Martial Artist

"Pfft!"

Zhong Shenxiu tried to hold it in, but he couldn't help but laugh.

He looked at the burly man sitting next to him and said earnestly, "Uncle Niu, I know... but I've only known martial arts since I was a child. While others were playing, I was practicing martial arts. While others were in school, I was practicing martial arts. I've dedicated over a decade of my life to martial arts. What else can I do now?"

Beside his hospital bed sat a middle-aged man in his forties, stout and strong, wearing a jacket and jeans. His skin was rough, and his features seemed carelessly sculpted by the Creator, but his eyes held concern.

He was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this. After a pause, he stood up and said, "I've already paid your medical bills, kid. Remember to come back for a meal after you're discharged."

Zhong Shenxiu watched Uncle Niu's retreating back and recalled Hua Wu's life.

He was an orphan, adopted by Uncle Niu when he was young.

Uncle Niu, once a very famous martial arts coach, had encountered some major setback later and went into seclusion to open a gym, also adopting many orphans.

It could be said that Hua Wu's first martial arts enlightenment actually came from Uncle Niu.

His dream of becoming a Martial Artist was perhaps also to help Uncle Niu fulfill his wish.

"This is my obsession. If I don't complete it, how can I go back?"

A slight smile touched Zhong Shenxiu's lips.

He checked his body and found no serious injuries. He got out of bed, packed his things, and completed the discharge procedures.

Hua Wu's hospitalization this time was his own doing. Thinking he had achieved some mastery, he participated in a boxing match and was beaten into the hospital.

He had no one to blame but himself.

Compared to those who were directly beaten to death in the ring, he was already quite lucky.

No, perhaps Hua Wu was already dead.

Because the one who survived was Zhong Shenxiu!

Snap!

Zhong Shenxiu opened his wallet and counted the three-digit star currency inside. He suddenly felt pain in his liver, kidneys, everywhere.

This wasn't ancient times; you couldn't just go into the wild and hunt a foolish deer for a living if you were broke.

This was modern society; without money, you couldn't move an inch.

Although he didn't have much money, Zhong Shenxiu still managed to flag down a private car to take him back to the rented apartment he remembered.

In his opinion, the hundred-plus yuan wouldn't last more than a few days anyway, so spending it sooner or later was the same – still poor!

Although Hua Wu was adopted by Uncle Niu as a child, he moved out as soon as he became an adult.

Zhong Shenxiu fumbled for his key and opened the door. He found the space inside very small, with a sandbag hanging from the ceiling and many exercise machines scattered around.

Besides that, the furniture was old, the clothes were torn; he had practically nothing.

This Hua Wu, as far as he remembered, only knew martial arts and only took odd jobs when he absolutely couldn't make ends meet. No wonder Uncle Niu had to pay for his hospitalization.

"I'm really defeated by you, brother. Leaving me with such meager inheritance, I can't even spend it for a couple of days."

Zhong Shenxiu threw his bag down, lay on the sofa, opened the refrigerator, found a long-lost bottle of "Happy Water for Otaku," tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp, sighing with satisfaction, "This is life."

He took out his phone and started browsing the internet again, visiting forums and watching videos. Before he knew it, it was evening.

"Damn it, this feels even faster than cultivating," Zhong Shenxiu grumbled. He finally started searching: "What to do if you have no money?"

The results displayed a bunch of loan platforms.

He thought for a moment, added a contact, and after a brief chat, the other party directly said, "Dear customer, this platform doesn't require collateral and disburses funds immediately, but it's 9 out, 13 back, and we need photos too."

"What photos? Like naked ones? But I'm a guy."

"The effect is the same for men and women. From my observation, some men are even more ashamed to be seen... therefore, their repayment rate is very high, and their credit is excellent. You are also a high-quality customer, dear... Even if you can't repay temporarily, our company also offers work-study loan repayment. Work directly at our club, and there's free training! We guarantee you'll learn the 'Rich Woman's Happy Ball' in three days..."

"Bah, goodbye!"

Zhong Shenxiu hung up the phone, too lazy to try them one by one.

He sat for a while and then began to communicate with the "Cheeky System."

[Name: Hua Wu (Zhong Shenxiu)]
[Eagle Claw Iron Shirt: Minor Accomplishment]
[Heavenly Show Points: 3 (5%)]
[Gate of Ten Thousand Doors: To be opened]
...

"My martial arts and Daoist Magic didn't come with me? That makes sense... They say martial arts, besides familiarizing oneself with the moves, also requires bodily memory and even True Qi. This body hasn't undergone that kind of tempering, so skills couldn't form."

"However, the Heavenly Show Points did come with me. Perhaps they'll be of great use."

Although he could quickly regain all the strength he had in the cultivation world, Zhong Shenxiu had other plans.

He decided to cultivate the White Bone Daoist Scripture!

"Since it's not my original body, I don't feel bad about it. Let's just try breaking through to the Gang Sha Realm..."

Zhong Shenxiu's hands-on cultivation inheritance was actually only half of the White Bone Daoist Scripture. The first step to entering the Dao with the Yellow Sand Daoist Book required medicinal pills, which simply didn't exist in this world.

As for the problems after breaking through to the Gang Sha Realm, he hadn't thought much about them either.

This world might not even be able to break through to the Gang Sha Realm, so thinking about Divine Abilities was too much.

Zhong Shenxiu had carefully considered what he could gain from the Gate of Ten Thousand Doors.

When he descended into this world, he immediately thought of it.

Items could not be brought back. What could be brought back was only the Heavenly Show Points recognized by the Heavenly Show System!

With a population of tens of billions on the entire planet, coupled with developed media and information, even if the quality was much worse than the previous world, accumulating little by little might gather a sufficiently generous amount of Heavenly Show Points to bring back!

"Plan successful... First, cultivate the White Bone Daoist Scripture, then aim to become the strongest Martial Artist, and get myself trending."

Even if ten thousand people here paid attention, it might not compare to Feng Xi'er's single gasp of amazement, but there were more people here.

Especially the final large-scale competition, which was broadcast worldwide.

Thinking of this, Zhong Shenxiu no longer hesitated. He opened his phone and quickly searched: "How to become a Martial Artist?"

Hua Wu, that idiot, thought that being good at martial arts and entering competitions meant being a Martial Artist.

He didn't know that this kind of thing, at most called underground fighting, although they called themselves Martial Artists, was not recognized at all.

To become a true Martial Artist, one first needed to register with the Martial Artist Association.

The registration conditions were either a special recommendation, winning a regional competition organized by the official body, or achieving an excellent ranking in a national competition...

After successful registration, one would then undergo some assessments by the association.

Upon passing the assessments, one could become a true Martial Artist, gaining both fame and fortune.

If Hua Wu had been this kind of Martial Artist before, Uncle Niu probably wouldn't have said a word and would have strongly supported him instead.

Because even if formal Martial Artists only took on some commercial performances, their treatment would be the same as professional baseball players in Fusang or basketball players in the White Eagle country; they would count money until their hands cramped, and they would have social fame and status, with incredibly good treatment.

It was just a pity that Hua Wu's martial arts... hehe