First Glimpse of Martial Arts

Before dark, Cui Hao hurried home and knocked on the door, hungry. "Sister Yun, is dinner ready?"

"It's ready," Su Yun welcomed him in. "It's still warm, you can eat right away."

A moment later, Cui Hao was eating hot food, wolfing it down. He increasingly felt how important it was to have a woman at home.

"Brother Hao," Su Yun said, "I went to the village entrance to fetch water this afternoon, and three ruffians under Zhou Menghu stopped me and asked if I wanted to borrow money. I ignored them."

"Loan sharks?"

"Looks like it."

Not everyone could lend money; you needed someone strong to back you up. This person should be Zhou Mengyue.

Clearly, Zhou Mengyue intended to follow in his brother's footsteps and continue to harm Willow Tree Village.

After dinner, he lit an oil lamp and took out the warm Broken Fist manual from his chest, studying it carefully.

Fourth Senior Brother Sun Cheng said this was a watered-down version. Only by using it to enter the Mortal Martial Realm would one be qualified to be taught more profound techniques.

The known martial realms were divided into three major levels: Mortal Martial, Clear Force, and Dark Force.

Each major level was further divided into five minor stages: early, beginner, minor completion, major completion, and perfect.

Mortal Martial was just the beginning of the martial path. But judging by Master Xu Dian's words, it would be good enough for Cui Hao to even enter the Mortal Martial Realm.

Not knowing her husband had gone to the martial arts academy today, Su Yun brought a wooden basin of hot water and placed it by Cui Hao's feet. "Brother Hao, I'll wash your feet."

Cui Hao shifted his gaze from the manual and glanced at Su Yun, who was squatting. He felt a direct, overwhelming sensation. "You've worked hard, wife."

"Brother Hao," Su Yun spoke as she took off his shoes, "you've changed so much I don't recognize you."

"What do you mean?"

Su Yun smiled. "Anyway, you're very different from before. If we weren't together every day, I'd think you were someone else."

Cui Hao didn't explain, sinking his mind back into the manual.

Broken Fist had five stances: Mountain Collapse, Flag Split, Shake the Mountain, Break Formation, and Falling Star.

Taking the first stance, 'Mountain Collapse,' as an example.

It required concentrating all one's strength into a single point, like a siege hammer, striking head-on with the purest, most savage method.

There was no finesse, only absolute power to crush and shatter the enemy's defenses, weapons, and even their will to fight from the front.

The practice mantra was: sink the shoulders, drop the elbows, power rises from the ground.

Sensing her husband wasn't focused on her, Su Yun unbuttoned one of her clothes, revealing a hint of red underneath.

"Brother Hao, I'm done washing. It's cold, let's sleep early."

Finally, Cui Hao noticed Su Yun's unusual behavior today. "Sister Yun, are you alright?"

Su Yun's face flushed. "What could be wrong with me?"

Cui Hao reached out and pulled open Su Yun's collar. "A new undergarment?"

Su Yun lowered her head shyly.

"Sister Yun, you're very dangerous like this."

In the blink of an eye, they were in bed. Without the pressure of taxes or the oppression of bullies, Su Yun was very engaged. Under the covers, there was heaving and tossing, like waves crashing.

After a long while, the covers were thrown aside, and a wave of heat rose.

"Sister Yun," Cui Hao asked, holding his wife in his arms, "are you very happy?"

Resting her chin on her husband's chest, Su Yun nodded.

Cui Hao looked at his status panel.

[Bedchamber: Beginner]
[Progress: 70/300]
[Effect: Physique +5, Controllable Progress Points +29]

The progress bar had been 50 before, and now it had risen to 70.

The controllable progress points had been +20 before, and now they were +29.

Hiss! Cui Hao gasped. Could Su Yun be some kind of Saint Body? So nourishing!

"Brother Hao," Su Yun said softly, "do you want to take Lingdang into our home?"

