「The next day.」
Ji Xiu rose bright and early. He counted out a string of one hundred large coins and put on his brown clothes, which had been washed nearly white.
He brought a few large flatbreads for Ji Wei, then hurried to the Lin Residence to feed and exercise the horses.
He then went to the edge of the Chai Market in the East County, found a butcher, and had two catties of pork cut. He also picked up two lively, thrashing black carp. Finally, he patted the money pouch tucked in his robes, making sure it was secure...
...only then did he go behind the Fire Kiln, into an old, smoke-stained alley, and knock on the gate of a place called 'Duan Residence'.
In terms of grandeur,
this place was certainly no match for the Anning Lin Residence, home to one of the County's wealthiest merchant families.
But it was still quite spacious, clearly the home of someone not lacking for money.
"Come in."
"The door's unlatched."
A vigorous voice rang out.
As Ji Xiu pushed the door open and stepped inside,
he saw a Martial Artist standing in a wide, packed-earth courtyard. The man's left sleeve was empty, his hair was streaked with gray, and he wore a purple silk robe. He was leaning on a saber with its tip dug into the sandy earth. Hearing the sound, he turned his head.
That one glance.
It made Ji Xiu's breath catch in his throat. He felt as if a lion or tiger had him fixed in its sights. If he made the slightest move... his head would be separated from his body.
Thoughts like lightning, pressure like a prison!
'Just from dozens of feet away, his presence makes it feel like I'm wading through a swamp just trying to lift my foot...?'
'So, this is a Martial Artist!'
Ji Xiu's heart pounded wildly, his eyes flashing.
But he didn't retreat or show fear. Instead, his gaze began to burn with even greater intensity.
The more intense it was,
the more thrilled he became...
This proved that he had come to the right place!
The Broken Arm Captain mentioned by the Lin Residence guard, Qin Biao, was indeed a formidable figure.
At the very least, from Ji Xiu's perspective, looking at Captain Duan was a completely different experience than looking at Qin Biao.
The latter felt like a mere 'Martial Hero', but this man was on the level of a 'Black Tortoise'!
'A Martial Artist like him... at his peak, he must have been at the Entry Grade Qin Biao mentioned!'
'I just wonder how far beyond it he went...'
Ji Xiu didn't know the divisions of the Martial Dao or the ranks of Martial Artists,
and Qin Biao was just a dabbler who couldn't properly explain concepts like 'Flesh, Bone, Skin, and Membrane' or 'Qi Cultivation Grandmaster'.
However, now that he was here, Ji Xiu was already seventy percent sure.
'If I'm lucky enough to learn a thing or two from a man like this, and then use my ability to 'advance' it a little...'
'...then everything will be like the clouds parting to reveal the sun!'
"Oh?"
Captain Duan, holding his saber with one arm, stood as straight as a pine with a torch-like gaze, wearing only a thin purple silk robe despite the early autumn chill.
He raised an eyebrow when he saw that Ji Xiu, far from being intimidated, had a fiery passion in his eyes.
He glanced at the pork and black carp in Ji Xiu's hands, then sized up the boy's gaunt frame and shabby clothes.
"Here to learn Martial Arts?"
he asked coolly.
Ji Xiu respectfully stepped over the threshold, bowed his head, and spoke with perfect etiquette:
"My name is Ji Xiu. I heard that Master Duan is accepting students and came here specifically, hoping to pursue Cultivation under your guidance!"
After he finished, he kept his head lowered, glancing around. He wanted to hand the gift he carried to a servant or perhaps an apprentice of Captain Duan's Residence.
But the surroundings were deserted, without a single person in sight, and he couldn't help but wonder:
'With his level of Martial Arts, shouldn't this place be packed with disciples serving tea and waiting on him?'
'Why is it...'
Before he could finish the thought,
"My skills are not for the mediocre."
"If you want to pay to learn my Art, you'll first hold your stance, then pass the Pile Skill trial. I need to gauge your foundation. If you're not good enough, if you don't meet the standard, then go back the way you came."
Captain Duan pulled his saber from the sand and sheathed it with one arm. He exhaled a puff of white mist into the cool air, his voice calm as he spoke.
'Just as I thought. He's aloof and doesn't care about money.'
Hearing this, Ji Xiu's heart tensed.
