What is New Martial Arts (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

A few days later.

In the hallway of the Xikou County Public Middle School teaching building, Fang Shuwen looked out toward the sports field; he had already grown accustomed to the rhythm of the Elite Class.

Arriving at school at 7:30 in the morning for self-study.

Then, four periods of academic classes in the morning, and two periods of martial arts classes in the afternoon.

The curriculum was far more compact than that of the ordinary classes, with even the lunch break compressed to a single hour.

The academic subjects posed no difficulty for him; his foundation from his previous life, combined with his review over these past few days, was more than enough to handle middle school-level coursework.

Even the few subjects related to steam technology did not stump Fang Shuwen.

What truly occupied his mind was the afternoon martial arts class.

Martial arts instruction in the Elite Class was vastly different from before.

In the past, physical education in ordinary classes was nothing more than running laps and practicing the Body Strengthening Fist, with the instructor turning a blind eye as long as one could pass.

But the Elite Class was different.

The instructor in charge of martial arts was named Chen, full name Chen Zhengqing, a special instructor sent down from the Xikou County National Martial Arts Hall.

This man was in his forties, burly of build, and was said to be a martial artist at the late stage of Bright Force.

He practiced the Iron Cloth Shirt, and it was rumored that his hard-body technique was so formidable that even small-caliber bullets could hardly break through it.

On the first day of class, Chen Zhengqing stood on the sports field.

His gaze swept over the forty or so students in the class, and his very first sentence left everyone stunned.

"Starting today, you will practice here for two hours every afternoon. Anyone who cannot endure this hardship can leave now and return to the ordinary classes."

Naturally, no one left.

The Elite Class was clearly different, and the opportunities for university admission later on were far greater than in the ordinary classes.

However, after two days of training, at least a third of the students were so weak-legged they couldn't even walk down the stairs.

Fang Shuwen, however, did not feel particularly tired.

He had already practiced the Body Strengthening Fist to a proficient level and had integrated it with the Soaring Snake Fist.

His true physique, capable of producing two bone-cracking sounds, allowed him to handle the curriculum with ease.

What truly interested him was some information Chen Zhengqing had revealed during casual conversation after class.

"Do you know why they suddenly set up this Elite Class this year?"

It was Wednesday afternoon, after the martial arts class had ended.

Chen Zhengqing sat on a stone pier by the sports field, unscrewed his military canteen to take a large gulp, and swept his gaze across the students' faces.

No one answered.

Chen Zhengqing wiped his mouth and continued on his own.

"Because the higher-ups are about to change the sky. The Great Flame New Kingdom is going to promote New Martial Arts, and in the future, the status of martial artists will be even higher than it was during the Great Yin period."

As soon as these words were spoken, several students who were wiping away sweat stopped their movements simultaneously.

During the Great Yin period, the status of martial artists was so high that it was hard for people today to even imagine.

Exemption from corvée labor, halved taxes, no need to bow before officials, the right to walk with a sword...

That was an era where martial artists truly stood at the top of society.

Now that the Great Flame New Kingdom had been established, Western firearms ran rampant.

Ten years of training could not compare to a single gunshot or cannon blast.

Not to mention the so-called Steam Augmentation, which was enough to allow an ordinary person to leap into possessing the strength of a powerful martial artist.

The status of martial artists had already fallen far from what it once was.

Now Chen Zhengqing was saying that after the promotion of New Martial Arts, the status of martial artists would be even higher than in the Great Yin period?

How could that be possible?

Which of the students present wasn't curious!

New Martial Arts?

What was New Martial Arts?

Was martial arts divided into new and old?

"Instructor Chen, what do you mean by that?" Zhang Mingcheng pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, the first to react.

Chen Zhengqing glanced at him, not answering directly, but instead fished a folded newspaper from his bosom, shook it open, and handed it over.

"See for yourself."

Zhang Mingcheng took the newspaper, his gaze falling on the front-page headline.

Those bold, black characters were exceptionally eye-catching.

Central National Martial Arts Hall General Order: Effective immediately, the New Martial Arts system is to be implemented, and mandatory martial arts courses are to be added to public schools in every province.

