Honey, you didn’t really drugged me, did you?

Chapter 39: 39 Chapters on Boxing Progress

Chen Jie never expected he’d manage to snag a bowl of soup, especially since that Golden Chicken was bought with hard cash.

He did not miss out on any money, but receiving an extra bowl of soup made him feel somewhat indebted.

“Master, I’d rather not drink it…”

Chen Jie said, seeming quite embarrassed, when Doctor Bai interjected, “Drink it. The Phoenix Soup I concocted is a great tonic for martial artists. Haven’t you been training in martial arts lately? This one bowl can save you at least half a year of hard cultivation work.”

“But Master, I’ve taken money for it…”

“Heh, that money is from the sale to your Uncle Zhong. This soup is a gift from a master to his disciple. There’s no conflict, drink up.”

At this point, Wu Zhong, gnawing on a chicken wing, said, “Brother Jiu Si, drink up. We’re all family here, no need for formalities.”

Wu Hong also chimed in, “Brother, it’s said that wealth comes from letters, while martial prowess comes from poverty. If you want to practice martial arts, achieving greatness is hard without the help of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.”

Hearing this, Chen Jie fell silent, and the Bai family also said, “Brother Jiu Si is too modest. Don’t persuade him any further, he can figure it out on his own. We’re all family; there’s no need to be so distant.”

After much urging from everyone, Chen Jie found it difficult to decline any further and thus took a gulp of the soup.@@novelbin@@

The soup wasn’t seasoned with salt but was incredibly savory and had a distinctive aromatic fragrance of medicinal herbs.

When the soup entered his stomach, Chen Jie felt a warm sensation taking over his abdomen, radiating heat from inside out.

Looking at the others, they too were sweating profusely, as if they had taken a sauna.

At that moment, Wu Hong said to Chen Jie, “Brother Jiu Si, don’t just stand there. Let’s practice some boxing; we can’t waste the power of this medicine.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie immediately began practicing Grand Ancestor Long Fist with Wu Hong—every punch and move, precise and deliberate. With each strike of the boxing technique, Chen Jie felt a strange warmth spreading into his limbs and his bodily strength noticeably increasing.

Is this what it means to absorb the medicinal strength?

As he pondered, Chen Jie adjusted his breathing while boxing, using the Yang Chun Skill breathing method in combination with the Grand Ancestor Long Fist. He found that his absorption of the medicinal strength quickened, and his execution of the Grand Ancestor Long Fist became even more proficient.

After practicing for two rounds, Wu Hong had completely absorbed the medicinal strength, so he stopped. His strength was great, thus it only required one round for him, and the extra round was to guide Chen Jie.

He was correcting Chen Jie’s form, somewhat akin to leading a drill.

Standing still, he noticed his grandmother and mother’s complexions were rosy and revitalized, their wrinkles even seemed to have diminished.

Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, nourishing substances. Martial artists could use them to strengthen and build bones, to enhance their strength, whereas ordinary people could replenish their essence, expel illnesses, and prolong life!

However, without any training methods, ordinary people could only naturally absorb one or two-tenths of the medicinal strength, but even that was enough to bolster their health and vitality.

Doctor Bai, looking at Wu Hong, asked, “Are you finished, Brother Jiu Si?”

Wu Hong, hearing this, replied, “Brother Jiu Si hasn’t broken through yet. His body is frail, so to fully absorb the medicinal power, he needs to go through the motions at least twenty times. Plus, due to the long duration, it’s hard to fully absorb the medicine, probably only eighty percent.”

Doctor Bai nodded at this statement.

Right after, Chen Jie continued to perform the Grand Ancestor Long Fist.

One time, two times, three times…

Watching him, Wu Hong suddenly exclaimed with surprise. Doctor Bai asked, “What happened?”

“Brother Jiu Si’s comprehension is rather impressive. His boxing, he’s already reached entry-level, and he’s very close to becoming an expert.”

