Upon entering the door, Shen Qing saw a burly figure and his steps unconsciously paused, lowering his head respectfully and saying, "Uncle."The light in the side room was dim, with just a few weak rays of sunlight streaming through the partially open window, spottily casting onto the rough wooden furniture.
It had been more than ten days since Aunt Shen Xiu had miscarried. Lying in bed, her face was as pale as paper, her eyes were empty, and she appeared extremely weak.
Hall Master Li Linfeng of Linfeng Hall was sitting by the bed. He heard Shen Qing's greeting, nodded in acknowledgment, and said nothing more.
The air was filled with an indescribable sense of oppression.
The room was so quiet that only the faint breathing of Aunt Shen Xiu could be heard.
Li Linfeng commanded the maid Dongxue, "The water in the copper basin has gotten cold, go change it for a hot one."
"Yes, master."
After maid Dongxue had left with the copper basin and a few blood-stained cloths, Shen Qing slowly approached.
Aunt Shen Xiu saw Shen Qing and shifted her body slightly to ask, "Qingzi, when did you come to the city?"
Shen Qing placed the items he brought beside the bed and replied, "I arrived earlier this morning and came over right after hearing about Aunt's situation."
"Qingzi, you are thoughtful."
Carefully approaching the edge of the bed, concern filling his eyes, Shen Qing softly asked, "Aunt, how are you feeling? Do you want me to get you a glass of water?"
As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly, and seeing Shen Xiu struggling to sit up, he quickly moved forward to help her naturally.
Aunt Shen Xiu sat up with Shen Qing's assistance, her eyes full of fatigue and sorrow.
She gently waved her hand, her voice hoarse and weak, "I am alright, Qingzi, no need to worry."
Shen Qing inquired, "What exactly happened?"
Aunt Shen Xiu opened her mouth slightly, wanting to say something, but ultimately just weakly shook her head, "It's nothing."
Seeing that his aunt showed no intention of speaking further, and with uncle Li Linfeng present, Shen Qing refrained from probing further.
After a while, he tried to maintain a calm and gentle tone, "Aunt, I know you must be suffering, but dwelling on it is useless at this point. I was in a hurry when I came and did not bring much, just bought some things on a whim for you. Please take care of yourself from now on. There will be better days ahead."
Receiving familial concern after so many years, Aunt Shen Xiu's eyes turned red, and she managed a bitter smile, "Qingzi, thank you, I… just need some time..."
Shen Qing, sensing the heavy atmosphere in the room and lacking experience in such matters, merely offered some simple words of understanding and care.
As he was about to leave, Li Linfeng, who had been quiet throughout, looked at Shen Qing and asked, "Are you currently learning movement techniques?"
Shen Qing bowed his head and responded, "Yes, sir."
"How far have you gotten?"
Without any concealment, Shen Qing truthfully responded, "I have completed the Five Person Stance."
"Hmm?" Li Linfeng's expression turned sharply surprised, but he quickly composed himself and calmly said, "Come with me."
"Yes, sir."
Uncle Li Linfeng, with his hands clasped behind his back, walked out first, and Shen Qing nodded to Aunt Shen Xiu and hurriedly followed.
Outside, the sun shone brightly.
The courtyard of the side room was silent.
After walking a while, Linfeng stopped and turned to face Shen Qing.
Li Linfeng's robes fluttered slightly with the wind, and he remained motionless.
Suddenly, without any warning to Shen Qing, Li Linfeng's expression became sharp, and with a fierce burst of speed, he launched himself toward Shen Qing like a ghost.
His speed was incredibly fast.
To Shen Qing, it seemed like a beast charging straight at him, leaving him no time to react.
Li Linfeng's palm swung fiercely, sending a sharp airstream instantly towards Shen Qing.
Shen Qing's pupils shrank as he felt the terrifying power contained within the airstream.
He didn't dare to be careless, immediately summoning all his strength to retreat swiftly, trying to dodge Li Linfeng's attack.
However, Li Linfeng's attack was too fast and too strong. Despite Shen Qing's full effort to evade, he was still grazed by the airstream.
He felt an immense force strike him, instantly losing his balance, staggering backward several steps, and barely managing to regain stability using the movement technique he had just learned.
Shen Qing was shocked in his heart; he had not expected Li Linfeng's casual strike to be so horrifying.
He looked up at Li Linfeng, who stood there, calm and composed, as if the previous attack was just a casual gesture.
Li Linfeng, seeing Shen Qing's disheveled appearance, smiled pensively and said, "Your reaction speed is not bad; your lower stance is quite stable."
Saying this, he swiftly moved and appeared in front of Shen Qing.
Li Linfeng pressed his fingers together and pointed at Shen Qing's face, then intentionally moved a few inches, changing his thrust into a sweep.
Seeing this, Shen Qing was inwardly shaken and immediately understood Li Linfeng's intention.
With no time to think, countless movements were almost ingrained in his muscles, forming a memory-like instinct, he dodged just in time to block Li Linfeng's sweep.
That brought a more pleased expression to Li Linfeng's eyes.
He really had grasped it.
Next, Li Linfeng deliberately held back most of his strength, constantly launching attacks with just one arm and two fingers, leaving Shen Qing in a difficult situation.
Even though Shen Qing used all the movement techniques he had just learned, he barely managed to cope with Li Linfeng's attacks.
As if intentionally, under Li Linfeng's guidance, Shen Qing gradually adapted to the rhythm of the attacks, employing all the movement techniques from the Two Person Stance to the Five Person Stance. Sёarch* The ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
When using them, he was not just mimicking the moves; each maneuver was fully integrated and responsive.
Each move was a muscle reaction made in virtually the blink of an eye.
After trying everything, Li Linfeng stopped his attacks, and with an increasingly satisfied and approving look, he admired Shen Qing more and more.
He really hadn't been mistaken that day.
Having trained in martial arts for barely over twenty days, and actually spent only a few days at the Martial Arts Hall, yet able to master this set of movement techniques and apply them, was enough to prove his exceptional natural talent.
Truly a born martial talent.
When he heard that his aunt had a miscarriage, he visited her immediately and brought a large amount of nourishing items.
Though these items were trivial for his wealth, Li Linfeng knew that Shen Qing's parents had passed away early, leaving him alone; how much could he save just by hunting in the mountains?
For him, giving these gifts today cost him a significant amount.
Giving ten yuan out of one hundred, compared to giving eight yuan out of ten, held distinctly different meanings in Li Linfeng's eyes.
This also showed from the side that Shen Qing was a person of character.
Since that was the case, Li Linfeng felt he could personally mentor him a bit.
It was the right time to add some more capital to Linfeng Hall amidst these turbulent times.
He looked at Shen Qing and said, "Your practice is decent, but your strikes are a bit messy. Martial arts is all about the willingness to climb; starting tomorrow, come see me every morning, and I'll teach you some techniques."
Learn the techniques?
He couldn't ask for more.
Shen Qing's face lit up with joy, and he quickly bowed with his hands clasped and said, "Thank you, Uncle."