Chapter 19: A Secret Manual, A Beautiful Woman Visits
After a night of repairs, the wall was finally rebuilt by morning.
Mo Hong washed the dirt off his hands and walked over to Lin Tianlu, bowing respectfully. “Mr. Lin, the wall is fixed. But that Hua girl…”
He glanced around cautiously, his voice filled with apprehension. “Where is she?”
After being subjected to Hua Shuya’s icy glare for an entire night, even a swordsmanship master felt a chill down his spine.
The rumors he had heard from the townsfolk were true… That girl was truly fearsome.
“I sent Miss Hua home to rest. There’s no need to be afraid, Sir.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled.
He then remembered something and asked, “Do you have any martial arts manuals, Sir, that I could borrow and study?”
“Manuals?” Mo Hong looked surprised. “You’re such a talented master, Mr. Lin. Why would you need ordinary martial arts manuals?”
“I’m not a master. Those are just rumors.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled awkwardly. “But I’m quite interested in those acrobatic martial arts techniques. I’d like to learn some in my spare time. If I could master even a few moves, it would be useful for self-defense. I wouldn’t want to be robbed by bandits in the mountains.”
Mo Hong’s expression turned strange.
What kind of bandit could possibly rob him?
But then he thought, perhaps Mr. Lin wanted to study these manuals to learn from different schools and create his own supreme martial art?
He quickly took out an old book from his pocket and handed it to Lin Tianlu with a solemn expression. “Master, this ‘Roaming Dragon Phantom Steps’ manual is something I acquired during my travels. Its footwork is intricate and profound. When mastered, it allows one to briefly walk on air. It’s quite powerful. I’ve been practicing it for five years and have reached the fourth level, but I haven’t been able to grasp the final level.
But with your realm, Master Lin, I’m sure you can bring this technique to its full potential.”
Lin Tianlu’s eyes lit up as he carefully took the manual.
“Thank you, Sir. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“It’s nothing. It’s my honor to be acquainted with you, Master Lin.”
Mo Hong smiled and stepped back, bowing. “Now that the wall is fixed, I won’t intrude any longer. Farewell, Master Lin!”
With a shout that echoed through the sky, the old man’s figure blurred, and he carefully walked over to the courtyard gate with a cautious yet energetic gait, opening it slowly.
Then, he turned back and bowed to Lin Tianlu with a warm smile before gently closing the gate.
“…”
Lin Tianlu’s lips twitched.
This old man was becoming quite the comedian.
“Senior, has that swordsman Mo Hong left?”
Hua Shuya emerged from the inner courtyard, glancing towards the gate.
Lin Tianlu nodded. “He had a sudden realization about martial arts and probably needs a quiet place to cultivate. He won’t be staying long.”
Hua Shuya pursed her lips and snorted softly. “That old man’s shouting early in the morning must have disturbed the neighbors.”
Lin Tianlu’s expression froze.
She was right.
Although his roar had been impressive, it was also quite loud.
Judging by the time, it must have been around six or seven in the morning. He hoped the neighbors wouldn’t complain.
Hua Shuya walked over to him, her eyes sparkling.
“What did that swordsman leave for you, Senior?”
Lin Tianlu pushed aside his thoughts and smiled, holding up the manual. “He gave me his secret manual.”
“Manual?”
Hua Shuya frowned.
That old man had given him such a meager gift in return?
But seeing the joy in Lin Tianlu’s eyes, she didn’t complain.
“Then please wait here, Senior. I’ll go to the market and buy some breakfast.”
“Thank you.”
“I-it’s no trouble at all.”
Hua Shuya blushed slightly, coughed lightly, and quietly left.
…
With the house empty, Lin Tianlu sat down and started flipping through the manual.
But after a few glances, he let out a soft exclamation.
The profound and intricate formulas and meditation techniques he had expected were nowhere to be found.
There were no colorful illustrations or mystical diagrams.
Instead, the pages were filled with detailed drawings of stick figures, like a children’s book.
And they were even divided into two sections… male and female.
