Feng Shou Zhuo

In early July, the sweltering heat in Cloud Province had yet to dissipate, and the stifling air made it difficult to breathe.

At this moment, inside the Feng Clan manor.

In the training room, Feng Shouzhuo finished the final form of the Feng Family Five Force Fist and stood still to conclude his practice.

Steam rose from his body, and beads of sweat slid down his cheeks.

He stood there, his back straight, gasping for air, yet his eyes were incredibly bright.

It was as if he had shed his usual listlessness and confusion, replaced by a vibrant spirit.

"Brother Han, how was it?" Feng Shouzhuo immediately turned to look at Han Che, who was sipping tea on a chair nearby.

His eyes held a hint of anticipation. "Am I doing alright? Do you think I'm cut out for this?"

Han Che set down his teacup and looked at him with an expressionless face.

"Do you know how many days it took your older brother to master the Feng Family Five Force Fist?"

Feng Shouzhuo was stunned. "How many days?"

Han Che held up one finger.

Feng Shouzhuo asked tentatively, "A month?"

Han Che shook his head. "No, one day." He said in a flat tone, "To be precise, the Chief demonstrated it three times, and he had it down. Afterward, it was only because his muscles and bones were stiff that he couldn't fully execute the complete Feng Family Five Force Fist, so he spent time slowly conditioning his body."

Feng Shouzhuo's expression shifted in shock.

During this period of martial arts training, the sense of mastery and freedom over his own body was something he found utterly addictive.

He had heard Uncle Zheng and the others say that his own vitality was at its peak, making everything he practiced come easily.

Even so, he still felt sluggish while practicing the Feng Family Five Force Fist, struggling to endure the sharp pain of his muscles and bones being suddenly stretched and then abruptly relaxed.

His older brother wasn't as gifted as he was.

In just one day, how on earth did he endure that?

However, Han Che noticed Feng Shouzhuo's contemplation but had no intention of letting him off the hook. "Your ninth form."

He paused for a moment, then added, "The move Weary Tiger Returns to the Forest originally involves touching the wrists of both palms together, then striking upward at the opponent's chin with a Heaven-Supporting stance."

"Afterward, you strike the top of the head with your right palm."

Feng Shouzhuo snapped out of his thoughts, looking puzzled. "That's not right, isn't the ninth form Wrist Lock and Heart Strike?"

He thought about it carefully and realized that was indeed the case; he hadn't practiced it wrong.

Han Che stood up and looked at him calmly. "There is nothing wrong with it, because that is what your older brother changed it to."

"Including the entire Feng Clan right now, everyone is practicing the Feng Family Five Force Fist. Tell me, which step of your older brother's can you compare to?"

Feng Shouzhuo's face stiffened.

He felt quite dejected; was he inferior to his brother in everything, even in martial arts?

"You have such a solid foundation of bone structure and vitality, but your older brother had nothing at the time." Han Che looked at him and added, "Do you think you're a genius?"

"A true genius never keeps that word on the tip of their tongue."

Feng Shouzhuo was silent for a long while.

He realized that he truly loved this feeling of practicing martial arts.

It wasn't because he wanted to become stronger, nor because he wanted to prove anything; it was simply that feeling of throwing a punch, feeling his vitality surge, and his whole body feeling at ease.

Even so, he couldn't help but want to compare himself in his heart.

"What about you, Brother Han? How long did it take you to learn the Feng Family Five Force Fist back then?"

The corners of Han Che's mouth twitched involuntarily, and Uncle Zheng, who was standing to the side, let out a soft laugh.

"Little Han is even more formidable than you two brothers. Back then, he mastered it in just one hour." Uncle Zheng's aged voice rang out as he walked forward and handed a towel to Feng Shouzhuo.

Feng Shouzhuo froze, his expression filled with suspicion. "Ah~"

"Is that for real?" He immediately turned to look at Han Che.

Han Che remained expressionless.

He couldn't fathom how this Han Che, who wore a deadpan face all day long, could also be a genius.

No, that wasn't right.

His older brother was a master of Body Refining, and he himself was a master of Body Refining. Han Che didn't even have as much raw strength as he did, so how could that be possible?

Feng Shouzhuo realized something and looked sharply at the old man beside him.

"Uncle Zheng, you're lying to me!"

Uncle Zheng laughed and handed over the towel. "Second Young Master, do not aim too high too soon. It doesn't matter who learned it the fastest; what matters is that your foundation is excellent. Do not let it go to waste..."

He had just been about to mention Su Wantang, but then he thought better of it, realizing that Feng Shouzhuo had already forgotten her completely.

Uncle Zheng paused, "It is the Master's good intentions."

Hearing this, Feng Shouzhuo straightened his expression and nodded heavily, "Uncle Zheng, I will."

Afterward, without needing Han Che to urge him, he wiped away his sweat, performed a fist salute, and assumed his starting stance.

