Related thematic articles: Untitled Document. The tranquil second floor of the tea restaurant. The soft music played like a gentle stream, flowing through people's hearts. There weren't many customers on the second floor of the tea restaurant, only about ten or so, in small groups, all quietly discussing their own topics. Suddenly, footsteps were heard from the stairs, causing many customers to involuntarily glance over.
A pony-tailed young girl dressed in jeans and a white polo shirt, and a tall woman with short, neatly cut hair dressed in purple casual wear, ascended together. Many eyes in the entire tea restaurant lit up!
"Look, two beauties! Especially the one in the purple casual wear. Wow, I spent four years at university in Suzhou, just came back, and didn't expect to see such a stunning woman in our Anyi county. She's really a mature beauty. The other one is a bit younger but also pure and beautiful."
"Monkey, no matter how good the beauties are, they belong to others. Stop dreaming."
"Hey, bro, don't discourage me. By the way, who is that tall one with short, neat hair? I've lived for more than twenty years, and she's definitely in the top three among all the women I've seen. Her features, her demeanor...she's truly breathtaking."
"Monkey, listen carefully, this beauty's name is 'Lin Qing'. She's a very important person, with deep background. That Land Rover worth two million yuan we saw a few days ago belongs to her. Just in Anyi county, she owns a hotel and two teahouses. And these properties in our county are only a small part of what she owns."
"So amazing?" The young man nicknamed 'Monkey' was left speechless. Anyi county is just an ordinary county in Jiangsu province, and a two-million-yuan Land Rover is indeed quite eye-catching there.
"Miss Lin, your room is ready, please follow me." A waiter from the second floor of the tea restaurant immediately approached them. Under the guidance of the waiter, the two beauties walked into a private room under the watchful eyes of many, then closed the door.
******
Inside the private room, after casually ordering a pot of tea, they dismissed the server.
"Sister Lin, you've been coming here every day recently, and always to this private room. Ha ha, your intentions are as clear as daylight."
The pony-tailed girl smiled and glanced out the window. Opposite the window was a children's welfare home. On the empty ground of the welfare home, some staff members were playing with the orphans.
"Naughty girl," Lin Qing couldn't help but laugh and scold, though Lin Qing occasionally looked out the window towards the welfare home below, searching for a moment before seemingly not finding her target, leaving her somewhat regretful.
"That's strange, there's no sign of Teng Qingshan in the welfare home yard. Why isn't he here today? Doesn't he know Sister Lin is waiting for him?"
"Alright, Amin, stop being sarcastic."
Lin Qing chuckled softly. The pony-tailed girl 'Xiao Min' nodded, then asked curiously, "Sister Lin, I always feel that Teng Qingshan is very mysterious. When we went on our self-guided tour in the Greater Khingan Range, when Sister Lin was in danger that time, Teng Qingshan carried you, a living person, nearly twenty miles along mountain roads. Those were mountain roads! Teng Qingshan's physical strength is really terrifying."
"He is very mysterious," Lin Qing also nodded. Lin Qing still vividly remembered their first meeting.
That time, Lin Qing and a group of like-minded friends went to Northeast China to explore and travel in the Greater Khingan Range. As experienced hikers, Lin Qing's group naturally wouldn't follow the safe routes provided by tourist areas. They hired local villagers as guides to explore areas not open to the public.
But...the rarely visited forests were too enchanting. Lin Qing was attracted by a rare bird and, in order to photograph it, inadvertently got separated from the main group. When Lin Qing realized this, she couldn't find the group anymore.
In the desolate forest, her mobile phone had no signal, and she couldn't contact the group. In this situation, shouting to heaven brought no response, and shouting to earth brought no help. Lin Qing could only grit her teeth and walk back alone. But unexpectedly, on the way, she encountered poachers in the Greater Khingan Range. These poachers, seeing Lin Qing's attire, guessed her identity right away.
In the wilds, Lin Qing was so beautiful. Seeing Lin Qing, these men, who hadn't seen a woman for quite some time in the mountains, had a surge of testosterone and without hesitation, each of them immediately took action.
Lin Qing, with a fiery personality, fought fiercely. But how could a woman fight against five big men? Naturally, Lin Qing was injured, and just as she was about to be violated, she almost lost hope when Teng Qingshan, who was wandering alone in the Greater Khingan Range, appeared.
Teng Qingshan struck like lightning. Lin Qing, who was already injured, didn't even have time to see clearly before those five big men had already fallen unconscious.
"Hmph..." Recalling the past incident, Lin Qing couldn't help but let out a low hum, yet a smile appeared on her face.
"At that time, Teng Qingshan actually wanted me to go back alone. Fortunately, he wasn't too heartless. Eventually, he carried me back."
