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

Inside Lin Ji's courtyard in Gouwei Lane.

Zhao Qiaosheng lay on Lin Ji's wooden bed, with a coarse porcelain bowl containing only a thin layer of porridge on the wooden table next to him.

Lin Ji and the other two sat at another table, breaking apart cornbread buns in their hands.

"Young Master Zhao, may I ask a question?"

Setting down the nearly empty bowl of porridge, Lin Ji glanced at Zhao Qiaosheng on the bed.

Unlike after a while, Zhao Qiaosheng's face had regained some color.

"Please speak, sir."

Zhao Qiaosheng responded upon hearing this.

"Martial artists emphasize refining their skin, flesh, and bones, as well as their internal and external strength... Since you were able to break through numerous guards to assassinate a high-ranking foreign official at night, and even escape from the pursuit of the foreign gunmen after being shot twice, your skill level is probably even higher than that of the coachman Li Jinsi!"

Upon hearing Lin Ji's words, Bai Xiaonian raised an eyebrow, put down his porridge bowl, and turned to look at Zhao Qiaosheng.

Bai Yu'er broke off a piece of cornbread, raised her almond-shaped eyelids, and her eyes lit up, as if she had thought of something extraordinary.

Zhao Qiaosheng smiled modestly and pondered for a moment: "I would barely qualify as a hidden master."

Hidden strength?

There should be more!

The embassy is heavily guarded, and people like Kane are probably as numerous as hairs on a cow.

To be able to kill three people, one must be much stronger than the coachman.

Lin Ji did not expose it, for even a master of internal strength is extremely rare in the entire country.

Such an opportunity is truly rare.

If you can be taught a couple of tricks, it will definitely be much more effective than trying to figure it out on your own.

His thoughts raced, and Lin Ji's gaze fell on Bai Xiaonian. He raised his hand and pointed:

"Brother Zhao, this old man has a favor to ask. My son, Xiao Nian, has been studying at the Martial Arts Academy for over a year, but has yet to achieve a rank. Considering that he saved your life, could you please grant this old man's request?"

"Please speak." Zhao Qiaosheng frowned and glanced at Bai Xiaonian from head to toe.

Bai Yu'er was clearing away the dishes when she heard this. She was taken aback for a moment, but then her face lit up with joy.

"Sending this child into the Skin Refining Sect before the martial arts ban was issued, I wonder if the old man has put you in a difficult position. If he has, then let it go."

Lin Ji was shrewd and calculating, and his words were always watertight.

Zhao Qiaosheng's eyes darted behind his glasses, and he glanced at Lin Ji with a slight frown, but said nothing more, only stating:

"A life-saving favor should be repaid with this."

Bai Xiaonian's face lit up with joy, a smile playing on his lips as his mind wandered.

"Little classmate, come here for a moment." Zhao Qiaosheng reached into his pocket and, as Bai Xiaonian walked up to him, took out a white porcelain bottle about the thickness of a thumb and handed it to Bai Xiaonian.

"This bottle contains blood-replenishing pills; there are eight pills left inside."

"The effects of the Blood-Nourishing Pill are several times stronger than those of the Blood-Nourishing Decoction. It can strengthen muscles and bones and enhance strength. It will not harm the body or bones of ordinary people."

Bai Xiaonian was stunned; he had never seen such a valuable item before.

Bai Yu'er, who had just finished clearing away the dishes, could no longer hide her joy and turned her head away.

"Xiao Nian, hurry up and thank Mr. Zhao."

Bai Xiaonian then reached out and accepted it, saying sincerely, "Thank you, Mr. Zhao."

Bai Xiaonian walked out of the courtyard with the medicine bottle, curiously playing with it, but Bai Yu'er snatched it away and stood in the courtyard, scolding him in a low voice.

Lin Ji walked to Zhao Qiaosheng's bedside, and looking at Zhao Qiaosheng's injuries, his expression became slightly grave:

"Girl, go fetch a basin of hot water."

"Young Brother Zhao, I've lived for a hundred years and I've never done anything like disemboweling someone."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiaosheng smiled faintly and said easily:

"Don't worry, sir, just do as I say."

Bai Yu'er brought a basin of hot water and a brand-new white cloth, placed them on the low table by the bed, and reached out to undo Zhao Qiaosheng's blood-stained outer garment.

"cough!"

Lin Ji coughed suddenly and called out to Bai Xiaonian, "Xiaonian, help Mr. Zhao take off his coat."

