Legend of the Cultivation God-Chapter 160 – Straw Mat Shed

He Tianshu just told a joke, if he gave the secret manual to Zhang Xiao Hua, what did himself learn it? Besides, based on Zhang Xiao Hua’s comprehension, could he understand this abstruse piaomiao steps? He Tianshu felt quite worried about giving this secret manual to Zhao Xiao Hua.

Since Zhang Xiao Hua was considerate, He Tianshu said, “It’s not because I don’t want to practice anymore. I have already done with the contents that I understand these days. If I keep practicing, it will be repetitive work, so I prefer to read the following content. And…” Speaking of it, he rolled his eyes and muttered grumpily, “I’m afraid to be disappointed by you if I practice the footwork in front of you.”

Zhang Xiao Hua was puzzled. He pulled He Tianshu’s clothes and said with indignation, “Squad leader He, how could you say that way? I’d like to learn from you sincerely. If you don’t explain it clearly, I would go to tell the villa master that you slander me.”

He Tianshu smiled and said, “Zhang Xiao Hua, I really can’t see through you. If you are a smart person, but you can’t even acquire the basic Luohan fist; for such a simple inner energy cultivation method like Strong bull sutra, you have no sense of qi when learning it. It can be said that you get no talent for practicing martial arts. However, if you are stupid, look at your horse stance and the piaomiao steps you’ve just learned, I don’t know what to say, you can be regarded as a genius.”

Zhang Xiao Hua waved his hand and said, “Squad leader He, you flattered me. This footwork needs no inner energy, and I happen to have none of it, isn’t it a coincidence?”

He Tianshu didn’t agree with him, saying, “No, no, the footwork I practiced just now is what I have been meditating for many days. The mystery in this piaomiao steps is very huge, every step is important. One cannot remember and imitate it easily, there are a lot of details, even I have acquired it after numerous careful attempts. While you just looked at me, then you can imitate it; and after practicing for several times, you will acquire it. I’m envious of your comprehension.”

Zhang Xiao Hua was speechless. He had only learned a little about martial arts and didn’t have a clear understanding of it. How could he have a say in this respect?

While touching the stubble under his lower jaw, He Tianshu said thoughtfully, “Actually, what Li Jinfeng (also called Gentleman Li) has said is reasonable. Since you are smart, you’d better study literature. In addition, your hands are in bad condition and when they will recover is uncertain, so there is a slight chance that learning martial arts will take you to the top. Now that you can defend yourself by boxing, studying literature will be a broadway to success.”

Zhang Xiao Hua kept shaking his head and said, “Certainly, I’m willing to read more books and study literature, and I am fond of doing that. However, I prefer the lightsome feeling of learning martial arts. As an old saying goes, to kill an enemy within ten steps and retreat hundreds of miles away without being hindered, which is what I am pursuing. Just thinking about it made me feel carefree and joyous.”

Shaking his head, He Tianshu said, “It is not as easy as you think. Things are easier said than done. There is a ferocious atmosphere of mad killing in the chivalric world, but you’ve only seen the harmonious part of it, which is not comprehensive. As an old saying goes, practice is the sole way to test the truth. Only those experiencing it know how hard it is.”

Being reminded of his second brother’s situation by He Tianshu’s words, Zhang Xiao Hua was somewhat touched and did not continue.

They walked out of the woods one after another.

After returning to the courtyard, He Tianshu said to Zhang Xiao Hua, “Zhang Xiao Hua, little second Nie, and others are absorbed in preparing the martial arts display competition in the pharmacy hall, and I have to study the piaomiao steps, so work in medicinal fields…”

He Tianshu said reluctantly. Ou Yan had given a clear order that whether to work in the medicinal field or not was up to Zhang Xiao Hua. These days, Zhang Xiao Hua hadn’t slacked off, instead, he had spent a lot of time working in medicinal fields. But at that time the disciples in the pharmacy hall were all there. Now, they give responsibilities to Zhang Xiao Hua, which made He Tianshu somewhat speechless.

But Zhang Xiao Hua didn’t think much, saying, “It doesn’t matter, squad leader He. Go ahead with your stuff. I will do the work in the fields.”

Zhang Xiao Hua suddenly recalled practicing in medicinal fields at night as soon as he’d done talking, so he immediately added, “Well, squad leader He, I can put up a straw mat shed in medicinal fields to sleep there at night.”

