Chapter 105: Movement Technique
"Our Zhang Clan is a proper cultivator clan, upright and disciplined. How could we go around silencing people at the drop of a hat? Although Flowing-Water Step is a secret art, it's not completely forbidden to teach outsiders. I'll teach you secretly, you'll learn secretly, nothing will happen. If someone finds out, just say I taught you. All the blame can fall on me." Zhang Lan said boldly.
Mo Hua blinked and whispered, "Since they won't do anything to me anyway, why bother pushing the blame on you? I'll just say I learned it by chance. Wouldn't that work?"
Zhang Lan frowned. "You know… that actually makes sense."
If the Zhang clan wouldn't trouble Mo Hua, why should he take the fall? If the elders found out, he'd probably get locked up for months. He was used to it by now, but being shut away in confinement and made to kneel in the ancestral hall wasn't exactly an honor, best avoided if possible.
"Then you'll need an excuse," Zhang Lan said.
"I'll say a kind uncle taught me while passing through. I don't know his name, and I forgot what he looked like." Mo Hua replied.
"Fine. As long as that kind uncle isn't me."
Zhang Lan now had zero hesitation. "I'll teach you Flowing-Water Step right now. Practice whenever you have time."
"Flowing-Water Step is a movement technique for spiritual cultivators. It uses spiritual power to guide the body, allowing one to move freely within a small space."
"The key lies in using your Divine-Sense to precisely control your spiritual power, guiding it through specific meridians to pull your body along. Once mastered, you can dodge attacks within inches, slipping through blades and strikes."
Zhang Lan then passed Mo Hua a meridian diagram.
"This shows the order and path of spiritual power flow for each movement, as well as the exact acupuncture points. Study it thoroughly, memorize it, and once you've done that, burn it. Don't leave any trace."
"On the back, there's also a simple body-tempering method."
Mo Hua frowned. "Body tempering? Isn't this a spell technique? Why do I need that?"
Zhang Lan corrected him, "A spiritual cultivator refers to one who uses spiritual power to cast spells, not someone who trains only spiritual power. Both the body and spiritual power are a cultivator's foundation. Even for spell users, the body isn't irrelevant. It's just that, compared to the importance of spells, most spiritual cultivators neglect their physique."
Then he reassured him, "Don't worry. The attached body-tempering method isn't to make you stronger, it's to increase flexibility and coordination.
Since Flowing-Water Step pulls the body with spiritual power, if your limbs are stiff or unbalanced, the force could twist your muscles and pull your bones out of alignment."
…
Zhang Lan explained carefully; Mo Hua listened intently. After some time, Zhang Lan finished and said:
"Now try it out. Let's see how much you've grasped."
Mo Hua circulated his spiritual power according to the diagram. He immediately felt his limbs grow lighter, his movements swifter.
As a formation master, his Divine-Sense was far stronger than most, especially since he cultivated the Celestial Evolution Art. His control over spiritual power was exceptional, so the energy flow of Flowing-Water Step went smoothly.
It was even easier than he expected.
Mo Hua tried taking a step forward... only for his right leg's power to surge too fast while the left lagged behind. His foot slipped... and he faceplanted.
Lifting his head, wiping mud off his face (and a mouthful of dirt from his lips), Mo Hua muttered, "Seems… not that simple after all."
Zhang Lan nodded inwardly. That's more like it. Formation talent is one thing, but no one learns a body art that fast.
Mo Hua tried again. And again. Still failed. Either his limbs moved out of sync, or he slipped and landed on his backside.
Zhang Lan watched, face calm, heart secretly gleeful. Now you know spell cultivation isn't easy, eh?
Truth be told, Zhang Lan wasn't a master of Flowing-Water Step himself. In the Zhang clan's secret arts, this one was middle-of-the-road, neither fast nor defensive enough to stand out. Few specialized in it, which was exactly why he dared to teach it to Mo Hua.
Had it been a famous family technique like Falling Petal Step, everyone in the clan would recognize it instantly. One wrong move, and he'd be in serious trouble.
Flowing-Water Step, however, was obscure but solid, effective, discreet, and not easily recognizable. Perfect for "private lessons."
After half a day of tumbling, Mo Hua once again landed on his rear.
Zhang Lan hauled him up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and said, "Alright, go home and practice on your own. Learning spell arts is like learning formations, skill comes from repetition. If it doesn't work once, try a dozen times."
"Oh." Mo Hua nodded obediently.
Zhang Lan walked him back to the restaurant, warned him not to tell anyone where he learned the technique, and after cheerfully accepting several jugs of wine and a few pounds of meat as 'thanks,' left completely satisfied.
Liu Ruhua fetched a damp cloth and gently wiped the dirt from Mo Hua's face. "Did Enforcer Zhang teach you something?"
"Uncle Zhang told me not to say," Mo Hua said with a grin.
"Then keep it secret," Liu Ruhua replied softly. "Just remember to thank him properly when you get the chance."
"Mhm." Mo Hua nodded.
Thus began his days of practicing Flowing-Water Step.
He found a quiet corner of the courtyard to start by channeling spiritual power into his limbs for small, controlled movements.
That was the foundation of everything, the simplest part of the art.
At first, he often lost balance and fell, but with practice, the energy flow through his meridians became smooth, his movements fluid.
Before long, faint blue spiritual energy coiled around his legs like mist or flowing water. Even without moving his feet, his body could drift slightly forward or backward.
Mo Hua tried a few more times, it felt like gliding over ice in midwinter. Quite fun, actually.
Then he attempted harder movements, forward flips, backflips, handstands, and spins. As expected… he fell. Repeatedly.
Analyzing the problem, he realized his physical strength and agility were lacking.
So he pulled out the body-tempering manual.
The exercises were simple, basic movements focused on flexibility and coordination rather than strength.
The tiny figure on the diagram moved with a light, fluid grace, like running water.
Mo Hua suddenly understood. So that's why it's called Flowing-Water Step.
He mimicked the movements one by one.
At first, his limbs ached so badly he could barely get out of bed. But after several days, the soreness faded, his blood and Qi flowed smoother, and though his strength was still modest, his motions became light, balanced, flowing and graceful like water.
When he felt ready, Mo Hua began practicing the more complex movements of Flowing-Water Step in earnest.
(End of Chapter)