touchnovel Chapter 6: A Blend of Civil and Military Acumen, Pulling Away a Cloud
Chapter 6: A Blend of Civil and Military Acumen, Pulling Away a Cloud
Zhou Tong looked at the transparent frame with anticipation, but then his brows furrowed slightly.
That sudden movement just now was definitely not an illusion.
However, the panel still looks the same as before, with no other changes.
He pondered to himself: the panel anomaly occurred after the senior brother taught him the new four moves. It seems that this anomaly is most likely related to learning the new stance training moves.
"Once I've mastered these four new techniques and received further instruction from my senior brother, and the panel has once again recorded the complete information, perhaps I'll be able to discern the clues."
Zhou Tong thought to himself.
With his current cultivation speed aided by the system, it should only take a few days, so there's no need to rush.
There was no point in thinking about it further, so he put the matter aside for the time being.
I returned home after a day of practice.
Just as he rounded the screen wall, he heard his father's familiar voice coming from the hall, and Zhou Tong quickened his pace.
Inside the hall, Zhou Chengzong sat in a grand chair. Although he looked tired from his busy schedule after not seeing him for a few days, he was still in good spirits.
"Tong'er is back." Zhou Chengzong put down his teacup and asked, "How's the training at the martial arts school going? Is it manageable?"
"It's alright. I'm tired, but I feel at ease," Zhou Tong said with a smile.
Zhou Chengzong examined his son's complexion and nodded slightly: "He looks more energetic than before."
Zhou Tong had just sat down when his father continued:
"By the way, I have good news for you. The matter with the Zhao family has been resolved. The police station's top officers personally took action and eliminated that filthy culprit! It's avenge for the Zhao family."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Tong was first taken aback, then a surge of intense curiosity welled up within him, and he pressed on, "Solved? Father, do you know exactly how it was solved? That thing... what exactly did it come from?"
Zhou Chengzong picked up the pipe on the table, lit it, took a puff, and then said amidst the rising smoke:
"The police are keeping the specific details tightly under wraps, and even my father can't find out. He can only guarantee that the information is absolutely reliable."
Zhou Tong nodded slightly.
Although I don't know the specifics, as long as it can be resolved, that's fine.
"It seems that martial arts, when practiced to a high level, can indeed subdue those evil spirits."
As Zhou Tong's thoughts raced, his determination to practice martial arts became even stronger.
The two chatted briefly before sitting down to eat.
Zhou Tong glanced at his father and asked with concern, "Father, have you made any progress on your plans these past few days?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengzong laughed heartily, his brows furrowing with his usual confidence:
"Don't worry, your father has been running this business in Cangzhou City for many years. Even if we split up, I'll find somewhere to go. I'll be the manager of Jinxiu Cloth Shop from now on, and I'll take office the day after tomorrow."
Zhou Tong immediately chimed in, "That's great! You can work in the city without having to travel outside, which will save my mother and me from worrying."
His face was all smiles, but his eyes keenly caught the fleeting sadness beneath his father's smile.
The former mainstay of the Zhou Clan Chamber of Commerce is now reduced to being the manager of a cloth shop. The disparity between his former position and his current situation cannot be concealed by a few jokes.
Zhou Tong chatted with his father for a few more minutes before casually asking, "Dad, with your skills and connections, haven't you ever thought about... starting your own business?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengzong was taken aback at first, then seemed amused and burst out laughing: "Good lad, you have quite the ambition, just like your father when he was young!"
He stopped smiling, tapped the table lightly with his pipe, and his expression became serious:
"But Tong'er, you're oversimplifying business. In this world, do you think it's that easy to establish your own business? To establish a business, you need both literary and martial skills, which complement each other, to be truly secure."
"Oh?" Zhou Tong looked like he was all ears.
"The 'literary' aspect is that his father is good at managing the business, accounting, and navigating various connections."
Zhou Chengzong held up two fingers and said, "But you need to have the 'martial arts' to keep things in check! Otherwise, as soon as business starts to pick up, all sorts of shady characters will come knocking on your door. Without some real strength, you simply won't be able to protect your family business!"
He looked intently at Zhou Tong: "Take our Zhou family for example. Why have we been able to stand strong in Cangzhou for so many years? On the surface, it's because your grandfather is in charge of the Chamber of Commerce, but secretly it's because of your second master in Tianjin! It's precisely because your second master, a great martial arts master, is in charge that those who covet the Zhou family's assets dare not make any rash moves."
