Film Culture

Some were unconvinced, believing that while there's no first place in literature, there's a second in martial arts. They claimed that they were absent when Si Ming set up the challenge for seven days, which allowed the young upstart to become famous, so they wanted to seek justice for the school. Others simply wanted to use Si Ming as a shortcut to fame, hoping to become famous in one battle. They didn't even care about winning; as long as they could withstand a hundred or so moves from Si Ming, they could claim afterwards that they were evenly matched and almost won. This is similar to the later practice of riding the coattails of a trending topic.

Dealing with these kinds of people is simple: just use force to subdue them. Tell them that there are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. Anyway, there are no outsiders watching, so Si Ming doesn't need to hide his strength. One punch is all it takes to defeat ten techniques. No matter how superb your martial arts skills are or how Gods and Devils your Movement Method are, one punch will knock them all down.

There were no witnesses to this private duel. Even if the other party claimed afterwards that Si Ming's strength was unfathomable and almost Void Returning, others would only take it as an attempt to glorify their defeat and make excuses.

But another type of person was not so easy to deal with. They were Si Ming's admirers, who claimed to have come to discuss martial arts and seek his advice on boxing principles. They were very humble, and since Si Ming did not intend to play the role of a cold and domineering CEO, he could only patiently chat with them.

As time went on, Si Ming's popularity expanded considerably, but his cultivation plan was completely disrupted. Guests came to visit him 24 hours a day, leaving him no private time to cultivate. In fact, while one group of people was still inside, another group would be waiting at the door. It was as if he had to come up with an appointment system.

Tired of the commotion, Si Ming decided to go out shopping to avoid the limelight.

"Speaking of which, I've been to quite a few countries, but each time I was either rushing around on missions or training day and night, so I never really got to appreciate the local scenery."

Si Ming didn't forget to invite Ying Zhou and the others along. As the saying goes, "one is influenced by one's company," and these people were all cultivation fanatics with almost no social interaction. Even abroad, they continued to bury themselves in cultivation and refused to waste time on other things.

Generally speaking, young geniuses are very hardworking because they are in the rising stage of their lives and can feel their progress at every moment, thus gaining both spiritual and material satisfaction. Then, driven by this satisfaction, they devote even more energy to their cultivation.

This is what is meant by people who are more talented than you working harder. Because they have higher talent, they make more progress and gain a greater sense of accomplishment when they invest the same amount of time in their training, thus becoming more motivated to continue working hard.

Ordinary people find cultivation increasingly bitter and agonizing, while geniuses find it increasingly joyful and pleasurable. One is in a vicious cycle, the other in a virtuous cycle, naturally creating a huge chasm, a vast difference, as if they were two different kinds of beings.

In this situation, ordinary people generally have two choices. One is to develop a genuine passion for the hobby, in which case there's no need to worry about the gap between themselves and others; they just need to do their best. Online games have their own fun, and single-player games have their own enjoyment. The second is to change their hobby. Everyone has different talents; you might be terrible at soccer, but you could be a national champion at table tennis.

Of course, Internal Cultivation in this life or studying in the previous life are mandatory options and cannot be substituted. Fortunately, as long as one is not born with a defect, one can definitely reach an average level with hard work. As for whether to continue further studies or discard it as a stepping stone, that depends on the individual's choice.

"Tch, the Martial King Cup is about to start, it's one thing for you to slack off, but why drag us into it?" Ying Zhou said with a disgruntled look on his face.

Si Ming, "One should balance work and rest in life. The progress of one's cultivation is a process of gradual accumulation. Cramming at the last minute is useless. It's not like taking an exam where you can get points by guessing a few questions correctly."

Ying Zhou scoffed, "With your strength, of course you can speak some high-sounding words without fear, but my time is very precious, and I need to seize every minute and second to improve."

"The changed rules of the Martial King Cup mean it's no longer a one-man show. Looking at the rules, teams undoubtedly have an advantage, especially with the competition extended to five days. Going it alone means you have to constantly be on guard against ambushes and maintain a high level of mental tension for extended periods, which is unsustainable."

"I'd rather be eliminated by someone else than have to suck up to you."

Even so, Ying Zhou eventually followed obediently; rather than being arrogant, he was more like an awkward person.

