"A Shi, why did Brother Ze mistake you for Old Liang's apprentice? What's the difference between an apprentice and a student?"
At eleven o'clock that night, Qin Shi changed back into his usual T-shirt and pants and clocked out with Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng.
They still left through the back door. Along the way, they ran into Sister Hua, the burly bear-type beauty, and said goodbye.
Faced with Xie Yucheng's confusion, Li Yuan scratched his head.
"Master and apprentice is a term from the Martial Arts World of the Old Era. It's a more formal relationship. I heard you have to serve tea when you join, and if you're accepted, you have to invite fellow practitioners and hold a banquet to celebrate. Anyway, there are a lot of rules.
"My grandpa loved listening to storytelling, and that's how they always described it."
Xie Yucheng rubbed his chin and turned to stare at the unruffled Qin Shi.
"A Shi, come clean! Are you Old Liang's direct disciple? Have you already mastered some divine art, and are you about to see your Life Force skyrocket so you can soar to success?"
Qin Shi nodded solemnly.
"I can't believe you figured it out. It's true. Old Liang is actually a peerless master hiding in plain sight, the kind who could fight the current Martial God for three hundred rounds.
"And because of my exceptional talent and pure heart, he secretly passed his legacy on to me, and I mastered an invincible divine art.
"You two can each sponsor me five hundred yuan now. Once I go full-time after the Rank-Placement Exam, earn the title of Martial Artist, make my name at the Stellar Cup, and win the championship, I'll reward you with permanent residency in the Imperial Capital!"
Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng stared at him blankly, then hooked their arms around Qin Shi's neck from either side.
"You're a worker's child from Old Factory Street! Becoming a citizen of Tai'an is already a huge accomplishment. Now you're dreaming of becoming a big shot in the capital? That's outrageous!
"Come on, let's see what invincible divine art Old Liang taught you. Was it Yan Haishan's Infinite Soldier Forging Art or Ning Yuanhai's True Scripture of All Ages?!"
Clearly, they thought his story was ridiculous and didn't believe a word of it.
If Old Liang really were some peerless master, he wouldn't have ended up as a gym teacher at No. 9 Vocational Middle School.
Anyone with even a little ambition would aim for a permanent job in the Tai'an Metropolitan Area. Who would settle for rundown Old Factory Street?
Qin Shi hurriedly took out the "meeting gift" Cheng Ze had given him and raised several bills like a white flag.
"Have mercy, heroes! I'll treat you to a late-night snack!"
At eleven twenty-seven, Qin Shi returned to the shack. His little sister, Qin Lan, had already gone to bed.
He fought off his exhaustion and did several more sets of Exhaustion Training, meeting the upgrade condition for the [Muscle Memory] achievement.
Only then did he tiptoe through a quick wash and fling his weary body, worn out from the high-intensity workout, onto the bed.
"A new job, a nightclub server. Two thousand a month, plus tips, and the hours are fairly flexible.
"That Brother Ze gave me six hundred yuan. I spent eighty-seven treating Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng to a late-night snack, so I've got five hundred and thirteen left.
"I didn't eat enough Nutritional Paste today. I'll pay for another serving myself tomorrow.
"Remember to go to the Youth Palace in the afternoon. The new teacher's coming..."
As was his habit, Qin Shi tallied up today's gains and losses, running all the scattered, trivial details through his mind.
Then he made a simple schedule, and felt reassured.
He liked a life with plans and a future with direction.
That way, every morning when he woke up, he could tackle things one by one like a player working through quests.
It was so satisfying!
In his previous life, Qin Shi had experienced the harm caused by indulgence and laziness: the torment of watching his body decay like rotten wood, gradually rotting and stinking, while he could do nothing about it.
It had left a deep impression on him, one he would never forget!
That was why, in this life, with another chance, Qin Shi was desperate to improve. He wished he could seize every bit of progress and every opportunity that might benefit him.
"I'm all but certain to pass the Rank-Placement Exam, win the Hongzhi Class scholarship, then keep developing my Life Force and aim for Hengzhou University and University of Science and Technology..."
Thinking of the many "quests" still waiting to be completed, Qin Shi's lips curled into a smile.
He closed his eyes and relaxed.
Under the effect of the [Deep Sleep] achievement, he soon drifted into a sound slumber.
