Chapter 19: The Enlightenment Fist
Fang Yue stood motionless for a long time, rooted to the spot. At length, he slowly returned to himself, a fierce glint appearing on his swollen, pallid face. “So what if they are vengeful spirits and demons? If they dare to haunt me, they must pay the price!”
Given his current state, going outside was impossible, so he simply sat on the edge of his bed, waiting for the martial technique to finish its deduction.
About half an hour later, dawn broke outside, the morning sun rising in the east and flooding the world with brilliant rays. The light streamed through the open window, bathing Fang Yue’s face in a gentle warmth and dispelling the mounting chill of autumn.
Within his mind, the slowly turning black and white yin-yang fishes finally stilled, head and tail entwined to form a perfect circle, motionless as if eternal.
Fang Yue—
Merit: 87 points
Divine Abilities: Deduction, Revelation
Martial Technique: Nameless Fist (Uninitiated)
“It’s done. One night, 120 merit points spent, and at last the deduction succeeded. Next, I need to use more merit points to accept the transmission.”
A hopeful light shone in Fang Yue’s eyes. Though the ghosts he had seen were terrifying and uncanny, it would be difficult to combat them with martial arts alone. Still, it was better than facing them as a helpless mortal, powerless and despairing.
“Sacrifice.”
With a low growl, Fang Yue offered up most of his remaining merit points as a sacrifice, turning them into nourishment to propel the transmission.
The black and white yin-yang fishes radiated mysterious light. Fang Yue felt as though his flesh was ignited by blazing fire, burning fiercely and being reshaped in the process.
There was pain, perhaps, but it was not overwhelming—almost as if he were an outsider to his own suffering.
Knowledge and insight regarding fist techniques, internal martial arts, and combat skills flooded his mind, quickly integrating into something new.
One breath, two, three...
The sands of time slipped grain by grain.
He did not know how long had passed before he returned from the transmission. Outside, autumn hung high in the sky.
“So this is the martial technique I deduced?” Fang Yue faced the window and threw a punch. The force swept out, strong and fierce, causing the open window to tremble.
He felt at his peak, his whole body brimming with explosive power. The dizziness that weighed on his mind was gone, replaced by clarity.
“This technique brings together everything I know about fist arts, internal boxing, and combat skills, pushing them to their limit. Though my understanding of martial arts is only half-baked—an outsider among outsiders—I’m not inferior to elite disciples with years of training. What I lack is actual combat experience.”
A surge of boldness welled in Fang Yue’s heart, making him almost wish to travel the world at once, challenging martial masters everywhere.
---
But he knew this was merely the imbalance caused by suddenly gaining strength, and he quickly adjusted his mindset.
For Fang Yue, there were more pressing matters—or rather, threats—to deal with now.
“Revelation.”
A bronze mirror appeared before him. In it, Fang Yue saw himself: disheveled and grimy, his cheeks gaunt.
He had always been delicate, but never so emaciated. This was the result of the intense consumption during the transmission and reshaping. The greasy dirt on his hair and face was the waste expelled from his body; he now gave off an unpleasant odor.
But Fang Yue didn’t care about these things. What delighted him most was that, after losing weight, his skin was no longer pallid and swollen, like a corpse soaked in water for days.
Though his skin was still pale, it was no longer puffy—within the normal range, even if paler than most.
“Though I haven’t fully recovered, does this change mean a strong physique and vital energy that can resist the haunting of ghosts?”
Fang Yue focused his mind, summoning the merit system in his consciousness.
Fang Yue—
Merit: 7 points
Divine Abilities: Deduction, Revelation
Martial Technique: Nameless Fist (Initiated)
“This fist technique deserves a name. Based on the principles of internal boxing, it carries my hope of attaining enlightenment through martial arts. Let it be called ‘Enlightenment Fist,’ signifying understanding the Way through fist techniques and grasping the true essence of the Dao.”
“With the Deduction ability, theoretically, this fist technique can be endlessly deduced, and one day I’ll reach the realm of ‘attaining the Dao through martial arts, comprehending the Way through the fist.’ Right now, this is just the beginning stage—the first tier.”
As Fang Yue settled on this, the merit system panel in his mind changed—
Fang Yue—
Merit: 7 points
Divine Abilities: Deduction, Revelation
Martial Technique: Enlightenment Fist (Tier One)
Having done all this, Fang Yue suddenly felt a fierce hunger burning in his belly.
“The consumption was too great. I need to replenish myself properly, or who knows what hidden ailments might arise.”
He patted his pocket, feeling for the coins, but his earlier cheer faded into gloom.
---
“There’s not much money left, but enough for a meal. Never mind—first, a good meal, then a bath, the rest can wait. Solutions are always found.”
...
Fang Yue went downstairs at the inn and found a corner to sit in. Disheveled as he was, it wouldn’t do to join the crowd.
“Sir, what would you like to eat?”
“One plate of stir-fried pork head, one dish of steamed carp, a plate of greens, a bowl of stewed pig’s feet... No, the pig’s feet take too long, replace it with braised tofu, and add a plate of braised pork, plus a bucket of rice. That’s all.”
“A bucket of rice is enough for four or five people, sir—are you entertaining guests?”
“That’s none of your concern. Just bring the dishes as I requested, and quickly. Serve each dish as soon as it’s ready.” Fang Yue felt a sour pang in his stomach; in just a short while, his hunger had become unbearable, sweat beading on his forehead.
Having stayed at the inn for three days, Fang Yue was already a semi-regular. The waiter jotted down his order and hurried to the kitchen.
After about fifteen minutes, Fang Yue was restless, his stomach twisting in pain, when the first plate—stir-fried pork head—was brought out.
The riotous hunger in his belly and the enticing aroma before him were nearly too much to bear; his eyes almost gleamed green. He managed to keep some reason and didn’t grab the meat with his hands, but picked up the chopsticks and devoured it like a whirlwind.
In less than two minutes, before the second dish arrived, the entire plate of pork head was gone.
This only slightly eased Fang Yue’s hunger. The steamed carp, fried greens, braised tofu, and braised pork were swept away as soon as each hit the table.
When the waiter brought over the bucket of fragrant rice, the table was already bare of dishes, leaving him stunned.
“Bring another set of the same dishes, and add a large bowl of oyster tofu soup. Bring the soup first.”
As Fang Yue spoke, he took the rice bucket, lifted the cloth, and scooped himself a full bowl of rice. Not caring that there were no dishes, he quickly shoveled the rice down.
A bowl of white rice vanished in just a few mouthfuls.
This time, the waiter was not just amazed but terrified. “Sir, you... you…”
Fang Yue reached for another bowl, saw the waiter still standing by, and frowned. “Why aren’t you preparing the dishes?”
He felt his clothes, took out a small piece of silver worth three or four taels, and handed it to the waiter. “This should cover two sets of those dishes.”
“Ah, sir, that’s not it. I’m just so surprised—your appetite is astonishing. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ll let the chef know to prepare another set right away.”
The waiter accepted the silver and hurried to the kitchen.