Chapter 72

After Zheng Dagang left, Su Xiaofan began to meditate in a very disciplined manner.

The mattress was too soft, so yesterday Su Xiaofan had laid a yoga mat on the floor and sat cross-legged, but it still felt a bit off.

So before meditating today, Su Xiaofan ordered a zafu cushion online.

He now understood why monks and Taoists preferred to meditate on zafu cushions; the cushions made from rush grass were definitely more comfortable than ordinary mats.

The night passed without incident, but Su Xiaofan felt that he was getting closer to unblocking the major meridians.

Now, the speed at which he circulated the Small Circulation technique seemed a bit faster, though he hadn't measured the exact time.

"Hmm, my strength has increased again?"

The next morning, while frying an egg, Su Xiaofan accidentally bent the spatula and nearly gouged a hole in the frying pan.

Su Xiaofan had experienced this before; when his strength had first surged, he had been afraid to walk with too much force.

"Do I need to find a gym?" Su Xiaofan chuckled.

This was a bit tricky, as gyms were crowded, and his lifting weights would be so astonishing that people would definitely notice.

After some thought, Su Xiaofan took out his phone and called Uncle Jing.

"What? You can't control your strength again?"

Hearing Su Xiaofan's words, Jing Shizhen was taken aback.

Logically, this shouldn't happen; the sudden increase in strength usually only occurred when the Small Circulation meridians were first unblocked.

The second increase in strength should happen when the Major Circulation meridians were halfway unblocked, enhancing the strength in the limbs.

But Su Xiaofan had only unblocked his Small Circulation meridians a few days ago, and it seemed far from unblocking the Major Circulation meridians.

"Xiaofan, how much of the Major Circulation meridians have you unblocked?"

Jing Shizhen asked over the phone.

"About half."

Su Xiaofan replied, "Master, did you unblock the Major Circulation meridians in three months? I think I might be a bit faster!"

Su Xiaofan was pretending to be ignorant; after all, the three months was what Uncle Jing had said.

"I used three years!"

Jing Shizhen roared in his mind, and Su Xiaofan only heard a "click" as the call was disconnected.

"Bad signal?"

When Su Xiaofan called back, he heard a message saying the call could not be connected.

"Master?"

After about a minute, Su Xiaofan's phone rang with a call from a Beijing landline.

"Yes, it's me." The voice on the phone was emotionless.

Su Xiaofan couldn't see that Jing Shizhen was sitting on the sofa, his phone shattered in his hand.

"Master, I can't go to the gym. Is there any other way to train?"

Su Xiaofan asked, "Does our sect have any martial arts techniques? Master, you must have some secret manuals you haven't passed on to me, right?"

"Bullshit, what secret manuals do I have!"

Jing Shizhen, who had been trying to stay calm, was immediately thrown off by Su Xiaofan.

"You don't need any secret manuals. Go find someone to spar with and see if they can hit you."

As soon as the words were out, Jing Shizhen regretted them and quickly added, "No, don't hurt anyone. Don't go looking for sparring partners.

Listen to me, after generating true qi, your reaction speed and strength far exceed those of ordinary people. Don't think of your abilities in terms of ordinary people."

"So, am I a superhero now?"

Su Xiaofan's words made Jing Shizhen's forehead veins pop. "You can think of it that way, but be careful not to attract the attention of the authorities. You can go out and be a superhero if you want!"

"Cough, I was just joking. I'm a law-abiding citizen!"

Su Xiaofan's voice dropped. What a joke, with so many secrets, he couldn't afford to be investigated.

But after thinking about it, Su Xiaofan understood his master's point.

He didn't know how his reaction speed had improved, but in terms of strength, Su Xiaofan believed that even a world-class heavyweight boxing champion wouldn't be a match for him.

So, any martial arts techniques or routines would just be showy; one punch would knock anyone down.

"Strength increase is normal. Just adapt to the gym equipment."

Jing Shizhen was getting impatient on the phone.

To him, this was a challenge, a disciple challenging his master.

It took him three years... no, three months to master the technique. How could a disciple dare to master it in less than three months? Does he still respect his master?

"But... going to the gym is a bit inconvenient for me." Su Xiaofan didn't want to be watched.

In the past, when he had no strength, Su Xiaofan had hoped to show off his skills in the gym.

Back then, only the top-tier people could attract the attention and admiration of others while working out.

But now, his strength far exceeded that of ordinary people, and Su Xiaofan was afraid to go, fearing he would shock others.

"Why don't you buy some equipment and train at home?!"

Jing Shizhen was getting even more impatient. This kid was still showing off.

"Huh? That's a good idea, thank you, Master!"