Just before his consciousness faded completely, he murmured inwardly:
"Combat Rewind! Activate!"
Dim yellow light streamed into the training room. Qin Shi opened his eyes and calmly looked at Li Yuan, who stood opposite him in an eight-arm guard.
"As expected, the scene for skill rewind must be the battle I remember most vividly.
"What a strange feeling. My body is asleep, but my mind is perfectly clear."
The world around him was like a crisp video paused in place. The feel of the padded floor beneath his feet, the dust motes floating in the air—every detail seemed utterly real.
But when he looked to the side, Xie Yucheng, standing against the wall, was a blur, as if he'd been pixelated.
"I was completely focused on the sparring back then and ignored A'cheng entirely. So in my subconscious replay, he barely exists."
Qin Shi didn't rush to review the fight. He stood still and thought for a while.
A dozen seconds later, he suddenly strode toward the punching bag, clenched his fist, and threw a punch.
Thump!
The black, hundred-pound punching bag swung violently with a dull impact, sending up a cloud of dust that had settled on it.
The vivid feedback of hitting a real object made Qin Shi's eyes light up with a smile.
"The best use of Combat Rewind isn't just finding an opponent's openings. It can also serve as a training ground in a mental space!
"I've figured out the legendary 'meditation training method' all by myself!"
He stopped paying attention to Li Yuan, who stood frozen like a clay statue, and began practicing his fighting techniques instead.
"Training in a mental space seems to make it easier to focus, without a single distracting thought."
Over and over, Qin Shi broke down the basic movements—punching, stepping in, retreating—and gradually grew familiar with them.
He demonstrated every move a hundred times, turning each one into an imprint, firmly etched into the depths of his mind.
"I've got it!"
Who knew how much time had passed? Qin Shi's punches, footwork, and slight shoulder movements began to form a coordinated rhythm. His whole body moved as one, ready to attack or defend.
"Time to test the results! Brother Yuan, sorry about this!"
He returned to the "battlefield," and with a flick of thought, the paused mental space resumed.
Whoosh!
A high roundhouse kick shot toward his face with a sudden rush of air!
Qin Shi's gaze remained steady. He didn't panic in the slightest.
A roundhouse kick used a wide horizontal motion, powered by the twisting of the waist and hips to drive the thigh and then the lower leg. It had a broad range and hit hard!
Seasoned fighters often used this move to overwhelm rookies. They would launch a rapid series of kicks, easily smashing through an opponent's guard.
"Brother Yuan's Life Force is still a little lacking. He doesn't have the stamina for rapid-fire kicks."
Qin Shi's body jolted violently. His hands, held up to protect his head, stung, but his guard remained firm. He wasn't knocked off balance!
His feet sank into the floor, the taut tendons in his legs snapping and bouncing. As Li Yuan launched another kick, Qin Shi seized the opening and struck back even faster!
"Brother Yuan's high kick leaves his balance weak. The attack isn't sharp enough, and it exposes his own openings."
Qin Shi jabbed his toe forward, planting it in the bend of Li Yuan's knee!
Crack!
Li Yuan dropped to his knees with a thud. Maybe it was because this was a replay, but he seemed wooden, his face still expressionless.
"Take this elbow!"
Once he had Li Yuan under control, Qin Shi pressed his advantage. His elbow slammed into him like a hammer, smashing his lifeless face until blood streamed down it!
Of all the weapons in a fighter's arsenal, the legs were the fiercest.
As the saying went, an inch longer meant an inch stronger; hands were worth three, legs seven.
But the most brutal weapon was the elbow.
The old Martial Artists would rather take ten punches than one elbow.
That was the principle!
"This feels great! Again!"
In the blink of an eye, he'd won the round, but Qin Shi still wasn't satisfied.
He needed to train repeatedly, sharpen his reactions, and understand the rhythm of offense and defense.
Only by constantly refining the details could his fighting ability keep improving!
"Brother Yuan's not tough enough. If only it were Old Liang... Now that would be satisfying!"
After resetting the progress bar to just before the fight, Qin Shi looked at Li Yuan with burning enthusiasm.
However many times Li Yuan had beaten him in the training room that afternoon, he'd pay him back double tonight!
"Heh heh heh! Brother Yuan! Feel the fury of my relentless assault!"
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