Chapter 3

Xiaosheng's father was an old escort of the Fuyi Escort Agency, but he had bad luck and encountered bandits while on a mission. He was slashed and bled to death. Xiaosheng had entered the escort agency from a young age, and now that his father had met with an accident, the Fuyi Escort Agency naturally provided some compensation. However, the compensation was only temporary. More importantly, the agency gave him a position to stay within the agency.

If everything went smoothly, he would start from the bottom as a low-level laborer. He would practice martial arts and escort missions bit by bit, accumulating experience. Gradually, he would rise to become a journeyman, an escort, and eventually, possibly, a head escort. But without family martial arts or a master to teach him, it would be extremely difficult to become a head escort.

His father had spent half his life to become an escort. Now, without his father's guidance in martial arts, although the agency had some human touch, it wouldn't be much help. He had to start all over again. Like his father, he wasn't very cunning, but he was exceptionally straightforward, almost single-minded. Therefore, he practiced martial arts with great dedication and hard work.

Most people had left the training ground, but Xiaosheng continued to practice the basic boxing techniques passed down by the agency, his clothes drenched in sweat.

"Xiaosheng, still practicing boxing?" The voice was light and teasing, coming from a young man about Xiaosheng's age. A few other young men of similar age followed him, clearly with him as the leader. Compared to Xiaosheng's simple hemp clothes, the other's attire, though not luxurious, was clearly of better quality, indicating a more affluent family background.

Xiaosheng ignored him and continued to practice diligently.

Seeing that Xiaosheng ignored him, the other young man became annoyed.

"Your moves are wrong. No matter how much you practice, it won't help. Even if you practice until you die, you'll still just be a laborer," the young man's face turned red, and his voice rose.

"But, if you call me Brother Bai Er and follow me, maybe one day when I'm in a good mood, my brother can teach you a few moves. You might even become a journeyman," Bai Er said with a hint of pride. His brother, Bai Da, had good talent and was guided by their father, who was an escort. He was quite famous among the young men in the agency, which was something Bai Er was always proud of.

"Right, call Brother Bai Er quickly..."

"Being favored by Brother Bai Er, you should be happy..."

The young men behind Bai Er imitated the adults, clumsily flattering him.

Xiaosheng remained unmoved by Bai Er's taunts and temptations, continuing to practice the simple basic boxing techniques.

Bai Er waited with his head held high, hoping Xiaosheng would give in. After a long wait with no response, he looked down and saw that Xiaosheng was completely ignoring him, making his face turn red with anger.

"Fine, fine, fine, you Xiaosheng are not giving me face. Let's have a go then." He struck a pose, feeling very proud. He had seen the escorts in the agency sparring like this and thought it was very dignified. Today, seeing the other young men look at him with admiration, he felt even more proud.

Xiaosheng didn't want to cause trouble. He was alone in the agency and was very cautious about offending others. He was naturally reserved and acted stiffly, not knowing how to socialize. Although no one disliked him, he didn't have good relationships either. Therefore, he didn't want to conflict with Bai Er, who was a "red man" in the agency.

He didn't want to fight, but Bai Er didn't care. Seeing Xiaosheng turn his head as if to refuse, Bai Er wouldn't let him off. Without a word, he moved softly. Although he spoke lightly, he had real skills. Thanks to his talented brother, his basic boxing techniques were quite solid.

This punch to the chest was well-calculated in strength and position.

Xiaosheng had no choice but to block. However, the punch aimed at his chest unexpectedly moved upward a few inches. With a slap, it hit his nose squarely. Xiaosheng immediately felt a sting in his nose, and tears welled up in his eyes.

His vision blurred, and he didn't have time to react. Bai Er kicked him in the chest, and he was immediately knocked to the ground.

The kick to the chest left Xiaosheng feeling suffocated, and he couldn't get up for a while.

Bai Er was triumphant. "What do you think? I told you your moves were wrong, and you didn't believe me. Now you know my strength, right?"

"Brother Bai Er is mighty..."

"Brother Bai Er is as good as Brother Bai Da..."

Bai Er initially felt a bit embarrassed by the praise, but after hearing it a few times, he became quite pleased. Seeing Xiaosheng lying on the ground, unable to get up, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

"I'll let you off today. Go home and think about it. Give me your answer tomorrow, whether you want to follow me, Bai Er," he said and then turned to leave with his followers.

Xiaosheng had been practicing boxing for a long time, and his strength was already exhausted. Now, being knocked down by Bai Er, he couldn't get up for a while. After struggling several times, he finally managed to stand up. Thinking about Bai Er's two strikes, he began to practice them unconsciously, as if nothing had happened.

Not far away, Su Zhong watched with great satisfaction. This Xiaosheng seemed to be a martial arts enthusiast. Whether it was due to his circumstances or his nature, his constant focus on boxing made him a good prospect.

Su Zhong watched for a while and then walked to Xiaosheng.

"He's right, your boxing techniques are wrong," Su Zhong said.

Hearing someone speak, Xiaosheng turned his head and saw it was the young escort leader. He quickly stopped his movements and bowed his head in respect. "Young Escort Leader." Although he was reserved, he wasn't stupid. Although Su Zhong's reputation in the Fuyi Escort Agency wasn't great, as a laborer, he had to show absolute respect.

"Keep practicing," Su Zhong waved his hand, which seemed quite mature to Xiaosheng.

"Yes," Xiaosheng bowed and resumed his stance to practice boxing. However, with a child watching him, he felt somewhat uneasy and couldn't concentrate as well as before. He couldn't help but wonder why this quiet young master was paying attention to him.

