Stance Training

Cock-a-doodle-doo~

Early in the morning, sunlight spilled across the earth to the crowing of a rooster.

With no more multiple suns hanging overhead, even an ordinary morning like this seemed capable of soothing the unease in their hearts.

Lin Hao and the others left their rooms one after another to wash up.

Yi Feng and Nie Yi worked hard drawing water from the well while the group chatted.

"You're overthinking it, Lin. How hard could making money be in an era like this? Soap, perfume, glass beads, cement, printing, penicillin-as long as we find a way to get established, we could rake in silver without even trying."

Yi Feng hauled up the bucket, wiping his sweat and panting as he spoke.

"With all the people in our apartment building and residential complex, there must be some educated folks who know how to make those things."

"You do have a point."

Lin Hao nodded thoughtfully.

After a quick wash, they headed to the dining hall for breakfast.

Breakfast was relatively light, but there were all the big meat buns and tea eggs they could eat, along with a bowl of egg and meat-patty soup each.

The meat patties were tender with a little crunch, made from thirty percent fat and seventy percent lean meat. Some unknown crisp morsels had been mixed in, giving each bite a juicy crunch.

One bite of a big meat bun filled the mouth with rich juices. The hand-fermented dough was soft and delicious, and once soaked in the meat juices, it left a lingering fragrance on the tongue.

Master Wu even poured himself a little cup of liquor.

But the sight of the glass cup in Master Wu's hand left Lin Hao staring blankly over his meat bun.

His fixed gaze caught Wu Deshui's attention. Stroking his beard, he said with a smile,

"You came from the Northwest, Hao, so you probably haven't seen a Glazed Glass Cup before. It's a marvelous thing the Yanhuang Trade Association in Jinkou found overseas. Crystal clear, with an air of luxury-and remarkably, it isn't expensive."

Qian Tao, who was sitting at the same table as Lin Hao and the others, chimed in with admiration.

"The Yanhuang Trade Association is really something. It only rose to prominence a few months ago, but it's already a renowned imperial merchant, with the Divine Might Marquis Manor backing it. Its goods are exquisite, too. Cloth, dyes, printed books-they're all top quality. It even has exclusive specialties like cosmetics, soap, and glazed glass..."

For a moment, Lin Hao's meat bun lost all its appeal. Yi Feng's face fell as well.

Of course. Much of their information had come through the University City Broadcast. There were crowds of people over at the university, including professors, and they had arrived several months earlier. Naturally, they would already have all these easy-to-make products covered!

Still, Lin Hao had learned plenty from University Town's information and benefited from its help, so he felt no resentment. He simply had no words for the situation.

In an era with so few safeguards, ordinary people would normally struggle to hold on to advanced techniques or lucrative ways of making money.

But University Town had already produced a small arsenal of "truth." Martial artists were carbon-based life-forms too; ordinary fighters would probably be little more than targets against firearms.

By making sure they couldn't be swallowed whole, banding together, and then ceding enough profits to those in power, they had probably secured a foothold by now.

If we can't get by, we could try joining them. Still, despite their huge operations, such a rapid rise must have stirred up plenty of competing interests. I'd better learn martial arts first...

Rewards and risks always went hand in hand. University Town's operations might be extensive, but it probably had no shortage of trouble either.

For now, Lin Hao's priority remained improving himself!

Besides, Master Wu owned a suit of Infantry Armor he had brought back from the army. If Lin Hao could buy it, there was a very good chance it would qualify as equipment and make up for his lack of defense.

However, the martial arts school had plenty of income streams. Buying some old training implements was one thing, but acquiring something with sentimental value to its owner probably wouldn't be so easy.

Fortunately, his main objective now was to train at the school. By limiting his trips outside, he should be able to avoid danger and take his time making plans...

"Since this is your first day of training, I will teach you personally. You differ from children born to ordinary poor families. You've never lacked food growing up, and your physical foundations are all above average. Although you're starting a few years late, diligent practice can still make up for it."

Standing in the training yard, Wu Deshui personally began teaching Lin Hao and the other three the basics.

Having taken their money, he had to deliver. He could leave routine practice to the instructors and the two Hidden Force martial masters, but he had to oversee their initiation himself.

Coming from modern society, however poor they might have been, none of them had suffered much deprivation when it came to food and nutrition.

Even Yi Feng and Nie Yi, who were relatively thin, had no deficiencies in their physical foundations.

This surprised even Wu Deshui. Judging purely by their frames, he thought the little girl was somewhat better suited than the others, who were merely average. Yet all of them had been remarkably well nourished.

