Ninety-nine Drops of Sweat, One Drop of Talent

Chapter 3: Ninety-nine Drops of Sweat, One Drop of Talent

Dawn was just breaking when the Stone Wall Courtyard began to buzz with activity.

In the courtyard, packed with rammed earth, many youths were already gathered around the rows of Plum Blossom Stances or practicing with wooden dummies.

Lin Mo mingled among them, learning, but he still remembered that Xu Changfeng had promised to personally teach him stance training every morning, to help him sense Blood Essence.

He watched several skilled apprentices walk around the Plum Blossom Stances, occasionally leaping onto them to strike poses. They looked the part, but he felt something was a bit off.

As he was practicing, greetings suddenly echoed from the entrance.

"Hello, Senior Brother Xu, good morning, Senior Brother..."

Many apprentices saw him and rushed forward to greet him enthusiastically. Lin Mo looked over and saw an old man in a green shirt and cloth shoes following behind Xu Changfeng.

He looked refined and kind, but the unusually large knuckles on the hands peeking out from his sleeves clearly indicated he was a seasoned martial artist.

Xu Changfeng gathered the practicing apprentices and explained, "Today, I will continue to teach you stance training, but Martial Master Yang is free today and has come to observe."

"Having Martial Master Yang, Old Mr. Yang Yun, teach you is invaluable. You must all listen carefully!"

Martial Master?

Lin Mo was no stranger to the term. He had seen it in the booklet yesterday. A Martial Master was a realm beyond Skin, Flesh, Bone, and Blood Fourth Level.

Setting aside the Changhe Martial Arts School, in the entire Changhe County with its tens of thousands of people, there were probably only a handful of Martial Masters. Their status and influence were evident.

Compared to Lin Mo and the others who had recently registered, the older students seemed particularly excited.

The old man walked around the group a few times, scrutinizing everyone. "Not bad, not bad, you've all trained to be quite sturdy... and it seems there are more apprentices?"

"Those who haven't seen this old man before can step forward..."

The old man smiled, his tone unhurried, and stood before them with his hands behind his back.

As soon as he spoke, Lin Mo noticed the whispers and discussions around him intensify, everyone acting like spectators at a gossip session.

"Last time, Old Yang praised my bones, saying if I put in the effort, I'd definitely sense Blood Essence!"

"Heh, Old Yang is incredibly accurate at assessing bones. With just a touch, he can tell your bone age and even what kind of weapon you're suited for."

"He's probably the most approachable Martial Master around here. In terms of status, even the County Magistrate gives him some face..."

Amidst the chatter, Lin Mo pieced together most of it. It turned out the apprentices loved watching the Martial Master assess bones; it sounded quite mystical.

When Lin Mo and a few others stepped forward, lining up by height and build, his slender frame stood out.

The old man touched each of them from head to toe. As the youths gasped, the old man murmured, "Bone age sixteen, large bone structure, you've grown into a big frame, but you've eaten too much. Practicing more stance training to slim down would be good..."

"Bone age seventeen, why does your body have such a soft strength? A man should be more yang..."

In just a moment, his rough palm landed on Lin Mo's shoulder. Lin Mo felt a tingling sensation in his shoulder bones. It looked like a massage, but the strength was surprisingly great.

Even he was curious about the Destiny the old man had forged on his martial path. However, the [Observe People and Their Aura] was reserved for investigating Zhao Wu's background that night.

Even if he used it, Lin Mo estimated he'd only see the common white Destiny, or perhaps some unclear green Destinies, or even higher-tier ones.

"Bone age seventeen, thick bones, well-proportioned frame. You have some potential for martial arts, but you're still too thin..."

Yang Yun commented. Lin Mo seized the opportunity to reply, "Thank you for your high regard, Old Yang. I will definitely practice diligently day and night."

"Just put in more effort, and perhaps there will be good results."

Hearing this, Yang Yun merely smiled and shook his head, as if offering comfort, or perhaps with a deeper meaning.

As a Martial Master who had delved into martial arts for at least forty to fifty years, Yang Yun could spot potential martial artists at a glance.

