Fortunately, Chen Shaojun had long mastered the art of martial arts cultivation. Furthermore, he did not lack spirit pills due to the Psychic Treasure Mirror.
What he wanted was just the reputation of having learned martial arts.
He wanted a reason to convince everyone that he had changed.
…
The district where the Lin Pawnshop was located was not the liveliest place in the capital. It was a bit silent and cold.
Beside the pawnshop were bookstores and clothing stores. Furthermore, one would find hotels and tea shops only after walking for a while.
As for the martial arts academy, it was even further away.
However, Chen Shaojun was in no hurry.
Along the way, he walked and looked around the streets that were filled with people. All sorts of strange things constantly appeared in front of him. The clothes of the people that came and went also had their own style. Of course, without exception, all of their clothes were much more dazzling and beautiful than his dusty servant uniform.
This was the first time he walked out of the pawnshop. Thus, he was curious about everything.
"The Treasure Medicine Hall, Ruyi Studio, Loyal Spirit Hall, Five Mountain Teahouse, Pleasant Arrival Inn, Red Vine House…"
Chen Shaojun looked at the shops and felt dazzled.
When he passed by the Red Vine Flower House, he smelled a faint fragrance that made him want to go in and take a look.
It was not that his thoughts were fluctuating.
He just wanted to widen his knowledge and satisfy his curiosity.
Another thing worthy of mentioning was that there were also stalls on the streets that sold soup, pancakes, eggs, sugar, tofu, and so on.
Sometimes, when he was interested, he would spend a few wen to try out the food.
After a while, he finally arrived in front of the martial arts academy.
"It's the Wire Fist Gallery!"
Chen Shaojun's eyes lit up.
He finally found the martial arts academy.
The martial arts academy was located in a remote area, but it occupied a large area. There were two stone tigers at the entrance, and they looked rather fierce.
The main door was wide open, revealing a white wall that was like a screen. It was commonly known as the Wind Blockade or the Baleful Blockade. One could only step into the inner court by going around the white wall.
Just by standing at the entrance, Chen Shaojun could already hear the shouts coming from the courtyard.
Obviously, there were people practicing martial arts inside.
Chen Shaojun walked in and saw a spacious, flat ground. There were 20 to 30 people on the flat ground who were practicing their fist techniques in an orderly manner. Their aura was extraordinary.
"What are you doing here?"
While he was looking at them, a middle-aged man dressed in short black walked over.
"Well, I want to learn martial arts. I wonder what the regulations are like?"
Chen Shaojun quickly stepped forward and spoke.
"The fees are three taels of silver per month. Students will pay once every three months."
"However, if you pay for six months at a time, you will only need to pay 15 taels of silver."
Seeing that he was here to learn martial arts, the middle-aged man's expression softened and he explained.
"I have to pay every three months?"
Chen Shaojun was stunned. He thought about how he originally only had six taels of silver. If the shopkeeper hadn't offered to give him ten taels of silver, he wouldn't have had enough money.
"The tuition fees of the Wire Fist Gallery are considered low in the entire capital."
"As long as you pay up, you can become an official apprentice of the Wire Fist Gallery."
"Naturally, someone will teach you the basics of the Wire Fist Gallery, the Iron Wood Standing Skill."
"Even though the Iron Wood Standing Skill is just a standing meditation skill, it is a true beginner's cultivation technique."
"In addition, our martial arts academy also has the Snake Blood Spirit Ointment that is especially compatible with fist technique training. It can increase your blood and qi, as well as accelerate the rate of martial arts training."
"This is a unique recipe of our martial arts academy."
"Each portion costs one tael of silver."
"However, if you become an apprentice of our martial arts academy, you can buy it at a 20% discount."
"This is also an internal benefit for the members of our martial arts academy."
"Of course, in order to prevent the apprentices from profiting, we only provide a limited supply of the discounted ointment. Every apprentice can only buy three portions of the ointment each month. After purchasing three portions, the price of the ointment will be restored to its market price."
The middle-aged man thought that Chen Shaojun found the fees expensive and quickly explained.
"Alright."
"I'll pay for half a year."
Chen Shaojun saw that the other party seemed to have misunderstood his question, but he did not explain. He simply took out 15 taels of silver.
As for the Snake Blood Spirit Ointment, perhaps it was really useful for martial artists, but in his opinion, it couldn't compare to the Blood Qi Pill rewarded by the Psychic Treasure Mirror.
Thus, he didn't really care about it.
After registering, Chen Shaojun officially recorded his name in the Wire Fist Gallery.
Then, he learned that this middle-aged man was not the master of the martial arts academy, but one of Master Hong Zhankong's official disciples, Mao Qiuyang. He was ranked fifth, and the apprentices called him Fifth Senior Brother.
Besides him, the person who led the disciples to practice martial arts was Second Senior Brother Qian Feng.
As for his master, it was said that he usually stayed in the inner residence and would only occasionally appear in public.
"Have you ever learned the basics of martial arts before?"
After registering his name, Mao Qiuyang appeared more relaxed. He brought Chen Shaojun to the training hall and asked him casually.
"No."
Chen Shaojun shook his head.
"Actually, at your age, it's already a little late to practice martial arts."
"However, it's not too late."
"You just needed to use the Snake Blood Spirit Ointment to nourish yourself."
"Let me teach you the Iron Wood Standing Skill first."
"Although the Iron Wood Standing Skill is basic, it is extremely important. It can strengthen your blood and qi, as well as consolidate your strength."
"Once your strength has formed, your power will be different. Only then will you be considered a martial artist."
"Without strength, no matter how strong you are, you are just a man of great physical prowess."
"Also, I have to remind you that the Iron Wood Standing Skill belongs to the Wire Fist Gallery. It cannot be spread outside. Once discovered… Hehe, don't blame us for not showing mercy."
"The Iron Wood Standing Skill is just a standing meditation skill. The posture involved is very simple. You just need to look at it a few times and you will understand."
"The most important thing about this skill is how you circulate your strength."
"You should first grasp the key points of the action."
"After you are familiar with that, I will impart my strength to you and let you familiarize yourself with the strength circulation involved in this standing meditation technique."
"For the first three days, I will impart a surge of strength to you every day to guide you."
"If you still haven't sensed the growth of your strength after three days, it means that your body is weak and you need to train more. You also need to take more medicine to nourish yourself."
"In addition, at the beginning of every month, during the middle of every month, and at the end of every month, the master would appear and give pointers to the apprentice's martial arts techniques."
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask him."
"During the rest of the time, you can cultivate at home or come to the martial arts academy. There are no special requirements."
Mao Qiuyang had a lot of scattered information to impart, but he had already explained the many points for attention of the Iron Wood Standing Skill, the main points of cultivation, and the rules of this martial arts academy.
…
When Chen Shaojun returned to the pawnshop, the sky was already dark.
Chen Shaojun also felt that he had gained a lot.
Although he only joined a martial arts academy to deceive others, Mao Qiuyang's explanations had indeed enlightened him on many principles regarding martial arts and cultivation.
The only thing that puzzled him was…
The Tiger Demon Body Tempering Fist that the Psychic Treasure Mirror had rewarded him with seemed to be different from the martial arts that were being taught at the martial arts academy.