Taking a Master

Lu Liu wore a strange expression.

Although pig butchers were not among the officially debased classes, theirs was still a despised and disdained occupation, one of the lowest trades. Their status was even lower than that of brothel women.

"Qin Ming, forgive me for asking, but why did you choose our Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy? I'm guessing you've already visited the Tiger Martial Arts Academy, haven't you?"

Lu Liu had guessed correctly. Qin Ming made no attempt to hide it and nodded.

"Just as I thought."

After hearing what Qin Ming had been through, Lu Liu slapped him on the shoulder, indignation on his face. "I knew it! Those dogs at the Tiger Martial Arts Academy look down on people through dog eyes!"

"Don't worry. Our Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy teaches all without distinction. No matter who you are, the academy master treats everyone the same. Come with me. I'll take you to register first."

"Qin Ming, the first room on the left up ahead is the training room. There are wooden stakes inside, and there are a few guest rooms over there. But no one's stayed in them for a long time. If you want to stay, clean one yourself, and take care of your own meals."

Lu Liu led the way, explaining as they walked.

Before long, Lu Liu arrived at a secluded room and slowly pushed the wooden door open a crack.

It was a training room, containing only a few wooden stakes and training dummies.

Simple and tidy.

On the stakes, a white-haired old man stood on one leg, his arms curved as though holding something. He remained completely motionless.

Lu Liu leaned close to Qin Ming's ear and gave a quiet shush. "Master is training. Let's wait outside a little longer."

"All right."

Qin Ming nodded.

The two went outside and chatted quietly.

"Senior Brother Lu, is the academy master practicing the Eight Trigrams Stake Skill?"

"That's right."

Lu Liu nodded. Perhaps because he knew Qin Ming would soon join the academy, he held nothing back.

"Senior Brother, I've heard that internal cultivation methods can basically be traced back to their origins. Where did our academy's Eight Trigrams Stake Skill come from? And where was the Tiger Martial Arts Academy's Fierce Tiger Stance Art passed down from?"

Qin Ming took the opportunity to ask and gather information.

"I heard the master of the Tiger Martial Arts Academy used to be someone in a gang in Qingyang County. That seems to be where he learned his stance art.

"As for our Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy, the academy master learned his Eight Trigrams Stake Skill from his master. Don't worry, he definitely didn't steal it by secretly learning it. You can practice it without worry."

Lu Liu thumped his chest in assurance, making it boom.

"Senior Brother Lu, I have another question. Who was that old man who opened the door earlier? What did he do before?"

Qin Ming asked about the old man's background. The unusual presence that had flashed across the old man earlier had made Qin Ming realize that he was definitely no ordinary person.

"You mean Elder Wei? He's just a gatekeeper. He's been watching the gate here for over ten years. His health isn't good, so Master has him watch the disused back gate. As long as the gate doesn't go missing, that's enough."

Lu Liu looked puzzled, unable to understand why Qin Ming had suddenly brought up Elder Wei.

Qin Ming nodded silently, but he felt that Elder Wei was far from as simple as he appeared.

Afterward, Qin Ming took the opportunity to ask Lu Liu some basic questions about martial artists.

Qin Ming had only just come into contact with martial artists and knew nothing about many things.

Lu Liu was extremely enthusiastic and answered every question.

From Lu Liu, Qin Ming learned that the Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy had only a third as many apprentices as the Tiger Martial Arts Academy.

That was after the Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy had lowered its apprenticeship fee to eight taels. A group of senior disciples had also taken the initiative to teach newcomers, making the atmosphere for training somewhat better than at the Tiger Martial Arts Academy and attracting some new recruits.

Others, like Qin Ming, had been turned away by the Tiger Martial Arts Academy because of their particular status and had ultimately come to the Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy.

Besides the Eight Trigrams Stake Skill, the Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy also had a complementary martial art.

The "Eight Trigrams Palm."

The martial art that complemented the Tiger Martial Arts Academy's Fierce Tiger Stance Art was the "Tiger Fist."

The "Tiger Fist" was fierce and powerful, brimming with killing intent. By comparison, the "Eight Trigrams Palm" was far less ferocious. If the two arts clashed head-on, the wide, sweeping movements of the "Tiger Fist" could quickly gain the upper hand.

