0111 The So-Called Meritorious Deeds

Seeing the golden ginkgo leaf Chen Jue handed over, Wu Fang accepted it with a faint blush. She then took his hand to inspect the scratches, whispering, "Thank you! I really like this gift. But please, don't be so reckless next time."

"I'll be more careful next time," Chen Jue nodded. The scratches on his hands were merely surface abrasions; he could have healed them instantly by spending a few points on his [Physique], but they looked a bit gruesome on the surface. More importantly, seeing Teacher Wu happy made it all worth it.

"Are we only filming this segment today?" Wu Fang stopped the recording function and looked up at him.

"This is enough. This should be the last time I film a 'specialty' stunt involving darts. I'll think of something new later to avoid viewer fatigue." Chen Jue nodded, packed away his equipment, and sat on the lawn to discuss the post-production editing with her.

...

Because they had used multi-angle shots, the editing required some extra effort. After about an hour, Chen Jue uploaded the freshly minted video, "Specialty: Catching the Dart," to several short-video platforms.

Thanks to the "Flying Needle Embroidery" livestream from a few days ago, which had proven the legitimacy of Chinese martial arts and brought over two million new followers to his channel, the views on his new video skyrocketed the moment it was posted. Within five minutes, the previously empty comment section was flooded with hundreds of messages.

"First!"
"Holy cow! Is the 'Specialty Guy' even human? Is he possessed by a monkey?"
"Did you get the title wrong? It should have been 'Leaping Over Walls'!"
"The tree: Please, stay away! (Trembling)"
"Is this the legendary light-body technique? (Shocked)"
"I thought the title meant catching a boomerang, not that he'd just fly up a tree without warning! (Facepalm)"
"That’s a ginkgo tree in the park, right? It looks at least seven stories high! And he climbed it with no safety gear. Too crazy! (Awesome)"
"Beautiful scenery, beautiful tree, and a beautiful stunt! Worthy of the Specialty Guy. (Bowing)"

Since the video was new, viewers were still busy crafting witty comments, so the like count hadn't peaked yet. However, the sheer volume of real users flooding in within minutes caught both Chen Jue and Wu Fang by surprise.

"You're almost at three million followers!" Wu Fang exclaimed, watching the data climbing in the background. "It looks like you're a lock for the Top 100 Influencers list this year."

In the world of short videos, once you find your niche and hit the right chord with the audience, going viral happens in the blink of an eye. With people growing bored of their usual "digital appetizers," everyone was craving something fresh. Upon discovering this unique creator, the audience joined in the hype.

Chen Jue hadn't expected the lingering impact of his last livestream to be so significant. In just a few days, it had pushed his channel toward the top of the annual influencer rankings. Even the official accounts of several video platforms had sent private messages, inviting him to attend their year-end galas. Beyond those, his inbox was flooded with over 999+ business collaboration requests, ranging from weapon manufacturers to health supplements and sports gear.

"I suppose every Chinese person has a martial arts dream," Chen Jue analyzed thoughtfully. "My video just happened to strike a chord with everyone's aesthetic, which is why it took off so quickly." Even he had harbored a dream of wandering the world with a sword since he was a child.

"It's not just the aesthetic," Wu Fang added, looking at him pointedly. "It's that your stunts are unique—something others can't replicate even if they try." She picked up the golden ginkgo leaf, admired it, and tucked it carefully into her book. Like his stunts, this leaf, plucked from a 20-meter-high treetop, was truly one of a kind. Though not expensive, it touched a soft spot in her heart.

...

The afternoon passed quickly. After filming, Chen Jue practiced Tai Chi and horse-stance training by the park lake, earning 0.01 free attribute points after two hours. Wu Fang sat on the lawn, grading papers and reading. They remained quiet, one focusing on martial arts and the other on literature, each immersed in their own world, yet stealing occasional glances at each other.

As the sun began to set, Wu Fang packed her books and walked with Chen Jue toward the park exit. She murmured softly, "Would you like to come over for dinner?"

"Dinner?" Chen Jue paused, then blurted out something that completely ruined the atmosphere. Having been a bachelor for years, his emotional intelligence had been "welded shut" by his long-term single status—a classic "straight-man" move.

"Oh, alright then... Be safe on your way back! See you next time, Master Chen!" Wu Fang didn't seem angry; she just winked at him and hurried toward the apartment complex gate.

Watching her leave, Chen Jue finally realized what he had missed. He slapped his forehead, cursed his own social ineptitude, and loaded his equipment into the car. Once inside, he wasn't ready to give up yet. He sent a message: "There's an equestrian club opening next weekend. Would you like to go check it out together?"

