Chapter 33

"If anyone tells me there are no geniuses in this world again, I'll slap them for sure!"

When the last note of the piano piece abruptly stopped, Zai Shi slapped his thigh and burst into laughter, his face full of satisfaction. Although Qin Feng didn't take the exam, Zai Shi believed that Qin Feng's piano skills had already far surpassed those of the tenth-level students from any conservatory.

"Master, it's all thanks to your teaching. Oh, how did you get dirty?"

Qin Feng chuckled, filled a pipe for his master, and handed it over, casually patting his master's waist. But before he could retract his hand, it was caught by Zai Shi.

"Kid, you're still too young to pull this trick on me."

In Qin Feng's hand was a white jade pixiu, which he had been caught red-handed with. However, Qin Feng wasn't embarrassed. Over the past six months, this trick had been frequently played between the two of them.

"Master, I can't take things from you, but in this detention center, no one can guard against me. Shouldn't I be ready to graduate from this school?"

Qin Feng hung the pixiu back on Zai Shi's waist and started massaging his master's legs. Zai Shi's right leg had been injured by a bullet and would ache on rainy days.

"Hmm, how many razor blades do you have in your mouth now?"

Zai Shi took a comfortable puff of his pipe, blowing a cloud of smoke into Qin Feng's face, and his free left hand darted toward Qin Feng's waist, only to find a hand already blocking it.

"Master, five. How about that? Is it good enough?"

Blocking his master's sneak attack, Qin Feng looked somewhat proud. After practicing the thief's techniques with Zai Shi for over half a year, Qin Feng, while not gaining any advantage over his master, was no longer as easily manipulated as before.

As he spoke, Qin Feng opened his mouth and spat out five razor blades, which appeared in his palm. If he hadn't taken them out himself, no one would have noticed that Qin Feng, who spoke normally, had hidden such things in his mouth.

"You're a freak, kid. When I was your age, I was far inferior to you!"

Seeing Qin Feng's actions, Zai Shi couldn't help but sigh repeatedly, his face showing a look of disbelief. Just half a month ago, Qin Feng could only hold two razor blades in his mouth. In just a few days, he had made such rapid progress.

It's important to know that holding razor blades in one's mouth is a signature skill of seasoned thieves, with many uses such as "blocking, cutting, hooking, and separating." However, due to the sharpness of the blades, this skill is very difficult to master.

In the underworld before and after the liberation, every thief who could hold razor blades in their mouth was a notorious king of thieves. Even Zai Shi could only hold three blades without showing any signs. Now, Qin Feng had surpassed him.

So, even at the age of ninety, Zai Shi was struck by Qin Feng. This kid was naturally suited for these unconventional skills, and in just half a year, he had mastered all twelve techniques of the thief's manual.

"Qin Feng, put them on yourself and see how long it takes to unlock them!"

After checking Qin Feng's skill with the razor blades, Zai Shi lifted the inner side of the bed and fished out a large chain, which he threw to the ground with a "clank."

"Master, all of them?" Qin Feng looked at the pile of handcuffs and leg irons on the ground and couldn't help but frown.

"Of course, put on the leg irons first, and I'll put on the handcuffs!" Zai Shi glared at Qin Feng. Although he loved this disciple deeply, he never showed favoritism when teaching him.

"Yes, Master!"

Qin Feng didn't say anything more. He squatted down and fastened the fifty-pound leg irons around his ankles, tightening the screws. Then he crossed his hands behind his back and put on a pair of handcuffs before turning to face Zai Shi.

"Hmm, three thumb cuffs, two handcuffs. Can you open them in three minutes?"

"Hey, Master, be gentle! My fingers are about to break!"

Zai Shi took out three exquisite thumb cuffs and locked Qin Feng's thumbs, middle fingers, and index fingers. A light tug made Qin Feng wince in pain.

"Alright, you have only three minutes!"

Zai Shi pushed Qin Feng, and he immediately rolled to the ground in a half-bent position.

