Yuanwu/Backstory

==Character Stories==
===Popular Boxing Gym===
Required: Unlocks at Intimacy Lv. 1
Yuanwu maintains a simple daily routine. Every day in the early morning, he opens up his gym and proceeds to clean the pieces of training equipment one by one. Then he boils a pot of tea and greets customers while savoring it. For those seeking to learn martial arts, Yuanwu assesses their physique and current condition before suggesting a suitable style. The intensity of training can be tailored to individual preferences, whether for physical fitness or making a name in the martial arts world. Every customer is heard attentively, with Yuanwu patiently crafting a personalized practice plan for their goals. Even those who enter without a clear purpose are welcomed with warm hospitality and offered guidance in exploring their interests. As soon as a client steps through the gym's front door, Yuanwu's kind eyes immediately meet theirs.
—"Leave your worries behind and lift your spirits in our gym. Let's start with some easy punches to unwind."
From just a few moves and punches, Yuanwu can tell the guest's current physical condition and recommend a suitable training plan.
—"Your posture is slouched, and your walk lacks stability... The lower back muscles appear strained. Try this set of moves: three slow punches followed by one fast. This should provide relief."
After practicing as per his instructions, the customer should feel a significant sense of relaxation, both mentally and physically. Before leaving, Yuanwu would say goodbye with just the right amount of genuine concern, almost like an old friend.
—"Feeling better now? That's good. And don't forget to ease up on those usual tense days. Take this pack of tea with you, it'll help you unwind."
Among the numerous boxing gyms of various sizes in Jinzhou, only Yuanwu's gym enjoys such sustained popularity.
===Bad Bargain===
Required: Unlocks at Intimacy Lv. 2
It is said that Yuanwu Boxing Gym's owner is willing to help his customers with any kind of trouble, even those not related to working out. One day, Mahe, a customer usually focused and devoted during workouts, was suddenly off his game. Yuanwu picked up on that and asked him if something was wrong. Mahe's demeanor was somber as he led Yuanwu to the gym's locker, where he pulled out a delicate dinner plate from his belongings. The plate had a circle of small red flowers on the edge. Yuanwu recognized it as an enamel craft from overseas. The flowers were perfect, except for a small missing piece of the gold rim. The entire plate appeared incomplete without it. It was a gift Mahe prepared for Panhua. A few years ago, when Panhua Restaurant opened, Mahe promised that he would find the world's most beautiful dinner plate to serve the world's most flavorful meals. Even though the two of them later parted ways due to differences in ideals, Mahe still remembered his promise. He stuck to his ideals, but couldn't let go of his affection for her. For years, he searched for the perfect dinner plate, one that wasn't too flashy or tacky. Finally, his eyes landed on this simple yet elegant piece - white with red flowers. It was just right. The plate was expensive, and he had a hard time securing the funds to buy it. His anxiety mounted as he debated whether to give the gift. Would it be appropriate? Should he send it anyway? During his hesitation, a section of the filigree gold rim that adorned the plates went inexplicably missing. He asked all the vendors in Jinzhou, but they either weren't familiar with imported porcelain or didn't dare to attempt fixing such valuable items. Mahe was left in a predicament. Having listened to Mahe's situation, Yuanwu gently picked up the dinner plate, telling Mahe to come pick it up a week later. When Mahe came back, the flowers were perfectly arranged in a circle, with no signs of repair. In return, Yuanwu only asked Mahe to bring him and the repaired plate to Panhua Restaurant for a meal. Served on the beautiful plate adorned with enameled flowers, the spicy, fragrant dishes looked even more enticing. Panhua's smile looked peculiarly charming that day, and the usually reticent Mahe managed to put a smile on his face too. It was truly an enjoyable dinner. No matter how popular the gym was as a business, to charge so little for work like this seemed like a bad bargain to many. Yuanwu, however, simply shrugged it off with a smile, as if money was the least important thing to him.
===Lightning on Stage===
Required: Unlocks at Intimacy Lv. 3
Located on the frontier, the city of Jinzhou has a strong martial arts culture, and there are many martial arts gyms of all sizes in the city. In a relatively peaceful era such as today, the once strict and cruel custom governing duels gradually died out, and was replaced by "friendly" consultations and exchanges between gyms. Where there are people, there is politics, although these activities are done in the name of exchanges, there are people secretly competing, using all means to come out on top in the competition. After all, this is a rare opportunity of advertisement. As long as the winner makes some remarks on the gym they affiliate with and harvests some attention, business contracts will naturally burst. With the event becoming more and more influential, more gyms are participating. This year, even Yuanwu, who has always been indifferent to fame and fortune, signed up. Yuanwu's gym was already a thriving, much-envied business. His participation immediately caused disturbance among some vested interests. The most disturbed was the previous top-ranker, Wenxi. Wenxi was a businessman. Both his gym and his participation in the event were mere popularity devices for his weapon workshop, in other words, commercial benefits. Naturally, his top rank was bought, not won. Wenxi knew Yuanwu's powers and knew that his gym was not very corporational. So he personally paid a visit and offered a tempting price in an attempt to buy out Yuanwu. Yuanwu refused without hesitation, but Wenxi wasn't cast donw. He paid loads of money to some of Yuanwu's regulars to learn from them every detail of Yuanwu's boxing moves, and then bribed the referee and staff for the finals, so they would turn a blind eye on the fact that he tampered with the suits that the fighters would be wearing. On the day of the finals, thunder surprisingly surged and then went out in an instant. Between the flash and the extinction, both suits were struck open. The scorching thunder struck precisely on the costume and avoided unprotected skin. A little further and the fighters' joints would be burnt. When the hidden inside was seen through the broken surface of the suits, and all those little schemes were exposed, the whole crowd was in an uproar. The match was thus suspended. After an investigation, the horrifying thungder during the match was concluded an accident caused by the little devices hidden in the suits. Meanwhile, Wenxi's weapon workshop, which manufactured this kind of device, was also investigated. It wasn't long before that workshop silently disappeared and faded into oblivion, along with the rigged fighting events. After the tempest, Yuanwu Boxing Gym was, as usual, a small place bustling with patrons. If there was any difference, sharp-eyed customers would notice that there were a few familiar faces missing from the crowd coming in and out of the premise.
