Chapter 5: Chapter 5: The Young Master’s Cultivation

In this era where firearms were rampant, Fu Juemin originally didn’t hold much hope for the Martial Dao.

After all, a saying from his previous life put it well—"No matter how good your kung fu, one bullet puts you down."

But now, Li Tong’s words had given Fu Juemin many new and different expectations for the path of the Martial Dao.

"..But reaching Tongxuan is too difficult. Out of ten Blood Refining Martial Artists, there might not be even one who can pass the Blood Breaking Barrier and enter Tongxuan."

Li Tong ladled a spoonful of bone broth and gently poured it over his rice. He glanced at Fu Juemin and said, "Young Master, you started training in Martial Arts late. At nineteen, your bones have already mostly set. It’s already harder for you to practice Martial Arts than the average person, so reaching Tongxuan is even more impossible."

"You’re joking, Uncle Tong. How could I be thinking that far ahead? I was just surprised."

Fu Juemin smiled and sat back down. Though he said he didn’t care, inwardly, it was a completely different story.

’It’s true I started late, but the Fu Family is rich, and I have my own game-like character panel related to Martial Arts. It might not be impossible for me to achieve something in the Martial Dao in the future.’

’Of course, to achieve that, I first need to get Fu Guosheng’s support.’

Fu Juemin’s decision not to eat in the front hall was partly because he was too tired to move, but also a deliberate attempt to test Fu Guosheng’s attitude.

In the short time he had been eating, a servant from the front hall had already run over three times, likely under Fu Guosheng’s orders.

Based on Fu Juemin’s understanding of this so-called father of his, as long as he behaved himself, didn’t cause trouble, and didn’t run off, Fu Guosheng would most likely support whatever he did at this stage.

With that in mind, Fu Juemin glanced at a nearby servant, signaling for them to wipe his mouth, and asked again, "Uncle Tong, have you reached Tongxuan?"

Li Tong didn’t speak, only focusing on picking up food and eating, as if he hadn’t heard Fu Juemin’s question.

So Fu Juemin changed the question. "Uncle Tong, this group from our family’s Nursing Home, what level have they all reached in their training?"

This time, Li Tong answered.

"Two are at Bone Forging, and the rest are all still at Skin Polishing."

The Fu Family’s Nursing Home were all considered skilled individuals in Luan River County, yet they were merely at the realms of Skin Polishing and Bone Forging.

Thinking of this, Fu Juemin felt a surge of motivation.

He spent over half an hour eating and chatting with Li Tong.

After dinner, Li Tong didn’t teach Fu Juemin the Stance practice any further. Fu Juemin couldn’t train anymore either. After taking a bath with the help of servants, he went upstairs to rest.

In the enormous bedroom, a standing copper cabinet puffed out cold air. It was filled to the brim with blocks of ice, and when the night breeze blew in, the entire room became cool.

Fu Juemin lay flat on the soft, comfortable bed, a revolver in his hand. As he listened to the melodious tune coming from the large horn of the phonograph, the fatigue from his daytime Stance practice washed over him like a tide, and he drifted off into a dazed sleep.

In his dreams, one moment he was wielding a saber in one hand and a gun in the other, conquering the world; the next, he was back in his rented apartment from his previous life, drinking coke and playing video games...

The next day, Fu Juemin continued to practice the Mixed Element Stance with Li Tong.

After the novelty of the first day wore off, the repetitive Stance practice on the second day became somewhat unbearable. By the third day, it was even worse.

It wasn’t just the physical exhaustion that was hard to endure, but also the mental frustration and monotony.

After all, the entire day consisted of practicing just one movement: squatting and standing, squatting and standing.

Regarding this, Li Tong didn’t push him, even seeming to be waiting for him to give up on his own.

Fu Juemin simmered with frustration. ’I’m not the "homegrown" Young Master of the Fu Family. I went through plenty of hardships knocking around in society in my past life! Isn’t this just the Republic-era version of military training?’ He gritted his teeth, using Li Tong’s words—’Tongxuan can block foreign bullets’—to hype himself up, and forced himself to persevere.

And so, the fourth day passed, and then the fifth.

He trained until the sixth day, when things finally began to change.....

.

.

