Chapter 342 - 186: Brought to Tears by the Craving for a Braised Pork Wrap

Chapter 342: Chapter 186: Brought to Tears by the Craving for a Braised Pork Wrap

"Zhou Yan, give me a ride somewhere." Zhou Ming walked over, carrying a paper bag.

"Hop on, Ming. Where are you headed?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.

"Number eight Dongfeng Lane. Head out of town toward Suji. Right before you leave the city, there’s a place called Jiang’s Claypot Rice Noodles. Turn in there, and that’s it," Zhou Ming said as he climbed onto the bike.

"Got it." Zhou Yan said goodbye to Comrade Zhou, then rode off with Zhou Ming on the back.

"I’m going to visit Grandmaster Song Changhe. He’s a Veteran Martial Artist whose Spear Technique is divine. He once studied on Mount Emei, and his spearmanship is exquisite, not to mention his exceptional combat skills. But I’ve been here twice before without even getting to see him. I wonder if I’ll have any luck this time," Zhou Ming said from the back seat.

"Liu Bei only had to ask Zhuge Liang three times. If this Grandmaster Song is that hard to meet, maybe you should just forget it," Zhou Yan laughed.

"You don’t get it. Song Changhe is different," Zhou Ming said with a smile. "He’s a veteran of the War of Resistance. He’s actually killed enemy soldiers with his spear. It’s a true Killing Technique, not the performance routines you see from modern martial arts teams. The old generation of Martial Artists is fading away. If we don’t collect and document these skills now, they might be lost forever."

Hearing this, Zhou Yan’s expression turned solemn with respect. "In that case, you should definitely visit a few more times."

They headed toward the edge of the city, and upon seeing the claypot rice noodle shop, turned into a small lane. Number eight was at the very end: a small, unremarkable courtyard with its gate shut tight.

Zhou Ming hopped off the bicycle, straightened his clothes, and stepped forward to knock on the gate.

After a moment, a young woman’s voice came from inside the courtyard. "Who is it?" ℴℴ𝘮

"I am Zhou Ming, a teacher from the Emei Martial Arts School. I’ve come specifically to visit Mr. Song Changhe. Would you be so kind as to announce my visit?" Zhou Ming replied in a clear voice.

The sound of a bolt being drawn came from the courtyard, and the gate opened. A young woman stood there, dressed in a simple blouse and a gray, mid-calf skirt. She wasn’t tall, but she had an excellent figure. Her black hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and her features were deep-set and strikingly handsome. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, and a book in her hand added to her scholarly air.

She glanced at Zhou Ming, and then at Zhou Yan holding the bicycle behind him. Adjusting her glasses, she said, "My grandfather isn’t accepting students. You should go."

"Miss, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not here to become a disciple," Zhou Ming quickly explained. "I’m from the Emei Martial Arts Preservation and Inheritance Office. We are currently undertaking a protective collection of Emei martial arts traditions, hoping to preserve more of these arts in written form." He continued, "I... I hope I can meet Mr. Song Changhe. He’s one of the representative figures of the Emei Spear. Since he hasn’t taken on any students, it would be a true shame if such a Spear Technique were not passed down."

"And how do you know it hasn’t been passed down?" the young woman asked, her gaze sharpening as she looked up at Zhou Ming.

"Hm?" Zhou Ming paused, taken aback. He took a step back, and with a serious expression, cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute. "My apologies, I was rude. So you must be the inheritor of the Song Family’s spear."

But the young woman just smiled. Beaming at Zhou Ming, she said, "My name is Song Wanqing, and I’m a Chinese teacher at No. 1 High. And Zhou, I’m no inheritor of any Song Family spear. Actually, I’m your junior. From No. 1 High, a year below you. If I remember correctly, you were invited to No. 1 High to train the martial arts team, weren’t you?"

"Ah?" Zhou Ming scratched his head in embarrassment. "I just assumed you were a martial artist, too."

Watching from the side, Zhou Yan was practically cringing. ’Ming is getting completely played by this woman.’

’Juniors are great.’

’Back in the day, Ming must have been a big shot at school. Tall, handsome, always winning city- and provincial-level martial arts championships... I wonder how many underclassmen had a secret crush on him.’

’Just look at this Song Xue Mei. Not only did she recognize Zhou Ming as her senior, but she even knows he’s going back to No. 1 High next week for the training camp.’

’She was definitely paying attention, at least.’

"Miss Song, could I trouble you to announce me, then? So I can see Mr. Song," Zhou Ming said, looking at Song Wanqing.

"No, can’t do. My grandfather is very stubborn; I can’t make that decision for him." Song Wanqing shook her head. Seeing Zhou Ming’s disappointed expression, she added, "I’ll try to persuade him later, though. What you’re doing—preserving the heritage of Emei Martial Arts—is a good thing."