Chapter 5: Apprenticeship
This was a two-courtyard compound. The outer courtyard was filled with wooden stakes, stone locks, and weapons like sabers, spears, swords, and halberds.
The air was filled with a cacophony of shouts. On the blue-brick ground of the outer courtyard, seven or eight bare-chested men were training. Their bronze-colored backs gleamed with oil under the scorching sun, and the dull thuds of stone locks hitting the ground made one's feet tingle.
"All of you, train properly! If you want to be rich in front of others, you must suffer in private!"
A man in his fifties, wearing a black robe and sporting a goatee, was holding a rattan stick and shouting loudly.
This person was Zhou Liang.
Zhang San quickly stepped forward, a smile plastered on his face, "Old Escort Leader Zhou, this is Chen Qing from Dumb Bay. He sincerely wishes to learn some skills from you."
"A fisherman?"
Zhou Liang glanced at Chen Qing, then asked, "How old are you?"
Chen Qing quickly replied, "Not yet sixteen."
Zhou Liang pinched his shoulder blade. His rough palm felt like iron sand. Then he suddenly exerted force. Chen Qing winced in pain but didn't make a sound.
"His bones haven't fully set, and his tendons still have some toughness. He can still Cultivate."
Zhou Liang released his hand, his tone slightly softer.
He then meticulously inquired about Chen Qing's family background.
Accepting a Disciple was no small matter; if a Disciple caused trouble outside, the Master would inevitably be implicated.
Many Martial Masters had stumbled over this before.
Chen Qing recounted his family background.
"Hmm, his family background is quite clean."
Zhou Liang nodded slightly, then changed his tone, sternly saying, "Let me make this clear upfront: I charge tuition for my teachings. If you fail to pay on time, don't blame me for expelling you. Have you thought this through?"
His teaching was not for charity; he had to consider his livelihood.
Zhang San winked at Chen Qing from the side. The latter quickly took out some silver from his person and said in a deep voice, "I've thought it through."
"This silver is enough for three months of your tuition."
Zhou Liang weighed it in his hand, then put it into his pocket, saying, "From today, you will stay in the courtyard to Cultivate martial arts. As for how much skill you can achieve, that depends on your own fortune."
Seeing this, Zhang San breathed a sigh of relief. The matter was settled.
Chen Qing cupped his fists and said, "This Disciple will certainly strive hard, Cultivate diligently, and live up to Master's expectations."
The crucial first step on the path of martial arts was finally taken.
Zhou Liang waved his hand, "If you Cultivate some real skills, making a living will always be easy."
Most poor children who Cultivate martial arts only seek a stable livelihood. To truly make a name for themselves? That's as hard as ascending to Heaven.
Zhang San called out a greeting and then took his leave.
Zhou Liang picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea, "Sun Shun, you take Chen Qing around and explain the rules of the courtyard."
"Yes!"
A burly man with an honest face responded and walked over.
"My name is Sun Shun. From now on, I'll be your Senior Brother."
Sun Shun grinned, "Come on, Senior Brother will show you around."
Sun Shun led Chen Qing on a tour of the not-so-large courtyard.
The front courtyard was the training ground, and the back courtyard was the Master's residence, where entry was forbidden without invitation.
The storeroom, dining hall, and bathhouse were all complete, though it was a compact setup.
"We don't have many rules here, but a few are ironclad," Sun Shun said, his expression serious:
"First, before you graduate, you are not allowed to claim our sect's name outside, nor are you allowed to cause trouble."
"Second, whether it's crashing a venue, guarding a dock, or sparring with someone, you must first announce your name and show your hand (meaning clearly state your identity and style)."
"Third, only when seeking revenge or challenging a sect can you not show your hand or announce your name."
"Fourth, respect your Master and the Dao, and absolutely no infighting among fellow Disciples!"
Chen Qing stood by, waiting, mentally noting down each of these rules.
"Come, follow me to get a set of training clothes."
Finally, Sun Shun led him to the utility room and took out a set of faded coarse cloth clothes. The dense stitching at the cuffs showed they had been mended many times.
Not long after, Zhou Liang, having finished his lunch, ambled over, "For beginners, the Foundation is the most important. For the next few days, I will personally guide you."
Chen Qing's heart warmed, and he nodded heavily, "Thank you, Master!"
