bookbashuk Page 200
Page 200
Time slipped by quietly in the stillness of his cultivation. The long yet fleeting night passed in the blink of an eye, and a brand new day had arrived. Han Feng ate a little food and drank some water, then, as usual, used his refining secret technique to enhance the absorption and utilization rate of his food.
"We must find a place where people from the Central Plains and the Yue people live together within three days, find out the current situation in the Central Plains, and find out how many vassal states still exist."
"When will the states of Zheng, Song, and Lu perish amidst the flames of the Warring States period?"
Thinking of this, Han Feng felt a pang of worry. Even if only the seven Warring States remained, plus his own knowledge of the Yue language, he would still need to be proficient in at least eight distinct language systems, eight different units of measurement, eight different scripts, and the different meanings of the same word in different languages.
"The complexity of this era is truly a headache!"
"In my previous life, I spent decades trying to master a foreign language, but I still failed."
"To survive in this chaotic world, one needs to master at least seven completely different languages, which feels like an impossible task."
If we include the Yue language, he would need to learn at least eight completely different languages and scripts. And this is only considering the situation when the seven states of Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin coexisted. If other vassal states had remained, the number of languages would have been even greater.
Even though Han Feng had limited knowledge of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, he knew that the State of Chu had annexed no fewer than forty-five vassal states, and the State of Han had done something similar, as had other major powers.
Based on this calculation, there are probably dozens of language systems, not to mention the different variations that may appear in different eras.
This reminded Han Feng of a comment he had heard in his previous life: It is said that during the Warring States period, understanding an ancient book often required mastering more than thirty completely different languages and scripts, which undoubtedly forced people towards illiteracy.
210. The Secret of Sudden Enlightenment and Rebirth
"I only hope that the number of vassal states still existing in the Central Plains can be reduced at this moment." Han Feng walked heavily, his face full of worry. "Such a large number of language systems is simply torture for non-linguistic geniuses."
"In this era, the merchants, retainers, assassins, generals, and officials who could travel far and wide were all masters who were proficient in multiple languages."
Sometimes, Han Feng even speculated that the frequent wars during the Warring States period might be related to language barriers—words that express praise in one context might become insults in another.
"If I praise you, and you take it as an insult, it's no wonder a fight breaks out."
Such conjecture is not unfounded; he personally experienced a bloody incident caused by linguistic ambiguity.
When he was one year old, his mother took him for a stroll in the streets of the Yue capital, where they witnessed a murder caused by a misunderstanding. One of the men, out of goodwill, praised his wife to another man in broken Vietnamese: "Your wife is exceptionally charming!"
As a result, a brutal conflict erupted instantly. It wasn't until later, when the victim tracked down the other man's companion, that he learned the truth: in the other man's language, the meaning of "charm" was completely different from his understanding; the other man had originally meant to praise the woman's outstanding beauty.
This is the problem with cross-language communication.
"Those who can participate in court diplomacy or business negotiations in such an era are all rare talents in the world, and the knowledge they need to master is vast."
Han Feng sighed inwardly, deeply agreeing with Qin Shi Huang's future policies of standardizing cart axles, writing, and weights and measures after unifying the six kingdoms.
"It is likely that Qin Shi Huang himself suffered greatly from learning multiple languages."
He shook his head slightly and turned his attention to the Furnace of Life and Death.
"The Furnace of Life and Death still has a good amount of energy stored in it, enough to smelt some magical artifacts. At present, my means of survival are not diverse or reliable enough."
Previously, due to the scarcity of energy in the Furnace of Life and Death, he had not considered these issues, but now the energy is temporarily sufficient.
"The Warring States period was the age of swords, and the culture of famous swords flourished."
"Since we cannot change this era, we should try our best to adapt to it so that we can survive better."
"My weapon, the sword, is the most appropriate choice."
Holding the Cauldron of Life and Death, Han Feng forged two unique skills from earthworms and giant pythons in the mortal world.
These are [Regeneration Technique] and [Wild Force].
The Regeneration Technique can stimulate vitality and the potential for division, instantly restoring trauma and enabling limb regeneration.
The Wild Force strengthens the bones and muscles, granting the practitioner a powerful burst of energy and extraordinary endurance, much like a giant python coiling around its prey.
"With these three unique skills, I can survive and thrive in the chaotic Warring States period." Han Feng stared at the Life and Death Cauldron in his hand, its energy once again completely depleted.
"However, every effort has its value."
He put away the Cauldron of Life and Death, unfolded a rough map, carefully discerned the path, and hurried toward his destination.
As night fell, Han Feng entered a bustling commercial city and settled down there.
