I Thought This Was a Slice of Life

Shuya decided to talk about it another day.

"Let's go, I'll see you home."

Shuya said.

"No need, I can go back by myself."

"I should still see you off. A cute girl like you isn't safe on the road."

Shuya flashed a perfect, ten-out-of-ten smile.

"..."

Mai's face turned red.

She was still weak against Shuya's professional smile.

"...Hmph, you say you're devoted to Rena, yet you're always flirting with girls unconsciously..."

Mai muttered in dissatisfaction.

If the target wasn't me, this would be a very dangerous move, you know.

You, Shuya...

...are such a big idiot.

Shuya: I am very cute, so please give me votes.

Section 62 53 Purple Qi

After seeing Mai home, Shuya took a car back to the company.

He found Inoue Hikoo and told him about learning martial arts from Li Shuhong.

Inoue Hikoo didn't pay much mind to it, simply waving his hand: "Do whatever you want, just be smart and don't get into trouble."

He let Shuya learn martial arts very easily.

He wasn't worried that Li Shuhong was a fraud; after all, Jackie Chan knew him.

Inoue Hikoo had always taken a hands-off approach with his son; his requirements were simple: as long as Shuya could show up on time when he was needed, everything was okay.

Anyway, he had long since viewed Shuya as an adult, letting him decide most things for himself.

"Alright then, please tell Mom for me."

"Got it."

Inoue Hikoo agreed, but Shuya didn't know if he would forget a second later.

In any case, once he finished speaking, he stopped worrying about this matter.

Shuya left the company and took a car back to his neighborhood.

He didn't go home immediately, choosing instead to go to the supermarket to buy bento boxes, then a pile of chocolate, and finally some snacks to feed the Quintuplets.

He bought a bunch of things, mainly to eat when he woke up tomorrow.

Shuya didn't know how Li Shuhong would train him, but he was worried he wouldn't be able to hold up if he didn't eat something before training.

As for the chocolate, it was for replenishing energy at any time.

Actually, it was just Shuya being prepared for a rainy day; he wasn't sure if Li Shuhong would consider these things.

Anyway, from their previous interactions, he felt that this old man Li Shuhong wasn't very reliable.

Shuya carried two large bags home, put the bento boxes in the fridge, and then took the snacks to find the Quintuplets for some patting, feeding, and lifting, followed by the routine of building favorability after Rena returned.

Unfortunately, he had to wake up early tomorrow, so Shuya couldn't stay long.

He chatted for a while and then went back to sleep early.

At three o'clock the next morning, Shuya struggled to get up to wash, then ate two of the bento boxes he had bought yesterday.

His appetite was huge now, even bigger than Itsuki's.

Shuya had previously thought there was something wrong with his body, but now he knew it was likely the effect of that Natural Martial Bone.

He probably grew fast because he ate a lot, or so he guessed.

After finishing his meal, Shuya changed into sportswear and rested for a while.

At exactly four o'clock in the morning, Shuya headed out with the backpack he had prepared earlier, which contained water, chocolate, and some bread.

Creeeak---

Shuya pushed the door open carefully, but it still made a small sound.

"Whew..."

The air in Tokyo at the end of June in the early morning didn't have the heat of the afternoon; it was uncharacteristically cool.

The air was nice, and Shuya couldn't help but take a deep breath of the fresh air.

"Good morning."

Li Shuhong appeared out of thin air.

"Good morning."

Inoue Shuya was slightly startled.

"Let's go."

Li Shuhong grabbed Inoue Shuya, vaulted over the apartment corridor railing, and leaped up to the rooftop in a series of swift movements.

"Is this Qinggong?"

"Mm."

Inoue Shuya remained quite calm, a level of mental fortitude that made Li Shuhong nod to himself.

But he did not offer any praise.

Li Shuhong carried Inoue Shuya as they leaped across rooftops. His speed was immense, and before long, they were far from Inoue Shuya's home and had arrived at their destination.

This was a remote area in the suburbs, uninhabited, with only a single unfinished building standing lonely amidst the wild grass.

