Chapter 140: You Told Me to Make the First Move!

The most brilliant marketing in the world is to sell what you want to sell and buy back what you want to buy.

Student Qin Luo believed that nothing in the world is difficult for those who set their mind to it. As long as you diligently march toward your goal, you will surely reach the other shore of success.

Just like now, after thinking for thirty-six seconds, Li said to Qin Luo, "I can help you try. However, whether we succeed or not will depend entirely on your own luck."

"No problem. The one thing I'm not lacking is good luck," Qin Luo nodded repeatedly.

"If you can cure my adoptive father's illness, I guarantee I can apply for a Dragon Breath badge for you," Li said.

Qin Luo counted on his fingers and said, "Cure two people, and you only give one badge? Make it two, won't you?"

Li flew into a rage, almost kicking Qin Luo right out of the car.

She scolded, "Do you think this is a vegetable market where you can bargain? Do you know what this badge represents? Do you know how much blood and sweat others have to shed to get it?"

"Alright, alright. Don't get excited," Qin Luo hurriedly soothed her. "It's not entirely out of the question, either. I cure the Dragon King, and you give me the badge. As for you—just consider it a buy-one-get-one-free deal."

"--------"

Arriving once again at that mysterious sanitarium, the Dragon King was still lying in that giant wicker chair. This gave Qin Luo an indescribable sense of sorrow and desolation.

A hero at bay, a beauty in twilight—both are among the greatest tragedies of life.

Even though Qin Luo still did not know the Dragon King's true identity, the deep respect others held for him and the crisscrossing scars on his body were enough to prove that he was an extraordinary figure.

Such men do not fear bloodshed, do not fear death, and face the most formidable opponents without terror. Yet, they fear tears and frailty.

"Qin Luo. You're here." The Dragon King was resting with his eyes closed. Hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes and greeted Qin Luo with a smile.

"Yes. If possible, it would be best to have someone read some novels or newspapers to you, just to keep your mind active," Qin Luo suggested.

The Dragon King laughed heartily and said, "I won't hide it from you, I'm just a rough man. I started learning kung fu at a very young age, didn't spend many years in school, and don't know many characters. Apart from martial arts, I've never been interested in anything else."

Qin Luo thought to himself: Aren't the martial arts masters in wuxia novels all profoundly learned scholars? Not only are they skilled in combat, but they are also well-versed in the guqin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. It turns out all of that was completely deceptive.

"Listening to Peking opera would be good too," Qin Luo said.

The Dragon King shook his head and said, "The young dream of the future; the elderly reminisce about the past. Nowadays, I just rely on past memories to get through the days."

The Dragon King's voice was calm, and no sorrowful expression could be seen on his face. Yet, upon hearing these words, Qin Luo still felt a deep ache in his heart.

"I will definitely do my best to cure you," Qin Luo promised. As a renowned physician, one should not make promises lightly.

Because if you make promises lightly, it gives the patient or their family the illusion that the illness is not serious. If you fail to cure the patient by then, the family will likely assume you are an incompetent quack who ruins lives.

Furthermore, with such a mindset, even if you do cure the patient, they will simply take it for granted.

Therefore, modern doctors are extremely shrewd. If they make your condition sound more severe, they can charge more money, prescribe more medicines, and harvest more gratitude.

"I said it before, I am waiting to witness your miracle," the Dragon King said with a hearty laugh.

Qin Luo nodded and said, "Just like yesterday, let's start with acupuncture."

"Good," the Dragon King agreed. "Qin Luo, don't puncture my anesthesia points. If I fall asleep too deeply, I'll lose my sense of security."

"-----Alright," Qin Luo consented.

Following yesterday's routine, Qin Luo first used the Piercing Heart Chill of the Taiyi Divine Needles to puncture the major acupuncture points all over the Dragon King's body. Then, he wiped the body with warm water to expand the pores before beginning special acupoint massage on critical areas.

This was an immensely taxing task. Because the Dragon King suffered from extensive paralysis, merely using the Taiyi Divine Needles on his major pressure points almost exhausted all of Qin Luo's physical strength.

By the time he started massaging the Dragon King, Qin Luo's stamina began to fail, and beads of fine sweat broke out on his forehead. His originally pale complexion grew increasingly flushed, as if he had just stepped out of a sauna.

"Qin Luo, take a break," the Dragon King urged, unable to bear watching.

"It's fine. I can't stop just yet," Qin Luo replied, his hands rapidly kneading the Dragon King's arms.

Acupoint massage served three purposes: first, to relax his muscles and prevent them from stiffening due to long-term inactivity; second, to pinpoint the meridians and activate his various internal organic functions from within; and third, and most importantly, detoxification.

Heat is required to induce sweating, and sweating is the best way to detoxify.

The Dragon King contracted "frozen-assault disease" in the form of poisoning, meaning his body contained a massive amount of toxins. Long-term bed rest had also caused severe accumulation of metabolic waste within his system.

Expelling these toxins would also lighten the load on his various bodily organs.

As for how to generate heat, he had to rely entirely on the rapid movement of Qin Luo's hands.

In no time at all, the Dragon King's wheat-colored muscles began to turn a purplish-red. His body temperature began to rise steadily, and sweat secreted from the pores that had expanded under the high temperature.

