Lu Xun once said, "There's nothing in this world that money can't buy. If there is, it just means you don't have enough money!"
Under Hao Shuai's financial offensive, Yan Zhendong very unprincipledly led him to where he lived. Along the way, Hao Shuai asked Yan Zhendong about training in Golden Bell Shield Iron Cloth Shirt.
Why wasn't Hao Shuai worried Yan Zhendong might break his promise? For one thing, Yan Zhendong's actions in the original story showed he still had principles and a bottom line. And even if he had no principles and wanted to go back on his word, Hao Shuai's Mental Power, already strong enough to exert ten tons of force, would teach him a thing or two.
Even though Yan Zhendong practiced Golden Bell Shield Iron Cloth Shirt, Hao Shuai could still knead him into a meatball.
At Yan Zhendong's home, he took a manual from a corner and handed it to Hao Shuai. "Strictly speaking, Golden Bell Shield Iron Cloth Shirt consists of Golden Bell Shield and Iron Cloth Shirt. Both are top-tier external conditioning techniques. When mastered, either can make you impervious to blades and bullets. You only need to choose one to practice. Of course, you can train in both, if you have the stamina for it.
"Training in Golden Bell Shield and Iron Cloth Shirt requires a breathing method called 'Tiger Roar Dragon Chant': tiger's roar for Golden Bell Shield, dragon's chant for Iron Cloth Shirt. After practicing, you'll also need to soak in my Yan family's special medicinal bath. Without it, you could cripple or even kill yourself through training."
Good grief, it was that complicated—and it required a medicinal bath, too. Hao Shuai had been wondering why Yan Zhendong kept the manual at home without worrying someone might steal it. Now he understood: the manual wasn't important. The key was the Yan family's secret medicinal bath recipe!
Yan Zhendong didn't hold back. He immediately wrote out the secret recipe for Hao Shuai, explained the training precautions, and told him to come by anytime if he ran into difficulties or had questions.
After getting the recipe, Hao Shuai gave Yan Zhendong another gold bar. It would be enough for him to open his own martial arts school and live a comfortable life with a wife and children.
After leaving Yan Zhendong's home, Hao Shuai went to an empty alley and vanished.
In the Night Shift World
Hao Shuai appeared in the villa. He first paused time in the Wong Fei Hung World, then walked around the villa. Seeing no one there, he figured Jinguguji Narumi and the others were at the hospital. He called Fujisawa Ako and asked her to come back. Then he took out a bottle of soda and watched TV.
As soon as Fujisawa Ako returned to the villa, Hao Shuai scooped her up without a word and carried her to the bedroom, where he unloaded half a month's worth of pent-up desire. Afterward, he took out the medicinal bath recipe and said, "Buy as many of the ingredients listed here as you can. The older the herbs, the better."
He had Fujisawa Ako handle it because her family already ran a medicinal herb company, so she could quickly gather the herbs Hao Shuai needed.
Hao Shuai spent several days fooling around with Fujisawa Ako and the other women at the villa. Once the herbs had been collected and packed into his storage space, he returned to the Wong Fei Hung World. Before leaving, he also told Fujisawa Ako to keep collecting herbs.
After returning to the Wong Fei Hung World, Hao Shuai first went to a real estate agent and bought a house next door to Baozhilin. Once he had tidied up and moved in, he took out the manual and studied it. After carefully reviewing it, he followed Yan Zhendong's instructions, stretched his muscles and bones, then began regulating his breathing in a standing posture as he practiced "Tiger Roar Dragon Chant."
When he finished, he heated some water and put the herbs into a tub according to the recipe. He took off his clothes, climbed in, and slowly sat down.
A medicinal bath meant enduring not only the scalding water but also the pain of the medicine working its way into his body.
The pain felt as though countless sharp blades were slicing into his entire body. It wasn't quite as bad as being cut into a thousand pieces, but it was still more than most people could bear.
Fortunately, Hao Shuai's Mental Power had grown considerably, greatly increasing his tolerance for pain. He could endure it.
Once the medicine had worked its way through the water in the tub, Hao Shuai got up, rinsed himself with cold water, and went to bed.
The next morning, after getting up early to train and washing up, Hao Shuai went to Thirteenth Aunt's home. He learned she was moving to Baozhilin that day, so he offered to help carry her belongings and visit Wong Fei Hung at the same time.
By the time they had carried all the bags and boxes to Baozhilin, it was nearly noon.
