Several days had passed since I woke up.

After being carefully cared for by Madam Lin with rare and precious herbs, Shi Potian was able to get out of bed and move around freely. However, he was still dazed and confused every day, lost in thought and unaware of the time.

The self-designation of "bastard" had already caused Madam Lin immense worry and secretly brought tears to Xiao He's eyes, who simply assumed the young master had been foolishly injured. But Shi Potian was used to it; his mind was filled with only one question—who am I?

That day, when he stepped out of his room for the first time, the leaves outside were falling and the wind was biting cold. Shi Potian was increasingly bewildered: it was still spring when he returned from Xia Ke Island, so how could it have turned into winter after he woke up?

Is he really Lin Pingzhi, the young head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of the Fuwei Escort Agency? Did he fall and forget everything? Otherwise, how could his body have changed so much?

Previously, Bei Haishi had only left a few marks on him; after all, the body was his own. But now, his hands were slender and fair, the six-pointed scars on his legs had disappeared without a trace, and his internal energy in his dantian was as thin as silk. He was completely different from the "inner contemplation and spiritual enlightenment" state he had achieved after cultivating the Tai Xuan Scripture.

He asked Madam Lin about the Xia Ke Island and Chang Le Gang from his memories, but she looked blank. Could it all really be a dream that was too real?

On this sunny day, Shi Potian got up early and wandered aimlessly around the security company.

Madam Lin and Xiao He had already explained the business of the escort agency to him and introduced him to many old acquaintances, hoping that he could regain his memory, but he had no recollection of the Fuwei Escort Agency.

Suddenly, the sound of weapons clashing came from the training ground ahead.

Out of curiosity, he turned the corner, walked through a long corridor, and pushed open the door. There he saw a number of bodyguards and escorts gathered around, with two middle-aged men in the middle fighting fiercely—they were none other than Zheng and Shi, the bodyguards who had accompanied "Lin Pingzhi" on a hunting trip earlier and caused him to fall off his horse and lose consciousness.

One man wielded a knife, the other a sword; as they clashed, the onlookers cheered incessantly.

When Bai Er, the镖手 (bodyguard/escort), saw Shi Potian arrive, he scurried over to greet him. The two镖头 (bodyguards/escorts), Zheng and Shi, also stopped what they were doing and quickly stepped forward, laughing, "Young镖头 (bodyguard/escort) are you feeling better? Have you thought of your brothers? We're all looking forward to hunting and drinking with you again!"

Shi Potian shook his head: "I still can't remember anything. But hunting is my specialty. I used to hunt with Ah Huang when we were in the mountains."

Chief镖师 Shi was taken aback: "Who is Ah Huang?"

"It's my dog."

The words had barely left his mouth when the onlookers burst into laughter. Chief Escort Zheng quickly tried to smooth things over, changing the subject: "Young Chief Escort often sparred with you all; how about giving the brothers a pointer today?"

"I've lost my memory, and I can't recall a single move from the Lin family's martial arts." Shi Potian waved his hand. "You two continue the competition; I also want to see your skills."

The two exchanged a glance, each secretly plotting their next move.

They had been feeling guilty ever since the accident that occurred while accompanying the young镖头 (bodyguard/escort) on a hunting trip. If they could help him regain his memory through a martial arts competition, it would be a way to atone for their sins. So they returned to the arena, giving it their all, displaying the essence of every move to the fullest.

But Shi Potian shook his head as he watched.

The two镖头 (bodyguards) were not even as skilled as ordinary disciples of the Snow Mountain Sect. Their swordsmanship and knife skills were unremarkable, and their attacks were weak and powerless. He could easily defeat them with a single finger.

The Fuwei Escort Agency is impressive in scale, with branches reportedly in various locations, even surpassing the Chang Le Gang. Logically, its head镖师 (escorts/escorts) should possess genuine skill, so why are they so incompetent? Could Chief镖师 Lin be a master like Doctor Bei? But his internal energy cultivation is so shallow; is Lin Pingzhi simply too stupid to even master his family's martial arts?

Shi Potian couldn't figure it out. He shook his head and was about to turn around when a sudden inspiration flashed in his mind.

