yasinovel Chapter 4 Seeking Advice
Chapter 4 Seeking Advice
Liu Sheng originally thought...
The atmosphere is just right now.
The eldest senior brother and second senior sister will invite me and Ye Qi to go together.
Nothing happened.
Oh, right. What kind of person am I to dare to sit at the same table as the senior brother?
OK.
Liu Sheng practiced silently for a while longer.
Perhaps it was because his performance in the previous sparring match was acceptable, and several of his fellow disciples subsequently invited him to spar with them.
After carefully observing the changes in the empirical values, Liu Sheng basically concluded that:
When seeking advice, one should seek guidance from someone with high expertise, such as the senior disciple.
To have a friendly competition, you should find someone of similar skill level who also has talent, like Ye Qi.
This way, you'll gain experience faster in subsequent practice.
【Bajiquan (512/1000 Beginner Level)】
Seeing that his experience points were already more than halfway through, Liu Sheng smiled and said goodbye to his fellow disciples.
He put on his training clothes again, took his long coat, and set off on his way home.
With a good mood, I approached my home.
Liu Sheng didn't see that the shopkeepers and their employees nearby were packing up to close.
Or perhaps it's just like usual, chatting casually at the door and greeting him.
Instead, they saw familiar people gathered not far away at the entrance of the silk shop, as if observing something.
"Hey, I heard that Old Song owed money for his beggar donation last month, and he doesn't have the money to make up for it this month either."
"Who can argue with that? The imperial court is raising taxes, and the Beggars' Sect is increasing donations. What can we do?"
If it were any other company, Liu Sheng would definitely not bother with it.
Either they don't have much interaction.
Alternatively, when you come back, the other person is always all smiles on the surface, but as soon as they turn around, all sorts of rumors start circulating.
But he had to take a look at this silk shop.
I remember when I was a child, whenever my father went on a long trip to buy goods, he would temporarily leave little Liu Sheng with Old Song, the owner of a silk shop, because he was worried about the safety of the journey.
Mr. and Mrs. Song had no children of their own, and they always regarded Liu Sheng as half a son.
When Liu Sheng got a little closer.
Then a quarrel broke out in the silk shop.
Then I saw a group of beggar children from the Beggars' Sect running out with a few pieces of cloth in their arms.
Following that were Old Song's shouts and curses.
Old Song, stick in hand, chased after them, and was about to catch up with the two little beggars in front of him.
As a result, Lai San suddenly rushed out.
He picked up the two little beggars and ran away as fast as he could.
Old Song and the onlookers were all stunned.
Liu Sheng was also taken aback.
The two beggars, aged twelve or thirteen, plus the two bolts of cloth they were originally carrying, must have weighed at least a hundred pounds.
Lai San was actually able to carry it all in his hands.
They can even move with incredible speed.
I don't think I can catch up at all.
Liu Sheng suddenly realized that he still lacked a clear understanding of Lai San, and it seemed that he would have to be more cautious in the future.
"I'm no match for him yet... Even if I were, I still couldn't catch up with him! It seems I'll have to learn a lightness skill from now on."
Having a skill in light-body techniques is essential for being able to advance and retreat at will.
If you can't beat them, at least you can run away.
It greatly improves the survival rate.
"Let's take it one step at a time. Bajiquan is the foundation. Once we've improved our skills and can take care of our own families, we can help Uncle Song when we have the spare energy."
Liu Sheng clenched his fist.
He decided that instead of wasting time agonizing over this, he should go home early, have dinner, and practice more that evening.
Sighs filled the air as Liu Sheng returned to his family's general store.
"Dad, what's the situation with Uncle Song's family?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhutao glanced outside habitually, instructed his staff to close the shop, and then pointed inside:
"Let's eat first, then we'll talk."
On the stone table, there were still two dishes and two bowls of rice.
The rice was the same as before, but the meat and vegetables were noticeably smaller.
Liu Zhutao picked up a piece of green vegetable and then ate a mouthful of rice.
Even in his own yard, he still habitually looked around.
He then sighed and said:
"What else could it be? Old Song didn't pay his beggars' donation last month. It's been dragging on until now. The Beggars' Clan has tried every method they can think of, but they really have no money. So they have no choice but to steal some things to pay for it."
These words piqued Liu Sheng's curiosity, and he asked:
"I noticed that Uncle Song's business was doing quite well. Last month he made 7 taels, this month 10 taels... How come he can't even pay the 17 taels beggar's tax?"
Liu Zhutao rolled his eyes at him: "Who told you that their family also sells for 17 taels?"
Now Liu Sheng was even more curious: "Well... our two shops are the same size, how could the beggar donations be different?"
