Crane Pine Stance

Instructor Xu was already waiting in the training grounds.

His upper body was bare, his sturdy muscles covered in a thick layer of sweat. He held a long spear in his hands, honing his martial arts.

Seeing Zheng Fa and the other man, he flicked his arm, and the spear flew like a swimming dragon, landing precisely on the weapon rack.

"Here?" he asked, looking at their expressions with a playful smile. "What, got shut down by the Seventh Young Master?"

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan: "..."

"They say the pages are the most important people in the Zhao Manor, but this is the sixth time I've taught pages for the Seventh Young Master," Instructor Xu said with a hint of sympathy in his tone.

Zheng Fa recalled that Gao Yuan had mentioned the Seventh Young Master indeed had five pages before.

Gao Yuan, standing beside him, looked even more dejected.

"The Seventh Young Master is difficult to please, and each page doesn't stay by his side for long. Yet, almost everyone in the Zhao family, from top to bottom, is willing to do this job. Why do you think that is?"

Instructor Xu suddenly changed the subject.

Zheng Fa and the other man looked at him.

"It's for the martial arts I'm about to teach you!"

Instructor Xu continued, "Our Zhao family's Old Ancestor was a disciple of an Immortal Sect. In fact, someone from every generation enters an Immortal Sect to cultivate, which is how our Zhao family achieved its status as a thousand-year-old noble lineage."

"But immortal arts are ethereal, and we come from humble backgrounds. Immortal Destiny is within reach, yet unattainable for us."

Instructor Xu's expression turned slightly somber for a moment, but the next sentence became impassioned: "However, our Zhao family not only has Immortal Destiny but also the martial arts that allow us to dominate the mortal world. With martial arts, we are no longer weak! Even if you aren't pages in the future, you'll have a foundation to stand on!"

"Like me, after learning martial arts and gaining skills, I can train the guards for the Zhao family, live comfortably, and be respected wherever I go!"

Instructor Xu's speech made Gao Yuan, standing next to Zheng Fa, his eyes shining.

Zheng Fa, however, found it strangely familiar—this was nothing compared to modern-day sales pitches.

At least create some anxiety first, right?

Instructor Xu looked at Zheng Fa and the other man, a bit puzzled.

He knew he wasn't eloquent and had only managed to come up with these few grand promises after much thought.

Yet, Gao Yuan, who came from a good background and had seen the world, was practically roaring with excitement.

But Zheng Fa showed no reaction?

He glanced at Zheng Fa twice and then asked Gao Yuan, "You've learned martial arts before. Do you know what's involved in finding a martial arts school in Jingzhou City to learn?"

Gao Yuan thought for a moment and replied, "Generally, you first have to pay an entrance fee. I think the minimum... the minimum is twenty taels of silver?"

"What else?"

"I heard the rules at outside martial arts schools are three years of apprenticeship and five years of servitude?"

"Exactly!" Instructor Xu said loudly, patting his palm. "When you learn martial arts outside, you don't even know if you'll learn any real skills, and you have to work like a slave for them for years."

"But in our Zhao family, Madam wants you to learn martial arts from me, considering that although you are currently just pages to the Seventh Young Master, you will be able to manage a part of our Zhao family's business in the future! This is Madam's immense benevolence!"

Zheng Fa actually agreed with this.

The status of a Zhao family servant might sound bad, but in this world, it was considered good fortune.

This was because the Zhao family fundamentally possessed too many social resources. Even a small portion given to those below them made their lives much better than ordinary commoners outside.

"Moreover, can the martial arts taught in outside schools compare to the martial arts treasured by our Zhao family?"

"Instructor, how do you judge the superiority of martial arts?" Gao Yuan asked curiously.

Instructor Xu smiled proudly and explained, "The martial arts in our Xuanwei Realm, in the final analysis, all originate from one place—the Immortal Sect!"

"The Immortal Sect?"

"Legend has it that Immortal Sect disciples possess countless spiritual powers, and their techniques are immensely powerful. But there's one thing—these techniques require immortal aptitude. Without aptitude, one cannot cultivate immortal methods. But didn't Immortal Sect disciples have relatives and friends who lacked aptitude?"

