Pleasure Alley? Tongchun Garden?
Miss Liu Ruyan?
Young Master Lu, how did you get to live so well!
Tan Chuanjie looked at Lu Sui beside him, his heart brimming with envy, to the point that he almost ground his teeth!
If only my father were Lu Yulin!
The son of a trading association chairman, born with a golden spoon in his mouth-how comfortable, how delightful his days must be!
He could probably summon two or three of those songstresses in Pleasure Alley at once and spend over a hundred taels of silver in a single night without feeling the slightest pinch, couldn't he?
"Junior Brother Wei."
Lu Sui said without a change in expression:
"I was bedridden for half a year and have only just recovered from a serious illness. I can't remember many things from before clearly. I have no recollection of any Miss Liu or Miss Li."
A decisive severing of ties!
Lu Zhan'ao throwing money around to lavish it on performers-what did that have to do with me, Lu Sui!
Tan Chuanjie was quick on the uptake. Seeing that Lu Sui did not want to discuss it further, he hurriedly changed the subject:
"Today is a fine day-Young Master Lu is joining our school! I'll have the kitchen give everyone an extra bowl of 'bone-strengthening soup' later!"
Liang Bao, Deng Yun, and Bai Fangfang came from fairly comfortable families, so they were not particularly excited to hear this.
Wei Erhe, whose circumstances were the poorest among the inner courtyard disciples, beamed with delight:
"Thank you, Senior Brother Tan! Thank you, Young Master Lu!"
With a bowl of bone-strengthening soup to be had, all those falls today had not been for nothing!
Tan Chuanjie knew how to handle people and deliberately pointed out:
"Master Lu is kind and benevolent. He's arranged for the Dacheng Trading Firm to provide three hundred jin of medicinal ingredients free of charge every month.
"My father said that whatever the Lu household might need of him in the future, he would never refuse! Please pass that along for him, Young Master Lu!"
So the Hundred Victories Martial Arts School had found itself a "sponsor."
Understanding dawned on Lu Sui.
His bargain father certainly had deep pockets. Three hundred jin of good-quality medicinal ingredients would run to several hundred taels of silver.
Providing that every month would amount to no small sum.
Lu Yulin had certainly been willing to invest to get that Master Tan to put his back into teaching.
"You're too kind, Brother Chuanjie. As a leading light among martial arts schools, the Hundred Victories Martial Arts School has contributed a great deal to safeguarding the region and its people.
"To tell you the truth, my father has always admired Master Tan's conduct and martial skills. That's why he sent me to join the Hundred Victories Martial Arts School."
Lu Sui spoke with perfect solemnity.
An ornate sedan chair needed many hands to carry it; pleasant words never grew tiresome.
Tan Chuanjie felt thoroughly honored, and his smile grew all the more genial.
He looked at Bai Fangfang, his eyes turning as he cleared his throat:
"Senior Sister Fangfang, why don't you show Young Master Lu around and explain the foundations of our school's martial arts to him? I need to go out and buy a few things."
Bai Fangfang secretly studied Young Master Lu's handsome face, finding him even better-looking than the stars on the stage.
She agreed sweetly:
"Go ahead, Senior Brother Tan. I'll look after Senior Brother Lu."
With that, Bai Fangfang spoke gently to Lu Sui:
"Besides the outer and inner courtyards, the Hundred Victories Martial Arts School also has a rear courtyard. That's where Master practices. Senior Brother Lu, shall we sit there for a while?"
"Sorry for the trouble, Junior Sister Bai."
Lu Sui readily agreed and headed to the rear courtyard with Xiaotang.
Once Tan Chuanjie left, the inner courtyard grew quiet again.
Liang Bao teased:
"Junior Brother Deng, they've gone. Stop staring."
Deng Yun, as taciturn as a sealed gourd, lowered his head and unconsciously clenched his fists.
Liang Bao patted his shoulder and said:
"Junior Brother Deng, as the old saying goes, women love a handsome face, and madams love cash.
"Junior Sister Bai isn't someone who covets wealth, but look at that Young Master Lu. Not only is he handsome, his purse is bulging too.
"If I were Junior Sister Bai, I'd be itching to throw myself into his arms and offer-"
Deng Yun flushed scarlet and glared at Liang Bao:
"What does a wastrel who was lucky in his birth have to be so smug about! That fellow Lu spends all day burrowing into Pleasure Alley and soaking in Tongchun Garden. He's nothing but an embroidered pillow, pretty to look at but useless! He's tired of the opera scene and has come to a martial arts school to put on an act and amuse himself. Pah!
