Distinguishing Bones, Seeking Acupoints (Please Keep Reading)

Li Xiuwen fell silent for a long while. The master of Four Seas Martial Arts Hall raised a brow. "Not even an extra hundred?"

"No."

"You're willing to smash the pot and sell the iron just to learn boxing? I thought you had some family means."

"..."

"Let me make this clear first. If you can't pay the monthly fee later, I'll throw you out immediately."

Hearing that, delight appeared on Li Xiuwen's face. "I understand. Thank you, Master."

"Come on. Time to practice boxing." Huang Sihai turned and left.

"No apprenticeship ceremony?" Li Xiuwen asked casually.

"Where did you hear that?" Huang Sihai frowned.

"I saw it in the newspaper."

"Fussy formalities, dregs from the old era... These days, everything is about efficiency. Pay money, get things done. No money, get lost."

"Understood."

"Kid, don't think I'm vulgar. This is Fragrant Sea!"

At the training ground, Huang Sihai beckoned Li Xiuwen over. "Come meet your senior brothers and sisters."

Li Xiuwen looked around before saying, "Li Xiuwen. I joined the hall today. I hope all my elder brothers will guide me generously."

"Li Xiuwen? With a name like that, shouldn't you be studying properly? Why did you come to box?" The short-haired female student Huang Sihai had just reprimanded giggled.

"Study? Study my ass! How's studying as interesting as boxing?" Li Xiuwen said with a grin.

"Young brother, that is where you are mistaken. How could studying be useless? Throughout the ages, what grandmaster was not a man whose learning filled five cartloads of books?"

The old man in a practice uniform covered in patches stroked his beard with a genial smile, speaking in an overly literary tone.

Li Xiuwen hurriedly bowed. "Thank you for your instruction, sir. May I ask who you are?"

The man had a crane-haired, childlike face, brimming with energy and high spirits!

With such bearing, he was most likely one of the martial arts hall's "sirs," something like an instructor.

The female student snickered. "Newcomer, don't let him fool you. He's a student too, not some teaching sir."

"As the saying goes, when three walk together, one among them can surely be my teacher..." Exposed by the female student, the old man tucked both hands into his sleeves and muttered with his head lowered.

"Young brother has introduced himself. May I ask how this senior brother is addressed?" Li Xiuwen asked.

Just as the old man was about to speak, the outgoing short-haired female student laughed. "His name is 'As the Saying Goes'!"

The old man reddened. "My humble name is Chen Xun. I'm several decades older than you, so just call me Brother Chen."

"Got it, As the Saying Goes," the short-haired female student chimed in.

"Greetings, Brother Chen." Li Xiuwen smiled.

"Li Shuzhen. I only arrived a month before you." The short-haired female student held out her hand playfully. "You can call me Senior Sister A Zhen."

"My name is Cheng Kuiqiang. I came with A Zhen." The tallest man among the students scratched the back of his head. "Everyone calls me Big Silly Qiang."

He looked rather honest and simple-minded, with a square face and a height of nearly six foot three. He wore a short training outfit, with a sweat towel draped around his neck.

"I'm Liu Da. I got here a few days before you." A somewhat skinny youth walked over with a smile. "I'm only gonna learn for two months. If it doesn't work out, I'll go home."

"You're from Northern Sheng?" Li Xiuwen found the accent oddly familiar and smiled.

"I fled famine all the way here. I'm definitely going to make something of myself here!"

Li Xiuwen greeted each of them in turn, shaking hands and bowing.

At last, he came before a youth with faint brows and thin lips, dressed with a certain air of wealth and standing out from the flock like a crane among chickens. "And this senior brother is?"

"Liu Chun." The youth did not offer his hand, merely answering flatly.

Li Xiuwen smiled, withdrew his hand, and respectfully said, "Greetings, Senior Brother."

"Senior Brother A Chun is amazing. He got the hang of it in three days and became a trained martial artist," Big Silly Qiang said enviously.

Liu Chun said, "Master, I'll go practice boxing first."

With that, he left.

Huang Sihai looked at Li Xiuwen.

"Old Chen wasn't wrong either. At the very least, you need to be literate to learn boxing. Otherwise, you won't even understand boxing manuals.

"There are hundreds of martial arts halls in the Walled City. My Four Seas Martial Arts Hall is one of the few that teaches students to read and write.

