The Massive Debt at Home

Fang Huiyi looked into Lin Qi's eyes. They were bright and deep, and the invisible aura he exuded was intimidating enough to leave her dazed.

Without her noticing, her son had already undergone earth-shaking changes.

"Yes, you've grown up!"

Fang Huiyi smiled and said,

"We always treated you like a child before and were afraid it would affect you, so we kept many things from you. Now, it's time to tell you."

"Over the past decade or so, our family has borrowed roughly 1.25 million Xia Guo Bi from your uncle's family."

"Over the years, your father and I kept trying to repay it, but unfortunately, the debt only kept growing."

"Your aunt has also become rather resentful toward us." Fang Huiyi sighed.

Lin Qi's heart skipped a beat. They owed that much? His uncle had never said anything all these years. He truly was an exceptionally good man.

His aunt was the same. Over all these years, she had only become somewhat resentful.

If it had been anyone else, they might have hated his family to death.

"Besides what we owe your uncle's family, your father and I maxed out our online loans and credit cards over the years to treat my illness."

"We could barely repay some of it before, but ever since I collapsed during summer vacation, we haven't been able to repay anything at all. We can only borrow more to repay the old debts."

"Between your father and me, our online loans and credit cards add up to a little over 1 million. Your father knows the exact amount better."

As Old Mom Fang Huiyi spoke, her voice grew quieter and quieter, tinged with guilt and apology.

For Lin Qi's parents, both Martial Artists, roughly 1 million in online loans was a little less than he had imagined, but it was still an enormous sum.

Lin Qi roughly calculated it. The monthly interest alone on this 1 million Xia Guo Bi debt was a huge amount.

"Mom, don't worry. With me here, we'll definitely pay off the debt."

"And your illness will definitely get better too," Lin Qi comforted her.

Fang Huiyi looked up and nodded firmly. "Xiao Qi, Mom believes in you."

Lin Qi looked at his gaunt Old Mom and sighed inwardly. It was hard to imagine how much pain and psychological pressure she had endured.

When he was three years old, a small Space Gate had appeared in University Town, between Rongshan District and No. 2 High School. Countless savage Calamity Beasts had rushed out and begun slaughtering people.

At the time, Lin Qi's family of three had been shopping nearby and were the first to bear the brunt of the Calamity Beast attack.

To protect him, his father Lin Zhen, a Third Realm Martial Artist, had his arm bitten off by a Mastiff-Tooth Hound.

Old Mom Fang Huiyi had also been attacked and was accidentally struck by the venom of a Tier 3 Disaster Beast, a Dark-Winged Bat.

Her blood and organs throughout her body had been corroded and eroded. Though she had barely been saved, the toxins in her body could not be completely removed. Her immune system had been damaged, and she needed to take all kinds of medicine every day to sustain her life.

From time to time, the toxins would suddenly flare up, and she would need to go to the hospital for treatment.

Yet every treatment only addressed the symptoms, not the root cause, and cost an enormous amount.

"Although both my parents are alive, my family situation isn't much better than Tao Zi's." Lin Qi laughed at himself.

A few minutes later, Fang Huiyi was too weak and returned to her room to rest first.

Lin Qi lay on his bed. In the darkness, his mind was still racing at high speed.

His family currently owed around 2.25 million, with massive monthly interest payments on top of that. The pressure was like a mountain, making it hard to breathe.

It would not be easy to repay all the debts.

Lin Qi himself only had a few hundred thousand, which was simply a drop in the bucket compared to the debt.

"It'll be difficult to repay all the family's debts without delaying my own cultivation."

"Unless I can get more money..."

Lin Qi knew full well that he would never think he had too much money.

His current way to earn money was to apply for a higher Genius Loan.

Although a Genius Loan was also a loan, it carried no interest. He only needed to repay it during university.

Other than that, there was another method: signing a contract with one of the Three Great Martial Arts Gyms.

There were four grades of contracts: D, C, B, and A, with each one offering more money than the last.

