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

Chen San is no ordinary person.

His real name was Li San, and he was a notorious ruthless character in Li Zheng's shack in the Triangle area below Nanjing City.

With his ruthless hands, sharp eyes, and swift feet, nine out of ten people walking on the street would instinctively touch the scabbard at their waist when "Master Li" was mentioned.

At the end of the previous dynasty, the four major families of Jinling, under the pretext of changing dynasties, used both kindness and coercion to swallow up or destroy the various underground forces in the city.

Chen Qichuan immediately took a liking to Li San's skills and quick wit, so he simply renamed him "Chen San" and recruited him into his ranks.

From then on, Chen San became Chen Che's shadow, never leaving his side.

The Chen family treated Chen San well, never regarding him as an ordinary servant from the very beginning.

For thirteen years, Chen San has served Chen Che faithfully.

That one time, Chen Che secretly went to Tianyun Tower without telling him.

As a result, a major incident occurred.

"Master, Madam, Young Master, Master Sun, I have made a fool of myself."

After Chen San finished speaking, he respectfully clasped his hands in a salute to Sun Congzhou.

After all, he was also a martial artist, so he had to observe proper etiquette. This not only gave Sun Congzhou face but also saved face for himself.

Turning around, Chen San looked at Chen Che with a smile: "Young Master, I'll train you in moves, please feel free to do so."

Chen Che took a deep breath, bent his left leg, thrust his right leg forward, and punched straight at Chen San's face with his right fist.

This was Chen Che's first real fight.

Under Chen San's ever-changing movements, it felt like dancing a light and lively duet.

Chen San had no intention of attacking; he simply stood in front of Chen Che, waiting for Chen Che's fist to land on him before either deflecting it with his hand or dodging to the side.

"Young Master, try a combo attack." Chen San's voice came from the other side.

Chen Che got into position and thrust his hands forward. He seized the moment when Chen San jumped to the right to dodge, then suddenly changed his move, lowered his body, and swept his left foot down his lower body.

"Good! You've really figured it out." Chen San lightly jumped back a step, just in time to avoid Chen Che's "Diamond Fall".

"Chen San, stop dodging and take my punch," Chen Che complained, wanting to test his strength.

After several rounds, Chen Che gradually became familiar with controlling his body in battle.

He gripped the ground firmly with his left foot, while his right foot only touched the ground with the toes, his whole body resembling a fully drawn bow.

As he pushed off the ground with his right foot, he could clearly feel the power being transmitted from the ground to his ankle, then pushed out through the rotation of his ankle, and then concentrated in his arm through the twisting of his waist and the extension of his shoulders, finally sending out the power of his whole body with his tightly clenched fist.

Since the young master had given his instructions, Chen San dared not dodge and could only catch it steadily with his forearm.

"Bang!" Chen Che felt as if he had hit a pile of cotton wrapped in cowhide, soft and fluffy, yet hiding a huge recoil force.

"Young Master, your strength is truly impressive!" Chen San laughed, taking a step back. "This must mean you've broken through the barrier of skin-refining, right?"

"Stop talking nonsense and practice your moves with me." Chen Che was panting heavily, and he was furious when he saw Chen San smiling.

"Alright, alright." Seeing Chen Che covered in sweat, Madam He felt sorry for him. She stood up and walked between Chen Che and Chen San, wiping the sweat from Chen Che's forehead with a handkerchief as she spoke.

"From now on, you'll have to spar with me every day!" Chen Che said to Chen San. "I'll double your monthly pay."

"Young Master is exceptionally talented, and his decision to pursue martial arts is a great joy for our Chen family," Chen San said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "I will continue with the monthly allowance as usual."

As he spoke, he kept glancing in Chen Qichuan's direction.

"Just accept the reward from the young master, why are you looking at me?" Chen Qichuan was overjoyed to have witnessed Chen Che's dramatic transformation, so why would he care about a few silver dollars a month?

In the following days, Chen Che practiced "Meridian Stance" and "Shaolin Boxing" every day, and constantly sparred with Chen San, while Sun Congzhou also provided verbal guidance from the side.

Unlike in the past, Sun Congzhou set a rule that if Chen Che's moves went astray or revealed a flaw, Chen San must take action and teach him a real lesson.

The body's memory is the most reliable.

Although this exchange wasn't a life-or-death struggle, it resembled a game of chess where every move had to be carefully considered.

With each punch, he had to accurately judge whether the movement was reasonable, and at the same time, he had to anticipate Chen San's three or four movements.

Real scars began to appear on Chen Che's skin.

At first, it was red spots, which gradually turned into bruises. Every pain etched a clearer path into his body: when to twist his waist to exert force, when to tuck his chest to release the force, and where the root of the force originates from the ground.

What you smell is the bloody stench of sweat; what you hear is the whooshing sound of fists and feet cutting through the air; what you feel is waves of excruciating pain.

Chen Che's blood and energy flowed freely with each shift and collision; the moves that he used to practice alone, which were stiff and clumsy, became more and more natural and fluid.

Gradually, he no longer needed to consciously "think" about which move to use next; his body was developing muscle memory through countless repetitions.

"Chen San," Chen Che asked, wiping the sweat from his brow after a sparring session, "what stage have you reached?"

Sun Congzhou was giving Chen San instructions when he heard Chen Che's words. Chen San smiled and said, "Young Master, I barely passed the 'Strengthening Muscles' test." He paused, seemingly hesitant, and lowered his voice.

"But without the right opportunity and the right medicine, it will be difficult to move up further in the future."

Chen San spoke these words in a calm tone, but Chen Che was not stupid and could hear the weight in them.

He recalled the line "Heaven rewards diligence" on his control panel. With the blessing of the control panel, his master, Chen San, medicinal cuisine, and massage, he broke through the bottleneck without any hindrance.

However, how many talented people in this world are hindered by various hardships after birth, and end up hesitant throughout their lives?

Chen Che turned to look at Chen San and suddenly said, "Starting tomorrow, you'll train with me for as long as I train; and whatever I eat, you'll get the same portion as me."

Chen San was taken aback, then quickly waved his hand and said, "Young Master, this is against the rules! The medicinal cuisine is precious, I..."

"Rules?" Chen Che interrupted him, a slightly arrogant smile on his face. "My father said I can set the rules for this courtyard too."

He looked at Sun Congzhou, and a faint hint of approval flashed in his master's eyes as he nodded slightly.

Chen San's lips moved, but in the end he did not refuse again. He simply bowed deeply, his knuckles turning white as he clasped his hands together: "Chen San... thank you for your kindness, young master."

His voice trembled slightly.

In the thirteen years since they became master and servant, this was the first time Chen Che had ever seen Chen San with slightly reddened eyes.

In the days that followed, the sounds of fists and feet cutting through the air in the courtyard became even more frequent.