“Hunter.” Mark Bolton said dryly. This was something that couldn’t be hidden, and he hadn’t intended to hide it anyway. But he had already prepared some words, and continued, “Let me finish what I have to say… You already know, I’ve become a salt inspector. To be honest, with my abilities, there’s no way I would have gotten such a position with so many eyes watching, and my elder brother refused to help, insisting I go to the capital. But I’m not like my brother—I’m not ambitious, never thought about saving the world or becoming rich and powerful. I don’t have the ability or the fate for that. The capital is the most prosperous place in the world, but I know myself well. Under the emperor’s feet, there are countless high officials and nobles. If I went there, what could I do besides bow and scrape to others? Just thinking about it makes me feel it’s pointless. I’d rather live freely in the countryside. But I can’t go against my brother’s wishes, can I?

Coincidentally, a few days ago, I went to visit my uncle. I just wanted to ask if there was anything I could help with before leaving, didn’t think much of it. But my cousin gave me a few pointers. Don’t be fooled by his young age—just a few words from him made everything that had troubled me for days perfectly clear. As the saying goes, ‘At three you see the child, at eight the man.’ My cousin’s family may be poor, but you can tell he’s someone destined for great things. It just so happened that my uncle entrusted me with my cousin’s marriage. I thought, though there are many girls in Gongyi County, only our Rou’er is worthy of such a person. So I came to you.

If you don’t agree, I have nothing more to say. I’ll just have my brother look around in the capital. But honestly, if an ordinary family’s daughter wanted to marry my cousin, even if my uncle agreed, I wouldn’t.

Anyway, whether you agree or not today, the most important thing is not to let my brother know. You know his temper—if he finds out this idea came from my cousin, he’ll definitely send him somewhere else. My cousin is the only son in his family, and from what I can tell, he’s not one to travel far. My uncle and aunt might not agree either. I’m just being upfront with you today—I haven’t mentioned a word about my cousin in front of my brother.”

Mark Bolton’s words didn’t fully convince Peter Cooper. For matters like this, saying a basketful of good things is only to be expected. But that wasn’t his main concern. Since this son-in-law had come to ask in person, and had never asked for anything before, and now his status was different, it would be hard to refuse him.

“How about… letting the boy come here once, so I can see him myself?”

“Alright, of course you should see him yourself, right? In a few days, once I’m less busy with the salt works, I’ll bring him to you. But I’ll tell you first, my cousin is a bit cold in temperament, but capable people are often like that, nothing strange about it. He’s still young, after all. When my brother was young, he was so arrogant his nose nearly pointed to the sky. But look at him now—he could be called a modest gentleman, couldn’t he? Haha.”

……

David Carter naturally had no idea that things had gone contrary to his wishes, and that just a few words from him had landed him with a wife even younger than himself. Right now, he was quietly feeling the abundant energy and strength within his body, then took the towel handed to him by the little girl beside him and wiped the sweat from his face with satisfaction.

This was his nightly routine. Ever since he’d learned this set of Bajiquan from an instructor, he’d never missed a day, rain or shine. It had been more than ten years now. Unfortunately, he’d learned it too late—his body had already set. Otherwise, with his talent and perseverance, he would have achieved mastery sooner or later. Those were the instructor’s own words.

That instructor could never have imagined that this young man, with an extraordinary gift for close combat, would have such a strange fate. In David Carter’s view, Chinese martial arts in modern times had become mere forms, with little practical use in real combat—Bajiquan was no exception. If you tried to use martial arts stances in a real fight, you’d be courting death. Of course, maybe there are some true martial arts masters among the people, but David Carter had never met one. Even the instructor who taught him this set of moves, if you sparred with him, would use standard military combat techniques—though you could occasionally see traces of Bajiquan in some of the moves.

The reason David Carter practiced Bajiquan for so long was simply because it was genuinely beneficial for body coordination and strength application. Take the “leaning against the mountain” move in Bajiquan, for example. It’s said that in ancient times, Bajiquan disciples would often lean their bodies against walls or trees, generating tremendous power. This involves using the whole body’s strength. It looks like the force comes from the shoulder, but actually, it starts from the waist, twisting to concentrate all the power in the shoulder before releasing it.

Chinese martial arts may not be as practical in combat as sanda, karate, or joint locks, but when it comes to the use of strength, they truly have their own unique qualities. That’s why David Carter kept practicing without stopping.