CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31: STOP TRAINING, OR YOU’LL REALLY BE RUINED

Early the next morning, Ji Ning yawned as she went downstairs and saw three diligent figures already engaging in Body Refinement in the living room.

Ji Ning suddenly had a hallucination that these three were the same little kids she rescued from the jaws of Mutant Beasts back then, holding rusty machetes, repeating the same training actions over and over.

During chaotic times, conditions are harsh. To survive, one must rely on a tenacious will and formidable strength.

She could save them for a moment, but she couldn’t protect them for a lifetime. If they couldn’t stand on their own, they’d eventually die at the hands of their enemies.

"Sister Ning, how many laps are we running today?"

"Sister Ning, when are we increasing the weight for resistance training?"

Ji Ning snapped out of her thoughts, pointed to the roof, "Today we officially start Body Refinement. Kids, just watch from the side."

Ji Ning signaled Lin Yuanyang and led the way outside.

Bai Xiaotang and Ye Tong exchanged a smile; Sister Ning was finally going to teach them some substantial skills.

If they could train to have the same physique and skills as Sister Ning, they’d be happy to do it even without sleeping every day.

***

On the rooftop.

Ji Ning stood at the highest point, arms crossed behind her back, her straight posture giving off a sense of being a master from outside the mundane world.

Lin Yuanyang, seeing this for the first time, subconsciously straightened his back, his expression more serious.

Did Sister Ning stay at the base?

As he wondered, Ji Ning’s gaze already swept over him.

"The Body Refinement Realm I teach is different from what you’ve learned since childhood, watch closely."

Ji Ning deliberately slowed down her movements, but the three still felt like they were looking at something both familiar and strange.

It wasn’t until Ji Ning demonstrated it a third time that Lin Yuanyang uncertainly asked, "Is this the Ji Ning Body Refinement Realm?"

"Yes and no." Ji Ning looked at Lin Yuanyang satisfactorily and continued, "More accurately, this is the true Ji Ning Body Refinement Realm."

"Huh? How is that?"

Bai Xiaotang and Ye Tong were very surprised; they had practiced a version of the Ji Ning Body Refinement Realm all their lives, but never seen this version.

Just as they were about to express doubt, Lin Yuanyang suddenly realized, "No wonder, when I practiced Body Refinement before, some movements always felt awkward, now with your demonstration, it flows much better."

Ji Ning approvingly glanced at Lin Yuanyang once more, then turned to the two girls still in a dazed state, "The ’Ji Ning Body Refinement Realm’ you’ve practiced is the simplified version suitable for everyone, but mine is not."

The warmth in Ji Ning’s eyes seemed to fade instantly, causing the three of them to become guarded, even their breathing grew slightly lighter.

A body refinement that includes extremely powerful killer moves and attack power is naturally not suitable for everyone.

"If you want to learn, be prepared for your body to be ruined."

Her killer moves impose very stringent training demands on the body; any mistake could instantly turn someone into a cripple.

But if mastered, one’s Combat Power could sweep over half of the Hua Continent, which was why those people feared her in the past.

"Are you sure you want to learn?" Ji Ning’s indifferent gaze made the three of them a bit apprehensive, but more so excited without reason.

Bai Xiaotang was the first to raise her hand to learn; she had a carefree heart and no psychological burden, she just wanted to become strong and make her brother see her in a new light.

The second was Lin Yuanyang, who candidly said, "My body is already wrecked enough, how much more can it be ruined? At worst, I’ll be reincarnated into a better family in the next life."

Seeing the other two agree, Ye Tong hesitantly raised her hand, but Ji Ning rejected her.

"You better not, lest you become truly crippled."

This instantly sparked Ye Tong’s defiance, "Why not? My physique is better than the other two, if they can train, why can’t I? I want to train too."

Ji Ning stared at her for a moment, then jumped down from the high platform, standing in front of the three, "Stretch out your hands."

Ye Tong was startled, thinking something was wrong with her body, her face turned pale, "Ning... Sister Ning? Am I..."

"No."

Ji Ning glanced at her and quickly cut off her overthinking, pulling her halfway extended hand to her using two fingers placed on her wrist.

After a moment, she put the hand down and looked at Bai Xiaotang, "Yours."

Bai Xiaotang wasn’t overthinking like Ye Tong, she quickly extended her arm and asked, "Ji Ning, why can’t Sister Xiaotong train?"

"She can train." Ji Ning replied briefly and glanced at Ye Tong, pausing slightly, she continued, "But don’t use it on the film set."

The three of them froze momentarily, Bai Xiaotang looked puzzled, Ye Tong nodded obediently, and Lin Yuanyang pondered as he looked at Ji Ning with a hint of curiosity.

"Yours."

Ji Ning released Bai Xiaotang’s wrist and looked at Lin Yuanyang.

Lin Yuanyang immediately extended his hand. The cold touch surprised him a little. Ji Ning’s expression remained calm, and as she looked at him, there was no emotion. After a moment, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she suddenly changed the way she was holding his wrist.

With her other hand, she quickly touched his upper arm, shoulder, and chest with two fingers.

Suddenly, a familiar sensation of suffocation overcame him.

He clutched at his heart, hunched over, "Uh..."

"Oh my God, Xiao Yang is having a heart attack, I’ll go grab the medicine." Bai Xiaotang responded quickly, just about to turn around when an arm restrained her.

Turning her head, she saw Lin Yuanyang’s pale, sweaty face, "No need... I’m okay now."

This time, the suffocation came suddenly and left just as quickly, as if controlled by someone.

He couldn’t help but look at the composed Ji Ning, a storm surging in his heart, "You..."

"You’re poisoned."

Just as I thought...

Lin Yuanyang’s eyes lit up with a hint of excitement. If not for his injured leg, he would have leapt up, "Can it be cured?"

Ji Ning crossed her arms and looked at him for a while, "It’s a chronic virus, very tricky."

Lin Yuanyang’s pale face flushed slightly at these words, his clear eyes instantly reddened, with a hint of moisture welling up. He immediately lowered his head, speaking in a suppressed voice, "As long as it can be cured, I’ll agree to any condition."

After enduring for more than ten years, he finally found the truth he had long hidden in his heart.

Back then, when his mother was pregnant, she was sabotaged by the Lin Family’s enemies. Although there was no life-threatening danger, it disturbed her pregnancy, and after a long recuperation, she still delivered him prematurely.

He was diagnosed with congenital heart disease at birth, which even the most advanced treatments couldn’t cure.

Since then, he had lived like a porcelain doll in the Lin Family. His poor health, due to the disease, prevented him from engaging in strenuous activities, he often fell ill, and doctors predicted he wouldn’t live past 20.

He once refused to resign to his fate, tried to save himself, and discovered a few medical cases similar to his from over a century ago while sifting through all preserved files.

These patients were affected by a rare virus, which caused them to develop as if they were congenitally weak—poor physical fitness and prone to illnesses that could claim half their life.

And this virus was hard to cure; to this day, no method existed to remove it.

This is why he resigned himself, burying this issue deep within, telling no one.

Who would’ve thought Ji Ning could pinpoint his poisoning just by squeezing his wrist. It was simply miraculous.

Thinking of this, Lin Yuanyang felt a wave of heat in his heart. After calming his emotions, he once again looked directly into Ji Ning’s beautiful peach blossom eyes.

"Sister Ning, as long as you can heal me, you’ll be an honored guest of the Lin Family..."

Before he could finish, Ji Ning flicked his forehead, followed by her disdainful voice.

"Kid, say that when you actually return to the Lin Family."

"..."