「Yandang Lake Park.」
Jiang Shu casually performed a set of fist forms to warm up. His lower body was firmly rooted in a Horse Stance as he circulated his Qi Blood Transport, a small bulge visibly moving throughout his body with each extension and retraction of his fists and palms.
A full half hour later, a stream of white breath shot out from his mouth like an arrow released from its string.
Those few moves at the renowned martial arts training class, in his view, barely counted as a proper warm-up. It was merely a matter of a single kick. Furthermore, at that time, he had even held back his strength. Otherwise, with his full power, that so-called coach would have been crippled, if not killed.
After all, this was a harmonious society, and this was Xuanxing.
If it were in Pingling County… A surge of killing intent flickered in his eyes. Jiang Shu retracted his fists, stood up, and finally took out the phone that had been vibrating in his pocket for quite some time.
Seeing the caller ID labeled "Teacher Yan," he answered the call.
"Jiang Shu? This is Teacher Yan." Yan Dehou's voice came through the phone. "On March 1st, which is tomorrow, at 8:30 in the morning, the school is organizing a special Martial Arts lecture. The teacher giving the lecture comes from Shengjing and seems to have quite a reputation and strength. I don't know the specifics, but if you have time, remember to come on time."
"The content might cover some of Xia Country's Martial Arts policies and the division of realms that comes after practicing Martial Arts, which should be very helpful for you."
"Thank you, Teacher Yan. I will be there. The flu has been rampant recently, so Teacher Yan, please also take care to rest and balance work with relaxation. No matter what, health is always the most important thing."
Breathing the fresh air of the park, Jiang Shu spoke with genuine concern.
In his previous life, he was an orphan who suffered from poor nutrition and clothing from a young age, leading to many accumulated health issues. After leaving the orphanage and starting work, he endured long hours and excessive overtime for meager wages. He eventually collapsed on his way home late one night before even reaching the age of thirty.
By the time he was taken to the hospital, it was already too late; his condition was beyond cure.
His initial reason for practicing Martial Arts stemmed from this. In this life, he wanted to hold his fate in his own hands!
"Very well, I appreciate the concern, Student Jiang Shu. As a teacher, I also wish you success in Martial Arts, the realization of your dreams, and admission to a satisfying university," Yan Dehou said with a hearty laugh. He was not like some teachers who only valued academic performance.
Respecting teachers and valuing their teachings is also an obvious virtue, isn't it?
If all students did not show respect for their teachers and focused solely on their studies, would they still see us as teachers?
I'm afraid that in the students' eyes, we would just be teaching machines!
"Mm, I will do my best."
After Teacher Yan hung up, Jiang Shu glanced at the friend request on Weixun from someone noted as his younger sister's classmate and clicked 'accept'.
"Hello, Yanyue's brother, my name is Sang Zhirou. You can call me Little Sangberry, just like Yanyan does."
"Jiang Shu."
"Practicing my standing pole, not chatting."
Quickly making a note of Sang Zhirou's name, Jiang Shu typed his own, added that brief reply, then immediately put his phone back into his pocket and began his standing pole practice.
Even though he had only glanced at her briefly and hadn't paid much attention, and even though he had been inundated by countless short videos in his previous life, Jiang Shu had to admit that his younger sister's classmate was indeed a classic beauty in the making.
Though not yet fully mature, she was already like a young lotus emerging from the water, possessing a certain breathtaking quality.
But what did that have to do with him? Chatting? How could chatting compare to the exhilarating sensation of standing pole practice!
The proficiency levels for the Hungry Tiger Crouching Stance and Hungry Tiger Breathing Method on the semi-transparent panel increased day by day.
Jiang Shu felt the joy of a farmer watching his rice stalks ripen and yield a bountiful harvest.
If only this Hungry Tiger Crouching Stance and Breathing Method could maintain this cultivation speed after reaching small success.
Jiang Shu couldn't help but fantasize. If that were the case, he reckoned he wouldn't even need two months to achieve the major circulation of Qi Blood throughout his body.
He would become one of the powerful figures in the outer city of Pingling County, just one step away from being a true Martial Artist! A Martial Artist... In the Da Jing Dynasty, the first realm of a Martial Artist was the Skin Grinding Realm, capable of embedding force into stone and becoming impervious to blades and spears. How powerful must the Martial Artists on Xuanxing be? The special Martial Arts lecture is next Monday. Hopefully, it won't be a disappointment.
