awakened by the cold. Opening his eyes, he saw that it was already the hour of Mao, early morning, but in the depths of winter, the sky had yet to brighten. Recalling the dream from the previous night, Qian Lingyan suddenly had an epiphany: the moves of the Beast-Form Fist were not meant to follow a fixed order but could be combined freely. Although other fist or sword techniques also emphasized combinations of moves, none were as unrestrained as the Beast-Form Fist.
Having glimpsed this secret, Qian Lingyan felt both joy and a touch of worry. The Beast-Form Fist encompassed the forms of tigers, leopards, wolves, jackals, apes, snakes, eagles, and falcons—hundreds of beasts, hundreds of forms. Combining them naturally yielded endless variations, but Qian Lingyan was unsure if he could master them, and his concern was unavoidable.
Qian Lingyan was a clever person and knew that worry was useless. Only through actual combat could he accumulate experience and achieve mastery through practice.
Chang Weiqi had just woken up when he heard someone knocking at the door. It was Qian Lingyan. Before he could even tidy up, Chang Weiqi was dragged outside by Qian Lingyan.
Winter was merciless. The leaves of the jujube tree in the courtyard had all fallen, leaving only bare branches. Qian Lingyan broke off a branch about a foot long and handed it to Chang Weiqi, saying, “Use the sword techniques you used against the Withered Ghost on me. Let’s spar.”
Chang Weiqi was puzzled but still assumed a stance. “Be careful,” he said, preparing to strike. However, when sparring with Qian Lingyan, he naturally couldn’t use a life-for-a-life move like “Sacrificing Oneself Without Regret.”
The branch was quite flexible and of suitable thickness, making it easy to wield. With a swish, he executed a move called “Immortal Points the Way,” thrusting straight at Qian Lingyan’s chest. Instead of retreating, Qian Lingyan advanced. Just as the branch was about to reach him, he sidestepped to avoid the strike, using the move “Swift Falcon Pierces the Forest.” Then, following the momentum of his sidestep, he spun his body horizontally, sweeping his right leg toward Chang Weiqi’s right shoulder with the move “Leopard’s Tail Sweep.” Chang Weiqi, not daring to use his full strength and holding back out of caution, coupled with his own carelessness, failed to dodge this move.
Qian Lingyan’s two moves were flawlessly connected, flowing like clouds and water without any unnecessary movements. Chang Weiqi couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
“Weiqi, be serious. Don’t hold back.” Qian Lingyan had also noticed that Chang Weiqi was going easy on him.
“Alright, then be careful.” Chang Weiqi was indeed obedient, as his moves grew increasingly dense and more ingenious, each one seamlessly connecting to the next. Qian Lingyan had only recently learned his boxing techniques, but relying on his solid foundation and astonishing insight, he could always hold out for three to five moves, and on lucky occasions, up to ten. Qian Lingyan thought to himself that Chang Weiqi’s current level was roughly on par with Qu Yue’s, but with the advantage of his “sharp weapon,” Qian Lingyan found himself at a disadvantage. If Qu Yue were to face Chang Weiqi, the outcome would be hard to predict, as Qu Yue’s boxing techniques undoubtedly included methods for fighting bare-handed against a blade—something Qian Lingyan had never encountered before. Even with his natural talent, he struggled to grasp the intricacies of such techniques.
The more Qian Lingyan fought, the clearer his mind became, and gradually, he was able to hold out longer, exchanging over ten moves with Chang Weiqi. However, he never exceeded twenty moves, always being defeated on the eighteenth or nineteenth. This final move wasn’t particularly ingenious, but it was always perfectly timed, leaving Qian Lingyan with no way to evade it. This puzzled him endlessly—was it because his left arm was injured, limiting his mobility?
In the courtyard, the two were engaged in a heated battle, occasionally unleashing many exquisite moves. Qian Lingyan was now striving hard to break through the deadlock of twenty moves. He had just dodged a move called “Flowers in the Mist”—this was the nineteenth move, the first time he had held out until the nineteenth without being defeated. It seemed he was on the verge of breaking the twenty-move deadlock. Just as Qian Lingyan was wondering what Chang Weiqi’s twentieth move would be, it turned out to be nothing more than “Immortal Points the Way.” This move wasn’t particularly clever, relying solely on speed for victory. And precisely because it was simple, requiring no complex preparation, Qian Lingyan had no way to avoid it and was struck in the chest.
