Campus life was youthful and joyful, but training in martial arts fundamentals was bound to be painful and grueling.
The ten first-year classes were divided among three training grounds.
The ten teachers had already held a meeting to discuss what to teach. They were all experts at overcoming strength with skill. Though their cultivation realms were low, that was precisely why they had been forced to find every possible way to refine their techniques.
They largely agreed, differing only on certain details.
Those differences did not matter, however, because those details came from their individual insights. There was no saying who was right or wrong. In any case, they could all kill opponents above their own realms.
As the homeroom teacher of Class One, Lu Guying was, to be honest, in his first year of teaching. Though he had plenty of experience fighting, he would need a long time to work out how to teach.
Before him stood two hundred students, more boys than girls, with a considerable range of ages.
He clasped his hands behind his back, doing his best to project a teacher's authority.
"You've all come here to learn martial arts. Since that's why you're here, you must first understand: what are martial arts?"
The students listened with utmost attention. In particular, several of the children who had only just met were already competing with one another.
Most were around ten, ranging from seven or eight to fourteen or fifteen.
The younger ones were obedient and well-behaved. The older ones were already sensible.
It was the ones around ten who were difficult to manage, right at the age when neither people nor dogs could stand them.
He continued, "What is the purpose of learning martial arts?
"The first purpose is to learn how to protect yourself from harm. The second is to learn how to bring down your opponent in the shortest possible time!"
Liu Sidao looked at Yin Tianqi, who was looking back at him. The air between them reeked of gunpowder.
There was no major conflict. It was just the usual squabbling between children.
"So, how do you defeat an opponent in the shortest possible time? That depends on how refined your moves are and whether you react faster than your opponent.
"And all moves begin as individual movements combined together.
"Punching, kicking, turning, striking with your palm...
"Only when you've practiced every movement until you know it inside out will you be able to execute your moves freely and with complete confidence.
"Now, take a horse stance!"
At this point, Lu Guying had no idea who showed promise. Most had no foundation at all. Those with some grounding had only learned a move or two at home, like Liu Sidao and Yin Tianqi.
With that foundation, they did learn faster than the other students. But did that make them geniuses?
No!
They had learned it before.
Once the other students caught up, they would be back on the same starting line. Only then could he see who the true heroes and stalwarts were.
In Class Two, Zhan Hongling was somewhat better at this than Lu Guying. Her father had taught disciples while he was alive, and her late husband had studied under him, so she had a little more experience with teaching.
As a woman, he was more attentive to detail.
Most of the children in this class came from the countryside. She liked looking for the quick-witted ones.
Why?
Quick-witted meant clever, and clever meant they learned fast.
Most of those dull, vacant ones simply could not learn quickly!
Sister Zhan cut a dashing figure. "Students, today is your first day of cultivation. I'll teach you how to quickly master basic martial arts moves.
"Some of you may have family or friends training in other sects and may have heard a little about martial arts fundamentals. But forget all of that. Everything I tell you takes precedence!
"Because what do some sects emphasize?
"They emphasize internal cultivation and neglect basic training.
"They think that as long as they have internal power and True Qi, and raise their cultivation realms, they can get ahead of everyone else.
"That approach is like pulling up seedlings to make them grow.
"You've heard the dean introduce us, so you know that all ten of us teachers can cross realm boundaries to fight people with higher cultivation.
"You might be astonished and think we're very impressive.
"But what I want to tell you is that it isn't because we're so impressive. It's because we value fundamentals and techniques.
"Why do people with higher cultivation lose to us?
"Because they only care about internal cultivation and neglect external techniques!
"So I'll ask again: is it because we're so impressive?
"No!
"It's because they're idiots who know only internal arts and no moves!"
"Ma Shou, what are you fidgeting for?"
Suddenly, Zhan Hongling pointed at a ten-year-old boy and snapped.
The boy jolted and stared blankly at his teacher.
"I..."
"Step out! Horse stance, two hundred punches, two hundred palm strikes, and five hundred roundhouse kicks!"
"Yes!"
The boy gave her a helpless look, stepped out of the ranks, and began throwing punches in a horse stance in front of his classmates.
Zhan Hongling said, "I don't care what you were like before, but now that you're learning martial arts, you can't keep laughing and fooling around.
"I don't demand that you all become great heroes someday, but at the very least, don't become idiots who get killed by people with lower cultivation!"
"Yes!"
The students were utterly terrified of their stern teacher.
At Class Three's training area, Chen Siwen faced the students with scholarly grace.
"Today's lesson is the same for every class. You're all new students, and you must build a solid foundation. Start with the horse stance. Work harder now, and you'll be able to go farther in the future.
