Taishan Fist

[Ten-Thousand Questions Martial Arts Model activating...]

Buzz!

An intense buzzing immediately erupted in his mind, followed by a current surging into every limb and bone in his body, crackling with snap, crackle, pop electric shocks.

Xie An was shocked straight out of his grand chair. His hands and feet flailed beyond his control as he broke into a "zombie dance."

After quite a while, the numb, prickling pain throughout his body slowly faded away.

Xie An sat back down and panted heavily.

He opened the panel again.

[I am Ten Thousand Questions.

I can construct Martial Arts Grand Models, analyze flaws in martial arts, modify, evolve, and fuse martial arts, and map out the optimal path.]

In his previous life, Xie An had often used AI large models to process documents. They had been excellent tools for slacking off.

"How do I construct a Martial Arts Grand Model?"

[The host must first come into contact with a martial art. Based on the actual circumstances of that martial art, I will construct a corresponding grand model, analyze its flaws, and modify, fuse, and evolve it according to the host's intentions. In the end, the optimal path will be formed.]

That was interesting.

But Ten Thousand Questions' answer was rather complicated, not human-like enough.

Xie An decided to phrase it in the most straightforward way possible. "I don't want to work hard or suffer, but I dream of becoming a martial arts master. You get it, right?"

[Understood! I am currently planning the optimal path for the host to realize this dream... I can split and deconstruct martial arts, then directly implant them into the host's body.]

That would do nicely.

"Are there any side effects?"

[There are no side effects. It simply has relatively high computational power requirements.]

Computational power?

"What is computational power?"

[The computational power consumed by Ten Thousand Questions Lv1 is the host's vital energy and blood.]

Vital energy and blood—that was a person's very essence, blood, flesh, and bones.

Xie An's vital energy and blood value was only 0.8, not even reaching the baseline for a normal adult man. How many calculations could it possibly withstand?

"What about other people's vital energy and blood?"

[Not for the time being. Once the host's vital energy and blood become strong enough to absorb the vital energy and blood of others, Ten Thousand Questions will be able to use others' vital energy and blood for calculations.]

Xie An breathed a sigh of relief.

He was currently at the beginning stage, so he could understand the harsh conditions.

Once he became stronger in the future, everything would get better...

Just as Xie An was about to ask a few more questions...

Hiss!

A needle-like pain suddenly stabbed through his mind. The world spun around him, and he toppled straight to the ground.

It felt as though every drop of essence and blood in his body had been drained dry.

Xie An opened the panel and looked.

His vital energy and blood value had fallen from 0.8 to 0.2. Red warning text had already appeared!

"I only asked a few questions... and I used up all my vital energy and blood? These computational power requirements are downright absurd..."

"It seems I can't chat in the future. First, it consumes far too much computational power. Second, once I understand Ten Thousand Questions' functions clearly, chatting has no practical meaning anyway. I should just analyze martial arts directly. Otherwise, I really won't be able to take it..."

Before Xie An could finish speaking, darkness swept over his vision, and he fainted on the spot.

When he woke again, it was already broad daylight.

It was still snowing outside.

Qiu Lan, dressed in a pink padded jacket, sat by the bed. She held a ceramic bowl larger than her face and puffed out her cheeks as she blew on the medicine inside.

"You're awake, Young Master." Seeing Xie An wake up, Qiu Lan's eyes widened in delighted surprise, a smile blooming across her face.

Qiu Lan had been bought by her father at the age of six and brought into the household. She had served Xie An for a full eight years now and had become the personal maid he could least do without.

Xie An shook his heavy head. "Who dragged me back yesterday?"

Qiu Lan scooped up a spoonful of cooled medicine and brought it to Xie An's lips. "Last night, when I waited until midnight and still didn't see you return to the West Courtyard, I ran to the central courtyard to inform Master. Master was terribly worried and had more than forty household guards search everywhere... In the end, they found you in the study. Master said... you must have been frightened outside yesterday, Young Master, and told you not to leave the house for the next few days."

After drinking the medicine, Xie An opened the panel and checked his vital energy and blood value. It had recovered to 0.3.

So little...

He had to replenish it quickly.

"Qiu Lan, I want chicken. Have the cook stew an old hen for me. Then go to the medicine shop and ask the shopkeeper for several fine ginseng roots, the older the better. Put them in the chicken soup and simmer them together."

Qiu Lan took away the medicine bowl, overjoyed. "If Young Master wants to eat, then you must be all right. I'll arrange it right away."

About two hours later, Qiu Lan entered carrying a large bowl of steaming ginseng chicken soup.

"This is an old hen raised for two years, with half a century-old ginseng root added. It's tremendously nourishing. Young Master, hurry and have a taste."

The cook's skills were indeed excellent. The soup had drawn out the old hen's full flavor, along with the rich aroma of ginseng.

