Tiger Subduing Fist

"Now that you've joined the Inner Courtyard, there are some rules I need to go over with you."

Xiao Shun brought Li Yun to the Storage Room.

There, Li Yun changed into the distinctive uniform brocade robes worn by Inner Courtyard disciples.

The words "Tiger Subduing" were embroidered across the chest.

"First, respect your master and honor the way. You must never turn against your fellow disciples.

Second, before you graduate, you must not use the Martial Hall's name to throw your weight around or cause trouble.

Third, you must not pass on the techniques to others.

Fourth...

Break any of these rules, and at best you'll be expelled from the Martial Hall. At worst, the sect will clean house."

"I'll remember."

Li Yun nodded in acknowledgment, then asked about something that had been on his mind:

"Senior Brother, I heard that as long as you reach the Body Tempering Realm, you can take a post..."

Xiao Shun immediately understood. Disciples like Li Yun, who came from poor families, needed to find a source of income after breaking through.

Otherwise, they would struggle to afford the costs of continuing their martial training.

"All right. I'll keep an eye out for something these next few days.

Do you have any particular requirements?"

Good pay, little work, and close to the Martial Hall.

Li Yun thought it, of course, but didn't say it aloud:

"Well, first, it can't be too dangerous. And it'd be best if I had some free time to practice, so I don't lose sight of what matters.

As for the pay, enough to cover my training will do."

After hearing Li Yun's requirements, Xiao Shun hesitated for a moment before speaking softly:

"Junior Brother, you're already in the Body Tempering Realm.

Coarse rice and meat are only enough to maintain a normal level of training.

If you want to build up your blood and qi quickly and develop Bright Force,

you'll need medicinal meals made with herbs that have aged for years. That's out of the question.

You'd need to drink a bowl of the Martial Hall's Muscle and Bone Soup every day, at the very least.

Finding a part-time job that pays thirty taels a month for someone in the Body Tempering Realm won't be easy.

However..."

Seeing Xiao Shun hesitate, Li Yun hurriedly picked up the thread:

"Senior Brother, please speak freely. You don't have to hold back."

"All right. If you really want to build up your blood and qi quickly and develop Bright Force, you could try seeking help from fellow disciples at the Martial Hall who come from well-off families. You might be able to get some support.

For example, Yu Qingqing and Lu Kuan.

One is the daughter of a cloth merchant, and the other is the son of a butcher.

They have another reason for coming here to learn martial arts.

They're looking for promising talents.

They invest a little spare money, and if they bet on the right person, they could earn back a hundred or even ten thousand times as much in the future.

And if they fail, they can still build a reputation."

Xiao Shun continued:

"To develop Bright Force, your blood and qi must be abundant.

If you rely on nothing but coarse rice and meat, it could take an ordinary person three to five years to build up enough.

Junior Brother Zhu was able to enter the Body Tempering Realm so quickly partly because of his talent, but also because Master gave him a bowl of Muscle and Bone Soup every day.

Now he even gets a packet of Blood Replenishing Powder every day, and his blood and qi are growing rapidly.

In a few days, he might even reach the bottleneck of Bright Force.

So if you can get some support, you'll naturally build up your blood and qi much faster."

No wonder Zhu Daqi had advanced so much faster than him. He'd been taking supplements.

Li Yun had thought it was because his own bone structure was poor:

"Then how can I get support?"

"There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Those people have their own reasons for offering support.

Some might ask you to work for them for a certain number of years afterward... There are all sorts of arrangements. You'll have to negotiate the terms yourself.

It depends on the person."

After changing, Xiao Shun led Li Yun into the Inner Courtyard and found an open space.

He was going to teach him the techniques for developing Bright Force:

"All right. Your talent isn't as good as Junior Brother Zhu's, but it's not bad either.

You have a good chance of developing Bright Force. If you're lucky, you might even take a shot at Dark Force.

Those people will come looking for you in time.

For now, you've entered the Body Tempering Realm, and your blood and qi foundation is solid.

I'll teach you the techniques of the Tiger Subduing Fist."

Li Yun put the matter of earning money aside and listened attentively.

When my flowers bloom, the bees will come.

As long as he became strong enough, people would find ways to bring him medicinal herbs and money.

In the end, it all came down to strength.

"The Tiger Subduing Fist has nine moves. I'll teach you three to start.

"The first move is Fierce Tiger Pounces on Prey.

