Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

Before Li Xin could observe the martial arts school for a while, Tōdō Ryūhaku led a girl dressed in a martial arts uniform with a white headband into the school.

The girl looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, a little naive, but she already possessed all the qualities of a beauty: bright eyes and white teeth, skin as white as snow, long, black, and smooth hair like a waterfall, and her bright, sparkling eyes were full of spirit, making people unable to help but take a second look.

“This is my second daughter, Kasumi Todo.”

Tōdō Ryūhaku introduced Li Xin to his daughter, but then realized that he didn't seem to know Li Xin's name.

"Li Xin was from the Central Plains."

Li Xin introduced himself directly.

"So you're from the Central Plains..."

Tōdō Ryūpai understood: "It seems the apprenticeship ceremony needs to be changed, but it's not a big problem."

Kasumi Todo looked at her father with her bright, intelligent eyes, full of curiosity.

Become an apprentice? When did my "Toudou-ryu" martial arts become open to outsiders? Father, what are you doing?

Ryuu Toudou ordered Li Xin and Kasumi Toudou to stand together facing due south, the direction from which the main gate faces outwards, and then pressed their heads down to bow: "First bow to Heaven and Earth!"

Li Xin and Toudou Kasumi were both astonished. Wasn't this supposed to be an apprenticeship ceremony? Why were they bowing to heaven and earth instead?

Li Xin was the first to defy Tengtang Longbai. He straightened up and said, "Wait, isn't this about becoming a disciple?"

"It's about becoming an apprentice!"

Ryuhaku Toudou said calmly, "My 'Toudou-ryu' ancient martial arts are passed down only within the family. You can only learn the 'Toudou-ryu' martial arts from me after you marry my daughter and enter the Toudou family. So, this wedding ceremony is equivalent to becoming a disciple! What, you don't like the wedding ceremony? Then we can follow our Japanese wedding ceremony!"

So reasonable... my ass!

Li Xin had thought about paying tuition to become an apprentice and doing hard work for his master, but he never thought that he would have to entrust his life's most important matter to someone else!

Previously, the "Kyokugenryu" style beat him up, and the "Shiranui-ryu" style ninjutsu tried to swindle him out of his money. This is even more outrageous; they actually want to take him down completely. Can the martial arts styles of Japan ever be any better?

Without any hesitation, Li Xin broke free from Toudou Ryuhaku's restraints and ran straight towards the gate.

This world... ugh! He's not going to worship this master anymore!

Li Xin's escape caught Tengtang Longbai off guard. He hurriedly chased after him, calling out, "My dear son-in-law! My dear son-in-law! Where are you going? You haven't paid respects to our parents yet! Come back and pay your respects to my daughter!"

But where could Li Xin be found? He had vanished without a trace.

"Hey!"

Tōdō Ryūhaku sighed with regret. It was such a pity that such a once-in-a-century martial arts prodigy had escaped right under his nose!

Standing there, Kasumi Todo felt a sense of bewilderment, and then silently returned to the backyard of the dojo.

After my father lost to Ryo Sakazaki, his mental state became somewhat off, and it's getting worse. I need to train hard to defeat "Kyokugenryu" for my father and prove that my "Todo-ryu" is the number one martial arts style in Japan. Only in this way can my father regain his spirits!

Chapter Twenty-Two Translation: What is a Martial Arts Prodigy?

After running away from the "Toudou-ryu" dojo, Li Xin got lost again. This time, he ran to the riverbank and looked at the sky that was already tinged with red. He thought to himself that it was already so late and he should go back. However, he was exhausted from running and could only sit on the grass by the river to catch his breath.

Although Crocodile kept saying that the Japanese were very extravagant, Li Xin thought Crocodile was referring to the sex industry in Japan. He didn't know that the martial arts world was just as extravagant.

The first "Genkiryu" was one thing, but Tōdō Ryūhaku had already explained it clearly before. The martial arts world is very wary of people who come to their masters with pre-existing skills, so Li Xin accepted the beating.

