A glowing human figure filled his field of vision. He didn't need his eyes to see it: red and white light was evenly distributed across different parts of the body.
It was concentrated mainly in the limbs, while the rest was fainter, darker.
"It looks a bit like the red and white muscle the fitness coaches talk about."
Qin Shi thought it over carefully. He knew that skeletal muscle was divided into two types: red and white.
Red muscle was better for endurance, while white muscle excelled at explosive power.
Apparently, sports departments used this method to select athletes. Those with a higher proportion of white muscle fibers were suited to sprinting and high jump.
Those with more red muscle, by contrast, competed in marathons, road cycling races, and the like.
"It can't be that simple. I can see faint pink, too, where the red and white blend together into wisps of pink... Could this be Qi Sensation?"
The glowing figure sat cross-legged. A streak of pink light, about as thick as a finger, wound slowly between the red and white.
Qin Shi focused on Grasping Qi Sensation, guiding it through its cycle;
at the same time, he maintained Internal Vision, carefully observing the tender, gentle pink light, newborn as a baby and brimming with vitality.
After about seven or eight minutes, the warm current completed one full cycle.
In other words, it had completed the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Old Liang had mentioned.
"The pink has grown a little, and the red and white are brighter, too."
In the state of Internal Vision, Qin Shi could clearly see even the tiniest changes.
"According to Old Martial Arts, each time you complete a Lesser Heavenly Cycle and make Qi Sensation complete a circuit, your progress improves a little.
"This process is really about deepening the brightness of the red and white, strengthening the body."
Qin Shi pondered. According to the four steps Old Liang had laid out for beginners, Muscle Twisting and Back Stretching was training, while Grasping Qi Sensation was strengthening.
Together, they squeezed the body's potential and released its abundant Life Force.
Finally, one opened the Eight Sections and Nine Joints of the mortal body, completing a great circulation of Qi Sensation and letting the tender pink light cover the whole body.
"The Old Martial Arts Faction's years of tradition really are extraordinary. Every step connects perfectly to the next.
"Follow the process, and you can keep climbing higher.
"Of course, that assumes you can get started."
Qin Shi opened his eyes and stretched his body. His joints flowed together, his whole body moving as one.
It was like he'd spent a dozen minutes doing gentle stretches, loosening up every part of himself.
Now, Qin Shi felt none of the soreness and fatigue that came after intense exercise. Instead, he felt incredibly light.
The muscles and sinews throughout his body were relaxed where they should be and taut where they should be, like a brand-new machine freshly oiled.
"The Eight Sections and Nine Joints came naturally. Next, I need to increase the number of Lesser Heavenly Cycles and build a solid foundation in combat techniques."
Qin Shi stepped outside and splashed cold water on his face. Xie Yucheng's voice came from outside:
"A Shi, hurry up. Don't be late. Brother Ze has a big show planned today, and we're short-handed!"
"Coming!"
Qin Shi quickly locked the door and hopped onto the back seat of the bicycle.
"Old Liang rarely gave us a day off yesterday. I was going to find you with Brother Yuan, but you weren't home."
Xie Yucheng pedaled, the bell clanging as he sped like the wind toward North Pass Street.
"Brother Cheng's breathing is even, but not deep. His rhythm is like swinging a hammer—short and abrupt."
Qin Shi had just learned how to sense other people's breathing and judge their physical condition, so he used Xie Yucheng, who was pedaling the bicycle, as practice.
He closed his eyes and listened, letting the wind rush past his face and ruffle his hair.
In, out.
Qin Shi focused his attention.
Gradually, Xie Yucheng's breathing grew louder, forming a continuous, undulating waveform.
"Qi Sensation... Brother Cheng has Qi Sensation, too, but it's very faint."
The more skilled a martial artist was, the steadier the waveform representing his breath became, with less dramatic fluctuations. Only when he entered combat would it suddenly rise into peaks and valleys.
"Hm? Why can I see the colors of Brother Cheng's muscles, too?"
As Qin Shi's concentration reached its peak, his field of vision suddenly shifted. Xie Yucheng's flesh and blood seemed to peel away, revealing extremely dim red and white light. The faint pink, tender as a newborn, was almost nonexistent.
"There's more red than white. No wonder Brother Cheng usually loses to Brother Yuan in sparring.
"He's got endurance but not enough explosive power. His punches lack force, and he doesn't have the kind of attack that can finish someone in one hit."
Internal Vision didn't last long. Qin Shi's head soon started to feel heavy; observing other people seemed to take a lot out of him.
"Come to think of it, does this count as unlocking a cheat? If I could expand the range and use it through walls and obstacles, wouldn't that be an incredible way to catch people off guard?"
A little after nine ten, the bicycle stopped in front of the brightly lit Midnight Palace.
Xie Yucheng turned around.
"A Shi, I'm going to lock up the bike. Go in through the back first. Brother Yuan's been here since this afternoon."