"All right, hold your horse stances while I explain some martial arts fundamentals.
"Why do we place so much importance on martial techniques?
"Some people say martial techniques are of little use against True Qi experts, and that you're better off raising your cultivation as soon as possible.
"That's true.
"But True Qi experts who can disregard blades and swords must at least be above the fourth rank. Most are in the upper three ranks.
"I believe our class will certainly produce experts of the upper three ranks someday.
"But until you reach a realm above the fourth rank, are you simply never going to fight?
"Below the fourth rank, what matters is whose moves are faster, whose evasions are more skillful, and whose martial techniques are more accurate.
"So, to help you protect yourselves better before reaching the fourth rank, I'll teach you everything I've learned in my life!"
"Teacher, I can't hold on anymore!"
Quite a few children in the ranks began to wail.
Chen Siwen said, "Hold on a little longer. Don't give up."
Every monkey needed a different tether; every teacher had a different way of teaching.
The teachers in the other classes gave much the same explanations and training.
Some teachers were gentle, while others were strict.
Whatever the case, the students had now set foot on the martial path.
The main dishes at lunch were pork stewed with cabbage and vermicelli, and old duck soup with ginseng.
There was a reason people said the poor could study, but martial arts were for the rich.
Children from poor families could fill up on coarse-grain buns and pickles and still study just fine.
But if they were fed steamed buns and pickles, they could become malnourished in just a few days.
Meat alone was not enough. They also needed nourishing tonics.
Ginseng, lingzhi, deer antler velvet...
Zhang Qingyuan knew that however poor they were, they could not skimp on education; however hard things became, they could not let the children suffer. The food had to be good.
Since he had opened this academy, he could not be careless, especially about food and drink.
Wealthy sects ate even better than they did.
At Tianyang Martial Dao Academy, ten roots of ginseng went into a pot of old duck soup, providing three days' worth for two thousand children.
They squeezed out every last drop of nourishment from the ginseng.
In the top sects, disciples practically gnawed on whole ginseng roots.
Of course, such sects were exceedingly rare.
In most sects, ten ginseng roots lasted half a year. Some were doing well just to keep their disciples fed.
Good medicinal ingredients were reserved for geniuses!
Tianyang Martial Dao Academy fell short of the best but surpassed the rest.
After half a day of exhausting work, the students entered the dining hall ready to devour even the tables.
They wailed endlessly during training, then swept through their meals like wind scattering clouds.
In the morning, they trained their bodies. In the afternoon, they learned hand-to-hand moves, throwing punches and kicks, swinging sabers and thrusting swords.
By evening, dinner was drawing near.
Liu Tianming, Class Eight's homeroom teacher, told his students, "All right, you've all worked hard all day. Those who need to rest should turn in early. Anyone who wants to practice their moves some more can come to the training grounds.
"Those who can't read should go wait in the large classroom after dinner. An instructor will come teach you to read shortly.
"Of course, those who already know how to read can volunteer to teach your classmates if you'd like to help.
"You're a group. You must help one another and get along."
After dinner, those who could not read went to literacy class.
Of those who could, some chatted and some rested, gathering in twos and threes.
Outside Class One's dormitory, Xiao Yan sat alone, pondering the martial knowledge he had learned that day.
A fierce resolve burned inside him: he had to become a martial arts expert and rise above the crowd.
He was already fourteen.
Tianyang Martial Dao Academy's admissions rules accepted children from seven to fifteen years old.
People who started learning martial arts any later could still succeed, but the chances were far too slim.
Their dantians, bones, and meridians had already taken shape. Most had passed the best age for learning martial arts.
Though Zhang Qingyuan was casting a wide net to catch more fish, he would not cast it among adults over fifteen. The chances of catching anything were too low.
Starting martial arts at Xiao Yan's age already counted as late.
Combined with his temperament, that meant he wasted not a single moment.
Punching, swinging his arms, kicking-he put in extra practice, sweat pouring down like rain.
Not far away, a thirteen-year-old girl stared at him in a daze. After thinking for a long time, she ran over and asked nervously, "Brother Xiao Yan, can I practice with you?"
"Xue'er, what brings you here too?"
The two knew each other and seemed to have been close before.
"I want to learn martial arts too."
"Which class are you in?"
"Class Seven."
"Right, I remember now. Let's practice together."
"Heehee."
They had only just begun when a jarringly discordant voice rang out. "Hey, so you two are together now?"
Xiao Yan looked up and saw his classmate Yin Tianqi approaching, with three lackeys trailing behind him.
Xiao Yan had studied before and was accustomed to thinking like a scholar.
He was just about to retort, but when he saw Murong Xue'er's flushed face and the tears glimmering in her eyes, anger instantly flared.
