Republic of China era: Actor? Please call me Martial Arts Master!

Chapter 57 The Dilemma of Balancing Strength and Gentleness, and Learning Without a Teacher

Night had fallen, and the hustle and bustle of Qianmen Street had receded like the tide, leaving only the sound of the night watchman's clapper echoing in the empty alleyways.

"The weather is dry, so be careful with fire!"

In the backyard of the Lu residence, the lights in the main house were still on.

Lu Cheng sat cross-legged on the daybed, his eyes slightly closed.

The golden lettering, visible only to him, had just faded away when a warm current, as deep and powerful as the Yangtze River, followed.

[Reward Received: Hidden Strength Infusion (Ten Years of Refined Internal Energy)!]

This power was not as fierce and domineering as the previous [Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound], which made bones crack.

It was moist, like spring rain, like mercury, silently seeping into every pore and every tiny blood vessel of Lu Cheng.

"call……"

Lu Cheng let out a long breath.

The breath that came out was not as straight as an arrow as usual, but rather as gentle as a wisp of white mist, slowly sinking and gathering without dissipating.

He slowly raised his hand and looked at his palm.

A thought crossed my mind.

On the originally smooth skin, the fine hairs suddenly stood on end, like a startled cat.

Another thought.

The body hairs instantly and obediently clung to the skin, the pores closed tightly, like fine silk, locking even a trace of heat inside.

"That's... done?"

Lu Cheng's eyes gleamed with golden light, somewhat incredulous.

He tried punching the void.

There was no sound of wind.

There was no crisp "snap" sound either.

The punch was weak and feeble, like an old woman who hadn't eaten enough waving her hand.

But in that instant when the fist paused...

"puff!"

A meter away, the flame inside the kerosene lamp covered with a glass shade was instantly extinguished as if squeezed hard by an invisible hand.

The glass cover remained completely still, without even a crack.

But that's the most terrifying part.

It strikes through mountains, penetrating to the bone!

"Is this what they call hidden strength?"

Lu Cheng withdrew his hand, but his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

He felt very strange.

very strange.

In the past, when practicing Ming Jin (manifest strength), it was all about hardness, rigidity, and straightforwardness. The body was like a fully drawn bow, and once the force was released, it was unstoppable.

But now, after ten years of internal energy cultivation, he feels a new kind of "soft" energy within his body.

This soft force, mixed with the original fierce force, is like cold water poured into a pot of boiling oil—it doesn't fry, but rather coexists in an extremely delicate balance.

When he tries to unleash a forceful attack, a soft force creeps in, making the force sticky; when he tries to unleash a gentle force, the force bursts out, making the movement stiff.

"That's the downside of not having a master to guide you through the door."

Lu Cheng gave a wry smile, got off the bed, and stepped onto the thick carpet.

He's a "wild fox Zen" (a term used to describe someone who practices unorthodox or unorthodox methods

His kung fu skills were entirely due to the system's rewards and his own trial and error.

He knew how to practice Ming Jin (a type of internal strength).

But what exactly is the path between overt and covert strength? How can hardness and softness be combined? How can yin and yang be harmonized?

He was completely in the dark.

It's like a beggar who suddenly inherits a fortune, holding a golden bowl in his hands, but not knowing how to spend it, or even which way the bank's door faces.

"Looks like I'll have to ask someone knowledgeable."

Lu Cheng walked to the window and opened it.

A cold wind blew in, making his clothes flutter loudly.

His current level of understanding is "knowing what it is, but not why it is".

He possessed terrifying internal strength, but didn't know how to use it.

This is like holding a peerless sword but only using it as a fire poker.

If they encounter an ordinary martial arts expert, they can still crush them by using their strength to achieve a miracle.

But what if you encounter a true master who is knowledgeable and has been guided by a renowned teacher...

Lu Cheng narrowed his eyes.

"The martial arts world in Beiping is a deep and murky place."

Thinking this, his gaze fell on a brocade box beside him.

That's another item the system rewarded me with earlier... [Marrow Cleansing Pill].

Three.

The pills were dark in color, yet they emitted a pleasant fragrance that made people feel comfortable all over.

"When one attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

A smile appeared on Lu Cheng's lips.

"This good stuff is just icing on the cake for me. But giving it to those wolf cubs..."

"That's a complete transformation!"

……

At the same time, in the South City, at the Iron Fist Gym.

The Iron Fist Gym may not have a large storefront, but in this southern part of the city, it's a well-known name.