Lin Qing's mind replayed scenes from that time. On Teng Qingshan's back, it felt like a floating boat returning to the harbor. No matter how rugged the mountain road, Lin Qing felt peace in her heart. Twenty miles of rugged mountain road, Teng Qingshan carried Lin Qing all the way to the destination. Most people would be exhausted after walking twenty miles, let alone carrying a live person. And this was in the uninhabited area of the Greater Khingan Range. Even an elite special forces soldier might not be able to endure it.
The mysterious young man 'Teng Qingshan' and Lin Qing parted ways in the Greater Khingan Range. Lin Qing thought it would be hard to meet Teng Qingshan again, but unexpectedly, they met again in Anyi County.
"Teng Qingshan..."
Lin Qing was still lost in her memories.
"Hey, Sister Lin, look, Teng Qingshan has appeared!" The voice of the pony-tailed girl 'Xiao Min' woke Lin Qing up, and she turned her head to look down through the window. Opposite the window was a welfare home named 'Huaxin Children's Welfare Home.' Lin Qing and Xiao Min could clearly see the playground of the welfare home through the window. At that moment, a short-haired young man wearing ordinary casual clothes and glasses was carrying a large basin full of apples and heading to the playground.
"Wow, apples!"
"Eating apples!"
"Quickly line up, it's time for apples."
"Don't push, stay behind me. Line up properly."
Children who were originally playing gathered immediately and automatically formed two lines. The Huaxin Children's Welfare Home gave each orphan a cup of milk in the morning and a piece of fruit in the afternoon. These orphans usually didn't have snacks, so the fruits in the afternoon were particularly attractive to them.
"Thank you, Uncle Teng." The adorable children, upon receiving the red apples, politely called out. The short-haired young man, upon hearing this, couldn't help but smile, and continued distributing the fruits.
...
Inside the tea house private room, Lin Qing and Xiao Min were observing the short-haired young man distributing fruits through the window.
"Sister Lin, look how happy Teng Qingshan looks. It seems he really likes kids," Xiao Min sighed and said.
"He really loves kids; otherwise, he wouldn't come here to be a free volunteer," Lin Qing said, her gaze completely focused on the short-haired young man 'Teng Qingshan' downstairs. Teng Qingshan's sincere smile when dealing with the orphans completely captivated her.
"Xiaomin, I suddenly have an idea," Lin Qing said.
"What idea?" Xiao Min's eyes lit up.
Lin Qing sighed, "Grandma Huaxin has maintained this welfare home for nearly thirty years all by herself, which is very admirable... I plan to donate one million yuan. You can go and make contact with the people at the welfare home."
Grandma Huaxin, now over eighty years old, is the principal of the Huaxin Children's Welfare Home.
"This is a good deed," Xiao Min was delighted...
At this moment, the short-haired young man 'Teng Qingshan' was continuously distributing apples. Most of the children had already received theirs and started eating them.
"So small," a slightly curly-haired child looked at his apple, then compared it with others', discovering his was smaller.
The welfare home purchased apples, and naturally, they couldn't be all the same size. So the fruits the children held wouldn't be identical either. But children love to compare! It seemed... if it was slightly smaller, it felt like a loss.
"Brother, my fruit is the smallest. Yours is much bigger, it's almost twice as big as mine," the curly-haired child said to another robust-looking child beside him.
"Yeah, my stomach isn't feeling well today. Such a big one, I can't eat it all. Let's swap," the robust child laughed and said. The curly-haired child's bright eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "Really?"
While saying that, his gaze was already fixed on the large apple in his brother's hand.
"Is this a joke?" The robust child grinned and took the smaller apple from his younger brother, handing over his larger one. Just then, Teng Qingshan had finished distributing the apples and happened to witness this scene.
"These two brothers..." Teng Qingshan's eyes became distant, and his mind involuntarily recalled a scene from long ago —— that was a New Year's Eve many years ago. Snowflakes were flying outside, and firecrackers were ringing incessantly. Inside a spacious house, a group of children were happily surrounding a grandmother who looked around sixty years old.
"Everyone gets one, take turns," said the silver-haired grandma kindly, looking at the children and giving each one three pieces of White Rabbit milk candy. In those distant, impoverished times, having White Rabbit milk candy during the New Year was considered pretty good.
"Thank you, Grandma!" The children cheered, excitedly accepting the candies. They hadn't tasted milk candy for half a year or more, and at that moment, they couldn't resist, happily eating them while talking animatedly.
"Brother," a child wearing patched-up, old cotton-padded jacket pursed his lips and looked at his older brother.
"What's wrong? Qinghe?" Another taller child dressed equally simply looked at him curiously.
"I've eaten my milk candy already. It was so delicious... I finished it in just a little while," said Qinghe, looking at the other children who were slowly savoring their candies, almost drooling.
