Back inside the cave, Liaofan picked up the scriptures Xiao Siqi had copied. There were two passages in total, one written in clerical script and the other in regular script. Liaofan himself only wrote with a brush. Although society now used fountain pens, he believed that if one could write well with a brush, writing with a pen would never be poor. In truth, he also knew that brush calligraphy required constant diligence and perseverance—guarding against bursts of enthusiasm followed by abandonment, guarding against arrogance and vanity born of talent. It was also a form of tempering one's character.
"Not bad. Though you cannot yet be said to pour strength through the tip of the brush and infuse it fully into the paper, your characters are upright and orderly. You've achieved a small measure of success," Liaofan commented.
When Liaofan was young, his own master had forced him to practice calligraphy for more than ten years. Now, he could be considered a master calligrapher himself. With his profound internal power, his writing flowed even more freely, surpassing most ordinary calligraphers. Naturally, he applied the same rigorous methods his master had used on him to his own disciple.
"Thank you for the praise, Master," Xiao Siqi said, his heart brimming with joy. Years of hard practice had not been in vain. For a child, recognition from others made all hardships worthwhile.
Liaofan then picked up an acupoint diagram, glanced at it, and asked,"How would you needle for indigestion?"
"Guanyuan, Changshu, and Huiyin—five fen depth," Xiao Siqi replied.
"What about nausea and vomiting?" Liaofan continued, asking about common ailments.
"Baihui, Xinshu, Yongquan, Weishu, and Zusanli—three fen depth."
"And for abdominal distension from cold damage, with disharmony of yin and yang—what prescription would you use?" Liaofan asked, moving on to herbal medicine.
"Platycodon root, pinellia, and aged tangerine peel—three qian each. Add five slices of fresh ginger. Boil into two bowls of decoction, reduce to one bowl, and take it."
"What is Rou Cong Rong?" Liaofan asked.
"Rou Cong Rong, also known as Rou Song Rong or Hei Siming. Nature and flavor: sweet, slightly warm, non-toxic. Indications:First, fatigue injury with essence depletion and darkened complexion—use four liang of Rou Cong Rong, boil in water until soft, slice thin, and stew with mutton.Second, kidney deficiency with white discharge—grind Rou Cong Rong, deer antler, Chinese yam, and poria into powder in equal parts, make pills with rice paste the size of parasol seeds, take thirty pills each time with jujube decoction.Third, excessive sweating with constipation—use two liang of Rou Cong Rong and one liang of agarwood powder, grind into powder, bind with hemp seed juice into pills, take seven or eight pills with plain water.Fourth, tetanus—slice Rou Cong Rong, dry it, burn it to produce smoke, and fumigate the wound repeatedly."
Xiao Siqi recited rapidly. For material that relied purely on memorization, the answers flowed effortlessly from his lips.
"Good. We'll stop here for today," Liaofan said.
"Master, can I learn other martial arts now?" the boy asked eagerly. Like all children, he loved new and exciting things.
"You're not afraid of biting off more than you can chew," Liaofan said with a smile. Though pleased by his disciple's ambition, he worried about an unstable foundation leading to shallow mastery. "It seems I must properly explain Luohan Fist to you."
"Luohan Fist is one of the five great famous boxing styles, an integral part of traditional Chinese martial arts. 'Martial' refers to skill and cultivation—it is the body. 'Technique' refers to boxing methods—it is application. The two cannot be separated. Martial contains technique; cultivation is expressed through boxing. Chan-style Luohan Fist emphasizes the unity of fist and principle, combining cultivation and technique, serving both health preservation and combat. To guide the heart toward goodness is Chan; to restrain people from evil is boxing. This is the greatest characteristic of Luohan Fist: strengthening the body to establish life, using Chan mind to awaken understanding."
"The martial and technical aspects of Luohan Fist are built upon stance training, meridian cultivation, qi circulation, power transfer, force emission, intent, spirit, efficacy, and even divine function. Only then does one progress to routines. While practicing routines, one uses intent to guide spirit, imagining an opponent even when none is present, training repeatedly and meticulously. Combined with the essentials of the three stages and nine levels of cultivation, persistent practice will eventually yield true technique. Once genuine skill is attained, the combat application of Luohan Fist naturally emerges. The entire process is one of 'rebirth and transformation, tendon-changing and marrow-cleansing, reaching a state of mastery.' Therefore, Luohan Fist must be practiced according to its original essence and proper steps, or its true meaning will be difficult to attain."
Seeing that the boy appeared attentive, yet his eyes kept darting about, Liaofan knew his disciple's heart was already restless. Even if he continued practicing Luohan Fist, his mind would be unsettled. So Liaofan continued:
"Very well. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you other skills. However, Luohan Fist must not be abandoned even for a single day. Only when your Yijin Yiyuan Gong reaches the fifth level can Luohan Fist be considered fully accomplished. Luohan Fist and Yijin Yiyuan Gong complement each other. You have already reached the realm of qi flowing through the six meridians—future practice will yield twice the results with half the effort. Remember this."
"I will practice Luohan Fist diligently every day," Xiao Siqi said eagerly. "But Master, what new skills will you teach me?"
"You truly never change," Liaofan said, shaking his head. "Your foundation is not yet completely stable, but you can begin learning new techniques. I will teach you several unique arts: Treading Snow Without Leaving Tracks, Bodhidharma's Acupoint-Sealing Hand, the Bodhidharma Sword, and hidden weapons."
"From tomorrow onward, you are not to remove the sandbags from your legs. Later, you will also wear sandbags on your arms and waist. As training deepens, the weight will increase."
"Bodhidharma's Acupoint-Sealing Hand, also known as the One-Finger Chan Acupoint Technique, is a secret art of the Luohan School, never shown lightly. Once you master it, do not use it casually in front of others. Nowadays, very few people understand acupoint sealing—others might take you for a monster."
"As for the sword, it has been called 'the lord of a hundred weapons' since ancient times. In Buddhism, the sword is regarded as a Dharma implement. The Bodhidharma Sword Art is something very few in the Buddhist schools have ever fully mastered. Though swords are no longer used in the outside world, I will still pass it on to you so that the patriarch's art does not disappear."
"As for hidden weapons, the Luohan School mainly uses Luohan Coins, hand-thrown darts, and Luohan beads or stones. Luohan Coins no longer exist—use modern coins instead. Hand-thrown darts are too ruthless; there's no need to practice them."
Seeing his disciple's face filled with longing, as though he wished to master everything immediately, Liaofan decided it was time to rein him in.
"Go back to your room and meditate now. Tomorrow morning, you'll begin training the new arts—then you'll truly know what exhaustion is! Go on!"
With that, Liaofan returned to his own quarters, leaving Xiao Siqi standing there in a daze, imagining himself mastering extraordinary skills.
Seeing that his master had gone inside, Xiao Siqi could only return to his room to complete his evening lesson—meditation and breathing exercises.