SWDnovel Chapter 42 The True Self in the Mirror, Mastery of Ming Jin!
Chapter 42 The True Self in the Mirror, Mastery of Ming Jin!
Four imported Belgian mercury mirrors illuminated the small practice room with crystal clarity.
Four Lu Chengs are reflected in the mirror.
He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of loose-fitting training pants.
At first glance, his physique didn't resemble Lei Laohu's muscular build; instead, he appeared rather "thin."
But if someone in the know were to look at it, they would definitely gasp in shock.
That's "strip meat".
Every muscle looked like it was made of twisted steel wire, clinging tightly to the bone with incredibly smooth lines, rising and falling slightly with each breath, as if containing explosive power.
"open!"
Lu Cheng gave a low shout and suddenly opened his eyes.
Deep within his pupils, a golden line swirled, like two searchlights, instantly locking onto his reflection in the mirror.
【Sharp Eyes (Beginner)】Full power!
The world has changed.
Dust particles floating in the air danced in slow motion.
The "Lu Cheng" in the mirror was no longer skin and flesh, but countless trembling tendons and a heart that roared like a pump.
"Chop punch, rise!"
Lu Cheng made a move.
An extremely slow start.
But under the watchful eyes of a keen observer, this simple gesture was riddled with flaws.
"The left scapula was 0.1 seconds slower."
"The third vertebra is a bit stiff, and I can't get the strength through."
"The big toe isn't gripping the ground properly, wasting three-tenths of the effort!"
If anyone else heard these thoughts, they would go crazy.
Is this martial arts practice? This looks like clockmaking!
But in Lu Cheng's eyes, this is called "illusion".
I used to think I had mastered all the skills, but that was just a frog in a well.
Now that we have these eyes, it's like using a microscope to find lice. Once we see them, we have to kill them!
"Again!"
Lu Cheng gritted his teeth, forcibly controlling those subtle muscle groups.
This is even more tiring than picking up a sled.
That's fighting against the muscle memory you've developed through countless trials; it's like taking your bones apart and putting them back together!
Sweat dripped down his chin.
Soon, a large area of the floor tiles underfoot became wet.
But the golden light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
One day, two days, three days...
Lu Cheng was like a mad ascetic, locking himself in these four mirrors.
Shunzi would only bring in a large bucket of beef and ginseng soup during mealtimes.
Lu Cheng ate like a hungry wolf, even chewing the bones and swallowing them.
Until late on the seventh day.
Outside, the cold wind howled, while inside, the air was thick with heat.
Lu Cheng stood in the center of the mirror, looking as if he had lost weight, but his spirit and energy were like a sharpened sword, dazzlingly sharp.
"Three-Body Stance, hold!"
He slowly assumed a basic stance.
This time.
No adjustments were made.
Without hesitation.
From gripping the ground with your toes, to slightly lifting your knees, then straightening your spine, and finally reaching the void with your head.
All 206 bones and 600 muscles in the body achieved perfect harmony in that instant.
Perfectly fitted!
Perfectly natural!
"Buzz..."
In that very instant.
A strange sound suddenly came from inside Lu Cheng's body.
It was neither the cracking of bones nor the thunderous sound of internal organs.
Rather, it was a sound like... the lingering echo of a great bell being struck, or the tingling sensation of an electric current flowing through the body.
That was the prelude to "muscles and bones resonating together"!
Followed by.
"Snap! Snap! Snap!"
A series of rapid explosions, starting from the base of his spine, like a string of firecrackers, blasted all the way up his spine to the top of his head.
boom!
Lu Cheng felt a sudden clarity in his mind.
The blood and qi in the body, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly broke through the last bit of stagnation.
The force is penetrating and reaches right to the extremities!
He raised his hand and looked at his palm.
A thought crossed my mind.
The pores, which were originally somewhat rough, closed completely in an instant, locking in the heat inside the body.
"This is... the pinnacle of Ming Jin!"
Lu Cheng smiled.
He waved his hand casually.
No force was used.
*Smack!*
A sharp crack, like the crack of a whip, rang out in the air, extinguishing the candle flame a foot away.
A single sound is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.
For him now, this sound is nothing more than a common occurrence in his daily life.
This moment.
He was no longer the "nouveau riche" who relied on system rewards to maintain appearances.
He was a master who had truly mastered kung fu to the core and even begun to touch the threshold of "hidden strength"...
……
The next morning.
Lu Cheng pushed open the door to the training room.
The sun was shining brightly outside; it was a rare sunny day.
He took a deep breath, and the cold air entered his lungs. It was instantly heated by his powerful cardiopulmonary function. When he exhaled, it became a solidified white ribbon that shot out two meters away.
"Master, you've emerged from seclusion!"
Shunzi, who was practicing shooting in the yard, spotted Lu Cheng with sharp eyes and exclaimed in surprise.
Lu Cheng smiled and was about to speak.
Then I heard the roar of a car engine coming from the front yard.
These days, only warlords or the super-rich can afford to drive cars.
A moment later, Zhou Daikui led in a man wearing a gray Zhongshan suit and sunglasses.
The man looked unfamiliar and didn't resemble the Lieutenant Li. He also lacked the roguish air of a soldier and instead exuded a gloomy competence.
"Boss Lu, congratulations!"
The man didn't take off his sunglasses, and gave a forced, insincere bow.
"My surname is Zhao, and I am the steward of General Ma's mansion."
"Well, the weather is nice today, and the family wants to listen to a play."
"The commander-in-chief specifically asked me to invite Boss Lu to his residence to perform a show."
