Starting as a dockworker

Chapter 34 Human Relationships and Social Skills, 5 Emperor Coins!

"Who is this person?"

"Who else could it be but that disciple who closed the door yesterday..."

"Oh, it's him! He's changed so much..."

The next morning, when Li Xiao stepped into the martial arts hall, the outer disciples were all stunned.

The outer disciples of Guiyuan Martial Arts School wear gray clothes, the inner disciples wear black clothes, and the closed disciples wear blue clothes.

Li Xiao was wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt and had his hair parted in a slicked-back style; he looked like a completely different person from yesterday.

Clothes make the man, and this outfit makes him even more dashing.

"Aren't you going to call him Fourth Senior Brother yet?"

Huo Yingjun reminded him from the side.

"Greetings, Fourth Senior Brother!"

A clear and loud voice rang out.

Li Xiao nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then walked towards the inner gate.

Among the outer disciples, there are quite a few women.

These women were all from wealthy families, and they couldn't help but feel a hint of affection when they looked at Li Xiao.

"Look, his eyelashes are so long..."

"Yeah, the new fourth senior brother is so handsome..."

"Really? I wonder if she's married? I'll have my dad keep an eye out..."

Several female disciples were talking about it in private.

"That's someone with connections."

One of the outer disciples said sourly, referring to "Little Erzi" who had been beaten down by Li Xiao last night.

"So what if you have connections? Aren't you, Xiao Erzi, a member of a family with connections?"

A woman with an oval face spat and said, "She trained for three months, and I heard she got knocked down with one punch yesterday. How embarrassing."

"Ha ha ha ha....."

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

Thus, the outer disciples had different feelings towards this "new senior brother".

Some were envious, some were jealous, but no one admired them.

After all, becoming a closed-door disciple through connections alone cannot be considered a skill...

......

Li Xiao walked into the inner courtyard.

There were far fewer people in the inner training ground. On the bluestone ground, four or five figures each occupied a corner, all of them concentrating on practicing martial arts.

Led by Huo Yingjun, the eighth disciple, he introduced himself to several inner disciples and greeted them.

Afterwards, Li Xiao went to the deepest part of the place alone.

As his last disciple, he would be personally taught by the head of the school, Xiao Zhenshan.

After Li Xiao left, Huo Yingjun stayed in the inner disciples' area to practice martial arts.

Sixth Senior Brother Yuan Heng leaned over and whispered, "Handsome, who is this guy?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other inner disciples swarmed around him.

Huo Yingjun spread his hands and said, "I don't know... But don't go asking around. Fourth Senior Brother's background is terrifying. You didn't see it yesterday, how excited Master and my father were... They were so attentive, afraid of neglecting him. Do you know what he calls Master?"

Several inner disciples shook their heads.

Huo Yingjun whispered, "Old Xiao."

hiss!

Everyone gasped in shock.

Good heavens, even if someone calls him Master Xiao, he has to respond. His background is truly extraordinary!

"This background is probably not one we can afford to offend."

"This is our martial arts school's number one favored student; he's directly become our last disciple."

"From now on, be more respectful when you meet them, and don't cause yourself trouble..."

The inner disciples exchanged glances and discussed among themselves, all understanding how to deal with each other from now on.

To become an inner disciple of this martial arts school, one must not only possess exceptional talent and be willing to train hard, but also have a sound mind.

They naturally know who to offend and who to curry favor with.

Someone with a powerful background like Li Xiao deserves to be curried over.

Maybe if that person goes out and takes up a high-ranking position, they can bring him along and give him a promotion.

The martial arts world is not just about fighting and killing; it also involves human relationships and social interactions...

......

......

"Li Xiao's disciple has arrived."

Xiao Zhenshan was already waiting in the closed-door disciple's training room.

It's quite rare to see a master and apprentice...

However, he didn't wait any longer. He was shirtless and drenched in sweat, clearly having just finished training.

The path of martial arts requires rigorous training in the sweltering heat of summer and the freezing cold of winter; one cannot afford to slack off in order to maintain one's strength.

Xiao Zhenshan turned around, casually grabbed a cloth draped over the stone lock and wiped his sweat. His strong upper body had clearly defined muscles, with a slight redness from vigorous training.

"Good morning, Lao Xiao."

Li Xiao greeted him with a smile, then his eyes lit up slightly.

Xiao Zhenshan had a string of copper coins hanging from his waist.

The string of copper coins consisted of five coins, tied vertically with a red string, like an ornament.

Before, I couldn't see because he was wearing clothes, but now that he's shirtless, it's much clearer...

The string of copper coins glowed green, clearly indicating that it was a labor of love.

"You...are you looking at this?"

Xiao Zhenshan noticed Li Xiao's gaze and saw that the other was looking down at the coin hanging at his waist, lost in thought. He explained, "These are Five Emperor Coins, coins minted by the five most prosperous emperors of the previous dynasty. They were a gift from an elder."

Li Xiao, with a mysterious air, asked, "May I take a look?"

Xiao Zhenshan was stunned for a moment. These Five Emperor Coins were very important to him, but when he thought that Li Xiao was the disciple of the fortune teller and seemed to realize something, he hurriedly took them out and handed them over, "Take a look."

