Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

Several days later, under the tree in the small courtyard.

Shen Chu slowly withdrew his fist and exhaled a breath of stale air.

On the stone table in front of him sat a porcelain bowl, the surface of the tea rippling slightly before returning to stillness.

That was caused by the wind generated when he threw the punch, but the force had been restrained to the extreme, so it did not shatter the bowl, but only left a slightly visible fine line on the surface.

"Crushing Mountain Force" has been partially completed!

The core of this boxing style lies in the "layered release of hidden force".

A single punch, with its outward manifestation of force and its inner strength of concealed force, layered upon layer, until it utterly destroys everything in its path.

Shen Chu spent several days practicing diligently day and night under Li Qingning's guidance, and finally mastered the basic techniques for generating internal force.

Although there is still a long way to go before reaching the mastery of "hitting a cow across a mountain," at the Bone Forging Realm level, it is already considered a considerable improvement in combat power.

At the same time, "Nine Steps of the Wind" has also made good progress.

This set of leg techniques does not pursue fancy moves, but focuses on the efficiency of maneuvering and turning in actual combat and long-distance attacks.

After mastering the technique, Shen Chu's ability to dodge and change direction in short distances has significantly improved. He is no longer the "ground-based" fighter who relies entirely on brute force and reaction speed.

The reason he was able to master two new martial arts techniques to a minor degree in just a few days was due to Li Qingning's guidance.

On the one hand, it was due to his tireless efforts day and night; on the other hand, the two skills in the system panel also played a crucial role!

The acceleration effect brought by [achieving twice the result with half the effort] greatly improved his cultivation efficiency;

The breakthrough bonus provided by [Fragrance of All Beings] allowed him to avoid many detours at the crucial juncture of comprehending new martial arts.

He stretched his limbs, preparing for another round of practice, when Li Chengwen's familiar loud voice came from outside the courtyard gate:

"Shen Chu! Are you ready? It's time to leave!"

The appointed time has arrived.

According to the plan, Li Chengwen will lead everyone back to Changping County today.

To Shen Chu's surprise, Madam Hu actually agreed to Li Chengwen's request and was willing to take Hu Bai with her to settle in Changping County.

Shen Chu actually disagreed with this matter for three reasons:

First, he had long known that there might be some unclear relationship between the second young master and the second mistress of the Li family. The two of them had always been eyeing the position of the eldest young master, Li Chengwen. If Li Chengwen had always been a good-for-nothing, it would have been fine. But now that he had risen to prominence, he had become a thorn in the side of the second young master and the second mistress, and they would do everything in their power to attack and suppress him.

Secondly, Hu Bai and his wife must have some secrets. Although Hu Bai respects him very much and his wife rarely leaves the house, it is still a bit dangerous to bring two people of unknown origin with him.

Secondly, and more importantly,

Shen Chu knew that the Red Lotus Cult was planning something in Changping County. The strange man in green robes, the source of the primordial energy within him, had told him that the flag leader codenamed "August 15th" was in Changping County. His purpose in returning was to find this person and deliver the Red Lotus that had absorbed the snake demon to this flag leader.

If the Red Lotus Sect were to cause any trouble in Changping County, the entire county could be in danger. If Li Chengwen were to go back at this time, it would be tantamount to jumping into a fire pit.

Therefore, Shen Chuming and Li Chengwen advised him several times, both openly and secretly, to stay in Qingyang County for a while and return after things calmed down.

But Li Chengwen, that stubborn mule, wouldn't listen to a word, saying things like, "There are still a lot of things in the Li family waiting for me to deal with," "Madam Hu is just a woman, how can you bear to abandon her?" and "I can't let Father support the family business alone," and so on.

Shen Chu was speechless for a moment after hearing this.

Hehe, let's not talk about anything else. Take Madam Hu for example. You fat man, you're worried about her safety, but aren't you just lusting after her body?

No matter how much we tried to persuade him, Li Chengwen remained adamant.

Seeing that she couldn't persuade him, Shen Chu had no choice but to give up.

He secretly made up his mind.

After returning to Changping County, before going to find the banner chief of "August 15th," it is necessary to persuade Li Chengwen one more time, preferably to convince him to temporarily leave Changping County with Madam Hu and Hu Bai to avoid trouble.

If all else fails, knock them out first, then send them away!

Unfortunately, the robbers Xu Zhibao arrested never implicated Li Jiwu, even until their deaths. Otherwise, Li Chengwen, that fat guy, wouldn't have been so careless.

What a pity...

Thinking of this, Shen Chu couldn't help but sigh, went back into the house, slung her already packed luggage over her shoulder, and pushed open the door to come out.

At the entrance of the courtyard, Li Chengwen was standing next to a carriage, his face beaming as he directed the servants to move things.

Madam Hu stood not far behind him, still with that gentle and quiet demeanor, but her brows were much more relaxed than when they first met, clearly indicating that her life in Qingyang County these past few days had made her much more at ease.

Hu Bai stood beside his mother, his expression still somewhat cold, but it had softened considerably compared to his initial prickly demeanor.

At least he stopped staring at Li Chengwen with hostile eyes.

Xu Zhibao also stood to the side, with several bodyguards from the Xu Family Escort Agency following behind him, in addition to the yamen runners, checking the binding of the horses and goods.

The escort mission back to Changping County was once again handled by the Xu Family Escort Agency.

Xu Zhibao volunteered for the job, ostensibly as a "ride along the way," but only the Xu family knew the real reason.

His real purpose was to use this opportunity to investigate the whereabouts of the Red Lotus Cult members who had previously killed the Xu Family Escort Agency's bodyguards.

What Xu Zhibao didn't know was that the Red Lotus Cult had long been wiped out by Shen Chu and the strange man in the green robe.

Xu Zhibao's trip was destined to be in vain.

Shen Chu withdrew her gaze, taking one last look at the small courtyard where she had stayed for several days, and at the faintly visible eaves and upturned corners of Qingyang Academy in the distance.

He recalled the scene when he said goodbye to Li Qingning and Situ Aotian this morning.

Li Qingning patted him on the shoulder and told him to remember to come back after he finished his business;

Situ Aotian then reminded him with a smile that he shouldn't forget to treat her to a meal next time he came.

Thinking this, he shook his head slightly, leaving these thoughts behind, and strode towards the convoy:

"Let's go."

......

Inside the Martial Arts Hall of the Longchuan Sword Sect's headquarters.

A figure crashed heavily to the ground, shattering the paving bricks and raising a cloud of dust.

Everyone was stunned by what they saw.

But what's most unacceptable is the person who fell to the ground.

If Shen Chu were there, he would definitely recognize her.

The Dragon River Sword Sect expert who once stood with his hands behind his back on the streets of Qingyang County, displaying his domineering aura with his flying sword, and who was also Senior Brother Zhao, who was at the same Meridian Opening Realm as Li Qingning, was now lying on the ground in a sorry state.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his right hand was split open, and his whole body was trembling uncontrollably; he didn't even have the strength to grip his sword.