The slightly taller child looked down at the two remaining pieces of White Rabbit milk candy in his hand.
"Here, Qinghe, take them," said the taller child.
"Brother, aren't you going to eat?" Qinghe hesitated.
"My tooth hurts," the taller child laughed, "I ate one and it hurt so much. Here, take them. Oh, remember... don't chew the candy to pieces. If you chew it like you do, others haven't finished one piece while you've already finished three."
"Okay, I know. Brother is the best," Qinghe grinned, "But, let's split these two pieces, one for me and one for you."
The slightly taller child looked down, clearly still a child himself, unable to resist the temptation of the milk candy, and nodded, "Alright, one for each of us."
"One for each of us," Teng Qingshan murmured softly, "Qinghe, it's been twenty-two years, already twenty-two years."
Just then, footsteps were heard, and Teng Qingshan turned around. He saw an elderly grandmother with silver hair accompanied by a woman walking towards him.
"Principal Grandma!"
"Good evening, Principal Grandma!" The crowd of orphans immediately excitedly shouted, and the elderly grandmother with silver hair smiled broadly.
"Principal Grandma," Teng Qingshan paused, the image of the principal grandma before him seemed to merge with the memory of the grandmother who had taken care of him and his brother, "It's been twenty-two years, Grandma should be eighty-three this year."
Teng Qingshan's body trembled slightly with excitement. But in an instant, he calmed down, regaining his composure.
"The young man is called Teng Qingshan, he voluntarily came here as a free volunteer. He's been here for six days, he's very diligent and smart," the woman smiled and said.
"Oh, Teng Qingshan?" The elderly grandmother with silver hair looked at Teng Qingshan with a smiling face.
"Qingshan, help take care of the principal grandma, I'll go prepare dinner for the children at the cafeteria," the woman laughed.
"Don't worry, Auntie Liu," Teng Qingshan smiled.
"Principal, I'll leave first," the woman said to the principal, and Teng Qingshan naturally stepped forward to assist the principal grandma.
The old lady looked at Teng Qingshan and kindly smiled, "Qingshan, you're twenty-three this year, right? I've seen your resume."
"Yes, I just graduated from university," Teng Qingshan nodded.
"Looking at your delicate skin, it's obvious you haven't done heavy work. Haven't you suffered these few days?" The principal grandma laughed.
"Not at all, I'm doing it happily," Teng Qingshan supported the principal grandma and smiled.
The principal grandma sighed, "To be honest, Qingshan, seeing you makes me feel very close. It reminds me of a long time ago, an orphan in this orphanage. It was in the early 80s, the conditions of the orphanage were very poor, only me and my eldest daughter were taking care of the children. Back then, there was a pair of real-life brothers among the orphans, one named Qingshan and the other Qinghe. These names were given by me. You're also named Qingshan... it's really fate."
Teng Qingshan's heart trembled, but he nodded, "Yes, it's fate."
"However, Qingshan was adopted by someone else and left the orphanage twenty-two years ago. Today, he should be twenty-nine, much older than you. He might already be married and have children. Who knows how he's doing now? My health is getting worse. If I could see Qingshan one more time, it would be wonderful," the principal grandma sighed.
Teng Qingshan couldn't help but tremble inside, "I believe Principal Grandma will surely get your wish."
Qingshan and Qinghe, the pair of brothers, were abandoned at the doorstep of the orphanage shortly after birth. Back then, Principal 'Huaxin' had just opened the orphanage. Qingshan and Qinghe were among the earliest batch of orphans. And Principal 'Huaxin Grandma' worked hard tirelessly to raise these two brothers, forming a deep bond.
...
Lin Qing and Xiao Min watched Teng Qingshan in the welfare home. Teng Qingshan first accompanied the principal grandma, then later played with the children. From start to finish, there wasn't a trace of impatience. The children obviously liked this 'Uncle Teng' very much.
"Sister Lin, he's coming out," Xiao Min said immediately. Teng Qingshan walked out of the orphanage gate, and Lin Qing immediately called out through the window, "Teng Qingshan!"
Teng Qingshan looked up.
"Come upstairs and sit for a while," Lin Qing smiled and said. She was well aware that Teng Qingshan must have already eaten dinner in the cafeteria, because... she had invited Teng Qingshan several times in the past few days, and Teng Qingshan only came to chat with her twice.
Teng Qingshan smiled and shook his head, "No, I have something to do today. We'll catch up when I have time."
"That's fine too," Lin Qing was slightly disappointed but still smiled and said.
Lin Qing and Xiao Min watched Teng Qingshan leave.
"Sister Lin, Teng Qingshan really doesn't give you any face. Even you, such a beautiful woman, personally invite him, and he doesn't accept," Xiao Min laughed.
