Initiation

After Wei Yuan came over and explained the Sect Rules, he took them on a tour of the Martial Arts School. Its furnishings and layout were simple. The front courtyard was for training, while the rear courtyard was where Huo Shan and his family lived and received guests. Entry was forbidden without an invitation. The school had a kitchen, and disciples who wanted meat could pay for extra dishes.

Wei Yuan then took them to collect their Training Uniforms. The uniforms were navy blue, but they were already old and washed pale, with patches stitched over tears in several places.

Once they had changed into their Training Uniforms, the three returned to the front courtyard. Huo Shan sat upright in the Grand Master's Chair in the courtyard. A disciple beside him brought him a cup of tea. Huo Shan accepted it, lifted the lid, took two sips, and stood up.

"Our Huo Clan traces its teachings to the Eight Extremes Lineage. Eight Extremes Fist emphasizes cultivating both inside and out: internally, we practice Stance Training to establish a foundation; externally, we practice combat methods to injure our enemies. Its chief strengths are fierce, powerful short strikes and close-quarters combat. As the saying goes, intent guides qi, qi drives power, the three levels and six points unite inside and out, momentum surges like a mighty tide, force issues in eight directions, and the whole body becomes eyes!"

"When unleashing the force of Eight Extremes Fist, you must strive to overwhelm your opponent in momentum, power, and technique. We seek a swift victory! Even against an opponent stronger than yourself, your fighting spirit must never bow beneath theirs. Only then will you uphold the formidable name of Eight Extremes."

"But of all the martial arts under heaven, whatever the style of fist, qi and blood are the root of power from within. Only robust qi and blood can effectively unleash force and sustain prolonged fighting. The foundation for strengthening qi and blood is stake training to guide qi and temper the sinews and bones. Of course, nourishment through food and medicine is also important. Both can promote the growth of qi and blood and effectively replenish what you expend."

"Today, I will demonstrate our Eight Extremes Lineage's Eight Extremes Stake Skill, the art that lays your foundation."

"Watch closely."

Huo Shan pushed off with one foot and leaped straight onto the Plum Blossom Stakes in the courtyard. Despite his large frame, he landed lightly upon a stake.

Then he bent his knees slightly into a crouch and sank his arms. A dull thud rang out, as though a thousand pounds had pressed down upon the stake, sending dust flying.

He then shifted into a strange posture: his spine curved like a great dragon, his left arm aligned with his hip as he brought his feet together and raised a hammering fist, while his right fist drew inward, defining the outer frame of his stance. His front foot rested lightly on the stake ahead, and his rear leg bent at the knee and sank. Half seated, half crouching, his entire posture resembled a savage beast choosing someone to devour, ready to explode into motion the next instant.

"Eight Extremes Stake Skill emphasizes sinking-dropping force. Power issues from the spine! Hardness and softness must work together."

"Keep a light upward lift at the crown of your head and tuck your chin slightly. Shape your body like a cross. Sink without becoming ponderous!"

"Did you all see that clearly? The three of you, come up and try it one at a time."

Zhao Feng went first, imitating his master's stance. The instant he assumed the posture, pain spread throughout his body. Every muscle felt as though it were being scorched by flames and relentlessly torn apart by a savage beast. He gritted his teeth and endured with all his might, but after barely five breaths, he toppled off. He did not even know how he had fallen.

The dark-skinned youth who went next failed to last even three breaths before pitching headfirst off the stake, scraping numerous bloody marks across his body.

Yet the last of them, the silent farm boy, held on for a full ten breaths, which was quite unexpected.

"Not bad." Huo Shan nodded.

"You must diligently practice your Stance Training every day, build up your qi and blood, and attempt the Gate Breakthrough as soon as possible."

"Master, this Gate Breakthrough is..." the dark-skinned youth asked.

"The initial Martial Master realms are divided into bright strength, hidden force, and transformation force. In terms of your Eight Extremes Stake Skill proficiency, minor mastery corresponds to bright strength, major mastery to hidden force, and perfection to transformation force.

"For you, the first barrier is breaking through to bright strength. Once your qi and blood reach a certain level, you can attempt the Gate Breakthrough. Only after you break through to bright strength will you count as my registered disciples and qualify as Martial Masters. That is the dividing line between you and ordinary people, your formal entry onto the path of the Martial Dao."

"May I ask, Master, what is bright strength?"

