Thirty-Six Martial Halls

Li Beichen understood Shopkeeper Zhang's good intentions and smiled as he nodded.

"Thank you, Shopkeeper. I understand."

After bidding Shopkeeper Zhang farewell, Li Beichen rode the now-empty ox cart straight toward Ram City, several li from the market.

He intended to inspect the Four Great Martial Halls himself.

Transportation was inconvenient in this era. Many elderly people in Clear Creek Village likely never traveled farther in their entire lives than the few villages nearby.

Li Beichen was visiting Ram City for the first time as well.

Upon entering the city, he felt a strange sense of dissonance. By the memories of this life, Ram City was the most prosperous place he had ever seen, yet compared to his previous life, it was merely ordinary.

Li Beichen asked for directions as he walked, crossing long streets and passing through narrow alleys.

"Hey! Ha!"

Bursts of powerful shouts reached him, and Li Beichen knew he was nearing his destination.

Following the sound,

A bluestone archway came into view, bearing three words written in strokes like silver hooks and iron slashes.

Jinglong District.

Li Beichen looked up. The pedestrians coming and going along this street were clearly taller and more muscular than those elsewhere.

Some even openly carried daggers and sharp blades.

Their faces were ferocious and baleful, making them look like people best avoided.

Li Beichen stood a little over 1.7 meters tall, already considered tall in Clear Creek Village, but he still appeared slender before these people.

He looked toward the signs lining both sides of the street.

Zhao Clan, Black Wolf, Ruyi...

Martial halls of every size dazzled the eye.

"Looks like Jinglong District is where martial artists gather."

At that moment, a half-grown boy dressed in coarse hemp suddenly came up to Li Beichen.

"Young master, are you looking to learn martial arts? I'm Shunzi. There isn't a single one of Jinglong District's thirty-six martial halls that I don't know."

"For just ten copper coins, I can help you choose a suitable martial hall!"

"Ten copper coins?"

Li Beichen casually pointed at one martial hall.

"Then tell me about this Zhao Martial Hall first. How is it?"

"Certainly! Zhao Martial Hall is an old establishment. It has stood firm in Jinglong District for ten years."

"Hall Master Zhao Hu is known as the Mountain Tiger. He is an Eighth Grade Muscle Refining martial artist, capable of taking on ten men alone."

"The entry fee is only three taels, and there are no restrictions on age or natural aptitude!"

Shunzi spoke with a rise and fall that was rather amusing, recounting Zhao Martial Hall's circumstances one by one.

Li Beichen pondered for a moment and decided to hire this young broker.

He first paid five copper coins as a deposit, promising to give him the other half afterward.

After receiving the money, Li Beichen watched the young broker carefully put away the copper coins, his face blooming with a smile.

"Young master, let me first give you a simple overview of these thirty-six martial halls. Once you see which one catches your fancy, we can visit them one by one."

"Take the Zhao Martial Hall you were just looking at. Its hall master is an Eighth Grade Muscle Refining martial artist. Among his disciples, there are no Eighth Rank martial artists, but there are three Ninth Grade ones."

"Among Jinglong District's thirty-six martial halls, every one has to possess martial artists at Eighth Rank or above. At the lowest level, there are twenty-four Eighth Rank martial artists; above them are eight at Seventh Grade, while at the very top, there are only four at Sixth Grade."

"The higher a hall master's realm, the stricter the requirements. Naturally, the martial arts one can learn are also more profound!"

Li Beichen possessed a proficiency panel. No matter what skill it was, he could continue improving without end.

If he was going to learn, naturally he would learn the strongest martial arts.

"No need to introduce the others for now. Shunzi, tell me about the top four martial halls first!"

"Certainly. I could tell at a glance that you are a dragon among men, a phoenix among men, a martial arts prodigy. Naturally, you should cultivate the most powerful martial arts."

"The martial halls with Sixth Grade experts are Thunderbolt Martial Hall, Like-Elephant Martial Hall, Cloud Crane Martial Hall, and Wang Martial Hall."