"From now on, I'll hunt and practice martial arts. I have no intention of taking concubines."

"Look at Aunt Li's family, they have many people and earn a lot. Our family only has..." Su Yun finally realized, "What... practice martial arts?"

"Yes, practice martial arts, at Zhanhong Martial Arts Academy," Cui Hao reminded his wife. "Don't tell anyone, it'll cause gossip, or people asking to borrow money."

Thinking her husband had taken away the wine jars this morning, likely to sell them for money, Su Yun agreed not to spread the word.

The next day, as the sun just peeked over the horizon, after eating rice, Cui Hao packed two flatbreads and a water gourd and arrived at the martial arts academy early.

Fourth Senior Brother Sun Cheng had told him to come early today, and Cui Hao, being obedient, arrived ahead of time.

Sun Cheng was already practicing his strength, and two other senior brothers and one senior sister were also honing their strength.

"Junior Brother Cui," Sun Cheng said, lifting the stone lock over his shoulder and doing squats, "The purpose of martial arts is to defeat others. And to defeat others, the most fundamental things are who has more strength, who is faster, who hits accurately... and who can endure more."

"So, your most important task now is to train your strength. The stronger you get, the more formidable you'll be in a fight."

Cui Hao understood. He scanned his surroundings and spotted the lightest stone lock. He walked over and picked it up to start training his strength.

"Slowly, gently," Sun Cheng reminded Cui Hao in the twilight. "I'll tell you a method. Remember it and use it in conjunction with strength training."

"Senior Brother Sun, please tell me."

"Strength is not born from muscle, but from marrow. Qi does not reside in the chest, but flows to the heel. Training strength is like moving a mountain; with a gain of a single grain each day, eventually, the mountain will collapse."

Cui Hao repeated it, committing it to memory. He then asked, "Senior Brother Sun, when does strength training end?"

"When you can lift a number two stone lock and do fifty squats, then you can train forms and stance cultivation. Accumulate Qi and blood. Once your blood reaches a certain thickness, it will break through the Qi gate and achieve the Mortal Martial Realm."

There were many stone locks before him. "Which one is the number two stone lock?"

Sun Cheng pointed to a heavy stone lock shaped like a barrel. "That one."

Cui Hao put down the smallest stone lock and walked to the heavy one, reaching out with both hands to embrace it.

"Junior Brother Cui, it weighs two hundred jin. You can't lift it yet."

"Newcomer," Liu Yan, who had bought the little chicks, warned, "Don't overestimate yourself. Harming your foundation will make you regret it."

Cui Hao grunted softly, and the stone lock slowly lifted off the ground. He held it for two breaths, straining, and then put it down.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Cui Hao wasn't annoyed. His status panel had refreshed.

[<Broken Fist (Fragmentary): Early Stage]
[Progress: 1/100]

This must have activated because he had seen the boxing manual last night and was now training his strength this morning, the combination of the two.

He switched to a smaller stone lock and continued training until dawn. Cui Hao was sore all over and felt weak.

"Not bad," Sun Cheng walked over and praised. "You lasted much longer than I did the first time I trained."

This remark reminded Cui Hao.

The effects from mastering Archery [Soreness -5, Arm Strength +5, Accuracy +5] and mastering the intimacy [Physique +5] had subtly taken effect. Otherwise, he would have collapsed from exhaustion much earlier.

Good! Good! Cui Hao was excited. It's all martial arts training, but I have a cheat, so my efficiency is bound to be higher.

However, he couldn't get arrogant. He quickly asked Sun Cheng, "Senior Brother Sun, I pushed myself hard. Will it damage my foundation?"

"You need to be careful, especially when you're just starting to train your strength. It's easier to damage your foundation then. Go back and rest well. Get someone to give you a massage."

"Oh, right," Sun Cheng remembered something. "If you have the means, take a medicinal bath. It can relieve soreness."

Cui Hao acknowledged.