Rock-Solid Stance Technique

Gu Ye's intentions were obvious. The extra five qian of silver was both an investment in them and a means of spurring them to compete diligently.

Chen Yuan's heart was as calm as a placid lake, without the slightest ripple.

Though he did not wish to become a target for all, he was not afraid of such normal competition.

It also gave him more drive, and he resolved to claim the five qian of silver for the best monthly performance.

After all, how could one practice martial arts without money?

"If none of you has any pressing business, eat lunch here first. Then Master Huang and I will take you to pay respects to your masters." After speaking, Gu Ye swept his gaze over the crowd. Seeing no one step forward, he turned and headed toward the dining hall.

The meals truly were quite good, with several meat dishes. Chen Yuan kept his head down and ate until his belly was somewhat swollen before finally setting down his chopsticks.

They were about to practice martial arts, so he did not dare eat until he was too full.

After resting for a short while after the meal, Gu Ye and Master Huang came in again. They split into two groups and led the two batches of people respectively toward Changhong Martial Hall and Huo Academy.

The one leading Chen Yuan's group of five was Master Huang, the sturdy man who had felt their bones earlier. His name was Huang Yan, and he was the head guard of the Gu Family.

If they succeeded in breaking through the gate, they would have to work under Huang Yan in the future. None of them dared act recklessly.

They entered Huo Academy without obstruction. What greeted their eyes was a spacious Martial Arts Arena, lined with plum blossom posts, stone locks, and weapon racks bearing sabers, spears, swords, and halberds.

Though it was not as orderly as a Martial Hall, it could still be said that though the sparrow was small, it possessed all five vital organs.

Perhaps because Huo Academy's disciples had also just finished lunch, only a handful of disciples were practicing their fists in the Martial Arts Arena. There were, however, quite a few people drinking tea beneath the awnings.

"Familiarize yourselves with the surroundings first. I'll go discuss some matters with Master Huo." Huang Yan tossed out those words and then headed into the Inner Court as though it were his own home.

"Take care, Senior Brother Huang," the senior brother who had led them into the academy said politely.

Then he turned to face Chen Yuan's group of five and smiled faintly.

"Junior Brothers, my name is Tao Ping. Come, I'll show you around the academy and tell you about Huo Academy's rules."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Tao." The five of them cupped their fists in salute.

Following Tao Ping's steps, and with the academy not being large to begin with, Chen Yuan soon grasped Huo Academy's layout.

Storehouse, Dining Hall, bathhouse—everything was complete.

They were each also given a set of training clothes.

As for the rules, there were not many. They were not to cause trouble outside under the name of Huo Academy disciples; when formally sparring or fighting on the stage, they had to announce their names and martial lineage; they were not to harm fellow disciples; and they were not to enter the Inner Court without permission. That was about all.

From Tao Ping, they also learned that Huang Yan had been one of the disciples Master Huo had taken in when he first established the academy, and was also one of his most accomplished disciples.

Chen Yuan was not surprised. Since the Gu Family had chosen Huo Academy, they naturally had their reasons. Now it seemed Huang Yan's connection was one of them.

After they had made a full circuit, Huang Yan emerged from the Inner Court with a middle-aged man whose waist and back stood straight as a pine.

"Master Huo." Tao Ping was the first to greet him.

Chen Yuan followed suit and saluted as well, all the while studying Master Huo.

He did not appear particularly robust, and was even somewhat lean. Yet his gaze was sharp, his vitality abundant, and the intangible presence around him as he stood there was stronger than even Huang Yan's.

Huang Yan glanced at the five of them and said in a deep voice, "From today onward, you five will study martial arts under Master Huo. Do not slack off. With your natural bones, so long as you are not too foolish, you all have a chance to break through the gate."

Then he leaned close to Master Huo and whispered a few words before leaving.

Master Huo clasped his hands behind his back. He did not seem in any hurry to pass on any teachings. Instead, he swept his eyes over the five of them one by one and said mildly,

"Practicing martial arts is a process of tempering the body and nurturing one's blood and qi. Natural bones are the foundation, bitter training is the focus, but the key lies even more in nourishing oneself with food. Without sufficient blood and qi replenishment, blindly training hard will only harm the body. There are quite a few whose blood and qi grow ever weaker the more they train. Do you understand what I mean?"

They understood perfectly well.

Chen Yuan had long heard the saying that martial training was three parts practice and seven parts eating. "Poor scholars, wealthy warriors" was not without cause. The so-called apprenticeship fee could only be considered a stepping stone through the door.

