There Is a Time to Gather and Part, Breaking Through the Martial Pass

There Is a Time to Gather and Part, Breaking Through the Martial Pass

There Is a Time to Gather and Part, Breaking Through the Martial Pass

For a small place like Changhe County, the training methods taught by so-called martial arts schools and martial halls were mostly similar, fundamentally consisting of tempering the body and stimulating qi and blood.

Combat techniques were one of the foundations upon which martial arts schools and halls stood, as well as an important source of a martial artist's combat strength.

Lin Mo was still an apprentice and had yet to stimulate qi and blood, so naturally he could not learn any combat techniques. Even the most basic techniques had to wait until he became a disciple.

Over several consecutive days, he could only take the remaining two Qi and Blood Pills, secretly supplementing his meals whenever he could, while spending most of his time tempering his muscles and bones in the courtyard.

As time went by, he also struck up some acquaintances with quite a few impoverished youths in the same circumstances.

"Lin Mo, when do you think we'll be able to sense qi and blood and become disciples?" Wang Hu, a dark-skinned farm boy, casually asked.

"I don't know. We can only take it one step at a time."

Sensing qi and blood was a mysterious and elusive matter. Lin Mo had no certainty either, so he could only shake his head and say he did not know.

Just as afternoon training ended, a group of utterly exhausted apprentices gathered in twos and threes, chatting as they took out the food they had brought with them.

Most of those in this small courtyard were in the lowest tier. Only one midday meal was provided, and they usually had to rely on their own food to fill their stomachs.

Lin Mo had not prepared much: several plain steamed buns and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

Although he had spent quite a bit of the silver from Zhao Wu over the past week, he still had seven or eight taels left. Even if he added some meat to his meals every day, it would last him a month or two.

He understood the principle that wealth should not be flaunted. Even so, among these poor youths, he still stood out.

The few of them sat on the ground and took out their cloth bundles. Most contained bean paste or scorched yellow wheat cakes, and those wheat cakes were certainly not meat-filled flatbreads.

They were made entirely from wheat bran mixed with a little grain. Kudali often ate this stuff. There was no need to discuss nutrition, but it could barely fill the belly.

A wheat cake was the size of two palms and cost two Large Coins. Even for a growing boy with a large appetite, four coins were enough.

"As long as we become disciples, cultivate for a month or so, and walk out of this martial arts school, we can find some nominal work," someone said with a sigh.

"I heard a senior brother broke through to the second training level and reached the flesh-tempering stage. He went to Li Family Manor to become the head guard, earning three taels and five mace of silver a month!"

Wang Hu gnawed on his wheat cake. Thinking of one of the school's senior brothers, his eyes were full of envy.

The moment those words came out, they drew a chorus of astonished exclamations.

In a corner of the crowd, a fisherman's son drank water and said little. He merely sat beside Lin Mo and the others, listening, occasionally offering a supportive smile.

"Chen Qing, you didn't bring any afternoon food again today?"

Someone asked, and Chen Qing immediately felt everyone's eyes gather on him. His face flushed red as he mumbled, "I... I forgot when I left this morning. I'll go home and eat later."

It was said that his family lived in Yazi Bay by the Changhe River. He had an older sister, and the family of four crowded into a boat-house pieced together from two or three broken sampans.

Perhaps because of his family's circumstances, he often had no afternoon meal.

"Chen Qing, why don't you eat something to tide you over?"

Also born into a fisherman's household, Lin Mo handed him half a plain steamed bun out of kindness, making the others green with envy.

This was the third time he had helped Chen Qing. He did not give much each time. First, it was naturally out of kindness; second, it was for this fortune.

After looking into it, Lin Mo discovered that while helping others yielded relatively little fortune, over time it still added up bit by bit. Better than nothing.

Words would occasionally pop up on the Jade Talisman in his mind,

[Perform a good deed, offer a small kindness, fortune gathered +1]

"Thank you, Brother Mo."

Chen Qing hurriedly accepted it. After taking two bites, he tucked the rest of the bun into his clothes, slowly savoring the taste in his mouth.

After eating, they chatted for a while about their insights and experiences. Those who needed to hurry home went home, while those returning to the communal sleeping quarters went to bed early.

Several more days passed. A group of apprentices who had been there longer began leaving one after another, most of them people without talent for martial cultivation.

Watching so many youths pack their belongings, Lin Mo was somewhat startled.

