Reputation

"Dan Jin."

Li Pin looked at the specially made sandbag swaying violently and shook out his arm.

He gathered his focus and concentrated on his arm. In barely a minute, he had already perceived its condition.

"Soft tissue damage. Minor tears in the muscles and tendons, along with some damage to the nerves and blood vessels... More specifically, the injuries are concentrated between the flexor pollicis brevis, abductor pollicis brevis, and opponens pollicis. The affected nerves and blood vessels include the median nerve, recurrent branch of the median nerve, deep branch of the ulnar nerve, radial artery, and ulnar artery... But these injuries are all within the normal range."

Over the past month, his vitality and blood had risen to 21.014, equal to Shanhu's.

With a physique and vitality like this, it was naturally impossible to strike with Dan Jin without paying a price.

"I need to train it alongside a health-preserving method."

In his previous life, after realizing that he had damaged his foundation, Li Pin had deliberately searched for cultivation methods to restore himself. Of them, he had devoted the most effort to the Five Animals Exercise.

But since he possessed the talent of "Insight" in this life, he had to choose a different path.

The most suitable one...

"The Daoist Innate Breath Nourishing Qi Technique."

In his previous life, this had been his only stroke of fortune.

When his martial skill had reached the point of perfection and he sought to Embrace Dan, he entered Lingyun Mountain in search of a High Person and encountered a true Daoist cultivator.

The man had not been some martial arts master, yet despite being over ninety-six years old, he remained free of illness and pain, with a vigorous body.

Seeing that Li Pin did not have much time left, the man taught him the Innate Breath Nourishing Qi Technique.

This was a qi-nourishing method capable of returning to the innate state and excavating the body's Life Vitality. It had remarkable effects in treating hidden injuries and nourishing the flesh.

Unfortunately, he had not had much time left then. His heart had been restless and his mind impetuous, leaving him unable to quietly comprehend it. Until his death, he had never even entered the gate of practice.

Now that he had another chance, he could give it a try.

At once, he began breathing and circulating qi according to the methods of the Innate Qi Nourishing Technique.

There were fewer people at Changfeng Martial Hall in the mornings.

It was not until after nine that people began arriving one after another.

But none of them were trainees under Li Pin.

After finishing the Innate Qi Nourishing Technique, he continued practicing the Mysterious Gate of Profound Yin.

Near noon, Li Pin's phone rang.

Once he answered, Fang Yubai's voice soon came through. "Old Li, Chef Wang downstairs. Let's have lunch together."

"Alright."

Li Pin did not refuse.

He and Fang Yubai had already gotten along well before, and with Fang Lingjue's introduction between them, their relationship had improved considerably over the past month.

He immediately went downstairs and headed straight for the Chef Wang restaurant in the mall below.

When he arrived, he discovered that Fang Yubai was already waiting there with two pretty-faced, elegantly dressed young women.

"Old Li."

Fang Yubai greeted him and introduced them at the same time. "My girlfriend, Meng Lingbing, and her friend, Zhang Yunxi."

"Hello."

Li Pin took the initiative to greet them.

"Are you... Li Pin?"

Meng Lingbing seemed to recognize Li Pin and spoke in surprise.

"Yes."

As Fang Yubai spoke, he warned her, "Don't listen to those rumors at school."

"Oh."

Meng Lingbing nodded, though her expression was a little unnatural.

The woman beside her, Zhang Yunxi, frowned. Then she stood up directly. "Bingbing, weren't we supposed to meet Lele? She's here too. Should we go pick her up?"

"I..."

Meng Lingbing quickly understood what she meant. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "You go first. I'll wait here for you."

"You're really not coming? Lele will be upset."

"You go ahead."

As Meng Lingbing spoke, she secretly glanced at Fang Yubai.

"Fine."

Zhang Yunxi did not even bother saying goodbye to Fang Yubai or Li Pin before leaving directly.

This left Fang Yubai somewhat awkward, but he quickly recovered his composure. "Yunxi has something to do, so let her go. Let's eat first."

"I'll go upstairs and get something?"

Li Pin said.

He intended to leave.

"It won't be too late to get it after we eat."

Fang Yubai understood what he meant and waved his hand. "What do you want to eat? I'll order for you. We're eating."

"Your call."

Seeing this, Li Pin did not stand on ceremony.

He even asked openly, "Does Zhang Yunxi know An Wanyi?"

"Uh..."

Meng Lingbing glanced at Fang Yubai before answering, "Yes."

Fang Yubai looked rather embarrassed. "I've met Zhang Yunxi a few times. I thought she was fairly well-mannered, and she's pretty too. According to Lingbing, she keeps herself clean at school as well. I originally wanted to introduce her to you, so you wouldn't stay cooped up in the martial hall all day and make yourself sick, but I didn't expect..."

"It's fine."

Li Pin said.

Once he achieved success in cultivation and made a name for himself, he would have a proper talk with Jing Gufeng and An Wanyi. As for Hanyang University's other students?

