Chapter 56

Under the blazing sun, the divine kite machine slowly descended amidst the reverent and hopeful gazes of the thousand slaves of the Northwest Household.

The cabin door opened, and Lu Buqi stepped out first, only to hear a deafening cry of surprise, followed by thunderous applause that echoed across the sky above the Northwest Household.

"Good heavens, am I seeing things? The head of the household actually returned on a divine kite machine!" Da Shun's voice was the loudest, filled with comedic astonishment.

Da Feng also nodded repeatedly, his face showing disbelief: "That's right, this is an unprecedented honor, and... the chief steward is walking behind the head of the household, this..."

Lu Buqi himself had not expected that Wang Yingfu would give him such an honor, allowing him to be the first to step out. This was undoubtedly a sign of great respect, creating a perfect opening for his "glorious return to his hometown."

In the past few days, Lu Buqi had seen many such looks and heard many such exclamations, but none of them had stirred any excitement in him.

But today was different, because the people before him brought a sense of familiarity and warmth. This sense of belonging made Lu Buqi feel a sense of pride and excitement, a feeling he had rarely experienced in his previous life.

Xitu and the Lu Kang couple had already approached with faces full of surprise, but they were not foolish and first greeted the chief steward Wang Yingfu before addressing Lu Buqi.

"Xitu, with Buqi here, you old man will surely enjoy a life of ease!" Wang Yingfu, with his large belly, smiled like a sunflower: "Four hundred iron-tipped spears and four decapitation swords, if I didn't trust you, I would really worry about whether you might rebel!"

Xitu, overjoyed, quickly bowed and replied: "The head of the household has keen eyes, how could he ever be wrong? I guarantee with my worthless head that the Northwest Household will loyally follow the head of the household and strictly adhere to the master's rules."

Wang Yingfu nodded: "Then have someone go and move them, but don't take too much. Some are for Buqi and Lishou to distribute to other households. Remember, don't be too showy. According to the master's rules, you can't have so many weapons. If it gets reported, they might be taken back."

"I understand!" Xitu nodded quickly and then confidently ordered someone to go and move the items from the divine kite machine.

The slaves responded with a loud cheer. After all, when had they ever moved anything from a divine kite machine? Many of them had been born and lived in this forest for decades, only ever seeing items being loaded onto the machine, never experiencing such treatment.

Four hundred iron-tipped spears and four decapitation swords—this was something they had never dared to dream of. When the strong slaves saw these powerful weapons, they were moved to tears. With these weapons, their survival rate in hunting would increase exponentially. Even if they encountered a spirit beast, with over four hundred strong men armed with iron weapons, they would stand a fighting chance!

As the saying goes, one should never forget those who dug the well. Every slave knew that the person who brought them a better life and hope was the fifteen-year-old head of the household, Lu Buqi.

Thus, every slave, as they passed by Lu Buqi, respectfully bowed their heads and greeted him with "Head of the household." This feeling of being respected did not particularly affect Lu Buqi, but it undoubtedly brought great pride to the Lu Kang couple.

"You've grown, and you're taller... taller than your father..." Huini's eyes were moist, staring at Lu Buqi as if in a dream.

Lu Kang grinned: "Each generation is stronger than the last. My son is naturally taller, stronger, and more successful."

"Hutou..." In a mother's eyes, a child is always young: "How was life in Guojian Town? Was it hard?"

Lu Buqi shook his head: "Not hard, you don't need to worry. Every day is just training and learning skills, with plenty to eat and wear, and I've made a few good friends."

Huini nodded repeatedly: "That's good, that's good. Your parents are not very useful and can't give you much..."

"What are you saying, Mother?" Lu Buqi smiled and changed the subject: "Father, how is your practice of the Five Animal Imitation Fist going?"

Lu Kang raised his thick eyebrows: "Not bad, I haven't missed a single day. Want to go to that open space and have you guide me?"

Lu Buqi's lips curled up: "Sure... call Da Feng and the others too."

With the enthusiasm of father and son, everyone responded. Besides Xitu, Da Feng, and Da Shun, Wang Lishou and others also joined in. Wang Yingfu, finding the situation boring, also came over with interest when he heard they were going to practice the Five Animal Imitation Fist.