After taking the towel, Uncle Zheng stepped aside and exchanged a glance with Han Che.

Both saw the smiles in each other's eyes.

"This is how he must train. With the eldest young master as an example, in time, the second young master may well reach the Blood Burning realm."

Uncle Zheng's voice lowered slightly. Watching this scene, he felt a thousand emotions, his tone fluctuating.

A blessing in disguise, indeed.

If that whole affair hadn't happened, and he had actually married Su Wantang into the family, there was no telling what kind of chaos the Feng Clan would be in.

But then again, although Su Wantang's origins were unknown, Feng Shouzhuo had loved her truly.

Not only did she not take his life, but she also left him with such a solid foundation.

As he thought this, a strange feeling arose in Uncle Zheng's heart. The eldest young master had received the full, unreserved teachings of Chief Escort Zhou.

The second young master had received his own foundation of qi and blood; no matter how he looked at it, it felt rather peculiar.

"Old Zheng, you are underestimating the foundation the Chief Escort left for him," Han Che said, shaking his head.

After training for these past few days, Feng Shouzhuo's qi and blood had grown increasingly vigorous, and his fist momentum had become heavier. After finishing his drills last night, Han Che had tested his qi and blood as usual; it was surging like a torrential river!

Seeing the doubt on Uncle Zheng's face, Han Che looked toward Feng Shouzhuo, who was performing every move with power, and spoke slowly.

"His qi has now reached the Guanyuan Acupoint; he is only one step away from Blood Burning."

Once these words were spoken, Uncle Zheng's expression changed instantly.

Yet he remained somewhat uncertain, "Truly!"

"Naturally, it is true."

The implications of Han Che's words were self-evident.

The three barriers of Blood Burning: striking the Guanyuan, condensing strength at the Danzhong, and the turning point at the Mingmen.

These three hurdles were the watershed for martial artists in the pugilistic world; cross them, and one reaches Blood Burning, where the sea is wide and the sky is vast.

Fail to cross them, and one suffers from blood collapse, damaging one's foundation.

Back in the day, it was precisely when he attempted to strike the Guanyuan that he made a mistake, leaving him unable to make any further progress for the rest of his life.

"Old Zheng, if necessary, prepare for it within these next two days. The second young master is not far from Blood Burning."

Han Che knew what state Feng Shouzhuo was in. Although his own heart was a mix of complex emotions, the thought that he could teach someone to reach Blood Burning brought him a sense of relief.

"Also, Old Zheng, that manual you prepared for Brother Feng previously could be given to the second young master for reference."

Han Che's expression was hesitant, but after a moment of thought, he spoke it out.

"Old Zheng?"

Han Che turned back and called out several times before pulling Uncle Zheng out of his shock.

"Little Brother Han, I am here."

The complexity, lament, and envy in Uncle Zheng's aged eyes slowly faded; he did not know how to describe his current mood.

Watching Feng Shouzhuo throw punch after punch, Uncle Zheng felt an even deeper sense of trance.

Lamenting his own wasted half-life, he finally shook his head and sighed, "Youth is truly a wonderful thing."

"Little Brother Han, what did you just say?" After regaining his senses, he turned back to look at Han Che.

Han Che repeated his words from before.

Uncle Zheng pondered for a while, "Very well. To cultivate only one type of strength—if one cannot reach the pinnacle, it is ultimately inferior.

If the second young master can truly master it, it would not be a waste of that technique."

They were all family; it didn't matter who learned it.

Just in time, once the eldest young master returned, they could compare and see who would be the first to make a name for themselves.

After these thoughts passed, Uncle Zheng gave a few more instructions and turned to leave.

Inside the training room, only the continuous, rhythmic sounds of air-exploding punches remained, along with a pair of focused eyes.

After pushing open the door, Uncle Zheng was just thinking about going to the Chu Family Pharmacy to purchase resources for the Blood Burning breakthrough.

But he hadn't walked more than a few steps when a middle-aged man came running hurriedly under the corridor.

"Master Zheng, Master Zheng!"

Uncle Zheng looked up; it was Qian Fu, the manager of the Drunken Flower Restaurant on Dongyang Street, who had worked for the Feng Clan for over a decade.

Qian Fu ran up to him, his face full of worry. After pulling himself together, he didn't waste any words and bowed, "Master Zheng, there is a matter that requires your intervention."

Uncle Zheng frowned, "What matter?"

Qian Fu's face was full of helplessness. "Someone has been coming to the restaurant to cause trouble again these past few days."

Uncle Zheng was taken aback for a moment.

People causing trouble in the restaurant was nothing new; it was common to see drunken martial artists smashing tables and chairs or harassing the waiters.

Qian Fu had worked for the Feng Clan for so many years; he shouldn't be reporting such trivial matters to him.

"What kind of people?"

Qian Fu gave a bitter laugh. "Master Zheng, you had better go see for yourself. It's not easy for me to say."