"You want to become an apprentice?"
In the courtyard, a gaunt old man scrutinized Su Chen. His piercing gaze felt as though it could see right through him.
Su Chen nodded, his expression earnest.
"The apprenticeship fee is five taels," the old man said. "I will only teach you for three months, and you will be considered a Registered Disciple. If you fail to grasp the basics by then, you will have to pay again. Have you thought this through?"
Su Chen cupped his hands. "I have thought it through."
The old man remained unmoved. "You are older, and your bones have already set. Even with diligent and bitter training, you might not achieve much. If you insist, then hand over the money."
Hearing this, Su Chen handed over the money he had prepared in advance.
The old man quickly beckoned a burly man over. "Li Mo, you will guide him for the next few days."
"Yes, Master Hong," Li Mo nodded, then looked at Su Chen. "Junior Brother, follow me."
Li Mo took Su Chen to collect the Martial Arts Hall’s uniform and casually introduced the old man’s identity. The old man was Hong Ming, the founder of the Hong Family Martial Arts Hall. Li Mo himself was Hong Ming’s seventh formal disciple, responsible for teaching the disciples in the outer courtyard on a daily basis.
"We usually train in this courtyard. Since you just arrived, you’ll start by practicing the Pile Skill and tempering your arm strength like the others. After some time has passed, I’ll teach you fist techniques," Li Mo said as he led Su Chen into the courtyard, preparing to instruct him on the Pile Skill.
Su Chen frowned slightly upon hearing this. He hadn’t come here to practice the Pile Skill; he intended to start practicing real martial arts right away.
Thus, he asked directly, "Senior Brother, could you teach me fist techniques right now?"
Li Mo chuckled softly. "Junior Brother, I know what you’re thinking. Everyone who comes to the Martial Arts Hall is as impatient as you are, eager to learn martial arts immediately.
"But you must understand that practicing martial arts isn’t something achieved overnight. To master martial arts, you must first lay a solid foundation. Once you’ve mastered the Pile Skill, I will naturally teach you fist techniques."
He advised Su Chen, hoping the younger man wouldn’t aim too high and end up with nothing.
However, Su Chen didn’t reply. Instead, he pulled an ingot of silver from his robes and offered it to Li Mo. "Could I ask you to demonstrate the fist techniques for me a few times, Senior Brother?" he asked, his voice sincere and earnest.
"You..." Li Mo stared blankly at Su Chen, momentarily at a loss for words.
He stared at Su Chen for a long time. Su Chen didn’t avoid his gaze. Seeing his unwavering determination, Li Mo sighed. "Fine. Since you want to see it, I’ll demonstrate it for you."
"Thank you, Senior Brother. Please accept this small token of my appreciation."
Su Chen expressed his gratitude and handed the silver taels to Li Mo. Without another word, Li Mo accepted the money expressionlessly.
Immediately after, Li Mo began to demonstrate the fist techniques for Su Chen.
"This is the Hong Family’s Iron Wire Fist. It has a total of thirty-six moves. Watch closely!"
As he spoke, Li Mo executed the routine. His movements were fluid, the stances flowing like water and drifting clouds, completed in one continuous breath. In less time than it takes a stick of incense to burn, he had displayed the entirety of the fist technique before Su Chen.
"Did you see it clearly?" Li Mo asked after finishing the first round.
Su Chen shook his head. Li Mo didn’t mind, as if he had already anticipated this outcome. "One last time. I’ll slow down this time."
With that, he began the demonstration again.
However, he completely failed to notice that Su Chen’s pupils had slightly dilated.
[Name: Su Chen]
[Martial Arts: Iron Wire Fist (Initiate 1%)]
[Easy Mode: Iron Wire Fist 0 times (1 tael of silver/time)]
In his mind, the transparent panel had changed. The martial arts column now displayed the Iron Wire Fist.
"Easy mode? One tael of silver per try?" Su Chen thought.
He had just been feeling somewhat pleased about acquiring the martial art, but the moment he saw that it required Krypton Gold, his joy instantly vanished. After paying the tuition to learn martial arts and bribing his senior brother, the money he had left on him amounted to less than one tael of silver.
"Alright, Junior Brother. I’ve demonstrated the fist technique for you. Now, let me teach you the Pile Skill."
