The Knack of Martial Arts

Early the next morning, Xie Yuan carried a bundle of firewood on his back and knocked on Zhu Dongming's door.

"Yuan... you're up early."

Zhu Dongming glanced at the firewood in the basket and nodded.

"Leave it there."

There was already quite a pile of firewood in his yard, all sold by Xie Yuan lately. He did not actually need any for the time being.

Still, he intended to take it.

As Zhu Dongming took copper coins from his pouch to count them, Xie Yuan pressed down his hand and shook his head.

"Brother Zhu, this basket of firewood is a gift. I only want to ask you something."

Zhu Dongming paused, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

"Go on."

"Brother Zhu, you ventured out into the county seat back then. Do you know anything about martial arts?"

Understanding dawned on Zhu Dongming. He looked Xie Yuan over a few times, then nodded.

"Yuan, you want to learn martial arts?"

"Yes."

Zhu Dongming nodded without asking why. He lifted his eyelids slightly, as though searching his memories.

"All right. I knocked around outside for a few years back then, and I learned a couple of moves myself. Though that hardly counted as even getting started, I know a little of the basics. Let me tell you about it."

At once, Xie Yuan sharpened his attention.

"When learning martial arts, the beginning stage often starts with 'skin training.'

"So-called skin training is just as the name implies: tempering the skin until it becomes tougher and tougher, gradually like ox hide. A dull blade cannot cut it, leaving only pale marks. Once it reaches great accomplishment and one develops a body of 'Copper Skin,' one is practically impervious to blades and spears.

"At that point, it is not only the skin that becomes tough—one's strength changes as well. When three or five burly men cannot match one hand, that is a true martial artist: a First Level of Practice martial artist."

Xie Yuan listened intently and caught the key phrase.

"First Level of Practice?"

"There are four major trainings: skin, flesh, sinews, and bones. Skin training is the First Level of Practice. With every level afterward, a martial artist undergoes another transformation, gradually becoming unlike ordinary people."

It sounded like this was not merely low-level martial arts, but transcendent martial arts...

Xie Yuan asked, "What comes after the four levels?"

"After the four levels? I've only heard of it once or twice—something about Qi Blood Transformation and Heaven and Earth Bridge."

Zhu Dongming shook his head.

"That is too far away. Those are matters for great sects and great clans. Becoming a First Level of Practice martial artist is already a tremendous blessing."

Xie Yuan asked without thinking, "Is it really that difficult?"

"What did you think?"

Zhu Dongming snorted.

"Yuan, you've only had a few full meals, and already your mouth has grown big.

"The three martial arts halls in town—their masters are only at the Second Level of Practice, yet that is enough for them to open schools, take disciples, rake in money by the basinful, and enjoy lofty status. Zhang Da is merely at the First Level of Practice, yet he can enter the county seat and seek an official post, breaking free from this poor mountain ditch.

"Over the years, quite a few people in the village, myself included, have gone to learn martial arts. How many actually became martial artists? It's all fucking deception..."

Xie Yuan was taken aback, then followed up on his words.

"Brother Zhu, tell me more."

"The three martial arts halls in Coiling Dragon Town are Black Tiger Fist Hall, Divine Weapon Hall, and Iron Clothes Gate. Iron Clothes Gate is the cheapest—just the entrance tea fee costs ten taels of silver.

"But if you think ten taels of silver means you can learn martial arts, then you are dead wrong.

"Ten taels buys three months. If you fail to learn it, there is no refund. They do teach you things, but tell me—what is most important in martial arts? Is it whether they teach you or not?"

Seeing a hint of agitation appear on Zhu Dongming's dark face, Xie Yuan thought for a moment and ventured, "Whether you can learn it yourself?"

Zhu Dongming rolled his eyes and shouted, "Whether you have money! Poor scholars, rich martial artists—learning martial arts is a road that burns money! Medicinal baths, nourishing broths—with those, you get twice the result with half the effort! Without them, after three months, you will not have learned jack shit!

