Joining the Guard

Early the next morning, Zhao Shan led Zhou Yan toward the eastern part of the city.

The Sun Family estate occupied nearly half a street in the east. Its blue-brick walls stood over ten feet high, capped with black tiles.

The main gate had three entrances, with two stone lions standing before it. Four guards in dark gray clothes, swords at their waists, stood on the steps.

Zhao Shan did not take the main gate.

Instead, he went around to the side entrance, greeted the people there, and led Zhou Yan inside.

They passed through a two-courtyard compound.

The yard was paved with bluestone slabs, with a row of stone locks and weapon racks set along the wall.

Several guards were sweeping the ground. A middle-aged man in a gray shirt was practicing boxing before a large vat, his punches producing dull thuds through the air.

Zhao Shan lowered his voice. "They're only guards. They're short on people right now, so if someone from inside recommends you, you can get in just by registering."

"But joining the guards is only the first step. The instructors only teach Stake Stance. If you make something of it, you'll have a chance to enter the Sun Family Martial School and formally learn martial arts. If you can't, you'll spend your life guarding doors and homes. Don't get your hopes up too high. I trained for a year and still got nowhere."

Zhou Yan nodded. He had told no one that he had entered the Body-Tempering Realm.

For a poor farmer's son to reach the Body-Tempering Realm without anyone's guidance was simply impossible.

The guard office was in the west wing of the second courtyard.

Zhao Shan stepped forward, smiling as he exchanged a few words with the leader, then pointed at Zhou Yan.

Manager Feng was in his forties, with a pair of shrewd eyes. He sat at a desk flipping through a register, then looked up and swept his gaze over Zhou Yan.

"Name."

"Zhou Yan."

"Age."

"Sixteen."

"Where are you from?"

"Willow Village outside the city."

Manager Feng dipped his brush in ink and wrote a few strokes in the register. Then he asked, "Have you practiced martial arts before?"

"No!" Zhou Yan answered.

"Mm. Go to Team Seven."

Manager Feng did not ask anything else. He closed the register and called an old guard over. "Old Liu, take him to collect his things."

Old Liu was in his fifties and slightly hunched. He answered and led Zhou Yan to the storeroom.

Two sets of dark gray fitted clothes, a pair of cloth boots, and a long saber.

Old Liu shoved the items into Zhou Yan's hands. "Try the clothes on."

The lodging was arranged on the back street.

Leaving through the Sun Family estate's side gate, they walked less than half an incense stick's time before entering a narrow alley, where two rows of single-story rooms stood side by side.

There were seven or eight rooms in all, rented by the Sun Family for its guards.

Old Liu pushed open the door to one of them.

Inside was a long communal sleeping platform that could fit ten people. Several thin quilts had been tossed across it in a mess.

Four guards were in the room.

One was dozing against the wall, while the other three were playing cards on the platform.

They gave Old Liu a cold glance, then looked at Zhou Yan. Without saying anything, they continued playing cards.

Old Liu pointed to the empty spot at the very end. "Everyone from Team Seven lives here. No one's using that bed."

Then he left.

Zhou Yan set his cloth bundle on the bed.

Zhao Shan stood outside the doorway and did not enter.

"My place is at Second Young Master's courtyard. I don't live with you. Second Young Master has a lot going on, so I can't get away." He patted the doorframe.

"Train honestly. Only by mastering the Stake Stance will you have a way forward."

Zhao Shan nodded, turned, and left. His heavy footsteps thudded against the stone slabs of the alley.

Training began that afternoon.

The training ground behind the Sun Family estate was more than three times larger than the threshing ground in Willow Village.

The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, worn smooth and bright.

More than twenty people stood on the field.

Zhou Yan glanced around. Some were about his age, while others were in their early twenties.

Some stood ramrod straight, while others hunched over. A fat man in the front row had already begun wiping sweat with his sleeve after standing for only a short while.

Instructor Han arrived.

He was in his forties, broad-backed and powerfully built, with a gust-like force in every step.

His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, revealing knotted muscles on his forearms.

He stopped before the group and swept his gaze across them one by one.

When his gaze reached Zhou Yan, it paused for a moment.

After coughing a few times, he began to speak. His voice was not loud, yet every word struck their ears like a hammer.

"My surname is Han. From now on, I am your instructor."

"The guards do not teach fist techniques or saber techniques. We teach only one thing: the Mountain-Settling Stance!"

"Stake Stance is the foundation. If your foundation is weak, everything else is useless. Master the stance, and you'll be a step ahead when learning fists or sabers in the future."

He paused. "Those who reach minor mastery in Stake Stance may have hope of breaking into the Body-Tempering Realm."

"Once you reach the Body-Tempering Realm, the martial schools under the Sun Family will make an exception and take you in. You'll formally learn martial arts, receive cultivation methods and medicinal baths, and have instructors teach you hand in hand."

"If you can't make it..."

Instructor Han pointed his thumb toward the wall behind him.

