Chapter 49 - 48: Forced to Contend

Chapter 49: Chapter 48: Forced to Contend

The increase in his foundation sent a faint surge of qi and blood through Lu Jing’an’s body.

An eager impulse flowed through his tendons and bones.

He was getting impatient, eager to try out the Six Harmonies Fist.

However, Lu Jing’an knew in his heart.

Chen Xuan and Cui Jieyi certainly wouldn’t permit it so easily.

He could only suppress his feelings, telling himself there was no rush.

After his stance training and fist practice,

Lu Jing’an had breakfast with Chen Xuan.

During breakfast, Chen Xuan didn’t notice any change in Lu Jing’an’s body.

After all, this "foundation" was an intangible thing, so it was normal not to notice it.

The young maids waiting on them, however, thought the young master seemed a little more handsome today.

After breakfast, Lu Jing’an went straight to the study to find his father.

Inside the study, Lu Huaiqian was concentrating on an official document.

Morning light filtered through the carved window lattice, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow on his dark gray long gown.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up.

"Father, yesterday in a dream, I saw some of the memories the Tiger Demon left in my mind."

"A lot of them were about the Li Family."

The brush in Lu Huaiqian’s hand paused, and a small dot of ink bled onto the paper.

He put down the brush, his expression solemn. "This matter, have you mentioned it to Doctor Cui?"

Lu Jing’an shook his head. "Not yet, I..."

Before Lu Jing’an could finish,

Lu Huaiqian ordered a servant to fetch Cui Jieyi.

Before long, Cui Jieyi hurried in, carrying her rattan-patterned medicine box.

After another detailed examination,

she confirmed there was nothing wrong with Lu Jing’an’s body.

Only then did Lu Huaiqian have someone escort Cui Jieyi out.

Afterward, he finally asked about Li Zhaolin’s memories.

Lu Jing’an recounted the contents of the Memory Pearl he had inspected last night, relaying all the key points to Lu Huaiqian.

After hearing everything, Lu Huaiqian didn’t care what "grand gift" the Li Family had sent.

Instead, he was more concerned—or rather, wary, even fearful—of the person behind the Li Family.

"Father, who is this person surnamed Bai?" Lu Jing’an wasn’t familiar with the province’s upper echelons.

Lu Huaiqian pondered for a moment before telling Lu Jing’an about Bai Chongyu. "Bai Chongyu is the commander of the Defense Command. He has three regiments under him, totaling several thousand men."

"The Bai Family behind him is one of the top one or two Major Clans in the entire province."

"Their power is deeply entrenched throughout the province, and their sphere of influence is immense."

After a pause, Lu Huaiqian’s voice grew heavy. "I never imagined the person behind the Li Family would be him."

"It seems everyone’s previous guesses were wrong."

"We all used to speculate that the Police Department was behind the Li Family."

Although Lu Jing’an already had the answer in his heart, he still asked, "How does this Bai Family compare to Secretary Hu?"

Lu Huaiqian shook his head gently. "Secretary Hu and the Hu Family behind him are prominent figures in the civil administration."

"But in this era, true power comes from having guns, so they still fall far short of the Bai Family."

Lu Jing’an was silent for a moment, then said, "So, there’s no need for Secretary Hu to know about this."

Lu Huaiqian nodded. "Indeed. It’s best that only we know about this."

If Secretary Hu found out about something like this,

he would surely abandon the Lu Family at the first opportunity.

Secretary Hu was not so foolish as to make an enemy of someone so powerful.

But if he didn’t know, that would be another matter entirely.

"Father, do you think the Bai Family is setting a trap?" Lu Jing’an suddenly asked, having thought of something.

Lu Huaiqian was silent for a moment. "It’s possible."

"The Bai Family may be powerful, but there are still higher authorities to keep them in check."

"They can’t act recklessly. But if someone were to willingly walk into the line of fire..."

"...it would give the Bai Family the perfect excuse for an annexation."

"Hiding their involvement so deeply is most likely a way to proactively create friction."

"Once there’s friction, it’s much easier to make a move."

Lu Jing’an didn’t know who the Bai Family was trying to catch.

But one thing was certain: the Lu Family had become the bait.

And the ultimate fate of the bait is to be eaten by the fish.

After discussing this matter, Lu Huaiqian also mentioned what Secretary Hu had said before about supporting the Lu Family’s bid for the position of Public Security Bureau Chief, relating the conversation to Lu Jing’an.