===Soothing Tea===
Required: Unlocks at Intimacy Lv. 4
The biggest difference between Yuanwu's gym and the others is the comfort. Listen to the instructions of boss Yuanwu, practice a few rounds, and at the end, wipe away the sweat and savor a pot of tea. The comfort! When practicing the dexterous Xianfengquan, you will drink Moju Tea to boost your spirit; when practicing the aggresive Leihuangquan, you will drink Lingxiao Tea to replenish your energy; and when practicing the smooth Sanfuquan, you will drink Duruo Tea to nourish your vigor... Yuanwu has paired up different teas with different styles of boxing. When practicers drink the tea hot and nice after their sessions, their muscles will be relaxed from the sore accumulated during workout, their circulations be invigorated, and their stasis be expeled. These tea formulas are tried and tested by Yuanwu himself and then handed over to the tea house next door, which make tea servings and deliver them on schedule. Oddly enough, the teahouse has a booming business and often request bookings of tea to be made months in advance, and even so delays in delivery happen from time to time, though never to Yuanwu's orders. Moreover, Yuanwu enjoys a priority to place orders and receive his tea instantly. Speculations are raised that Yuanwu isn't the ordinary, idle gym boss he looks like, but a big shot who controls multiple enterprises? Could that heavily sought-after tea be just another business of his? When curious minds come to ask about this, Yuanwu would smile and hand over a cup of tea:
—"Stop chasing shadows. Have some tea and refresh. Sweat more, conjecture less."
After a practice session and a cup of tea, when the nose is drenched with the fresh aroma, those doubts and anxieties will all dissipate with the droplets of sweat. As for whether Yuanwu is wealthy or not, and how he earn the wealth, they fade into irrelevance. A sense of relaxation from the inside out will envelope the whole body, and chase away, for a moment, those worldly plots and pursuits. Most things in this world require tempo and balance. If you are tired, stop to drink some tea. Take some good rest before continuing.
===Timeless Heritage===
Required: Unlocks at Intimacy Lv. 5
Yuanwu Boxing Gym was once well-known as the Leihuangquan successors' gym. The gym had won countless honors, and each of its master was a famous martial artist known across Huanglong. Leihuangquan gained its reputation for its aggressiveness, but aggression does not come without vulnerability. None of the last three masters came to a good end. Especially the most recent one. It is said that he punched through the boxing equipment when he was competing with someone on the stage, and was kicked out for breaking the rules. He went on a ship tour as a distraction from his career impact, only to be caught in a thunderstorm and met with a watery grave. Coincidentally, he was good at manipulating thunder, and ultimately, he was devoured by thunder. Karma just won't let anyone go. After the introduction, the property agent paused and looked at the middle-aged man before him:
—"This property isn't really auspicious. Do you still want to buy?"
The man smiled and nodded.
—"Well, I've said everything I have to." The agent sighed, "If you still want to buy it, go on, but just don't do martial arts gym again. It's unlucky."
Yuanwu pushed open the creaky wooden door, letting the sunlight climb into the house. Long-dormant dust was brought up by the wind from the door and floated in the hard-won warmth of the sunlight. The furnishings of the house had changed little: the wooden stakes rubbed a little bald, the boxing ring with broken floor, the display case standing quietly on the side, and the medals of honor in the display case, covered with dust. Yuanwu carefully wiped these old objects, along with dusty memories. The wooden stakes were hit to baldness when his late fellow apprentices practiced. The medals in the display case were won back by the masters, and as for the floor, it was indeed broken by himself. Back in the match, he knew no fear, no restraint. A result of his precipitance that punch pierced the boxing equipment, broke the floor, shattered the delicate balance that the masters had painstakingly maintained for many years, and finally knocked himself into the center of the storm. The storm that was called reality tore the young martial artist who knew nothing but fight, to shreds. Perhaps he really was buried in the bottom of the ocean, as rumor had it. The gym reopened, and the new, middle-aged owner with a friendly smile stood at the door, greeting the customers coming and going:
—"Welcome to Yuanwu Boxing Gym.”