[Fierce Tiger Stance Art: beginner (70/100)] [Fierce Tiger Fist: beginner (5/100)]
After days of sparring practice, the information flashed through Chen Tie's mind.
His slow-progressing Fierce Tiger Fist had finally improved. It seemed actual combat was also a key factor in advancing martial arts.
At this thought, Chen Tie struck with greater excitement, the wind from his punches growing stronger still.
Opposite him, Shen Yan looked surprised, thinking to himself, Could Junior Brother Chen be getting into his stride?
As he responded to the attacks, he kept explaining the moves and his own insights. After all, he was the second senior brother, had practiced the Fierce Tiger Fist for a long time, and had ample combat experience.
He had insights into precautions when facing an opponent, the timing of attacks and defense, and how to link moves together.
"If you have no weapon and an enemy thrusts at you with a sharp sword, keep avoiding its edge. Don't meet it head-on. Look for a chance to get close and strike hard..."
As Shen Yan explained, he personally demonstrated the footwork for dodging.
Chen Tie committed it firmly to memory while imitating him on the spot.
Shen Yan could not help praising him inwardly.
Before they knew it, lunchtime had already passed. Only then did the two stop practicing and head straight for the dining hall.
"Perfect, everyone's here. I brought you some roast chickens!"
A clear, pleasant voice rang out, making everyone turn.
"Junior Sister Mo's back!"
The disciples all crowded around her.
"Thanks for all your hard work, everyone. There's enough for everyone, so share it around."
Chen Tie looked up and saw a young woman in a blue martial outfit. The fabric was firm yet supple, its cut following the curves of her shoulders, waist, hips, and legs, bringing out every flowing line of her figure.
She gently distributed the roast chicken. The disciples around her all had gleaming eyes; it was hard to tell whether they were hungry for the food or the sight.
Shen Yan returned looking pleased with himself, carrying two drumsticks. He had asked for one for himself and thrust the other into Chen Tie's hand.
"She's Mo Fang, sixteen this year, Elder Mo's only daughter. By rights, we should all call her senior sister, but you know the Fierce Tiger Fist isn't suitable for women. So she joined the White Crane Martial Arts Hall next door, and everyone calls her junior sister. Usually, she only comes back in the evening. She must have a day off today. Whenever she comes back early, we fellow disciples get a treat."
Shen Yan ate his drumstick while gazing absently at Junior Sister Mo.
Only then did Chen Tie understand. Practitioners of a fierce, forceful martial art like the Fierce Tiger Fist were mostly muscular men brimming with Qi and blood. Faced with such an understanding junior sister, they probably could not bring themselves to walk away.
After finishing his drumstick, Chen Tie rested a while and was about to resume training when he suddenly saw Third Senior Brother Xu Da walk in from outside.
Nearly twenty people followed him. The three middle-aged men in front had steady presences, while the dozen or so capable men behind them had long, even breaths. Their skills were clearly extraordinary.
With a solemn manner, Xu Da led them straight into the inner courtyard. Through a window in the surrounding wall, they could see that Mo Hong was actually greeting them at the entrance.
The disciples all peered over, whispering among themselves.
"Second Senior Brother, who are those people?"
Chen Tie asked curiously.
Shen Yan explained, "Those were the Liu Family from the eastern docks, the Wang Family of Peace Pharmacy, and the Sun Family of the Benevolence and Righteousness Escort Agency. They're all here to recruit."
"Recruit?"
Hearing this, the disciples gathered around. Shen Yan glanced around and continued, "The martial path consumes enormous resources. The food at the martial hall alone clearly isn't enough, so everyone needs a way to make money. As long as you're strong enough, you can work part-time for these forces and earn a monthly income to take you further along the martial path. Of course, there's no such thing as eating without working. There are risks, too. Our eldest senior brother, for instance, took escort jobs on the side and died on the road."
They even offered part-time work. Now that really was a way to make money!
Ripples stirred in Chen Tie's heart at these words. He had obtained an unexpected windfall. If he spent it all without a source of income, someone with an eye out was bound to notice.
If he could also work part-time for some force, it would all be easy to explain.
Shen Yan continued, "As I recall, among these three, the Liu Family and Sun Family offer the best terms. Skin Refining martial artists generally get ten taels of silver a month, plus fifty jin of meat. Next is the Wang Family, with seven taels a month and thirty jin of meat. But pay is proportional to risk. Working for the Liu Family and Wang Family is also more dangerous."
Everyone swallowed at his words, and Chen Tie could not help feeling eager too.
Good heavens, so real martial artists earned this much. They practiced martial arts to live better lives, too. Several taels of silver a month would be enough for them to support their entire families, young and old.
