I'm Actually a Genius?

Changfeng County.

November.

Heavy snow sealed the mountains.

Outside a secluded cave.

The north wind bit like a knife. Lu Li shivered, his hands and cheeks bright red, his entire body covered in snowflakes.

He tightened his thin, coarse linen clothes and rubbed his hands together incessantly, his eyes fixed intently on the Black-Robed Man before him with a fiery gaze.

The Black-Robed Man had a tall, burly build, much like a great bear, and was currently setting his stance, practicing something move by move.

His movements were swift and fierce, his techniques wide and open. Every punch he threw carried a deafening whistle, as if a ferocious tiger were roaring through the forest.

The powerful wind generated by his strikes drowned out the relentless howling of the north wind; even the falling snow could not come near him.

Boom!

Suddenly, the Black-Robed Man's expression sharpened. With a fierce shout, he slammed a punch violently into a tree trunk thick enough for two men to wrap their arms around.

Instantly, wood chips sprayed everywhere. The tree snapped, crashing straight to the ground with a massive impact that made the very earth tremble three times.

Lu Li felt his entire body shake, his eyes filled with longing. "Hiss, not even a fly can land, not a single feather can touch him, and he fells a tree with one punch—is this the martial arts of this world?"

"Truly extraordinary!"

The Black-Robed Man turned around, his face pale and his breathing slightly ragged, as if he had sustained some injuries.

He looked at Lu Li's eager gaze with a touch of helplessness. "This is my martial art, the Tiger-Subduing Fist."

"Lu Li, the path of martial arts is fraught with a thousand dangers. Do you truly wish to step onto this path?"

"Look at me. I have practiced for twenty years, yet I am still only at the first realm of martial arts. I have been unable to break through for a long time and require medicinal aid, let alone you..."

He looked Lu Li up and down, frowning slightly at the sight of his frail frame shivering in the cold wind.

Lu Li's expression was solemn; he did not hesitate, nodding firmly. "Hero Zhao, if one is unarmed, one remains an ant. I must learn martial arts!"

He had been in this world for sixteen years since his lucky transmigration.

This world appeared identical to the ancient history of his previous life, but in reality, it was vastly different. Demons ravaged the land, rebel armies rose everywhere, and danger lurked in every corner!

When he was young, his parents were killed by demons. Lu Li, still a child, had no choice but to follow his father's trade, working as an herb gatherer for the Huang Family just to scrape by.

On top of that, he had to face the government's exorbitant taxes and the gangs' incessant demands for "protection money." Under layers of exploitation, he could barely afford a meal.

Martial arts could change one's social standing.

As the saying goes, the fist is power!

A martial artist was respected wherever they went.

However, the cost of learning martial arts was exceptionally high.

The entry fee for a martial arts school in Changfeng County was generally twenty taels of silver.

For a poor family like Lu Li's, they couldn't even raise that much by selling themselves!

Fortunately, his luck had turned.

This morning, while Lu Li was up the mountain gathering herbs as usual to earn his meager living, he found Hero Zhao lying by the roadside, bleeding profusely and unconscious.

Judging by his attire—the outfit of a chivalrous hero—he knew the man was no ordinary person and must be a martial artist. So, he saved him, hoping to learn a move or two.

Now that the opportunity to learn martial arts was right in front of him, how could he let it slip away?

Hero Zhao's expression was complex. Seeing Lu Li's resolute look, he finally sighed. "Fine. Consider it a way for you to strengthen your body. Learning a move or two to avoid being bullied isn't a bad idea."

"Come, follow my lead."

"Sink your shoulders, drop your elbows, align your waist and horse stance..."

As soon as Hero Zhao finished speaking, he began to set his Tiger-Subduing Fist stance.

Seeing this, Lu Li hurriedly mimicked him.

He spread his feet to shoulder-width or slightly wider, bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and let his hands hang naturally or raised them slightly, clenching his fists at his sides while staring straight ahead.

During this, Hero Zhao personally adjusted Lu Li's posture.

Soon, Lu Li felt his legs become as heavy as lead. His entire body felt scorching hot, his back soaked through with cold sweat, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his cheeks.

Every muscle in his body ached, and his bamboo-like frame began to tremble uncontrollably.

