Chapter 649: Broaden Horizons

Yixing Town was familiar with holding the River God Festival.

The entire pier was crowded with people, vast like a black sea tide, noisy but not chaotic.

Fobbing off Xiang Fang Su with a few words, Liang Qu found Chen Chen Zhaoan and went to a village elder's residence as agreed.

In the center of the courtyard, the unmelted snow was piled in the corners, stained with a layer of dusty black edges, and the damp meltwater seeped into the stone slabs, blooming into water stains.

The young disciples of Yixing City who were named on the roster gathered in the courtyard, whispering to each other.

"Stand straight!"

Li Li Libo shouted.

Chen Chen Jiechang, Li Li Libo, and Lin Lin Songbao were also here, and they were touching the bones of the dozen or so people in the field to compare and register their grades.

Not a big deal.

Previously, Liang Qu and the Xu family agreed that part of the Jiao Silk proceeds would be transferred to the martial arts school, part as interest-free loans, and part as rewards, and the martial arts school would receive a few Yixing Town disciples every three months to learn martial arts for free.

Yixing Town's stall was now spread wide, but the old Yixing City people were definitely prioritized.

"Can't tell, you lad aren't bad. Heard you have a big appetite, the rice wasn't eaten in vain."

Li Li Libo touched and recorded a "Good" in the roster, patting his shoulder to encourage him.

The person being evaluated touched the back of his head and smiled honestly.

The remaining teenagers heard this and immediately crowded over, wanting to compare who was higher, and upon learning it was "Good," there were joys and sorrows.

"What are you doing, what are you doing? Look at your own, what does it have to do with you what others are like?"

Li Li Libo taught them a few lessons, dispersed the teenagers, and after the order in the courtyard was restored, ran to touch the next person.

Bone touching needs to be learned specifically. Ordinary wild-path martial artists don't really know much, but except for the five-flower-eight-gate martial bones that require a large amount of reading to identify, ordinary bone touching is not difficult to learn.

The three were daily "teaching assistants" in the martial arts school, with dozens of apprentices coming and going every month, men and women, seeing more, seeing more, they had long understood the doorway inside.

Bones are hard, the spine is straight, the proportions of the four limbs are not unbalanced, the joints are not stiff, the resilience is good, and the blood qi in the body flows without obvious stagnation, relatively smooth—basically, you can rate it as "Medium."

If on this basis, there are any unique advantages in the four limbs, such as long arms, mantis legs, tiger back, bear waist, wasp waist, crane shape, etc., as long as you occupy one, you can rate it as "Good."

If two to three advantage points are concentrated, it belongs to the upper class. Practicing suitable martial arts, the progress within the four gates is often more than twice as fast as the medium class.

Conversely, if the bones are crooked, or if there is insufficient blood qi by nature, you can only rate it as "Lower Class."

Judging by this.

Not talking about half-martial bones and martial bones, the threshold for learning martial arts is really not very high.

Without congenital incompleteness, bad habits leading to deformity, basically everyone can try it.

"Li Ge, Brother Chen, Brother Shui called us here, is there anything to do?"

The slightly older one in the crowd asked.

"Good thing!" Li Li Libo raised his head, his face showing emotion. "You lads have caught up with good times. If Brother Shui had made his fortune two years earlier, it's hard to say if I wouldn't have had to pay to learn martial arts."

When Liang Qu first found him and asked which martial arts school in Pingyang Town was good, the scene was still vivid in Li Li Libo's mind.

In a flash.

All the young people of the right age in the whole town could be selected to learn martial arts, and it didn't cost money!

It really is a change of times.

The crowd heard the implication and were very curious.

"Li Ge, do you know what it is?"

Li Li Libo raised his head.

"Lin Songbao, how does that saying go? One person what, chickens and dogs not peaceful?"

Lin Lin Songbao was speechless: "One person attains the Dao, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven!"

"Right, right, right, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Master Liang is kind-hearted. From now on, every three months, he will pick a few good seedlings from our town and send them to Master Yang's martial arts school to learn martial arts.

You lads have caught the light. If anyone has great success in the future, don't forget Master Liang's kindness, and don't forget your own fellow villagers, your own roots!