Looking at his excited junior brothers, Shen Yan continued, "As you know, the world is growing more chaotic. As long as you have strength and you're young, those forces will be willing to pay more to draw you into their ranks early. They'll even use marriage alliances and the like to bind talented people to them."
Everyone's enthusiasm ignited. They wished they could break through to the next realm immediately.
Soon, every disciple in the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall who had broken through to skin refining entered the inner courtyard. Chen Tie and the other outer courtyard disciples had no heart for training either, and crowded toward the windows in the wall to watch.
Inside the inner courtyard, the Liu Family from the eastern docks, the Wang Family of Peace Pharmacy, and the Sun Family of the Benevolence and Righteousness Escort Agency sat in three separate groups.
Mo Hong sat at the head. His gaze swept over the inner disciples before finally settling on a young figure.
"Zhang Long, you go first. Relax and perform as you usually do."
"Yes, Master Mo!"
Zhang Long walked before them with his head held high and cupped his hands. "This junior is Zhang Long. Please offer me your guidance, seniors."
As soon as he finished speaking, he lowered his waist, settled into a horse stance, and began demonstrating the Fierce Tiger Fist.
Every rise and fall of his moves sent forceful gusts rippling outward, his clothes snapping in the wind. As his fists shifted into claws and back, the wind whistled ceaselessly around him. Invisible force tore through the air surrounding his body. As his movements grew broader, his force surged and flowed, his four limbs resonating together, his sinews and bones ringing in unison.
This was clearly the skin refining realm.
Chen Tie had never expected this junior brother, who had joined only a month ago, to have successfully refined his skin. His punches carried steady momentum, every move clear and complete. Powerful gusts swept through the surroundings, and the ringing of his sinews and bones sounded without cease.
After breaking through to skin refining, the skin membrane became tough and generated skin force. The explosive crack of a fist striking the air came from concentrating force at a single point. One punch unleashed astonishing destructive power.
Upon reaching this stage, one could already work part-time for the city's major forces and receive a steady monthly stipend.
If one could go a step further and break through to the flesh training realm, the muscles would become condensed, flesh and blood united as one, generating flesh force. Explosive power would flow without cease, physical capabilities would improve further, and the force throughout the body would grow stronger. That powerful force would be enough to injure an opponent's internal organs...
At that realm, one was already a mainstay of the major forces. Even in the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall, one would absolutely be a core disciple.
In the final realm, bone forging, the bones became dense and resonated together, generating bone force. The marrow grew abundant, blood and Qi renewed themselves endlessly, and force flowed without exhaustion. In Duchang City, such a person was already an undisputed top expert.
At present, Mo Hong was the only bone forging expert in the entire Fierce Tiger Martial Hall.
After completing a set of the Fierce Tiger Fist, Zhang Long was neither flushed nor breathless. Clearly, he still had strength to spare.
Shen Yan could not help exclaiming, "Junior Brother Zhang's talent is incredible. Skin refining in one month! I'm afraid he'll be able to break through to flesh refining in half a year."
Chen Tie was inwardly astonished too. Zhang Long's talent was truly extraordinary.
But with proficiency in his own hands, he supposed he would not fall behind anyone either.
"Haha, this disciple of mine only joined the hall a month ago. He's merely broken through to the skin refining realm. His fist technique still needs improvement, and he needs to work twice as hard."
Mo Hong offered his assessment. Though it sounded like criticism, it was actually praise.
All three leaders were shrewd people and naturally understood what lay beneath his words.
The Liu Family Head from the eastern docks immediately spoke. "You're too modest, Hall Master Mo. The eastern docks thirst for talent as outstanding as this disciple. I'm willing to offer fifty taels a month, plus a hundred jin of prime meat."
Escort Chief Sun of the Benevolence and Righteousness Escort Agency said confidently, "Our agency is willing to offer thirty taels of silver a month, plus twenty percent of the profits from escort jobs."
Everyone was shocked by his words.
This meant that Zhang Long would receive twenty percent of the profits for nothing whenever he participated in an escort job. That exceeded the Liu Family's offer.
But according to the rules, each person could only bid once. The Liu Family Head immediately turned to Shopkeeper Wang.
Shopkeeper Wang pinched his little mustache. "Peace Pharmacy offers thirty taels of silver a month, plus one silverfish weighing two taels."
Everyone was dumbfounded by these words. The thirty taels of silver were secondary. That silverfish was a treasure fish that could effectively increase Qi and blood. It was worth hundreds of taels on the market, and even money did not guarantee one could buy it.
Mo Hong nodded in satisfaction as well.
Zhang Long could not help clenching his fists, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes. Born into poverty, he had actually defied the heavens and changed his fate in just one short month.