But the "Shiranui-ryu" ninjutsu and the "Toudou-ryu" ninjutsu that came later—one wanted his money, and the other actually wanted him! Did they think Li Xin was stupid? These kinds of sudden questions probably hid a huge trap, and Li Xin wasn't going to take the fall!

Oh dear, what should we do next...?

After becoming an apprentice, Li Xin encountered three strange incidents in a row, which made him begin to distrust the martial arts world of Japan.

"Why are you sighing like that? What difficulties can a young person face?"

A drunken voice rang in his ears. Li Xin turned around and saw an old man reeking of alcohol walking over.

The old man took a swig of wine, sat down next to Li Xin, flashed a set of yellow teeth at Li Xin, and said with a grin, "You don't mind if this old man sits here, do you?"

This is a public place, not Li Xin's. What right does Li Xin have to mind? So he shook his head and said, "Please go ahead."

Upon hearing Li Xin speak, the old man wiped his mouth, looked at Li Xin in surprise, and said in Chinese, "You're from the Central Plains?"

Li Xin had only been learning Japanese for a short time, so he still had a rather heavy accent. Others might not have noticed it, but the old man immediately recognized that Li Xin's accent had a strong regional accent from the Central Plains and southern China.

Upon hearing the familiar local accent, Li Xin was taken aback and quickly replied in Mandarin, "Grandpa, are you also from the Central Plains?"

The old man laughed: "Haha, I was wondering which young man from some school was so reckless, running around recklessly with his internal energy. Turns out you're a fellow countryman from the Central Plains!"

He didn't actually approach Li Xin for no reason. When he went out to buy wine, he sensed a surge of internal energy nearby. Out of curiosity, he followed this energy and found Li Xin, only to discover that he was from the same hometown!

Upon seeing that he was a fellow townsman from the Central Plains, the old man became interested and asked Li Xin, "Young man, what exactly is going on with you?"

Li Xin thought for a moment and figured that since the old man was from the Central Plains, he should be more reliable. Moreover, from his words, Li Xin could tell that he was probably also a person from the martial arts world, so he told the old man about what had happened to him that day.

"Pfft haha!"

After listening to Li Xin's words, the old man couldn't help but burst into laughter. He had drunk a few sips of wine while listening to Li Xin's story, and his laughter was so loud that he choked, and the wine sprayed out of his nostrils, mixed with snot, which was quite disgusting.

Fortunately, Li Xin came from the countryside and had seen people even more slovenly than the old man before, so he not only didn't back away, but also took out a handkerchief for the old man.

"Oh, thank you!"

The old man blew his nose with a handkerchief, then handed it back to Li Xin, saying, "So, you want to learn martial arts, right?"

Li Xin nodded.

"What are you going to study for?"

The old man asked Li Xin.

Li Xin didn't answer this time, because he couldn't very well tell a complete stranger that he learned martial arts to improve his assassin skills!

Li Xin did not answer, and the old man did not press him further, but simply smiled and said, "Could you lend me a hand?"

Li Xin stretched out his hand, and the old man reached out to take Li Xin's pulse. Although his eyes were covered by his long hair on his forehead, so it was not easy to discern his expression, Li Xin could still feel that his expression had become serious.

"Who taught you this martial arts? It's a mess, misleading and corrupting people!"

The old man cursed.

"No one taught me; I practiced by myself following a secret manual."

Li Xin replied.

The old man looked at Li Xin with surprise: "You've got a really lucky life, kid!"

Martial arts manuals are not something you can learn casually. Just like cooking, there are things like "a little salt" and "appropriate amount of sugar." Many things can only be understood intuitively and cannot be explained in words. You need a master to supervise you before you can practice. If you just grab a manual and start practicing, it's better not to learn it at all. If you do learn it, it will only cause trouble.

Take Li Xin's current situation as an example. His internal energy is running rampant in his body, which not only harms others but also himself.

"What about the inner cultivation method? You practiced internal strength, but didn't you practice the inner cultivation method?"