When traveling in unfamiliar places, you can't skimp on the cost of a tour guide, otherwise you'll waste even more precious time. Si Ming originally planned to hire a local tour guide, but Cheng Xin volunteered, saying that no one knows the city's various areas better than a journalist, Si Ming didn't refuse.

On the day of departure, Cheng Xin took off her usual smart white-collar attire and put on a dark blue work uniform, which gave her a very masculine look. However, she did not wear the matching blue baseball cap - the cap was tucked into the cloth belt around her waist.

Instead of walking, the group hired a sightseeing vehicle. This type of vehicle had open sides without any obstructions and a sunshade on top, seating about six to eight people. Cheng Xin was also the driver. When driving, she tied a square red silk headscarf around her head and wore black sunglasses, looking quite dashing. Especially when the sightseeing vehicle was moving, the wind blowing through it whipped up her ponytail tied with the headscarf, making it flutter and sway behind Cheng Xin's head like a fishtail.

The first stop was a farm in the suburbs. Nation of Valor implemented a mechanized large-scale farm model, which replaced the small-scale farming model because the former was more efficient and could free more people from the land. Although Nation of Valor did not discriminate against farmers, it valued workers and soldiers more.

Upon arriving at the farm, Si Ming and his companions first admired the beautiful sight of golden rice stalks swaying in the autumn breeze, forming golden waves. Then they noticed something: women were driving tractors to plow the fields, women were operating milking machines to milk the cows, women were patrolling the farm on horseback or motorcycles, and even in the hay yard, a place where manual labor was intensive, women were driving forklifts to transport hay.

The places where men are rarely seen are mainly places where manual labor must be done, such as driving wooden stakes and repairing fences. Other jobs that can be assisted by machinery are usually dominated by women—except in slaughterhouses. Even without the physical burden, women still do not like to see bloody scenes.

It seems counterintuitive that the main labor force for farm work is women. Sensing Si Ming's confusion, Cheng Xin explained, "There's no other way. There are more women than men in Nation of Valor, and men have to serve in the army, so these kinds of jobs that are within their capabilities can only be done by women."

There are female soldiers, of course, but their numbers are less than one-tenth. Most of them are engaged in medical emergency work. In actual combat, female units are basically not sent out. Not only would it affect the discipline of our own troops, but if they were captured by the enemy, it would also seriously affect the morale of our own troops.

Si Huaruo Secret Voice Transmission, "Observe the figures of those women."

Si Ming glanced at them briefly and immediately realized that, in terms of height and muscularity, Nation of Beauty men were no match for Nation of Valor women. They were truly men who could stand on their fists, ride horses on their arms, and break boulders with their chests—real tough guys.

He didn't have a similar concept before because he had always stayed at Sun Wu University and only saw female students on campus. They were either from wealthy families and isolated from farming, or were allowed by their families not to do heavy or rough work, so they were slimmer than their peers.

In addition, Internal Cultivation itself has the effect of shaping the body, and the higher the level, the more obvious the effect. And no girl doesn't love beauty, nor is anyone born wanting to be a tomboy. Therefore, Si Ming had always thought that Nation of Valor girls were taller than girls from other countries. It wasn't until this moment that he saw the true image of Nation of Valor women.

At the same time, a term popped into my mind— Germany dragoon aunties.

This Germany refers to the Germany on Earth, not the Germany of the Sea Continent. After all, the majority of citizens of the Sea Continent Germany are Daoist School, and Daoist School women are known for their supple figures, natural grace, and refreshing beauty. Naturally, they have nothing to do with the term "dragon rider." If the term "dragon rider auntie" were to appear in this world, it would only refer to Nation of Valor women.

Cheng Xin has a wide network of connections; she knows people in the slaughterhouse, including some of the few female employees. After learning the purpose of Si Ming and his group's visit, one of them enthusiastically demonstrated her skill of killing a bull with her bare hands, which even made Ying Zhou show a wavering expression.

Although everyone present could do this, the other party was not a martial artist, and her Internal Cultivation was not even at level four. This level of Internal Cultivation could not even produce hidden force. In other words, this female employee killed a cow with her palm force alone. Moreover, she was not a celebrity, but just an ordinary female employee that could be found anywhere on a Nation of Valor farm.