Liu Zhutao said with a smile:
"What do you know? They're just different. These little beggars from the Beggars' Guild sit on the street every day. Do you think they're all begging for food?"
Seeing Liu Sheng's "what else?" expression, he continued smugly:
"They just keep an eye on the flow of people coming and going, to see how your business is doing... Hey! At the end of the month, they do the math and then come to collect how much money from you, and then the lion's share ends up in the hands of the county magistrate."
As he said this, Liu Zhutao seemed quite proud.
"Your dad earns way more than old Song. What makes him so capable of paying 17 taels?"
Well, you're getting cocky now that I've charged you extra.
Liu Sheng thought to himself.
He's a typical middle-aged man; he can always find a way to praise himself, no matter the situation.
Of course, this didn't stop Liu Sheng from continuing to ask:
"If the beggars' donation is even less, how come Uncle Song still can't pay?"
When this matter was mentioned, Liu Zhutao also sighed deeply:
"Oh dear, Sister Song went to Shazhou City last month and fell ill when she came back. She's been sick ever since, and the money just keeps flowing out of her, but she doesn't seem to be getting any better."
"Ah, how come I didn't know?" Liu Sheng was surprised.
Liu Zhutao said irritably, "You don't know anything. For the past six months, you've been nowhere to be seen. You've been running around everywhere, and you don't even come back for dinner on time. Several times, I've wanted to slap you."
Liu Sheng blushed as he recalled his past experiences before awakening his innate wisdom.
To be honest, he also wanted to slap his past self.
But now...
He was still in his current state, and it would really hurt if he hit him, so he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"It's alright. Men have to go through a growth process. Your dad was the same when he was young."
Liu Zhutao then looked at his son: "So you should practice martial arts diligently. Even if you don't achieve great things, at least you'll improve your health. If you have the money, sending him to a martial arts school is better than sending him to a clinic."
Compared to the martial arts school and the medical clinic, Liu Sheng was more worried about:
"They're even openly robbing those who owe beggars their dues, and the government doesn't care. They might even be hoping they'll rob them. What about you, Father...?"
Liu Zhutao shook his head and said, "It hasn't come to that yet. Old Song's family owed two months' worth of debt before they robbed us."
At this point, Liu Zhutao sighed again and continued:
"Oh...it's okay, I'll stall with them. If they pay too readily, they might have to raise it again next month! It's fine."
Liu Sheng is not the same as before.
He could naturally tell that his father's expression was not as relaxed as his words.
But he couldn't say much more.
I just hope that my martial arts practice won't be too slow tomorrow.
Finally, after thinking for a long time, he said, "Could you bring me some dried dates tomorrow to visit Aunt Song?"
"Don't worry, you don't need to tell me that! Focus on your martial arts training and don't worry about these things."
Although Liu Zhutao said that, he was still often surprised by his son's sudden growth.
The Liu Sheng of the past didn't understand these social interactions.
into the night.
Liu Zhutao listened to the sounds of his son practicing martial arts in the courtyard.
In a cheerful mood, he sat in his room, working on his abacus by the oil lamp.
Liu Sheng, however, was completely focused, with only the proficiency level numbers silently scrolling by:
[Bajiquan Proficiency +1]
[Bajiquan Proficiency +1]
[Bajiquan Proficiency +1]
……
Although the ground was too hard, and there were no wooden stakes or Ye Qi to assist in practice, the speed of cultivation was greatly reduced.
But Liu Sheng still chose to train harder.
The sooner we achieve a breakthrough, the sooner we can feel at ease.
The next day.
Dawn breaks.
This morning, the Beggars' Sect was no longer bothering us.
Liu Sheng still got up very early.
He ate breakfast and prepared to go to the martial arts school.
Then he heard his father's voice: "Sheng'er, someone is looking for you."
Then he saw Ye Qi carrying a basket of fresh vegetables at the store entrance.
Ye Qi still looked a little embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and said, "My mother said I can't eat other people's food for free."
Liu Sheng glanced at the vegetables; they were very fresh, clearly picked early in the morning.
In arid regions, fresh vegetables are grown using precious water.
It would be very valuable if sold to a wealthy family.
Of course, even if the gifts were worthless, Liu Sheng was still very pleased, since the other party was willing to reciprocate.
Liu Sheng accepted it and expressed his gratitude.
He casually dumped the vegetables onto the table inside the house, called the waiter to take them into the kitchen, and handed the basket back to Ye Qi.
Seemingly feeling it wasn't enough, he thought for a moment, then grabbed a handful of dried dates from the shelf and gave half to Ye Qi.
Then he patted Ye Qi on the shoulder: "Let's go to the martial arts gym!"
When the two arrived at the martial arts gym, they both started with their usual warm-up exercises to strengthen their qi and blood, and then lifted the stone weights.
