Wang Yue's crush, Qin Mengya, lived near Greenland Plaza, so she arrived half an hour before the two of them.
She had already changed into her training uniform and was sitting in the reception hall of Infinite Martial Arts Hall, waiting for them.
As soon as Meng Chuan and Wang Yue walked in, their vision was completely filled by a dazzling flash of sky blue.
Wearing a blue Infinite Martial Arts training uniform, Qin Mengya skipped over to them. The loose uniform couldn't hide her lovely figure.
"Hey, fatty, you're so late! Hi! You must be Brother Chuan, right?"
Qin Mengya tilted her head cutely and held out her hand to Meng Chuan.
Meng Chuan's title, Grandmaster of Doll Fist, was well-known throughout the school. He was something of a celebrity there, so it was hardly surprising that Qin Mengya, who was in the class next door, recognized him.
As for "Brother Chuan," that was what Wang Yue had taught her to call him.
Wang Yue would chat with Qin Mengya whenever he had the chance, and whenever they ran out of things to talk about, he'd make wisecracks about Meng Chuan. That was one way to describe their brotherly bond—as flimsy as plastic...
"Hello, Qin Mengya. I'm Meng Chuan."
Meng Chuan didn't step forward to shake her hand. Instead, he clasped his hands in greeting where he stood.
Then he stood quietly to one side, looking around Infinite Martial Arts Hall.
Gazing at the hall's luxurious decor, he couldn't help thinking, Martial Artists really are loaded.
Meng Chuan had no intention of getting close to Qin Mengya or striking up a conversation with her. She was his good buddy's crush; he wasn't about to lay a finger on her.
Besides, his goal was to become a Martial Artist and then keep climbing higher.
Wang Yue wasn't the sort to hold a grudge, but he was still a kid, and not yet mature.
Why risk driving a wedge between himself and Wang Yue over Qin Mengya?
"Brother Chuan's quite old-fashioned, huh? You like greeting people with clasped hands."
Seeing that Meng Chuan hadn't stepped forward to shake her hand, Qin Mengya wasn't surprised or upset.
Instead, she smiled gracefully, then went up and took chubby Wang Yue by the hand, happily leading him inside.
"You two hurry up and change. I'll wait outside the locker room. The new teacher, Liu, is about to start class, and she's really pretty. You can't miss her!"
Meng Chuan followed behind them. Qin Mengya nudged Wang Yue along, while he kept glancing back at Meng Chuan and making weird faces, as if trying to prove something to him.
Watching Wang Yue act like such a lovesick fool, Meng Chuan couldn't help rubbing his forehead.
This kid's a lost cause. Next time I see Wang Yue's dad at the parent-teacher meeting, I'll suggest he make another account.
In the locker room, Meng Chuan received a new Infinite Martial Arts Hall student uniform.
It was the same bright blue as the one Qin Mengya had been wearing. The material felt soft and snug beneath his hand.
No wonder it costs a thousand per class. Even the training uniforms they give out are top-notch—way better than the school uniforms.
After changing, Meng Chuan went to the training hall and stood beside Wang Yue and Qin Mengya.
At the center of the training hall stood Liu Ru, wearing a dark blue Martial Dao uniform unlike the students' uniforms.
Her handsome features were entirely unadorned, and her Martial Dao uniform couldn't conceal her pair of long, long legs.
Liu Ru clasped her hands toward the group and said:
"This is my third day at Infinite Martial Arts Hall, and there are still plenty of new faces I haven't met, so I'll introduce myself again."
"Hello, everyone. I'm Liu Ru, a new instructor at the hall. I'm currently the Hall Master's disciple in name, a Martial Practitioner of the Xingyi Sect, and at the Sixth Gate of Blood and Qi.
"I'm proficient in the Taiyi Three Talents Stance. If you have any questions about Xingyi, feel free to come learn and discuss them with me."
