Once everyone had gathered, prompted by Zhao Jinghao, Shao Qi led them to the grand hall. Zhou You stayed back, saying, "I've done my part; you handle the rest."

Jokingly, Shao Qi said, "At least let me award you something. You're the hero this time!"

"Sure, just transfer the prize money to my account. Thanks," Zhou You replied nonchalantly, waving them off. He then sat down to meditate. Facing two creatures earlier had sparked an idea: martial arts comprised both internal and external skills. Most people excelled in one but not both. His internal skill was already advanced, but perhaps he should focus on physical conditioning. If he could build his physique to be as formidable as those creatures, he'd be even more indomitable.

But all he had were scrolls on internal skills. Where would he find techniques for physical conditioning?

He logged onto the Martial Arts Association platform, purchasing every course available. After going through them all, he discovered a course taught by an instructor named "Guo Xiangjin."

Guo Xiangjin's live stream had the least viewers. While most citizens were tuned into the news, and other streams had a few viewers, Guo's had just five. With Zhou You's entry, it became six.

And what was Guo Xiangjin demonstrating? A horse stance, but with a twist: a heavy stone balanced on his head, iron weights on his arms, and bricks tied to his legs. He held the stance, unwavering.

Zhou You was uncertain as to why he started watching. In the comment section, several people were animatedly discussing external matters, clearly multitasking. Yet, Zhou You fetched some heavy weights to hang on himself, and began to practice the horse stance.

Guo Xiangjin maintained his horse stance for an hour without a change in expression. He was live streaming indoors, possibly with heating, wearing only a tank top and shorts. His dark, shiny skin coupled with his strong limbs and well-developed muscles made him look powerful.

Occasionally, some would enter the live stream, glance, and swiftly exit. After some time of martial arts instructional live streaming, everyone was familiar with the content taught by various instructors. There were dedicated threads in forums that analyzed which instructor's class to choose.

Guo Xiangjin wasn't famous nor did he belong to a recognized school. His bio had only one line that mentioned his prowess in body conditioning. As a mid-level martial artist, he possessed the fist strength of a high-level instructor. This was the reason the association approved his teaching application.

However, after a few days, viewers realized he spent most of his time either in the horse stance or jogging, the most basic exercises. Since everyone could do these without instruction, his classes lost popularity.

Zhou You wasn't particularly set on learning from him. It just so happened that Zhou wanted to condition his body, and having company made it less monotonous. Occasionally, he'd browse the comments to fend off boredom; it was pleasant.

Perhaps Guo Xiangjin had no idea that the esteemed Master Zhou, whom even he had taken lessons from, was in his live stream. No matter how much Guo practiced, he couldn’t comprehend or grasp the mysteries of internal power, so he chose to tread his own path.

When Shao Qi returned, Zhou You had just completed 500 squats. Despite his strength, Zhou's legs trembled, covered in sweat. Curiously, Shao Qi asked, “What are you doing?”

Wiping sweat with a towel, Zhou You responded, “Can’t you tell I'm practicing? Have your matters been settled? What was the verdict?”

“Deciding the verdict isn’t my duty. I just clarified the sequence of events. The Jiangnan Military Region will draft a report to central command, and they will decide on the punishment.” Shao Qi was surprised things concluded so quickly, having assumed it would take at least a month.

Surveying the heavy metal plates and bricks scattered around, Shao Qi remarked with distaste, “Are you focusing on external strength training? Too many muscles won’t look good.”

Zhou You shot him a look, "What does it matter to you how I look? Since when do men need to look good?" He yearned for power.

Shao Qi shrugged, “Alright, as long as you're happy. I plan to visit Long Gan and the others tonight, are you coming?”

"Leave such consolations to the leadership. I won't be joining. I'll head back to the villa to check on the little white tiger. I’ve been gone a day and night, it might be lonely.”

Shao Qi admired the little creature’s discipline. It was remarkable how a wild beast could behave so tamely, not causing any fuss, almost like a domesticated pet.

Shao Qi noticed a muscular man doing pull-ups on Zhou You’s live stream. The man’s biceps were incredibly pronounced, his tan skin overly vibrant, and he had a full beard around his chin.

“Are you into this type?” Shao Qi asked uneasily.

Sweating profusely, Zhou You felt he had done enough training for the day. Holding his clothes and heading to the bathroom, he said, “Of course, so powerful. I need to train properly. Balancing internal and external cultivation is the right path.”

Shao Qi frowned, “Even with balanced cultivation, there’s no need to bulk up like that. Too much weight can hinder agility, especially for someone skilled in stealth and assassination like you. His physique isn’t right for you.”

Zhou You was well aware of this. He didn't truly wish to bulk up, but rather sought to incorporate some strength training techniques.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Shao Qi sat down and watched the live stream for a while, thinking it made sense that this broadcaster had so few viewers; he just trained without speaking.

He called the head of the Martial Arts Association platform, bluntly asking, “Who approved the instructor named Guo Xiangjin?”

The other end, not expecting such a query, hurriedly checked the records. The application had been approved by over half the reviewers in accordance with the standard procedure.

He relayed the names to Shao Qi, asking cautiously, “Chairman, is there an issue with this person?” Everyone knew Chairman Shao had recently accomplished a significant task at the Jiangnan base and held a reputation second to none. If Shao Qi disliked someone, no one would dare attend that person's class.

“No real issues. Just that his teaching method is too dry. Remind him to enhance his pedagogical strategies so he doesn’t misguide students.”