“Excellent.” It was a crisp female voice. Qian Lingyan naturally knew this praise wasn’t meant for him. While the two were sparring in the courtyard, Qu Yue and Zhao Ziyu had arrived, yet neither of them had noticed. The earlier praise had come from Qu Yue.
“Qian Lingyan, the people in your household are far more skilled than you.” Qu Yue had always been straightforward in her speech.
Qian Lingyan wasn’t angry, just puzzled—why had he been defeated again this time?
“Sister Qu, you flatter me. How could I possibly be more skilled than the young master?” Chang Weiqi said modestly.
“Skilled is skilled, I acknowledge that. We’re all good friends, no need for such formalities. From now on, when we’re together, just call me Lingyan.” The last sentence was naturally directed at Chang Weiqi. As he spoke, Qian Lingyan furrowed his brow slightly, pondering how he had been defeated.
Qu Yue continued, “Exactly. I really can’t stand the arrogance of you people from the Seven Great Families, as if praising someone else’s skill would kill you. Qian Lingyan, you’re different from them, and that’s the only thing about you I find tolerable.”
Qian Lingyan changed the subject. “Why hasn’t Xu Lifeng arrived yet?”
“Who says I haven’t?” Xu Sa flipped over the wall and landed inside. “I’ve been here for a while, but I didn’t want to disturb you, so I waited outside the wall for a bit.” In truth, this was only one of the reasons. Xu Sa was mainly afraid that if he were present watching Qian Lingyan get beaten, Qian Lingyan would feel embarrassed. However, in the coming days, not only would he have to watch Qian Lingyan get beaten, but he would also have to take part in it himself.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Qian Lingyan shared his thoughts, hoping that during this break from studies, they could motivate and encourage each other.
When Qu Yue heard that the members of the Seven Great Families did not rest even during breaks, she felt a competitive urge and readily agreed. Seeing Qu Yue’s acceptance, Ziyu also consented.
Qian Lingyan had anticipated this outcome, yet when it was settled, he was still exceptionally delighted.
But the happiest person was not Qian Lingyan—it was Yang Yi, who had been quietly observing the scene from inside the house. Yang Yi slipped out of the courtyard to prepare tea and meals.
The five sparred in alternating matches, each with a distinct style: Qu Yue was forceful, Zhao Ziyu subtle, Chang Weiqi agile, Xu Sa nimble, and Qian Lingyan unorthodox.
From sunrise to sunset, they practiced, having both lunch and dinner at Qian Lingyan’s home. The food was delicious, ordered by Yang Yi from the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and not cheap. Everyone praised Qian Lingyan’s thoughtfulness, and he chuckled, well aware of who deserved the credit.
Xu Sa, Chang Weiqi, Qu Yue, and Zhao Ziyu had been practicing martial arts in Qian Lingyan’s courtyard for several days now. Among the five, Qian Lingyan progressed the most rapidly, improving noticeably each day. With a solid foundation and now having sparring partners, his accumulated potential burst forth, which was only natural.
Despite his swift progress, Qian Lingyan still lagged considerably behind the others from the Seven Great Families. It had to be said that the Seven Great Families were not merely renowned in name—among the five, Xu Sa was the strongest. Xu Sa practiced the “Wind Commanding Art,” and of the other four, only Qu Yue could defeat him. This wasn’t because Qu Yue was stronger than the other three, but rather due to the advantage of her gender.
Although Xu Sa was the strongest, the one who gave Qian Lingyan the most trouble was Chang Weiqi. Qian Lingyan could hold his own against Xu Sa for nearly fifty moves, and against Zhao Ziyu and Qu Yue, he had wins and losses. But against Chang Weiqi, he never lasted beyond forty moves. Even though he had broken through the previous deadlock of twenty moves, the lingering feeling of being subdued by Chang Weiqi’s final move persisted. Despite seeking advice from Qu Yue on unarmed combat against blades, he only managed to last a few more moves.
