Taiyin Breathing Technique

Night fell, and a bright moon hung in the sky.

Chen Lin sat cross-legged in the courtyard of the old house, with the Taiyin Breathing Technique spread open across his knees.

Following the strange poses illustrated in the book, he adjusted the rhythm of his breathing.

At first, it felt terribly awkward.

His inhales had to be long and slow, but his exhales short and forceful. Repeating the cycle nearly left him gasping for air.

After several attempts, he finally began to get the hang of it.

He closed his eyes, quieted his mind, and focused solely on each breath.

Two hours later, after completing the final circulation cycle, he opened his eyes to find himself sticky all over. A layer of black, oily sweat coated his skin, giving off a sour, rotten stench.

"Master!"

"So stinky!"

Clear Wind and Bright Moon's soft, childish voices rang in his mind, brimming with undisguised disgust.

Chen Lin looked down and saw that the two little ones had somehow retreated to the farthest corner of the courtyard. They covered their noses with their little paws and stared at him in revulsion.

Chen Lin's face reddened. He raised an arm and sniffed himself.

"Holy shit!"

The smell nearly made him throw up.

He hurried into the bathroom and gave himself a thorough shower.

As the warm water washed away the black, greasy sweat, a refreshing sensation swept through his entire body, as though he had been reborn.

He felt utterly invigorated, as if he had endless strength.

He walked into the living room and clenched his fists. A sense of brimming power welled up from deep within his muscles.

His gaze landed on the heavy solid-wood dining table in the living room.

His parents had bought it when they got married. Sturdily built, it weighed nearly two hundred pounds.

Before, forget lifting it alone-he had struggled just to budge it.

He drew a deep breath, walked over, gripped the edge with both hands, and drove power through his back and waist.

"Up!"

With a low shout, the muscles in his arms bunched, and his veins bulged!

He actually hauled the heavy, nearly two-hundred-pound solid-wood dining table off the floor!

Its legs hovered several inches above the ground, perfectly steady!

A tidal wave of shock surged through Chen Lin.

Just one practice session had produced such an incredible effect!

This was no mere body-conditioning art. It was a shortcut to becoming superhuman!

His regard for the Taiyin Breathing Technique instantly rose to the highest possible level.

Over the next few days, Chen Lin went to Yicheng and secured his business license. The rest of his life settled into a remarkably regular routine.

During the day, he worked beside the fishpond, directing the villagers Chen Guofu had recruited.

A ring of sturdy fishing platforms made from treated wood had been completed around the pond, neat, uniform, and rather impressive.

More than a dozen varieties of vegetable seedlings had also been planted in the plots beside the pond, creating a lush, vibrant expanse of green.

Every night, without fail, he practiced the Taiyin Breathing Technique.

After these few days of practice, Chen Lin's strength had tripled, and he discovered that his speed had improved considerably as well. He immediately felt that this Taiyin Breathing Technique was fucking amazing.

If he kept this up for a month, he would definitely become superhuman. Killing Taro...'s younger brother Tyson with one punch would be a piece of cake.

That noon, Chen Guofu returned from the village committee office, looking delighted.

"Xiao Lin, we've settled the wasteland deal. The ten mu around your fishpond will cost a hundred yuan per mu, on a thirty-year lease. You can sign the contract whenever you like!"

Chen Lin nodded, took a bank card he had prepared earlier out of his pocket, and held it out.

"Uncle, thanks for all your hard work on this."

Chen Guofu was about to reply, but the sight of the bank card instantly darkened his expression.

"What are you doing?"

Knowing his uncle's temper, Chen Lin spoke before he could erupt. "Uncle, leasing the wasteland costs money. Building the fishing platforms, buying vegetable seedlings, and hiring help all cost money. Buying fruit trees later will be another big expense. I can't let you pay out of your own pockets to build my business!"

"Besides, Qianqian is still in college. This is when she needs money! You have to take it! If you refuse, I'll handle everything else myself. I certainly won't have the nerve to ask you for any more help!"

Chen Lin spoke firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Chen Guofu was rendered speechless. His face flushed red, and only after a long while did he manage to squeeze out, "You little brat..."

Liu Shuqin stepped forward and took the bank card from Chen Lin, looking at him solemnly.

"Xiao Lin, we understand how you feel. But this money is yours. We can't take it! Since we're helping you set up your business, though, we'll hold on to the card for now and keep a clear record of every expense. Once everything's done, you must take back whatever's left!"

Looking at his aunt's earnest expression and his silent uncle, Chen Lin felt a tangle of emotions, with warmth flowing through his heart.

He nodded firmly.

The next day, Chen Lin got into his Qin Plus, ready to make a trip downtown.

He planned to melt down the gold coins in his Storage Ring and have a set of jewelry made for both his aunt and his cousin Chen Qianqian.

He had just settled into the driver's seat when two soft voices sounded in his mind.

"Master, Master, we want to go out and have a look too!"

Clear Wind and Bright Moon darted out of the house, pawing at the car door and gazing at him pleadingly.

Helpless, Chen Lin could only let the two little ones crawl inside his jacket.

The car soon arrived at the main Zhou Xiaofu jewelry store in downtown Yicheng City.

As soon as he entered the showroom, a saleswoman in uniform came over to greet him.

Chen Lin found her familiar. She was the cute young woman who had served him last time.

When the saleswoman recognized Chen Lin, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed delightedly, "Mr. Chen, you're here! Welcome!"

