Extraordinary Realm from Persuasion System

「In the small woods.」

It took Zhang Beixing over ten minutes to clean every part of his body, after which he changed into new clothes.

Just as he began to pack his dirty clothes and towel into a waterproof sealed bag,

RUSTLE...

The sound of footsteps rustling through leaves approached from not far away.

Zhang Beixing heard this and looked up.

He then saw Chen Rourou pushing aside the leaves in front of her and walking over.

Seeing her, Zhang Beixing casually asked, "You're here?"

Then he lowered his head and continued to organize his clothes.

Chen Rourou, nervously fiddling with her fingers, awkwardly responded, "Yeah, I'm here."

Then she just stood to the side, silent.

Zhang Beixing said nothing about this.

He simply finished arranging his clothes, gave the bag a couple of shakes to make sure nothing leaked out, and stuffed it into his pack.

Zhang Beixing stood up and said to Chen Rourou, "Then let's start practicing."

"Huh?"

Chen Rourou was startled, confusion written all over her delicate face.

She looked at Zhang Beixing, not knowing what to do.

Practice? Practice what?

She then heard Zhang Beixing say, "Perform the Northern Sect's Eight Pieces of Brocade. As your family's martial art, even if you haven't practiced it, you should have seen it and know its movements, right?"

"Oh, oh, oh, you mean that! I know it!"

Chen Rourou's face showed understanding.

Although she didn't quite understand why Zhang Beixing wanted her to do so, out of fear of Zhang Beixing, or perhaps apprehension, Chen Rourou obediently did as he said.

She stood at attention with bent elbows, fists resting at her waist.

Just as she was about to step to her left into the Horse Stance, her fists spreading apart with palms facing down as she bent at the waist,

Zhang Beixing moved behind her, aimed at her back, and struck out with his palm, exclaiming, "Gather your Qi!"

Chen Rourou trembled upon hearing this and instinctively took a deep breath, concentrating it in her chest.

She turned her head to look at Zhang Beixing, just about to say something, when Zhang Beixing's voice came from behind her, "Carefully feel the breath you just gathered in your lungs. Hold it there, then tell me what you perceive."

"It's in my lungs!" Chen Rourou honestly replied.

Because she was holding her breath, her voice sounded a bit strange.

Hearing her answer, Zhang Beixing irritably tapped her head with his extended index and middle fingers, saying, "Of course, I know the breath is in your lungs. What I'm asking is, aside from that, did you perceive anything else? For example, the general shape of this mass of Qi, its condition, and so on."

After being tapped like that, Chen Rourou flinched in pain and pouted.

She rubbed her head and thought hard, then shook her head and said, "No! Uncle Zhang, I didn't perceive what you're talking about. I just felt a bit stifled from holding my breath."

"Really nothing?"

Looking at Chen Rourou's earnest expression, it was now Zhang Beixing's turn to be perplexed.

Even he, who had picked up martial arts later in life and had never been exposed to Internal Boxing before, managed to perceive this Qi and successfully direct it in his first training session after understanding the core of Internal Boxing.

And yet, Chen Rourou, a scion of the Chen Family—although she hadn't been able to practice the Northern Sect's Eight Pieces of Brocade due to her gender—should at least have seen a pig run, even if she'd never eaten pork.

If you can't even perceive Qi, which is the most basic and core element of cultivating Internal Boxing, then...

"What exactly have you learned all these years in the Chen Family?" Zhang Beixing posed a soul-searching question, looking at Chen Rourou.

He thought her situation was utterly unacceptable.

Actually, Zhang Beixing was the one mistaken.

Being a latecomer to the practice, Zhang Beixing didn't know much about the martial arts world.

Thus, many things that seemed perfectly normal to him were not so simple to those who had practiced martial arts from childhood and were well-versed in the martial arts circles of Great Xia.

Take the current example of sensing Qi.

Qi, as a fundamental requirement for cultivating Internal Boxing, is its core and the very soul of this martial art.

Depending on the Cultivation Technique practiced, the circulation of Qi also varies significantly.

Once you have figured this out, that Cultivation Technique will hold no more secrets from you.

Therefore, how to master Qi and the patterns of its circulation became closely guarded secrets of the major martial arts Aristocratic Families.

Only after joining a school, toiling and studying diligently for months, or even years, and demonstrating your sincerity and character to your master, would they consider teaching you.

And even if they did teach you, a disciple lacking aptitude might not necessarily learn it.

Consequently, for an ordinary person to master Qi, they not only needed a good master but also time to accumulate experience, grinding it out bit by bit.

For someone like Zhang Beixing to be self-taught, grasping the principles and successfully comprehending it, was actually rare throughout history.

And those people, without exception, all left their mark on history and were revered as Grandmasters by countless martial arts practitioners!

Zhang Beixing certainly did not possess the realm of a Grandmaster yet, but he possessed an uncommon talent.

Confronted by Zhang Beixing's look, as if he were looking at an idiot, Chen Rourou felt incredibly wronged.

She had only watched and never learned. How could she possibly know what Qi was or perceive its existence?

Even if, for argument's sake, she knew about it, she would only be aware of the concept.

She had never actually experienced it before!

It's only my first day of practice; does he have to be so harsh on me?

Chen Rourou felt aggrieved, but she didn't say anything.

