Major Accomplishment

On the seventh day of stance training, someone finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

He was a brawny man in his early twenties, surnamed Fang.

Instructor Han had just turned around when he withdrew his stance, squatted down to rub his knees, and muttered, "Standing every day, standing every day... This Stake Stance, when is there ever going to be an end to it?"

Several people beside him also relaxed their stances.

Instructor Han glanced back at him without much surprise, then walked to the front of the group and stood there with his hands behind his back.

"Rest for a while."

Everyone was stunned.

Instructor Han usually never allowed anyone to rest.

If someone loosened their stance before half an hour had passed, he would kick them.

But for him to tell them to rest on his own today was unusual.

"I know what all of you are thinking," Instructor Han said. "Is stance training useful? When will I teach you boxing? You stand here every day with no end in sight, afraid you'll waste your time and fail to enter the Body-Tempering Realm."

No one dared make a sound. The man surnamed Fang lowered his head.

Instructor Han walked to the weapon rack, pulled out a staff as tall as he was, and planted it on the ground. The stone slabs trembled.

"You think stance training is useless, so let me tell you what exactly you're standing for."

He tapped his own leg with the staff, producing a clang.

"The Body-Tempering Realm—what does it temper? Skin, flesh, tendons, bones. You temper them layer by layer, deeper and deeper. How do you temper them? Not by relying on pills, but by stance training. There are many kinds of stances. Most people learn the Basic Stance Art, which is common on the market and can be bought for a few taels of silver. The stances taught by martial halls are improvements upon the Basic Stance Art. Some are light and nimble, while others are heavy and solid."

"The Mountain-Settling Stance is the stance art of the Mountain-Suppressing Martial Hall. It is exceptionally powerful for tempering tendons and bones."

"When you stand, your qi and blood sink downward—from your chest to your dantian, from your dantian to the soles of your feet. Every inch they sink, your tendons and bones are scoured once. Day after day, year after year, your skin and flesh grow firm, your sinews stretch, and your bones become dense."

He tossed the staff back onto the weapon rack.

"If your stance foundation is solid, then after breaking through to the Body-Tempering Realm, practicing boxing or saber techniques will yield twice the result with half the effort. Stance training is the foundation. If your stance is strong, then before you even begin martial arts, every bone and tendon in your body will already be prepared."

"On the other hand, if your stance foundation is weak, everything you learn afterward will fall short. Your foundation will be hollow. No matter how impressive your punches look, they'll only be empty forms."

After hearing this, the man surnamed Fang stopped rubbing his knees.

Instructor Han continued, "The Mountain-Settling Stance I teach you has three stages: Beginner, Lesser Accomplishment, and Major Accomplishment."

"You haven't even entered the Beginner stage yet. Getting started is difficult. Ordinary people need one year, sometimes even two."

"After Beginner comes Lesser Accomplishment. Once your qi and blood sink deeper, your lower body begins to take root. You can stand for two incense sticks without your legs aching, and no one can push you over with a shove. For ordinary people, reaching Lesser Accomplishment takes three years."

"That depends on talent. Some are faster." He swept his gaze across the group. "Others are slower. Some can't manage it even in a lifetime."

"Beyond Lesser Accomplishment is Major Accomplishment. With a Major Accomplishment stance, standing still makes you a mountain. Your qi and blood form their own cycle within your body. You don't need to deliberately sink them—they move downward on their own."

Someone sucked in a breath.

A skinny man at the back raised his hand. "Instructor Han, is there anything above Major Accomplishment?"

Instructor Han looked at him.

"There is. Perfection."

"What is Perfection? It means training the stance into your bones. The qi and blood throughout your body move with the stance. Still as a mountain, moving like thunder. When you stand, close your eyes, and you'll be able to feel the ground beneath your feet connected to you." He paused. "Almost no one can train a stance art to Perfection."

The training ground fell silent. Even the birds chirping in the distance could be heard clearly.