"Oh, okay." Bai Xiaonian walked in from outside, glanced at Bai Yu'er who was standing aside, and without thinking much, stepped forward to unbutton Zhao Qiaosheng's outer garment, revealing his muscular chest stained with blood.

He then took the water-soaked white cloth from Bai Yu'er and wiped away the bloodstains on Zhao Qiaosheng's chest.

Lin Ji took the oil lamp and placed it in front of the low table, twisting the wick to make the flame as large as possible.

He then opened the cloth bag under the bed, took out some medicinal herbs, and handed them to Bai Yu'er, who was standing beside him: "Girl, go to the courtyard and brew a pot of medicinal soup."

Zhao Qiaosheng glanced at the few herbs in Bai Yu'er's hand out of the corner of his eye, raised his eyes slightly, but said nothing.

"Old man, use this."

Zhao Qiaosheng took out a small ox bone knife from his waist. The knife was three inches long and narrow.

Lin Ji took it, placed it over the fire, and roasted it for a while. Then he picked up a white cloth and wiped away the black soot from the blade.

"Old man, here, down one inch."

Zhao Qiaosheng pointed to the bloody hole in his chest.

Lin Ji nodded, and the small ox bone knife landed precisely on Zhao Qiaosheng.

"hiss……"

……

The moon rises above the branches.

The lonely moon in early June traces an arc across the sky.

Lin Ji's door creaked open.

A robust but not particularly tall figure walked into the house.

The light from the dim oil lamp inside the room shone through the round-framed glasses of the newcomer.

In the lens, a centenarian is seen bending over and practicing horse stance, refining his qi and blood.

The newcomer was not surprised and lowered his voice to say:

"Old man."

Lin Ji looked at the newcomer, put away his stance, and carefully examined him. He found that Zhao Qiaosheng's face was no longer as pale as before, and he had regained some color.

This kid's injuries healed so quickly? And he even noticed I've practiced martial arts?

"Old man, I made some guesses when I saw you carrying herbs in a cloth bag during the day, please don't take offense."

"I have no way to repay your kindness twice, so I will give you these two bottles of pills as thanks."

Zhao Qiaosheng spoke, his tone still weak, but no longer broken.

Zhao Qiaosheng took out two porcelain bottles, each about the thickness of a thumb, and placed them on the table. One bottle was a white porcelain bottle, just like the one he had given Bai Xiaonian during the day, and the other was a celadon-colored bottle.

"This bottle contains Qi-boosting pills, which can enhance Qi perception and aid in the training of internal strength. It's perfect for you, sir."

Does this kid think I'm some kind of expert?

Lin Ji did not refuse, and smiled awkwardly: "Brother Zhao, you misunderstand. I have only been practicing martial arts for a short time and have just entered the bone refining stage."

Zhao Qiaosheng raised an eyebrow slightly, stared at Lin Ji, and shook his head slightly:

"The old man once said that he was over a hundred years old, how could he have just entered the martial arts world?"

"At a hundred years old, the body's vital energy and blood are depleted. Refining the skin and flesh can drain the energy, and to put it more seriously, it may shorten one's lifespan."

Seeing that the other party didn't believe him, Lin Ji simply didn't explain further: "The world is vast and full of wonders. It's possible to spend a hundred years practicing martial arts. As for me, I've only just begun to refine my bones."

At this point, Lin Ji's mind raced, and the idea of ​​studying during the day resurfaced: "Old man, I have a question I'd like to ask Brother Zhao."

"Sir, please speak," Zhao Qiaosheng replied, raising his eyes.

"What do I need to do to advance to the Ming Jin level after refining my bones?" Lin Ji asked.

Zhao Qiaosheng did not hold back; he stepped aside and began to speak:

"To achieve perfect bone refinement, one must find a special breathing method specifically for sensing Qi. Once Qi is generated within the body, one can then use this Qi sensation to find the internal strength within the body; this is called Ming Jin (manifested strength)."

Lin Ji recalled the strange sensation he experienced while refining his arms, but still asked curiously, "Qi sensation? What exactly is qi sensation?"

Zhao Qiaosheng pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly:

"The so-called 'qi sensation'... is a bit difficult to understand. Let me show you how it feels."

As he spoke, he reached out and placed his hand on Lin Ji's arm. The moment his fingers touched Lin Ji's arm, Zhao Qiaosheng's eyebrows shot up, his face filled with surprise: "Old man, haven't you already sensed the Qi?"