The martial arts school

The beggars blocking their way vanished in moments. Even Lin Hao was surprised by how quickly they dropped to their knees and backed down.

They had not hesitated in the slightest. In fact, they looked as though they had rehearsed it countless times.

Lin Hao did not pursue the matter, and the group crossed the head of Blue Stone Bridge.

It was the spring rainy season, and the artificial flood channel dug beneath Blue Stone Bridge was already over half full. An outlet downstream controlled the rate at which water drained into the wetlands.

Inside Dam Market, the main road leading from Blue Stone Bridge was paved with blue stone bricks. The surroundings were much better than outside, with the occasional carriage passing through.

The aroma of wine drifted from the taverns by the road, mingled with the smell of stir-fried dishes.

Having gone a month without a hot meal, all of them swallowed hungrily.

"Let's find the martial arts school first. We can treat ourselves afterward. Even a market town like this has stir-fried food. By the standards of ancient feudal dynasties, Great Qi is pretty prosperous. The broadcast said resources were fairly plentiful here, and it looks like that was true."

Cloth shops, gambling houses, brothels-the shops lining the stone road beyond the bridge further demonstrated the market town's prosperity.

It certainly deserved its reputation as a place comparable to a county town. Though it could not match a modern city, it was definitely doing well by the standards of this era.

The other end of the channel they had passed connected directly to the Grand Canal. Through gaps between buildings, they could make out the canal and some of the pleasure boats and painted barges on it.

Dam Market had been built around the Lake-Blocking Dam holding back the lake. Large numbers of laborers worked here maintaining the dam and dredging silt, and there were docks where grain ships berthed. The settlement had gradually expanded around these facilities until it reached its present size.

The canal flowed from south to north. Its current was gentle enough that boats could travel upstream without much difficulty, linking the north and south.

Farther south lay South of the Yangtze, Great Qi's most prosperous region. The nearest major city was Qingkou Prefecture, the capital of Qingkou Province.

Traveling north along the canal through two provinces would bring one to Jinkou, where cargo was transferred for transport to the imperial capital.

Built along the canal, Dam Market was long and narrow. It had only one main road paved with blue stone. The side alleys were dirt roads, though they were covered with a layer of fine gravel.

The market was divided into the northern market, the central district, and the southern dock district. Most residents lived around the southern docks, but that area was also dirtier and more chaotic. The northern market was somewhat smaller, though it still saw plenty of foot traffic on an ordinary day.

The Wu Family Martial Arts School was located in the northern market.

Along the way, Lin Hao and the others bought four bowls of spicy lamb offal soup from a roadside stall, much like a street-side spicy hot pot. The bowls were heaped with offal, and the rich, spicy aroma whetted all their appetites.

They stood beside the stall, blowing out breaths as they savored this rare hot meal. The spicy, savory offal had the distinctive richness of organ meat, while the lamb tripe crunched between their teeth with a satisfying chewiness.

At ten copper coins a bowl, it was not cheap for ordinary people. Even so, many men who had spent the day doing hard physical labor were willing to enjoy a bowl after work.

Four bowls were not enough for Lin Hao's group, so they each ordered another. He handed over a tenth of a tael of silver, and the vendor beamed as he counted out twenty copper coins in change.

"Hey, is the Wu Family Martial Arts School just up ahead? Why are so many people gathered there?"

Lin Hao slowed down to savor his second bowl and began asking the vendor questions.

Faced with such good customers, the vendor readily told them everything he knew.

"You're from out of town, aren't you? The Northern and Southern Fishermen's Gangs recently merged, and that stepped on the Vegetable Gang's interests. There have been a few small clashes between them. In the end, the Fishermen's Gang invited Incense Master Liu from the Grain Transport Gang, while the Vegetable Gang invited Master Wu. They're planning to settle things through mediation. That should be what they're discussing now. They wanted everyone to witness it anyway, so they've left the doors open for the talks. If I didn't have to watch my stall, I'd go take a look myself."

Lin Hao nodded slightly. Apparently, Dam Market had originally had two fishing gangs, one northern and one southern. Their names made their main business obvious. They might have been organizations formed by fishermen, or perhaps they also bought catches at depressed prices and rented out fishing boats.

After merging, it seemed only natural that they would clash over profits with the Vegetable Gang, which monopolized the produce markets.

"Looks like the Wu Family Martial Arts School really does carry some weight."

Though he had only heard a rough account, Lin Hao had already formed a preliminary assessment of the situation.

The broadcast had mentioned grain transport, and the Grain Transport Gang could practically be considered a civilian organization attached to the Grain Transport Governor's Office. Its members were grain transport workers.

From what the old farmer had said earlier, he also knew that when the grain transport authorities had no representatives here, the Grain Transport Gang was the dominant force.

Even if this Incense Master Liu was not the Grain Transport Gang's local leader, and merely an ordinary officer, the fact that the Wu Family Martial Arts School had been invited to stand against him was enough to reveal its strength.

