Chen Junxuan: "When Are You Getting Married?"

Early morning.

In a remote village in a city in Shenzhou, an elderly man has been habitually getting up to practice tai chi for ten years.

In just ten minutes, the things displayed in that punch were enough to make people feel the changes and flow of all kinds of martial arts.

His masterful, unrestrained fist technique is enough to make most martial artists in the world sigh in admiration; it is a unique charm that can only be shaped by his vast knowledge and the accumulation of years of experience.

Even though Su Qing'an's martial arts skills are now on par with the old man's, there are still some aspects from which he needs to learn.

His 1.9-meter-tall frame remains remarkably upright and strong even as he approaches his 100th birthday. Aside from some natural talent as a mortal, this is largely due to his systematic health regimen and meticulous training in martial arts.

Sunlight fell on the old man's long, snow-white hair, making each strand appear translucent in the light. This white hair didn't make him look older; instead, it added a touch of personal charm.

Chen Junxuan's age actually doesn't match his appearance. He looks to be only in his early fifties. If it weren't for his naturally white hair, it would be hard for others to believe his real age.

Moreover, although he has practiced martial arts for decades, in terms of temperament he is more like a refined scholar than a martial artist.

Even though this term might seem a bit incongruous when applied to a man who is 1.9 meters tall, the leisurely and carefree scholarly air, after the loose Zhongshan suit conceals the layers of refined muscles on his body, makes Chen Junxuan look even more like a tall schoolteacher.

The old man habitually concealed his martial arts skills and fighting spirit silently and unseen in front of outsiders who were not part of his circle.

For Chen Junxuan, martial arts were no longer a tool for showing off. The meaning of his life had diminished with the passage of time.

He now lives in the ancestral home left by his former wife's family, but all of their relatives have passed away, leaving him to live alone.

Despite the passage of time, little has changed here.

The reason, of course, was that Chen Junxuan did this in order to preserve every memory of his wife.

Every blade of grass and every tree here has been completely preserved by the old man using special methods.

The outside world has changed rapidly over the past few decades, but this place seems to have been frozen in time, remaining in the misty, ink-wash-scented ancient town of decades past.

He would occasionally work as a teacher at the school next door, and the neighbors were unaware that this seemingly ordinary old man possessed a power more ferocious and savage than a tiger.

Even though Chen Junxuan never displayed any superhuman strength, the impression outsiders had of this old man was still exceptionally deep.

Even when he tried to conceal it, Chen Junxuan's occasional swaggering posture and tall, straight back still drew considerable attention.

According to his daily routine, he would usually go out for morning tea around this time.

The teahouses nearby served very lavish breakfasts, but living alone meant he rarely made his own breakfast.

But for some reason today, after finishing his boxing practice, the old man went into the kitchen, carefully washed his hands, and then started kneading the dough that had been prepared in advance on the wooden board.

With each stretch and pull, the force of both strength and gentleness flows and smoothly penetrates into the dough.

This method makes the noodles extremely chewy and elastic, and combined with the old man's decades of experience, his skill level is in no way inferior to that of a veteran chef in a teahouse.

Chen Junxuan was cooking using martial arts techniques, a practice rarely seen in the elderly man since his wife's death.

But now, on an ordinary, unremarkable morning in this ancient southern town.

The old man kneaded the dough peacefully, his brows softening considerably, as if he were doing something that brought him pleasure.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on the wooden planks. His rough hands danced nimbly among the dough, casting rapidly shifting, chaotic shadows.

The bluestone floor is covered with the marks of time. Long, long ago, Chen Junxuan and his wife used to cook together in this kitchen.

Back then, his skill level was very low; his martial arts and cooking skills were far inferior to what he has now after years of honing his craft.

The old man breathed in the fresh air; the kitchen smelled old and not as vibrant as it had been that day, but it felt as if his wife was still beside him.

She would occasionally give him serious guidance on his cooking skills; she would also offer earnest critiques after he finished cooking; but more often than not, the girl would secretly come over and smear flour all over her face, then smile smugly, her triumphant appearance particularly adorable.

The touch of the girl's fingertips lingering on her skin, the image of her smiling face, and the soft creak of the wooden ladle gently swaying in the water vat all contribute to the occasional glimpses of her memories.

Chen Junxuan has fewer and fewer reasons to live in this world.

But the guests arriving today turned out to be a rare and delightful surprise for him in his later years.

Su Qing'an.

This old man entrusted his life's martial arts essence and most precious treasures to his student.

Even though the letter described the "Ding Feng Bo" (Calming the Tempest) poem as a gift to Su Qing'an with great carefree spirit, the old man couldn't help but feel a little reluctant when handing it over to the young man.

This is human nature and unavoidable.

After all, if it weren't for that, he wouldn't have let that sword remain sealed away for decades.

For Chen Junxuan, Su Qing'an held a very important place in his heart.

Perhaps, after being alone for a long time.

The boy's existence unexpectedly made the old man feel that he had left a little more of his own mark on this world.

The old man had no worries in his life, and even though he did not feel overwhelmed by the sudden addition of ties and connections, he felt a completely different state of mind from his solitary years.

[Teacher, I'm going back to Shenzhou. If all goes well, I should come to see you.]

This is an email that Su Qing'an sent to Chen Junxuan a few days ago.

