Chapter 10, Three Dantians

Translator: StarReader

 

The frosty mist hung heavy in the air at Medicine King Estate, coating the eaves, tiles, corners of the blue bricks, and even the walls with a thin layer of frost.

 

Most of the young disciples in the estate rose early, beginning their martial arts cultivation or assisting their masters with herb-cutting and stoking fires. The smoke from cooking fires twisted lazily into the sky, while calls for sparring practice echoed one after another—a busy day had begun.

 

Pharmacist Li Kui resided in a spacious compound within Medicine King Estate, measuring an impressive one hundred and fifty meters in size.

 

To the north of the courtyard stood a stone house, to the west a small medicine furnace for making pills, and to the south a row of training aids—wooden and iron spears, along with various weapons.

 

At the center of the yard towered an ancient locust tree tens of meters in height. Beneath it lay a stone table, upon which sat a teapot and several cups, surrounded by three low stone stools.

 

This was Li Kui’s private area for refining medicine and where he instructed his students. Every tool one could need was present in abundance.

 

The pharmacist’s teachings were relatively relaxed—each master guided four or five apprentices individually. This method of instruction allowed for more focused, detailed guidance, far exceeding the village schools where a single teacher oversaw thirty or forty kids at a time.

 

Su Chen, along with the other outer disciples, rose early, washed, and dressed. They hurried to the kitchen to claim several hot buns fresh out of the oven, stuffed them into their mouths, and rushed to the courtyard to sweep the fallen leaves and dust, wipe tables and chairs, and boil water in the teapots—all to demonstrate their diligence.

 

As outer disciples within the Medicine King Group, they received no special privileges. The rule of eliminating one person every six months weighed heavily on them, pushing them to never relax for a moment. Even when their master did not assign them chores, they took it upon themselves to do everything in their power to please Li Kui, hoping he would be in a good mood and teach them more.

 

There were only three stone stools inside the courtyard, reserved for Li Kui, Wang Fugui, and Li Jiao—the two inner disciples. There was no place for the five outer disciples to sit. They stood quietly, waiting for Li Kui to begin his instruction.

 

After some time, Wang Fugui and Li Jiao arrived, wearing the crisp white robes of a medicinal herbs disciple.

 

“Senior Brother Wang!”

 

“Senior Sister Li!”

 

Su Chen and Zhang Tieniu, along with a few other outer disciples, hurriedly paid their respects. The status of inner disciples was far above that of outer disciples, placing them high above these five. According to the rules of the group, outer disciples were required to pay their respects to inner disciples; failure to do so would result in punishment.

 

“Mm, you disciples got up pretty early!” Wang Fugui smiled faintly and nodded his head.

 

He seemed approachable, though his mannerisms carried the air of arrogance typical of a nobleman. Even so, he remained courteous toward Su Chen and the other outer disciples.

 

Li Jiao, on the other hand, merely hummed and accepted the elaborate salute without so much as a side glance. She seated herself on one of the three stone stools in the courtyard.

 

She wasn’t an inner disciple for nothing.

 

Her family ran a rice business and had little influence in martial affairs, but their wealth paved the way for opportunities. Her father had sent several hundred taels of silver to Daoist Qinghe at the Han Mountain Daoist Temple as a bribe to pass on three hundred taels to High Manager Zhang at the Medicine King Estate, where she secured a spot by making a donation of one thousand taels to the Medicine King Group.

 

Almost half of the Li family’s fortune was spent to obtain an inner disciple status in the Medicine King Group, reaping the lavish treatment she now enjoyed.

 

It could be said that those outer disciples lived off the resources provided at the Medicine King Estate without contributing anything of value, while this inner disciple had to offer her own wealth to the group. Respect was the least they could give, as it was her money they were exploiting.

 

After some time, a gaunt middle-aged pharmacist in blue robes entered the courtyard. He had a sharp appearance, with a sharp expression and a piercing gaze that inspired awe and apprehension.

 

“Master!” The disciples greeted him with reverence.

 

The pharmacist nodded coldly, smoothing his robe before sitting down at a stone table.

 

Wang Fugui and Li Jiao seated themselves on two other nearby stools. The five outer disciples stood behind them.

 

“Master, please accept this tea,” one of the disciples said respectfully. “I brewed it early this morning and kept it warm for you. It should soothe your throat.”

 

Yang Caizhi quickly and obediently picked up a teapot from the table, poured an eighth-full cup of hot tea, and respectfully presented it with both hands.

 

This cleverness impressed Su Chen and Zhang Tieniu, along with the other disciples, who felt inferior in comparison.

 

Pharmacist Li Kui nodded approvingly, took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and began his lecture.

 

“From today onwards, I shall teach you two things: medicine and martial skills. These will be taught separately in the morning and afternoon sessions.

 

“Medicine involves reading and understanding texts, so we’ll start with one month of basic literacy training. After that, I will teach you how to identify various herbs and their uses. As for martial skills, they are simpler and can be learned directly. Although we specialize in medicine, martial artists cannot neglect combat techniques. The martial arts of the Medicine King Group are not weaker than those of other major martial groups.

