Chen Jianmin nodded, "My son is very handsome. Dad's company is having its annual meeting today. Let's go, Dad will take you to see the world."
Over the years, Chen Jianmin had risen to the position of General Manager at the factory, while Chen Xuecheng was a middle management executive.
Chen Jianmin's current car was an Audi A6. He drove to a luxurious grand hotel.
Inside the hotel, elites gathered. Chen Jiuyang and his father sat at a table in the third row.
A father and son with extraordinary气质, and a noble and cold beauty were going around toasting with wine glasses.
Chen Jianmin introduced in a low voice, "Jiuyang, these two are our group's bosses, Chairman Qian Baichuan and the young master, Young Master Qian Sanjin."
Chen Jiuyang looked at the noble, cold, and stunningly beautiful young woman beside Qian Sanjin. He felt a bit confused. Although he was seeing her for the first time, she felt somewhat familiar.
Chen Jiuyang asked, "Dad, who is that woman next to Young Master Qian Sanjin?"
Chen Jianmin said mysteriously, "That's Young Master Qian Sanjin's fiancée. Her name is Yao Zixuan, I think. She comes from the wealthy Yao family in this city. The Yao family's assets are worth hundreds of billions."
Chen Jiuyang was somewhat shaken. Hundreds of billions in assets, that was an unimaginable amount of wealth. They were from completely different worlds.
Soon, Qian Baichuan and Qian Sanjin, with Yao Zixuan, came to Chen Jianmin's table to toast. Chen Jianmin and Chen Jiuyang immediately stood up. Qian Baichuan smiled and said, "Old Chen, the financial report from the jade factory last year was very good. You are a veteran of our Qian Group. I don't need to say anything more, it's all in the wine."
"Mr. Qian, you are too kind." Chen Jianmin held his wine glass with both hands and drank it in one gulp. Qian Baichuan only took a sip and, without asking about the identity of the young man beside Chen Jianmin, led Qian Sanjin and Yao Zixuan to the next table.
After several rounds of drinks, Chen Jianmin was quite drunk. Chen Jiuyang drove them home. On the way, Chen Jianmin said, "Jiuyang, you saw it, didn't you? The world of the rich is different from ours."
"Those are the big figures of Fengcheng, the powerful and influential people of Fengcheng. But people are different. You need to study hard, find a wife of equal standing, and when you have children, raise them well. After a hundred years, our Chen family might have a chance to be like them."
Chen Jiuyang remained silent, with Yao Zixuan's image filling his mind.
When they returned home, Chen Xuecheng was there. Chen Xuecheng said, "Brother, Old Secretary Huang has passed away. Secretary Huang called me earlier and invited us back for the funeral banquet."
Chen Jianmin, having taken some hangover medicine, slowly nodded, "Although Old Secretary Huang took a sum of money from our family back then, without Old Secretary Huang, we wouldn't have our current lives. We should indeed go back for Old Secretary Huang's funeral."
The next day, Chen Jiuyang's family drove back to Qingzhu Village.
Qingzhu Village had changed a lot in the more than ten years since they last visited. Every household had built a new house, and there was even a park built by the river. After having lunch at Old Secretary Huang's house, Chen Jiuyang's family didn't leave immediately, planning to depart the next day.
Chen Jiuyang, feeling bored, was walking in the park by the river in Qingzhu Village. He saw a grandfather and granddaughter practicing martial arts with wooden swords by the river. Their movements were all in good form. Chen Jiuyang watched for two hours.
Could it be that martial arts truly existed in this world?
It wasn't until the girl, who looked about sixteen or seventeen, thrust her wooden sword into a rock that Chen Jiuyang was deeply shaken and stood there stunned for a long time, unable to recover.
Long after the grandfather and granddaughter had left, Chen Jiuyang finally came to his senses.
Could martial arts really allow one to split stones with a wooden sword?
Chen Jiuyang's attention was completely captivated by this matter.
