To test his hypothesis, Chen Muye didn't care whether the old man was willing or not; he dragged him over and insisted on learning Taiji.
The old man had a cheerful personality, and once Chen Muye expressed his interest, he was more than happy to teach him.
"Clasp your hands together in front of you, with your right hand on top and level with your shoulders. Keep your left hand at the level of your navel, knees slightly bent, and rest in silence for three minutes. When exhaling, imagine water flowing slowly from the top of your head down to the soles of your feet. Rotate your hands in circles—six clockwise, six counter-clockwise. ..."
Chen Muye followed the old man’s instructions diligently.
Forty minutes later.
After finishing an entire sequence of Taiji, Chen Muye collapsed onto a chair, head tilted back, gasping for air.
*Hum!*
A system panel flickered into view.
【Name: Chen Muye】
【Lifespan: 71 days】
【Aptitude: 8】
【Constitution: 3】
【Mental Power: 7】
【Allocatable Attribute Points: 0.2】
【Cultivation Manual: Taiji Guiding Technique (First Realm: Beginner 10%)】
It really could increase his lifespan!
Chen Muye felt as if he had grasped a lifeline. He sprang to his feet, wanting to pull the old man into another round, but his legs trembled violently, leaving him feeling as drained as if he’d been hollowed out by a ghost overnight. His arms hung limply at his sides; he couldn't muster an ounce of strength.
Only then did Chen Muye realize that, with his advanced lung cancer, his physical condition was too poor. Two rounds were his absolute limit. Sighing helplessly, he looked with longing eyes at the old man, who was currently sipping from a water bottle. "Grandpa, are you here practicing Taiji every day?"
The old man slowly screwed the cap back onto his thermos. "Not necessarily. Sometimes I go to the lake, sometimes to the park."
"Could I get your contact information? I’d like to learn Taiji from you."
The old man looked at Chen Muye in surprise. It was the first time he had seen a young person show interest in Taiji like this.
"Young man, do you really want to learn?"
Chen Muye nodded. "Yes."
The old man readily took out his phone. "Should I scan you, or will you scan me?"
"I'll scan you."
They added each other on WeChat. Chen Muye hadn't expected the old man to be tech-savvy enough to use a smartphone; it seemed he had been an educated man in his youth. Then again, Chen Muye wasn't bad himself; he was a young, albeit obscure, artisan.
[Li Tiangang has accepted your friend request. You can now chat!]
A notification popped up on his phone.
"Grandpa, is Li Tiangang your real name?"
The old man laughed. "Heh heh, what do you think? Pretty imposing, right?"
Chen Muye gave him a thumbs up. "Certainly is!"
"By the way, young man, what's your name?"
"Chen Muye. Chen as in 'ear-east', Muye as in 'herding' and 'wilderness'."
"Then I'll just save you as 'Little Chen' in my contacts."
"Sounds good."
"You're at the age where you should still be in school, right? What made you want to learn Taiji?"
Chen Muye sighed and replied, "Grandpa, to be honest, I have lung cancer—terminal. Before I die, I just want to do something I enjoy."
Li Tiangang paused. "Terminal lung cancer?"
"Yes. The doctor said I have at most three months to live." He gestured toward the bag sitting on the chair. "Those are my medical reports."
Li Tiangang walked over to the chair and carefully examined the reports. After finishing, he shook his head with regret. "Sigh, what a shame. To be so young... sigh."
Naturally, Chen Muye wasn't about to tell Li Tiangang about his system. He put on a smile. "Grandpa Li, I've come to terms with it. Life is like a phone call: either you hang up first, or I do. I just hope to do something I love before I hang up."
Li Tiangang nodded in approval, secretly admiring Chen Muye's open-mindedness.
"Good lad, great attitude. As long as you want to learn, I will definitely teach you."
"Then I thank you in advance."
Just then, a sweet voice called out from not far away.
"Great-Grandpa!"
