Chapter 54

(Continued 2K)

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Li Pu didn't mind becoming a celebrity in the city, but the tuition and the 30,000 yuan bonus were quite useful. Adding to his previous savings, Li Pu's personal savings now amounted to about 60,000 RMB.

During this period, Feng Kuchan also approached him, asking in a friendly tone if he was interested in attending a special military academy after graduating from high school, which he described as "concentrating the most outstanding group of young people in China." Feng Kuchan promised that if Li Pu was interested, he could write a letter of recommendation as his former instructor.

Li Pu didn't refuse but said that he was only in his second year of high school and hadn't thought that far ahead, so there was no rush.

Zhang Shi stayed in Hu Hai City for more than seven months and only returned to Nanyang just before the New Year. On the night before his departure, Li Pu and Zhang Shi had one last intense fight on an uninhabited beach in Hu Hai City.

Under the bright moon and the gentle sea breeze, the two fully unleashed their martial arts skills and fighting styles.

One was as steady as a mountain, with his attacks like thunderous explosions.

The other was as fierce as a storm, with his punches and kicks like lightning strikes.

Encouraged by each other, the young "Little Fist Saint," who had only recently entered the Transformation Stage, had made rapid progress over the past six months, advancing to the upper level of the Transformation Stage. His Vajra Power, which involved strengthening and purifying the muscles and bones, was gradually approaching perfection, elevating his strength to a new level.

Li Pu's progress was even faster than Zhang Shi had anticipated.

Not only did he absorb many new boxing techniques demonstrated by Zhang Shi, but a week ago, after relentless daily training, Li Pu finally succeeded in spreading the "Electric Crane Touch" force throughout his body, touching the threshold of the Transformation Stage. He also tried to integrate it, forming a fighting style that matched his own. Combining the lightning-fast shrimp spring movements with the ferocity of the leopard-cat boxing, and the explosive power of the lightning whip punch, his combat skills improved significantly.

The "shrimp spring dog crane" technique, which was the foundation taught to Li Pu by Chen Xin, and the leopard form, which he chose based on his preferences, emphasized agility and was more ruthless than the monkey form and more cunning than the tiger form. Under Chen Xin's targeted improvements, the agility of the cat form was greatly enhanced, making it highly effective for attacking and retreating. This was very suitable for Li Pu, who had mastered the shrimp spring force to perfection and had the advantage of explosive speed.

When Chen Xin was around, Li Pu would use this agile fighting style. After Chen Xin left, Li Pu had been repeatedly dominating his opponents, using a single fast and fierce whip punch to finish them off. Over time, his agile fighting style had transformed into a brute force suppression style. It wasn't until he sparred with Zhang Shi that he rediscovered it.

Over the past six months, Li Pu had integrated this boxing technique, and he was no longer outmatched by the "Little Fist Saint" in terms of fighting techniques. Even without the various auxiliary effects of the "War God Armament," he found his fighting becoming smoother. However, Zhang Shi, after a serious and steady training, was also more challenging to deal with than during their first encounter.

After the intense fight, the two teenagers, who had become quite familiar with each other, sat down on the beach, each opening a bottle of beer. They drank and chatted casually, facing the bright moon and the vast ocean.

Zhang Shi learned about some of Li Pu's and Qin Xia'er's past embarrassing stories and laughed heartily. As they talked, he even learned the reason Li Pu became an orphan, as well as about his启蒙老师 Chen Xin and his best childhood friend, Chen Xian.

Li Pu, in turn, learned about Zhang Shi's family background: The Zhang family's business was vast and had rapidly expanded in recent years, becoming the most powerful non-governmental force in Southeast Asia. Zhang Xiezu, Zhang Xiezhong, and Zhang Xieyuan had a close relationship. Zhang Xieyuan married Qin Yuancheng, Zhang Xiezu managed the family business, and Zhang Xiezhong was dedicated to the path of martial arts. As a result, the next generation only included Zhang Shi and Qin Xia'er.

To Li Pu's surprise, Zhang Shi's somewhat peculiar name wasn't chosen randomly.

After his birth, a Thai master named Bai Long Wang divined his fate, saying he was born with a Seven-Kill and Breaker of Armies destiny, with a palm line that brought misfortune and eyes that exuded ferocity. He suggested a name that was more balanced and harmonious, such as "Shi" (釋), derived from the Buddha Shakyamuni, to neutralize the negative energy.

However, Zhang Xiezhong, his uncle, sneered and said, "Seven-Kill and Breaker of Armies, only lacking Greedy Wolf. Why not change 'Shi' to 'Shi' (噬)? Devouring all things with a single bite, swallowing the stars whole! More ferocious, sharper, using misfortune to break misfortune, that's what a good man of our family should be!"

Although Zhang Xiezhong was Zhang Xiezu's younger brother and didn't usually manage the business, he held a high position in the Zhang family. Thus, Zhang Shi, who was originally to be named Zhang Shi, ended up with the peculiar name Zhang "Shi," with the courtesy name "Tunxing" (吞星).

"Your name is Zhang Shi, courtesy name Tunxing? Like Guan Yu, courtesy name Yunchang? Hahahaha, it's quite cool, but it feels a bit strange, hahahahahaha!!!"

Hearing the origin of the name, Li Pu laughed until he was out of breath.

The muscles on the "Little Fist Saint's" face twitched, "Your name Li Pu isn't much better."

"At least I don't have a courtesy name like 'Li Pu, courtesy name Yiwai' (Outlandish, courtesy name Unexpected), hahaha." Li Pu wiped away the tears from laughing and asked, "By the way, Brother Tunxing, since Xia'er is also part of your family, does she have a courtesy name?"

"Cousin Xia'er?" Zhang Shi grinned, "Of course she does, and it's very beautiful. If you want to know, you can ask her directly."

"Hey, Brother Tunxing, can't you give me a hint?"

"No way, a girl's private name should be revealed by herself. Don't worry, if you ask, Cousin Xia'er will probably tell you."

"Uh... Your expression makes it seem like you're lying to me?"

"Does it?"

"Yes."

"You caught me."

"...... Are you really that bothered by being called Brother Tunxing?"

"No, no, it's just a name, a symbol. You're the one who suggested it, Brother Yiwai."

"Uh, my courtesy name, really decided to be Yiwai?"

"Didn't you choose it yourself?"

"Let me choose again..."

"Yiwai is pretty good! Yiwai!"

"You're usually so serious, but you're quite sharp-tongued, aren't you?"

"Thank you, thank you."

"Thanks a lot! Let's fight again! I'll teach you a lesson with the Hidden Force Hundred-Crack Fist~~"

"I only lost to that move the first time, which was just an 'unexpected' event. I've already prepared for it, so there won't be any more 'unexpected' events." Zhang Shi emphasized the word.

"But... but, 'Tunxing' doesn't have the word 'unexpected' to play with so easily!"

Although they were bickering and fighting, the fact that they were happily teasing each other with nicknames might be the first step in recognizing each other as friends.

After graduating from his second year of high school, during the winter break, it was New Year's Eve again. Outside, every household was lit up, and families were reunited. Li Pu stayed at home alone, eating salted duck and braised tofu, and habitually turned on the TV to watch the 2004 Spring Festival Gala.

This was the fourth time he spent New Year's Eve alone.