Li, standing to one side, couldn't bear to watch any longer. She went over, wrung out a damp towel, and used it to wipe the sweat from Qin Luo's forehead.

When Qin Luo looked at her in surprise, she immediately put on a fierce expression.

Qin Luo laughed inwardly. What a naive girl, so terrible at hiding her emotions.

When the Dragon King's body was steaming with vapor, looking as though he were being boiled in a steamer basket, Qin Luo finally panted and halted his work.

Li promptly handed over a cup of cool boiled water, and only after drinking it in one breath did Qin Luo feel a tiny bit of strength return to his body.

The Dragon King looked on in utter bewilderment and asked, "Qin Luo, are you truly Xuan Jizi's disciple?"

"Yes," Qin Luo nodded, then pulled the string of purple blood-beads from his inner pocket to show the Dragon King. "This is the gift my master gave me."

"Xuan Jizi possessed boundless knowledge, spent his entire life seeking martial arts and the Dao, and his combat skills were unfathomable. Why is your physique so frail? Did he not teach you any kung fu? Logic dictates that the *Daoist Twelve Brocades* is a supreme art of breath training, far superior to those so-called qigong masters out there. Since you have clearly practiced this internal art, why has your physical constitution shown no improvement?" The Dragon King lay on the reclining chair with a pillow propping up the back of his head, which made it easier for him to talk to Qin Luo opposite him.

Qin Luo smiled bitterly and said, "I have suffered from a severe illness since childhood, for which there was no cure. It was Master who bestowed upon me the *Daoist Twelve Brocades* and the *Art of Body Extension*, pulling me back from the gates of hell. Although my life was saved, the stubborn ailment remains, making it extremely difficult to learn advanced martial arts."

The Dragon King understood and said, "No wonder. Your complexion has a sickly whiteness. It seems to stem from years of chronic illness. Although you are a bit older, you have the *Daoist Twelve Brocades* as a foundation; if you practiced martial arts now, you would achieve twice the results with half the effort. What a pity I am still lying in this chair. Otherwise, I could pass on a few moves to you."

"Haha. Thank you, Dragon King. Actually, Master also gave me a manual for learning martial arts, but I still haven't managed to find the door to enter," Qin Luo said as he retrieved the *Records of Profound Arts* from his bosom.

Qin Luo had also studied the *Records of Profound Arts*, but its contents were still somewhat difficult for him to comprehend.

Learning martial arts is not as easy as depicted in novels, where a clueless youth accidentally stumbles into a mountain cave, obtains a martial arts secret manual, and emerges invincible under heaven to dominate the martial world.

Opportunity, talent, and perseverance are all indispensable.

"A decade of bitter study in obscurity, and one leap of fame shakes the world." This quote is even more fittingly applied to martial artists.

"The *Records of Profound Arts*? Haha, those Daoists love giving things such unfathomably profound names. Open it up; I want to see what profound martial arts techniques are recorded inside." Although the Dragon King disliked reading newspapers or novels, he clearly still had a deep interest in martial arts.

Qin Luo walked up to the Dragon King, opened the first page of the *Records of Profound Arts*, and held it high in the air to make it easy for him to read.

"All martial arts under heaven are conquered only by tenacity, broken only by speed, overwhelmed only by weight, and defended against only by subtlety... Isn't this just a manual teaching people how to exercise martial arts? What profound arts? Some of these are even things we've used in the military."

"This was passed down by my master. I haven't read through it yet," Qin Luo explained sheepishly.

"However, the moves inside certainly have their merits; they carry a flavor of overcoming hardness with softness. They even seem to complement the *Daoist Twelve Brocades* you practice," the Dragon King explained as he read.

"Indeed. But I don't quite understand them," Qin Luo said with a bitter smile.

"When I saw you evade Li's footwork last time, you looked like someone who knows his way around. How about this? Spar with Li, and I'll see where your problem lies," the Dragon King suggested.

Upon hearing that she was going to spar with Qin Luo, a look of delight flashed across Li's face. A silver flash flickered in her hand, and that gleaming dagger instantly rested in her palm.

"Keep it light. Keep it light. No need for weapons," Qin Luo quickly said.

Why is this woman so violently inclined?

"Li. Put away the dagger," the Dragon King commanded.

"Coward," Li muttered, full of reluctance, but she still tucked the dagger back into the black leather pouch around her slim waist.

"Exchange three moves. Stop after three moves," the Dragon King instructed.

Then, feeling somewhat uneasy, he exhorted Li, "Li, you must not injure Qin Luo."

"Adoptive father, I understand," Li replied with dissatisfaction. Adoptive father seemed to hold this guy in high regard. It was truly frustrating.

The hall was spacious, so there was no need to go out into the courtyard to spar.

Qin Luo and Li stood facing each other, eye to eye, nose to nose, looking very much like two peerless experts about to go to war.

"Are you ready?" Qin Luo asked.

"You can start first," Li said offhandedly. She truly didn't take Qin Luo seriously.

Anyone who came out of Dragon Breath—wasn't every single one of them an elite capable of taking on a hundred?

"Thanks." The moment Qin Luo spoke, he lunged straight toward Li.

This fellow possessed zero gentlemanly demeanor of "ladies first" or exchanging polite courtesies.

Strike first to gain the upper hand, strike second to suffer disaster. Since you invited me to make the first move, I won't stand on ceremony with you.