“Please come in, Grandpa, why are you being so polite with me?” Qin Yu, with a sincere smile on his face, quickly got up from the bed, walked swiftly to the door, and pulled it open.
Looking at the sensible Qin Yu in front of him, the heavy worry in Qin Ming’s heart finally lessened a bit, and he slowly let out a breath. Although his grandson had amnesia and didn’t remember many things, his affectionate attitude towards him was still as before, which greatly comforted him. People often say that the love between generations is special, and it seems this saying is not without basis. From a young age, Qin Yu was exceptionally close to Qin Ming, whereas his relationship with his father, Qin Hao, was cold, and the two often had conflicts.
Qin Ming affectionately patted his grandson’s shoulder and said earnestly, “Xiao Yu, although you have amnesia now and have forgotten many things, you must remember that Grandpa will always be your closest person. Grandpa’s greatest wish is for you to recover soon and regain your old memories. As for the matters between you and your father, Grandpa understands that the fault is not yours. However, kinship and blood ties are always hard to sever, and Grandpa hopes you can try to forgive him.” At this point, Qin Ming paused, then continued, “I’ve already handled your discharge procedures. Pack up, and we’ll prepare to go home.”
Qin Yu quietly looked at the kind old man in front of him, his heart a mix of emotions. Family ties and blood relations, whether in his previous life or this one, were indeed an inseparable part for people in traditional Eastern countries like Great Xia. Even ancient emperors in high positions found it difficult to be absolutely detached, heartless, and emotionless. Qin Yu's transformation from initial silence to finally nodding in agreement brought Qin Ming great comfort, making him feel that his years of guidance for his grandson had not been in vain.
That evening, the housekeeper Zhang Li meticulously prepared a sumptuous dinner to celebrate the young master's safe return from the hospital. Qin Ming, who usually never touched alcohol, was in high spirits at the dinner table and even pulled the driver Li Hong to share a drink. (In ordinary households, housekeepers and drivers rarely eat at the same table as the main family, but Qin does not have so many formalities. Moreover, Zhang Li and Li Hong have served Qin for more than ten years, and they have long been as close as family.)
Deep in the night, with everything silent, Qin Yu looked out the window at the twinkling stars, his thoughts drifting uncontrollably. In his previous life, he was an orphan, never having felt the warmth of family, always living a lonely life. But after transmigrating and being reborn, everything that had happened in these past few days made his long-cold and hardened heart seem to gradually show signs of melting.
Home, truly a magical and warm place, perhaps just as those widely circulated inspirational quotes say: Home is a warm harbor, no matter how big the storms outside, it can always shelter you; Home is the resting place for the soul, when you are exhausted on the journey of life, it can give you endless solace; Home is the emotional sanctuary, carrying countless joys and sorrows, allowing you to feel the most sincere love. Home can melt the ice and frost in your heart, filling your inner world with sunshine again; Home can shield you from the storms of life, giving you the courage and strength to move forward; Home is also the foundation of a harmonious society, with each warm family collectively building a beautiful world.
Sigh, never mind. Since I’m here, I’ll make the best of it. Since I’ve already taken the place of the original body, I must bear the obligations he should have fulfilled and cherish everything that has come so hard.
Early the next morning, due to his habit of waking up early from his previous life, Qin Yu got out of bed early. After washing up, he walked out of his room full of energy. Qin Yu's room was on the second floor, with excellent lighting conditions, and it also had a delicate small balcony outside.
He arrived at the ground floor hall and saw Aunt Zhang still busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen, so he walked straight towards the garden. Just now on the balcony, he had seen Li Hong intently practicing martial arts in the small garden. In his previous life, he had only heard of the widespread fame of Eight Extremities Fist but had never witnessed it firsthand. Today, he definitely had to open his eyes and see it properly.
Li Hong, fully immersed in his practice, did not stop his movements because of Qin Yu’s arrival. Qin Yu was also tactful and did not interrupt, instead standing quietly to the side, watching intently. Li Hong’s movements were agile, each strike powerful and swift, demonstrating the unique charm of Eight Extremities Fist. It wasn’t until Li Hong finished his practice that Qin Yu walked forward with a smile, handing him the towel he had prepared earlier, and praised, “Uncle Hong, your martial arts are truly impressive! I’ve long heard from Grandpa that your skills are extraordinary, and that three to five military strongmen are no match for you. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation!”
As the saying goes, everyone likes to be flattered, and Li Hong was no exception. He took the towel Qin Yu handed him with both hands, a smile spreading across his face, and said humbly, “Young master, you flatter me too much. My skills are just barely enough to make a living. It’s also thanks to Great Xia’s strict gun control; otherwise, these martial arts would be useless in the face of real weapons.” This was indeed an undeniable fact. In his previous life, Qin Yu often heard similar sayings: no matter how skilled in martial arts, one fears bullets, and a single shot can render a person helpless.