After waiting overnight, the next day, he used his status as a member of the Yue royal family, along with his wealth and military power, to summon a merchant of lowly status and order him to teach him the language of Chu.
The states of Chu and Yue have historically been enemies, and a thorough understanding of their relationship is essential.
211. Unblocking the Twelve Meridians
Only one month later,
The shocking news spread far and wide: the capital of Yue, Kuaiji, had been trampled by the Chu army, and many members of the royal family had been either slaughtered or enslaved.
The Yue Kingdom thus came to be history.
The descendants of King Wujiang of Yue, who were fortunate enough to escape this calamity, fought amongst themselves for the throne, dividing the already small remaining territory into separate territories.
Some declared themselves kings, while others called themselves crown princes.
However, at this moment, the complete Yue Kingdom no longer exists.
Only the newly established Dongyue, Minyue, and Nanyue kingdoms remained standing side by side.
In the eyes of the world, this broken land has acquired a new name—Baiyue.
Another two months have passed.
New news arrived that powerful states such as Chu, Qi, and Qin were taking advantage of the situation to gradually encroach upon and annex the land that originally belonged to Yue.
With the loss of 707 swathes of territory, the Yue Kingdom's ambition to contend for supremacy in the Central Plains was shattered.
The reason for this was that the Yue Kingdom was surrounded by dense primeval forests, poisonous fog, and rampant venomous insects, causing heavy losses to the armies of Chu, Qi, and Qin, forcing them to halt their offensive.
The fighting has temporarily ceased.
Han Feng, thanks to his exceptional language learning talent since childhood, quickly mastered Yue and Chu languages.
However, the effects of the war followed one after another.
He had to find another place to live.
Time flies, and two years have passed.
Han Feng was eight years old at this time.
In the process of continuously practicing the Dissolving Technique, the Regeneration Technique, and the Wild Force, his body became increasingly upright and robust, and he was no different from an ordinary teenager.
No one expected that he was just an eight-year-old child.
Inside the room, he sat quietly on the soft couch, assuming a posture with his five hearts facing the sky.
The internal energy in the dantian, under the control of the mind, condenses into the shape of a drill, and cautiously impacts the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian according to a specific rhythm.
"Chucky!"
The bone-chilling internal energy was like a sharp ice spike, piercing straight into the blocked meridians.
The blockade instantly froze into fragile ice crystals.
Then, the flexible ice cone continued to grind and impact, gradually opening up the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin. The broken ice crystals were also quickly fused and absorbed by the cold ice internal energy, further strengthening the cold ice internal energy in Han Feng's dantian.
However, the newly opened meridians still need to be stabilized and nurtured, which consumes a lot of internal energy, causing the total amount of internal energy in the dantian to decline.
To reopen the meridians, one must wait for internal energy and mental state to recover.
Therefore, the process of opening up the meridians is extremely time-consuming and laborious, and many practitioners of internal strength spend their entire lives without being able to complete the opening of all the meridians in their body.
"The opening sequence of the twelve primary meridians in the body begins with the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin."
"After that, open them one by one in the following order: Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian, Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian, Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian, Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian, Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian, Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian, Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, and Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian."
"Finally, it returns to the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, forming a small circulation."
"The three Yin meridians of the hand run from the chest to the hand, and connect with the three Yang meridians of the hand at the fingertips."
"The three Yang meridians of the hand run from the hand to the head, where they connect with the three Yang meridians of the foot on the head and face."
"The three Yang meridians of the foot run from the head to the foot, and connect with the three Yin meridians of the foot at the tip of the toes."
"The three Yin meridians of the foot run from the foot to the abdomen, where they intersect with the three Yin meridians of the hand in the chest and abdominal cavity."
Han Feng silently recited knowledge about the twelve primary meridians in his mind, while steadily opening up the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin. His mind was calm and without any impatience.
Having honed his skills through the three ultimate techniques, his physical foundation far surpasses that of ordinary internal energy practitioners.
Choosing a slow and steady approach to unblocking the meridians is more suitable for him.
212. Gu Insects and Flying Birds
Otherwise, if one is too hasty, the powerful internal energy may damage or block the meridians. This matter must not be rushed.
Han Feng was as steady as a mountain and extremely patient.
He would rather open only a small section of the meridian each time than damage the meridian due to excessive haste, which would require more time and energy to recuperate and repair.
It seems like a quick way to unlock skills and quickly become a martial arts master capable of projecting internal energy.
However, being too hasty may actually leave hidden dangers in the meridians.
Relying on the profound and powerful internal energy within the body...
Han Feng successfully opened one-fifth of the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin in one go, and then stopped cultivating due to mental and physical exhaustion.