"Even if you fail to achieve anything in martial arts someday, literacy alone will put you a head above ordinary people in the Enclave."

"Good!" Li Xiuwen applauded. "Master is the great hero in this junior's heart, a model of serving the nation and the people!"

"I wouldn't dare call myself a great hero. I simply don't want our descendants to be unable to read Great Sheng characters, reciting those crude foreign words all day long," Huang Sihai said.

"Master, when do I start learning boxing?" Li Xiuwen asked.

"What's the rush? Before learning boxing, you must first distinguish the bones. If you don't even understand the structure of the human body, how will you box?" Huang Sihai said.

He led Li Xiuwen over to a human anatomical model. A diagram of human anatomy was posted on the wall as well.

"The human body has 206 bones, 360 acupoints throughout the body, the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians... All of these are closely tied to martial arts. Can you read?"

"A little," Li Xiuwen said.

"The human body is profound and intricate. You cannot possibly learn all of this knowledge in a short time. Remember what I teach you today, and it will be enough to get you through the Three Passes."

"Master, what exactly are these Three Passes?"

"Skin Membrane, Flood Dragon Muscle, Tiger Elephant... Once you pass these three stages, you'll have completed your training. Few people in the Enclave will dare provoke you," Old Chen could not help interjecting.

"Mhm." Huang Sihai nodded and did not interrupt. Although Old Chen loved showing off, he did indeed know quite a bit and could share some of the teaching burden.

"Which stage is Mr. Ming at?" Li Xiuwen asked curiously.

"Don't ask around. The greatest taboo in martial arts is aiming too high. If you casually manage to master even one stage, that will be enough to gain a foothold in the Enclave."

"Oh." Li Xiuwen seemed to understand.

Skin Membrane, Flood Dragon Muscle, Tiger Elephant... These were his goals to strive for from now on.

"By the way, Master, after learning our martial arts, can I pinch bullets between my fingers like Inspector Lei?"

Li Xiuwen put on an innocent expression, wanting to sound out the martial arts hall's limits in advance.

At that, Huang Sihai could not help scoffing.

"I've seen far too many ignorant brats like you in all my years running this martial arts hall.

"Every other word out of your mouths is Mr. Ming or the Four Chief Inspectors.

"The gap between people is so vast that you cannot imagine it.

"With the same master and the same resources,

"Some break through the Three Passes in a year.

"Others train at the first pass until old age and still cannot break through."

Li Xiuwen smiled awkwardly. "Then what do you think of my innate bones?"

Huang Sihai shook his head. "You won't know how your innate bones are until you train. I dislike turning people away based solely on their innate bones and age.

"Judging only by outward bone structure, your frame is well-proportioned, your arms reach past your knees, and your hands are large while your feet are broad. Not bad. You can barely be considered... of average talent.

"But what affects martial cultivation also includes one's so-called inner bone structure and comprehension. So I cannot judge what your innate bones are truly like."

Li Xiuwen was secretly relieved. Average talent was fine. At least he was not at the bottom.

What he did not know was that everyone here at Huang Sihai's place was "of average talent."

It was simple. If someone heard they were "of inferior talent," most people's first reaction would be to give up learning boxing. What else couldn't they do with this bit of money?

Huang Sihai did not want the fat meat already at his lips to run away.

Innate bones had never had strict standards of classification.

They were merely experience passed down through generations, much like the art of judging horses at a racetrack.

"This student has learned his lesson. I will surely keep my feet on solid ground." Having learned how difficult the martial path was, Li Xiuwen was not discouraged. Instead, he was brimming with drive.

Seeing Li Xiuwen's innocent, high-spirited appearance, Huang Sihai felt somewhat guilty inside and consoled himself.

I only told a well-intentioned lie.

Besides, he had not completely deceived Li Xiuwen. There truly were such things as inner bone structure and comprehension.

There were also martial artists judged to be of inferior talent who had soared into the sky.

But looking across the entire population of martial artists... they were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

If Li Xiuwen truly reached a profound realm someday and could assess innate bones himself, then Huang Sihai would tell him the truth.

"Child, I saw that your bone structure was restrained and that there was light in your eyes. You must be a person of keen comprehension, so I used a well-intentioned lie to keep you here."

Li Xiuwen ought to thank him for it!