Chapter 13 Breakthrough in Boxing Techniques, Hearing from All Directions

Luo Tongyun frowned. He knew Luo Fang all too well.

The steward of the servants' quarters had some power, but it didn't apply to him.

If we had to put it in perspective, Luo Fang and he had once worked together.

"Manager Luo, is there anything that can't be said outside?" Luo Tongyun asked with a smile.

"Please come in."

Luo Fang pushed open the door, stepped aside to invite him in, and didn't offer any further explanation.

"good."

Luo Tongyun nodded and smiled, assuring him that there would be a reward for any request. How could he refuse?

After sitting down in the room, Luo Fang poured a cup of tea and said, "We know each other quite well, so I won't waste my breath on you."

"Five taels of silver to take Li Xian back to the servants' quarters."

Luo Tongyun said casually, "That Immortal Li... is being watched by the powerful Lord Pang, so he won't be easy to deal with."

"Hehe." Luo Fang laughed, "It's easy for you. Pang Da asked you to teach him the Four Directions Fist, didn't he? Just sabotage him a little, and after fifteen days, he'll perform terribly. That'll do the trick."

"..."

Luo Tongyun simply drank his tea in silence.

"Ten taels of silver." Luo Fang's face turned grim.

Just to vent one's anger, spending ten taels of silver is hardly worth it.

Luo Fang was afraid that if Li Xian gained power in the future, he would threaten his own position.

"make a deal."

Luo Tongyun said with a smile.

In just a few words, he betrayed Li Xian.

...

[Four Directions Fist]

[Proficiency: 54/500 Beginner]

After a day of hard training, progress was not slow. Li Xian felt that his muscles had become more toned.

"It's a pity that the Wild Bull Fist is only an incomplete form, otherwise its power would definitely be extremely strong."

“That’s right… During the day, Commander Pang said that martial artists mainly train their moves and strength.”

"The moves are naturally the routines, angles of attack, techniques, and so on of various martial arts."

"Strength... probably refers to internal strength and external strength. External strength can be roughly understood as brute force."

"Internal strength is..."

I felt a warm current flowing through my lower abdomen.

Through the "Raging Bull Fist," Li Xian had cultivated some "internal strength." He vaguely understood the connection between martial arts and internal strength.

Only by reaching a certain level of mastery in martial arts can one develop even a trace of internal strength.

Only through diligent study and practice day after day can one become a master of internal strength.

"Like Commander Pang, splitting bamboo in mid-air... I wonder how much internal energy that would require. And what level of skill has that palm strike reached?"

"Martial arts are hard to find, and there's no way to learn them. But now, I've managed to get a basic understanding."

After finishing his dinner, Li Xian went to the open space of his residence. He then began practicing his "Four Directions Fist" again.

"Fourth brother, this kind of hard training is ineffective."

When Zhao Han returned from his patrol, he saw that Li Xian was still engrossed in his boxing practice, so he couldn't help but speak up to persuade him.

"Learning martial arts is not something that can be accomplished overnight. If you practice for too long, your body will become fatigued and resist. If you continue to practice, your martial arts skills may even regress instead of improve."

"This is why some people are clearly very diligent, but their martial arts skills are only average."

Zhao Han truly regarded Li Xian as one of his own.

These are all based on experience.

But it was completely useless to Li Xian.

[Proficiency +1]

Despite the excruciating pain in his arms, Li Xian persevered and smiled:

"Boss, I'm bored anyway. I might as well get to know them a bit more. It won't hurt."

Zhao Han waved his hand dismissively. "To be honest, you really are a beast."

"That's true. If he weren't a beast of burden, how could he have risen from a menial laborer?"

"But in my opinion, enough martial arts skills are sufficient. We are just servants guarding the house, and we don't need to venture into the martial world."

...

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

After morning training, Li Xian had a lot of questions and immediately went to Luo Tongyun for answers.

Luo Tongyun's smile was as bright as yesterday. "Young Brother Li, you've done an excellent job. These questions are all very valid."

So I answered them one by one.

"Brother Li, demonstrate for me, and I'll teach you how to improve your boxing style."

Luo Tongyun requested.

