Warmth and comfort diffused through his chest as his Long Qi circulated once, gradually dissipating between his viscera.
"Phew, Ape Fist really suits me best."
Liang Qu wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.
After so many days, he had learned all the cultivation techniques, and the sensation of Qi in his chest had grown to nearly the thickness of a chopstick. His progress was exceptionally rapid, and he gained a deeper understanding of the "laws" of martial arts.
Without personal experience, it is difficult to grasp the intricacies within.
Having practiced the Three-Fist Technique for so long, Liang Qu had deduced the role of one's physique. Simply put, each cultivation technique has one or more perfect body proportions that it is compatible with. He referred to this as adaptability.
For example, his ape-like arms, wasp waist, and mantis legs were highly compatible with the Ape Fist of the Three-Fist Technique—practicing it felt like taking an exam with the answers at hand, always scoring full marks, which naturally led to rapid progress.
The other two techniques, Tiger Fist and Crane Fist, weren't as compatible. After practicing them, it felt like only scoring eighty and sixty points, respectively. Over time, the gap became quite pronounced.
Li Libo's Ape Fist was about eighty-five points.
Chen Jiechang, on the other hand, was a fit for the Tiger Fist, but only scored around ninety points.
However, the stance work within the cultivation techniques can be modified. With guidance from someone of sufficient level, certain adjustments can be made to improve compatibility.
"If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain."
Unfortunately, Martial Artist Hu, Senior Brother Hu, could not do it, and there was no need to mention Lu Shaohui. Even if capable, he likely couldn't be bothered. In the entire Yang Family Martial Arts School, it was said that only Teacher Yang could improve the scores, and during the last five days of each month, the students would seek his advice on these matters.
A good teacher is extremely important.
Of course, apart from the visible adaptability of body proportions, there are hidden points in the test of martial arts. Summed up, they comprise a person's total aptitude.
Most typically, if your body proportions aren't ideal, but you're born with robust vigor or possess extraordinary insight, able to modify cultivation techniques and temper your body with Qi, these are aspects that bone reading can't fully reveal.
In cultivation, these can likewise lead to multiplied effects, adding up to scores that exceed one hundred!
This is why Hu Qi said that suboptimal body proportions were not a concern. They do not represent a person's total aptitude. Perhaps someone with poor proportions practices much faster than everyone else and leaves them in the dust.
Liang Qu reflected on the diversity among people, knowing that only by redoubling his efforts could he create miracles.
Unfortunately, after three days of learning, the hundred or so coins he had earned were all spent. Without work, he would have no food to eat.
If it weren't for overhearing Senior Brother Xiang mention that Teacher Yang might come in the afternoon or evening, he, having just finished learning Crane Fist, would be ready to set sail. Now, he could only wait for Teacher Yang's arrival before leaving.
He really envied the rich kids.
Liang Qu looked toward the dozens of students on the other side. After joining the Martial Arts School, he realized it was only a few of them, as poor as church mice, who had paid just seven silver coins. The rest had all paid at least ten silver coins, committing to full-time martial arts training and not having to work every few days to earn money, making their progress many times more efficient.
"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've seen Scabby Zhang."
"Yeah, didn't see him even when paying taxes recently. Could he have become a tax dodger?"
"Surely not. He begs everywhere every day, and no one dares to provoke him. Why would he be afraid of not being able to pay the taxes?"
Nearby, Li Libo and Chen Jiechang were also sitting on the edge of a flower bed, resting and chatting idly about Scabby Zhang for some reason.
Upon hearing the keyword, Liang Qu pricked up his ears.
Chen Jiechang said discontentedly, "What do you care? Isn't it better if we don't see him? He's no good person."
"True that," Li Libo didn't ponder further, scanning the area, "Hey, hey, look, there are some young girls over there. Sss, the one leading them looks quite imposing."
"Don't stare. They might be people of status. You better be careful."
"Just taking a peek..."
Sensing the change in topic, Liang Qu relaxed and resumed practicing Ape Fist.
But having not quite reached halfway, the spiritual link in Liang Qu's mind suddenly began to pulse wildly.
Fat Catfish and Unable to Move were frantically sending him messages!