The old man asked Li Xin.

What is the "mindset"?

Li Xin asked in return. Seeing Li Xin's attitude, the old man slapped his forehead and realized that Li Xin had no idea what mental cultivation was. So he began to explain it to Li Xin.

The term "internal strength" as commonly used actually refers to two parts: internal strength and mental techniques. Internal strength is the method of cultivating internal power, while mental techniques are the methods of using internal power.

If you only practice internal strength without cultivating your mental techniques, you will end up like Li Xin, unable to effectively utilize your internal energy. The deeper your internal energy, the greater the harm it will cause to yourself.

Therefore, the reason why I feel unbearable pain every time I practice is because I only know internal energy cultivation but not the mental cultivation method.

Li Xin thought to himself, but he felt that things were probably not that simple.

After glancing at Li Xin a few times, the old man said to Li Xin, "It's rare to meet a fellow villager. You and I are destined to meet. I will teach you a mental cultivation method, but it is only a rudimentary one. It should be of some help to you, but it won't be of much use. Just make do with it."

Every internal martial art has a corresponding mental cultivation method. Without the corresponding mental cultivation method, it is difficult to exert the full power of the internal martial art by using other mental cultivation methods. However, given Li Xin's current situation, even the worst mental cultivation method is better than no mental cultivation method at all. Therefore, the old man teaching Li Xin other mental cultivation methods is not considered harming him.

After making up his mind, the old man dictated a mental cultivation method to Li Xin. After listening, Li Xin immediately tried to control the "Wedding Dress True Qi" with the newly learned method. Although the "Wedding Dress True Qi" still seemed somewhat indifferent to Li Xin, Li Xin clearly felt that the "Wedding Dress True Qi" was more obedient. At the same time, the damage to his body was greatly reduced, which was of utmost importance to Li Xin.

Does this mean that as long as I practice diligently, I will never have to die again?

The mental techniques the old man imparted to Li Xin ignited Li Xin's hope for the future.

This change filled Li Xin with joy. He walked around to the old man, knelt down, and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you for your teachings, Grandpa. May I ask your name? I, Li Xin, will never forget your kindness!"

The old man stroked his beard, smiled, and accepted Li Xin's kneeling obeisance. Then he said, "My name is Zhen Yuanzhai. Don't keep calling me 'Grandpa.' Just call me 'Master Yuanzhai.'"

"Yes, Master Yuanzhai!"

Li Xin nodded emphatically after getting up.

Zhen Yuanzhai stood up, looked at the completely dark sky, and said to Li Xin, "Look, it's already dark. Why don't we have a meal together? My two disciples should have finished cooking by now. Please make do with what we have."

"This……"

Li Xin hesitated. He had just received a great favor from Zhen Yuanzhai, so it was more appropriate for him to treat Zhen Yuanzhai to a meal. How could he let Zhen Yuanzhai treat him to a meal?

Zhen Yuanzhai tugged at Li Xin and said, "Come on, come on, have a drink with this old man. My two disciples are still young and can't drink. Tonight, this old man is counting on you to have a drink with me!"

Although the village chief had said that alcohol was a bad thing and drinking was bad, Li Xin couldn't refuse Zhen Yuanzhai's invitation to drink, as Zhen Yuanzhai had done him a great favor. He could only apologize to the village chief and say, "Then I'll have to bother Master Yuanzhai."

Zhen Yuanzhai laughed heartily: "That's more like it!"

Li Xin followed Zhen Yuanzhai to a house by the river. It was a standard detached house, a three-story building with a yard.

Zhen Yuanzhai said to Li Xin, "This house belongs to my disciple. I am staying here temporarily."

As soon as Li Xin entered the house, he smelled the aroma of food. Zhen Yuanzhai looked on with a drooling expression and asked, "Xiaoya, what delicious food did you make today?"

A long-haired girl wearing white pants and a red coat came out of the kitchen carrying two plates of food, and said to Zhen Yuanzhai with a smile, "Master, we've made braised lion's head meatballs and lotus leaf chicken today!"

