Innate aptitude

Zhang Family Gully was twenty li from the Guo Wei Martial Arts School in the county town. Even by ox cart, the round trip took half a day.

Zhang Pingping and Lady Chu of the Zhang Family had packed everything they needed to bring the night before.

Zhang Pingping would accompany him to the county town and stay there to look after Zhang Lingfeng's meals and daily needs, leaving him more time to practice martial arts.

"Once you get to the school, don't compete with others or pick fights. Listen to your master."

Lady Chu of the Zhang Family looked deeply distressed.

Her eldest son was away doing business, and now her youngest was being sent off to practice martial arts. She could hardly bear to part with him. After giving Zhang Lingfeng a few words of advice, she slipped a silver ingot into his sleeve.

"I understand, Mother. I'll come back to see you often."

Zhang Lingfeng put the silver ingot away securely.

Zhang Da noticed but said nothing. Instead, he carried the packed belongings onto the ox carts.

"Lingfeng, remember why the family is supporting your martial arts training. I'll be waiting for good news."

Master Zhang gave him this reminder.

"Don't worry, Grandfather."

Zhang Lingfeng glanced at the paper offerings on the ground.

They had been left behind when the funeral procession passed their door after the Ma Family was wiped out. The Ma Family's standing in the nearby villages had been no lower than the Zhang Clan's, yet they had vanished just like that, leaving many people's nerves stretched taut.

Zhang Fugui stood to one side with a crutch. The swelling on the right side of Zhang Fukang's face had yet to subside completely. Both looked at Zhang Lingfeng with envy.

"Cousin, once you've learned some skills, you have to teach me a few moves."

Zhang Fukang spoke.

"These are eggs my mother boiled. They're for you to eat on the road."

Zhang Fugui handed him a bag of eggs.

"Thank Auntie for me. Don't worry-we're family."

Zhang Lingfeng patted Zhang Fukang and Zhang Fugui on the head, then sat with Liu Feng in the ox cart at the front. Zhang Da and Zhang Pingping rode in the other ox cart, following behind them all the way.

"Father, Lingfeng is going to the county town to practice martial arts. Why didn't anyone from the Wang Family come to see him off?"

Zhang Pingping asked.

"They brought over a bag of dried meat early this morning and left. They don't think your brother will get anywhere studying martial arts at the school. They think it's just wasting money, and they're afraid our family will neglect their daughter in the future."

Zhang Da spoke casually.

Zhang Lingfeng had a marriage arrangement with the Wang Family.

The Wang Family were also landlords, owning around a thousand mu of fertile farmland, and were considerably wealthier than the Zhang Clan. In many people's eyes, the Zhang Clan was reaching above its station with this marriage between Zhang Lingfeng and the Wang Family's daughter.

By now, everyone around Zhang Family Gully knew that Zhang Lingfeng was going to study martial arts. Many of the Zhang Clan's tenant farmers breathed sighs of relief, believing that the little devil incarnate was finally being sent away.

The Wang Family, who had arranged the marriage with the Zhang Clan, had sought out Master Zhang and told him not to mistake a bow's reflection in his cup for a snake. He should keep the money and manage his farmland properly, rather than let Zhang Lingfeng single-handedly drag down the entire Zhang Clan and leave their daughter to suffer after marrying into the family.

"I heard they have a small courtyard house in the county town. If I were them, I'd let Lingfeng live there for now. If he succeeds in martial arts one day, he'll remember their kindness."

Zhang Pingping spoke.

"In your dreams. That courtyard house belongs to Lingfeng's future elder brother-in-law. He uses it for his business in the county town. How could they just let you two move in?"

Zhang Da laughed.

He had already found a house in the county town. Although it was not as luxurious as the Wang Family's small courtyard house, it was still much better than the homes ordinary families lived in.

It was also right beside the martial arts school, making meals and lodging more convenient.

Four hours later.

Led by Liu Feng, Zhang Lingfeng arrived at the Guo Wei Martial Arts School.

Zhang Da and Zhang Pingping took their belongings to the house near the school so that Zhang Lingfeng would have hot food waiting when he returned.

Guo Wei was in his early fifties.

He had an exceptionally sturdy build. Compared to farmhands, Guo Wei seemed to carry a terrifying strength innately within his flesh and blood, commanding awe without anger.