Chen Muye looked toward the sound. A beautiful young girl in a high ponytail was waving from the side of the plaza. When he saw her face, Chen Muye's eyes widened.
Wasn't that Li Shujin, the campus belle of Yongcheng No. 1 High School?
As a fellow senior at Yongcheng No. 1, Chen Muye had a deep impression of her. Li Shujin wasn't just the campus belle; she was the school's top academic achiever. People often said that a woman's looks were inversely proportional to her intelligence, but Li Shujin was the exception. She was not only beautiful and brilliant but was rumored to come from a well-off family as well.
Compared to her, Chen Muye was in a different league. Ordinary twenty-year-olds were already sophomores or juniors in college, but Chen Muye was still a senior in high school. He had been held back a year in elementary school and another in middle school. It was clear his intelligence was average; he was no match for Li Shujin.
But that was in the past.
Li Shujin walked over with a smile. As she drew closer, Chen Muye could faintly smell a light, fresh fragrance—the unique scent of a teenage girl.
Soon, Li Shujin reached them. Today, she wore light makeup, her delicate, three-dimensional features looking like a perfect work of art. Her light blue sweater was stretched tight over her full bust; though only eighteen, she already possessed a stunning figure.
She politely greeted Chen Muye. "Hello there."
They had never interacted before, but Chen Muye still held his head high and nodded. "Hello."
After the greeting, Li Shujin looked at Li Tiangang. "Great-Grandpa, it's time to go home and eat."
Li Tiangang checked the time on his phone, realizing it was past eight in the evening, and finally reacted.
"Oh, look at my memory. Let's go, let's go. Great-Grandpa is coming back with you now."
With that, the two of them turned to leave. After taking a few steps, Li Tiangang turned back to Chen Muye. "Little Chen, let's keep in touch on WeChat."
Chen Muye nodded with a smile. "Will do."
Watching Li Shujin’s retreating figure, Chen Muye thought to himself: *If she were to marry me, I’d break a rib just to make her soup.*
*Pfft!*
*Forget that! Better save my life first.*
He hadn't expected Grandpa Li to be the campus belle's great-grandfather. If he became close with Grandpa Li—sworn brothers, or maybe master and disciple—wouldn't he be able to claim a superior generational status in front of the campus belle?
By that logic, the campus belle would eventually have to call him "Daddy."
It was a sure bet! First, win over Grandpa Li, then win over Li Shujin.
Chen Muye sat back down in the chair to rest and study his system.
【Name: Chen Muye】
【Lifespan: 71 days】
【Aptitude: 8】
【Constitution: 3】
【Mental Power: 7】
【Allocatable Attribute Points: 0.2】
【Cultivation Manual: Taiji Guiding Technique (First Realm: Beginner 10%)】
The allocatable points could be added to Aptitude, Constitution, or Mental Power. Where should he put this 0.2? After thinking for a moment, Chen Muye had his answer.
Health is the capital of revolution. His constitution was currently too weak; he felt drained after just two rounds of Taiji. Only by improving his constitution could he have more stamina in the future.
He decided to put all his points into Constitution.
*Ding!*
【Name: Chen Muye】
【Lifespan: 71 days】
【Aptitude: 8】
【Constitution: 3.2】
【Mental Power: 7】
【Allocatable Attribute Points: 0】
【Cultivation Manual: Taiji Guiding Technique (First Realm: Beginner 10%)】
The moment he added the points, Chen Muye felt his physical strength recover somewhat. He stood up and moved around; sure enough, the previous weakness was gone.
It was a pity that the old man had already been taken home for dinner by the campus belle. Otherwise, Chen Muye would have dragged him into two more hours of Taiji. He needed to master Taiji as soon as possible so he could practice on his own even when the old man wasn't around.
He packed his things, ready to go home. Just then, his phone pinged with a notification.
[Fan Hua Si Jin wants to add you as a friend]
[Note: Hello, this is Li Shujin.]