Entering Wanping Martial Academy

All night long, Jiang Qinghe remained in a state of intense concentration.

In the darkness, at the slightest rustle of wind or movement, he would spring from the bed and lean close to the window lattice to listen carefully.

Only after confirming it was merely a stray cat darting past, or wind stirring the leaves, would he relax a little.

At the turn of the tiger and rabbit hours, when a faint fish-belly white had just appeared on the horizon, Jiang Qinghe was already out of bed, hastily splashing his face with cold water.

The icy water jolted him awake, thoroughly driving off his drowsiness.

Jiang Qinghe stuffed all his worldly possessions into his clothes and eagerly left the house, heading southwest toward Wanping Martial Academy.

Along the way, Jiang Qinghe remained alert, carefully observing every intersection before passing through.

Suddenly, a fierce wave of hunger struck him. His stomach twisted with faint pain, and his vision even began to darken.

After the Wood Splitting Skill reached perfection, his appetite had grown even larger than before.

He had not eaten since yesterday afternoon, and after staying tense all night, he was now ravenous.

At a makeshift breakfast stall set up around a corner, Jiang Qinghe bought three dry flatbreads.

Once the coarse wheat cakes filled his stomach, he let out a long, satisfied breath, feeling strength flood back into his entire body.

"Another twenty. Wrap them up for me."

Tucking the heavy bundle of provisions away, Jiang Qinghe continued onward.

After walking several hundred more steps and passing through the last narrow, shabby alley, the view before him suddenly opened up.

A grand courtyard of blue bricks sat ahead like an immovable boulder. Its broad walls towered high, dark in color.

Above three steps of bluestone, two heavy doors stood tightly shut.

At the center of the lintel hung a massive ebony plaque, bearing the four soaring, dragon-like characters: Wanping Martial Academy.

"I'm here!"

Jiang Qinghe took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement in his heart.

He raised his hand and knocked on the long-awaited door.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The knocking sounded especially clear in the early morning, startling several sparrows roosting beneath the eaves into flight.

Jiang Qinghe was slightly nervous as he waited quietly.

A moment later, a heavy creak sounded. The thick door opened inward just enough for one person to pass through, and a dark, lean youth poked his face out.

The youth was around seventeen or eighteen, dressed in short training clothes with a gray cloth belt tied around his waist.

His eyes were bright, but they carried scrutiny and caution as he sized Jiang Qinghe up.

"You are?"

Jiang Qinghe took a deep breath and handed over the money pouch he had prepared long ago.

"I'm here to learn martial arts."

The youth accepted the pouch, skillfully weighed it in his hand, untied the opening and glanced inside. After confirming everything was in order, he tucked it into his clothes.

The caution on his face immediately faded by more than half. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and beckoned Jiang Qinghe over.

"Come with me."

As he spoke, he exerted force with his arm and pulled the main gate fully open.

Jiang Qinghe followed the youth over the threshold and into the courtyard, his eyes lighting up at once.

A vast training ground paved in bluestone occupied the heart of the courtyard.

It was at least ten zhang square by estimation. At present, more than twenty men were already practicing within it.

Some were bare-chested, lifting Stone Locks to train their strength; others struck wooden dummies with fists and kicks, honing their techniques.

Shouts rose and fell without end, while the smell of sweat and rust rushed toward him.

Around the training ground, several residences stood scattered amid a bamboo grove, exuding an ancient simplicity.

"Senior Brother Zhao, a newcomer's here!"

The dark, skinny youth called out loudly.

Within the training ground, a square-faced young man in his early twenties turned at the sound.

Jiang Qinghe looked closely and recognized him as Martial Instructor Zhao, the man who had inadvertently helped him out at Red Leaf Wine Shop several days earlier.

When Zhao Guangyi strode over, Jiang Qinghe could even feel the ground faintly tremble.

"Senior Brother Zhao," Jiang Qinghe hurriedly bowed and cupped his fists. "I'm here to learn martial arts."

"Hm? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before. What's your name?"

"My name is Jiang Qinghe. A few days ago, when Senior Brother Zhao went to the wine shop to buy braised pork elbow, we met once."

Jiang Qinghe explained.

"Oh, I remember now."

Zhao Guangyi came to a realization. He then gave Jiang Qinghe a somewhat surprised look and said with slight regret, "The braised pork elbows there were quite good. It's a pity I won't be able to eat them anymore."

Jiang Qinghe fell silent. The martial academy lay south of West Street, not far away at all. It seemed Senior Brother Zhao had already learned what happened last night.

