No Absolutely Useless Martial Skills

Teaching his subordinates internal skills was something Su Xin had already decided upon yesterday.

His current strength was still too weak. Although he had managed to kill Dai Chong, it was only because he had launched a surprise assassination, catching him off guard.

Had the circumstances been different, the outcome would have been uncertain.

After visiting the main headquarters and seeing the three hall masters and the unfathomable gang leader, Su Xin understood clearly that his current strength was still far behind theirs.

However, martial arts cultivation is a matter of gradual progress; the system could only provide assistance and could not turn him into a master overnight.

Furthermore, the new main quest had a time limit of only one year. While improving his own strength, simultaneously raising the strength of his subordinates was also crucial for completing the mission.

"By the way, Boss, what if we pass down this internal skill and it gets stolen by others? Aside from the brothers we know inside and out, there's no guarantee someone won't have a loose tongue," Huang Bingcheng said with some concern.

He was an old hand in the Flying Eagle Gang, and over the years, he had seen plenty of ugly incidents involving betrayal of bosses and brothers killing one another.

"As I said before, don't think of this internal skill as some incredible divine manual. It doesn't matter if this common stuff leaks out."

Su Xin said indifferently, "If others wanted to teach it, they would have done so long ago. Perhaps the gang leader and the others have internal skills even better than mine. If someone wants to steal it, let them; it's no big deal."

Quanzhen Sect Basic Internal Skill

was only a half-star entry-level technique, likely the lowest existence even in this world.

Su Xin had already considered the point Huang Bingcheng raised. Although his reputation in the Happy Forest was high, he wasn't narcissistic enough to believe he possessed some kingly aura that would make his underlings loyal to the death just by leaking a little bit of it.

He was certain that once he passed down the internal skill, Third Master Hu and the others would hear the news and inevitably coerce or bribe his men to reveal it.

But Su Xin didn't care. He was passing down the skill solely to increase his subordinates' strength. Whether Third Master Hu and the others chose to pass it on after obtaining it had nothing to do with him.

If Third Master Hu didn't pass it on, Su Xin could develop in peace.

And if he did pass it on out of fear that Su Xin would become too powerful to control, the effect would likely be minimal because the underlings under Third Master Hu had no money.

Basic internal skills were merely a means to assist cultivation. In the Houtian realm, even with internal skills, the primary focus remained on tempering the body.

Most martial artists ate more than normal people precisely to convert the essence and energy from food into their own blood and qi to strengthen their bodies.

Take the warrior monks of the Shaolin Temple, for example; outsiders think they are vegetarians, but in reality, they are supplied with plenty of fish and meat at every meal.

If you eat nothing but chaff and vegetables every day, you will never open a single acupoint in your entire life.

Third Master Hu had nearly a thousand men under him. Aside from a few dozen confidants, the monthly allowance of the other gang members was barely enough to keep them fed.

Since ancient times, it has been said that "the poor study literature, the rich practice martial arts." With their meager allowance, practicing internal skills was basically impossible.

And Third Master Hu certainly didn't have the guts to raise his subordinates' monthly pay. If he dared to raise their pay to match what Su Xin provided, he would likely be eating chaff and vegetables himself before long.

The situation in the rest of the Flying Eagle Gang was much the same. Ordinary members could barely scrape by, so even if they obtained an internal skill, they wouldn't be able to make much of it.

"There's another problem. Internal skills alone aren't enough; what martial techniques will they practice?" Li Huai suddenly asked.

Su Xin was stunned; he had truly forgotten that point.

In the Houtian realm, even if one opened a few acupoints, it only increased one's strength slightly.

Without corresponding martial techniques, relying on brute force alone would only make them cannon fodder in a real fight.

"Li Huai, can you teach your sword style to the brothers?" Su Xin still had vivid memories of Li Huai's dual swords—bizarre, ruthless, and exceptionally swift; their power was definitely not to be underestimated.

Li Huai hesitated, "I could teach it, but I don't actually know any 'sword style.' Everything I do was something I slowly figured out while fighting others."

Su Xin tapped his finger slowly on the table. Li Huai's sword style was indeed like that; it couldn't even be called a style, but rather a form of combat experience.

Li Huai's means of attack could be summed up in three words: fast, accurate, and ruthless.

He could teach the gang members basic skills, but to fully replicate his combat style, they would likely need to survive dozens of bloody battles and kill dozens of people before they could master it.

As for the two martial techniques Su Xin currently possessed, the Jing Wuming's Quick Sword was simply not suitable for ordinary gang members to practice. Even without his 5% proficiency bonus, it wouldn't be easy to get started.

And the Great Sumeru Sword Style was complex and intricate, requiring a level of finesse that even less talented martial artists couldn't master, let alone these ordinary members, some of whom couldn't even read.

Thinking of this, Su Xin suddenly remembered something. His consciousness immediately entered the system space and found the 'Broken Dog-Beating Staff Technique' he had tossed into a corner yesterday.

Opening the 'Broken Dog-Beating Staff Technique,' Su Xin read through it carefully and was suddenly struck by the urge to laugh out loud.

He had just been worrying about not having a martial technique suitable for ordinary members, yet he had actually drawn one yesterday.

