Chapter 105: Movement Technique

"Our Zhang family is a genuine lineage, strict in family conduct, how could we resort to silencing others at will. The Passing Water Step, though a unique skill, is not absolutely forbidden to be taught externally. I can secretly teach you, and you can secretly learn, there won't be any issues. Should anyone find out, you just say I taught you, and push all the blame onto me..." Zhang Lan said rather heroically."If they aren't going to do anything to me, then why should I push it onto you? I'll just say I learned it by a chance coincidence, wouldn't that work?" Mo Hua blinked, whispering.

Zhang Lan frowned and said, "What you're saying... does seem to make some sense..."

If the Zhang family wouldn't trouble Mo Hua, then why should he step forward to take responsibility? If this matter were to be exposed, and the clan elders found out, he would be confined for several months. Although he was accustomed to such confinement and kneeling at the ancestral hall, they were indeed not matters of pride; if avoidable, it was best avoided.

"You need to find an excuse," Zhang Lan said.

"I'll just say it was a kindly passing uncle who taught me, if asked for the name, I wouldn't know; if asked how he looked, I've forgotten," Mo Hua said.

"Fine, as long as that kind uncle isn't me."

With no concerns left, Zhang Lan said, "I'm teaching you the Passing Water Step now, practice it more when you have the time."

"The Passing Water Step is a movement technique specifically for spiritual cultivation, using spiritual power to guide the body, achieving nimbleness within a small space, moving forward and backward freely."

"The essence of this technique lies in using spiritual sense to control spiritual power minutely, directing the spiritual power through the corresponding meridians, then guiding the body, thus in a small distance, swiftly dodging, and in the blink of an eye, evading enemy swords and blades."

Zhang Lan conveyed the key points of practicing the movement technique to Mo Hua and handed him a diagram of the meridians.

"This meridian diagram records the sequence and specific acupoints of spiritual power flow in different motions of the Passing Water Step. Take it home, study it well, memorize it in your mind, and burn it after, leaving no trace."

"Behind the meridian diagram, there's also a simple body refining technique..."

"It's not a spell, but body refining is needed too?"

Mo Hua was not confident in his talent for body refining.

Zhang Lan corrected Mo Hua's understanding: "Spiritual cultivation refers to cultivators who rely on spiritual power to drive spells for attack, not those who only cultivate spiritual power. Both the physical body and spiritual power are the foundations of a cultivator, both indispensable. Even spells cannot completely separate from the physical body. For spiritual cultivation, spells are too important, hence body cultivation might seem optional."

Zhang Lan reassured Mo Hua after finishing, "Don't worry, the body refining technique attached to the Passing Water Step isn't for cultivating physical strength, but a method to make the limbs flexible and the body coordinated."

"If the body is out of sync, with stiff legs and feet, the step technique might not be executed, and you could end up being pulled and injured by your own spiritual power..."

...

Zhang Lan detailed the technique, Mo Hua listened attentively, and soon, Zhang Lan had taught everything, then said:

"Try now to see how much you've grasped."

Mo Hua mobilized his spiritual power, following the intricacies recorded in the meridian diagram of the Passing Water Step, indeed feeling lighter on his feet, his movements much quicker.

Mo Hua, an array master with strong spiritual sense and further strengthened by cultivating the Heavenly Proliferation Technique, found the flow of spiritual power in the Passing Water Step unimpeded.

This movement technique was simpler than Mo Hua had imagined.

Mo Hua tried to take a step forward using the Passing Water Step, but his right leg circulated spiritual power too quickly, his left leg slightly slower, and he slipped...

Falling face-first onto the ground.

Mo Hua lifted his head, wiped the mud off his face, and while still tasting dirt, muttered, "This doesn't seem so simple..."

Zhang Lan saw this and thought to himself, that's more like it, it's already fast learning array techniques, it couldn't possibly be so fast learning spells too.

Mo Hua tried a few more times, but still couldn't succeed, either the coordination of spiritual power in his limbs was off, causing him to slip, or he would fall sitting squarely on the ground with the same hand and foot.

Zhang Lan watched the dirt-covered Mo Hua, his expression unchanged, secretly delighted, thought: "Now you know the difficulty of learning spells..."

Zhang

Lan's specialty was other movement techniques; he wasn't very skilled with the Passing Water Step, mainly because among the unique techniques of the Zhang family, it was considered neither outstanding in offense nor defense, attacking was not sharp enough, and controlling spiritual power was too difficult, thus not many in the Zhang family primarily practiced the Passing Water Step.

This was also why he dared to secretly teach it to Mo Hua.

If it were a mainstream technique like the Falling Flower Step, which everyone in the clan learned, anyone could recognize the origin of the technique as soon as it was used, then his troubles would be much greater.

The Passing Water Step was just right, the technique itself was decent, low-key enough, not widely learned, and using it secretly was no issue.

After practicing the Passing Water Step for half a day, Mo Hua fell on the ground again.

Zhang Lan picked up Mo Hua, dusted him off, then said, "Alright, go back and practice well yourself, learning spells and learning arrays are similar, it's all about practice makes perfect, if it doesn't work once, just try a few more times."

"Okay." Mo Hua nodded.

Zhang Lan sent Mo Hua back to the eatery, then reminded Mo Hua a few words, to not tell anyone that the technique was taught by him, to practice secretly, then righteously accepted a few pots of wine and several pounds of meat as "bribery" from Mo Hua, contentedly walking away.

Liu Ruhua pulled out a towel, dampened it with water, and while wiping Mo Hua's face, said, "Did Zhang steward teach you something?"

"Uncle Zhang told me not to say," Mo Hua smiled.

"Alright, then you learn well, and find time to thank Steward Zhang." Liu Ruhua spoke softly.

"Mhm." Mo Hua nodded.

Afterward, Mo Hua began his days of cultivating the Passing Water Step.

In a corner of the courtyard, Mo Hua first tried to control his hands and feet with spiritual power, simply moving them.

This was the simplest, also the foundation of all movement techniques following the Passing Water Step. Sᴇaʀᴄh the NøᴠᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

At first, practice might feel uncomfortable, and he would fall from losing balance, but after practicing a few times, becoming familiar with the meridians guided by spiritual power, the movements gradually became smooth.

So in the backyard corner, one could see faint blue spiritual power wrapped around Mo Hua's legs, like water, like mist, even without moving his feet, his body could gradually advance or retreat.

Mo Hua tried a few more times, feeling like sliding on ice in severe winter, quite fun.

Afterward, Mo Hua tried several more difficult movement techniques, like front somersaults, back somersaults, handstands, and handsprings, and unsurprisingly, he fell a few times...

Mo Hua analyzed the reasons, finding that his own body was too weak, lacking strength, and his movements not agile enough.

Mo Hua took out the body refining techniques Zhang Lan had given.

These techniques were simple, only including some basic movements, different from the physical cultivation's body refining, not cultivating strength, but the limbs' flexibility and coordination.

The figure drawn on the diagram moved naturally and lightly, as fluid as water.

Mo Hua realized, no wonder it's called the Passing Water Step.

Mo Hua then followed the movements on the diagram, practicing them one by one.

In the beginning, his limbs felt awkward and stiff, causing him to falter, but as he continued practicing, he gradually became more adept, movements light and natural, as if flowing water.

When Mo Hua felt he was ready, he began to formally practice the more challenging techniques of the Passing Water Step.