Having rejected two of Su Shiyan’s suggestions in a row, Hao Qi felt a twinge of awkwardness despite having his own plans. He stood up and said, "I appreciate your kindness, Miss, but I have my own path to follow. I need to keep moving forward to see what comes of it. I’ll be nineteen in another year, so I’ll make my final decisions after that."
Around his nineteenth birthday would be the time for Hao Qi to practice the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic. Whether he lived or died, whether his future meant porridge or meat, or whether he could truly explore the vast world as he dreamed—it all depended on whether he could cultivate Inner Force by then. If he couldn’t, he would decisively give up all the benefits of the System and content himself with living a grounded, quiet life in this world.
Su Shiyan felt a mix of disappointment and understanding. As a true Martial Artist herself, she understood the mindset of her kind. Every true Martial Artist was someone with conviction and an unwavering character. If he were so easily persuaded, he wouldn’t have been able to master an external martial art at such a young age.
Watching Hao Qi pick up the remaining steamed buns and prepare to leave, Su Shiyan finally gave in to her recognition and sympathy for a true practitioner. She spoke up, "Since you have your own plans, I won’t say anything more. However, practicing martial arts like this without proper nutrition will inevitably damage your physical foundation, which will only narrow your path ahead. How about this... I am in this canteen every morning at eight sharp. I’m here at irregular times at noon, but I’m always here at 5:30 in the evening. As long as you catch me at these times, I will order an extra bowl of meat soup and a serving of ribs for you. Don't think of it as charity; consider it an act of goodwill between us. If you truly manage to achieve Inner Force in the future, perhaps you’ll be the one guiding me then. How does that sound?"
Hao Qi looked at her carefully—at this girl with the clear, bright eyes. A grin spread across his face. "I would be foolish to refuse... Thank you for your kindness, Miss. I will certainly be here on time every day. As for the future... I will pay back this favor, I promise, as soon as I have the ability."
Never underestimate the promise of a transmigrator.
Hao Qi turned and left. He had his own pride. Although the pressures of reality had turned him into a slacker for a long time, that pride still flickered within him. Kindness would be repaid with kindness; grudges would be repaid with grudges. Ten years...
Ten years!
"Practicing martial arts is just practicing martial arts; what does that have to do with cooking?" the beautiful long-haired girl asked, looking puzzled after a long silence. She hadn't been able to keep up with Hao Qi’s previous jest. "I do know of a sect that specializes in cooking exotic ingredients to absorb their essence for physical strengthening, which can also lead to the Inner Force path, but that is a niche sect, far away in the depths of the Green Sea. I haven't learned their methods; I just wanted to teach you martial arts."
This time, it was Hao Qi who felt awkward. This was what they called a generation gap, he thought. Still, he quickly adjusted his state of mind and cupped his hands. "I am Hao Qi. Thank you for the meat soup, Miss."
"I am Su Shiyan. Consider this bowl of meat soup a return for watching you practice earlier," Su Shiyan replied, returning the gesture politely.
"That wasn't really 'practicing'," Hao Qi chuckled, munching on his bun. "It was just some clumsy, amateur routine. Nothing special at all."
Su Shiyan, however, said earnestly, "The technique may be common, but the person is not. You just performed that routine to a level of mastery, didn't you? Do you have any idea how few people nowadays can endure the loneliness required to master a skill? Everyone is rushing toward Inner Force, but they never stop to think: if you haven't even mastered the basic techniques, how can you refine your body to its limit? I’ve seen thousands of such people. None of them could ever develop Inner Force. They prefer quantity over quality, practicing one technique, refining a few parts of their body, and then moving to the next. They spend decades doing this, becoming nothing more than 'Quasi-Inner Force' Martial Artists, barely capable of handling a hundred opponents, still wallowing in the mundane world. Such people aren't worth mentioning. But you are different. Judging by your frame and age, you’re at most eighteen or nineteen, yet you’ve mastered a set of martial arts. I don't know if you are gifted or just exceptionally hardworking, but I can see one thing: your temperament is perfectly suited for martial arts. As long as you find the right path, you have a seventy percent chance of developing Inner Force! So, learn martial arts from me!"