After drawing this 'Broken Dog-Beating Staff Technique' yesterday, he hadn't examined it closely. Only now did he realize that there is no such thing as a useless technique, provided it is used in the right place.

This 'Broken Dog-Beating Staff Technique' lacked the powerful moves like 'None in the World' found in the authentic version; it only contained the eight basic techniques: trip, chop, entangle, poke, lift, lead, seal, and turn.

Eight variations for a single bamboo staff were enough to handle the vast majority of situations. Moreover, this 'Broken Dog-Beating Staff Technique' came with a built-in group combat formation.

Thirty-six people could form the Small Heavenly Cycle Dog-Beating Formation, which could also be broken down into eighteen-man or nine-man formations. At a minimum, only three people were needed to form a unit. Naturally, the more people involved, the greater the formation's power.

The beggars of the Beggar Sect would go out to beg in groups of two or three, and if they encountered any emergency, they could use this formation to quickly organize and defend against external threats.

In fact, all of that was secondary. The most important thing was that the requirements to practice this 'Broken Dog-Beating Staff Technique' were extremely low—so low that as long as you weren't disabled and had eyes, you could practice it. You didn't even need to be literate.

Aside from the cover, the 'Broken Dog-Beating Staff Technique' didn't have a single extra word; it was filled entirely with vivid illustrations that even a child could understand.

This technique was originally prepared for the ordinary disciples of the Beggar Sect, and its most basic requirement was simply: simple and easy to understand.

The Beggar Sect was naturally the sect with the largest number of people in the martial arts world, and its disciples were naturally the lowest in quality.

Once you've been reduced to a beggar, how high could your quality be?

Therefore, the 'Broken Dog-Beating Staff Technique' was made as simple as possible, which perfectly suited Su Xin's needs.

For his subordinates who lacked any foundation in martial arts, this was exactly what they needed.

With a flicker of his mind, Su Xin stepped out of the system. In that split second, Huang Bingcheng and Li Huai did not even notice Su Xin had been distracted.

"Take a look at this martial art and tell me what you think." Su Xin pulled the Broken Dog-Beating Staff Technique from his robes and tossed it in front of the two men.

"Dog-Beating Staff Technique? What kind of trashy name is that?" Huang Bingcheng curled his lip in disdain; just hearing the name made it sound like low-end goods.

Li Huai flipped through it for a while before reaching a conclusion: "It isn't strong, but it is very practical."

"Practical is enough. If it were you, how long would it take to learn this Dog-Beating Staff Technique? How long do you estimate it would take others to get started?"

Su Xin possessed a base 5% proficiency, allowing him to grasp the basics at a single glance; he only wanted to know how it would be for others.

Li Huai thought for a moment and said, "This staff technique only has eight simple stances. If it were me, I could learn the basics in a day. For others with no martial arts foundation, I estimate it would take two to five days."

Su Xin nodded; that duration was not too long.

"Old Huang, go find someone to forge two hundred four-foot short staves. One end must be fitted with a double-edged spear tip. I need them by tomorrow morning."

Huang Bingcheng nodded, "Boss, are you planning to use these as weapons? But the diagram clearly shows a wooden staff."

"A wooden staff is for beating dogs. If you want to beat people, you need the real deal."

This elementary Dog-Beating Staff Technique of the Beggar Sect was only intended for ordinary gang members. A bunch of beggars—where would they get the money to buy weapons? Naturally, they would just pick up a wooden stick to use as a weapon.

In any case, this martial art was only for their self-defense; he didn't expect them to have much combat power.

But if a real fight broke out and someone cleaved your pathetic wooden stick in two with a single blade strike, what would be the point of fighting then?

Replacing the wooden staff with an iron one was the only way to unleash the true power of this Dog-Beating Staff Technique.

Furthermore, Su Xin had deviously added a spear tip to the iron staff. When a fight broke out, using the thrusting and flicking techniques would leave a bloody hole in anyone they struck.

"Alright, that's decided. Tomorrow morning, Old Huang, have everyone gather at the hall. I will teach everyone the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, and Li Huai, you are responsible for teaching them practical combat." Su Xin tapped the table, finalizing the decision.

Li Huai nodded and walked out, but Huang Bingcheng lingered, asking with a sheepish grin, "Um, Boss, can I skip learning it? Look at my age; even if I practice, I won't be able to pull off any fancy tricks."

Huang Bingcheng had a very clear understanding of his current position: he was an executor.

Su Xin issued the orders, and he was responsible for executing them perfectly; that was enough.

As for charging into battle and slaughtering, he really wasn't cut out for it.

Back when he was in the Flying Eagle Gang, he had experienced dozens of gang fights, big and small, and he had hidden at the very back every single time, terrified of seeing blood or getting hurt.

Su Xin knew exactly what kind of person Huang Bingcheng was and didn't make things difficult for him. He simply patted his shoulder and said, "Old Huang, you don't have to learn the martial arts for combat, but you must learn internal energy. I don't expect you to be powerful, but at the very least, it will serve to strengthen your body."

Huang Bingcheng knew this was likely Su Xin's bottom line, so he had no choice but to agree.

As long as he wasn't forced to brandish blades or engage in life-or-death combat, it was fine. Huang Bingcheng, after all, prided himself on being a man who made his living with his brain.