Auntie and an Existential Crisis

Auntie and an Existential Crisis

Bang! The skinny young man was sent flying several meters, tumbling across the ground.

Intense pain surged from his abdomen.

His body curled up like a cooked shrimp as he lay on the ground.

His facial features scrunched together, tears and snot mixing into a rather disgusting sight.

After struggling a few times, the skinny young man rolled his eyes back and fainted.

Chen Sheng stood where he was, still holding his punching stance.

Clearly visible wisps of white mist continuously rose from the surface of his body.

It was an especially spectacular sight in the cool autumn weather.

So much so that the woman stared in stunned silence.

What was this? Martial arts? She had only recently entered the world of Qi Sense Users. She had heard of martial arts before, but had never seen them firsthand.

Before this, she had thought the same as most people: that martial arts were no different from other fighting techniques, perhaps even weaker.

But now, Chen Sheng had completely changed her view.

Martial arts could actually allow ordinary people to unleash such formidable combat power.

How strong would it be if a Qi Sense User learned it? Influenced by Chen Sheng, the woman suddenly developed a slight interest in martial arts.

"Watch out!"

While the woman was distracted, the remaining skinny young man saw an opening. Clutching his knife tightly, he stabbed at her from behind.

It was only when someone shouted that she was pulled back to reality.

Sensing the movement behind her, she moved.

She turned, raised her leg, and lashed out.

One clean, decisive strike sent the aggressive skinny young man straight into the ground.

At this point,

the robber and all his accomplices had lost the ability to move.

Not far away, Chen Sheng slowly withdrew his stance.

He looked at his fist.

Since learning Xingyi Quan, this was the first time he had used it against someone.

The feeling

was unexpectedly good.

He could even still savor the sensation of his fist striking the other man's flesh.

"H-hello?"

At that moment,

a somewhat weak voice sounded beside his ear again.

Chen Sheng looked to his side.

The woman had come to within two meters of him. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

"Oh, oh, oh. Got it."

Chen Sheng understood immediately.

He promptly called the police and informed them of the situation.

After hanging up,

Chen Sheng looked at the woman.

She seemed somewhat at a loss, as though she did not know what to say.

So,

he took the initiative, smiling as he extended his hand.

"Hello, my name is Chen Sheng."

"You're a Qi Sense User, right?"

The authorities had no intention of concealing the existence of Qi Sense Users.

With the Tide Rising Era approaching, it would be difficult to keep it hidden anyway.

Therefore, Chen Sheng had no reservations about mentioning it.

Besides,

judging by the woman's skills, Chen Sheng could not think of any other possibility besides her being a Qi Sense User.

"Oh, hello. My name is Xu Rou."

"Yes, I am—huh?"

Only then did Xu Rou realize that Chen Sheng actually knew about Qi Sense Users.

Although it was not exactly a secret, not many ordinary people knew about it.

The authorities had not hidden it, but neither had they promoted it.

"You're a Qi Sense User too?"

Although Chen Sheng's punch had surprised her,

based on the speed at which he had run earlier, that should not have been possible.

How could a Qi Sense User have such poor physical abilities?

As for him sending the robber's accomplice flying with one punch, she believed that was due to martial arts.

"More or less."

"My talent is pretty poor."

Chen Sheng did not explain further.

"Then, shall we—"

He was about to say something else.

Suddenly,

Chen Sheng heard a rush of wind behind him.

Huh?!

His pupils contracted.

There's someone else?!

Whoosh! Chen Sheng spun around swiftly, instinctively taking up a stance and preparing to greet the newcomer with a Crushing Fist.

But when he saw the other person's face,

his expression immediately turned horrified. He withdrew his stance and darted sideways.

A short, stout figure rushed past him.

"Waaah, handsome young man, thank you so much."

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do."

The Auntie who had been robbed spread her arms, seemingly trying to hug Chen Sheng for comfort.

She was a mess of tears and snot, making Chen Sheng's scalp tingle.

