De Ming was now an early third-rate martial artist, he was excited to start practicing martial arts finally, but he couldn't do it here at the Crimson Cloud manor, seeing as he didn't want to reveal his cultivation this early
So what better place to do so than at a clearing in a nearby forest, a spacious and quiet spot he discovered while foraging for herbs at Elder Hu's request
De Ming sat up from his cultivation pose and went out of his room, shuffling around the manor, finishing tasks he had neglected to prioritize his martial awakening like cleaning the floors of the house's winding hallway, stitching and washing Zhu Feng and Zhu Lian's ripped training clothes, checking on fermenting barrels of wine at the basement winery, preparing and processing ingredients for Elder Hu's pill refinement endeavors, checking with the gate guards for mail and parcels then reporting them to the Elder Hu, etc
De Ming was a hard worker who managed almost a fourth of the household's chores alone, needless to say, he was one of Elder Hu's most trusted helpers
The sun had already disappeared over the horizon when De Ming completed his work for the day, today's tasks were done noticeably faster than usual, courtesy of his new cultivation base giving him enhanced senses and stamina
Back in his modest room, De Ming stored his tools as he began to hum joyously, his face bright from anticipation
He opened his door, and walked quietly down the hallways, passing Zhu Lian's room before exiting the building
He walked up to the gate guards
"Are you heading out Ming?" one of the guards asked, not because De Ming needed permission to leave but just out of genuine curiosity
"Yup, I'm doing some errands in town" De Ming lied, hiding his true intentions, feeling kind of guilty while doing so
"Alright, Ming, be careful, okay?" the guard answered with care for their young colleague
"Be mindful of your body kid, young master did you pretty rough last time, don't overwork yourself" the other guard, older and seasoned spoke up out of concern and maybe a hint of guilt for not being able to stand up to Feng and help Ming, he can't afford to lose this job after all, his family needed to be fed
"I will, I'll be back in a bit, don't worry" De Ming chuckled as he scratched the back of his head before then heading off
He moved straight on the trail, making sure that the Crimson Cloud manor was out of sight before swerving off the dirt road and straight into the forest, disappearing behind a canopy of green
He wandered for a bit before entering a clearing, the full moon shining down, illuminating the spot in its brilliance
He put his pouch down at the trunk of a tree, loosened his robes, and did a quick stretch before preparing to train
Today's objective was for De Ming to learn his first martial technique, a pivotal moment that will decide the trajectory of his martial journey
He went into a wide stance, imitating the stance of Zhu Feng and Zhu Lian before they performed their household's signature martial technique, the Crimson flame palm, a low silver-grade martial art, featuring fearsome palm strikes that burst forth a torrent of crimson flames from the place of impact, a destructive technique befitting to be the first in his arsenal
De Ming had been around Zhu Feng and Zhu Lian since childhood, he'd seen them practice the movements of this technique countless times and was very familiar with it, its form etched deep into his consciousness, and even experienced being on the wrong end of its wrath recently, he knows full well of its might even if he'd never read it's manual, something only reserved for the patriarch's bloodline
He stood still, his body leaning forward slightly, his left foot in front of his right, his hands raised, left hand further ahead to gauge attack distance and his right hand reeled back and formed a palm
He focused, recounting the exact movement of the technique before opening the floodgates to his Qi, a torrential force once again tore him up from within but he remained in position despite the pain
He felt the flowing chaos and then directed his Qi flow to focus on his right palm, painstakingly so, before anchoring his feet, digging into the dirt beneath his, thrusting his right palm forward, sending out a tremor of force rattling the fallen leaves in front of him, the subtle Qi shockwave was undeniable, but there were no erupting crimson to speak of
He had failed, disappointingly so
Hmm? Why didn't that work? De Ming thought to himself before shutting off his dantian again, dispersing the chaotic flow and relieving his muscles of their strain
Upon further inspection, De Ming realized that what he knew of his technique was only its movements, the essence of it was lacking, and the missing piece was his Qi flow, his attempted imitation missing the crux of the technique, its smoldering flames
The beating of his heart died down as he began to regain his composure and wracked his memory for a solution
Years ago, when Zhu Lian had just awakened his Qi after diligent training, there was a period where she was personally taught this technique by the patriarch near the creek behind the manor. De Ming, who was doing laundry nearby, observed and vaguely overheard his teachings, he heard bits and pieces of something related to imagination and manifesting the flames, De Ming didn't think much of it at the time, he had no reason to but now those exact words were pivotal
His eye widened as he realized what he was missing, the abstract teachings he had overheard all those years ago, although he didn't put them to mind, his sharp memory allowed him to recount the Patriarch's words clearly
"Remember Lian, the Qi that flows inside is a part of you, you are its master, Its form is dependent on your will. So open up your mind my child, imagine a graceful flame, picture its heat and warmth, that is the way to our Crimson Flame Palm"
De Ming's eyes widened with shock, comprehending the patriarch's statement as swiftly returned to the technique's starting stance, and closed his eyes
His mind ran rampant as he pictured a budding flame, warm, bright, and lively. But this wasn't what he was looking for, this flame was too subtle and timid, reminding him of his old shortcomings which upset him
So De Ming dug deeper, searching for something else, trying his best to remove the weak embers from his mind
But he couldn't, it soon became clear that this flame wasn't purely imagination. It was a reflection of himself, seen through the medium of fire
No, I cannot accept this! He thought to himself as his brows furrowed, and determination lit up in his heart. His will to change once again flared brightly as he reminded himself of his purpose
His perspective shifted as he quickly snuffed out the pathetic imagery of embers and abandoned the visual aspect completely
His body ached, reminding him of a prior humiliation, and then it dawned on him.
He had a stroke of genius, if he couldn't picture a flame then why not focus on the sensation of its heat which he was no stranger to, the countless hours he spent cooking hearty meals for the household, the countless night dicing herbs by Elder Hu's refinement furnace, and most importantly the scorching pain coupled with humiliation that he felt when the cruel young master Zhu Feng struck him hard with this very techniques. De Ming was no stranger to heat
He opened his eyes as he unleashed his Qi, focusing it on his palm once more, straining his body before driving his right palm forward all while the sensation of singing heat stayed fresh on his mind
BAM!
The force sent a shockwave from his palm, blowing away nearby leaves and fluttering his servant robes, the pressure more formidable than earlier, and yet no flame emerged. But just as everything died down and De Ming started cursing his incompetence, the focused chaotic Qi busted out of his palms and erupted into a small cluster of vibrant flames, bashing against a tree in front of him, leaving its bark burnt and still cackling with heat
"I did it!"
De Ming rejoiced and pumped one fist into the air before shutting off his Qi once again. He had finally managed to imitate the Crimson Flame Technique, although it's not as formidable as the original, a direct hit from this would prove to be painful, this was an impressive accomplishment, let alone for someone who only started today, perhaps De Ming was more talented than he gives himself credit for
De Ming continued to practice late into the night, leaving his body tired, his robes scorched on the edges and his palms lightly singed before returning to the manor, happily skipping and humming along the way