He motioned for the bailiffs to take the man away for a thorough interrogation.
The scene was brief, yet it sent a shock through Li Xuan's heart!
So there really were arts in this world that surpassed ordinary human capabilities-things called "kung fu" and the "Martial Dao"!
No wonder, no wonder Constable Wang's attributes were so high! He was a martial artist!
The man's reaction when struck, Constable Wang's precise eye, and the speed and power of that kick all felt different from the physique and dexterity Li Xuan had improved through Hunting Points alone.
They seemed more like techniques with a system behind them, an inherited tradition! If I could learn them...
Thoughts raced through his mind, but his expression betrayed nothing.
Shen Wanjun sighed. "These days, dragons and snakes truly mingle together. Thank goodness there are righteous men with genuine ability, such as you, Brave Sir Li."
He turned to Li Xuan, his manner growing still more sincere.
"I have no way to repay your great kindness, Brave Sir Li. This is a small token of my gratitude. Please do not refuse it."
As he spoke, the housekeeper beside him presented a tray covered with a red cloth.
Li Xuan did not look at the tray. Instead, he rose and cupped his fist toward Shen Wanjun, his voice clear and firm.
"Master Shen, I am grateful for your generosity. Though my family is not well-off, I live off the mountains and can still keep food on our table. Forgive my presumption, but there is something else I would ask of you today."
"Oh? Please speak freely, brave sir." Shen Wanjun was somewhat surprised.
"Only after watching Constable Wang apprehend that criminal today did I realize that the arts of the Martial Dao existed in this world."
Li Xuan's gaze was open and honest. "As a hunter, I often venture into the mountain forests and contend with fierce beasts. I must also guard against harm from evildoers. I have a little strength, but no skills with which to protect myself and my family. Master Shen... could you introduce me to a trustworthy teacher, or point me toward a way to learn genuine skills?"
"I do not seek to become an expert. I only wish to strengthen my body and have a little more ability to protect myself in a crisis. I would remember that kindness just as deeply."
For a moment, the reception hall fell silent.
Surprise flickered in Shen Wanjun's eyes, followed by understanding, then admiration.
He had not expected this young hunter to forgo gold and silver and display such ambition and foresight.
Shen Qingyi's eyes widened slightly as well, and the curiosity and admiration in her gaze deepened as she looked at Li Xuan.
Constable Wang also gave Li Xuan another appraising look and nodded.
"You have a good head on your shoulders. Learning martial arts in troubled times not to bully others, but to protect yourself and your family-that is rare."
He stroked his sparse mustache and said thoughtfully, "Your desire to pursue martial arts is commendable, Brave Sir Li. Master Qin, the head of the guards at my residence, trained at the Thunderbolt Martial Arts Hall in his younger days. That hall has something of a reputation in Pingshan Town and even the surrounding counties. Its master, Master Lei, possesses genuine, formidable skills."
He paused, his tone taking on a measure of gravity. "But the threshold for entering that martial arts hall... is not low either. For an ordinary person to study there, their root bone must first be good enough to catch the master's eye. Then there is the introductory gift for accepting a teacher and the tuition each season. Together, those are no small sum-often several dozen taels of pure silver. They also insist on a clear background and someone to vouch for you."
He looked at Li Xuan. "For anyone else, even someone with a measure of strength, crossing that threshold would be difficult beyond measure."
Li Xuan's heart tightened.
Several dozen taels of silver! That was nearly enough to cover an ordinary farming family's living expenses for over a decade!
No wonder the Martial Dao was like an impassable chasm to ordinary people.
Shen Wanjun changed tack and smiled. "However, Brave Sir Li, you saved a life in the Shen Household, and you are an upright young man with worthy aspirations. Though I possess little ability, my name still carries some small weight in Pingshan Town."
"I can write you a letter of recommendation and give it to Master Qin, who can then introduce you to Hall Master Lei. With me vouching for you, you should be spared much of the trouble of getting through the door."
"As for whether you can remain there afterward and learn genuine skills, that will depend on Hall Master Yang's assessment, as well as your own diligence and understanding."
A letter of recommendation!
Li Xuan's heart gave a fierce leap, and indescribable joy and excitement surged through his chest!
He understood all too well the weight of that thin sheet of paper!
With that letter, he could not only avoid the fee for becoming a disciple.
