Chapter 104: Strengthening the Body and Mind

Old Nine was engrossed in a game when Yagyu and Ren Xiadong suddenly bowed simultaneously beside him. Their unexpected gesture startled Old Nine, who hurriedly took off his headphones, stood up, and steadied them both. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“We want to become your disciples!” they replied in unison.

“Disciples? What’s this all about?” Old Nine asked, a bit flustered.

“We wish to learn martial arts from you. Master Wang, please impart your lifetime’s mastery to us without reservation,” Yagyu said with a mischievous grin.

Old Nine hesitated. “No, I can’t. My grandfather instructed me never to teach our ancestral martial arts to outsiders. Besides, Yagyu, you can already take down five adults on your own. You don’t really need my lessons.”

Seeing Old Nine’s reluctance, Yagyu straightened up and said, “Name your price. Tuition is no problem.”

“Well, since we’re all dorm brothers, forget the old family rules. Talking money only strains relationships. I won’t set a price; you can pay what you like,” Old Nine said with a hearty laugh.

Yagyu and Ren Xiadong exchanged awkward glances, both thinking, “What the hell? Forgetting ancestral rules for money already!”

Yagyu’s physique was extraordinary; he could handle seven or eight adults by himself. Yet he knew the bodyguards Jin brought were no ordinary men—even Hu Yingqi’s lackeys weren’t to be underestimated. No matter how skilled Yagyu was, he couldn’t match mercenary-level guards. Moreover, Hua Yong’s security force was as large as an army. Even with his abilities, Yagyu could only hope to escape. To stand a chance against those guards, he needed to refine his techniques—and Old Nine was an expert in precisely that.

“How about two hundred thousand? For your lifetime’s secrets,” Yagyu offered again.

At the mention of two hundred thousand, Old Nine’s eyes lit up. Clearing his throat, he stood tall and said, “A martial artist should see through worldly desires and not be entangled by fame or fortune. But since we’re brothers, forget the money. The real point is you want to learn, so I’ll teach you. One last question—two hundred thousand, cash or transfer?”

The earlier warmth in Old Nine’s words vanished with that last sentence, leaving Yagyu and Ren Xiadong momentarily stunned. Words of thanks caught in their throats.

After a pause, Yagyu chuckled. “Of course, a transfer. Carrying that much cash would be a burden.”

Neither Yagyu nor Ren Xiadong were stingy. Even if Old Nine refused, they would insist on paying, for they knew they’d need Old Nine and Xiaojia’s help in the future.

When Old Nine received the two hundred thousand, his smile stretched from ear to ear. “Then I’ll teach you as my grandfather taught me—don’t expect leniency! We’ll start every morning at four on the training ground with physical conditioning, classes in the morning, and combat skills and martial forms in the afternoon.”

Physical training was easy for Yagyu. His body had been developed beyond normal limits; across the world, no one had better endurance. With all his systems enhanced, fatigue was a foreign concept to him. Still, having formally become disciples, they had to follow their master’s orders—no money should be wasted.

The next morning at four, Yagyu and Ren Xiadong woke simultaneously, both alert for the important task ahead. They had chosen Old Nine as their master to survive, so they couldn’t afford to slack off.

Looking at Old Nine and Xiaojia still sound asleep, Yagyu shouted, “Master! It’s four o’clock!”

Old Nine slowly opened his eyes at the call.

“Was your grandfather this strict when he taught you?” Ren Xiadong grumbled.

Apologizing as he got up, Old Nine said, “Sorry, today was a slip-up. I’ll do better tomorrow.”

Woken by the commotion, Xiaojia added, “Haven’t you heard? The master leads you to the door, but the practice is up to you.”

Yagyu glanced at Xiaojia and said softly to Old Nine, “Master, how about a deal? Teach three of us for the price of two.”

Old Nine was momentarily puzzled, but Xiaojia immediately protested, “I’m not going through that torment!”

Before she could say more, Yagyu and Ren Xiadong teamed up and pulled her out of bed.

Yagyu’s actions were driven by the perilous road ahead. Old Nine and Xiaojia were the people he hoped to cultivate. Whether they succeeded mattered less than surviving.

On the empty training ground, the four ran laps around the track.

“Faster! Push harder! Break your limits! This builds stamina. When it comes down to it, skill matters, but if two fighters are evenly matched, the winner is the one with the most endurance!” Old Nine coached as they ran.

Yagyu nodded in agreement. “Money well spent. I picked the right master.”

Old Nine, showing no sign of strain despite the long run, commented, “Yagyu, your stamina is impressive.”

“He’s never tired,” gasped Ren Xiadong, catching his breath. Then he added, “Yagyu fights fiercely. You might not even beat him!”

Old Nine stopped and pointed at Yagyu. “Let’s spar. If I lose, I’ll become your disciple.”

Ren Xiadong quickly backpedaled, “I was joking! Don’t take it seriously!”