There was no need for this bone-touching or pleasantries.

However, having risen from humble beginnings, he always wanted to encourage these children from poor families. That being said, the path of martial arts was not just about effort...

The old man often said, Ninety-nine drops of sweat, one drop of talent.

Little did they know, that one drop of talent was the crucial element...

Coincidentally, none of the apprentices in this group possessed that one drop of talent!

"Watch closely, I'll demonstrate the stance training for Xu Changfeng. Our Changhe Martial Arts School has always taught the White Ape Stance Training to apprentices. Practicing it correctly strengthens the body, and on the other hand, it can greatly stimulate Blood Essence, giving you a chance to sense it!"

The old man moved with light steps. Almost as he spoke, he bent and straightened his knees, his withered body leaping onto the stance like a monkey.

His toes rested on the stance, yet his body didn't tremble in the slightest. His left hand was held in front of him in a posture like embracing the moon, while his right arm extended, fingers splayed like a white ape pouncing.

As his body gracefully shifted on the Plum Blossom Stances, the basic forms of the White Ape Stance Training were executed flawlessly. The crowd stared, as if a nimble white ape in a green shirt was truly there.

The old man came and went quickly, leaving Xu Changfeng to supervise the morning practice.

Lin Mo tried to imitate him, but as soon as he stepped onto the Plum Blossom Stance, he felt dizzy. He couldn't even keep his footing, let alone perform the movements.

Even when practicing the movements on the ground, he often felt his form was distorted, stiff, and uncomfortable, even experiencing numbness and cramps...

He could only try slowly. During this time, Lin Mo also inquired about the daily schedule and regulations for the martial arts school apprentices.

Learning that only morning practice was supervised, and the rest was up to self-discipline, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Mo had not forgotten that he had a major [Calamity of Blood Light] to deal with that very night. His cousin's life was in his hands.

After noon, as the sky gradually cooled but before sunset, Lin Mo left the small courtyard of the Martial Arts School.

That night, the moonlight was serene, and the river surface sparkled.

At an abandoned pier outside Changhe County, waves continuously lapped against wooden posts. A black-canopied boat was tied to the edge of a post. The air was mixed with the smell of fish and rotting wood.

A group of shadowy figures tiptoed to the side of the pier. From a distance, one could hear the heavy panting of a group of people, interspersed with occasional low curses, "These two brats from the Lin family are quite heavy. They look so scrawny, but they're as heavy as pigs when they're knocked out!"

With a simultaneous "one, two," the sound of wooden planks clattering was especially clear in the deep night. The black-canopied boat swayed left and right, stirring up many waves. After much effort, Zhao Wu finally boarded the boat.

"Alright, I'll take care of the rest."

Zhao Wu waved his hand and pushed off with a bamboo pole, rowing far away. He only stopped to rest when he reached the reeds downstream.

"Am I just being overly nervous lately? Why do I always feel a chill down my spine..."

Zhao Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead, muttering to himself. He looked around cautiously like a thief for a while before rowing the boat into the reeds and docking it.

He finally felt a little more at ease. He glanced at the Lin family brothers, who were still unconscious, then turned to pry open a bottom board, retrieving two packages from within.

"After this job is done, I'm not going back. I'll just use the boat to run far away... That Water Ghost doesn't look like anything good. If there's no blood food, who knows how furious it will become!"

Taking out the packages and feeling the heavy weight of the silver within, Zhao Wu could finally feel a sense of peace.

Splash...

The reeds seemed to be blown by the wind, their stalks occasionally bending low in the depths. Narrow black shadows occasionally passed through the riverbed, accompanied by the sound of flowing water.

Zhao Wu's heart leaped, and he swallowed. He lowered his head to look closely, only to discover it was just a big fish!

Before he could let out a sigh of relief, the black-canopied boat suddenly tilted to its side. Before he could react, he fell to his knees.

Almost instantly, Zhao Wu felt his neck tighten, and his entire body was thrown towards the water's surface, creating a large splash.