Li Xiao took the Five Emperor Coins and gently stroked them, as a vast amount of memories flooded his mind.

He couldn't help but squint his eyes, trying to savor the memories within.

["Dad, where's my dad? Waaaaah..."]

["Zhenshan, your father is gone. From now on, your uncles will take care of you. This is a gift from your uncles..."]

["Thank you, five uncles. I will practice martial arts diligently to avenge my father..."]

["Uncle, are you saying that because I am Han Chinese, I cannot enter the army? Then how can I serve my country?"]

["Uncles, rest in peace... I will definitely find a way to restore the country..."]

["In the end, it was impossible. The country was destroyed and the land was annihilated..."]

["This mine is very strange, retreat, retreat quickly!!!"]

After a long while, Li Xiao slowly opened his eyes and received the memories contained in the Five Emperor Coins.

Xiao Zhenshan was originally a Han Chinese. When he was three years old, his village was massacred by one of the many rebel groups at the time, and his parents were also killed.

A man named Xiao He from the arriving banner camp rescued him and took him back to the camp, naming him Xiao Zhenshan.

Xiao He raised him as his own son.

After Xiao He died in battle, his five brothers continued to take on the responsibility of raising their eldest brother's adopted son, Xiao Zhenshan.

This is also the origin of the Five Emperors Coins; they were a gift from each of his five uncles.

Later, Xiao Zhenshan learned martial arts from his five uncles, and after reaching adulthood, he thought of joining the army to serve his country.

He was only barred from joining the army because the imperial court was extremely corrupt and he was Han Chinese.

Forty years ago, his five uncles fought against foreign enemies because of opium, and all of them died in a battle...

But Xiao Zhenshan did not forget his patriotism and began to hone his martial arts skills in the martial arts world.

During this process, I made many friends, including Huo Jiu, the leader of the Dingyang Gang...

Fifteen years ago, he came to Wuling City alone and established a martial arts school by relying on his kung fu skills.

He wanted to serve his country in this way...

However, his power was limited, and he could only watch helplessly as the previous dynasty collapsed.

Now his dream has completely faded away, leaving only a braid as a memento.

After all, the previous dynasty was gone, and he had no way to serve his country. He only wanted to train more disciples so that the people of this land would not be bullied or completely swallowed up by outsiders...

What a dramatic and eventful life....

Li Xiao couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

Originally a Han Chinese, he was saved by a celestial being from the previous dynasty, who taught him martial arts and raised him.

He wanted to serve his country, but the rigid rules prevented him from doing so. He hated the corrupt and incompetent court, yet he did not want it to collapse. In the end, he could only watch as the grand banquet was held and the towering building crumbled.

The last fragment of memory was in a dark, cave-like place.

This must have happened recently; the eldest and second eldest brothers were probably injured there...

Li Xiao's eyes darted around, and he had already figured out how to "borrow" these Five Emperors Coins.

【The Five Emperors' Coins: Bearing the hopes of five uncles, they have survived countless life-or-death crises, wandered the turbulent world, and experienced half a lifetime of ups and downs, thus acquiring spiritual essence】

[Equipment Effect: Improves martial arts skills rapidly; blocks one fatal attack;]

It wasn't that Li Xiao was greedy, but rather that the properties of the Five Emperors Coins were too tempting...

The martial arts training can improve rapidly and even prevent one fatal blow.

Even if the Five Emperors Coins were incredibly valuable, they were just an ordinary item to Lao Xiao.

Only you can activate this artifact and equip it to gain its effects!

Five or six minutes had passed. Seeing Li Xiao holding the Five Emperors Coins with his eyes closed, Xiao Zhenshan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Disciple, what's so special about these Five Emperors Coins...?"

Li Xiao slowly opened his eyes: "These Five Emperor Coins are indeed special... If I'm not mistaken, these five copper coins were given to you by five different people."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhenshan was slightly taken aback, utterly astonished: "Yes, disciple, how did you know...?"

Li Xiao said calmly, "Because I sensed five threads of affection entrusted to you within them, and they call you 'Bean' in some unseen way... Old Xiao, is that your nickname?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhenshan burst into tears: "Uncles, they are my five uncles..."

Li Xiao sighed and said, "But... Old Xiao, you must have gone to some dangerous place recently. These five emotional bonds have developed some cracks. They were damaged in order to protect you."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhenshan became extremely anxious and said, "Yes, yes, no wonder I was able to withdraw safely. It turns out that my five uncles protected me in the dark... They've been damaged... What should I do? My disciple, you must help me repair them..."

"Old Xiao, since you've asked, how can I not help? Actually, it's easy. Just leave it here and nourish it with my spiritual energy. It's just that my cultivation is shallow, so it might take a long time..."

As Li Xiao spoke, a thought crossed his mind, and the Five Emperors Coins replaced the rat spirit's skin and disappeared.

Xiao Zhenshan was stunned by the incredible ability to disappear into thin air.

"Thank you, my disciple! I will do my utmost to help you practice martial arts!"

Xiao Zhenshan was deeply moved and grateful to Li Xiao for restoring the emotional connection between the five uncles in the Five Emperor Coins.

He was already silently thinking about how to repay Li Xiao.

At the crucial moment, he would take out his treasured ancient ginseng king to help Li Xiao break through his cultivation level...