Zhang Xiao Hua meant it seriously, but He Tianshu misunderstood him, widening his eyes and saying, “Zhang Xiao Hua, you are exaggerating… Don’t think too much, I will also go to medicinal fields when I’m free. This martial arts display competition is a major test that every discipline of the Piaomiao sect needs to face every year, which is very important for their future development. Little second Nie and the others are not really lazy – they just feel worried about the competition.”

Zhang Xiao Hua was mentally matured now. He understood He Tianshu’s meaning and quickly answered, “Squad leader He, I have spoken my mind. When crops in Guo village are ripe, farmers will put up sheds beside fields, which is convenient for them to take care of the crops. This is a custom, I don’t mean to shirk my responsibility.”

He Tianshu had never done farm work, so he didn’t know. However, he believed that Zhang Xiao Hua was an upright man would not betray them, so he waved his hand and said, “Suit yourself. Anyway, I think you are exaggerating.”

They returned to their home respectively.

This was a cloudy morning without sun.

But this didn’t affect Zhang Xiao Hua’s good mood.

To be honest, there were not many works in medicinal fields: shovel, watering, and killing insects. Although worms in medicinal fields were just a few, weeds grew crazily – no one knew why. Unlike that in farmlands in Guo village, weeds in medicinal fields grew a lot as long as they were not cleaned up one day. However, Zhang Xiao Hua was completely to do all these works alone. Sometimes Zhang Xiao Hua couldn’t help but wonder if it was because the Piaomiao sect had too many disciples with a high cost that the pharmacy hall ordered so many disciples to work in medicinal fields, relying on the Huanxi mountain villa.

Zhang Xiao Hua finished works with ease and then practiced the Worry-free Heart Sutra’s Cultivation Method. The medicinal field was a good place where he could easily sense inner energy and absorb the qi into his body. Moreover, this place was a forbidden place in the Huanxi mountain villa, so common bodyguards and subordinates were not allowed to approach here. Otherwise, Zhang Xiao Hua would have been caught sitting down beside the medicinal field last night.

Zhang Xiao Hua absorbed the qi into his body easily, but when yuan qi disappeared in his body, he was struck by a thought suddenly. But when he thought about again, the feeling just went away. He couldn’t help but wonder what happened to him in these two days. He got nervous and jumpy, feeling that he had thought of something, but he did not know what it was, which made him puzzled.

As he was wondering, he suddenly thought of one thing. He had to tell the villa master that he wanted to put up a straw mat shed. If the villa master disagreed, he couldn’t make his own claim, or the straw mat shed would become a non-permitted building.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xiao Hua stopped practicing. He stood up and walked quickly to the inner courtyard.

Zhang Xiao Hua was now the villa master’s man, which was a fact that all disciples in the inner courtyard knew. Zhang Xiao Hua didn’t need to be announced before entering the inner courtyard. As long as the villa master was in the hall, a disciple would lead him to the hall. But only a few people knew the inside story, but this didn’t affect their affection for Zhang Xiao Hua. Qiu Ju took Zhang Xiao Hua into the inner courtyard. She blushed as she walked, peeking at Zhang Xiao Hua.

Zhang Xiao Hua was also wondering while walking, wiping his face from time to time, “Didn’t I wash my face clean?”

It seemed that he totally forgot that when he entered the inner courtyard for the first time, he did a good deed in Qiu Ju’s yard.

As he went into the hall, Ou Yan and Elder Yu sat inside, talking about something.

When Ou Yan saw Zhang Xiao Hua, she asked him very enthusiastically, “Xiao Hua, what do you want from me today?”

Zhang Xiao Hua said with a smile, “Today I’m free, so I come to visit sister Ou.”

Ou Yan said, “You little liar, how could I miss anything happens in the medicinal field? Now little second Nie and others are all practicing martial arts in the pharmacy hall diligently and can spend little energy in the field. In view of your personality, you won’t relax and will definitely be busy in the medicinal field, why do you get free time now?”

Zhang Xiao Hua chuckled and did not seemed to feel embarrassed. He cupped his hands and said, “Sister Ou gets sharp eyes, you can even detect such little trick.”

Elder Yu also laughed, “Zhang Xiao Hua, when you first came, you were so simple; just a few days passed, you become glib.”

Zhang Xiao Hua blushed slightly and said, “Elder Yu, don’t say like that, it’s a sign of maturity.”

