Early in the morning, the Sun family was having breakfast. After breakfast, Sun Zhengguo was going to take his younger siblings back to their hometown for a visit, while his parents would not be going this time.
Since learning boxing from Lin Hong, Sun Zhengguo has not only insisted on practicing martial arts every day, but also goes to the countryside every year during his two holidays to have Lin Hong guide him on the incorrect aspects of his techniques.
In Lin Hong's words, practicing martial arts requires not only aptitude but also guidance from a master, and finally, medicinal baths. All three are indispensable; otherwise, you might ruin your skills without even knowing how.
Recently, Sun Zhengguo has clearly felt a powerful force of qi and blood lurking in his body, as if it could tear his body apart. Therefore, he dares not practice anymore, for fear of causing problems. If he accidentally breaks his qi, he will have nowhere to cry.
Before leaving, Lin Wencui helped the children pack their clothes while repeatedly reminding Lin Zhengguo to take good care of his younger siblings and not to go to dangerous places to play, and so on.
"I know, Mom, you've told me so many times, it's not like it's the first time."
"You little brat, you've grown too big for your britches, huh? You think I can't control you anymore?"
Lin Wencui said, feigning anger.
"I can manage it, I can manage it, I promise I'll do it, okay!"
Sun Zhengguo raised his hands above his head, repeatedly indicating that he was wrong and that he had to admit defeat when necessary.
His comical appearance made the group very happy.
After everything was packed up, Sun Dajiang pushed his bicycle, with Lin Wencui and the three siblings following behind. They arrived at the station, and after seeing the three siblings off on the bus, Sun Dajiang took Lin Wencui and rode towards the steel mill.
Around 10 a.m., Sun Zhengguo and his two siblings arrived at their destination, their grandfather's house in Dongxiang Village.
Grandpa's family was all home today. They were very happy to see the three siblings. The two cousins, Zhengdong and Zhengnan, were the happiest. After putting down their gifts, they went to Grandpa's house, presented their gifts there, and chatted with Lin Hong.
Lin Hong inquired about the recent situation, and Sun Zhengguo answered one by one. When asked about his recent martial arts training, Sun Zhengguo also answered truthfully.
Lin Hong listened and smiled without saying a word, leaving Sun Zhengguo completely baffled.
"No, Grandpa, why are you just laughing?"
"Ha ha".
"Silly boy, you don't know how lucky you are! Congratulations, you're about to break through. I really envy you. With such good aptitude, you might actually break through to the Dark Force realm one day."
Sun Zhengguo was pleasantly surprised to hear Lin Hong's answer; his daily martial arts practice had finally paid off.
"No rush, no rush. Get ready and come with me this afternoon. We're still missing a few medicinal herbs. I'll prepare a prescription for you tomorrow to soak in, and that should be enough."
In the afternoon, the grandfather and grandson carried bamboo baskets and hurried to the back mountain. In less than an hour, they had gathered the medicinal herbs they needed. Seeing that it was still early, they set up a few traps and then went down the mountain to go home.
The next morning, Lin Hong and Sun Zhengguo were selecting medicinal herbs, Lin Wenjun went to the brigade warehouse to find a large wooden barrel, which was used by the brigade to slaughter pigs, and his aunt was boiling water. The whole family was busy.
After finishing everything, Lin Hong took out a piece of red cloth from the house. When he opened the cloth, he saw a shriveled ginseng wrapped inside, which looked like it had been hidden for many years.
"Grandpa, this is ginseng."
Sun Zhengguo asked.
“This ginseng is 50 years old and can be used as a medicinal ingredient. It was originally prepared for your uncle, but he can’t use it. If you can break through to the internal strength level, you need ginseng that is over 100 years old. You’ll have to find it yourself.”
Hearing Lin Hong speak so casually, Sun Zhengguo knew that this ginseng must be very valuable, and Lin Hong gave it to him without the slightest hesitation.
Sun Zhengguo's eyes welled up with tears, and he made a decision in his heart that he would definitely repay his maternal grandfather's family in the future.
After adding ginseng, the medicine was finally ready. All the liquid was poured into a large wooden tub, and after adjusting the water temperature, the medicinal bath could begin.
"Take off your clothes and go inside. Assume the Qiankun stance. Remember the key points for breaking through that I told you. After you break through, wait a while before coming out. Keep watch outside until the effects of the medicine wear off."
Upon hearing Lin Hong's instructions, Sun Zhengguo quickly took off his clothes and pants, leaving only his underwear, entered the wooden tub, and stood up in the Qiankun stance.
As the medicine slowly seeped into his skin, powerful streams of blood energy circulated throughout his body, cleansing his flesh. Sun Zhengguo's entire body was now flushed red.
After an unknown amount of time, Sun Zhengguo let out a muffled roar. It was as if a shackle had been broken within his body, leaving him feeling refreshed and possessing inexhaustible energy, as if he could kill a wild boar with a single punch. Of course, this was merely an illusion arising from Sun Zhengguo's recent breakthrough.
Sun Zhengguo stopped when the medicine in the tub had lost its effect. He jumped out of the tub, washed himself again with clean water, got dressed, and ended his training session.
When the door opened, Lin Hong was still waiting outside. Seeing his grandson come out, Lin Hong finally felt relieved.
"Grandpa, I succeeded! I've entered the Ming Jin stage."
Sun Zhengguo said with a smile.
"Hmm, not bad. Let's practice a round of boxing first and experience this new level."
“Okay, Grandpa, I was just about to try it too.”
After saying that, he began to practice Tongbei Quan (a style of Chinese martial arts). Each move was elegant and graceful, and each punch carried the sound of wind, yet was powerful and forceful.
Before long, he had practiced all 108 forms of boxing.
"Alright, that's all for today. You've just broken through, so it's not advisable to practice too much. But yesterday's trap yielded good results, so I'll give you some to replenish your energy."
After dinner, Sun Zhengguo chatted with Lin Hong for a long time until he had thoroughly exhausted Lin Hong's knowledge, at which point Lin Hong finally sent him off to bed.
A week passed in the blink of an eye. After sparring with Lin Hong, Sun Zhengguo had become familiar with the application of force. Now, he estimated that he could easily defeat three or five idiots.
After the boxing technique reached the level of Ming Jin, the rest was all about gradual refinement. Lin Hong then taught new techniques, such as the Eight Steps and Thirteen Knives and the Twelve Linked Pole Method.
In Lin Hong's words, it doesn't matter if we don't use it, but the tradition must not be broken.
A month later, Sun Zhengguo's knife skills had become quite impressive, and he had also mastered the pole techniques. Lin Hong then stopped teaching him and let Sun Zhengguo practice on his own.
Time flies. With only a few days left before the start of the new semester, Sun Zhengguo packed his things, said goodbye to his grandparents and maternal grandparents, and then boarded the bus back to the city with his younger siblings.
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