They might not have laid their foundations during the golden training years of fifteen and sixteen, but excessive labor hadn't warped their bodies either!

Lin Hao in particular had spent a month cramming in training before coming here, so he already had something of a foundation.

"The foundation of my lineage consists of the seven Still Stances and thirty-six Moving Stances of the Crouching Tiger Fist. For the first five days, I will guide you personally until you learn these fundamentals."

Hearing Wu Deshui's words, Lin Hao was a little surprised. Seven Still Stances and thirty-six Moving Stances?

We can learn all that in five days?

Concerned that his muscle memory might give him away, Lin Hao had temporarily switched back to his original dumbbell.

Wearing the Crouching Tiger Staff all night had left him with some sense of its movements after he took it off. Even so, learning everything so quickly would probably still be difficult!

"Master, I've never had any athletic talent. Isn't five days asking too much?"

Yi Feng was the first to voice what Lin Hao had wanted to say.

Beside them, Qin Sicheng, an instructor resting nearby whom they could address as Fifth Senior Brother, laughed.

"That's why Master is teaching you personally. You'll see the benefits soon enough. Tsk, tsk, starting your training at this age... how nice."

Toward the end, a strange hint of delight at their misfortune crept into his voice, as though he were waiting for a good show.

Lin Hao sensed that something was wrong too, but before he could dwell on it, Wu Deshui placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hao has the strongest body, so we'll start with you. Pay close attention to how it feels."

"Master, aren't you going to demonstrate first?"

With Wu Deshui's hand pressing on his shoulder, Lin Hao panicked, inexplicably recalling the teacup he had seen him throw.

"Watching a thousand times isn't as good as practicing once. Relax your whole body. It'll hurt a little if you resist. Are you ready?"

"Wait..."

Before Lin Hao could finish, Wu Deshui turned his palm, and Lin Hao felt his entire body begin moving involuntarily under the pull of a powerful force.

Crack, crack~

His bones popped and his tendons creaked. Wherever that force traveled, Lin Hao felt his body crackle, as though he were about to shatter from head to toe.

An indescribable pain swept over him, nearly drawing a scream.

Crack, crack~

Lin Hao became like a spinning top in Wu Deshui's hands. Although he stood a full head taller than Wu Deshui, he was being manipulated like a puppet, moved through one posture after another.

Finally, with a scream, he planted his legs on the ground like tree roots, his knees slightly bent and his arms extended in a bow-drawing pose, his entire body drawn taut like a great bow.

"This is the first Still Stance, the Tiger-Shooting Stance. Pay attention. Next comes the second..."

Then, in a daze, Lin Hao felt himself being shaken into motion again.

"It doesn't matter if your mind can't keep up. Let your body remember it instinctively first."

As Wu Deshui worked Lin Hao over, he still had the leisure to offer casual commentary.

"Hao's physique really is quite good. Better than I expected. With some effort, you might even have a chance at the martial exams."

The foundation from his month of last-minute training, combined with the training modifiers from his Yoga Outfit, Training Shoes, Dumbbell Substitute, and other equipment, made Lin Hao's performance genuinely surprising to Wu Deshui.

After a whole succession of bone-cracking maneuvers, Lin Hao had completed all seven Still Stances and thirty-six Moving Stances!

When it was over, Lin Hao felt weightless, and the school's training clothes he had changed into were soaked through with sweat.

In the lingering chill of March, wisps of steam could even be seen rising from his body.

Although he ached all over after completing the full sequence, he also felt a pleasant ease, rather like he had just had a massage. His blood and vital energy seemed to surge throughout his body.

He even wanted to do it again!

"You have a good foundation, Hao. Take a medicinal bath at noon and get some rest. You should be able to do another full set this afternoon."

"Thank you, Master!"

Though his whole body ached, Lin Hao knew a good thing when he saw it.

A medicinal bath at the school cost one hundred copper coins per session. Whether to take one was entirely up to the student, but Lin Hao didn't hesitate.

The hundred coins for a medicinal bath were a small matter. Another session of personal instruction from Wu Deshui was probably something money couldn't buy!

For every new student, this initiation was probably where they got the most value out of their tuition!

Once they had learned the basics, they could simply follow along with the others!

His foundation was probably good enough for him to attempt another round. In this era, a child from an ordinary family would likely exhaust their blood and vital energy after just one session.

Next, Wu Deshui seized Yi Feng, who looked as though he was trying to slip away. Those powerful, talon-like fingers clamped down on Yi Feng's shoulder, almost bringing him to tears.

"Master, I'm scared of pain..."

"Be good. It won't hurt."

"Aah!"