Chapter 68: Dwelling in Wan Jie Valley!
But as Fang Han’s words echoed, he thought it through carefully.
Indeed—Duan Yu’s appearance bore little resemblance to Duan Zhengchun.
But compared to his own youth, there was a seven- or eight-point similarity!
He had never noticed before, since he and the Zhengming-Zhengchun brothers were cousins.
But now, once pointed out, the more he considered, the more plausible it seemed!
At once, his heart was a whirl of mixed emotions—wild joy and deep regret both.
Just now… he had nearly killed his only son!
Thank heavens, thank heavens he had not committed such an unspeakable crime!
Otherwise, upon learning the truth, he would have gone mad and died!
He now looked upon Fang Han with profound gratitude. Cruel as he was, his eyes were filled with heartfelt thanks. He did not know how Fang Han had discovered such a hidden secret—but that hardly mattered. What mattered was… he, Duan Yanqing… had a son!
Even leaning on his crutch, he could not help bowing slightly toward Fang Han:
“Many thanks, sir. Many thanks! I, Duan Yanqing… am forever grateful! I shall repay this kindness!”
Fang Han tucked away the Yi Yang Zhi manual and said casually:
“No need. Ours was a fair trade…”
With that, he stepped lightly and his figure floated away.
Duan Yanqing stood rooted, alone, long without returning to himself.
At times, he thought—this was likely true, yet it must be confirmed…
At times, he thought—if Duan Yu was truly his son, then would not the Princess Consort of the Southern Palace be…
And that whole matter of seizing the throne would become meaningless.
For his son was destined to inherit the throne regardless!
Thinking thus, he felt joy and comfort. But suddenly recalling how he had struck Duan Yu with Yi Yang Zhi earlier, his heart clenched with regret.
Though Duan Zhengchun had taken him away, unless he saw with his own eyes, he could not be at peace.
He quickly braced on his crutch and hurried in the direction where Duan Zhengchun had gone.
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On the other side.
Fang Han employed Lingbo Weibu, drifting like an immortal descending from the heavens, gliding through the forest.
Though his expression remained calm and indifferent, if Miss Cheng were present, she would certainly see that he was clearly in a very good mood~.
Indeed, his mood was quite good.
Having obtained this Yiyang Zhi manual, at last he possessed a high-level martial art he could truly dedicate himself to studying!
No longer did he need to rely, as in the past, on Taizu Changquan and Sui Feng Jianfa in such a haphazard manner.
Not that those two arts were useless—given Fang Han’s profound internal energy, even without Taizu Changquan or Sui Feng Jianfa, a casual strike from him already contained unmatched power.
Earlier, when Fang Han hurled stones, even Duan Yanqing was startled by the sheer force behind them—that was precisely the effect of such tremendous strength.
Yet all of that was mere brute force.
It was utterly incapable of unleashing the true might of the boundless Beiming Zhenqi within his body!
Now, with the acquisition of the Yiyang Zhi manual, he finally held a rather fine key in his hand. If he could study its intricacies carefully, then even if his internal energy were no longer so profound, his martial ability could still continue to climb higher and higher!
And moreover…
He personally was quite fond of this martial art.
Yiyang Zhi, though not as incomparably sharp and unstoppable as the sword-qi of the Liumai Shenjian!
Yet it excelled in versatility!
This finger technique was not only a means to vanquish enemies in combat, but also a supremely sophisticated method of acupoint sealing, and further, it held curative powers.
An art that combined combat, acupoint manipulation, and healing all in one!
Though it could not rival the Liumai Shenjian, it was by no means something to be underestimated.
By studying it, Fang Han could not only advance comprehensively in martial cultivation, but also gain significant benefit in the medical arts.
Although compared to Miss Cheng his own medical skills were weak and far inferior, if he could master this Yiyang Zhi, then perhaps he might begin to close the gap ever so slightly.
Moreover, Yiyang Zhi was the foundational prerequisite for learning the Liumai Shenjian.
Fang Han already had some designs upon that art, and so he thought—if he first learned this Yiyang Zhi
, it would be a gain in multiple respects!This trip to Wan Jie Valley had not originally been undertaken for such a purpose, yet now, by chance encountering it, it had become an unexpected joy.
With joy filling his heart, a sense of ease and freedom naturally arose. His vast internal energy, ordinarily difficult to express even a fraction of, now began to stir and bubble ever so slightly within his body!
Lingbo Weibu seemed to flow even more at ease, his speed increasing without him noticing, faster and faster!
Fang Han remained wholly unaware, gliding as if upon the wind, like a dragon swimming, like a startled swan soaring!
As it is said, internal energy is the foundation of martial cultivation. With his inner force so deep, no matter what martial art he learned, it was bound to yield results with half the effort.
In this instant, suddenly grasping something instinctively, following his heart in movement, he aligned all the more with the subtle essence of martial truth.
The realm of his Lingbo Weibu had advanced yet another level.
Wan Jie Valley.
🍃
Within the flower hall.
A young maid hurried in, cheerfully saying to the beautiful woman seated at the head: “Madam, young mistress has returned!~”
The beautiful woman had been frowning in thought, seeming worried.
But hearing these words, her face at once brightened with delight: “So this girl finally deigns to return, making people worry so!”
Speaking thus, she no longer cared about anything else, rising to her feet and walking out. After a few steps, she saw a little girl hopping and skipping back—who else could it be but her daughter!
“Ling’er!”
Hearing her mother’s call, Zhong Ling laughed merrily, letting out a cry of joy as she flung herself into Gan Baobao’s embrace.
Nuzzling against her in spoiled affection, she felt wonderfully comfortable.
“Mother, I brought a very good friend home with me~”
Even before Zhong Ling spoke, Gan Baobao had already noticed the two young ladies following her daughter.
Whatever scolding she had prepared for her daughter’s long absence, she could only swallow down for now.
Looking intently—
She saw the two young ladies standing gracefully: one serene and elegant, the other ethereal and beautiful!
She could not help but secretly praise and marvel:
“So the friends Ling’er makes are all blessed with such fine appearances—truly of peerless beauty!”
Gan Baobao found herself liking them, and said: “My daughter is mischievous. While outside, she must surely have troubled the two young ladies much.”
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