The next morning, Li Muzhan was practicing the Eight Methods of Drinking the Tiger in his small courtyard, the bright sunlight warming his body pleasantly.
Purple Smoke Peak loomed high, meeting the drifting clouds, its climate subject to violent shifts; without sunlight, a deep chill penetrated to the bone, but when the sun appeared, the cold retreated entirely, revealing a completely different world.
He wore a suit of moon-white silk combat attire; while it felt chilly when the sun wasn't out, once the light struck him, it became instantly warm, allowing his movements to grow softer, flowing like water in motion.
“Clink, clink!” Two crisp sounds came from outside. Li Muzhan called out loudly, “Come in.”
The door knocker was made of a unique stone from Purple Smoke Peak, its striking sound resembling the chime of a jade chime, never disturbing one’s concentration.
“Creeeeak.” The courtyard gate swung open, and two men in green robes entered. Li Muzhan’s movements did not cease, slow and steady as water; his Eye of the Void had already appraised them.
One of the green-robed men was burly and mighty, like a lion; the other was delicate and tall, standing poised like a jade tree in the breeze. Both appeared to be in their twenties, standing quietly to the side, careful not to interrupt Li Muzhan’s practice.
The burly youth wore a broad, beaming smile on his rugged face, while the delicate man possessed a refined, almost cold, pride in his handsome features.
Li Muzhan slowly concluded his movements, executing a final closing posture. After regaining his stance, he clasped his hands and smiled, “My apologies! I am Li Wuji. May I ask which senior martial brothers you are…?”
The rugged youth clasped his hands and laughed, “Heh heh, Junior Martial Brother Li, my name is Qiao Zaixian, and this is Lin Beihai, Junior Martial Brother Lin. We hope we haven’t disturbed you with our abrupt visit?”
Li Muzhan shook his head, “So it is Senior Martial Brother Qiao and Senior Martial Brother Lin, please—!”
The three proceeded to the small pavilion in the center and sat down. Li Muzhan brewed tea, served it, and then sat opposite them with a smile.
Qiao Zaixian sipped his tea slowly before setting it down, his face beaming, “Junior Martial Brother Li, did you sleep well last night? The wind up here is fierce. I remember when I first arrived on the peak, I tossed and turned every night. The wind sounded like ghosts wailing, utterly unbearable, making sleep impossible. Isn’t that right, Junior Martial Brother Lin?”
Lin Beihai sipped his tea with detached indifference, nodding slightly, his gaze fixed intently on the scenery beyond the pavilion.
Li Muzhan smiled, “I was quite fine. I slept very soundly; I couldn’t hear the wind outside.”
“Junior Martial Brother Li, your courtyard is excellent,” Qiao Zaixian remarked cheerfully. “Mine is right on the windward side. This one is centrally located, so the wind can’t penetrate. It seems the Palace Master truly values you!”
Li Muzhan smiled, picking up his tea to take a small sip. Since he was unclear on their true purpose, he thought it best to speak less.
Lin Beihai glanced at him sideways, then glanced at Qiao Zaixian. Qiao Zaixian laughed, “Junior Martial Brother Li, what martial art were you practicing just now?”
Li Muzhan replied, “The Eight Methods of Drinking the Tiger.”
“The Eight Methods of Drinking the Tiger…” Qiao Zaixian mused for a moment, then nodded, “I’ve heard of it. The techniques from Drinking Tiger Study; it’s considered a decent martial art.”
Li Muzhan smiled, “I learned it from Hero Hu—merely to stretch my muscles and strengthen my body.”
“Heh heh…” Qiao Zaixian chuckled, shaking his head, “Although the Eight Methods of Drinking the Tiger isn't top-tier cultivation, using it just to strengthen your body is certainly underutilizing its potential.”
Li Muzhan laughed, “This Eight Methods of Drinking the Tiger is indeed profound, yet you say it’s not a top-tier martial art? Are the techniques of our Purple Garment Palace even more formidable?”
“Naturally!” Qiao Zaixian laughed heartily, “Drinking Tiger Study is merely a second-rate minor sect. Our Purple Garment Palace is a first-rate major power—how could they possibly be compared?”
Li Muzhan said, “I heard the Palace Master mention that the martial arts within the Palace are best suited for female cultivation; the male mind techniques are somewhat inferior.”