After only a few mouthfuls, Xie An felt much of his strength return. In the end, he simply picked up the bowl and drank deeply from it, then had Qiu Lan serve him two more large bowls after he finished.

After eating and drinking his fill, Xie An dozed for a while. When he woke again—

His vital energy and blood value had recovered to 0.8.

It seemed that was his current limit. Continuing to nourish himself would not raise it any further.

"Qiu Lan, help me dress. I'm going out for a walk."

Young masters from wealthy households did not need to dress themselves. They truly had food brought to their mouths and clothes placed over their outstretched hands.

Qiu Lan moved swiftly and efficiently. Before long, she had changed Xie An into a brand-new azure robe, tied a leather belt around his waist, and hung a fragrant sachet and jade pendant from it. On his feet were cloud-patterned boots inlaid with silver thread. She arranged his hair into a topknot and inserted a hairpin of mutton-fat jade.

When he looked himself over in the floor-length bronze mirror, he truly had some of the bearing of a wealthy young master.

"It's still snowing outside, Young Master. Put on a fur cloak as well." Qiu Lan brought over a fox-fur cloak and draped it over Xie An before helping him out the door.

The Xie Residence covered a vast area. More than forty guards lived there year-round, and with the servants, maids, kitchen staff, stablehands, and others, there were over a hundred people in total. His father lived in the central courtyard, while Xie An lived in the West Courtyard.

The east courtyard was home to his second mother and youngest sister.

The moment he stepped out of the main room, he saw Zhao Hu practicing with a saber in the courtyard.

When Zhao Hu spotted Xie An leaving the house, he hurriedly sheathed his saber and came over with a smile. "Is Young Master feeling better?"

Xie An nodded. "Yes. Where is Uncle Shui?"

Zhao Hu scratched his head. "He just returned from inspecting the Treasure Pawnshop. He's currently testing the household guards' martial skills at the training ground."

"Let's go take a look."

Xie An led the way out of the West Courtyard, passed through several covered corridors, and arrived at the training ground.

The training ground was enormous. Aside from being used by the household guards for martial training, it also served as a place for unloading escorted goods.

With a hand warmer tucked in his hands, Xie An stood beneath the covered corridor and watched more than forty household guards practice martial arts in the snow with grunts and shouts, exchanging moves with one another. Uncle Shui stood nearby, offering instruction.

Whenever Uncle Shui spoke, the guards gathered around him to listen respectfully.

It was clear how high Uncle Shui's standing was among the guards.

Xie An slowly walked toward the training ground. Quite a few guards saw him and called out, "Eldest Young Master."

Only Uncle Shui remained where he was, merely nodding to him from afar.

Although Uncle Shui was the head of the guards, he was not truly a servant of the household. After all, he and Xie Zhengtang were sworn brothers, and Xie An had always treated him as an elder uncle.

"Uncle Shui."

Xie An stepped up to Uncle Shui and cupped his hands in greeting.

Uncle Shui smiled. "Mingxi, you were frightened yesterday and even fainted in the study. You should be resting properly in your room. Why have you come out into the ice and snow?"

Xie An raised a hand toward Qiu Lan and Zhao Hu. Understanding, the two withdrew.

Xie An said, "Uncle Shui, I want to train in martial arts under you."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Shui nearly choked. He looked Xie An over in disbelief. "Mingxi, don't joke around. Martial arts require training through the scorching days of summer and the bitter cold of winter. Even then, it is difficult to achieve anything, and you may even ruin your body in the process. Mingxi, you need only take good care of yourself and inherit Master's vast family estate in the future. Why suffer such hardship?"

Xie An sighed inwardly.

That was how he had thought before as well. So long as he lived healthily... everything his father had now would eventually become his.

But after what happened at Li Family Village, Xie An's thoughts had changed.

Just then, Uncle Shui seemed to recall something and added, "Even if ghosts and specters truly exist in this world, ordinary martial arts cannot protect you. Mingxi, there is no need to entertain such fantasies."

Xie An knew that Uncle Shui did not believe he could master martial arts, but he did not make any grand declarations. He merely smiled. "I'm simply acting on a whim. Uncle Shui, could you lend me a martial arts manual to look over?"

In Uncle Shui's impression, Xie An had always lacked ambition and could not endure hardship. No matter what he did, his enthusiasm lasted only three days before he lost all interest.

This sort of thing had happened many times before.

He did not want to suffer, yet wanted to become a martial arts master... Where in the world could such a wonderful bargain exist?

This time, Uncle Shui did not take it seriously at all. He thought he might as well give Xie An an introductory martial art that was exceptionally difficult to cultivate, so Xie An would retreat in the face of difficulty. Once his three-minute passion passed, Xie An would naturally stop asking about it.

With that thought, Uncle Shui nodded. "I happen to have an introductory martial arts manual where I live, called Taishan Fist. If you are interested, Mingxi, come with me and get it."