The Treasure Plant lotus roots in the water were under attack!
Another big one?
Liang Qu's face instantly changed.
The treasure plant lotus roots were his first pot of gold in establishing his wealth.
Although only about twenty of them could contribute to the essence of Water Ze, the entire lotus root field spanned tens of meters, and there were several hundred other roots that couldn't provide the Water Ze Essence, but still had good healing effects. He treated them like treasure and usually had Unable to Move carefully guard them.
The Fat Catfish also needed to stay nearby to keep watch when there was no trouble.
Any small fish or shrimp that came to bother them were killed and eaten by the two creatures.
What kind of creature was it that both a crocodile and a Six-Whisker Catfish couldn't handle, and still kept sending him urgent messages?
Thinking of this, Liang Qu couldn't stay put any longer, hurriedly bid farewell to Li Libo and Chen Jiechang, and began packing his things to leave.
The two were very surprised and asked in a hurry, "Why are you leaving now? Teacher Yang might be arriving soon, don't you want to stay and get some advice from him?"
Liang Qu hesitated for a moment, "I have an urgent matter to attend to right now. I should be able to make it back after I deal with it, right?"
It was morning now, if he went back and forth, he might be able to make it in time.
Seeing that Liang Qu seemed genuinely in a hurry, Li Libo and Chen Jiechang didn't press any further and only told him to be careful on the road.
Watching Liang Qu's retreating figure, Li Libo scratched his head, "Strange, it was the same last time."
"Last time?"
"Yes," Li Libo nodded, "Last time Ashui also had to rush off in the middle of training with Martial Artist Hu, and there wasn't anyone to come to inform him of anything."
"Why think so much about it? Maybe Ashui had made an arrangement in advance."
"That's also true."
Fallen leaves piled upon each other on the ground, turning into a layer of dark brown humus.
After leaving the Martial Arts School, Liang Qu conserved his energy by jogging slowly, covering the dozen or so miles from Pingyang Town to Yixing City in less than half an hour.
Upon reaching the wharf, Liang Qu caught his breath, composed himself, then pretended nothing was amiss as he untied his boat. Once out of sight of others, he quickly rowed to the area near the Lotus Root Waters and started knocking on the water's surface.
A moment later, a Zhupo Dragon and a Six-Whisker Catfish surfaced.
Liang Qu stroked the heads of the two beasts, had them roll over to check, and upon seeing they weren't injured, he finally felt relieved.
He had previously ordered the two creatures to assess whether they could deal with anyone trying to steal the lotus roots on their own—if they could handle it, then confront them; if not, then retreat without putting up a fight.
If you lose the property but save the people, you lose everything; if you lose the property but save the people, you save everything.
The lotus roots were indeed valuable, but not as precious as the two water beasts that Liang Qu had raised.
After eating the Treasure Fish, the two creatures had gone through a second development, becoming even more powerful. Now, Unable to Move was over two meters long, and the Fat Catfish had reached two meters four!
They had grown significantly larger, and even the amount of Water Ze Essence they needed for evolution had each dropped by over four points.
Getting bigger was obviously a good thing—the stronger his underlings were, the better.
But Liang Qu grew even more curious, wondering what kind of creature it was that made Unable to Move and the Fat Catfish want to avoid confrontation.
As he pondered, the Fat Catfish in the water suddenly turned on its back, poking its head into the boat with a wide-open mouth and spitting out five lotus roots, which clattered against the wooden planks with a dull sound.
Liang Qu picked up one to examine it and was extremely surprised, "These are lotus roots with Water Ze Essence? You took them away before the monster came?"
The Fat Catfish and the Zhupo Dragon wagged their tails, splashing water onto Liang Qu, but he was not angry. In fact, he was somewhat moved.
He had left a few lotus roots containing the essence of Water Ze for emergencies, instructing the two beasts to focus on watching them. He hadn't expected them to be so intelligent, even knowing to move important assets.
They'd done well; he hadn't raised them in vain.
Liang Qu turned and picked up his wooden spear, and the muscles on the side of his face involuntarily tightened, revealing sharp lines. He narrowed his eyes.
"Good, let's go down and see who dares to steal my lotus roots."