"Put simply, bright strength is when your qi and blood surpass their peak and circulate smoothly throughout your body, producing force that can be visibly seen. You gather power throughout your body and release it in a concentrated burst. One punch can shatter bricks and stone, and five or six ordinary strong men cannot get near you," Huo Shan said.

"Once you have tempered your qi and blood to a certain level, I will teach you Eight Extremes Fist."

"Master, is this Gate Breakthrough difficult?" the Silent Youth finally spoke.

"Of course. There is a great risk of failure, and each subsequent Gate Breakthrough becomes harder. Take the first attempt to reach bright strength, for example: only about thirty percent of disciples succeed. If the first attempt fails, the second becomes twice as difficult. If the third attempt also fails, there is almost no hope left. Moreover, every failed attempt severely damages the body, requiring large amounts of medicinal treatment to recover. Attempting the Gate Breakthrough to hidden force is even more difficult."

Hearing Huo Shan's explanation, both the dark-skinned youth and the Silent Youth looked uneasy. Their families had poured everything they had into sending them to learn martial arts. A failed Gate Breakthrough would be a calamity that drowned them completely.

Zhao Feng remained composed. He had the Proficiency Panel. As long as it could record Stance Training and display his progress, he would have no trouble if he kept training diligently.

"Whether your breakthrough succeeds is closely tied to your innate aptitude. The better your aptitude, the greater your chances. Of course, wealth also plays a major part. Spending more silver on nourishing food and medicine to improve your qi and blood will increase your chances."

At their master's words, all three looked somewhat troubled. They had not expected the success rate to be so low. More importantly, none of them knew how good their innate aptitude was. And with their impoverished families, where would they get the silver for meat and medicine?

"Wei Yuan, guide the three of them through their Stance Training postures." Having said that, Huo Shan went to the rear courtyard.

Without consulting one another, all three stepped onto the Plum Blossom Stakes and resumed their training.

Zhao Feng recalled Huo Shan's posture and assumed the stance. That searing, tearing agony once again engulfed his entire body.

His face instantly turned deathly pale. His teeth ground together, and his features twisted as he struggled desperately to maintain the Eight Extremes Stake Skill posture.

This time, too, he pitched off after only a few breaths. The other two fared little better.

Wei Yuan was long accustomed to this. When the three climbed back onto the stakes, he corrected their postures, then left.

The three climbed onto the stakes again and again, falling off each time.

As time passed, Zhao Feng lost count of how many times he had climbed back up. His body and muscles no longer seemed to belong to him. Pain had numbed him, and just as he gritted his teeth and desperately held on, on the verge of fainting-

A flash of white light passed through his mind.

\n[Eight Extremes Fist Stance Training: Initiation (1/500)]\n

The sight of that line lifted a great stone from Zhao Feng's heart. Since the panel had recorded it, he had already crossed the threshold. As long as he trained diligently, he could reach minor mastery-and that meant breaking through to bright strength.

The only uncertainty was whether he could complete his first Gate Breakthrough within three months. Otherwise, he would have to pay another tuition fee.

It was already dark when he left the Martial Arts School. Dragging his exhausted body along, Zhao Feng found a Cart Inn and paid ten copper coins. He spent the night on a communal bed for twenty, enduring the foul stench of sweat and feet.

The next day, he found a broker and asked him to look for lodgings in the Outer City. The stench of that communal bed still haunted him, and he did not want to experience it a second time. Yet things went against his wishes: he spent several more nights at the Cart Inn before finding a relatively satisfactory place to stay.

In Li the Landowner's residence in Peaceful Town.

"Master, why do you now think Huang Biao was murdered rather than having run away?" the old steward asked.

"Think about it carefully. In a year of famine like this, where could he run? A dozen or so taels of silver aren't worth running away over. He could live quite comfortably collecting debts for people. If he ran off for those few taels, would he go begging once he spent them?" Li the Landowner shook his head.

"So he was probably killed."

At first, his preconceptions had led him to believe Huang Biao had fled. Now that he had thought it over, something seemed wrong.

"You're right, Master. But bandits are springing up everywhere now, and quite a few refugees have come down from the north. It could have been refugees or bandits acting on a sudden impulse," the old steward said.

Li the Landowner nodded. He was not truly concerned about Huang Biao; the man had simply been useful, and they also had a distant family connection.

Besides, losing a dozen or so taels of silver for nothing made his heart ache. More importantly, there were those debt notes, which could have squeezed out a good deal of profit. Losing them had handed those mud-legged peasants a windfall for nothing, and that left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Go bring me a list of everyone in those villages who had a grudge against Huang Biao," Li the Landowner said.