NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 121:
Chapter 121: Martial Arts That Even a Fool Can Practice:
After asking his question, Xu Xi left with Wu Yingxue without killing the tax collector directly.
As for the tax collector’s final fate, he was dragged away by a middle-aged man with a scar on his face. The tax collector’s expression was filled with terror as he recognized the man. The others, who also bore grudges against the tax collector, silently agreed to let the scarred man take him.
Wu Yingxue learned the story of the middle-aged man from Xu Xi, a tale that had begun long before Xu Xi arrived in Qingniu Town.
The man, named Li, had once been a wealthy merchant in the mainland of Daqian. However, after offending the county magistrate, his entire family was exiled to the border. Misfortune seemed to follow him relentlessly. Not long after they arrived in Qingniu Town, Li’s sister caught the attention of the tax collector. From that moment on, she disappeared from the world forever.
“What can you do to me?”
It was said that, at the time, the tax collector had been just as arrogant as he was now. He had stepped on Li’s head and cut his face with a knife. Li endured the humiliation for a long, long time.
Today, he finally had the chance to take revenge for his sister. He dragged the tax collector home, crying miserably, his hoarse wails contrasting sharply with the tax collector’s terrified pleas for mercy.
“Killing him a hundred times wouldn’t be enough!”
The girl listened to the story in silence.
After a long pause, she finally spoke fiercely. Her fingers unconsciously reached for her spear as if ready to act. However, after watching Li for a long moment, she decided to let him handle it.
The sister was gone, never to return. This was the only way Li could offer comfort to her spirit. Wu Yingxue had no intention of taking that away from him.
And so, the story of the tax collector ended.
Qingniu Town returned to its usual rhythm of life.
Xu Xi and Wu Yingxue either stayed home practicing martial arts or ventured into Shiwanda Mountain to hunt demons, harvesting their meat for the harsh winter.
Life seemed unchanged, yet Aniu and all the townspeople knew that something intangible had shifted within them. The world before their eyes seemed a little brighter.
…
After returning home, Xu Xi went straight to the inner room. He picked up the original copy of Primordial Energy Technique, opened the first page, and carefully examined each word again.
“Nourish the essence, warm and nurture vitality.”
“If this technique is to be improved, it must be made accessible, allowing people to cultivate Qi, blood, and martial arts…”
Xu Xi fell deep into thought, inspiration sparking in his mind.
[There is no such thing as a technique that ignores aptitude.]
[A technique that bypasses natural talent simply doesn’t exist.]
[Everything has two outcomes: good and bad.]
[A martial arts prodigy who masters techniques effortlessly may still be foolish in other areas.]
[Even siblings born of the same family differ; how can unrelated strangers all succeed with the same method? The idea that one skill could make anyone a warrior is unrealistic.]
[But today.]
[After witnessing the people of Qingniu Town surround and beat the tax collector, you come to a realization.]
[Even those on the brink of starvation, those who have lost everything, possess something extraordinary.]
[That is the unyielding will to survive.]
[It is as resilient as grass, defying all odds.]
[The people of Qingniu Town know nothing of martial arts or the flow of Qi and blood. But they understand—]
[To eat.]
“Sir, is there a connection between eating and martial arts?”
“There is… and there isn’t.”
“You said eating can make someone stronger. Is that true?”
“It’s not that eating directly makes someone stronger, but for these people, eating is their only path to strength.”
[You and Wu Yingxue work together to create a new method. It’s not a traditional martial arts technique and doesn’t follow a fixed route.]
[Farmers use it to cultivate energy while working the land. Laborers use it to enhance their stamina while carrying burdens.]
[The circulation of Qi and blood is designed to be extremely simple. So simple that even those who don’t understand martial principles can unknowingly activate it through their daily activities.]
[The foundation of this technique lies in eating.]
[Not eating in the ordinary sense, but consuming the invisible yet real essence of Qi and vitality, fueled by an unrelenting will to survive.]
[The result leaves you conflicted.]
[On one hand, you are pleased that the Primordial Energy Technique has been successfully improved, offering even ordinary people a chance to practice it.]
[On the other hand, you are troubled by its side effects.]
[The improved Primordial Energy Technique allows practitioners with strong willpower to cultivate energy and blood. However, this strength is unstable, as fragile as a castle in the air.]
[If the body receives enough nutrients, it can maintain its condition. But in the absence of nourishment, autophagy begins.]
[In other words, the body consumes itself.]
[It burns blood, life, and everything.]
“Can such a technique really be used…?”
“No, don’t overthink it. For those on the verge of death, this is a lifeline.”
After practicing martial arts, Xu Xi stood slowly. He stepped outside, gazing at the cold sun in the quiet atmosphere. He exhaled a misty breath into the frigid air.
Winter was coming, and this wave of demons would be more dangerous than ever. Xu Xi, who had been exploring Shiwanda Mountain frequently, was certain that great demons in the innate realm would appear.
Against such beings, mortals wouldn’t even have the chance to flee. They would perish as helplessly as ants.
For those who practiced Primordial Energy Technique, even if the ultimate outcome was self-destruction, it was still better than being devoured by demons.
“If you’re too afraid to take this step, how can you hope to survive?” Xu Xi took a deep breath, feeling the icy air fill his lungs. Then, he turned and exhaled sharply.
Time was running out—for Xu Xi and for Qingniu Town. Even if people started practicing now, there was no guarantee they could become warriors in time.
“Sir, should this technique be renamed?” Wu Yingxue asked as she stood beside him.
Considering the changes in both form and function, continuing to call it Primordial Energy Technique no longer seemed appropriate.
“Martial Arts That Even a Fool Can Practice.”
“What?”
“That’s its name.”
The girl was stunned but found it fitting. This technique was born because of a fool and for the sake of other fools struggling to survive.
“I feel like I’ve become a fool myself after spending so much time with you,” she said with a laugh.
[The Fool Skill was born.]
[The name was simple, but its content would shake the thirteen states of Daqian. It was a martial art capable of changing Daqian itself, even breaking through the blockade of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.]
[You revealed the existence of the technique, and Aniu became its first practitioner. It was his own request.]