radicalducati Chapter 1: Crossing the Divine Eagle
Chapter 1: Crossing the Divine Eagle
"kill."
Qian Jin reached out and slammed a card with the word "kill" written on it onto the table.
The old rascal opposite stared at it for a while, then looked at the two cards in his hand.
Oh no, it didn't flash again.
The old man casually tossed his cards onto the table, then scurried over to Qian Jin's side and said:
"Little Qianzi, your game is fun, but is there some trick to it? Otherwise, why do I always lose to you?"
Upon hearing this, Qian Jin smiled mysteriously and said:
"Want to know? I'll teach you!"
"what?"
The old rascal had only asked casually after losing so much, never expecting there to be such a trick to it.
Doesn't that mean that once he learns it, he'll be able to beat others using this game?
The first person that came to the Old Urchin's mind was the clever and quick-witted Huang Rong. If he could beat that girl, wouldn't he be invincible?
So he quickly turned around and jumped back onto the table, massaging Qian Jin's shoulders while trying to please him:
"Little Qianzi, I knew you were the best to me! Tell me, what's the inside story here?"
Upon hearing this, Qian Jin raised his hand to push away the old man's hand that was massaging his shoulders, then walked over and sat down opposite him, saying:
"This is a secret technique of mine, which is not supposed to be passed on to outsiders."
However, we hit it off immediately, and we've gotten along so well lately, so teaching you isn't out of the question, but there are conditions.
Qian Jin smiled slightly, finally revealing his true colors after hiding them for half a month.
He was originally a 996-day workaholic, and his ability to seize every minute and second had been honed to perfection, but he still collapsed while working late into the night to finish a project.
Fortunately, I was blessed with good luck.
He instantly traveled back to the Southern Song Dynasty, hundreds of years ago, to the second year of Emperor Lizong's Duanping reign.
There's no 996 work schedule, no 007 work schedule, no high-tech or grueling jobs here; even the air you breathe has a hint of sweetness.
That's awesome!
With his talent as a chosen worker, obtaining official rank and becoming a high-ranking official would be a piece of cake.
Perhaps with his advanced political acumen, he could even rewrite the fate of the Southern Song Dynasty's demise.
Unexpectedly, on his way to the capital for the imperial examination, he encountered two Taoist priests from the Quanzhen School, which made him realize that this Southern Song Dynasty was not quite the same as the Southern Song Dynasty he had imagined.
This is the martial arts world, specifically the martial arts world of The Return of the Condor Heroes.
Because one of the two Taoist priests was named Lu Qingdu, whose master was Zhao Zhijing and whose uncle was Yin Zhiping.
He even learned about the legend of the Five Wonders from the two Taoist priests.
Why bother taking the imperial examinations then?
Qian Jin knew very well that with his background being completely unconnected, it would be very difficult for him to establish connections with those influential figures in the underworld.
Thus, he conceived the idea of joining the Quanzhen School.
In the end, Lu Qingdu still rejected him.
They said he was too old and lacked the talent for martial arts, thus failing to meet the most basic requirements for joining the Quanzhen Sect.
What a fuss!
Does not having practiced martial arts mean you lack martial arts talent?
Since then, Qian Jin has started to pay attention to some legends in the martial arts world.
And perseverance pays off; one day, Qian Jin finally bought a copy of Taizu Changquan (a martial arts manual) from a beggar.
It's a very basic style, but it's still an introductory boxing technique.
Qian Jin then started practicing according to the boxing manual.
After going through it three times, Qian Jin suddenly had a sudden realization. Upon closer inspection, he discovered a panel with a proficiency level.
Taizu Changquan (Early Stage): 1%
This is awesome.
With the proficiency panel in hand, Qian Jin began to practice diligently.
However, it's unclear whether it's because Taizu Changquan is too basic, or because the Taizu Changquan manual he bought is incomplete.
When he reached the third level of Taizu Changquan, he made no further progress.
Taizu Changquan (Slightly Accomplished): 100%
Indeed, if you want to make a name for yourself in this world, you need a master teacher.
So Qian Jin continued north, setting his sights on the Shaolin Temple's "Nine Yang Manual".
Unexpectedly, he encountered the Old Mischievous Boy Zhou Botong on the way.
This is top-tier combat power in the world of The Return of the Condor Heroes!
If he could become his disciple, wouldn't he be able to roam freely in the martial arts world?
Moreover, the old rascal is naturally playful, and in this world of mythology where etiquette is highly valued, he is the one most likely to successfully become an apprentice.
So Qian Jin gathered a bunch of fun things, which naturally attracted the old rascal.
In the past few days, Qian Jin has been taking the old rascal on a journey through games ranging from Ludo and Monopoly to Three Kingdoms Kill.
The old man was always playful, and even in his seventies, he never knew that there were so many fun things in the world.
He couldn't help but admire Qian Jin immensely, and every day as soon as he opened his eyes, he would run over and pester Qian Jin to play.
Now, hearing that Qian Jin could even teach him a sure-win method, he was itching to try it and quickly moved closer, saying:
"Whatever the conditions, as long as it's something I, the old rascal, can do, I will never refuse."
"Simple, I saw you scaling walls and leaping across rooftops as if walking on flat ground, so I want to become your disciple and learn martial arts."
That way, once I've mastered martial arts, we'll have even more ways to play.
Becoming an apprentice?
The old rascal never expected Qian Jin to make such a condition. Upon hearing this, he quickly shook his head and said:
"No, no, I, the Old Rascal, hate taking on apprentices the most. Find someone else, I'll definitely agree to it."
Seeing the old rascal shaking his head like a rattle drum, Qian Jin chuckled and said:
"Old rascal, are you really sure you want to change it? If I change the condition, will you definitely agree to it?"
Don't wait until I tell you and then you try to back out.
"Haha, no, no, tell me quickly."
The old man's eyes darted around, constantly urging Qian Jin to speak, but he never mentioned whether or not Qian Jin would agree.
Seeing this, Qian Jin didn't point it out, but simply said:
"Sure, as long as you agree to come with me to see someone, even if you don't take me as your disciple, I will still teach you the sure-fire way to win."
"Haha, that's easy, but I have to make it clear beforehand that there are two people in this world I can't see."
"One is Emperor Duan, and the other is his concubine Ying Gu. I've seen no one else but those two."
"What a coincidence! The people I asked you to take me to see were Emperor Duan and Ying Gu. You excluded them both beforehand. What's the difference between that and renege on your promise?"
The old rascal lowered his head and thought for a while after hearing this, then suddenly said:
"Well, how about we talk about the first condition?"
"You want to become my disciple, isn't it because you want to learn superior martial arts? I, the Old Urchin, have two most prized martial arts skills in my life: one is the Empty Fist, and the other is Ambidextrous Fighting. Which one do you want to learn? I'll teach you, how about that?"