「Mid-morning, the sun blazed high in the sky.」

On the lawn in the Fu Family’s rear courtyard, beneath a dense, ancient-looking apple tree, Fu Juemin held a Horse Stance, squatting quietly.

His gaze was fixed straight ahead, his arms circled before his chest as if hugging a log. His entire body seemed still, yet was in motion, following a unique, rhythmic cadence as he bobbed slightly up and down. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Sweat trickled slowly down his sharp jawline. The noisy chirping of the cicadas all around seemed to transform into tiny specks of light, all melting into his eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, Fu Juemin relaxed his posture.

"WHOOSH—"

He let out a long breath and smoothly stood up.

Fu Juemin took the dry towel handed to him by a person nearby and slowly wiped the sweat from his body, casually asking, "How long did I hold the stance this time?"

"Um... uh..."

A young maid, about fifteen or sixteen with a round face and a long, thick braid, stared at the pocket watch clutched in her hand for a long time before stammering, "Young Master, I... I can’t read it..."

"Silly Locust Flower, haven’t I taught you several times?"

The little maid was quite cute, but she gave off a dazed and confused impression.

Slightly exasperated, Fu Juemin took the pocket watch. He thought for a moment and changed his question, "How far did each of the hands on this thing move?"

"I remember this!"

The young maid hurriedly pointed at the watch face and gestured, "The short one moved one little mark, and the long one moved... this much..."

"So, fifteen, almost sixteen minutes..."

Fu Juemin came to this conclusion, a slightly satisfied look appearing on his face. "That’s over a minute longer than last time.

Uncle Tong was right, once you find the ’stance sense’, it really isn’t as tiring..."

Fu Juemin couldn’t help but marvel at the wonders of Martial Arts. The posture was nearly identical, the only difference being whether one had "entered the gate." A single step’s difference, yet it was like two different worlds inside and outside the gate.

Before he found the ’stance sense’, each session of Stance practice felt like torture beyond endurance, with every second feeling like a year. After finding it, the Stance practice became an almost enjoyable affair.

After finishing each session, the feeling of all his pores opening up and sweat pouring out like slurry was something Fu Juemin even found himself becoming addicted to.

’In the end, I really have this game-like character panel to thank...’

Thinking this, Fu Juemin tossed aside the towel he used to wipe his sweat and walked straight to a soft couch placed in the shade of the apple tree, sitting down.

He furtively brought up his character panel.

[Fu Juemin]

[Attack -1 Defense -1 Life -1 Mana -0]

[Cultivation Technique: Mixed Element Stance (Entry Level)]

[Talent: ]

Ever since one time when he’d practiced the Stance until he was dizzy and had muddle-headedly found the ’stance sense’, the words "Mixed Element Stance (Entry Level)" had appeared on his panel.

The panel seemed to have some ability to solidify learned Skills. From then on, whenever he did his Stance practice, he could always find the ’stance sense’ and easily enter the settled state, causing his progress to become exceptionally fast.

"Young Master."

The young maid, Locust Flower, timidly walked up to him carrying a plate full of what looked like radish roots.

Fu Juemin glanced at it, then picked a radish root that caught his eye and put it in his mouth.

These were tendrils picked from the three-hundred-year-old ginseng that his Second Uncle, Fu Guoping, had given him. Fu Juemin had specifically asked about them; these tendrils could replenish essence and qi. They could be used in soup, steeped as tea, or eaten raw. So, he had taken to using them as snacks, chewing on a few whenever he got tired from his Stance practice.

Chewing on the old ginseng tendril, Fu Juemin casually unbuttoned his sweat-soaked silk shirt, revealing a physique that was already beginning to show some muscle definition. Little Locust Flower shyly turned her face away.

At this moment, a middle-aged man with a queue, who had been waiting under the apple tree, rolled up his sleeves. His clean, slender hands gently rested on Fu Juemin’s shoulders.

"Young Master Fu, shall I begin?"

Fu Juemin grunted softly and lay down on his stomach on the soft couch.

The man immediately began to knead and press his body with practiced skill.

The electrifying, tingling, and sore sensation that instantly spread from the muscles being pressed made Fu Juemin’s entire brow relax, and he couldn’t help but let out a long, contented sigh.