The End of Qing Ping, Rumors Rise

"It's been almost two months, why is Zhou You still practicing the basics of hand and footwork?"

In the outer courtyard's training grounds, the new apprentices were drenched in sweat, each practicing their martial arts.

The most eye-catching among them was Zhou You.

Unlike the other new disciples who were diligently practicing Tiger Subduing Fist, he was still engrossed in practicing Imperial Strike Hand and Square Step.

Lu Qiang walked over and saw that this wouldn't do; it was a complete waste of time.

He specifically walked up to stop Zhou You, asking, "Zhou You, what are you doing?"

Zhou You knew exactly what he was doing – earning experience points!

After Tiger Subduing Fist broke through level 10, there was still the major threshold of level 20, which required a massive amount of experience points.

He had to seize the moment and earn as much as he could.

"It's not that the basics aren't important, but you need to distinguish between primary and secondary tasks."

"Imperial Strike Hand and Square Step have their limits. Even if you practice them your whole life, you'll never be able to generate Internal Force."

"Tiger Subduing Fist is the entry-level martial art, and it's crucial for your probationary assessment."

Lu Qiang spoke while sighing. There were always young people who got stuck on a point, convinced they were right.

Zhou You in front of him was one of them, wasting precious time by diligently practicing basic hand and footwork.

"Senior Disciple Brother, I am practicing Tiger Subduing Fist too…"

Zhou You explained.

He was about to elaborate when a new disciple he didn't recognize quickly approached. "Senior Disciple Brother, someone from the inner courtyard needs you."

This disciple was a formal apprentice and trained in a specialized area, so the new disciples rarely saw him.

Before leaving, Lu Qiang said to Zhou You, "Seize the opportunity. This might be the only chance you get in your life."

After the Senior Disciple Brother left, the surrounding new apprentices looked at Zhou You, discussing the matter privately.

Zhou You felt helpless. Should he just ignore the easily obtainable experience points?

Fine, he'd practice Tiger Subduing Fist symbolically!

The 108 forms of Tiger Subduing Fist not only consumed time but also energy.

Basically, the outer courtyard apprentices specialized in practicing less familiar forms, stretching their tendons and strengthening their muscles.

During practice, they would also have sparring partners to feed them moves, helping them correct deviations and shortcomings.

Since Song Fugui left, Zhou You hadn't had a sparring partner and had to rely on his own diligent practice.

"Hmm?"

Zhou You practiced Tiger Subduing Fist from beginning to end. Initially, no one paid much attention, but gradually, more eyes were drawn to him.

The reason was simple: every move he made was too perfect, as if he had been personally coached by the Senior Disciple Brother.

Martial artists have a term for this: form, also known as routines.

A routine is a fixed sequence of movements for punches and kicks. Without a routine, punches are chaotic, not only failing to generate force but also leading to internal injuries.

Therefore, from the very beginning of practice, the requirements for stances and movements were very strict.

Senior Disciple Brother Lu Qiang was even more severe; he would kick over anyone whose movements were off.

The role of a sparring partner was also to correct errors in the routine from a second perspective, improving training efficiency.

Who would have thought that Zhou You, without a sparring partner, could practice the routine of Tiger Subduing Fist with such proficiency?

His mastery was even more outstanding than some new disciples who were nearing their three-month mark.

"Could he really be a genius? I never saw him practice before."

"What do you know? I saw Zhou You practicing martial arts under the moonlight when I went out at night. This guy is practicing in secret."

The new disciples whispered among themselves, believing they had found the truth.

A disdainful voice rang out, "What's the point of practicing the movements well? It's just an empty shell."

The new disciples looked towards the source of the voice. It was Zhang Shu.

Everyone knew Zhang Shu held a grudge against Zhou You, so some gossip was normal.

"Don't be fooled by his standard stances. If he can't generate Internal Force, no amount of good form will help."

Zhang Shu looked at Zhou You's back, his eyes filled with hatred.

He still remembered the humiliation of being punched by Zhou You and always looked for an opportunity to retaliate.

He whispered to a few new disciples around him, "Do you know? Zhou You has connections with gangs on the streets."

What?

The new disciples were in an uproar. This was a serious matter.

The apprentices who could enter the martial arts school were all selected from good families, and a clean background was the top criterion.

The martial arts school had strict rules, the first of which was not to associate with gangs, or they would be expelled.

Zhou You seemed quiet, but who knew he was so bold?

"Zhang Shu, don't spout nonsense. Spreading unproven rumors will harm Zhou You."

A new disciple found it inappropriate and spoke up to advise.

"What do you know?"

Zhang Shu sneered, "Zhou You has a good friend, Gao Qiang, who is a rising star in the Mad Horse Gang. They're very close, having grown up together."

"His good friend is in a gang, and Zhou You has also offended the rival Wild Fox Gang."

"You tell me, is it possible Zhou You has no connection to the Mad Horse Gang?"

"You should all keep your distance from him, lest you get implicated."

In the end, without evidence, these are just your speculations, right?

Several new disciples were half-believing, half-doubting, and didn't immediately react.

Zhang Shu's eyes flickered with a moment of triumph. This was the effect he wanted – to muddy the waters.

The power of rumors lay in how they grew with each retelling. Once the inner courtyard of the martial arts school knew about this, they would surely step in to deal with Zhou You.

When Zhou You was expelled from the school, he could then take his revenge to his heart's content.

"I can't beat you, but I can use my brain to frame you."

"Zhou You, I won't take a beating for nothing. I'll definitely kill you."

"Experience points +1."

Zhou You was unaware of what was happening outside. After finishing a set of Tiger Subduing Fist, he was slightly sweating.

His mind was clear, a benefit of training that invigorated his blood and made his thoughts flow more smoothly.

With less than two months left, he could still receive about six or seven applications of Tiger Bone Paste from the martial arts school.

With more frequent use, his resistance had greatly increased. Conservatively, it would bring an increase of at most 2 attribute points.

To raise Strength, Speed, and Defense to 15 points each would just barely meet the conditions for Lv10 Tiger Subduing Fist.

There was still a gap in his attributes; Tiger Bone Paste alone was not enough, far from it.

If there was a way to obtain more secret medicines, it could speed up his breakthrough efficiency.

Those from wealthy families had a huge advantage in martial arts, with ample funds to purchase secret medicines.

For example, Li Hao, although his family had declined, still had the financial means to privately purchase Tiger Bone Wine, helping him cultivate Internal Force ahead of time.

Zhou You had also inquired; a jar of Tiger Bone Wine cost 50 taels of silver. He couldn't afford it, he truly couldn't afford it.

A jar of Tiger Bone Wine was concentrated essence, its effects equivalent to 20 applications of Tiger Bone Paste.

If Zhou You had money, he would want to buy it too, but the silver he had was already earmarked for tuition fees.

His largest windfall, 3 portions of Bone Tempering Powder, was a rare opportunity that couldn't be sought out.

He heard that Gao Qiang, due to losing something, had been stabbed in the thigh with a sharp knife and was still bedridden, recovering from his injuries.

This childhood friend was currently in a bit of a miserable state, and Zhou You couldn't "milk him" for now.

Right, he still had an enemy, Tu Laosan of the Wild Fox Gang.

Although this guy's character was despicable, he had a brother who served as the Vice Gang Leader. Perhaps there was some profit to be made there.

It was also a good time to inquire about the type of secret medicine the Wild Fox Gang used.

Alas, I am naturally kind, but businesses with no capital are too tempting. Sooner or later, I'll have to do another job.