Sun Chengjie swallowed and asked, "Master Huo, isn't food worth one tael of silver a month enough?"

Master Huo said evenly, "If you only wish to strengthen your body and maintain your health, it is naturally enough. But if you wish to break through the gate, the more abundant your accumulated blood and qi, the better. Once you fail, at best all your efforts will come to nothing; at worst, you will suffer backlash and your blood and qi will be greatly depleted."

Seeing the varied expressions on their faces, Master Huo said, "I have said all I need to say. Consider it according to your own circumstances. Now I will teach you the most basic stance technique. Watch carefully and follow along."

As he spoke, he spread his feet apart and bent his knees slightly. His lower body was solid and stable, while his arms moved like dragons and serpents, a robust and powerful bearing naturally rising from him.

As he demonstrated, he explained, "Our academy is unlike other Martial Halls, where you have several stance techniques to choose from. I have only this Rock-Solid Stance Technique. But there is no need to belittle yourselves. If you can train steadily and master its essence, it will be enough to meet ten thousand changes with one unchanging stance."

Chen Yuan focused intently on Master Huo's movements, awkwardly imitating them according to the slowed demonstration and explanations.

Glancing sidelong around him, he saw that the other four were also crooked and unsteady. Many of the movements looked somewhat strenuous for them.

After Master Huo demonstrated it once, he began correcting their mistakes one by one.

"Draw in your chest and straighten your back, tighten your abdomen and lift your buttocks, sink your shoulders and drop your elbows. The Rock-Solid Stance Technique first emphasizes an upright body—steady as a rock, moving like a mountain collapse."

"Bend those legs for me! Don't stand there all loose and limp. If you're standing a stance, then stand it properly!"

Chen Yuan gritted his teeth. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down incessantly, and his muscles gradually began to ache. It felt even more exhausting than hauling cargo at the docks.

Fortunately, Master Huo did not force them to learn everything in a single afternoon. Seeing that it was about enough, he waved his hand.

"That will do for today. Practice these stance forms until you are familiar with them. If there is anything you do not understand, go ask your senior brothers."

As Master Huo left, the freckled youth named Liu Jin instantly wilted. He dropped onto the ground on his backside and complained,

"So exhausting. It feels like my whole body is about to fall apart."

Sun Chengjie also stopped to rest, panting heavily. Looking at Chen Yuan, who was still persisting, he could not help saying,

"Brother Chen, aren't you tired? Master Huo also said that martial arts training must proceed step by step. You can't squeeze your body dry."

"I'm fine. I'll practice it once more before resting." Since Master Huo had just given them pointers, Chen Yuan decided to strike while the iron was hot and gain a deeper understanding of these stance forms.

[Rock-Solid Stance Technique (Not Yet Initiated): 0/10]

After completing one round, the technique section was finally no longer blank.

Chen Yuan let out a long breath and walked beneath the awning to stretch his muscles and bones.

Seeing this, Sun Chengjie raised a thumb and said with feeling, "Brother Chen, impressive! Your natural bones are better than ours, and you work this hard too. It seems it will be rather difficult for us to surpass you and claim the reward this month."

At those words, the other three youths, including Liu Jin, all looked over with subtle expressions.

Chen Yuan smiled. "Not at all. I know my comprehension is lacking, so I only hope diligence can make up for clumsiness. You all did not learn any slower than I did just now."

Ten points of comprehension really was somewhat low.

"Brother Chen, you really are modest." Sun Chengjie smiled, though he indeed felt somewhat better inside.

He then looked at Liu Jin and the other three and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, let's not damage our harmony over those five qian of silver. Since we all come from the Gu Family, we ought to help one another here at Huo Academy. What do you say?"

With Sun Chengjie's smooth mediation, Chen Yuan also came to understand Liu Jin and the other three better.

The taller one was named He Qing. His father was a hunter who had been injured by a wild beast while hunting in the mountains several years ago, losing an arm. Their household had gradually fallen into poverty.

The fact that he had survived after losing an arm could only be called a great blessing in these times.

The other was somewhat taciturn. Chen Yuan only learned that his name was Xue Anping.

When learning the stance technique, Chen Yuan had felt that Xue Anping picked it up quite quickly. His comprehension was likely not poor.

Chen Yuan also revealed a little of his family's misfortunes—wealth should not be displayed, but troubles could be shared.

After all, everyone standing here had their own misfortunes. He did not seek to make them empathize and draw closer, but at the very least, it could lower their guard.

After resting, they continued training until sweat poured down like rain.