"It's been nearly two months. Why is Zhou You still practicing basic hand techniques and footwork?"
In the Outer Court training grounds, the new apprentices were drenched in sweat as they each practiced their fist techniques.
Among them, the most eye-catching person was Zhou You.
Unlike the other newcomers, who had their heads down practicing Tiger Subduing Fist, he was still diligently training Imperial Strike Hand and Square Step.
Lu Qiang came over and took one look. This would not do; it was simply a waste of time.
He deliberately stepped forward to stop him. "Zhou You, what are you doing?"
Of course Zhou You knew what he was doing—earning Experience Points!
After Tiger Subduing Fist broke through lv10, there was still the massive threshold of lv20 ahead. The Experience Points required were an oceanic amount.
He had to seize every second while he could. Any extra he earned was worth earning.
"It's not that the basics aren't important, but you need to distinguish between what matters most and what matters less."
"Imperial Strike Hand and Square Step have limits in the end. Even if you practiced them for a lifetime, you still couldn't develop Martial Force."
"Tiger Subduing Fist is the entry-level fist technique. It concerns your assessment to become a full apprentice."
As Lu Qiang spoke, he sighed inwardly. Young people always loved drilling into a bull's horn, convinced that they alone were right.
The Zhou You before him was exactly like that, burying his head in basic hand techniques and footwork and wasting his golden years.
"Senior Disciple Brother, I practice Tiger Subduing Fist too..."
Zhou You explained.
He was just about to continue explaining when an unfamiliar apprentice hurried over. "Senior Disciple Brother, the Inner Court needs you."
This apprentice was a full apprentice who trained in the dedicated martial arts grounds. Newcomers rarely saw people like him.
Before leaving, Lu Qiang said to Zhou You, "Seize this opportunity. This may be the only opportunity you get in your life."
After Senior Disciple Brother left, the surrounding new apprentices looked at Zhou You. They had discussed the matter plenty in private.
Zhou You was helpless too. Was he supposed to ignore Experience Points that were practically within reach?
Forget it. He would symbolically perform a set of Tiger Subduing Fist!
The one hundred and eight moves of Tiger Subduing Fist not only took time, but also consumed strength.
Most Outer Court apprentices specifically practiced moves they were less proficient in, stretching their tendons and bones while strengthening their muscles.
They also had Sparring Partners feed them moves, helping them correct deviations and shortcomings.
Ever since Song Fugui left, Zhou You had no sparring partner. He relied entirely on his own hard practice.
"Hm?"
Zhou You performed Tiger Subduing Fist from beginning to end. At first, no one paid attention, but gradually, he drew more and more eyes.
The reason was simple. Every move and stance he made was far too standard, as though Senior Disciple Brother had personally drilled him hand in hand.
Martial artists had a term for it: form, also called a routine.
A routine was the fixed sequence of fist and footwork. Without a routine, fists became chaotic; not only would one fail to exert force, one might even train oneself into internal injuries.
Therefore, from the very beginning of training, there were strict requirements for the movements and postures of every technique.
Senior Disciple Brother Lu Qiang was even more severe. Whenever he saw someone practice a movement crookedly, he would kick them straight to the ground.
The purpose of a sparring partner was also to correct mistakes in one's routine from a second perspective, improving training efficiency.
Who would have thought that Zhou You, without a sparring partner, had practiced the Tiger Subduing Fist routine to such an exceptionally proficient level?
This level of attainment was even better than that of some newcomers who were about to complete three months.
"Could he really be a genius? I've never seen him practice normally."
"What do you know? When I got up in the middle of the night, I saw Zhou You practicing martial arts beneath the moon. This guy has been secretly training."
The newcomers whispered among themselves, believing they had uncovered the truth.
A disdainful voice rang out. "So what if his movements are well practiced? He's nothing but an empty frame."
The newcomers turned to look. It was Zhang Shu.
Everyone knew that Zhang Shu and Zhou You had a grudge. Some gossip and rumors were only natural.