Ou Yan said, “Forget about it, don’t mess with Ma Jing and others in the future, they are all unreliable. Well, what’s wrong on earth?”

Zhang Xiao Hua said in a serious manner, “This is the case, sister Ou, you just said that the people in the medicinal field run short. I think I’m quite idle now, how about I set up a shed next to the medicinal field and guard it at night?”

Elder Yu and Ou Yan took a look at each other, feeling quite strange. Ou Yan asked, “Zhang Xiao Hua, I know that you work wholeheartedly for the mansion, though the job in the medicinal field is busy, you don’t have to work all night, right? Your proposal is too exaggerated.”

Elder Yu shook his head too.

Zhang Xiao Hua explained in a low voice, “Sister Ou, people in my countryside build straw sheds in summer and autumn harvest in the fields in order to watch over the crops and work nearby. It is because I am a little homesick that I come up with this idea.”

Ou Yan said with a relaxed look, “Zhang Xiao Hua, how long have you been out?”

Zhang Xiao Hua replied without hesitation, “One year and four months.”

Ou Yan continued, “OK. Young children like you must feel homesick after being out for such a long time. How about I grant you a vacation and allow you to go back home?”

“Really?” Zhang Xiao Hua stood up in surprise and asked, “Will my monthly payment be deducted?”

Ou Yan wanted to laugh and weep all at once, saying, “No, no. You can take it as your paid annual leave!”

After thinking for a while, Zhang Xiao Hua said, “It is excellent. It will be the best choice if sister Ou sends me to the town of Lu on business.”

Ou Yan was puzzled to ask, “Why?”

Zhang Xiao Hua said with a sly smile, “Because I can get an allowance.”

Elder Yu had no choice but touched his forehead with his sole arm. Zhang Xiao Hua might not be the right person to inherit his unique sword skill.

Ou Yan said, “OK, I’ll send you to the town of Lu on business. You won’t build that shed, will you?”

Tilting his head and thinking about it, Zhang Xiao Hua said, “Yes, I will. We are short of men in the medicinal field and I can’t rest assured if I leave now, not to mention squad leader He and others have some important things to deal with at present. In addition, I’d better go back home with my second brother, but he joined the Piaomiao sect not long ago. It will be inappropriate for him to ask for a leave now. At last, I have one more thing to ask sister Ou. I’m afraid I won’t have time to go back recently.”

Being stunned, Ou Yan asked, “What else do you have? Why not talk about them at once?”

Zhang Xiao Hua replied, “I’ll talk about it after sister Ou promises me the first thing.”

Star River –

Ou Yan could not suppress her laughter and looked at him as if he was her mischievous younger brother, saying, “OK, you are allowed to build a straw shed there as it is not a serious matter. Make sure you won’t catch a cold at night due to the cold weather.”

Zhang Xiao Hua replied with great joy, “Thank you, sister Ou.”

Ou Yan said with a wry smile, “Talk about something else.”

Zhang Xiao Hua hasten to say, “Sister Ou, the Piaomiao sect is holding a martial arts display competition. Squad leader He told me he saw people from Huanxi mountain villa took part in that competition when he was young. I’m wondering if we can participate in that martial arts display competition?”

Hearing that, Ou Yan was stunned and said, “Yes. Not only people from our Huanxi mountain villa, but also people from Lotus Escort can take part in that competition. I once participated in it with the representatives of Huanxi mountain villa when I was a kid. However, …”

Knowing that people from Huanxi mountain villa were qualified to take part in the competition, Zhang Xiao Hua said happily, “It’s great that we can participate in it. Sister Ou, can I take part in that martial arts display competition?”

Zhang Xiao Hua’s words had made both Ou Yan and Elder Yu confused. Elder Yu asked in surprise, “People come to compete with each other on martial arts in this competition, Zhang Xiao Hua, do you have a good mastery of martial arts? Even if you have killed a man in black who was excelled at martial arts with that swordsmanship, you’d better not use it while competing against others of the Piaomiao sect since they will surely be injured by the swordsmanship.”

Zhang Xiao Hua replied with a smile, “Elder Yu, I know it. I won’t use any swordsmanship in the martial arts display competition.”

Elder Yu said, “What will you use except for the swordsmanship? You are proficient in something else?”

Zhang Xiao Hua replied with an innocent smile, “Elder Yu, you have seen me practicing boxing, and I know a set of boxing skills.”

