Noon, at the Four Seas Martial Arts Hall.
After finishing work, Li Xiuwen went to the teahouse and ordered a bowl of cart noodles and an egg boiled in plain water, for a total of fifty cents.
"Only coming in at noon today, Brother Li?" Old Chen walked over with his meal.
"I have to work."
"New boy, how are you getting on with the Bone-Differentiation and Acupoint-Finding knowledge Master taught you yesterday?" A Zhen asked with a smile.
"Pretty well. I've memorized about half," Li Xiuwen said.
"A child prodigy! You memorized it that quickly?" A Zhen exclaimed in surprise.
She had taken three days to absorb most of that knowledge herself, and that was already considered fairly quick.
"I don't know. It didn't feel that hard," Li Xiuwen said.
"A Wen, if only you could give me half your memory..." Big Silly Qiang said enviously.
When the other students heard that Li Xiuwen had memorized most of the first theory lesson in a single day, they all looked astonished.
"You shouldn't be studying martial arts. Go study something academic instead. Learn law. Maybe you could become a top barrister and earn enough for an apartment from one major case," A Zhen said.
"Law? Not even a dog would study that," Li Xiuwen said with a laugh. He had worked in law in his previous life.
With the [Incense Burner], effort invested in the Martial Way was guaranteed to bear fruit.
Law? Not necessarily.
Becoming a top barrister depended on your background.
He wouldn't ignore what was right in front of him to pursue something far less certain. Focusing on the Martial Way was the right choice.
"Comparing yourself to others really does drive you mad..."
Seeing the looks everyone gave him, Li Xiuwen wondered whether he had drawn a little too much attention.
In truth, he had mastered all the knowledge from yesterday's lesson, not just half.
Even so, everyone seemed deeply shocked.
The Enclave was full of all kinds of people. In these troubled times, caution was best, lest someone's envy turn into hatred.
"You've got a good head on your shoulders. Forget boxing and go study," Huang Sihai said expressionlessly upon learning that Li Xiuwen had mastered the theoretical knowledge in a single day.
"No wonder Brother Li and I feel such a kinship. We're both incarnations of the star of literary talent," Old Chen declared shamelessly.
"Master, can I start learning Fist Training now?" Li Xiuwen rubbed his hands eagerly.
"Today, I'll teach you some real skills," Huang Sihai said. "But before that, there are a few rules you must remember!"
Seated in the Grandmaster's Chair, Huang Sihai blew on his tea and took a small sip.
"First, you must strictly guard our school's secrets. Without permission, you must not teach our martial arts to outsiders,
"nor may you divulge our disciples' private training details, martial techniques, or cultivation levels.
"Second, you must not touch opium. I've seen far too many martial artists ruined by it.
"Don't imagine your willpower is anything special. Once you touch it, your life is over.
"Third, never use your strength to bully others or break the law through violence, bringing unnecessary trouble upon the hall.
"If I discover you've done so, I'll expel you."
Li Xiuwen asked, "Master, what if someone bullies me?"
Huang Sihai glanced at him and said mildly, "If they're far weaker than me, fight back. If they're stronger than me, put up with it."
That was a very subjective standard. Li Xiuwen said nothing more.
"Times have changed," Huang Sihai said. "Everyone is equal before a bullet."
"You see things clearly, Master," Li Xiuwen said.
Old Huang's caution showed that, because of firearms, martial artists in this era enjoyed no particularly high status until they reached a certain level.
It wasn't like the old days, when a little genuine skill was enough to claim a mountain and rule it.
Huang Sihai delivered a lengthy lecture, and Li Xiuwen committed it all to memory.
When you were weak, rules governed everything.
On the training ground, Li Xiuwen stood straight.
Huang Sihai stood with his hands behind his back. "Do you know which style I practice?"
"Sea Sand Style."
"In terms of reputation, our Sea Sand Style may not measure up to White Crane Style, Black Tiger Style, Iron Wire Style, Buddha Salute Style, and the like..."
"Reputation doesn't matter," Li Xiuwen said with a smile. "As long as it's good in a fight."