"Don't be fooled by how standard his posture is. If he can't develop Martial Force, no matter how pretty it looks, it's useless."
Zhang Shu looked at Zhou You's back, hatred showing in his eyes.
He had remembered the grudge from that punch ever since, always seeking an opportunity to retaliate.
He lowered his voice to several newcomers around him. "Do you know? Zhou You has connections with the street gangs."
What?
The newcomers erupted in commotion. This was no small matter.
The apprentices who could enter the martial academy were all carefully selected children of respectable families. A clean background was the foremost requirement.
The martial academy had strict rules. The first rule was that one could not associate with gangs, or else one would be expelled from the martial academy.
Zhou You looked so quiet and unassuming, yet he was actually this bold?
"Zhang Shu, don't spout nonsense. Spreading things without evidence will harm Zhou You."
One newcomer thought it inappropriate and spoke up to dissuade him.
"What do you know?"
Zhang Shu sneered. "Zhou You has a close friend named Gao Qiang, a rising star of the Mad Horse Gang. The two have an excellent relationship and have played together since childhood."
"His good friend is in a gang, and Zhou You has offended the rival Wild Fox Gang."
"Tell me, is it possible Zhou You has nothing to do with the Mad Horse Gang?"
"You should all keep your distance from him, lest you get dragged down with him."
At the end of the day, there was no evidence. This was all just your speculation, wasn't it?
Several new apprentices were half-convinced and half-doubtful, saying nothing on the spot.
A smug gleam flickered in Zhang Shu's eyes. This was exactly the effect he wanted—to muddy the waters.
The power of rumors lay in how they grew more outrageous with every retelling. Once the Inner Court of the martial academy learned of this, they would surely step in to deal with Zhou You.
Once Zhou You was expelled from the martial academy, Zhang Shu could 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 didn't take that beating for nothing. I'll definitely kill you.
"Experience Points +1."
Zhou You still knew nothing of what was happening outside the ring. After finishing a set of Tiger Subduing Fist, he was lightly sweating.
His mind was crystal clear. This was the benefit of exercise: it invigorated Essence Blood and made his thoughts flow more smoothly.
With less than two months remaining, he could still receive around six or seven packets of Tiger Bone Paste from the martial academy.
After using it many times, drug resistance had greatly increased. By a conservative estimate, it could bring at most a two-point increase in his attributes.
Even if the three attributes of strength, speed, and defense were raised to fifteen points, that would only barely meet the requirements for lv10 Tiger Subduing Fist.
There was still a gap in his attributes. Tiger Bone Paste alone was not enough—far from enough.
If he could find a way to obtain more secret medicine, he could speed up his breakthrough.
Those born into wealthy families had far too great an advantage in martial arts. They had ample money to buy secret medicine.
Take Li Hao, for instance. Though his Lineage had declined, he still had the means to privately buy Tiger Bone Wine and develop Martial Force ahead of time.
Zhou You had asked around as well. A jar of Tiger Bone Wine cost fifty taels of silver. He could not afford it, truly could not afford it.
A jar of Tiger Bone Wine contained condensed essence, and its effects were equivalent to twenty packets of Tiger Bone Paste.
If Zhou You had money, he would want to buy it too. Unfortunately, the silver on him already had a purpose—he still needed it to pay tuition.
His greatest windfall, those three portions of Bone Tempering Powder, had been a rare opportunity that could only be encountered, not sought.
He had heard that Gao Qiang had been stabbed through the thigh with an awl after losing something, and was still bedridden, unable to get out of bed to recover.
This childhood friend was temporarily in rather miserable straits. There was no wool left for him to fleece.
Right, he still had an enemy: Tu Laosan of the Wild Fox Gang.
Though this man had a despicable character, he had an older brother who served as Vice Gang Leader. Perhaps there was some profit to be squeezed from him.
He could also take the opportunity to find out what kind of secret medicine the Wild Fox Gang used.
Alas, I am kind by nature, but a business with no capital is simply too tempting. Sooner or later, I'll have to pull another job.
Before you continue