Four Stages of Skin Grinding, A Thousand Troops Crossing a Single Plank Bridge

Might-Vast Escort Agency.

"Stone, why are you here today? Shouldn't you be working at the shop?"

After receiving word from the gatekeeper, the youth who emerged from the side door of the escort agency looked at Lin Yan with surprise.

"I'm here because I need your help with something."

Lin Yan got straight to the point. They had been playmates since childhood; even though his aunt had moved away later on, they had never lost touch.

"What is it? If I can help, just say the word."

"I want to learn about martial arts. Do you have any connections?"

"Martial arts?"

Zhang Wei hadn't expected this. He asked curiously, "You want to learn martial arts?"

"I managed to get a martial arts manual from a relative."

Lin Yan didn't hide it from Zhang Wei. He gave a brief explanation. His aunt didn't want him telling outsiders, but that was only to avoid gossip from the neighbors; as for him, he just didn't want Zhang Dahai to know.

"I see." Zhang Wei thought for a moment. "I only do odd jobs at the agency, so I don't really cross paths with true martial artists. However, Master Zheng at the agency practiced martial arts for a while when he was younger. Although he never succeeded in the Skin-Refining stage, he can still handle two or three men at once. He definitely knows a thing or two about the path. How about I invite him to my place tonight, and you can come over to ask him?"

"Let's not go to your place. Let's go to the Zhou Family Teahouse instead."

Lin Yan shook his head. It wouldn't be appropriate to go to Zhang Wei's home when he was the one asking for a favor.

He could still afford a pot of good tea and a few plates of snacks at the Zhou Family Teahouse with the dozens of copper coins he had on him.

"The Zhou Family Teahouse? Did you strike it rich, Stone?"

"Where would I get rich? Someone is supporting my martial arts training and gave me some sponsorship money."

"Alright, I'll go ask Master Zheng now. Wait for me here."

A cup of tea later, Zhang Wei returned. "Master Zheng agreed as soon as I mentioned the Zhou Family Teahouse. We still have three quarters of an hour before he finishes his shift."

"Understood. I'll head to the teahouse and wait for you both."

Zhou Family Teahouse.

Lin Yan arrived a quarter-hour early and ordered a pot of tea and two plates of snacks. It wasn't that he was stingy, but he wanted to leave room for Master Zheng to order whatever he liked.

When the time was about right, Lin Yan stood up and went to the entrance. Before long, he saw Zhang Wei walking over with a middle-aged man sporting a goatee.

"Master Zheng, this is my good brother, Lin Yan."

Lin Yan waited for Zhang Wei to finish before greeting the escort master.

The conversation he'd had with Guard Zhou at the Cai Mansion a few days ago had given Lin Yan some perspective.

He was only eighteen; he should carry himself with the raw, unpolished demeanor of an eighteen-year-old. If he acted like a seasoned veteran, it would only make people dislike him.

Flowery phrases like "I've long admired your name" were entirely inappropriate.

"Master Zheng, I often hear Wei mention you. He says you've always looked out for him at the agency. I'd like to offer you a cup of tea in place of wine as a sign of my respect."

He couldn't use overly trite language, but a little flattery was necessary. Zhang Wei, standing to the side, looked stunned—he had never actually mentioned Master Zheng to Stone at all.

After the pleasantries, Lin Yan added, "I wasn't sure what you preferred, Master Zheng, so I didn't want to overstep by ordering too much. Why don't you take a look and see if you'd like to add anything?"

"Zhang Wei told me you obtained a martial arts manual and have already started practicing. If you're looking for someone to guide your training, I'm afraid I can't help—I don't have the ability. But if you just want to learn some information about the martial path, I can tell you a thing or two."

Zheng Guang was very direct. If he had been capable of guiding others, he wouldn't have spent years practicing without success, eventually having to rely on his brute strength to scrape by at the agency.

"Thank you, Master Zheng, for your willingness to enlighten me."

Lin Yan expressed his gratitude. Only then did a smile appear on Zheng Guang's face as he called the waiter to order two more snacks.

"Let's do this: you ask the questions. Otherwise, it's too complicated to explain."

Zheng Guang popped a piece of pastry into his mouth. Lin Yan didn't stand on ceremony; this was essentially an otherworldly version of paying for knowledge, and he had paid for the right to ask.

"Master Zheng, how are the strength levels of martial artists classified?"

"Stance training builds the foundation, followed by four stages of Skin-Refining."

Lin Yan waited quietly for Zheng Guang to continue, but found that the man had stopped to drink his tea, and showed no signs of going on once he finished.

That was it?

The martial path only had two stages?

"What? Do you think practicing martial arts is simple?"

Zheng Guang saw the thought in Lin Yan's expression and gave a wry smile. "The first hurdle, foundation building, can be overcome by anyone with enough persistence, even without talent. But the four stages of Skin-Refining are like thousands of troops trying to cross a single-plank bridge."

"Master Zheng, I don't think it's simple. I'm just surprised. Are there no subsequent stages like Bone-Forging or Tendon-Changing?"

"The skin and flesh are connected, and the bones are linked by tendons. Did you think Skin-Refining only involved the skin?" Zheng Guang smiled faintly. "The four stages of Skin-Refining correspond to the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones. I've been practicing for over a decade, and I haven't even completed the first stage."

"One stage of Skin-Refining qualifies one as a martial artist. You could be an escort master at the agency, or if you didn't want that, you could find a merchant family to serve as a guard and live quite comfortably."