Zhao Guangyi seemed to see through Jiang Qinghe's thoughts, and his tone was calm.

"Once you've paid, you're a Martial Disciple of the academy. No one would dare cause trouble in here."

He then looked Jiang Qinghe up and down. Seeing his worn coarse hemp clothes, he said to the dark-skinned youth, "Xiao Hei, take him to change into training clothes, then find him a pair of boots that fit. Gather at the training ground at the hour of the dragon."

"Got it, Senior Brother Zhao!"

Xiao Hei answered brightly. He casually handed the silver pouch over, then led Jiang Qinghe across the training ground toward the nearest residence.

As they walked, Xiao Hei said, "Among the Martial Disciples who came this morning, some lived not far from Red Leaf Wine Shop. They said there were ghostly wails and wolfish howls all night, and the scene was incredibly bloody."

He then looked at Jiang Qinghe beside him and clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Who would've thought you were from that place? You really had great fortune and a tough life."

Jiang Qinghe patted his chest, feeling as though he had survived a calamity.

"Yesterday happened to be my day off, so I narrowly escaped disaster."

Then he could not help asking, "Brother Xiao Hei, who was that Senior Brother Zhao just now?"

Hearing this, Xiao Hei grinned, revealing two rows of snow-white teeth.

"That was Fifth Senior Brother Zhao Guangyi, Elder Ping's youngest disciple."

"Are Elder Ping's other four disciples also cultivating here in the academy?"

Jiang Qinghe asked curiously. His knowledge of Wanping Martial Academy had been limited to street gossip. Now that he had the chance, he naturally wanted to learn more.

"The other senior brothers and senior sister have gradually drifted away from the academy."

Xiao Hei sighed.

"Second Senior Brother Liu Feng went to Cangfeng City and serves as a City Guard."

"Third Senior Brother Tan Yong has also become the renowned Chief Constable of the Magistrate's Manor. Fourth Senior Sister Zhang Yue is Magistrate Zhang's only daughter in our Lin'an County. She is usually at her own mansion and rarely comes here anymore."

"Only Fifth Senior Brother cultivates in the academy every day. When he has spare time, he comes to the training ground and teaches the newly arrived Martial Disciples in Elder Ping's stead."

At this point, Xiao Hei lowered his voice.

"Fifth Senior Brother may look stern, but he's actually a very good person. If you study well under him, you'll definitely gain something."

Jiang Qinghe nodded and asked again, "What about Eldest Senior Brother?"

Xiao Hei revealed a complicated expression, and his steps unconsciously slowed.

"His name is Zhu Ning... He has already broken with Elder Ping. Now, he is the leader of the Iron Saber Gang."

Jiang Qinghe's heart jolted. These disciples truly had more impressive backgrounds than the last.

Yet from Xiao Hei's tone, it seemed that aside from Fifth Senior Brother, the relationships between Elder Ping and the others were all difficult to put into words.

He did not dwell on it further, instead asking the question that concerned him most right now.

"Then how exactly can one become Elder Ping's disciple?"

Xiao Hei stopped and turned around, looking at him with sympathetic eyes.

"Within one year, after first stepping onto the martial path, you must cultivate the first great realm to perfection. Only then can Elder Ping accept you as his disciple."

"Brother Qinghe, I'm not trying to discourage you. The academy has been open for so many years, and there must have been nearly several hundred Martial Disciples coming and going, yet I've never heard of anyone who could accomplish that."

"Even those disciples back then did not advance so quickly. Perhaps it was because the old man later became disheartened and no longer wished to take disciples that he set such a high threshold."

Jiang Qinghe nodded thoughtfully and said nothing more.

Before long, the two arrived at the place provided for Martial Disciples to rest during the day.

Inside, there were four small rooms each on the eastern and western sides. Xiao Hei opened the third room on the east side.

"This is where you change clothes and rest during the day."

The room was not large, but it was kept very clean.

A communal bed more than a zhang long had been set against the wall, enough to accommodate six or seven grown men.

A three-foot-wide passage ran through the middle. Opposite it stood a six-drawer wardrobe, its lacquer already somewhat faded.

Xiao Hei pulled open one compartment, revealing neatly folded blue training clothes and black cloth shoes.

"There, this is your compartment."

"Change your clothes and get yourself sorted out, then hurry to the training ground. If you miss Senior Brother Zhao's guidance, that'll be a huge loss."

With that, Xiao Hei turned and left.