Chapter 0005: The Guo Zhenming Case, the plot begins

Thirty catties? Chen Hao was somewhat surprised, thinking to himself that the ancients really knew how to mistreat people!

Snap

This is just like discounts at the supermarket; discounted items do not count towards points

The arduous training over the course of more than ten days has greatly improved Chen Hao, to the extent that even Shen Lian has praised his martial arts talent on more than one occasion. However, Chen Hao is not satisfied, as he has greater ambitions.

The third style, drawing the knife to cut through the water

After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Shen Lian called a halt to Chen Hao

In fact, Chen Hao did not make a mistake; he committed murder intentionally because he was too eager to obtain the 'Hero's Point'

After the person was killed, the system did not award Chen Hao any hero points at all. The reason was that the individual's evil value had reached the threshold, but their martial arts skills were too poor to meet the standard. In order to obtain hero points, both the evil value and martial arts skills must meet the criteria. Even if a villain is killed, if they lack martial arts skills, they will not receive any hero points.

Generally speaking, practice begins at a young age, and the same applies to the practice of the Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada. There are several pairs of iron shoes for children and adolescents at home, all of which are lighter than the pair in front of you. However, since you are now at the age of maturity, you certainly cannot fit into the smaller shoes, so you can only start practicing with the shoes that weigh thirty jin

When you can wear these iron shoes and walk as if on level ground, then the skill of the Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada will be considered mastered. Shen Lian looked at Chen Hao practicing with a smile on his face, feeling very satisfied.

Shen Lian was also sitting on a stone bench enjoying the cool breeze, and he glared at Yin Cheng: "What is the matter, why are you in such a hurry?"

"Alright, enough with the nonsense, come over and put it on," Shen Lian said with a sense of glee. If the subordinates of the Ming Shifang Guard were to see this, they would surely be taken aback. Is this really their cold and serious superior?

As he spoke, Shen Lian picked up a knife from the nearby bench, and with a swift motion, a flash of white light appeared as the blade was drawn, leaving Chen Hao no time to rest

A eunuch from the Eastern Depot has been murdered, we have a major case on our hands! Yin Cheng was all smiles, as for people like them who lack connections and background, it is unlikely to encounter a major case in one or two years; when they do get a major case, they are even happier than during the New Year

One evening, Chen Hao lay on the stone bench of the Ming Shifang Baihu Suo, enjoying the cool breeze after the rain

Shen Lian provided a detailed demonstration of the knife techniques, patiently explaining the key points, while Chen Hao watched attentively

Shen Lian seemed not to notice Chen Haohong's swollen foot, and he said: "From today onwards, practice the Eight Steps to Chase the Cicada for one incense stick each day and the Shen Family Sword Technique for half an hour."

The Shen family sword technique consists of a total of nine forms, each of which has been summarized and compiled by our ancestors. You must observe carefully and remember that it must never be passed on to outsiders

The Shen family, after several generations of inheritance, ultimately had their swordsmanship thoroughly refined by Shen Lian's great-grandfather. He simplified the techniques from complexity to a system of nine forms, which significantly enhanced both their power and practicality compared to before

Chen Hao did not hear clearly what Shen Lian was saying; he was fully focused on practicing with the iron shoes, and intense gasping sounds escaped his mouth

However, he did not lose confidence; he understood that the first world he traversed was merely a lower realm, and the next world might very well contain the existence of internal energy and true qi

However, seeing Shen Lian's bewildered expression, Chen Hao felt a chill in his heart. In the world of "The Stitching Spring Blade," Shen Lian is considered a master, yet he has never heard of internal energy. It is highly likely that this world does not possess the existence of true energy.

In his previous life, Chen Hao had seen performances of people wearing iron shoes on television, and he had even applied for a Guinness World Record. However, they moved very slowly, akin to a snail's pace. He believed that Shen Lian's requirements would certainly be much higher than those of the so-called Guinness record holders.

A few days ago, Chen Hao killed a man; it was an accidental death while pursuing a criminal. The man was a notorious flower thief, and he had victimized more than ten young girls.

Shen Lian stayed in the room for only a short while before coming out, with a burlap sack slung over his shoulder

Chen Hao has been in this world for more than ten days. During these days, Chen Hao has been learning martial arts with Shen Lian in the mornings and attending to official duties at the Hundred House Office in the afternoons

"Sir, something serious has happened!" At this moment, Yin Cheng hurriedly walked into the precinct and ran to the stone bench where Chen Hao was lying.