“Well, about that…” Qiao Zaixian sighed helplessly, “It is true they are lacking a bit. However, we train with more diligence, so we are no less skilled than our senior and junior sisters!”
Li Muzhan smiled, “Diligence can compensate for slowness.”
“While our foundational methods may not match those of our sisters, they are far superior to those of other sects. So, Junior Martial Brother Li, there’s no need to be disappointed. Just practice hard,” Qiao Zaixian advised.
Li Muzhan nodded, “Thank you, Senior Martial Brother Qiao.”
Qiao Zaixian continued, “Junior Martial Brother Li, I came to give you a heads-up: since our core methods aren’t as good, others might look down on us. Don't take it too seriously!”
Li Muzhan paused, slowly nodding, “I understand.”
Qiao Zaixian patted his shoulder and chuckled, “If you wish to prove yourselves, then demonstrate your true ability. Once your martial arts are strong, you will naturally be able to hold your head high.”
Qiao Zaixian was warm and friendly, while Lin Beihai observed him with cold scrutiny. Li Muzhan met them with a smile, wondering about their intentions internally, yet he refrained from probing with his Mind-Penetrating Insight—that would be far too tedious.
“Clink, clink!” Another crisp sound echoed from outside the gate.
Li Muzhan called out loudly, “Please come in.”
A woman in yellow robes pushed the door open. She was petite and exquisitely beautiful. She stepped lightly into the courtyard and spotted the three figures in the pavilion.
“Oh, your ears are quite sharp,” she drawled with a half-smile, pouting slightly before elegantly approaching the pavilion, her bright gaze falling upon Li Muzhan’s face.
Li Muzhan rose and clasped his hands in a smile, “Greetings, Senior Sister.”
“My surname is Luo,” the woman in yellow smiled. “I heard the Palace Master accepted a male disciple, so I came specifically to take a look.”
Li Muzhan smiled but said nothing.
The woman in yellow continued, “The Palace Master has always opposed taking male disciples. For her to break her own rule this time, I must see what remarkable person has caused this.”
Qiao Zaixian interjected, “Junior Martial Brother Li, allow me to introduce you. This is Senior Sister Luo Jiangyan, one of the finest talents in our Purple Garment Palace.”
Luo Jiangyan glanced at him sideways and snorted, “Junior Martial Brother Qiao, stop feeding me sweet talk. Are you badmouthing us and trying to sow discord?!”
Qiao Zaixian let out a couple of forced laughs to cover his embarrassment, “Senior Sister Luo, you worry too much. Like you, I am merely curious, just curious.”
“Hmph, who doesn’t know your petty schemes!” Luo Jiangyan pouted, “Do you really think you can overturn the heavens? The Palace Master simply can’t be bothered with you!”
Qiao Zaixian chuckled, “I don’t quite follow.”
“Hypocrite!” Luo Jiangyan gave him a sharp look, “If you truly have the ability, surpass the Palace Master, don't waste time scheming with these underhanded tricks; they are useless!”
Qiao Zaixian shook his head, “The Palace Master is divinely gifted; I am far beyond comparing.”
“That’s not necessarily true,” Luo Jiangyan eyed him askance. “Perhaps you might be the one to comprehend the ultimate skill of the Morning Glow Hall!”
Qiao Zaixian shook his head with a bitter smile, “No one has managed it in several thousand years; I certainly don’t have that talent.”
“Hmph, you say one thing but mean another!” Luo Jiangyan pouted, waved a hand, “You all carry on your chat. I’m leaving!”
She turned and departed, her steps light and graceful.
Li Muzhan stood with Qin Yeqiu at the foot of the steps leading up to the Morning Glow Hall. The sun hung high in the sky, and Li Muzhan had the strange illusion that he could reach out and touch it.
His blue robes fluttered sharply in the wind, but Qin Yeqiu’s purple robes remained utterly still. The sunlight felt warm, driving away the chill of the wind, which was now fresh and invigorating, carrying the deep, earthy scent of the vast mountains.
“Senior Sister, what was the esteemed name of the first Palace Master’s husband…?” Li Muzhan asked, squinting as he pointed toward the Morning Glow Hall.
