Chen Jue watched them leave, muttering to himself, ’Teacher Wu seems to be getting more and more forward with me.’ Feeling great, he then turned into the small grove.
Unexpectedly, just as he arrived, Zhao Jianguo, who had been gone for several days, was back. And he had brought a middle-aged Daoist in a long black robe with him.
This Daoist had long hair tied back, a lean face, and a scruffy beard, looking somewhat unkempt. But his eyes were incredibly bright and sharp. He sat at a nearby stone table, sipping hot tea and quietly watching Zhao Jianguo lead the group in Tai Chi practice.
When Chen Jue arrived, he first curiously sized up the man. To his surprise, the Daoist’s reaction was extremely sharp; as if he had a built-in sensor, he turned and his gaze met Chen Jue’s.
’Such fast reflexes!’
Chen Jue was inwardly startled. Knowing it was rude to stare, he quickly averted his gaze. He hurried to join the practice group and began his daily Tai Chi morning exercises.
It just so happened that several of his Tai Chi Skills had already reached Lv. 2, making his practice feel increasingly fluid and comfortable.
Especially when performing the thirteen Tai Chi Pile Skills, Chen Jue had grasped the knack of contracting his perineum, tucking his tailbone, and making his skin prickle, his rising and falling movements carrying an indescribable rhythmic quality.
This scene left the nearby Daoist staring in utter disbelief!
When the two-hour morning practice ended, Chen Jue had reaped a ton of Tai Chi Skill Level and even gained a point in his Free Attribute, and then he slowly made his way out of the grove.
As for Zhao Jianguo, who had just finished teaching, he walked over to the stone table, sat down, and asked, "Senior Brother Zhicheng, what do you think? Is he a promising talent?"
The middle-aged Daoist nodded. "He is indeed a promising talent! Not only have his Pile Skills reached a certain level of mastery, but he’s even grasped the essence of Tai Chi—emphasizing intent over form."
"But Jianguo, are you sure this kid has only been training for less than a month? He didn’t start practicing as a child?" The middle-aged Daoist grew suspicious.
Zhao Jianguo quickly shook his head and argued, "How could I lie about that? He only signed up for a one-month short-term class. I taught him the Pile Skills myself! All the students here can testify to that!"
Seeing his junior brother so certain, the middle-aged Daoist finally set aside his doubts. He gazed thoughtfully in the direction Chen Jue had left and said, "We should get in touch with him later and see if there’s any hope of recruiting him. Our Dragon Gate Sect has declined. We’re not like a major sect like Wudang with a constant stream of new disciples. We’re desperate for people!"
...
After his morning practice, Chen Jue first went to the chess tables to chat with Elder Wu for a bit, thanking him repeatedly for the recommendation that allowed him to audit classes at Jiang University.
After leaving the park, he first stopped at his usual breakfast spot to eat, then turned on his GPS and slowly made his way to the meeting point shared in the wildlands hunting group chat.
When he arrived, Chen Jue found that the meeting point was next to a small river.
The river water was a bit murky. Several high-powered pumps were running at full throttle, slowly draining a section of the river that had been blocked off at both ends with sandbags, revealing the black, foul-smelling sludge below.
The dredging operation was making such a commotion that the opposite bank was already crowded with onlookers of all ages.
As for Guo Shao and Yang Fan, they were with a group of wildlands hunting enthusiasts by the river, waiting for the water to be pumped out.
The marked parking spots along the road were filled with rugged SUVs like Land Rovers, Toyota Prados, and Jeep Wranglers. Behind them were a few eye-catching sports cars. They were likely a group of Hang City’s demolition nouveau riche, out here hunting for some excitement.
The gear these people were holding was a bizarre assortment: slingshots, Compound Bows, traditional bows, and even homemade Crossbow Arrows. They were really taking the "wild" part to heart, even bringing out regulated equipment like that.
However, after a glance at the group chat, Chen Jue saw that Guo Shao had mentioned their hunting activity had been registered with the local police station. The group members with regulated equipment also had their items on file, which put Chen Jue at ease.
He parked his car far away first, then took the Face Armor from the back seat and put it on.
With a box of iron Nails and a set of Short Sword Darts in his pockets, Chen Jue instantly became the center of attention as soon as he got out of his car and walked toward the meeting point.
It was broad daylight. Who would willingly wear something like that to wander around unless they had something wrong with them, or maybe crippling social anxiety?
Of course, Chen Jue was just worried about revealing his identity, which was why he used the Face Armor to cover his face.
With so many people at the event today, someone was bound to film a video and post it on the internet.
Wearing the signature Face Armor of "Brother of Special Skills" would not only attract a wave of online traffic but also protect his privacy. It was killing two birds with one stone.
"It’s Brother of Special Skills!"
"The legend is finally here!"
"Damn, that Face Armor looks so fucking cool up close. I’m gonna go find one online later."
Seeing the familiar, ancient warrior-style Face Armor from a distance, the group members who were adjusting their equipment started to get excited.
The few wealthy group members with bows and crossbows looked particularly eager. They wanted to see if the flying Nails of this Brother of Special Skills were as godly as they appeared in that video where he instantly killed the rats.
"Bro, you’re finally here! Everyone’s been waiting to see you in action!"
Guo Shao and Yang Fan had an agreement with Chen Jue to protect his identity, so they didn’t use his real name when they approached. They introduced him to the other group members who had arrived and took a big group photo together.
Unexpectedly, Chen Jue spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.
It was Wang Wei, the guy he had just gone out with to the Jingtang Club last night! He was here at the event too!
Wang Wei was fawning over a rich young couple, constantly pulling things out of the back of a Lamborghini. He was clearly there for an offline event with the wealthy patrons he provided ’boosting’ services for.