During the Republic of China era, I achieved unparalleled success by returning to the past.

Shopkeeper Chen's eyes were filled with admiration, but he said, "You talk a good game, but your martial arts skills and knowledge are of unknown origin."

Song Beiyou raised an eyebrow: "Uncle Chen, have you forgotten that I was literate when my parents were alive?"

Shopkeeper Chen's eyes gleamed with candlelight as he chuckled, "Pine and stone are the foundation, that's true, but the Flowing Cloud Lingzhi is not an auxiliary ingredient, but rather the realm of a crane carrying the lingzhi, soaring through the nine heavens."

"I see." Song Beiyou looked as if he had just realized something.

"Haha, wait here." Manager Chen turned and went into the inner room.

Song Beiyou was overjoyed. Could it be that this old man was going to pass on his teachings to him? Tai Chi, he had heard of it before.

A moment later, Manager Chen came out with a slightly curled blue thread-bound book, held it up and handed it to him, "Take this, it's the Qingcheng School's internal cultivation method. Tai Chi is profound and extensive. Since the end of the previous dynasty, various schools and families have drawn on the theory of movement and stillness, and the balance of softness and strength in Tai Chi, so it's correct that this method belongs to Tai Chi."

Song Beiyou solemnly reached out and took the book. The cover bore the powerful, vertical characters "Longevity Tai Chi Gong." He was about to kowtow and formally become the disciple when Manager Chen stopped him. "No, from now on, you should still call me Uncle Chen, and I'll call you Ayou. You have a powerful backer; I wouldn't dare presume to be your master."

Upon hearing this, Song Beiyou had no choice but to bow deeply to the ground: "The grace of transmitting the Dharma is like being given a second life. Uncle Chen, please accept this bow."

Manager Chen looked relieved and reached out to help him up, saying, "I'm handing it over to you for two reasons. First, I don't want my lineage to be cut off. Second, I hope you'll be less impulsive and violent, and more serene and dignified."

Song Beiyou sincerely cupped his hands in greeting: "I'll remember that."

He had already finished imparting the teachings when Shen Daguan and Chen Kuan belatedly realized what was happening. The two were filled with envy and, of course, were not convinced, so they went to examine the painting of immortal cranes more closely. Unfortunately, after looking at it for a while, they found it all very confusing and nonsensical. So the two of them had no choice but to make do with sleeping on the floor.

Nothing happened overnight, and Chen Kuan and Shen Daguan left early the next morning.

Song Beiyou, however, insisted on continuing his study of the Longevity Technique. With Manager Chen by his side, he could naturally ask questions on the spot if he didn't understand something.

Tai Chi is profound and extensive, and the Longevity Tai Chi is no less so, emphasizing the cultivation of both internal and external aspects. Internally, it focuses on nourishing Qi and refining the spirit, while externally, it focuses on training the body and strengthening the physique. Without internal cultivation, the body is weak and insubstantial; without external cultivation, the body is stiff and lifeless.

……

At the entrance of the alley, there is an old wall with a spacious storefront called Xu's Flower and Bird Shop.

Bamboo cages hang unevenly under the eaves, their covers half-closed, revealing a few blue-yellow sparrow feathers. White-eyes, yellow-breasted sparrows, and thrushes preen their feathers and chirp softly. Wooden shelves are stacked in front of the steps, with earthenware pots filled with wintersweet, daffodils, and camellias, their green leaves swaying in the breeze.

An elderly man with gray hair, but a robust build and vigorous spirit, carried a pot of elegant and graceful Cymbidium orchids from the back room, placed it on a wooden shelf, took out a small bamboo rake, and loosened the loose soil with the force of a rock.

A figure walked in, but he didn't look up, only asking casually, "What's the wind blowing today?"

"Hey, I've come to see the old man."

The old man hung up his bamboo rake, patted the dirt off his hands, picked up the tea bag handed to him by the passerby, and sniffed it. "Not bad. You know I'm almost out of tea."

The old man whistled to tease the caged bird, which seemed to respond to his command and began to chirp. He grinned, sat down at the tea table against the wall, and picked up a small copper kettle to boil water.

"Sit down. Tell me what's up."

"The old man's eyes are sharp; nothing can escape your notice. Recently, a young man came to the boxing ring and has won several matches in a row."

