In the courtyard, early in the morning.
Zhou Yun stood beneath the old locust tree, his fists cutting through the air with a whoosh as sweat poured down him like rain.
[Daily Settlement: Threw eight hundred punches, stood in a horse stance for three hours, gained insight into the Black Ape Fist Technique, successfully knocked on the Bright Force Gate. Grade: B.]
[Received five wisps of qi and blood, one page of insight into the Black Ape Fist Technique. Can lay the foundation of the martial path and achieve sudden enlightenment in martial arts.]
"I've gained another five wisps of qi and blood, along with insight into the Black Ape Fist Technique?"
Zhou Yun's expression froze. A page of notes on the Black Ape Fist Technique suddenly appeared in his mind, merging into his memories.
He had practiced his fists until midnight the night before and slept only three hours, yet his body felt not the slightest bit tired. Instead, he was full of energy.
So he had gotten up early to practice, and the daily settlement had happened to award him a reward. Riding that momentum, the more he practiced, the more engrossed he became.
"The Black Ape Fist doesn't just increase the strength of my punches. More importantly, it's about the changes in the techniques."
Zhou Yun followed through with a punch, recalling Master Liang's teachings and combining them with the page of notes in his mind. His fist seemed to leave afterimages in the air.
His Black Ape Fist Technique had long since reached minor mastery. Perhaps he really could take it a step further.
But in general, only the power of Dark Force could bring a martial art to great mastery. Without it, one's inner force would be insufficient, and one might damage one's foundation instead.
But Zhou Yun was different. He had more than enough qi and blood to convert into inner force, allowing him to devote himself to a single martial art without restraint.
"Could I work more into these ever-changing fist techniques... like letting my body drive my fists?"
Zhou Yun kept punching. The ideas in his mind grew clearer, and he seemed to be gradually grasping the true essence of the Black Ape Fist Technique.
"True mastery of a fist technique isn't about practicing it down to its fundamentals. That can only ever reach minor mastery at most."
Zhou Yun's fists were as fast as afterimages, like the leg techniques Master Liang had demonstrated in the Martial Hall. It was as though his fists truly moved straight from his heart.
"True mastery of the Black Ape Fist means that no matter what position the body is in, it can draw on all its strength and focus it on a single point of the fist, while retaining the Black Ape Fist's ever-changing qualities."
His figure darted beneath the old locust tree, moving like a true black ape. Every punch gathered the strength of his limbs into his knuckles.
The inner force in his body kept running low, but the five wisps of qi and blood hidden in his dantian kept converting into it.
By the time the five wisps of qi and blood were nearly depleted, the inner force in his dantian had grown from a finger's breadth to two fingers' breadth.
Bang!
His punch split the air. Dead leaves fell, and the branches swayed.
"The Black Ape Fist Technique has reached great mastery!"
Zhou Yun's brows relaxed, and he felt refreshed.
No wonder they said one needed at least Dark Force to bring a martial art to great mastery. Without sufficient inner force, achieving this was impossible.
It wasn't just about gathering the whole body's strength into one's fist. Maintaining a martial art's techniques was itself extremely taxing.
"With the Black Ape Fist Technique at great mastery and my inner force two fingers' thick, I'll have enough confidence for this escort mission."
Zhou Yun exhaled and lowered his fists. A wave of hunger rolled through his muscles and abdomen.
Practicing martial arts consumed a great deal of one's qi and blood, so a martial artist ate several times more than an ordinary person.
That was even more true for Bright Force practitioners. Converting qi and blood into inner force took even more energy.
"It must be almost noon. The Inner Courtyard dining hall should be open now, right?"
Zhou Yun rushed out the door. Hunger swept through him every moment, and for the first time, he craved meat so desperately.
Back in the Outer Courtyard, they only served meat once every seven days. It wasn't especially expensive, but the Outer Courtyard disciples still couldn't bring themselves to buy it.
He'd heard that in the Inner Courtyard, the prices of meat and other basic nutritional foods were cut in half. That was a huge saving.
Zhou Yun hurried to the Inner Courtyard dining hall and saw that Inner Courtyard disciples were already eating there.
He immediately asked the cook for a large plate of stewed beef, two coarse-grain flatbreads, and a bowl of beef soup.