Seeing that lunchtime was approaching, Wong Fei Hung invited Hao Shuai to stay and eat with them. Hao Shuai declined a few times before readily accepting.
When they sat down to eat, Hao Shuai noticed Wong Fei Hung's eldest apprentice, Chiu Pork Wing, was absent. He asked about him and learned that Chiu Pork Wing usually made a living selling pork and didn't live at Baozhilin. He only came by to practice boxing.
After the meal, Hao Shuai formally asked Wong Fei Hung to take him as a disciple. Wong Fei Hung hesitated, then asked curiously, "You already have a solid grounding in National Martial Arts, and you must be near the peak of Ming Jin. Why do you still want to become my disciple?"
Wong Fei Hung had no objection to taking on a student who had already learned martial arts. He wasn't someone who believed in Sectarian Bias. Otherwise, he wouldn't have served as the militia's chief instructor and passed on his martial arts, nor would he later have accepted Leung Kwan as a disciple.
"Master Wong, I want to learn from all schools and keep improving by studying different forms of National Martial Arts, until I can find my own path. Also, you're skilled in both medicine and martial arts. I'd like to learn medicine from you, too, so I can have a skill to rely on," Hao Shuai explained.
"Fei Hung, why not take Hao Shuai as your disciple?" Thirteenth Aunt chimed in.
"Very well. I'll formally accept you as my disciple. You'll be fourth in line," Wong Fei Hung agreed.
Hearing that Wong Fei Hung had agreed to take him on, Hao Shuai immediately knelt on one knee and held out a cup of tea in both hands. "Master, please have some tea."
As he offered the tea, Hao Shuai thought to himself, Once you finish this cup, you'll be my master. But after I win Thirteenth Aunt over, won't you have to call me uncle? That would make me your senior in terms of seniority. ()
After the tea ceremony, Wong Fei Hung introduced Hao Shuai to his three senior brothers: Ling Wan Kai, Yat Che So, who had a slight stutter, and their eldest senior brother, Chiu Pork Wing, who wasn't at Baozhilin and would be introduced later.
Wong Fei Hung then asked Hao Shuai to move into Baozhilin, but Hao Shuai refused. "Master, I've already bought a house next door to Baozhilin. I can come here during the day to study medicine and martial arts, then go home to sleep at night. But I'll be imposing on you for all three meals."
As he spoke, Hao Shuai took out some money and gave it to Yat Che So, saying it was for food.
Wong Fei Hung was no ordinary man, naturally, he refused to take it. But after Hao Shuai insisted several times, he finally accepted it reluctantly.
Early the next morning, Hao Shuai went to Baozhilin. After breakfast with everyone, Wong Fei Hung took him to the rear courtyard to formally teach him National Martial Arts.
"Today, I'll start by teaching you Tiger-Shaped Tiger Subduing Fist, the basic boxing style of Hongmen. Though it's a foundation, it contains the essentials of single and double gong fists, as well as single and double bow stances for subduing the tiger. It's the most suitable style for beginners, and the foundation for learning other forms of boxing later. A Shuai, since you're sincere about learning martial arts, watch closely."
Wong Fei Hung spoke to Hao Shuai, who was standing nearby. When he finished, he swept his front robe aside and tucked it into his waistband, rolled up his sleeves, and assumed a starting stance. Then he began demonstrating the moves, one by one.
"The essentials of Tiger-Shaped Tiger Subduing Fist are a steady waist and stance, powerful bridge hands, tight technique, and disciplined advances and retreats."
It was only a demonstration, and the style was merely a basic one. Still, Wong Fei Hung was a martial arts master of his generation, having reached the Huan Jin stage. In his hands, even a basic style became astonishingly fierce. Every punch and kick carried formidable force, making the air whistle. Hao Shuai watched, completely enthralled.
"Whew! All right, A Shuai. How was that? Did you see it clearly?" Wong Fei Hung soon finished the set, planted his feet, and exhaled before asking Hao Shuai, who had been watching nearby.
"I have a pretty good memory, Master. I think I've remembered about seventy or eighty percent," Hao Shuai answered honestly.
"Seventy or eighty percent? Come on, try it out. If anything's wrong, I'll correct you." Wong Fei Hung asked Hao Shuai to demonstrate the moves.
"Yes, Master!"
Hao Shuai nodded and stepped forward. Recalling Wong Fei Hung's movements, he slowly began to practice each move in order.
"Wait, here—your right foot needs to go a little farther forward, and your left knee needs to sink a little lower."
"Stop. Raise your elbow a little higher in this move."
"When you throw this punch..."
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