"I've practiced stance training for twenty years, and I'm only at Major Accomplishment," Instructor Han said evenly, without any emotion in his voice. "The heads of the martial halls in Qingyun County are only somewhere between Major Accomplishment and Perfection as well. A truly Perfect stance art? I've never seen one."

The skinny man swallowed. "Perfection is that difficult? Has anyone ever trained it?"

Instructor Han shook his head.

"Unless they're a once-in-ten-thousand martial arts genius, no one trains it. Major Accomplishment is enough. Once your stance reaches Major Accomplishment and you break through to Body Tempering, you can formally study martial arts at a martial hall. Perfection is too difficult and takes too long. Twenty years, thirty years, perhaps a lifetime. In the end, stance training is meant to lay the foundation for later techniques. Who would be willing to spend half their life on a single stance art?"

"So don't dwell on Perfection. If you can train your stance to Lesser Accomplishment, you'll have hope of breaking through to the Body-Tempering Realm. If you reach Major Accomplishment, the Sun Family's Mountain-Suppressing Martial Hall will make an exception and take you in. That's more than enough for you."

He dusted off his hands.

"Alright. Get up. Keep standing."

The group sluggishly resumed their stances.

Zhou Yan set his stance, slightly bent his knees, lowered his spine, and sank his qi into his dantian.

He considered every word Instructor Han had said.

Others thought Perfection was not worth it. Spending decades on a single stance art was worse than learning boxing or saber techniques early.

But he was different.

He had a system. He could see his training progress. What others could not reach in twenty years, he would not need long to achieve.

Others were satisfied with stopping at Major Accomplishment, but he could take another step beyond it.

And the system was called Martial Dao Limitbreaker.

Perhaps he could even reach a realm beyond Perfection!

A single step could mean the difference between heaven and earth. The firmer his foundation, the broader the road ahead.

Two more days passed after that.

Zhou Yan got up every day at dawn. Before the sky had fully brightened, the alley behind the street was shrouded in mist.

While others were still turning over beneath their blankets, he had already arrived at the training ground.

It was not official training time, and no one else was there.

The spears and long staffs on the weapon rack were coated in dew. He set his stance and stood alone.

The morning air was cool, carrying a refreshing clarity as it entered his lungs.

His feet stood on polished bluestone slabs.

[Mountain-Settling Stance: Lesser Accomplishment 37/200]

The system appeared briefly in his vision, then withdrew again.

The progress from the Basic Stance Art was being converted bit by bit.

Each time he stood, the Mountain-Settling Stance's value increased by several points.

He stood for half an hour.

Only then did the east begin to pale.

By around dawn, people gradually began arriving.

Ma Wu entered the training ground yawning, a tuft of hair still sticking up and his eyes half-open.

When he saw Zhou Yan already standing there, he clicked his tongue.

"You're here this early again? You're always the first one here. Are you practicing martial arts, or competing with roosters for work?"

Chen Dazhu arrived as well, tightening his belt before agreeing, "Brother Zhou really works hard. Yesterday, after we were dismissed, I came back to get something and saw him still standing here."

"Made of iron." Ma Wu shook his head and went to his spot, assuming a sloppy stance.

His knees bent less than an inch, and he did not lower his waist at all.

Before even one cup of tea's time had passed, he was already looking around, his thoughts wandering somewhere else.

Someone nearby chatted idly. "Hey, did you hear? Someone else is coming to have their bones examined today."

"Again? Didn't a batch just come last month?"

"The Sun Family is recruiting a lot this year. Any villages nearby with children of the right age send them over."

"What good prospects could there be? The good ones were picked by martial halls long ago. Anyone left for the Sun Family Guard Corps to examine is just leftover stock."

Zhou Yan listened without saying anything.

He himself had been leftover stock.

Yet now he was standing here, and his Mountain-Settling Stance had secretly already passed Lesser Accomplishment.

Among the sixteen who had arrived in the same batch, the man surnamed Fang had not even managed to enter the Beginner stage.