The old man slightly raised his droopy eyelids and glanced at me sideways: "It's just a small matter, don't bother me."

"Old man, don't be anxious, listen to me." The newcomer was dressed in a scholar's long robe with three strands of beard; he was none other than Master Lou from the boxing ring.

"...That foreigner didn't look like anything on the surface, but when I examined him closely, his entire brain was charred."

The old man's relaxed eyelids snapped open, like a Buddha statue in a temple opening its eyes, his gaze chilling: "What's his background?"

"An orphan from the lowest rungs of Yaoshui Village, brought here by Zhang Feilong."

"Zhang Feilong, Zhang Dabao? The second brother is wicked. The eldest brother is obsessed with currying favor with the foreigners and dreaming big. Handing over the Thirteen Villages to them is a dead end."

Jiang Minglou said carefully, "I suspect that kid either cultivated an ancient secret technique or he just happened to hit the jackpot."

"Let's wait and see. If he wins the boxing championship, bring him to see me."

……

For the next few days, Song Beiyou cultivated in the tavern and fought a few boxing matches at the warehouse at night to increase his inheritance awakening level, which was now 75%. As for other matters, he put them aside.

Besides fighting ordinary boxers, he also challenged four champions in a row. Jade-faced Ayu was in the limelight for a time, and the odds for him were reduced to 1 to 1.5.

As for the Lord of Hell, he has never shown himself, but he has heard various rumors. It is said that this person was a martial arts graduate of the previous dynasty, skilled in the Eight Extremes Stance, and once he unleashes it, it is as powerful as thunder, and those who stand in his way are invincible.

As a newcomer, Song Beiyou could only learn bits and pieces about this person from other people's conversations.

As for that young master Chang, he had already found out that he was indeed the youngest son of Chang Xiaolin, the third-ranking figure in the Green Gang, named Chang Huaizhen. He was known for his arrogance and disregard for rules. A few days ago, Manager Chen intervened and intimidated him, giving him a half-month deadline.

On the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, as dawn broke through the cold sky, the eastern heavens revealed rosy clouds, a pale crimson and light gold, enveloping the frost-covered fields. The light followed the morning breeze, and a warm glow emerged from the chill of the day.

In the backyard of the tavern, Song Beiyou stood by the old well, his body as solid as a rock, his breath as deep as a well, each breath like the tide. The withered leaves beneath his feet trembled slightly, caused by the vibrations of his inner energy.

Suddenly, Song Beiyou stretched out his body, his arms outstretched, his feet as firm as pine roots, while his upper body swayed back and forth and side to side like a pine tree in the wind. It seemed slow, but the surrounding air currents were stirred by him, swirling into a slight tornado, and withered leaves flew up.

Just as the withered leaves were about to fall into the well, Song Beiyou let out a clear, melodious cry. His outstretched hands moved slowly and then circled, as if there was an invisible suction force that pulled the withered leaves back and gathered them into a sphere the size of a bamboo basket.

The Book of Impermanence displays the following message: [Introduction to the Longevity Tai Chi Technique; you can extract it and condense it into a mask.]

Song Beiyou smiled brightly, and with a flick of his hand, the ball of leaves scattered and fell to the ground.

With a thought, he shouted, "Freeze!"

In an instant, his experience and insights from cultivating the Longevity Tai Chi Technique, as well as his physical condition, all turned into strands of mysterious light, which were absorbed by the Book of Impermanence and transformed into a thin face condensed according to his appearance.

"Internal Cultivation: The Longevity Tai Chi - Introduction"

Song Beiyou reached out and pressed down on the mask, his mind stirring, and the mirror-like surface of the mask prompted him to unfold it.

[By infusing five years of lifespan, the Longevity Tai Chi Gong has advanced from the beginner level to the Ming Jin level.]

[By infusing ten years of your lifespan, you will elevate the Longevity Tai Chi - Ming Jin to its peak. Depending on your innate talent, comprehension, and the difficulty of the technique, you will need to invest more lifespan to break through this limit.]

Song Beiyou's expression shifted. Breaking through the Dark Force required breaking through the limit, but thinking about it, it made sense. Manager Chen and the middle-aged man beside Young Master Chang, who were in their forties or fifties, were only at the Dark Force level.

His brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze swept over the vermilion annotations on the Book of Impermanence: Lifespan: Twenty-five years.