"Junior Sister Fangfang would never fancy someone like him! Isn't that right, Junior Brother Wei?!"
Wei Erhe scratched his head and grinned guilelessly:
"Senior Brother Liang, Senior Brother Deng, there's free bone-strengthening soup later..."
A fool who only knew how to eat and drink!
Deng Yun angrily flicked his sleeve and strode away:
"One bowl of bone-strengthening soup was enough to buy you off! No ambition!"
"Senior Brother Deng!"
Wei Erhe called out:
"If you don't want yours, could you give that bowl of bone-strengthening soup to me?"
Deng Yun acted as though he had not heard and quickened his pace.
Liang Bao shook his head with a smile:
"Junior Brother Deng's belly is so full of anger, how could he fit any soup in?"
Wei Erhe muttered:
"A bowl of bone-strengthening soup costs five taels of silver. Why would Senior Brother Deng turn down silver lying there for the taking?"
Then his face blossomed into a smile. Drinking two bowls himself would mean a clear profit of ten taels!
Young Master Lu and Senior Brother Deng were both wonderful people!
The rear courtyard was quiet, without a soul in sight. Bai Fangfang led Lu Sui to a pavilion.
Resting her elbows on the stone table and propping her chin in her hands, she took the initiative to find a topic:
"What level have you reached in your Internal Nourishment training, Senior Brother Lu?"
"Strengthening Qi and nourishing blood, opening both arms."
Lu Sui smiled.
The great perfection of this level was called "Unifying the Six Harmonies."
Both arms, both feet, and the shoulders and hips.
Together, they were known as the Six Harmonies!
Once all of them were opened, one would possess the enduring strength of tigers and wolves.
Even wearing a hundred-odd jin of armor, one could rush over a hundred li without exhausting one's stamina.
"How long have you been practicing martial arts, Senior Brother Lu?"
Bai Fangfang asked again.
"A little over two months."
Lu Sui answered honestly.
He had fully nourished his Breath and transformed it into Qi and Blood in just two months?
Bai Fangfang paused, silently considering:
Senior Brother Lu said that deliberately to leave a good impression on me and make me admire his abilities.
Heehee, it looks like Senior Brother Lu has put quite a bit of thought into me.
There was an old saying in martial arts circles: "Months of stance training to grasp the breath, years of stance training to catch the feel."
It meant that most people needed two or three months to grasp the rhythm of their breathing, and six months to a year to find the feel of the stance.
Lu Sui's progress defied all common sense, leading Bai Fangfang to assume from the outset that he was talking through his hat.
Yet she felt no displeasure. Instead, she smiled sweetly and said:
"You truly have exceptional gifts, Senior Brother Lu. Only Eldest Senior Brother in our school could compare."
Lu Sui accepted the praise without reservation.
It was all thanks to his diligent daily stance training and the sweat he had shed.
Along with the Turtle-Snake Stance's insignificant, selfless contribution.
Only then had he achieved such leaps and bounds in his training!
After all is said and done, I have myself to thank!
So Lu Sui thought.
"Do you know anything about the martial arts taught to those who formally join our school, Senior Brother Lu?"
Bai Fangfang gazed eagerly at Lu Sui across from her, as though admiring an exquisite jade statue, and felt particularly content.
No wonder that Miss Liu from whatever Tongchun Garden could not forget him!
"I've heard a little."
Lu Sui said unhurriedly:
"Master Tan's Seventy-Two Forms of Shadowless Legs are renowned. But to master them, one must first learn the Cicada-Chasing Steps, then become proficient in the Dragon-Roving Movement Technique and Chaotic Cloud Hands.
"Only after bringing the footwork, movement technique, and palm techniques to great mastery can one achieve seven changes in a single kick, striking without a shadow."
Fortunately, Xiaotang had given him a last-minute lesson on the way.
These essential points were now at his fingertips!
"Once you've formally joined, Master will teach you the Cicada-Chasing Steps. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."
Bai Fangfang's eyes shimmered, her face full of anticipation:
"I'll tell you everything I know and hold nothing back."
What a joke!
Lu Sui grumbled inwardly.
With my world-shaking talent, how could there possibly be a martial art I couldn't learn!
She was really looking down on me!
With Bai Fangfang keeping him company and chatting about amusing incidents in martial arts circles, Lu Sui sat until the sun was high without growing bored.
Roughly another half-incense stick's worth of time passed.
Tan Chuanjie strode into the pavilion as though wind swept beneath his feet and cupped his hands:
"Young Master Lu, my father is back."