"But all that takes silver! A single medicinal bath costs at least several taels, while nourishing broth starts at several hundred copper coins. The expensive ones cost ten or twenty taels of silver and still do not stop there.

"People only hear that ten taels can let them learn martial arts, scrape together the money, and come running eagerly to the door. How could they know there are so many twists and turns afterward? Throwing their money into the water is the better outcome. What is worse is when they refuse to accept it after three months, go home and keep training stubbornly on their own, and train themselves into a body full of injuries, ruining the rest of their lives.

"Niu Dazhuang at the village entrance injured his waist training on his own before. He groans even when he walks. His Madam could not stand it, so she brings Zhang Lao Er into the house every day. You know that.

"Yuan, take my advice. Martial arts are not so easy to learn. Give up on it while you still can. Save some money and marry a wife—that is better than anything."

Seeing how sincere Zhu Dongming was, Xie Yuan did not argue. He merely chuckled.

"I was just asking. All right, thanks, Brother Zhu."

Zhu Dongming watched Xie Yuan's departing back, his gaze shifting. In the end, he only shook his head slightly.

Then he took out his Hunting Bow, oiled the bowstring, and slowly tended to it.

"Xie Yuan has ambition and grit, and he is fast with an axe. Maybe I can bring him in when I gather a crew..."

Xie Yuan walked home slowly, thinking, There are so many twists and turns even in joining a martial arts hall. Good thing I asked. These martial arts halls are black-hearted indeed, luring people in with 'low prices' before making money through bundled sales afterward. Then again, martial arts halls are not charitable institutions.

I probably do not need to worry about whether I can learn it. As long as I can get started, that is enough. But medicinal baths and nourishing broths... I truly do not have the money. No—even the ten-tael entrance tea fee, who knows how long I would have to save for that.

He sighed. Just as Zhu Dongming had said, silver was the key to learning martial arts.

He had to save money first.

When he reached home, Xie Yuan saw at once that the door was open. His brow furrowed, and he quickly strode forward, just in time to run into a village thug coming out with a strip of meat in hand.

"Well, Yuan, eating meat now, are you... ah!"

Xie Yuan's face darkened. He grabbed the axe beside the door and slammed the back of it hard into the thug's right hand. As the man cried out in pain, Xie Yuan snatched the strip of meat back.

"Xie Yuan, you fucking dare to rebel—"

The thug clutched his hand and was about to fly into a rage, but his voice grew quieter and quieter.

Xie Yuan gripped the axe and stared at him coldly.

Damn it, why was this guy's gaze so frightening?

The thug shuddered. He could not explain Xie Yuan's look. When those eyes fixed on him, it was like... like...

Like a woodcutter looking at a log, uh.

Suddenly, shame turned into anger. He reached out with his left hand to grab the meat again.

Bang.

Xie Yuan's axe was so fast that he had no time to react. It came down right beside his left hand, splitting a piece of firewood on the ground in two.

"Get lost! If you come again, I will not be striking with the back of the axe."

The thug leaped back in fright, his face flushing and paling in turns. He threw out a threat.

"Just you wait! Next time, I'll show you what's what!"

With that, he scurried away from Xie Yuan's house.

Xie Yuan rehung the meat inside the house, his expression grim.

"I cannot leave things at home... I can scare off these scraps, but what if the Zhang family decides to get serious?

"I have to save money as soon as possible, but all I know how to do right now is chop wood. Should I go deeper into the mountains to look for more valuable trees?"

After thinking it over for a while, Xie Yuan decided to keep focusing on Iron Poplar for now.

Zhu Dongming had said it himself: the mountains had been unsafe lately, so it was best not to wander around recklessly.

For now, the best method was to raise his Chopping Wood progress to one thousand as quickly as possible and advance it once more.

That way, his ability to find trees and chop wood would rise again, greatly speeding up his savings. Perhaps he might even gain a new ability that could change his circumstances.