Morning.
When Fang Qingyu was dragged from his dreams by the 7:00 alarm, the sky was still steeped in ink-blue darkness.
After brushing his teeth, he splashed cold water on his face, put on his clothes, grabbed his backpack, and headed out.
He rode his electric scooter to the roadside.
The fried dough stick stall by the road had already set up its wok.
As usual, Fang Qingyu chose the plastic stool closest to the intersection, eating breakfast and enjoying the little peace he had all to himself.
When he added it all up, aside from breakfast,
he spent the entire day busy.
Practicing martial arts, delivering food, working as a security guard, and exercising.
He ate lunch and dinner along the way while delivering food.
Come to think of it,
this was the first time in this world that he had experienced such a fulfilling life.
Fang Qingyu enjoyed this kind of life.
Back when he had suffered from his head ailment, confusion, unease, and fear had all held back his steps.
His current life was not merely a change in appearance.
It was also a psychological rebirth.
7:50.
Fang Qingyu arrived at Chenfeng Martial Hall.
Instructor Qin happened to be walking over from the edge of the training ground.
The training grounds were divided into several areas.
The first was where they learned the basics of stance training.
The second was where they began practicing punches after entering the basics of stance training.
When the instructor decided that someone had reached the required standard, they could enter the Formal Disciple class.
Fang Qingyu had come today to practice punches in the punching area, in front of the punching post that belonged exclusively to him!
"Anyone who knows it can practice on their own. I'll come check on you later."
Instructor Qin stood before the punching posts. After leaving them with that sentence, he had everyone who had just entered the second stage come forward.
"Entering the basics of stance training means you now understand how to use your bodies. At the very least, when I tell you to punch, you won't insist on kicking instead."
Everyone laughed cheerfully as they listened.
They did have a sense of accomplishment that belonged exclusively to them.
After all, there was still a group of people over there who had yet to master the basics of stance training.
"The fist technique I'm teaching you today has no name. Every major martial hall uses this same set of techniques."
"If you insist on giving it a name, call it Basic Fist Technique."
"That's because this set of punches isn't mainly for injuring enemies in actual combat. It's mainly for building a foundation!"
"Only by combining stance training with this fist technique can you maximize its ability to strengthen the body and promote health."
After saying that, Instructor Qin bent his knees and lowered his hips. His Hidden Dragon Stance was as steady as a stone lock.
His right fist drilled out from beneath his ribs. The muscles in his forearm were like a tightly twisted cable, suddenly accelerating three inches from the punching post.
Bang—
The dull leather impact exploded alongside his instruction: "Use seven-tenths of your power and hold back three-tenths. Don't let your stance collapse."
His left fist followed close behind, sweeping up in a half arc. When his knuckles brushed the wooden post, it suddenly transformed into a palm. His five fingers gripped the post and pushed and pulled, making its body hum and tremble.
"Your spine is the bowstring, and your stance is the bow."
He retreated half a step and demonstrated how to finish the movement. Beads of sweat rolled from his jaw and dripped into the dent in the punching post.
"Every time you throw a punch, imagine kicking the floor tiles apart and tearing through the air. But when you touch the target—"
His fist lightly pressed against the leather.
"—be like a blade returning to its sheath."
"Remember, the fist is an extension of the stance."
He bent a finger and tapped his lower abdomen.
"Power rises from the ground, passes through the dantian, travels along the spine, and finally leaves through the fist."
After watching, Fang Qingyu slightly furrowed his brows.
After going through the entire set of Basic Fist Technique, he even felt that it was simpler than Hidden Dragon Stance.
There were not many flashy movements.
Anyone who was not paying attention would only feel that Instructor Qin had leisurely thrown a few punches.
But as long as one paid a little attention to the muscles, one would discover that there was far more to it than met the eye.
"Begin. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me."
Just like with stance training, Instructor Qin demonstrated it only once before letting the disciples practice on their own.
Fang Qingyu stood before the punching post without rushing to begin.
Instead, he first reviewed Instructor Qin's posture before each punch, considering where he had applied force.
Only then did he begin throwing punches.
The others needed to throw punches constantly, expending their strength to find the correct path forward.
But Fang Qingyu had his chart to light the way for him.
When the first new line of text appeared,
Basic Fist Technique skill activation in progress (1/100) Activation Experience +1
Fang Qingyu knew that he had found the right direction.
All he needed to do next was rely on brute force to create a miracle!
The constantly falling sweat bore witness to the activation progress bar, while the shouts around him continuously played a solo dedicated to the romance of men.
"That's enough for now. Rest for half an hour."
He had been completely unaware that time had slipped away amid the wind of his punches. Only when Instructor Qin's voice rang out
did Fang Qingyu lower his aching arms.
His fists had already gone numb.
The one point of physique he had gained last night had not made his body any tougher.
