Although the old man wanted to fake an accident with me, seventeen years of good education and cultivated virtues don't allow me, Lin Li, to ignore him.
Anyway, the old man really seemed to be out of breath.
"Old man, you can even get out of breath while standing. Be careful when practicing in the future. If I hadn't come today, the consequences of you being here alone would be unimaginable." Lin Li helped the old man to a stone bench and took the thermos bag that seemed to belong to the old man, earnestly advising him.
Look at that, look at that, now the old man just sat down and got out of breath again!
Turns out the body of a martial artist is much frailer than I imagined.
Indeed, even martial artists can't withstand the test of time.
Old Deng ultimately ends up as just Old Deng.
The human body is still too fragile.
"You people, you people..." The old man, frustrated with Lin Li's scattered thoughts and nostalgia, was momentarily speechless.
He said things would be unimaginable if he weren't here, but it's because you're here that I'm so annoyed!
And now he's lost in thought again!
"Don't worry, Grandpa Zhou, you don't need to praise me. There are many people like me in this world. If one disappears, thousands more like me will stand up." Lin Li snapped out of it. He wasn't someone who liked being complimented, and quickly waved his hand modestly upon hearing.
There was the old man's name, Zhou Youwei, on the thermos cup, so Lin Li changed his address to Grandpa Zhou.
Then Lin Li got up and said to the old man, "Grandpa Zhou, since you're fine and your breath is steady, I'll get going now."
It's already late, he's all sweaty, and he has to go back to shower before heading to school. If he doesn't hurry, he won't even have time to grab breakfast.
"You—"
"No need to thank me, it's what I should do. Bye-bye!"
Hearing the old man's call from behind, Lin Li waved his hand, thinking the old man must be looking at him with a grateful gaze now.
But a true man never looks back.
"—Whose child is this!" The old man's voice still chased after him, filled with strong emotion.
"Just call me the passing Kamen Rider."
Lin Li chuckled, thinking it wasn't necessary to go door-to-door to thank him.
Doing good deeds doesn't need a name, success doesn't need to be credited to me.
Another morning left with tears of emotion for himself.
"...It's hopeless, this world is completely hopeless!" Watching Lin Li's departing figure, the old man nearly furious, spoke in despair and helplessness.
...
In the bathroom, Lin Li checked his rewards while showering.
Time-limited task four has been successfully completed.
After reading the prerequisites, Lin Li decided to throw the match.
The system didn't specify with positive adjectives like diligently or wholeheartedly; it only asked for "friendly," and either party admitting defeat would count as completion.
If this isn't friendly, what is?
Sure enough, when he admitted defeat, the system prompted the task was completed.
To give the old man more sense of accomplishment in beating him, he even rolled on the ground a few times, a thoughtful touch.
Wait.
Wasn't the old man just faking it?
Lin Li's pupils contracted suddenly, realizing the truth and feeling a bit guilty.
The old man was too excited! This kind of emotional rollercoaster isn't suitable for the elderly. For them, big joy and big sadness are dangerous.
He should be more careful next time, can't let good intentions lead to bad outcomes.
[Task four completed]
[Random martial arts-related ability in process.]
[You have received the reward: Passive ability: Catching Blades with Bare Hands.]
[Catching Blades with Bare Hands: When your hands hold no objects, you can predict the path of melee weapons with extreme precision.]
Is it you, Li Jing?
Sadly, this ability doesn't come with "100%" success rate, losing the qualification to become a conceptual deity immediately.
A bit disappointed, as Lin Li hoped to get an active ability, something like Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms or Wave Riding Light Steps.
Lin Li then shifted his gaze to [Warehouse] and the Body Refining Eighth Rank Technique.
Come on, method of immortality, pour into my brain, read!
A thick book appeared before Lin Li, plopping to the ground, getting doused by the shower water.
The system proved surprisingly reliable in being unreliable.
"..."
"My cultivation technique!"