"Step and punch together. Power starts in the feet, passes through the legs, waist, shoulders, and arms, then flows straight into the base of the palm. As you push, tense your muscles and let your power show. The key is to practice making your whole body's power flow together in one explosive burst."

Li Yun immediately followed along.

Starting from the Tiger-Subduing Stance, he stepped forward with his left foot in a great stride and settled into a bow stance.

At the same time, he swept both hands down in an arc from his chest, then thrust them forward and upward, palms facing out as if striking like a pouncing tiger. He exhaled as he exerted force.

"The second move is Roaring Stone-Splitting.

"Relax your shoulders and arms as you throw the chopping punch. Let the turn of your waist and hips carry the power. Your fist should arrive with a sound, and the force should pierce through your knuckles.

"The third move is Tiger-Subduing Mountain Ascent.

"Keep your stance steady and your punches firm. Synchronize your breathing with each punch.

..."

After following Xiao Shun through the entire set, a flash of insight appeared in Li Yun's mind.

[Tiger Subduing Fist: +1]

[Tiger Subduing Fist (Uninitiated): 900/1000]

Li Yun realized the Tiger Subduing Fist was a development of the basic fist techniques he had learned earlier.

His proficiency had surged all at once.

Xiao Shun led Li Yun through the set once and, seeing that he had indeed memorized it, left:

"Take your time practicing. Come ask me if you run into any problems."

"Thank you for passing on the techniques, Senior Brother."

Li Yun cupped his fists in thanks, then threw himself into practicing the moves.

The Martial Hall's Outer Courtyard.

"I really envy Senior Brother Li Yun. He opened his blood and qi channels in just over three months and entered the Body Tempering Realm. He's gone from a salted fish to a dragon!"

"Don't be jealous. Think about how hard Senior Brother Li's been training all this time. Put in more effort yourself, and maybe you'll be next."

"Yeah. I've got one month left. If I still can't manage to..."

"..."

During their breaks, the Outer Courtyard apprentices talked about Li Yun.

Their voices rose and fell, filled with envy and sighs, along with a touch of sour, reluctant resentment.

Just then, a dull thud sounded nearby.

A young man had just set down the Stone Lock. It struck the flagstones and kicked up a little dust.

The veins on the boy's forehead had yet to settle. Sweat and a little dust streaked his face. Hearing everyone's discussion,

his eyes darkened.

Does hard work really pay off?

Wang Xiaofei didn't know.

If he couldn't open the blood and qi channels in his skin within the next two months,

what would become of him and his older sister?

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails nearly digging into his palms. Without a word, he turned around and headed back toward the Stone Lock.

The Stone Lock was a little too heavy for him right now.

He bent down and grabbed its iron ring, then yanked with all his might. The veins on his arms bulged at once.

His once rather delicate features twisted slightly from the strain and the frustration churning inside him.

His eyes held a stubborn, almost sinister intensity, as if he meant to turn all his resentment into strength and hammer it into the Stone Lock.

Train.

If it didn't kill him, he'd train himself to death.

That afternoon.

Li Yun was practicing his punches when, just as Xiao Shun had said, someone really did come looking for him.

They asked whether he needed support.

But Li Yun wasn't interested in any of the offers.

Some would take too much of his time; others were too dangerous.

One offer did seem easy, with good benefits.

A live-in son-in-law.

Li Yun didn't mind the idea. It wasn't as though he'd be losing out.

Besides, he believed in his own talent.

In the end, it would surely be a happy ending for the whole family.

But after Li Yun pressed him for an answer, that Senior Brother finally told the truth.

The cousin who was supposed to marry Li Yun was as wide as she was tall.

A square-shaped girl.

"Ahem, Senior Brother, a fortune-teller once told me I shouldn't get married before I'm thirty, so..."

"Hmph. How shallow.

"When choosing a wife, you should choose a virtuous one. Looks don't matter. You don't even understand that?"

In the end, that Senior Brother left, cursing under his breath.

Li Yun glanced at his status panel.

[Tiger-Subduing Stance (Beginner): 8/5000]

[Tiger Subduing Fist (Uninitiated): 911/1000]

Without outside help, it would take at least six hundred days to build up his blood and qi.

That wasn't particularly fast, but it wasn't slow either.

Still, faster was always better. After all, when he'd heard his fellow disciples chatting during their breaks, they'd mentioned that more and more people were fleeing to the area.

He'd give Xiao Shun a few more days. If there was still no news, Li Yun decided, he'd return to his old trade.

Hunting.