Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

Chapter 17 Followers

Qin Heng shook the blood off his hands and looked up to see that Zhao Er had already disappeared without a trace, without even saying goodbye.

They really are just fair-weather friends.

Qin Heng thought to himself, "He runs away as soon as something happens. It's a good thing this person said he would help each other. When it comes to life and death, he runs faster than anyone else."

"This idea is too difficult, let's retreat!"

Meanwhile, the two Ming Jin bandit leaders who were fighting Cui Ran caught a glimpse of Qin Heng swiftly and decisively taking down the two Ming Jin members, and immediately ordered a retreat.

Cui Ran, a peak Ming Jin cultivator, held off two Ming Jin masters. If the fight continued, the remaining Ming Jin cultivator would be crippled.

"withdraw!"

Without further hesitation, the remaining bandits almost simultaneously abandoned the fight, without uttering a single unnecessary word, and turned to dart into the dense forest.

The Cui family guards chased the enemy to the edge of the woods, but dared not pursue them any further and retreated.

Qin Heng did not pursue them. Instead, he took the opportunity to steal all the silver and personal valuables from the two bandit leaders and stuff them into his pocket. His movements were swift and decisive, without any hesitation.

Cui Ran withdrew his fist and stood up, slightly out of breath. His gaze immediately fell on Qin Heng, his eyes filled with undisguised shock. He quickly stepped forward and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "Young friend Qin, I am deeply grateful for your kindness today!"

He looked Qin Heng up and down, his tone filled with admiration and amazement: "I saw it clearly at the end. You've only just entered the Ming Jin stage, yet you've mastered a boxing style to a minor level. Your attacks are fierce and swift, each move precise. This level of comprehension is truly rare!"

Cui Ran looked around again and said in a deep voice, "We shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's quickly organize the caravan and return to the city. Once we're back in Heyang City and things have settled down, I'll reward you for your contributions!"

Not far away, Cui Yingying, her hair disheveled and her arrogance vanished, looked at Qin Heng with a strange glint in her eyes.

She herself was at the Ming Jin realm, but she had been practicing the Cui family boxing style for almost a year, yet she still hadn't been able to reach the threshold of minor success.

It seems this seemingly hopeless kid isn't entirely useless; he's actually quite perceptive.

Qin Heng nodded slightly to Cui Ran and replied casually, "It was nothing, Manager, please don't mention it."

Upon hearing this, Cui Ran smiled and nodded, then immediately ordered the guards to count the medicinal herbs and prepare the carriages and horses without further formalities.

After a short rest, the group dared not linger any longer and drove their mule carts at breakneck speed toward Heyang County.

......

Fishing Fire Bay, at the end of the fourth watch.

The night was still lingering, and fishing lights flickered on the river in twos and threes, as fishermen got up early to row their boats into the river to set up their nets.

After resting at home for a night, Qin Heng got out of bed and went downstairs to help his sister set up her stall.

Not counting the reward money that Cui's pharmacy hadn't yet given, I got a total of thirteen taels of silver from the bandits yesterday, plus two packets of blood-nourishing powder.

Now, I can pay back the three taels of silver I owe Brother Zhou, and I can also pay for the next tuition fee at the same time.

After helping his sister set up the breakfast stall, he turned and walked towards Songxuan Martial Arts Hall.

Just as he reached the street corner, he bumped into Zhou An, who was carrying a book, looking sleepy and dragging his feet, as if he hadn't woken up yet.

"Heng-ge..." Zhou An yawned, his voice thick with nasal tone, "I've finally run into you. The examination date for the prefectural city academy is set for two months from now. I'll have to stay in my study and study hard during this time, so I'm afraid I won't have time to hang out with you."

Qin Heng nodded upon hearing this, "That's a good thing. Our Fishing Fire Bay might just produce a scholar."

"Thank you for your kind words." Zhou An rubbed his sore eyes and continued, "However, the difference between a scholar and a martial arts scholar is not small. Alas! These days, might makes right. We scholars are just empty names!"

The two exchanged few pleasantries before Zhou An yawned, picked up his books, and headed towards the study.

Qin Heng continued on his way and soon arrived at Songxuan Martial Arts Hall.

It was just dawn, and the hall was empty. He went straight to the kitchen to store the food he had brought. His eyes inadvertently swept across the wall, and upon closer inspection, he saw a new notice posted there.

The martial arts examination will be held in three months!

Qin Heng's heart stirred, and he finally learned the exact date of the martial arts examination, and began to ponder it to himself.

If ordinary people could pass the martial arts exam and obtain the title of martial arts scholar, they could change their lives in one fell swoop.