Its overall influence was probably greater than that of either the Fishermen's Gang or the Vegetable Gang.

"Thanks. We'll go take a look too."

Lin Hao took his change and headed toward the crowd with the others.

With the enchantment on his arms, he only had to push people aside from a slight distance to clear a path. Feeling that immense strength, the bystanders dared not complain and obediently moved out of the way.

Lin Hao shielded Zhao Xiaowen, while Nie Yi held on to his clothes and followed with her head down. Yi Feng, meanwhile, darted through the crowd like a rat. Lin Hao left him to it and soon reached the front, where he could see the martial arts school's open gates.

The grounds inside were spacious and paved with blue stone. Here and there, a few weeds had stubbornly pushed through the cracks.

In places where people often practiced, the stones had worn into shallow depressions, their surfaces smooth as though polished by years of handling.

Two rows of high-backed wooden chairs and tea tables had been arranged on opposite sides of the grounds, leaving an open space in the middle that appeared to serve as a sparring area.

Besides those seated in the chairs, two groups stood behind them, facing off. Judging by the fishermen's straw rain capes, the people on the left belonged to the Vegetable Gang and the Wu Family Martial Arts School, while those opposite were from the Fishermen's Gang, accompanied by Incense Master Liu of the Grain Transport Gang.

Seated in the middle on the Martial Arts School's side was an elderly man with a long, graying beard. Dressed in a long jacket and robe, he looked refined, more like a teacher than a martial artist.

Apart from his graying hair and beard, his skin was smooth and lustrous as a baby's. His finger joints protruded slightly, but they did not look callused.

A young man and woman stood behind him. The man looked honest and simple, but he was powerfully built, his short tunic unable to conceal his bulging muscles. The woman had a graceful figure and pretty features. Her fitted white martial outfit gave her a dash of valor, and with her rather flat chest, she looked quite like a handsome young man.

Incense Master Liu on the opposite side was much younger and held a folding fan, though a hairy mole at the corner of his mouth spoiled his overall appearance.

He cupped his hands and said,

"Master Wu, according to the rules, ear-

"lier, they finished their bout, so it's now our turn to give our assessment. I think that although the Vegetable Gang had a slight edge in the match, they relied entirely on desperate, opportunistic tactics. Their victory was hardly honorable.

"And now that the northern and southern Fishermen's Gangs have merged, they deserve a larger share of the profits. How about giving them a little more space at the docks to ship their goods?"

Master Wu did not answer immediately. Instead, he picked up a cup of tea.

"Incense Master Liu, the Vegetable Gang is made up of men from poor families. There's no need to squeeze them any further. If serious trouble breaks out, it won't be easy to explain to Helmsman Yin either. Besides, they won the match, and it was the Fishermen's Gang that started this dispute. Not demanding compensation or concessions from the Fishermen's Gang was already more than generous. Why should they be given another share?"

From this exchange, the Fishermen's Gang and the Vegetable Gang had apparently already sent their experts into the ring. The match was over, and the Vegetable Gang had presumably won, but Incense Master Liu still wanted to secure more benefits for the Fishermen's Gang.

After speaking, Master Wu did not wait for Incense Master Liu's response. He simply flicked the teacup in his hand.

"Have some tea, Incense Master Liu. Cool your temper."

The teacup actually "floated" across the Martial Arts Ground toward Incense Master Liu at an eerily constant speed.

Though it was not moving quickly, it gave off a low, whirling whistle as it "floated," as if something were spinning at high speed.

Like a rapidly spinning gyroscope in midair, it remained perfectly steady throughout its flight, without spilling any tea.

That single display made Lin Hao's eyes widen as he held Zhao Xiaowen protectively against him.

This was what they called "no internal energy"?

This was what they said was similar to "traditional Chinese martial arts"?!

It was this incredible?

On the other side, Incense Master Liu's expression shifted slightly at the sight of the floating cup. His face turned grave as he reached out with both hands to receive it.

He caught it steadily, without spilling a single drop of tea.

But his fingertips were already trembling.

This had no practical value in combat. It was pure showmanship!

But I couldn't do it!

That was as far as this contest of finesse could go...

He had thought Master Wu had retired to his hometown with hidden injuries. The old man had not fought for years, and rumor had it that his vitality had declined, leaving him unable to maintain the whole-body transforming force that allowed "not a feather to be added, nor a fly to alight."

His visit today had indeed been intended, in large part, to test the old man.

But this display alone proved that the old military examination graduate who had retired from the battlefield was still not to be underestimated!

Of the three great martial arts schools, the Wu Family Martial Arts School still stood foremost.

With both his eldest disciple and his daughter having attained the rank of martial master, not to mention his many connections, this attempt would have to be abandoned. Half the silver offered by the Fishermen's Gang would have to be returned...