Lu Sui rose to his feet. At last, the head of the Hundred Victories Martial Arts School had arrived.
"Please lead the way, Brother Chuanjie, and take me to pay my respects to Master Tan."
Tan Chuanjie nodded:
"Come with me, Young Master Lu."
He then looked at Bai Fangfang:
"Junior Sister Bai, I'm truly sorry for taking up so much of your time. You can return to the inner courtyard."
"Not at all, Senior Brother Tan. Senior Brother Lu and I got along quite well."
Bai Fangfang said sweetly:
"Oh, Senior Brother Lu, don't forget me when you have some free time! Remember to come find me in Great Peace Alley!"
Lu Sui nodded. This girl from a martial arts school was quite poised and unreserved, with a refreshing directness.
Tan Chuanjie's gaze shifted between them. Once Bai Fangfang left, he teased:
"You're quite something, Young Master Lu. Your very first day in our school, and you've already plucked the inner courtyard's most dazzling flower."
Lu Sui frowned slightly. At most, Bai Fangfang was only at the level where her Qi and Blood had opened her hands and feet.
Strength of that degree was nowhere near enough to move him!
But he offered no further explanation, merely letting it pass with a smile.
"The rear courtyard has two sections in all. One is my father's residence, and the other is where he usually practices."
Tan Chuanjie explained as they walked:
"Only Eldest Senior Brother can come and go freely in the training area."
Wasn't Tan Chuanjie the eldest senior brother?
Lu Sui was taken aback. Had Tan Jingzong passed his lifetime of learning on to an outsider?
"You may not know this, Young Master Lu, but martial arts circles place great importance on 'lineage' and 'succession.'"
Seemingly understanding what Lu Sui was thinking, Tan Chuanjie gave a bitter smile:
"But natural talent is often cruel. Most of it comes from the womb and is difficult to change afterward.
"My father's skills are formidable, but they're not easy to master. You should know that beyond the pass, many practice boxing, but few train their legs.
"One reason is that leg techniques are hard to perfect. There's always been a saying: 'Ten years of stance training, toppled by a single punch.'
"I consider myself diligent in training, tempering my Qi and Blood through the coldest winter days and the hottest summer days. But when it comes to martial skill, I couldn't catch up with Senior Brother Zheng even on horseback..."
Lu Sui understood. Martial arts schools had always observed the rule: "No more than three formally admitted disciples, no more than five true inheritors."
The explanation amounted to just a few words.
-Do not impart the arts lightly; proceed with caution!
Every master who opened a school most wanted three kinds of disciples in his lifetime.
The first was the "face" that represented the school. They had to master their teacher's craft, then carry it forward to greater heights.
Next was the "substance," someone who could accept challenges and fight in the ring on their teacher's behalf.
Last was the "money pouch," which supported all the expenses of keeping the martial arts school established, recruiting disciples, expanding, and so forth.
Enrollment and medicinal decoction fees alone were barely enough to feed oneself, much less sustain a great martial arts school that prospered for years and teemed with apprentices.
"Looking at it that way, Tan Chuanjie is the face, that eldest senior brother is the substance, and me? I suppose I'm the money pouch?"
The corners of Lu Sui's mouth lifted slightly. He found it amusing.
Ideally, of course, someone from the family would shoulder both the face and the substance.
But clearly, Tan Chuanjie could not satisfy his father.
He could only choose someone else to inherit his martial arts.
Over their brief conversation, the two had already entered the main building in the rear courtyard.
"Father, Junior Brother Lu has come to pay his respects."
"Let Zhan'ao in."
A deep, powerful voice came from inside, as though condensed into a single thread that pierced straight through the door and reached his ears, making Lu Sui's eardrums quiver.
He had Xiaotang wait outside, raised his hand to push open the door, and strode inside.
The interior was empty, with a floor paved in gray bricks and high, spacious rafters.
The founding master's spirit tablet occupied the center, with a bronze burner on the incense table below it, three sticks of incense burning within.
A thick pillar wrapped in iron sheeting stood on each of the four sides, their surfaces covered in marks from blows.
A middle-aged man of around forty, his temples frosted white, stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a long black silk robe.
It was Tan Jingzong himself.
"This junior, Lu Sui, pays his respects to Master Tan."
Lu Sui cupped his fist and bowed.
"I'm the same age as your father, so I'll take the liberty of calling you Zhan'ao."
