Subduing Tiger Martial Hall

After Wushan County's population surged, martial halls sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, spreading throughout the Outer City.

Wild Ox, White Crane, Subduing Tiger...

After asking around and giving it careful thought, he chose a martial hall called "Subduing Tiger."

Subduing Tiger Martial Hall was located in the South District of the Outer City.

He passed through the chaotic streets.

The road beneath his feet barely deserved to be called a road. It was all uneven mud, gouged into ravines by the rain, with pools of dark brown filth collecting in them.

Shanties crowded both sides of the road, most built from broken planks and thatch.

A few rocks weighed down the roofs to keep the wind from carrying them off. Some shanties didn't even have doors.

Only an old cloth curtain hung across the entrance, through which he could see people huddled inside.

Passersby kept their heads down and hurried along, most of them looking weary and anxious.

Their clothes were either patched all over or washed until they had faded white.

Children played and tussled, their bodies caked in grime. When they saw Li Yun's unfamiliar face, they only stole a timid glance before quickly hiding behind the adults.

After walking for a while, the road gradually became smoother, and the shanties on either side grew sparse.

He turned a corner, and a relatively clean street came into view.

At the end of the street,

a grand vermilion gate stood tall, with a dark brown plaque hanging above it.

The plaque was engraved with four large characters: "Subduing Tiger Martial Hall."

The strokes were weighty, their force imposing.

On either side of the gate crouched a mighty stone tiger, each half a man's height.

Their muscles were knotted, and their fur was carved in such vivid detail that they seemed ready to leap into motion at any moment.

Their forepaws pressed against the ground, their bodies arched slightly, and their heads held high. Their eyes, sharp as blades, stared straight ahead.

Their solemn majesty radiated an aura of domineering power that seemed to cow the world around them.

What a coincidence.

Just as Li Yun reached the entrance to Subduing Tiger Martial Hall, he saw two people standing awkwardly beneath the stone steps.

One was a boy in a coarse cloth jacket, his trouser legs rolled up to his knees, exposing muddy shins. He clutched a small bundle in his hands so tightly that his knuckles had gone white.

The other was half a head taller than Li Yun. There was some nervousness in his eyes, but he wasn't intimidated.

Li Yun said nothing, quietly joining the queue behind them.

Before long, the disciple who had been standing guard at the entrance waved them over.

"Come in."

The three followed his gesture. The moment they stepped through the courtyard gate, a wave of heat and rough shouts crashed over them, making their eardrums ring.

The courtyard was paved with bluestone slabs. The middle had been worn smooth and bright by countless feet, while shallow dents remained along the edges, presumably ground into the stone by years of training.

A dozen or so men were scattered throughout the courtyard, each practicing.

Some held horse stances, some practiced straight punches, and a few were lifting Stone Locks...

In the courtyard's northwest corner stood two trees.

One was a jujube tree.

The other was also a jujube tree.

Beneath them sat a rattan grand chair, in which an old man lounged at an angle.

He had the face of a young man beneath his crane-white hair. He wore a moon-white silk shirt with the sleeves loosely rolled up, and held a small purple clay teapot in one hand. His eyelids drooped halfway, as if he were dozing.

The disciple leading them walked up to the grand chair, bowed, and spoke in a soft, measured voice.

"Master, three people have come to learn martial arts."

The old man opened his eyes and looked them over. He lazily raised his chin, his voice a little hoarse from sleep.

"Mm. Explain the rules to them."

"Yes, Master."

The eight-foot-tall, burly man beside him turned around and addressed Li Yun and the others.

"The rules here are simple. Tuition is paid every six months. It's ten taels at a time, and that only covers martial arts training, not food or lodging."

The boy in the short jacket couldn't help asking, "Then what if we want food and lodging at the hall...?"

"If you want food and lodging included, that's another ten taels.

"You'll get coarse rice at every meal, with all the greens and tofu you can eat.