"Then you'll spend your life guarding homes and gates. Food and lodging will be provided, so you won't be mistreated. But don't even think about moving up."

The field fell silent in an instant.

Instructor Han did not waste any more words. He turned around and assumed a stance.

"Watch carefully."

He spread his feet shoulder-width apart, bent his knees slightly, and lowered his spine one segment at a time.

His movements were not fast, but every inch he shifted was as steady as a nail driven into the ground.

"The essentials of the Mountain-Settling Stance can be summed up in eight words: sink the qi into the dantian, nail your feet to the earth."

"As you lower your body, let your qi sink with it. Only when the qi sinks can your lower body become stable. Once your lower body is stable, you will have roots."

"All of you, try it!"

The twenty-odd people followed his example and took their stances.

At once, there were all sorts of postures. Some bent their knees too much, some had overly stiff waists, and some spread their feet too wide.

Instructor Han walked over to each of them, twisting shoulders, kicking knees, and pressing down on lower backs.

When he reached the fat man, the man's legs were shaking like sieves, sweat dripping from his chin.

Instructor Han glanced at him. "Stand straight. What are you shaking for?"

"My... my legs hurt."

"They're supposed to hurt. If they didn't, it wouldn't be a foundation-building Stake Stance."

He then walked to a tall, skinny man.

The man stood crookedly, his knees nearly pressed together. Instructor Han kicked him in the calf, and the man dropped to his knees with a thump.

"Get up. Start over," Instructor Han said coldly.

When he reached Zhou Yan, he saw Zhou Yan standing as he had instructed, knees slightly bent and spine lowered.

Instructor Han looked him over and nodded. "Not bad."

Zhou Yan settled inwardly.

The Mountain-Settling Stance was largely similar to the Basic Stance Art he had practiced before.

Its breathing rhythm had a few subtle adjustments, and its distribution of weight was more refined. It had several more solid techniques than the Basic Stance Art.

But for someone who had already entered the Body-Tempering Realm, those differences were nearly nonexistent.

When everyone else's legs shook, his shook as well.

When others could not last a quarter of an hour, he lasted for a quarter and a half.

One extra tea's time, no more and no less.

Slightly better than ordinary people, but not enough to stand out.

A line of text appeared in his vision.

[Mountain-Settling Stance: Beginner 1/100]

Then it shrank back.

After standing for less than half an hour, half the newcomers had collapsed.

The fat man lay flat on the ground, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

Instructor Han did not scold them. Clearly used to the sight, he swept his gaze around. "Continue tomorrow. Dismissed."

Dinner was served in the guard mess hall.

Multigrain porridge, pickled vegetables, and one coarse-grain flatbread per person.

Zhou Yan held his bowl and squatted beside the wall.

A skinny man carrying a bowl came over. His skin was dark and sallow, his cheekbones prominent, and crumbs clung to the corner of his mouth.

"Hey, new guy?"

Zhou Yan nodded.

"My name's Ma Wu. I got here three days before you." Ma Wu dipped his flatbread into the porridge. "Where are you from?"

"Willow Village."

"That village outside the city?" Ma Wu nodded. "I'm from Li Family Village, right next to yours."

He took a bite of flatbread and said indistinctly, "Did you see that scene today? More than twenty new recruits. The Sun Family really is short on people."

A person squatting nearby and drinking porridge joined in. "More than ten people died in a fight with Black Tiger Hall last month. How could they not recruit replacements? I heard things have been restless around North Street again."

Another person leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Those bastards from Black Tiger Hall fight dirty. They target Sun Family people when they're alone. A few brothers from Team Three got blocked in an alley last month. Their legs were all broken. Good thing reinforcements arrived in time, or they wouldn't have kept their lives."

"Who did they offend?"

"They were just unlucky. They got recognized while walking around in Sun Family guard uniforms."

"Does that mean we have to change clothes whenever we go out from now on?"

"You think changing clothes will solve it? The people from Black Tiger Hall aren't blind."

Ma Wu waved his hand. "Enough, enough. Don't scare the newcomer. This part of the west side belongs to the Sun Family. The people from Black Tiger Hall won't dare come over here. Besides, when the sky falls, the tall people hold it up. Small fries like us aren't worth their attention."

He turned to Zhou Yan and waggled his eyebrows. "Brother, I noticed you were pretty good at the stance. Have you practiced before?"

"I've done farm work since I was little. My lower body is stable. I was just lucky."

Ma Wu chuckled and did not press him further. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Let me tell you something. I heard the Sun Family's Fourth Young Master has been gathering a batch of goods lately. They'll draw people from the guard team to accompany it. It's a cushy assignment, and the allowance is even higher than the monthly pay. If you have connections, you should pull some strings."

Zhou Yan gave a noncommittal sound.

"You have connections?"

"No."

Ma Wu clicked his tongue. "What a pity. Then let's just stand our stances honestly."

During the day, he had seen this new kid arrive with someone close to the Second Young Master.

