Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 48
Chapter 48 - Learning Martial Arts to Clear the Meridians
Yun Chu continued practicing her forms in the courtyard.
Qiutong meticulously taught her the basic maneuvers, and once she finished going through the entire set, she was drenched in sweat.
"Mother..."
A figure peeked out at the courtyard entrance.
Wiping away a bead of sweat, Yun Chu looked over to see Xie Shiwei.
She said in a calm tone, "Why has Wei'er come here?"
Ever since Xie Shiwei was subjected to family punishment last time, he basically never set foot in her courtyard aside from the morning greetings. She preferred it that way, as it saved her from having to look at him and spared her the annoyance of dealing with him.
"Mother, I also want to learn martial arts."
Xie Shiwei stepped inside and spoke with gathered courage.
Ever since his recent misbehavior, his allowances for food and clothing had been cut in half. Every day, he found himself somewhat underfed, and he had no silver left to spend.
He had originally come here to admit his wrongdoings and beg for mercy from his mother, hoping she would restore everything to the way it was before.
Instead, he saw his mother practicing martial arts. Every single stance and movement looked exceptionally striking, and he suddenly found himself wanting to learn a few moves as well.
His studies were subpar, leading his father to berate him day in and day out. The old matriarch and his grandmother also constantly subjected him to various lectures, making him believe he was truly worthless.
Yet now he suddenly understood that he simply lacked any interest in reading books; it wasn't that he was incapable of learning anything. He felt that he could pursue the path of martial arts, and he wouldn't necessarily lag too far behind his eldest brother.
Yun Chu lowered her gaze to look into Xie Shiwei's eyes.
This concubine-born son had not inherited Xie Jingyu's talent for scholarly pursuits, but he naturally possessed a streak of reckless daring. After entering the Yun family's military camp in the past, it had taken him less than a year to rise to the rank of a thousand-man commander. Coupled with her Yun family's backing and support, Xie Shiwei had progressed exceptionally smoothly down the path of martial arts...
She would never grant Xie Shiwei the opportunity to pursue a military path ever again.
"It is rare for you to harbor such upward-striving ambition, so you may join in and learn," Yun Chu said in a gentle tone. "Qiutong, go ahead and clear his meridians first."
Qiutong looked somewhat surprised. The lady ought to know that beginners in martial arts only needed to practice horse stances to strengthen their physique; clearing the meridians was a matter for much later down the line and was utterly impossible to achieve right now.
Tingshuang said softly, "Just follow the lady's instructions."
Qiutong nodded and walked over to Xie Shiwei. "Second Young Master, offense is taken."
She immediately moved in, seized Xie Shiwei's right arm, and jerked it downward. With a crisp crack, Xie Shiwei let out a miserable shriek and instinctively wanted to flee.
However, Qiutong did not give him any chance to escape. Locating his meridian pressure points, she pressed down fiercely and gave another forceful yank.
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!" Xie Shiwei was covered in cold sweat. "Let me go, quickly let me go, I'm about to die of pain."
Sitting in her rattan chair, Yun Chu said, "Your father told you to study diligently, but you complained that reading was too dry and tedious. The old matriarch pampered you, so no one else said anything. Now, it is you who have voluntarily chosen to learn martial arts. Since it is your own choice, there is no reason to abandon it halfway. Clearing the meridians before learning martial arts is the exclusive secret method of the Yun family, and it is also the foundation upon which my grandfather and father acquired their formidable martial prowess. I have always treated you as my very own biological son, which is why I am holding nothing back from you. It hurts quite a bit at the very beginning, but it will get better gradually."
Xie Shiwei's face had turned completely white from the pain. "H-How long do these meridians need to be cleared?"
"Until the day you no longer feel any pain; then you won't need them cleared anymore," Yun Chu said with a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "My father spent three months on it, and my elder brother spent a whole year failing to get through it, so he gave up the path of martial arts altogether."
Xie Shiwei was so startled he nearly collapsed flat onto the ground.
Trembling and stammering with fright, he asked, "What if we don't clear the meridians?"
"Without laying a proper foundation, one can only remain an ordinary martial artist for the rest of their life, serving as nothing more than a lowly foot soldier on the battlefield," Yun Chu said calmly. "Becoming a general like my grandfather and father is simply out of the question."
Xie Shiwei stood frozen in place, pressing his lips tightly together.
He wanted to learn martial arts, but this process was simply too agonizing—it actually took a minimum of three months...
"Qiutong, continue."