“Bring it on,” Yagyu said excitedly. He was confident in his fighting skills and superior physique. If it came to a real contest, victory would be his.

Ren Xiadong and Xiaojia sat aside as Yagyu and Old Nine faced off.

“You go first. Three moves,” Old Nine instructed.

Yagyu said nothing, thinking, “If there’s a chance to profit, I’ll take it. Must be crazy, but my head’s clear!”

Yagyu launched a flying kick. Old Nine leaned back just in time to avoid it, then flipped upright with a backflip, turning his back to Yagyu. “Two moves left!”

Yagyu seized the moment to mimic Old Nine’s earlier attack on Yang Yu’s men, leaping into a side kick. Old Nine, without turning his head, glanced sideways and ducked.

Without waiting for a reply, Yagyu threw another flying kick. Old Nine merely sidestepped, easily dodging.

“No more chances!” Old Nine declared, charging at Yagyu. Before Yagyu could react, Old Nine caught him in a scissor leg hold around his neck, slammed him to the ground, and locked his legs tightly.

Yagyu was speechless, quickly tapping the ground to concede.

Xiaojia watched without surprise, aware of Old Nine’s martial arts but unsure of Yagyu’s strength. Ren Xiadong, however, was stunned. He’d fought often with Yagyu and considered himself capable, yet Yagyu was subdued in one move by Old Nine after yielding three moves.

“I told you, when masters spar, endurance decides the outcome. You’re not a master yet; you merely have extraordinary stamina. Train well with me, and you will become a true master of masters,” Old Nine said with a hint of pride.

Yagyu was utterly convinced. “Brother Nine, I’m truly impressed. I’ll follow you faithfully from now on.”

“I’m with you,” Ren Xiadong admitted. Though Old Nine loved money, his skills were undeniable.

After morning lessons ended, they quickly ate lunch. Old Nine then took the three up the mountain to begin teaching combat techniques. To Old Nine’s amazement, no matter how difficult a skill, Yagyu could learn it after a single demonstration, applying it immediately—often better than Old Nine himself.

“Yagyu, you have remarkable talent. At this rate, in less than a month you’ll master my lifetime’s secrets and wield them with ease,” Old Nine said, pleased to have found a prodigy.

“What about me?” Ren Xiadong asked eagerly.

“You’re good too—better than I expected. Actually, I’m just teaching techniques; I can finish in a month. After that, you have to refine them yourselves. Some never grasp the essence in a lifetime. Yagyu’s instantaneous understanding is rare. But Xiaojia worries me—I fear he may never get it,” Old Nine confessed, satisfied with Yagyu and Ren Xiadong but uncertain about Xiaojia.

Training ended that day, and that evening Yagyu took the group for a simple meal before heading with Ren Xiadong to a live-fire shooting club. They signed up for memberships and spent heavily hiring a top-tier private instructor.

“What’s all this for?” Ren Xiadong asked.

“Men and guns—who’s not interested?” Yagyu replied.

Excited, Ren Xiadong responded, “I loved buying toy machine guns as a kid, imagining taking down Japanese soldiers!”

“Focus on training. Eventually, we’ll face Hua Yong’s heirs. Guns will be indispensable. It’s very likely…” Yagyu trailed off.

Ren Xiadong noticed his hesitation. “Likely what?”

“Nothing. Just train hard,” Yagyu said, concealing his fears.

Yagyu looked at Ren Xiadong’s enthusiasm but felt no joy. Worried, he asked, “Are you afraid of dying?”

“Of course. Who isn’t?” Ren Xiadong answered honestly.

Hearing this, Yagyu regretted dragging Ren Xiadong into this deadly struggle. He considered telling him to back out and face the fight alone. But Ren Xiadong spoke again:

“I know you hold back certain truths because you fear I’ll be scared. I’m just bad at studying—not dumb. I understand Hua Yong’s power. By joining this fight, we accept the risk of death. I’m willing to wade into this with you because I believe in you.”

Yagyu was moved to tears. Ren Xiadong continued, “I want to stand at the top of this world, and I believe you’ll help me reach that dream.”

Meeting Ren Xiadong’s steadfast gaze, Yagyu steadied himself. “Alright, we’ll do it. But remember, if danger strikes, run. Don’t worry about me—I’ll be fine.”

“I know. Actually, I think you’re different from others. That muscle guy at the loan company suddenly had a nosebleed—I know it was you. I don’t know how you did it. Sometimes it seems like you can teleport. You must have your reasons for not telling me, and I won’t ask.” Ren Xiadong glanced at the surprised Yagyu. “If it’s dangerous, I’ll run away. Staying would only burden you, Superhuman.”

Yagyu almost cried, thinking, “Stop talking! If you knew about my abilities and time travel, I’d be dead already!”

At that moment, the voice of the River God echoed in Yagyu’s mind: “It’s okay. If others guess, you won’t die. You can even tell them all your powers—just never reveal you’re from another time. And if they leak that secret, then you’re finished.”