However, Qin Yu knew in his heart that he lived in the capital, a crucial area. Although his location was considered a rural village, it was essentially at the emperor’s feet. Here, no one dared to use firearms privately except for the Police and the military. Because once a firearm issue was involved, even high-ranking government officials would certainly face severe punishment and be in deep trouble. (This is similar to ancient times, where neither princes and nobles nor private armies of aristocratic families dared to openly wear armor or carry bows and crossbows on the streets, all out of fear of the law’s majesty.)
After eighteen years of tempering in his previous life, Qin Yu deeply understood one principle: there is a world of difference between having the ability but not doing something, and not having the ability to do it. Having been reborn with such difficulty, he secretly swore that he would absolutely not entrust his life and well-being to others. In this life, no matter what, he had to ensure he possessed sufficient capability. He could outwardly pretend to be muddled and act like a profligate son who indulged in pleasure, but he absolutely could not become a true good-for-nothing.
Qin Yu's first step was to improve himself through martial arts. After all, the body is the capital for revolution; no matter what one does, having a strong body is the most fundamental basis.
At the dinner table, in front of the whole family, Qin Yu mustered his courage and earnestly proposed to Grandpa his idea of becoming Li Hong's disciple to learn martial arts. Qin Ming did not object to his grandson's suggestion of learning martial arts to strengthen his body and protect himself. He slightly turned his head, his eyes questioning as he looked at Li Hong.
Li Hong keenly sensed the old master’s gaze and was at a loss for a moment, unsure what to do. Seeing Li Hong’s reaction, Qin Ming felt a bit puzzled and said, “Xiao Li, you’ve been with my family for sixteen years now, haven’t you? Let’s not beat around the bush. If there’s any problem, just say it directly. I won’t force you to make any decisions.”
Upon hearing the old master’s sincere words, Li Hong knew he could no longer hide it and could only speak the truth: “Old master, it’s not that I’m unwilling to teach the young master martial arts; it’s just that there are some unspeakable difficulties. Since you don’t treat me as an outsider, I won’t hide it from you anymore.”
It turned out that Li Hong’s family’s inherited cultivation method was not Eight Extremities Fist, but an external cultivation method called “Easily Strengthening the Body.” This method did not require high comprehension from the practitioner, but it had two special requirements. First, the practitioner must be able to endure hardship, because the entire cultivation process was extremely arduous, even somewhat anti-human; second, cultivation required a large amount of financial resources. During the cultivation process, not only did one need to consume specially formulated medicinal meals every day, but also undergo a medicinal bath every three days, in addition to needing quite a few valuable medicinal herbs as supplements.
Li Hong's own conditions were not sufficient to meet these two requirements, but relying on the small amount of money left by his parents, he only managed to cultivate a superficial understanding. Yet, even this superficial understanding made his physical fitness far superior to that of ordinary people. Later, he diligently practiced Eight Extremities Fist at a martial arts school, which led to his current achievements.
To be honest, in terms of the techniques of Eight Extremities Fist alone, the martial artists in the martial arts school were more proficient than him in that regard. However, in close combat, especially with a fist style like Eight Extremities Fist that emphasizes hard and direct strikes, a person with strong physical fitness would have a significant advantage.
In the eyes of someone like Li Hong, who had been obsessed with martial arts his entire life, taking on disciples when his skills were inferior was simply misleading them, let alone the fact that he was now facing the task of teaching the young master martial arts; he dared not agree easily.
Qin Ming listened to Li Hong’s explanation and understood his concerns. He was about to persuade his grandson to go to a martial arts school to learn, as the cost of learning martial arts was nothing to Qin’s financial resources. But just then, he unexpectedly found that Qin Yu’s eyes, as he looked at Li Hong, seemed to be glowing.
That’s right, Qin Yu was indeed so excited that his eyes glowed, and he marveled to himself, “Oh my, I’ve really caught a big fish! If the Easily Strengthening the Body technique is so powerful even with just a superficial understanding, then if I can master it completely, I could at least become a match for a hundred men. As for the other cultivation requirements, they aren’t big problems at all.”
As for the two conditions required for the cultivation method, Qin Yu felt that he could fully meet them. Endure hardship? Hmph, in his previous life, he had nothing and had endured all sorts of hardships just to survive. He had spent years moving bricks on construction sites and done all kinds of dirty and tiring work, so what was a little hardship from cultivation compared to that?
As for money, there was even less to worry about. Although Qin could not be said to be as rich as a nation, they were definitely a wealthy household with nearly ten million in annual income. In Qin Yu’s impression, the family’s annual expenses were at most less than one million, and the rest of the money was saved. All these assets would eventually belong to the family’s only legitimate grandson—Qin Yu.