181: Chapter 181 Forced to Become Stronger

Chapter 181: Forced to Do It to Become Stronger

Splash, splash.

Inside the bathroom, the sound of splashing water rang out from time to time.

After a while, the sliding door was pulled open.

Fang Cheng walked out bare-chested in slippers, letting out a soft sigh.

After simply wiping down with cool water, he felt much more comfortable all over.

He reached out to pick up his glasses from the table, put them back on, and looked up at the full-length mirror in the living room.

The midday sunlight shone through the window, illuminating the dust motes and making the mirror glisten brilliantly.

His own figure clearly appeared on the smooth mirror surface.

His eyes were bright and full of spirit, and his Physique was powerful and imposing.

However...

After putting on these wire-rimmed glasses, his temperament seemed to become much gentler again.

Fang Cheng felt slightly relieved, shaking the wet strands of hair on his forehead.

The main thing was that his thick head of hair was still dense and jet-black, with no signs of large-scale hair loss.

Although he noticed several tufts of hair falling out when washing his hair in the bathroom just now, it was no big deal.

He believed that in just a few days, it would quickly grow back.

After all, his current Physique attribute was as high as 41 points, and he possessed abundant life energy far exceeding that of an ordinary person.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly as he turned his vision inward toward his Dantian.

A mass of deep blue True Qi resided there, like a tranquil, boundless sea.

Unruffled and calm, it seemed as if there was no change at all.

However, comparing it carefully with before, the capacity of his True Qi had decreased by about one percent.

Obviously, this was the result of the status panel advancing a portion of his life energy to strengthen his physical condition as quickly as possible after upgrading and adding attribute points.

If he failed to replenish bodily nourishment or external energy in time, the water level of this True Qi ocean would continue to drop slowly until it was completely exhausted.

Reflected on his body, this would manifest as various unpredictable abnormal symptoms, affecting his health and endangering his life.

In the end...

He might end up like that test subject with a festering Physical Body, needing to suck other people's blood to sustain his life.

In other words, the power in this world did not come out of thin air.

Even though he had the panel, it did not come without a price; he had merely stepped onto a shortcut that was somewhat safer than what others had.

In essence, it was still gaining temporary power at the cost of overdrawing one's life force.

Fang Cheng was moved in his heart, gaining a sudden realization.

If he hadn't truly mastered Qigong and accumulated enough True Qi,

after breaking through the limit of his Strength attribute today, his hair would probably have fallen out completely.

Trying to imagine a refined, handsome guy suddenly turning into a bald muscle monster...

Fang Cheng couldn't help but shudder.

In his heart, he felt quite fortunate for his foresight in preparing in advance.

Then he turned his head to look at the white plastic bag on the dining table, inside which was packed fast food.

He had ordered four takeout meals in a row this morning, all of which he had gulped down completely.

This was the fifth portion.

The moment he saw the food, saliva rapidly secreted in Fang Cheng's mouth, and he swallowed with a gulp.

Without overthinking it, let's eat!

Only by eating a lot and eating well could he build a good Physique and master power that truly belonged to him.

With the Awakening of the Gourmet Cells inside his body, Fang Cheng immediately sat down and reached out to grab a braised pork knuckle from the food box.

He prepared to continue satisfying his body's extreme craving for nutrition.

Crunch, crunch.

Opening his large mouth, he tore off chunks of meat and gobbled them down, chewing continuously.

Even the hardest, most calcium-rich marrow bones of the pig were bitten to pieces and crushed.

He sucked clean the marrow rich in collagen from inside, and then swallowed everything—bone fragments and meat bits alike—into his stomach.

Even though the Gourmet skill had been fused into Qigong, its powerful digestive function and efficient nutrient absorption rate were still perfectly inherited.

Fang Cheng even had a faint illusion.

If he were truly starving to death, even if a pile of dirt were placed before him, he could devour it without hesitation and extract the nutrients required by the human body.

In just a few minutes.

Three boxes filled with braised pork knuckles and a portion of white rice were devoured ravenously by Fang Cheng just like that.

Replenishment of nutrients complete.

Fang Cheng walked to the balcony and softly closed his eyes, letting the sunlight bathe his face and body, silently feeling the warm aura stemming from nature.

Then he assumed a horse stance, circulated his internal Qi, and began practicing Qigong.

He couldn't go to work today for now, and continuing physical fitness training wasn't quite appropriate either.

He might as well practice Qigong more to recuperate his body and eliminate the lingering aftereffects.

Perhaps due to the rapid stretching and growth of his bones and muscles, Fang Cheng kept feeling an itchy, feverish sensation all over his body.

Fortunately, every time he circulated his True Qi once, this abnormal feeling would diminish somewhat.

It was like a gentle breeze blowing across his internal organs, instantly bringing a refreshing coolness.

Or like a sweet spring gushing and flowing, irrigating and nourishing parched land.

