bookandnovel Chapter 4 Stealing a Master
Chapter 4 Stealing a Master
Heaven rewards diligence; no one can succeed easily.
By the paper window, Lin Mu stole a sliver of moonlight and began practicing the starting stance of the Long Wind Fist—Wind Rises on Green Duckweed.
With his feet slightly apart and his center of gravity lowered, his palms moved as if lifting the wind, striving for perfection in every move.
But the Long Wind Fist emphasizes the balance of hardness and softness, so how could a novice like him possibly master it?
Therefore, he had no choice but to gather all his strength in each punch, hoping to grasp the essence of the move at some point.
Once, twice, three times, ten times...
He collapsed onto the worn-out straw mat, his clothes soaked with sweat, after exhausting every last bit of his strength.
He glanced at the booklet, panting heavily:
Name: Lin Mu
Martial Arts: Long Wind Fist (Unmastered 1/100)
[Skills: Measurement (Beginner), Carpentry (Unskilled), Knife Skills (Unskilled), Wok Flipping (Unskilled)...]
[Currently available replicable slots: 1/3]
The effort paid off; the progress bar for mastering the Long Wind Fist has already begun.
If the current practice intensity is maintained, it will take another 100 days to get started.
Although progress is slow, at least there is hope.
Lin Mu stared at the dilapidated roof, his consciousness gradually fading.
......
The next day.
The loud crowing of a rooster and the first rays of morning sunlight simultaneously woke Chen Mu.
He practiced horse stance for a while, drank the freshly cooked rice porridge, and went out before dawn.
I didn't run into my second uncle's family when I went out, but I did see Lin Wu, the village peddler.
He was wearing a vest and carrying a shoulder pole with large bamboo baskets hanging from both ends.
The basket contained rice, noodles, and eggs collected from the village, which were intended to be sold in town.
"Lin Mu, are you going to town to find work?" Lin Wu's eyes lit up when he saw him.
"Um."
"Dockworker? Restaurant kitchen helper? Or perhaps a grain shop or cloth store? Let me recommend one?"
Before Lin Mu could refuse, Uncle Wu Mu, the village carpenter, came over from the field carrying tools such as an ink line and a plane, exposing Lin Wu's little scheme:
"A little kid can only earn a few coins a day, and you're still thinking of taking a cut? That's really greedy."
"You'd be better off saving up some money to learn carpentry from me; I can lower the tuition fee."
"That's true. I heard that someone in the village is interested in Lin Mu's old house, offering fifty coins a month."
Lin Wu did not argue. For ordinary families, learning a trade is certainly more respectable than finding work in town, provided they can afford the tuition.
"Fifty coins isn't a small amount these days. Save them up and come back to me later."
Uncle Wumu continued, and seeing that Lin Mu did not respond, the two began to chat about the daily life of Widow Zhang in town.
As they parted, Lin Wu leaned close to Lin Mu's ear and asked, somewhat reluctantly:
"You really don't need me to introduce you?"
"If I can't find work, this round trip will take a whole day."
"Let me look for it first."
Lin Mu deliberately circled the town twice before returning to Changfeng Martial Arts School.
Since it was still early, the martial arts school was relatively quiet, but two Ming Jin (a martial arts skill) students were already practicing their horse stance on the plum blossom stakes.
The two stood with their feet apart and their hands raised, striking a pose reminiscent of a gentle breeze. Even after standing for a quarter of an hour, they remained calm and composed, with plenty of energy to exchange pleasantries.
"Senior Brother Liu's breathing is deep and his stance is as leisurely as a stroll in a garden. It seems he will soon make another step forward and break through to the Dark Force realm?"
"This Xihe Town is so remote that even deer blood and tiger meat are hard to find. We can only buy some beef to fill our stomachs. How dare we presume to talk about achieving great success?"
"Who can argue with that?"
"I heard that Master originally wanted to settle down in Jinhuan Town, which is close to the capital and is considered a prosperous and bustling place. But later, for some reason..."
"What else could it be? It's because Junior Brother Yan Hua has exceptional talent, giving Master hope for the inch-force technique."
