Park's Old Grandpa

Back home, Ling Yun swiftly changed his Honor of Kings ID to "Douyin • S of Honor of Kings."

Douyin's rules suited him perfectly: to rank first, he only had to remain on the leaderboard. He did not need to livestream and could earn twenty thousand a day.

After more than three hours of Peak Tournament grinding, his score settled at 2,500, far ahead of everyone still struggling in the 2,200 range.

The matchmaking pool was already empty. He estimated that without his interference, the first-place score this season would barely exceed 2,300.

Flower Sea was currently second, nearly 300 points behind him and firmly seated in second place.

He packaged several recordings of his most extreme plays and sent them to Jiang Yingxue for editing.

When he finished, it was only nine in the evening.

Yesterday, he had been too focused on gaming and had completely forgotten to test the system reward, Storm Blade Domain.

There was no time like the present. He would do it now.

The community plaza was brightly lit and packed with noise. Ling Yun avoided the crowds dancing in the square and the children running about, slipping into a secluded corner near the wall, where the trees grew thickly.

After confirming that no one was around, he drew a deep breath and mobilized the spiritual energy circulating within him.

Buzz—

An invisible pressure suddenly descended. The air seemed to solidify for an instant before beginning to spin violently!

A silent hurricane formed out of thin air around Ling Yun, rapidly expanding—five meters, eight meters... Finally, it stopped at a radius of ten meters.

With a slight movement of his will, the wind suddenly grew violent and razor-sharp!

Ssss—!

As countless invisible blades sliced through the air at high speed, the low shrubs, weeds, and even small trees as thick as bowls within the ten-meter radius were instantly shredded, torn apart, and ripped from the ground amid a teeth-grating, dense sound!

Wood chips, grass blades, and soil were swept high into the air by the gale, forming a murky miniature tornado.

A few seconds later, the wind stopped abruptly.

The dust settled.

A perfectly regular circular "clearing" appeared before Ling Yun, as though it had been drawn by a gigantic compass.

Not a blade of grass remained within the circle. A layer of earth had been forcibly scraped away, exposing damp soil. The broken edges were extraordinarily smooth and even, as if cut by the most precise laser. Outside the circle, fallen leaves and debris lay scattered messily across the ground.

"Whew..." Even though he had been mentally prepared, Ling Yun still sucked in a sharp breath. The power far exceeded his expectations!

The destruction had been precisely contained, but the commotion... He suddenly looked up. Had the plaza dancers' music paused for a moment? Faintly, curious gazes seemed to be turning toward this dark corner.

I've gone too far!

Ling Yun's scalp tingled. Without the slightest hesitation, he blurred and silently melted into the shadows among the crowd on the other side of the plaza.

Damaging public property was a minor matter. If someone captured footage that he could not explain, though, the trouble would be serious.

The plaza remained noisy. Once his shock had subsided, Ling Yun decided to stroll around a couple more times to make sure no one was following him and to calm himself down.

The deafening square-dance music did little for him, and his gaze drifted aimlessly across the plaza.

Suddenly, beneath a slightly dim streetlamp at the edge of the plaza, an old man in a gray Tang suit washed pale caught his attention.

The old man was thin and wiry, practicing Tai Chi with meticulous concentration. His movements were slow and solemn, carrying the flavor of a bygone era.

He held a half-full mineral-water bottle in his palm, trying to perform the posture Crane Spreads Wings.

The water inside rocked from side to side as he moved through his "cloud hands," scattering tiny reflections beneath the lamplight. Yet at every crucial moment, it drifted off-center, like a slippery, disobedient jellyfish.

Sweat beaded on the old man's forehead, but his expression remained intensely focused.

The clumsy yet earnest scene amused Ling Yun. He simply sat down on a bench not far away and watched with interest.

The old man noticed that he had an audience, especially a young one, and seemed to grow even more spirited.

He lowered his shoulders and elbows, striving to make his movements more precise and fluid. The bottle traced a slightly crooked arc in his palm.

"Young man," he said, slightly out of breath and with barely concealed pride, "have you ever seen real Tai Chi? Watch closely. This move is White Crane Spreads Wings..."

Before he could finish, a soft pop rang out. Perhaps the cap had already been loose; perhaps the old man had exerted himself a little too forcefully. Either way, the cap suddenly shot off!

Driven by centrifugal force, half a bottle of water splashed out with a loud whoosh, landing with astonishing accuracy on the old man's... crotch. The dark stain quickly spread.

The air froze.

