Wu Family Has a Daughter

Around 11:00 a.m., Lin Yuan ran all the way to the company.

Although the total distance was significantly longer than his previous run, his Attribute Points had not increased.

This undoubtedly left him feeling somewhat disappointed.

It seemed that so-called deep training was not as easy as he had imagined.

The reason he had gained Attribute Points last time was likely because his body had not experienced that intensity of long-distance running for a long time, making the effect significant enough to count as deep training.

Now that his physical functions had improved by a large margin, performing this level of running had little effect.

Lin Yuan walked into the office building, passed through the facial recognition turnstile, took the elevator up to the 33rd floor, and entered the company.

The Publicity Department where he worked was closest to the entrance.

Therefore, as soon as he stepped through the door, he was spotted by several colleagues who were slacking off.

"Look, Lin Yuan is here."

Everyone looked up at him, but that was all; no one spoke to greet him.

Lin Yuan walked straight to the Human Resources department.

The HR manager, busy with work, looked up at him, tapped his pen on the desk, and gestured for him to sit down.

He then pushed a certificate of resignation across the desk.

A certificate of resignation could also be called a termination notice. The reason for leaving was clearly written: "During his employment, this employee laid hands on his direct supervisor; the behavior was egregious, so the company is terminating his employment."

If this were in the past, Lin Yuan would have cared, as it would affect his ability to find his next job.

No company would accept an employee who had laid hands on a supervisor, unless it was a shady, fly-by-night operation.

But now, he didn't care at all.

"Being fired for this kind of situation is a serious violation of company discipline, so there is no severance pay," the HR manager said unhurriedly.

Lin Yuan did not argue. He took his certificate of resignation and turned to leave.

Just as he stepped outside, he bumped into Xu Guanqing, who was wandering the hallway with a thermos in his hand.

Xu Guanqing looked at the certificate in his hand and sneered, "Young man, you should consider the consequences of your actions."

Perhaps due to a change in his mindset, looking at that petty, villainous face now, Lin Yuan felt not a single ripple in his heart.

If it were before, he would probably be fuming with rage, but now he truly couldn't muster any energy for such a person.

This fat, gluttonous, and lazy sack of meat couldn't take a few punches from him.

Lin Yuan walked past him and went straight to his former workstation.

Xu Guanqing felt ignored and couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed, but remembering the slap he received yesterday, he didn't dare say anything to Lin Yuan's face.

Moreover, Lin Yuan's temperament today seemed a bit different from before.

His physique hadn't changed—he was still as tall and thin as before—but he gave off an intangible sense of intimidation.

Colleagues in the same department saw him come over and finally greeted him.

However, seeing Xu Guanqing still standing there, they didn't dare be too loud and only offered cautious greetings.

"Lin Yuan, are you really leaving?"

"What else? I'm just here to handle the resignation and pack up my things."

"Jobs aren't easy to find right now. What are your plans for the future?"

"No plans. I'll take it one step at a time."

"Sigh, if you ask me, you were too impulsive. Working overtime is hard, but it's better than being unemployed."

Others nearby chimed in, "Yeah, yeah. At least our company's benefits are decent, unlike some companies that don't even pay for social insurance and housing funds."

Lin Yuan didn't refute anything; he just focused on packing.

Everyone can choose the way they want to live; there is no right or wrong.

Soon, his things were packed, all fitting into one backpack.

Lin Yuan looked at the colleagues he had worked with for two and a half years and smiled, "Everyone, until we meet again."

In the evening, Lin Yuan walked to Guanshan Park.

Although it was called "Guanshan" (Mountain View), there was no mountain.

It was said that during the Ming Dynasty, there was a man-made earthen hill here to guide ships sailing at sea, but it had long since been washed away by the river and disappeared without a trace.

The park was lush with vegetation and the air was fresh.

At this time of day, the park was mostly filled with people walking and exercising.

It was shameful to admit, but Lin Yuan had been in Binhai City for two and a half years, and this was his first time visiting this park.

Breathing the fresh air, walking at a leisurely pace, looking at the flowers and trees in the park, and listening to the occasional bird song, he found it quite pleasant.

Long trapped in a cage, he had finally returned to nature.

Everything in the world, carrying yin and embracing yang, had its own laws of operation.

Perhaps moved by a sudden feeling, Lin Yuan stopped and began to practice Tai Chi by the lake.

"Settle the qi, lift the wrists, keep them level; sticky and winding arms, shoulders should be relaxed. Press down, relax the abdomen, return to the origin; exhale the turbid, inhale the clear."

After mastering the Yang Style Tai Chi, his movements began to become unconventional.

Hard and soft were in order, his fists and feet stirred the wind; slow as a breeze brushing against willows, fast as a thunderclap on flat ground.