Great Flame New Kingdom President Yuan Edict: Martial arts shall strengthen the nation, literature shall carry the Way; by promoting both, we shall rebuild the Divine Land.

Zhang Mingcheng read the words aloud, his voice growing softer until it was little more than a breath by the end.

Fang Shuwen sat by the window, his gaze sweeping across the newspaper as his brows furrowed slightly.

New Martial Arts.

This was not the first time he had heard the term.

The last time was with Old Master Zheng, and when that old man mentioned New Martial Arts, his tone carried an indescribable sense of melancholy.

"During the Great Yin era, although the status of martial artists was high, they were ultimately just 'martial brutes.' After the implementation of New Martial Arts, martial artists will no longer be mere brutes, but rather..."

Old Master Zheng had paused there, shaking his head, and said no more.

Now, Chen Zhengqing's words mirrored the tone Old Master Zheng had used back then.

"Instructor Chen, what exactly is New Martial Arts?" Han Tieshan asked, a rare question from him.

Chen Zhengqing put away the newspaper, his gaze turning profound:

"I am not entirely clear on the specific details of New Martial Arts myself. But I know one thing: once New Martial Arts is mastered, the human body will be comparable to Bio-Armor."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over every student present.

"I tell you this so you have an idea of what's at stake. This Elite Class is no game; you have caught a good opportunity. But whether you can seize it depends on yourselves."

With that, he tightened the cap on his water bottle, stood up, and left.

The classroom remained quiet for a moment before erupting into a clamor.

"Martial artists will have a higher status than in the Great Yin era? Doesn't that mean..."

"If my old man finds out I made it into the Elite Class, won't he be over the moon?"

"Don't get too happy yet. Didn't you hear Instructor Chen? In the future, those who know martial arts and those who don't will be two different kinds of people. With our current foundation, what kind of martial artists are we?"

The discussions rose and fell, every face showing a mix of excitement and unease.

Fang Shuwen said nothing; he quietly packed his things, shouldered his cloth bag, and walked out of the classroom.

New Martial Arts.

He did not know what this thing really was.

But one thing he was very clear about.

Regardless of whether it was New or Old Martial Arts, to become stronger, one needed resources, and resources required money.

And right now, he was precisely short on money.

In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived.

Fang Shuwen had a rare sleep-in, and by the time he got up, the sun was already high in the sky.

Old Fang was, as usual, not in the room. On the table sat warmed porridge and two steamed buns, with a small dish of pickles on the side.

He finished his breakfast slowly, shouldered his cloth bag, and headed out.

Today, he planned to set up his chess stall on East Street.

The money he had scavenged from Liu Mang, plus the silver dollars he had lifted from those two thugs, Guo Ziming and his cohort.

Although there was still some left, sitting around and eating through his savings was no solution.

Furthermore, he still needed to save up to buy Ghost Jade.

After the Soaring Snake Fist had merged, he only had two skill points left.

If he wanted to improve further next time, whether it was upgrading his cultivation technique or increasing his four-dimensional attributes, he would need more skill points.

And skill points could only be obtained from Ghost Jade or similar items.

He followed the familiar route to East Street, set up his chessboard at his usual spot at the intersection, sat down on the low stool, and propped up his sign.

"Chess match: winner takes one yuan, loser pays fifty cents."

The characters on the sign were written by his own hand, in neat, regular script.

After waiting for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he hadn't attracted any customers, but he did wait for an acquaintance.

"Yo, little friend, setting up your stall here again?"

The voice was aged but full of vigor, carrying a hint of smugness that made one's teeth itch.

Fang Shuwen looked up, his mouth twitching involuntarily.

Green robes, a walking stick, and a grizzled goatee.

It was none other than Zheng Yuanpei.

The old man looked to be in a good mood today, dressed in a brand-new silk gown, his hair combed meticulously.

He had even changed to a new walking stick, the head of which was inlaid with a piece of emerald-green jade that sparkled in the sunlight.

"Old Master, are you... here specifically to find me?"

Fang Shuwen raised an eyebrow.

"Find you?"

Zheng Yuanpei tilted his head, snorting through his nose.

"This old man is just passing by, do you understand? Who would come specifically to find a brat like you!"