Chapter 296: Chapter 293 Peerless Martial Arts
Chapter 293: Peerless Martial Arts
This foreign young master has a very unique taste, Brother Lei concluded.
In the office behind the shop, several dishes were already on the table. After one bite of the preserved meat clay pot rice, the young master spat it all out. His verdict on the preserved meat: "What’s so delicious about rotten meat preserved with mineral extracts?"
Next were the roasted lamb chops, also discarded after a single bite. This time, the review was even simpler: "Too gamey."
Finally, he added, "Anything sweet?"
"Sweet? Yes, yes! Coming right up!" Brother Lei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and anxiously called the restaurant to rush his order.
Soon, the nearby restaurants began delivering the food.
Braised Dongpo Pork. It looked braised, but the authentic preparation involved first making a syrup from rock sugar in hot oil as a base! In other words: off-the-charts sweet!
Sure enough, after the boy took a bite, his eyes lit up!
"Although it’s the corpse of an animal with no Life Force, it possesses a special sweetness—it tastes really good!"
The sweet and sour pork loin earned even more of the boy’s praise.
Brother Lei thought for a moment and added a few more local Jinling specialty desserts: osmanthus sugar lotus root, sweet taro paste, osmanthus red bean mini glutinous rice balls, and another serving of mung bean cake! Even the soup was swapped for white fungus and lotus seed soup!
So you like sweet things, huh? If your blood sugar doesn’t skyrocket twice over by the end of this meal, I’ll eat my hat!
But there was one thing: while Brother Lei was on the phone ordering the food, he didn’t dare call or text Chen Nuo. Under the mysterious little boy’s watchful eye, Brother Lei thought long and hard, but ultimately didn’t dare. He constantly felt like he was being watched by this person.
Brother Lei didn’t dare! What if the kid sees me reporting to Master Nuo? What if it angers him? I’d probably be dead before Master Nuo could even get here! What then? Hmm, I’ll just wait and see. Look for an opportunity!
「Zhu Dazhi spent half the morning at Old Jiang’s place and even scrounged lunch at Old Jiang’s house at noon.」
Lately, Zhu Dazhi had become very familiar with his master and his wife. Dazhi was a bit of a simpleton, straightforward, without much cunning, and also obedient. He was also very respectful and filial towards Old Jiang and Song Qiaoyun.
Well, his only flaw was that this kid... was a bit dim-witted! He had a way of saying things that was just awful.
However, after Old Jiang smacked him with the sole of his shoe a dozen-odd times, that problem was solved. The solution was simple: Old Jiang told Dazhi to speak less, not to open his mouth unless necessary. Keeping his mouth shut was the way to go.
"If no one asks you anything, don’t speak. Just pretend you’re mute." This was the lesson Old Jiang had drilled into Dazhi countless times recently.
Knowing Dazhi’s personality as he did, Old Jiang felt that setting such a rule for the boy was a good thing. It’ll help him in life!
Ever since Chen Nuo had cajoled him into taking this disciple back in Hong Kong, Old Jiang had been initially resistant in his heart. But Zhu Dazhi was overjoyed!
This Master Old Jiang clearly has real skills, formidable martial arts!
Zhu Dazhi, a young man of his generation, had grown up watching Hong Kong movies; he’d seen countless kung fu films. He was sincerely convinced about learning martial arts from Old Jiang. When he knelt to kowtow and become his disciple, he did so with complete willingness in his heart.
Besides, this kid was so earnest (and simple-minded)! People of this nature, if they sincerely respect someone, especially from the bottom of their heart, they’re truly willing to give their all for you.
During their time in Hong Kong, Zhu Dazhi stayed by Old Jiang and his wife’s side, serving them diligently, truly at their beck and call and completely obedient.
Old Jiang was filled with emotion. Such a good kid! Obedient, honest, respects his master and the teachings, does whatever he’s told, and is willing to endure hardship during practice. Sigh! If only he were mute.
Moreover, Zhu Dazhi’s talent turned out to be quite good! This was somewhat unexpected for Old Jiang. The kid’s mind was too simple; he was the type with a one-track mind. Such people, when learning something, do so with unwavering focus, without distractions, and never slack off or get lazy. When told to hold a horse stance, even if he was drenched in sweat and his legs trembled like he had malaria, he would persist. When practicing stances, he could repeat them dozens of times without any hint of impatience. He would wake up whenever he was told each morning, practicing diligently from dawn till dusk, never slacking.
Every time Old Jiang saw the kid working so hard and studying with such perseverance, he was puzzled. "With such great aptitude, why don’t you apply yourself to your studies? If you put even a tenth of this effort into academics, you wouldn’t struggle just to graduate from a vocational school. Never mind Tsinghua or Peking University—getting into any prestigious university wouldn’t be a problem."
Hearing this, Zhu Dazhi wiped off a bead of sweat and blurted out, "Master, which school did you graduate from?"
"...Shut up! Keep practicing!"
Sigh... If only he were mute!