Qin Shi nodded and hopped off the back seat.
At this hour, North Pass Street was bustling with traffic and crowds.
Cars, rarely seen on Old Factory Street, streamed in one after another.
Parking attendants with shoulder bags hurried forward to help park the cars and save spots.
"Brother Hua, open up."
He slipped into the alley and knocked on the iron door, seeing the burly, bald strongman once again.
"Xiao Shi, they're warming up inside. Hurry and change into your uniform. I told Manager Yu you and A'cheng were already here, just stuck in the bathroom."
Baldy, whose real name was Niu Aihua, gave him a friendly smile.
"Thanks, Brother Hua!"
Qin Shi slipped through the passage and into the changing room.
The deafening music outside pounded against the walls and seeped through.
"It's lively in there."
Xie Yucheng, who had snuck in as well, sighed.
"The floor manager said a high-energy show like this attracts plenty of rich customers who buy tickets. I hope we can make a few hundred in tips, enough for a big late-night meal."
Qin Shi looked at the poster on the outside of a locker. It showed a bronze-skinned muscleman, his body cast like iron, striking a back pose. His opponent was a scrawny Indian man in a headscarf.
"I wonder how strong the fighters under Brother Ze are?"
The Midnight Palace was especially rowdy tonight. The customers had stopped paying attention to the scantily clad dancers and the curvy waitresses. Every eye was fixed on the octagon cage that had risen above the main stage.
The heavy iron cage stood there, gleaming coldly. It was about ten meters across, with two-meter-high railings.
Eight thick corner posts held up eight panels of wire mesh, forming a small arena for beasts.
The host's high-pitched, passionate voice boomed through the entire hall over the microphone:
"Tonight, we have a brutal fight to the death, fist against flesh! On one side is North Pass Street's 'Black Lonnie,' whose hands have crushed the heads of countless fighters! On the other, from the Autonomous Region of Tianzhu, 'Bitter Monk'..."
The flamboyantly dressed host shouted himself hoarse, but the audience just wanted him to get offstage so they could watch the fight.
"Brother Yuan, who are Black Lonnie and Bitter Monk? Those names sound impressive!"
After delivering a few cocktails the customers had ordered, Qin Shi joined Li Yuan in a corner for a chat.
"They're all made-up nonsense. Black Lonnie's a fitness coach from the Metropolitan Area. He took steroids and his head got all pointy. He looks big, but he's as clumsy as a pig. He might not even be able to beat me.
"Bitter Monk's even more ridiculous. He's a dishwasher at a curry restaurant in the North District.
"The opening act isn't worth watching. It's just there to build up the atmosphere and fool people who don't know any better."
Li Yuan curled his lip.
"Huh?"
Qin Shi was surprised.
So this was the nightclub version of a martial arts tournament?
A contest to see who could put on the better act?
"They'd never put the really exciting stuff out in the open."
Li Yuan shrugged.
"The main course only comes out after the appetizers. A few Big Bosses from Smoke City are here tonight. They specifically asked to see a death match. They won't be satisfied until there's blood."
At the end, Li Yuan's expression turned grim. He and Xie Yucheng had the same clear "career plan," after all: follow Brother Ze, work their way up from boxing to fighting in the ring.
"That vicious? Someone actually has to die?"
As a student, Qin Shi had only ever seen the rundown side of Old Factory Street. He had never truly glimpsed the darkness hidden beneath the calm of everyday life.
"Rich people, right? They've already enjoyed everything there is to enjoy. A poor man's dignity, character, time—they can trample on all of it whenever they want. What's left, except his life?"
Li Yuan gritted his teeth, hatred showing in his eyes.
Qin Shi fell silent. Eldest Sister had shouldered far too much for him and the youngest.
She had paid for their schooling and their living expenses, sheltered them from the wind and rain.
They had barely experienced the pain of being beaten down by reality.
"A Yuan, table 52. They want two bottles of Thorn Rose!"
The bartender called through the radio from behind the bar.
Li Yuan answered and hurried off.
"Earning a little extra in tips really isn't easy."
Feeling the burning gazes from several booths, Qin Shi had no choice but to put on another customer-service smile.
Serving drinks and fruit platters to these lonely, sheltered single women meant putting up with a bit of teasing.
If it were only verbal, that would be one thing. Some of the bolder ones got handsy, asking if he wanted to find a sugar mommy or an older woman to sponsor him.
"A boy going out in the world has to protect himself!"
Hearing the bartender's reminder to deliver drinks, Qin Shi sighed again, bracing himself to endure the humiliation.
He only hoped he wouldn't run into one of those perverts who claimed they "needed disciplining," "wanted to be a slave," or "begged to be stepped on."
Before Qin Shi could pick up the drinks, Manager Yu, dressed in a rather alluring way, called him over:
"A Shi, take a break for now. Brother Ze wants you in a private room on the second floor."
Before you continue