377: Chapter 377 The Perfect Role Model: Is Fitness Addictive?

"In the twenty-fifth year of the Republic, it was a turbulent autumn, the country was tottering in the wind and rain, and the entire world was in the midst of war."

"The President at that time personally issued an order to search far and wide for strange people and unusual scholars across the Realm, hoping to find a path to save the country and avert its destruction."

"Li Guizhen was the one who answered the call and emerged from the mountains at that time."

Fang Cheng gazed intently at Dong Yunchuan, listening as he recounted a piece of dusty history.

"No one knew where he came from or which School he belonged to."

"It was as if he appeared out of thin air, yet with the power of a single person, he suppressed a certain aristocratic family that was plotting rebellion in the capital region back then, shaking the entire world overnight."

"Subsequently, with a single decree of appointment from the President, he was ordered to create the Special Investigation Team and was granted the highest authority."

"Starting from scratch, Li Guizhen personally formulated the selection criteria, training subjects, and code of conduct for the team members, forging a group of unruly martial brutes into an iron army that struck terror into the hearts of the enemy."

"However, he only served as the head of the Special Investigation Team for a dozen or so years. Not long after the war ended, he gracefully resigned, and since then he traveled the world, coming and going like a divine dragon with its tail unseen."

The words spoken by Dong Yunchuan were filled with infinite yearning for that legendary figure.

"Most of Li Guizhen's deeds have become legends, and many official archives are vague about them. I also heard some half-true anecdotes from Senior Brother Ma."

He picked up his teacup to moisten his throat, seeing Fang Cheng's expression of intense Focus, seemingly very interested in these secret anecdotes.

He became spirited and continued speaking:

"Senior Brother Ma's father had also served in the Special Investigation Team when he was young, and was fortunate enough to follow Li Guizhen for a period of time."

"He said that he had witnessed a strange event with his own eyes that he would never forget for the rest of his life, and he often talked about this matter to us juniors."

"That time, they were riding on a transport ship executing a secret mission in the East China Sea, carrying a batch of vital supplies that could affect the entire war situation."

"As they sailed, the ship entered a thick fog. The fog was so thick and white that it looked like a wall; people couldn't be seen beyond five meters, and the radar failed as well."

"It was late at night, and the entire transport ship was as if it had been locked inside an off-white coffin, with only the sound of the waves audible."

"Then, a 'creak, creak' sound began to come from under the bottom of the ship, dense and countless, like countless mice gnawing on wood."

"Soon, something climbed up from the sea onto the deck."

Dong Yunchuan's gaze turned sharp, as if the terrifying scene was right before his eyes.

"Old Master Ma said that thing looked like a human, but its skin was dark cyan, slippery and covered in scales, its nails were like knives, and its eyeballs were green. It would pounce upon seeing people, fierce and unafraid of death."

Fang Cheng's gaze narrowed slightly, and he couldn't help recalling his fantastical experience on Yongan Island.

Sure enough, Dong Yunchuan continued speaking:

"Only later did they find out that it was a genetically mutated humanoid monster living in the deep sea, called a Jiaoren."

"At that time, the guards on the ship strafed with machine guns, and the bullets hit them as if hitting soaked cowhide, only embedding themselves in without causing fatal injuries."

"Seeing that the defense line was about to be breached, something even more frightening crawled out from the fog."

When Dong Yunchuan said this, he deliberately paused for a moment.

"A head resembling a small mountain slowly rose from beneath the sea surface, its two eyes larger than millstones, glowing with green light, coldly watching the people on the deck."

"Old Master Ma said that should be a giant colossal squid hundreds of meters long."

"It stretched out two tentacles and twisted the anti-aircraft gun barrels on the ship into dough twists; more tentacles wrapped around, and the entire ship made a 'creak-creak' strange sound, about to be dragged into the sea at any moment."

"Those Jiaoren were probably cannon fodder driven over by this big guy."

"Facing this kind of monster seemingly from myth and legend, humanity's proud modern weapons also appeared somewhat powerless."

"Just when all the officers and soldiers on the ship were in despair, Li Guizhen stood out."

"Alone, he walked onto the swaying deck without wearing any protective equipment, holding only a sword in his hand."

"That sword was very ordinary, looking like an antique with nothing special about it, except that it bloomed with a ring of white light in his hands."

"Then, he leaped up, walking in the air as if on flat ground, crossing over a hundred meters in just a few steps, and charged straight towards that giant squid."

"No one saw clearly how he attacked; Old Master Ma only remembered that a sword light was like lightning, disappearing with a 'swish'."

"The next second, the giant squid let out a heaven-shaking scream; its two tentacles cleanly snapped off, and black blood, like ink, stained half of the sea."

"Suffering from the pain, the monster went crazy and lashed about with its remaining tentacles, stirring up monstrous waves, yet it couldn't even touch a corner of Li Guizhen's clothes."

"Then, another sword light flashed, piercing one of the monster's eyes."

"That monster, even larger than the transport ship, thus suffered heavy damage, and finally, its life or death unknown, sank back into the pitch-black deep sea."

Speaking up to this point, Dong Yunchuan subconsciously clenched his fists.