Zhu Dazhi was diligent in his practice. In Old Jiang’s opinion, his talent was even a significant step above what Zhang Linsheng had initially shown. Well, Brother Haonan wasn’t actually that talented; Chen Nuo had just given him a cheat.
Since Zhu Dazhi started practicing in Hong Kong, his progress over these few months had been both fast and steady. He conditioned his body daily, practicing his fundamentals. He had thoroughly mastered the stances Old Jiang taught him. And because he diligently studied on his own, he also secretly practiced by himself every day. An introductory set of stances, which he initially performed awkwardly, he could execute smoothly after just a week. It wasn’t quite flowing like water, but his movements had become smooth. After another month of practice, even Old Jiang watched him with clicks of approval.
Actually, while in Hong Kong, Zhu Dazhi had sparred with the young disciples from the Song Family’s martial arts school, the kind where they wore protective gear. At first, Zhu Dazhi relied on his experience from school brawls, flailing wildly like an amateur. And he would get beaten down every time. Gradually, he started to get the hang of it. From being completely overwhelmed in every match, he slowly progressed to winning some and losing some. Plus, after each sparring session, Old Jiang would give him pointers, adjusting his strikes, power generation, and footwork.
By the time he left Hong Kong, Zhu Dazhi had already defeated many of the young disciples at the martial arts school. Of course, these were all young Outer Gate disciples. The true direct disciples of the Song Family could still easily beat Zhu Dazhi. Still, this was quite an achievement.
After returning to Jinling City, Zhu Dazhi worked tirelessly. Every day, he would rise before dawn, cross half of Jinling City to find Old Jiang for instruction and practice in the morning, return to work at Brother Lei’s shop during the day, and after finishing work, he would practice alone at home. Old Jiang had already taught him all three sets of the introductory stances.
The reason Old Jiang had kept Zhu Dazhi for so long today, not letting him go back, was because he had decided to start teaching him how to circulate his Inner Breath. Just as he had with Zhang Linsheng and Chen Nuo, he spent the morning teaching Zhu Dazhi a Cultivation Technique for circulating Inner Breath.
Zhu Dazhi was so thrilled he was practically scratching his ears and cheeks with excitement! This damn thing... this must be the legendary Inner Strength from martial arts novels, right?
After spending his own Inner Breath guiding Zhu Dazhi through the Microcosmic Orbit circulation for an entire morning, Old Jiang felt gratified. This kid really does have some talent.
He brought out a small enamel basin and poured in a little water, about two fingers deep. Then, Old Jiang took out a glass marble and gently placed it at the bottom of the basin. Don’t doubt it; it was just an ordinary toy marble.
"Circulate your Inner Breath, then gently pat the surface of the water with your palm. When you can strike with your palm without your hand entering the water, and the marble at the bottom gently wobbles on its own, you’ll have completed the first step."
"And the second step, Master?"
"The second step? The marble must move, but the smaller the splash, the better! Eventually, the water surface should remain perfectly still, yet your inner power must be able to make the marble at the bottom spin. That’s when the second step is accomplished."
"What about the third step?"
"The third step? Add more water! Right now, the water is only two fingers deep. After you master the second step, gradually add more. When you can fill the basin to the brim and still achieve the same effect, that’s the third step."
Zhu Dazhi listened, his expression stunned, then couldn’t help asking, "Master, which step have you reached?"
Old Jiang smiled faintly, extended his hand, slowly exhaled, and raised his palm to gently pat the water. His palm seemed to just brush the surface, as if touching yet not touching. As his palm struck down, the water surface remained perfectly still!
PLOP! The marble at the bottom instantly jumped up and flew out of the water. Old Jiang casually caught it and gave Zhu Dazhi a faint smile.
Zhu Dazhi immediately clapped his hands. "Master! Amazing, amazing!" After a pause, he asked again, "Master, how long will I have to practice to be able to do that?"
Old Jiang smiled, a trace of reserve in his expression, yet he deliberately said nonchalantly, "I started practicing Inner Breath and circulating it through the Microcosmic and Macrocosmic Orbits when I was twelve. It took decades of hard work, and only in my thirties could I achieve this."
Over twenty years? Zhu Dazhi calculated inwardly.
「After that day’s lesson and practice ended, and Old Jiang had confirmed he had memorized the Inner Breath Cultivation Technique, Zhu Dazhi bid farewell to his master and left Old Jiang’s house.」
As he came out, he happened to run into Chen Nuo downstairs, who was escorting Sun Keke back. Zhu Dazhi greeted Chen Nuo and then rode his bicycle back to Tangzi Street.
When he reached the shop, it was just past four in the afternoon, but he saw the shop door was closed and the roller shutter pulled down. Zhu Dazhi was stunned. Why did they close up so early today?
He went over and knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside. Zhu Dazhi took out his key, unlocked the roller shutter, lifted it slightly, and slipped inside. Standing in the shop, he shouted, "Brother-in-law!!"
No reply came from inside. Zhu Dazhi thought for a moment. Could they have gone out to eat?