“The drawings are quite good, at least they resemble human figures.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled, amused, as he tried to imitate the poses in the illustrations.
But his expression quickly turned strange.
“This… looks like breakdancing.”
He tried to follow the stick figure’s movements, his feet crossing and stepping, spinning in place.
All he needed was a boombox and a crowd.
“…”
Lin Tianlu flipped through the manual for a while longer, then closed it with a sigh.
Alright, it wasn’t breakdancing.
It was geriatric disco.
“This seems like the kind of martial art that old man would practice. It suits his age.”
Lin Tianlu sighed.
Of course, it didn’t mean the manual was fake.
These seemingly ridiculous steps were actually a profound movement technique, requiring deep internal energy to execute. Without the support of internal energy, it was just a bunch of empty movements, awkward and comical.
The manual included instructions for cultivating internal energy. But the prerequisite was… having internal energy in the first place.
Lin Tianlu scratched his head, wondering if the spiritual energy within him could be used as a substitute.
“Ah, I almost forgot that I can’t even control my spiritual energy properly.”
He shook his head with a wry smile and started pacing around the courtyard.
Although he didn’t have the internal energy required for this technique, he could still practice the movements as a warm-up exercise.
Cultivation was all about taking care of one’s health, after all.
Combined with some stretching and chest expansions, it was like his daily morning exercise routine.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone was knocking at the gate.
“Another visitor?”
Lin Tianlu raised an eyebrow, put away the manual, and hurried to the door.
“Who is it… Madam Mao?”
It was Mao Ruoyu, standing outside the gate.
She was dressed in an elegant ruqun, a light shawl draped over her shoulders, her beautiful face adorned with light makeup, her eyes radiating a gentle charm.
Their eyes met, and she quickly lowered her gaze, bowing gracefully. “Good morning, Mr. Lin.”
“You look much better today, Madam.” Lin Tianlu smiled gently. “What brings you here?”
Mao Ruoyu hesitated, her expression conflicted.
Lin Tianlu said softly, “Take your time, Madam. No need to rush.”
“Actually, I…” Mao Ruoyu’s heart pounded, her breathing quickened, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. After a long silence, she suddenly blurted out, “I want to be by your side, Mr. Lin!”
Hmm?!
Lin Tianlu was stunned. “Madam, what did you just…”
But Mao Ruoyu’s reaction was even more unexpected.
She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, her face filled with shock and panic. She stammered, “N-no, that’s not what I meant… I just wanted to say… you’re all alone in Changling County, Sir. It must be inconvenient.
And you were so kind to me yesterday. So I thought… I could prepare meals for you, so you don’t have to worry about going hungry.”
By now, she was stuttering, her face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and urgency.
Lin Tianlu breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled awkwardly. “Thank you for your kind offer, Madam. But I can handle my own meals. There’s no need to trouble yourself.”
“But you must be busy with your studies, Mr. Lin?” Mao Ruoyu said softly. “It’s no trouble for me to make some extra food. If you really mind, you can just… pay me a small wage.”
Lin Tianlu was stunned for a moment, then realization dawned on him.
He had almost forgotten.
This woman was a widow with a child. Although she had a house, it was deserted and unkempt. She probably didn’t have much income.
And raising a child was expensive. An extra source of income would certainly help ease her burden.
With that thought, Lin Tianlu quickly bowed. “I wouldn’t want to refuse your kind offer, Madam. I’m grateful for your help.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Mao Ruoyu brushed her hair back, avoiding his gaze. “Then I’ll start coming over tomorrow to help with the cooking.”
She quickly turned and left, her steps hurried, as if embarrassed.
“Mad—”
Lin Tianlu reached out, wanting to say something, but then he changed his mind.
He would just pay her a generous wage. It was tough for a single woman to raise a child in ancient times.
And of course, there was another reason…
Having such a beautiful woman cooking in his house was certainly pleasing to the eye.
It was worth the money.
“I guess I’m still a slave to beauty.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled to himself, closing the gate.
He was also relieved that his spiritual energy hadn’t turned him into an emotionless being.
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