Once his body was in peak condition, Ye Qi proposed a sparring match instead.
Liu Sheng was surprised and only found out after inquiring.
After yesterday's sparring session, Ye Qi's understanding of Bajiquan has reached a new level.
I woke up today and found that my boxing skills have improved significantly.
That's why he couldn't wait to find Liu Sheng and had another match.
"Is this what a true genius is?"
Liu Sheng rubbed his forehead in pain.
Many times, when faced with such a genius...
He truly felt helpless and lonely.
So lonely that only the cold, hard numbers representing my proficiency level kept me company.
Of course, this is stated beforehand.
Liu Sheng does not rely on proficiency bonuses.
He genuinely felt that it was truly remarkable to still be able to see Chinese characters in this world.
After all, everywhere they went were unfamiliar, forcibly imposed demon script.
He carried with him a loneliness that others could not understand, and a hatred for true geniuses.
Liu Sheng and Ye Qi engaged in a friendly yet fierce sparring match.
The script turned out to be exactly the same as yesterday's copy and paste.
Ye Qi took the initiative.
Ye Qi has a huge advantage!
Liu Sheng hastily parried the attack.
Liu Sheng was forced into a defensive posture.
Liu Sheng reversed the offensive.
Liu Sheng has won!
Liu Sheng experienced another wave of exhilarating pleasure as his proficiency increased dramatically:
[Bajiquan Proficiency +3]
[Bajiquan Proficiency +3]
[Bajiquan Proficiency +3]
……
【Bajiquan (582/1000 Beginner Level)】
Unfortunately, such a boost is unsustainable.
After all, real combat sparring is quite strenuous.
This has to be because they are martial arts practitioners.
If it were an ordinary person, they would throw a punch into the air with all their might.
Before long, his strength will be exhausted.
If one's energy is depleted too much, the body will not be able to withstand it, which will affect the progress of subsequent martial arts training.
So Ye Qi, looking bewildered, and Liu Sheng, who had regained his confidence, returned to the wooden stake and continued their mechanical practice.
Until lunchtime arrived again.
The food was still served by Senior Sister Yang Hongliu, and the food was still flatbread, but the beef had been replaced with mutton.
Sitting in the training ground, Liu Sheng ate while listening intently to his fellow disciples chatting in the corridor.
At first, they talked about the Demon Emperor's tyrannical daily life, which consisted of drinking and hunting, or destroying Buddhism, and how many temples he had destroyed and how many monks he had killed in the capital city of Lhasa.
Then, the art style started to go astray.
"Have you heard? The imperial army, having failed to defeat the Bone Bird Khanate, is now retreating towards Yizhou!"
"Good, well done!"
Liu Sheng could understand, after all, he had no sense of belonging to this court that respected demons and despised humans, couldn't win battles, and only knew how to increase pay.
However, he still had a lingering worry, after all, he knew the saying that bandits are like combs and soldiers are like fine brushes.
Although life is tough now, at least there is basic order.
When defeated troops cross the border, order collapses, and the chaotic soldiers are even more outrageous than the usual government officials and thieves.
Of course, considering that Illinois is quite far away, the army would need at least a month to march.
In other words, even if the imperial army doesn't fight the next battle and retreats to Shazhou in an orderly manner, it will still be a month later.
Moreover, if the imperial court doesn't want to fight, how can the Bone Bird Khanate so easily let the imperial army slowly retreat?
After thinking about this, Liu Sheng calmed down a bit and then listened to the discussion of another group.
"The Mingsha Gang has been very powerful lately, defeating the Beggars' Gang one after another, and they've even taken over the central area of the county town."
"Yes, I heard they are very orderly, and their staff techniques are more like military martial arts; they must have a prestigious background!"
"Their gang leader seems to be a big fat man. I heard he used to be a legendary doctor in the army! Maybe he taught them the stick fighting techniques."
"It's much better for ordinary people too. I heard the land fees are much lower than what the Beggars' Gang charges."
Liu Sheng listened intently, eagerly anticipating the Mingsha Gang's plan to bring the commercial street west of the county town under their control as soon as possible.
Perhaps, we won't have to wait until we put in the effort ourselves.
Will Old Man and Uncle Song be able to get rid of the Beggars' Sect?
No, no, that's not right.
Liu Sheng quickly shook his head.
The Mingsha Gang's current apparent kindness towards the people may not be genuine. Perhaps it's merely a short-term strategy to gain a good reputation in competition with the Beggars' Gang?
After all, there was only one Beggars' Sect, which was a monopoly. When there are two competing, things become more complicated.
Moreover, since one lives two lives and one's own safety is at stake, how can one place this hope in a stranger?
Even if you need to find someone to rely on.
