A Life of Attributes Starting as a Nobleman in the Republic of China Era

Back in his room at the Peace Hotel, Chen Shi had almost fully recovered. At nine o'clock in the morning, he was enjoying the Western-style breakfast served by the hotel.

"Haven't been back all night? Where did you go?" Chen Shi asked Chen Che. "These potatoes with pork belly taste pretty good, you should try them."

"That's bacon," Chen Che said with a smile. "I'm tired, I'll rest for a bit."

After saying that, Chen Che went into his room and collapsed onto the bed.

Yu Ban and Su Yanqing both belonged to the "Xinghua Society," which was a revolutionary party...

Associating with them would be entirely detrimental to the businesses of the four major families.

How should we choose?

Chen Che shook his head vigorously; he wasn't ready to face this question.

He took out the divination token that had been pried in two from his pocket, locked it in the safe, and then took out several thread-bound books that Old Master Zhong had given him. Only then did he open the door and walk out of the living room.

"Senior brother, I've gotten my hands on a few martial arts manuals. Could you come and take a look at them for me?" Chen Che spread the thread-bound books out on the coffee table.

There are three books in total: "The Flowing Light and Shadow Sword", "The Wuding Storm Stance", and "The Canglan Fist Manual".

Chen Shi's expression changed slightly: "These are all high-level miscellaneous martial arts stances and techniques. Where did you get them from?"

"At Old Master Zhong's place in Qianming Tower," Chen Che said.

"Hey, you've got some tricks up your sleeve. I've been to Qianminglou several times, and all they ever give me are antiques and shoddy techniques," Chen Shi said.

He picked up the Canglan Boxing Manual: "I practice boxing, and my foundation is the advanced 'Zhengquan' style of boxing from the martial arts school. I'll practice this manual first, and you can practice the other two."

"If I learn more advanced techniques, maybe I can even create my own martial arts," Chen Shi said with a smile.

Chen Shi was engrossed in reading the "Canglan Boxing Manual" when he suddenly stood up and said, "No, I have to try it now."

He walked into the practice room, wearing only his pajamas, took a deep breath, and stood with his feet slightly apart, assuming a stance.

Chen Che leaned against the wall, watching his senior brother's back.

At first, Chen Shi simply stood still, like a statue. Gradually, the muscles beneath his shirt began to tremble slightly, spreading from his shoulder blades to his back and then to his arms, like ripples on water caused by the wind.

"This is the foundation of 'True Fist,' an advanced fist technique taught at the martial arts school," Chen Shi said with his eyes closed. "But the Canglan Fist Manual describes it differently..."

He suddenly threw a punch, the wind from which howled.

But this punch was different from a "normal punch." The fist drew an arc in the air, as if it were being pulled by something. Chen Shi couldn't stop his momentum and staggered forward a step.

Chen Shi steadied himself, an excited look on his face: "Did you see that?"

"I saw it, you almost fell," Chen Che laughed.

"It wasn't a fall!" Chen Shi turned around, his eyes shining. "It was the force that I couldn't control. The Canglan Boxing Manual says, 'The fist is like the Canglan River, one wave after another.' When I threw that punch just now, the blood and qi in my body surged, and I couldn't stop it. I had to throw another punch."

He assumed his stance again, this time throwing even faster punches. One punch, two punches, three punches, each one heavier than the last.

The force of the punch exploded in the air, making a crackling sound. By the fifth punch, Chen Shi's face was flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead. He abruptly pulled back his fist, panting heavily.

"No, my blood and qi are surging too much." He held his knees. "This fist technique is too domineering. Without the corresponding stance to suppress it, it's easy to injure myself."

Chen Che handed over the book "The Wuding Storm": "Try this."

Chen Shi took the book, turned to the first page, and stood in a stance according to the illustration.

He stood up very slowly, adjusting each posture for a long time, as if searching for some kind of balance.

"This technique is interesting." After a moment, Chen Shi spoke up, "Standing there without moving, I can feel the blood and qi in my body circulating, as if it's being stirred by something."

He maintained that posture, beads of sweat slowly seeping from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks, and dripping onto the floor.

Chen Che looked at it for a while, then picked up the book "The Sword of Flowing Light and Lingering Shadows" and walked to the open space by the window.

He gripped two tactical sticks and turned to the first page of the sword manual.

The text contains only one sentence: "The sword precedes the intention, and the intention precedes the sword. When the sword and the intention shine together, it is called 'flowing light'."

He frowned, swung his tactical baton, and felt the extremely slight resistance as it cut through the air.

"It's about caring, not putting in the effort," Chen Che muttered to himself.

He tried to focus only on the point he wanted to stab—a drop of sweat splashing on the mirror.

A flick of the wrist.

The tip of the stick accurately pierced the bead of sweat, shattering it and leaving a small, blurry mark on the mirror, while the mirror remained intact.

Chen Che paused for a moment, looking at the tactical baton in his hand.

"Good comprehension."

Chen Che shook his head: "With the foundation of the Nameless Staff Technique, once you understand one principle, you'll understand all others."

"This sword technique places even greater emphasis on the application of 'intention'," Chen Che added.

"Yes, it's 'intention'," Chen Shi said. "With your foundation in staff fighting, this sword technique will be easy for you to learn."

Chen Shi walked back to the tea table, picked up the "Wuding Fengbo Stance" and continued to look through it, muttering, "This stance is strange. Standing there without moving is more tiring than practicing a set of boxing moves. I need to think about it some more."

The living room quieted down, with only the occasional rustling of pages turning.

Chen Che tried stabbing several more times, and each time he accurately hit the spot he wanted to stab: a small scar on the window frame, the pattern on the curtain.

"The sword precedes the intention, and the intention precedes the sword." He repeated the sentence again, as if he had gained some insight.

When he thrust out the next strike, he didn't think about the target; he just swung the sword around randomly.

The tactical baton whistled through the air, louder than ever before.

"Huh?" Chen Shi looked up. "This time you put even more force into it."

Chen Che looked at the tactical baton in his hand, somewhat surprised himself.

He didn't think about anything when he swung that time; he just followed his heart, and it was more powerful than when he deliberately aimed.

"The sword precedes the mind," he murmured. "So that's what it means."

Chen Shi walked over, carefully examined Chen Che's posture, and reached out to massage his wrists and shoulders: "Relax, you're too stiff here."

Chen Che tried to relax his shoulders and waved again.

This time the whistling sound was longer and softer, like something moving through the air.

"Yes, that's the feeling," Chen Shi laughed. "You practice a little longer, I'm going to continue practicing my boxing."

The two began practicing separately, and the sound of tactical batons slicing through the air could be heard from time to time in the living room, along with Chen Shi's heavy breathing as he practiced his boxing.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting two long shadows on the floor.

One stood still, while the other swayed gently, as if dancing.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Shi stopped and plopped down on the sofa, saying, "I can't take it anymore, my legs are numb. This technique trains internal energy, it's too mentally taxing."

He poured himself a glass of water and looked at Chen Che, who was still practicing his sword by the window: "Junior brother, you should take a break too."