Steps followed the Five Elements: advance, retreat, look, judge, and fix; power followed the Eight Trigrams: ward off, roll back, squeeze, press, pluck, rend, elbow, and lean.

Lin Yuan moved as he pleased, striking wherever he felt like, his moves flowing like clouds and water.

Tai Chi was inherently graceful, and Lin Yuan's way of practicing it was even more pleasing to the eye.

Soon, he attracted the attention of a group of people who stopped to watch him.

In many people's minds, those practicing Tai Chi in the park were mostly old men.

But seeing a handsome young man in his twenties practicing Tai Chi was a first.

Moreover, what he practiced was clearly different from the old men; not only did it have more spirit, but one could faintly hear the sound of his punches, not at all soft or weak.

Some young women passing by immediately took out their phones to start recording videos.

As more and more people gathered, Lin Yuan, who had been lost in his practice, began to notice.

His interest in practicing immediately dissipated, and he stopped right there.

Not used to being watched by a crowd, he picked up the half-bottle of mineral water he hadn't finished and hurried away.

However, after walking less than three hundred meters, Lin Yuan faintly felt someone following him.

Sneaky!

At first, he thought it was just a coincidence of their routes, but the further he walked, the more suspicious it felt.

He stopped, and the other person stopped; he turned, and the other person turned.

Lin Yuan didn't continue forward; instead, he turned around directly.

He saw a girl in a white tracksuit looking at him with a grin.

The girl had delicate features, a sweet smile, and wore a single ponytail; she was full of youthful vitality.

She looked quite cute, but he didn't know why she was following him.

A sudden romance?

Pfft! Women only slow down the speed of my punches.

Having struggled in society for a few years, Lin Yuan wasn't naive enough to think he was in some cliché TV drama.

So, he asked vigilantly, "Is there something you need?"

"You were just practicing Yang Style Tai Chi, right?"

Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes, his gaze toward her filled with a bit more curiosity.

Although there were many schools of Tai Chi in the country, in reality, many schools had similarities in their stances and methods.

If one didn't have a certain understanding of Tai Chi, one couldn't tell which school it belonged to.

Lin Yuan didn't deny it and nodded.

The girl continued, "How come I've never seen you before? The way you practice Tai Chi is even better than that guy Yang Huai'an."

Lin Yuan was confused, but judging by her tone, she clearly knew people from the Yang Style Tai Chi circle.

But what did that have to do with him? He was just a newbie learning hard on Doumi.

"So?"

"The world is vast, and we are brought together by fate. Since you and I are both inheritors of Tai Chi, why not get to know each other?" The girl cupped her hands, acting a bit dramatic.

"..."

"Speak like a normal person."

"Oh, I just want to get to know you. It's not easy to run into someone who knows how to practice Tai Chi."

Before Lin Yuan could reply, the girl introduced herself, "My name is Wu Zihan, and Wu Style Tai Chi is my family's."

"Okay, I got it."

Lin Yuan didn't continue to pay attention to her and turned to leave.

He was already a bit annoyed; he had no interest in chitchatting with her here.

"Hey—hey—don't go."

Wu Zihan immediately followed him again.

"Senior Brother, don't be so cold."

Lin Yuan stopped and looked at her, feeling bewildered.

Senior Brother? You'd better not go around making up relationships!

"When did I become your Senior Brother?"

"The founder of Wu Style Tai Chi, my great-great-great-grandfather Quan You, was a student of Yang Banhou. So, we are from the same lineage; naturally, we are Senior Brother and Junior Sister."

Hearing her explanation, Lin Yuan finally understood.

He didn't know who Quan You was, but he knew Yang Banhou—the son of Yang Wudi and the second-generation successor of Yang Style Tai Chi.

It seemed she had mistaken him for an inheritor of Yang Style Tai Chi.

However, it was barely plausible, as he was a student of Little Sister Yang on Doumi.

Lin Yuan looked her up and down, seemingly thinking of something, and said, "Then show me a few moves of Wu Style Tai Chi."

Upon hearing this, the smile on Wu Zihan's face froze, and she said coyly, "I don't practice it well, so I won't make a fool of myself."

If an ordinary person had asked her, she wouldn't have minded showing a few moves.

But after just watching Lin Yuan, she felt that her own practice was a mess.

"It's fine, just practice it and let me see. We can learn from each other."

Hearing the words "learn from each other," Wu Zihan felt even more embarrassed and declined, "How about... let's not."

"If I tell you to practice, then practice. If you don't, how do I know if you're really my Junior Sister? What if you're here to scam me for money?"

In truth, Lin Yuan was thinking about learning. If he could get his hands on Wu Style Tai Chi through her, that would be even better.

"Fine, fine, I'll do it, but you're not allowed to make fun of me."

With that, Wu Zihan took a stance and began to practice Wu Style Tai Chi.

