Chapter 7: Minor Achievement in Cannon Fist
Chapter 7: Minor Achievement in Cannon Fist
"Miss Bai?"
Fang Xing offered a polite greeting, knowing that this Miss Bai had come looking for him.
"Yes... I'm sorry, I went a little too far earlier," Bai Lianyi said, her eyes gentle and her voice carrying a hint of trembling, like a little girl who had done something wrong.
Coupled with her demeanor, it made Liu Wei feel a mix of pity and daze.
"Was that really her that we saw at the Jiang Mansion the other day?" he wondered.
"It's nothing, it's only natural to get injured during a spar," Liu Wei quickly replied. "How could I blame you for that?"
"That's a relief," Bai Lianyi said, taking out an old frog-shaped wallet from her pocket and pulling out a campus card. "Please put the treatment cost on my tab this time..."
The warm sunshine filtered through the trees, falling on the young girl's face, and yet it seemed to carry a sense of determination and purity.
...
"Do you think we misunderstood her?" Liu Wei asked as they left the infirmary, his expression turning pensive. "I sneaked a glance just now, and there isn't much stardollars left on her card..."
'That's because your rank is too low, kid,' Fang Xing thought to himself, then said seriously, "Whether we misunderstood her or not, it has nothing to do with us. We didn't spread any rumors, after all."
"Yeah, thankfully," Liu Wei said, carefully putting away the campus card. "I should return this to her as soon as possible..."
He could already imagine Bai working part-time to earn her keep, struggling to even afford meals.
Fang Xing witnessed this scene, feeling a mix of emotions.
'This youthful feeling... even if it's foolish or embarrassing... it's still... youth.'
'Anyway, Liu Wei doesn't stand a chance with her, so let it be...'
He instinctively felt that Bai Lianyi's visit wasn't malicious, but rather a performance of some sort.
On their way back to the Happy Garden Residence, they received a few more deliveries.
"Hmm, not bad..."
Fang Xing examined the selfie stick and drone in his hands, nodding in satisfaction.
With these items, along with the air quality testing device and weapons, he could now assemble a makeshift version of an otherworldly exploration kit, albeit a crude one.
'There are other devices like gravity detectors... that the school training room has. Let's see if I can borrow them and save some money there too...'
Since the school focused on training interstellar warriors, who would face the harsh environments of different planets, there were specific courses on alien planet combat within Yu Cai High School.
Fang Xing believed that even in an alternate world, following the textbook procedures should keep him relatively safe.
...
Several days later.
Happy Garden Residence.
Training Room.
Dressed in casual clothes, Fang Xing stood in the Horse Stance, sweating profusely.
"59 minutes..."
"60 minutes!"
"Time's up!"
Fang Xing plopped down on the ground, panting heavily. "As expected, an hour of Horse Stance is about my limit for now. But... limits are meant to be broken."
Over this period, he had repeatedly pushed his limits, finally managing to go from two separate 30-minute stances to a single 60-minute stance.
He could go longer, but it would obviously damage his body, doing more harm than good.
"Coach Xiaolong's assessment was spot on. For most students, an hour of stance training per day is indeed the limit..."
While he could challenge his limits, Fang Xing wasn't willing to pay the price of damaging his body.
He took a few more breaths before standing up and heading to the bathroom to freshen up.
After changing into a fresh set of clothes, he slumped into a chair, striking the most relaxed pose he could manage, and examined his attribute panel:
[Name: Fang Xing]
[Age: 16]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[First Realm: Flesh (Refine Flesh: 23/100)]
[Military Body Fist, 12 Forms: 60/100 (Beginner)]
[Horse Stance: 70/100 (Beginner)]
[Gate of Myriad Worlds: 9/100 (Locating...)]
...
"It's been nine days since I crossed over..."
"According to my observations, without external help like Coach Xiaolong's guidance, I can only increase my Horse Stance proficiency by one point every three days through my own hard work..."
"As for the Military Body Fist and other techniques, having guidance does make a difference, and progress is faster."
"The progress of refining my flesh will speed up as my Horse Stance improves, but at my current rate, I won't be able to form any significant amplification..."
"If this continues, after three months, I'll only be able to grind the Horse Stance and Military Body Fist to the next level, but breaking through the Martial Artist realm will be difficult... I might even be stuck at the initial stage of Flesh Refinement, unable to progress to Refining Meat!"
Just refining the flesh would not give him a significant advantage over ordinary people.
Fang Xing thought about it and felt a bit agitated.
'Damn it...'
'Why am I pushing myself so hard?'
'Being a lazy bum and doing nothing isn't so bad, right? I could just coast through these three years of high school...'
'Alternate worlds are too dangerous. Why should I take the risk?'
These jumbled thoughts swirled in his mind as he analyzed his own psychology.
'When I first crossed over, did I still have doubts and fears?'
After this internal analysis, he put on his holographic glasses.
Unfazed by the situation, Fang Xing decided to play a couple of video games to unwind.
"Damn, do you even know how to position yourself?"
"Noob!"