After Shen Lian finished speaking, he returned to his room, and as he turned around, he couldn't help but mutter softly, saying that the girl from Old Liu's family in the garrison had become foolish from reading novels and had abandoned her parents to elope with someone!

What is internal true energy? Shen Lian had never heard anyone mention it before, so he asked, "What is internal true energy?"

In Shen Changqing's memory, there is no knowledge of martial arts, and he has been lazy since childhood, disliking the expenditure of physical effort to practice. He has even never practiced the martial arts passed down from his ancestors, thus Chen Hao has little understanding of the martial power in this world

"Turning the tides and shaking the seas? One against ten thousand?" Shen Lian patted Chen Hao's shoulder and said earnestly, "The text of 'Journey to the West: The Legend of the Exorcism' should not be read too much, as it can make one foolish..."

Chen Hao was completely focused on watching Shen Lian's demonstration, and his heart was equally filled with passion, unable to help but exclaim that this was the true essence of martial arts

Stop, don't say anything more!" Shen Lian interrupted Chen Hao's words, looking at him as if he were a fool.

Father-in-law? ... Chen Hao revealed a hint of a secret smile, the plot has finally begun ...

Shen Lian demonstrated the moves to Chen Hao while explaining: "The first move is the Force Split of Mount Hua"

Chen Hao originally believed that there existed internal martial arts in this world, which is why he wanted Shen Lian to teach him internal skills

So heavy

Shen Lian gripped the knife with both hands and struck heavily downwards at a wooden stake beside him. The force of this blow was immense, and the wooden stake, over half a meter high, was instantly split in two.

Chen Hao is not particularly concerned about how tiring it is. Back in the orphanage, he spent six months giving massages to a retired chef in order to learn military boxing. A pair of iron shoes is nothing he cannot handle!

... ...

However, Chen Hao did not take it seriously. Just because he could not obtain the hero points, he would not kill? Wrong. As long as Chen Hao's strength was sufficient, he would kill when encountering evil people. What if he could not obtain hero points? He was the master of the system, not a slave to it. He had his own principles of action

As he reached the opposite side of Chen Hao, Shen Lian threw the sack off his shoulder onto the ground, which happened to land on a metal basin placed on the ground, producing a sound akin to metal colliding.

Chen Hao is quite confident in his cultivation, after all, he possesses the Hero System. As long as he has enough Hero Points, he can upgrade infinitely

Internal energy is a form of energy that martial artists cultivate through the practice of internal martial arts techniques, drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. This energy is absorbed into the body to nourish oneself. It is said that once a martial artist cultivates true energy, their body undergoes a tremendous transformation. Some individuals who have perfected their true energy can turn rivers and seas upside down, facing thousands with just one. He could only explain this to Shen Lian based on the novels he had read in his previous life and his own imagination

Stop

These nine forms appear to be a breakdown of combat movements using a knife. Whether it is the martial arts routines of a past life or acrobatic performances, it seems that these nine movements can be combined to be executed, or one could say that even the most elaborate routines are composed of these nine forms

Not bad! Shen Lian nodded in acknowledgment, pointing to the iron shoes on the ground and said: "Each iron shoe weighs thirty pounds and is a specialized auxiliary tool for practicing the Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada!"

Upon seeing Shen Lian call to stop, Chen Hao sat down on the ground, hurriedly rubbing his sore feet, which had actually become red and swollen.

Ding!

Time flies like a shuttle, and moments quietly slip away without notice

The second form sweeps across the thousands of troops

However, Chen Hao did not stop, even though his shirt was soaked with sweat, he continued to move forward step by step with great difficulty

The nine knife techniques demonstrated by Shen Lian appear quite simple: chopping, stabbing, lifting, blocking, reversing, and the handle... Each of these nine movements consists of basic actions that are straightforward, yet each movement is also complete. The entire body and limbs are engaged, with a stable lower body supporting the movements, the upper body swinging to generate force, and no stiffness in the waist, back, hands, or feet.

This was Chen Hao's first feeling when he put on the iron shoes; his feet felt as if they were encased in heavy shackles, making it exceedingly difficult to move. Each time he lifted his foot, it required immense physical effort, and before long, Chen Hao was drenched in sweat.

"Is this an iron shoe?" Only then did a pair of shoes made of metal slide out from the sack. This was the first time Chen Hao had seen shoes crafted from metal with his own eyes

Seeing Shen Lian reduce the internal energy to mythological novels, Chen Hao felt disappointed; this world truly lacks internal skills and true energy