Morning mist shrouded City C like a thin veil,
and the bluestone pavement in the old district gleamed with moisture.
Li Qingshan strolled along the streets as they gradually awoke, his sharp gaze sweeping over the various martial arts school signs lining the road.
"Zhenyuan Combat Club"
"Dragon-Walking Sanda Training Center"
"True Martial Traditional Martial Arts Research Institute"
Each name was grander than the last, and each establishment more lavishly decorated.
Through the bright glass windows, he could see students in matching training uniforms practicing under their coaches' guidance.
Their shouts rose and fell, yet they always left him with the feeling that something was missing.
He stopped in front of a school called the Divine Land National Martial Arts School.
A gilded plaque shone in the morning light, and two stone lions guarded the entrance, giving it an imposing air.
He pushed open the heavy rosewood door, and a young woman in a qipao at the front desk immediately came over to greet him.
"Sir, are you looking to learn martial arts?"
She smiled sweetly.
"We offer sanda, taekwondo, and traditional martial arts. With the new term starting, there's a twenty percent discount, and we're including a custom training uniform."
"I'd like to see the traditional martial arts."
Li Qingshan said.
"Certainly! Coach Zhang is teaching the beginner class. You can watch if you like."
The woman at the front desk said:
In the training hall, more than twenty students were practicing under the guidance of a lean, muscular man.
The man was in his thirties, with powerful, corded muscles.
As he demonstrated a move called "Black Tiger Plucks Out the Heart," his movements were fierce, making the air crack as the students cheered.
Li Qingshan, however, frowned slightly. His mental power quietly stirred, his spiritual power reflecting his surroundings like clear crystal.
He could clearly sense that although the coach's Qi and blood were vigorous, they remained on the surface and had not sunk into his dantian;
when he exerted force, his muscles tensed, but he could not link the strength of his feet, waist, and arms into one.
He looked fierce, but in truth he was strong on the outside and hollow within. He had not even reached Manifest Jin.
"What do you think? Our Coach Zhang trained under the same master as the provincial sanda champion, and he received the true inheritance of traditional martial arts too."
The receptionist said proudly, "He can even demonstrate breaking bricks with his iron palm!"
Li Qingshan smiled politely. "I'll have a look at some other schools."
For three days in a row, he visited seven or eight martial arts schools in City C, but the situation was much the same everywhere.
Most taught performance routines or competitive fighting. The true essence of traditional Guoshu was hard to find.
A few taught xingyi or Taiji, but most of it was flashy form without substance, lacking the Divine Marrow of internal martial arts.
One coach at a Taiji school even assured him that he could "develop internal force in three months," leaving Li Qingshan unsure whether to laugh or cry.
That afternoon, sunlight filtered through the parasol tree leaves, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow.
Li Qingshan came to a secluded alley, where he suddenly spotted an old-fashioned storefront.
The plaque bore the words "Wu Family National Martial Arts" in vigorous, forceful strokes, as though the years themselves had settled within them.
The door stood half-closed, and the steady, rhythmic sounds of fist practice came from inside, utterly unlike the noisy schools elsewhere.
He pushed the door open and entered, finding an old man in his sixties practicing Taiji in the courtyard.
The old man wore a gray cloth shirt, and his movements flowed gently like drifting clouds and running water.
But Li Qingshan sensed that his Qi and blood were dense and settled like mercury, his breathing long and deep. Every form subtly accorded with the rhythm of heaven and earth. He clearly possessed genuine skill.
"Young man, can I help you?"
The old man brought his movements to a close. His breathing was steady as ever, and his gaze was gentle yet profound.
"Sir, I want to learn genuine martial arts."
Li Qingshan bowed respectfully.
The old man looked him over for a moment, then shook his head and sighed.
"Few young people nowadays can endure that hardship. What I teach here is health-preserving Taiji, not the stuff used to hurt people."
"I can endure hardship."
"It's not a question of enduring hardship."
The old man's gaze was as sharp as lightning, as though he could see through a person's heart.
"The path of Guoshu places great importance on a master's lineage and a solid foundation.
Your bones and sinews are already set, so it'll be hard for you to achieve much. You'd be better off learning sanda or combat sports. They're practical."
Li Qingshan wanted to say more, but the old man had already waved his hand and turned away. "Please leave."