Lin Yuan watched every one of her movements carefully. The more he watched, the more he felt it was somewhat similar to the "Small Frame" in Yang Style Tai Chi, but there were differences. Compared to the Small Frame, the movements of Wu Style Tai Chi were more subtle, not as crisp and fierce, but relatively compact, tight, delicate, and soft.

Wu Zihan finished her practice and gave Lin Yuan a shy smile.

She asked nervously, "How was it? Did it meet Senior Brother's standards?"

Overall, she was actually quite good, at least far better than the average person.

It was just that her movements were too stiff and rigid, lacking spirit, and she was still at the stage of "dead fists."

Lin Yuan nodded and said seriously, "Junior Sister, you practice very well. In time, you will surely achieve great things."

"Really?"

Hearing such high praise from her Senior Brother, Wu Zihan was overjoyed.

"However, your style seems somewhat similar to the Small Frame in Yang Style Tai Chi," Lin Yuan voiced his doubt.

"That's because my family's Tai Chi was originally innovated and evolved based on the Small Frame of Yang Style Tai Chi. Senior Brother, you don't even know that?"

He knew nothing; he had only been practicing for one night.

Just as Lin Yuan was wondering how to explain, Wu Zihan came up with an excellent reason for him.

"Hehe, I know, Senior Brother, you must be a martial arts fanatic who ignores the world outside."

"Ah... this..."

"Senior Brother, you don't need to be humble. I understand. Someone like you must practice in the heat of summer and the cold of winter, studying martial arts day and night; how could you care about other things?"

As someone who had only practiced for one night, he remained silent.

"However, Junior Sister has a suggestion for you. My grandfather said that in martial arts cultivation, one cannot work behind closed doors. You must learn from others, absorb the essence of a hundred schools, and integrate them to have a chance of becoming a grandmaster."

Lin Yuan's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

He immediately followed her lead, "Junior Sister Zihan is absolutely right. I didn't expect you to be so young yet have such rich theoretical knowledge. As it happens, I have a small request. Could you teach me Wu Style Tai Chi so I can absorb your family's essence?"

Lin Yuan found her more and more pleasing to the eye.

"Of course, no problem," Wu Zihan patted her chest. "But there are some parts I don't understand well, so I can only go through the motions. My grandfather told me some of the secrets, but I don't quite understand them."

She didn't have the mindset of hoarding her family's knowledge. Few people learned martial arts these days, and the old practice of keeping one's family martial arts secret was basically rare.

Moreover, some things couldn't be learned just because someone taught you.

Just like a college student with no strength—even if you gave him the "Dragon-Slaying Technique," it would be useless.

The way of martial arts required training in the heat of summer and the cold of winter; without years of persistent practice, many moves couldn't even be executed.

"It's fine. Just tell me the parts you don't understand, and repeat what your grandfather told you."

Wu Zihan nodded and immediately began to demonstrate again.

Lin Yuan joined in, first imitating, then sparring with her, and carefully listening to the formulas she recited.

Wu Style Tai Chi was inherently from the same lineage as Yang Style Tai Chi, so he learned it very quickly.

Because he had a deeper understanding of the way of Tai Chi, while sparring with her, Lin Yuan would occasionally take the initiative to correct her posture and power-generating techniques.

Without realizing it, night had fallen.

The two of them sparred by the lake for nearly an hour. Lin Yuan remained unchanged, his expression calm and peaceful.

Wu Zihan, on the other hand, had a flushed face, was panting slightly, and was drenched in sweat.

Although she was teaching Lin Yuan this time, after an hour, she had also benefited immensely.

Lin Yuan smiled in satisfaction when he saw Wu Style Tai Chi (Not Initiated) appear on the system panel.

Perfect—another Attribute Point had just been generated.

It could be put to use right away.

"Raise Wu Style Tai Chi to Initiated. This will consume 1 Attribute Point. Proceed?"

"Yes!" Lin Yuan answered silently.

[Name: Lin Yuan]

[Lifespan: 25/60]

[Strength: 7.5]

[Speed: 9.5]

[Agility: 10]

[Endurance: 10]

[Flexibility: 9]

[Martial Arts: Yang Style Tai Chi (Blue; Mastery), Wu Style Tai Chi (Blue; Initiated)]

[Attribute Points: 0]

"Ding. Detected that the host possesses two or more martial arts. Martial Arts Deduction function unlocked."

"Ding. Deductible Azure Grade martial art Zhang Sanfeng's Thirteen Forms of Tai Chi detected. Deduction requirement: cultivate five Tai Chi styles to Completion. Current progress: 0."

Martial Arts Deduction? An Azure Grade martial art, Zhang Sanfeng's Thirteen Forms of Tai Chi?

Lin Yuan stared in astonishment at the messages that had popped up in the system notification bar.