Republic of China era: A hundred-year-old still practicing martial arts? Is that right?

Bai Xiaonian was panting heavily, his eyes wide open. He only gradually calmed down after Si Tianhu and the other two staggered out of their sight.

Lin Ji gripped Bai Xiaonian's wrist with two fingers, and a tingling sensation instantly penetrated to his bones. Bai Xiaonian's face turned red as he tried to pull hard, but he couldn't budge an inch.

His pupils contracted sharply:

"You know martial arts?"

For the past three days, he has been practicing day and night, sleeping only three hours a night. In addition, he gained some insights from observing the Liu family's young lady's moves, and has already touched the threshold of skin refining. He believes that he is several times stronger than when he was at his doorstep last time.

But in Lin Ji's hands, he still had no room to resist.

Bai Xiaonian suddenly remembered that day when Miss Liu stared at Lin Ji and asked, "Old man, have you practiced?"

Bai Xiaonian stared at the wrinkled, hunched-over old man before him. An old man who had been pulling a shadow puppet show for decades, actually knew martial arts? Just how many skills did he possess?

"Is it possible that I'm just naturally strong?" Lin Ji released Bai Xiaonian's wrist, leaned to the side, and glanced in the direction Si Tianhu and the other two had left:

"Go ahead and fight! Why aren't you doing anything?"

"Didn't you realize he was deliberately provoking you? Just waiting for this punch?"

"Today the courtyard is full of gentlemen and ladies. If you make a move in public, it will give them a handle to use against you."

"Go ahead and hit me! I won't stop you. After you're done, the old man will lead you back to Dog Tail Alley."

Bai Xiaonian stood frozen in place, his fist suspended in mid-air. The anger on his face faded, replaced by lingering fear.

Bai Nian stood there, stunned, his clenched fist slowly loosening, a chill running down his spine.

He was only thinking about not letting his sister be humiliated, but he forgot the rules of the martial arts hall.

If he really gets fired, how disappointed his sister will be!

Bai Xiaolian didn't even dare to think about it.

"Bai Xiaonian, the meeting is about to start, why are you still standing here?"

A middle-aged man in a dark blue long gown, of medium build and with a very capable appearance, walked over.

The man looked refined and cultured, but the bulging muscles that were faintly visible beneath his clothes indicated that he was also a trained fighter.

"Li Jiren." Bai Xiaonian looked at the newcomer with restraint, pointed to Lin Ji beside him, and said respectfully, "Li Jiren, this is my grandfather."

The man glanced at Lin Ji beside Bai Xiaonian but didn't ask any further questions.

"Let's go to the discussion meeting first." Lin Ji patted Bai Xiaonian on the back and followed the class teacher towards the classroom.

Bai Xiaonian quickly followed, but he was still pondering Lin Ji's words and his iron-like hand.

The classroom was full of parents.

Most of them were gentlemen dressed in silk and ladies dressed impeccably, each putting on airs and boasting to one another.

Lin Ji and Bai Xiaonian arrived at Bai Xiaonian's spot, immediately attracting several disdainful glances.

Lin Ji didn't care at all, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.

Li Jiren walked onto the podium and cleared his throat.

"I am Li Xiuwen, the class teacher! I will now announce the students' grades and comments."

……

"Bai Xiaonian achieved an A in martial arts and a B in academic subjects, ranking third in the class overall."

"Si Tianhu, C grade in martial arts! D grade in academics, forty-seventh in the class overall."

As soon as he finished speaking...

A murmur arose in the classroom, interspersed with occasional gasps of surprise.

Several pairs of eyes occasionally glanced at Bai Xiaonian.

However, the amazement didn't last long before turning back into disdain.

"What good is being good? This kind of bastard has to be subservient to everyone he meets to make a living."

"Yes, now that the martial arts ban is in effect, even the last path to success through martial arts has been blocked. No matter how hard a poor kid from a poor family tries, it's useless. He's destined to be stuck in the mud for the rest of his life."

Above the podium, Li Xiuwen frowned slightly and said, "Quiet!"

Li Xiuwen's voice drowned out the chatter in the classroom. Only after the parents had completely quieted down did he close his lesson plan and bow to them.

"That concludes today's discussion. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend. Thank you."

After he finished speaking, a round of applause erupted in the classroom.

As the applause subsided, the parents stood up and left the classroom in hushed tones.