Hao Qi rubbed his nose, feeling a bit sheepish. He didn't have the temperament she described. To be honest, if the System hadn't locked his progress, forcing him to use the Arhat Fist, he would have switched to a more powerful technique long ago. If the martial arts in this world weren't merely a "possibility" for developing Inner Force—unlike the System’s guaranteed results—he wouldn't even be practicing these local arts at all.
Su Shiyan didn't know any of this. She simply didn't want to see such a genuine Martial Artist go to waste. She added immediately, "I just watched you, and your routine is truly common... Although you've reached a state of mastery, in terms of combat, it’s barely better than standard third-rate techniques—perhaps even worse than the ones they give to freshmen at school. I also noticed you’re training primarily your waist, legs, and forearms. You're neglecting the rest of your body. If you continue like this, you will never possess Inner Force. It’s a pity, but since you were able to spend so much time mastering this routine, you are certainly capable of mastering others. A broad, open road lies before you. You could start practicing the techniques provided by the school tomorrow, and we can assess your progress from there."
Hao Qi’s face flushed red, though his skin, tanned by the sun and wind, hid it well. He said with difficulty, "But..."
"I know, I know," Su Shiyan said, as if confirming something. "You lack the funds. I can see that. 'Scholarship is poor, martial arts are rich'—that is not your fault. But you must be aware that banks now offer martial arts loans. You only need to go to the bank to verify that you have mastered your routine, and they will gladly loan you a significant sum. I'm not entirely familiar with the Lanying Republic, but I imagine it’s much the same. These loans don't have many restrictions and the credit limit is high. You just need to check in at the bank every month to verify your training progress. Whether you eventually develop Inner Force or become a 'Quasi-Inner Force' expert, you'll be able to repay the loan easily."
Hao Qi still looked awkward. In fact, he had long known about these bank loans and had considered it, but the requirement for monthly progress checks was the dealbreaker. As long as he was stuck with the Arhat Fist, he could never let anyone verify his training, so the loan was impossible.
Watching his expression, Su Shiyan said with a look of realization, "I understand, I understand. Your pride is at stake. That’s true; it’s not prison, so having to be verified every month is indeed too much. It’s a violation of a Martial Artist’s free spirit. I get it... But besides banks, some large corporations, martial sects, or prestigious martial families offer similar contracts. They don't check your progress—they just require you not to go missing. You sign a contract, and when you achieve success, you work for them for a period of time. The money is less than a loan, but it’s still an income. If you're interested, I can help you select a reputable company or family."
Hao Qi had thought about this too, but these contracts came with a major catch: you were required to practice the techniques provided by those organizations.
Although this world had guns and artillery, the powerhouses were still those with Inner Force. Hao Qi had never met such an expert and couldn't imagine how someone with internal energy could stand up to modern military weaponry—this wasn't fantasy cultivation, after all, just martial arts. However, the people of this world believed it, and seventy percent of the resources were concentrated on Inner Force experts. For those who hadn't reached that level, their only role in combat was to support the experts through synchronized techniques, group attacks, and formations. Signing such a contract meant giving up your own path to become a mere cog in their machine.
That was something Hao Qi could never tolerate. All his energy was dedicated to the Arhat Fist; he had no capacity to practice the local arts. Asking him to sacrifice time for the Arhat Fist to train in someone else's techniques was completely out of the question!Thus, this way of making money was also a dead end. As for other methods, such as fighting in underground matches, or joining various dojos and martial sects, they all had their own drawbacks—options that Hao Qi entirely rejected. In the end, after spending these nine years, the only path he chose with almost no side effects was studying: passing the exams to get into university and earning a scholarship. That was all. Although the money was meager, it came with no other restrictions or side effects.
Having rejected both of Su Shiyan's suggestions in succession, even though Hao Qi had his own plans, he still felt somewhat awkward. He stood up and said, "Thank you for your kind intentions, Miss, but I have my own plans. I always need to keep moving forward to see what lies ahead. In another year, I will turn nineteen. Everything can wait until after I turn nineteen to be decided."