"Well, let's go, come to my place for dinner," Lin Qing stood up and left the tea house with Xiao Min.
*******
In a rural courtyard on the outskirts of Anyi County, within the vast courtyard, Teng Qingshan, bare-chested and without glasses, stood practicing the Xingyi Three Body Posture. With glasses, Teng Qingshan appears gentle and modest, but without them, he seems steady and resolute. At this moment, Teng Qingshan, bare-chested, stood in the Xingyi Three Body Posture. His chest was slightly concave, his back slightly arched, his hands shaped like tiger claws, and his feet moved as if walking on muddy ground. Standing there, Teng Qingshan gave off the impression of a towering mountain, unshakable whether moving forward, sidestepping, or punching.
"Huff!"
"Huff!"
The air carried the sound of rushing wind. Once poised, he was as calm as a bell-shaped tripod. His left foot moved like an iron plow tilling the soil, his right foot suddenly thrusting forward, his right fist following suit. His whole body was like a bow drawn to its limit, and his right fist like an arrow released.
"Puff!" A burst of air exploded in the air, creating a gust of wind within the courtyard. The Xingyi Three Body Posture transformed into the Five Elements Fist's 'Beng Quan', flowing like clouds and water, without any strain, displaying immense power capable of producing an air burst. If martial arts practitioners from society saw this, they would be stunned speechless.
Teng Qingshan began moving swiftly around the courtyard, transitioning between the Xingyi Three Body Posture and the Five Elements Fists. Clearly, Teng Qingshan had achieved the highest level in the 'Pao Quan' of the Five Elements Fists.
"Huff!" His form shifted back to the preparatory stance of the Xingyi Three Body Posture, exhaling gently. Calm as still water, akin to a lake undisturbed by ripples, he naturally and clearly sensed the condition of every part of his body, from the internal organs to the muscles, skin, and hair. However, compared to the legendary 'inner vision,' he still fell short.
"Though only one step remains, this step is like a chasm, difficult to cross. If I can reach the Master level within my lifetime, I will die without regrets." Teng Qingshan couldn't help but sigh. To hear the truth in the morning and die in the evening would be enough.
Xingyi Quan, as one of the three major internal martial arts, has historically produced Masters, but in modern society, those reaching Master level are exceedingly rare.
"The ground is too unstable here; it's impossible to fully unleash my abilities." Teng Qingshan examined the ground, and cracks were already visible on the cement surface. This was despite him not using full force, merely practicing. In a battle with strong opponents, the cement ground would likely crack entirely.
Subsequently, Teng Qingshan sat cross-legged, eyes gazing at his nose, nose at his heart, breathing faintly almost imperceptible, his mind calm as still water. His spirit relaxed infinitely.
"Rustle rustle~" The faint sounds of blood flowing through his veins like a gentle stream, and the heartbeat, were audibly clear.
Time passed slowly, and soon it was deep into the night. Teng Qingshan remained seated cross-legged in the courtyard, while outside, on the country road made of cement, a lean man in all black whispered into his collar, "Gray Eagle, I've reached the suspected location of the target."
Then, the lean man calmed himself slightly and silently approached, stepping lightly without making a sound. Quietly grabbing the wall of the courtyard, his fingers exerted slight force, propelling him like a cat leaping inside, landing soundlessly on both hands and feet. Immediately, the black-clad man looked around and was startled to see a vague figure sitting cross-legged in the center of the courtyard.
"You've come chasing after all."
The cross-legged figure's eyes abruptly opened.
"Escape!" The black-clad man's face changed color, and without hesitation, he retreated explosively, flipping backward to leap out of the courtyard.
"Huff!" Within the black-clad man's sight, the figure sitting cross-legged suddenly sprang up, the entire cement ground shaking violently, cracking apart. The figure resembled an enraged tiger, instantly covering seven or eight meters to pounce over.
The terrified black-clad man hadn't even had time to retrieve his weapon.
"Thud!" The black-clad man felt an intense pain in his throat.
"Ho~~ Ho~~" The black-clad man tried to speak but couldn't, his head dropping lifelessly, already dead.
Teng Qingshan tore off a piece of the black-clad man's sleeve, smearing blood on his arm, revealing a complex code resembling a 'tattoo.' With Teng Qingshan's incredible eyesight, despite only a sliver of moonlight, he could see clearly. His expression changed slightly, "For me, they're willing to expend such a great cost, sending someone from the 'Dark Hand' organization to track me."
"My whereabouts have been leaked; I can't stay in this Anyi County any longer."
Teng Qingshan immediately returned indoors, changed clothes, and, carrying his backpack, quietly departed from Anyi County in the darkness of night.
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