Once only a few parents remained in the classroom, Li Xiuwen stepped down from the podium and walked up to Lin Ji and the other person.

Bai Xiaonian respectfully replied, "Li Jiren."

Li Xiuwen nodded slightly to Bai Xiaonian and then looked at Lin Ji beside him:

"Sir, you are Bai Xiaonian..."

"Grandpa," Lin Ji replied, just as he had agreed with Bai Yu'er.

"Let me tell you about Xiao Nian's situation at school."

Li Xiuwen paused for a moment, then continued:

"This child is indeed hardworking in his studies and has outstanding talent in martial arts, but he is withdrawn, not good at socializing, and occasionally gets into conflicts with his classmates. I hope you, as his parent, can provide him with more guidance."

Li Xiuwen glanced around, then lowered his voice slightly and continued:

"Sir, the Martial Arts Hall Examination is next month. You must urge your child to do his best to reach the threshold of the Skin Refining Martial Artist. Otherwise, once that decree is issued, Xiao Nian's talent will be wasted."

"Alright, that's all I have to say. Take care on your way back, sir." Li Xiuwen bowed slightly and turned to leave.

Upon hearing Li Xiuwen's words, Bai Xiaonian's face lost most of its color, turning deathly pale. He lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.

Lin Ji frowned, making the wrinkles on his face appear even deeper.

I wonder what exactly is written in this ban?

Should I, an old man who has already reached the rank of martial artist, take care of this or not?

I'm thinking about it.

Lin Ji noticed that on the other side of the classroom, Si Tianhu, the one who bullied Bai Xiaonian, was talking to a middle-aged man in a silk jacket and pointing in their direction.

After hearing this, the man forced a smile and strode over with Si Tianhu, blocking Lin Ji and his companion's path.

He squinted and looked Lin Ji up and down:

"This must be Bai Xiaonian's grandfather, right? I've heard so much about you... I heard your granddaughter runs... well, that kind of business, right? It must be really tough. An old man and a young child being supported by a woman."

"Oh! By the way, my name is Si Dezhao! I make a living selling some herbs in Jiangcheng."

Si Dezhao reached out his hand to Lin Ji, but withdrew it halfway and quickly wiped it with a handkerchief.

Lin Ji watched his affected hand-wiping gesture and said slowly:

"Stop wiping, my hands are perfectly clean."

Lin Ji glanced at Si Dezhao, then his tone suddenly turned serious:

"A young woman, working tirelessly from dawn till dusk to raise her younger brother, the siblings relying on each other for survival—this bond is more precious than anything else. It's far better than some families who, relying on their wealth, bully men and women."

Lin Ji glanced at Si Tianhu, who was hiding behind Si Dezhao, and continued:

"He didn't learn any martial arts skills, but he's a master of dirty tricks."

"Boss Si's son is well-educated."

Si Dezhao's fake smile froze instantly, leaving him speechless.

Lin Ji's face remained smiling, but his eyes were devoid of any warmth as he sized up Si Dezhao.

"My own son is at the bottom of his class academically, with terrible aptitude and character. Instead of properly disciplining and encouraging him to improve, he has the time to cause trouble and criticize other people's difficulties."

Lin Ji stepped forward and shouted, "Get out of the way!"

"You!" Si Dezhao pointed at Lin Ji's hand, trembling with anger, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

He knew perfectly well that his son was mediocre, and that he usually bullied men and women and needed to gather a group of people to bolster his power.

He had previously fought Bai Xiaonian one-on-one, but was severely beaten by Bai Xiaonian, which is why he held a grudge.

Si Dezhao glared fiercely at Lin Ji, his eyes filled with undisguised ferocity, and pulled Si Tianhu up:

"Let's go!"

The two walked to the classroom door, and Si Dezhao lowered his voice and whispered instructions to Si Tianhu.

He thought he was far enough away, but Lin Ji's hearing was far beyond that of ordinary people. Even from a distance, he could vaguely hear the words "find someone" and "teach a lesson".

Watching the Si family father and son walk away, Bai Xiaonian's tense nerves relaxed. He turned to look at Lin Ji, his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Grandpa Lin, thank you so much for speaking up for me earlier."

"Words of thanks are worthless, kid. I'll just ask you for a favor." Lin Ji waved his hand, interrupting his thanks: "We have some other things to do later."