Around his nineteenth birthday was when Hao Qi would practice the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic. Whether it meant life or death, whether the future held watery porridge or meat, and whether he could achieve what he desired—this world was so vast, and he was curious to go and see it—whether he could accomplish that depended entirely on whether he could cultivate inner force by then. If not, he would decisively abandon all the benefits of the System and live out his life quietly and down-to-earth in this world.
Su Shiyan felt a mix of disappointment and understanding. As a true Martial Artist herself, she understood the mindset of a martial artist. Every true martial artist had their own firm convictions and an unwavering personality. If he could be persuaded so easily by others, this young girl—this young man could not possibly have cultivated external martial arts to great success at such a young age.
Watching Hao Qi pick up the remaining steamed bun and prepare to leave, Su Shiyan finally could not hold back her sense of recognition and pity for a true martial artist deep in her heart. She spoke up directly, "Since you have your own plans, I will say no more. However, practicing martial arts like this without adequate nutrition is truly harmful. If you damage your bodily foundation, the path ahead of you will become much narrower. How about this... I will be in this cafeteria every morning at eight o'clock sharp. My noon schedule varies, but I will also be here at five-thirty in the evening sharp. As long as you can meet me at these times, I will order an extra bowl of meat soup and a serving of ribs. This is not charity; consider it a way for us to forge a bond of good karma. If you truly manage to achieve inner force in the future, perhaps I will even need your guidance. What do you say?"Hao Qi then looked carefully at Su Shiyan, observing the girl with the clear eyes. He flashed a wide grin and said, "I wouldn't dare refuse... Thank you for your kindness, Miss. I will certainly come every day on time. As for the future... I will definitely repay this debt of gratitude. As long as I am capable, I will."
Never underestimate the promise of a transmigrator.
Hao Qi turned and walked away. He had his own pride; although the pressures of reality had kept him dormant for a long time, that pride still burned in his heart. A debt of gratitude must be repaid, and a grudge must be settled. Ten years...
Ten years!
Hao Qi had just finished class. As soon as he stepped out of the classroom, he headed straight for the cafeteria. A beauty was waiting for him there, with a promise of a bowl of meat broth and a serving of ribs...
Just then, a crisp female voice rang out loudly: "Hao boy, stop right there!"
Hao Qi’s entire body stiffened. One could almost hear the grinding of his neck bones as he slowly turned his head. He saw a pale-skinned young girl with dark red hair standing there with her hands on her hips, and beside her stood a tall, smiling military officer.
"Big, big... Big sister, you're back?" Hao Qi stammered.
The young girl flashed a wide grin and walked boldly up to Hao Qi. She reached out to measure his height, then curled her lip. "I left when you were sixteen. It’s been over two years, nearly three, and you’ve only grown about ten centimeters? If you aren't 1.8 meters tall by the time you're twenty, don't you dare say you know me. It’s embarrassing!"
Hao Qi smiled sheepishly, helpless. Just then, the officer stepped behind the girl and patted her head. He then cupped his hands in a salute to Hao Qi and said, "Brother Hao, it has been a long time."
"Brother Li," Hao Qi replied, returning the salute. He then asked, "You have returned to the Capital Circle? Is the war over?"
The officer shook his head. "No. I only returned to report for duty. Na’er mentioned that your nineteenth birthday is approaching. She has been talking about it for a long time, saying that you had an agreement with her—that after your nineteenth birthday, you would begin practicing other martial arts. So, we specifically came to visit you and to settle on the venue for your nineteenth birthday."
Hao Qi felt a mix of warmth and bitterness in his heart, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts.Xue Na was also born in an orphanage, but this young girl had shown a talent for martial arts from a young age. Based on this alone, she won the favor of the orphanage director and never really suffered any hardships growing up there. Relying on her martial arts talent, she styled herself as the big sister of the orphanage. Being more than two years older than Hao Qi and Lin Xiong, she had just turned twenty-one this year.
Although Xue Na was something of a bully in the orphanage, her disposition was actually quite good. She frequently managed injustices within the orphanage, effectively protecting its more vulnerable residents, and out of respect for her, the orphanage director had also passed up many opportunities to exploit the children. It could be said that she was a benefactor to the vast majority of the children in the orphanage.
