Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

Datong Street.

The warm afternoon sun of early winter shines on the bluestone road, making people feel comfortable all over.

"Mr. Qin, Miss Qin, please come this way. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

A broker named Li Lao Er, with a goatee and dressed in a neat blue cloth jacket, led Qin Heng and Qin Ting through the well-organized streets and alleys.

Ever since Qin Heng mentioned the idea of ​​moving, the siblings have asked someone to find a broker, and this is already the fourth house they've looked at.

At first, Qin Ting was reluctant to leave. She had lived in the shop in Yuhuowan for twenty years. It was left by her parents, and she knew every blade of grass and every tree very well. She had long since developed a deep affection for it.

But then she thought again that Xiao Heng practiced martial arts every day, and the small shop simply didn't have enough space to practice his skills. Besides, Songxuan Martial Arts School was located on Datong Street, so moving here would make it more convenient for Qin Heng to practice martial arts and meet friends.

Only after thinking it through did she finally relent.

"Hey! You two, take a good look!" Old Li stopped and patted the gate of a house, his tone ingratiating. "Just look at this gate, it's made of old elm wood. Those who know, know. Old elm wood is hard, durable, and very sturdy. It won't need replacing for ten or twenty years!"

He then pointed to the bluestone steps in front of the door, "Look at these steps, they are all made of the finest bluestone, polished smooth yet not slippery, stable in rain or snow, easy to clean without having to sweep mud, durable and presentable!"

As he spoke, he opened the courtyard gate and led Qin Heng and Qin Ting into the courtyard. The courtyard was very spacious and clean, with uniform blue bricks paving the ground, which were laid flat and even.

Three persimmon trees are planted against the wall on the west side. Their branches are strong and graceful. Although the leaves have all fallen, many red persimmons, stained by frost, still hang on the branches, like little red lanterns, which look very tempting.

In the east corner stands a stone well, its rim wiped clean, and the well rope neatly wound around the pulley, giving it a tidy appearance.

Qin Heng calmly surveyed the entire courtyard, secretly thinking that this space was sufficient for practicing martial arts, but his face showed no joy. He only secretly gave Qin Ting a wink.

Qin Ting's eyes also revealed her interest in the persimmon tree, but she deliberately frowned: "The yard is spacious, but there are too many weeds in the corners. Tell me, what's the price? If it's reasonable, we'll take it; if not, we'll look around some more."

Li Lao Er's eyes darted around, unsure whether Qin Heng and his sister were interested or not, and he cautiously asked, "Four hundred taels, what do you two think?"

"One hundred taels," Qin Ting said, counting on one finger.

Li Lao Er's face flushed red instantly, and he almost jumped up. "Hey girl! How can you haggle like that? This isn't buying cabbage, where you can't just cut it in half; you're cutting it right down to your ankles! You only have a hundred taels of silver; if I don't make a profit, I'll have to give you a discount, won't I?"

He rubbed his hands together, his tone softening slightly: "Let's be honest, three hundred and fifty taels, that's the lowest I can go. This is a room in the martial arts school district! Right across the street is Songxuan Martial Arts School, and less than a hundred steps to the right is Tiandi Martial Arts School. It couldn't be more convenient for Scholar Qin to go there to practice martial arts."

Qin Ting shook her head, her resolve unwavering: "One hundred and seventy-five taels, not a single copper coin more."

Li Lao Er's face fell, but out of respect for Qin Heng's status, he dared not turn against him. He could only plead with a bitter expression, "Sister of the Scholar, please have pity on me and let us make a little profit. We can't sell at a loss!"

"Alright then, one hundred and seventy-six taels."

"..."

After the two argued back and forth for half an hour, Li Lao Er finally couldn't take it anymore and, with a gloomy face, relented and agreed to settle for 260 taels.

Although he wouldn't lose money on this deal, he could only make a small profit. It was still easier to make money from wealthy merchants. The scholar was standing to the side, and he dared not show any disrespect or resort to dirty tricks.

"Alright, it's settled then. Now that we've agreed, let's go to the Ming family's money exchange to collect the cash!"

Qin Heng spoke crisply, and without waiting for Li Lao Er's reaction, he raised his hand and beckoned him to leave.

......

In the afternoon, after completing the transfer of ownership of the house, Qin Heng accompanied his sister Qin Ting as they slowly walked into the Songxuan Martial Arts Hall.

In the outer courtyard, many disciples were practicing their boxing and stances, their shouts rising and falling.

Mo Guangren was instructing his new disciples on stances in the training ground when he noticed the Qin siblings arriving. He raised his hand to signal everyone to practice on their own first, then turned to greet them.

