Ape Standing Stake

Li He visualized the stance of the Ape Standing Stake in his mind, and a blurry image of himself appeared on the system panel.

A moment later, he slowly assumed the stance. His movements weren't perfect, and his center of gravity might not have been quite right, but he imagined himself as an old ape standing on a cliff, rooted to the ground yet light and agile, ready to pounce at any moment.

On the system panel, the blurry text suddenly became clear.

[Ape Standing Stake: Beginner (0%)]

A line of clear text appeared in the bottom-right corner of Li He's vision.

Li He's clumsy movements instantly corrected themselves. His toes curled slightly, as if gripping the ground like an old ape. Strength rose from his feet, his back straightened, and his spine arched like a bow. A restrained force began to flow through him.

His qi and blood began to circulate through his meridians along a specific route. His breathing grew deep and steady, and in an instant, he went from a beginner to someone who had captured a third of Yuan Shan's essence!

Yuan Shan stood with his hands behind his back, checking on the disciples. When his gaze passed over Li He, he paused in surprise.

"Lin Feng, Lingling, go help your seven junior brothers adjust their stances."

"Yes, Master."

Lin Feng answered respectfully and immediately turned to carry out his duty as the eldest disciple.

He first headed toward Li He. Of all the new disciples, Li He seemed the most perceptive, and Lin Feng thought a little guidance would bring quick results.

But when he reached Li He and looked him over, the smile on his face froze.

His stance was as steady as a mountain, his breathing as deep as an abyss. There was a calm, grounded quality to him, yet he seemed poised to move at any moment. His form was flawless. What could Lin Feng possibly teach him? Li He had already grasped the essence of the stance!

Lin Feng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not a word came out.

This was his first time learning it, his first time holding the stance, and the eldest disciple hadn't even explained the finer points. How had Li He managed to get it right on his own?

Wait. Hadn't Master said to help the seven new disciples adjust their stances? Not eight!

Lin Feng hurriedly turned to look at Yuan Shan.

A faint smile touched Yuan Shan's lips as he gave a slight nod. Everything was understood without a word.

Yuan Lingling had been heading toward Sun Ao, but when she saw Lin Feng frozen in front of Li He, wearing an expression like he'd seen a ghost, she glanced over curiously.

The moment she saw Li He, her bright eyes went wide. She nearly cried out, but quickly clamped her mouth shut. "Hmph, so what if you're a little perceptive?" she muttered under her breath.

Lin Feng stopped looking at Li He and went to the nearest disciple, Jin Yongsheng. "Junior Brother Jin, lower your center of gravity a little more. Don't tense up so much. Relax."

Meanwhile, Yuan Lingling went to guide Sun Ao. But the moment she reached him, she was surprised to see his stance visibly approaching perfection.

He kept adjusting his posture, carefully studying every detail. In just a few minutes, he had mastered the basics.

At the same time, he kept glancing at Li He, looking a little surprised.

His perception is even better than mine? He's already grasped the essence so quickly, despite having only a fifth-grade root bone? Interesting. He thought to himself.

Before they knew it,

the sun had begun to set. The disciples returned to their homes, leaving only Yuan Shan, Yuan Qingqing, and Lin Feng at the martial arts hall.

Yuan Shan sat in a wicker chair. In front of him stood an old-fashioned projector, aimed at a relatively clean wall beside the training ground.

The projector beam lit up the wall, clearly displaying a video.

In the video, Li He appeared. Following the scent of wine, he pushed open the wooden door to a side room and saw a troop of White Apes sharing Monkey Wine. The apes then erupted into a frenzy and surrounded him.

"Cough... cough, cough..." Yuan Shan began coughing violently. An unnatural flush spread across his face, and veins stood out at his temples.

"Grandpa!" Yuan Lingling cried out. Her little face went deathly pale as she rushed to Yuan Shan's side.

Lin Feng's expression changed too. He grabbed a thermos from the nearby table, unscrewed the lid, and handed it over. "Master, have some water."

Yuan Shan waved a hand.

"I'm fine. It's an old problem. Keep watching."

The video continued. Li He calmly assessed the situation and clearly stated who he was and why he had come. He quickly picked up on the key phrase "Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall," successfully persuading the Old Ape to let him pass.

The footage switched to Jin Yongsheng entering the old site. He brought out some neatly packaged energy bars, hoping to bribe the apes, but they weren't swayed. If anything, they grew more wary.

Jin Yongsheng then tried mentioning the Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall, his tone cautious and ingratiating. The Old Ape let him through as well, but with a hint of contempt in his movements.

