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

Chen Che sat in the driver's seat of the Ford Model T, his top hat perfectly positioned to cover his eyebrows and eyes.

Heavy rain.

By the light of the car's headlights, Chen Che suddenly saw a masked man in black standing about three meters directly in front of the car.

"Are you looking for death? Standing in the middle of the road in the middle of the night!" Chen Che slammed on the foot brake, honking the horn and yelling.

Without any warning, the man in black rushed to the car door in just one step, from a distance of three meters.

Then, as easily as peeling a banana, he pulled down the locked car door with one hand.

Cold rain, mixed with the night wind, poured in. Chen Che had no time to think; he drew his Colt M1911 revolver and, at extremely close range, unleashed all eight bullets into the black-clad man's chest.

The bullet struck the man in black squarely in the chest with a dull thud.

The man in black acted as if nothing had happened, not even flinching.

Chen Che felt a chill in his chest, followed by a dull, excruciating pain.

He looked down and saw an arm wrapped in black piercing through his chest, with the tip of a fist protruding from his back.

"Ugh!"

Chen Che sat up abruptly, drenched in sweat.

These are memories from his past life, the same dream, he can't remember how many times it's happened.

The Chen family of Jinling had a family business in canal transport.

Since the previous dynasty, the Chen family's cargo ships have traveled up and down the Yangtze River, their holds fully loaded with rice from the south and salt and iron from the north. The old men at the dock all say that the Chen family could tell the profit and loss of the entire waterway in their hearts with just a flick of their knuckles on the abacus.

But the Chen family's power extended far beyond the Grand Canal.

The shrewdness and resourcefulness cultivated by a century of exposure to the waterways have honed their ability to navigate complex situations with ease. During the Guangxu era, the Chen family seized the opportunity presented by the opening of foreign ports, quietly acquiring barren land along the riverbank and building warehouses. In the blink of an eye, they became the most trusted warehouse owners for merchant ships from various countries. In the early years of the Republic of China, with the rise of railways, the Chen family further leveraged their connections to acquire shares in the "Jiangnan Railway Company," thus extending their reach into even more distant territories along the railway tracks.

The pulse of the entire city of Jinling rose and fell with the heartbeat of the Chen family.

In Nanjing, the Chen family prospered through harmony, and the city's high-ranking officials and nobles were either family friends or business partners.

Chen Che is the eldest son of the Chen family.

Who would want him dead?

The only clue seems to lie with Liang Yanqiu, the young lady from Tianyun Tower.

But Master Sun Congzhou lived in the mansion, and he couldn't stand his disciples going to brothels.

Chen Che glanced at the clock on the wall; it wasn't even seven o'clock yet.

Fine, I'll go practice my stances then.

......

Today marks the seventh day since Chen Che became Sun Congzhou's apprentice.

After the initial excitement of the first day wore off, the second day of repetitive practice became quite difficult. By the third day, my legs and back ached terribly, and I became increasingly irritable.

After all, Chen Che had maintained the same squatting and standing posture on the plum blossom stakes all day.

Whenever he couldn't hold on any longer, Sun Congzhou would help him by pushing blood through the uterus and clearing his meridians.

Of course, the blood-activating soup made from century-old ginseng, chuanxiong, and corydalis, which is a staple in every meal at home, and the half-hour full-body massage from the master chef at Xingrentang every night are also very helpful.

The ancients were right: "The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts." With Sun Congzhou's meticulous guidance and the financial support of the Chen family, Chen Che's progress in the past seven days was equivalent to that of an ordinary family's child in three months.

Moreover, he also has the added benefit of panel attributes.

The sun was high in the sky, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Inside the training room in the Chen family's side courtyard, Chen Che stood in a tight horse stance, squatting quietly.

He looked straight ahead, his arms crossed over his chest, as if he were holding a full moon.

Unlike when he first practiced the squatting posture and his body was tense, Chen Che can now breathe freely, and his whole body naturally rises and falls slightly with the rhythm of his breathing.

Especially today, he started practicing in the morning and could feel the soreness that had been accumulating in his thighs and waist turning into a warm current that circulated through his meridians with each breath.