Fang Cheng's body vibrated slightly, emitting a faint sound like thunder rumbling from dark afternoon clouds.

Under the sunlight, all the pores across his body appeared exceptionally clear, as if his entire body was illuminated until it was transparently bright.

At this moment, countless tiny air currents passed through his body, blowing through every limb and bone, before emerging from the other side.

With every breath, like winds sweeping away clouds, he exhaled the old and inhaled the new.

Until it transformed into a nearly imperceptible warm current, merging into that blue ocean.

Air and sunlight were likewise sources of energy needed for life.

Except they were relatively meager...

"Hululu—"

In the living room, the sound of wind and thunder rumbled and echoed.

Fang Cheng suddenly opened his eyes and let out a long breath of turbid air accumulated in his abdominal cavity.

At the same time, a notification from the status panel floated across his vision.

[You have comprehended a new circulation method for the Breathing Technique, Qigong EXP +20]

[Qigong Lv1 (154/250)]

As the evaporated sweat mist slowly dissipated, Fang Cheng finished his practice, stood up, and stretched his muscles and bones.

He glanced at the time.

1:36.

This time, immersing himself whole-heartedly in Qigong practice actually lasted for over an hour and a half, setting a personal record.

In terms of how he felt, aside from his physical coordination being a bit lacking and feeling slightly clumsy, almost all other abnormal sensations had vanished.

Fang Cheng's heart moved, and he quickly observed his Dantian.

He discovered that the True Qi stored inside had not decreased noticeably.

It seemed that the main reason his body was able to return to normal so quickly was still the skill itself playing its role.

Breathing Techniques could actually be divided into hard and soft, Yin and Yang, flowing like wind and water, each with its own wonderful uses.

When facing internal hidden ailments caused by bodily causes, regulating body functions with this softer method of guiding Qi yielded even better results.

He silently comprehended this for a moment.

Fang Cheng then walked back into the bedroom completely naked, preparing to put on some clothes.

However...

Considering his current, visibly bulked-up Physique, his old normal clothing sizes definitely wouldn't fit.

Fang Cheng picked and tried repeatedly, only to discover that not a single piece of clothing fit.

A pair of jeans was even forcibly squeezed into, only for the seams to be ripped apart completely.

Fortunately, the fabric of his undershirt and underwear was relatively elastic, barely wearable.

Feeling the tight thermal shirt clinging to his body and highlighting his muscles, Fang Cheng's face was full of helplessness.

This morning, Ma Donghe had called to bring up the matter of selling the antiques.

He said he had found a wealthy buyer and made an appointment to meet up and inspect the goods together.

But in his current state, he obviously couldn't go out or get things done.

He could only raincheck it for another day.

Fang Cheng then called Ma Donghe back and made an excuse to decline the meeting.

He then sat bored in the living room, watching TV dramas to kill time.

Staying at home like this was not a long-term solution either.

However, his mom was busy working at the hospital, so he couldn't trouble her to solve his problem.

After mulling it over, a pretty silhouette suddenly surfaced in Fang Cheng's mind.

So he picked up his phone again and tried dialing a number.

Beep... Beep... Beep...

After a few intermittent ringtones, the call finally went through.

A woman's voice, soft and tinged with pleasant surprise, came from the receiver.

"Hello, Brother Cheng, do you need something from me?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Fang Cheng's slightly anxious mood instantly calmed down, and he immediately spoke up:

Read the error-free original content on...

"Xiumei, it's like this..."

...

On a winter evening, the cold wind chased the setting sun behind heavy clouds.

As the coldness and night deepened, the streets grew even more noisy and bustling.

Honking car horns and ringing electric bike bells drifted through the window from downstairs in waves of noise.

Dressed in thermal underwear, Fang Cheng stood in the living room, slowly practicing a 24-form Tai Chi routine.

Wild Horse Parting its Mane, White Crane Spreads its Wings, Grasping the Sparrow's Tail Left, Grasping the Sparrow's Tail Right...

Raising hands and waving palms, lifting knees and stepping forward, move by move unfolded slowly like flowing clouds and water.

Although his posture appeared quite large, his movements remained completely natural and graceful.

Knock, knock.

Just at that moment, a soft knock on the door suddenly sounded.

Hearing the sound, Fang Cheng's eyes flashed, and he glanced at the status panel notification.

[Tai Chi EXP +10]

Nodding in satisfaction, he stopped practicing his Punching techniques and walked quickly toward the entryway.

Screech—

The iron door opened, revealing a flushed, pretty face.

Zhou Xiumei was wearing a white down jacket, a blue cloth headband on her head, and a knitted scarf wrapped around her neck.

Fully bundled up, white puffs of vapor exhaled from her mouth; clearly, it was very cold outside.

Seeing Fang Cheng walk out wearing thermal underwear, she froze for a moment, her eyes widening as if trying to recognize him.

Promptly, her cheeks turned even redder, and she hurriedly handed over the two shopping bags in her hands.