His mind on the Cultivation Technique Old Jiang had taught him, Zhu Dazhi’s heart burned with eagerness. He first ran to the sink in the backyard, grabbed a basin, poured some water into it, then took a marble he had brought from Old Jiang’s house out of his pocket and dropped it into the water. Standing by the basin, Zhu Dazhi steadied his horse stance, calmed his breathing, and began to regulate his qi according to the Inner Breath Cultivation Technique, circulating it through the Microcosmic Orbit. With both hands forming a circle, he slowly lifted one hand and gently patted the water’s surface...
SPLASH!
Water splattered everywhere!
SPLASH!
Water splattered everywhere!
Zhu Dazhi frowned, looking at his hand, then at the basin before him. He forcefully wiped the water droplets from his face.
Just as Zhu Dazhi was striking the water, palm after palm...
"Excuse me, what are you doing?"
A voice came from behind him. Zhu Dazhi spun around abruptly. He saw a scrawny boy standing at the bottom of the house steps behind him, his large, jet-black eyes watching him with a hint of interest.
"..." Zhu Dazhi was taken aback for a moment before it dawned on him. "Holy crap! Kid! Where did you pop out from?" Then he yelled loudly towards the inner room, "Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law!!!!"
Brother Lei emerged from inside with a strange expression. Standing behind the boy, he kept signaling Zhu Dazhi with his eyes while scolding, "What are you screaming about! I’m right here!"
Zhu Dazhi stared wide-eyed at Brother Lei and pointed at the little boy. "Where did this kid come from? Why is he in our house?"
"Uh..." Brother Lei hesitated, unsure how to answer.
Zhu Dazhi suddenly noticed the boy was holding a honey-glazed duck foot and was stunned. "Whoa? You’re eating?" He couldn’t help but complain, "Brother-in-law, since when did you become so generous? Usually, when we eat, you just order some fried rice to fob me off! And now there are honey-glazed duck feet?"
As he spoke, Zhu Dazhi dashed into the office and immediately started exclaiming, "Holy crap! So many dishes?! Holy crap! There’s even white fungus soup!!"
After a few exclamations, Zhu Dazhi ran back out, staring at Brother Lei with a disgruntled expression, then glanced at the little boy. "Brother-in-law! Something’s fishy about you!"
"Huh?"
"Usually, when you order fried rice for me, you call me a glutton if I ask for an extra sausage!"
"How can that be the same! Others order a bowl of fried rice, a normal portion! You order a massive one-pound serving! If you’re not a glutton, who is?"
"..." Zhu Dazhi was stunned for a moment, then shook his head. "That’s still not right! This kid, why are you being so nice to him?" Suddenly, as if a thought struck him, Zhu Dazhi leaned in closer, scrutinized the little boy from head to toe, and said with a horrified expression, "Holy crap! Something’s wrong! This kid... he couldn’t be your illegitimate son, could he?!"
Brother Lei’s expression changed instantly. He rebuked, "Don’t talk nonsense! Look closely, he’s a foreign guest!"
"So what if he’s a foreign guest!" Zhu Dazhi shouted. "Last time you were drinking with Li Qingshan, didn’t you say when you were drunk that you really wanted to ’ride a foreign mare’? Holy crap! This kid’s already so big! Looks like you ’rode a foreign mare’ a long time ago! No way, I have to go tell my sister! Tell her you cheated on her!"
Brother Lei was so furious his features were contorted, practically fuming. His heart pounded with a mix of anger, panic, and fear. Just as he was about to erupt, he noticed the little boy glance at him thoughtfully. There wasn’t a trace of anger on the boy’s face; instead, he offered a faint smile and waved a dismissive hand at Brother Lei.
The boy walked up to Zhu Dazhi and glanced at the basin of water by the sink. "I’m not his son," the boy said with a smile. "I’m here looking for someone."
"Huh?"
"There’s a strange power about you... Hmm, it’s very faint, very weak, but it’s circulating within your body. Quite interesting." The boy pointed at Zhu Dazhi. "What were you doing just now? Some kind of ability training?"
Zhu Dazhi looked at the boy. "What would a kid like you know? I’m practicing martial arts."
"Practicing martial arts?"
"That’s right! Once I can smack the marble out from the bottom of the water, I’ll have mastered it! Peerless Martial Arts, understand?"
"Peer...less... Mar...tial... Arts?" The boy slowly enunciated these four unfamiliar words, then suddenly crooked his finger.
WHOOSH! The marble in the nearby basin instantly flew up and into the boy’s hand!
"Is... it like this?"
"..."
Zhu Dazhi’s eyes practically bulged out of their sockets! After taking a few gasping breaths, Zhu Dazhi suddenly turned his head to look at Brother Lei.
"Brother-in-law, I’m sorry, I was wrong! This kid is definitely not your son."
"..."
"You’re so useless, how could you possibly father a son like him!"
[Author’s Note:
Sorry, everyone.
I slept too soundly last night and didn’t wake up during the evening. By the time I finally woke up, it was already past midnight...
So, I effectively missed a day’s update. My apologies to everyone!
Today is the Qixi Festival. Happy Qixi to all of you!
I don’t dare ask for monthly votes anymore. Please forgive me!]