He did not think he would have any further dealings with them.

Naturally, he would not waste emotional energy on them.

"Li Pin? Fang Yubai? You're here too?"

At that moment, a crisp voice rang out.

Immediately afterward, Shanhu walked over. She wore a ponytail and a red-and-white tracksuit, looking youthful and beautiful, dressed like a student.

At her side was another woman in a yellow dress, with straight bangs and long hair cascading over her shoulders.

Not only were the woman's features exquisite, but she also carried a gentle, graceful air. The moment she arrived, it seemed as though the entire main hall had brightened by several degrees. Quite a few diners in the restaurant kept glancing her way.

"Yubai is treating us."

Li Pin said.

"Want to share a table? All together?"

Shanhu asked generously.

Li Pin looked at Fang Yubai.

Fang Yubai, meanwhile, could not help looking at the woman in the yellow dress a few more times. "Of course. Your friend is..."

"It's fine."

Shanhu glanced at the woman. "Yingying? The more the merrier. We can order a few more dishes and try more flavors without worrying about wasting food. What do you think?"

"Alright."

The woman smiled faintly at Fang Yubai, Li Pin, and the others. "Sorry to intrude."

"Not at all, not at all. Please, sit."

Fang Yubai hurriedly said.

Without any shyness, Shanhu pulled out a chair and sat down, introducing her. "My best friend, Liu Yingying."

Fang Yubai introduced the others as well.

As soon as she sat down, Shanhu started chatting directly with Li Pin.

"Li Pin, I think your fist force is much fiercer and more powerful than before. Your vitality and blood have broken twenty, right?"

"They have."

Li Pin said.

"You've improved too quickly. But you train so hard, so you deserve this kind of achievement."

"It can't be helped. Since I work in this field, I naturally have to put more thought into it."

"You're very suited for this path."

Shanhu nodded deeply in agreement.

She had watched his training over the past month. Even if Li Pin had merely picked up the martial arts he had abandoned before, his rate of growth was still far too fast.

There was only one explanation.

He himself was exceptionally talented.

"Next week is the once-every-six-months Martial Arts Qualification Certificate assessment day, right? You can get the Level One certificate, can't you? Or are you taking Level Two directly?"

"Level Two directly."

Li Pin said.

If it were not for the fact that candidates could skip at most one level in an assessment, he would have wanted to take the Level Three certificate directly.

That was the Intermediate Title.

But it did not matter.

At his current rate of progress, he could wait another six months and directly take the Associate Senior Title examination.

Yet his words made Shanhu freeze. Then she could not help saying, "I was joking! You're serious!? You're really going to take the Level Two Assistant Martial Artist title examination directly?"

"Yes."

Li Pin said.

"You..."

Shanhu's good mood immediately vanished.

"Level Two!?"

Fang Yubai's eyes widened as he stared at Li Pin. "You're taking the Level Two Assistant Martial Artist title examination already?"

"Mm. Isn't it to fulfill the contractual obligations Hall Master Fang signed sooner?"

Li Pin said with a smile.

"Tell me honestly. Are you planning to take the Intermediate Title examination six months from now too?"

Shanhu stared at Li Pin.

"Who knows what will happen in six months?"

Li Pin waved a hand. "Alright, the topics we're talking about might not interest everyone else. Let's change the subject."

"I'm interested."

Liu Yingying blinked. "A martial artist's Level Two title carries a lot of weight. Passing Level Two at your age is truly impressive."

Meng Lingbing also stared blankly at Li Pin, seeming to want to say something.

But recalling the earlier awkwardness, she could not bring herself to say it.

Li Pin shook his head.

He did not think there was any point in continuing this topic.

His original purpose in practicing martial arts had never been to pursue fame and success. It was for himself, for the great desire of life—to break through the limits of the human body and utterly defeat illness, accidents, and natural and man-made calamities.

In the future...

He also wanted to see just how powerful a species like humanity could become, and where the end of life's cultivation journey truly lay.

Everything else, such as money and status, was merely incidental to that goal.

Having them was best.

Without them, he would not force the issue too much.

At that moment, Shanhu suddenly said, "Master recently realized that the martial hall business is really profitable. He should expand enrollment. How about you take charge of the hall?"

"Me? Isn't Master Yang the one in charge of the hall?"

"After enrollment expands, the martial hall will be divided into an inner hall and an outer hall. The inner hall will be for disciples, while the outer hall will call them trainees. Master Yang will oversee the inner hall, and you'll oversee the outer hall..."

Shanhu looked Li Pin up and down.

One meter seventy-eight...

A little short, but just right for a martial artist.

The key was that his foundation was excellent. If he got a stylist to dress him up properly...

Energetic, handsome, sunny.

The outer hall trainees would mostly be beginners.

Some would even be younger boys and girls.

Who could resist a hall master who was handsome and stylish, had both spirit and looks, and possessed a Level 2 Martial Artist Qualification Certificate?