He scrutinized the plaque above the entrance. The inscription was already deeply etched into his memory, yet he found no clues; his intuition, usually silent, was useless here.
“Ma Shaoyang,” Qin Yeqiu quietly observed the plaque.
“Senior Sister, in all these millennia, has no one truly broken the riddle?” Li Muzhan asked.
Qin Yeqiu gently shook her head.
Li Muzhan pressed, “Is it really that difficult? Logically, to hide the core cultivation method here, this Senior Ma must have been a person of extraordinary breadth of spirit, right?”
“Mmm,” Qin Yeqiu nodded.
Li Muzhan mused, “Then this riddle shouldn't be incredibly hard, yet it has remained unsolved for millennia.”
“...That makes a certain kind of sense,” Qin Yeqiu shifted her gaze from the plaque to his face, watching him quietly.
Li Muzhan lowered his head in contemplation, “If it’s not difficult, why hasn't anyone solved it? Perhaps everyone has fallen into a conceptual trap—maybe there is nothing strange about the plaque itself?”
Qin Yeqiu replied, “The material is the same as the windows and doors; I examined it closely. The key truly lies in those three characters.”
“How has everyone else approached comprehending it?” Li Muzhan asked.
Qin Yeqiu faintly shook her head, “Everyone has their own method, kept secret.”
Li Muzhan suggested, “Wouldn’t pooling everyone’s wisdom be better?”
Qin Yeqiu offered a faint smile, “That thought is too idealistic.”
Li Muzhan rubbed his forehead and sighed, “I was too naive! I’d like to try and comprehend it as well.”
Qin Yeqiu nodded her assent, “All the male disciples have put forth tremendous effort on those three characters, all returning without success, forced to give up. You can attempt to decipher it while you practice the introductory core methods.”
Li Muzhan inquired, “I wonder if Senior Ma left behind any calligraphy?”
Qin Yeqiu stated, “He did. It is stored in the True Sun Hall; you may look through it there.”
“Is it his genuine handwriting?” Li Muzhan asked.
With so many people studying those three characters, they surely must have thought to examine Ma Shaoyang’s manuscripts. Even the finest writing cannot withstand that much handling.
“It is his genuine handwriting,” Qin Yeqiu confirmed.
Li Muzhan raised an eyebrow, “Senior Sister, please pass the core method on to me.”
“Enter,” Qin Yeqiu said, turning and stepping into the Morning Glow Hall. Li Muzhan followed her in confusion, quickly finding himself in the main chamber. The hall’s furnishings were simple yet exuded an air of refined elegance.
In the southwest corner sat a low couch. Sunlight streamed through a window, illuminating the couch; the cloud patterns on its moon-white backrest and armrests were clearly visible.
“Sit there,” Qin Yeqiu pointed to the low couch.
Li Muzhan didn't question it, sitting cross-legged upon the couch. Qin Yeqiu sat behind him; a faint, clean fragrance, reminiscent of ice and snow, wafted to his nose, refreshing his very soul.
Qin Yeqiu explained, “The Purple Garment Palace martial arts require a seed before they can be cultivated. Without this seed, knowing the core method is useless. I will plant the seed in you first.”
She extended her jade palm, and a cool essence pierced into his back, traversing the meridians in a full circulation before finally sinking into his Dantian, where it swirled briefly, forming a vortex.
The cool essence poured in continuously from his back, completing a full circuit to enter the Dantian, where it enveloped the existing internal energy within his meridians, sweeping a portion of it into the vortex.
Suddenly, Li Muzhan’s vision went dark; his entire essence, energy, and spirit were pulled into the vortex, and he lost consciousness. It felt like an eternity, or perhaps just an instant. Then, his vision brightened, filled with a round, unbroken expanse of shimmering light, accompanied by a sensation of lightness and boundless freedom.
After the duration of about one cup of tea, the light vanished. Li Muzhan awoke, and all his sensations returned: the lingering coolness at his back, the emptiness in his Dantian, the comfort of sitting upright—all these details registered, accompanied by a faint buzzing sound, like a mosquito, Shushuwang.
Qin Yeqiu explained the core method in detail, then propelled her internal energy to circulate through Li Muzhan’s meridians three times, allowing him to memorize it, before withdrawing.