Chapter 10 Yuan Ci's New Demands

"You brat, remember to bring it to me on the morning of August 15th, don't be late!"

After a good meal together, as they parted, the old man still held Wang Anfeng by the ear and lectured him for a long while before letting him go. Watching the young man's figure gradually disappearing, the old man tilted his head back and took a swig of liquor, sighing softly with a trace of desolation on his face. After a moment, he shook his head and sighed,

"Let it be, let it be, grandchildren will have their own fortune. The brat hasn't been practicing martial arts for long, and this time, he's bound to face a tough defeat... I should prepare some words of comfort for him. It's a pity that my own cultivation of Inner Strength is not enough to even get through the entry level, otherwise..." Amidst his murmuring, leaves fell, yet before they could even get close to him, they silently turned to powder. Around his aging body, there was a fleeting twist of purple lightning, like a dragon, which disappeared in a flash.

Meanwhile, Wang Anfeng returned to his room and, as usual, engaged in three hours of Inner Strength cultivation until the sky had completely darkened before slowly ending his practice. Feeling the Inner Strength gradually filling his body, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. He flipped over, devoured his meal, then sat on the bed, playing with the letter in his right hand, pondering how to get to the county city. After all, his last visit was two to three years ago; although he roughly remembered the direction, the image of the bustling city, akin to a heavenly palace, had become quite vague.

The daily cultivation was quite draining. As he thought about it, Wang Anfeng simply leaned back on the bed and fell asleep, only waking up the next day when the sky was slightly bright. After washing up, he went to Shaolin Temple. Under the supervision of Master Ci, he repeatedly performed the highly skilled Shaolin Fist technique he knew well.

Master Ci nodded in satisfaction. Wang Anfeng finished his routine, not knowing if it was because the land of Shaolin Temple was better, but even the trees on the mountain were much harder than those on Great Liang Mount. Just now, after hitting a tree, his knuckles were already bruised. He casually sat cross-legged on a stone, skillfully applying medicine and bandages to himself.

Over these hundred days, he first spent five hours on fist techniques at Shaolin Temple and then another five hours of cultivation back in the material world, supplemented by Elixirs. His Inner Qi was full, already not inferior to the usual one or two years of Inner Strength and fist technique cultivation. With a clear mind, he could strike trees solely with his fists without needing an axe. In Master Ci's view, he was already qualified to proceed to the next step of his cultivation.

Just then, as Wang Anfeng carefully spread the medicine, feeling the coolness suppress the pain, he took a comfortable deep breath. Suddenly, he remembered something, flipped over, first bowed to Master Ci with one hand, and then said with a bit of embarrassment, "Master, I might not be able to come for cultivation for a day or two recently, I promised to deliver a letter for Uncle Li."

Master Ci shook his head slightly and calmly said, "No matter, just be sure not to miss your daily Inner Strength practice..." before he could finish his sentence, he seemed to remember something. Watching Wang Anfeng, who was turning around to continue his martial arts training, he asked slowly, "Delivering a letter... how far is it?"

"How far?"

Wang Anfeng paused his movements, thought for a moment, and replied, "About... several hundred miles, I suppose. I'll go to the nearest county city and take a horse-drawn carriage. It should only take a day, so it shouldn't affect much..." While speaking, he turned his body, Inner Qi flowing, and a very tricky Reverse Elbow Break hit the tree. With force, he leaped up, delivering a Central Plai Fist technique, when Master Ci's calm voice sounded in his ear.

"Several hundred miles? That's fine, that's fine, then you should run there..."

Barely had his Inner Strength risen, his master's words almost made his heart tremble, his fist missed, emitting a dull sound of the empty air, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, he turned to look at his master's serene and earnest face, devoid of any jest, and he incredulously responded,

"Run... run there?!"

Master Ci nodded and said with a smile:

"Indeed, you have completely mastered `Yi Chan Gong`, and it is time I taught you the Light Body Technique. Although my Shaolin Vigorous Step Technique does not excel in nimble movements during combat, it possesses unique stamina for enduring long distances. Moreover, during a vigorous marathon, the circulation of Inner Strength and the boiling of blood and Qi significantly benefit cultivation."

"Come with me, and I will teach you the vital breathing methods and the pathway of Inner Strength circulation of the Vigorous Step Technique."

An hour later, Wang Anfeng was drenched in sweat. His Inner Qi grew increasingly vigorous, though his muscles ached intolerably. However, the crucial methods of the Vigorous Step Technique were securely memorized. Just as he was massaging his sore muscles, Yuan Ci pulled out a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to him, saying, "Take this."

The youth hesitated momentarily, then took it and unrolled it to reveal a line of words elegantly written. Slightly astonished, he instinctively read aloud, "Shaolin Temple disciple task: Sprint a thousand li, activating the Vigorous Step Technique all the way; task reward, a refined Zen Heart Protective Fist."

"...Master, what is this?"

Yuan Ci's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "As you see, if you can complete the cultivation task I give you, I will pass on to you the Protective Fist I first used years ago. Although it is not a famed weapon from Jianghu, it is quite sturdy, edged, and capable of protecting your hands as well as wounding the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Wang Anfeng's eyes lit up slightly. He carefully stashed the scroll away and excitedly asked, "Master, has our Shaolin always had such traditions... Will there be more of these in the future?"

Yuan Ci paused momentarily, a flicker of digital flow in his eyes, and after a moment sighed somewhat melancholily:

"In the past... it was not like this; it wasn't so complicated."

"But now we have no choice but to assign you these tasks... As for the future, of course, there will be more. Don't think too much about it, go now; first go practice your fist technique. It's a pity that your cultivation is too low, otherwise, I could spar with you to feed you moves."

"Yes, Master!"

Although Wang Anfeng was mature for his age, he was still a youth. At this moment, as it seemed his master was about to reward him with a gift, his heart leaped with joy, and even the task of sprinting a thousand li seemed filled with anticipation. Happily, he responded, turned around, and assumed a fighting stance. He focused, let out a sharp yell, and struck with a fist technique. Although it was only a beginner's technique, he executed it with utmost seriousness. Though there were many deficiencies in the finer aspects, it already displayed a dignified and reputable aura.

On returning that day, Wang Anfeng did not go up the mountain to chop wood, inadvertently saving the carpenters a trip. Instead, he stoked the stove at home, prepared a lot of dried food, wrapped it in a blue cloth, and slung it on his back. With a flask hanging at his waist, he first visited the innkeeper to inquire if there was anything needed to be delivered, then exchanged some pork and food at the Li's compound. After shouting a greeting, he hoisted the bundle and, taking advantage of the early sun, set out from the village in high spirits.

"Cultivation, rewards!"