Wu Family Has a Daughter

At around eleven in the morning, Lin Yuan ran all the way to the company.

Although he had run at least as far as he had the last time, his Attribute Points had not increased.

This undoubtedly left him somewhat disappointed.

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

The reason he had gained Attribute Points last time was probably that his body had not experienced long-distance running of that intensity for a long time, so the results had been obvious and could be considered deep exercise.

Now that his physical functions had improved by a large margin, running at that intensity no longer had much effect.

Lin Yuan entered the office building, passed through a facial-recognition gate, took the elevator straight to the thirty-third floor, and entered the company.

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

Thus, as soon as he walked in, several colleagues who were slacking off noticed him.

"Look, Lin Yuan's here."

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

Lin Yuan went straight to Human Resources.

The HR manager, who was busy with work, raised his head and glanced at him. He tapped the desk with the pen in his hand, signaling him to sit down.

He also pushed over a certificate of resignation.

It could also be called a dismissal notice. Under the reason for leaving, it clearly stated: "During the employee's tenure, he physically assaulted his direct supervisor and behaved disgracefully. The company has therefore dismissed him."

In the past, Lin Yuan would have cared, because this concerned his ability to find his next job.

No company would accept an employee who had once attacked his supervisor, except for some fly-by-night company.

But now, he no longer cared.

"Given your situation, you were dismissed for seriously violating company discipline, so there's no severance pay," the HR manager said unhurriedly.

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

As soon as he stepped outside, he happened to run into Xu Guanqing, who was wandering through the corridor with an insulated cup in hand.

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

Perhaps because his state of mind had changed, Lin Yuan felt no emotional fluctuation at all when he looked at Xu Guanqing's petty face.

In the past, he probably would have been so angry his teeth ached, but now he genuinely could not work up the energy to care about someone like this.

A fat, big-eared good-for-nothing like him could not withstand more than a few of Lin Yuan's punches.

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

Xu Guanqing felt that he had been ignored and could not help growing angry. But when he remembered being slapped the day before, he did not dare say anything to Lin Yuan's face.

Besides, Lin Yuan's aura today seemed somewhat different from before.

His body had not changed. He was still as tall and thin as ever, but he now unconsciously gave off a faint sense of intimidation.

Seeing him arrive, his colleagues in the department finally greeted him one after another.

However, with Xu Guanqing still standing there, they did not dare be too conspicuous and merely offered a few cautious greetings.

"Lin Yuan, are you really leaving?"

"What else can I do? I came here today to handle my resignation and pack up my things."

"Jobs are hard to find these days. What are you planning to do next?"

"Nothing in particular. I'll take things one step at a time."

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

Those nearby chimed in. "That's right, that's right. At least our company's benefits are decent. Unlike some companies that don't even provide the mandatory insurance and housing fund."

Lin Yuan did not argue. He simply continued packing his things.

Everyone had the right to choose how they wanted to live. There was no right or wrong.

Soon, everything was packed into a single backpack.

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

That evening, Lin Yuan walked to Guanshan Park.

Although it was called "Guanshan," there was no mountain there.

According to legend, during the Ming Dynasty, there had been an artificial mound here that guided ships sailing at sea. Later, however, the river's erosion caused it to disappear without a trace.

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

At this hour, most of the people in the park were taking walks or exercising.

It was somewhat embarrassing to admit, but although Lin Yuan had lived in Binhai City for two and a half years, this was his first time visiting the park.

Breathing in the fresh air, walking at an unhurried pace, looking at the flowers, grass, and trees in the park, and listening to the occasional birdsong gave him a unique feeling.

Long confined in a cage, I had finally returned to nature.

All things in the world bore yin and embraced yang, each following its own laws of operation.

Perhaps inspired by something, Lin Yuan stopped by the lake and began practicing Tai Chi.

"Sink the qi and raise the wrists, keeping them level. Let both arms cling and coil, keeping the shoulders relaxed. Press down and relax the abdomen, returning to the origin. Exhale all the turbid qi, and let pure qi arise."

After mastering Yang Style Tai Chi, his movements had begun to shed all restraints.

Hard and soft followed one another in order. His fists and feet stirred the air. When slow, they were like a gentle breeze brushing willow branches; when fast, they were like thunder erupting on level ground.