Lin Li hurriedly picked up the cultivation technique, only to find, surprisingly, that the water on the floor had not affected it at all. It was still perfectly dry without a single wet spot.
Lin Li raised an eyebrow and directly aimed the showerhead at the book.
Water droplets slid across the pages, seemingly as if covered with a water-repellent layer.
Upon discovering he couldn't tear it apart and could still store it back in [Warehouse] by touching it, Lin Li nodded with satisfaction, it was finally somewhat impressive.
It's a pity watching great experts who view cultivation techniques with just a sweep of their spiritual sense, committing it entirely to memory. Meanwhile, he's left to honestly read laboriously.
However, it makes sense, as he is still just an ordinary person with a natural mosquito-repellent aura.
Returning to the book, Lin Li opened to the first page and began to attempt reading.
Your mom.
Classical Chinese, Traditional Characters.
Zhang Yu's Defensive Book.
For the first time, Lin Li deeply understood how incredibly useful language is.
Fortunately, Lin Li isn't completely illiterate, and with the human action diagrams on nearly every page, he can understand the gist.
Interestingly, when Lin Li mimicked the movements shown, he felt a warm stream flowing through his body, a totally different sensation from practicing the Eight Brocade Exercises earlier.
It's truly good stuff, otherwise, it wouldn't have such a fantastic effect.
Wait, why do I still feel warm streams flowing even after stopping the practice?
Lin Li thought seriously, then raised his head.
He turned off the shower above him and tried to redo the movements.
Hmm.
The warm stream is gone.
Damn it.
—Whether it's good stuff remains to be studied for now.
...
"No, Lin Li, are you crazy? It's one thing to be serious in class, why are you doing exam papers after class?"
Speaking to Lin Li, who rejected his toilet duo invitation, Bai Bufan spoke with sorrow and despair.
"It's not exam papers, I'm watching tiny people fight."
"Huh?!" Bai Bufan leaned in like a curious dog, and Lin Li handed him a sheet.
"They're really fighting? How boring."
Upon seeing that Lin Li's "tiny people" weren't what he thought, Bai Bufan shook his head in disappointment and handed back the paper.
What Lin Li was reading was the Body Refining Eighth Rank Technique, but not the original. Taking it to school and if anyone discovered its invulnerable properties and other peculiarities, wouldn't be appropriate.
This was a 'copy' Lin Li had photographed with his phone and then taken to a print shop to print out—seems a bit redundant, but Lin Li was concerned about something happening if he went for direct copying.
"What on earth is this stuff, it's in Classical Chinese, totally unreadable." Zhang Yu Bai Bufan said, face full of confusion.
"The content is martial arts, I found it online, using it to practice Classical Chinese translation, and maybe learn a thing or two." Lin Li said with a mix of truth and bluff, then performed a few movements.
It actually looked somewhat like the real deal.
Bai Bufan stepped back, stood tall, clasped his hands together and bowed: "Mr. Lin, this fist strength, it's obvious you're a practitioner, skilled to perfection. We should spar sometime, I'm coincidentally a modern inheritor of the Bai Family cultivation technique."
"If your BYD practiced martial arts, you wouldn't only beat me by two seconds in a thousand meters, we're both just average." Lin Li scoffed.
By now, Lin Li knew perfectly well what to expect from Bai Bufan's nonsense.
"Are you doubting my Bai Family cultivation technique?!" Bai Bufan widened his eyes, "I swear by my Optimus Prime, the Bai Family technique is definitely stronger than your bullsh*t."
"Betting so big?" Lin Li raised an eyebrow.
Thinking about it, the Bai surname indeed sounds impressive, maybe there's something passed down, so Lin Li asked, "What is your Bai Family technique?"
"White Tiger - Scar Light Auto Rifle."
"..."
"Speak, bastard! Is the Bai Family technique stronger or your unknown technique stronger!"
"Screw your CrossFire game!"