Chapter 731: Chapter 720 Qi
“Uh-huh, not bad!” Song Yun finally showed a smile and said, “Then let’s go downstairs and take care of the accommodation.”
“Uh-huh, follow me downstairs,” the auntie said as she left the room. Song Yun, however, turned to Qingluan and said, “Honey, rest here for a bit, I’ll come back up soon.”
Qingluan nodded with a smile and said, “Uh-huh, I’ll wait for you.”
She spoke standard Mandarin with no trace of a Sunan accent.
Downstairs, Song Yun handed his ID card together with the money to the auntie.
“Song Dabao? That’s a nice name,” the auntie said as she looked at Song Yun’s ID and said, “Once I’ve registered you, you can take your room card. Young man, I have to say, your girlfriend is really beautiful. Although I can’t see her face, that figure, from an experienced old lady’s point of view, is top-notch perfect, tsk tsk tsk. What brings you guys to wz this time?”
“We’re here to look for work,” Song Yun said.
“It’s almost Chinese New Year; what kind of job are you looking for?” the auntie asked, puzzled.
“It’s precisely because it’s almost Chinese New Year. Everywhere is understaffed, just right for making a quick buck,” Song Yun said, “There’s not much going on at home now, so it doesn’t matter whether we celebrate the New Year or not.”
“Ah, it’s not easy for young people,” the auntie said as she finished registering the ID and handed an invoice to Song Yun. Laughter on his face, Song Yun took the room card, expressed his thanks, and then went upstairs.
Not long after Song Yun went upstairs, the phone at the front desk of the small hotel rang.
“Are there any guests with a Sunan accent staying there?” the person on the phone inquired.
“None. Just a man and a woman came today, both from Heilongjiang. The man’s called Song Dabao, but I don’t know the woman’s name,” the auntie replied.
“Song Dabao? If he’s using an alias, it’s unlikely to also use Song,” the person on the phone muttered to himself before saying, “Keep an eye out for me, eh? If anyone with a Sunan accent checks in, you must notify me immediately.”
“Got it, got it,” the auntie said and hung up, then muttered to herself, “What’s all this about?”
Song Yun returned to room 308, gently closed the door, and then plucked off that little bit of mustache below his nose, before saying, “Qingluan, you rest first.”
“What about you?” Qingluan asked.
“I need to go out and scope things out,” Song Yun said. “Whether it’s Wang Billion or Wang Kai, they’re definitely surrounded by lots of bodyguards. I wouldn’t exclude the possibility of someone being armed, and there might be masters among them. I’ll survey the area first and see if we can complete this task with the least damage.”
“Don’t rush,” Qingluan said with a smile. “You can go out later in the evening; it will still be fine. Otherwise, if you head out immediately after arriving, won’t it seem quite suspicious?”
“Suspicious? No, why would it?” Song Yun asked puzzledly as he looked at Qingluan.
“Don’t you think it’s strange, a man and a woman, the woman beautiful and well-shaped, staying together in one room, and the man rushes out without doing anything?” Qingluan asked with a normal expression.
Song Yun paused and then laughed awkwardly, “I guess so, I was being hasty.”
“Actually, whoever is supposed to be there will still be there; they won’t disappear because you get there early or late,” Qingluan took Song Yun’s hand and said, “I know you’re anxious to get revenge, but do you think you are currently at your best?”
“At my best? When have I ever been at my best?” Song Yun asked, confused.
“When you have everything under control, when Taishan could crumble in front of you without changing your expression, that’s when you were at your best. That’s the you that I admire the most, the you who is neither arrogant nor rash, who is neither overjoyed nor in despair,” Qingluan said.
“Ah,” Song Yun sighed and sat down next to Qingluan, saying, “Actually, I’m quite in turmoil right now.”
“I know,” Qingluan said. “Although you appear to be doing well, it’s not the best version of you. You seem calm on the surface, but I can feel that your heart is under pressure. The more repressed it is, the tenser your heart becomes; consequently, your state of mind is slowly being destroyed. To a martial artist, it’s most important to maintain a calm heart at all times. Only then can the mind be complete, and we can perform at our best, even beyond 100%.”
“Uh-huh, I understand,” Song Yun lay flat on the bed and said, “Now, I’m going to do nothing and think nothing.”
“Uh-huh, I’ll give you a massage,” Qingluan said, turned around to face Song Yun, and instructed, “Roll over for me.”
“Massage?” Song Yun rolled over in confusion, then felt a body straddling him.
Qingluan seemed weightless as she sat lightly on Song Yun’s waist, and then her hands rested on his shoulders.
Song Yun felt a tremendous force grip his shoulders, so powerful that his muscles instinctively wanted to resist. But the force that was about to harden was instantly dissolved by the slight warmth from the palms of those hands.
“What kind of skill is this!” Song Yun was astonished, for it was the first time he had encountered someone who could make him unable to use his hardening ability!
“Heh, this is Qigong,” Qingluan said with a smile. “Every person cultivating their heart will eventually possess a unique Inner Qi. Qi can be divided into external and internal. External Qi is mainly related to feats like hard Qigong, and of course, the Inner Strength that many practice nowadays also falls within the realm of External Qi. Inner Qi, on the other hand, is a flow that exists within a person’s meridians. Simply put, it is present everywhere, yet nowhere to be found.”
“How do you know how to do this?” Song Yun asked curiously.
“When your state of mind is sufficient, you will naturally feel this Qi. Actually, every person is born with it, but it gradually dissipates over the course of one’s growth. If before it dissipates, you’ve perfected your spiritual cultivation, you will detect and utilize this Qi. If I have to put it fancifully, this could be called the Innate Qi. It’s not as mystical as in Xuanhuan novels, but its effects are significant. For instance, right now, this Qi is communicating with the Inner Qi in your body that you are unaware of, and I can almost control your body. Of course, it doesn’t make you my puppet, but through this Inner Qi, I can prevent your body from activating its reflexes to resist me. Naturally, you won’t be able to use your abilities, understand?” Qingluan explained.
“Although I don’t really get what you’re talking about, it sounds very powerful,” Song Yun nodded, relishing the force from Qingluan’s hands, which, though strong, wasn’t uncomfortable, giving him a feeling that he was nearly ready to drift off.
Ever since learning of Wang Hu’s death, Song Yun had been on constant edge, even his dreams fraught with tension. It was this constant tension that Qingluan had easily detected.
Qingluan’s massage pressure was indeed heavy, enough to pulverize a normal person, but Song Yun, being exceptionally gifted, found it quite apt.
Her massage technique, learned from some unknown source, started from Song Yun’s shoulders and moved in a certain rhythm down his spine, then from his neck to his waist. The soft cracking sounds echoing from Song Yun’s bones might seem unsettling to hear, but his entire body felt so comfortable he was almost moaning.
Qingluan’s massage lasted about half an hour. Afterward, Song Yun’s muscles were fully relaxed, and the sound of his snoring slowly began to fill the room.
Qingluan quietly moved off his body, pulled over a blanket to cover Song Yun, and sat down next to him as he, a top-level master, remained blissfully unaware.
Qingluan watched the sleeping Song Yun with a soft smile and sat down to fiddle with her phone.