His steps followed the Five Elements: advance, retreat, attend, turn, and settle. His force followed the Eight Trigrams: ward off, roll back, press, push, pluck, split, elbow, and shoulder strike.

Lin Yuan moved as inspiration took him, going wherever the movements led. His forms flowed as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water.

Tai Chi was naturally beautiful to watch, and Lin Yuan's performance was even more pleasing to the eye.

Before long, it attracted a crowd. One after another, people stopped to watch him practice.

In many people's minds, those who practiced Tai Chi in parks were mostly old men.

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

Moreover, his practice was clearly different from that of the old men. It possessed more spirit, and the faint sound of his fists cutting through the air could even be heard. It did not seem soft and weak.

Some young female passersby immediately took out their phones and began recording.

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

His enthusiasm vanished at once, and he immediately stopped.

Unaccustomed to being surrounded and watched, he picked up the half bottle of mineral water he had not finished drinking and hurried away.

However, before he had walked three hundred meters, Lin Yuan faintly sensed that someone was following him.

Sneaking around like a thief!

At first, he thought they simply happened to be taking the same route, but the longer he walked, the more suspicious it became.

When he stopped, the other person stopped. When he turned, the other person turned too.

Lin Yuan did not continue forward. Instead, he turned around.

A young woman in a white tracksuit was looking at him with a bright smile.

She had delicate features, a sweet smile, and a high ponytail. Her entire body radiated youthful energy.

She was rather cute, but Lin Yuan had no idea why she was following him.

A romantic encounter from heaven?

Bah, bah, bah! Women would only affect the speed of my punches.

Having struggled in society for several years, Lin Yuan was not naïve enough to believe in some clichéd television-drama plot.

Thus, he asked warily, "Is there something you need?"

"You were practicing Yang Style Tai Chi just now, weren't you?"

Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, and his gaze toward her became more curious.

Although there were many schools of Tai Chi in the country, the methods and stances of the various schools actually shared many similarities.

Unless one had a certain understanding of Tai Chi, it was impossible to tell which school it belonged to.

Lin Yuan did not deny it and nodded.

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

Lin Yuan was completely confused. From her tone, she clearly knew people from the Yang Family.

But what did that have to do with him? He was merely a rookie working hard to learn from the Little Sister Yang on Doumi.

"So?"

"The world is vast, and mountains and rivers bring people together. Since... since we are both inheritors of Tai Chi, why don't we get acquainted?" the girl said, clasping her fists in a somewhat chūnibyō manner.

"..."

"Just speak normally."

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

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

"Okay, I understand."

Lin Yuan did not bother with her further and turned to leave.

He was already somewhat annoyed. He had no interest in standing around and chattering with her.

"Hey—hey—don't go!"

Wu Zihan immediately followed him.

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

Lin Yuan stopped and looked at her in confusion.

Senior Brother? Don't make up a relationship between us!

"When did I become your senior brother?"

"The founder of Wu Style Tai Chi, my great-great-great-grandfather Quan You, studied under Yang Banhou. So we come from the same lineage and are naturally senior brother and junior sister."

Hearing her explanation, Lin Yuan understood.

He did not know who Quan You was, but he knew Yang Banhou—the son of Yang the Invincible and the second-generation inheritor of Yang Style Tai Chi.

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

Still, it could barely be considered reasonable. He had learned from the Little Sister Yang on Doumi.

Lin Yuan looked her up and down as if he had thought of something. Then he said, "Why don't you demonstrate a few moves of Wu Style Tai Chi?"

At his words, the smile on Wu Zihan's face instantly froze. She said awkwardly, "I'm not very good, so I won't embarrass myself in front of an expert."

If an ordinary person had asked her, she would not have minded demonstrating a few moves.

But after watching Lin Yuan practice, she suddenly felt that her own past efforts had been an utter mess.

"It's fine. Just show me. We can learn from each other."

Hearing the words "learn from each other," Wu Zihan became even more embarrassed and declined, "Maybe... we should forget it."

"If I tell you to practice, then practice. How am I supposed to know whether you're really my junior sister otherwise? What if you're just trying to con me out of money?"

In truth, Lin Yuan was thinking about learning. If he could learn Wu Style Tai Chi from her, that would be ideal.