 

“Would you like to learn medicine or martial skills first?”

 

Pharmacist Li asked the group of disciples.

 

The seven kids became excited.

 

“Master, please teach us a few powerful martial techniques first!”

 

“Yes, we want to know how to practice martial arts!”

 

As they had joined the Medicine King Group, medicine was the true main focus for their future as Medicine King Group disciples.

 

But these were all energetic kids aged twelve or thirteen, and who wouldn’t long to one day become a magnificent martial master in Gusu County City, where everyone would look up to them with admiration!

 

Their interest in martial arts was clearly much greater than their interest in medicine.

 

“Well, as martial artists, cultivating martial arts is also an important endeavor. Then, I will start by teaching you how to practice martial arts.”

 

Upon seeing the youngsters’ earnest request, Master Li agreed and began explaining the fundamentals.

 

“The foundation of martial arts lies in cultivating one’s lower, middle, and upper Dantians.

 

“The three Dantians are respectively refining blood, refining energy, and refining spirit. They are located in different parts of the body, and one should progress through them step by step without rushing things.

 

“The first to cultivate is the Lower Dantian, situated three inches below the navel, which focuses on cultivating the blood. Through tempering their tendons, flesh, bones, and the whole body, martial artists can forge vigorous vitality. When vitality is abundant, the body becomes strong; when the body is strong, strength is generated.

 

“Once initial cultivation of Lower Dantian is achieved, a martial artist can attain over fifty kilograms of strength, officially becoming an early third-rate practitioner. As their cultivation improves, they reach a strength of a late third-rate practitioner of one hundred and fifty kilograms, capable of delivering a palm strike that could kill a calf.”

 

Pharmacist Li had a high level in martial arts, not dwelling on techniques or minor details, but directly addressing the essence of martial arts.

 

Zhang Tieniu repeatedly gestured, scratched his head, and suddenly seemed to have an epiphany. His face filled with astonishment as he exclaimed, “Master, the Lower Dantian is three inches below the navel! Isn’t that the area related to our family jewels? So, does cultivating the Lower Dantian mean we’re cultivating our stamina? Oh, I get it now! That’s how cultivating the Lower Dantian works!”

 

The kids found his words somewhat plausible and burst into laughter.

 

Pharmacist Li Kui rolled his eyes and snorted, his face expressionless. He was annoyed by Zhang Tieniu’s crude and vulgar language.

 

Qin Huihui and Kong Xinqiao, the two girls, blushed in shame and muttered disapprovingly.

 

They had all passed the age of innocence and ignorance, and while they understood a little about the differences between boys and girls, they were still too shy to speak openly.

 

In Gusu County, it was customary for boys to marry at around fifteen years old, while girls were married off by fourteen. Before their wedding day, their mothers would teach them the basics of intimacy.

 

Had it not been for joining the Medicine King Group, they would likely have married and started families within a year or two, leading ordinary lives as common folk.

 

Pharmacist Li Kui, with his cold expression, suddenly frowned and slammed his hand on the stone table. He barked at them, “What are you laughing at?! The Lower Dantian is where vitality and energy converge—it’s the number one priority in martial arts cultivation. It’s no joking matter!

 

“The Lower Dantian must be cultivated to completion. Before vitality stabilized, you couldn’t be intimate; otherwise, engaging in relations with women beforehand would result in losing essence, leading to a decline in energy and strength. Even after ten years of hard cultivation, one might struggle to reach the level of a third-rate practitioner.

 

“This is the first rule that I must emphasize to you all. If any disciple—whether inner or outer—is found to have broken the Lower Dantian rule before becoming a third-rate practitioner, they will be immediately expelled from the Medicine King Group.”

 

The disciples in the courtyard were terrified by Pharmacist Li’s stern rebuke; not a single sound was made.

 

Zhang Tieniu, in particular, turned ashen-faced, his body trembling with fear. He kept his head lowered, dreading that one wrong move might anger him and lead to his expulsion.

 

Pharmacist Li Kui scanned the kids with a stern gaze, and no one dared meet his eyes. After a moment, he continued explaining martial arts: “Once the Lower Dantian is stabilized, one becomes an external third-rate practitioner. If you keep refining the Lower Dantian, you can reach the level of an outer second-rate expert. When you reach the peak, you can become an external first-rate master with strength up to five hundred kilograms.

 

“However, Medicine King Group does not encourage you to focus solely on tempering the Lower Dantian. You must understand that no matter how strong a person is, it is just individual prowess and has its limits. Once you reach your fifties or sixties, your strength will decline due to aging blood and vitality. By the time you’re in your eighties or nineties, even if you were once an external first-rate master, you’ll drop back to the level of an external third-rate practitioner.

 

“So, after initial tempering of the Lower Dantian, we can begin working on the Middle Dantian.

