Chinese Martial Arts: My Super Beast Clone

Back home, a dim oil lamp was lit in the house.

The younger brother, Lin Anzheng, was writing on the table, while the older sister, Lin Wan, sat beside him, mending an old garment by the light of the lamp.

Upon hearing the door open, the two of them looked up at the same time.

"Brother, you're back." Lin An dropped his pen and darted over like a little monkey.

Lin Hai sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of hot water, and felt the warmth from his palm.

"Sister, Xiao An," Lin Hai said, "I've resigned from my job at the police station."

Lin Wan's sewing needle stopped in mid-air, and a drop of wax slid off the wick, making a soft "sizzle" sound.

"You resigned?" Lin Wan's voice was very soft.

"Yes." Lin Hai nodded. "I went to the Fuhu Martial Arts School today to become an apprentice. I plan to spend some time focusing on learning martial arts."

A long silence fell over the courtyard.

Lin An was the first to break the silence. Instead of worry, his face shone with an almost worshipful light.

"Brother! Really? You're going to become a martial arts master?"

He ran to Lin Hai's side, his eyes sparkling. He waved his fist and excitedly gestured around the room.

Lin Hai looked at him, a smile on his face, and reached out to rub his head.

"It's still early."

His gaze shifted to Lin Wan.

Unlike Lin An, her older sister didn't cheer. She simply sat there quietly, the dim light outlining her slightly thin profile. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and she remained silent.

"Sister," Lin Hai began, "you don't approve?"

Lin Wan raised her head and shook her head.

She put down her needlework, stood up, took a small tin box from the house, and placed it in front of Lin Hai.

Upon opening the box, one finds several silver dollars and some loose copper coins.

"This is all the money left at home. I'll keep the loose copper coins for living expenses, and the remaining seven silver dollars are all for you." Lin Wan's voice was calm. "Since you quit your job, you won't have a salary anymore. I heard that learning martial arts is very expensive, so take this for now."

Lin Hai stared at the tin box, his throat feeling like it was blocked. He knew that inside were every penny his sister had saved by working as a caregiver at the hospital every day, scrimping and saving.

"Sister, I..."

Lin Hai's throat felt itchy, and he didn't know what to say. But he knew he had no way out.

Back in his room, the skink in the glass tank opened its eyes and quietly looked at Lin Hai.

During this time, the skink has grown to nearly 20 centimeters long, its body becoming increasingly translucent, and its scales becoming more distinct.

Lin Hai had a sudden thought.

A pale blue light curtain unfolded before my eyes.

[Character: Lin Hai]

Physical Strength: 1.3

【Spirit: 4.2】

Strength: 185 jin (approximately 84,000 catties)

[Soul Avatar: Skink]

Physique increased by 0.1, and strength increased by 3 jin.

It seems that this exercise is very effective in improving physical fitness and strength; such significant changes have already occurred after only one day of practice.

The next morning.

Lin Hai walked towards the martial arts school, where steam was already rising from the breakfast stalls along the street.

A newsboy carrying a stack of newspapers ran past him, shouting in a slightly hoarse child's voice:

"Breaking news! Breaking news! Provinces are announcing their independence!"

"The land is in turmoil, the world is in rebellion! The nation is on the verge of collapse, what can a common man do?"

Lin Hai paused for a moment.

He glanced back at the newspaper boy's thin back, remained silent for a while, then turned back and continued walking towards Dingwu Lane.

The affairs of the world are too far removed from his life.

All he can do now is to stand firmly in his stance and practice his boxing.

Upon arriving at the martial arts school, the courtyard was already bustling with activity.

The disciples began their day's training.

Lin Hai walked to his usual corner, stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, and slowly lowered himself into a "tiger-pouncing" stance.

He closed his eyes, cleared his mind of all distractions, and focused his attention on every inch of his body.

Time slowly passed by during the monotonous standing meditation.

After a morning of grueling training, Lin Hai was sore all over and was about to go eat when he noticed that the atmosphere in the courtyard was a bit off.

None of the disciples dispersed; instead, they all looked towards the inner courtyard, their eyes filled with an irrepressible fervor and anticipation.

Senior Brother Chen Wu walked out from the inner courtyard.

In his hands, he held a black lacquered wooden tray, on which were neatly arranged more than twenty small white porcelain bottles, each about the size of a thumb.

"It's Tiger Power Pill!"

Ma Liu, who was standing next to him, leaned over and lowered his voice, his tone full of barely concealed excitement.

"Brother Lin, you've come at a good time. Today is the fifteenth, the day the center distributes cultivation resources."

Lin Dai looked at the porcelain bottles and asked, "What is Tiger Power Pill?"

Ma Liu's eyes lit up as he stared intently at the tray in Chen Wu's hands. "Our Fuhu Martial Arts School's unique elixir! It's said to be a family recipe passed down from Master Lu, and it's treasured very much!"

He swallowed hard and continued, "This stuff, after you eat it, not only increases your strength, but most importantly, it helps you find the feeling of 'strength'!"

At this moment, Chen Wu had already walked up to the crowd. He placed the tray on a stone table, and his loud voice drowned out all the discussions.

"Come up and get yours in the order you entered!"

The disciples immediately lined up in a row.

Sun Datou was the first to step forward, took a small porcelain bottle from Chen Wu, grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and chuckled foolishly.

Ma Liu stood in the middle of the line. After receiving the medicine, he carefully tucked it into his pocket like a precious treasure.

Soon, it was Lin Hai's turn.

"Lin Hai." Chen Wu looked at him, his eyes filled with more encouragement than usual. "You practice very hard, but martial arts is not just about blindly practicing; you also need to know how to use leverage."

He handed a small porcelain bottle to Lin Hai.

"This is your portion for this month."

The porcelain bottle feels cool to the touch and has a delicate texture.

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Lin Hai nodded.

Chen Wu's gaze swept over all the disciples who had received the pills, and he said in a deep voice, "The Tiger Power Pill is extremely potent. After taking one pill, stand in a stance for one hour without interruption. The medicinal power will stimulate your qi and blood; whether you can grasp that feeling depends on your own comprehension!"

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.

Chen Wu nodded and waved.

"That's all for now, let's eat!"

As the crowd dispersed, Lin Hai stood there, clutching the small porcelain bottle in his hand.

He uncorked the bottle and brought it to his nose to smell it.

A faint smell of blood, mixed with a hint of the fragrance of herbs and trees, entered my nostrils.

Inside the bottle were three dark red pills, each about the size of a fingernail. The pills had smooth surfaces and a subtle, shimmering sheen.

This is Tiger Power Pill.

A pill worth two silver dollars that can help martial artists comprehend the existence of "power".

Lin Hai gripped the porcelain bottle tightly in his hand.

These three tiny pills may be the key to unlocking the door to martial arts.

Lunch was still brown rice, stewed radish, and pickled vegetables. The disciples ate quickly, as if they wanted to fill their rumbling stomachs before the food got cold.

"Brother Lin, when are you planning to eat?" Ma Liu asked, bringing his bowl closer.

"This afternoon," Lin Hai replied.