He knew Yin Tianqi was taking his anger over Liu Sidao out on him.
But before he could speak, a stone came flying over and struck Yin Tianqi.
Looking back, he saw Liu Sidao with one hand on his hip, hefting another stone in his other hand.
"You, Yin! Stop rattling your throat when you haven't even got a fart to let out. If you've got a problem, come at me."
"Beat him up!"
Struck by the stone, Yin Tianqi flew into a rage too. At his command, his three lackeys immediately rushed Liu Sidao.
Yin Tianqi followed close behind, making it four against one.
Seeing his little brother surrounded, Xiao Yan charged in too.
Murong Xue was so anxious she did not know what to do. After thinking for a long while, she went to help as well.
Yin Tianqi simply could not stand Liu Sidao. He was from a wealthy family, so the limelight should belong to him.
Who does this Liu fellow think he is, stealing my thunder?
And that was how the conflict arose.
"Oh, they're fighting!"
Some students saw what was happening and hurried to find a teacher.
Before long, Lu Guying came running.
He pulled them apart, one in each hand, and scolded, "Aren't you all capable! Fighting on your very first day! If you don't want to study, get the hell back home!"
Yin Tianqi pouted, his face full of defiance, sniffling now and then.
Liu Sidao looked utterly unconcerned, with a cocky air about him.
Xiao Yan was a scholar, after all, and wanted to explain.
Murong Xue, in particular, stood blankly, at a complete loss.
Lu Guying noticed her too. "Which class are you in?"
"C-Class Seven."
"Go back!"
Murong Xue gave Xiao Yan a worried look, and he offered her a reassuring smile.
The girl left, looking back with every step. Pointing at Yin Tianqi, Xiao Yan explained, "Teacher, he was the one who insulted us first!"
"No! He brought a student from another class over. I was worried she was a spy trying to steal our class's martial arts!"
Lu Guying found those words downright baffling. He stared at him wide-eyed. "You're all from the same fucking academy, learning the same things. Where the hell would a spy come from?"
"Well... I..."
"Besides, there were four of you against three. You lost, and you still think you're in the right?"
"Liu Sidao was the one who broke martial ethics first," Yin Tianqi protested.
Lu Guying ignored him and turned to Xiao Yan. "You're such a big fellow, bigger than all of them. Don't you know to go easy on them?"
"Teacher, I know I was wrong," Xiao Yan said, lowering his head.
"And you. You fight pretty dirty." He glared at Liu Sidao next.
Liu Sidao said, "It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Teacher."
Huh?
Lu Guying was stunned for a moment. Was this kid really such a wiseass?
Oh, fucking hell!
"Fine, you love fighting, do you? Training Ground One. A thousand sword thrusts and a thousand punches, all in a horse stance!"
In the distance, Zhang Qingyuan, who had come down for an inspection, watched the scene before him. Second Senior Brother accompanied them, along with several members of the Security Department.
The Security Department members had spotted it long ago and wanted to step in to stop it, but Zhang Qingyuan had held them back.
"What do you think?" Zhang Qingyuan asked Old Second.
Zheng Jianxin cradled his sword. "That Xiao Yan is far too rigid. The one who threw the rock later, though-I think he has the makings of something in the future."
"I don't quite agree," Zhang Qingyuan said. "The one who threw the rock is called Liu Sidao. He certainly has a talent for fighting. Before Xiao Yan arrived, he held his own against four opponents.
But Xiao Yan works harder than any of them. He has a promising future."
Second Senior Brother looked at Zhang Qingyuan in surprise without saying a word.
His meaning was obvious: are you sure?
"I know what you mean. You just want to say talent is important in martial arts, don't you?
Hard work isn't worth a penny in the face of talent.
Talented people find success easily.
Talented people who also work hard find success especially easily.
Without talent, hard work alone is a waste of effort. That's what you mean, right?"
"Hmph ╯^╰!" Old Second folded his arms.
Zhang Qingyuan smiled. "What I'm saying is, Xiao Yan may seem rigid now, but that's because he used to be a scholar. He's already grown accustomed to a scholar's way of thinking, which is why he seems so wooden.
But before these peerless, unrivaled eyes of mine, which can spot a pearl among the stones, no genius can escape my discerning gaze.
I can tell that this kid's talent is definitely no worse!"
"Hmm?"
"Let's make a bet. Do you believe he can break through to the sixth rank in a year?" Zhang Qingyuan said with certainty.
"What are we betting?"
"If he can break through to the sixth rank, you'll take him as your direct disciple."
"Hmph!"
"If he can't, I'll wash your underwear for a month."
"Deal!"