Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

On November 15th, the annual Winter Moon Temple Fair in Heyang City opened.

The early winter wind, carrying the scent of cooking, made the shop signs on the street flutter loudly.

Temporary stalls stretched from Shizijie all the way to the South Gate. The sweet aroma of sugar paintings mingled with the heat of roasted sweet potatoes, filling the streets and alleys. The shouts of vendors, the drums of acrobatic troupes, and the laughter of children all mingled together.

The crowds were shoulder to shoulder, all wrapped in thick cotton robes. Everything was bustling and lively. Whether rich or poor, everyone came out to join in the fun and seek a bit of rare peace and joy.

Qin Hengxing walked slowly beside his sister Qin Ting, effortlessly being pushed along by the crowded people.

Throughout the year, he would go to the martial arts school early in the morning and return after dark, and it had been almost a year since he had gone shopping with his sister.

Passing by a stall selling silver hairpins, Qin Ting's gaze lingered for a moment on a plain silver plum blossom hairpin before quickly looking away, and she pulled him away.

But Qin Heng grabbed her hand, paid for it, and shoved the hairpin into her hand.

"Xiao Heng! Why did you buy this? It's a waste of money." Qin Ting gripped the cold hairpin, complaining as her fingertips trembled slightly.

The wooden hairpin in her hair was left by Qin's mother and had been used for more than ten years.

Qin Heng didn't say anything, but pulled her to Xie's Silk Shop and bought two bolts of warm-colored moon-white soft satin and light green plain silk.

Qin Ting was so anxious that she kept tugging at his sleeve: "That's enough! Xiao Heng! I have clothes to wear. You keep the money to buy some medicinal herbs to nourish your body. Practicing martial arts depletes your energy."

"Sister, there's no need to be frugal." Qin Heng's tone was gentle but left no room for refusal. "Now that I'm a disciple, my master has waived my tuition fees, and the Cui family's pharmacy and martial arts school also provide monthly subsidies. Our family has enough money to live on."

He recalled that when he first transmigrated, he was extremely weak. He only recovered thanks to Qin Ting feeding him food and medicine and taking meticulous care of him day and night.

In her predecessor's memories, when Qin's parents had just passed away, Qin Ting gritted her teeth and kept the family's breakfast shop afloat. Every day, she would get up before dawn to light the fire, knead the dough, and set up the stall in the cold wind, struggling to raise her younger brother on her own.

Over the years, and even today, she has always given the best things to her younger brother first, while she herself always makes do with what she has, reluctant to eat or use anything herself.

Now that he has mastered his inner strength, he has escaped poverty in Heyang County and has a foothold in the county. Naturally, he can no longer let his sister Qin Ting suffer such humiliation.

After strolling around, Qin Heng's hands were full of things: newly made cotton shoes, candied fruits, and osmanthus cake that Qin Ting had been talking about for a long time.

Qin Ting tried to stop him all the way, but ultimately couldn't stop him from squandering money.

As dusk fell and the lanterns at the temple fair lit up one by one, their warm red candlelight reflecting the fine snowflakes falling from the sky, the siblings finally headed back.

......

Three days until the start of the Wuhan University entrance examination.

Datong Street, Songxuan Martial Arts Hall.

In the past, the outer courtyard of the martial arts school, where one could hear laughter and chatter, was now filled only with shouts and the muffled thuds of fists and feet colliding.

The old disciples, who always say that "martial arts training requires a balance of tension and relaxation," are now all working hard to hone their skills, each one tense and without the slightest bit of relaxation they usually show.

Qin Heng stood on the west side of the training ground, correcting Ji Silang and Li Xiaona's Bajiquan stance. He gently touched their waists and hips with his fingertips and whispered the key points of exerting force.

Xu Feng, the third senior brother whom I hadn't seen for many days, walked in through the courtyard gate. He still had a somewhat dejected look on his face, clearly not yet fully recovered from the matter of being jilted.

"Eighth Junior Brother."

A deep voice sounded, and Xu Feng walked straight to Qin Heng's side.

Qin Heng turned his head upon hearing this.

He first gestured for Ji Silang and Li Xiaona to practice their stances, then slowly walked over. "Third Senior Brother, is there something you need?"

Xu Feng looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before lowering his voice and saying, "Junior brother, I'll get straight to the point. You know about the Ming family's port being sealed off a few days ago. The situation in Heyang County is currently turbulent, and all the forces are scrambling to recruit experts with hidden strength. As one of the five major families in the inner city of Heyang, my Xu family is no exception."

He paused, his eyes filled with earnestness, and looked directly at Qin Heng. "As long as Junior Brother is willing to take a position in my Xu family, all benefits will be excellent. The monthly salary is eighty taels of silver, or thirty taels of silver plus eight Blood-Boosting Pills. What do you think, Junior Brother? If you think it's too little, the monthly salary can be discussed further."