Over the past two years, almost all the male slaves of the Northwest Household had learned at least one of the Five Animal Stances and Walking Frames. Those with a talent for combat had learned two or three, and most were quite diligent.

For example, Da Feng was practicing the Crane, Deer, and Monkey forms; Da Shun was practicing the Bear and Monkey forms; and Lu Kang was practicing the Bear, Tiger, Deer, and Monkey forms.

Besides Xitu, the current top fighter in the Northwest Household was undoubtedly Lu Kang, with Da Feng and Da Shun clearly not his match.

Thanks to the Five Animal Imitation Fist, the hunting skills of the Northwest Household slaves had greatly improved. Xitu, speaking in a low voice, told Lu Buqi: "In the past two years, although we haven't had to submit supplies, we haven't missed a single hunting season. Everyone's skills have improved a lot, making hunting more efficient. In another year, even if we have to submit supplies, our lives will be much better."

Lu Buqi nodded inwardly, his efforts were starting to bear fruit. However, as an internal martial art, the Five Animal Imitation Fist was not a quick fix, so he didn't forget to remind Xitu: "Encourage everyone to keep practicing. Although the Five Animal Imitation Fist is not as powerful as the Force Formula in building strength, it can still yield excellent results over time."

Xitu nodded vigorously, his eyes shining: "I understand. I've been practicing the Crane and Monkey forms for two years, and my cultivation has actually recovered from the fifth level of bravery to the seventh level. With time, I might even recover to the eighth level of my youth, or even break through. I'm already sixty years old... this is truly amazing."

"Sixty is nothing. True masters of internal martial arts can still use hidden strength to kill a bull even at a hundred years old!" However, Lu Buqi did not say this out loud, but nodded: "The Five Animal Imitation Fist complements the Force Formula. The Four Heavenly Kings have greatly benefited from this, no doubt."

"Is that so? I had some doubts, thinking I might have taken some miraculous medicine!" Xitu's eyes shone even brighter: "Fortunately, I organized everyone to practice whenever I had free time, even some young women and children as part of their daily routine. With time, the Northwest Household will surely become the strongest village."

While Lu Buqi and Xitu were having a private conversation, Lu Kang and Da Feng had finished their practice. Lu Kang looked at Lu Buqi: "Buqi, tell me, where did I do poorly?"

Lu Buqi smiled and looked at Wang Lishou and the others: "Old Wang, you tell my father and the others!"

Wang Lishou shook his head: "Buqi, don't make fun of us. When it comes to the Force Formula, we still have some confidence, but the Five Animal Imitation Fist... with you here, how can we have a say?"

Wang Lihong also laughed: "That's right, Buqi, you are the founder of this boxing style. You don't need to give us face. We'll just watch and learn."

Seeing that Wang Lili and Wang Lihai also had the same intention, Lu Buqi stopped being modest and began to professionally point out the shortcomings of Lu Kang and the others.

At the exciting parts, it seemed to touch the bottlenecks of Wang Lishou and the others, who couldn't resist practicing themselves. They then shared their opinions, and Lu Buqi even thought of two ways to improve the techniques. For a moment, everyone was engaged in a lively exchange, and soon they were informed that all the items had been moved.

They had to pause, still feeling unsatisfied, and after a quick inventory of the weapons, Wang Yingfu somewhat stiffly told Lu Buqi it was time to leave.

Reunions are always brief. Originally, Wang Yingfu had discussed with Lu Buqi that if he wanted to, he could stay in the Northwest Household for a day, as the journey was not urgent.

However, Lu Buqi declined, knowing that for someone who had lived two lives, the saying "all good things must come to an end" was well understood. Staying one night would be just as brief, and it was better to use the time for other things to bring about a quicker reunion.

Looking at his parents who had raised him, and thinking that they were not yet old, Lu Buqi felt a sense of peace. Although the forest environment was not ideal, as long as there was no pressure to submit supplies, life could still be decent with the current productivity.

This was one of the reasons why Lu Buqi did not think it necessary to linger emotionally in the Northwest Household. There was a long future ahead, and it was not yet the point where he would regret not being able to care for his parents.

Lu Buqi did not know that this decision would save him from a regret in his life...

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