"Inch-force? I've only ever heard of overt force, covert force, and neutral force. Where did this inch-force come from?"
"Junior Brother Zhou, I must say you're ignorant. This inch punch can only be mastered by people with superior physique and exceptional talent. The master of Tianxuan Martial Arts Hall has mastered the inch punch."
"That......"
When Junior Brother Zhou noticed Lin Mu approaching, he said nothing more.
Lin Muqin diligently collected the sweat-smelling training clothes that the two had left aside into the laundry room and tidied up the surrounding area.
It wasn't until 7:45 AM that all the disciples arrived, including Yan Hua, whom Senior Brother Liu had mentioned.
Yan Hua is indeed an outstanding person.
Dressed in white, with piercing eyes, he had already acquired a bit of Master Hu's imposing presence after only a few days of martial arts training.
Once Yan Hua was in place, the coach began to give instructions.
"Yan Hua, you demonstrate it once."
Yan Hua set up his formation.
"That's not right."
"Changfengquan combines the power of fists with the agility of wind, emphasizing the balance of strength and softness."
"Instead of charging blindly, you might as well go next door and learn Tiger Fist."
"The 'Wind-Breaking Style' progresses from soft to hard, and the amount of force applied in between needs to be adjusted according to the strength of your opponent."
......
Lin Mu paused in wiping his swords and spears, then listened attentively to the instructor's teachings. Comparing this with his insights from practicing the boxing last night, he gradually gained a deeper understanding.
His panel has also undergone new changes:
Name: Lin Mu
Martial Arts: Long Wind Fist (Unmastered 13/100)
[Skills: Measurement (Beginner), Carpentry (Unskilled), Knife Skills (Unskilled), Wok Flipping (Unskilled)...]
[Currently available replicable slots: 1/3]
It turns out that a deeper understanding of the Long Wind Fist can accelerate the training process.
However, his overly serious demeanor attracted the attention of others.
"Look at him, could he be secretly learning?" said Zou Youlin, a newly adopted son of a wealthy family in Xihe Town.
"What can a menial laborer learn if he's never even eaten beef?"
"That's true, he can't even afford the ten taels of silver a month for maintenance."
Yan Hua only glanced at Lin Mu from afar before setting up the Wind Rises Green Grass and immersing himself in the world of martial arts. In his heart, the two of them were already in different worlds.
The old servant noticed and slapped Lin Mu on the head.
"What are you standing there for? Go to the inner courtyard and collect your training clothes."
"Remember to give Zhang Ma a private talk about the young lady."
"oh oh......"
"I suddenly had a stomachache and didn't dare to move around for fear of polluting the martial arts arena."
Lin Mu clutched his stomach, trying to composure his facial features in response, dispelling everyone's doubts.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief once everyone's attention returned to the Long Wind Fist.
But did the old handyman know that he was secretly learning from the master?
He looked at the other person warily, only to see a hunched back.
Never mind, let's clean up the inner courtyard first.
He stepped over the one-foot-high threshold and arrived at the core courtyard of Changfeng Martial Arts School.
Only those with average or above-average physical attributes can enter the inner courtyard, where they will be personally trained by the head instructor.
The inner court now has only three disciples.
Soon, one more person will be added—Yan Hua.
Normally, the inner courtyard is the old handyman's territory, where he is responsible for sweeping and tidying up. Today, it's Lin Mu's turn.
When Lin Mu arrived, his three disciples were already meditating and resting.
Three training clothes were placed next to the training ground.
Two white training clothes were casually discarded.
A pale yellow women's exercise uniform, exuding a faint scent of gardenias, was neatly folded and placed to the side.
This must be Hu Xiaoying's.
He casually grabbed two white training uniforms and then held up a pale yellow training uniform, his careful posture resembling the starting stance of the Long Wind Fist's "Wind Rises on Green Water".
Hu Xiaoying noticed this and gave her a grateful look.
The old handyman would often mix and match her clothes with those of her two senior brothers, their clothes becoming soaked and intertwined with sweat, making the young woman feel extremely ashamed, but she was too embarrassed to say it outright.