Chen Lin was a little puzzled. He barely remembered exchanging a few words with her last time. How did she know his surname?

As though she had read his confusion, the saleswoman explained with a smile, "Manager Song specifically told us about you. She said you were the valued customer who sold us that Imperial Green jade pendant. Mr. Chen, please follow me to the VIP room!"

Once he was seated in the VIP room, the saleswoman brewed Chen Lin a cup of premium Da Hong Pao. Saying, "I'll go get Manager Song," she withdrew.

Less than two minutes later, the crisp click of high heels approached.

Song Qiuya pushed open the door and entered in a sharply tailored business skirt suit, her gaze immediately finding Chen Lin.

"Mr. Chen, what a pleasant surprise. Have you brought us something nice to sell again?"

Chen Lin rubbed his nose. "Nothing to sell. I just wanted Zhou Xiaofu to design two sets of gold jewelry for me."

Song Qiuya's professional smile remained unchanged. "Are they gifts for your girlfriend, Mr. Chen?"

Chen Lin froze briefly. A certain figure flashed through his mind, then he shook his head.

"No. One set is for my aunt, and the other is for my cousin!"

Song Qiuya caught that fleeting change in his expression and understood.

Another young man who's been hurt in love.

But when she heard "aunt" and "cousin," her professional smile nearly slipped.

Could it be... one of those taboo scenarios you only see on foreign websites?

She promptly stole a guilty glance at Chen Lin. Her cheeks inexplicably grew warm, and she inwardly scolded herself for having such filthy thoughts.

Chen Lin gave the suddenly blushing Song Qiuya a strange look, completely baffled.

Just then, something squirmed against his chest.

Clear Wind and Bright Moon poked their two fluffy little heads out of his collar.

Song Qiuya jumped.

Once she realized they were two outrageously adorable kittens, the shrewd competence in her eyes instantly melted away, replaced by almost unrestrained delight and longing.

She ventured hesitantly, her voice softening several degrees. "Mr. Chen, may... may I pet them?"

Chen Lin marveled at the sight.

Sure enough, even the most aloof woman was helpless against an overwhelming assault of cuteness.

He smiled and nodded, then told the two little ones, "Go on!"

Clear Wind and Bright Moon leaped lightly into Song Qiuya's arms.

Song Qiuya went completely still. Then she carefully reached out and gently stroked their silky fur, her lips blossoming into a pure, radiant smile.

For a moment, even Chen Lin found himself staring.

Only after quite a while did Song Qiuya take a deep breath and reluctantly regain her composure, beginning to discuss the jewelry details with Chen Lin.

Clear Wind and Bright Moon had already jumped down and were exploring the VIP room, sniffing here and peering there.

Chen Lin genuinely knew little about gold jewelry, so Song Qiuya did most of the talking while he listened quietly.

"Mr. Chen, may I ask what your approximate budget is? We can offer different designs depending on the weight," Song Qiuya asked.

Chen Lin calmly slipped his hand into his pocket. With a thought, a dozen or so gold coins from his Storage Ring appeared inside it.

He pulled out the coins in one handful and casually tossed them onto the table.

"Just go by the weight of these!"

Song Qiuya picked up a coin and examined it closely.

Chen Lin had already filed away the designs and lettering, so she noticed nothing suspicious. She was merely surprised by its size, which was noticeably larger than the gold coins commonly sold on the market.

She brought over an electronic scale designed for gold and placed all the coins on it.

855 grams.

At today's gold price, this gold was worth more than eight hundred thousand yuan.

Song Qiuya looked at Chen Lin with a touch of helplessness. "Mr. Chen, for a typical full set of gold jewelry, we have to consider comfort. Two bangles would weigh eighty to a hundred grams, a necklace thirty to forty grams, a pair of earrings around ten grams, and a ring another ten or so. Two hundred grams is already more than generous for a full set."

This Mr. Chen really does spare no expense.

Over eight hundred thousand yuan's worth of gold, just to make two sets of jewelry.

On reflection, Chen Lin agreed. If it was too heavy, wearing it for long would be uncomfortable.

He also remembered that his cousin Chen Qianqian had only just started college. She might not necessarily like gold jewelry.

After a little thought, he said, "Let's do this. Make two sets of jewelry, each weighing two hundred grams. Use the remaining gold to make me a little golden pig!"

He could never repay his uncle and aunt for all their kindness.

Now that he had a little money, they refused to accept it.

As it happened, both his aunt's and his cousin's birthdays were next month. The jewelry would make perfect birthday presents.

If his cousin didn't like it, she could save it to wear when she got married.

As for the little golden pig, she would probably like that.

They soon settled on some design details.

The fabrication and design fees came to more than seventy thousand yuan.

In an excellent mood after petting the kittens, Song Qiuya waved her hand and promptly gave Chen Lin a fifty-percent discount.

That left Chen Lin feeling a little embarrassed, so he took the opportunity to invite her to lunch.

Still hoping to pet the kittens a little longer, Song Qiuya hesitated briefly before accepting.

They walked out of the VIP room together.

Just as they reached the showroom, the jewelry store's heavy glass doors were violently slammed open from outside!

Bang!

A tremendous crash!

Four or five masked figures, their heads completely covered by balaclavas, charged in with black handguns leveled!

"Nobody move! Anyone who moves gets shot!"

The burly masked man in the lead aimed at the central display case and pulled the trigger without hesitation!

Bang!

The deafening gunshot and the crash of shattering glass instantly rang through the entire jewelry store!