Next came Sun Ao. He chose to fight the apes head-on. His footwork was nimble and his boxing technique fluid, and he managed to trade blows with them.

But there were too many apes, and they worked together with perfect coordination. In the end, they used their numbers to pin Sun Ao to the ground. Only Lin Feng's timely arrival and shout stopped them.

Sun Ao got up and gave the apes a cold look before silently leaving.

Shi Lei's reaction was the clumsiest. He was clearly startled when the apes surrounded him, but he didn't back down or try to ingratiate himself. Instead, he stood there stiff as a stick and stared at the Old Ape.

They stared at each other without blinking.

Some of the apes couldn't take it any longer. They scratched their backsides and wandered off. The Old Ape could only shake his head and wave Shi Lei through.

Shi Lei looked as if a great burden had lifted from his shoulders and hurried away.

The video ended, and the images vanished from the wall.

"Did you all understand what you saw?" Yuan Shan asked. His voice carried a hint of fatigue but remained steady.

Yuan Lingling immediately stepped forward, looking pleased with herself and eager for praise. "I saw it all clearly, Grandpa!"

"Jin Yongsheng is adaptable, but lacks character. He relies too much on external things and scheming, and he loses his nerve when faced with someone stronger."

"Sun Ao has decent talent, but he's arrogant and too keen to show off. He tends to go to extremes when things happen."

"Shi Lei has average ability, but he's sincere, steadfast, and unyielding. He has the most potential!"

"The other four performed normally. There was nothing special about them."

"As for Li He, he's calm and perceptive, with an excellent temperament." When she mentioned Li He, her voice hitched slightly. She didn't seem too happy about it, but did her best to be fair.

Yuan Shan leaned back in his wicker chair, his gaze resting on his granddaughter. There was neither reproach nor immediate approval in his eyes.

"Lingling," Yuan Shan said in a low, even voice, "you judged the four of them accurately, and your assessments were fair."

At her grandfather's praise, Yuan Lingling's eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth lifted.

But Yuan Shan immediately changed tack. "When you judge others, have you ever taken a clear look at yourself?"

The smug look on Yuan Lingling's face froze. She stared at him, confused.

"You said Sun Ao was too keen to show off and tended to go to extremes. So why did you publicly expose Li He's background the first time you met him? Was it because you speak without thinking, or because you couldn't stand a newcomer outshining you and wanted to put him in his place?"

Yuan Lingling's face flushed red. She instinctively tried to protest. "Grandpa! I... I just..."

"That's enough." Yuan Shan raised a hand to stop her. "The path of martial arts is long and perilous. You need a generous heart that welcomes all, and the will to learn from those who are better than you. If you focus only on other people's flaws and can't stand someone being more talented than you, you'll only trap yourself and tie your own hands. With a temperament like that, how will you ever go far? How will you inherit the legacy of the Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall?"

Yuan Lingling lowered her head and nervously twisted the hem of her clothes between her fingers. She didn't say another word.

Lin Feng listened quietly from the side, his heart stirred. Master's words seemed to be a reprimand for Lingling, but weren't they also meant to wake him up? As the eldest disciple, hadn't he also felt a hard-to-describe tangle of emotions when he saw Li He's extraordinary perception?

Yuan Shan watched his granddaughter bow her head in silence. Knowing she had taken his words to heart, he said no more. He closed his eyes, leaned back in his wicker chair, and rocked gently.

As for Li He, he had no idea what Yuan Shan and the others thought of him. He also didn't know that his seemingly careless senior brother had actually been setting him a small test at the head instructor's direction.

Wearing the Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall's training uniform, he walked home.

The streets around him grew more familiar.

He reached the street where Pine Listening Courtyard stood. It lay between his home and the martial arts hall, and he passed through here every day.

Because of the demolition, people were rushing to buy supplies on several nearby streets, especially around the small goods market and the grocery stores.

They carried large and small bags stuffed with necessities like rice, flour, cooking oil, and other groceries.

Long lines had formed in front of several shops. The staff were so busy they were sweating profusely, while nearby clothing and electronics stores were closed, with notices on their shutters saying they were temporarily out of business.

On several abandoned walls awaiting demolition, Li He saw strange graffiti daubed in red paint. Blurry phrases included "The Abyss is coming" and "Only the True God can save us."

What are they up to now? Trying to fight the demolition? Li He remembered that the graffiti hadn't been there when he passed by yesterday. It was probably some religious organization taking the opportunity to spread fear.

He shook his head, paid it no further mind, and hurried home.

He squeezed into the narrow street.

Li He heard his mother, Zhang Xiujuan, say, "Oh, Sister Zhang, really, you don't have to. My family doesn't believe in this..."