The old man stood rigid, the hand holding the empty bottle trembling slightly. His aged face reddened at a visible speed.

Ling Yun failed to hold it in and snorted with laughter. He hurriedly forced himself to stop, then pointed at the old man's trousers, his voice betraying his amusement. "Ahem... Grandpa, your pants... are wet."

"Uh... cough, cough! No harm, no harm! An accident, purely an accident!"

The old man was so embarrassed that he was at a loss, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to hide in. He frantically tossed the empty bottle into the nearby trash can and tried wiping his soaked trousers with his sleeve, only making himself look more miserable.

To ease the deadly awkwardness, he took several deep breaths and forcibly put on a stern expression. "Don't laugh, young man! That one didn't count. Watch me do the whole routine again! I'll show you what real Tai Chi is!"

As if proving that he was no fraud, the old man resumed his stance and seriously performed the complete twenty-four-form Tai Chi routine from beginning to end.

This time, his mind was free of distractions, and his movements were much steadier. He ignored the sweat running down his cheeks.

After completing the routine, he was breathing noticeably harder. With anticipation and a trace of barely perceptible unease, he looked at Ling Yun. "Young man, what do you think... How was that?"

During the few minutes the old man had been practicing, Ling Yun's Top-tier Comprehension, which could only be described as monstrous, had quietly gone into operation. Every movement, every breathing rhythm, every shift in his center of gravity, and even the subtle points of stiffness had been rapidly broken down, analyzed, and reconstructed in his mind.

Countless fragments concerning human biomechanics, force-generation techniques, and even the circulation of "jin" described in ancient texts rapidly combined... A more refined, direct, and combat-oriented form of Tai Chi had already taken shape in his consciousness.

"Hmm, you've got the basic framework."

Ling Yun nodded. His tone was calm, carrying insight far beyond his years. "However, in that move just now, Wild Horse Parts Mane, if you angle the tip of your elbow outward by about fifteen degrees, the force from sinking your shoulders and elbows will become more unified, and the efficiency of borrowing and neutralizing force... will improve by at least thirty percent. Want to try?"

At his words, the old man's eyes flew wide. "What? The elbow tip... fifteen degrees? A thirty-percent increase in efficiency?"

His face plainly said, Are you kidding me? He looked the excessively young man up and down. Could such a minute adjustment to Tai Chi really produce such a quantifiable improvement? It sounded absurd.

Ling Yun merely smiled faintly. "You'll know once you try."

The old man was skeptical, but he still followed Ling Yun's instructions, returning to the stance for Wild Horse Parts Mane and carefully adjusting the angle of his elbow.

The instant he found that subtle angle, he felt as though an invisible restraint had been removed from his shoulder and arm. An unprecedented sense of smoothness welled up within him!

Following the motion's path, he instinctively pressed forward with his arm. Even the trajectory of his arm through the air seemed to carry a fuller, rounder force.

"Eh?! This... this feeling..." The old man excitedly pulled his hand back and stared at his elbow in disbelief before suddenly looking at Ling Yun. His gaze had completely changed.

His doubts vanished like smoke, replaced by shock and blazing fervor.

"Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!"

The old man's voice trembled with excitement. The way he looked at Ling Yun had changed completely, filled with passion and reverence. "Brother... no, sir! You aren't merely somewhat knowledgeable. You're a true master hiding your abilities!"

As if afraid Ling Yun might leave, he seized Ling Yun's wrist. His callused palm trembled slightly. "I've practiced for nearly thirty years, and only today have I touched the true path! Could you... could you show me one move and broaden my horizons? Just one!"

His eyes were filled with an almost pious plea.

Seeing the old man's fervent gaze, the small vanity in Ling Yun's heart was satisfied.

Opportunities to show off really were rare.

"Very well. Watch carefully." Ling Yun stopped refusing, gently freed his hand, and took two steps back.

He did not assume any flashy opening stance. He simply stood naturally with his arms hanging at his sides, and his entire presence instantly grew tranquil, as though he had separated himself from the surrounding clamor. Then he slowly raised both arms. The movements seemed extremely slow, yet contained a strange rhythm.

Every transition flowed as smoothly as a mountain stream, without the slightest pause, yet beneath the slowness lay the force of a thousand jun. When soft, it resembled spring wind brushing willow branches; when hard, it was like thunder suddenly collapsing! Between opening and closing, it seemed to draw upon the invisible power of heaven and earth.

More astonishingly, as he moved, the dry leaves scattered within several meters began to tremble and rustle, as though awakened by an invisible force.

