Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall

"Making baseless judgments about a fellow disciple's aptitude when you've only just met is disrespectful. You'll be punished with two extra hours of basic stance training today," Yuan Shan said.

Yuan Lingling pouted but said nothing.

Yuan Shan turned his gaze back to the new disciples.

"Everyone's here? Good."

He set his teacup on a nearby wooden table with a soft tap. That simple action made all the new disciples straighten up at once.

"Now that you've entered my school, remember this: martial arts lie in the heart, not the bones. Your physical constitution is the soil, and your will is the seedling. Even in poor soil, a resilient seedling can grow to touch the sky. I hope you'll train diligently and make the most of your time."

His gaze swept over the new disciples, calm and unreadable. It paused only when it reached Li He.

"Now that you've joined the school, first pay your respects to the founder."

He led them into the inner room and gestured for everyone to line up. Then, before the incense table bearing the founder's memorial tablet, he lit three sticks of incense and placed them in the burner.

Incense smoke curled upward, carrying a faint sandalwood fragrance.

Standing before the incense table, Yuan Shan spoke solemnly. "Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall disciples Li He, Jin Yongsheng, Sun Ao, Shi Lei... Today, you enter the school and pay your respects to the founder!"

Following Yuan Shan's lead, they all bowed to the founder's tablet.

When the ceremony was over,

Yuan Shan turned around and looked over the four of them. "From today onward, you are disciples of Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall. We don't have many rules: first, respect your teachers and honor the way; second, never harm one another. Anyone who breaks these rules will be expelled for a minor offense, or have their martial arts crippled and be cast out for a major one."

At those final words, Yuan Shan's voice suddenly turned cold. The fierce menace that had lain dormant in his eyes showed itself without restraint.

"We'll remember, Master," they answered in unison.

Yuan Shan gave a slight nod. "Lin Feng."

"Here!" Lin Feng hurried a step forward.

"Show them around the school. Then come back here later, and I'll teach them our basic stance, the Ape Standing Stake."

Having given his instructions, Yuan Shan said no more. He picked up his teacup and turned back into the inner room.

Only after he had completely disappeared

did the tense atmosphere in the hall begin to ease. Yuan Lingling immediately returned to her playful self. "Senior Brother Lin, Master asked you to show the junior disciples around. I'll help too."

Lin Feng replied helplessly, "All right. But, Lingling, watch your manners. Don't do anything disrespectful again."

"I know, I know!" Yuan Lingling replied with a grin. She hurried over to Li He. "Sorry about earlier. Come on, I'll show you around the school. That'll be my apology."

Everyone started walking around the school.

"This is the main training hall."

Lin Feng pointed to the spacious room.

"This is where we practice stances, fist techniques, and footwork. Once the Master finishes getting ready, we'll come back here."

He pointed to several pieces of equipment in the corner. "That's the strength-training area. There isn't much equipment, but the Master picked it all out himself. It's enough for basic conditioning."

He led them deeper into the school and pushed open a side door. "This is the medicinal bath room. Our school has a special medicinal bath formula that works wonders for recovering from fatigue and strengthening the bones and muscles. But the ingredients are precious, so you'll have to buy them yourselves."

He opened another door. "This is the meditation room. It's for sitting meditation, regulating your breathing, and studying techniques. The walls are soundproofed, so it's completely quiet." The room was small, with only a few meditation cushions and soft lighting.

"The kitchen is in the back, and you can use it yourselves, but you'll need to bring your own food... The school has subsidized housing, and there are dormitories on the second floor. You can apply to stay there, but you'll need to pay rent... One floor of the residential building next door is our Scripture Pavilion. One of our uncles is stationed there, but he's got a bad temper, so it's best not to go there without a good reason..." Lin Feng explained everything one by one.

It was all basic information.

When he mentioned the Scripture Pavilion, Li He's interest stirred.

With the history of Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall, its Scripture Pavilion ought to hold plenty of Ancient Martial Arts texts. Perhaps it could be a place where he could farm vitality.

"Lastly." Lin Feng led them back to where they had started. "You've already seen this place. It's the Founder's Hall. You must offer incense and pay your respects every morning and evening to honor your teachers and keep the tradition alive."

Yuan Lingling added, "The founder of Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall once watched spirit apes fight deep in the mountains of Yellow Mountain. He drank Monkey Wine and attained enlightenment, creating the Ape Arm Mountain Crushing Fist. The White Ape family guarding the old site are descendants of the spirit apes he left behind."

Sun Ao, who had been silent with his arms crossed at the back of the group, spoke up. "Senior Brother Lin, I have a question. Why is it that in such a large school, aside from us new disciples, I've only seen you and Senior Sister Yuan? Where are the other senior brothers and sisters?"

The smile on Lin Feng's face stiffened for a moment before turning awkward. He instinctively rubbed his nose. "Uh... Well..." He glanced at Yuan Lingling.

Yuan Lingling immediately chimed in. "You're very observant, Junior Brother Sun. This is a good time to tell you: our school believes in putting knowledge into practice. Master often says, 'A thousand days of training can't compare to a thousand miles of travel.' Most of our senior brothers and sisters are out traveling to broaden their horizons. For example, our third junior brother and fourth junior sister are training at the Abyss Frontline. They're both very formidable martial artists."

Sun Ao listened without changing expression. It was impossible to tell whether he believed Yuan Lingling's nonsense.

The other new disciples, however, didn't have Sun Ao's composure. Disdain showed in their eyes to varying degrees.

Li He didn't feel one way or the other.

It was true that the school had few people. But given the spirit apes brewing wine at the old site and the hidden depths of Master Yuan Shan, Yuan Lingling's story about the disciples traveling might not have been entirely an excuse.

Just as the atmosphere was growing awkward,

Yuan Shan walked over, now dressed in a neat gray training robe.

His arrival dispelled the awkwardness in the hall.

"Now that you've joined my school, you should understand the importance of a solid foundation. Today, I'll teach you the basic stance of Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall: the Ape Standing Stake."

Li He focused his attention. Whatever the size of the school, the martial arts taught by the Master before him were the real reason he had come.

Yuan Shan led them to the training hall.

"Watch closely."

Without any unnecessary explanation, Yuan Shan immediately assumed the stance.

He stood with his feet slightly apart, shoulder-width, but not parallel. His toes turned slightly inward, like an ape's feet gripping the ground. He leaned forward a little, poised to spring into action.

The image of the White Ape chief flashed through Li He's mind. It looked exactly like Yuan Shan before him.

"This stance is called the Ape Standing Stake. It takes its meaning from a spirit ape standing on a sheer cliff—steady as a boulder, yet quick as thunder." Yuan Shan began to explain its key points.

A short while later,

"Now, practice it on your own." Yuan Shan finished speaking, then stood off to one side with his hands behind his back, watching the four of them with a calm gaze.

The disciples took their stances.

Jin Yongsheng followed the demonstration step by step. His movements were precise, and he focused on getting the form right, hoping to find the inner feeling through outward imitation.

Sun Ao's form was flawless. More importantly, he had captured the intent behind the stance. His posture was steady and his breathing deep. Though he still seemed a little awkward, there was a solid strength to him.

Shi Lei was rather clumsy, his posture crooked and uneven. He adjusted it little by little, a sheen of sweat gathering on his forehead and running down his dark cheeks. He seemed not to notice, his eyes full of stubborn resolve.

Li He stood still, replaying every detail of Yuan Shan's movements in his mind.