The next day, after attending Old Secretary Huang's funeral banquet, their family returned to Fengcheng.
Chen Jiuyang searched for a lot of information online but found very little about martial arts.
However, Chen Jiuyang felt an irresistible urge. He began to inquire about martial arts everywhere, eventually finding a very famous martial arts school in Fengcheng, the Fengcheng Xingyi Hall.
After witnessing the hall master shatter a cobblestone with his bare body and tear through a cement wall with his bare hands without injury, Chen Jiuyang immediately decided to pay the fee and become a disciple.
Hong Wu, the hall master of Fengcheng Xingyi Hall, looked at Chen Jiuyang, "Chen Jiuyang, you are already past the best age for practicing martial arts. If you start practicing Xingyi now, you can at most defend yourself. Are you sure you want to learn?"
Chen Jiuyang nodded firmly, "I want to learn."
Hong Wu said, "Alright, the tuition fee is ten thousand Dragon Coins per month. Our Fengcheng Xingyi Hall can accept you as an apprentice. You will train with the disciples of Xingyi Hall from now on."
Chen Jiuyang said without hesitation, "Okay."
Chen Jianmin was now the general manager of the jade factory, with an annual salary of one million. Chen Jiuyang's family was not short of money.
After paying the fee, Chen Jiuyang trained with Hong Wu at the martial arts hall every morning.
A martial artist trains in the heat of summer and the cold of winter.
As a martial artist who practiced Xingyi and physical conditioning, Hong Wu spent hundreds of thousands on medicinal herbs each month to nourish his body. If he didn't run a martial arts hall and accept students like Chen Jiuyang, it would be difficult to support his training expenses. Initially, he didn't take Chen Jiuyang seriously. It wasn't until three months later that he discovered Chen Jiuyang had actually grasped the basics of Xingyi. Each move and punch carried a faint sound, and his qi and blood were incredibly vigorous.
"Damn it, did I strike gold by accident?" Hong Wu couldn't believe it.
After observing Chen Jiuyang for another week, Hong Wu couldn't sit still any longer. He found Chen Jiuyang and said, "Jiuyang, are you willing to take me as your master and learn the true Xingyi Quan?"
He usually just casually guided people like Chen Jiuyang in the martial arts hall, teaching them some moves for strengthening the body and self-defense.
Chen Jiuyang did not hesitate and said, "Greetings, Master."
Hong Wu was pleased and said, "Since you have entered my Xingyi, I will tell you about the true world of martial arts."
"There are two paths for martial artists: one is the realm path, following the realms of Heaven, Earth, Mystery, and Yellow. The other is to temper the body through Xingyi, to change the blood. Changing the blood once can make one comparable to a Yellow Realm martial artist, capable of shattering stones with a single hand. Changing the blood three times makes one comparable to a martial arts grandmaster, with a body as strong as gold and jade, impervious to blades and spears."
Chen Jiuyang asked, "Master, what is your current realm?"
Hong Wu was a bit embarrassed, "My foundation was injured by someone a few years ago. After practicing martial arts all these years, I have only managed to change my blood twice. I can barely spar with Yellow Realm martial artists."
Chen Jiuyang then asked, "Master, are there many experts in the martial arts world?"
In Chen Jiuyang's eyes, Hong Wu was already very powerful.
Hong Wu said with a serious expression, "Our Dragon Country's martial arts world is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with countless experts. Someone like your master, with mediocre talent, can at best be considered a third-rate expert."
Chen Jiuyang asked, "Then why haven't I ever seen any martial arts experts in all these years?"
Hong Wu smiled and said, "That's very normal. Most martial artists are in higher realms. Let alone you, even your master only occasionally encounters experts. Those levels of martial artists usually practice to enhance their strength. They hide themselves in the city when they are minorly reclusive, and in the wilderness when they are greatly reclusive."
"When your strength increases in the future, you will naturally come into contact with them."