Chapter 54 ： Soldiers Built the Pass at Tongguan

　　Liu Chengyuan saw at once that Yuwen Tong was about to strike with deadly intent. With a sudden cry and a sweep of his hand—a movement imbued with the force of the ancient maxim “Emulate the virtuous”—he unleashed a palm strike of such power that, though a full ten feet separated the two men, it not only dissolved the force of Yuwen Tong’s formidable blow, but drove the man back two full paces. Were it not for Yuwen Tong’s deep foundation and well-trained stance, the recoil might have toppled him. Even so, he felt his upper body tilt backwards. Yet with a deft thrust of his right foot against the ground, he steadied himself, regaining his composure in a breath.　　Yuwen Tong was inwardly shaken. “Who could this master be, to wield such internal force? he wondered. That single strike contained strength many times greater than my own.”　　At that moment, Liu Chengyuan vaulted lightly through the window and landed with the grace of one long trained in the martial path. He turned to Yu Wentong and said, “Might I address the esteemed Yuwen, senior among men of arms? I am Liu Chengyuan, a humble disciple of the Taihang Mountain Villa. Your illustrious name is well known even in the furthest pavilions of our school. Forgive my boldness, but I do not know what enmity exists between your noble sect and the followers of the Jing Faith. I saw but three of their number already gravely wounded—allow me to plead on their behalf. If it please you, might your venerable hand be stayed, and their lives be spared? What say you, honoured elder?”　　As Liu Chengyuan spoke, he raised his hand and gently pressed his palm to the taodao point at the base of Es’ s neck. With utmost care, he channelled his inner energy into the injured man’s body, the force slow and steady, like spring rain upon the parched earth.　　Es felt a wave of warmth rise along the Governor Vessel, that hidden meridian running the length of the spine, before it spread, subtle and restorative, throughout his limbs. The taodao point, as the old scholars knew, held the warming essence of the celestial Lung Metal—energy of the heavens themselves. When met with Liu Chengyuan’s Confucian inner force—soft, balanced, imbued with the virtue of restraint—it responded as if finding its natural complement. Within moments, the pain that had gripped Es’s chest began to ease, his breath grew steadier, and though still weak, his wound no longer seemed so grave.　　Es, his voice barely above a whisper, murmured, “My deepest thanks, kind sir.”　　Yuwen Tong’s lips curled i