Lu Cheng raised an eyebrow slightly.
Marshal Ma's Mansion?
He currently holds the nominal title of "Chief Instructor of the Big Sword Team," so visiting his residence is a common occurrence for him.
But for some reason, after activating his [Fiery Eyes], his intuition became frighteningly sharp.
The manager in front of me, Zhao, has a certain odor about him.
It doesn't smell like perfume, nor does it smell like smoke.
It was a faint, almost imperceptible smell of blood, and the shifty eyes hidden behind the sunglasses.
"Since it is the Commander-in-Chief who has invited me, it is my honor."
Lu Cheng calmly accepted the gold-embossed invitation.
"Shunzi, go and tell everyone to pack their things and get Master Bing to come along. We're leaving now."
"Wait a minute."
Manager Zhao suddenly reached out to stop him.
"Boss Lu, today's gathering is a bit special."
"What's so special about it?" Lu Cheng asked, looking at him.
"The commander said he wants some peace and quiet today."
Manager Zhao grinned, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow from smoking.
"I don't want to see so many irrelevant people."
"Please let Mr. Lu go alone."
"No need to bring a band, or even bags."
"The mansion has everything, costumes, musicians, all readily available."
Lu Cheng narrowed his eyes.
A person?
No troupe, no musician?
In the world of Peking Opera, this is considered breaking the rules.
When a leading actor performs, he is like the "red flower and green leaves." Without a familiar musician, if the pitch or rhythm is slightly off, the performance will be ruined.
Moreover, this is a performance held at the Marshal's Mansion.
"Manager Zhao, isn't this against the rules?"
Zhou Daikui, standing nearby, grew anxious. "Our Boss Lu sings martial arts opera, which requires a supporting cast. How can one person sing it?"
"What, is Boss Lu disrespecting the Commander-in-Chief?"
Manager Zhao's face darkened, and his tone became somewhat threatening.
"Or is it that Boss Lu's title of 'Grandmaster' is just hype, and he can't walk without those cheerleaders?"
As he spoke, he took out a silver note from his pocket and gently patted it into Lu Cheng's hand.
"One thousand silver dollars."
"As long as Boss Lu goes alone and finishes singing, the money is yours."
"The car is waiting at the door. Whether you're going or not, Boss Lu, give me a straight answer."
One thousand yuan.
Buy a one-man show.
This price is astronomical, even in Tianjin or Shanghai.
But the higher the price, the deeper the water runs.
Lu Cheng gripped the silver note tightly, his fingertips applying slight pressure.
If it had been half a month ago, he might have hesitated.
but now……
He has achieved mastery of Ming Jin (a martial art), and possesses keen insight.
He was just worried about not finding a touchstone to test his transformative abilities.
"it is good."
Lu Cheng tucked the silver note into his sleeve, his expression indifferent.
"Since the commander-in-chief wants to hear a monologue, then I, Lu, will make a fool of myself."
"However, what we sing is up to me."
"Of course." A smug glint flashed in Manager Zhao's eyes. "As long as Boss Lu is here, we can sing whatever we want."
"Shunzi, bring me my big gun."
Lu Cheng turned and gave the instructions.
"No need for any equipment or boxes, just this gun is enough."
……
Ten minutes later.
Lu Cheng changed into a neat black robe, and stood at the gate, carrying the white wax spear wrapped in black cloth.
The black Ford sedan, like a steel monster lying by the roadside, sputtered and emitted black smoke.
"Master Lu..."
Zhou Daikui pulled Lu Cheng aside, looked around, lowered his voice, and his face was frighteningly ugly.
"This is not right."
"I just had someone inquire about it."
"This morning, Commander Ma, along with his adjutant Li and a large group of men, went out of the city to hunt in the Western Hills. They said they wouldn't be back for two or three days."
"Right now, the person in charge of the Grand Marshal's mansion is that newly arrived fourth concubine, Yao Hong!"
"and……"
Zhou Daikui's voice was trembling.
"I heard that last night, Xiao Shengyun from the Qinghe Opera Troupe was also taken into the mansion by that Steward Zhao, and he hasn't come out yet."
"This isn't a private performance, this is... this is trying to lure you into a wolf's den!"
"Chengzi, let's not go. Let's not earn this money!"
Lu Cheng listened, but there was no surprise on his face.
Is General Ma not here?
Is it that woman, Yao Hong?
And Xiao Shengyun?
This is interesting.
If Commander Ma really wanted to kill him, he could have just sent a platoon of soldiers with machine guns to mow him down.
Why resort to this "luring the enemy into a trap" trick?
Where there are twists and turns, there must be something sinister.
This shows that the other side dares not, or cannot, openly use the power of its military.
Since it's not the military...
That's the kind of trickery used in the underworld.
"Master, don't worry."
Lu Cheng patted Zhou Daikui's trembling hand; the hand was warm and strong, exuding a sense of calm.
"It's good that Commander Ma isn't here."
"Some scores are better settled in front of him than when he's not around; it's much more peaceful that way."
"As for the wolf's den..."
Lu Cheng turned his head and looked at the black sedan, a golden glint flashing in his eyes.
Through the black gauze of the car window, he saw the driver's bulging gun holster at his waist.
"I'm eager to see what kind of monsters and demons lurk in this den of wolves."
"besides……"
Lu Cheng touched the silver note in his sleeve.
"This thousand silver dollars, why not take it if it's too good to pass up?"
After saying that, Lu Cheng picked up his gun and strode down the steps.
I opened the car door and got in.
His movements were graceful, without the slightest hesitation.
"drive!"