After hearing Liu Ru introduce herself, Meng Chuan found himself wondering about one thing.
Where was the Hall Master?
An instructor who'd only reached the Sixth Gate couldn't possibly be worth a thousand yuan per class.
Just as he was thinking this, a middle-aged man in a dark, mysterious robe walked in.
He strode with the imposing gait of a dragon or tiger, radiating an indescribable aura of authority.
After stopping beside Liu Ru with his hands behind his back, he swept his sharp gaze across the room.
Everyone he looked at immediately lowered their heads—everyone except Meng Chuan.
The newcomer was none other than the Hall Master of Infinite Martial Arts Hall.
Qianyuan Thunder Movement—Luo Guanyun!
"You're... the new kid?"
Luo Guanyun looked at Meng Chuan, the only person in the whole room who dared to meet his gaze.
"Hello, Hall Master. This is my first day here. My name is Meng Chuan."
Meng Chuan looked the Hall Master in the eye and clasped his hands in greeting, standing tall and neither servile nor overbearing.
A person who practiced martial arts needed courage and had to dare to recommend himself. If you were afraid of this and afraid of that, you might as well go home and farm. What was the point of practicing martial arts?
"Not bad. You're pretty solid, kid. Since it's your first day here, let me tell you: for every ten days of classes you sign up for, you can take a one-hour member class with me. You'll need to book member classes in advance. Just talk to Liu Ru, and she'll set up a time for you."
Luo Guanyun spoke with a strong western Lu accent. It sounded pretty striking.
After finishing what he had to say to Meng Chuan, he left, followed closely by a student who'd booked a member class for that morning.
My sixty classes cost sixty thousand. So that means he charges sixty thousand for six hours of teaching?
The earning power of Martial Artists stunned Meng Chuan all over again.
"Those who don't know how to stand the Sancai Stance, and those who know how but haven't mastered it, raise your hands."
More than half the people raised their hands, including Meng Chuan and Wang Yue. Qin Mengya had already mastered the Sancai Stance.
"Good. Since most of you are beginners, today we'll start with Stake Technique. Those who've already mastered it can practice while listening to me. You may find something new to take away."
"First, let me explain what Stake Technique is."
"Stake Technique is the foundation of Martial Dao cultivation. As the saying goes, 'Practice martial arts without practicing your stance, and ten years of effort will come to nothing.'"
"Infinite Martial Arts Hall is a Xingyi Sect martial arts hall, so we study Xingyi Stance Technique. Every Xingyi martial art in the world, even the True Techniques and ultimate arts, originated from the Xingyi stance—the Taiyi Three Talents Stance."
"Today, I'll briefly break down how to get into the Taiyi Three Talents Stance. After class, new students can come to me for an Illustrated Guide to the complete set of stances."
"In broad terms, the Sancai Stance is the unity of the three talents: heaven, earth, and humanity."
"For an individual, heaven is the head, earth is the hands, and humanity is the feet. When the head, hands, and feet unite, that is the San Ti Shi. That's why the Sancai Stance is also called the San Ti Stance."
"When standing in the Sancai Stance, pay attention to two things: keep your body upright and your breath flowing; gather your spirit and turn it inward. Keeping your body upright and your breath flowing means..."
As Liu Ru spoke on and on, some of the students, Meng Chuan included, who had never practiced the Sancai Stance before were starting to feel a little lost.
The material was too profound. Before they'd even begun, it already sounded like gibberish to them.
But Meng Chuan understood one thing: the foundation of every Xingyi martial art was the Taiyi Three Talents Stance. So he quickly raised his hand and interrupted Liu Ru.
"Teacher Liu, does the National Compulsory Basic Fist Technique count as a Xingyi martial art?"
At Meng Chuan's words, quite a few people in the room turned to look at him in surprise.
They hadn't expected anyone here to ask about Doll Fist. Qin Mengya, who knew Meng Chuan well, covered her mouth and giggled nonstop.
Before you continue