Chapter 155: Yan Shining's Martial Arts Background

In the evening, after returning home, Xia Yu finished his meal and went back to his room. He opened the drawer and looked at the stack of notebooks inside. Xia Yu sighed slightly and took out the top one, placing it on the desk. He opened it to find pages filled with dense, ant-like characters.

Xia Yu paused for a few seconds, feeling a bit emotional. "Unconsciously, I've written this much. I estimate it should be around a million words. 'The Legend of Qin' still has 600,000 words left, and I should be able to finish it within a month. Then I can finally relax."

"Since there's still some time now, I should write quickly. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can be free…"

Currently, 'The Legend of Qin' has been published in many martial arts novels due to its popularity. Readers who finish reading the daily installments of 'The Legend of Qin' naturally turn to other serialized martial arts novels.

With other high-quality martial arts novels increasing in popularity, the reader base for martial arts fiction has grown, which has enhanced the attachment of martial arts fans to the 'Nine Ding Daily.'

Similarly, the dependence of 'Nine Ding Daily' on Xia Yu's 'The Legend of Qin' is also gradually decreasing.

As this effect diminishes, the importance of 'The Legend of Qin' to Xia Yu also lessens.

At present, the most profitable segment is publishing. Even though the two volumes have been published with more than 2.5 million copies combined, it only brings Xia Yu a few million in profits.

For Xia Yu, who already has a net worth in the hundreds of millions, this amount of money is somewhat insignificant.

Comparing the time and effort spent writing 'The Legend of Qin' to the potential earnings, Xia Yu feels he could use his time more effectively to make more money.

After some consideration, Xia Yu decided that he wanted to finish writing as soon as possible. Once 'The Legend of Qin' is completed, he might not want to copy books anymore. Despite other works by Master Huang like 'The Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty' and 'The Rain and Clouds,' the sheer volume of work required to copy them makes Xia Yu hesitant.

However, Xia Yu hasn't made a final decision yet. He will consider the specific situation later, and if novels are needed for strategic purposes, he won't hesitate to continue.

After his reflections, Xia Yu turned back to the point where he had left off and picked up his pen, resuming his writing.

The sound of the pen scratching across the paper and the ticking of the watch were the only sounds in the room, apart from the occasional chirping of crickets outside. 

Time passed quickly when one was engrossed in something. It was already ten o'clock at night.

"Hmmm…"

Xia Yu stretched his arms, cracked his neck, and made a few cracking sounds.

"It's getting late. I should take a shower and go to bed," he said, noticing the time.

He closed the notebook, put it back in the drawer, and picked up his clothes before leaving the room.

After showering, Xia Yu passed by his younger brother Xia Ming's room. He noticed light seeping through the crack under the door and frowned slightly.

"Why is he still awake this late? Doesn't he have school tomorrow?"

Thinking this, Xia Yu opened Xia Ming's door and walked in.

Upon entering, he saw his younger brother looking flustered, seemingly trying to hide something.

Seeing this, Xia Yu's curiosity was piqued. He walked over to Xia Ming.

"Brother!" Xia Ming stood up and called out, though his face still showed signs of panic.

Xia Yu's gaze swept across the desk quickly. He noticed a corner of a book peeking out, with some color visible on the cover.

As the head of Nine Ding Media, Xia Yu recognized at a glance that it was a magazine. However, since only a corner was visible, he couldn't determine which magazine it was.

But judging by the color of the cover and Xia Ming's panicked expression, Xia Yu inferred that it probably wasn't a good magazine.

Noticing his brother's fearful expression, Xia Yu's frown relaxed, and he smiled gently as he asked, "Why are you still awake so late?"

"Brother, I'm going to sleep soon!" Xia Ming quickly replied.

"Have you finished your school assignments? Is there anything you don't understand?" Xia Yu asked softly.

"I've finished them. I understand everything taught at school and can complete the assignments," Xia Ming replied. He felt a sigh of relief as his brother didn't press further about the magazine he had hidden.

Since childhood, Xia Ming had always been afraid of his brother. Xia Yu's achievements and the family's improved life made him seem even more formidable. Xia Ming couldn't help but be intimidated.

Especially since Xia Yu had transferred him to a good school to ensure he studied well, Xia Ming felt guilty for being caught playing around.

"Alright, go to bed early! Don't doze off in class tomorrow," Xia Yu instructed.

After saying this, Xia Yu left the room and closed the door, as if forgetting about the earlier incident.

"Okay, brother. I'm going to sleep now," Xia Ming said seriously. Once Xia Yu had left and closed the door, Xia Ming let out a sigh of relief, pulled out the hidden magazine, and looked at it with longing. But thinking about his brother's and parents' expectations, he felt even more guilty for his brother's earlier discovery.