Wang Hu was among them. Just days ago, he had been full of drive. Why was he leaving today?

"Brother Mo, brothers, thank you for looking after me these past days."

Wang Hu clasped his fists in farewell like a martial artist, tears welling in his eyes. "I've thought it through. I have no talent for martial arts. I paid tuition twice in a row, yet after a whole month I still haven't sensed qi and blood. My father isn't in good health either, so I plan to go back and properly farm those few acres of land."

Watching their retreating figures, Lin Mo felt a trace of loneliness for the first time. Yet he did not dare slacken and continued training diligently.

He stepped upon the Plum Blossom Stances, shifting and leaping across them, swinging his arms and throwing punches, his waist and stance moving as one.

His movements and posture changed without pause. He had become increasingly proficient in the five forms of White Ape Stance Training, but sensing qi and blood was still slower than he had imagined. The end of the half-month assessment was fast approaching.

Lin Mo jumped down from the Plum Blossom Stances and felt as though his feet had gone numb. Even stepping on the ground felt like walking on clouds.

Although his fate had improved, imagination and reality still differed.

[Healthy and Strong] was still somewhat lacking... But fortunately, the matter with Zhao Wu seemed to have vanished without a trace, so there's no rush.

Lin Mo let out a long sigh, calculating his silver and making plans for the future.

He did not intend to use his remaining silver to buy Qi and Blood Pills. It would be better spent on food or next term's tuition. He had no way to make money, so he could not spend recklessly.

He could only steel himself and train solidly, little by little.

Time passed quickly. Lin Mo paid his tuition for the second time, still choosing the second tier, which included lodging and one midday meal. But many people he knew had already gone home.

It was early morning, and Xu Changfeng was leading everyone through practice when a senior brother suddenly ran in. He had already entered the Martial Pass.

The senior brothers of Changhe Martial Arts School rarely came here. When they did, it was usually to find people for odd jobs. With just a few Large Coins, they could hire a young, able-bodied laborer, and these poor youths had no choice but to do the work.

Cleaning stables, helping prepare meals, cleaning latrines—so long as there was money to be made, they fought to take the job.

But today was unusual. The senior brother shouted as soon as he entered, "Where is Chen Qing? Martial Master Wang wants him. He won't need to stay here anymore!"

Everyone was baffled. After questioning one another all at once, they learned that while Chen Qing had been doing odd jobs yesterday, he happened to sense qi and blood and enter the Martial Pass.

Chen Qing had joined even later than Lin Mo. By count, it had only been ten days, yet his talent was unexpectedly high. Martial Master Wang had immediately chosen him.

And he was not an ordinary Registered Disciple. He had truly been chosen as a Personal Disciple, someone who could learn the real stuff.

"Brothers, I, Chen Qing, will take the first step ahead."

Chen Qing was delighted upon hearing this. After saying a few simple words, he turned and left excitedly without looking back.

Everyone's eyes were filled with envy, though their voices carried more than a hint of sourness.

"How long has he even been here? He probably hasn't even mastered the stance training, yet he's already sensed qi and blood?"

"He barely says two words all day, yet his luck is this good!"

From the corner, Lin Mo looked at Chen Qing's retreating back and used [Observe Qi and People] to inspect his fate. Aside from several ordinary white ones, he actually possessed an azure fate just like Xu Changfeng and the other martial artists.

Yet the Azure Mist lingered for a long time, preventing him from seeing what it contained.

Not long after Chen Qing left, there were no longer any poor youths in the courtyard whom Lin Mo knew well. He could only bury himself in training. Fortunately, two or three days later, he too sensed qi and blood.

Lin Mo stood before Xu Changfeng, feeling the thread-thin qi and blood in his dantian, his heart filled with joy.

"Senior Brother, has any family taken an interest in me?" Lin Mo asked.

Counting his training days, he had renewed his tuition once and only sensed qi and blood after twenty days. His talent could only be considered middling.

"Junior Brother, you are diligent enough, but the martial masters of the Li and Wang families have not heard of you..." Xu Changfeng paused, then continued, "Even if you take the initiative to join them, you would only be a Registered Disciple. Why not become a Registered Disciple under Martial Master Yang instead?"

Lin Mo's talent was not particularly good, but his heart was. He often helped out poor youths, and Xu Changfeng had noticed.

Perhaps they were fairly compatible. After Xu Changfeng spoke to Martial Master Yang Yun, an exception was made, and another Registered Disciple was accepted.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Xu!"