That afternoon.

Manager Feng brought several people to the training ground. Two half-grown children followed behind him, a boy and a girl. Both were thin and wore patched hemp clothes. The boy was around fourteen or fifteen, while the girl was even younger. They kept their heads lowered and did not dare look at anyone.

Two adults followed behind them, seemingly their parents from the village.

The man clutched a battered straw hat, while the woman's eyes were red.

Manager Feng had Instructor Han examine their bones.

Instructor Han had the two children stand in a row. He started with the boy.

He squeezed the boy's shoulders, felt his spine, and pressed on his knees. His movements were practiced, and he finished in just a few motions.

"Inferior Lower Grade."

The boy's face instantly turned pale.

Instructor Han walked over to the girl, who shrank back slightly.

Manager Feng frowned. There were women in the Guard Corps, though few of them. They were generally assigned as inner guards within the residence.

They were responsible for the safety of the Sun Family's women.

Instructor Han did not concern himself with that. He squeezed her shoulders and pressed her knees.

"Also Inferior Lower Grade."

The man holding the straw hat sighed.

Manager Feng wrote several notes in his register, closed it, and told the two children, "Go register."

The two children nodded timidly.

The man holding the straw hat bowed several times in fervent gratitude, then pulled the woman away.

Only after they had gone far away did people on the training ground begin speaking.

Ma Wu nudged someone beside him with his elbow. "Inferior Lower Grade. With that aptitude, they'll have to stand for a year just to get started."

Someone beside him added, "Exactly. Inferior Middle Grade can still be trained a little, but Inferior Lower Grade really is..."

"Enough." Another older guard cut him off. "Aptitude is only one part of it. What matters is whether someone is willing to put in the effort."

As he spoke, he glanced toward the edge of the training ground.

Someone there was still standing. After Instructor Han called for a halt, most people had relaxed their stances, but one person remained standing.

Zhou Yan!

The older guard jerked his chin toward him. "See that? That kid is only Inferior Middle Grade too. He's been standing less than half a month, yet his stance is steadier than you old hands."

Ma Wu turned to look, then turned back and muttered, "That's because he's throwing his life away. He comes at dawn every day and keeps standing after dark. Even iron can't withstand that kind of training. He's exhausting himself for nothing, and I haven't seen him achieve anything."

"That's why he improves quickly," the older guard said. "Bone examination is only the starting point. It doesn't determine everything."

Several more days passed.

Ma Wu's stance grew slacker and slacker.

The novelty had completely worn off. When Instructor Han was not around, he simply leaned against the stone locks at the edge of the grounds and dozed.

Most of the newcomers were about the same.

They could endure for the first ten days, but after that, they began cutting corners.

When standing, they no longer lowered their waists or sank their qi. Their knees bent less and less.

That fat man, Chen Dazhu, still kept standing.

But his talent truly was poor. He could never properly adjust his stance. Instructor Han corrected him seven or eight times, yet the next time it was crooked again.

Chen Dazhu did not get upset. Whenever Instructor Han corrected him, he changed it. Then it would become crooked again, and he would change it again.

Instructor Han watched this group without scolding or urging them.

He knew this was normal.

Out of ten newcomers, it was already good if two or three could endure for a month. The rest were merely passing their days.

But Zhou Yan was still standing.

He arrived first every morning at dawn.

He stood when Instructor Han arrived, and he was still standing after Instructor Han left.

When others squatted down to catch their breath, he stood. When others gathered to chat, he stood as well.

Once, Ma Wu finally could not hold it in any longer. "Don't you get tired?"

Zhou Yan answered while maintaining his stance, "I do."

"Then why are you still standing?"

"Because I'm tired."

Ma Wu blanked for a moment, rolled his eyes, and left.

In truth, Zhou Yan was not tired—or rather, not as tired as he appeared.

The Mountain-Settling Stance had completely connected with the Basic Stance Art. The system had fused the progress of both stance arts together. Every quarter-hour he stood, the value rose. For him, stance training was not that exhausting. Seeing his numbers increase filled him with motivation.