"Master, can't you give me five minutes?"

While speaking, Qin Feng raised his arms high. When he lifted them to his head, there was a "click" from his shoulders, and his arms twisted 180 degrees to the front.

"Good thing I was prepared."

Qin Feng lowered his head, and a thin wire emerged from his mouth. He used the wire to fiddle with the lock of the thumb cuffs, and the cuffs that had tightly restrained his fingers immediately loosened.

With his hands free, Qin Feng's movements sped up significantly. The two handcuffs on his wrists were off in less than thirty seconds.

As for the leg irons, the wire was useless, but the thumb cuffs came in handy. Using the bent end as a screwdriver, Qin Feng's fingers flew, and when the clock in the room showed three minutes, the leg irons were finally off.

"Master, exactly three minutes. I didn't let you down, did I?"

Qin Feng gathered the handcuffs and leg irons and put them back under the bed. Although they were still in the detention center, Zai Shi wasn't a guard, and it would be a serious matter if they were discovered.

"Let you down? If I had your skills back then, I wouldn't have been shot!"

Although it wasn't the first time he had seen Qin Feng's acrobatic movements, Zai Shi still sighed. "Even the legendary Li San of the Swallow Clan would be far inferior to you!"

As the saying goes, the master leads you to the door, but the practice is up to the individual. There are many disciples in the underworld who surpass their masters. Zai Shi wasn't angry; he was just reminiscing about the past.

"Master, I just found the knack. How can I compare to you?"

Seeing the residue of medicine on Zai Shi's lips, Qin Feng quickly took a towel to wipe his master's mouth, smiling. "Master, you are proficient in all the skills of the Eight Schools. That's truly remarkable!"

Qin Feng wasn't flattering Zai Shi; he was genuinely impressed. After following Zai Shi for half a year, he had come to understand the old man's true capabilities.

When Zai Shi moved the piano and played several world-famous pieces, he immediately stunned Qin Feng. In Qin Feng's eyes, his master seemed to know everything, excelling in every skill.

"Who told you I'm proficient in all eight schools? I doubt anyone except Master Zhang Sanfeng could master all of them!"

Zai Shi's face actually turned red. At the rate Qin Feng was learning, it wouldn't be long before he knew all of Zai Shi's secrets.

"The Orchid School specializes in sexual techniques, the Divine Adjustment School in shamanism, the Gu School in insect manipulation, and the Tianqiao School in acrobatics. I don't know any of those!"

It was better to clarify now than to be exposed in front of his disciple later. Zai Shi paused and continued, "My strongest skill is the Golden Point, which is divination and fortune-telling. However, reading people is more important than the divination itself. I'll teach you that later.

The other skill you've already surpassed me in is thievery..."

At this point, Zai Shi's expression became serious. "Qin Feng, although we are proficient in several skills of the Eight Schools, as the main school, we cannot use them to make a living. Remember this!"

"Yes, Master, I won't use these skills for evil. You can rest assured."

Qin Feng nodded heavily. At the beginning of his training, Zai Shi had warned him never to use the thief's skills for wrongdoing, or he would be despised by the underworld.

Zai Shi had also told Qin Feng a story about Li San, the great thief of Beijing, who was a direct descendant of the thief's school.

In the early days, Li San only stole from the rich and helped the poor, earning a reputation as a chivalrous thief. He was even listed among the top ten martial arts masters of the late Qing Dynasty, a rare honor for a thief.

However, later on, Li San became addicted to opium and his personality changed. He began to kill innocents and commit murder, ultimately meeting a tragic end.

Zai Shi had known Li San. According to Zai Shi, Li San had studied Daoist orthodoxy and had high skills in lightness and internal cultivation, not inferior to Zai Shi himself.

If Li San had devoted himself to Daoism, he could have achieved a good end. If he had lived a simple life, he could have become a great martial artist. But his treacherous and unruly nature led to his downfall.

PS: First update. A few recommendation votes would be great. Thanks everyone!

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends