Stance arts and martial techniques

"Whether stance arts or martial techniques, there are only four levels of mastery: beginner, minor mastery, major mastery, and the Transformation Realm."

Song Qi said to Su Yan, "Try holding the Golden Ape Stance."

Su Yan nodded and complied. With a shift of his body, he immediately began the Golden Ape Stance Art, his form rising and falling like an old ape, his breathing long and natural.

"The beginner level is the threshold. Only once you cross it can you be said to have learned something. That applies to both stance arts and martial techniques. Without reaching that level, you can't even use them."

Song Qi's eyes flickered with quiet surprise. Su Yan's Golden Ape Stance Art was not merely at minor mastery; he had already taken several steps beyond it. His ape-like movements flowed at will, almost instinctively.

He continued, "Minor mastery means you have a firm grasp of it and can produce its intended effects. It's also the highest level most ordinary people can reach."

Su Yan adjusted his breathing, his expression shifting. "They can't reach major mastery?"

Song Qi gave a scornful smile. "What do you think major mastery is? Just learning a skill?"

Song Qi casually took two steps. Su Yan's pupils contracted as he stared at him in astonishment.

Song Qi had not assumed a stance, yet in Su Yan's eyes, he seemed to transform into an azure goat, drawing in and releasing the surrounding air. His body rose and fell as though he were bounding through mountains, rivers, and forests.

"Understand?"

Su Yan only half understood. "Walking becomes stance training, moving becomes stance training, and every moment is cultivation. It becomes instinct?"

"Not just instinct. It becomes part of your body, with form and intent united."

Song Qi turned around. Though it was not as obvious as before, only now did Su Yan realize that every movement Song Qi normally made was stance training. His muscles and breathing all moved with the stance.

"At minor mastery, you can use it freely, which is already enough in practice. But naturally, stance arts and techniques become more powerful and effective at major mastery."

Su Yan could hardly wait. "How can I reach it?"

"Insight, compatibility, and the slow grind of effort."

Song Qi instructed him, "With any one of those three, major mastery becomes possible. But in truth, the slow grind of effort is a false notion."

"Even that can be false?"

"Ordinary people can reach minor mastery through practice, but not major mastery. That so-called slow grind means piling up endless time and experience, waiting for a single spark of inspiration. Understand?"

Song Qi sighed. "Some wait three years, some thirty, and some may never find that spark in their entire lives."

"Forcing a breakthrough with spiritual herbs, receiving guidance from an expert, finding a compatible art... without the necessary insight, those are your only options."

Song Qi patted Su Yan's shoulder and had him release his stance. "Your stance art has improved again since the other day. Presumably, that's because it suits you so well. Major mastery may not be out of reach. Your thinking is correct. Try incorporating the stance into your footwork, then into Monkey Fist, and finally into every ordinary movement. In time, major mastery will come naturally."

With this guidance, Song Qi was truly treating Su Yan like a nephew or a member of the younger generation in his own family.

"Once your Golden Ape Stance Art reaches major mastery, your blood and qi will surge even more vigorously, and skin refining will become much faster."

Su Yan's eyes brightened slightly. "Wouldn't the Transformation Realm be even more impressive, then?"

"The Transformation Realm?"

Su Yan's question made Song Qi laugh. "What do you think the Transformation Realm requires? Just one thing: talent, meaning exceptional insight. Among ten thousand people, there may not be even one who can train a technique to the Transformation Realm. Even with perfect compatibility, the insight required is still beyond ordinary people."

He paused, perhaps afraid of discouraging Su Yan, and explained, "The Transformation Realm is already beyond the ordinary. You transcend the technique itself and become one with nature, unleashing power beyond the technique's original limits."

Su Yan also asked Song Qi about several problems with Monkey Fist. Song Qi refused none of his questions and guided him through each one.

It was not until the afternoon that Su Yan left the Hundred Herbs Hall and returned to Yunqian Village.

"You're telling me these are all that remain of Niu Han's loan notes?"

In a courtyard at the Mountain Market, Niu Dang and Niu Daqi had been kicked to the ground. Their faces were already mottled with bruises, and they looked utterly wretched.

They knelt before a sinister-looking man in python-patterned martial attire, kowtowing repeatedly until their foreheads bled.

"Sir, these really are all that's left. We only managed to save them by rushing into the fire."

On the table, a mass of loan notes lay crumpled together in a small wooden box, a chaotic jumble. Some were half burned; others had been scorched yellow.

The box should have been filled to the brim, but now less than a quarter remained.

"Useless trash!"

Gu Hong kicked Niu Dang away again.

Niu Dang endured the pain, got up, and kowtowed. "Sir, the moment those unruly villagers heard our older cousin was dead, they actually dared to set fire to the house. That's how the loan notes ended up like this. I still remember who borrowed money. I'll go to them one by one..."

"Get out of my way."

Gu Hong slammed the table, smashing both it and the chairs. "Do you think you call the shots in Cloudcang Town, or that the Little Mountain Society does?"

Without loan notes, they could still force people to pay, and the mountain villagers would be powerless to resist. But taking that silver would leave a glaring weakness for others to seize upon, making it easy for the people at the government office to target them, along with the Lin Family, the Hundred Herbs Hall, and their ilk.

Gu Hong's eyes flickered as he considered the matter. Niu Han was better at ruining things than accomplishing them. He'd only just joined the society, and already this rotten luck. If no one handles the lending now, not only will my income dry up, but buying slaves will probably become difficult too. Then those above me will blame me instead.

He glanced at Niu Dang and Niu Daqi, and anger welled up inside him.

If Niu Han was useless, then these two younger cousins from his village were complete and utter fools.

Never mind replacing Niu Han—even in their own village, they probably could not handle one or two burly men. How could they gather a crew to lend money?

"What a nuisance."

Gu Hong needed a source of silver and a front man. It would not do to order the gang members to handle these matters, since they were private business, after all.

For now, his only option was to find someone else. It also had to be someone from the surrounding villages; otherwise, how could they lend money locally?

"I hear someone noteworthy has emerged from Yunqian Village?"

His eyes shifted, and he suddenly asked, "Do you know the man who killed the tiger today?"

Niu Dang and Niu Daqi exchanged a glance and stammered, "We know him. He's Su Yan from Yunqian Village. His father owed us ten taels of silver."

"What's his family situation?"

Niu Dang and Niu Daqi looked uncomfortable, but dared not conceal anything. "His father fell to his death. He's all alone. We heard he joined the Golden Ape Martial Arts Hall and learned some skills. He's got some ability."

"He's learned some skills? That does make things a little troublesome."

His gaze sharpened, a trace of cunning flashing through it. After pondering for a while, he said, "Keep careful track of his movements. If he comes to the Market Ward again, tell me."

"Well... sir, what do you want with him? If there's something to be done, we can..."

"You?"

Gu Hong swept his gaze over them. "Just do as you're told. If Su Yan agrees and works for me for a year or two, I'll bring him into the society. As for you two, if you're obedient, you might be able to join along with him."

Niu Dang and Niu Daqi stared at each other. Gu Hong actually wanted Su Yan to serve as his front man for moneylending.

The two groaned inwardly. He really was a young master from town—how could he be so blind to everything around him?

Gu Hong might not know, but how could they fail to understand?

The Black Rock Crow Ginseng presented to Gu Hong back then had not been gathered by Niu Han himself. Su Dahe had paid for it with his life.

Under those circumstances, if Su Yan really found out...

The two shuddered, yet Gu Hong did not think he would fail.

A young man with no one to rely on, at most a member of the Golden Ape Martial Hall Outer Court.

Handled properly, he would naturally do as he was told.