Upon seeing Mo Guangren, Qin Ting's eyes reddened slightly, and she immediately knelt before him, saying, "Master Mo, thank you so much for taking Xiao Heng as your last disciple and for giving him so much silver to settle down. My brother and I can never repay this kindness!"

Mo Guangren immediately raised his hand, and an invisible force gently supported her knees, lifting her body up. He said in a gentle voice, "Miss Qin, there's no need for this. Xiao Heng is a natural talent for martial arts. Although his aptitude is somewhat lacking, he has still managed to get to where he is today. I took him as my last disciple because he is indeed the most suitable person."

Qin Ting wanted to argue further, but after a slight struggle, she couldn't kneel down. She could only bow deeply, and tears welled up in her eyes and fell.

Since Qin's parents passed away, apart from Uncle Zhou's family, no one has ever treated her and Qin Heng so well.

Mo Guangren nodded slightly, then nodded to Qin Heng, signaling him to take his sister and follow.

Not long after, in the training ground, Mo Guangren instructed Zhang Mingyuan to gather all the disciples.

Once everyone had taken their places, he spoke in a deep voice: "I have gathered you all here today to announce something. Yesterday, I officially accepted Qin Heng as my last disciple."

As soon as he finished speaking, the training ground erupted in chaos, as if cold water had been suddenly splashed into a boiling oil pan.

Who doesn't know the weight of these words? From now on, Master Mo will no longer accept disciples. Qin Heng will receive all of Master Mo's lifelong learning and the full support of the martial arts school!

Immediately, all the disciples in the arena were thrown into chaos.

Even Li Xiaona and the others never dared to imagine that Qin Heng would become Mo Shi's last disciple.

Zhang Mingyuan and Li Yiping stepped forward first, sincerely cupping their hands and saying, "Congratulations, Junior Brother Qin!"

Zhang Mingyuan reached out and patted Qin Heng's shoulder heavily, while Li Yiping punched him in the chest, her eyes filled with genuine laughter.

Li Xiaona, Li Shoutian, Wu Geng, and the Ji brothers were extremely excited, clapping vigorously with eyes full of pride.

Among the crowd, there were also a few discordant glances. Cui Daoning and the other disciples' faces darkened. They were usually very close to Qin Tianbao, and they were naturally extremely dissatisfied that Qin Heng had become their closed-door disciple. However, they dared not speak out because of Mo Guangren's authority.

After the announcement was made to the public, Mo Guangren led everyone to Tongji Restaurant on Datong Street, where they set up a proper apprenticeship banquet.

During the banquet, the disciples took turns offering toasts and congratulations, creating a lively atmosphere.

Qin Heng accepted all the drinks offered, and Qin Ting was pleased. She also drank a glass with him, but she couldn't hold her liquor and soon her face turned slightly red and she felt a little dizzy.

After several rounds of drinks, the disciples gradually dispersed. Qin Heng first helped Qin Ting back to her new home, then went to the Zhou family to ask Aunt Zhou to come and take care of his sister before returning to Tongji Restaurant.

Only Mo Guangren and Zhang Mingyuan remained in the private room.

Upon seeing Qin Heng return, Zhang Mingyuan spoke first, his expression solemn: "Junior brother, Master called you back because he has something important to tell you."

He paused, and after Qin Heng sat down, he continued in a low voice, "The date for the county to send troops to suppress the bandits has been set, in ten days! In addition to the soldiers of the river defense and city defense battalions of the garrison, the private troops of the five major families in the inner city will also be dispatched together."

Mo Guangren picked up the conversation, his face becoming serious: "Mingyuan is right. The most crucial thing is that the garrison headquarters has issued a strict order to conscript all the newly appointed military scholars in this county to go with the army, without exception."

Qin Heng frowned slightly, a hint of doubt rising in his heart. In ordinary bandit suppression, even if Wu Xiucai was required to accompany the army, it would never be forced. This matter seemed strange.

Mo Guangren saw through his thoughts and continued, "I also find this matter strange. It's probably not as simple as just suppressing bandits; there must be something hidden behind it. The head of the Hongmen Martial Arts School is a good friend of mine, and his eldest disciple, Fang Yu, will also be going with the army to suppress the bandits. Once you get to the army, you can go find him. The two of you can support each other and look out for each other."

"And one more thing," Mo Guangren's tone deepened, "For the next ten days, don't worry about anything else. Focus on practicing your skills and get yourself into peak condition. Be careful in everything you do, don't be careless, and don't be greedy for quick results. Remember, coming back alive is more important than anything else."

Qin Heng's heart skipped a beat, and he solemnly cupped his hands in greeting: "Master, rest assured, this disciple has remembered!"