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

Lin Ji raised an eyebrow, making a slight guess in his mind, but couldn't think of any other trouble Bai Xiaonian might have gotten into besides fighting with playboys.

"Did you get into a fight with your classmate?"

The middle school student was panting for a while before finally catching his breath and speaking, still a little out of breath.

"No, it wasn't a fight. Didn't we agree to a martial arts contest with Zhang Shijie and his group? So from then on, we poor kids and these aristocratic kids became completely opposed to each other."

"Although Bai Xiaonian has only just broken through to the Skin Refinement stage, his martial arts foundation is solid, and his strength has improved by leaps and bounds. He is now invincible among those who have reached the Skin Refinement stage in the Martial Hall, and his reputation has recently soared!"

"Those spoiled brats from wealthy families couldn't stand it anymore and provoked me every day, trying every possible way to spar with Xiao Nian. Today they finally got their chance!"

Lin Ji looked doubtful and asked, "With normal sparring and supervision, there shouldn't be any major mistakes, right?"

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything, because upon hearing this, the boy's face instantly turned resentful.

"Grandpa Lin, you don't know, if it were a fair spar, it would be fine, but today it was Instructor Wang who pulled the strings. Today, he arranged for Xiao Nian to spar with a young master from a powerful family who is at the peak of the Body Refinement stage and is about to refine his bones!"

What?

Lin Ji's brows furrowed.

The difference between refining the skin and refining the flesh represents a fundamental change in the body's Qi and blood.

This is completely different from when Bai Xiaonian was able to refine leather before even reaching the highest rank.

"Anyway, Grandpa Lin, come with me quickly, or something bad might happen."

"Okay, let's go together."

Lin Ji followed the boy and headed towards the training ground.

As Lin Ji approached the training ground, he spotted the stubborn young man striking a pose from afar.

Standing in front of Bai Xiaonian was a student a head taller than him, about seventeen or eighteen years old.

He was rapidly swinging his fist at Bai Xiaonian.

Bai Xiaonian was completely powerless to fight back.

Blood smeared the corners of Bai Xiaonian's lips. He covered his head with his hands, barely managing to block the other person's punches.

With a sharp look, Bai Xiaonian appeared before Lin Ji in a semi-transparent state. Most of the blue aura on the boy's chest had dissipated, and the blood and qi in his meridians were disordered, indicating that he had suffered internal injuries.

However, amidst this chaos, the shimmering white aura above the boy's head remained firmly in place, unmoved by the surrounding turmoil, subtly revealing an unyielding spirit.

Lin Ji's heart stirred slightly.

Is this what "momentum" is?

Seemingly sensing the arrival of the person, Bai Xiaonian's eyes flickered slightly, but he had no time to look back.

It wasn't until he was punched in the arm that was wrapped around his chest, causing him to stagger back several steps and leave the ring, that he had a moment to glance in the direction where Lin Ji was standing.

Just then, Instructor Wang shook the copper bell in his hand and deliberately shouted towards Bai Xiaonian:

"Today's practice, Liu Zhisheng!"

On the other side, the scions of prominent families erupted in loud cheers and shouts.

"This is... a martial arts genius?"

"Exactly, it's nothing!"

"What a load of bull! A poor family practicing martial arts? Do you even deserve that title!"

……

Lin Ji seemed oblivious to the surrounding conversations, only nodding to Bai Xiaonian before stepping forward to examine him closely.

"How are you? You're badly hurt, aren't you?"

Ignoring the bruises and throbbing pain on his face, Bai Xiaonian forced a smile and stretched his limbs: "It's nothing, just a cut on my lip."

Lin Ji frowned slightly.

He had seen the boy in this state a month ago, when he had also been badly beaten.

Does this kid think he's as easy to fool as an old man or a young girl?

"Instructor Wang," Lin Ji turned to Wang Meng, his voice turning serious, "Why did you assign Bai Xiaonian a classmate at the Body Refining Realm during today's sparring session? You clearly knew he had just broken through to the Skin Refining Realm."