"Among them, Thunderbolt Martial Hall and Cloud Crane Martial Hall only accept youths under sixteen. Their entry fees start at fifteen taels."

"Wang Martial Hall's requirements are somewhat lower. Any young man under twenty may enter as long as he pays a ten-tael entry fee, but if he breaks through to become a Ninth Grade martial artist, he must serve the Sheep City Wang Family for one year."

"As for the last, Like-Elephant Martial Hall, anyone with a bone age below twenty-two may enter, but the entry fee is twenty taels."

Li Beichen had been born in the twelfth lunar month. Last year, after fleeing famine to Clear Creek Village, he had spent his sixteenth birthday starving alone in a dilapidated thatched hut.

But he felt that if he paid a little more silver, it might not be impossible to enter Cloud Crane Martial Hall.

After all, he only exceeded the age limit by a little.

As for the other martial halls,

Li Beichen was the first to rule out Thunderbolt Martial Hall. He had killed Hu San, and the thought of becoming fellow disciples with Hu San's friends inside made him uncomfortable.

As for Wang Martial Hall, it appeared to cost less silver, but he would have to serve the Wang Clan for a year.

Li Beichen was unwilling.

Thus, among the top four martial halls, his only choices were Cloud Crane and Like-Elephant.

"Shunzi, do you know the detailed circumstances of Cloud Crane and Like-Elephant Martial Halls?"

"Cloud Crane Martial Hall has ten Inner Courtyard disciples, each above Ninth Grade. There were rumors in the district recently that Second Senior Brother Feng Yuhe had already broken through to Seventh Grade Skin Refining. Counting that, they have two Seventh Grade disciples."

"As for Like-Elephant Martial Hall, it has only six Inner Courtyard disciples, and only Eldest Senior Brother Zhang Meng is at Seventh Grade Skin Refining."

Li Beichen made up his mind.

"Then we'll go to Cloud Crane Martial Hall first, then Like-Elephant!"

The two of them threaded through the crowd. Before long, they saw the sign for Cloud Crane Martial Hall at a corner.

Unlike the stone lions, qilins, and such displayed outside other martial halls, a white crane with its head raised and wings spread stood prominently before Cloud Crane Martial Hall.

It had a handsome, elegant bearing, yet also carried a sense of sharp, cutting edge.

"Young master, we're here. Shunzi will watch the cart and wait for you outside."

Li Beichen nodded and walked straight into the martial hall.

The martial hall's doors stood wide open. Upon entering was Cloud Crane Martial Hall's reception hall, where several youthful-looking boys were already lined up to register.

Li Beichen could easily see Shunzi waiting outside.

One must not harbor the intent to harm others, but one must guard against the intentions of others.

From this distance, if the young broker wanted to make off with his ox cart, Li Beichen's Locust Stone would arrive in an instant.

Li Beichen spared a fraction of his attention, watching Shunzi from the corner of his eye as he joined the line.

At the front of the queue stood a burly man. Every boy who came to register had to be examined beneath his fan-sized palm first.

"Bone age fifteen, natural aptitude average. You may enter."

"Bone age sixteen, natural aptitude weak. You may not enter."

"Bone age seventeen. Over the age limit; you may not enter."

As each judgment fell, only those whom the man deemed eligible could pay the fee and sign a contract with Cloud Crane Martial Hall.

The person ahead of Li Beichen had a bone age of seventeen. The man did not even inspect his natural aptitude before directly declaring that he could not enter.

The young man wore splendid clothing and was clearly well-off.

Upon hearing this, Li Beichen saw him hurriedly take out an ingot of gold, trying to slip it to the burly man.

But to Li Beichen's surprise, the man righteously refused.

The young man had no choice but to withdraw.

The next one was Li Beichen.

He stepped forward.

"Bone age seventeen. Over the age limit; you may not enter."

Li Beichen's heart sank. He did not argue, merely turning silently toward the exit.

At that moment, a fat man who looked to be at least twenty-something, draped in a large sable-fur cloak and round as a living ball, squeezed his way inside.