"Qin Ming, what do you think is the most important requirement for becoming a martial artist?"

Lu Liu suddenly asked.

Qin Ming pondered briefly.

"Silver."

"That's right, silver!"

Surprise showed in Lu Liu's eyes. He seemed not to have expected Qin Ming to see things so clearly at such a young age.

"Let me tell you, no matter which martial arts academy in town you enter, you'll only be an apprentice. If you can't break through and become a martial artist within two months, you'll still have to roll up your bedding and leave. It's the same at our Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy. Only after breaking through can you become Master's true disciple. Breaking through in two months is no easy task, but it's different if you have Qi-Blood Soup!

"Qi-Blood Soup replenishes Qi and blood. One bowl costs a hundred copper coins! Ten bowls cost a tael of silver!

"After holding a stance, you have to rest, right? An ordinary person can only train for two hours at most in a day. Any more and they'll ruin themselves. But if you can drink a bowl of Qi-Blood Soup, you can keep training."

Qin Ming's expression grew grave.

The saying that the poor studied while the rich practiced martial arts really was no empty talk.

He had only just started practicing martial arts, and it was already burning through money like this. It would only cost more in the future!

"That's why not just anyone can keep walking the path of a martial artist. Mud-legged folk like us can only go farther if we find someone to lean on."

Lu Liu let out a sigh.

"Come in."

A voice came from inside.

"Master has finished practicing. Come on, let's go in."

Lu Liu pushed the door open and entered.

The academy master, Fei Heng, sat cross-legged atop the plum blossom stakes, quietly watching the two of them. Though old, he had a bearing as immovable as a mountain.

If the master of the Tiger Martial Arts Academy was a fierce tiger descending the mountain, then Fei Heng was a sturdy old pine.

"Disciple Qin Ming has come to take you as his master."

"Come forward."

"Go on, Master wants to feel your bones." Lu Liu gave Qin Ming a push.

Qin Ming stepped forward. After Fei Heng finished examining his bones, his expression remained unchanged. He showed no reaction to Qin Ming's ordinary aptitude.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Ninth-grade aptitude. You may enter the academy. If you cannot reach the beginner stage within two months, it means your comprehension is lacking. By the rules, you will be expelled from the academy. Can you accept that?"

"I accept."

"The apprenticeship fee is eight taels of silver."

Qin Ming respectfully presented eight taels of silver as his apprenticeship gift.

"Lu Liu, give him some extra guidance over the next couple of days."

"Yes, Master."

Lu Liu led Qin Ming out of the secluded room. When they came out, Qin Ming had a thin handwritten copy in his hand.

He opened the manual. On the first page, several large characters read: "Eight Trigrams Stake Skill: Internal Refinement."

After carefully reading through the manual, Qin Ming half closed his eyes. What he had just read flashed rapidly through his mind, and when he opened his eyes again, the panel had changed.

[Ninth-grade martial art: Eight Trigrams Stake Skill: (1/100) Beginner]

It worked!

Qin Ming struggled to contain his excitement.

Although his aptitude was ordinary, he had the panel. If he kept training hard without stopping, he was bound to accomplish something. Others had bottlenecks to break through, but he had no bottlenecks at all. In that respect, even someone with first-grade aptitude could not compare to him!

Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy, training room.

Qin Ming removed his outer robe, spread his feet, and stood on the stakes in an eight-trigrams posture.

His feet were like the tangled roots of an old tree. His knees were slightly bent, his waist and hips sank low, and his arms curved in front of his chest as though he were holding a large, transparent ball.

In only a short while, sweat poured off him like rain. His whole body felt as though thousands upon thousands of steel needles had been driven into it. The muscles in his calves trembled uncontrollably, aching as though countless ants were gnawing at them.

Two hours later, Qin Ming's face was flushed red and his eyes were wide open. He held himself steady with all his might, his muscles trembling constantly. Only when he could no longer endure did he step down.

[Ninth-grade martial art: Eight Trigrams Stake Skill (3/100) Not yet begun]