Tan Jingzong said in a deep voice:
"Chairman Lu sending his own son to enter the Hundred Victories Martial Arts School shows his regard for me. There's no need for elaborate formalities. Light three sticks of incense and bow to the founding master, and we'll consider the ceremony complete."
Master Tan looked stern and old-fashioned, not given to smiles or idle chatter.
He had something of the bearing of a great master in an old Shaw Brothers film.
Master Chai is at Half-Step Fetus Embracing. Uncle Wen should be about the same. Tan Jingzong ranks among Changle County's four great school masters, so he probably won't fall too far short.
Lu Sui set aside his stray thoughts and stepped forward in assent. Holding three sticks of incense between his fingers, he bowed with the utmost respect.
"Good."
Tan Jingzong helped Lu Sui up and rested a hand on his shoulder.
Suddenly, he squeezed and lifted!
"Hiss!"
Lu Sui sucked in a breath of cold air.
Why did martial artists all use the same method to judge the quality of someone's sinews and bones?
Dou Xiaowen had done the same before, squeezing his shoulder until it hurt.
"Oh?"
Tan Jingzong's expression shifted slightly, surprise showing in his eyes.
"Excellent sinews and bones!"
His large hand squeezed rapidly, moving constantly from shoulder to arm, then to waist and hips.
A moment later, a trace of a smile appeared on Tan Jingzong's stern face.
He gave his verdict:
"Long sinews, straight bones, ample innate potential! A fine seedling!"
Lu Sui was greatly surprised. The last time Uncle Wen had squeezed him all over like this, he had only said his sinews were somewhat lacking and insufficiently trained, while his bones were fairly straight, barely passing muster.
Why had the verdict changed with Tan Jingzong?
Was he deliberately saying a few kind words out of regard for Lu Yulin?
"Zhan'ao, you should have started practicing martial arts earlier. What a waste of such fine sinews and bones. Had you begun stance training at twelve and learned fist and foot techniques at fifteen, your achievements would certainly have been considerable."
Looking at Lu Sui, who stood rooted to the spot, Tan Jingzong spoke with regret that did not seem feigned.
"In teaching martial arts, we place great importance on 'sinews and bones.' What we call 'sinews' refers to the sinews and muscles. You don't strike people with dead flesh, but with living sinews.
"The human body is wrapped in fascia. Sinews are the sovereign, flesh the subject. As the saying goes, long sinews grant great strength; temper flesh and transform it into trained force!"
"Ordinary people's sinews aren't long, so the strength they twist out is weak. Watch..."
Tan Jingzong was a good teacher who understood well the value of teaching through both words and example. He demonstrated as he spoke.
He walked up to one of the thick pillars and extended a finger.
Clang!
His finger swept sideways and struck the pillar, producing the ringing clash of metal!
The thick pillar, wrapped in three layers of iron sheeting and soaked in tung oil, now bore a deep impression that sank well into the wood!
Tan Jingzong said evenly:
"See that? That's the sinews exerting force. Each great sinew tightens like a wrung towel, squeezing out every last bit of strength! Naturally, a blow like that can send someone straight to their death!"
For the first time, Lu Sui witnessed the profound mysteries concealed in the circulation of Qi and Blood and the movement of sinews and muscles. His eyes could not help lighting up.
If that had landed on him, it would probably have been like taking a lash, splitting skin and tearing flesh!
"Nurturing Breath means nurturing the sinews and muscles. Their change from stiff and lifeless to supple and agile depends entirely on nourishment from that Breath.
"Strengthening Qi and Blood means stimulating the joints and forcing out essence blood, Unifying the Six Harmonies, until you have the strength to split stone steles and catch bare blades empty-handed, and a dozen ordinary men cannot get close to you."
"Your sinews are long enough and your bones straight enough to develop a fine body. But you started martial arts late, which affects your foundation."
Tan Jingzong spoke at ease, explaining profound matters in simple terms.
He had originally thought Lu Sui was like the other young masters of wealthy households in Changle County, merely learning some fist and foot techniques to join in the fun.
He had never expected that a test of his sinews and bones would yield such a surprise!
He was even somewhat better than Tan Chuanjie, falling only slightly short of his prized disciple, Zheng Rong.
"What's especially rare is that you also have a wasp's waist and mantis legs. Your build suits both kicking techniques and movement techniques."
Tan Jingzong had always cherished talent and was especially attentive to promising seedlings. He immediately took out a booklet:
"This is Cicada-Chasing Steps. It consists of three moves: Wind Chasing, Swallow Stepping, and Startled Swan. Take it home and study it for a few days. If you can't find the way in, come back and ask me to clear up your doubts."