"Yes, give us an explanation!" Several poor boys surrounded Wang Meng, their eyes filled with resentment.

Wang Meng snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, left with a single sentence, and prepared to depart.

"From now on, students of the Martial Arts Academy are prohibited from boasting or exaggerating their martial arts skills. If any student causes uneven distribution of instructors due to false reporting of their strength, they will bear all the consequences. Today's sparring session ends here. Dismissed."

The poor boys were furious, but dared not retaliate because of their social status.

"Instructor Wang." Lin Ji turned his gaze to Wang Meng's back and called out in a deep voice.

Wang Meng kept walking.

Lin Ji didn't stop him and continued, "I've heard that the martial arts academy's teaching records document the strength of all students. As the head instructor, you should know this very well, right? I'd like to ask, how did you predict the student's strength, leading to his serious injury? Could it be that you used sparring as a pretext for personal gain?"

Wang Meng paused, turned his head, narrowed his small eyes, and gave a sinister look.

"You old gatekeeper, you know the rules of the martial arts hall? A frail old man, trying to imitate a student spouting nonsense? You've been running around outside the hall these past few days, neglecting your duties, and I haven't even held it against you, but now you're here to lecture me?"

Lin Ji rubbed his lower back, stepped forward, neither humble nor arrogant.

"The old man was just stating the facts. You're deliberately changing the subject; did you happen to be right?"

His eyes darkened, and he continued, "The old man is getting on in years, but his hearing is still sharp. I've heard that Instructor Wang is one of the few pro-Western figures in the martial arts academy and quite supports the ban on martial arts. Could it be that he intends to use this to undermine the foundation of martial arts in the academy?"

Wang Meng turned around abruptly, feeling a huge accusation being slapped on his face, which fueled his anger. He strode up to Lin Ji, his face full of rage: "Old man, what did you say?"

"What the old man says is not important; what matters is what Instructor Wang thinks," Lin Ji said casually, clearly in control.

"You!" Wang Meng was furious. He raised his arm, his palm flying, and with the force of Mount Tai pressing down, he was about to strike.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp sound, Wang Meng's wrist tightened, and he was suspended in mid-air as his solid internal energy suddenly dissipated.

A slender, delicate hand, its muscles clearly visible, gripped his wrist, making it impossible for him to move even an inch further.

"Gu Yanqiu! What are you doing?"

Gu Yanqiu, without a smile, flung his arm away: "Chief Instructor Wang, you actually want to lay a hand on an old man?"

Wang Meng's face darkened. He wanted to explain but had no legitimate reason. Seeing that he couldn't beat the other party, he could only snort coldly and turn to leave.

After Gu Yanqiu had walked away, he nodded to Lin Ji, then looked at Bai Xiaonian with a slight frown.

"Xiao Nian's injuries are quite serious. If he doesn't receive timely treatment, it may affect his martial arts foundation. Come with me to the infirmary."

Bai Xiaonian's face paled, and he stopped pretending: "Okay."

Gu Yanqiu led Bai Xiaonian toward the medical room, with Lin Ji following closely behind.

In the distance, Zhang Shijie, leaning against the wooden dummy, took in everything.

After everyone had dispersed, his face darkened, his gaze still fixed on the distance, and he asked Si Tianhu beside him, "Who was that old man?"

Si Tianhu quickly put on a smiling face: "Young Master Zhang, you don't know this, but this old man is a shadow puppeteer. He says he's Bai Xiaonian's grandfather, but I checked, and he's just a neighbor from the same alley. He's working as a doorman here now."

Zhang Shijie nodded, a wicked smile playing on his lips: "Tianhu, you and Bai Xiaonian don't get along, do you? I'll teach you a method."