"I think their kung fu is bad because of that bastard's limited perspective. But if all of this is a dream, then that bastard's kung fu is fake."

"Now that I have no internal energy left, why not try to rebuild the bastard's internal strength? If I can succeed, it will prove that I am still a bastard; if I can't, then it was just a dream."

Thinking of this, Shi Potian laughed heartily, turned around and ran towards his bedroom, leaving everyone in the training ground looking at each other, bewildered in the wind.

He ran back to his room, told Xiaohe not to disturb him unless necessary, then closed the door, got into bed, and sat cross-legged.

Several powerful martial arts techniques flashed through his mind: the Blazing Flame Technique was too dangerous, and he didn't want to experience the extremes of ice and fire again; although the Tai Xuan Scripture was strong, Lin Pingzhi's foundation was too weak, and it was not stable enough to cultivate it directly.

In the end, he chose the Puppet Man Technique—the one he was most proficient in. Once mastered, it could not only automatically protect the body and make one immune to all poisons, but also refine different kinds of true energy, making it a peerless skill.

Little did he know that this puppet skill was originally called the Arhat Subduing Demon Divine Skill, originating from Shaolin Temple, and was the culmination of Buddhist internal martial arts. It was extremely difficult for even one in ten thousand people to master this skill, and its power surpassed that of the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic). Only someone like him, with a pure and innocent heart, untouched by worldly dust, could easily master it.

Shi Potian cleared his mind of distractions, focused his attention, and circulated the faint internal energy within his body, following the familiar meridian pathways, starting with the Laughing Arhat among the Eighteen Arhats.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of stale air, and realized that it was already pitch black.

He spent most of the day in meditation, barely managing to complete one Arhat practice, much slower than before. But considering that Lin Pingzhi's foundation was far inferior to his former self, this progress was already quite good.

Shi Potian jumped off the bed and began to practice the "Leisurely Drinking at Xinling" boxing technique he had learned from Xia Ke Island.

His punches were as swift as the wind, his figure soaring through the air, leaving afterimages throughout the room. This set of boxing techniques was known for its ethereal and ever-changing movements, and when combined with Lin Pingzhi's unparalleled handsome appearance, it resembled a goddess dancing gracefully, ethereal and otherworldly.

After finishing the set of punches, he felt refreshed and invigorated, and realized that his skills had improved slightly.

The divine skills are real, and Xia Ke Island is true!

Shi Potian had no more doubts—he was indeed a bastard.

As for why he had become Lin Pingzhi—whether it was a past life or possession by a ghost—he couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it. For him, living under a different identity wasn't the first time.

Despite Madam Lin's meticulous care, he still didn't know how to behave. He couldn't bring himself to say "Mom," and the image of his own mother committing suicide kept flashing through his mind.

Unable to resolve his inner conflict, Shi Potian devoted all his energy to practicing martial arts.

He meditates daily, practicing the Arhat Subduing Demon Divine Skill, free from thoughts and worries, completely forgetting himself, and progresses by leaps and bounds each day.

Seeing that he was no longer lost in thought, and although he had not yet regained his memory, he was becoming more energetic, Madam Lin felt much relieved. Even though she saw him sometimes grinning and sometimes grimacing while practicing his skills, making it seem more like fooling around than practicing, she let him be.

During this time, she invited many doctors, monks, and Taoist priests to exorcise evil spirits, but all to no avail. She could only instruct Xiao He to take good care of her and wait for Chief Escort Lin to return before making any further plans.

In his spare time, Shi Potian would go shopping with Xiaohe and gradually learn that Fuwei Escort Agency was located in Fuzhou.

He heard from Madam Lin that Fuzhou was hundreds of miles away from Zhenjiang, where the Chang Le Gang was located, and the thought came to his mind—if he could go to Zhenjiang to inquire, he might be able to find someone he knew.

Although Xiong'er Mountain Kucaoling, where he grew up, is thousands of miles away, it is said to be not far from Madam Lin's maternal home, Luoyang.

Further north lies Hebei, the region where his father, Lin Zhennan, was visiting. It is said to be within the sphere of influence of the Sun Moon Cult, a place teeming with powerful experts. Shi Potian is eager to know just how skilled they are!

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