 

“The Middle Dantian is for cultivating Qi. It’s located above the abdomen, in the center of the stomach, serving as the storage place for True Qi. Making a full cycle and nurturing True Qi is more challenging but offers immense rewards.

 

“Once True Qi forms within your body, you can quickly reach the stage of an internal second-rate expert. When the Middle Dantian is fully cultivated and True Qi becomes thick and pure, you’ll achieve the level of an internal first-rate master!

 

Even in your seventies or eighties, your Qi will remain strong and not wane. This is the true path of martial arts. Internal first-rate masters are far superior to external ones.”

 

Pharmacist Li Kui took a sip of warm tea and stopped explaining the fundamental theories of martial arts after covering the Lower and Middle Dantians. He was ready to begin guiding the new disciples in how to refine the Lower Dantian.

 

“Master, what about the Upper Dantian?”

 

Wang Fugui felt curious and asked eagerly, “Right! You haven’t explained the Upper Dantian yet. What exactly does it do?”

 

“What’s this ‘spirit’ in refining the Upper Dantian?”

 

Not just the two inner disciples, but also Su Chen and five other outer disciples, all wore expressions of curiosity as they asked questions one after another.

 

“Upper Dantian?” Pharmacist Li furrowed his brows, falling silent for a moment.

 

Even among the top masters from the thirteen counties of the Wu Region, few managed to cultivate their Middle Dantian to perfection and reach the peak of first-rate master.

 

How could anyone even dare to discuss refining the Upper Dantian?

 

These ignorant children, with their clueless minds, were so innocent and curious.

 

Once they understood how difficult cultivating the Lower Dantian was, they would realize that reaching the Middle Dantian was already their limit. They would lose all desire to even dream about the elusive Upper Dantian.

 

The Upper Dantian was mysterious and unfathomable, located in the head, the Muddy Grain Palace, focusing mainly on refining the spirit.

 

It was said that if a practitioner could direct even a thread of their consciousness into their Upper Dantian, they could instantly surpass the level of first-rate masters and enter the revered Grandmaster Stage, standing above all in the martial world.

 

Within the thirteen counties of the Wu Region, achieving Grandmaster Stage was rare, with only a handful: the Wu Region’s top expert, the Abbot of Han Mountain Daoist Temple, Daoist Han Shan; the leaders of the five martial groups—Heaven Falcon Group’s leader Han Ya, Caravan Group’s leader Li Shuo, Iron Sword Group’s leader Han Pingshan, Medicine King Group’s leader Sun Baihong, and Whale Gang’s leader Liu Hong; and the enigmatic White Lotus Sect’s Master Mao Ziyuan. Just seven or eight individuals.

 

Those who reached the Grandmaster Stage, truly exceptional martial artists, possessed the luck, talent, and perseverance in cultivation that placed them above ordinary people; it was something others could only admire from afar. Li Kui had worked hard in his cultivation in the Medicine King Group for over thirty years as a senior pharmacist and yet remained a first-rate master to this day.

 

The peak of martial arts mastery remained beyond reach and comprehension. Even now, one could only look up in awe.

 

This level was far from the ordinary mortal’s aspirations. It might be something that one could never attain in their lifetime.

 

“Don’t aim so high! The Lower Dantian and Middle Dantian cultivation alone will suffice for you to practice martial arts for twenty or thirty years. You are still newcomers, not even considered third-rate practitioners. Why talk about the Upper Dantian?”

 

Pharmacist Li Kui’s tone was cold and solemn as he rebuked them.

 

“Oh!”

 

The kids received another lecture from their master and lowered their heads, daring not to ask more questions.

 

However, they were still unaware of what the Upper Dantian meant.

 

Nevertheless, the martial arts theories concerning the Lower Dantian and Middle Dantian captivated them deeply. They listened with rapt attention, feeling enlightened as if awakening from a dream.

 

They had never heard such clear martial arts theory before. It involved the Three Dantians—blood refinement, Qi refinement, and spirit refinement—which outlined the advanced progression of a martial artist. The hierarchy of martial artists’ strengths was clearly defined.

 

They realized that martial artists became masters by cultivating the Dantians. They felt a sense of novelty and had a rough idea of how to enhance their martial arts cultivation.

 

Su Chen eagerly absorbed the theories on cultivating the Three Dantians, memorizing the key points thoroughly.

 

Lower Dantian was about refining blood, and made one a third-rate practitioner. Constantly cultivating the Lower Dantian would lead to becoming an external, second-rate expert.

 

Middle Dantian was about refining True Qi—just a little True Qi would make one a second-rate practitioner. When the Middle Dantian reached its peak, it would make them an internal first-rate master.

 

Upper Dantian was about refining spirit—it was the most mysterious and related to the transcendent level of mastery.

 

But regarding the specifics of cultivating the spirit in the Upper Dantian, Li Kui was no expert in it and couldn’t explain it clearly either. Probably even his master wasn’t fully aware.