Madman!

Chapter 23: Unwavering Resolve

Today, when practicing Old Bear Hugging Tree, Chen Wujun didn't use a Magnetic Field Crystal.

Yesterday's crystal had helped open his hips, and he wanted to see if he could manage on his own.

After standing in the stance for a while, he felt a current of heat pooling around his hips, as though a hot water bottle had been pressed against them. But it lacked yesterday's sensation of warmth cascading downward—the heat simply refused to flow along his legs.

"Hah!" Chen Wujun straightened up and let out a long breath.

His legs felt sore and numb, even more exhausted than after an hour of the Golden Rooster Stance.

'As I thought—yesterday's opening was only temporary. To truly unlock the pathway, I'll need to hold this stance consistently over a long period.'

'Senior Sister gave me five crystals. She definitely knew this already.'

Chen Wujun took out a crystal and tucked it under his tongue, then steadied his mind and visualized the form of Old Bear Hugging Tree.

'First, sink the root. Then lift the spine. Body embraces the tree; will stands firm as a mountain.'

This time when Chen Wujun assumed the stance, everything flowed as naturally as water finding its channel. The heat didn't even have time to pool at his hips before it surged down through his thighs and straight to the soles of his feet.From hips to feet, warmth spread everywhere.

Moments later, that warmth surged upward into his lower back and spine.

"Hoo..." Chen Wujun held Old Bear Hugging Tree for half an hour. His legs and back didn't feel tired at all—only a soothing warmth that felt deeply comfortable.

His body felt more agile, even somewhat lighter.

The fatigue had vanished entirely, replaced by a vibrant energy that filled every fiber of his being.

'Now this is what it feels like to do Old Bear Hugging Tree correctly!' Chen Wujun thought.

'Master said this stance strengthens the foundation and cultivates vitality—it trains the back and waist above all else. And when the back and waist grow strong, a person's raw power increases with them.'

Chen Wujun spat out the crystal from under his tongue. The azure point of light within the gray stone seemed slightly dimmer than before.

He tucked the crystal away and turned to Senior Brother Li. "Senior Brother Li, after becoming an official disciple, how much is tuition?"

Senior Brother Li looked surprised at first, then broke into a smile. "How much money do you think it would take for Master to teach you?"

He then explained:

"Master takes students based on talent and character. He doesn't charge tuition, and from now on you won't need to pay anything to train at the school either."

"If you really want to show your appreciation, just remember what Master said—if you get into trouble, don't tell anyone who your master is."

"Understood!" Chen Wujun nodded.

"Then why does Master live in that place?" Chen Wujun felt certain that Zhou Qing was far from short on money, and couldn't fathom why the man wouldn't move somewhere nicer instead of staying in that decrepit old tenement building.

"You can ask Master yourself next time. Whether he answers is up to him," Senior Brother Li replied.

He didn't know why Zhou Qing chose to live there either.

Chen Wujun changed clothes, said his goodbyes, and left the school to head home for a meal.

Home was the same as always—cramped and worn, yet brimming with the warm, lived-in feeling that only a real home could provide.

After eating, he watched a bit of the crime report show on TV, then returned to his place to change into a fresh set of clothes before heading to the Dance Hall.

The Dance Hall was its usual roaring, lively self, and Chen Wujun had grown to enjoy the atmosphere.

Once inside, his eyes swept the room and quickly landed on Karen, seated near the bar.

Chen Wujun walked over and settled into the seat beside her. "Hey, Karen!"

Then to the bartender: "Soda!"

"Here to see Ah Yue, huh? Got a taste and now you can't stay away?" Karen's eyes narrowed as she grinned, the corners of her eyes and the arch of her brows carrying the effortless allure of a mature woman.

The moment Ah Yue had shown up today, Karen had already figured out the whole situation.

"I'd appreciate it if you could look after her for me, Karen," Chen Wujun said.

"We're all family here—of course I'll take good care of her. Relax. I've got Ah Yue backstage learning how to do makeup. Pretty as she is, she won't cause any trouble back there."

The dancers needed their makeup done before going on stage.

Karen's arrangement was about as thoughtful as it could get.

"Thanks, Karen. If there's ever anything I can do for you, just say the word!" Chen Wujun raised his soda bottle in a toast.

"Toasting me with soda?" Karen swatted his back, laughing so hard she nearly tipped over, then shrugged and asked:

"Want me to send someone to fetch her?"

"No need. I just came to check in. I've still got training to get back to," Chen Wujun replied.

Any young man with eyes in his head would be drawn to beauty.

Ah Yue was gorgeous, sweet-natured, and had a figure that could stop traffic. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to linger. But he knew exactly what mattered more.

What he needed most right now was to build his strength, find a way to earn serious money, and then establish some real business assets.

Without strength, even golden opportunities wouldn't come your way.

"That dedicated, huh? You're already here—one look won't slow you down." Karen chuckled, her estimation of him quietly rising.

At his age, after his very first taste of that particular pleasure, most young men would be utterly smitten and obsessed. He was nothing like a typical teenager.

The two chatted idly for a few moments before a shout rang out from across the room:

"She's been dancing forever and won't even take her clothes off! What's with all this stalling—am I not paying?!"

Neither Karen nor Chen Wujun paid it much attention. This was Shark Jiu's territory, sure, but in a place as mixed as this, where customers ran on a cocktail of alcohol and lust, how could conflicts be rare?

They happened practically every day.

"Brother Hua told you to strip—hurry it up, will you?" When a second voice cut through the music, Chen Wujun instinctively glanced over, and his brow immediately furrowed.