He was filled with curiosity and anticipation for the martial arts of this world.
Would it truly be as miraculous as in the storybooks of his previous life?
"Before Cultivating martial arts, you must first understand what true martial arts are."
Zhou Liang led him to a row of wooden stakes and said in a deep voice, "Martial arts, in the jargon, are called 'Guazi Men.' Those who perform in Jianghu are often what's called 'Xing Guazi,' which means fake stuff. This kind of martial art needs to be good-looking, spectacular, and show off a lot of skill."
"Although these movements are full of Divine Qi, they all violate the taboos of true martial arts. They can only be used to fool ignorant laymen from the countryside. And genuine 'Jian Guazi' simply doesn't attract spectators."
"Because true martial arts are killing techniques."
Zhou Liang's tone was very calm, without the slightest ripple.
But Chen Qing's heart was stirred.
Killing techniques!
This was exactly what he wanted to learn.
After all, in this world, learning flowery moves would be useless.
Zhou Liang continued, "To establish the Foundation of martial arts, the first priority is to nourish Qi and blood. Tempering tendons and bones, standing in stances, and Qi Circulation are all methods to strengthen Qi and blood. Only when Qi and blood are abundant to their peak can one knock open the door to Ming Jin (Manifest Strength).
"Watch closely."
Zhou Liang suddenly leaped onto the plum blossom stakes, his gaunt body as light as an ape.
He struck a peculiar pose: his left arm extended forward like an ape embracing the moon, his right fist retracted like a leopard hiding its claws, his legs slightly bent, as if sitting but not quite, his whole being exuding a concentrated yet poised tension.
"Tong Bei Stance, embodies the intent of 'Ape Arm Reaching Heaven'." Zhou Liang's voice suddenly became resonant, "Head suspended, tailbone aligned, waist loose, hips seated as if on an empty stool."
"You try it."
"Yes, Master!"
Chen Qing imitated him and stepped onto the wooden stake, immediately feeling dizzy.
This seemingly simple posture required all the muscles in his body to be twisted tightly like ropes, exerting force against each other.
In less than three breaths, he fell, scraping a bloody mark on his elbow against the blue brick.
This Tong Bei Stance was not that simple!
Chen Qing gasped for breath and asked, "Master, you just mentioned Qi and blood, knocking on the door, and Breakthrough to Ming Jin..."
Zhou Liang explained, "Cultivating martial arts involves two processes: one is accumulation, and the other is knocking on the door."
"Standing in stances and arduous training will both nourish your Qi and blood. When your Qi and blood reach a peak, you can then proceed to knock on the door, allowing your strength to be sublimated. My Tongbei Fist, when Cultivated to the Perfection Realm, allows for three such knocks on the door, namely Ming Jin (Manifest Strength), An Jin (Hidden Strength), and Hua Jin (Transforming Strength)."
"Each time you knock on the door, it's a world-changing transformation for a martial artist, but the risk of failure is also great, and it will cause some damage to the body. The later the knocks, the more difficult they become."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing immediately understood.
Wasn't this 'knocking on the door' just a Breakthrough of a Bottleneck?
If he wanted to succeed, wouldn't he have to complete the first Breakthrough within three months?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask again, "Master, is the success rate of this first Breakthrough high?"
Zhou Liang said indifferently, "For ordinary Disciples, it's around two to three tenths. The higher the bone structure, the better the Aptitude, and the more affluent the family, the higher the success rate."
Chen Qing's heart trembled when he heard this.
The success rate of this Breakthrough was actually so low?
One must know that this was only the first Breakthrough!
Ming Jin (Manifest Strength), An Jin (Hidden Strength), and Hua Jin (Transforming Strength) clearly required three Breakthroughs.
"My Tongbei Fist practices internal stance work and external striking techniques. The unity of internal and external is the true Tongbei Fist."
Zhou Liang said indifferently, "You start with the stance work. Once your Qi and blood are tempered to a certain extent, I will then teach you the Tongbei Fist striking techniques."
"Yes!"
Chen Qing took a deep breath and stepped onto the wooden stake again.
Instantly, a sharp, bone-piercing pain exploded from the soles of his feet, shooting through his entire body like lightning.
He gritted his teeth, veins throbbing on his forehead, large beads of sweat rolling down, yet his body remained as still as a rock, maintaining that twisted posture without moving an inch.
