Book 1 Chapter 5

Thunder Spirit Heart Method and Spirit Silk Heart Art

It had been about a week since I started chopping wood and doing laundry.

For that entire week, I suffered from hellish muscle aches.

It was truly excruciating pain. It felt like tens of thousands of worms, named pain, had made their homes in every nook and cranny of my body.

It was a terrible pain that those who haven't felt it or experienced it could never know. Of course, it was my first time experiencing anything like it, so it would have been a lie if my weak body were perfectly fine.

While I lay on the floor, writhing in agony from the muscle pain from hell, my master taunted me with a malicious smile, saying, "It's tough, isn't it?" Then, as if doing me a favor, he taught me the 'Thunder Spirit Heart Method (雷靈心法)' and the 'Spirit Silk Heart Art (靈絲心訣)' to lessen my burden.

The Thunder Spirit Heart Method (雷靈心法) was the sect's unique internal cultivation method. It not only utilized human breathing but also absorbed the vital energy of heaven, earth, and all things through interaction with the cosmos, thereby generating the Thunder Spirit (雷靈), the soul or essence of thunder. It was the world's foremost internal cultivation method. The master also kindly explained that the Thunder Spirit Heart Method included incantations of speed (快), flash (閃), strength (强), and instant (刹那) from the energy of thunder, along with the incantations of gathering (集), dispersing (散), and yielding (柔).

The Spirit Silk Heart Art (靈絲心訣), learned alongside the Thunder Spirit Heart Method, was not an internal cultivation method. One Thunder Spirit Heart Method was more than enough. The Spirit Silk Heart Art meant to twist the soul into a fine thread, essentially a method of mental unification through single-point concentration.

The essence of the Spirit Silk Heart Art was to maintain a natural, unwavering mind, unperturbed by any surrounding circumstances. The thread of the soul was never to be broken, and the mind was always to be calm, clear, and tranquil like a still lake. This was the primary secret of the Spirit Silk Heart Art.

By learning these two, I could finally say I was learning true martial arts. Therefore, an ordinary person might say,

"Oh, Master! Thank you. To teach such a peerless divine art to a clumsy disciple like me! This debt of gratitude is unforgettable. Your unworthy disciple will dedicate himself day and night to martial arts training, living up to your boundless grace and expectations. Please watch over me."

And perhaps shed tears like falling chicken droppings from their eyes in gratitude. However, such displays are only effective for ordinary people who can't assess a situation, and I was not one of them. This is because I had already grasped the master's wicked intentions. He should have taught me these two things a week ago. If he had, wouldn't I have been able to chop wood and do laundry more comfortably?

Yet, the master, as if other people's misfortune was his happiness, simply watched me suffer through the hellish muscle aches. And now, he was offering to teach me the Thunder Spirit Heart Method and the Spirit Silk Heart Art as if he were bestowing a great favor. I couldn't help but feel incredulous.

However, I needed them, and I absolutely had to learn them. For a better, more comfortable life, for easier laundry and a smoother supply of firewood, and above all, for my own survival, I needed to learn them.

I learned the Thunder Spirit Heart Method (雷靈心法) at a rapid pace. My progress was undeniably unrivaled. Of course, this was all made possible by my sharp and brilliant intellect. I had already mastered the 'Thousand Character Classic' at the age of three and memorized the 'Four Books and Five Classics' by the age of five. I was what people call a genius.

I began my public activities at the age of six. While some commoners called me 'insolent' or 'hopeless,' I dismissed it as the jealousy of ordinary people towards a genius and paid no mind. By the time I was ten, four years after starting my public activities in the village, people finally recognized the true value of my genius, and they did not hesitate to call me a 'natural disaster' (天災).

Being like this, I was able to grasp the profound secrets of the sect's secret art, the Thunder Spirit Heart Method, relatively easily and accumulate internal energy at a rather fast pace.

Along with the Thunder Spirit Heart Method (雷靈心法) and the Spirit Silk Heart Art (靈絲心訣), the two great secret arts of the Flying Thunder Sect (飛雷門), I also learned the zither (琴). Playing the zither, or 'tanqin' (彈琴), was a difficult task that required high-level finger dexterity and sensitivity. Furthermore, playing music required something more than just technique, and that 'something' was the essential element needed to wield the Flying Thunder Saber (飛雷刀). Therefore, obtaining that 'something' was the purpose of learning the zither.

