Chapter 75 Emperor Suzong and Li Mi Slept Beneath One Quilt

At once, Liu Chengyuan settled his breath and guided the flow of qi through his meridians — the twin streams of Confucian and Daoist inner force now coursing through his body in harmonious orbit. By the time the Zhou father and son had exchanged but a few words, the internal injuries he had sustained had already been quietly healed. More than that — to his astonishment, his inner strength seemed not only restored but markedly deepened. Only then did he realise: without even being aware of it, he had crossed the threshold and mastered the fifth stage of the Benevolent Heart Manual — the sacred art of Rites.At that very moment, Zhou Boyong raised his right hand, palm facing skyward — then, with a swift twist, struck downward toward Liu Chengyuan’s chest, aiming precisely at the Shanzhong acupoint. Though the palm had yet to land, the searing wind it carried surged ahead like a wave of summer heat. It was plain: Zhou had summoned the full measure of his inner strength — more than strength, it was a blow wrought with murderous intent.Pressed to the edge, Liu Chengyuan had no time for doubt. He launched both hands at once — his left palm calm and centred, imbued with the balanced, righteous force of the Confucian Benevolent Heart Manual; his right hand soft as moonlit water, steeped in the profoundly yielding energy of the Daoist Scripture of Hidden Symbols.A thunderous crash resounded within the temple — bang! — as the clashing waves of qi collided in mid-air, the reverberation hanging long in the stillness. When at last the force dissipated, Zhou Boyong stood aghast. And Liu Chengyuan, heart pounding, brimmed with quiet elation.What astonished Zhou Boyong was this — he had felt the strike land, a full-force blow driven straight to Liu Chengyuan’s abdomen. By all reason, the young man ought to have collapsed under its weight. And yet, not only had he withstood it, his strength seemed to have grown — as though the very attack had become fuel for his rising power. Liu Chengyuan, for his part, was quietly exultant. Not only had he crossed the threshold of the fifth