“What exactly is going on?” This question haunted Qian Lingyan, and he couldn’t hold back any longer, finally voicing it.
Chang Weiqi was also puzzled, thinking to himself that he was certainly no match for Xu Sa, and his performance against Zhao Ziyu and Qu Yue wasn’t much better than Qian Lingyan’s. Why was it so different when facing Qian Lingyan?
As Qian Lingyan pondered deeply, he noticed Zhao Ziyu hesitating to speak and quickly asked, “Ziyu, have you noticed something?”
“I… I’m not sure if what I think is correct.” Zhao Ziyu was shy by nature and had spoken little during their days of practice together.
“Just say it already, you’re driving me crazy!” Qian Lingyan, seeing that Zhao Ziyu had something to say, grew impatient.
Noticing Qian Lingyan’s eagerness, Qu Yue teased him, saying, “Ziyu, don’t tell him. Qian Lingyan, you want to get something for nothing without offering anything in return?”
Though anxious, Qian Lingyan’s mind worked quickly. He replied, “Fine. Ziyu, if you tell me the crux of the problem, I’ll get my senior sister to marry you.”
Qu Yue flushed with embarrassment, gave a light scoff, and turned her head away, ignoring Qian Lingyan. Zhao Ziyu stole a glance at Qu Yue and stammered, “Lingyan, during the duel, you were decisive in your choices. When a move seemed unfavorable, you would yield it to preserve the overall momentum. That in itself isn’t wrong, but Weiqi’s moves are intricately linked and tightly connected. If you yield one move, you’ll likely have to yield the next as well. Accumulated over time, he’ll end up several moves ahead of you, and it’ll be difficult for you to turn the tide.”
Upon hearing this, Qian Lingyan felt as if a sudden enlightenment had dawned upon him—how could a grand momentum be built without accumulating small advantages? His own fist technique focused primarily on defense, and originally, he was the one accumulating momentum to strike. However, Chang Weiqi’s sword technique aimed for agility, unafraid of defense but most vulnerable to direct confrontation. That was why the Chang family’s sword technique included the move “Returning Kindness with Kindness” to compensate for this weakness.
The matter, once explained, didn’t seem particularly profound. It was just that Qian Lingyan and Chang Weiqi had been too caught up in the situation to see it clearly. Qu Yue, straightforward by nature, paid little attention to details, while Xu Sa had never known what details even meant. Zhao Ziyu, quiet and observant, was the only one who had discerned the underlying mechanism.
At this moment, Qian Lingyan gained a deeper understanding of the principles of offense and defense. Defending to accumulate momentum, then striking when the time was ripe, was also a form of offense. Attacking to break the enemy, restraining their movements, was also a form of defense.
Days and nights alternated, and half a month passed in the blink of an eye. On this morning, in the small courtyard of Qian Lingyan’s home in the western wing of Qian Manor, Qian Lingyan was engaged in a one-on-two duel against Chang Weiqi and Xu Sa. In truth, Qian Lingyan wasn’t stronger than either Xu Sa or Chang Weiqi individually, but Xu Sa fought without regard for others, often disrupting Chang Weiqi and preventing him from showcasing his skills. Meanwhile, Qian Lingyan intentionally or unintentionally guided Xu Sa toward Chang Weiqi, making it difficult to determine the outcome.
The Beast-Form Fist stated: “When beasts vie for dominance, they often rely on the terrain; humans, superior to beasts, can also harness the momentum of other creatures.” Qian Lingyan had already learned to utilize the terrain—trees in the courtyard, stone tables and stools, even the courtyard walls served as shelter or points of leverage. Now, he was preparing to harness the momentum of other creatures. When facing multiple opponents, he could use footwork to shift positions, using one enemy as a shield to hinder the others. While enemies, unlike stationary objects, were harder to leverage, they made excellent cover.
As the three fought fiercely, a mocking voice rang out from the courtyard entrance, “Well, well, look at the stray cats and dogs practicing their fists and kicks. I bet even if they came out, they’d only have third-rate skills.”
