Chapter 58: So Proper It Seems Out of Place

As he listened to Zhao Qian’s words, a trace of helplessness flickered across Shen He’s face. Yet at this moment, Zhao Qian’s way of thinking was the prevailing mindset—after all, they had no inkling that immense changes were coming in the future. They certainly didn’t know that with Shen He’s current speed, firing at him point-blank was almost futile. If your speed and agility are high enough, it’s extremely hard to get hit. That’s the allure of a first-rank expert!

Of course, if you really wanted to argue, a sniper rifle from eight hundred meters away might have a shot at killing him. But only just a chance. His danger sense was no less keen than Spider-Man’s fabled “Peter tingle.” Clearing his throat, Shen He said, “I just wanted to see for myself. You all have reputable teachers—surely you’re aware of this?”

Zhao Qian flicked away his cigarette butt and ground it under his heel, retorting, “What’s that supposed to mean? In the martial arts world, our teachers have famous names. Of course I know what you’re talking about. There’s Old Lame Leg who practices Tan Tui in Zheng City, Granny Wang who practices Stamping Foot in Xiangxiang City, and then there’s Liu Mu, who’s devoted to Taekwondo.”

Shen He interrupted, “A lame man practicing Tan Tui?”

Zhao Qian replied, “Why not? He trained extra hard—his lame leg is even stronger than his good one.”

Shen He mused, “Then you should aim a fierce kick at his good leg.”

Zhao Qian continued as if he hadn’t heard, “As for grappling, there are too many to count. Xiangxiang City alone has three: one trained in military grappling, now a three-star general at Green Garden; another with a family lineage in grappling, now wearing the yellow robe and matching wits with the general every day; and one who had a teacher but now works as a courier.”

“As for internal martial arts, in Chen Family Village there’s a tai chi master who claims descent from Yang Luchan. In the city, there’s someone practicing Bajiquan—Li Ding should know him—and another who does Bagua Palm.”

Finishing, he looked at Shen He with a proud grin. “So? Impressed by your brother?”

Shen He gave a thumbs up. “Impressive.”

Zhao Qian stood up. “Alright, when you get back, practice more. Starting tomorrow, learn shooting from Liu Yi and halberd technique from Jia Gui. That hundred thousand won’t be wasted.”

Shen He agreed, then stood and headed home. Now that he had what he wanted, he’d spend the next day learning the remaining skills, and then go into the city for a look. Seven days wasn’t so rushed; everything was within the province, so finding people wouldn’t be hard. As for whether those people would agree to spar with him—well, that was another matter. Even if they didn’t care for him, they might respect the money. After all, the “Buddha’s face” on those bills wasn’t small, and it should ensure he didn’t return empty-handed.

Back home, Shen He washed up, then went to eat at Shen Dali’s house. After dinner, he returned to his own home to practice the Eight-Level Stance, not wasting a single moment. After all, even a mosquito is still meat.

Add as many attribute points as you can.

…

The next morning.

Shen He sat up in bed and immediately checked the system’s refreshed daily quests.

[Daily Quest One: Survive One Day]
[This quest might be hard for you, but as long as you keep your head down and play it safe, you should live to see tomorrow’s sun.]
[Quest Reward: Free Attribute Point +1]
[…]

Looking at the first daily quest, Shen He fell silent. It seemed like a perfectly ordinary task—a long-lost survival type, even, with a free attribute point as a reward. Yet something about it just felt off. It was a bit too proper for this system.

He continued to the second quest.

[Daily Quest Two: Gather Information]
[In this chaotic apocalypse, aside from survival supplies, the most important thing is to seek information. Having enough intel will help you control the situation.]
[Quest Reward: Points +100]
[…]

Shen He’s eyes widened at the quest. It was the first time he had seen a task that gave points as a reward—though the reward was rather meager. Only 100 points, barely enough to open a single blind box. But the information-gathering quest gave Shen He an idea. He understood how to earn those one hundred points.

He got up, washed, had breakfast at Shen Dali’s house, and then went to the open field where they practiced martial arts. That morning, Liu Yi was in charge of teaching him, and he was to learn the spear. Of course, it wasn’t the kind of “gun” Zhao Qian mentioned yesterday, but more like the red-tasseled spear used in traditional martial arts.

As was customary, Liu Yi demonstrated the basics, then tossed Shen He a spear to try for himself. Shen He took the weapon, recalled what he had seen, and began to practice with convincing form. Liu Yi stood a short distance away, watching Shen He twirl the spear, and heaved a deep sigh. An iron fist doesn’t hurt unless it lands on your body. He’d always thought that, no matter how talented Shen He was, learning spear techniques would take him some time.

After all, as the old saying goes in the martial arts world: a month for the staff, a year for the saber, and a lifetime for the spear. He hadn’t expected Shen He to master the basics just by watching once. His movements were so precise that even Liu Yi was left feeling inadequate.

Moments later, when Shen He stopped, Liu Yi walked over. “Since you’ve already mastered the basics, let’s practice real spear technique.”

Shen He nodded and stepped aside. Liu Yi gripped his long spear and performed a routine on the open ground. Shen He watched intently, especially at the final move—the “Returning Horse Spear.” If he hadn’t been so focused, he might have missed the trick. Liu Yi’s speed was astonishing—so fast that an ordinary person couldn’t keep up. He drew the spear back and thrust straight at the throat.

When Liu Yi finished, he looked over at Shen He. “Well? Spear technique is different from sword and saber. It may be difficult at first, but with diligent practice, you’ll get there.”

Shen He closed his eyes to recall the sequence. When he opened them, he said, “I’ve memorized it all.”

Liu Yi was momentarily stunned. “Alright then, show me your moves and I’ll correct your form.”

Shen He nodded, gripped the spear, and stepped into the practice ground.

A moment later.

Liu Yi squatted down, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it slowly. Just then, Lin Helu and Zhao Qian came over and knelt down beside him, grinning. “Well? How does it feel? Don’t you feel utterly defeated?”

Liu Yi exhaled a smoke ring and nodded heavily. “Absolutely. Comparing people really is infuriating.”

From a short distance away, Shen He called out, “How’s my spear work? Is it up to standard?”

Liu Yi nodded. “Perfectly standard. This afternoon, you can learn the halberd from Master Jia Gui. After that, it’s all about persistent, careful practice.”

Hearing this, Shen He nodded as well. “In that case, I’ll head back for now. I’ll come back at two this afternoon to learn the halberd from Master Jia.”

The others nodded in agreement. Shen He left the spear behind and headed straight for the intelligence office at the village entrance.

Gathering information—who could do it better than them?