The master of the school, "Iron Hand Li" Third Master Li, is a legitimate successor of the Xingyi School. In his early years, he worked as a镖局 (escort agency) and later opened this martial arts school, where he taught many good disciples.

But right now, the atmosphere in the back room of the Iron Fist Gym was so oppressive it felt like a murder was about to happen.

"Snapped!"

Third Master Li was holding a purple clay teapot when he smashed it to the ground, shattering it into pieces.

"You bastard! You beast! You idiot!"

Master Li was so angry that he trembled all over. He pointed at a square-faced young man kneeling on the ground and spat in his face.

This square-faced youth was none other than Ma San, the leader of the outer sect disciples who had provoked Lu Cheng at Ruifuxiang that day and later led people to cause trouble at the venue.

Ma San was no longer as arrogant as before. His face was swollen like a pig's head, from being beaten by Lu Cheng before, and also from being beaten by his master after returning. He knelt there trembling.

"Master... Master... I just led some people to teach a fellow opera singer a lesson..."

"A Peking Opera performer?!"

Master Li kicked Ma San, sending him sprawling.

"You were fucking courting death! You almost dragged our entire Iron Fist Gym down with you!"

Uncle Li paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, the soles of his cloth shoes making a sizzling sound as they rubbed against the floor.

Do you know who that is?

"That's Lu Cheng! Grandmaster Lu!"

"Just now, President Liu of the Simin Martial Arts Club sent someone to ask me what exactly is going on."

Li Sanye stopped in his tracks, his voice trembling, a fear that seemed to seep into his very bones.

"In the battle at Guanghe Tower, Lu Cheng dodged the bullets from the Mirror Box within five steps!"

"Dodge the bullets!!"

"My goodness..."

Upon hearing this, the disciples standing nearby felt their legs go weak, and they looked at each other, their faces as white as paper.

They were martial artists, so they naturally knew what this meant.

"Master..."

A burly young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes stepped out.

His name is Zhao Shanhe. He is the senior disciple of the Iron Fist Gym and also Li Sanye's most prized disciple. He is the "extremely talented" elder brother that Ma San mentioned.

Zhao Shanhe was also horrified at this moment, swallowed hard, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Dodge bullets... what level of skill does that require?"

"I've never seen it either."

Master Li plopped down in the armchair, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

"When we practice Xingyi, we emphasize the concepts of Ming Jin (manifested strength), An Jin (hidden strength), and Hua Jin (neutralizing strength)."

"I've practiced my whole life, and all I've achieved is mastery of internal strength. I can produce a crisp sound and close my pores, that's the best I can do."

"To dodge bullets..."

Li Sanye's eyes were vacant as he muttered to himself.

"That must be like 'the cicada sensing the autumn wind before it even blows,' it's the 'way of utmost sincerity,' it allows one to foresee the future!"

"That's a Grandmaster of Internal Energy! Even... a divine being who has reached the Core Formation stage!"

"How old is Lu Cheng? In his early twenties, right?"

"A twenty-year-old Grandmaster of Internal Energy..."

Li Sanye shivered.

Such a person, let alone his small Iron Fist Gym, even the former leader of the Boxer Rebellion or the current leader of the martial arts world would have to respectfully address him as "Master".

The results of it?

His foolish apprentices actually dared to wreck someone else's place.

Are you going to cripple them?

This is like a group of ants trying to poke an elephant's butt with toothpicks.

This is a disaster that could wipe out the entire family!

"Master, what...what should we do?" Ma San finally understood and was so frightened that his crotch was wet. "He...he won't come to our door to kill us, will he?"

"They're doing you a favor by coming to your door!"

Third Master Li glared at him, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness..."

"I've heard that although Master Lu is ruthless, he also follows the rules."

"Since he only beat you up that day at the martial arts arena and didn't kill you, it means this grudge isn't dead yet."

Master Li stood up, his eyes hardening.

"Mountains and Rivers".

"Here!" Zhao Shanhe stepped forward.

"Go and bring out that century-old ginseng from the storeroom. And my treasured pair of jade galls."

"Master, that's what you kept to save your life..."

"If you're about to lose your life, what's the point of keeping it?"

Master Li cursed and then straightened his clothes.

"Prepare the carriage—no, prepare the sedan chair! A sedan chair carried by eight men!"

"When writing a visiting card, the wording should be humble and sincere!"

"Tomorrow morning, I will personally take this wretched child to the Lu residence... to plead guilty!"