The next day at noon, when Hao Shuai walked into Baozhilin holding Thirteenth Aunt's hand and announced that they were together, everyone at Baozhilin was stunned.
Although they couldn't accept it at first, Hao Shuai and Thirteenth Aunt were both unmarried, so they had no reason to object. Besides, Chiu Pork Wing and the others remembered how good Hao Shuai had always been to them and how he often gave them things, so they stepped forward to congratulate the couple.
Even though Wong Fei Hung felt a little hollow inside, he still showed the magnanimity of a grandmaster and sincerely congratulated them. After all, one was his disciple and the other was his elder.
Just then, several workers came in carrying food boxes. Hao Shuai said, "Master, I ordered a feast at a restaurant. Let's have a drink at noon: first, to welcome you back, and second, to celebrate Shao Jun and me getting together."
"You've been thoughtful, Shuai. Come on, everyone, let's eat."
Everyone was delighted. They had been through a lot these past few days and hadn't had a proper meal in a long time. During the meal, they took turns raising their glasses to Wong Fei Hung and Hao Shuai.
After they'd eaten and drunk their fill, Hao Shuai asked Wong Fei Hung for advice about National Martial Arts.
"Master, ever since I broke through to An Jin, I haven't had a clue how to break through to Huajin. Please teach me."
"Shuai, do you know what Huajin is? Huajin is the union of yin and yang. Only by combining Ming Jin and An Jin can you achieve it. Everyone has their own way, and the experience of those who came before can only serve as a guide, not a formula to follow. So I can't give you a definite method." Wong Fei Hung thought for a moment, then continued.
"National Martial Arts gradually evolved from the battles fought on the battlefield. After generations of people studied and refined it, it developed into what it is today. But at its core, it is still a means of defeating and injuring an enemy. So breaking through in battle is the fastest way, but also the most dangerous."
"I understand, Master. Thank you for teaching me," Hao Shuai said.
"You're my disciple. It's only right that I teach you."
After asking Wong Fei Hung for advice, Hao Shuai took Thirteenth Aunt back to their place.
After a passionate session, Hao Shuai held Thirteenth Aunt in his arms and said, "Shao Jun, let's head to the capital. We can travel from the south to the north along the way."
"What made you think of that all of a sudden?" Thirteenth Aunt asked, puzzled.
"Partly, I want to show you the sights around the country. But I also want to visit and challenge the National Martial Arts masters along the way."
"No, that's too dangerous. Fists and feet don't have eyes. What if you get hurt? Besides, I've heard that things are unsettled in the country right now. It'll be dangerous on the road." When Thirteenth Aunt heard he wanted to fight people, she refused to agree, no matter what he said.
"Shao Jun, don't worry. I can protect us." Seeing how opposed she was, Hao Shuai had no choice but to tell her he had supernatural abilities. She was bound to find out sooner or later, and he couldn't leave her alone in this world.
Thirteenth Aunt gave him a scornful look that said, "Do you think I'm stupid?" Hao Shuai immediately told her to get dressed and took her to the courtyard. He scooped her up in his arms, then flew straight into the sky and out of the city as she screamed.
Hao Shuai landed by a grove outside the city and set Thirteenth Aunt down. Once she'd recovered from feeling dizzy from the flight, he used telekinesis to uproot a tree half a meter in diameter.
Hao Shuai even took out a pistol and handed it to Thirteenth Aunt, asking her to shoot him to prove he wasn't afraid of firearms. But she refused to shoot him, no matter what, so he had to give up.
Finally, Hao Shuai showed Thirteenth Aunt his ability to store things in a spatial dimension and told her to keep it secret. She couldn't tell anyone.
Once Thirteenth Aunt was finally convinced that Hao Shuai had supernatural abilities, her first reaction wasn't to ask how he'd gotten them. Instead, she made him carry her through the air for another twenty minutes and refused to let him stop. Women really did think differently from men.
In the end, Hao Shuai had to say that he was exhausted from overusing his powers. Only then did Thirteenth Aunt reluctantly agree to fly home.
After the two of them lay back down in bed, Thirteenth Aunt was still so excited that she couldn't sleep. Seeing how energetic she was, Hao Shuai pulled her into a game of Fight the Landlord that lasted almost two hours. Only then did peace and quiet return.
The next day, after Thirteenth Aunt woke up, the two of them washed up and went to Baozhilin for breakfast. Afterward, Hao Shuai told Wong Fei Hung that he planned to travel and meet the various masters.
Seeing how determined Hao Shuai was, Wong Fei Hung didn't try to dissuade him. Instead, he said, "I don't object to you traveling and challenging masters, but be sure to protect yourself. When you spar with someone, know when to stop and don't let things turn ugly."
"Don't worry, Master. I'm only visiting famous teachers, not fighting to the death," Hao Shuai agreed. He also asked Wong Fei Hung to tell him about the martial artists around the country.
Hao Shuai spent the whole day saying goodbye to Chiu Pork Wing and the others, while Thirteenth Aunt spent it shopping. Once she learned that Hao Shuai wasn't short of money and had a spatial ability, her desire to shop erupted all at once.
When Hao Shuai returned home that evening and saw the huge pile of things, he was dumbfounded. In the end, all he could do was helplessly put them away in his spatial storage at Thirteenth Aunt's urging.