"So martial arts were created for them?"

"It's not really creation. The original martial arts were simplified, or incomplete versions, of Immortal Sect techniques." As he spoke, Instructor Xu's eyes dimmed slightly. "Those without immortal cultivation aptitude could become stronger than others by practicing martial arts, though naturally, they couldn't compare to even a fraction of immortal arts."

Hearing this, Gao Yuan whispered, "Then I still want to cultivate immortality."

"Nonsense, who wouldn't? Never mind whether you have immortal cultivation aptitude. Look at our Zhao family; the Seventh Young Master has some immortal bearing, but can he cultivate immortality?"

"Seventh Young Master? Why can't he?" Gao Yuan asked blankly.

Instructor Xu lightly patted his own cheek, clearly annoyed that he had let slip a secret in his haste.

"Shut up! The martial arts passed down in the martial arts schools in the city are from the descendants of those declining immortal clans. Their heritage has gradually been lost, and their descendants lack the ability, so they are likely incomplete and cannot compare to the original power."

"But our Zhao family is different. Our Zhao family has immortals from generation to generation! The Zhao family's martial arts have actually been revised by generations of Immortal Sect disciples. In terms of refinement, they are even better than the originals."

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan both believed this. After all, the Zhao family's thousand-year reputation was certainly stronger than those martial arts schools.

"Today, I will pass on to you two a technique from our Zhao family's heritage called the Crane Pine Stance." Instructor Xu, perhaps still bothered by his earlier slip-up, seemed unwilling to waste more words.

"Watch closely!"

He struck a pose, placing his feet one in front of the other. His front foot lightly touched the ground, while his rear toes were tensed, arching his instep within his shoe like a bridge. His fists were held slightly back.

The most peculiar part was the movement of his upper body.

From his waist to his neck, he stood in a reverse arc, resembling a crane in full song.

"Watch my movements closely! Follow me!" he said to Zheng Fa and the other person. "Your feet must be rooted! Those five toes, you need to dig five holes into the floor with them! But your upper body must be relaxed!"

Seeing the two strike similar poses, he continued, "Follow my breathing! Exhale, inhale!"

As he inhaled, the muscles in his upper body rolled like wheels, until his chest and abdomen became like a large ball.

As he exhaled, a long breath flowed from his throat, transforming into a clear and melodious crane's cry.

Zheng Fa kept trying to follow along, but everything felt awkward.

Instructor Xu circled him a few times, his palms constantly patting him.

"Pull your back in, but don't overdo it!"

"Your stomach, your stomach!"

"Pay attention to the rhythm of your breathing!"

With Instructor Xu's guidance, Zheng Fa seemed to find a bit of a feel for it—a warm current followed his breath, coursing through his entire body.

After practicing for a while, Zheng Fa felt sore all over and couldn't maintain the posture.

Gao Yuan, standing nearby, was also grimacing.

"Instructor, this Crane Pine Stance is so difficult!"

"It's difficult because it's powerful!"

"How is it powerful?" Gao Yuan pressed.

Instructor Xu glanced at the two, spread his arms, and leaped into the air like a bird.

He, a man with well-developed muscles who looked extremely sturdy, moved with incredible lightness, even possessing a graceful quality as if he were carried by the wind.

When he landed, he had actually leaped over five to six zhang!

"Can... can you fly?" Gao Yuan asked, his mouth agape.

"Of course, you can't fly, but once the Crane Pine Stance is mastered, you'll be the most skilled master of lightness in the mortal world," Instructor Xu said proudly. "Moreover, the Crane Pine Stance originates from a legendary immortal art that can grant eternal life. When practiced to its extreme, it can..."

"Eternal life?" Gao Yuan exclaimed excitedly.

"Dream on, it extends your lifespan!" Instructor Xu rolled his eyes.

"This..." Gao Yuan thought for a moment and realized he might have been a bit too optimistic. "How long would it take me to reach mastery then?"

"For someone like you, maybe thirty years," Instructor Xu gave him a sideways glance.

"Then how many more years can I live after mastering it?"

"Twenty years?"

"...Isn't that losing ten years for nothing?"

Young mathematical genius Gao Yuan thus commented.