The bond between Hao Qi and Xue Na centered on the Arhat Fist he practiced. This unranked, trashy boxing style drew repeated mockery from Xue Na. However, Xue Na was someone with a tough exterior and a soft heart; her teasing was primarily driven by the hope that Hao Qi would stop practicing it. First, his nutritional intake couldn't keep up, which would fundamentally damage his body, and second, this boxing style had no future.
Yet Hao Qi had his own plans, so he ignored Xue Na's good intentions. After several rounds of this, the two had practically locked horns, almost always arguing upon meeting. Yet the more they did so, the more familiar they became with each other—which explained why, even long after leaving the orphanage, she had returned this time to find Hao Qi.
In truth, Hao Qi didn't really want to see Xue Na. There was a very significant reason: Xue Na looked five or six parts similar to his girlfriend from before his transmigration, and he greatly admired Xue Na's personality. To put it simply, he had a crush on her.
Only, in this lifetime, he was born an orphan without any so-called martial arts talent. Though he had the System, it required at least ten years of brewing. Until those ten years were up, he would look like an utterly ordinary, insignificant kid. Meanwhile, at the age of sixteen, Xue Na had enlisted in the military and left the orphanage, subsequently meeting this official's second-generation scion, Li Pancheng, in the army.
If this Li Pancheng were the typical official's second-generation scion from novels—a born evildoer—then Hao Qi would have had the confidence to snatch Xue Na back after growing up in the future. He might even have pulled off some melodramatic tropes relying on his status as a successful Inner Force Expert. Unfortunately, this Li Pancheng was a good person—a good person in the true sense of the word: enthusiastic, kind, and with practically no flaws other than being a bit pedantic. Furthermore, he possessed formidable strength and a prominent family background. It was said that the upper-class girls pursuing him in the Capital Circle could practically form a brigade.
Yet such a man had fallen in love at first sight upon meeting Xue Na. Afterward, who knew how many things transpired between them? By the time Xue Na turned eighteen, she actually became Li Pancheng's fiancée as a lower-class person of orphanage origin—a fiancée acknowledged by Li Pancheng's parents. At the time, Hao Qi could clearly see that Xue Na and Li Pancheng were truly in love. Reaching this point, he could only silently bless the two of them in his heart to grow old together.
Acknowledgment was one thing, but deep down, he still felt a lingering melancholy, so he tried as much as possible not to think about Xue Na and thought it best to avoid meeting her altogether.
Right now, however, circumstances were out of his hands. Xue Na had always possessed a strong personality. After waiting for Li Pancheng to finish speaking, she threw her arm around Hao Qi's shoulders like a buddy and walked forward, chatting as she went: "Come on, come on! Why are we having such a civilized chat here? Let's go have a spar first and see if you're still practicing that trashy boxing style, and whether you kid has made any progress. Oh right, call that layabout Lin Xiong over too. Don't think I don't know he's been selling soft drugs to fund your martial arts training, right? I happen to have some connections in the Capital Circle, you know."
Hao Qi could only smile bitterly in silence, while Li Pancheng beside him cupped his fists in a helpless gesture of apology. It seemed the informants watching him and Lin Xiong were likely operatives of the Capital Li Family.
At that moment, Li Pancheng suddenly spoke up: "Brother Hao, though it's perhaps not my place to say this, but... selling drugs is ultimately no good. Even though they are soft drugs, the state is already discussing legislation to ban hard drugs, and soft drugs will likely face restrictions or a direct legislative ban as well. If that happens, Brother Lin's business will be illegal, which is ultimately wrong. If you're truly strapped for cash, your sister and I still have savings in our military pay; helping out our own brother is no big deal."
Hao Qi's expression turned solemn. Ignoring Xue Na's attempts to signal him with her eyes, he simply cupped his fists in return and replied: "Brother Li, if the state passes legislation banning soft drugs, I will be the first to stop Lin Xiong's business. Rest assured, I won't allow Lin Xiong to run amok. Of course, while it's currently a legal loophole, soft drugs aren't illegal yet. So as long as we can earn an honest living by our own labor, accepting your financial help wouldn't be right. After all, it's better to help with emergencies than with ongoing poverty. Wouldn't you agree, Brother Li?"