Entering the Martial Arts Hall

Qinghe Town was livelier than usual that morning.

Quite a few breakfast stalls had been set up along the streets, steam billowing upward as passersby hurried past.

Chen Mo carried a bundle on his back as he walked beside Zhao Chuan, the two heading shoulder to shoulder toward Clear River Martial Hall.

Zhao Chuan had not stopped talking the whole way.

"What do you think the martial hall is really like?"

"Is everyone inside someone who practices martial arts?"

"Are those formal disciples especially strong?"

"Do you think we'll be able to break a wooden post with one punch someday?"

Chen Mo's head was starting to ache from all his questions.

"Where did you get so many questions?"

"It's my first time officially entering the martial hall. Shouldn't I learn about it beforehand?"

"Didn't you ask questions all the way there yesterday?"

"Yesterday was yesterday. Today's different."

Chen Mo curled his lip.

"If you keep asking, I won't even want to go in once we get to the entrance."

Zhao Chuan grinned.

"You can bear to miss it?"

"I can't."

Chen Mo answered without hesitation.

"I haven't even gone in yet."

Zhao Chuan immediately burst out laughing.

When they neared the martial hall, he looked up at the tall courtyard walls.

"Whenever I passed by here before, I could only look from outside."

Chen Mo glanced at them as well.

"Me too."

When he had followed his father to the market to sell game as a child, he would always stop whenever they passed the martial hall.

The sounds of fists and kicks drifted over the walls in wave after wave.

Back then, he had only thought the people inside were incredibly impressive.

Now that he truly stood at its gates, Chen Mo felt a little excited instead.

So he had a day when he could enter too.

He lowered his head and looked at the wooden plaque in his hand.

The words Clear River Martial Hall were carved upon it.

"I really got one."

Zhao Chuan turned his head.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"I heard you."

"So what if you did?"

The corners of Chen Mo's mouth lifted slightly.

The martial hall's gates were already open.

Two gatekeeping disciples stood at the entrance.

Chen Mo and Zhao Chuan stepped forward and handed over their wooden plaques.

One of the gatekeeping disciples gave them a look.

"New hall disciples?"

"Yes."

Chen Mo responded.

The gatekeeping disciple moved aside.

"Go in."

Chen Mo took back his plaque and stepped over the threshold.

The moment his foot came down, he could not help turning back for another look.

Before, he could only stand outside.

Today, he had finally entered.

"You're looking back again."

Zhao Chuan laughed beside him.

"Can't I take a look?"

"You can."

"Then why say anything?"

The two continued inward.

The moment they entered the Training Ground, Zhao Chuan's eyes lit up.

"It's huge!"

Clear River Martial Hall was even more spacious than Chen Mo had imagined.

The front courtyard was the Training Ground from the previous trial.

Dozens of disciples were practicing their fists within it.

The wind from their punches lifted their robes, while their footsteps struck the ground with dull thuds.

No one shouted slogans.

There were no exaggerated stances either.

They merely repeated the same movements again and again.

Zhao Chuan stared in a daze.

"Why are they all so good?"

Chen Mo began watching carefully as well.

One of the slightly older disciples did not throw his punches quickly.

Yet every punch he sent out left his body steady.

His footing never faltered, and his waist naturally turned with each strike.

After dozens of repetitions, his movements were almost unchanged.

Chen Mo watched for a while.

"This one's pretty impressive."

Zhao Chuan asked,

"You can understand it?"

"How could I understand all of it?"

Chen Mo curled his lip.

"But just from looking, he's stronger than us."

Zhao Chuan nodded.

"When will we be able to do that too?"

Chen Mo thought for a moment.

"Practice for a few years first."

"Years?"

"You think practicing fists is like eating? Just sit down and you'll know how?"

Zhao Chuan immediately deflated.

"Then when will I be able to break a wooden post with one punch?"

"Wait until you stop punching yourself in the face first."

"You're laughing at me again."

"I'm stating facts."

The two bickered.

Yet Chen Mo could not help looking again at those older disciples in the field.

