Chapter 29: Hot Spring Miasma Training

  "The human larynx, in addition to having two vocal cords, also has another pair of false vocal cords. The false vocal cords are located above the true vocal cords and only vibrate with a large airflow, producing a very special sound effect, such as a hoarse, terrified, or desperate tone. However, through studying cat throats, I discovered that the false vocal cords can also produce a unique vibrato; A cat's larynx is divided into three parts, similar to human laryngeal structure, with the upper part being the pre-laryngeal vestibule, the lower edge being the false vocal cords, and the space between the false and true vocal cords being the second part of the larynx. The third part is the space between the vocal cords and the arytenoid cartilage, which is very narrow. When a cat is intimate with a person, we hear a humming-like vibrato, which is produced by the false vocal cords vibrating and resonating through the larynx. This vibrato has a strong charm to it, and for a singer, this sound is an irresistible temptation. So, what I want you to learn is how to use your false vocal cords to produce this vibrato. Honestly, I still haven't mastered it myself."

  "Then, Grandfather Fujiki, can I do it?" Vibrato? A vibrato with a fake voice, like the kind of mewling sound a cat makes. If you add that to singing, it sounds exciting!

  "I don't know, it's hard, it doesn't matter if you can't learn it, this method is actually a way to practice breath control. By the way, Xia Qiu, do you know how to dive? This pool isn't just for looking at, you have to get in and soak."

  "Grandpa Tōmoku, I don't even know how to swim..." The warm voice of Tōmoku Shō echoed again, and Li Qiu's emotions immediately plummeted. This inquiry, heard by Li Qiu, made him shudder. Was this a joke? Sixty-degree hot water, and you're supposed to soak in it and then dive underwater...

  "It's okay, learn slowly by yourself. Now take off your clothes and get ready to dive in!" Tōgi Katsu raised an eyebrow, his silver-white eyebrows hiding a hint of mischief, as he patted Li Qiu's shoulder with the palm of his hand and chuckled.

  The weather in March, although it has warmed up, the footsteps of winter have not completely left, and the clothes on his body are still quite a lot. Li Qiu swallowed his saliva, looking at the rising water vapor, taking off his clothes one by one. The steam rising from the house raised the temperature by several degrees, which made Li Qiu take off only a small underwear, but he didn't feel any coldness. However, the warm water vapor did not affect him, and goosebumps slowly appeared on his arms - just thinking about soaking his body in this hot water made him uneasy.

  "Still not going down?" Tengoku Shō saw Li Qiū standing stupidly by the pool, his eyes staring at the water, but he didn't go down, and immediately urged him on.

  "Grandpa Teng... this water is really scalding!"

  "Get down!" Tōnokikatsu didn't say much, and directly pushed Li Qiu down. Looking at the pool surface, which was producing even more thick fog due to Li Qiu's splashing in the water, he burst out laughing loudly...

  What a feeling! Suddenly being pushed into the pool by Teng Woods, soaking in this scalding hot water, Li Qiu only felt that he was like the shrimp he usually ate, contrasting before and after cooking; His skin all over his body seemed to be cooked, immediately turning bright red, the burning sensation transmitted from the nerve endings, constantly stimulating his spinal cord, and then entering his brain, causing his entire brain to start boiling. He really couldn't swim, this unexpected push into the pool, the survival consciousness in his subconscious mind made him flail his limbs, struggling in the water, stirring up the hot air in the pool even more, white and misty, already unable to see anything...

  "What's the big deal, this water is only up to your butt." Amidst the blur, Li Qiu heard the warm and unique voice of Tengmu Sheng, which made him pause, steady himself, and stand up. The water was indeed very hot, but it was also quite shallow, only reaching just below his underwear. This made Li Qiu feel a bit embarrassed, standing still in the pool, staring at Tengmu Sheng by the side of the pool.

  "Immerse your body completely in the water and adapt slowly. This temperature is bearable for a human body, but don't stay too long. Next, listen carefully to every word I say!"