"All right, all right. I'll do it, okay? But you're not allowed to make fun of me."

With that, Wu Zihan took up a stance and began practicing Wu Style Tai Chi.

Lin Yuan watched each of her movements carefully. The more he watched, the more he felt that they resembled the "Small Frame" in Yang Style Tai Chi in some ways, while differing in others. Compared with the Small Frame, Wu Style Tai Chi was more restrained, less direct and forceful, instead being relatively compact and rigorous, delicate and gentle.

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

She asked somewhat nervously, "Well? Does it meet your standards, Senior Brother?"

Overall, her performance was actually decent, at least far better than an ordinary person's.

It was simply too stiff and rigid, lacking spirit. She was still stuck at the stage of dead forms.

Lin Yuan nodded and said solemnly, "Junior Sister, you performed very well. Given time, you'll surely achieve great things."

"Really?"

Hearing such high praise from her senior brother, Wu Zihan's face lit up with joy.

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

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

What did he know? He had only practiced for one night in total.

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

"Hehe, I get it now. Senior Brother, you must be a martial arts fanatic, one who pays no attention to anything outside your practice."

"Ah... this..."

"Senior Brother, you don't need to be modest. I understand. Someone like you must practice through the hottest days of summer and the coldest days of winter, studying martial arts day and night. How could you have time to care about anything else?"

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

"Still, Junior Sister has some advice for you. My grandfather said that in martial arts cultivation, one must not shut oneself away and train blindly. One must learn from the strengths of many schools, absorb the essence of hundreds of styles, and integrate them. Only then might one become a grandmaster."

Lin Yuan's eyes lit up at her words.

He immediately followed her lead. "Junior Sister Zihan is absolutely right. Who would have thought someone so young could possess such extensive theoretical knowledge? As it happens, I have a small favor to ask. Would you be willing to teach me Wu Style Tai Chi, so that I can absorb some of your family's essence?"

Lin Yuan found her increasingly pleasing to the eye.

"Of course." Wu Zihan patted her chest. "But there are some parts I don't understand very well either. I can only demonstrate the forms. My grandfather explained some of the finer points to me, but I didn't understand them clearly."

She had no intention of keeping the knowledge to herself. These days, there were hardly any people who studied martial arts, and the old practice of guarding one's family art and refusing to pass it on was rarely seen anymore.

Besides, some things could not be learned simply because someone taught them to you.

For example, even if you gave the art of slaying dragons to a college student who could not lift a chicken, it would be useless.

The path of martial arts required practice through the hottest days of summer and the coldest days of winter. Without years of persistent cultivation, many moves could not be performed at all.

"It's fine. For anything you don't understand, just roughly repeat what your grandfather told you at the time."

Wu Zihan nodded and immediately began demonstrating again.

Lin Yuan joined her. He first imitated her, then sparred with her while carefully listening to the formulas she recited.

Wu Style Tai Chi shared the same lineage as Yang Style Tai Chi, so he learned it extremely quickly.

Because he had a deeper understanding of the Way of Tai Chi, Lin Yuan would occasionally take the initiative during their sparring and correct her posture and techniques for applying force.

Before they knew it, night had fallen.

The two of them had sparred beside the lake for nearly an hour. Lin Yuan remained calm and peaceful.

Wu Zihan's face, however, had turned slightly red. She seemed a little breathless, and her body was slick with fragrant sweat.

Lin Yuan saw Wu Style Tai Chi (Not Yet Initiated) appear on the system panel, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

As luck would have it, another Attribute Point had just been generated.

Now he could put it to good use.

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

"Yes!" Lin Yuan silently thought.

[Name: Lin Yuan]

[Lifespan: 25/60]

[Strength: 7.5]

[Speed: 9.5]

[Agility: 10]

[Endurance: 10]

[Flexibility: 9]

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

[Attribute Points: 0]

"Ding! The host has been detected to possess more than two martial arts. The Martial Arts Deduction function has been unlocked."

"Ding! The Azure Grade martial art Zhang Sanfeng's Thirteen Forms of Tai Chi is available for deduction. Deduction condition: cultivate five forms of Tai Chi to Perfection. Current progress: 0."

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

Lin Yuan stared in shock at the messages popping up in the system's message window.