Physical enlightenment begins with Xingyi Quan

In the woodshed in the backyard of the Xingyi Martial Arts School, Madam Lin sat on the edge of a bed made of old door panels, her fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of her patched apron.

Chen Jianghe handed her a bowl of warm water: "Mom, have some water."

Lin took the bowl but didn't drink from it. She just held it in her hands, her eyes somewhat vacant: "Jiang He, am I too useless? This trip not only didn't bring me any help, but also..."

His tone was calm, without a trace of resentment: "That's how the world is. The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, superior and inferior, is more important than life itself. We won't force anything, nor will we expect anything from them. I have hands and feet, and I can practice martial arts. From now on, we'll earn everything ourselves."

"But your father's life..." Lin's eyes reddened again.

Chen Jianghe grasped his mother's hand: "We'll remember Father's command. Instead of relying on the Chen family, we'll rely on my fists."

Lin looked up at her son, and the calmness in the boy's eyes gradually eased the suffocating bitterness in her heart.

She finally nodded and gripped her son's hand tightly: "Mother believes in you."

Chen Jianghe stood up: "You should rest early, I'm going to practice my boxing for a while longer."

"Practicing so late?"

"I can't sleep." Chen Jianghe smiled. "I'm tired from training, so I naturally fall asleep."

From that day on, Chen Jianghe practiced his skills even more diligently.

Every day before dawn, he would be standing in the courtyard practicing his stance.

After breakfast at Chenshi (7-9 AM), he began to practice the Five Elements Fist repeatedly—splitting, collapsing, drilling, cannoning, and horizontal.

In the afternoon, the students alternated between stance training and boxing techniques until dusk.

After settling his mother to bed at night, he would use the dim yellow oil lamp under the corridor to carefully review what he had practiced during the day, pondering the changes in his movements.

......

Days passed by, and two months went by in the blink of an eye.

The autumn sun shone brightly that afternoon.

Chen Jianghe stood in the courtyard, slowly exhaling and inhaling three times, then lowered his waist and hips, and began with a chopping punch.

This punch was unlike anything he had thrown before.

Wherever his fist passed, a clear "hiss" suddenly exploded in the air, like tearing silk or the cracking of a whip. His entire body vibrated in unison, emitting a fine and continuous "crackling" sound, as if spring ice were just beginning to thaw, or as old bamboo shoots were sprouting new joints.

Before the punch had even finished, a new move had already been made.

The Bengquan (崩拳) strikes straight forward like an arrow, the Zuanquan (钻拳) spins like a cone, the Paoquan (炮拳) explodes with a roar, and the Hengquan (横拳) sweeps across a thousand troops.

The five moves are executed in one breath, with each punch accompanied by the sound of bones and muscles resonating; each turn of the move is accompanied by a short, sharp tearing sound in the air.

After retracting the final move, "Horizontal Fist," Chen Jianghe slowly exhaled a long breath of white air and stood still.

Mingjin, it's done.

[Destiny: Diligence is rewarded by Heaven; success is inevitable]

[Current Skill: Three-Body Stance (Minor Success)]

Progress: 65%

Current skill: Five Elements Fist (Minor Mastery)

Progress: 1%

[Effect: None]

"Good heavens!"

A startled cry rang out from under the eaves.

Chen Jianghe turned his head and saw Su Derong leaning against the pillar at some point, the folding fan in his hand suspended in mid-air, his usual casual smile gone, replaced by undisguised astonishment.

He strode over and looked at Chen Jianghe in shock.

"Bones and muscles resonate, fists rip silk..." Su Derong murmured, raising his eyes to stare at Chen Jianghe, "You kid... you really did it?"

Chen Jianghe was still somewhat bewildered: "Senior brother, this... is this Ming Jin?"

"Otherwise what?!" Su Derong released his grip, took two steps back, and looked him up and down as if he were seeing him for the first time. "The harmonious resonance of tendons and bones is a sign of the integrated flow of internal energy; the force of a punch tearing through silk is a sign of the outward manifestation of power. When both of these are present, it is a true display of Ming Jin cultivation!"

He suddenly slapped his thigh: "More than half a year! From beginner to mastery, it only took more than half a year! Jiang He, are you really a genius!?"