  "Yes, Tōnoki... Grandfather..." Upon hearing Tōnoki's words, Rito immediately submerged his entire body in the scalding hot water of the pool. The scalding hot water seemed to have also scorched his voice, and as he soaked in the pool, his speech became somewhat disjointed.

  "The sound of water has a much higher propagation impedance than air, so when people dive underwater, they are basically isolated from external sounds. Adding the temperature of the hot water, it stimulates the whole body and makes the brain very clear-headed. When diving underwater, this will make people enter a state similar to 'inner vision' in Chinese martial arts. In this 'inner vision' state, people are extremely sensitive to their internal bodily sensations, making the purpose of diving to let you feel your own throat through exhalation, including vocal cords, false vocal cords, laryngeal cavity, and nasal cavity... As for how much you can feel, I'm not sure, because everyone's perception of their own body is different."

  "Grandpa Teng, can you hurry up? The water is scalding..."

  "Got it, listen up, inhale deeply until your lungs are full, then dive underwater and slowly exhale the air in your lungs through your nose. The sequence of airflow passing through the trachea is vocal cords and larynx, false vocal cords, and nasal cavity. Feel it for yourself. Note that there's a hidden chamber in the nasal cavity called the nasopharyngeal recess. If you can feel this recess, finding the velum will be easy. Later when you sing, using this chamber will produce an unimaginable effect. Alright, I won't say more, go ahead and try it."

  After listening to Tōgi Shō's words, Li Qi thought seriously for a while, figured out the steps and precautions, then took a deep breath through his nose before sinking into the water. As soon as he sank into the water, Li Qi immediately felt the "inner sight" state that Tōgi Shō had mentioned, with the sound of his heartbeat echoing inside his body, the pulsation of blood in his blood vessels, and everything was clearly perceptible.

  "Hmm..." The air slowly exhaled from the lungs, flowing through the trachea, past the vocal cords, causing a slight vibration. Li Qiu felt it soon enough, but as the breath was expelled through his nose, he didn't feel anything like a false vocal cord or nasal cavity.

  "Whoosh!" Taking a breath through his nose, Li Qiu still wasn't quite used to it. Previously, when practicing lung capacity, he had always breathed in through his mouth. This habit made him unable to fill his lungs completely with air through his nose. In just a moment, Li Qiu emerged from the water's surface, adjusting his breathing and slowly inhaling through his nose with his mouth closed, replenishing the oxygen that had been depleted from his body.

  After readjusting his state, Li Qiu began another round of diving. However, the situation remained the same. When he dove underwater, the sensations on his skin, the beating of his heart, and the pulsation of his blood were all clearer. Yet, when it came to exhaling, there was no progress whatsoever.

  "Grandfather Fujiki, I didn't feel anything, just a slight vibration of the vocal cords and the sound of the anterior nasal cavity trembling. None of the other things you mentioned can be felt." Li Qiu emerged from the water again, looking very disappointed as he spoke to Fujiki Masaru standing by the pool.

  "If it were that simple, I wouldn't have gone to so much trouble to build this pool. It took me three months of practice to feel the vibration of my false vocal cords, and you're just starting out! Keep going, spend an hour here every day after breakfast, and come up after an hour - this hot water isn't good for your body if you stay in too long."

  "Yes, Grandfather Teng." It turns out that I was too impatient, and just like the saying goes "hasty eating of hot tofu", this training is also like reading a book - after reading it a hundred times, its meaning will become clear. If I practice more, I'll feel it too! Come on, Li Qiu!

  Li Qiu smiled awkwardly at Tonomori Katsu and quickly continued practicing, his body slowly getting used to the scorching temperature of the pool water, although his skin was still tingling...

  "Hmm... " Looking at the slowly rising bubbles, Tōnokiwashi's wrinkled face relaxed, he was very pleased. A hardworking student, teaching is more effective, otherwise, no matter how great the teacher is, they can't stand the torture of a lazy student.

  "Alas, can I succeed? If not, what should I do? This small thing called vocal cords, must it be arranged by heaven to work? Going against the heavens, what consequences will there be? Shouldn't I prepare for failure first...... The mist rising from the pool has already made Tengmu Sheng's heart begin to feel hazy..."