Finding his words were somewhat funny, Elder Yu couldn’t bear to knock his confidence, saying, “Well, I’ve seen you practicing boxing skills that are incomplete, and it is not powerful.”

Ou Yan kindly reminded him, “Zhang Xiao Hua, I don’t mean that I disagree with you to participate in the martial arts display competition, but it has been a long time since our manor villa sent a disciple to participate in that last time. Besides, we are different from the disciplines of the Piaomiao sect who participate in martial arts display competition for advance, new cultivation methods and exceptional fist martial arts. The representative of our manor villa is purely for the exchange of martial arts with others. It will be a glory if we win, but there is no other benefit for us. And if we lose, then it will only be a shame.”

Zhang Xiao Hua understood, and he said, “I know, elder sister Ou. I just want to compete with others for fun, not for benefits. You know that my aptitude is very poor – I can’t sense any inner energy when cultivating. Moreover, I can only perform the fist martial arts, so I don’t expect to win.”

Hearing his words, Ou Yan still tried to persuade him, “Zhang Xiao Hua, you have to know that if you participate in the martial arts display competition, you can only compete with level-one disciples, because you are not disciplines of the Piaomiao sect who have levels. If … ”

Before Ou Yan finished her words, Zhang Xiao Hua interjected, “I know that, elder sister Ou. I’m just a beginner, and it doesn’t matter if I lose.”

Ou Yan replied, “Well, now since you still want to participate in the competition even though you know these, I will get someone to ask how to participate in the martial arts display competition. After all, Huanxi mountain villa hasn’t sent any representative to participate for a long time, so I don’t know the rules. However, Zhang Xiao Hua, your spirit of pressing ahead in the face of difficulties is commendable, so I won’t refuse to help you.”

At this moment, Elder Yu asked softly, “Zhang Xiao Hua, you just said that you couldn’t sense inner energy when cultivating? What inner energy cultivation method are you practicing? Who taught you that?”

Hearing his words, Zhang Xiao Hua pulled out the Strong Bull Sutra from inside his clothes and handed it to Elder Yu. Then he told Elder Yu about how Zhang Xiao Hu got him the inner energy cultivation method.

Elder Yu took the Strong Bull Sutra and looked through it carefully, then he handed it back to Zhang Xiao Hua, indicating that he kept it well. He said with a smile, “I have heard you are so lucky that you obtained a supreme inner energy cultivation method, thinking that you’ve sensed inner energy from it. It turned out to be this method.”

Zhang Xiao Hua realized something but he didn’t respond to him.

Ou Yan was also very intelligent, and she immediately thought of something, asking, “Zhang Xiao Hua, tell me the truth, your intention of building a straw mat shed near the medicinal field is really to facilitate work?”

Zhang Xiao Hua opened his mouth but didn’t know how to explain. Could he say that he wanted to better absorb the qi into his body by staying near the medicinal field?

At this moment, Elder Yu continued very kindly, “Zhang Xiao Hua, you don’t sense the inner energy when practicing this Strong Bull Sutra, do you?”

Zhang Xiao Hua shook his head as a response.

Elder Yu asked again, “So you have consulted He Tianshu, and he advised you to practice more, or try it in the open space at midnight, right?”

Zhang Xiao Hua listened to him, becoming pleased secretly. It seemed that Elder Yu had some misunderstandings. However, now he couldn’t find a reason for his disability of sensing the inner energy, he could simply blame this on He Tianshu. Anyway, He Tianshu was his teacher, and as the old saying goes – As we are Taoist friends, then you have to sacrifice for my benefits. And besides, it was not a big deal to carry a blame.

Therefore, Zhang Xiao Hua nodded.

Elder Yu sighed and said, “Zhang Xiao Hua, I’ve been paying attention to you from the beginning of your training the fist martial arts, I know that you are a tough boy, you can endure hardships, and you are not afraid of them as well, so I treat you differently. However, the key of martial arts is comprehension, so in many cases, diligence cannot make up one’s dullness. I really admire you as you have been thinking about setting up a straw mat shed between the medicinal fields, to be concentrated on sensing inner energy at midnight. I didn’t have such perseverance when I was a child. However, Zhang Xiao Hua, something will occur if it belongs to your life, if not, do not push it; for many things, you have to let them go.”

Several “however” said by Elder Yu made Zhang Xiao Hua’s expression changed incessantly.