"If you want meat too, such as pork cooked with medicinal herbs or fish, that's another ten taels.

"All three together come to thirty taels for six months. No credit, no owing money. Pay to enroll, and if you quit partway through, you won't get a refund."

As soon as he finished speaking, the boy's face paled. He instinctively gripped his little bundle tighter.

Seeing that none of the three had turned to leave, the old man finally put down his teapot at an unhurried pace and stood up.

"Come over one by one. I'll examine your bones."

The old man raised a hand and pointed at the boy in the short jacket at the front.

"You first. What's your name, how old are you, and what does your family do for a living?"

The boy in the short jacket stiffened at being called. He drew a deep breath, shuffled two steps forward, and stood before the old man with his head slightly bowed. His voice quavered despite his efforts to steady it.

"I-I'm Wang Xiaofei, Master. I'm sixteen this year, and my family are fishermen."

"Mm."

The old man responded without asking anything more and reached out with both hands.

His fingers were withered, but their tips carried an irresistible force as he seized Wang Xiaofei by the shoulders.

His knuckles slid down along Wang Xiaofei's shoulder blades, swept across his back and sides, then gripped his wrist and traced his bones all the way to his fingertips.

"Hss—ah!"

Wang Xiaofei sucked in a sharp breath, cold sweat appearing on his forehead in an instant.

The force seemed to pierce his flesh and reach straight to his bones. A rush of aching numbness and pain surged through him, and when the old man squeezed his side, he couldn't hold back a cry.

His body tried to dodge on instinct, but the old man held him firmly in place. Unable to move, he could only grit his teeth, his face turning red from the strain.

After no more than a dozen breaths, the old man suddenly let go and stepped back half a pace, returning to stand beside the grand chair.

As if his strength had left him, Wang Xiaofei staggered back a small step, clutching his side and gasping for breath.

"Bone types are divided into nine grades, with the ninth as the lowest and the first as the highest."

The old man spoke unhurriedly, his gaze passing over Wang Xiaofei's flushed face. His tone was calm.

"The martial path depends on your bones, techniques, wealth, comprehension, perseverance, and luck. Not one of them can be lacking.

"Your bone type can't determine your entire fate, but it can give us a general idea of your potential.

"You have a seventh-grade bone type, so your aptitude is above average among those of lower ability. You also come from a fishing family and have little money to spare. The silver you can afford to spend on martial arts is limited. Making a name for yourself in the martial path will likely be harder than climbing to heaven."

The old man looked at him and said no more to put him down. He simply met his gaze, his tone softening, though his seriousness left no room for doubt.

"I'll ask you one last time. Knowing all this, are you still willing to learn martial arts at my Subduing Tiger Martial Hall?"

A scene flashed through Wang Xiaofei's mind: his older sister being bullied, while he clenched his fists but didn't dare fight back. It stabbed at his heart like a needle.

He had never gone to school. He knew nothing but fishing, and his family was so poor that even the pots rang empty. If he didn't learn martial arts, he would only keep getting bullied.

He couldn't even protect his sister.

This was the only way out he could grasp.

"I'm willing! Please teach me!"

"Don't call me Master so casually."

Fu Huaixing waved his hand and took a sip from the purple clay teapot.

"You pay silver, and I teach martial arts. This is a business arrangement, not a master-disciple bond.

"Wait until the day I take you into my inner circle before you call me Master.

"My full name is Fu Huaixing. From now on, you can call me Hall Master Fu or simply Hall Master."

Seeing Fu Huaixing's manner, Li Yun knew he had come to the right place.

With his cheat on his side, what he wanted was stability.

Since Fu Huaixing treated this as a business arrangement, there wouldn't be any trouble with a disciple getting into an accident, his master stepping in, and a whole string of complications following.

That was exactly what he wanted.

Fu Huaixing finished his tea and pointed at the fellow who was half a head taller than Li Yun.

"You. Your turn."