Martial arts mastery? But I'm just a spoiled brat!

『External Three Harmonies: Hands and Feet in Harmony 445/500』

Yan Qing practiced alone with Lan Yue in the training room until evening. His progress finally reached 445, just one step away from the limit of Ming Jin.

Wanxing did not disappoint Yan Qing. This time, she not only bought a whole set of tiger bones, tiger skin, and tiger penis, but also brought back a jar of tiger blood wine and a one-armed man named Shao Mu.

It is said that this tiger blood wine is made by soaking tiger heart blood in alcohol, and it is a highly yang substance with extremely strong effects.

Although Shao Mu had lost an arm, he was still a master of internal strength and possessed a unique skill for killing tigers.

Yan Qing was extremely satisfied with this. As for what happened in between, he didn't care. All he wanted was the result, not the process.

Moreover, with Wanxing back, the pace of cultivation will be much faster.

Two days later...

In the side courtyard of the Yan family mansion, Yan Qing was resting his head on Lan Yue's long, slender legs, enjoying the autumn sunshine and Lan Yue's massage, while Wan Xing was reading aloud some intelligence reports recently submitted by the intelligence agents.

"Third Young Master! There is a woman named Gong Er outside the door requesting an audience."

At that moment, a soldier came in from outside the door and reported in a low voice.

"Oh? They've finally arrived?"

Upon hearing the name Gong Er, Yan Qing immediately opened his eyes, his eyes filled with surprise and delight.

"Lan Yue, go and invite them here!"

Yan Qing raised his head, patted Lan Yue's slender waist, and gave an order.

"Gong Er from the Baguazhang Gong family, that's interesting. I just wonder if this Gong Er is as beautiful as she is."

Yan Qing was no longer overly curious about the characters in this world who resembled those from his past life, but when he heard the name Gong Er, he couldn't help but feel a strange sensation.

Previously, when he heard Steward Cao say that someone from the Gong family in Tianjin had been contacted to teach him Baguazhang, he hadn't taken it seriously. But now, he was more curious about Gong Er's skills in addition to Baguazhang.

"Young Master, besides frequently visiting the military camp lately, the Second Young Master seems to be frequently contacting martial artists in the city. Yesterday, he even invited a martial artist to the courtyard where the Second Branch of the family resides."

Lan Yue went outside to greet the person, while Wan Xing continued to report intelligence.

"Hmm, have someone investigate this martial arts master. As long as he has a clean background, we don't need to bother with him."

Yan Qing was filled with anticipation and didn't pay much attention to what Wan Xing reported.

In this world, high-level martial artists can contend with the powerful ships and cannons of foreigners. Those aristocratic families and warlords are not fools either. Given the opportunity, they will naturally try to practice martial arts.

In fact, Steward Cao had taught Yan Qing and his second brother before. However, his second brother was not only mediocre in talent, but also had only average martial arts talent. Because he was used to a life of luxury, he could not endure the hardships of martial arts training.

Although Yan Qing's predecessor was able to endure hardship, his physical foundation was too poor. It wasn't until Yan Qing transmigrated and obtained the "Talent: Martial Arts Proficiency!" that he was able to show his talent in martial arts.

So now his second brother is practicing martial arts again, probably because he has gained control of the army and sees hope in inheriting the Yan family. He probably wants to make a concerted effort to wrest control of the martial arts from Yan Qing's hands.

Yan Qing didn't care about this at all. His second brother was far inferior to him. If he focused on managing the army and establishing prestige at the grassroots level, he might still have a chance to control the army.

But now he's started practicing martial arts... When Yan Qing stops hiding himself one day, his second brother will probably only have despair left.

……

Dressed in black, Gong Ruomei stood at the towering gate of the Yan family, facing the Yan family soldiers holding rifles and the dark gun barrels on the wall. She remained upright and her eyes were calm as still water.

Even though there was only this woman and an unremarkable old man in front of them, the soldiers all looked tense, gripping their rifles tightly as if facing a formidable enemy.

It was simply because the woman in front of him was too intimidating.

This woman was undeniably beautiful, with a reserved and understated expression, yet she exuded an indescribable aura of dominance and pride simply by standing there, as if she were facing not a woman, but a grandmaster.

"Miss Gong Er~ My young master requests your presence!"

The soldiers on duty finally breathed a sigh of relief when Lan Yue appeared.

"Um!"

Gong Ruomei nodded slightly as Lan Yue approached, then followed her into the Yan family compound.

Throughout the entire ordeal, her gaze never lingered on the soldiers or their guns for even a moment.

Gong Ruomei was proud. Looking at Lan Yue walking ahead, her gaze only lingered on Lan Yue's hands and thighs, as if trying to guess the martial arts and level of Lan Yue's practice.

Lan Yue, naturally, wouldn't ask any questions about the guest whom the young master valued; she simply fulfilled her duty by leading the way.

"Miss Gong Er, we've arrived, please~"

Only when they arrived at the entrance of Yan Qing's residence did Lan Yue make a gesture of invitation, indicating that the other party should go first.

Gong Ruomei didn't stand on ceremony and walked in.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Gong Ruomei saw Yan Qing lounging in a recliner.

"I have long admired Mr. Gong's name. Meeting you today is truly an even greater experience than hearing about you. My name is Yan Qing. I am grateful to Mr. Gong for coming all the way from the south."

Upon seeing Gong Ruomei enter the courtyard, Yan Qing quickly got up from the recliner and went to greet her.

Yan Qing was indeed lecherous, but he wasn't stupid; he wasn't the kind of person who let lust cloud his judgment. Besides, he needed someone's help this time, so although he was amazed by Gong Ruomei's appearance, he didn't do anything impolite.

Yan Qing was polite, but Gong Ruomei frowned as she looked at him. She saw Yan Qing stand up from the recliner and walk over. Throughout the process, whether he was getting up or taking a step, Yan Qing seemed to have no energy and did not look like a martial artist at all.

Judging from her appearance, she was far from being a martial artist with exceptional talent; she seemed more like a spoiled brat whose body had been ruined by wine and women, which was completely inconsistent with the information brought to her from Tianjin.

However, the unassuming old man behind her raised his eyebrows when he saw Yan Qing take those few steps.

"Hehe~ Mr. Gong must be tired from his journey. I have already had someone prepare wine and food. There is no rush to practice martial arts. We can talk about it after you have rested."

Seeing that Gong Ruomei remained silent and frowned, Yan Qing, though puzzled as to why she was behaving this way, still offered her a way out and even prepared an excuse for her.

"Phew~"

Gong Ruomei never expected that she would be passing on her family's true teachings to such a spoiled brat. She took a breath and wanted to turn around and leave immediately.

"Cough cough!!"

The old man standing to the side clearly knew his young lady very well. Before she even spoke, he had already guessed the reason, so he raised his hand and coughed lightly twice.

Although his cough was soft, Gong Ruomei clearly heard it and realized that the old man was reminding her. Her eyes darted around, and she looked again at Yan Qing, who still seemed listless. But the words she didn't say had changed:

"Young Master Yan! I have come here at the request of Master Zou, and also because I have heard that you are a genius and wish to master the true teachings of Bajiquan, Baguaquan, and Taijiquan."

"I have perfected the fundamentals of Ming Jin, An Jin, and Hua Jin, so before I begin my instruction, I would like to first experience Young Master Yan's Ming Jin techniques."