But he could not let others notice.

So after standing for half an hour, he would deliberately wipe away sweat.

After standing for a long time, he would loosen his stance slightly and let his shoulders sag a little, making himself look about as strained as Chen Dazhu.

Whenever Instructor Han corrected him, he would make several extra adjustments, making others think he was working desperately hard but was not a genius.

Hardworking but not talented—that was how one avoided drawing attention.

On the fifteenth day.

Zhou Yan stood as usual. Instructor Han paced before the group, looking over them one by one.

Mountain-Settling Stance: Lesser Accomplishment 196/200.

The system's numbers shifted. He was close to the threshold. Zhou Yan steadied his breathing and did not loosen his stance.

Several breaths later, the number reached its limit.

Mountain-Settling Stance: Major Accomplishment 1/300.

A wave of heat surged up from the base of his spine.

It traveled upward along his vertebrae, segment by segment, and every gap between his bones burned hot.

Then his qi and blood suddenly sank much deeper.

The soles of his feet pressed against the bluestone slabs, and his lower body instantly became at least thirty percent heavier.

Mountain-Settling Stance, Major Accomplishment!

Zhou Yan's expression did not change, nor did his breathing falter. It merely became deeper and longer than before.

Instructor Han paced over, stopping beside him, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Yan's stance.

"You've been standing well lately."

Instructor Han rarely offered praise.

"Thank you, Instructor."

Instructor Han took two steps, then looked back again.

Zhou Yan eased his breathing and drew his stance in slightly.

After reaching Mastery, his stance was too steady. He had to hold back a little to avoid standing out; he could not let others think he was improving too quickly.

But he knew where he stood.

Having reached Mastery, his next goal was Perfection.

That evening, training ended.

Everyone was heading for the mess hall when Manager Feng arrived.

He entered through the side gate with a slip of paper in hand, followed by two sword-bearing guards.

Those who had not yet left the grounds stopped in their tracks.

Manager Feng unfolded the paper and read out several names, all familiar faces from the guard squad.

"Zhou Yan, Ma Wu, Chen Dazhu, Liu Shun, Fang Ping, Sun Xiaoshi."

Zhou Yan looked up.

"You six, report to the manager's office at dawn tomorrow. There's an assignment."

Manager Feng left as soon as he finished. He folded the paper and tucked it into his sleeve, then led the two guards out through the side gate.

Silence fell for a moment.

Then Ma Wu slapped Zhou Yan on the shoulder. "What did I tell you? An assignment after only half a month in the squad—they've taken a liking to us!"

Chen Dazhu scratched his head as he walked over. "What kind of assignment is it?"

"Who cares what it is?" Ma Wu's eyes gleamed. "Anything's better than stance training. My legs go numb from standing there every day."

Fang Ping and Liu Shun also gathered around, and the few newcomers formed a circle.

"Could it be guard duty at one of the shops? I heard the pharmacy on South Street needs people."

"South Street is Sun Family territory. Guard duty there is the easiest."

"Not necessarily. We might escort a merchant caravan on a short trip, then be back in two or three days."

"Caravans are good. The allowances are high—one trip earns as much as half a month's wages."

"Could we be leaving the city? There are a few estates outside the city, and things have been unsettled lately."

Ma Wu turned to ask an older guard passing by. "Senior, what are Manager Feng's assignments usually like?"

The older guard carried a bowl, still chewing on a flatbread.

Only after swallowing did he speak. "Stop guessing. You won't know what the manager's assignment is until you get there."

"Some assignments are cushy. Others cost you your life. It all depends on your luck."

After saying that, he walked off humming a tune.

Ma Wu's smile stiffened, and Fang Ping and Liu Shun fell silent as well.

Chen Dazhu scratched his head. "Then... are we going?"

"Obviously." Ma Wu recovered. "We've already been called out by name. How could we not go?"