While I wouldn't dare say I'd become incredibly wealthy, at least I could escape the toil of city life, avoid being oppressed by local gangs, and hold my head high in Fishing Fire Bay.

At that time, the various exorbitant taxes and levies on our own breakfast shop will be reduced by 50%, and my sister will no longer have to suffer from exploitation and harassment.

However, although Ming Jin can pass the exam, I've heard from my senior brother that there have only been a handful of successful candidates in each martial arts exam. For someone at the Ming Jin level to pass is practically a matter of luck.

Even if one wants to take the martial arts exam and reaches the level of internal strength, it's not a sure thing; the chances of failing are still extremely high.

He has already achieved a basic level of proficiency in Bajiquan, and from now until the martial arts exam, he must focus all his efforts on mastering Bajiquan stance training.

Only in this way can we hope to find a glimmer of hope in martial arts.

Qin Heng had made up his mind, so he immediately went to the training ground and started practicing on the stakes.

In the afternoon, the eldest disciple, Zhang Mingyuan, slowly walked into the inner courtyard.

"Junior Brother Xu, Junior Sister Huang, Junior Brother Qin, Junior Brother Li." Zhang Mingyuan's gaze swept over the four of them, his tone steady. "Master has instructed that he has reached an agreement with the heads of the three friendly martial arts schools, Hongmen, Tiandi, and Juying, to jointly hold a small sparring session tomorrow. This is to prepare for the martial arts competition three months from now and to give the disciples an opportunity for practical exchange."

He paused, then continued, "For this small meeting, each of you four may bring two disciples from our school. I've already decided on Guo Man and Chen Shi. Once you've chosen yourselves, report back to me before this evening."

Xu Feng was the first to agree: "Don't worry, Senior Brother, I'll go and select disciples right away."

Huang Hanyan nodded slightly: "Understood."

Li Yiping nodded in agreement, "I understand, Senior Brother."

Qin Tianbao raised an eyebrow and casually responded, but his gaze unconsciously swept towards Qin Heng, who was practicing stances on the stake platform in the outer courtyard.

Although he already had many disciples following him, he ultimately wanted to bring Qin Heng under his command as well. If he could become a regional governor in the future, having a member of the Qin family as a follower would be more reliable than having those outsiders.

With that thought in mind, he walked straight to the pile frame.

"Cousin Qin Heng," Qin Tianbao said, slightly raising his chin, "When you get home tonight, make sure you look your best. Tomorrow morning, come with me to the Juying Martial Arts Academy on Zhengtong Street for a small meeting of the three academies. Remember, your attire must be proper; don't embarrass me!"

"A small meeting at the three venues?"

Qin Heng stood up, frowned, and asked another question before realizing it was a small sparring session between the three martial arts schools in preparation for the martial arts competition.

Logically speaking, attending such a small sparring session would surely lead to improvements in one's boxing skills.

But unlike others, he could only make great progress in his boxing skills by sparring with people like Guo Man and Cui Ran.

Moreover, his current focus is not on boxing techniques, but on stance training.

Without developing internal strength, even if one's fist techniques reach a high level of mastery, they will be useless in martial arts.

Thinking of this, Qin Heng clasped his hands and said, "I'm sorry, Brother Tianbao, I have something to do tomorrow, so I won't be able to go."

Upon hearing this, Qin Tianbao's smile vanished instantly.

"Qin Heng! I'm taking you along to give you a chance to broaden your horizons, and out of respect for you being a member of the Qin family. Without my guidance, with your aptitude, you could train until you die and no one would even give you a second glance! Are you really sure you don't want to come with me?"

"I'm sorry, cousin Tianbao, I really have something to do." Qin Heng said calmly.

"Hahahaha!" Qin Tianbao laughed angrily, looking him up and down. "You actually have your own ideas? But in my opinion, people with poor aptitude don't deserve to have their own ideas. Those who don't know how to follow the strong are destined to be useless for life!"

He flicked his sleeves and said coldly, "Fine, since you have your own ideas, then I will never take you with me again." With that, he turned and left without looking back.

Upon seeing this, several disciples practicing martial arts nearby began to whisper among themselves.

"This Qin Heng is so ungrateful. Senior Brother Tianbao is willing to take him, and he still refuses. What a huge favor that is for him."

"Exactly, just wait and see. He definitely won't pass the martial arts exam, and he'll regret it later."

But Qin Heng ignored him, straightened his back and assumed a horse stance, his Bajiquan stance as steady as Mount Tai.

Rather than relying on others, nothing is as solid as building a firm foundation step by step.

[Destiny: Diligence is rewarded by Heaven; success is inevitable]

【Bajiquan (Minor Success 21/800)】