"Master, this is Zhang Lingfeng from Zhang Family Gully. He wants to study martial arts here under you."

Liu Feng introduced him.

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"A little old."

After the brief exchange, Guo Wei spoke bluntly.

The best age to begin martial arts was thirteen or fourteen. Zhang Lingfeng was starting five or six years later than others.

"That's why my grandfather said that only by training at Master Guo's school would I have a chance of mastering martial skills."

Zhang Lingfeng flattered him.

"You have a quick tongue, at least. Come here."

Guo Wei beckoned.

Zhang Lingfeng walked over. Guo Wei's right hand clamped onto his shoulder like a pair of pincers, making him bare his teeth in pain, but he endured it without crying out.

Guo Wei then felt each of his major joints.

With some regret, he said, "Superior innate aptitude, of all things. A pity you started too late. Your bones have already closed. Otherwise, with diligent, grueling practice, you might one day have become a Transforming Jin expert."

"Superior innate aptitude?"

Liu Feng looked stunned.

He had trained under Guo Wei for years, only managing to become his formal disciple after attaining Ming Jin a few years earlier. Back then, Guo Wei had assessed his innate aptitude as the upper grade of the inferior rank.

Everyone practicing martial arts in the courtyard had had their bones examined by Guo Wei. They all knew how rare superior innate aptitude was, and knew even better that martial arts training had to begin early, or even the finest innate aptitude would go to waste.

For a moment, they all looked at Zhang Lingfeng with some sympathy or schadenfreude.

"Tuition is fifty taels a year. The school's Qi and blood medicinal decoction costs twenty taels a month. Whether you take it is up to you. If you want to learn, leave the silver. What level you reach depends on you. I make no guarantees here."

Guo Wei reminded him.

"Yes. I'm willing to learn."

How could Zhang Lingfeng refuse? Liu Feng had already explained the specific costs at the Zhang Clan's home. He paid a full year's tuition and a year's worth of Qi and blood nourishing decoction fees in one installment.

Two hundred and ninety taels in total.

Seven mu of prime paddy fields brought in only three taels of silver a year from Li Yishan. Even if all seven hundred-odd mu were rented out, the annual income would only be around two hundred taels before any expenses were deducted.

This was also why Master Zhang had always opposed Zhang Lingfeng studying martial arts.

If he failed to achieve anything, his martial arts training really could drag down the whole family.

"Come inside with me."

Seeing Zhang Lingfeng pay all the fees for an entire year at once, Guo Wei could not help regarding him a little more highly. Under the incredulous gazes of the others, he led Zhang Lingfeng into the inner courtyard.

Tuition could be paid every three months, while the Qi and blood nourishing decoction fees could be paid monthly. Liu Feng had explained this long ago, so how could Zhang Lingfeng not know?

But paying all the silver at once had been Master Zhang's decision. He believed that either Zhang Lingfeng should not study martial arts at all, or, if he did, they should secure special treatment for him from Guo Wei.

And what the Zhang Clan could offer was silver.

Over the years, the Zhang Clan had accumulated some silver. Spending several hundred taels at once would not yet affect the Lineage's operations.

"Yes!"

Zhang Lingfeng followed Guo Wei into the inner courtyard, stopping outside a room with tightly locked doors and windows.

Several disciples who had already formally entered Guo Wei's tutelage were practicing in the inner courtyard.

"Master."

They greeted him together, looking at Zhang Lingfeng with some puzzlement.

This was the first time they had seen Guo Wei bring a new martial arts student into the inner courtyard.

"Keep practicing."

Guo Wei took out a ring of keys and unlocked the door as he spoke without turning his head.

"Yes!"

Everyone answered in unison.

Once the door was unlocked, Guo Wei brought Zhang Lingfeng inside. Without concealing anything, he took a fist technique manual that all the school's students had practiced from a hidden compartment in the bookshelf and handed it to Zhang Lingfeng to read.

"This is the first part of the fist technique. If you train it to its utmost, you can develop Ming Jin. Read it carefully and memorize the contents. For now, train with Liu Feng. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me."

Guo Wei spoke.

"Yes. Thank you, Master."

Zhang Lingfeng quickly began reading, knowing full well that this was the special treatment those two hundred-odd taels of silver had bought.