The government wanted to know who this old man really was. Was he a real antique who had lived during the Ming Dynasty? Did he really live for 500 years? Were his name and deeds recorded in history books? Of course, the government wasn't the only party interested in this information. Everyone else was too.
Hearing the general’s question, Gui Bin unconsciously sat up straight and swept the surroundings with bright eyes.
The conference room was very large and could seat many people. Gui Bin did not recognize the vast majority of the individuals seated, but they gave off the air of distinguished leaders.
On the other side, there were also a group of old people wearing strange clothing ranging from Taoist robes to monk robes. There was even an old man who was only wearing simple clothes and sandals. These people looked strange and out of place at a glance, but they all bore a scholarly aura.
The leader whispered to Gui Bin, “Some of them are well-known Taoists and monks. There are also people from the Taoist Association, Martial Arts Association, Buddhist Association, and religious sects. The rest of the old people are experts and professors from famous schools in various related fields. Do not underestimate them.”
Gui bin nodded. Once upon a time, these people were considered eccentrics. Most probably only the government could bring these experts and scholars together quickly.
“According to the video taken from various angles, there are no traces of a change in expression from the old man. Whether it’s his facial muscles, eyes, or the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. All of them indicate that he is possibly not lying. But, I should say that the old man’s expression from beginning to end was very calm and serene as if there was no change in emotion at all. Even the most strictly trained personnel could not do this upon encountering those monsters. I suspect that he is not human.”
An expert in reading expressions exclaimed.
“These videos were taken clearly and without post-production. From my observation, his skin is not like an old man's at all. He looks more like a newborn baby, which is incredible. Even nine-year-olds can’t have such good skin. As a pathologist, I can’t make any medical observations to see through his true age. I agree with Professor Li that he may really not be human.”
A medical expert who was well-established in both Chinese and Western medicine said.
“There are also no obvious signs of plastic surgery. Even if there was, it would be far beyond what the discipline allows at present.”
“His accent sounds northern, probably from the capital. His speech and dialect are also quite similar to people from the Ming Dynasty. In the end, his words became similar to modern times, showing that he is quite up-to-date.”
The experts and scholars were throwing arguments and conclusions. With their own expertise, they were trying to analyze the old man, but no matter what they did, they could not find anything that indicated that the old man was lying. In the end, everyone went silent. Although their expressions were filled with incredulity, they concluded that the old man was a monster that had lived for 500 years.
With this conclusion, some big shots had light in their eyes as they were vaguely excited.
For these people in power with untold wealth, their greatest desire was to live long. Even Qin Shi Huang could not control such a desire.
Of course, these people did not dare force the mysterious old man. The old man’s power was nearly equal or surpassed that of modern military might. It was not something people would dare covet. Moreover, who was to say that there wasn’t some even more powerful force behind the old man. Before they could confirm these things, they did not dare disrespect him. Even if they had power, in the face of something beyond common sense, they would show respect.
Even if they could not use force, they could use other methods as long as the other party was still human. And as long as the other party still had human desires, there were benefits in performing an exchange.
The general raised his hand to stop everyone’s discussion. He thought for a moment and spoke, “After the old man left, the people at the scene immediately searched around the vicinity, but they could never imagine that the scene was surprisingly clean without even a single hair or a bead of sweat left behind.”
“Wow!”
The meeting room burst into a flurry of conversations. The human body was in a constant state of metabolism, and if this old man could truly perform all of that activity without breaking a sweat, then he was likely beyond human.
Suddenly, an expert from the Martial Arts Association spoke. This immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
This expert coughed lightly and did not dare keep everyone in suspense. He quickly said, “He used ‘Bajiquan’. We have already discussed this. What he used was without a doubt ‘Bajiquan’. It’s just that his stance was not the standard one.”
After saying so, the expert smiled awkwardly.
Louie’s fighting stance was indeed not standard because it was a fake that he used after watching videos.
But other people wouldn’t see it that way. Everyone laughed out loud and jokingly said, “Isn’t that just because your skills are not that good right? That old man is a real master whose fist is like a tank cannon. This reminds me of a saying, ‘a one man army’.”
“Is there any old master that could even contend with the old man?”
The general asked in a hurry.
The person from the Martial Arts Association shook his head, “The most famous master of Bajiquan of the modern era was Li Shuwen, but the old man said that he was from the Ming Dynasty, so it’s impossible for him to be Li Shuwen. There is a difference of several hundred years.”
“It was said that Bajiquan originated in the Ming Dynasty. It was mentioned in Qi Jiguang’s writings and he lived in that era. Another account said that it was created at the end of the Ming Dynasty by a Taoist. A third account said that it was created during the Qing Dynasty by an abbot called Zhang Yueshan.”
The general went silent for a while before continuing, “When our staff talked to the old man, he said that his last name was Zhang.”
“Clap!”
The Martial Arts Association clapped his palm with an excited face and said, “then there should be no mistake about it. Our martial arts are basically passed down by oral dictation, making it difficult to determine the origin. The old man claimed to be from the Ming Dynasty, and his surname is Zhang, so he was probably the founder of Bajiquan. Afterward many version of Bajiquan was spread in oral traditions.”
“There is a saying that goes ‘Culture has Taijiquan so all-under-heaven is peaceful; Military has Bajiquan so the universe is stable’. The old man claimed to be at the qi refining realm. I’m afraid that his Bajiquan is the original one. Its power is as everyone can see!”
The crowd thought of this. If the old man displayed his powers in ancient times, he could have overthrown the dynasty.
Qin Shi Huang - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang
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