His nature was very reserved. If it were Bai Er, he would have immediately flattered him. Regardless of Su Zhong's intentions, flattering the young escort leader would certainly not be harmful.

Xiaosheng didn't have such cunning, so he could only follow Su Zhong's instructions and practice boxing step by step.

"Power comes from the ground, relax your shoulders, drop your elbows, and move your fist up three inches," Su Zhong suddenly said.

Hearing Su Zhong's command, Xiaosheng didn't feel much resentment. He just thought it was a bit funny for a three-year-old to guide him in martial arts. Although he wasn't much older, he didn't want to ignore it. As he practiced, he subconsciously tried it out.

He pushed off the ground and threw a punch. Bang! It actually made a sound. Xiaosheng was surprised and immediately became excited. He felt a smooth force surge from his feet, flowing through his body and bursting out from his fist. He had never felt such smoothness in his previous practice.

Moreover, this punch didn't make him feel tired; instead, the smoothness invigorated him, making him feel addicted.

He couldn't help but follow the feeling in his body, practicing punch after punch. The more he practiced, the more comfortable he felt, until his body finally gave out, and he stopped.

He sat down on the ground, feeling his stomach empty and hungry. Looking at the sky, it was already evening. He hadn't realized that he had practiced boxing for the entire afternoon out of interest.

Turning his head, he saw a small figure standing not far away, like a stone statue, not moving at all. Xiaosheng immediately got up from the ground and walked to Su Zhong's side.

"Thank you, Young Escort Leader, for your guidance," Xiaosheng stammered, unable to say any flattering words.

Su Zhong didn't speak, but he was quite satisfied inside. He remained expressionless, quietly watching Xiaosheng. The ability to lose oneself in martial arts practice was a valuable trait.

Xiaosheng looked at Su Zhong's deep eyes and expressionless face, suddenly feeling a bit tremble. This was clearly a three-year-old child, but he felt a vague sense of fear. How could an ordinary child guide others in martial arts?

"Tonight, after you go home, use medicinal wine to rub all over your body. Otherwise, you won't be able to get up tomorrow," Su Zhong said and then turned to leave.

Xiaosheng opened his mouth to speak but couldn't bring himself to. He very much wanted to ask if he could continue receiving guidance from Su Zhong, but for some reason, he didn't dare to ask. He didn't know where this fear came from, but in front of Su Zhong, he felt timid and dared not even breathe heavily.

Su Zhong was pleased inside, quite satisfied with this experimental subject. He had long memorized all the martial arts techniques of the Fuyi Escort Agency. His ability to guide Xiaosheng was the result of continuous deduction.

Today's small trial confirmed that his deductions were correct, which made Su Zhong feel very satisfied.

This basic boxing technique was developed by him based on existing techniques, absorbing the techniques of the escorts and head escorts. The same basic boxing technique would be more powerful when used by a head escort than by a journeyman. Apart from the difference in internal strength, there was a crucial reason. The basic boxing techniques of the head escorts were their own, while those of the journeymen were the standard version.

Due to differences in height and weight, everyone's force application would vary. This meant that everyone had a basic boxing technique that suited their own force application. The escorts, after years of practice, found the balance between their techniques and their bodies through experience, thus unleashing the power of the basic boxing techniques.

The content Su Zhong guided Xiaosheng was based on his physical characteristics, deducing a basic boxing technique that was only suitable for Xiaosheng. This made his force application smooth and increasingly addictive.

As long as this deduction was correct, one could start practicing the most suitable techniques from the beginning. This would save a lot of time in refining techniques, allowing them to quickly master and form muscle memory.

...

"Going to the training ground again?" Lin Shi held a wet towel and wiped the dust off Su Zhong's face.

"Does Yang'er want to practice martial arts?" Lin Shi's eyes were filled with a smile. They were in the escort business, and it was a good thing for their son to like martial arts.

"Yes," Su Zhong didn't intend to hide it. If he had been going to the training ground every day and said no, that would be strange.

Lin Shi handed the towel to the maid beside her and picked up her son. "You are too young now and can't practice martial arts yet. Wait a few more years, and your father will teach you. For now, your task is to learn to read as soon as possible. Otherwise, you won't be able to read the internal strength manuals and won't be able to practice internal strength," Lin Shi explained slowly.

Su Zhong nodded in agreement.

Lin Shi was quite surprised. She thought she would have to persuade him, but unexpectedly, her eldest son was so obedient. She then felt relieved. Although her eldest son was independent and seemed a bit gloomy, he had always been quite well-behaved and had never thrown a tantrum. It was reasonable for him to listen to advice now.

...

"Going to the training ground again?" Lin Shi held a wet towel and wiped the dust off Su Zhong's face.

"Does Yang'er want to practice martial arts?" Lin Shi's eyes were filled with a smile. They were in the escort business, and it was a good thing for their son to like martial arts.

"Yes," Su Zhong didn't intend to hide it. If he had been going to the training ground every day and said no, that would be strange.

Lin Shi handed the towel to the maid beside her and picked up her son. "You are too young now and can't practice martial arts yet. Wait a few more years, and your father will teach you. For now, your task is to learn to read as soon as possible. Otherwise, you won't be able to read the internal strength manuals and won't be able to practice internal strength," Lin Shi explained slowly.

Su Zhong nodded in agreement.

Lin Shi was quite surprised. She thought she would have to persuade him, but unexpectedly, her eldest son was so obedient. She then felt relieved. Although her eldest son was independent and seemed a bit gloomy, he had always been quite well-behaved and had never thrown a tantrum. It was reasonable for him to listen to advice now.