Fang Cheng's gaze flickered slightly, able to imagine the scene back then.

A tiny human figure, facing a sea monster as huge as mountains, severely injured it with an absolute power close to crushing domination.

That was no longer a pure Martial Skill, but something close to a divine miracle.

In his heart, he couldn't help comparing: if it were himself, could he achieve such a breathtaking degree?

"There are quite a few similar feats."

Dong Yunchuan spoke with increasing excitement, and his voice involuntarily raised a few decibels.

"In the thirty-first year of the Republic, the people of Dongying assembled elite forces, confronting us at the northern defense line."

"Among them was a 'Ghost Unit' composed of unusual people, with extremely formidable combat power, garrisoning the main camp to protect their commander."

"Just as the war situation fell into a stalemate and our side was at our wits' end, Li Guizhen once again acted alone, breaking into the headquarters garrisoned by tens of thousands of enemy troops."

"No one knew the specific process, but anyway, in the end, that Dongying commander died suddenly in the military camp."

"What was even more peerless was that after completing the assassination mission, Li Guizhen didn't leave immediately; instead, right inside the enemy's main camp, he completely slaughtered the core members of the 'Ghost Unit' who came to reinforce."

"That battle completely established his mighty reputation as the 'Killing God', and also caused the enemy's morale to collapse, paving the way for our subsequent major counterattack."

After finishing speaking about two deeds concerning this legendary figure, Dong Yunchuan let out a long breath and sighed with deep emotion:

"This Officer Li does not rely on any modern technology, nor does he use any special abilities; what he relies on is only his own body and a sword."

"Yet being able to practice martial arts to the extreme like him, how is that not the top-tier Aptitude?"

"Many people speculate that he should be a scion of some secretive aristocratic family passed down since ancient times, naturally possessing extraordinary physical fitness."

"However, there has been no news about him for a long time. Some say he made too many enemies and finally fell into a trap, being surrounded and killed by people. Others say he grew old and ultimately couldn't defeat the years, dying of old age."

"These matters, I also heard as hearsay from Senior Brother Ma, and their truth is hard to distinguish."

"However, this person's strength is unfathomably deep, and he is publicly recognized as one of the strongest Martial Artists in history. There is no doubt about this point."

Speaking up to this point, Dong Yunchuan's gaze fell back onto Fang Cheng, filled with burning expectations.

"A-Cheng, with your Aptitude, I feel that in the future you completely have the chance to surpass him!"

"If you are interested in his matters, you can go ask Senior Brother Ma Jianguo; after all, the Ma Family and this Officer Li share quite a bit of origin."

Fang Cheng nodded, thoughtful.

Yet a picture emerged in his mind.

That was at a depth of two hundred meters beneath the sea of Yongan Island, inside that natural cave he used as a quiet room to Cultivate.

On the rock wall of the cave, there was a line of carved characters slightly smoothed by the erosion of seawater:

"Li Guizhen was here."

At that time, he only thought it was someone of the same path who had dived here to practice.

Yet he hadn't expected that behind this name, such an astonishing past was still hidden.

It's just unknown whether this "Li Guizhen" is that "Li Guizhen".

If it really is the same person, then it means this legendary figure was still active in the world at least not long ago.

More importantly, these deeds recounted by Dong Yunchuan provided Fang Cheng with a perfect model.

An official precedent, once even relied upon, of reaching the supreme Realm through self-Cultivation.

This meant that as long as his own abilities did not exhibit obvious "unusual person" characteristics, they could entirely be attributed to the category of "Qigong" or "ancient martial arts".

If in the future he truly faced the review of the Special Investigation Team, he would have an impregnable set of explanations.

Advancing can attack, retreating can also defend.

This discovery caused the hanging stone in Fang Cheng's heart to quietly fall to the ground.

The near-noon sunlight passed through the blinds, casting mottled light and shadow inside the antique-style office.

The air was filled with a mixed scent of old books and tea water.

After chatting for a few more sentences, Fang Cheng politely declined Dong Yunchuan's invitation to have lunch together, rose, and took his leave.

Dong Yunchuan personally escorted him to the office door, patted his shoulder again, and solemnly comforted him:

"A-Cheng, don't worry about the postgraduate admission matter; leave everything to me, and rest assured waiting for good news."

Fang Cheng hesitated for a moment, his lips moving slightly.

In the end, he still swallowed back the words that had reached his lips and merely nodded.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Junior Martial Uncle Dong. However, you don't need to force it too much either; just let nature take its course."

"Hey, you brat!"

Dong Yunchuan smiled with gratification: "What are you standing on ceremony with me for?"

...

Walking out of the red-brick small building of the Law School.

The midday sunlight was warm and gentle, spilling onto his body and dispelling that heavy sense of history in the office.

The campus was shaded by green trees, with young students walking by in twos and threes, full of the youthful vigor of youth.

Compared to everything he had just experienced, it was as if they were two completely different worlds.

Fang Cheng carried his satchel on his back and took a deep breath of the air carrying the fresh fragrance of grass and trees.

At that moment just now, he had originally wanted to completely reject Dong Yunchuan's kindness.

