Joining the Martial Arts Hall

"Little brother, you've been peeking at the door for a while. Here to learn the saber from Master Zheng?"

Lu Chuan turned back and saw a burly, broad-shouldered man. He nodded. "Yes."

The big man introduced himself with a hint of pride:

"Then you've come to the right place! Our Mountain Splitting Saber is all about dominance and ferocity. In all of Qinghe County, it's got a name that rings loud and clear!"

Listening to the man boast about how formidable their saber technique was, Lu Chuan didn't dampen the mood. His face showed agreement:

"Of course. I've heard of Master Zheng's reputation too."

The man clapped him on the shoulder:

"Good eye! Oh, and fair warning—if you want to apprentice here, you've got to pay tuition. Half a year at a time, ten taels of silver. Got it?"

"I've prepared it." Lu Chuan patted his chest.

"Good! Follow me, I'll take you to meet the Master." The man turned and led the way.

The two crossed the noisy Training Ground.

Rounding the front courtyard, they arrived at a relatively quiet back courtyard.

A few old trees grew here, with a reclining chair set beneath them.

On the chair lay a sturdy old man who looked about fifty, his hair and beard streaked with gray, eyes closed in rest.

"Master," the big man stepped forward, "someone else came to apprentice today."

Old Zheng on the chair slowly opened his eyelids, his gaze finally landing on Lu Chuan. He looked him up and down, then spoke:

"Where are you from? Qinghe County local, or from outside?"

Lu Chuan cupped his hands: "In reply, Master Zheng, this junior is Lu Chuan, from Kaoshan Village, a dozen li from the county seat."

"Kaoshan Village... and your family?"

"My father is a hunter."

Hearing this, the fat senior brother beside him furrowed his brow almost imperceptibly.

"Mm." Old Zheng showed nothing, then asked his age and family situation. Lu Chuan answered each one.

After finishing the questions, Old Zheng slowly sat up from the reclining chair.

"Come here." Old Zheng beckoned to Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan stepped forward a few paces.

Without another word, Old Zheng reached out both hands and began feeling Lu Chuan directly.

His fingers pinched and pressed, from shoulders to arms, from chest and belly to back and waist, then to the leg joints.

Lu Chuan felt his Bones ache slightly from the squeezing.

After a moment, Old Zheng stopped and frowned slightly: "Bone Root is mid-lower grade. Barely enough to learn martial arts."

Lu Chuan's heart sank a little at that.

Mid-lower grade Bone Root... it didn't sound like a flattering term.

Before coming, he'd warned himself not to get his hopes up, but with a young man's nature, who hadn't dreamed of being a martial prodigy?

"Master," Lu Chuan couldn't help asking, "this Bone Root... what exactly does it mean?"

"It's not that mystical." Old Zheng lay back down.

"In simple terms, it's the skeletal structure and meridian width a person is born with."

"The ancients found that some people are born with remarkable Bones and wide, unobstructed meridians. They temper their physiques faster than others—that's Upper Grade Bone Root."

"But you... don't take it too hard. What's wrong with mid-lower grade Bone Root? As long as you're willing to put in the hard work, you still have a chance to step onto the Martial Way!"

"An ordinary person—if they don't learn martial arts, what chance do they have to turn things around?"

Lu Chuan felt that Old Zheng added that last bit because he was afraid of losing his ten taels of silver.

But Lu Chuan wasn't really crushed by some mid-lower grade Bone Root.

He had the Weapon Collection System as his backing; he wasn't relying entirely on talent.

So he straightened his expression and cupped his hands to Old Zheng: "This disciple will train hard in martial arts!"

Old Zheng nodded: "Since you've made up your mind to learn the saber here, you know the rules, right? And the tuition?"

Lu Chuan nodded, took out the ten taels of silver he'd prepared from his chest, and offered it with both hands.

Old Zheng took it, weighed it in his hand, then directly pulled out five taels and tossed them to the big man beside him:

"Mo Bai, take this disciple and teach him the basics first."

The fat big man called Mo Bai caught the silver quickly, his face splitting into a grin: "Yes, Master!"

Lu Chuan watched and understood in his heart.

It seemed his talent was ordinary, not enough to earn the personal guidance of Master Zheng himself.

He wasn't discouraged—being able to learn somewhere, with a senior brother to teach him, was already good enough.

Chen Mo Bai slung an arm around Lu Chuan's shoulders:

"Come on, Junior Brother Lu, let me show you around first. Oh, by the way, my surname is Chen, Chen Mo Bai, and I'm Old Zheng's first Inner Disciple."

He led Lu Chuan out as he spoke, starting to introduce the Martial Arts Hall.

"Our hall has been around in Qinghe County for quite a few years now. The number of people training in martial arts stays above fifty year-round."

Chen Mo Bai pointed at the figures sweating it out on the Training Ground.

"But look—out of all these people, the ones actually taken in as Inner Disciples by the Master, counting me, are only eight in total."

"The rest, including you, Junior Brother, are just Outer Disciples. You pay tuition every half year and can learn some basic saber techniques."

"As for Inner Disciples, not only do they not have to pay tuition anymore, they also get a lot of help from the Master."

Lu Chuan listened quietly, his understanding of the hall's structure growing clearer.

Outer Disciples were the foundation of the hall's survival.

Inner Disciples were the hope for passing down the legacy.

"But if you perform well enough, Junior Brother, and can step onto the Martial Way early, then being taken in as an Inner Disciple isn't impossible..."

After painting Lu Chuan a rosy picture, the Senior Disciple Brother began laying out the hall's rules.

First was respecting the Master and the Way—you had to be deferential when meeting the Master and the senior brothers.

Second was diligent training—the hall opened at the start of the Mao Hour and closed at the end of the Shen Hour every day, no tardiness or early leave allowed.

Third was a strict ban on private fights—if there was a conflict, it could be settled on the arena, with a touch-and-stop rule.

The two returned to the edge of the Training Ground.

Chen Mo Bai pointed at a row of wooden racks in the corner, where a mix of old and new Thick-backed Chopping Knives were laid out.

He told Lu Chuan to pick a practice saber that felt comfortable in his hand.

Lu Chuan stepped up to choose. Looking them over, none of the sabers were sharpened, and every one was covered in scars—clearly low-grade.

He casually picked one up, and a panel of information appeared before his eyes.

[Weapon: Long Saber]

[Quality: Mortal Tier, Low Grade]

[Description: A practice saber specialized for the Mountain Splitting Saber. The blade is thick and heavy, unsharpened, dedicated to basic stances and strength training. Long-term use can hone arm strength and familiarize the user with the saber's nature.]

[Collection Effect: Can obtain Mountain Splitting Saber · Beginner Insight]

[Collect?]

Though he wanted to collect the long saber on the spot, Lu Chuan held back.

The reward from collection was tied to the weapon's grade. This Mortal Tier, Low Grade long saber would only yield a Beginner-level insight.

Lu Chuan only had two collection slots left for now, so he had to pick something better.

Then, after browsing and comparing, he finally picked out a decent one from the dozens of long sabers on the rack.

[Weapon: Long Saber]

[Quality: Mortal Tier, Mid Grade]

[Description: A practice saber specialized for the Mountain Splitting Saber...]

[Collection Effect: Can obtain Mountain Splitting Saber · Minor Success Insight]

[Collect?]