The Young Protagonist

"Get up, you two brats! It's time for martial arts training!"

Just as the sky was beginning to brighten, a voice startled Fang Xiaoyu awake. Needless to say, this voice could only belong to Miao Cuihua.

As the cold wind blew, Fang Xiaoyu gritted his teeth and held his horse stance. As an orphan, Fang Xiaoyu was definitely tougher than Fang Shiyu, although his foundation was somewhat lacking.

Through the system's transformation and under Miao Cuihua's strict supervision, Fang Xiaoyu quickly mastered the horse stance, achieving both form and spirit. Even Miao Cuihua couldn't help but praise his progress.

Three years had passed in the blink of an eye. Fang Xiaoyu had established a solid foundation, learning only the basics of Luohan Fist, without mastering more advanced techniques.

The most important realization for Fang Xiaoyu was discovering that the internal martial arts he had hoped for from Miao Cuihua were illusory. Despite Miao Cuihua being a direct descendant of Shaolin, she only practiced internal family boxing techniques and had no knowledge of legendary manuals like the Nine Yin Manual or Nine Yang Manual.

Practicing martial arts might make one strong enough to climb walls or fight multiple opponents, but achieving the supernatural feats of crossing a river on a reed or fighting a thousand enemies was pure fantasy.

Nonetheless, Fang Xiaoyu wasn't too disappointed. The absence of such miraculous techniques in Fang Shiyu's world didn't mean they didn't exist in other worlds.

Internal martial arts, however, provided the best solid foundation. Tempering the body itself was universally valuable, so Fang Xiaoyu continued his rigorous training regardless of his mission. In just three years, he developed an incredibly strong physique.

After a bucket of cold water washed away his sweat, he covered his body, which could make women scream.

Years of practice had made Fang Xiaoyu's body exceptionally flexible. Dressed in a long robe and holding a book, he now exuded the demeanor of a refined scholar.

Walking through the streets in the Qianlong period, the world seemed relatively peaceful. Though there were occasional disturbances, overall it was a time of tranquility.

In his green attire, Fang Xiaoyu attracted many people's attention and greetings.

"Brother Fang, try these dates."

"Brother Fang, check out these Western-style glasses; they're really cool, just as you like."

"Wow, isn't that Young Master Fang? Truly a dragon among men. My daughter has been longing to see you..."

Several young women in revealing clothing approached, causing Fang Xiaoyu to flee.

"Ugh... you're so mean, Tingting won't play with you..."

From an alley nearby, a somewhat childish female voice called out. Fang Xiaoyu couldn't help but look in that direction.

In the alley, several eight- or nine-year-olds were teasing a little girl. The girl was well-dressed, suggesting she came from a good family. What stood out most was her delicate, angelic face.

Seeing the little girl made Fang Xiaoyu pause in admiration. She had a pure, enchanting face with large, sparkling eyes—truly the makings of a goddess.

"Woo, Tingting wants to go home. Tingting doesn't want to be Big Fatty's bride..."

Among the children, a large, arrogant boy said, "Lei Tingting, today you're going to be my Wang Hu's little bride..."

Fang Xiaoyu couldn't help but laugh, drawing the attention of the children. The large boy glared at him and said, "Kid, what are you laughing at? Get out of here!"

At thirteen, Fang Xiaoyu was still quite young, only slightly older than the large boy, who was as big as a mountain. Despite Fang Xiaoyu's slight advantage in height, the boy was still intimidating.

"Big brother, save me! Wang Hu is a bad guy!"

The little girl looked at Fang Xiaoyu with tearful eyes, as if he were her savior.

The large boy was displeased, seeing his bride-to-be might be taken away by someone else. He glared at Fang Xiaoyu and ordered his friends, "Brothers, attack!"

Five or six kids of varying ages, the youngest about ten, charged at Fang Xiaoyu under the large boy's command.

Fang Xiaoyu smiled slightly, dodged the boy's charge, and kicked his leg, sending him rolling away. The other kids were no match for Fang Xiaoyu's years of training.

In just a few moves, Fang Xiaoyu had the kids crying out in pain.

Uninterested in further bullying the children, Fang Xiaoyu stopped after teaching them a lesson. He lightly tapped the book in his hand and disdainfully looked at the kids, not noticing the admiration in the little girl's eyes.

The large boy, Wang Hu, stood up, pointed at Fang Xiaoyu, and said, "You brat, if you have the guts, give me your name. I'll get my people!"

With a loud crash, a larger, plump man came running and shouted, "Which brat is bullying my Tingting? Come here!"

The sight of such a formidable figure scared Wang Hu and his friends, who immediately fled.

In an instant, the kids had disappeared, and the larger man headed straight for Fang Xiaoyu. His fat hand reached out to grab Fang Xiaoyu, who dodged quickly. Though the man was unskilled in martial arts, his size was formidable. Fang Xiaoyu managed to avoid most of the attack but was grazed on the arm, causing his book to fall to the ground.

"You dare bully my daughter? I, Lei Laohu, will beat you to death!"

Fang Xiaoyu was shocked, recognizing the man as the notorious Lei Laohu. He knew he couldn't compete with Lei Laohu's imposing physique and, seeing that Lei Laohu wasn't inclined to reason, quickly decided to run.

Just as Lei Laohu was about to chase him, a clear, pleasant voice rang out, "Daddy, what are you doing? Stop!"

The voice was like a command to Lei Laohu. He stopped immediately, turned around, and put on a forced, friendly smile. "Tingting, I've chased away those brats!"

The eight- or nine-year-old Lei Tingting huffed, walked a few steps, and picked up the book Fang Xiaoyu had dropped. She opened it to see the three characters: "Fang Xiaoyu."

"Sweetie, what are you looking at? Let Daddy see!" Lei Laohu came closer to peek at the book in Lei Tingting's hand. However, the little girl quickly closed it, huffed, and walked away.

Lei Laohu scratched his head and followed her, calling out, "Sweetie, why are you ignoring Daddy? Harmony is important, harmony is important..."

Fang Xiaoyu walked with his head down, feeling a tumultuous mix of emotions. The presence of figures like Fang Shiyu, Lei Laohu, and Lei Tingting instilled a sense of urgency in him.

In just eight years—at most—the storyline from the movie would unfold, and he would have to face the formidable Qing Dynasty force represented by the powerful Erhuo, played by Zhao Wenzhuo. The thought of Zhao Wenzhuo's formidable strength filled Fang Xiaoyu with tremendous pressure. If he couldn't defeat Zhao Wenzhuo, he might as well resign himself to staying in this world indefinitely.

"Going to Shaolin is crucial. The saying '天下武功出少林' (All martial arts originate from Shaolin) isn't just a saying. I need to discuss going to Shaolin with my aunt," Fang Xiaoyu murmured to himself as he made his way back to the Fang residence.

The Fang residence had become much more impressive than before. Although Fang Xiaoyu couldn't make major inventions, he had managed to make some small innovations. In just three years, the Fang family's business had transformed dramatically, becoming one of the most renowned commercial families in Guangzhou. Their residence had also been upgraded to a grand mansion.

From Fang Xiaoyu's secret observations, he noted that nearly half of the Fang family's earnings seemed to have vanished. If he didn't know better, he would have suspected that the accountants and managers were colluding to embezzle the family's money.

It was clear that the missing profits were being siphoned off by Fang De to support the Red Flower Society. Although Fang Xiaoyu was aware of this, he chose not to confront the issue directly.