Looking at the large "UNFINISHED" text on the System panel, Zhang Beixing felt like he was falling apart.
No. What the hell does 'unfinished' even mean?
He had painstakingly practiced his forms for fifty minutes. He was exhausted, like a dead dog, and this was what he got to see?
"System, how dare you do this to me? Refund!"
He admitted that his execution of the Yue Family practice routine was far from standard; it was incredibly rigid. But this was his first time practicing! Moreover, the difficulty of Yue Family Connected Fists was rated Level B. Just managing to complete the set was already quite an achievement for him.
Does anyone get this? Just because my punches weren't up to standard, this rotten System won't give me any rewards. I'm completely speechless.
Setting aside the facts, I'm a handsome young man who worked so hard. Even if there's no merit, there's hard work, right? I should at least get a consolation prize!
Stuck with such a stinky System, this life is unbearable!
Subconsciously, Zhang Beixing trotted out the kinds of excuses he'd heard countless keyboard warriors use in his previous life. This line of reasoning usually had a devastating effect on men from his country.
But for the System...
It wasn't that it had no effect; it was just utterly useless. After all, the darn thing didn't even possess intelligence. Beyond processing system commands, nothing else Zhang Beixing said, no matter how much he prattled on, could elicit any reaction from it.
Zhang Beixing naturally knew this. But it didn't matter; as long as he felt good, that was enough!
Who decreed that you absolutely had to get a reaction when cursing someone out? Couldn't it be a one-sided tirade?
Don't they understand the art of psychological victory?
「Ten minutes later.」
Having vented his frustrations, Zhang Beixing regained his composure. He sat on the ground, pondering why he hadn't completed the System's suggestion.
Could it be that my posture wasn't accurate enough? Or maybe I practiced it wrong? Zhang Beixing thought both were possible.
After all, he had only tried to imitate the drawings in the *Yue Family Connected Fists* manual. He had learned the forms but not the essence. The older generation always said that martial arts training is about integrating form and spirit. He was clearly missing one component; if he could have mastered it just like that, it would have been truly strange.
Looks like I need to ask Teacher Liu. This *Yue Family Connected Fists* manual was given to me by him; he should know what's wrong with my practice!
Thinking this, Zhang Beixing got up and walked towards the office building.
「A moment later.」
In Teacher Liu's office.
Upon learning the reason for Zhang Beixing's visit, Teacher Liu calmly took a sip of water and said, "Xiao Zhang, you should leave. I cannot possibly teach you Yue Family Connected Fists!"
"Huh? Why?" Zhang Beixing was puzzled.
If Yue Family Connected Fists were some secret, unteachable martial art, that would be one thing. But Teacher Liu had given him the *Yue Family Connected Fists* manual, which clearly indicated the art could be taught to outsiders. Since it could be shared, why couldn't it be taught?
Could it be...
An idea flashed in Zhang Beixing's mind, reminiscent of the disciple-acceptance scenes often found in martial hero movies. Considering the current situation, he figured it must be because he hadn't formally become a disciple yet.
So, he quickly pulled out three cigarettes from his pocket, lit them, knelt on one knee, and held the cigarettes aloft with both hands, declaring loudly to Teacher Liu, "Master, please accept your disciple's bow!"
PFFT!
Seeing Zhang Beixing's gesture, Teacher Liu sprayed out the tea he had just sipped. He wiped his mouth and looked at Zhang Beixing's earnest face, his own lips twitching uncontrollably. Then, he threw the book in his hand and said, annoyed, "You rotten kid, what are you doing? Are you trying to become my disciple or make offerings at my grave?"
"Ah, well... it's just that conditions are limited," Zhang Beixing said, dodging the flying book and scratching his head with a sheepish smile.
His blood pressure was rising! Skyrocketing!
Clutching his chest, Teacher Liu realized that his years of cultivating his composure were almost shattered by Zhang Beixing! If the two weren't somewhat familiar, he would have suspected Zhang Beixing had been sent by someone to cause trouble!
「The office fell silent.」
Teacher Liu was catching his breath, trying to regain his composure. Zhang Beixing, meanwhile, realized he had misspoken, so he immediately clammed up and pretended nothing had happened.
After a full ten minutes, Teacher Liu finally recovered. He looked at Zhang Beixing and didn't bring up the previous incident. Instead, he took a deep breath and asked, "Zhang Beixing, I want to know, why do you want to pursue martial arts training?"
Obviously for the Ability Points! Zhang Beixing thought, but he said righteously, "Naturally, it's to contribute to the Chinese martial arts community! The young people nowadays are truly disappointing. They ignore the martial arts left by our ancestors and insist on learning other things..."
"Stop, stop, stop," Teacher Liu interrupted. "You can skip the fancy words. They might deceive others, but deceiving yourself is going too far. I know you suddenly came to me to learn martial arts for a reason. I'm too lazy to ask about your specific purpose. I just want to ask you one thing: do you know what martial arts are?"
After saying this, Teacher Liu looked at Zhang Beixing, his eyes seemingly able to see through one's heart, making Zhang Beixing feel very uncomfortable.
Zhang Beixing did not speak.
Seeing this, Teacher Liu continued on his own, "Martial arts are killing techniques; that's what they say in novels and movies, right?"
"They aren't wrong. Killing is the very foundation of martial arts!"
"You've read the book, so you should know that Yue Family Connected Fists were Martial Arts created by General Yue Fei to suit warfare."
"Do you know what war is?"
"It's a meat grinder! From the moment you step into it, your life is no longer your own. To survive, apart from observing the ever-changing situation, what you mostly have to do is kill!"
"Thus, every move, every form of Yue Family Connected Fists is aimed at taking lives. It's extremely vicious; once executed, it's bound to draw blood!"
"If this were ancient times, I wouldn't say anything. After all, ancient times were chaotic; without a means of self-preservation, you wouldn't even know how you were killed. But in today's harmonious society, you know these martial arts are for killing, yet you still want to learn them. What are you trying to do?"
"Is your family very influential? Or is your family very wealthy?"
Looking at Zhang Beixing, Teacher Liu posed a soul-searching question. This was also his reason for refusing to teach Zhang Beixing!
If it had been seven or eight years ago, had Zhang Beixing merely asked, he would have agreed without a second thought. But now... all he could say was that the past was too painful to revisit.
At the same time, Teacher Liu truly hadn't expected this kid, Zhang Beixing, to be so... stubborn!
As a genuine martial arts secret manual, *Yue Family Connected Fists* isn't like novels, filled with entertaining qualities that make you want to read it a second time after the first. *Yue Family Connected Fists* is tedious. Throughout the manual, all its content teaches is how to perform movements and how to fight. Not to mention it's also damaged, making reading it require twice the effort for half the result!
Teacher Liu had assumed Zhang Beixing would look at it, lose interest, and casually toss the manual aside. He never expected that Zhang Beixing not only didn't discard it but actually practiced from it and discovered the manual was authentic.
Simply preposterous!
Aren't university students supposed to be the most impatient creatures? So, kid, your genes mutated, huh?