"Here are the clothes and pants I bought. I'm not sure if they fit."

"Also, this windbreaker was issued by my dad's workplace. He has several of them, and nobody wears them at home."

"If the new clothes don't fit, you can wear this looser one. My dad is actually about the same height as you..."

Zhou Xiumei rambled on, though her voice grew lower and lower, her gaze somewhat shifting.

It seemed Fang Cheng's look as a muscular hunk gave her heart quite a shock.

But Fang Cheng had no choice either, so he could only thank her repeatedly with a sincere face:

"Xiumei, you really helped me out a lot. I'll treat you to a meal another day."

Zhou Xiumei had recently been an intern at a pastry shop in Jiangdong District.

When he called her earlier, Fang Cheng didn't explain much; he simply asked her to help buy a set of clothes.

Zhou Xiumei didn't ask further questions either; after leaving work early, she ran to the shopping mall to buy the clothes and then rushed home.

At this moment, her long eyelashes drooped low.

Seeing Fang Cheng accept the clothing bags, she seemed to hesitate for a moment before adding:

"Brother Cheng, I have one more thing I want to give you."

As she spoke, she fumbled out a sachet-like item from her pocket and carefully handed it over.

Fang Cheng fixed his gaze on it.

He saw that this sachet was made of red cloth, with an exquisite and elegant appearance.

The front was a transparent film displaying a small yellow talisman paper inside, with the seal script characters for "Peace and Safety" written on it.

Under Fang Cheng's puzzled gaze, Zhou Xiumei explained:

"This Safety Talisman was prayed for by my grandma at Gufeng Temple. It's very effective. Keep it on you and make sure never to take it off..."

Seeing Zhou Xiumei nagging like his own mother, Fang Cheng couldn't help feeling a bit surprised:

"Why are you giving me a Safety Talisman out of nowhere?"

Standing in the dimly lit corridor, Zhou Xiumei looked left and right nervously for a moment.

Then she bit her lip and whispered:

"Brother Cheng, haven't you heard people talk about it yet? Our building is haunted..."

Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly. Only after hearing her explain in detail did he understand the full story.

It turned out that while Fang Cheng went to Yongan Island to participate in the Meditation retreat, something happened to a family living on the 8th floor.

The male master of the house, He Yao, was originally an honest worker, but he suddenly went mad as if he had seen a ghost, talking to himself and babbling nonsense all day long.

So his wife invited a Daoist priest over to exorcise evil, but He Yao grabbed a kitchen knife and severely slashed both his wife and the Daoist priest.

Later, when the police rushed over, he acted as if he saw something even more terrifying and actually jumped out of the 8th-floor window to commit suicide.

And most bizarrely, when everyone went down to search that night, the corpse had vanished.

Calculating the days, today was the Seventh Day, the Night of Soul Return.

The neighbors all said He Yao was possessed by evil and blinded by a ghost to serve as a substitute.

Therefore, after death, he would become even fiercer and even less human.

Hearing this, Fang Cheng chuckled:

"Even if it's really haunted, he has no grudge against us."

Zhou Xiumei was still a bit spooked and muttered:

"It's better for us to be careful anyway."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly and reached out to take the Safety Talisman.

After all, this was her good intention.

He then said:

"Xiumei, come in and sit for a while. I'll go get the money for you."

Turning around with the clothing bags in hand, he prepared to go to the bedroom to fetch his wallet.

Only to hear Zhou Xiumei shout, "No need, I still have things to do, so I'm leaving first."

Immediately, light footsteps sounded, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished.

By the time Fang Cheng walked back out the door to call out to her,

Zhou Xiumei had already returned to her home and shut the door with a loud bang.

Seeing this, Fang Cheng shook his head helplessly.

Forget it, he would just consider it a gift from Zhou Xiumei.

During the Lunar New Year, he would give her a New Year's gift in return to make it up to her.

Clang.

He also shut his own door and turned on the lights.

Fang Cheng then opened the clothing bags and pulled out the newly bought clothes.

A jacket and a pair of jeans.

Trying them on, the size was right.

Fang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, finally free from the embarrassment of having nothing proper to wear.

Truth be told, although he usually liked exercising bare-skinned, it wasn't due to an exhibitionist habit.

It was truly because he was forced to do it to become stronger.

Dressed, he looked in the mirror, tidied his appearance, and felt like he had become refined and scholarly once again.

Next, he rapidly gobbled down his tenth takeout meal of the day into his stomach.

After enjoying dinner, he did a brief Cleaning and washed up.

By now, it was already completely dark outside.

Fang Cheng walked over to the balcony, preparing to close the window.

Glancing casually, he saw faint flames flickering and ash curling down below.

In the darkness, several middle-aged and elderly women squatted by the roadside, laying out offerings and burning joss paper.

They muttered softly under their breath, seemingly chanting scriptures and incantations.

Fang Cheng's gaze narrowed slightly, unable to help recalling what Zhou Xiumei had told him once again.