Tap tap tap.

Chen Sheng retreated at top speed, desperate to avoid her.

Even when facing the robbers earlier, he had not felt such heart-pounding terror.

But Auntie showed no sign of letting him off.

In his panic, Chen Sheng's eyes flickered, and he suddenly pointed at the robber.

"Auntie, your bag is getting away!"

When Auntie's attention shifted, Chen Sheng did not hesitate. He immediately turned and prepared to leave.

"Miss Xu, I'll leave it to you."

Chen Sheng waved as he ran off into the distance.

Leaving Auntie standing there, staring resentfully at his retreating back.

"What a shame. Such a rare young hunk."

Xu Rou also watched Chen Sheng's retreating figure.

She tilted her head slightly, seemingly deep in thought. ... Only after running all the way to the roadside did Chen Sheng stop, panting heavily.

It was not because he was tired.

He had mainly been frightened by Auntie.

"Phew—"

"Aunties these days are really something."

"Sigh, I can't blame her. If anyone's to blame, it's this handsome face of mine."

After indulging in his narcissism for a while,

his rapidly beating heart gradually calmed down.

Chen Sheng summoned the panel to check the results of today's morning run.

To his delighted surprise,

although he had only run half the distance he had yesterday,

the training effect was not inferior in the slightest.

His Constitution attribute had risen by 0.06, while the other two attributes had each risen by 0.01.

Chen Sheng checked the time. He had gotten up later than yesterday, and the martial arts school was about to open.

The stamina he had expended during the morning run had only recovered by ten or twenty percent.

Even if he could finish the next ten kilometers, it would take him ages.

After thinking it over,

Chen Sheng decided to take a motorcycle taxi.

He went to the roadside and began flagging one down.

Half an hour later,

Chen Sheng successfully arrived at the martial arts school.

People were gradually entering through the main gate.

These people were not disciples. They had simply paid to learn a few moves for fitness and self-defense.

Chen Sheng entered with them.

He arrived at the Martial Arts Training Field.

Many disciples had already begun training.

"Brother Chen!"

The moment Chen Sheng stepped inside, sharp-eyed Shi Jian waved at him.

Chen Sheng waved back and walked over to him.

"Brother Chen, how's your Five Elements Fist coming along?"

"So-so. I've only reached minor mastery."

With the precedent of mastering the Three-Body Stance in a single night, Chen Sheng had no intention of hiding his proficiency in the Five Elements Fist.

If he wanted to become a Personal Disciple and learn Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound, displaying his talent was necessary.

He just had to keep it within reason.

Shi Jian's first reaction upon hearing Chen Sheng's words was disbelief.

The Five Elements Fist was not some radio calisthenics routine. Each fist form had different requirements.

The adjustment of the muscles, the flow of force, and the rhythm of breathing

all required the utmost care.

If anyone else had said that, Shi Jian would have thought they were full of shit.

But

this was Chen Sheng.

Though his talent for sensing qi was terrible,

his talent for martial arts was practically monstrous.

For a moment, Shi Jian was half-convinced and half-doubtful.

Seeing this,

Chen Sheng smiled mysteriously.

He raised a hand and gestured at Shi Jian.

The meaning was clear:

please step back a little.

Faced with Chen Sheng's teasing, Shi Jian did not retort. Instead, he immediately took two steps back and watched him with rapt attention.

Next,

Chen Sheng began demonstrating the Five Elements Fist.

Chop, crush, drill, cannon, cross.

The combat applications and training methods,

he demonstrated them one by one.

Ten minutes later,

when Chen Sheng finished and stood still,

Shi Jian was already sitting on the ground.

He looked up at the ceiling of the Martial Arts Training Field.

His eyes

were filled with a weariness far beyond his years.

"Brother Chen."

"Tell me, why do we practice martial arts?"

"What do people rely on to exist alongside one another?"

"Where does life come from, and where does it go after death?"

"And what is the ultimate meaning of life?"