He paused, then continued, "In Cangzhou and even the four provinces of Shanhe, all the well-known families and chambers of commerce are like this. Without military protection, no matter how capable you are, you can't withstand assassination attempts by experts. Once you die, everything you've built will collapse! You'll only be doing the work for others."
Zhou Tong nodded in understanding.
At this point, Zhou Chengzong looked at Zhou Tong and smiled:
"I'm glad you're concerned about my affairs. You're very different now. If you really want to help me, then focus on practicing martial arts. When you become a Bone Forging Martial Master, I'll have a reliable and capable martial force by my side, and then I can start thinking about many things."
Zhou Tong's eyes lit up slightly: "Becoming a Bone Forging Martial Master is enough?"
"If a self-taught bone-forging martial artist wants to make a living on their own, it's still a struggle; they'll mostly have to rely on or cooperate with others."
Zhou Chengzong shook his head slightly, then changed the subject: "But you're different! You're a disciple of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School, following the orthodox path, and you have the potential to become a Grand Martial Master! In Cangzhou, the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School's reputation is hard currency!"
He put down his teacup and said leisurely, "What do you think all those wealthy families in Cangzhou and the surrounding areas are so desperate to send their children to the four major martial arts schools for? What they value is that potential, that network of connections!"
Zhou Tong laughed and said, "Then I'll set myself the goal of becoming a Bone Forging Martial Master so I can help my father make a comeback."
"You have some ambition! But it's not high enough."
Zhou Chengzong laughed and said, "If one day you can become a disciple of Director Ni and be his personal apprentice, then our family will have a real powerful backer."
"At that time, I, Dad, will be able to do things freely as before."
Yao Wanru, standing to the side, listened to the spirited conversation between father and son, a gentle smile on her face.
She smiled and placed a piece of food on each of their plates:
"Alright, alright, you two are getting more and more excited. I think it's great that way now, the whole family is united and working together, which is much more comfortable than all those empty social obligations back in the old house."
She gave her husband a reproachful look, then said gently to her son, "Tong'er, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Practice martial arts step by step, just do your best. No matter how far you go, your parents will be happy for you."
Zhou Tongchong's mother smiled and then lowered her head to eat quietly.
He didn't utter any grand words, but his inner thirst for power only grew stronger.
Zhou Chengzong chuckled and said nothing more, watching Zhou Tong eat while smoking and smiling.
His words were just to encourage Zhou Tong.
Seeing that his son had finally realized the importance of studying hard, he was both gratified and worried, fearing that it was just a passing fancy and that he would eventually revert to his old ways.
That's why I wanted to show my son a piece of cloud, so he would have something to look forward to.
This thing called "Ben Tou" is the most poisonous drug in the world.
With this medicine keeping me going, my spirit won't easily dissipate.
As for how far Zhou Tong can go on the path of martial arts, and whether he can become a disciple of Ni Dongting, that remains to be seen.
He didn't actually have high expectations; those things were too far-fetched for him to hope for.
He was just doing his best to pave the way for his son; what the future holds is up to Zhou Tong himself.
……
Several days have passed in the blink of an eye.
Zhou Tong arrived at the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School early in the morning. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he was greeted by familiar students with smiles.
"Good morning, Junior Brother Zhou!"
"Zhou Tong, you're here!"
Zhou Tong responded with a smile.
In the past few days, he has completely integrated into the martial arts school.
He even attended two private gatherings of the martial arts school's core circle, and got along well with these core disciples.
In his cultivation, he showed no sign of slackening, and everything was progressing steadily.
He had already grasped the essentials of the fifth to eighth forms that his senior brother had taught him. A couple of days ago, his senior brother also taught him the ninth to twelfth forms.
His previous guess was correct; after the panel recorded the new moves, it showed abnormal activity again.
This time Zhou Tong could see it clearly. The panel flickered rapidly a few times, and there were indeed blurry words about to appear after the "Dragon Tiger Meat Training Stake" column, but unfortunately, they disappeared again in the end.
Zhou Tong had a premonition that once the panel contained the complete Dragon Tiger Flesh Training Stakes, the truth behind the anomaly would surely come to light.
"Judging by the time, if things go smoothly, it'll be this afternoon; if it goes slowly, it'll be tomorrow morning. I should be able to master these four moves. Once my senior brother teaches me the last four moves and they're added to the panel, I'll know exactly what's going on."
Zhou Tong took off his coat and, as usual, went to the corner to practice stance training with the help of the control panel, his heart filled with anticipation.