At Yun Chu's command, Qiutong strode forward, hoisted Xie Shiwei upside down, stripped off his shoes, and pressed her fingers forcefully against the pressure points on the soles of his feet.
Xie Shiwei let out a continuous stream of miserable shrieks from the pain.
Mother He had just returned to the Xie manor and was on her way to the main courtyard to report. Before she even stepped inside, she heard the wretched cries of her own son.
She hurried inside in a panic, and upon seeing the scene before her eyes, she was thoroughly terrified. "Madam, what transgression has the Second Young Master committed?"
Tingshuang stated, "The Second Young Master wishes to learn martial arts under the lady, and this is the process of clearing his meridians."
Upon hearing these words, a surge of hot blood rushed straight to Mother He's chest.
The lady already harbored a dislike for children who were not her own biological offspring; if Wei'er followed the lady to learn martial arts, wasn't that walking straight into a trap? He must have lost his mind.
Besides, studying books was so effortless—why subject oneself to such self-inflicted torment just to learn martial arts? Had she not noticed that in the generation before last of the Yun family, only a single old general remained, and in the previous generation, only Yun Chu's father was left? By Yun Chu's current generation, they no longer even allowed their younger descendants to study martial arts, which was ample proof that this path was utterly unviable.
A path the Yun family was unwilling to walk, yet the lady was forcing her son to tread—she truly had no idea what kind of malicious intent the lady harbored!
Yun Chu raised her eyes. "Since Auntie He is standing there and refusing to leave, could it be that you also wish to learn martial arts alongside him?"
Mother He hurriedly replied, "The Second Young Master seems exhausted; perhaps it would be better for him to rest for a while before continuing."
Yun Chu nodded, and Qiutong immediately released her grip, causing Xie Shiwei to slump directly onto the ground.
Mother He rushed forward in a flurry to check on her son's condition.
Standing up, Yun Chu said, "Auntie He and Wei'er have always been close, so you can stay here and help look after him for a while."
She turned and walked into the inner chamber, followed by all the maidservants outside.
Mother He seized the opportunity immediately to whisper, "Wei'er, martial arts are useless—completely useless! Hurry up and tell the lady you don't want to learn anymore."
Having been tormented to within an inch of his life just moments prior, Xie Shiwei had screamed so much his voice had gone hoarse. He was never someone with a resolute disposition to begin with, and hearing Mother He say this caused his mental defenses to completely crumble. "But Mother said we cannot give up halfway."
"Just tell her you are willing to study your books properly—isn't that enough?" Mother He helped him up. "The Xie family is a lineage of scholars; shouldn't the younger generations be studying books in the first place?"
Xie Shiwei wore a long, drooping face. "But reading is so difficult..."
"Is learning martial arts not difficult? Look at what you've been put through on just the very first day—will you have any good days left in the future?" Mother He urged earnestly, laden with deep meaning. "Let's skip these unnecessary sufferings, be a good boy."
Just as she spoke, Yun Chu walked out from the inner room. "Wei'er, let's continue clearing your meridians. Just now, Qiutong only used one-tenth of her strength; next, she needs to use five-tenths. Are you prepared?"
Xie Shiwei retreated a step in sheer terror.
She had only used that tiny bit of strength earlier, and he was already on the verge of dying from pain. If she increased the intensity further, he really would perish right here.
"Mother, c-can I not learn this anymore..."
Yun Chu's expression darkened. "No, you must learn it. This is the path you chose yourself. Qiutong, proceed."
Qiutong walked toward Xie Shiwei.
Terrified out of his wits, Xie Shiwei burst into tears on the spot. "Mother, I was just curious, I didn't actually want to learn it for real! I was wrong, I was truly wrong..."
Yun Chu frowned. "Education is no child's play; it is not something you can just quit simply because you say you don't want to learn."
"I will definitely study properly from now on," Xie Shiwei retreated step by step. "Father said that the Xie family passes down its heritage through books, and every child must study. I will listen to Father's words."
Yun Chu twitched the corners of her lips.
Children of this age group were always like this—the more you forced them to do something, the less willing they were to do it.
At least for the next three to five years, Xie Shiwei would never proactively bring up the subject of learning martial arts again. By the time he reached twelve, thirteen, or fourteen, wanting to pick up martial arts would become infinitely more difficult.
After Mother He escorted Xie Shiwei back and returned to her own Bige Garden, she saw that the fallen leaves scattered across the courtyard were left unswept by anyone, and she instantly felt a profound, bone-weary exhaustion.
She could not fathom how things had ever come to this point…