Upon hearing this, Mr. Yang could no longer stand to listen. He walked into the study room and gave a cold cough.
"Ahem!"
The children were frightened and hurried back to their seats. Lin Xiaolu also obediently put her legs down in deference.
After all the children were seated, Mr. Yang finally looked at Lin Xiaolu and said expressionlessly, "Xiaolu, come out with me for a moment."
Hearing this, Lin Xiaolu got up with her hands behind her back. She swung her head arrogantly as she followed the teacher out of the study room.
Once outside the study room, Mr. Yang asked her, "Did you injure Yu Chuchu?"
"No, I didn't," Lin Xiaolu said innocently. "Teacher, why would you suspect me? I'm only seven. How could I overpower Chuchu?"
Mr. Yang listened and looked at her. He continued, "You'd better tell this old man the truth. If I find out you're lying, I won't let you off easy."
"Go ahead and investigate, Teacher," Lin Xiaolu said swaggeringly. "Her injury definitely had nothing to do with me."
Mr. Yang glared at her and said, "Wait here for a moment." Then he went back into the study room.
"Who can tell me how Yu Chuchu got injured?"
There was silence in the study room. None of the children spoke until Dongfang Dan's voice rang out:
"Teacher, Yu Chuchu fell by herself."
The other children of the Gang of Virtue also echoed in unison: "That's right, Teacher. She fell by herself."
"Yes, Teacher. I saw it with my own eyes."
"Me too. I can testify to that."
Hearing this, Mr. Yang's face turned ashen. He shouted, "Chen Nianyun! Tell me how Yu Chuchu got injured!"
Chen Nianyun's face twitched in fear. He slowly stood up, hesitation written all over his face. After some deliberation, he stammered, "Yu Chuchu...fell by herself."
Mr. Yang listened in astonishment. Chen Nianyun's answer was unexpected. He looked at Chen Nianyun, surprised in his heart. Could he really have been mistaken?
After a long pause, he sighed and told the children to continue reading and not chat or fool around anymore. Then he went out of the study room again.
When he got to the swaggering Lin Xiaolu, Mr. Yang glanced at her but didn't mention Yu Chuchu's matter again. Instead, he harrumphed, "I heard the students all call you Gang Leader?"
"Yes, Teacher," Lin Xiaolu chatted enthusiastically. "I started the Gang of Virtue so that my classmates could all learn to serve others virtuously in the future."
Having said this, she shouted into the study room to prove her words: "Brothers, what is our gang's guiding principle?"
"To serve others virtuously!"
Hearing the children's uniform shouts, Lin Xiaolu beamed with joy. She happily told the teacher, "You see, Teacher, that is our gang's guiding principle."
Mr. Yang's expression changed again and again. For a moment, he was actually at a loss for words.
Could it be that he really had misunderstood this little rascal?
From the sound of it, this Gang of Virtue seemed to be an organization that encouraged goodness. But why did he still feel that something was off?
He looked suspiciously at the boy for a few moments, gave a little cough, and said lightly, "To serve others virtuously... That is indeed commendable. I hope you can persist and do everything virtuously from now on."
As soon as Lin Xiaolu heard this, he immediately put on an innocent, adorable smile. "Don't worry, Teacher. I will definitely persist. When I grow up, I'll go out every day to serve others virtuously!"
...
And so ended the first day back at the school. In the afternoon, Lin Xiaolu and Xiao Yuer hurried back to their residence and immediately started their respective cultivation without stopping.
Naturally, Xiao Yuer went with Li Miaoxin to cultivate heavenly spiritual energy. As for Lin Xiaolu, he continued his martial arts cultivation.
First, he went for a run, then stood in horse stance for half an hour to warm up. After that, he officially began practicing martial arts.
The first things he practiced were the horizontal training methods of the Tie Family Village in Great Yue Country, and the Eight Extremes Fist of the Dali Temple in Tang Country.
Li Mingru had told him these were martial arts that could improve physical fitness and were suitable for children to practice. They could establish a good foundation.
The Tie Family Village's horizontal training was a type of hard chi kung. The chi here didn't refer to heavenly spiritual energy, but the innate true energy within the human body. Through special conditioning, one could fill their skin and flesh with innate true energy to achieve an iron body and steel bones.
The secret manual stated clearly that practiced to mastery, the horizontal training could enable the flesh to block mundane iron weapons without injury, and defeat a hundred foes with ease.
In addition to this, Lin Xiaolu had to learn the Eight Extremes Fist of the Dali Temple.
Similar to the horizontal training, the Eight Extremes Fist was also an extremely sturdy martial art. Its explosive power was tremendous. It was said that those who achieved mastery possessed the might to stimulate muscles and break bones, earning it the reputation in the mundane world of "Shaking the arm to topple the heavens, stomping the foot to shake the nine states."
In the yard, Lin Xiaolu began breathing according to the respiratory method described in the horizontal training manual.
This was an extremely painful process because the breathing completely reversed the normal respiratory rhythm. The practitioner would feel obstructed breathing, like training while buried in sand. Performing slow conditioning under this breathing, Lin Xiaolu was soon drenched in sweat, his robes soaked through.
"Phew!"
With a breath out, he panted briefly before continuing. He kept up this repeated practice for a whole hour!
At the hour of the rooster, Lin Xiaolu and his sister Li Miaoxin went to eat dinner together. The boy's appetite surged again. He wolfed down the food like a starving little pig, scaring Li Miaoxin so much that she kept yelling, "Slow down, eat slowly!"
After dinner, he breathed using the horizontal training methods again and stood in horse stance for half an hour to fully digest the food. Then he started practicing the Eight Extremes Fist.
"Ha!"
"Hah!"
"Ha!"
Lin Xiaolu shouted in the yard as he practiced his fists. His physique was now very sturdy and could withstand this high-intensity conditioning. His punches and kicks were no longer soft like those of other children, but punched vigorously with gusto.
Some time passed and the bright moon hung high. Its cool rays illuminated the small yard a silvery white. Li Miaoxin, having finished a round of practice, came out to see how Xiaolu was progressing. As soon as she emerged, she saw Lin Xiaolu standing under a willow tree with his eyes closed, breathing calmly and slowly moving his body.
She didn't disturb him, only watched with interest.
Before long, the seven-year-old's body suddenly shook. His muscles seemed to tighten all at once. Then he charged forward and rammed his side shoulder against the willow with a bang!
"Ha!" A tender shout rang out. The enormous willow let out a muffled boom, and in that moment, willow leaves flew everywhere as the branches shook violently. The towering weeping willow trembled from the forceful impact.