After walking out of the alley, Li Qingshan could not help smiling.
He possessed unparalleled comprehension and the mental realm of the Third Level of Deep Sleep, entering deep sleep while moving,
yet he had no way to find a teacher. The situation was truly ironic.
As he pondered, a middle-aged man approached him.
"Brother, looking to learn genuine martial arts?"
The man was around forty, dressed in a silk training uniform. His temples bulged slightly, and his eyes were bright and keen. He looked rather like a trained martial artist.
"Do you know where I can learn them?"
Li Qingshan asked.
"You've asked the right man!"
The man lowered his voice and spoke mysteriously.
"I'm a coach at the Universe-Shaking Martial Arts Heritage Center.
Our school master received the true inheritance of an extraordinary master and has mastered the true teachings of all three branches: xingyi, bagua, and Taiji. He doesn't normally take outside disciples.
I can see you've got good aptitude. Want me to introduce you?"
Li Qingshan's interest stirred.
"I'd be glad to hear more."
He followed the man through streets and alleys until they reached an imposing commercial building.
The Universe-Shaking school occupied a large space, and its lavish decor was enough to make jaws drop.
The rosewood floors were polished to a mirror shine, and racks displayed all manner of antique-style weapons.
The walls were covered with photographs taken with various "masters" and medals from all kinds of competitions.
Inside, every sort of training equipment was available, and dozens of students were practicing, their shouts shaking the air.
The school master was a middle-aged man in his forties who gave his surname as Chen.
He was powerfully built, his gaze sharp as lightning and his temples bulging prominently. He appeared to possess extraordinary cultivation.
Dressed in a gold training uniform, he sat in a grand armchair, looking rather like a grandmaster.
"Young man, you want to learn genuine martial arts?"
School Master Chen's voice boomed like a great bell. He struck the solid wood table with his palm, leaving a shallow handprint.
"My lineage received the true inheritance of Guo Yunshen, the xingyi grandmaster of the late Qing dynasty. It possesses the might of 'conquering the world with a half-step Crushing Fist.'"
Li Qingshan narrowed his eyes slightly.
His mental power sensed that the school master's Qi and blood were vigorous, but the edges of the handprint were rough, clearly the result of brute force rather than penetrating Jin.
More importantly, his breathing lacked the deep rhythm of an internal arts expert,
and his eyes held more of a merchant's shrewdness than a martial artist's purity.
"Your skills are impressive, School Master."
Li Qingshan offered the compliment outwardly, but he had already discerned most of the truth: this was a man who had trained in external martial arts to the peak of Manifest Jin, yet was posing as an internal arts expert.
School Master Chen smiled proudly.
"I can see you're a promising talent, so I'll make an exception and accept you as my disciple.
As for tuition, it's a hundred thousand a year. I guarantee I'll teach you until you've learned."
"Could you demonstrate some genuine martial arts, School Master?"
Li Qingshan asked.
School Master Chen's face darkened.
"What, you don't trust me?"
With that, he rose and performed a set of Xingyi Fist. His movements were fierce, each one stirring the wind.
He unleashed the five fists-splitting, crushing, drilling, cannon, and crossing-in succession, drawing bursts of cheers from the surrounding students.
In Li Qingshan's eyes, the fist art had its form but not its spirit.
When Chen exerted force, the Jin throughout his body failed to come together, much less achieve the internal arts' essential principle of "intent uniting with Qi, and Qi uniting with strength."
His Crushing Fist in particular had only its fierceness, with none of its penetrating essence.
"Well?"
School Master Chen ended the set without reddening or drawing a hard breath. Clearly, he had not used his full strength.
Li Qingshan shook his head.
"School Master, your fist art has its form but not its spirit. Your force is not unified, and your intent does not penetrate through. I'm afraid it isn't a true inheritance."
"Insolence!"
School Master Chen's expression changed in a fury.
"You milk-mouthed brat, how dare you pass judgment on my skills?"
The surrounding students gathered around, their expressions unfriendly. Li Qingshan said calmly,
"Whether it's genuine skill or not, we'll know once we cross hands."
School Master Chen sneered.
"Fine! I'll show you!"
With that, he brought a Splitting Fist down at Li Qingshan's head. It looked slow, but hidden Jin lay within it.