Lin Yan pondered this silently. It seemed that Guard Zhou was likely a martial artist who had completed one stage of Skin-Refining.

"Master Zheng, how should one interpret the foundation-building aspect of stance training?"

"A martial artist relies on blood and qi as their foundation. Regardless of their rank, one must nourish this blood and qi; without its support, tempering the physical body will only lead to more injuries the more one trains."

Master Zheng stared at Lin Yan for a moment. "When you practice your stance, do you feel your body unable to keep up after a long period? That is the result of insufficient blood and qi. If you force yourself to continue, you will only damage your roots."

As he finished speaking, Master Zheng's eyes dimmed slightly; he had suffered such injuries himself back in the day.

He had trained day and night, only to ruin his physical foundation, leaving him unable to even break through the first stage of skin-tempering.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Zheng. I have taken your words to heart."

"There is a saying in the martial arts circle: one year to build the foundation, three years to temper the skin. Martial arts require a gradual approach; one must never be overly hasty."

"Three years? That long?" Zhang Wei clicked his tongue.

"What three years? It is four years in total—one year to cultivate sufficient strength, and then three years to temper the skin."

"Four years?"

Zhang Wei's eyes widened, and a moment later, he seemed to recall something. "That's not right. The Young Escort Master has only been practicing for two years, and he's already at the second stage of skin-tempering."

"Do you think anyone can compare to the Young Escort Master? Look at his status; he has been nourishing his body since childhood. Once he entered the skin-tempering stage, his monthly expenses reached several dozen taels."

Several dozen taels!

This figure made Lin Yan's pupils shrink.

"Martial arts prioritize financial resources first and foremost, because only with money can one afford secret medicines. For ordinary practitioners like us, it takes two or three years to potentially complete one stage of skin-tempering, while martial arts academy disciples can achieve it in a few months if they are willing to spend the money."

Master Zheng fixed his gaze on Lin Yan. "Don't even think about smashing your pots and selling your iron or borrowing money to buy medicine for a quick breakthrough. The total cost would reach several hundred taels. What would you do after spending it all? Once you temper your skin, you must eat better and better to maintain your blood and qi; you cannot afford to eat poorly, or your progress will regress. By then, if you still want to practice martial arts, you would have to sell yourself to the nobility or gangs and risk your life for them."

These words were spoken from the heart.

Before coming here, Master Zheng had not intended to say these things, but seeing how respectful and thoughtful Lin Yan was, he decided to offer a bit of advice.

Lin Yan nodded to show he had learned his lesson and continued to ask, "Master Zheng, how does one judge if their blood and qi are sufficient to proceed to the next step of skin-tempering? Are there any signs?"

"It's simple. Regardless of what stance you practice, if you can hold it for an hour without feeling exhausted, or if you can lift a hundred-pound stone lock with one hand and hold it in front of your chest for a hundred breaths, you are ready for the next step."

"And how does one practice skin-tempering?"

Hearing this question, Master Zheng's mouth twitched. "It seems the person who taught you the stance didn't think you would amount to much, since they didn't even tell you these things."

Lin Yan gave a shy smile and didn't respond, instead picking up the teapot to refill Master Zheng's cup.

"Skin-tempering techniques are highly valuable. To learn them, you must either join an academy and take on a master, sell your life to a martial arts family in exchange for the technique, or join a city gang. Take our Might-Vast Escort Agency, for example—we have skin-tempering techniques, but you must sign a contract to serve as an escort for ten years. The last method is to buy them with money, but it is hard to distinguish the true from the false. Once you are deceived, not only do you lose your silver, but fake techniques can easily injure your body."

Master Zheng sipped his tea. "When the day comes that your blood and qi are truly sufficient, I suggest you join an academy. Although the tuition is high, it is safe, and it doesn't restrict your freedom. Even if you look for work in the future, you will be more sought after than other martial artists."

"I understand. May I ask, Master Zheng, are there different grades of stance training, and do they affect future progress?"

"Stance training is merely for building a foundation; it doesn't have much impact on the future. And for you, practicing a lower-grade stance is actually the most appropriate choice."

Seeing Lin Yan's confusion, Master Zheng laughed. "Higher-grade stances simply increase blood and qi faster, but they also have higher requirements for nutrition. You would need to eat fish and meat at every meal, or you wouldn't be able to sustain the body's consumption. Practicing a common stance, on the other hand, allows you to take your time."

Listening to Master Zheng's explanation, Lin Yan felt relieved. It seemed that practicing the Rock Stance was actually a good thing.

If you lack the silver, you make up for it with time.

Following this, Lin Yan asked a few more questions, which Master Zheng answered in detail.

When the teapot was empty, Master Zheng said calmly, "It is getting late, and I should be heading back."

"I heard you have a granddaughter at home, Master Zheng. Why not take some pastries back for her to enjoy?"

Lin Yan had already instructed the waiter to pack two portions of pastries. Master Zheng did not decline; he accepted them, and as he stood up, he suddenly added, "The Wang Family Pharmacy in the city has a good reputation; they don't pass off inferior goods as quality medicine."

This was his way of returning the favor for the extra pastries.

After seeing Master Zheng off from the doorway, Lin Yan had the waiter take two sheets of oil paper to wrap the remaining pastries on the table into two portions.

"Wei, take this home for your sister to try."

Zhang Wei had a younger sister at home, the same age as his own little brother; children of that age were always hungry for treats.

"Alright, I won't stand on ceremony with you. In the future, I'll keep my ears open at the escort agency and let you know if I find anything useful."