After listening, Lu Jing’an’s brow furrowed. After a moment, he said slowly:

"In the current situation, not fighting is just waiting to die."

"Fighting is also a perilous path."

"But at least by fighting, we can win a moment to catch our breath and struggle for a sliver of hope."

"Besides, only by standing taller..."

"...can we perhaps see things more clearly."

"...and maybe find another way out."

Lu Huaiqian nodded silently.

His gaze fell on his son’s profile, which grew more resolute by the day.

His eyes held a complex mix of emotions.

After a long moment, he spoke again, his voice carrying an indefinable tone:

"Jing’an, have you ever considered studying abroad for a few years?"

Lu Jing’an understood. This was Lu Huaiqian’s plan to send him away.

To get him far away from this massive Vortex.

At that moment, Lu Jing’an felt the pressure mount, becoming far greater than he had anticipated.

But Lu Jing’an didn’t want to study abroad.

He was walking the path of a Martial Cultivator; there would be no opportunities for him abroad.

Besides, if he went abroad, he would be at the mercy of others.

As for the current situation, it might be a dead end.

But until the very end, no one could say for sure.

What’s more, Lu Jing’an was not without his own advantages.

Lu Jing’an shook his head decisively. "Father, I don’t want to study abroad. I just want to stay at home."

Seeing Lu Jing’an’s determined expression, Lu Huaiqian finally nodded. "Alright. Then you’ll stay at home."

Lu Jing’an knew his father had other matters to consider and prepare for,

so he took the initiative and asked to be excused.

Lu Huaiqian grunted in acknowledgment, and Lu Jing’an took his leave.

After Lu Jing’an’s figure disappeared from the doorway,

Lu Huaiqian looked up toward where his son’s figure had vanished.

After a moment of thought, Lu Huaiqian called his second younger brother, asking him to come to his home to discuss an important matter.

...

After leaving Lu Huaiqian, Lu Jing’an found Chen Xuan and Cui Jieyi.

"Teacher, Doctor Cui, I intend to begin my Cultivation of the Six Harmonies Fist immediately." Lu Jing’an stated his purpose for finding them directly.

His conversation with Lu Huaiqian had once again filled Lu Jing’an with a pressing sense of urgency.

Strength.

It was all about strength.

’Before breaking the Blood Barrier, I might be nothing against guns and cannons.’

’But what if I broke through the skin, flesh, and Bone Barriers?’

’What about the stages after that?’

’There has to be a stage where strength can crush everything.’ Lu Jing’an believed.

At this moment, Lu Jing’an was desperate to increase his strength.

Not just for self-preservation, but also for his family.

Chen Xuan didn’t know what had happened to Lu Jing’an.

But seeing Lu Jing’an’s urgency, Chen Xuan had no choice but to ask Cui Jieyi to examine him.

"I just examined him in the master’s study. Young Master Lu’s body is fine, and his Spirit is quite full."

"There’s no reason he can’t start the Six Harmonies Fist now."

Since Cui Jieyi had said so,

Chen Xuan no longer tried to stop him.

Lu Jing’an took out two Fist Manuals for the Six Harmonies Fist.

After a careful reading,

and relying on his new physical talent entry,

he quickly finished reading the entire Fist Manual for the Mountain-Breaking Fist.

As he read it over, Lu Jing’an clearly had some new insights.

By the time he finished reading it all,

Lu Jing’an had firmly committed the seven movements to memory.

"Teacher, may I begin?"

Chen Xuan nodded. "As long as you’re ready, you can start at any time."

Lu Jing’an took a deep breath.

Then he began to perform the complete set of the Mountain-Breaking Fist.

With the boost from his two entries, "Master of Boxing" and "Vajra Tiger Aspect,"

Lu Jing’an practiced the entire Fist Skill just once and had already reached the Entry Level.

A heavy, solid strand of True Qi appeared inside his body.

One practice, Entry Level!

Chen Xuan was also rather astonished.

In Chen Xuan’s opinion, Lu Jing’an’s talent for Fist Skills was indeed excellent.

But to reach Entry Level after reading it once and practicing it once...

...that speed was a little too ridiculous.

One had to understand that the Six Harmonies Fist was not just a Fist Skill.

It was also a powerful body-tempering Cultivation Technique.

To improve so quickly, besides talent in Fist Skills, one’s physical talent also had to be exceptional.