Su Xiaofan's mind finally clicked. His new home had a large balcony that could easily accommodate a few pieces of equipment.

"You also need to work on your coordination."

Jing Shizhen, being a responsible master, added, "Find a swimming pool and swim for two hours every day."

"Okay, Master, I understand."

Su Xiaofan quickly agreed. Swimming was no problem for him; he had been splashing around in the river near his village since he was five or six.

"By the way, are the two magical artifacts in Gangzi's hands related to you?"

Jing Shizhen asked, knowing that such things couldn't be hidden from him.

Zhao Hengjian had called him immediately, originally to ask for an appraisal.

However, Jing Shizhen wasn't in Luochuan and had introduced the abbot of Pufa Temple, Shan Li, to Zhao Hengjian.

"No, they're just things Gangzi found himself."

Su Xiaofan denied it outright. He wasn't planning to cultivate the artifacts anytime soon, so there was no risk of being exposed.

"Found? Are there such good deals in the market now?"

Jing Shizhen muttered, feeling that he was out of touch with the market and should visit more often.

"Alright, don't wander around for the next few days. I'll be back in Luochuan next week, and I'll take you somewhere then."

After giving Su Xiaofan some instructions, Jing Shizhen hung up, as he had a guest sitting next to him.

"Uncle Jing, you really took on a disciple?"

Sitting across from Jing Shizhen was the same Mr. Tong that Su Xiaofan had met.

"Yes, you've met him. He's the one who sold you the pen holder, Su Xiaofan!"

Jing Shizhen nodded. "Take care of him when you see him outside."

Although he often treated Su Xiaofan harshly, Jing Shizhen was very protective of his disciple and was already introducing him to connections.

"Uncle Jing's disciple, I don't need to take care of him. Su Xiaofan should take care of me."

Mr. Tong said he didn't dare, but he was secretly pleased. He had shown kindness to Su Xiaofan before and hoped they could become friends.

Su Xiaofan, of course, didn't know about this conversation.

After hanging up, he didn't continue cooking. He took his car keys and went to a breakfast shop.

As his strength increased, Su Xiaofan found his appetite growing.

He ate six steamed buns and three bowls of soup, but his stomach still felt empty.

Seeing the owner's surprised look, Su Xiaofan had to go to another breakfast shop and pack a ten-person meal to take with him.

After eating, Su Xiaofan navigated to a store that sold fitness equipment.

Online shopping was convenient, and many things were no longer available in physical stores. Luochuan only had one such store.

Driving to the store, Su Xiaofan breathed a sigh of relief. The selection was quite good.

A barbell was a must-buy.

Su Xiaofan chose a 40 kg, 2.4-meter-long barbell, the largest in the store. Longer ones would need to be custom-made.

For the weight plates, Su Xiaofan chose 80 kg plates. There were 100 kg plates online, but the store didn't have them.

The store only had six 80 kg plates, which Su Xiaofan reserved, along with fifteen 50 kg plates.

He also bought two 100-pound (45 kg) dumbbells and a set of 20 square meters of floor mats.

A bench press rack and other necessary equipment were also bought, all with the highest weight capacity.

As for the other machines, Su Xiaofan didn't buy them because their maximum weight capacity was too low.

"Damn, when did my weight increase so much?"

While choosing equipment, Su Xiaofan stepped on a scale in the store.

Seeing the number, he quickly stepped off, glad no one was around.

Su Xiaofan, who was 1.8 meters tall, had previously weighed around 60 kg. He had even weighed himself in a hotel in Beijing.

But the scale, which could weigh up to 120 kg, showed 110 kg.

This meant that Su Xiaofan had gained 50 kg, making him a 220-pound man.

"Where did this weight come from?"

Su Xiaofan found a yoga mirror and examined himself for a long time but saw no significant changes in his body.

Although he had noticed his muscles becoming more defined while showering, even eight-pack abs couldn't account for such a weight gain.

"I'll ask the teacher later."

Since he couldn't figure it out, Su Xiaofan continued to select the fitness equipment he needed.

Buying a bunch of iron weights cost him a lot of money, especially the 80 kg plates, which were over a thousand each.

Thinking about his weight, Su Xiaofan also asked the owner to recommend a scale that could measure up to 400 kg.

After paying nearly 20,000 yuan, the store arranged for delivery.

Though the items weren't many, Gangzi's car couldn't carry them. The total weight was over 2,000 pounds.

Su Xiaofan called the property management and learned that his balcony, made of concrete, could bear about 300 kg per square meter.

The balcony was about 15 square meters, so it could support 3,000 to 4,000 kg.

This reassured Su Xiaofan. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare put the equipment on the balcony, especially on the eighth floor, where a collapse would mean certain death.