Observing Wanfa from the martial arts school servants

Chapter 8 Introduction

The next morning, as soon as Lin Mu opened the courtyard gate, he heard the voice of his second aunt, Wang, coming from the other side of the wall.

"Your family is almost starving, yet you still go to the village chief's house every day."

"Will the house deal actually go through?"

"Can't you be a little tougher on your stubborn nephew?"

Lin Youfu's voice was low and indistinct.

Wang shouted a few more times, followed by the sound of the door slamming.

Lin Mu didn't stop and walked straight into the town.

When he arrived at the martial arts school, he found Uncle Chen.

"Uncle Chen, something has come up at home today, so I'd like to ask for a day off."

Chen Bo was squatting in the yard scrubbing the stone lock, not even looking up: "Go ahead."

Don't let tomorrow's work be delayed.

Lin Mu responded and turned to leave the martial arts hall.

He went to the butcher shop first.

In the alley, the butcher shop's door panels had already been removed.

The fat, dark-skinned man was hanging half a pig on an iron hook, still wearing that shiny, oily apron around his waist.

Lin Mu went inside.

The burly, dark-skinned man glanced at him, recognized him as the poor kid from yesterday, and scoffed, "Here to provoke me again?"

There's nothing left for you today.

Lin Mu didn't say anything, but took out a handful of copper coins from his sleeve and slapped them on the chopping board.

Sixty coins, stacked into a small pile.

The burly, dark-skinned man glanced down at Lin Mu, then looked up at him again, his expression shifting. "You want to buy meat?"

"Deer Blood".

The burly, dark-skinned man frowned and sized Lin Mu up and down: "Wind Deer Blood?"

"That's something only martial arts practitioners buy. What would someone like you, a menial laborer, do with this?"

"it works."

"it works?"

The burly, dark-skinned man snorted, "Let me give you a piece of advice: that thing is powerful; most people can't handle it."

"If you get sick from drinking it, don't blame me for not warning you beforehand."

"Give me a cup." Lin Mu remained unmoved.

The fat, dark-skinned man stared at him for a few breaths. Seeing that he had no intention of backing down, he shook his head, turned around, and took out a small earthenware jar from the shelf behind him.

He lifted the lid, scooped out a shallow cup of dark red liquid with a bamboo spoon, and the liquid swirled in the earthenware cup, emitting a fishy-sweet smell.

He slammed the ceramic cup down on the cutting board: "Sixty coins, that's all."

Lin Mu reached out to take it.

The burly, dark-skinned man held his hand down, glaring at him:

"Let me be clear from the start—this stuff is precious; it's water gold."

"No returns after purchase. Don't come looking for me if you get sick from drinking it."

"Have you thought this through?"

Lin Mu nodded.

The burly, dark-skinned man released his grip, shoved the copper coins from the cutting board into the drawer, and muttered, "You reckless brat."

Lin Mu carried a cup of Wind Deer Blood out of the butcher shop.

He turned into the rice shop next door and spent a penny to buy a small bowl of Daoshao—a strong liquor with a pungent aroma.

Back in Liuye Village, the courtyard gate was closed.

Lin Mu placed the deer blood and the knife burner side by side on the table.

The blood of the wind deer is dark red and viscous, but when burned, it becomes clear and pungent.

He picked up the knife and drank half a bowl in one gulp. The strong liquor burned his throat, and his stomach felt like it was on fire.

Then he picked up the deer blood, tilted his head back, and poured it all into his mouth.

Fishy, ​​sweet, and hot.

The deer blood mixed with the alcohol exploded in his stomach, as if someone had lit a fire inside him.

The heat rushed from the abdomen to the limbs, up to the top of the head, and into the fingertips.

The blood in my veins felt like it was boiling, throbbing rapidly.

Lin Mu's body was burning hot, and the veins on his forehead were bulging.

He rushed out of the house and got into position in the yard.

As the wind stirred the green grass, he slightly parted his feet, lowered his center of gravity, and held the wind with both hands.

As the wind rustled through the willows, he moved with the speed of an arrow, his palm slicing out diagonally like a knife.

A whirlwind sweeps away fallen leaves, a crouching figure sweeps its legs, like wind swirling up remnants of clouds;

His punches were swift and powerful, faster and fiercer than ever before.

Punch after punch, tireless.

The blood and energy flowed through his fist, merging into all the acupoints of his body.

For him, the Wind Deer Blood was too turbulent and intense; the heat was like a wild beast rampaging through his body.

He could only exhaust himself by repeatedly using his fists to avoid exploding and dying.

Twenty times.

Thirty times.

Fifty times.

Sweat dripped onto the ground, leaving a damp patch.

boom--

Suddenly, all the blood and energy in his body seemed to find a way, surging forward along the path of the Long Wind Fist.

From shoulder to elbow, from elbow to wrist, from waist to hip, from hip to knee, they form a unified whole.

My arms and back muscles throbbed with a soreness, as if they had been kneaded again, and the excess fat receded, leaving behind firm lines.

He looked down at his arms—his once thin arms were now bulging with two distinct lines of muscle, and blood seemed to be flowing beneath his skin.

He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking.

[Long Wind Fist: Beginner 1/100]

Lin Mu glanced at the booklet, wanting to take advantage of this momentum to solidify his introductory boxing skills.

After mastering the basics, the Long Wind Fist feels completely different when you practice it.

In the past, when I threw a punch, I used the strength of my arm.

Now, when I throw a punch, my blood and energy flow freely throughout my body, and I feel like a fully drawn bow. The power from my legs and the strength from my waist and abdomen are all combined to create the force of my punch.

With each punch, his blood surged, as if all the strength in his body was under his command.

The punches are faster and the retraction is more stable. The rotation of the waist and hips brings out a whole force, and the soil under the feet is trampled into shallow pits.

At this moment, he finally understood why the apprentices of Changfeng Martial Arts School were never considered "unskilled."

They were born into wealthy families and ate meat every day. Their vital energy and blood had already spread throughout their bodies and seeped into their bone marrow. How could they not be fully cooked?

He typed it more than a dozen times in one go, getting better and better with each stroke.

He felt that he could easily handle three or five strong men.

Then, suddenly—

It was as if that energy had been drained away.

The fist came out, but it was soft and weak.

My legs were unsteady and my vision blurred.

Lin Mu staggered two steps, his knees buckled, and he collapsed in the yard.

He lay on his back on the ground, panting heavily, feeling completely drained, unable to even lift a finger.

He fell into a deep sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Brother Mu? Brother Mu?"

It was my third aunt's voice.

Lin Mu strained his hoarse throat and weakly replied, "Third Aunt."

Lin Youjiao sensed something was wrong with his voice, so she quickly took out her keys, pushed open the door, and came in carrying a basket covered with a cloth.

She spotted Lin Mu lying on the ground at a glance, quickly put down the basket, and helped Lin Mu onto the mat.

She reached out and touched his forehead, then his hands and feet, muttering, "You have such a high fever? What did you eat?"

Lin Mu kept his eyes closed and did not answer.

Third Aunt went to check the stove; the water tank was empty, and the stove was ice cold.

She sighed, picked up a bucket, went to the well to fetch water, came back and boiled a pot of hot water, then used a towel to apply it to his forehead.

After working for half an hour, Lin Mu's complexion finally improved.

Third Aunt sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), wringing out a towel as she spoke:

"Brother Mu, I've heard about what your second uncle did. He didn't do it right."

"Your second aunt is a bit gossipy, but they've had a tough life too."

"His child is going to take the imperial examination for the first degree; if he passes, it will be a great honor for the family."

She paused, then said, "I'm not taking his side, but I don't approve of what he did either."

"This house was left to you by your parents, why should anyone give it up? But..."

She sighed. "He has no choice. Don't argue with him."

Lin Mu lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring at the rafters on the roof, without making a sound.

Third Aunt got up and took out a rough earthenware bowl from the basket. The bowl contained stewed rabbit meat, with thick white broth and a few slices of ginger floating on top.

"Your uncle went up the mountain yesterday and set a trap. He caught a wild rabbit, and I saved half for you."

She placed the bowl on the kang (a heated brick bed). "You know your uncle-in-law. He's not good with words, but he's skilled. However, in the blacksmithing trade, teaching an apprentice can lead to the master starving."

"He doesn't want to take you on as an apprentice not because he looks down on you, but because he's afraid that if he teaches his apprentice, he'll starve to death."

"He hunts some meat for you every now and then, as a form of compensation."

Lin Youjiao helped him sit up, picked up the bowl, and put a piece of rabbit meat into her mouth.

The meat is stewed until tender, melting in your mouth.

Auntie sat for a while longer. Seeing that he had finished eating, she cleared away the bowl, told him to rest well, and then got up and left.

The courtyard gate was closed.

Lin Mu lay back on the straw mat and fell asleep almost immediately.