He truly felt a little envious.

He wanted to learn fists like that too.

But this was not something that could be rushed.

The other newcomers arrived one after another.

A quarter of an hour later, Instructor Li also appeared at the Training Ground.

He walked before them and swept his gaze over the group.

"Is everyone here?"

The five hurriedly stood properly.

Wang Lie stood at the front.

Chen Mo, Zhao Chuan, Zhou Zhan, and Wu Jie stood in order beside him.

Instructor Li looked at them.

"From today onward, you are officially Outer-Courtyard Apprentices of Clear River Martial Hall."

"The previous trial only proved that you were qualified to enter."

"The martial hall will teach you fist techniques and provide a place for you to practice."

"But how far you can go depends on yourselves."

"Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

The five answered in unison.

Zhao Chuan had been brimming with excitement just moments ago, but now he became considerably more serious.

Chen Mo nodded as well.

After seeing those older disciples, he already understood.

Getting in was easy.

Actually training would likely not be so easy.

Instructor Li did not say much more.

"Today, we'll start with the basics."

"Follow me."

At the center of the Training Ground,

several older disciples stopped their movements and cleared the space.

Instructor Li walked to the front.

"The foundations of martial arts are nothing more than a few things."

"Body, strength, and control."

"You're still young. Don't start thinking about all those flashy things."

"If your foundation is poor, then whatever you learn will be an empty frame."

With that, he demonstrated the Basic Fist once.

His movements were not fast.

They could even be called simple.

Yet after only one look, Chen Mo realized this fist technique was not as simple as it appeared.

Where the feet landed, when the waist turned, and how the fist was drawn back—every part had its own subtleties.

He hurriedly committed them to memory.

"Practice along with me."

The five newcomers began to imitate him.

Wang Lie found the feeling almost immediately.

His body was already sturdy, and many of his movements came out exceptionally solid.

When he threw a punch, even his sleeves billowed with it.

Zhao Chuan was not slow either.

He was simply too hasty at times. Before his feet were planted firmly, his fist had already flown out.

"Slow down."

Instructor Li reminded him.

Zhao Chuan hurriedly pulled back.

"Yes."

Zhou Zhan and Wu Jie also followed along with all their effort.

When it came to Chen Mo, he had only performed a few moves of the first round when he felt something was wrong.

He remembered the movements.

But his body simply could not keep up completely.

He knew where his feet should be placed.

He also knew how his waist should turn.

Yet when several movements were strung together, they easily fell into disarray.

Sometimes the fist went out, but the foot failed to keep up.

Sometimes the body turned, but the shoulder rushed half a step ahead.

Chen Mo stopped.

"Strange..."

Zhao Chuan turned his head.

"What's wrong?"

"This fist style looks simple. Why does it feel so awkward when you actually throw it?"

Zhao Chuan froze.

"You think so too?"

"You too?"

"I nearly tripped myself just now."

Chen Mo burst out laughing.

"Then we're six of one, half a dozen of the other."

"You're still laughing."

"Am I not keeping you company?"

Zhao Chuan shot him a glare.

"You're just too stubborn to admit it."

Chen Mo did not argue.

"Fine, you're right."

The second round began.

Chen Mo no longer hurried to keep pace.

He planted his feet first.

Then turned his waist.

Finally, he threw the punch.

The movements were slow, but they were clearly smoother.

Even he noticed it himself.

"That's it."

"This is the right way."

Zhao Chuan asked:

"What are you talking about now?"

Chen Mo's lips curled up.

"I improved."

"From just one movement?"

"One movement is still improvement."

Zhao Chuan shook his head.

"You really are easy to satisfy."

Chen Mo snorted.

"What's it to you?"

But that little bit of pride in his heart truly could not be hidden.

As they continued training, his body began to protest.

After finishing one set of Basic Fist.

Wang Lie was merely breathing a little harder.

Zhao Chuan could still stand there and talk.

But Chen Mo was already drenched in sweat.

