Urban Most Awesome Dad

After a few friendly exchanges, everyone followed Lu Chennong into the mansion that was worth a fortune.

Once they entered the villa, Zhang Lijuan took Tongtong to the backyard swing to play, leaving only Xu Fan, Lu Chennong, and Lu Chenbing in the room.

At this moment, Xu Fan clasped his hands together and shook them towards Lu Chennong and Lu Chenbing, saying, “I owe you both a big thanks for this incident. Without your help, it surely would have left a dark shadow in Tongtong’s heart.”

“Hey, you’re already calling us big brother, so why the formality? I remember when you helped me out, you said it was a trivial effort not worth mentioning. How come Xu Brother, who used to be so carefree, has started fussing over things?” Lu Chennong teased Xu Fan with a smile.

“Haha, since Elder Brother Lu says so, I won’t be polite anymore,” Xu Fan replied with a nod, silently taking note of their assistance.

“By the way, elder brother, how exactly did Xu Brother cure your illness? I’m quite curious about it now,” Lu Chenbing asked Lu Chennong with a hint of curiosity.

“Xu Brother said that I wasn’t sick but poisoned with a kind of toxin,” Lu Chennong said, his eyes carrying a trace of sharpness.

Seeing Lu Chenbing’s curious gaze, Xu Fan continued, “The poison Elder Xu was suffering from is named Shiguyin, formed by the combination of Shizhencao and Leiguhua. Both herbs are originally great for treating fire toxin symptoms, but once mixed, they create a fiercely Yin, debilitating poison called Shiguyin. Those poisoned exhibit symptoms just like Elder Lu, with a chill invading the lower abdomen. Fortunately, Elder Lu had the hot spring in this mansion which, although unable to cure the poison, could delay the spread of the Yin toxin. Otherwise, Elder Lu’s life would have ended once the poison spread throughout his body.”

“Poison, really?” Lu Chenbing’s eyes flashed with anger, infuriated by the underhanded tactic of using poison.

“Whoever did this, don’t let me find out. Otherwise, I, Lu Chenbing, will never forgive you!” Lu Chenbing slammed his palm fiercely onto the exquisite mahogany tea table, saying this with a stern tone.

“Chen Bing, don’t be angry. Now that the cold poison in my body has been cured, we have time to slowly weed out the culprit,” Lu Chennong tried to pacify his hot-tempered cousin.

“Elder Brother Lu, the Shiguyin poison is not something a common person would know of. The one behind the poisoning must have had guidance from someone more knowledgeable. So please, don’t be rash. If you find something, you can come to me for help at any time,” Xu Fan warned, fearing they might be too eager to find the perpetrator.

Lu Chennong nodded slightly in agreement, while Lu Chenbing still looked incensed, “I don’t care if he’s a high-ranking person or not; if I find him, he won’t get any mercy from me.”

Lu Chennong, worried that Xu Fan might misunderstand his brother Lu Chenbing, explained, “Xu, my brother, is not an ordinary man. He’s a martial artist in the eyes of the commoners, and he has already reached the Strong Body Realm. Even if he encounters the expert behind the poisoner, he has the strength to fight.”

“Strong Body Realm?” Xu Fan, hearing about martial artists’ rankings on this planet for the first time, asked with interest, “May I know which realm does this Strong Body Realm belong to for a martial artist?”

Lu Chenbing smiled faintly and said to Xu Fan, “When we were in the interrogation room earlier, I could tell that Brother Xu must be a martial artist too. Why would you ask such a novice question? Didn’t your sect explain these things to you?”

Xu Fan chuckled and said, “I’ve been teaching myself without any sect’s tradition, so I know very little about martial arts and realms. I would be grateful if Elder Lu could enlighten me.”

Hearing this, Lu Chenbing straightened up and began speaking earnestly, “Alright, since Brother Xu lacks this knowledge, let me give you a detailed explanation of some common knowledge from the Ancient Martial World.”

Xu Fan nodded, his face reflecting a slight look of anticipation.

Lu Chenbing picked up his tea, took a sip, then narrowed his eyes and said slowly, “In our Yan Country, there has been a tradition of practicing martial arts since ancient times. From ancient eras, some seniors communicated with the stars and moon, apprehended mountains and rivers, and created many cultivation methods. It was with these methods that our ancestors were able to overcome numerous adversaries in the treacherous ancient times, contributing to our Yan Country’s five thousand years of splendid civilization.”

“These cultivation methods have been passed down through the sects over dynasties. However, with the constant changes of dynasties and chaotic wars, many of these sects and cultivation methods were lost. The greatest calamity came after the fall of the Manchurian Dynasty when Yan Country was ravaged by the cannons and ironclad ships of the world’s powers, countless ancient martial artists fell before Western muskets and cannons, and now the cultivation methods left by our ancestors are nearly all but lost.

In this rapidly developing society, individual martial strength no longer plays much of a role, which is why few people are aware today that these martial arts techniques continue to be passed down, not just imagined in martial arts novels.”

“Indeed!” Xu Fan nodded. He had sensed a slight presence of Qi in the two helpers that the Zhu brothers had called, which confirmed to him that there were indeed cultivators in this world.

“Nowadays, we tend to call these cultivators martial artists or ancient martial artists, and the Ancient Martial World is not open to the general public. The news about it only circulates within the ancient martial artists’ circles.”

“Ancient Martial World? What about this ‘Strong Body Realm’ you mentioned?”

“Speaking of the ‘Strong Body Realm,’ we must discuss the classification of martial artists’ strength in the Ancient Martial World. Ordinary people, such as professional boxers, even if they win the strongest championship belt, are not considered martial artists. The mark of a true martial artist is entering the ‘Strong Body Realm.’ Martial artists in the Strong Body Realm can feel the ‘Qi Force’ and use it to strengthen themselves, enhancing their ordinary martial techniques with far greater power,” Lu Chenbing explained.

As Xu Fan listened, he nodded slightly; he recognized that the two men he had encountered earlier were in the ‘Strong Body Realm,’ possessing Qi force, but could only use it to boost their own attack power.

“Above the Strong Body Realm is the realm I’ve recently reached: the ‘Body Integration Realm,’” Lu Chenbing continued.

“Oh?” Xu Fan’s interest peaked, “What benefits does the ‘Body Integration Realm’ have?”