Chapter 35 — The Path to the Peak
The Hidden Treasure
The morning sun bled over the horizon, casting long, sharp shadows across the snowy courtyard.
Long Tan sat on the porch, the tattered blue manual resting on his knee.
He had looted this from the Zhou Captain's corpse days ago, assuming it was standard trash. But as he read the introduction today, his eyes narrowed.
[Sweeping Wind Sword - Middle Yellow Grade]
Description: A technique focused on fluid momentum and relentless attacks. Mastery of this art refines the muscles and Qi flow, allowing the practitioner to reach the Peak of the Second Grade.
"I underestimated this," Long Tan whispered.
In the martial world, physical strength (Jin) was the foundation, but Weapon Mastery was the multiplier.
A brute with 1,000 Jin who swings wild punches is strong.
But a warrior with 500 Jin who has mastered Weapon Intent can cut that brute's throat before he even throws a punch.
"This technique," Long Tan analyzed, tracing the ink drawings, "doesn't just teach you how to hit. It teaches you how to move your Qi through the blade. It creates a cycle. If I master this, my control over my 1,000 Jin will be perfect."
He stood up, grabbing the heavy iron axle he used as a practice sword.
"This is the key. To stabilize my power, I need to master this flow."
The First Practice
Long Tan stepped into the snow.
He didn't use his full strength. He focused on the form.
Stance 1: The Gathering Wind.
He twisted his waist, pulling the heavy iron bar back. He felt his muscles coil like springs.
Stance 2: The Release.
He swung.
Whoosh.
It felt... clunky.
His strength was too high. He was muscling through the air instead of cutting through it.
"Too much force," Long Tan critiqued himself. "I am fighting the air. The manual says to become the wind."
He tried again. And again.
He slowed down. He adjusted his grip.
He practiced for an hour until sweat steamed off his jade-like skin.
Slowly, the awkwardness faded.
Swish... Swish...
The sound changed. It went from a heavy whoosh to a sharp, high-pitched hiss.
He was beginning to understand. The technique was refining his brute force into a razor's edge.
The Student
"Tan?"
Su Lan stepped out of the kitchen. She wiped her hands on her apron, watching him.
"That looks dangerous."
Long Tan stopped, resting the iron bar on his shoulder.
"It is," he said. "It is the Sweeping Wind. It is a technique that can push a warrior to the Peak of the Second Grade."
He looked at her. Su Lan had gained 400 Jin of strength from the Spirit Food, but she had no combat skills. If the Zhou Family attacked while he was away, she would be helpless.
"Lan, you need to learn this."
Su Lan hesitated. "Me? I am a weaver, Tan. I don't know how to kill."
"You don't need to kill," Long Tan said gently but firmly. "You need to survive. Come here."
He handed her a lighter wooden practice sword.
"Stand like this."
He guided her feet apart. He placed her hands on the hilt.
"Don't think about fighting. Think about weaving. The sword must flow like the shuttle through the loom. Smooth. Continuous."
Su Lan took a deep breath. She swung the sword.
It was stiff. Her elbows stuck out. She almost tripped over her own feet.
"It feels heavy," she admitted.
"That is because you are fighting the weight," Long Tan corrected, stepping behind her and adjusting her hips. "Let the weight do the work. You just guide it."
They practiced together. Long Tan was patient. He corrected her stance, her grip, her breathing.
Su Lan was not a natural warrior. She struggled. She got tired. But she didn't quit. She knew the stakes.
The Natural Born Monster
"Papa! Mama!"
A small voice chirped from the doorway.
Long Hao (Little San) waddled out, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He was holding a small, straight stick he had found by the firewood pile.
The five-year-old watched his parents moving in the courtyard. His big eyes tracked the movement of the swords.
He didn't look bored. He looked... focused.
He walked down the steps.
"I help?" San asked, holding up his stick.
Long Tan smiled, wiping sweat from his brow. "You want to learn, Hao'er?"
"Yes!" The boy nodded vigorously. "Beat bad guys."
Long Tan chuckled. "Okay. Watch Papa. Three moves."
He demonstrated the core sequence of the Sweeping Wind.
Vertical Slash.
Diagonal Parry.
Horizontal Sweep.
"Try it," Long Tan said, expecting the boy to just wave the stick around like a toy.
Little San stepped forward.
His face changed. The toddler-like expression vanished, replaced by a strange calmness.
He gripped the stick with both tiny hands.
His feet naturally slid apart into a perfect center-of-gravity stance.
Swish.
He brought the stick down.
It was a perfect vertical line.
He didn't wobble. His wrists locked at the point of impact.
Swish.
He parried up. The angle was exactly 45 degrees—the perfect angle to deflect a blow without taking the weight.
Swish.
He swept horizontally. He twisted his tiny hips, generating power from his core, not his arms.
Su Lan dropped her wooden sword. Her mouth hung open.
Long Tan froze.
He looked at his son.
The boy had seen the technique once.
And he had just performed it with better form than Su Lan, who had been practicing for an hour.
"Did you... did you teach him that before?" Su Lan whispered.
Long Tan shook his head slowly. "No."
He walked over to Little San.
"Hao'er," Long Tan said softly. "How did you do that?"
Little San looked up, confused. "Do what? I just copy Papa. It's easy."
"Easy..." Long Tan muttered.
He realized what was happening.
The Dragon-Blood Ginseng Bath. The Vital Soil. The Spirit Rice.
It hadn't just given the boy a strong body (200 Jin). It had awakened a terrifying talent.
His son was a Sword Genius.
The Future of the Clan
Long Tan felt a shiver go down his spine. Not of fear, but of excitement.
In the martial world, talent was everything.
He, Long Tan, had to use a System and risk death to gain power.
His son was born with it.
"Good," Long Tan grinned, ruffling the boy's hair. "Very good. You are a genius, San."
Little San beamed, puffing out his chest. "I am genius!"
"Come," Long Tan said, his eyes burning with ambition. "We train together. The Zhou Family thinks they are the lords of this city? In ten years, the Long Clan will overshadow them all."
For the next two hours, the courtyard was filled with the sounds of training.
The heavy Whoosh of Long Tan mastering the Rank 2 Peak power.
The clumsy Thud of Su Lan trying to learn.
And the sharp, rhythmic Swish-Swish-Swish of a five-year-old prodigy who was destined for greatness.
As the sun set, Long Tan looked at his family.
He had silver in his pocket. He had 1,000 Jin in his arms. And he had a son who could inherit his legacy.
The foundation was set.
Now, it was time to build.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE] give power stone and
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