Chapter 46: He Gave Too Much!

"No problem, I’ve got plenty of money. How much?" Lu Ren rarely showed such bravado. "Hmm, my best swords here are top-notch, going for thirteen million six hundred thousand." "Holy crap, boss, are you robbing me?!" The weapon shop owner seemed displeased: "What are you talking about? This is top-tier craftsmanship of cold weapons, and many of the ultra-tough alloys are sourced from materials labs through special channels. Without connections, don’t even think about it. Were it not for business being bleak these past years, I’d have doubled the price!" Lu Ren coughed awkwardly: "Boss, something more modest will do. I don’t have that much money." The weapon shop owner didn’t even look up: "I already guessed that. You haven’t acquired an air of wealth yet despite having money. Three hundred thousand, I know you’re from a Martial Arts Family; it will definitely satisfy you." After agreeing on the time with the owner, Lu Ren left the shop and headed straight to Yan Zhenghua’s convenience store. As soon as he entered, without meeting face-to-face, Yan Zhenghua’s weathered, deep smoker’s voice rang out sleazily. "What do you need, friend? I just got a batch of Divine Oil. Everyone who bought some gave it five stars. You can also follow my shop on Mei Tuan for home delivery. Buy one bottle, and I’ll throw in two Defensive Clothing for free. Hehehe... it’s you, kid!" Coming out, Yan Zhenghua’s warm voice diminished immediately. He sized up Lu Ren, who had just entered, and raised an eyebrow: "Your evil aura has intensified quite a bit. Looks like you’ve been wreaking havoc everywhere lately! How come the cops haven’t nabbed you?!" Lu Ren replied, dumbfounded: "Boss, please, I’m officially certified. Otherwise, could I swagger around in Hua Country like this?" "Oh?!" Yan Zhenghua glanced outside the convenience store discreetly, ensuring no one was tailing Lu Ren, then wore a peculiar smile: "Seems like you’ve been quite busy lately." "Spill it." Yan Zhenghua said lazily: "Suddenly popping in after all this time, what do you want from this little shrine of mine?" "I want to learn swordsmanship!" "Didn’t I tell you before? Your murderous intent is too strong, you can’t possibly train in the swordsmanship I’ve created. My sword style is the Intention Sword, fundamentally different from ordinary sword routines... Of course, it’s not entirely impossible!" Yan Zhenghua fixated his gaze on the wad of cash in Lu Ren’s hand, then feigned difficulty: "But with this small amount, it’s really hard for me to proceed!" Lu Ren continued to dig out another wad from his backpack! Seeing this, Yan Zhenghua’s greedy eyes sparkled, hands moving like lightning to snatch the money from Lu Ren. He wasn’t greedy by nature; the amount offered was simply irresistible! Fast, swift as a storm, quick as a gale. Lu Ren even felt a rush of wind on his face, causing him to instinctively squint. "Is this the Phoenix Extreme Fist?" Swish! Swish! Yan Zhenghua counted the money, not even looking up: "Kid, this amount is only enough for me to teach you swordsmanship. Don’t even think about my Fist Technique; you’re not my ideal successor." Lu Ren snorted, then set his stance, sinking his hips before fiercely punching the air beside him. Whoosh! A sharp, piercing cry suddenly resounded, drawing Yan Zhenghua’s gaze in astonishment. "Phoenix Falcon Fist?! Where did you learn this?" He knew Lu Ren inside out, aware of what he was made of. After just a few months apart, Lu Ren had mastered the Phoenix Falcon Fist? This surprised Yan Zhenghua to the point of disbelief, cursing inwardly that back when he practiced, he wasn’t this arrogant. Clearly, Lu Ren was here to make trouble! A Martial Arts genius?! So what if he’s a Martial Arts genius? I’ve long left the scene! Yan Zhenghua’s greasy, plump face turned increasingly sinister, more irritable. If not for the money, he would’ve kicked Lu Ren out. But the heavy stack of paper bills in his hand made him smile warmly. No one escapes the true fragrance rule! Watching from the sidelines, Lu Ren inwardly mocked, thinking that even in modern society, even powerful martial artists had to bow to life... "It’s official authorization. Well, do I grasp the essence of it?" "Official authorization?" Yan Zhenghua rubbed his chin, scrutinizing Lu Ren: "What major feat did you accomplish that the security bureau’s experts taught you their techniques?" Clearly, this fat man knew the ropes intimately! "That’s none of your concern. The point is, I’m here to prove I’m not someone with a twisted mindset or someone who indulges in wanton slaughter. I’m officially authorized and certified!" Lu Ren spoke seriously: "I’m just saying you can actually teach me!" Lu Ren’s attitude was earnest. After a moment of contemplation, Yan Zhenghua suddenly waved disinterestedly: "Fine, what you have isn’t enough for me to pass on my life’s skills to you. I’ll teach you swordsmanship first, come on in, don’t just stand there." Need to add money! Lu Ren understood what Yan Zhenghua meant. Following Yan Zhenghua to the training room behind the convenience store, they were interrupted by an unfamiliar voice at the door. "Old Yan, how much for this vinegar?" Yan Zhenghua shouted in reply: "Eight bucks, just scan to pay, I’m busy here, the prices are all labeled!" Entering the training room, Yan Zhenghua held a Wooden Sword, speaking solemnly: "The decline of the Martial Path is now inevitable. With technological advances, martial artists who train for twenty to thirty years can’t match a bullet fired from a gun. In a hundred years, perhaps martial arts will be fully obsolete, disappearing in the river of history." At this point, Yan Zhenghua looked somewhat melancholy: "Really, hiding this stuff serves no purpose. My Fist Technique, my Sword Manual, I uploaded them to my Weibo a couple of years ago. Hundreds of views, zero downloads." "Ha?!" Lu Ren was slightly shocked: "You actually put martial arts online, aren’t you afraid of people practicing them?" Yan Zhenghua sneered: "It’s not that easy to train. Even if I give you the Sword Manual, if you practice without my annotations and explanations, even ten years wouldn’t get you in the door." These martial arts families are cunning indeed, no wonder they aren’t afraid of letting you take the Boxing Manual, because if it lacks annotations or old explanations, or if something’s missing or incorrect, what you practice won’t be right and might cripple you. Lu Ren: "You folks are really good at hiding secrets, no wonder so many things in history were taken to the grave." Yan Zhenghua sighed: "There is some truth to that. Many masters want to keep something back, one hand keeps holding back, in the end, it all goes to the grave. Many top-tier, even legendary skills are now mostly lost." Lu Ren grinned: "You wouldn’t hold anything back too, would you?" Yan Zhenghua smiled silently. Lu Ren wrapped an arm around Yan Zhenghua’s shoulder, speaking softly: "I know a top-notch massage place, their sauna and foot spa are the best!"