Chen Jianghe was somewhat flustered by his words: "Senior brother, you flatter me. I've just been practicing diligently every day..."

"Many people practice diligently!" Su Derong interrupted him, his eyes gleaming. "Is He Shouzhuo's training any less arduous? He's been in the academy for years, and he's only at the Ming Jin level! You've only been here for half a year! Half a year!"

He suddenly turned around, took off running towards the backyard, took a couple of steps, then turned back, pointed at Chen Jianghe, and said, "You wait here! Don't move! I'm going to call Master!"

"Senior brother, no need..."

"Just wait!"

Before Su Derong could finish speaking, he had already swept away to the backyard like a gust of wind.

Chen Jianghe stood there, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him.

......

In the backyard, under the old locust tree.

Li Chengyue was lounging on a bamboo recliner, sipping his wine with a plate of salted edamame.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face, warm and comforting, making him drowsy.

"Master! Master!"

Su Derong's voice arrived before he did. His voice was urgent and loud, startling Li Chengyue so much that he choked on half a mouthful of wine, coughing until his face turned red.

"You bastard!" Li Chengyue finally caught his breath, grabbed the empty wine bowl beside him, and smashed it. "Are you wailing?! Can't you see I'm drinking?!"

Su Derong dodged the flying wine bowl, which smashed onto the blue bricks with a loud "clang," scattering shards everywhere.

He rushed to the recliner, his face still beaming with excitement: "Master! Something amazing has happened! Incredibly good news!"

Li Chengyue squinted his drunken eyes and glanced at him sideways: "What good things could you possibly have to offer? Have you taken a fancy to some new courtesan at the brothel? Or did you win a few taels of silver at the gambling den?"

"No! It's Jiang He! Junior Brother, he—" Su Derong's words were cut short.

Because Li Chengyue had already picked up the old rattan cane that was leaning against the recliner.

"You startle people and disturb their peace, you deserve a beating!" Before the words were even finished, the rattan cane came crashing down on his head with a whoosh.

"Ouch! Master, please don't hit me! I really have something important to do... Ouch! That hurts!"

Su Derong covered his head and ran away, but the backyard was small and he couldn't dodge in time, taking several solid blows to his back and legs. The rattan cane looked old, but it stung painfully when it hit him.

Li Chengyue chased after Su Derong, whipping him seven or eight times before stopping, panting. He pointed his cane at Su Derong and yelled, "Speak! What is it! If you dare to fool me, I'll beat you so badly you won't be able to get out of bed for three months!"

Su Derong rubbed his aching arm, wincing in pain. His initial excitement had been largely dissipated by the blows.

He cried out, "Master, you were too ruthless! I'm your personally taught disciple, and once I've mastered the internal energy, I'll definitely settle things with you!"

"Determine who's better?" Li Chengyue laughed angrily, raising his cane again. "With your inconsistent work ethic, you think you can neutralize my strength? I think you're asking for trouble again!"

"No, no, no! I'm talking about serious matters!" Su Derong quickly took two steps back, raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, and said rapidly, "It's Jiang He! Junior Brother... he's broken through to the Ming Jin realm!"

"puff--!"

Li Chengyue spat out the mouthful of wine he had just drunk.

He abruptly sat upright in the recliner, his usually hazy, drunken eyes suddenly gleaming with a sharp light as he stared intently at Su Derong: "Say that again?!"

Seeing his master's unprecedentedly flustered state, Su Derong's grievances vanished instantly, replaced by a smug sense of "I knew it!" He cleared his throat and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Master, junior brother Chen Jianghe has suddenly broken through to the Ming Jin level. I just witnessed it with my own eyes; his bones and muscles resonated, and his fist ripped through the air—there's no mistake!"

Li Chengyue remained silent for three breaths.

The next moment, he jumped up, not even bothering to put on his shoes properly, and shuffled out: "Take me to see!"

"Understood!" Su Derong subconsciously waved his fan, striking a dashing pose.

As a result, Li Chengyue turned around and kicked him in the butt: "What are you dawdling for! Lead the way!"

Su Derong was kicked and staggered, rubbing his buttocks. He dared not speak out in anger and could only lead the way with a bitter face.