The old man's reply was just a few simple words.

During their time at the St. Freya Academy, their contact continued intermittently, but the chat logs resembled those between an elder and a junior rather than a teacher and student.

During this time, the old man could keenly sense the changes in Su Qing'an. The initial confusion in the young man gradually faded away, as if he had found some answers and was clearing away the fog in front of him, forging ahead.

That's good.

At first, Su Qing'an was like a traveler entering a forest for the first time. He felt lost and uneasy about the darkness ahead, at a loss about the situation before him, and sad and lonely about the new world.

But now he has gradually washed away those emotions and embarked on his own path.

The boy's future is destined to be brilliant.

How could this not bring Chen Junxuan a sense of relief and comfort?

However, the reality may not be as smooth as the old man imagined.

Su Qing'an's desperate efforts to suppress it prevented Chen Junxuan, who was in Shenzhou, from noticing anything unusual other than this.

He was unaware that in just a few short months, Su Qing'an's life had undergone a complete transformation.

When the incident happened in Changkong City, the old man anxiously sent many emails to the boy.

His concerns were not without merit; Schicksal had blocked information, and all the old man in this remote southern town knew was that a large-scale, highly contagious virus had appeared there.

Some viruses don't care how strong your body is; once you get infected, it can be life-threatening.

Moreover, the boy's strength lies only in martial arts skills, not physical attributes.

Under such circumstances, how could he not be worried?

Due to the time difference in information, the old man received a reply from the boy confirming his safety just a few hours after the letter had gone unanswered.

[I'm fine, please don't worry. But my older sister is concerned about my living conditions, so she recommended me to study at the university where she now teaches. My sister is quite strict, so I probably won't have as much freedom as before.]

[But I will come to visit you when I have time.]

Chen Junxuan didn't have many thoughts about Su Qing'an having less free time; in fact, he quite approved of the boy going to school.

At just 17 years old, he dropped out of school in Shenzhou and came to the far east to run a coffee shop on his own.

Before I taught him martial arts, his life was aimless and hopeless. The death of his family and the lack of material possessions led the boy to aimlessly drift through monotonous and boring days, repeating meaningless routines.

Going to school is good.

This was originally Chen Junxuan's suggestion to him, but now, by some twist of fate, Su Qing'an was taken to the academy without him even having to mention it.

It seems he does have people around him who care about him.

This is good; Su Qing'an is not suited to be alone at this age.

So the old man only responded with the words, "Study hard."

Today was the day the young man had some free time, and in response to the students' arrival, the old man chose to cook a meal himself to entertain them.

Chen Junxuan casually stretched a portion of the dough into elastic noodles and set them aside. The rest was kneaded into small balls, which, unlike the noodles he was going to use to make ramen, were intended to be used to make egg pancakes.

After sealing the oil and letting it sit for a while, the old man cracked five eggs into a bowl and successfully stirred and beat them with chopsticks.

Then, he naturally started heating the oil in the pan, preparing to make egg pancakes.

As for the soy milk, it had already been placed in other containers beforehand; this was all preparation he had made in advance.

Calculating the flight time Su Qing'an sent him, he would arrive in about half an hour.

This was roughly enough time for him to prepare other breakfast items. Even though he hadn't cooked in a long time, his excellent memory and the control he gained over his body through martial arts meant that Chen Junxuan's culinary skills hadn't declined much.

The old man muttered to himself:

"According to Qing'an's email, it seems he didn't come alone this time; he brought a friend from the same university."

"Is that child no longer as withdrawn as before? Despite having such an unapproachable demeanor, he can still make good friends. He must have changed."

"This is really something to look forward to!"

"My student, just how far has your Taixuan Style reached? Judging from your growth rate, as long as you haven't deliberately stopped, you must have made great progress by now."

Just as Chen Junxuan was pondering Su Qing'an's recent changes, there was a gentle knock on the gate in front of the courtyard.

The old man reacted quickly. After gently flipping the omelet with a spatula and placing it in a bowl, he wiped his hands with a towel and walked towards the door.

The gate was unlocked today, so when Chen Junxuan arrived at the courtyard, he saw Su Qing'an earnestly talking to the girl.

Clearly, the girl he had brought back was more attractive to Chen Junxuan than the students he hadn't seen in a long time.

She was a girl with an extraordinary temperament. Her ethereal coolness was even more pronounced in her beautifully shaped eyebrows and eyes, making her appear even more refined and otherworldly. Her gray hair was tied into a low ponytail and fell peacefully down her back, and her fair skin was dazzling in the light.

What's most peculiar is that she possesses a powerful presence that even the tall, imposing old man couldn't match; the more skilled a martial artist is at sensing energy, the more they can understand that feeling.

This is because Fu Hua's body is becoming increasingly weak, making it impossible for her to suppress her Qi at all times.

Chen Junxuan was clearly among those who could sense this aura.

Originally, given his personality, the first reaction would probably have been to investigate his level of martial arts.

But now, the boy's eyes held an emotion that Chen Junxuan was all too familiar with.

That's something an old man only shows when he looks at his wife.

Su Qing'an likes this person.

Almost within seconds of meeting, the seasoned old man saw through the answer.

So he simply greeted her with a soft laugh:

"Qing'an, it's been a long time."