But he could clearly feel that he had more endurance.
"You went yesterday?"
While sitting on the ground, Instructor Qin had quietly walked over beside Fang Qingyu and asked him.
"Instructor Qin."
Fang Qingyu first stood to greet him, then hesitated for a second before nodding.
"I went."
If he said he had not gone, there would be no way to explain it.
Instructor Qin could not possibly be bored enough to investigate whether he had gone or not.
"Not bad."
Fang Qingyu had already lost count of how many times Instructor Qin had said "not bad."
"If you don't have anything urgent to do, start putting in an extra two hours every day from today onward."
After praising him, Instructor Qin frowned and thought for a moment before speaking.
Although he had said "if," his tone clearly meant that he wanted Fang Qingyu to agree outright.
"Sure."
Fang Qingyu had no objection.
Sacrificing two hours of food-delivery time would not cost him much money.
Practicing martial arts was currently his most important path.
Every other occupation existed to serve his martial arts training.
"Keep it up."
Before leaving, Instructor Qin gave Fang Qingyu an encouraging look for the first time.
After spending several days together,
Fang Qingyu's impression of the martial hall and Instructor Qin had already changed drastically.
Before he understood anything, he had thought that an instructor was at most somewhat stronger than an ordinary person.
But now,
only after entering the basics himself did he truly understand how formidable Instructor Qin was.
Although he had never actually fought in real combat,
Fang Qingyu now felt that taking on a normal adult man one-on-one would be more than easy.
It was not because of his attributes, nor because he had learned any fighting techniques.
It was because he had learned how to exert force.
Just as Instructor Qin had said, entering the basics of stance training meant learning how to use the body.
But even so, Fang Qingyu still felt like a child in front of Instructor Qin.
This was not the "momentum" Qi Hao had spoken of.
It was a man's sixth sense.
"Bang. Bang. Bang."
But all of his shortcomings would now turn into motivation pushing Fang Qingyu forward.
An hour passed.
The new disciples were gradually running out of strength.
Two hours passed.
Even the veteran disciples were shaking out their arms, drenched in sweat.
Three hours passed.
Every disciple was howling with relief that class had finally ended.
Only Fang Qingyu continued tirelessly punching the post. While most of the others were leaving the hall, the sound of his punches was exceptionally grating.
"Hello."
However, a clear, crisp voice by his ear interrupted Fang Qingyu's thoughts.
"Hello?"
Fang Qingyu panted and turned around to look at the speaker.
She was a young woman in her twenties.
She had already changed back into her casual clothes, and the swell of her chest was enough to ensure that several children would not starve.
"Class has already ended. Aren't you leaving?"
The woman pointed around them with a smile. Her eyes were fixed directly on Fang Qingyu, without the slightest hint of avoidance.
"I still want to practice a little longer. You should leave first. Thanks."
Although Fang Qingyu was looking ahead, he did not meet her eyes. His reply was also a completely instinctive refusal.
In his eyes, the lines of text jumping across the chart were far more beautiful than the woman.
Activation Experience +1 Activation Experience +1 . Basic Fist Technique skill activation in progress (72/100)
Guided by the lighthouse of the chart, Fang Qingyu had taken almost no wrong turns. Combined with the fact that he worked harder than anyone else,
such progress was only natural.
"Then I'll be going."
The two strangers who had just met had ended things before they even began because of Fang Qingyu's unhesitating rejection.
By the time most of the people had left the hall,
Qi Hao finally came over from the other side, shaking his head and clicking his tongue in amazement.
"Tsk, tsk. Qingzi, you actually rejected such a beautiful girl?"
"With no woman in my heart, my punches come naturally!"
Fang Qingyu did not even turn his head.
"."
The corner of Qi Hao's mouth twitched.
This was martial arts practice, not becoming a monk.
There was no requirement to abstain from desire.
"Aren't you leaving yet? The martial hall is about to close."
Seeing that Fang Qingyu had no intention of stopping, Qi Hao asked in confusion.
"Instructor Qin told me to stay and put in extra practice. You go on ahead."
Only then did Fang Qingyu stop and shake out his completely numb fists.
Qi Hao's eyes lit up when he heard that, but he said nothing. He only left him with a "Then practice hard" before leaving the martial hall.
By then, no one else remained in the martial hall.
Instructor Qin was nowhere to be seen either.
Fang Qingyu did not think too much about it. Since he had been told to put in extra practice, he had to train until the time was up.
So he once again endured the pain and swung his fists toward the punching post.
In a corner where he could not see,
Instructor Qin had actually been standing there the whole time, watching him from afar.
Until nearly two in the afternoon.
"Hiss."
Instructor Qin, who had remained standing without moving, finally couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath and touching his thinning hair.
"Is this kid on drugs???"
Before you continue