Of course, the delicate finger movements and precise sensitivity gained from learning the zither were also undeniable reasons to learn it. While I always grumbled when learning other things, when my master said,

"Wielding the Flying Thunder Saber is like playing a beautiful melody,"

and offered to teach me the zither, I couldn't refuse. Frankly speaking, even when it came to charming women, they say women are weak to atmosphere, and what better atmosphere is there than music!

Sitting on a pavilion by a moonlit lake with a soft, beautiful woman, playing a beautiful song on the zither and reciting a poem, any woman would be captivated. That's just how the world works. Moreover, if the one playing the zither is a peerless master and the most handsome young man in the world, it's already a done deal. With a peerless beauty as if carved from moonlight, eyes filled with melancholy like a contained galaxy, neatly tied hair, and a divine sword from antiquity hanging from his waist adorned with a white robe embroidered with red dragons. And behind him, the ink-black zither like the night sky!

Wow, isn't this a scene straight out of a painting? If it were like this, even the dream of having three wives and four concubines, which all men dream of, would become a reality. All seven of them being peerless beauties, hehehe…

My peerless beauty was already endowed by birth, so no need to worry about that. I was already learning the world's best martial arts, so that was practically settled. Therefore, by learning the zither, all three elements would be complete, and a 'super-peerless handsome young martial artist' would be born. To top it all off, if I could also learn peerless sound techniques using the zither, it would be the icing on the cake. No wonder the zither, along with the jade flute, has been called one of the two great performance instruments that highlight the protagonist.

The fantastical sound techniques using the zither have always been a common trope in martial arts novels. I was filled with dreams of receiving peerless sound techniques until later, when my master retorted, "Sound techniques? Are you feverish? We don't have that kind of thing in our Flying Thunder Sect!" My dreams, which ended up being mere fantasies (my master called them delusions), came to an end.

Anyway, would I refuse such a wonderful thing? My rosy future was practically guaranteed, and with my dazzling, rosy life plan complete, I couldn't contain my satisfaction and a pleased smile naturally emerged. Thus, I began learning the zither. However, this too did not become a pleasant memory. As expected, the master was not a trustworthy person.

In the master's room, which I cleaned and tidied daily, there were two different zithers. One was an ordinary zither that could be seen anywhere, but the other was an ink-black, lustrous zither that had already appeared in my imagination. This zither, also known as the Thunder Zither (雷琴), was a wondrous artifact passed down through generations in our Flying Thunder Sect. Uniquely, it used transparent silver threads as strings, making it easy to mistake it for having no strings at all at first glance.

Naturally, I chose the ink-black zither. It was a hundred, no, a thousand times cooler than the ordinary, plain zither next to it, so it would obviously look much more impressive if I carried it around. Placing the ink-black zither before me, I examined it closely and found many strange things. The peculiar material that formed its body, resembling the deep, dark night sky, and the invisible strings connected like an illusion! I was so curious about the invisible strings that I bent my index finger to try and pluck one. In that instant, I heard my master's urgent cry, "No!" Contrary to my will to obey my master's words like heaven, my finger lightly plucked.

"Swoosh…"

The result was tragic. The consequence of acting against my master's command was, in a word, 'drawing blood!' Instead of the expected 'tiring' sound of plucking the zither's strings, there was a 'swoosh' sensation, followed by a burning pain. A sharp, 칼-like cut appeared on my index finger, and a large amount of sacred blood was flowing from it.

"Tok tok…"

"Tsk tsk, I told you so. I told you not to touch it carelessly. Do you think my words are meaningless? You never listen to me and cause me trouble, so you deserve this! These strings are made of the same material as the Thunder Spirit Silk (雷靈絲) connected to the Flying Thunder Saber, a legendary artifact that cuts anything it touches. You can't even touch it, let alone play it normally."

The master said, clicking his tongue in a condescending manner, watching me suck my index finger.

"Master! How am I supposed to play with this! You didn't tell me it was such a dangerous thing! If I tried to play with something like this, I'd become a finger-cutter! Do you want to ruin your only disciple's bright future, ugh!"