Jiang Shu reined in his thoughts, crouching like a tiger, breathing like one.
「Milk tea shop.」
Sang Zhirou sat on a high stool. She was under 1.6 meters tall, and her legs, unable to reach the ground, swung back and forth. "Yanyan, your brother is really amazing. He replies to my messages saying he's 'practicing standing pole'."
"That's just him; he even maintains his stance while eating."
Jiang Yanyue sighed. Having lost the battle to Sang Zhirou's month-long milk tea offensive, she had dutifully handed over her older brother's Weixun ID. "He practices his standing pole all day long and rarely even takes out his phone. I even think smartphones aren't for him; he should have one of those senior phones like my grandparents use, the kind you only need for making calls."
"Wow, that's incredible," Sang Zhirou marveled softly. To be able to abstain from using a smartphone and focus on Martial Arts in this internet age shows a level of self-discipline far surpassing many of their peers.
Damn, a woman falling into the whirlpool of love really does think differently.
Jiang Yanyue held her forehead helplessly, then took a fierce sip of her milk tea and said, "His daily routine is: get up, breakfast, Martial Arts. Lunch, Martial Arts. Dinner, Martial Arts, sleep. Repeat every day, just like a robot."
"So how far has he progressed in Martial Arts? Has he reached small success or Great Success in his Horse Stance?" Sang Zhirou asked curiously. She directly ignored the entry-level option. An entry-level Horse Stance definitely couldn't have such power.
"I don't know! The last time I asked him if he had sensed his Qi Blood, he flat-out told me no. That's when I knew you can't trust a single word those darn men say!" Jiang Yanyue clenched her fist fiercely, revealing her cute little canine teeth. "How could an ordinary person have that much strength? He lifted someone right up!"
"He just knows how to lie to me every day! He even lied and said that after practicing Martial Arts, one's mind becomes as clear as crystal, free of distracting thoughts, and sleep becomes so deep that one hour is like two for a normal person. He told me I should practice Martial Arts too, for deep sleep every day. Seriously! He truly doesn't understand enjoyment. Sleep is such a comfortable thing! I wish I could sleep ten hours every day."
"Just imagine it! If you really had deep sleep, five hours a day would be like ten. Then when you wake up, you can't fall back asleep but don't feel like getting up either. That would be so unbearable!!!"
Jiang Yanyue rambled on, never running out of things to complain about when it came to Jiang Shu.
But in Sang Zhirou's mind, the image of this unfamiliar young man was becoming clearer and clearer.
Restrains his desires, is dedicated to Martial Arts, and values his family.
Even though his academic performance is average, with his strength and abilities, getting into a key university shouldn't be a problem, right? And even if he only makes it to a junior college, so what? As long as I get into a key university or better, that's all that matters… Besides, he's so handsome… No, no, Sang Zhirou, what are you thinking? You haven't even attended high school yet!
Lost in her wild thoughts, Sang Zhirou finished the last sip of her milk tea, shook the cup to confirm it was empty, and finally couldn't help but whisper, "Yanyue, has your brother... ever told you what kind of girl he likes?"
Jiang Yanyue was taken aback; what she had thought was just speculation.
Sang Zhirou's words, however, confirmed it to some extent.
She held Sang Zhirou's face in her hands and looked her up and down.
Her dark, thick hair flowed smoothly to her waist, and her skin was fair and so delicate it seemed it could be broken by a puff of air. Although she was still in her teens, her upper body was remarkably well-developed for her age. Even wearing a fleece-lined winter coat, her curves were still discernible.
Although being 1.58 meters was a bit short, hadn't Jiang Shu said that practicing Martial Arts could make one grow taller?
Perhaps in another two years, this Little Sangberry would become a great beauty over 1.6 meters tall.
Such looks, such a figure, such a family background.
Thinking of Little Sangberry's family background, and the overt and subtle ways the teachers at school cared for Sang Zhirou, Jiang Yanyue sighed deeply and said very seriously, "Sang Zhirou, you're too pretty."
"He doesn't deserve you."
Sang Zhirou: ???