"I came prepared, Master Duan. Please..."
However, before he could finish,
a polite voice came from behind him:
"Excuse me, young man. Could you let me pass?"
A slender young man in sharp, practical attire walked past Ji Xiu and entered the courtyard.
As soon as he entered, he saw the items in Ji Xiu's hands and the saber-leaning Captain Duan, and he smiled.
"Well, bright and early. Looks like we have another prospective student."
"Good luck, friend."
"The name's Lu. Lu Yu. You could say I'm Master Duan's nominal apprentice. If you manage to pass, it'll just be the two of us. We'd be considered fellow disciples, in name at least."
Lu Yu saw that Ji Xiu's hands were full and kindly took the things from him, placing them in the kitchen off to the side for the time being.
Judging by his calm, steady movements and his long, even breaths, he was clearly a seasoned practitioner who had trained for many years. Ji Xiu guessed he came from a wealthy family.
'Only one nominal apprentice, and not a single one with the True Inheritance? Just how harsh is Captain Duan's test?'
As he was pondering, he saw Captain Duan take two steps forward. A heavy hand shot out and grabbed Ji Xiu's arm before he could even react.
'So fast!'
Captain Duan moved like a pouncing panther, a blur of motion that closed the distance in an instant.
In the next moment, Ji Xiu felt Captain Duan patting and prodding every joint in his body, from his arms and chest to his waist, abdomen, and legs!
In just a few breaths,
Ji Xiu felt as if his muscles had been loosened and his Qi and Blood invigorated.
A wave of soreness and relief washed over him.
Ji Xiu saw that Captain Duan had stopped and was looking him up and down again. The man's face darkened with a hint of disdain:
"Skin and bones, undeveloped tendons, and deficient Qi and Blood."
"What Martial Arts could someone like you possibly practice?"
"If I gave you a saber, I'd worry you'd cripple yourself. With a frail constitution like yours, won't you just work yourself to death trying to hold a stance or practice the Pile Skill?"
Ji Xiu looked embarrassed. 'It wasn't as if I wanted to be this way.'
'The problem is, I've only been here a few days and only managed to sneak a few mouthfuls of horse feed.'
'If I could get built like a bear on a daily diet of hard flatbread that makes me cry, now that would be a real miracle.'
"Er..."
"Master Duan, why not at least let the young man give it a try?"
Lu Yu, who was at the side, thought the same thing but decided to smooth things over.
He didn't think the young man before him could pass the trial.
If he really could...
...then Lu Yu wouldn't have been the only apprentice here for so long.
Captain Duan seemed to have lost interest.
But seeing Ji Xiu, with his head bowed, who had followed all the rules of etiquette and hadn't retreated a single step, he waved his hand.
"Fine."
"Then go and try."
With that, he pointed to a Plum Blossom Array to the west, near an empty horse trough. It was formed from dozens of Plum Blossom Posture posts of varying sizes and lengths driven into the sandy soil. He said:
"An undeveloped frame can be trained;"
"A frail body can be nurtured;"
"But if you want to become a Martial Artist—whether for Fist and Foot, Saber Technique, or Cultivating Force to reach Entry Grade—your Lower Body skill is paramount."
"If you can achieve Waist and Horse Unity, you're prime material for Martial Arts. You'll get twice the results with half the effort!"
"But that's an Innate Talent, a foundation that can only be forged through years of daily training."
"This is not the kind of place where I'll hold your hand and teach you Martial Arts."
"If you're qualified, I'll give you a lift. If you're not, then nothing can be done. It just means it wasn't meant to be."
"Now,"
"Jump onto those Plum Blossom Posture posts. First, hold a Horse Stance for fifteen minutes on two posts of unequal height. After that, walk two laps back and forth across them. You must step on every single post. Let me see what you're made of."
'Horse Stance... and walking the posts?'
'This... is the so-called 'trial'?'
Ji Xiu's heart trembled.
Then he remembered: just two days ago, after a long time spent training horses, he had finally achieved Great Success in his Horse Skill and comprehended the Trait: Waist and Horse Unity.
The moment he realized this was the exact same thing Captain Duan had just mentioned, his anxious heart suddenly calmed.
So, Ji Xiu cleared his mind and took a deep breath.
"Yes!"
'If... that's the case.'
'Then maybe, I really do have a chance!'