"Ah…"

With a sigh, Xia Ming's internal struggle faded away. He put the magazine back in the drawer, turned off the light, and went to bed.

Xia Yu, outside, had a thoughtful look on his face. He shook his head slightly and returned to his room.

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, Xia Yu got up early to practice Tai Chi.

As he was practicing, he heard the sound of someone training outside. He knew it was Yan Shining practicing martial arts.

Xia Yu went out and saw Yan Shining indeed practicing punches, each move filled with explosive power. Xia Yu couldn't help but admire him. It looked like real martial arts, fierce and genuine, not just decorative moves.

"Clap, clap, clap!" Xia Yu applauded.

Yan Shining, who had noticed Xia Yu's presence as soon as he came out, didn't stop. Hearing the applause, he stopped and stood up, exhaling deeply with a satisfied smile.

"Boss, you're up!" Yan Shining strode over and greeted him.

"Hmm!" Xia Yu nodded in acknowledgment.

"By the way, Brother Yan, I've seen you practicing several times. I'm curious, what style of martial arts are you practicing?" Xia Yu asked with curiosity.

"Boss, I practice Baji Quan," Yan Shining answered directly without any concealment.

Xia Yu raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Baji Quan? No wonder it looks so powerful."

Xia Yu had studied Baji Quan online in his previous life. He knew the saying, "In literature, Tai Chi maintains peace, while in martial arts, Baji Quan determines the fate of the world!"

"Baji" means the force can reach in all directions. Its movements are straightforward and fierce, with a lot of explosive power. Originating in Qingyun County, Shandong Province, it later spread to Cangzhou, Hebei, and was founded by Wu Zhong of Qingyun during the early Qing Dynasty. It gained fame in China during the late Qing Dynasty due to figures like Huang Sihai and Li Shuwen.

Li Shuwen, the master of Baji Quan, was renowned and praised as "The Fierce Fist with No Equal" and "The Divine Gun Li Shuwen."

Xia Yu was surprised to learn that Yan Shining practiced Baji Quan. Given his ability, it was likely that he had mastered it well. Xia Yu was curious about the depth of his skill.

"Brother Yan, how proficient are you in Baji Quan? Can you compare to Li Shuwen from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic period?" Xia Yu asked with curiosity.

Hearing Xia Yu's question, Yan Shining's expression became serious. He quickly shook his head and said, "Boss, I definitely can't compare to the master. I'm far from his level. I'd be satisfied if I could reach even half of his skill in this lifetime."

"The Master? Li Shuwen is your master?" Xia Yu's eyes widened in surprise.

Because of Baji Quan, Xia Yu had thought of Li Shuwen. He was astonished to learn about Yan Shining's connection to him.

"Yes! My father was a direct disciple of the master. The master was very enlightened, and later my father passed on Baji Quan to me," Yan Shining answered solemnly.

"I didn't expect that. Haha! It seems you've learned the true transmission. That's great!" Xia Yu said with a smile.

Hearing Xia Yu's praise, Yan Shining also smiled. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Boss, actually, there is a breathing method that accompanies Baji Quan. Would you like me to teach it to you?"

Since Xia Yu hadn't asked about it before, Yan Shining hadn't mentioned it. However, since Xia Yu wanted to learn martial arts now, Yan Shining decided to offer to teach him.

Although such techniques are usually kept secret, Yan Shining was willing to share them with Xia Yu due to the immense favor he had received from him.

Xia Yu raised his eyebrows, surprised that Yan Shining's Baji Quan also included a breathing method.

However, after some thought, Xia Yu shook his head. "No need. I'm fine with learning just one. I'll focus on mastering

 Tai Chi. I've heard Baji Quan is good for combat, while Tai Chi is for health. I'll stick with Tai Chi. There's no need to learn Baji Quan as I won't have a chance to use it."

Yan Shining nodded silently, understanding Xia Yu's decision.

This was indeed Xia Yu's true intention. He practiced martial arts mainly for health benefits. With limited energy, learning Baji Quan seemed unnecessary since he already practiced Tai Chi.

Although Baji Quan might be better for combat, Tai Chi, based on Li Chunqiu's performance, didn't seem to lag behind. Moreover, as Xia Yu mentioned, he wouldn't be on the front lines. There was no need to learn Baji Quan when he had protection from Yan Shining and other bodyguards.

If he ever found himself in a situation where he had to face danger alone, it would mean Yan Shining had fallen, which would be a real peril. Xia Yu didn't believe he could surpass Yan Shining in skill, so learning Baji Quan would be futile.

"Brother Yan, it's still early. You continue with your practice. I'll also practice Tai Chi."

With that, Xia Yu began his Tai Chi routine, focusing on the essentials of the breathing method.