In the past, in our Yixing City, it wasn't that there weren't martial artists. Heh, how about it? One gate, two gates, once there was a way, they all moved to the town, and didn't even leave a hair behind!"

The crowd's eyes burst with light.

"No money?"

"No money!"

"Brother Shui!"

Liang Qu and Chen Chen Zhaoan crossed the threshold.

"Are they all touched clearly?"

"All set."

Li Li Libo took the roster from Chen Chen Jiechang and Lin Lin Songbao's hands.

Three copies of the roster were summarized.

Liang Qu browsed roughly.

A few lower class, mostly medium class, more good class than lower class, and two upper class in total.

Hearing Li Li Libo's words, the crowd already knew what to do, unconsciously straightening their chests and lifting their heads, hoping to be selected.

"Brother Shui, sit."

Lin Lin Songbao brought a chair.

Liang Qu sat down like a general, didn't exchange pleasantries, and directly called people forward one by one according to the bone-touching grade, asking a few questions.

For example, what is their own situation, can they endure hardship if they go to the martial arts school, can they endure their temper.

With the "Ear-Knowing Method," it's not too difficult to hear if a person's heart is sincere or not.

Basically the same as what Chen Chen Zhaoan said.

However.

Mostly sons of farmers and fishermen, where would they know any disguise? They grew up wearing open-crotch pants, peeing and playing with mud. Who doesn't know who?

There is not much difference before and after people.

After judging.

Considering age and bone-touching grade, Liang Qu selected the first batch of five disciples.

Of the five selected, four were excited.

Only one had a nervous face.

Li Li Libo had sharp eyes: "You aren't happy?"

"Brother Shui, my father is in poor health. If I go to the martial arts school for three months, there will be no one to do the work at home..."

Liang Qu looked at Lin Lin Songbao.

Lin Lin Songbao leaned over: "Chen Asan's mother had a difficult labor when giving birth to him, leaving behind a disease. She died two months after giving birth to his second brother. His father worked hard and fell ill. He is raising three little brothers by himself, and his health has always been poor."

"I see."

Liang Qu swept a circle, the teenagers didn't dare to look directly, lowering their heads.

A Galloping Horse martial artist opens nine apertures, and their temperament is very different from ordinary people, not to mention Liang Qu has many legendary deeds added to him. Ordinary villagers don't dare to look directly at him at all.

"Those not selected, don't be discouraged. Right now it's just the first batch; there are second, third, and fourth batches later."

After speaking.

Liang Qu drew with an ink brush, picking out ten people for the second and third batches one after another.

"It's inconvenient for Chen Asan to learn martial arts. You ten, take time to help. Those who perform well will be prioritized for the second batch, three months early."

As soon as these words came out, the teenagers in the field were all excited.

Liang Qu originally wanted to give a few taels of silver directly, but after thinking about it, it was better to change the method.

Ten people helping, Chen Asan also had fewer worries in his heart, thanking him repeatedly. If Liang Qu hadn't stopped him, he would almost have kowtowed.

"Man proposes, God disposes. Once you go to the martial arts school, use your heart well."

"Brother Shui, rest assured!"

Evening.

Water beasts returned to Pingyang one after another, and seeing the smell of blood on the pier, they shuddered.

The Shangrao Pier sacrifice was not finished, and a three-masted large ship slowly docked from west to east.

"Liang Ashui!"

Yang Xu and others waved from the bow.

"Master Brother! Second Master Brother!"

Liang Qu came to the pier, didn't wait for the ship to dock, stepped and leaped, and jumped onto the deck.

Looking around.

"Master, Master's Wife?"

"Don't look, they didn't come back." Xu Xu Zishuai carried large and small bags and walked out of the cabin. "Master and Master's Wife knew from the letter that you were going to the Imperial Capital. Master Brother and Second Master Brother all have official duties, so it's not good to stay long, so they let us come back first. They are staying at the Xu family for the New Year and will return in the second month."

"What about you?" Liang Qu stepped forward to help. "Not staying in Huangzhou for the New Year?"

"Us?"

Xu Xu Zishuai grinned.

"Heh, Master and Master's Wife said, let us go to the Imperial Capital with you to broaden our horizons!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 650 =====