Li Xian nodded, assumed a boxing stance, and patiently completed a set. He thought to himself that although he had practiced diligently and his progress was not particularly fast, it was at least decent.

Unexpectedly, Luo Tongyun shook his head repeatedly, "Slow! It's too slow. Brother Li, your talent for martial arts is really quite ordinary."

"Really?" Li Xian asked, puzzled. It seemed like that wasn't what they said yesterday.

Just then, another guard came over and said, "I knew it. He only got to be a guard because he got lucky."

This guard, named Qiao Dashou, had met Li Xian once before. When Li Xian was registering, he stopped him and made a lot of boastful remarks, belittling Li Xian and showing off his own superiority.

Afterwards, his face was sore from being slapped that he felt extremely ashamed.

He then began to pay attention to Li Xian and developed a dislike for him.

Li Xianquan ignored it and waited for Luo Tongyun's answer.

"At this rate, you might not be able to get past Commander Pang in fifteen days," Luo Tongyun said with concern.

Li Xian began to have doubts:

"Is this true or false? I didn't slack off yesterday, and my proficiency has been steadily improving. Is it really as bad as he says?"

Luo Tongyun shook his head and sighed, "Very well, very well. I will teach you some tricks, and you can practice them in the future."

"I guarantee you can satisfy Commander Pang."

After saying that, he demonstrated a set of boxing techniques in front of Li Xian.

Li Xian practiced it once.

[Proficiency +0]

The rare level of proficiency is not increasing.

“This method of practicing boxing is wrong. Luo Tongyun has ulterior motives to harm me.” Li Xian scrutinized the other party and understood everything.

Luo Tongyun smiled gently, his face full of concern.

"Brother Li, have you understood it? Practice using this method from now on. If you have any questions, come and ask me again."

"Okay, you can go ahead and get busy."

Li Xian decided not to alert the enemy and instead feigned agreement.

After Luo Tongyun walked away, he immediately switched back to his original boxing style. He practiced punching repeatedly to increase his proficiency and hone his physique.

[Four Directions Fist]

[Proficiency: 187/500 (Beginner)]

...

Four days passed in the blink of an eye.

Morning runs improve physical fitness, and martial arts training strengthens the body.

Since Li Xian joined the guards, she has been well-fed, warmly clothed, and well-nourished.

They've reached the age where they're growing taller, and their height is starting to increase rapidly.

This is the morning training session.

Everyone had already sat down to rest, but Li Xian was the only one who was repeatedly practicing his boxing techniques on the wooden stake.

"That beast, the fourth brother, is still practicing his boxing."

"If you ask me, we should just go through the motions. Even if we train until we die, we'll still just be bodyguards. Why risk our lives?"

"The fourth brother is really ruthless. In my opinion, only Hua Hanying from room number one can match his ruthlessness."

"Hua Hanying? I heard that a few days ago, he killed a petty thief who was stealing wood with a single palm strike. I wonder if it's true or not."

"It's true. One palm strike ripped the man's lungs apart. I heard he won the lady's favor and was rewarded with a set of palm techniques. He's the most likely successor to Commander Pang's position in the future."

...

Zhao Han and the others joked and discussed things with great interest during their free time.

Seeing that Li Xian was practicing martial arts seriously, they didn't disturb him and quietly walked away.

Li Xian ignored it and suddenly threw a punch. In the instant the punch was thrown, the meaning contained in the fist underwent a complete transformation.

He was jolted, and a flash of light appeared before his eyes:

[Four Directions Fist]

[Proficiency: 1/1000 Mastery]

[Description: A perfect blend of strength and gentleness; strength that can shake the eight directions, gentleness that can move heaven and earth. You diligently practice the martial art, achieving mastery while grasping its essence and comprehending the characteristic of "hearing from all directions."]

"With just a little concentration, your hearing will improve dramatically. And you can even use feng shui principles to easily identify your opponent's punching patterns."

Li Xian was both surprised and delighted.

Heaven rewards diligence; as long as you work hard, you will reap the rewards!

"Young Li, it's been a long time. How's your boxing practice going?"

At this moment, Luo Tongyun walked towards him, still with that gentle smile.

(End of this chapter)