Chapter 28: Internal Power
\n\u201cLost?\u201d
\nThe welcoming monk, who\u2019d assumed this would be a mere formality, froze. His gaze toward Zuo Meng shifted immediately. Even he hadn\u2019t clearly seen Zuo Meng\u2019s movements earlier\u2014no wonder Jian Wen had lost so swiftly.
\nThe surrounding martial monks erupted in murmurs. Jian Wen was their finest. Normally, three monks were needed to spar with him. Yet their strongest had been knocked down instantly by this frail-looking scholar who seemed wholly unsuited for martial arts.
\n\u201cYour concession is appreciated.\u201d
\nZuo Meng didn\u2019t challenge others. Defeating Jian Wen had served his purpose. The Cold Mountain Temple monks would surely seek him out if they had any sense.
\n\u201cMaster Uncle, who is that man?\u201d
\nAfter Zuo Meng left, Jie Nian, the martial arts instructor, approached the welcoming monk.
\n\u201cA patron with secrets.\u201d
\nThe welcoming monk replayed Zuo Meng\u2019s motions mentally, realizing he couldn\u2019t mimic their precision. This was internal power\u2014unfathomable to those unaware of it.
\n\u201cJie Nian, inform the literary academy. Have them send someone to meet Benefactor Xue.\u201d
\nUnable to solve the mystery himself, the welcoming monk delegated. Zuo Meng\u2019s unprovoked challenge surely had deeper motives.
\nBack in Suzhou, Zuo Meng resumed his quiet life.
\nHis peaceful little shop now had a regular visitor: the girl Zhi Hua.
\n\u201cMr. Xue, won\u2019t you introduce me to the master?\u201d She glared at the new landscape painting on the wall. She\u2019d paid a hundred taels for one piece, only for another to appear days later. The artist wasn\u2019t some reclusive genius but a prolific painter\u2014great for fame, bad for her investment.
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nThough acquainted, Zuo Meng remained aloof.
\nHe\u2019d focused on training lately. His creator\u2019s insight accelerated his progress exponentially. At Cold Mountain Temple days prior, he\u2019d possessed nearly three years\u2019 worth of internal energy. Now it neared four\u2014an impossible growth rate for others, achievable only through his grasp of underlying principles.
\n\u201cClosing soon. You should leave, Miss Zhi Hua.\u201d
\nZuo Meng rose to shut the shop.
\nTime had molded him into a shopkeeper. His mentality had shifted imperceptibly from creator to ordinary person\u2014a necessary tempering. Power\u2019s intoxication had once made him view all beings, from Chaotic Beings to the Dragon Clan, as mere ants beneath heaven\u2019s impartial gaze. This new perspective felt starkly different.
\n\u201cTomorrow, Mr. Xue! Introduce me tomorrow! I must learn from the master!\u201d Zhi Hua insisted on her way out.
\nHer stubbornness amused him. She\u2019d spent fortunes on paintings, so he tolerated her visits.
\nDays later, visitors arrived.
\n\u201cBenefactor Xue, we meet again.\u201d
\nJie Nian led the group, accompanied by a pale young literary monk\u2014his junior brother Jie Ming.
\n\u201cForgive my poor hospitality, honored masters.\u201d
\nZuo Meng didn\u2019t bother standing.
\n\u201cAt Cold Mountain Temple, you demonstrated unfamiliar techniques,\u201d Jie Ming blurted without preamble. \u201cI\u2019ve found no records of such skills. Please enlighten me.\u201d
\n\u201cI am Jie Ming.\u201d
\n\u201cMaster Jie Ming.\u201d
\n\u201cNo \u2018master,\u2019\u201d Jie Ming pressed. \u201cOnly answers.\u201d Jie Nian coughed pointedly.
\n\u201cMy junior brother grew up isolated on the mountain, studying scriptures. He lacks social graces…\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s fine.\u201d
\nZuo Meng studied Jie Ming, noting the dense aura of destiny around him\u2014a Child of Fortune like his real-world teacher Zuo Han Sheng and Junior Sister Zuo Qiu. In the Dream World, such a person was perfect for spreading internal power.
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve read martial texts, Master Jie Ming. Ever heard of internal power?\u201d Zuo Meng pressed his palm to the blue-stone counter\u2014a surface blades scarcely scratched.
\nJie Ming watched curiously as Zuo Meng channeled energy. Five fingertips indented the stone.
\nJie Ming shot to his feet. Jie Nian tapped the counter, stunned.
\n\u201cThis is internal power!\u201d
\nJie Ming\u2019s eyes blazed. Had his body been stronger, he\u2019d have been a martial monk. Current Martial Arts relied on brute strength, leaving the frail behind.
\n\u201cTeach me, sir.\u201d
\nJie Ming\u2019s voice held pure reverence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter 28: Internal Power \u201cLost?\u201d The welcoming monk, who\u2019d assumed this would be a mere formality, froze. His gaze toward Zuo Meng shifted immediately. Even he hadn\u2019t clearly seen Zuo Meng\u2019s movements earlier\u2014no wonder Jian Wen had lost so swiftly. The surrounding martial monks erupted in murmurs. Jian Wen was their finest. Normally, three monks were needed to spar with him. Yet their strongest\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[3],"tags":[],"fcn_genre":[],"fcn_fandom":[],"fcn_character":[],"fcn_content_warning":[],"class_list":["post-1407","fcn_chapter","type-fcn_chapter","status-publish","hentry","category-dreaming-to-become-a-creator"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_chapter\/1407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/fcn_chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_chapter\/1407\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1407"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_genre","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_genre?post=1407"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_fandom?post=1407"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_character","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_character?post=1407"},{"taxonomy":"fcn_content_warning","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmp.gravitytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fcn_content_warning?post=1407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}