Qin Heng was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, Third Senior Brother. Master also said before in the inner courtyard that it's best not to take up a position in one of the five major families at this time. I'm timid, so it's better to focus on preparing for the martial arts exam and not get involved in these disputes."

Xu Feng was taken aback at first, but after thinking about Qin Heng's personality, he nodded knowingly and gave up trying to persuade him further.

"Alright, everyone has their own ambitions, and I naturally won't force you, junior brother." Xu Feng stepped forward and patted Qin Heng's shoulder lightly. "I underestimated you before and was too cold to you. As your senior brother, I haven't helped you much. I apologize to you here today, and I hope you won't take it to heart."

Qin Heng quickly raised his hand to stop him: "Third Senior Brother, you're too kind. We're all fellow disciples, there's no need for that."

Xu Feng smiled and nodded, then looked up at Qin Heng, "Alright! Let's consider the past settled. If you ever need my help in the future, or if you change your mind and want to take a position with the Xu family, just come find me at the Xu family, Junior Brother. I'll do whatever it takes!"

He patted Qin Heng on the shoulder again, turned around and was about to leave, but suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His gaze pierced through the throng of people and landed squarely in the center of the training ground.

Huang Hanyan was holding Qin Tianbao's arm, and the two of them were talking to Li Yiping with their heads down. Qin Tianbao pretended to be familiar with her, patting Li Yiping's shoulder from time to time, with a deliberately cozy smile on his face.

The smile on Xu Feng's face vanished instantly. He pursed his lips into a straight line, said no more, and turned around to walk straight towards the inner courtyard.

Qin Heng followed his gaze and happened to meet the gaze of his fourth senior sister, Huang Hanyan.

Their eyes met, and Huang Hanyan's lips twitched slightly, revealing a polite smile.

But in an instant, her expression changed again. Her smile vanished, she calmly looked away, turned her head slightly, and her expression became cold and distant. She didn't look at Qin Heng again.

Qin Heng also withdrew his gaze expressionlessly, as if he hadn't seen anything.

He turned and walked towards the training ground, his steps steady and composed. He found an empty spot and began practicing Bajiquan stance training, making the most of every minute.

Meanwhile, in the study inside the Songxuan Martial Arts Hall.

Zhang Mingyuan walked over and poured Mo Guangren a cup of hot tea. He said softly, "Master, this year's martial arts examination is truly crucial. If someone from our school can pass the imperial examination with top honors, they will be qualified to set up a school in the inner city to teach martial arts. Next year, we will be able to recruit more promising students."

Mo Guangren picked up his teacup, took a sip, and glanced out the window towards the inner courtyard's martial arts training ground. He casually asked, "Mingyuan, who do you think has the best chance this time?"

Zhang Mingyuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Then it should be Junior Brother Qin Tianbao, right? The other junior brothers and sisters are all a bit inferior to him."

Mo Guangren slowly set down his teacup, the bottom of which lightly tapped the rosewood tabletop, producing a soft sound. "Tianbao's chances are indeed the greatest. Besides him, who else do you think has a chance?"

After a moment's thought, Zhang Mingyuan replied, "Junior Brother Xu Feng also has a great chance. Although he is slightly inferior to Junior Brother Tianbao, he has a solid foundation and his internal strength has been stable for a long time. His punches and kicks are steady and powerful. In the past, there were not many people who could truly defeat him in sparring in the dorm."

Mo Guangren nodded slightly, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table. "Xu Feng is a good kid with a good foundation and a calm temperament. He does have a great chance."

Zhang Mingyuan echoed, "Master is right. Junior Brother Xu Feng is indeed quite good, but his condition has been poor lately. I wonder if it will affect his martial arts studies."

He paused, then tentatively added, "There's another person I think is quite good. Eighth Junior Brother Qin Heng, although he started learning martial arts late and only recently broke through to the internal strength level, he is calm and diligent in his practice. He goes to practice stances before dawn every day, and his basic skills are more solid than many of the older disciples."

Mo Guangren's gaze shifted slightly as he looked out the window again and slowly said, "Qin Heng is indeed a promising talent who can concentrate on his studies. His perseverance is rare, but his foundation is too shallow. There are many outstanding talents in the martial arts field, and it will be difficult for him to break through."

Zhang Mingyuan said softly, "It seems that Junior Brother Tianbao and Junior Brother Xu Feng are the most likely to make it onto the top list."

Mo Guangren remained silent, his gaze distant as he looked out the window at the horizon, his expression deep and thoughtful.

Seeing this, Zhang Mingyuan dared not say anything more, bowed respectfully, and quietly retreated.