Corroboration

Watching the waiter leave, Fang Zelin said nothing more.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Fang Zelin instinctively touched his chest.

The next instant, he felt something solid. "What's this?"

Puzzled, Fang Zelin looked down.

He reached into the front of his robes and pulled out a book.

At the sight of the book, Fang Zelin immediately remembered. Wasn't this the book he had found in the chest when he was trapped by the river?

At the time, Fang Zelin had thought that a book wrapped so carefully in oiled paper must be extremely important.

But looking at it now, the thing seemed quite useless.

It merely recorded some local customs and scenery, along with some personal ideas about governance.

Things like dredging canals, and why certain places in Great Jin suffered water shortages year after year.

Fang Zelin leafed through it again, but still could not see any hidden content in the book that called for his attention.

"Is this really just an ordinary book?"

Fang Zelin flipped through it, but simply could not find anything special about it.

"Sir, here are the dishes you ordered."

While Fang Zelin was leafing through the book, the waiter arrived carrying a tray, set the dishes on it before him one by one, then introduced each dish on the table.

Only after finishing the introductions did the waiter withdraw.

Seeing that the food had arrived, Fang Zelin began tasting it while continuing to read the book in his hands.

He wanted to see whether he could find anything special in the book.

He did not know whether whatever lay within was hidden too deeply, but however Fang Zelin searched, he found no relevant information.

Anything about martial training, for instance, or traces of immortals.

At this point, Fang Zelin could not help shaking his head.

Forget it. Tomorrow, I should go take a look at the martial halls first and see whether I can choose one and start practicing martial arts.

Fang Zelin thought it over and finally decided to try practicing martial arts first.

The search for traces of immortals would have to wait.

"These dishes taste a little too bland."

After taking his eyes off the book, Fang Zelin looked at the food on the table before him and sighed.

This was hardly unexpected. It was ancient times, after all; the food was bound to be less refined than modern food.

They were not imperial chefs from the palace, after all.

The next day.

Fang Zelin woke up at the inn and brushed his teeth with a willow twig, finding it rather unfamiliar.

After washing up, Fang Zelin ate a few steamed buns, then found a martial hall.

Two stone lions stood outside its main entrance, looking quite imposing.

Fang Zelin looked at the martial hall before him. He had heard that this hall was quite well known, and had even produced a successful candidate in the provincial military examinations some years ago.

It was a very reputable martial hall in the area.

With that thought, Fang Zelin immediately stepped over the threshold and went inside.

The first thing that greeted him was the constant shouting from the training grounds.

"Have you come to learn martial arts, sir?"

Someone nearby spotted Fang Zelin and immediately stepped forward to approach him.

The man wore fitted martial attire, and his stride carried a tiger's vigor. He certainly looked like a trained martial artist.

Fang Zelin took in the atmosphere of martial training and felt that this hall seemed quite good indeed.

"Yes. Could I learn a little about it first?"

Fang Zelin glanced around, but could not tell what the people on the training grounds were practicing.

"Of course!"

Seeing that Fang Zelin really did intend to learn martial arts, the man immediately brightened and began welcoming him with great enthusiasm.

"Our martial hall has produced a successful candidate in the provincial military examinations. Several others have also made quite a name for themselves in the jianghu."

As he spoke, he even began counting them off on his fingers for Fang Zelin.

There were figures such as Stele-Breaking Hand and Flowing Cloud Leg, reputed to be first-rate experts in the jianghu.

And how that successful military examination candidate was doing now.

He spoke as though their accomplishments were his own, listing them as readily as treasures in his own home.

Watching him reel them off, Fang Zelin did not know whether to laugh or cry, and waved a hand to interrupt his introduction.

"I want to know which martial art your hall is most famous for, how long it takes to achieve some modest success, and which cultivation method can be mastered quickly."

These were all things Fang Zelin wanted to know.

As for the successful military examination candidate and the like that the man mentioned, Fang Zelin did not care.

The martial artist beside him froze at Fang Zelin's words, then the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "Brother, do you know nothing about the Martial Dao?"

"How could there be any quick mastery on the path of the Martial Dao? Only through perseverance can you become an expert of standing."

Hearing this, Fang Zelin could not help pausing, and a trace of disappointment crossed his face.

He wanted to try mastering something quickly so that he could test it in the real world.

He wanted to see whether there was any connection between the two worlds.

But judging by what the man said, he had been pursuing the wrong idea.

"Is there really no way to progress quickly in the Martial Dao?"

Still unwilling to give up, Fang Zelin could not resist asking.

Hearing this, the martial artist beside him thought for a moment, then suddenly nodded. "There is a way, but it isn't simple either."

"The Martial Dao centers on a wisp of Qi harbored within the body. If you can supplement your training with ginseng and medicinal decoctions, then naturally you can progress quickly."

The saying that the poor studied letters while the rich practiced martial arts was certainly no idle remark.

Practicing martial arts also required a great deal of money. Injuries sustained during regular training required plenty of liniment, and then there was the meat eaten every day.

Those expenses cost even more money.

Beyond those, there were also the medicinal decoctions needed regularly.

Ordinary medicinal decoctions did little good. What was needed was aged ginseng and similar ingredients.

Thus, martial training was not something poor families could afford to support.

Listening carefully to what the man said, Fang Zelin could not help feeling startled. From the sound of it, he had come here with some mistaken ideas.

He had originally thought the little silver he had would cover his expenses, but now, however he looked at it, he had been far too optimistic.

The little silver he possessed seemed wholly insufficient for his expenses.

With his meager resources, how could he possibly afford aged ginseng and the like?

Fang Zelin hesitated for a moment, then thought that he might as well spend whatever little money he had.

The money would only sit there otherwise. Just a moment ago, he had been wondering whether he could progress quickly in the Martial Dao, yet now that he knew it was possible, he had actually begun begrudging this little bit of money.

At that thought, Fang Zelin's spirits immediately lifted.

He would find a solution to the money problem later. For now, he could see what martial arts were taught here.

Fang Zelin asked in detail and soon learned about the principal martial arts taught here.

One was swordsmanship, another was a kicking art, and there was also an external conditioning art, a body-hardening art similar to Iron Cloth Shirt.

Whichever martial art one chose, however, one had to cultivate Internal Force. Whether one possessed Internal Force determined how fully one could bring one's strength to bear; it was also the wisp of Qi Force mentioned earlier.

There were many names for Internal Force. With so many regions and such a mixture of martial traditions, it was only natural for the names to multiply.