"Oh my, these are all my favorite foods!"

Zhen Yuanzhai was extremely excited.

The long-haired girl was taken aback when she saw Li Xin behind Zhen Yuanzhai, and then said, "Master, really, why didn't you tell me beforehand that you were bringing guests home? I could have prepared more food!"

Li Xin looked at the long-haired girl. She was pretty and charming, with a sweet smile that could bring vitality to people. Her appearance was vaguely familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where.

"It's alright, it's me who's bothering you by coming here, please don't blame me."

Li Xin said to the long-haired girl.

Chin Gentsai introduced, "This is my apprentice, Athena Asamiya, a high school student. This is a fellow countryman from the Central Plains whom I met on the road, named Li Xin. Since you and Kensou can't drink, I brought him over to have a few drinks with me."

At this moment, a boy dressed in blue casual clothes heard the sound and came over. Zhen Yuanzhai introduced him to Li Xin, saying, "This is also my disciple, named Shii Kensou."

Li Xin nodded, then said to the two of them, "Ms. Asamiya, Mr. Shii, hello."

Athena Asamiya smiled and said, "Since you are Master's friends, there's no need for honorifics. Just call us Athena and Kensou!"

Perhaps it was because this was a fellow villager's home, so Li Xin didn't need to pretend to be indifferent, or perhaps it was Athena Asamiya's smile that gave people an incredibly warm feeling, which made Li Xin's tense heart relax. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Okay, Athena, Kensou."

Athena Asamiya's pretty face blossomed into a happy smile as she said to Chin Gentsai and Li Xin, "Master, Mr. A-Xin, please have a seat for a while. I still have some dishes to prepare, so please wait for me!"

Actually, they were planning to add dishes for the newcomer Li Xin, but they were afraid he would refuse, so they said it that way.

"Okay, but hurry up, don't let Ashin go hungry!"

Chin Gentsai addressed Athena Asamiya as she re-entered the kitchen.

"It's because you, Master, couldn't wait any longer!"

Athena Asamiya poked her head out of the kitchen and made a face at Chin Gentsai.

"Haha, really, this little girl doesn't even know how to give me any face!"

Zhen Yuanzhai chuckled dryly.

Looking at the happy master and his disciples, Li Xin smiled and thought of his time in the village.

A table was set up in the courtyard behind the house, and the four of them sat around it, enjoying the moonlight and the delicious dishes cooked by Athena Asamiya.

Zhen Yuanzhai, quite unceremoniously, grabbed the lotus leaf chicken, tore off a large piece of meat with his beak, swallowed it in a big gulp, then took a swig of wine and exclaimed, "That was satisfying!"

Intrigued, Chin Gentsai said to Athena Asamiya, "Come on, Athena, show your master a set of Bajiquan and let your master test the results of your training recently!"

Athena Asamiya had barely touched the food on the table when she heard her master ask her to demonstrate her boxing techniques. Instead of being unhappy, she said with great interest, "Okay, Master, watch carefully!"

He then got up and went to the center of the courtyard, where he began to demonstrate Bajiquan to everyone.

Bajiquan is a well-known martial art in the Central Plains. It is simple, straightforward, and powerful. When it is performed by Athena Asamiya, a woman, it does not have a grand and sweeping style, but it still shows its power and is crisp and neat, which is quite wonderful.

"Good, Xiaoya played well!"

While munching on a steamed bun, Shii Kensou clapped loudly.

Li Xin was also engrossed in watching. He had come here to learn fighting techniques, and although he had already gained a lot from Zhen Yuanzhai's mental cultivation method, he had not yet achieved his original goal. Now, seeing how powerful Athena's "Bajiquan" was, he couldn't help but ask Zhen Yuanzhai, "Master Yuanzhai, can I learn this fist technique from you?"

As he spoke, Li Xin felt somewhat guilty, realizing that he was being greedy.