The braising sauce from the beef soaked into the flatbread, and the bowl of fragrant beef soup made the whole meal smell irresistible.
Zhou Yun couldn't hold back and began to wolf it down.
His hunger gradually faded, and the food seemed to turn into qi and blood that filled his limbs. With just a thought, he could convert it into inner force.
"Martial arts really can't be practiced without meat."
Zhou Yun patted his full stomach in satisfaction. The meal had cost only a little over forty copper coins; outside, it would have cost at least a hundred.
A few more meals like this would add up to a string of cash. A month's worth of meat would almost cost as much as his tuition.
Still, with this discount, even Inner Courtyard disciples from poor families wouldn't have to hold back so much.
"Senior Brother Zhou, you're eating here too?"
Liang Chengshi came down from the second floor and happened to run into Zhou Yun.
"Why aren't you eating upstairs? Most of the food on the first floor is ordinary livestock. Master Liang hired a cook especially for the second floor to prepare qi-and-blood supplements for martial artists."
"Brother Liang, you're joking. I'm just a poor scholar's son. How could I have extra silver to eat upstairs?"
Hearing that, the beef in Zhou Yun's hand suddenly lost some of its appeal. He could only give a helpless salute.
He'd heard of precious fish and rare beasts that were great supplements for martial artists. He hadn't realized Master Liang had set up a private kitchen on the second floor.
But even hearing about it was enough to tell that the prices would be steep.
"Come on, don't be so formal."
Liang Chengshi jogged over and slung an arm around Zhou Yun's shoulder. "The Three Halls Martial Tournament is coming up. How can you compete if you don't eat well? From now on, put your meals on the second floor on my tab."
"The Three Halls Martial Tournament?"
Zhou Yun's eyes flickered. "I'd be grateful if Brother Liang could tell me more."
"You don't know about the Three Halls Martial Tournament? That makes sense, since you've only just entered Bright Force."
Liang Chengshi was taken aback, then explained, "The Three Halls Martial Tournament is a competition jointly held by the three martial halls in Black Stone County. Most of the participants are young disciples under thirty."
"Those who place in the top three can not only represent Black Stone Martial Hall at the Martial Sect Grand Selection in Xiang City, but also receive substantial support from the local powers... More importantly, they'll receive a property in Xiang City and an official status."
Zhou Yun considered this. Since the competition was being held by the three martial halls in Black Stone County, other forces would surely be allowed to take part too, such as the Sky Sea Escort Agency.
If someone took first place, the enormous support they received wouldn't come only from the various local powers. It would also make the winner remember Black Stone County's kindness.
As for the property and status in Xiang City, that meant a complete leap between social classes.
It was like the whole county pooling its strength to send a few geniuses to the Twelve Main Cities, where they could establish a foothold and pave the way for those who came after them.
"Looks like Senior Brother Zhou is interested in taking part."
Liang Chengshi smiled. "But you'll need at least Dark Force to place in the top three. You'd better work hard."
"Dark Force?"
Zhou Yun counted the days. Breaking through to Dark Force within a month wasn't impossible.
Ordinary Dark Force practitioners probably wouldn't be enough to place in the top three, either. He'd likely need to reach great mastery in Dark Force to have a chance.
But if he succeeded, it would earn him a ticket to the main city—a rare opportunity that couldn't be sought, only chanced upon.
"Thanks for telling me, Brother Liang."
Zhou Yun raised a hand in thanks. He wanted to ask a few more questions, but a homing pigeon flew in through the doorway.
"Is that Senior Sister Shen's pigeon?"
Liang Chengshi raised his brows.
The pigeon flew to Zhou Yun's wrist. Once he removed the letter, it flew off on its own.
"Junior Brother Zhou, come see me at the martial hall entrance at once."
Zhou Yun opened the letter. It contained a single short sentence.
He tidied himself up, then said to Liang Chengshi, "Brother Liang, Senior Sister Shen needs me for something important. I'll be going ahead."
"Go ahead, Senior Brother Zhou. Of course you should take Senior Sister Shen's matters seriously."
Liang Chengshi didn't keep him. He'd wanted to ask Zhou Yun for some pointers on the Black Ape Fist Technique and footwork, but it looked like he'd have to wait for another chance.
Zhou Yun nodded. This was his first escort mission since taking up the post. He couldn't afford for anything to go wrong.
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