To his surprise, Wu Fang replied instantly: "Sure! (Blushing)"

Chen Jue punched the air inside the car, shouting, "YES! My spring has finally arrived!" Since she hadn't rejected him, she clearly had feelings for him. The ease of this invitation meant their relationship had officially taken a step forward.

...

With the date set for next weekend, Chen Jue was on cloud nine. Nothing could compare to the joy of a date, except perhaps the notification of gaining new attributes. He drove home, stopping at a high-end car wash where he spent 298 yuan for a full deep clean of his dirty SUV. Not satisfied yet, he paid for extra polishing and a minor maintenance check.

By the time he finished dinner at a nearby fast-food place and returned, the car was pitch-black and gleaming like a mirror.

"Impressive! Better than the used-car dealers!" Satisfied, he signed up for a five-thousand-yuan car wash membership, which gave him a ten percent discount.

When he reached his apartment, it was already past 8:00 PM. He took a medicinal bath and applied various herbal remedies to the scratches on his hands. "Professional rock climbers have calluses all over their hands," he mused, lying in bed while recalling the afternoon. "My [Climbing] training time is too short; my skin isn't tough enough."

He realized that despite his quick reflexes and ability to avoid sharp branches, tree bark itself was jagged. At his weight of 160 pounds, the pressure against the bark was bound to cause scrapes. He remembered how professional climbers like Yu Jie used magnesium powder to increase friction and protect their skin. But since his [Climbing] skill was like a natural instinct he needed to train constantly, carrying a jar of magnesium powder everywhere was too cumbersome.

"Is there a way to increase the thickness of the skin on my hands? Or quickly enhance its toughness and resilience?" He started searching online. There wasn't much discussion on the topic, as most people nowadays were too busy chasing money to care about such things.

He stumbled across some traditional martial arts enthusiasts on Quora-like sites mentioning the "Iron Sand Palm," which could improve both striking power and skin defense.

"Iron Sand Palm?" He looked up a few influencers practicing it. Many either had deformed, swollen hands or looked like they were doing it wrong. Some comments claimed practitioners had ruined their hands. However, seeing them shatter bricks and pebbles, he believed there was some truth to it, though they were likely only scratching the surface. It was a common art with countless variations, and he didn't dare practice it blindly.

"I'll ask Old Master Wu tomorrow. He's an experienced practitioner; he must know the real deal." Chen Jue closed his phone and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, after his eye and ear training, he strapped on his bow case and drove to the park. The park was as lively as ever. Near the chess tables, Old Master Wu was practicing the rope dart, while Wu Fang sat nearby, reading.

Seeing the bow case, Old Master Wu looked intrigued. "Master Chen! Haven't seen you in days! That 'Flying Needle Embroidery' stunt of yours had this old man's blood boiling for days!"

"I've been busy studying, so I haven't been able to come by," Chen Jue replied, setting down his bow case and greeting Wu Fang, who blushed and responded softly.

Old Master Wu, seeing the tension between them, chuckled and added, "The air and scenery are great here. You should come more often!" His comment made Wu Fang's ears turn crimson.

Chen Jue quickly changed the subject, asking about training his hands.

"Iron Sand Palm?" Old Master Wu was immediately interested. "Why do you want to learn that?"

Chen Jue opened his case to reveal the black Qilin bow. "I bought a heavy bow for strength training. It’s hard on my hands, so I want to build up my grip."

Old Master Wu took the bow and tried to draw it, but it didn't budge. His expression shifted to one of genuine shock. "Good heavens! How heavy is this bow?"

"It's a 110-pound draw weight, custom-made," Chen Jue explained. He took the bow, planted his feet in a horse stance, and pulled the string into a full moon. Old Master Wu clapped in admiration.

"Great bow! Great strength! It's no wonder you need to train your hands—if your grip isn't tough enough, such a heavy bow will indeed injure you." Old Master Wu stared at the purple-red welts on Chen Jue's hands. "Iron Sand Palm is a legitimate art, but it requires specific medicinal washes to counteract the toxicity of the sand. Huo Yuanjia, for example, suffered from lung disease due to the heat-toxins absorbed from the sand, which allowed his enemies to take advantage of his weakened state."

Chen Jue was stunned. "Do you know it, Master Wu?"

Old Master Wu shook his head. "My family's knowledge was lost generations ago. Most of what you see on the market today is the wrong path, leading to deformities. True Iron Sand Palm results in hands as soft and white as a woman's. If you want to learn, ask Master Zhao at the Tai Chi class. His Longmen sect has the authentic lineage. Especially regarding the medicinal formulas—they are family secrets. Without a master, you'll only learn the fake, superficial stuff."