"Hahaha, it's been a long time since I've felt this happy. Ah Hu, I'm telling you, as long as you're alive, you have to find a way to make money. When you've got money, a car, and a house, no one will say anything about you.
On the contrary, if you're honest but without a car, a house, or money, people will talk behind your back and criticize you."
Ye Yuanpei, with his drunken, bleary eyes, was smoking a cigarette, laughing loudly while being supported by Lin Haitao on the roadside.
Tonight he had indeed drunk quite a lot, enough baijiu—1.4 pounds—to be lethal enough to make Wang Longhu black out then and there.
"Hu, do you have anything going on tomorrow? Want to join us for lunch in the city center, at a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant, to change things up a bit?" Lin Haitao asked.
"Nah, I don't think I'll be able to get up, and going to the city center is pretty far," Wang Longhu politely declined, having overslept in the afternoon and then drank in the evening.
He'd already wasted a lot of time today and couldn't afford to be delayed further by spending a whole day happily in the city center tomorrow.
At the end of the road, a green-plated electric car hurriedly approached; it was Ye Yuanpei's designated ride.
The three had drunk quite a bit tonight. Even though Wang Longhu could use his refined spirit to dispel the effects of alcohol, he didn't dare drive under the influence of alcohol. Taking a taxi was the safest option.
Watching Ye Yuanpei and Lin Haitao get into the car, Wang Longhu turned to leave.
Seeing this, Lin Haitao quickly rolled down the window and asked, "Hu, where are you going? Get in the car and let's go home together."
"You guys go ahead; my stomach feels quite full. I'll walk a bit, and it'll help me sober up too," Wang Longhu said, waving his hand.
"Alright then, be careful on your way," Lin Haitao hesitated a bit before retreating into the car, not insisting further.
They're all adults, with their own decisions, no need to nagingly persuade.
Watching the electric car swiftly disappear from his sight, Wang Longhu looked around. It was already 1:21 am, and the road had long been deserted.
In Dong County, there's no nightlife. If you go home at 11 pm, in the eyes of your parents, it's already considered staying out too late, not coming home for the night.
With a light chuckle, Wang Longhu started practicing the Xingyi Beng Fist, following the posture Master Chen taught him in the morning, moving step by step along the sidewalk.
Initially, Wang Longhu thought he could achieve refined spirit transformation only by relying on the Santi stance, but he accidentally discovered at the dinner table that he now had the instinct to move his spine joints even when sitting.
This is undoubtedly a great improvement, meaning Wang Longhu's speed of refining spirit into energy would become faster.
Master Chen said that the qi produced by refining spirit into energy, if stored and accumulated in the human body, helps greatly in increasing strength and physique.
It's akin to working out, but without the consumption of muscle training, which is the essence of Internal Boxing.
Today's hometown reunion with old friends made Wang Longhu extremely happy, even his thoughts becoming much more open and smooth. Step by step along the sidewalk, Wang Longhu swiftly punched and retracted his fists.
Initially, he was just practicing Beng Fist form, but as Wang Longhu punched, he unconsciously moved his spine, goosebumps appearing, pore muscles tightening to lock all heat inside without leaking a bit.
Gradually, the qi accumulating in his body became more and more abundant, wandering throughout his body, giving Wang Longhu the illusion of countless little mice scurrying around inside.
Feeling this state wasn't quite right, Wang Longhu quickly stopped, instinctively recalling the closing movement he saw when he first met Master Chen, pressing down from head to crotch with hands raised high and feet straight.
Imitating that, Wang Longhu was surprised to find that the qi seemingly got instructed, most of it pressed down, gathering at the Guanyuan Acupoint three inches below the navel.
A small part rushed upward, entering his brain, while some flowed into his arms and legs. As Wang Longhu stepped forward and punched, a 'whizz' sound could be heard in the air.
Though the sound was small, on the silent street, Wang Longhu still heard it clearly.
[Name: Wang Longhu]
[Strength: 1.03 (+)]
[Physique: 1.05 (+)]
[Spirit: 0.89 (+)]
[Skills: Basic Fitness Lv2 (11/200), Santi Stance Lv2 (0/200), Xingyi Fist (Beng Fist) Lv1 (10/100)]
[Potential Points: 0.05]
"I gained so much in attributes!" Wang Longhu retracted his fists, looking at the panel with disbelief.
His physique was only 1.01 in the morning, but now it's 1.05, and his strength and spirit improved too.
These changes happened after saying goodbye to Ye Yuanpei and the others; that means it's all thanks to Beng Fist.
"Master Chen really was right; practicing this fist grows spirit, strengthens tendons and bones, and bolsters mental power. It helps me immensely. Next time I see him, I must ask where he lives, so I can thank him with some fruits and milk." Wang Longhu laughed.
Adding all his potential points to physique without a second thought, Wang Longhu continued practicing Beng Fist, not planning to stop until he reached home.
...
"Hey, hey, slow down."
"Are you okay? If you can't drink, sit at the kids' table next time. There's not a single taxi on the street now, how are we gonna hit the next spot."
"Stop yelling and check if there are any shared bikes nearby. If not, we'll just bike over; this shouldn't count as drunk driving."
"I'd be impressed if there were traffic police out checking for drunk driving at 1:30."
In the quiet of the night, three tipsy young men sat on the roadside curb, grumbling while staring at their phones.
Suddenly, one of them, flushed and dizzy from drinking, rubbed his eyes, staring in disbelief at the crossroads a few hundred meters away.
"Hey, hey, you guys look over there, is there someone standing there? What's he doing?"
The other two turned to see, and saw at the distant crossroads a shadow indistinctly moving with small steps, legs squatting intermittently, crossing the zebra crossing.
He endlessly swung his fists left and right, peculiarly quiet yet with a hint of eeriness in his movements.
"Holy crap, did we just stumble upon a ghost?"
"Don't say stuff like that, quieter! I heard Dong County has some nutcases who like wandering the streets at night, kicking trash cans and relieving themselves; they might even chase you down to fight. I bet that's what we ran into, so don't attract him over!"
"Crap, what do we do? My legs are weak, I can't run."
"Crawl, we'll crawl behind that trash can over there to hide, that should do it."
When drunk, one's actions are usually outrageous.
One suggested a plan, and the other two felt it made sense. So, the three of them lay flat on the sidewalk, mimicking lizards, crawling forward toward the road trash cans a few meters away.
"Huh?" Crossing the road, Wang Longhu noticed the three figures wriggling on the ground a few hundred meters away and suddenly felt a bit creeped out.
Late night—could it be a city urban legend encounter?
In an instant, Wang Longhu couldn't bother with punching practice anymore and hurriedly sprinted away.