"It certainly is. The styles in the Enclave fall into three tiers: wild fist, orthodox, and renowned. Our Sea Sand Style may not be renowned, but it is orthodox."
"Then why isn't it better known?" Li Xiuwen asked.
"Because I keep a low profile. I only want to make a little money, not chase grand ambitions." Huang Sihai grew serious. "Remember this: the tree that rises above the forest is the first to be broken by the wind. Over the years, the Enclave's renowned styles have risen and fallen... some have even been wiped out entirely. But our Sea Sand Style has weathered every storm and survived steadily to this day."
"Understood!" Li Xiuwen said with a smile. Master Huang was another practitioner of the art of lying low.
"Every style is divided into training methods and combat methods. The stance work I'm teaching you today is a training method." Huang Sihai assumed a stance and exhaled. "Sea of Stake Training!"
"Sea of Stake Training?" Li Xiuwen perked up. Though he had never learned it before, he knew stance work was the foundation of all martial arts, the footing beneath a great building.
"Unless someone possesses exceptional natural gifts, most people simply lack the physical conditioning to start practicing combat methods straight away," Huang Sihai said.
"True combat methods aren't the flashy, useless moves you imagine.
"Without a foundation, your body won't be able to keep up. Throw a punch, and you'll fracture your own bones first.
"If your body lacks flexibility, there are many combat moves you won't be able to perform even after practicing ten thousand times.
"So stance work untangles the knotted mess of your body and smooths it into a blank sheet of cloth. Only then can you copy the movements and learn advanced martial arts."
Li Xiuwen nodded. That made sense.
What he wanted to learn was genuine supernatural skill, not the tai chi taught at school in his previous life.
Building a foundation through training methods before moving on to combat methods was more logical.
"Sea of Stake Training has four levels," Huang Sihai said solemnly.
"They correspond to the four stages: entry, minor mastery, major mastery, and perfection.
"They are the Tidal Stance, Flying Fish Stance, Coiling Dragon Stance, and Sea-Overturning Stance!
"These four levels form the foundation of our Sea Sand lineage.
"Every combat method depends on this four-level foundation!"
That day,
Li Xiuwen began his formal training under Huang Sihai.
Stance work depended first on movement, and second on breathing.
Only after he began following the prescribed movements and breathing rhythm did he learn how painful boxing training could be.
The acupoints he had learned about in theory class felt as though millions of silver needles were piercing them. The pain was unbearable.
A crowd of students gathered nearby to watch the spectacle.
"Another poor soul setting foot upon the sea of
"suffering," A Zhen said with a laugh.
Old Chen stroked his beard. "As the saying goes, only by enduring the bitterest hardships can one rise above others. Brother Li is no ordinary man. If he can hold out for half a year, he's sure to achieve something."
Old Chen had endured ridicule and mockery for most of his life. Li Xiuwen was the first person to treat him with genuine respect, and he felt a strong kinship with him.
"Can he endure more than Liu Da? It's been a month, and Liu Da still hasn't reached entry," said a slender youngster in a white shirt with a laugh. It was Liu Chun.
"If only I had A Wen's memory and your martial constitution, Senior Sister A Chun," Big Silly Qiang said, sitting with his chin propped on his large hand.
Liu Chun had reached entry in the Sea-Sand Stance in three days and minor mastery in a month, putting her far ahead of the hall's other disciples. Her progress had become the talk of the hall.
Thus, despite being the youngest, she was already addressed respectfully as senior sister by many and enjoyed considerable standing within the hall.
In martial cultivation, attainment commanded respect. Among fellow disciples, seniority was determined by cultivation level.
"Blue sky above my head, white sand beneath my feet, both elbows bracing the sea..."
Reciting the mnemonic, Li Xiuwen held a strange posture without moving.
"Does it hurt?" Huang Sihai asked, tapping the acupoints all over Li Xiuwen's body with a folding fan.
"Hiss... it hurts, Master!" Li Xiuwen couldn't help crying out.
"If it hurts, you're doing it right. If it doesn't, you haven't trained properly. Your bone structure seems passable enough. Keep at it."
Before you continue