So ultimately, he still needed to display sufficient talent and strength.

Lin Qi clenched his fists, set his goal, and fell asleep.

Martial Arts Calendar 2045, October 10

During martial arts class

Zhang Cheng's roar filled every corner.

"Xu Chenhui, the newcomer! Once you're in the Elite Class, my rules are the rules!!"

"Stop practicing your Sword Technique right now. Go practice the Basic Sword Technique a hundred times. Your Sword Technique is limp and powerless, and your foundation isn't solid at all. How did your martial arts teacher teach you?"

Xuchenhui, who had just joined the Elite Class, felt his head buzzing, and his expression darkened.

His face flushed red, his breathing quickened, and he looked as though he might make a move at any moment.

Countless people around them waited to watch the show, while Zhang Cheng grinned.

A few seconds passed like that. Xu Chenhui suddenly turned and left. After flaring up for a moment, his rationality returned.

He had heard that the Elite Class teacher was extremely domineering, but he had not expected it to be true.

And he knew when to back down. He sensed danger and was certain that if he talked back to Zhang Cheng, he would die horribly.

"Pfft!"

The onlookers shook their heads and dispersed.

Zhang Cheng also shook his head in boredom, then went on to target others. Before he knew it, he had arrived in front of Lin Qi.

Looking at Lin Qi, his expression was complicated. Lin Qi's comprehension had astonished him.

Whenever any problem was pointed out, Lin Qi could quickly improve. What he lacked now was merely proficiency.

Zhang Cheng did not even know how to start scolding him.

"Teacher, I have a question." Lin Qi spoke up then.

"Oh? What question?"

"Is there a way to increase my vitality value? I need greater strength," Lin Qi asked.

Zhang Cheng shook his head. "That question is too broad."

"If you want to increase your vitality value quickly, aside from talent, it depends on your own effort and the resources you use."

"What you really want to ask about is a trick outside of those three factors, right?"

"That's right!" Lin Qi nodded.

Zhang Cheng grinned when he heard that.

"I knew you'd ask that."

"To temper your body and increase your vitality value, you need to practice the Perfectly Round Stance. But even if you master stance training completely, you still can't improve its tempering efficiency."

"At that point, you need to work on the Five Forms Fist Technique."

"The higher your Fist Technique realm, the more it can improve not only your tempering efficiency, but also your control over your body."

"So Fist Technique is extremely important."

"Fist Technique?" Lin Qi frowned as though he had grasped something. Countless thoughts surfaced in his mind.

"There has always been a technique in Fist Technique training, but even if many people know it, they can't make use of it." Zhang Cheng grinned.

"That is, if you can master and perform two Five Forms Fist Techniques, both your tempering efficiency and your Fist Technique realm will improve rapidly."

"You learned the Tiger Form from the Five Form Fist. If you can also learn the Crane Form, then performing the two Fist Techniques in succession will greatly improve your tempering efficiency and even the advancement of your Fist Technique realm."

Lin Qi's eyes lit up. The Five Form Fist actually had such a technique.

"But!" Zhang Cheng abruptly changed his tone.

"This method only suits a small number of people. Only geniuses with high comprehension are suited to this technique."

"However, mastering one Fist Technique already takes a considerable amount of time. If it delays your training in other skills, the losses will outweigh the gains."

"If you're confident in your comprehension, then go practice the Crane Form Fist!"

Zhang Cheng grinned at Lin Qi.

"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Teacher!"

Lin Qi nodded in thanks.

After Zhang Cheng left, Lin Qi remained where he was and began recalling the Crane Form from the Five Form Fist.

Everyone had learned the five Fist Techniques of the Five Form Fist, but after most people chose the one they were best at, they never practiced the other four again.

Lin Qi was the same.

Zhang Cheng said that practicing two Fist Techniques required high comprehension, and Lin Qi had great confidence in his own comprehension.

If even he could not learn it, then no one could.

With that thought, he assumed a fighting stance. It was no longer the familiar San Ti Stance, but a new fist stance.