With the second demonstration concluded, Li Mo had no intention of showing it again. Although he would formally teach Su Chen fist techniques later on, that was a matter for the future. For now, Su Chen needed to master the Pile Skill.
This time, Su Chen didn’t refuse. He allowed Li Mo to instruct him.
Over the course of half a day, Li Mo imparted the essentials of the Pile Skill to Su Chen. Then, he left Su Chen to practice on his own. There were over a dozen disciples in the courtyard; naturally, he couldn’t waste all his time on Su Chen alone.
Once Li Mo walked away, Su Chen practiced the Pile Skill while lost in thought.
"I thought that with my cheat system activated, I would be able to master martial arts rapidly. It seems I was too naive," he pondered. "Now, not only have I thoroughly offended the Black Water Gang, but I also have hardly any money left."
The realization made his heart heavy.
"No, there’s still hope," he encouraged himself. "The martial art displayed on the panel has a progress value. Although it’s not a stat-point allocation panel, it might be a proficiency panel. I can try to increase my martial arts progress through actual practice."
He immediately acted on his idea. Ignoring Li Mo’s potential scrutiny, Su Chen hid in a corner and secretly began practicing his punches.
However, half an hour passed, and the martial arts progress on the panel hadn’t changed in the slightest. An entire afternoon went by, and Su Chen only gained a single percentage point. The sluggish pace was terribly disappointing.
During this time, Li Mo observed Su Chen on multiple occasions. Seeing that Su Chen was ignoring his advice, he simply let the matter drop.
"It’s getting dark!"
Su Chen glanced at the sky. Most of the people in the Martial Arts Hall had already left. Only Li Mo was still in the courtyard, tidying up the equipment.
Pursing his lips, Su Chen walked over to Li Mo and helped him clean up.
Li Mo glanced at him and asked, "Junior Brother Su, I can handle this minor task myself. You should head back."
Su Chen just smiled and continued to help. Seeing this, Li Mo vaguely guessed his intentions and didn’t say anything more.
A moment later, after Li Mo finished packing up, he asked, "Junior Brother Su, is there something on your mind?"
Su Chen hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands. "Senior Brother, could I ask you to escort me home?"
Li Mo paused upon hearing this, giving Su Chen a profound look. Under Su Chen’s attentive gaze, he finally nodded. "Alright. Wait here for a moment."
Pingshi Street.
Chen Ergou led two lackeys, his expression gloomy. They had been waiting in front of Su Chen’s house for half the day, but there was still no sign of him.
Whenever Chen Ergou remembered how Su Chen had frightened him into a miserable retreat earlier, he was consumed by an uncontrollable rage. He wanted nothing more than to kill Su Chen.
This time, the three of them had brought enough weapons and were lying in wait right at Su Chen’s doorstep.
"Boss, look! That brat is finally here!"
Hearing this, the furious Chen Ergou instantly stood up, gripped his iron rod tightly, and fixed his gaze forward.
Under the dim starlight, two silhouettes were slowly approaching.
Chen Ergou and his two lackeys marched toward Su Chen, their footsteps slow, heavy, and carrying a chilling malice.
"The Hong Family Martial Arts Hall!"
Before they could even get close, Chen Ergou abruptly halted, his expression freezing. As he made out the style of the uniform Li Mo was wearing, his heart skipped a beat.
"Damn it. When did this brat get involved with a disciple from the Hong Family Martial Arts Hall?"
Chen Ergou spat softly, a flash of hesitation crossing his face.
They were nothing more than bottom-rung thugs of the Black Water Gang; they didn’t even have the qualifications to be mentioned in the same breath as a formal disciple of the Hong Family Martial Arts Hall. Though the Hong Family Martial Arts Hall wasn’t considered a top-tier establishment, it still held a solid reputation. The strength of its formal disciples was leagues beyond theirs.
"Let’s go. We’ll let him off this time and teach him a lesson next time," Chen Ergou said through gritted teeth, his expression fluctuating rapidly. "I refuse to believe the Hong Family Martial Arts Hall can protect him forever!"
Faced with Su Chen slipping through his fingers time and time again, a ball of furious fire was bottled up in his chest. This fire would only grow with time, and when it finally erupted, it would thoroughly claim Su Chen’s life.
Watching Chen Ergou retreat into the distance, Su Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to Li Mo and cupped his fists. "Thank you for your help this time, Senior Brother."