Myriad Flow Five Forms

Liu Yi didn't know why, but a slight chill suddenly ran down his spine. Soon, though, his attention returned to the student before him.

He had a well-proportioned build and handsome features. By Outer City standards, he was quite a catch.

Tao Yu had actually been rather delicate-looking and scrawny before. But after he'd packed on a lot of muscle, his appearance had clearly improved quite a bit.

With most people's skin roughened by the hardships of life in the Outer City, Tao Yu, having undergone several physical transformations in quick succession, instead looked fair and smooth-skinned.

"You got the stance technique down after only three tries. That's quite rare at our dojo. I've taught young people with A-rank physical talents, and they couldn't manage that, either."

Liu Yi smiled and praised Tao Yu's talent.

"You flatter me, Dojo Master. I think I picked it up quickly because my Dynamic Vision lets me track movements well, and my body has a good foundation from taking so many wishforce herbs."

"Smith told me about that. What kind of herbs were they? Would you be willing to share some details? I'd be happy to pay."

Aside from wanting to meet Tao Yu because of his talent, Liu Yi had also been thinking about this. In a way, they both wanted the same thing.

Tao Yu quickly spoke up.

"Actually, that's why I came to see you in the first place. And if there's a reward involved, that's even better."

"You're talented, and you already have a free spot. If you're willing to share some details, I can waive your tuition for the rest of your studies."

Liu Yi waved a hand and made his promise.

For Liu Yi and the dojo, teaching people was their business anyway. Just like with Skill Loan, there was nothing to lose.

For Tao Yu, it was even better!

He was definitely going to learn all five styles. Even with one of them at half price, he'd still have to spend over ten thousand.

Besides, even without that offer, Tao Yu would have found a chance to bring it up himself.

It was practically free.

"Thank you, Dojo Master!"

After thanking him to get the matter settled, Tao Yu sighed and said,

"When I heard today that the Li family had been wiped out, I was terrified. I'd already been thinking of telling you."

"Wait, what does the Li family's destruction have to do with this?"

Liu Yi had clearly already heard about it, and his expression stiffened.

"Let me explain. This is what happened..."

Tao Yu didn't give Liu Yi any chance to jump to conclusions. He rattled off the Blood Orchid's properties, growing conditions, and approximate location, even estimating how far it was from the grassland boundary.

Only after finishing all that did he continue,

"...Um, Li Le from the Li family was in the same intake as me, and he knew about the Blood Orchid too."

Tao Yu's expression was uneasy and embarrassed, which made Liu Yi's face tighten as well.

But Liu Yi had built up a business like Myriad Flow Dojo, so he was no pushover. He immediately understood that Tao Yu was trying to spread the risk.

He had been very wary of the Li family's destruction.

Although the Li family as a whole was weaker than Myriad Flow Dojo, it was still a powerful clan in the Outer City. The ruthless, iron-fisted force that had wiped it out so easily was not someone the dojo could stand against, either.

But after hearing that Tao Yu had sold the herbs to Starlight Recycling Station and passed along the information as well, Liu Yi's expression relaxed.

"You're a sly one, but pretty clever. If you hadn't done that in the past couple of days, you might have vanished without a trace tonight, too."

Liu Yi thought highly of Tao Yu. And since he'd already promised to teach him for free, he might as well honor it. He'd consider it an investment.

"Oh? Do you have a guess as to what happened, Dojo Master? Please enlighten me."

Tao Yu took the opportunity to ask.

"Actually, it's simple. The Li family was probably planning to work with some faction, but that faction wanted to keep everything for itself. So they did this overnight. They might not have known you existed at all. Otherwise, they'd have taken you out along with the others last night.

"But since you've already sold the information to Starlight Recycling Station, this matter will probably just be dropped. The Li family died for nothing."

Liu Yi didn't seem very concerned. Instead, he appeared deep in thought.

Things like this happened not only in the Outer City, but in the Inner City as well.

These days, the strongest made the rules.

If you held profits you had no business holding, you had to be prepared for the consequences.

The Security Team kept watch, but once the trail went cold, there wasn't much they could do.

The Inner City was tangled up in all sorts of factions. Who knew which side had done it?

Breaking the balance recklessly would only make things worse.

The Security Team wasn't going to risk their lives for the Li family, who were already long gone. With things tense right now, they were only putting on a show to reassure the public.

"I see. In that case, do you think I'm safe now? Could I stay at the dojo for a couple of days?"

Tao Yu seized the opening. The Dojo Master could make the decision on the spot; all it would take was a word.

If he stayed here, he could make use of the evenings, too.

"Haha, sure. But go ask Smith if he'll let you sleep on the floor."

"Of course. I'd be scared, too, if I were in his shoes."

Smith readily agreed as well.

When someone was talented, it was easy to get along!

"So, which style do you want to start learning today?"

After meeting the Dojo Master, Tao Yu followed Smith back to a corner of the plaza where they'd practiced the day before. Zhang Wei and the others had already arrived, but Smith didn't ask for their opinions. He first asked Tao Yu what he wanted.

"Senior Brother, could you tell us about them? I think everyone would like to hear."

Tao Yu took the initiative to ask. He knew that Myriad Flow Dojo had five signature styles: tiger, crane, bear, python, and ape. Each had its own strengths, but he wasn't sure what they were.

Tao Yu's question also dispelled some of Zhang Wei and the others' lingering dissatisfaction. They all perked up their ears.

"Sure. I'll tell you about them first. You already know the names of the five styles. I'll start with the one I know best, Crane Form, which I've trained to lv4..."

As Smith spoke, he casually struck a pose, balancing on one leg like a rooster and holding his body straight.

The moment he stood there, a feeling of lightness and agility seemed to radiate from him.

"Crane Form is the lightest and most agile of the Myriad Flow Five Forms. It emphasizes striking and withdrawing in a single touch, and anticipating your opponent's moves..."

As he spoke, Smith began to move through the stance, making a couple of small movements as though searching for an opponent in the void.

Watching his movements, Tao Yu began to get a sense of it. Crane Form was mainly like Jeet Kune Do mixed with a bargain-basement version of Dugu Nine Swords. Its basic moves were relatively simple; the key was how quickly you could initiate them.

But it placed great demands on your ability to react in the moment. The idea was to disrupt your opponent's rhythm before they could strike.

There were two sets of techniques, one for fighting people and one for fighting beasts. Training in Crane Form could also further strengthen the leg tendons and fingers, building on the foundation of Myriad Flow Stance.

Smith then demonstrated Tiger, Bear, Python, and Ape Forms one after another.

It was clear, though, that while he was proficient in the other four, they lacked the light, flowing quality of Crane Form. He was familiar with their moves, but that was all.

Each style had its own emphasis and unique characteristics. Yet these five styles, which seemed unrelated at first, each built on Myriad Flow Stance to further develop the entire body.

Each seemed to be a separate puzzle piece, advancing and strengthening a different area. Together, the five formed a complete transformation...