The speaker was none other than Liu Xing from the Liu family, one of the Seven Great Families. The Liu brothers, Liu Ying and Liu Xing, were notorious for their arrogance. Even when encountering members of the Seven Great Families, they showed little courtesy, let alone others. However, Liu Ying at least had some skill, while Liu Xing’s temper far outweighed his abilities.
Qian Lingyan merely regarded Liu Xing as a clown and smiled disdainfully. “Young Master Liu, if you have any impressive moves, please step into the ring and show us.” As he spoke, everyone stepped back, clearing a space in the courtyard. Qian Lingyan stood in the center, waiting for Young Master Liu to enter.
Though Liu Xing had a fiery temper, he wasn’t a fool. He had just witnessed Qian Lingyan holding his own against both Xu Sa and Chang Weiqi, which surely meant he had learned some formidable fist technique, giving him the confidence to act so boldly. As for Chang Weiqi, he hadn’t displayed any remarkable moves, suggesting he lacked skill. Little did Liu Xing know that Chang Weiqi’s inability to perform was entirely due to Xu Sa’s interference.
“Qian Lingyan, our seven great families are interconnected like branches of the same tree. I won’t fight you. Qu Yue, Zhao Ziyu—we’re all fellow students, and there will be plenty of opportunities for sparring in the future.” Liuxing suddenly shifted his gaze, looking at Chang Weiqi and saying, “Huh? This one looks unfamiliar. Come here, let’s have a match.”
Currently, among the five, Xu Sa was the strongest, followed by Qu Yue. Chang Weiqi and Zhao Ziyu were roughly equal in skill. Although Qian Lingyan had made rapid progress recently, he had only trained diligently for a little over half a month, making him the weakest among the five present. By choosing Chang Weiqi, Liuxing was truly lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot.
Qian Lingyan stepped off the field, and Chang Weiqi understood that it was his turn to step up. Chang Weiqi entered the field and said, “Weiqi is skilled in sword techniques. For today’s spar, I dare not use a real sword and will instead use a tree branch as a substitute. May I ask what weapon Young Master Liu intends to use?”
Liuxing laughed heartily and said, “To deal with you, what need is there for a weapon? Kid, watch out!” As soon as he finished speaking, he made his move. The Liu family excelled in formation techniques, with their ancestral Qi technique being the “Qi Form Eight Trigrams.” They studied fist techniques and mostly did not specialize in weapons, and Liuxing was among the majority.
Qian Lingyan was not versed in the Eight Trigrams, but he had heard that the “Qi Form Eight Trigrams” emphasized the Eight Trigrams in the hands and the Eight Trigrams under the feet. The footwork followed the trigram positions, while the hands executed Eight Trigram fist techniques, resulting in agile movements, unpredictable fist techniques, and immense power. However, Liuxing only used a single trigram fist technique—attacking with the Zhen and Li trigram fists and defending with the Gen and Dui trigram fists, completely separated. His footwork was in the Li trigram position, making it difficult to coordinate. In contrast, Chang Weiqi attacked in an orderly manner, pressing forward step by step. If he had been using a real sword, Liuxing would have already been riddled with ten or eight holes.
Even after being struck several times by the “sword,” Liuxing refused to admit defeat, infuriating Qu Yue so much that she cursed loudly. If Zhao Ziyu hadn’t held her back, she would have rushed forward to give Liuxing a beating. Seeing Liuxing like this, Chang Weiqi also grew somewhat impatient.
At that moment, Liuxing launched a Li trigram fist attack. Chang Weiqi neither dodged nor avoided it, instead striking the incoming fist with his “sword.” The onlookers inwardly exclaimed in alarm—the Li trigram fist was ferocious in its attack. How could he meet it with a wooden branch? As expected, when Chang Weiqi clashed head-on with Liuxing, the wooden branch was knocked away by the fist’s Qi. Liuxing shifted his footwork to the Xun trigram position, and it seemed this fist was about to land on Chang Weiqi. The punch came with such force that if it hit, it would be enough to keep Chang Weiqi bedridden for several days. With his defenses wide open and his wooden branch knocked away, how could Chang Weiqi possibly evade this move?