"What a crappy mechanic, I'd rather play an R-rated game..."
...
After venting his frustrations, Fang Xing felt much more relaxed. That is, until he received a text notification:
[Esteemed Mr. Fang Xing, your current account balance is 754.23 star dollars.]
"Crap... I'm running out of money."
Fang Xing's expression turned solemn as he contemplated his dwindling finances.
The purchase of the basic nano-protective suit, drone, and other items had left his already sparse wallet in a dire state.
"I guess I have to take up a part-time job... again."
"I was forced to work part-time jobs in my past life, and now even after transmigrating, I'm still forced to work. What's the point of transmigrating then?"
Just then, a communication request came through.
"Xing, we have a client. Time to get to work!"
A holographic image of Liu Wei appeared before him.
"Alright, I'll be right there."
Fang Xing grabbed a piece of bread and rushed out the door.
...
Greenwater Mansion.
"I can take on ten of you!"
A bratty kid, around eleven or twelve years old, shouted arrogantly.
"Yes, Wenwen is the best."
By his side, a mother with average looks but a gentle demeanor smiled encouragingly.
'I'm so envious...'
Liu Wei gave Fang Xing a meaningful glance.
'The father is rarely home, so they can't train the kid... This is our chance.'
However, Fang Xing's heart stirred, and he signaled with his hand.
Soon, the two of them were sparring with the young boy.
"Watch my Lightwave Fist!"
The young boy threw a punch, but it didn't even reach the level of true energy.
Witnessing this, Fang Xing and Liu Wei were inwardly relieved, knowing they had encountered a good client.
At least, he wasn't as troublesome as their previous client, Gu Yun.
"Ah!"
Fang Xing took the boy's punch and dramatically cried out as he flew backward.
Liu Wei quickly joined the fray, exchanging blows with the young boy...
Two hours later, the two left with their arms around each other's shoulders, a hint of joy on their faces. "That young master sure is easy to please... That last client was such a pain!"
Liu Wei still vividly remembered their previous client, Gu Yun.
If all clients were like this young master, he would have quit this job long ago.
At that moment, he rubbed his shoulders, his expression turning doubtful. "Xing... Why do I feel like you had it easier than me?"
"It's simple. I was wearing a protective suit... and the kid couldn't tell the difference."
Fang Xing replied nonchalantly.
"Cheater! Wait, you bought a protective suit? How are you managing your finances?" Liu Wei exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise, before continuing in a solemn tone, "You're not thinking of taking the wrong path, are you? Without at least a three-realm cultivation, trying to be a city hunter or a bounty hunter is just asking for death..."
"What are you talking about?"
Fang Xing didn't want to dwell on this topic and quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of which, you and Bai Lianyi seem to be getting pretty close lately. What's going on there?"
"We... We're just ordinary classmates and friends."
Liu Wei replied immediately, his eyes clear and his expression open.
"Is that so? That Miss Bai is not so simple. Don't forget what we saw before..." Fang Xing reminded him.
"I'm sure she's not... Besides, for us cyborgs, it's instinctual to seize every opportunity to climb up the social ladder." Liu Wei waved his hand dismissively. "...And it's not a big deal anyway."
In the interstellar age, a messy private life wasn't considered a significant issue.
Fang Xing stared at Liu Wei for a few more moments, confirming that he didn't seem to be love-struck, and felt puzzled.
'Something still feels off... If Bai Lianyi isn't involved in anything shady, then Liu Wei getting close to her might not be a good thing.'
'I'll have to remind him about this again later.'
Of course, given the current state of their friendship, a few reminders were all he could offer.
Fang Xing certainly wasn't going to secretly investigate Bai Lianyi on Liu Wei's behalf; he had his hands full with his own matters.
'For now, I should focus on cultivating.'
Fang Xing made a silent resolution.
...
As an educational planet, Planet Eaglet wasn't entirely safe, but it boasted commendable security.
Additionally, Fang Xing had previously been an ordinary high school student with uncomplicated relationships.
His low-key personality and non-confrontational nature further reduced the likelihood of trouble finding him.
Before he knew it, a month had quietly passed.
Yu Cai High School.
Fang Xing swung his right arm, unleashing a powerful punch.
Boom!
A sound akin to a cannon blast reverberated through the air, startling the surrounding students.
"This... Is this the legendary 'cannon fist'?"
A classmate exclaimed in surprise, "Fang Xing, did you just execute the 'Cannon Fist Stance'?"
"It was just a coincidence that I entered that state..."
Fang Xing closed his eyes, trying to recapture the feeling.
In truth, he knew that with his one certificate, he could now permanently execute the true 'Cannon Fist'. The next time he attempted it, success was guaranteed!
Closing his eyes was merely a way to focus his attention on the attribute panel.
As for the other students, they quickly found ways to rationalize what they had witnessed.
They had all seen Fang Xing's daily progress, and they knew he had been practicing the 'Cannon Fist Stance' diligently.
Now that he had achieved a minor success, it seemed... plausible, if not entirely convincing.
(End of Chapter)
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