One, two... More and more leaves broke free from the ground. Like iron filings drawn to a magnet, they silently floated into the air and began slowly circling Ling Yun.

His movements grew increasingly rounded and fluid.

The fallen leaves around him gathered in greater numbers, and their rotation accelerated, gradually forming a distinct, flowing ring.

Under the dim yellow streetlamp, the leaves, varying in shade, strangely separated on their own. Dark-brown leaves gathered into a flowing "yin fish," while pale-yellow leaves outlined a bright "yang fish."

The two intertwined, their heads and tails joined, forming a lifelike Tai Chi yin-yang symbol roughly three meters in diameter as it rotated beneath Ling Yun's feet!

Ling Yun slowly completed the form, bringing both arms before his chest and finally pressing them gently downward.

The suspended, rotating Tai Chi diagram quietly dissolved. The leaves, having lost their support, fluttered down one after another, forming an irregular circle on the ground.

The old man stood frozen in place with his mouth agape and eyes bulging, as though petrified. He had even forgotten to breathe.

He had not been watching a performance. He felt that he had just witnessed a miracle with his own eyes! This had completely surpassed everything he knew about "Tai Chi"!

"I... I... this..." The old man made a hoarse sound in his throat. Only after a long while did he recover his voice, dazed as if sleepwalking. "Am I... am I dreaming? This... this is something a human can really do?"

Once the shock receded slightly, overwhelming excitement and longing instantly engulfed him.

He lunged forward and seized Ling Yun's wrists with both hands. His grip was astonishingly strong, and his trembling voice almost sounded like a sob. "Master! A living immortal! I, Wang Defu, have practiced for nearly thirty years, and only today have I seen a true immortal!"

He fumbled frantically inside the pocket of his Tang suit and pulled out a crumpled business card with worn edges, forcing it into Ling Yun's hand. Printed on the faded card stock were the words "Mingzhu Community Tai Chi Team Captain, Wang Defu." A string of phone numbers had been crookedly written on the back in ballpoint pen.

"Please, master! Accept these old bones of mine as a nominal disciple, at least! I only want... I only want to reach the edge of your realm..."

Grandpa Wang tilted his face upward, his eyes shining with hopeful tears. His posture was exceedingly humble, almost pleading.

Looking at the old man, who was so excited that he could barely speak and seemed ready to kneel on the spot, Ling Yun was momentarily caught between laughter and tears.

The old man's stubbornness and his current, almost coquettish pleading were simply too great a contrast.

"Grandpa Wang," Ling Yun gently withdrew his hand, his tone mild but carrying unquestionable detachment. "It isn't that I'm unwilling to teach you. At your age, your muscles, bones, and qi-blood have long since settled into their fixed state. The things passed down through my lineage..."

He pointed at the ring of fallen leaves on the ground, not yet scattered by the wind. "They require a special foundation, honed from childhood, along with... well, a unique talent. Such aptitude appears only once in a century and cannot be forced. Think about it. Other than me, have you ever seen anyone else in reality who could do something like that?"

The light in Grandpa Wang's eyes visibly dimmed, and the hand holding the business card dropped limply.

Ling Yun's words were like a basin of cold water, dousing his feverish heart. Indeed, how could ordinary people reach such divine skill? He had practiced for half his life, yet the gap between them was greater than that between clouds and mud. Disappointment and immense regret seized him at once, making his hunched figure appear even older.

At that moment, a crisp female voice tinged with reproach broke the heavy silence.

"Grandpa! Why are you still here? Do you know what time it is? You aren't answering your phone, either!"

A figure jogged through the halo of the streetlamp and came before the two of them.

Ling Yun raised his eyes. The newcomer was a young woman about his age, her hair tied into a neat ponytail, with several wisps of hair stuck by sweat to her smooth forehead.

She wore a fitted black sports tank top, revealing honey-colored arms and shoulders with sleek lines and healthy strength. A faint flush from exercise still colored her skin.

Her eyebrows were beautifully shaped, boldly arched yet naturally softening at the ends, tempering their sharpness and adding a touch of youthful brightness.

At that moment, her bright eyes were filled with concern and a hint of annoyance as she looked at Grandpa Wang, then quickly swept over Ling Yun standing nearby.

When her gaze landed on Ling Yun's face, it paused for an almost imperceptible instant. A flash of admiration passed through the depths of her pupils, but was quickly concealed by her good breeding and a trace of curiosity.

She raised her chin slightly, her gaze moving between her grandfather's disappointed expression and Ling Yun.

"Who is this...?" she asked in her crisp voice.