Time slowly passed in agony.
Chen Qing felt as if his lungs were being seared by a branding iron, each breath carrying a metallic taste. His legs trembled like sieves on the wooden stake, but his toes dug firmly into the stake's surface, his knuckles turning bluish-white.
After half an hour, his coarse cloth shorts were already soaked with sweat, sticking to his body.
Just then, a golden light suddenly flashed in his mind:
【Heaven Rewards Diligence, there will be achievement】
【Tong Bei Stance Entry (1/1000): Ten practices a day, Minor Achievement in three months, Major Achievement in one year】
Chen Qing wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered to himself, "Others need to knock on the door to Breakthrough their Bottlenecks, but I just need to Cultivate diligently, and I will definitely succeed in knocking on the door."
According to Zhou Liang, ordinary people only had a probability of about two to three tenths, but Chen Qing was different; as long as he Cultivated, he would definitely succeed.
This was the extraordinary aspect of his destiny.
Heaven Rewards Diligence, there will be achievement.
Chen Qing was immediately motivated and began to Cultivate diligently.
Around noon, the other Disciples in the courtyard were chatting and resting in twos and threes, but he was still repeating the monotonous stance movements over and over.
A few fellow Disciples came over to greet him. He responded a few times, then quickly immersed himself in Cultivation again.
In the afternoon, the courtyard was filled with the sounds of gasping and exerting force.
After two more rounds of practicing Tongbei Fist, Chen Qing felt as if his entire body's tendons and bones had come apart, sore and weak.
With each step, his feet felt like they were treading on soft cotton, extremely unsteady.
He gasped for breath, sweat trickling down his temples.
Just then, the Disciples scattered, seeking sheltered corners to rest and taking out the food they had kept warm in their bosoms.
The temperature in the courtyard quickly cooled the food.
Chen Qing's gaze swept over, and he saw Disciples from impoverished families, hunched over, laboriously gnawing on cornmeal steamed buns that had long frozen hard, accompanied by cold pickled vegetables. Each bite seemed difficult.
Meanwhile, those from better-off families took out tightly wrapped oil paper packages, carefully unfolding them to reveal warm white flour pancakes, and even a few slices of braised meat with solidified fat.
A faint, lingering aroma of meat drifted through the cold air, making one's stomach feel even emptier.
Chen Qing rubbed his stomach. A violent cramp and twitching sensation struck him, and his throat rolled dryly.
"Junior Brother Chen."
Sun Shun walked over quickly, holding two steaming white steamed buns that had just come out of the steamer, "First day here, didn't bring any food, did you? Master instructed me. In this freezing weather, training consumes a lot of Qi, and you can't go on an empty stomach. Starting tomorrow, you'll have to prepare your own."
Saying this, he put the steamed buns into Chen Qing's hand.
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Chen Qing's eyes immediately lit up, and he eagerly took them.
The steamed buns were warm and soft in his hand, and a sweet, wheaty aroma wafted up.
Fine white flour grain, in this cold winter, was a rare warmth and luxury for him, a fisherman's son.
"No need to be polite, quickly eat something." Sun Shun smiled and waved his hand, then turned and walked away.
Chen Qing held the steamed buns, unable to resist any longer, and bit into them.
The soft, steaming interior, with the sweet fragrance of grain, instantly warmed his mouth.
He practically wolfed them down, swallowing both steamed buns whole in a few bites.
A warmth rose from his stomach, dispelling some of the coldness brought by fatigue.
He leaned against the cold corridor pillar, taking a short breather. The soreness in his body hadn't completely disappeared, but the feeling of weakness and unsteadiness had significantly lessened.
Looking at most of his fellow Disciples in the courtyard who were still resting or eating, Chen Qing took a deep breath, straightened his back, and returned to the wooden stakes.
He knew that for himself, bearing the destiny of 【Heaven Rewards Diligence】, he had to put in ten, even a hundred times more effort than others.
One repetition after another, soon his clothes were completely soaked with sweat.
He continued until dusk fell, and he was the only one left in the courtyard.
【Tong Bei Stance Entry (10/1000): Heaven Rewards Diligence, there will be achievement, ten practices a day, Minor Achievement in three months, Major Achievement in one year】