Girui Gong And Foundational Qi Combat Art

From that day on, I ended up teaching Foundational Qi Combat Art to Zengu and Ashin, but a problem came to light. Foundational Qi Combat Art assumed that one’s qi level had reached the Third Tier, but Zengu and Ashin were still only at the Second Tier.

“Before I teach you Foundational Qi Combat Art, you need to do training to raise your qi level. What kind of qi training are you two doing?”

“I use ‘Musui Method.’”

“I use ‘Shaei Method.’”

Both of them were training methods in which one sat in meditation and refined qi. I considered whether those training methods suited Zengu and Ashin.

Neither of them was the type who excelled at sitting still and meditating. Just like me, I thought Meimei Gong would suit them. But I was reluctant to teach them Meimei Gong.

Among qi training methods, Meimei Gong was an excellent one, and now that “Meimei Gong, Initial Transmission” had been lost, it had become precious knowledge. It felt dangerous to pass on a technique that had been lost within Gyorei Cave to Zengu and Ashin.

Then I remembered something. In the library there was a manual for a moving art called “Girui Gong,” and its contents resembled Meimei Gong. It was written in ordinary script, and compared with the secret manual of Meimei Gong, its contents were rough.

“Isn’t the reason your qi levels aren’t rising because your training methods don’t suit you two?”

Zengu and Ashin tilted their heads.

“You’re saying that now, after all this time, we should switch to a different training method?”

Ashin had practiced Musui Method for three years, and Zengu had practiced Shaei Method for about four years, yet they were still only at the Second Tier, so I still thought the methods did not suit them.

“There’s a moving-art training method called ‘Girui Gong’ in the library, so I think your qi levels would rise faster if you switched to that.”

“Why do you think that?”

Zengu looked dissatisfied.

“Because you’re not good at sitting still and meditating, are you?”

Zengu made a face that said, “How did you know?”

“Kou, are you using a moving art too?”

Ashin asked me that. I nodded in confirmation.

“I reached the Third Tier in less than a year after starting qi training.”

“Really?”

“I’m not lying. So I’m thinking you should try training in Girui Gong.”

After hearing me out, Ashin and Zengu decided to begin training in Girui Gong. After that, I guided the two of them according to the Girui Gong manual.

While practicing slow movements and a unique breathing method, the two of them tried to sense the changes inside their bodies. Since they had already reached the Second Tier to begin with, qi quickly began to circulate through their bodies.

“That’s it.”

I sensed the qi of the two of them and once again thought that a moving art suited Ashin and Zengu. Their qi circulation was smoother than usual.

Once the two of them noticed that, they began applying themselves to Girui Gong more seriously, and in about two months they advanced to the Third Tier. After that, they began training in Foundational Qi Combat Art. However, it looked like it would take about half a year for them to master the basics.

Besides teaching Foundational Qi Combat Art to Zengu and Ashin, I also began training in Demonic Horn Warhammer Art. The warhammer used in Demonic Horn Warhammer Art had a head with a flat striking surface on one side and a sharp point like a spear tip on the opposite side.

What was more, it was said that the best warhammer for Demonic Horn Warhammer Art was one that had a yōma’s horn or claws built into it. Some yōma horns and claws displayed special powers when qi or spiritual power was poured into them.

One of those was the White Wolf’s claws. I placed an order with the blacksmith for a warhammer that incorporated White Wolf claws. It cost five gold coins, but that could not be helped. By the way, an ordinary warhammer could be bought for about two gold coins.

Demonic Horn Warhammer Art was not just an ordinary martial art; it was something used to defeat yōma with special attacks. If one became able to master it, one could generate a shockwave of qi when striking the enemy. And the yōma horn or claws added special effects on top of that.

Even though it was a martial art with high destructive power, there were few outer disciples who trained in Demonic Horn Warhammer Art. That was because the warhammer used in Demonic Horn Warhammer Art stopped functioning properly if the handle was made too long. If the handle exceeded seventy centimeters, the qi poured into it would leak out through the shaft, causing its power to fall.

In other words, when fighting a yōma, one had to fight at close range, and that was why outer disciples disliked it. There were two ways to overcome this weakness. One was to raise one’s qi level to the Eighth Tier and strengthen one’s control so that qi would not leak out even through a long handle. The other was to use a special material for the handle with high qi conductivity.

At my current stage, overcoming that weakness was impossible, so I planned to get through close combat with speed. That day, I headed into town for the first time in a while to pick up the warhammer I had ordered.

There was still a little snow left on the mountain, but there was no snow in town, and it felt like spring. Changing the subject, I had grown over one hundred forty centimeters tall and was about to turn eleven.

When I entered the smithy, I called out,

“Excuse me.”

“Yeah.”

A voice came from the back, and Master Zaoshi came out. Then, when he saw my face, he gestured for me to wait.

The master came back out again almost immediately.

“This is the warhammer you ordered.”

The master handed me the warhammer he had brought out. It looked like an ordinary warhammer, but White Wolf claws should have been built into it. I refined my qi and poured it into the warhammer. At that moment, there was a bang, and something was released from the head, stirring the air.

“Hey, don’t test it inside the shop.”

“Sorry. I only meant to check how it felt, but so this is what happens when you channel qi into it.”

Master Zaoshi glared sharply at me.

“You didn’t know that?”

“How old do you think I am?”

Hearing that, the master laughed.

“That’s true. At your age, saying you’d used a ‘White Wolf Warhammer’ before would be pushing it.”

After thanking the master, I left the smithy and started back toward Gyorei Cave. On the mountain path along the way, I thought I would test the power of the White Wolf Warhammer, so I went into the woods.

Using a tree trunk about forty centimeters in diameter as a target, I slammed the White Wolf Warhammer, filled with qi, into it. A heavy thud echoed out, and the warhammer sank into the trunk, making the tree shake. A dent twenty centimeters deep was left in the trunk. With this, it seemed like even a large yōma could be brought down. I could not help but grin.