He spotted his eldest brother, Chen Wuhong, sitting at a table with two sleazy-looking men. A dancer was performing on the table in front of them.

The sight of his brother made Chen Wujun's temper flare instantly.

"Karen, just spotted someone I know. I'm going to go take a look." Chen Wujun gave her a nod, then carried his soda bottle over toward Chen Wuhong.

He dragged a chair over and dropped into it right beside his brother.

"What are you doing here?"

Chen Wuhong turned his head and stared in astonishment at the person who'd just sat down next to him. Chen Wujun wore dark trousers and a deep blue button-up shirt, looking clean and sharp. Combined with the vitality that his recent martial training had brought to his bearing, he was almost unrecognizable.

"Wujun? What are you doing here?" Seeing Chen Wujun, Chen Wuhong found it even more unbelievable. His body instinctively shied away, but then he caught himself—there was no reason to be intimidated by his own little brother—and straightened back up.

"I asked you first. Did you win some money?" Chen Wujun's expression was oddly amused, but his eyes held a dangerous edge.

It didn't matter where Chen Wuhong's money came from. Their family was drowning in debt because of him, and here he was, living it up with booze and women?

But the dim lighting hid the look in Chen Wujun's eyes.

The two sleazy-looking young men watched Chen Wujun plop down without so much as a glance in their direction, and irritation immediately sparked in their chests.

"Gambler Hong, this your brother? He's got some nerve!"

"Brother Hua! This is my kid brother—he's young, doesn't know any better," Chen Wuhong offered after a moment's hesitation.

Then he turned to Chen Wujun. "Show some manners! This is Brother Hua, and this is Brother Hu."

"Since he's your brother, I'll be the bigger man and let his rudeness slide," the one called Brother Hua sneered, then pointed at several bottles of beer on the table. "Have him chug all of those."

He didn't even respect Gambler Hong, let alone Gambler Hong's little brother.

"Brother Hua, was it? I've got some business with him," Chen Wujun said flatly, turning to face the two men. Then he stood, grabbed Chen Wuhong by the shirt, and hauled him to his feet.

He'd already sized them up the moment he sat down. Both had faint outlines of muscle, but years of booze and women had hollowed out most of their bodies.

Just a pair of two-bit punks.

Chen Wujun had zero interest in dealing with them. But this was Shark Jiu's establishment, and he wasn't about to start trouble inside.

"Let go of me! I'm trying to discuss a deal here! Don't come in here causing problems!" Chen Wuhong tried to pry Chen Wujun's hand away, but the grip was like an iron vise—he couldn't budge it an inch.

Brother Hua watched Chen Wujun show him absolutely zero respect and then try to drag Chen Wuhong away. Fury erupted inside him. He slammed his palm on the table, shot to his feet, and jabbed a finger at Chen Wujun:

"Kid, I gave you face and you spat on it. You got a death wish?"

"This is Shark Jiu's place. You can't afford to cross her, so don't start anything here!" Chen Wujun spared him a single glance, his voice calm and steady.

"So what if it's Shark Jiu's place? Does that mean people can't come have a good time? I tell you to drink and you won't, and now you're dragging people away—you think I'm invisible?!" Brother Hua snarled.

Chen Wujun didn't even bother acknowledging him anymore. He dragged his brother toward the exit, calling out to Karen on his way past: "Karen, I'm heading out. If those two don't pay their tab, put it on mine."

Then he hauled his brother out the door, his expression cold as stone.

Brother Hua watched Chen Wujun completely ignore him. His face darkened, and he and the other man grabbed their beer bottles and followed.

A bouncer stepped into their path. "Gentlemen, if you're leaving, please settle your tab first!"

"Settle what tab? I'm not done drinking yet! Besides, I'm gracing this dump with my presence. Didn't you see someone just came in and started causing trouble? What kind of place is this?!" Brother Hua shoved the bouncer aside, his face thunderous.

...

"Let go of me! I'm still your big brother, no matter what!" Chen Wuhong's face flushed red with anger at being shown absolutely no respect, and he struggled furiously.

Smack!

The moment they were through the door, Chen Wujun released his collar and backhanded him across the face.

Chen Wuhong went quiet instantly.

"Come on. Let's have a chat about what you've been up to lately." Chen Wujun grabbed his collar again and marched him forward.

Just then, Brother Hua and his companion emerged with beer bottles in hand.

Spotting Chen Wujun and his brother up ahead, Brother Hua barked: "Hey kid, stop right there!"

Chen Wujun knew the pair had come out looking for trouble. He didn't waste words. He pushed off the ground with one foot, and the benefits of Old Bear Hugging Tree made themselves immediately apparent.

He'd only been practicing it for two days, yet his footwork now felt light without being hollow. His burst of speed was at least ten percent faster than before, and his body moved with noticeably greater agility.

In the blink of an eye he was right in Brother Hua's face. His body launched upward, both hands seizing the man's head as his knee drove down hard into the man's chest.

Wild Horse Rearing Back.

Crack!

Brother Hua barely got his beer bottle up as a guard before Chen Wujun's knee shattered it, driving glass shards and brute force alike into his chest.

With his head locked in Chen Wujun's grip, both feet left the ground and he slammed onto his back without so much as a whimper.

Chen Wujun had barely landed when a beer bottle was already swinging down at his skull.

"You little punk—"

Chen Wujun tracked every inch of the swing with crystal clarity. If anything, the man seemed almost slow.

He snapped his hand around the attacker's forearm, stepped in, and drove his elbow into the man's face. Then he whipped the same elbow back, smashing it into the other side.

Immortal Points the Way.

Pff!

The man's mouth flew open and half his teeth came tumbling out in a spray of blood.