Hearing this, Doctor Bai asked, “If he’s an expert at Grand Ancestor Long Fist, doesn’t that mean he’s almost reached the Skin Buff Realm?”

Wu Hong said, “With Grand Ancestor Long Fist, being an expert counts as a local notable. Small Success can enter the Martial Arts Skin Buff Realm, Great Success is the Refining Body Realm, and Perfection means you’re on the verge of reaching Dark Force.”

“Brother Jiu Si, your comprehension of the boxing techniques is so penetrating, impressive, truly impressive!”

Wu Hong couldn’t help but sigh. Just then, he saw Chen Jie finish practicing the boxing technique for the tenth time and suddenly stand still, expelling a turbid breath, feeling transparency throughout his body as he had absorbed all the medicinal power.

Wu Hong watched in astonishment. Such potent medicinal strength, and he absorbed it all within ten repetitions of the boxing technique?

This talent was a bit strong, wasn’t it, but when bone-reading that day, hadn’t he only detected an ordinary constitution?

However, Wu Hong quickly shook his head and laughed. Bone-reading could only give a rough idea. Some people belong to the type whose inherent physique is not apparent, also known as inwardly graceful.

These people seem to have an ordinary physique, but when they train in martial arts, they progress rapidly, sometimes even surpassing those natural talents. Such people are the most formidable.

And his brother Jiu Si was very likely one of these people who were inwardly graceful.

Thinking of this, Wu Hong entertained the idea of opportunity in his Eye of Mind. He was his brother, after all. Should he find a chance to bring him to the government office and have him work as a constable?

That way, he would have an assistant for himself.

But there was no rush. It was not easy for the senior to find a successor, so better to let him learn martial arts first.

“Brother Jiu Si, how is it?”

Wu Hong came over and asked. Chen Jie replied, “I’ve absorbed it all, I feel, I feel like I could kill a bull with one punch!”

Looking at his own fist, he felt he was filled with power.

Wu Hong said, “Mhm, Brother Jiu Si, you have good talent, and I see your Grand Ancestor Long Fist is about to reach the Expert Realm. Once you refine it to Expertise, your strength should qualify you as a half-step into the Skin Buff Realm. In the countryside, you’d be considered quite skilled.”

“I have to thank Brother Wu for passing on the skill.”

Wu Hong said, “Don’t mention it, don’t mention it.”

While the two were talking, they saw Wu Zhong put down the last chicken bone, then stood up with reddened eyes, went to the courtyard, and started boxing.

The boxing set was so vigorous it created gusts of wind. After finishing, he flexed his arms and suddenly lifted a millstone, weighing several hundred pounds, effortlessly with one hand.

Chen Jie’s eyes widened in amazement. Is this still human?

Wu Hong said on the side, “My father has been stuck in the Refining Body Realm for a long time now. With age, his strength had declined, but this time he seems to have recovered about seventy to eighty percent.”

Chen Jie asked, “Can strength actually decline?”

Wu Hong said, “Of course, ‘fists fear the strength of youth’ is not a joke. Ming Jin involves the strength of muscles and skin, and these can easily age, naturally leading to a decline in strength. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Erratic punches can kill an old master’?”

Chen Jie nodded.

“Therefore, Ming Jin Martial Artists are also called Outer Sect Martial Artists and their prowess doesn’t last. They thrive on the vitality of youth. If one wishes to slow the decrease of strength, one needs to reach Dark Force, which trains the tendons and bones. The tendons and bones age slower than the flesh, so the strength declines more slowly as well.”

“And to maintain strength unaffected by the passage of time, one must reach Energy Transformation. Energy Transformation trains the blood marrow. The stirring of blood marrow produces Inner Strength, which can counteract the effects of aging on strength.”

Hearing this, Chen Jie secretly took note, so that’s how it is.

At that moment, he suddenly thought of something and turned to Wu Hong, “Brother Wu, what level has your strength reached?”

Wu Hong smiled, “Stronger than the old man, if just by a little bit.”