Antelope Hanging Its Horns

"It's broad daylight. Master's wife is going to teach me some footwork in a bit. I still have to go over there."

Zhao Xiaowen slapped Lin Hao's hand, then leaned close to his ear and lowered her voice.

"I'll talk to Nie Yi tonight and have her stay with Senior Sister. That girl has a real gift for martial arts, and she's very focused. Her bones and tendons have already resonated together a few times. Senior Sister said she might complete Whole-Body Force in another month or so."

At first, hearing that she would send Nie Yi away had stirred Lin Hao's desire, but what followed surprised him.

He had already built up a month's worth of training back at the apartment building. Now, even with his [Great Achievement] training method accelerating his progress, several training bonus traits, and the maximum allotted medicinal supplements, he would probably still need another two weeks.

Although Master's wife often gave the women medicine, they shouldn't have been taking as much as he did. Yet with just the skill from a single green piece of equipment, this girl wasn't progressing much slower than him?

His training method was at [Great Achievement]!

And his equipment slot provided several additional [Training] trait bonuses!

That could only mean there really was a gap in their talent. Her natural aptitude was at least on par with his current abilities after Trait Stacking his [Training] traits!

It reminded Lin Hao of Nie Yi's appetite. Despite her tiny frame, she ate almost as much as he did without putting on any weight. After starting martial arts, she had become an outright bottomless pit. Perhaps that, too, was another manifestation of her talent.

Hearing Zhao Xiaowen say that Nie Yi was focused and trained hard also made Lin Hao sigh inwardly.

She had crawled out of hell, after all. Normally, she was cautious and seemed like nothing more than a dazed little glutton, but her mental resilience far surpassed Yi Feng's halfhearted, sporadic efforts.

Lin Hao knew firsthand just how grueling martial arts training was!

"Mm. Make sure you keep training, too. Only your own strength truly belongs to you. If you're strong enough, you can handle all kinds of unexpected situations."

Lin Hao gave her the reminder in a low voice.

Others were different from him. The protection from the equipment in his equipment slot gave him more room for error. For ordinary people, even those who practiced martial arts, a single lapse could spell disaster.

"I know. Even when we go out, we always go with Senior Sister. We won't take risks."

Being stopped on the road when they first entered Dam Market had been unpleasant, but it had also served as a timely reminder that this world was anything but peaceful.

Just then, a voice came from nearby.

"Do you have a moment, Junior Brother Lin? I've been practicing the Crouching Tiger Staff lately, too. You look about as proficient as I am, and I'm itching for a match."

Lin Hao turned and saw Luo Jing approaching with a smile.

He raised an eyebrow.

That made Lin Hao raise an eyebrow. He remembered the three Luo Clan brothers. Studying was for the poor; martial arts required money.

Most of the apprentices here came from reasonably well-off families-cloth merchants, butchers, and landowners.

The ten-tael tuition requirement was a barrier, after all.

Luo Jing and Luo Wei were among the few apprentices from farming families. They could only remain because the martial arts school had made allowances for them.

From Zhao Xiaowen's chats with Wu Xin, he had learned that, given the Wu Family Martial Arts School's reputation, lowering its tuition fees to five taels of silver would actually increase its earnings considerably. Enrollment would more than double.

But at five taels, some impoverished families would start getting ideas, selling everything they owned to send their children here.

People with a talent for martial arts were rare to begin with. Add the poor nutrition those children grew up with and the inadequate nourishment during training, and it was extremely difficult for them to achieve anything.

The ten-tael threshold instead put the idea out of many people's minds. Still, when a child from a poor family genuinely had a chance, the school was usually willing to grant another month or two.

Luo Jing and Luo Wei were typical examples. Both seemed fairly talented, and even without adequate nutrition, they had managed to make some progress.

If they slowed their progress appropriately, stayed within their bodies' limits, and patiently worked at it, both probably had a chance of reaching bright force.

Initially, Lin Hao had considered whether, having no roots in this era, he should offer them help when they needed it most and make a little angel investment.

