"Qin Shi, why does Brother Ze think you're Old Liang's disciple? What's the difference between a disciple and a student?"
At exactly eleven o'clock at night, Qin Shi changed back into his original short-sleeve and long pants, and clocked out with Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng.
They still exited through the back door, encountered Sister Hua from the bear department, and said goodbye.
Faced with Xie Yucheng's confusion, Li Yuan scratched his head:
"Master-disciple is a term from the martial arts world of the Old Era. This relationship is quite formal. It is said that entering the clan requires serving tea, and once accepted, you have to invite fellow practitioners and hold a banquet to celebrate, with many other rules.
My grandpa likes listening to storytelling, that's how it's described in those tales."
Xie Yucheng touched his chin, turning to stare at the calm Qin Shi:
"Qin Shi, confess honestly! Are you Old Liang's direct disciple? Have you already mastered a divine skill, ready for a life force surge at any moment, and soar to the heavens?"
Qin Shi nodded, saying seriously:
"Didn't expect you to find out. Indeed, Old Liang is actually a peerless master hiding in the city, who can battle the current Martial God for three hundred rounds.
And because of my extraordinary talent and a pure heart, he secretly passed on his teachings to me, and I've mastered an invincible divine skill.
If you two each sponsor me five hundred bucks, when I settle down as a professional, acquire the title of Martial Artist, and win the Star Cup, I'll reward you both with permanent residency in the Imperial Capital!"
Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng were dumbfounded for a moment before both hooking their arms around Qin Shi's neck from either side:
"You, a working-class kid from Old Factory Street, consider it a huge achievement to become a Tai'an citizen, yet you're dreaming of the capital! That's rebellion!
Come on, let's see what invincible divine skill Old Liang taught you—Yan Haishan's 'Infinite Refining Soldier Technique', or Ning Yuanhai's 'True Scripture of All Times and Eras'?"
Clearly, neither of them believed him, finding it too far-fetched.
If Old Liang were truly some peerless master, he wouldn't have ended up as a PE teacher at Sons and Daughters Ninth Middle School.
With a bit of ambition, he'd aim for a post in the Tai'an Urban Circle; what would he want with dilapidated Old Factory Street?
Qin Shi quickly fished out the "meeting gift" Cheng Ze gave, waving a few bills like a white flag:
"Spare me, heroes! I'll treat you to a night snack!"
...
...
At 11:27, Qin Shi returned to the shack, and the youngest, Qin Lan, was already asleep.
He forced himself to continue a few sets of exercises until failure to complete the upgrade conditions for the [Muscle Memory] achievement.
Only then did he tiptoe to wash up quickly and throw his exhausted body onto the bed.
"A new job, nightclub waiter, a monthly salary of two thousand, plus tips, with relatively flexible hours.
Brother Ze gave six hundred yuan; treating Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng to a night snack cost eighty-seven, leaving five hundred thirteen.
I didn't have enough nutritional paste today, so I'll buy a portion myself tomorrow.
Remember to go to the Youth Palace in the afternoon, as a new teacher is coming..."
Qin Shi habitually tallied today's gains and losses, running through the day's scattered tasks in his mind.
Then he made a simple schedule, feeling a sense of security in his heart.
He liked a planned life, a future with a layout.
That way, every day when he woke up, he could tackle tasks one by one like a player completing quests.
So satisfying!
In his last life, Qin Shi experienced the harm of indulgence and laziness, feeling the pain of watching his body rot like a decaying piece of wood.
The experience deeply imprinted upon his memory, unforgettable for life!
Therefore, in this life, having a second chance, Qin Shi was extremely eager for progress, wanting to grasp every opportunity for self-improvement and growth.
"Confidently pass the phase exams, secure the scholarship for the Hongzhi class, then continue to develop my life force and aim for the cutoff scores of Heng University and Science University..."
Thinking of the tasks waiting to be completed, Qin Shi's lips curved into a smile.
He closed his eyes, and his mind and body relaxed.
Due to the effect of the [Deep Sleep] achievement, he quickly fell into a peaceful slumber.