That still requires your own hard work and dedication to get on the good side!
Liu Sheng quickly dismissed his sudden slackness.
After the meal.
Take a short break.
It was time for Liu Sheng's much-anticipated questioning session.
This time, he asked about the basic details of the small frame of Bajiquan.
Senior Brother Lu took off his shirt so that Liu Sheng could see the details of his muscles.
At the same time, I patiently explained it to him:
"Starting from Yin and Yang, and moving to the Overlord drawing his bow, the body should be in the posture of drawing a bow and pulling an arrow, not like a regular long fist."
Liu Sheng kept a close eye on the changes in Lu Shixiong's shoulders and back.
When the "Overlord Draws the Bow" stance is completed, it is not a simple bow stance with a long punch pressing forward, but rather the entire body is like a recurve bow being drawn open.
With the front leg supporting the weight and the back leg pushing off, the waist straightens, the power flows through the spine, and the accumulated tension is released instantly.
Looking at myself, I realized that only my hands and feet were in roughly the right position, while my torso was loose.
"Closed elbow strike, can be used for stepping or double stomp, but don't deliberately step every time."
"The Overlord's Draw of the Bow is an offensive move, while the Closed-to-the-Ground Elbow is a defensive move. Be decisive each time and don't hesitate between offense and defense."
Liu Sheng recalled the details of his recent sparring session with someone.
It was actually quite good sparring with Ye Qi.
Because I was no match for him at first, I stayed on the defensive.
Only begin to counterattack when your skill level has increased and your opponent is exhausted.
But when fighting against others, he often hesitates and gets beaten a lot for nothing.
Now look at the senior brother's demonstration, his offensive is one step ahead, and he shows no intention of defense whatsoever.
The defensive stance instantly receded and subsided, the body shifting to one side.
The elbows and body move in perfect harmony, forming a seamless whole.
"A 'hitting the pile' and a 'closed elbow' are different. It's used for attacking and stomping on someone's feet. Don't use it if you can't land it, or it'll damage your brain!"
"Oh!" Liu Sheng responded immediately, "That's easy to understand."
Seeing that Lu Youjian had demonstrated enough, he called Liu Sheng over to demonstrate it again for him.
The latter complied, walked to the center of the field, and laid out the basic ritual of reunion.
He demonstrated each of the sixteen movements of the Bajiquan Small Frame to his senior brother.
When Lu You opened his eyes, he was once again amazed by Liu Sheng's progress.
Admittedly, Liu Sheng was only a beginner disciple at this time.
I haven't learned standing meditation or breathing exercises, so I'm only half-baked at it now.
But Lu discovered that, whether it was this time or yesterday, it was all the same.
Every time I demonstrate and correct someone's mistakes, they can learn them after watching it once, and they can immediately correct them.
And once you've corrected your mistakes, it's very difficult to repeat them.
"Could it be that Liu Sheng possesses superior natural talent? Or is it that his comprehension far surpasses that of ordinary people?"
Lu You then looked at Ye Qi, who was also driving piles on the other side.
Previously, both he and Yang Hongliu believed that Ye Qi was the one with superior talent. Ye Qi's talent was undeniable, and his progress was extremely rapid and smooth.
In contrast, Liu Sheng had been drifting along for the past few months.
While I have made great progress recently, it is not smooth progress, but more like climbing stairs with a lot of setbacks.
It was as if an invisible force was correcting him from afar.
"Interesting. These two are very close to the Lesser Completion stage! I wonder who will be the first to succeed?"
A year ago, Lu You was ordered by the master of the martial arts school, Gao Huang, to manage the school on a regular basis.
Special attention should be paid to discovering outstanding children from commoner families, so as to cultivate future talents for the righteous army.
Unfortunately, most of the people who have come over the past year are mediocre.
No wonder, before Master Gao swept through the martial arts street half a year ago, Bajiquan was not well-known.
Families who can afford to send their children to martial arts schools generally prioritize those who pass the martial arts exam.
Therefore, we will give priority to martial arts schools that have produced martial arts scholars in the past.
Six months ago, after the owner, Gao Huang, displayed his protectiveness towards his own students and achieved great success, the number of students surged.
Are we finally about to welcome two young geniuses?
Lu Youyue became more and more excited as he thought about it.
As the young master of the Lu family woodworking business, and with the connections of his master Gao Huang.
Lu You had actually heard about what Liu Sheng's family had recently gone through and had been paying attention to it.
Lu You wanted to help such a genius.
However, he couldn't force things to grow too fast, so Liu Sheng himself had to prove himself.
"Let's wait and see. If Liu Sheng takes that step and becomes a formal disciple, and the Beggars' Sect still dares to disrespect them, then the Bajiquan Sect will have to teach them a lesson!"