“This little rascal is getting more and more troublesome!” Watching Danny Goodwin's figure, the mother standing behind him showed a hint of a smile on her face.

Chapter 7: The Lihuo Heart Technique

“Eat slower, eat slower, don’t choke… you won’t go hungry… don’t use your hands, use chopsticks!”

Hannah Johnson, with her belly six or seven months pregnant, sat across the small table, watching Danny Goodwin wolf down his food. She was both annoyed and amused. She didn’t know what had happened—her little brother, who had always been so obedient, had become more and more unruly these past few months. He would run all over the mountains for no reason, and every time he came back, he was covered in stinky sweat. He claimed he was practicing martial arts, but he was just a little kid—what martial arts could he possibly be practicing? She had no idea what he was really up to. When called home for meals, he wouldn’t listen. In the end, their mother was so exasperated that she made a rule: if he was late coming home, he wouldn’t get any food. At first, this worked well, but later, Danny Goodwin got clever—he realized that if his mother wouldn’t feed him, he could just go to his sister’s house and mooch a meal.

“Big sis, this is delicious, really delicious! Your cooking is the best—mom’s food isn’t as good as yours!” Danny Goodwin mumbled as he ate, buttering up Hannah Johnson with flattery. After a few compliments, Hannah Johnson was beaming with joy, rubbing her big belly and fussing over him from time to time.

“You little rascal, you’re not old, but you sure are sly. Just eat—no need for all that flattery!” Tyler Walker, sitting not far away with a thread-bound book in his hand, said disapprovingly to his young brother-in-law.

“Hehe, brother-in-law, what book are you reading?!”

Ever since he first came to his sister’s house to mooch a meal a month ago, Danny Goodwin had noticed the book in Tyler Walker’s hand, and the four big characters on the cover: “Lihuo Heart Technique.”

Just from the name, Danny Goodwin could tell it was a martial arts manual. Compared to the excitement he felt the first time he saw the book, Danny Goodwin was now much calmer.

Because he had already memorized the entire book.

The first time he saw those four characters, Danny Goodwin had rushed over for a look. From the text and diagrams in the book, he could tell it was an internal cultivation manual, and it was much more profound than the “Great Strength Vajra Qi” that Tyler Walker had taught him.

Since then, Danny Goodwin had skipped dinner at home every few days—not really to mooch food, but to memorize the manual.

Although Tyler Walker treasured his “Lihuo Heart Technique” and usually kept it well hidden, he had a habit: every night after dinner, he would take it out and read it for a while. Naturally, this gave Danny Goodwin an opportunity.

Tyler Walker never suspected Danny Goodwin.

After all, he was just a three- or four-year-old child who didn’t know anything. Even if he saw the book, it didn’t matter. Taking advantage of Tyler Walker’s carelessness, Danny Goodwin managed to memorize all the text and formulas in the “Lihuo Heart Technique” within a month. The book wasn’t thick—just a dozen or twenty pages, all in Chinese characters. Compared to the English words Danny Goodwin had memorized in his previous life, this was much easier. However, he didn’t dare to practice yet, because he hadn’t fully memorized the diagrams.

Having practiced the “Great Strength Vajra Qi,” he knew very well that the routes for internal energy circulation must not deviate in the slightest. Any mistake could lead to minor deviation or even death. Danny Goodwin was good at memorizing text, but he didn’t have much experience memorizing diagrams. Although he had gradually memorized them all, he couldn’t guarantee absolute accuracy.

That’s why he seized every opportunity to sneak a glance, to make sure the diagrams in his mind were correct.

As for the question, “Brother-in-law, what book are you reading?”—he had asked it several times, but every time, the answer was the same three words.

“I don’t know!”

Before, when he heard this answer, he would just say “Oh” and drop the subject.

But today was different, because he only had one last diagram left to confirm. He needed an excuse to look a few more times and make sure he got the final step right.

Scooping up the last bite of rice, Danny Goodwin darted over to Tyler Walker, poking his little head in front of the book, his eyes shining. “Brother-in-law, if you don’t know what this book is, why do you read it every day?!”

“Because I can’t read!” Tyler Walker was stung by Danny Goodwin’s question. He put the book on his lap and said, a bit angrily, “If I could read, I wouldn’t have to study these diagrams over and over again!”

“What do the diagrams in this book mean?!” Danny Goodwin casually took the book from his lap, holding it upside down. Then he flipped it open, and by chance, landed on the last page, bringing the final diagram into view.

“These diagrams are all routes for internal energy circulation!” Tyler Walker said without suspicion, “But unfortunately, you can only fully understand them when combined with the text above!”

“If you can’t read, you can learn!” Danny Goodwin’s gaze lingered on the last page of the “Lihuo Heart Technique” as he said offhandedly, “Isn’t the old blind man literate?”