Before his consciousness blurred completely, he mumbled to himself:
"Combat Retrospect! Start!"
...
...
In the training room, dim light streamed in, and Qin Shi opened his eyes, calmly looking at Li Yuan who posed with the Eight-Armed Stance across from him.
"As expected, the Skill Retrospect scenario features the battle I remember most vividly.
This feeling is so peculiar; the body is clearly asleep, yet the mind is very alert."
The surrounding world felt like a paused, clear video, with the realistic touch of the mat beneath his feet and the floating dust particles in the air.
But shifting his gaze to the side, Xie Yucheng's figure standing against the wall seemed blurry, like it was pixelated.
"At that time, my attention was all on the combat, completely ignoring Xie, so in the subconscious recollections, he has no presence."
Qin Shi didn't rush to review, staying quietly in place to ponder for a moment.
After several seconds, he suddenly took large strides toward the sandbag, clenched his fist tightly, and punched hard.
Bang!
With a dull thud, the hundred-pound black sandbag swayed abruptly, raising a cloud of dust.
The real feedback from hitting the object made Qin Shi's eyes flare with joy.
"The best use of the Combat Retrospect skill isn't just to find the opponent's flaws but also to use it as a training ground for the spiritual space!
I've mastered the legendary 'Meditation Training Technique' without a teacher!"
Ignoring the motionless Li Yuan, who remained in the same pose like a clay statue, he turned to practice his techniques.
"Training in the spiritual space seems to promote focus, with no stray thoughts."
Qin Shi painstakingly dissected each basic action—punching, advancing, withdrawing—becoming familiar with them bit by bit.
He repeated each move a hundred times, imprinting them deeply in his consciousness.
"Got it!"
After an unknown amount of time had passed, Qin Shi's waving fists, agile footwork, and lightly swaying shoulders formed a coordinated rhythm, making him seem like an integrated whole, ready to attack or defend.
"It's time to verify the results! Sorry, Brother Yuan!"
He returned to the "battlefield" and, with a flash of thought, unpaused the spiritual space.
Whoosh!
A sharp wind sound suddenly rang out as a high sweep kick aimed at his face!
Qin Shi's gaze was steady, showing no panic at all.
The sweeping kick was a large horizontal force, twisting hips to drive the thigh and stimulating the calf, boasting a wide attack range and ferocity!
Skilled fighters often crushed novices, favoring this move, kicking swiftly and relentlessly to easily break through the opponent's guard posture.
"Brother Yuan's life force is still lacking; his physical fitness cannot support rapid multiple kicks."
Qin Shi's body trembled violently, his hands protecting his head ached, but his stance remained stable, not collapsing!
With feet sinking into the ground, tight nerves pulsed, and he seized the moment between Li Yuan's kicks to strike back faster!
"Brother Yuan's high sweep makes his stance weak and his assault less sharp, exposing his flaws."
Qin Shi thrust his toe forward, driving into Li Yuan's knee crook!
Crack!
The latter fell to his knees with a thud, and probably due to the retrospect effect, appearing quite stiff with a blank face.
"Take my elbow!"
Once Li Yuan was pinned down, Qin Shi didn't let up, smashing his elbow like a hammer onto Li Yuan's face, drawing instant blood!
In combat techniques, legs are the fiercest.
As the saying goes, "an inch longer, an inch stronger, punch with 30%, kick with 70%."
But the most ferocious strike is the elbow.
Old martial artists would rather take ten punches than one elbow hit.
Thus, it's said!
"Feels awesome! Again!"
In a flash, having won a round, Qin Shi still felt unsatisfied.
He needed constant practice, strengthening his reaction awareness, understanding attack and defense rhythm.
Only by continuously refining details, could his techniques progressively improve!
"Brother Yuan isn't intense enough. If it were Old Liang...that'd be exhilarating!"
Resetting the progress bar to before their match, Qin Shi's eyes shone with intensity looking at Li Yuan.
After being beaten up in the training room in the afternoon, he is ready to return the favor tonight!
"Ha! Brother Yuan! Prepare to feel my storming attack!"