Seeing Si Tianhu lean closer, he continued, "Bai Xiaonian is such a tough nut to crack. If you beat him up and suppress him every day, it will only fuel his fighting spirit and make him even tougher. The best way to deal with this kind of person is to target the people he cares about. That tough nut will crumble in an instant."

Si Tianhu scratched his head and gave an awkward smile: "Young Master Zhang, I didn't understand."

Zhang Shijie frowned sharply, a fierce glint in his eyes, and slapped him across the face, instantly causing a red, swollen welt.

"Idiot! Find someone to beat that old man half to death. Even if Bai Xiaonian has any backbone, he'll have to kneel down and beg for mercy."

Si Tianhu covered his swollen cheek, not daring to show the slightest anger, and repeatedly flattered, "Young Master Zhang, what a brilliant plan! I'll go right away."

……

Bai Xiaonian carried two packets of herbs to regulate qi and blood, and followed Gu Yanqiu out of the medical room.

As Gu Yanqiu walked, he instructed, "It's not a big problem. You just need to rest for half a month. You can practice normally during that time. Try not to get into conflicts with your classmates, or you'll be in trouble if you injure your bones again."

"Understood, Coach Gu." Bai Xiaonian looked slightly embarrassed—it seemed that the coaches were well aware of his frequent fights.

Gu Yanqiu turned her head to examine his still somewhat immature face, her tone becoming lighter: "Focus on honing your martial arts skills; improving your strength is the key. You have good talent; I wouldn't dare say you've mastered internal strength, but you're on track to master external strength."

Bai Xiaonian's eyes lit up, revealing a youthful gleam: "Okay, I will try my best."

Lin Ji followed behind the two, his brows furrowing as he observed the strange familiarity in Gu Yanqiu's every move. Could there really be something going on?

"Then I'll get back to work." Gu Yanqiu stopped and greeted Lin Ji, then added, "Remember to take your medicine on New Year's Eve."

"Understood, Instructor." Bai Xiaonian nodded sincerely.

After parting ways with Gu Yanqiu, Lin Ji led Bai Xiaonian back.

"Grandpa Lin, I used to respect Instructor Wang so much, and today he actually tried to bully the old and weak!"

"Wasn't Instructor Gu stopping you?"

The two chatted casually. Bai Xiaonian noticed that Lin Ji was holding his waist, so she went around to his side and started massaging it for him.

The boy's movements were clumsy and lacked rhythm, not exactly comfortable, but they carried a pure gentleness.

Lin Ji lowered his gaze and landed on Bai Xiaonian's shoulders, which were slightly more muscular than before, and his gaze suddenly froze.

The boy's clumsy yet considerate manner seemed somewhat familiar.

The scene before Lin Ji's eyes shifted, and the image of the small courtyard in Gouwei Lane from decades ago suddenly rushed into his mind.

In the main hall of the courtyard, a man in his fifties who bore a resemblance to Lin Ji was fiddling with a brand-new lacquered box of foreign films.

The little child clung to the side, awkwardly pinching the man's aching lower back with his raised arm.

The child looked up with his innocent face, his eyes full of genuine worry, and softly asked, "Grandpa, are you tired? I saw you clutching your back when you were pulling the shadow puppet show through the crack in the door."

The warm, gentle sunlight of yesteryear fell upon the innocent eyes and brows of children.

Looking at this pure concern, the man's heart softened, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

In an instant, all the light and shadow of the old courtyard faded away.

A cool breeze caressed my face as I returned to the martial arts hall.

Beside him was Bai Xiaonian, who was still earnestly massaging his waist, his eyes sincere, just like that small figure from back then.

Thinking of this, Lin Ji couldn't help but feel a slight toothache.

This guy is both a grandson and a brother-in-law...

Sigh, the Republic of China was truly chaotic!

Thoughts were racing.

suddenly.

Just then.

A dark figure scaled over the ten-foot-high wall of the martial arts hall and landed directly in front of the two, casually extending a hand to stop them.

"Wait a minute, where are you two headed?"