Astonishing Defensive Power

After becoming a martial artist in the Blood Refining Stage.

Jiang Jingnian's perception of everything around him instantly became much clearer.

It was like a nearsighted person who had worn glasses for years, seeing the surrounding world in a blur—then one day, not only did his nearsightedness vanish, but he could see everything with crystal clarity.

"My eyesight has improved. Even in the dead of night, I can still see."

He glanced at the spider climbing and weaving its web in the corner of the window, then slowly withdrew his gaze.

The room had no candles and no oil lamp. It was pitch-black, yet he could still see everything clearly.

Though it could not compare to broad daylight, it was still far beyond what he had been capable of before.

Jiang Jingnian raised his hands and looked at them. Because of his previous cultivation of the Tai Chi Nourishing Life Technique, his skin was much fairer than that of ordinary laborers, lacking their sun-darkened complexion.

Now that he had advanced to become a martial artist, he could feel the terrifying explosive power contained within his arms.

Besides that.

His skin seemed to possess a layer of bronze-colored luster.

"The Vajra Art seems to have astonishing defensive power. I wonder just how far that defense can go. Can it make me impervious to blades and bullets?"

"Or... can it block the bullets of foreign guns?"

When Jiang Jingnian pulled rickshaws on the streets, he had secretly observed the firearms worn at the waists of foreign police officers.

They were all pistols.

They resembled the Mauser Military Pistol from the old era of his previous life, also known as the Mauser Pistol or Box Cannon.

In the modern world where he had once lived, such things had long been obsolete. Far more efficient, lighter, and safer pistols had already appeared.

However.

To ordinary people, no matter what kind of pistol it was, a few shots were enough to kill. If a vital spot was hit, a single bullet could send someone into an infant's sleep.

At that thought.

Jiang Jingnian bent down and pulled a kitchen knife from beneath the wooden bed. It was the only "weapon" he had managed to obtain when he had first transmigrated here last month.

Restricted weapons in the foreign concessions, such as machetes, daggers, and military spikes, were not things a mere laborer could casually acquire.

Even though enough money could buy them through the black market or Stockade channels, after weighing the gains and losses, he had decided not to take the risk over a cold weapon.

"Let's test the strength of my body now."

Jiang Jingnian held the somewhat sharp kitchen knife in his right hand and, with a little force, drew it across the back of his left hand.

It stung a little.

The skin broke slightly.

But it was not serious. Only a few drops of blood emerged, and the wound would soon heal.

The defensive power was average, but his healing ability was indeed much stronger than before.

This result fell short of Jiang Jingnian's expectations.

"Again."

"In the Blood Refining Stage of the Tai Chi Golden Bell Shield, one's blood and qi are like mercury slurry—dense and brimming. Its killing power comes second; its defensive power is strongest."

"Only upon reaching the Marrow Tempering Stage can one stir the essence within the bone marrow and unleash the Tai Chi Golden Bell Shield, the strongest ultimate technique of the Taiji Vajra Art. But even at the Blood Refining Stage, one can activate the Blood Core and multiply one's defensive power."

Jiang Jingnian changed his method of testing.

He no longer relied solely on the strength naturally possessed by his body.

Instead, he activated the solid Blood Core constantly spinning within his Cinnabar Field. This was the unique power gained after becoming a martial artist.

The Blood Core was formed by compressing highly concentrated blood and qi. It operated and breathed in and out without cease, causing the blood and qi within Jiang Jingnian's body to circulate continuously along the major and Lesser Celestial Circuit routes of the Taiji Vajra Art.

This time, he urged the Blood Core. His heart followed his will, and the surging qi of the Blood Core instantly covered his entire left hand.

The bronze luster of his skin grew several shades deeper.

The kitchen knife in his right hand came down again, repeating the same old trick as he continued to cut at his left hand.

This time, aside from not coating the knife in the blood and qi of the Blood Core, he used nearly all his strength with the hand holding the blade.

Clang—

A dull groan of metal striking iron sounded from where the kitchen knife met the back of his hand.

This time.

Where the kitchen knife had passed, there was only a shallow white mark. It formed a stark contrast with the nearby spot that was still reddened and beaded with blood.

Seeing this, Jiang Jingnian was delighted.

Though he had no confidence in facing foreign guns and cannons, he was quite certain of himself against cold weapons.

This meant.

Other than martial artists of the same level, ordinary gang thugs, bandits, and robbers should pose little threat to him—as long as they did not swarm him by the dozens or hundreds.

With this, amid these troubled times, he could barely be said to possess some ability to protect himself.

"Without using the power of the Blood Core, my natural physical strength and healing ability should already surpass those of ordinary people."

"But once I use the Blood Core's power, my defensive ability increases severalfold. Ordinary cold weapons should find it very difficult to directly harm me."

"In a life-and-death struggle, that difference is like heaven and earth apart."

Jiang Jingnian was overjoyed. The invisible burden pressing upon his heart seemed to have eased considerably.

Becoming a martial artist did not merely provide a measure of security. More importantly, it would allow him to escape his current plight at the bottom of society, earn more money in the future, and repay Fifth Uncle's family.

He placed the kitchen knife back beneath the bed.

Then, after tidying up the room, he lay directly on the bed and fell asleep without removing his clothes.

The following afternoon.

At the introduction of a friend, Qu Yuzhi arrived at a martial hall in Nanpu District, Peace City.

On the plaque above the main gate were four large characters, written with dragons flying and phoenixes dancing.

"Intent Fist Academy."

The martial hall was not particularly large, much smaller than the major martial halls Qu Yuzhi had visited before. But upon entering, he saw that it still had two training grounds, one large and one small.

Only, the buildings looked somewhat old, their outer side walls densely covered in climbing vines.

"Brother Qu, come with me."

Qu Yuzhi's friend was named Li Zhongru, a middle-aged man with a rather artistic air. He wore a black-and-white plaid shirt paired with straight-leg trousers made of imported woolen fabric, giving him the relaxed look of someone who had returned from studying abroad.

This was entirely different from Qu Yuzhi beside him, who wore a felt hat and a long gown with a mandarin jacket.

The two walked one behind the other toward the smaller training ground nearby.

A man who looked like a legal adviser sat in a rattan recliner, fanning himself while instructing several apprentices beside him in their boxing practice.

When he saw Li Zhongru arrive, he merely smiled faintly. Then he said to the apprentices beside him, "Keep practicing here. Do not slack off!"

He then rose from the recliner and walked over, casually cupping his hands toward the pair. "Brother Li, greetings! This must be the Brother Qu you mentioned?"

"Brother Chen, how are you?"

Li Zhongru smiled and nodded, making the gesture used by foreign churches over his chest.

Meanwhile, Qu Yuzhi removed his hat and bowed with clasped hands. "Brother Chen, a pleasure, a pleasure!"

Before coming here.

His friend had told him that this Brother Chen was the manager who could decide the martial hall's apprentice placements.

Thus, he had been extremely proper in his manners.

After the three exchanged a few pleasantries, Manager Chen went straight to the point. "Brother Qu, you brought the documents, yes?"

"I did. They are all here."

Qu Yuzhi carefully took the documents from inside his clothes, along with a wrapped kraft-paper envelope.

Inside the kraft-paper envelope were banknotes jointly issued by Ning City Bank and Shenghua Bank. Each was worth one hundred silver dollars, and there were three in total.