"I figured this place was quiet enough, so I decided to train here. No need to worry about disturbing the neighbors."

After setting Inoue Shuya down on the roof, Li Shuhong offered this explanation.

"Oh."

Inoue Shuya looked at the environment; it was indeed dilapidated, even featuring several large holes, making it perfect for filming a horror movie.

But it was truly quiet, devoid of any human presence.

Inoue Shuya didn't voice an opinion, simply setting down his backpack.

"Teacher, how are we going to train?"

"We start with the basics, of course. The current goal is to finish teaching the fundamentals within a week."

"A week... isn't that rushing it?"

"It's enough. That's how a Natural Martial Bone works."

Li Shuhong said.

"Teacher, I was wondering how the schedule is arranged...?"

"Hmm, I will teach you until twelve noon, and then I'll leave you to your own devices. Whether you want to go play or consolidate the basics is up to you. I haven't decided on the subsequent lessons yet; it depends on your level."

"That's fine."

Inoue Shuya calculated for a moment. It seemed all he needed to do was ask Kato Nobunaga for leave, and that would be that.

He didn't know if he would be too exhausted, so he didn't dare promise whether he could go accompany Mai for fitness training or study music with his junior sister and teacher in the afternoon.

But in his heart, he wanted to go.

It didn't matter if he skipped the classes of that old geezer Kato Nobunaga, but Mai and his junior sister were truly easy on the eyes.

If possible, he still wanted to work out and study music with them.

Inoue Shuya didn't have any improper thoughts, but what man would hate being around beautiful women?

...Well, except for those with specific preferences.

And so, Inoue Shuya officially began his one-month special training.

For the first week of basic lessons, he had to learn how to condition his body.

Li Shuhong taught him every fundamental.

Stance training, hand techniques, footwork, and so on...

How to train flexibility, basic fist and leg routines...

Li Shuhong's approach was practically cramming.

But miraculously, Inoue Shuya picked it up with ease.

In Li Shuhong's words, his body was born for martial arts.

Even if Inoue Shuya's mind hadn't grasped it yet, his body would remember it after practicing the movement once.

If a movement was even slightly off, Inoue Shuya's body would feel a strong sense of dissonance and automatically correct itself, settling into the most comfortable and accurate posture.

Li Shuhong wasn't surprised; it wasn't his first time seeing a Natural Martial Bone.

Beyond the rapid learning, Inoue Shuya was also shocked by his own flexibility. After only three days of practice, his body could contort into various high-difficulty poses, as if he had no bones at all.

To this, Li Shuhong simply told him to stay calm and not make a fuss, as it was basic procedure.

And so, Inoue Shuya continued to sprint down the path of cheating his way to success.

While practicing the basics, Li Shuhong would drone on like a monk, incessantly instilling various martial arts philosophies and common knowledge into him.

As of now, among this series of training sessions.

What left the deepest impression on Inoue Shuya was the method of absorbing the "Purple Qi" emitted at the first light of dawn to temper the body and develop physical potential.

Li Shuhong had introduced him to a new concept.

Intent.

The so-called Power of Will is actually just the mental power commonly seen in novels.

Regarding the "Purple Qi" brought by the sunlight, Li Shuhong said that it doesn't actually have any mysterious effects in itself; it is just a method akin to hypnosis.

It is a form of suggestion.

A suggestion that drives the Power of Will.

The foundation of the Power of Will, to put it plainly, is "belief."

Li Shuhong explained that many miracles only exist because one believes in them.

I will love you even in death~

Hearing this line, Shuya almost sang it out loud.

...Back to the main topic.

According to Li Shuhong, the Power of Will is another type of energy that is mentioned alongside Qi.

The Power of Will is the foundation for using Strange Arts.

As for what Strange Arts are?

The most well-known ones are Taoist Arts, Magic, and Divine Arts.

Li Shuhong did not go into detail regarding these Strange Arts, only mentioning them briefly.

He brought the topic back to the Purple Qi.