Jian Yu Mei had once heard his father say that such flat-headed snakes around the neck were highly venomous, and anyone bitten by them would be doomed!
"Senior sister, fear not!" Although Jian Yu Mei was also nervous at the moment, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
His eyes scanned the surroundings and caught sight of a long tree branch. Observing the snake, which was staring at him but showed no intention of attacking, Jian Yu Mei suddenly hooked the branch with his foot. With a swift motion of his left hand, he grabbed the branch and held it tight. At that moment, the snake, startled, swiftly retreated into the cave.
As he stared at the pitch-black cave, Jian Yu Mei felt fear creeping over him for the first time.
"It's all right, senior sister, the snake is gone. Quickly, put on your clothes!" Jian Yu Mei said.
"I... I'm afraid," Lin Li said.
"Quickly put on my clothes. Dry yours by the fire. Otherwise, if something else comes out later, it'll be truly frightening. It might even be a group of snakes!" Jian Yu Mei said.
"Ah!" Lin Li became even more frightened and hurriedly tried to put on her clothes.
Jian Yu Mei once again noticed the large buns on senior sister's chest, blushing as he was about to turn away. "Don't turn around. Look carefully behind me. If anything comes out, drive it away immediately!" Lin Li said.
"What if it's a ghost?" Jian Yu Mei said.
At this moment, Lin Li had just put on half of her clothes. Upon hearing Jian Yu Mei's mention of ghosts, she suddenly panicked and threw herself into Jian Yu Mei's arms.
"Don't scare me, junior brother!" Lin Li said.
"Okay, I just said it might happen. Hurry and get dressed, senior sister!" Jian Yu Mei said.
At that moment, Lin Li quickly finished putting on her clothes. She held her own clothes and roasted them over the fire, while constantly keeping an eye on the cave.
"How about this, senior sister? You stand outside the cave facing inward. That way, you'll be safe!" Jian Yu Mei said.
"Yes, junior brother, that's a good idea!" Lin Li said.
As Jian Yu Mei and Lin Li finished drying their clothes at the cave entrance and put them on, they became deeply interested in the cave.
"Junior brother, when did you come here?" Lin Li asked.
"Just recently. I was just playing by the river, and I happened to stumble upon this cave," Jian Yu Mei said.
"Junior brother, were you lonely when you first came here?" Lin Li asked.
"Not really, just alone with no friends, often spending time alone contemplating," Jian Yu Mei said.
"And now, are you better, junior brother? Do you still like wandering alone?" Lin Li asked.
"Now it's better, with you teasing me every day, I don't even have time to wander alone!" Jian Yu Mei said.
"That's good, hehe, I'll keep teasing you!" Lin Li said.
As Jian Yu Mei looked at Lin Li, he remembered when he first arrived here.
This valley was part of the Zhongnan Mountains in Shaanxi. Most of the people here were surnamed Lin, and it was also the hometown of their master. In fact, Lin Li was the adopted daughter of their master, who never married in his lifetime.
Their master had always lived here, only occasionally going out on business. His life was truly legendary, and as Jian Yu Mei slowly came to understand their master, he felt this way.
Their master had many experiences and was a person with stories. How he learned his skills, his experiences, why he chose to live in seclusion alone, and why he lived a solitary life! Many secrets lay hidden in their master's heart, which made Jian Yu Mei often feel unfathomable.
Their master had a regular routine, practicing martial arts early every morning. In the morning, he practiced static exercises before moving on to dynamic exercises, including fist and sword techniques.
Every evening, their master would also practice martial arts for a long time. During this time, their master's martial arts seemed mysterious.
Once, on a stormy night, Jian Yu Mei, fearing the thunder, went outside their master's room to call him. But there was no answer. Jian Yu Mei couldn't find their master in the room either. Out of concern, he searched everywhere but found no trace of their master even far outside the village.
As he was about to return, lightning suddenly flashed in the sky. Illuminated by the lightning, Jian Yu Mei saw their master meditating on a tall pine branch in the woods.
At that moment, their master's eyes were closed, as if the thunder and lightning had nothing to do with him. It was as if he was gathering the essence of thunder and lightning from heaven and earth to fulfill his extraordinary courage.
When Jian Yu Mei returned home and passed by their master's room, he saw their master sleeping on the bed.
He really couldn't understand how their master could come and go like a ghost!
Jian Yu Mei once asked their master which martial art he primarily practiced, but their master just smiled and didn't answer directly. He only said that all martial arts were interconnected.
Jian Yu Mei remembered that when he first came here, it was after his father had an accident. He followed their master here.
"Yu Mei, from now on, you should treat me as your family. Don't be sad anymore!" their master said.
"Master, thank you! I will treat you as my best family member!" Jian Yu Mei said.
After Jian Yu Mei became familiar with the local environment, one morning, their master took him to the open space at the village entrance, next to the flowing river.
"Today, I will formally teach you martial arts, Mei'er!" their master said.
"Yes, master. Your disciple listens attentively," Jian Yu Mei said.
"I have traveled far and wide in my life and experienced a lot. Apart from Lin Li, my adopted daughter, you are my disciple. You and I have a destiny, and you are kind-hearted and intelligent. Your achievements will certainly surpass your senior sister's. I hope you will study diligently and not disappoint me!" their master said.
"Mei'er will never let master down!" Jian Yu Mei said.
"Mei'er, you have followed your father for these past few years. Perhaps your father has also taught you some things. Your father is actually a very outstanding person. Although he entered this profession because of that princess's plot, he did very well and was very measured. Many people are not as good as your father. It's just a pity that he encountered his millennium calamity, which was difficult to resolve. Now, he has untied this knot with his life, fulfilling a heavenly destiny," their master said.
Jian Yu Mei's eyes reddened.
"Mei'er, don't be sad. It's precisely because of your father's lessons that you must study hard. Some things can indeed be changed. I see that you are also entangled in matters of the
heart. I'm worried that you will encounter similar things, but as long as you study hard, fate can be changed!" their master said.
Jian Yu Mei's heart was pounding, thinking that he might encounter the same thing as his father. If that were the case, it would be a calamity.
"Mei'er, my learning is very diverse. To teach you, I have to go through everything step by step. My martial arts originate from the authentic Wudang Southern School. The martial arts of this school are internal. In our Republic of China, many martial arts masters have emerged, such as Huo Yuanjia, who fought against foreigners from the Jingwu School, and Mr. Sun Yat-sen's bodyguard, Mr. Du Xinwu, and so on. But more people choose to keep a low profile. These martial arts are treasures of our country, and I hope that one day they will flourish. Specifically, our Wudang Southern School also has methods for cultivating internal energy and external martial arts. Palm techniques, fist techniques, staff techniques, and other weapon methods are all required to be mastered.
Once you learn them, your martial arts should be among the best in the world!" their master said.
"Thank you, master!" Jian Yu Mei was deeply fascinated by the idea of learning martial arts.