She sniffled and said to Zhang Beixing, "How about... I try again?"

"Fine!" Zhang Beixing nodded. He circled around to Chen Rourou's front and observed her breathing.

He was determined to find out what was preventing Chen Rourou from sensing Qi.

Under his watchful gaze, Chen Rourou swallowed nervously and took a deep breath.

She inhaled so forcefully that her chest visibly swelled from the excess air, just like Zhang Beixing's had when he breathed earlier.

The only difference was that Chen Rourou's normally rather flat chest now also appeared a bit fuller.

Zhang Beixing asked, "How about now? Do you feel it?"

Chen Rourou, holding her breath, shook her head confusedly.

Zhang Beixing's brows furrowed.

"That shouldn't be!"

Chen Rourou was breathing in exactly the same way as he was.

But why could he sense it right away, while she had failed twice in a row?

To figure out the reason, Zhang Beixing had Chen Rourou repeatedly breathe in deeply and exhale for the next few minutes.

Chen Rourou's pretty face turned red from the effort.

Just as she was about to lose her temper, suspecting Zhang Beixing was just messing with her for his own amusement, Zhang Beixing, who had been frowning in thought, suddenly spoke up, "I've got it!"

After a few minutes of careful observation, he had figured out why Chen Rourou was encountering this problem and why, despite practicing so many times, she still hadn't felt even a hint of Qi.

"It's because your body is filled with too much waste Qi and turbid Qi that haven't been completely expelled," Zhang Beixing explained. "Now, exhale deeply until you absolutely can't anymore."

Upon hearing this, Chen Rourou's face fell.

What does he mean? He made me inhale until I nearly passed out from hyperventilation, and now he wants me to exhale? What does he think I am? An exhaust fan? Or a hairdryer? I won't be manipulated like this anymore!

Thus, Chen Rourou decided to rebel, to resist this injustice.

"Uncle Zhang, I want to rest for a bit!" Chen Rourou said, looking at Zhang Beixing, her tone rebellious despite her submissive words.

Hearing her words, Zhang Beixing's eyebrow twitched. He brought two fingers together and rapped Chen Rourou on the head. "Rest? Rest my ass! You can rest after you grasp Qi!"

"Ow!" Chen Rourou yelped. After being hit on the head, she timidly began to exhale, her face sulky and reluctant. As she did, her chest continuously rose and fell. Though not a spectacular sight, it possessed a certain delicate charm.

Chen Rourou tried to exhale several times, but she never managed to empty her lungs completely.

Seeing her inefficiency, Zhang Beixing furrowed his brows.

He examined Chen Rourou's chest area.

Watching her small chest rise and fall, he located the precise spot, curled his pinky finger, and, catching Chen Rourou off guard, struck her sharply on the chest.

Suddenly hit like that, Chen Rourou's eyes widened, and her back arched.

She looked at Zhang Beixing in disbelief, her face flushing crimson with shame, just as she was about to say something—

HAAAH— HAAAH—

The sound of air involuntarily escaped her throat as the air in Chen Rourou's lungs rushed out uncontrollably.

"Cough, cough, Uncle, cough, cough, you're... you're awful..." she gasped, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Seeing her like this, Zhang Beixing glanced at her with disdain. This girl is so conceited, he thought. It was just a light tap, barely a touch. My fingers couldn't have felt anything. Besides, with her figure, even if I had wanted to cop a feel, she's no match for Zheng Jituo!

Zhang Beixing stepped back two paces.

Chen Rourou immediately collapsed to her knees, clutching her chest, her mouth agape, her face a mask of pain.

Zhang Beixing, however, was not worried.

His strike had hit a major Qi acupoint, something he'd learned while practicing Yue Family Boxing.

By stimulating this acupoint with a powerful external force, he aimed to help Chen Rourou expel the waste and turbid Qi from her body.

After kneeling on the ground for a while, the waste and turbid Qi were completely expelled.

Feeling her lungs return to normal, Chen Rourou took a deep breath, the fresh, sweet air flooding into them.

Just as she was about to relax, sighing in relief that she had survived, Zhang Beixing's voice came from right beside her ear before she could even do so: "Hold it. Feel that Qi closely."

Hearing this, Chen Rourou instinctively wanted to lash out.

Zhang Beixing's sudden strike had nearly sent her to meet her ancestors.

And now, he was telling her to *feel* it?

Feel my...

The angry words died on her lips.

Chen Rourou suddenly froze.

She straightened up, touching her chest in astonishment, feeling a warm sensation emanating from within.

Realization dawned on Chen Rourou. Her pupils constricted, her heart rate sped up, and she looked at Zhang Beixing in disbelief. Holding her breath, she managed, "Uncle, is this... Qi?"

"Yes!" Zhang Beixing nodded.

He grabbed Chen Rourou by the nape of her neck, like lifting a chick, and hoisted her to her feet.

Then, Zhang Beixing placed one hand on Chen Rourou's back. He felt a bump, probably the clasp of her bra. Fortunately, the acupoint was right at that spot, saving him the trouble of searching.

"Now, close your mouth. Breathe slowly through your nose, and with each breath, guide this Qi to the spot where my hand is."

"Alright. Uncle, please be gentle... Don't... don't take my bra off..."