Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

Miss Li withdrew her hand, clicking her tongue in amazement:

"Not bad, not bad! You're Shen Chu, the one who taught those brats from the Longchuan Sword Sect a lesson at the inn yesterday, right? I heard about you from Situ; you certainly have guts!"

As she spoke, her tone became increasingly tinged with undisguised delight:

"Those brats from the Longchuan Sword Sect, I've had my hated for ages! Just because they're disciples of a so-called prestigious sect, they act all high and mighty in Qingyang City, trying to trample on everyone they see. If it weren't for my husband stopping me, I would have dragged them out and given them a good beating! They dare to bully my people, they've gone too far!"

Hearing her bold and inspiring speech, Shen Chu's impression of this eldest daughter of the Li family was refreshed even further.

He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "You flatter me, Miss. It was just a coincidence that I couldn't stand their bullying."

"If you don't like something, take action. That's what a real man does!"

Miss Li laughed again, giving him another once more scrutinizing and curious look.

"I heard from my elder brother that you're self-taught, or that you learned your skills from the Li family's guards? Tsk tsk, that's truly remarkable. The palm strike I gave you just now would have made even an ordinary early-stage Bone Forging Realm martial artist stagger, but you didn't budge an inch. Your cultivation level must have reached the late-stage Bone Forging Realm, right?"

Shen Chu felt a slight chill run down her spine.

This young lady has a sharp eye; she was able to roughly determine his cultivation level with just one touch.

He didn't hide anything and said frankly, "Miss has a good eye. I am currently in the late stage of the Bone Forging Realm, just one step away from the Great Perfection."

"Just one step away from perfection?"

Miss Li's eyes brightened even more, and she patted his shoulder hard again.

This time the force was even greater than before, but Shen Chu still caught it steadily.

"Hahaha! Good! You've reached this level through self-study, you're a promising talent! Come on in, don't just stand outside, let's talk inside!"

The group entered the house.

Ms. Li sat down in the main seat with an air of authority, and casually pointed to the seat next to her:

"Sit down, don't be shy."

Shen Chu and Li Chengwen took their seats as guests.

Miss Situ followed her in, carrying a tray with several cups of hot tea on it.

She deftly placed the teacups on the tables beside the three of them, then sat down at the lower end of the table, picked up her own cup, and sipped her tea slowly.

A pair of bright eyes scanned back and forth between Shen Chu and Li Chengwen, clearly showing great interest in the conversation.

Miss Li picked up her teacup and took a large sip, then put it down and looked at Li Chengwen, her tone softening slightly: "Brother, is everything alright at home? How is Father's health?"

Li Chengwen quickly put down his teacup and said seriously, "It's all good, it's all good. Father is in good health. He even went to the workshop to oversee a batch of goods a few days ago. It's just... it's just that he sometimes talks about you, saying that you're all alone in Qingyang County, and he doesn't know if you're eating well or staying warm."

Upon hearing this, Miss Li showed a rare hint of gentleness, but it was quickly overshadowed by her forthright manner. She waved her hand and said:

"Don't worry, Father. I'm doing very well in Qingyang County. I have plenty to eat and drink at the academy. How could they possibly mistreat me?"

As they talked, the two began to chat about everyday things.

Shen Chu listened to the conversation between the brother and sister and secretly noted down a few pieces of information.

It turns out that this Miss Li's name is Li Qingning.

The name is quite pleasant to hear, carrying a sense of elegance and tranquility, which contrasts sharply with her own temperament.

He glanced again, almost unconsciously, at Miss Situ sitting below him, and thought to himself,

What is this girl's name?

As if sensing his gaze, Miss Situ put down her teacup and smiled at him generously: "My name is Situ Aotian. Situ is my surname, and Aotian is my given name."

Shen Chu: "…………"

His lips twitched slightly, and his eyes twitched a few times.

Situ Aotian? ???

A seemingly delicate, lively, and adorable young girl named Situ Aotian?

He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, trying to restore his expression to normal.

But his heart was in turmoil.

This name is just too outrageous!

Aotian!

It must take a tremendous amount of presence to live up to this name!

This was clearly not the first time Situ Aotian had seen people react this way when they heard her name.

She smiled a little shyly and explained softly, "This name... was given to me by my elders. They said that girls should also have the ambition to conquer mountains and rivers, so..."

Before she could finish speaking, Li Chengwen couldn't help but slap his thigh and burst into laughter: "Situ Aotian! Hahahaha! That's a really awesome name! It sounds like a master! Much more imposing than my older sister's name!"

Li Qingning glared at him irritably, and Li Chengwen immediately calmed down a bit, but his shoulders were still shaking, clearly struggling to suppress his laughter.

Shen Chu rubbed her temples, forcing herself to shift her attention away from the name "Situ Aotian" and refocus on the important matter at hand.

Li Qingning also dropped her joking expression and turned her gaze to Shen Chu, her expression becoming more serious:

"Alright, let's get down to business. Shen Chu, I want to hear from you yourself how you developed all these skills."

Shen Chu had anticipated that she would ask this question and was already prepared.

He organized his thoughts and began by talking about how he worked odd jobs at the forging workshop, how he learned a few martial arts moves with the help of Manager Li, how he gradually got the hang of it, and how he started to practice on his own.

He was telling the truth most of the time, but he blurred the key points and cleverly omitted the private parts.

After listening, Li Qingning remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, a genuine sense of appreciation in her eyes:

"Without guidance from a renowned teacher or the support of resources, I relied entirely on my own exploration to reach this level. It wasn't easy, it really wasn't easy."

She stood up, walked into the hall, and beckoned to Shen Chu: "Come, come to the courtyard and show me your best set of boxing techniques."

Shen Chu got up as instructed and followed her into the courtyard.

He took a deep breath, spread his feet apart, lowered his waist and hips, and then unleashed a set of Crushing Stone Fist punches.

This set of boxing techniques was the first martial art he learned. After a period of practical training, he had mastered it thoroughly. Every punch he threw carried a steady force, with the wind whistling through the air and an impressive momentum.

After finishing her punches, Shen Chu stopped and stood still, looking at Li Qingning.

Li Qingning stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Your foundation is very solid, and your power is also very well applied. It's clear you've put in a lot of hard work. However, you have a few questions."