Chen Che secretly brought up his attribute panel:

Name: Chen Che

【Life: 1.5】

[Strength: 2.0 (Gray)]

Speed: 2.0 (Gray)

【Spirit: 1.5】

[Stance Training: Meridian Stance: Slight Progress (Green)]

Free attribute points: 0.1

The panel appears to be undergoing some kind of evolution.

After Chen Che collapsed from exhaustion on the third day of standing meditation, the white words "Meridian Stance: First Glimpse" appeared on his panel.

Just four days later, the progress of the Meridian Stakes was already considered to be slightly successful, and the color had turned green.

My life attribute increased slightly, and I also gained an extra point of free attribute.

While squatting, Chen Che tried to use his mind to add free attribute points to the Strength attribute, but it didn't work; the grayed-out attribute was locked.

He wasn't in a hurry; it seemed the panel system still had room for improvement, and he had kept his free attribute points.

"Young Master, Master Sun, the meal is ready. Please come to the dining room." Xi Yu's timid voice sounded from the doorway.

Sun Congzhou nodded slightly and was the first to leap down from the plum blossom stakes, his movements as light as a falling leaf.

"Your stance training has improved rapidly recently. You must first strengthen your foundation and vital energy. Remember not to be impatient or restless," Sun Congzhou said gently to Chen Che, his tone containing subtle praise.

"Come down first."

Chen Che let out a long breath, relaxed his stance, and leaped down from the plum blossom stakes. He took a clean towel from Xi Yu's hand, slowly wiping the sweat from his body, and excitedly asked Sun Congzhou, "Master, how long did I squat this time?"

"It's been an hour," Sun Congzhou said. "Let's go to the dining hall first."

Eight dishes and four bowls, along with ivory chopsticks and silverware, were already laid out in the dining room.

Chen San stood by the door with his hands hanging down. When the two entered, he whispered, "Young master, the scouts I sent out reported that a young master surnamed Huo has been appearing frequently at Tianyun Tower recently, and he specifically asked for Miss Liang Yanqiu."

Chen San glanced at Sun Congzhou with a guilty look on his face. Seeing that Sun Congzhou didn't care about their conversation and didn't even look in their direction, he continued in a low voice, "That man surnamed Huo is very generous and isn't from the local area. But no matter how much gold and silver he offers, Miss Liang refuses to see him."

"Furthermore, we've also inquired with the doctors who regularly treat Miss Liang Yanqiu, and she hasn't contacted them recently." Chen San's tone carried a hint of indignation. "The young master treated her so well, why did she lie to us last time?"

Chen Che responded, secretly calculating in his mind that with Sun Congzhou around, his safety wouldn't be a problem. He'd wait a few days, then figure out a way to meet with Liang Yanqiu again and see if he could find any clues.

Chen Che's gaze fell on the steaming soup in the center of the dining table. This was not the blood-activating soup he usually drank; the soup was clear and bright yellow, and a few curled pieces of Ganoderma lucidum and Cordyceps could be faintly seen floating at the bottom.

"Master Sun specifically instructed the kitchen to stew it," Chen San explained, observing the situation. "It uses Ganoderma lucidum from Yunnan, wolfberries from Ningxia, and cordyceps from northern Tibet, and it was simmered over a low flame for six hours."

Sun Congzhou sat down in the main seat without touching his chopsticks, and said calmly, "When you first master the stance training, your qi and blood are already active. It's like a newly dug riverbed; what it needs is not to widen it, but to nourish it with clear, flowing water. This soup replenishes your vital energy, which is different from the blood-activating and tendon-clearing soup you usually drink."

Chen Che respectfully served Sun Congzhou a bowl, and then served himself a bowl as well.

Sun Congzhou took a small sip of soup.

Chen Che also took a sip. The soup was smooth and warm, with the unique bittersweet taste of the herbs. After entering his stomach, it transformed into a warm sensation that gathered in his dantian.

Sun Congzhou put down his bowl: "You've already grasped some of the basics of stance training. Today, I'm going to talk to you about the fundamentals of martial arts."