A zither that lightly severs the fingers of anyone who tries to play it… It was undoubtedly a legendary artifact. Having never heard of such a strange zither, I yelled at my master, filled with indignation. Isn't there a legend that whoever shouts the loudest wins? Anyway, I was in a bad mood. However, my master, with a smile as if I were pathetic, sat down in a cross-legged position and placed the Thunder Zither (雷琴) on his lap. Then he said,

"You blockhead. This great master will personally demonstrate for you, the ignorant one. Watch with a reverent heart as you witness this master's magnificent skill."

Ignorant? That was completely untrue. Still, I endured it.

'Fine, try it if you can!'

I had no respect for my master and no desire to.

'Just you wait until you're older.'

As my master struck a dramatic pose and began to play the Thunder Zither (雷琴), what happened? I had imagined a scene where his fingers were being severed and blood was splattering everywhere, but contrary to my imagination, a beautiful melody filled the room. I could only sit there stunned, with my mouth agape. It was astonishing. The cursed Thunder Zither (雷琴), which almost severed my fingers and, fortunately, didn't result in the worst-case scenario of amputation, but did make me see my own sacred blood, was being played masterfully by my master's hands. Moreover, wasn't his playing skill quite remarkable? With a victorious smile, my master said in a boastful tone,

"Hehehe, what a surprised look. How is it, the playing skill of this great master? This is the power of the Thunder Dispersing Hand (吩雷手). Hahahaha. You're surprised, aren't you, you brat!"

'Playing the zither and then martial arts?'

A question flashed through my mind. However, according to the master's cursed explanation, to play the Thunder Zither (雷琴), one absolutely had to master the so-called Thunder Dispersing Hand (吩雷手). The Thunder Dispersing Hand (吩雷手) was not a martial art meaning 'a hand that moves as fast as lightning disperses,' but rather a hand that means 'commanding the thunder, saying, 'Do this, Thunder'.' To command means to give orders to a subordinate. In short, it meant a hand that could command and control the energy of thunder.

This Thunder Dispersing Hand had no specific techniques like 'hit this way' or 'strike that way.' Rather than a martial art, it was a form of internal energy cultivation (氣功). By practicing it, one's hands would become as hard as steel, not only immune to the sharp edges of the Thunder Spirit Silk (雷靈絲) but also to other precious swords. Furthermore, this Thunder Dispersing Hand had the effect of hardening not just the hands but the entire arms. Therefore, according to the master's explanation, one could not play the Thunder Zither (雷琴) until they had mastered at least the sixth level of the Thunder Dispersing Hand. Of course, wielding the Flying Thunder Saber (飛雷刀) was also impossible.

This was because the Thunder Spirit Silk (雷靈絲) was connected to the Flying Thunder Saber, and the martial art using the Flying Saber and the Thunder Spirit Silk was the Flying Thunder Saber. According to the master's explanation, since the Thunder Dispersing Hand was heavily focused on internal energy, its mastery was directly proportional to the mastery of internal energy. Therefore, it meant that without progress in the Thunder Spirit Heart Method (雷靈心法), one could not learn the Thunder Dispersing Hand.

However, the master explained that it would take over ten years to accumulate enough internal energy to master the Thunder Dispersing Hand to the sixth level. This meant that it would be a very long time before I could play the Thunder Zither (雷琴). Therefore, until then, I should just play the ordinary zither (琴). And, it also meant I had to cultivate the Thunder Spirit Heart Method to death.

"It will take you a hundred years to play this Thunder Zither. Cultivate the Thunder Spirit Heart Method day and night until you die. Then, who knows? You might speed it up by ten years."

Due to the human structure where ears are always open, I had no choice but to hear those words and I regretted my lack of ear control. But what else could I do! From that day on, I truly had to cultivate the Thunder Spirit Heart Method to death. Because if I couldn't do this, I couldn't do anything else.

However, the speed of internal energy improvement has its limits, and I was repeatedly frustrated by the incredibly slow progress. Occasionally, my master would express surprise at my rapid progress, but I wasn't fooled by such empty boasts. What exactly was this speed that only came once in a hundred years?

If not for that day a year ago, I would still be stuck trying to learn the Thunder Dispersing Hand (吩雷手), and I would not have been able to even touch the Flying Thunder Saber, which I am currently practicing, let alone play the Thunder Zither. I will talk about what happened that day a year ago later.