Yet, Lu Li gritted his teeth and persisted, trying to gain control over his body.

He dared not slack off; he did not want to remain at the bottom of society forever, living a life of constant uncertainty!

He understood that he was just a common laborer, unlike those wealthy young masters and misses who had sturdy bodies and medicinal aid.

All he could do was grit his teeth and persevere!

Finally, as time passed, he suddenly felt a warm current spreading through his blood vessels to every part of his body, making him feel much lighter.

His vision blurred, and just as Lu Li thought he was about to faint, a panel suddenly popped up.

[Fate Master: Lu Li]

[Fate: Heaven Rewards Diligence]

[Attribute: A slow horse can travel ten days' journey in one, success lies in perseverance.]

[Martial Art: Tiger-Subduing Fist (Not yet initiated 1/100) Practice once a day, success in ten years.]

"Hmm, is this my golden finger?"

Looking at the panel that had suddenly popped up, Lu Li was slightly stunned.

Immediately, his heart surged with ecstasy; his golden finger had finally arrived!

As a veteran reader of Qidian Chinese with over a hundred thousand hours of experience, he instantly understood the function of the golden finger.

"This looks like a proficiency panel, the kind where as long as one studies and practices diligently, one will eventually achieve success."

"Sure enough, a proficiency panel is the most suitable golden finger for a poor person!" Lu Li mocked himself inwardly.

"Ten practices a day, success in a year?"

"Then I'll practice twenty or thirty times a day!"

Lu Li felt spirited; to have one's efforts rewarded was undoubtedly a joyous thing.

He feared that, as Hero Zhao had said, if one failed in martial arts, it would end up being nothing more than a pipe dream, and that would be truly pathetic.

Following the Tiger-Subduing Fist manual, Lu Li gritted his teeth and practiced it through from start to finish once more.

He let out a long breath and turned his gaze back to the panel.

At this moment, a miraculous thing happened.

He saw that the proficiency behind the Tiger-Subduing Fist had changed from one point to two!

Lu Li blinked, confirming that the change was real and not an illusion caused by his body being overly exhausted.

He was shocked in his heart; what was going on?

"Wait, based on my experience reading novels, this panel is meant for those with poor aptitude, but my progress is so fast, it's too outrageous. Could it be that I am not a mediocrity?"

"On the contrary, I seem to be a martial arts genius!"

Lu Li was quite stunned, but after a moment of thought, he suddenly understood.

The reason he didn't seem cut out for martial arts was because he was underfed and lacked strength, preventing his hidden talent from manifesting!

"That's enough. Martial arts cannot be rushed. You should head back first and ponder it carefully. It's getting dark, and in this world, undercurrents are surging; it's not very peaceful." Hero Zhao glanced at the sky and said.

Lu Li nodded; he also wanted to go back to continue verifying his golden finger.

Shouldering his herb basket and leaning on a tree branch he used as a crutch, Lu Li followed the path down the mountain.

Watching Lu Li's receding figure, Hero Zhao shook his head: "The path of martial arts is as deep as the sea; effort may not always yield results. Delusionally trying to cross social classes through martial arts—the hope is slim."

"I hope you are mentally prepared."

As soon as he entered the city and passed through the outermost shantytown, Lu Li heard a cacophony of noise.

There were the pleas of refugees and the sound of residents splashing waste water.

The stench was overwhelming; fortunately, it was winter. If it were summer, it would have been even worse.

Corpses lay on the ground, their faces sallow, their bodies as thin as skin stretched over bone.

Government lackeys in black uniforms pushed carts, heading off to who knows where.

Perhaps to a mass grave, or perhaps to a butcher shop for human meat...

Pedestrians hurried along, most of them also suffering from malnutrition.

Passing by a dark alley, Lu Li saw an old man who had been walking along fine suddenly dragged inside, letting out a single scream before falling silent.

He was startled and hurriedly quickened his pace, moving further away from the alley.

"This world is getting more and more chaotic!"

Returning home, he opened the door and quickly locked it behind him, only then feeling his heart relax significantly.

After tidying up, Lu Li prepared to continue practicing the Tiger-Subduing Fist in his courtyard.