For him, this postgraduate diploma was not a necessity, and he even less wanted to incur a favor because of it.

Yet his mother's eyes full of expectations flashed across his mind.

That was one of the few, and also the most important, anchor points for him in this secular society.

Refusing meant spending more words to explain and to soothe his mother's heart hoping for her son to become a Dragon.

Accepting, on the other hand, could make his mother more at ease and make his family happy.

For Fang Cheng, who had long been accustomed to solving problems using direct violence,

this kind of choice filled with worldly sophistication was instead even more giving him a headache.

Yet he wasn't a sentimental person, nor would he be irresolute because of this.

Since the choice had already been made, he no longer thought much about it.

Fang Cheng raised his head, gazed at the clear, azure blue sky, strode forward, and walked toward the School gate.

Last night, the few Karate instructional discs he scavenged from Wu Datong were still in his bag.

First find a restaurant to eat a meal, then go to the home appliance mall to buy the latest model of high-definition DVD player.

Then return home to Haitian Garden, study it well, and strive to unlock new skills.

Also, Dong Yunchuan mentioned holding a gathering of Martial Arts Research Association members over the weekend.

He indeed also had some doubts regarding Qigong Cultivation and traditional martial arts, which needed to be consulted with Ma Jianguo and others.

In this world, no matter how the rules are formulated or how the environment changes,

firmly grasping power in one's own hands is always the most fundamental Law for dealing with all troubles.

Because a powerful fist itself is the hardest truth for stabilizing order.

...

In the early morning, the bedroom was entirely serene.

The heavy curtains isolated all external light and sound, and the darkness flowed like water.

"Beep, beep, beep..."

The harsh alarm ringtone broke this serenity without any warning.

The mobile phone screen at the bedside suddenly lit up, and the cold white numbers clearly displayed — — 4:00.

On the bed, Fang Cheng's eyes opened instantly, and there was not the slightest bit of just-woken drowsiness in his pitch-black pupils, as awake as if he had been waiting for a long time.

The next second, his entire body suddenly bounced up, with a smooth and neat dolphin leap, his feet had already steadily landed on the floor.

Reaching out, he turned off the still noisy alarm ringtone.

The entire room returned to silence once again.

He put on his slippers and walked out of the bedroom without making a sound.

A simple wash, with the cold water splashing on his face, bringing a trace of refreshing coolness.

The youth in the mirror had a sharp gaze and was full of vigor, completely showing no fatigue from staying up late watching discs last night.

Fang Cheng smiled slightly, then walked into the living room and glanced out the window.

The sky was still a deep ink blue, and the city was still sleeping.

Only on the distant main thoroughfare, sporadic car headlights flashed across like fireflies.

He didn't delay much, changed into a blue sports suit, and zipped up the zipper.

Then opened the door, went out, and then gently closed the door behind him, double-locking it.

Throughout the entire process, not a single excess sound was made, and his movements were as light as a night-prowling leopard.

In the same building, inside a bedroom equally shrouded in darkness.

A girl wearing pure white silk pajamas was sitting in a wheelchair, leaning against the window side.

She seemed to have woken up very early, or rather, she had no sleepiness at all.

She was just quietly gazing at the sleeping world outside the window, not knowing what she was thinking about.

Suddenly, her gaze slightly narrowed.

Downstairs, that familiar figure wearing the blue sports suit appeared once again under the dim, yellowish halo of the streetlamp.

He saw that person slightly part his legs, raise his arms over his head, and stretch his body backward.

Next was exercising his wrists and ankles, and turning his waist.

Every movement was stretched to the extreme, his body seemingly transforming into a bowstring poised for action, filled with an inexplicable sense of power.

The girl's eyes flickered, subconsciously leaning her body forward slightly, wanting to see more clearly.

Yet at this moment, that person had already finished warming up, his legs slightly bent, and then he strode out with vigorous steps, running along the residential compound's road toward the direction of the main gate.

On the girl's face, a hint of expression mixed with curiosity and disappointment couldn't help but emerge.

At the same time, located on the floor directly above her, someone else was also awake.

On the floor of the room, a complex circular pattern was drawn, and a circle of long-extinguished white candles was placed on the nodes of the pattern.

The wax oil had solidified, leaving only short roots, seeming as though it had burned for a whole night.

The bathroom door opened with a "click" sound.

A man walked out with only a bath towel wrapped around his waist, using a towel with both hands to rub his damp hair.

His bare upper body had fair skin, smooth and sturdy muscle lines, without a trace of excess fat, and was filled with a coordinated sense of beauty.

The man casually draped the towel over his shoulder, walked over to the French window, and habitually looked down upon this city that had yet to awaken.

His gaze swept around in a circle.

The figure running in the early morning downstairs also burst into his field of vision.

Watching that man wearing the blue sports suit disappear around the corner of the residential compound at an astonishing speed, he couldn't help smacking his lips.

"This fellow has even more drive than me..."

"Could fitness really become addictive?"

Amidst his murmuring to himself, that figure had already crossed the empty road and run towards the direction of the distant beach.

As if facing the rising and falling tides, running towards the place where the dawn breaks.

(End of Chapter)