Chapter 2 - #2 - Tongbei Fist

"Listen carefully, everyone! I'll only explain this once!" 

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan immediately snapped out of his wandering thoughts and focused intently on the lecture. 

"Tongbei Fist emphasizes the eyes of an eagle and the spirit of an ape. The movements must be expansive and fluid, with each stance seamlessly connecting to the next." 

"In terms of power, it should be light, agile, lively, and fast. It requires more softness than hardness, with a balance between the two." 

"When practicing, use more whipping and soft forces. Your arms should move like two whips." 

"Once you unleash your power, it should be like a thunderclap in a clear sky, with overwhelming force." 

"Truly mastering this means your hands are like iron, your wrists like cotton, and your arms like leather whips." 

"Mastering this fist technique will greatly benefit your future studies in forging." 

"Now, I'll demonstrate once. Pay close attention to what I just explained." 

With that, Manor Lord Li Tieren began to slowly demonstrate the movements on the raised platform. 

As he practiced, Li Tieren's body emitted sharp cracking sounds. With each swing of his fists and palms, the air whistled, showcasing immense power. 

His arms truly moved like whips, and every strike produced a resounding noise. 

Just by observing the sheer force, Xu Yuan could sense the destructive power of those arms. 

If such strikes landed on an ordinary person, the result would likely be broken bones and torn tendons. 

The apprentices were all stunned, their eyes wide open, not daring to breathe too loudly. 

After finishing the demonstration, Li Tieren looked at the awestruck apprentices and said in a loud voice, "Remember the characteristics of what I just demonstrated. Practice accordingly from now on!" 

"We still have work to do later, so today I'll only teach you three moves. Focus on mastering these first!" 

With that, Li Tieren began to explain the first three moves. 

However, Xu Yuan's attention was no longer on Li Tieren's explanation. Instead, he was completely focused on the "Techniques" section of his attribute panel. 

[Techniques]: Tongbei Fist (Not Yet Mastered). 

Just as Manor Lord Li Tieren finished his demonstration, the Tongbei Fist appeared in Xu Yuan's techniques section. 

Moreover, Xu Yuan was surprised to find that his memory had become exceptionally sharp. 

He could vividly recall every detail of Li Tieren's demonstration, as if he were watching a video replay. 

Of course, this only meant he remembered the visuals; his body couldn't yet perform the moves skillfully. 

Even so, this ability was something to be happy about. 

On the platform, Manor Lord Li Tieren demonstrated the first three moves three times before stepping down. 

The apprentices reluctantly left, preparing to eat breakfast and start their work. 

Some apprentices couldn't help but mimic the moves as they walked, eager to master them as quickly as possible. 

"Hey, Xu Yuan, do you think we'll reach the first level of Body Forging in three months?" 

At that moment, Lin Chuan approached Xu Yuan with a curious expression. 

Xu Yuan glanced at the information above Lin Chuan's head. 

[Name]: Lin Chuan 

[Age]: 14 

[Health]: 105 

After thinking for a moment, Xu Yuan cautiously replied, "It'll probably be quite difficult." 

He didn't want to outright discourage Lin Chuan, as putting in effort to learn martial arts was a good thing. 

Hearing Xu Yuan's uncertain tone, Lin Chuan patted his shoulder encouragingly and said, "Don't be afraid of difficulties! My dad always says, 'With enough effort, you can grind an iron rod into a needle!'" 

"As long as we work hard, we can definitely do it!" 

Seeing Lin Chuan's determination, Xu Yuan immediately encouraged him, "Yeah! Let's give it our all!" 

"Let's do it!" 

Lin Chuan nodded firmly. 

The two then headed together toward the small courtyard where meals were served. 

As soon as they entered the backyard, Xu Yuan caught the scent of food. 

His stomach growled loudly. 

Xu Yuan quickly joined the line. 

After waiting patiently for a few minutes, it was finally his turn. 

The cook handed him a bowl of stew and two cornbread buns. 

Xu Yuan found a less crowded spot, squatted down, and began devouring his meal. 

Although the food here was unlimited, it was mostly plain stew and cornbread, with little to no meat. 

If you wanted meat, you had to go to the small canteen next door and pay for it. The cheapest meat pie cost five copper coins. 

With an apprentice's monthly allowance of thirty copper coins, you could only afford a few meat pies each month to satisfy your craving for meat. 

After finishing his meal, Xu Yuan realized he was only about 70% full. 

He immediately went back for a second serving and didn't stop until he was completely stuffed. 

After two servings, there was still no change in his attribute panel. 

His plan to quickly accumulate attribute points through free meals had failed. 

To speed up the accumulation of attribute points, he would need to find a way to earn money. 

There were two feasible options: either reach the first level of Body Forging within three months or quickly advance to become a formal blacksmith. 

Both paths had their pros and cons. The former was high-risk but high-reward, while the latter was lower-risk but offered modest rewards. 

As for which path to choose, Xu Yuan would need to gather more information before making a decision. 

After placing his bowl and chopsticks in the designated wooden basin, Xu Yuan headed to the forging workshop to start his day's work. 

… 

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" 

Inside a large forging workshop, numerous furnaces emitted scorching heat. 

Despite the large windows on all sides, the sheer number of furnaces made the entire workshop unbearably hot. 

All the blacksmiths were shirtless, tirelessly swinging their hammers to forge iron blanks. 

Sweat dripped like beads from their faces, sizzling as it fell onto the red-hot furnaces. 

The workshop was filled with the constant clanging of metal. 

Beside one of the furnaces, a burly blacksmith with reddish skin, Chen Bingchu, rhythmically hammered a piece of iron. 

When the iron began to lose its glow, he used tongs to place it back into the furnace to reheat. 

Noticing that the furnace's flames were weakening, he immediately called out to the young apprentice operating the bellows. 

"Little Xu, more air!" 

"Yes, Master Chen!" 

Xu Yuan immediately pulled the bellows, causing the charcoal in the furnace to burn even more fiercely. 

Although Xu Yuan was drenched in sweat, his heart was filled with excitement. 

That's because his attribute panel had just undergone another change. 

A new ability had appeared in the skills section. 

[Forging]: 1st Realm—Novice (4/100) 

This discovery delighted Xu Yuan. 

Master Chen had only demonstrated the process once in front of him, and the panel had already recorded it. 

Moreover, every time he observed the process, his skill proficiency increased by one point. 

It was just like learning skills from a master in a game. 

Simply receiving guidance could increase skill proficiency. 

This discovery filled Xu Yuan with motivation. 

Currently, he was just a miscellaneous apprentice, responsible for tasks like operating the bellows and adding coal. 

Occasionally, he got to work on simple tools like kitchen knives and sickles. 

Once his forging skill reached the next level, he would be able to produce qualified sickles and farming tools. 

At that point, he would have the opportunity to formally study under a blacksmith, and his situation would improve significantly. 

This constant sense of progress gradually eased Xu Yuan's initial unease about having just transmigrated, making him feel more grounded.