33 Jindong Street.
This is a large courtyard, more than twice the size of where Lin Zheyu rented.
From the outside, the house was finely built, indicating it should be expensive. However, it was unclear whether Master Liang rented or bought it.
Knock, knock.
Knock, knock, knock.
Lin Zheyu rhythmically knocked on the door.
Before he could knock for long, the door creaked open.
Liang Song, limping, came to open the door and then turned to continue watering the flowers.
The courtyard was full of purple flowers, emitting a pleasant fragrance in the air, very refreshing.
The plants' leaves were lush green, and the flowers were large and colorful, resembling fluttering butterflies, making the scene quite beautiful.
"Don't move, just find a place to sit wherever you like."
As Lin Zheyu was about to help with watering the flowers eagerly, Liang Song spoke up to stop him.
He cherished these flowers and didn't want Lin Zheyu, who didn't understand them, to harm them.
Lin Zheyu quietly sat beside the stone table in the courtyard.
Master Liang spent more than half an hour watering the flowers before he sat down contentedly beside Lin Zheyu.
He walked with a limp, looking like an unkempt old man, without any air of a martial arts master.
"Don't need to be so tensed, relax."
" You brought me meat too, thoughtful."
"There's no need for formal apprenticeship ceremonies here, and besides, I haven't decided to take you as my disciple yet."
Liang Song glanced at the things Lin Zheyu brought on the table and chuckled.
He was just in the mood to impart some basic martial arts, and it would depend on Lin Zheyu's understanding if he could learn anything.
Lin Zheyu smiled faintly but didn't speak. He picked up the tea water on the table and obediently poured a cup for Liang Song.
"Learning martial arts requires intelligence, perseverance, and resources."
"Your physical foundation is too poor, and you need some time to nurture it."
Taking the tea offered by Lin Zheyu, and eating the snacks he brought, Liang Song said with interest.
He really liked the stories Lin Zheyu told; they were quite interesting. Many of the characters in the stories suited his taste.
But the scholars in the stories were too idealistic; the protagonists were all scholars. Indecisive and spineless, it was a bit annoying to listen to.
In his opinion, making Yan Chixia the protagonist would be more reasonable.
"Yeah, I've earned some money recently and have been taking care of myself." Lin Zheyu nodded.
"Not enough. Taking care of yourself involves both eating and training."
Liang Song said lightly, "Your foundation is very poor. You have no exposure to martial arts and rarely exercise. Your waist, legs, and feet are all weak."
"A towering building rises from a flat ground. If you want to excel in martial arts, you need to start with the most basic stance training."
Liang Song walked to the center of the courtyard.
Rolling up his sleeves, squatting halfway, with his palms flat, his body moved slightly up and down, like a gentle breeze, rippling like waves.
"Learn from me."
"This is one of the basic stance trainings, the Horse Stance."
Lin Zheyu walked over and imitated Liang Song's posture, squatting halfway, arms extended flat, like riding a horse, moving up and down.
"Your movements are wrong."
"The Horse Stance, as the name suggests, is inspired by riding a horse. Even when standing, you should move up and down in unison, as if conjuring up a horse out of thin air."
"Imagine yourself riding a horse, galloping freely. Let your feet become the galloping horse, integrating the horse's spirit into your waist and legs."
Liang Song whispered.
As he moved up and down, one high and one low, he really looked like riding a spirited horse, galloping.
After demonstrating, he walked to Lin Zheyu's side and pointed out, "The soles of your feet should grip the ground with your toes, knees naturally raised..."
"Shift your body weight continuously between up and down movements..."
Following Liang Song's guidance, Lin Zheyu gradually got on the right track.
Whenever he made a mistake in his posture, Liang Song would throw a small stone to hit the wrong part with precise force.
Soon, Lin Zheyu learned the correct stance of the Horse Stance.
Just starting to stand, he couldn't endure for more than ten minutes before trembling all over and sitting down on the ground.
"Go back and practice."
"When you can hold the Horse Stance for an hour straight, then you may seek me out. If you can't achieve it within a month, there's no need to return," Liang Song stated, gesturing for Lin Zheyu to depart. He wasn't inclined to teach just anyone, but Lin Zheyu seemed promising, earning him a chance. However, whether Lin Zheyu would receive instruction depended entirely on his commitment.
Acknowledging Liang Song's directive, Lin Zheyu rose with trembling legs. His physical fitness was lacking; he struggled to maintain the Horse Stance for even ten minutes. Rather than leaving immediately, he respectfully inquired, "Master, do you possess any remedies or bath formulas to expedite physical recovery?"
Mastering the Horse Stance within a month to sustain it for an hour seemed daunting. Considering an hour's endurance, equivalent to two hours, Lin Zheyu's current stamina wouldn't suffice even for thirty minutes of running. Moreover, his weak physical foundation would make the task exceedingly arduous without the aid of medicinal baths or soups.
Liang Song responded, cautioning about the costliness of such remedies. Despite this, he offered Lin Zheyu a prescription for invigorating Qi and enhancing blood circulation, instructing him to procure the ingredients from the apothecary.
Expressing gratitude, Lin Zheyu accepted the prescription respectfully before taking his leave. Thinking on the costliness of these remedies, he pondered the dichotomy of being affluent in martial skills yet impoverished in literacy.
As he passed by a pharmacy, Lin Zheyu entered, procuring the ingredients for the prescription. Lin Zheyu managed to negotiate for a discount, thereby saving some of his hard-earned coin.
Back home, Lin Zheyu prepared the medicinal brew, simmering it over low heat. Despite initial concerns, he found the process less daunting than expected. As the brew simmered, he seized the opportunity to practice the Horse Stance in the courtyard.
Gripping the earth with his toes, he mimicked the motion of riding a horse, his gaze fixed determinedly ahead. With his physical endurance limited to mere minutes, he persisted till his legs trembled where he was forced to rest abit. Then, with renewed vigor, he resumed his practice.