He had thought there was something special about him. That was why he had deliberately come over to talk tonight, only to find that Zhou Yan was just an ordinary person too.

In the east of the city stood the headquarters of the Azure Cloud Gang.

It was a three-courtyard residence, with the Azure Cloud Gang's flag hanging above the entrance. White background, azure patterns, and an azure cloud at its center.

The candles in the main hall burned brightly.

Gang Leader Zhao Xiong sat in a grand chair.

He was in his early forties, with a square face, broad mouth, and a pair of gloomy hawk-like eyes.

He wore a long robe of blue satin. His fingers were thick, and his knuckles were covered in calluses.

His fingers tapped against the tabletop, once after another.

Two people stood before him. One was Vice Gang Leader Qin Kun, not yet forty, fair-faced and sporting a short beard.

The other was a scout who had just returned from Blackwind Ridge, still carrying the scent of mountain mud on him.

"Still no news?" Zhao Xiong asked.

The scout lowered his head. "Reporting to Gang Leader, we searched Blackwind Ridge twice. Hall Master Lei and the four men he took with him were nowhere to be found."

Zhao Xiong's fingers stopped. He looked at Qin Kun. "How long has it been since Lei Bao entered the mountain?"

Qin Kun said, "Nearly a month."

"A month!" Zhao Xiong slowly chewed over those words.

"Four men, one month. Not even a single bone found." He lifted his eyes, and there was not a trace of light in his hawk-like gaze.

Qin Kun said nothing. The scout's back stiffened.

Zhao Xiong rose and walked to the wall, where a map of Qingyun County hung.

The east side of the city was colored azure, the north side black, and the docks were marked with a red circle.

After a pause, he said, "They're likely dead. Every last one of them."

Qin Kun hesitated. "Could it have been Black Tiger Hall...?"

The candle flame flickered.

Zhao Xiong did not respond, instead changing the subject. "How have things been in the city lately?"

Qin Kun took a deep breath. "At the docks, Black Tiger Hall's people seized two cargo ships early this month. Six of our brothers were injured, though only lightly. Black Tiger Hall probably does not want to become our enemy. It's just that the goods aboard belonged to the Sun Family and were worth quite a bit of silver."

"There have been too many coincidences. Half a year ago, Mo'er also vanished in Blackwind Ridge. A month ago, Lei Bao did too. When coincidences pile up, something is wrong. I had people investigate. When Lei Bao disappeared, people from the White Cloud Martial Hall had also entered the mountain. They vanished as well," Zhao Xiong said.

Qin Kun shook his head. "An instructor surnamed Zhou from the White Cloud Martial Hall entered the mountain to search. He said there were no clues."

Zhao Xiong lifted his teacup. "Too much has happened this past year."

"These events colliding together don't seem like a coincidence."

Qin Kun asked, "Then we...?"

"Send a few sharp people to search Blackwind Ridge again," Zhao Xiong said. "This time, don't search openly. Find unfamiliar faces, disguise them as hunters, and send them into the mountains. Focus on places where bodies might have been buried. Mo'er and Lei Bao are already dead. Find the bodies first!"

"Steady things in the city for now. As for Black Tiger Hall, send people to watch them and see what they plan to do next."

Qin Kun nodded. "Yes."

The scout withdrew first.

Qin Kun turned to leave as well, but when he reached the door, Zhao Xiong called out to him.

"Qin Kun."

"Tell me, do you think the person who killed my son is still in Blackwind Ridge?"

"I suddenly remembered something—a rumor."

"Several hundred years ago, there was a sect in Blackwind Ridge. Ever since that sect vanished overnight, strange things have kept happening there."

The candle flame flickered again, leaving half of Zhao Xiong's face bright and the other half dark.

After Qin Kun withdrew, Zhao Xiong was the only one left in the main hall.

The wind blew in, making the candle sway. It nearly went out, and Zhao Xiong reached out to shield it.

He stared at the flame.

After a long while, he murmured to himself, "Don't let me find you."

Zhou Yan lay awake on the hard wooden bed.

He ran through the day's events in his mind.

The Mountain-Settling Stance was stronger than the Basic Stance Art. He had discovered that the system could slowly transfer the Basic Stance Art's progress to the Mountain-Settling Stance.

Judging by the time he spent practicing his stance each day, he estimated he could reach minor mastery in a few days.

Major mastery would take less than a month. Perfection was not far off either!

As for the Mountain-Breaking Fist in his hands, Zhou Yan planned to keep it hidden for now.

He absolutely could not reveal it on Sun Family territory. Lei Bao could recognize it, and so could the Azure Cloud Gang members.

He turned over.

Someone coughed in the alley outside the window, while the clapper of the night watch echoed from afar, beat by beat.

Soon.

He just had to endure a little longer.

Once he trained his Stake Stance to major mastery, he could enter the Sun Family Martial School.

He could not use the Mountain-Breaking Fist, but the Sun Family Martial School had plenty of martial arts he could use.