But just as he was preparing to observe their character and decide whether they were worth it, Luo Wei had actually approached him to borrow money. That instantly changed Lin Hao's opinion of them.

They barely knew each other, yet he could ask for money? Just because Lin Hao looked wealthy?

Which of their fellow disciples-or the martial arts school itself-didn't have money? They knew him better, too. Why hadn't he borrowed from them?

In modern terms, it was like ignoring small loans, emergency credit, and credit cards to ask someone he barely knew for money. His motives were plainly suspect.

And after that borrowing incident, Yi Feng had told him that their other cousin, Luo Hong, had once offered to take him to a brothel and suggested doing some gambling. Yi Feng had brushed him off with a casual excuse.

"These locals are pretty funny. A place full of village women and aunties, probably riddled with disease, and they still have the nerve to invite people there. They've really never seen the world..."

Those had been Yi Feng's exact words.

Although he often went out with Qian Tao to listen to music, drink tea, and gossip, Yi Feng had grown up in the modern world, after all. He was rather picky.

Those two incidents had left Lin Hao with little liking for the Luo Clan Brothers. Of all the apprentices at the Martial Arts School, they were the ones he dealt with least. Now another of them had approached him unprompted, immediately putting him a little on guard.

"Oh? Perfect, then. Let's have a light spar and stop short of hurting each other."

Lin Hao vaguely suspected this fellow had come to probe his abilities. Who knew what he might be planning?

Still, they were in the martial arts school, so there was nothing to fear. He would see what the man wanted.

"You can't train martial arts entirely on your own. Exchanging pointers now and then is a good way to improve. Junior Brother Luo Jing has trained quite a bit longer, but Junior Brother Lin is progressing quickly. It's a suitable match."

Nearby, Qin Sicheng set down the stone lock in his hands again and walked over.

"Go ahead. I'll watch from the side. They're only Long Staffs, but remember to stop short."

Martial arts wasn't child's play. Injuries were common, but the necessary safety reminders still had to be given.

"All right."

Qin Sicheng's words sent another stab through Luo Jing's heart. Although Qin Sicheng had only given a fair assessment, and everything he said was true, the truth cut deepest.

As Luo Jing gripped his staff, a trace of vicious determination rose within him, pushing aside his original intention of merely testing Lin Hao.

I've trained so much longer, after all. I have an absolute advantage in combat techniques and experience. It won't be a problem if I "accidentally" hurt him.

Meanwhile, Lin Hao had quietly swapped out his stone locks for two Long Staffs, one blue and one green. Combined with his own [Proficient] staff technique, they instantly brought him back to [Great Achievement]!

It wasn't that Lin Hao wanted to overpower someone with [Great Achievement] technique. In terms of sheer combat power, the staff that added forty kilograms was his strongest setup.

[Great Achievement] technique will let me control everything smoothly. Whatever changes he makes, I'll have it all in hand. This is a good chance to see what he's planning...

Since Lin Hao already had his suspicions, he naturally needed a response. Even an expert could fall when surrounded. He wasn't sure what arrangements they might make, so until he was strong enough, it was better to play it safe.

The other man was still an apprentice at the Martial Arts School, after all. As an outsider who had only just arrived, Lin Hao couldn't really act on mere suspicion. He felt that they had targeted his group not simply because they had shown their wealth, but mainly because they had no local backing!

The half month since his arrival had also given Lin Hao a vague sense of this era's invisible constraints.

In this market, where the authorities did nothing, every adult was part of the "rules" that kept others in check. The stronger an individual was, the greater their restraining influence. Individuals then formed households and clans, which in turn gave rise to gangs and other factions.

Once the four of them left the martial arts school's protection, the only thing keeping others in check was their own strength...

"Please give me your guidance, Senior Brother Luo Jing."

The two picked up their Long Staffs in turn, then crossed the tips and tapped them together in salute.

"After you, Junior Brother Lin."

After touching staffs, each stepped back to put some distance between them, then assumed the same opening stance of the Crouching Tiger Staff.

With the bonus of Great Achievement-level staff technique, Lin Hao needed only one glance at Luo Jing's movements to judge that his staff technique was probably only at the beginner level.

