bookandnovel Chapter 39 Is there something wrong with you here?
Chapter 39 Is there something wrong with you here?
Qin Chuan resisted the urge to splash the remaining medicinal soup on Liu Ding's face.
Seeing that his expression was off, Liu Ding quickly straightened his face, picked up the bowl, and took a small sip.
This time I was much more serious, and I even closed my eyes to savor it.
Qin Chuan looked at him, waiting for his answer.
Take a breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
Liu Ding kept his eyes closed, remained silent, and kept his brows furrowed in thought.
As time ticked by and Liu Ding still showed no sign of speaking, Qin Chuan grew impatient and couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you say something? How does it feel?"
Liu Ding slowly opened his eyes, looking somewhat embarrassed. His lips moved a few times before he finally honestly uttered, "I mainly didn't feel anything. I don't know how to explain it."
Qin Chuan was taken aback: "You didn't feel anything?"
"I just don't feel anything." Liu Ding spread his hands, looking innocent. "It tastes like drinking plain water, no, even worse than plain water. At least plain water isn't bitter."
Qin Chuan frowned. He turned to look at the bowl of dark, murky medicine on the table, then at Liu Ding, and a sense of unease crept into his mind.
Were we tricked by the pharmacy clerk?
A medicine costing one or two taels of silver—did you end up buying a bunch of tree bark and grass roots?
Seeing that his expression was off, Liu Ding quickly waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, it doesn't necessarily mean you've been deceived."
"Then why don't you feel anything?" Qin Chuan asked.
Liu Ding put down his bowl, straightened his expression, and explained in a rare serious tone, "There are two reasons for this. First, it's possible that the effects of this medicine aren't immediate; you have to drink it slowly and replenish it gradually. Those medicines that make you feel hot all over and your blood surge as soon as you drink them are all potent drugs, and they might not be effective for a beginner like you who has just started practicing stance training."
Qin Chuan was silent for a moment; he could understand this reasoning.
Strong medicine for quick relief only treats the symptoms, not the root cause.
"Secondly," Liu Ding pointed to himself, chuckled, and said with a rare hint of pride in his voice, "I'm different from you. Although I suffered internal injuries, my foundation is still intact. I've entered the realm of martial arts, and my qi and blood have already achieved a minor level of mastery. For me, these kinds of tonics are like pouring a bowl of water into a river—not even a sound is heard."
Qin Chuan looked at him, unable to help but recall how swollen his hands were from chopping wood yesterday. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke, "Are you sure your 'big river' isn't just a dried-up ditch with nothing left?"
Liu Ding's smug expression froze instantly, and he coughed awkwardly, "That's just an internal injury, anyway, don't change the subject. I'm talking about the serious stuff. You asked me how I felt, and I really didn't. If you really want to know if this medicine is effective, you'd better drink it yourself and see for yourself."
Qin Chuan nodded and said nothing more.
He picked up the remaining medicine soup, tilted his head back, and gulped it down in one go, his face contorted in bitterness.
Looking at his face, which was scrunched up like a bun, Liu Ding laughed gleefully: "How's it going? Bitter, isn't it?"
Qin Chuan ignored him; the lingering discomfort hadn't subsided, and her tongue was numb. She turned around to get some water to rinse her mouth.
Seeing this, Liu Ding understood Qin Chuan's plan and immediately spoke up to stop him, saying seriously, "No, drinking water might dilute the effect. Now, while the medicine is still effective, start standing meditation to dissolve the medicinal power; that will be the most effective."
Qin Chuan stopped in his tracks, glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not go to pour water.
He walked to the flat, open space in the yard, stood with his feet apart, knees slightly bent, back bent, and arms loosely clasped.
Close your eyes.
His breathing gradually calmed down.
The bitterness of the medicine still lingered in my throat, but a faint warmth seemed to rise from deep in my lower abdomen. I couldn't tell if it was the medicine taking effect or just a placebo effect.
Qin Chuan calmed himself down and followed Liu Ding's breathing method, inhaling and letting his breath sink down, exhaling naturally, drawing his mind inch by inch into his body, trying to feel the so-called "flow of qi and blood".
The courtyard quieted down.
Just as he was concentrating on his examination, he suddenly felt something moving on his body.
The sensation slid from my left shoulder to my arm, and then from my arm to my back; the touch was clear and didn't feel like an illusion.
Qin Chuan's heart skipped a beat.
Is it qi and blood?
He finally felt it?
Qin Chuan suppressed his excitement and didn't open his eyes immediately, wanting to hold onto this feeling even more firmly.
Sure enough, the flow of "qi and blood" became more and more obvious, even carrying a little warmth, slowly moving across his body, touching his shoulders and arms, and then his chest...
wrong!
How can qi and blood be so flexible?
And why do I feel like someone is touching me?!
Qin Chuan suddenly opened his eyes.
Looking down,
Liu Ding's hands were pressed against his body, touching him from left to right, from his shoulders all the way down to his lower back, with a serious expression on his face, muttering something under his breath.
Without saying a word, Qin Chuan instinctively kicked out.
"Why--!"
Caught off guard, Liu Ding was kicked so hard he rolled on the ground twice before stopping.
He lay on the ground, covered in dust and dirt, and looked up at Qin Chuan with a bewildered expression: "Why did you kick me?"
Qin Chuan pointed at him, his face ashen: "Why did you touch me?"
Liu Ding was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening, his face showing utter bewilderment.
He dusted himself off, got up from the ground, and rubbed his sore bottom as he said, "You think I wanted to touch you? I was just trying to help you!"
"Help me?" Qin Chuan narrowed his eyes, his tone full of doubt.
"That's right!" Liu Ding exclaimed anxiously, rushing back in three strides and pointing at Qin Chuan's arm. "When I drank that Blood-Nourishing Powder, that martial arts master did just that—he placed his hand on my body to help me digest the medicine's effects, and also let me feel the flow of qi and energy within my body. You think you can feel that so easily just by standing in a stance?"
Qin Chuan frowned as he looked at him, somewhat skeptical.
Seeing his disbelief, Liu Ding grew even more anxious, gesturing wildly as he said, "Think about it, after drinking that medicinal soup, if someone helps you, wouldn't you be able to easily reach where you're supposed to go? This technique is called 'pushing the palace and circulating blood,' where one hand is pressed against you, using force to dissolve the medicine along your meridians. Do you think I want to touch a grown man? I'm learning from a martial arts master!"
Qin Chuan remained silent for a moment before asking, "You said 'pushing the uterus and circulating blood' involves using one's own strength to dissolve the medicinal power?"
"That's right!" Liu Ding nodded repeatedly, his face showing an expression that said, "You finally understand."
Qin Chuan covered his face with his hands, took a deep breath, then lowered his hands, looked directly at Liu Ding, and said in an unusually calm tone, "Then tell me, you've suffered such severe internal injuries that you can't even chop a piece of wood, yet you still managed to use your strength to help me dissolve the medicine?"
"Hey!" Liu Ding waved his hand and explained confidently, "I was thinking that although I can't use my strength to help you 'circulate blood through the uterus,' I can at least help you feel the flow of qi and blood and energy through the movement of your hands! I remember all the techniques, every step is correct, so just consider it as feeling the qi and blood!"
After hearing this, Qin Chuan didn't say another word.
He simply raised his hand, pointed to his head, and then, expressionless, asked that question, word by word.
"Is there something wrong with this?"