Si Ming couldn't help but sigh, "People have different tastes. Obviously, our Nation of Valor compatriots prefer Agricultural School girls, which is understandable. We should respect the dragoon-like gait of strong female livestock herders, especially their fists; we should give due praise to the emerald green and fiery red checkered dresses that encircle their sturdy waists; we should respect the undeniable flatness that runs from their necks to their heels, making them look from behind like wooden boards draped with colorful floral fabrics!"

Cheng Xin laughed heartily after hearing this and said she was willing to publish the words in the school newspaper. Si Ming quickly begged for mercy. Just thinking about the scene of being besieged by countless dragon rider aunties made his scalp tingle. Moreover, once this unkind sarcastic comment was made, he thought that neither women nor men in Nation of Valor would let him off the hook, which would be enough to turn his half-praise and half-criticism reputation into public enemy status.

As he left the farm, Si Ming reflected that he had been too sensitive. Perhaps it was just that the Nation of Valor women who did farm work were a bit tough, and he shouldn't make hasty conclusions based on his own limited perspective. For example, Xin Jia and Cheng Xin, whom he knew, were not much different from ordinary Mohist School girls.

This thought persisted until the sightseeing bus broke down and stopped in the middle of the road, unable to move. Just as Si Ming suggested finding someone to repair it, Cheng Xin slapped the hood of the bus hard, forcefully channeling a surge of True Qi into the engine, successfully getting it working again. The way she swung her hand was exactly the same as the way that slaughterhouse employee had killed a cow with her bare hands.

Chapter 654 Film Culture

After visiting the farm, it was lunchtime. Although Nation of Valor shares a name with a country on Earth that is infamous for its terrible cuisine, it is still a member of the Huaxia cultural sphere and has not given up its pursuit of delicious food because of its brutal Military School style.

Of course, Nation of Valor food isn't exactly refined; it's all about eating large chunks of meat and drinking large bowls of wine. It's also quite flavorful, often with lots of seasonings, which people who prefer milder tastes often don't like. But ultimately, it's just a matter of taste, and even those who don't like it won't complain about how bad it is; they'll just say they're not lucky enough to have it.

For lunch, everyone had a barbecue. A barbecue grill was set up right next to the farm, and all the tools were borrowed from the farm, since the farm staff often have barbecues. As for the ingredients, they were naturally the freshest, taken directly from the slaughterhouse and delivered right after the animals were slaughtered.

The fun of grilling yourself is the main attraction, but due to varying skill levels, food often ends up burnt or undercooked. In terms of taste, it certainly can't compare to eating ready-made food. To avoid everyone going hungry, Si Ming simply ordered takeout from a nearby restaurant, including stir-fried pork kidneys, roasted pork belly, roasted quail breast, braised rabbit, roasted steamed buns, and pork ribs.

To fill his stomach, Si Ming also ordered shumai. He originally thought that three to five jin would be just enough to fill his stomach so that he wouldn't just eat meat without any staple food. However, Cheng Xin reminded him that the number of jin and liang referred to the weight of the shumai wrapper, not the filling. Five jin of shumai would make nearly four hundred shumai.

Fortunately, martial artists all have big bellies; it's just a matter of eating until they're nine-tenths full or seven-tenths full. Five pounds of wheat bran is five pounds of wheat bran, and Si Ming was too lazy to change his mind.

As it turned out, his idea was correct. Even Yu Shuying, who had the smallest appetite, ate fifteen, not including the other dishes. Murong Wu, who was short and thin, ate thirty. Si Ming Ying Zhou ate the most. Together, they ate about three hundred.

After finishing their meal, instead of immediately boarding the sightseeing bus to leave, the group played a game of pitch-pot.

Pitch-pot was not a hobby of Military School, but rather of the Lu School. There is a saying that "pitch-pot is a game of making trouble, but the sages adopted it as a ritual, which can cultivate the mind, refine oneself, and serve the country." This is quite a grand statement. In comparison, Military School preferred horseback riding and archery.

Cheng Xin was clearly prepared. She took the ivory pitch-pot and bamboo arrows from the sightseeing bus. She first placed the ivory pitch-pot in the center, then measured a small amount of soybeans and sprinkled them into the pitch-pot. Then she took a bamboo arrow, measured it from the side of the table, and marked the length of five arrows with yellow silk. She then invited everyone to start the game and agreed that the loser would have to drink.