That was normal enough. Physical conditioning primarily relied on the Crouching Tiger Fist first. Someone like Lin Hao was the exception.

"Ha!"

Luo Jing was the first to lose patience. Confident that his deeper foundation meant he had nothing to fear from a pampered young master who had trained for only half a month, he attacked first.

Their Long Staffs exploded from stillness into motion, nearly identical moves clashing in rapid succession.

The thud, thud of their exchanges rang out continuously.

They even drew the attention of quite a few other apprentices in the courtyard, who came over to watch.

"Junior Brother Lin has only been here half a month, right? That's impressive. He's already grasped the basics."

"If we're counting just staff practice, it's probably been less than ten days. Amazing."

"Junior Brother Lin isn't inferior in physique, either."

"Training counts for three parts, eating for seven. Luo Jing falls short there..."

"..."

The watching apprentices all offered their opinions. Apart from the other two members of the Luo Clan, almost everyone was praising Lin Hao.

It was true that Lin Hao was an outsider without a clan's protection. But for the wealthy families who could pay the fees normally, there was clearly no need to consider shady ways of making money. There were countless ways to earn it; getting him to buy their goods was one option.

They had something to lose and weren't willing to take risks!

Hearing those almost entirely one-sided comments made Luo Jing increasingly agitated.

Every one of you looks down on me! Every one of you thinks I'm poor! Today, I'll show you my talent for martial arts!

Luo Jing roared inwardly. Filled with boundless anger, he thrust his staff upward in the finest strike he had ever delivered.

Crack!

As the strike followed his intent, Luo Jing felt an exhilarating ease throughout his body, as though he had released all his pent-up frustration and resentment.

The strike rang out with a crisp crack, his entire body seeming to unite as one as he unleashed a peak blow carrying all his strength!

If he could consistently maintain that state, he would have successfully achieved Whole-Body Force and entered bright force!

Watching nearby, Qin Sicheng's expression shifted slightly. He readied himself to step in and separate them at any moment. Although Luo Jing's body was somewhat undernourished, a solid hit from a strike that coordinated all his muscles would still cause serious injury.

Even breaking them apart barehanded would take Qin Sicheng some effort.

Facing the strike, Lin Hao seemed startled. His apparently desperate block only managed to deflect the rising Long Staff slightly. His own Long Staff was knocked completely off balance, pulling his body around with it.

He was even forced to lift his feet off the ground, turning in midair to dissipate the force.

For a beginner, taking both feet off the ground was an absolute taboo. Without traction, there was nothing to brace against.

"Enough."

Qin Sicheng sprang forward to intervene, but Luo Jing, having unleashed his finest strike, ignored him. His Long Staff seemed to grow even fiercer.

Throughout his training, he had rarely managed a strike that brought everything together like this. Now, exhilaration surged through him. He wanted only to let out a long cry, and his movements no longer took anything else into consideration.

This strike will break your leg first! That'll teach you!

But the thought had barely flashed through his mind when a blur of wood swept into his cheek. The violent impact scattered the strength in his hands.

As his face met the staff, all his facial muscles twisted and distorted grotesquely as he tumbled downward.

The taste of blood filled his mouth as the tremendous twisting force instantly knocked him to the ground.

Even when his cheek struck the ground, his head was still buzzing. For a long while, he couldn't recover or understand why he had been hit. All he felt was numbness in his face and a ringing in his skull.

He had clearly broken the other man's stance!

But the watching apprentices and Qin Sicheng had seen Lin Hao use the momentum to spin into the air as Luo Jing swept his Long Staff aside and moved to follow up. The opposite end of Lin Hao's Long Staff had swept around even faster.

Had Luo Jing not followed up, he would have been fine. By pressing the attack, he had practically run face-first into that Antelope Hanging Its Horns strike.

It looked like an instinctive attempt by Lin Hao to regain his balance-a wild, casual stroke that somehow hit its mark perfectly!

"Oh, Senior Brother Luo, I didn't realize I'd hit you. Thank you for the match."

Lin Hao cupped his hands toward Luo Jing, who lay on the ground...