Li Qingshan neither dodged nor retreated, meeting it with a palm of his own.
The instant their palms met, his spiritual power focused intensely, immediately sensing the shifts between strength and weakness in his opponent's Jin.
At the same time, he made a slight adjustment to his body and put to use the rudimentary Jin techniques he had secretly learned by watching over the past few days, employing Taiji's "leading and neutralizing" Jin.
School Master Chen felt a skillful force enter his palm and draw his own force off course. He staggered and nearly fell.
Humiliated and furious, he shouted, "Teach this brat who doesn't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth a lesson!"
Four or five burly men who looked like coaches rushed at him together.
All of them had trained in external martial arts. Their fists and feet stirred the wind, their attacks fierce.
They used xingyi's Crushing Fist, bagua's palm techniques, and taekwondo's kicks respectively.
Li Qingshan, however, remained unhurried.
The realm of the Third Level of Deep Sleep allowed him to remain utterly calm while moving.
His spiritual power reflected the entire scene, and everyone's movements appeared clearly in his "mind's mirror," where they could be analyzed as though in slow motion.
His footwork was nimble, and he always evaded the attacks by a hair's breadth, while his hands either diverted or guided them,
using the rudimentary Taiji silk-reeling Jin and xingyi crushing Jin he had just observed to borrow their force and turn it against them.
Bang! One burly man was sent flying by his own momentum and crashed into a punching bag.
Smack! Another man's punch was guided off course and struck his companion.
In just three to five exchanges, the coaches were all on the ground groaning, unaware of how they had been defeated.
School Master Chen's face turned ashen. Suddenly, he leaped up and brought a heavy, powerful Splitting Fist down at Li Qingshan's head.
The blow was launched in anger and carried something of the might of genuine skill.
Li Qingshan sensed the strengths and weaknesses of the punch and was about to respond when he heard a deep shout.
"Stop!"
The voice and its owner arrived together. A figure flashed into the training area and, with an effortless touch and a guiding motion,
sent School Master Chen off course. He crashed into the wall with a thud, yet emerged completely unhurt. Clearly, the newcomer had used skillful Jin.
The newcomer was none other than the old man surnamed Wu whom Li Qingshan had met in the alley.
He glanced at School Master Chen and shook his head.
"Deceiving the world to steal fame is not the righteous path. Xingyi values intent over form. Practicing as you do, you have only the form. What a pity."
At the sight of the old man, School Master Chen's face changed drastically. He did not dare speak, only bowing in greeting.
"Master Wu."
The old man turned to Li Qingshan, admiration appearing in his eyes.
"Young man, what fine skills. Your ability to borrow force and turn it against an opponent already contains something of the essence of Taiji. Who was your master?"
Li Qingshan bowed respectfully.
"I taught myself some rudimentary skills. Please forgive the poor display, sir."
The old man's gaze flickered. He clearly did not believe him, but asked no further questions, saying only,
"My surname is Wu. I run a small martial arts school on the next street. If you're interested, come by for a visit."
With that, the old man turned and left, his steps steady and silent.
Li Qingshan noticed that the surrounding students, School Master Chen included, all held Elder Wu in great awe, showing the old man's standing in the local martial arts community.
After the old man left, School Master Chen glared viciously at Li Qingshan, but did not dare flare up again.
Li Qingshan smiled slightly, then turned and left.
Walking along the streets of City C, Li Qingshan's thoughts gradually became clear.
Although Guoshu had declined in this world and genuine skill was hard to find, it had not vanished altogether.
The true experts often hid in plain sight amid the bustle of the city, rarely revealing themselves.
Elder Wu's Qi and blood had been dense and settled like mercury, his breathing long and deep. He was clearly a Hidden Jin expert,
and might even have touched the threshold of Transformation Jin.
"Interesting."
The corners of Li Qingshan's mouth lifted slightly.
The path of seeking the Dao had never been smooth sailing.
And the process of distinguishing truth from falsehood and seeking out an enlightened master was itself a form of cultivation.
He looked in the direction Elder Wu had left, a plan already forming in his heart.
This unassuming elder who concealed his abilities might be his first opportunity to cultivate Guoshu in this world.
The sun sank in the west, stretching his shadow long.