His arms were aching, and his chest felt a little tight too.

He braced himself on his knees and took two breaths.

"So tired."

Zhao Chuan looked at him.

"Who was it that said he'd improved just now?"

"Improving and being tired don't conflict."

Chen Mo lifted his head and glanced at Wang Lie.

That guy had already begun his second round.

"Is that guy made of iron?"

Zhao Chuan followed his gaze.

"Looks like it to me."

Chen Mo could not help laughing.

Instructor Li happened to be passing by.

"On your first day of training, don't chase speed or quantity."

"Get the movements right first."

Chen Mo immediately stood straight.

"Understood."

After resting, he started again.

Wherever things had felt awkward just now, he practiced that part.

Especially his footwork.

Whenever he could not figure something out himself, he did not feel ashamed. He simply watched how others did it.

When he saw Wang Lie, he asked outright:

"When you turned around just now, did your foot land first?"

Wang Lie nodded.

"Mm."

"Why?"

"Smooth."

Chen Mo blanked for a moment.

"..."

That simple?

He pursed his lips.

"Fine, I'll figure it out myself."

Wang Lie had already turned around and continued practicing his punches.

Chen Mo stared at his back.

"He really saves words."

Zhao Chuan laughed beside him.

The afternoon training was even more exhausting than the morning's.

Chen Mo tried several times to match Wang Lie's pace, but after only a few rounds, he was already out of breath.

In the end, he could only honestly slow down.

He really was a little unwilling to accept it.

But no matter how unwilling he was, his body could not be trained up overnight.

He could not possibly train himself flat on the ground just to save face.

After training ended, several newcomers did not leave right away.

Zhao Chuan sat to one side, rubbing his arm.

"Will we be able to learn more powerful martial techniques later?"

Zhou Zhan and Wu Jie also asked a few questions.

Some wanted to know when they could learn weapons.

Some wanted to know when they could become true Martial Artists.

Chen Mo had originally wanted to ask as well.

But after thinking it over, he walked over to Instructor Li first.

"Instructor."

"What is it?"

"How many times a day is it suitable to practice Basic Fist?"

Instructor Li glanced at him.

"Don't rush to count repetitions."

"First, make sure every round is correct."

"Once your body catches up, you'll naturally know how much you should practice."

Chen Mo nodded earnestly.

"Understood."

After Instructor Li left, Zhao Chuan leaned over.

"Why didn't you ask when you could learn powerful martial techniques?"

"I wanted to ask too."

"Then why didn't you?"

Chen Mo looked at him.

"Because I haven't even figured out Basic Fist yet."

Zhao Chuan had no words for a moment.

Chen Mo immediately grew smug.

"Didn't you suddenly realize I make perfect sense?"

"No."

"You're just jealous."

"Get lost."

Night slowly descended.

Everyone else had dispersed.

The Training Ground gradually grew quiet.

But Chen Mo did not return right away.

There were several parts that had never felt smooth when he practiced during the day.

He stepped back in front of the wooden post.

He took up his stance.

The first round was still wrong.

His footing was unsteady.

His waist did not drive the movement.

The moment his fist went out, his shoulder rushed ahead instead.

Chen Mo stopped.

"Here again."

He thought for a while, then adjusted himself once more.

The second round.

The third round.

He did not blindly throw punches in a flurry.

Whenever he noticed a problem, he stopped and tried again.

Whenever things occasionally went smoothly, he could not help grinning.

"That was good."

One more round.

"This works too."

Gradually, those awkward parts began to flow smoothly.

Chen Mo wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He was tired, all right.

But he was quite happy inside.

At least today's training had not been in vain.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered what Instructor Li had said yesterday.

"Tomorrow, you'll receive your first monthly stipend."

Chen Mo's steps paused.

Monthly stipend.

He really was looking forward to it a little.

He wondered what exactly the Blue Martial Arts Hall would give out.

Thinking of that, he could not help smiling.

"I'll find out tomorrow."

With that, Chen Mo slung his bundle over his back and left the Training Ground.