The next day, Hao Shuai and Thirteenth Aunt went straight to the train station. They didn't ask Wong Fei Hung and the others to see them off; they'd said their goodbyes the day before.
Hao Shuai and Thirteenth Aunt traveled north. In Hubei, they met Sun Lu Tang, who was also traveling to exchange knowledge with other martial artists.
Known as the "Tiger-Headed Young Protector," Sun Lu Tang was famed in the modern martial arts world as a Martial Saint and Martial God. He had mastered the essence of Xing Yi Quan, Bagua Quan, and Tai Chi Quan, and had also achieved perfection in internal cultivation, Acupoint Striking, Lightness Skill, spears, swords, and many other arts. His fame was renowned throughout the land.
At this point, however, Sun Lu Tang was still a young man in his twenties or thirties, with a cultivation level of An Jin. He had yet to reach the heights he would later attain. Hao Shuai and Sun Lu Tang exchanged martial knowledge and training experience, then sparred several times. Both felt they had gained a great deal.
After staying for several days, Hao Shuai and Thirteenth Aunt said goodbye to Sun Lu Tang and went to Shen County in Hebei to visit Li Luo Neng, who was enjoying his later years there.
Li Luo Neng was the founder of modern Xing Yi Quan. Along with Dong Hai Chuan of Bagua Quan and Yang Lu Chan of Tai Chi Quan, he was one of the three pillars of the martial arts world. He was known as the Divine Fist, Li.
Faced with Hao Shuai's sincere generosity—backed by money—Li Luo Neng warmly gifted him a copy of the Xing Yi Quan Pu he had written in his later years.
After leaving Hebei, Hao Shuai and Thirteenth Aunt entered the capital. First, he accompanied her as she explored the capital during the Late Qing Dynasty. Then they visited the renowned masters living there: Guo Yun Shen of the Xing Yi school, Cheng Yan Hua of the Bagua school, Yang Jian Hou of the Tai Chi school, Li Xiao Chen of the Huiyou Escort Agency, and Wang Zheng Yi of the Shun Yuan Escort Agency.
Hao Shuai spent half a year in the capital, diligently visiting the likes of Master Guo and bringing them gifts. Under the tireless instruction of Grandmasters like Guo Yun Shen—who couldn't refuse a gift once he'd accepted it—Hao Shuai felt he'd gained a great deal.
By now, Hao Shuai had absorbed the strengths of many schools, and he broke through to Huajin during a sparring match.
Having reached Huajin, he had essentially achieved his goal for this journey north. Hao Shuai planned to leave the Wong Fei Hung World.
Looking back on his journey north, he'd encountered some martial artists with conservative mindsets who didn't want to associate with others. With no other option, Hao Shuai had given up on them. He'd also met some narrow-minded people who couldn't stand that someone younger than them had better natural talent. They'd resorted to underhanded tricks during their sparring matches. Hao Shuai felt no guilt about dealing with people like that. By now, the grass on their graves was probably a meter tall.
A rented apartment in the real world
Hao Shuai appeared in the room and looked at its familiar furnishings with some emotion. Although he'd spent nearly a year in other worlds, only a second had passed in the real world.
Hao Shuai had returned to the real world mainly to deal with the matter of a house. He'd brought back several antiques from the Wong Fei Hung World, and selling them should earn him enough to buy a small villa in the suburbs.
Hao Shuai first searched online to get a rough idea of the antiques' value, so he wouldn't get ripped off by someone more knowledgeable. Then he took a taxi to an auction house and went straight to the manager.
When he left, his bank card had over fifteen million more in it. In exchange, he'd sold a vase, a teapot, and a piece of jade.
Now that he had money in his account, Hao Shuai searched online for the least popular villa development, took a taxi there, and chose the most secluded villa. He paid ten million in full, including the renovations, furniture, and the basement he'd requested.
Afternoon in the Night Shift World
Hao Shuai appeared in the villa, as usual finding it empty.
He hadn't paused time in the Night Shift World while he was in the Wong Fei Hung World, and the women, including Nanase Koi, had grown used to Hao Shuai disappearing from time to time.
With Hao Shuai's vast reserves of gold, Jinguguji Narumi and the others had gradually built a group centered on the hospital, with medical care, biotechnology, and computer science as its core businesses. The women had all joined the company as senior executives, and they were usually so busy they barely had time to breathe. They only returned to the villa when Hao Shuai showed up.
Hao Shuai called the women to tell them he was back and asked them to come to the villa that evening. Then he lay down on the sofa and flipped through the martial arts manual.
Hao Shuai read for a while, then fell asleep on the sofa.
By the time Hao Shuai woke again, it was already evening. Jinguguji Narumi and the others returned one after another. After dinner, Hao Shuai and the women sat on the sofa watching TV and chatting about the company's recent growth.
"Narumi, the company needs a bigger investment. Don't be afraid to spend money. I never planned to make a profit from this company. I've put another batch of antiques and gold in the basement, so remember to exchange it for cash in batches," Hao Shuai instructed Jinguguji Narumi.
"Now that the serious business is done, it's time for Happy Hour." Hao Shuai scooped up Fujisawa Ako and carried her toward the bedroom upstairs. The other four women, including Jinguguji Narumi, followed them of their own accord.
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