Even if his root bone proved inadequate, the martial arts hall would most likely show Master Shen some consideration!
Whatever happened, he finally had a chance to practice martial arts!
He immediately rose, stepped back, and bowed deeply to Shen Wanjun, his hands clasped. Excitement made his voice slightly low, but it remained utterly clear and sincere.
"Master Shen, I will remember your great kindness until my dying day! This letter is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold! If I make even the slightest progress in the future, I will never forget the helping hand you offered me today!"
Shen Wanjun accepted his bow without demur, then smiled and gestured for him to rise.
"Please rise, brave sir. With such a desire to better yourself, all I am doing is giving your boat a push with the current and forming a bond of goodwill. I hope you will study diligently and train hard, truly achieve something, and live up to the aspirations you have expressed today."
He then instructed the housekeeper to bring paper and a brush, and wrote a brief but earnestly worded letter of recommendation on the spot. He stamped it with his private seal and handed it to Li Xuan.
Li Xuan accepted it with both hands. The featherlight paper felt as heavy as a mountain. He folded it carefully and tucked it close to his body.
This step forward was more cause for joy than hunting down ten mountain goats!
With their business settled, the atmosphere grew even warmer. Shen Wanjun said:
"You have been running about on behalf of the Shen Household, Brave Sir Li, and we have spoken for so long that you must be hungry. I have arranged a modest meal at the Drunken Immortal House, both to settle our nerves and to offer you a small celebration. Please do not refuse."
The Drunken Immortal House!
Though Li Xuan had never been there, he had heard it was the finest restaurant in Pingshan Town. A single banquet there was said to cost as much as several months of an ordinary family's expenses.
He had intended to decline politely, but seeing Shen Wanjun's sincerity-and since he truly needed to learn more about the town, especially its martial arts halls and the Martial Dao-he thanked him again and accepted.
The group left through a side gate of the Shen residence, where a spacious carriage with a blue canopy was already waiting.
The two horses pulling it were tall and magnificent, their coats glossy.
Steward Chen personally lifted the carriage curtain. "Brave Sir Li, please."
Li Xuan hesitated briefly, then used the footstool to climb inside.
The carriage was quite roomy, with thick felt padding spread inside and soft brocade covering the seats. A low table was fixed in the middle.
The curtain fell, shutting out the marketplace's clamor and the cold. All that remained was the gentle warmth radiating from the charcoal brazier and a faint sandalwood fragrance.
Li Xuan sat down and found the seat extraordinarily soft, utterly unlike the hard wooden stools and mountain rocks he usually sat on. He almost sank into it.
The carriage began to move slowly, traveling so smoothly that he could scarcely feel a jolt.
It was his first carriage ride. That comfort and steadiness gave him a more tangible understanding of "wealth and privilege," strengthening his determination to become powerful.
The carriage passed through the bustling marketplace toward the town center's most prosperous district.
As it passed a street lined
with all manner of New Year goods and especially crowded with people, the carriage slowed.
As luck would have it, Xu Wang was there with Xu Yulian, browsing at a rouge and face-powder stall.
"You dare ask thirty copper coins for this quality?" Her lips curled, her voice shrill. "Mistress Zhang next door bought a box a whole size bigger for only twenty-five-was your rouge ground from gold?"
The stallholder was a woman in her thirties, and her face fell at those words. "What kind of talk is that? I run a small, honest business here, cheating neither children nor the elderly. If you think it's expensive, buy it next door. Don't stand here getting in the way of my business."
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Xu Wang's eyebrows shot up. "What's wrong with asking the price? Am I not even allowed to ask?"
"You've been asking for a quarter of an hour." The stallholder snatched the rouge back from her hand. "If you're not buying, forget it. All this dithering-do you think this is a vegetable market? You penniless miser!"
Beside her, Xu Yulian flushed crimson with embarrassment and tugged at her mother's sleeve.
Xu Wang shook off her hand and pointed at the stallholder, about to launch into a tirade.
Just then, a blue-canopied carriage came around the street corner.
Brass fittings, fine horses, and a driver in close-fitting work clothes seated on the carriage shafts-only the town's wealthy households could afford such an outfit.
The carriage passed the rouge stall.
The wind lifted a corner of the window curtain.
Xu Yulian happened to glance up and froze.
The person sitting inside the carriage was Li Xuan.
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