...
「Seven and a half minutes later!」
Captain Duan and Lu Yu stood side by side.
The former's eyes were slightly narrowed, watching the figure on the posts:
"It seems I've misjudged."
Following his gaze,
one could see Ji Xiu on the Plum Blossom Posture posts. Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead and his face twitched with effort. His fists were clenched at his waist as he held a shallow squat.
But even after standing for so long that his legs were aching and numb,
his figure remained motionless, like a deep-rooted ancient tree, seeming to merge as one with the posts!
In all the years,
since he had set up these posts,
this boy, Ji Xiu, was only the second person to be able to hold a stance and walk the posts to such a degree.
As for the first...
it was himself.
Holding a stance, walking the posts—it's not about how long you can stand. That's meaningless.
What matters is whether your waist, hips, shoulders, and legs can unite into a single stream of Force, moving as one!
This is the key to pursuing the path of a Martial Artist and honing External Skills!
It was hard to imagine how he had achieved such a level with such a frail body.
'The more stable the Lower Body, the faster and more ferocious one's saber work. Likewise, as long as he gets enough food, he'll be better able to develop his frame and go through Quenching to refine his body.'
'This Ji Xiu's background is clearly ordinary. To be able to do this much is already incredibly rare.'
'He didn't flinch from Master Duan's gaze, his temperament is resilient, his Lower Body is extremely stable, and he has long legs and broad shoulders—a very well-proportioned frame. With some polishing, once he fills out, he should be excellent material.'
'At least he's much better than those rich young masters from before, or those poor kids who clutched their money and came here to bet it all, only to turn out knowing nothing.'
'With a body like that, to hold the stance for seven and a half minutes through sheer willpower, until his legs feel like lead, is already amazing. If he tries to walk two laps, he might get hurt. Master Duan, maybe we should tell him to come down...?'
Lu Yu couldn't help but feel a little impressed.
If he hadn't trained in Martial Arts himself,
he was certain he could never have done this.
Feeling a pang of regret for a potential wasted talent, he turned to speak to Captain Duan, but...
TAP! TAP! TAP!
Before he could finish, the sound of feet tapping on the wooden posts echoed through the yard!
"Hm?"
Both of them looked toward the source of the sound at the same time.
And they saw——
When the fifteen minutes were up, Ji Xiu wasn't trembling or on the verge of falling.
Instead, he followed Captain Duan's instructions to the letter, instantly shifting from stillness to motion, his feet moving as if they had wings.
As his muscles and bones stretched, his feet danced, and his Qi and Blood surged.
This kid...
Not only did he not fall, but like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, he weaved through the dozens of posts, completing two full laps back and forth!
Then he leaped down, finishing the entire sequence in one breathtakingly fluid motion!
This flawless series of movements...
...also caused a subtle change in Captain Duan's eyes.
From the initial disdain and lack of interest,
to interest, and even...
...a hint of shock.
'Horse Stance, walking the posts.'
'The first part is simple, you can't tell much from it. But what he did after...'
'I've trained for so many years, and I'm only about that good myself.'
'But this boy's ability... it's definitely not from acquired training.'
'Innate 'Waist and Horse Unity'?'
'This proves his physical coordination is outstanding. And since Flesh, Bone, and Skin are internal, perhaps mastering them will be as easy for him as coordinating the power of his waist, abdomen, shoulders, and legs.'
'Lu Yu wasn't wrong. He really is good material!'
For a moment there,
he was tempted to take the boy as his own disciple and train him personally. 'Perhaps, given time...?'
'Heh, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm thinking too far ahead.'
'We'll talk again after he reaches Entry Grade.'
His gaze fell upon Ji Xiu, who had just leaped down from the Plum Blossom Posture posts and was now looking at him with eyes full of expectation.
Captain Duan's expression softened, and he nodded slightly.
"I was wrong to judge you by your appearance."
"You have taught me a lesson."
"Ji Xiu..."
He paused in thought for a long moment before pulling a manual from within his robes. The title was imprinted on the cover: *Celestial River Saber*!
Three simple words...
...but as soon as Ji Xiu, whose entire body ached, saw them from across the yard...
...his breathing grew ragged!
This...
Wasn't this the very thing he had worked so painstakingly and schemed so desperately to obtain!?